Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Odd Couple ❯ No More Hiding ( Chapter 17 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: dharmaserenity 
Can Vegeta get to Goku in time to save Goku's life?
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 05.28.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
Can Vegeta get to Goku in time to save Goku's life?
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 05.28.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.2K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
The Odd Couple, Chapter 17 by DharmaSerenity
Email: lilith8@adelphia.net
NC17 rating. -- be warned -- extremely graphic content. Warning: this is a YAOI FIC (male x male), my first Gk x V fic!.
Spoilers: everything up to the last episode of DBZ. This takes place before, and thus, negates DBGT.
I don't own DBZ or make any money from this story.
The story over all contains sexual situations between men, violence, and psychological melodrama
Here are the first 16 chapters:
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/87402/
Hope you like it, and please, let me know what you think! Thanks for all the nice reviews, guys!!
Chapter 17 - No More Hiding
Vegeta flew as fast as possible, not even bothering with his tent flap; he just burst through and dragged half the tent with him. The only moment he spared was to grab his Saiyan armor before he left. He fumbled with it as he flew and produced the senzu beans, both synthetic and natural, that had been tucked into an inner pocket. Vegeta clutched them in his hands as he made it to Goku’s tent within what seemed a millisecond, yet still too long a lapse of time in Vegeta’s mind.
Vegeta saw a bleeding and dying Tomaron at the tent’s entrance and didn’t give him a second glance as he rushed inside Goku’s tent. Vegeta, upon seeing Goku, knew immediately, that yes, every second counted.
Goku lay in a growing puddle of his own blood, blood soaking into the white furs beneath him. Goku would occasionally flail a hand about, his eyes circling in his head.
Vegeta felt a horrible lump of despair and fear gather in his throat as he fumbled with the synthetic bean’s pen casing. He didn’t bother with the natural one’s as there was no way that Goku would even be able to swallow one. As Vegeta flicked off the cap, trying not to look at Goku’s throat as he did so, he slammed the injection into Goku’s upper arm and prayed that it would work. Bulma had been working on the synthetic beans for years, and he knew that they worked on minor injuries, Vegeta having acted as her guinea pig in testing the beans over the years. But would they stop Goku from dying?
Vegeta stared at Goku with fear and open sorrow evident on his face. He saw Goku looking at him with a glimmer of hope in his eyes even though he was very weak from all the blood he had lost.
Vegeta could smell the attacker’s essence in the air around them, but ignored it for now. It was obvious the attacker had left through the damaged smoke hole in the tent.
Nardon had stopped outside in front of Tomaron’s dying body and then jumped into the tent.
Goku flicked his eyes from Vegeta over to Nardon and then flailed his hand in that direction, looking at Vegeta. He did it a couple of times more and Vegeta finally realized what he was trying to communicate -- save Tomaron.
Vegeta didn’t even have time to wonder how Goku knew about Tomaron in a similar state nearby but just yelled, “All right!”
Vegeta hopped up and went over to Tomaron, who was at the brink of death. He slammed the synthetic bean into Tomaron’s upper arm and promptly left him.
“Take care of him,” Vegeta shot to Nardon.
Vegeta glanced at Goku in earnest as he returned to him and was almost rapturously happy to see that the open wound on Goku’s throat was starting to knit together.
“Come on! Work!”
Vegeta glanced at the furs beneath him and found another synth bean. He was about to ram it home when Goku flailed his arm again to get Vegeta’s attention.
Vegeta’s face grew incredulous as he slammed the injection into Goku’s arm. “I don’t care if you don’t like shots, idiot!”
Vegeta could see that the bleeding was near an end, but hoped it wasn’t because Goku had nothing left to bleed. Then Vegeta almost barfed as he saw vocal chords and blood vessels knit together just before the skin at Goku’s throat started to press together and close.
Nardon came over, looking ill, having seen a similar sight in Tomaron’s throat himself.
Speaking of Tomaron, Nardon said, “I think he needs another one.”
Vegeta handed Nardon the last synth bean without even glancing at him, his eyes were only for Goku. If Goku wouldn’t survive after two of those, then giving away the last synth bean wouldn’t matter anyway.
Vegeta felt his body tremble as he saw the last bit of skin seal together on Goku’s throat. As soon as it did, Goku sat up, choking and coughing. Vegeta rubbed his back, happy to hear Goku gasping for breath. If Vegeta hadn’t been startled out of sleep by intuition as he had been, Goku would probably have bled to death. Goku held onto Vegeta as he tried to get past the dry choking feeling as the rest of his throat healed within him.
Vegeta sensing that Goku would be all right, finally opened his senses to the room around him.
Vegeta could smell him.
Vegeta glanced up at the ripped open smoke-hole in Goku’s tent, the point of escape for Goku’s attacker.
Tomaron was choking in similar fashion, Nardon sitting with him. Nardon looked at Vegeta.
Vegeta nodded.
There was no doubt in their minds as to who did this.
Goku sucked in breath, finally calming from his choking. His face was tear-streaked as he glanced up at Vegeta.
Goku flinched at the sight that met him.
Vegeta stood, murder written all over his face.
In all the time that Goku had known Vegeta, in all that they had been through together, he had never seen him look as angry and hate-filled as he did now.
Vegeta radiated anger in a swell around him and Goku saw Nardon glance up at him in nervous fear. Tomaron was too busy trying to catch his breath to notice, clutching Nardon for support.
Goku, still clutching at his sore throat, attempted to speak but was taken over in a fit of coughing again.
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Vegeta had closed his eyes, and was trying to pick up any traces of Kakarotto’s ki, his mind completely focused on that one goal. His every sense was tuned to find the bastard that did this.
A tiny shiver in his nerve endings finally told him where Kakarotto was.
There was a blue flash and an angry roar and Vegeta tore through what remained of the tent’s smoke-hole in search of Kakarotto.
* * *
Nardon came over to Goku for a moment. Goku swallowed then cleared his throat a bit, his throat sore and in pain, before he spoke.
“It was Kakarotto.”
“I thought it might be. I wouldn’t want to be Kakarotto now for anything.”
Goku gave Nardon a worried smile. Goku didn’t like the look he had seen in Vegeta’s eyes.
Goku looked over at Tomaron, who was bracing himself in an upright position on the ground.
Goku rasped, “Tomaron, are you ok?”
Tomaron nodded, still unable to speak. Tomaron was suffering from shock, unused to anything like a senzu bean, or nearly being killed for that matter.
Tomaron managed to give Goku a wan smile.
Goku got to his feet, much to Nardon’s protest.
“I’ve got to make sure Vegeta’s going to be OK.”
* * *
Vegeta flared into Super Saiyan form, which heightened his keen senses all the more. He trained all his thought on that one point of ki that had a stench to it like no other.
Kakarotto.
As Vegeta neared, he felt the ki bottle itself up as it tried to conceal itself. Cursing, Vegeta realized that Kakarotto masked his ki again, this time in answer to sensing Vegeta’s impending ki. Kakarotto knew he was being pursued.
Vegeta stopped, as angry as he was, he didn’t want to throw a tantrum and lose Kakarotto. Vegeta stilled his mind. He hovered in the air, eyes closed, his senses trained outward, trying to catch anything he could.
Vegeta’s head snapped up -- he detected someone all right. It wasn’t Kakarotto, but it was just as good.
Vegeta blasted towards the shoreline in pursuit of Raddoon.
* * *
Raddoon had stopped his pacing long ago, afraid even to move. He sat on the shoreline, staring at the stars reflected in the river’s glassy surface.
Was this all a mistake? Should they have just let it all alone? Should he have cooperated with the Vegitsen’s plans for the cities?
Once again, Raddoon feared that he was of being used, manipulated and fooled so easily by his lover.
At the last moment, before a strong hand closed over his throat from behind, Raddoon had thought it was his lover that approached. But the menace in the embrace immediately told him otherwise.
“Waiting for someone?”
The deadly tone of voice told Raddoon that his life was over.
* * *
Vegeta, as he had approached with his ki masked, saw the Radditsen leader sitting on the shoreline, obviously waiting for Kakarotto.
Vegeta thought about his own lover, and how easily he could have lost Goku forever.
Something happened to Vegeta. He managed to contain his ki and his reaction, so that he channeled his rage inward. It was so unlike the Saiyan Prince, but Vegeta was determined to get these two for what they did and to make sure that there wouldn’t be another chance for them to try to kill Goku.
Always before, Vegeta had given into rage, acting without thinking, acting boldly with little regard for the outcome. But getting Kakarotto and Raddoon was everything to Vegeta at the moment, so he contained his rage, which was still no less potent within him.
As Vegeta stared at Raddoon’s back, a fire burned within him, ready to be unleashed. Once Vegeta made his presence known, his hand firmly clasped around Raddoon’s throat, Vegeta gave into his anger. A power like no other surged through Vegeta, cowering the whimpering Raddoon in Vegeta’s embrace.
* * *
Kakarotto sensed the flair of power in the horrendous, murderous ki that had pursued him, just as he felt the flair of fear in his lover. Kakarotto gritted his teeth, turning to fly in the other direction as fast as he could to make his escape.
But something stopped Kakarotto.
Kakarotto turned back to regard the shoreline, knowing his lover was facing his death.
Kakarotto remembered the happiness in Raddoon’s eyes that morning as he had woken him to make love.
Kakarotto knew that Raddoon had come because he had asked him to and would not now be here otherwise. And for the first time in Kakarotto’s life, he felt empathy for another person’s plight.
Kakarotto made his way to the shoreline and to his own death.
* * *
Goku, standing on shaking legs, put out his senses and felt Kakarotto’s hateful ki making its way to the shoreline. Goku would have pursued him himself, had it not been for his weakened state.
Goku looked down at the senzu bean in his hand. He chewed on it, hoping a natural one would restore him to full health. The synthetic one had saved his life, but had not restored his lost blood and still, despite escaping death, Goku felt weakened as if there were something off in the chemical concoction.
Many other Saiyans were gathered outside the tent in response to the whole commotion. Soon Vegit made his way over and was filled in by Nardon as to what had happened.
Goku felt the same angry flair in Vegeta’s ki burst to life again. The power was overwhelming and Goku noted that a few other Saiyans in the growing crowd sensed it too, fear evident in their dark eyes.
* * *
Vegeta dragged Raddoon through the air by his hair alone. Vegeta stopped to meet the oncoming Kakarotto, high above a line of forest that separated the camp from the river.
Vegeta, dangling Raddoon from his long locks, stared at a grim Kakarotto with murder in his eyes.
Seeing Kakarotto pushed Vegeta over the edge.
* * *
In one moment, Goku felt a wave of hatred and anger in a swell of ki that threatened to rob him of breath. Goku, in his reaction saw that many other Saiyans caught the same sensation.
In the next moment, a fireball hurtled through the sky to bury itself in a large crater twenty feet from them.
All the Saiyans gathered ran or flew to the crater. Goku followed in the crowd and was not too surprised to find Kakarotto lying at the bottom of the crater, injured, trying in vain to get to his feet.
Goku looked up at the sky and his breath caught in his throat.
It was as if Vegeta’s whole body was ablaze, his hair one long fiery mane.
Goku stared at Vegeta, afraid that the Saiyan Prince would lose control in his rage -- in this new form.
Vegeta roared like a feral beast and rocketed towards Kakarotto, throwing Raddoon aside like a rag doll, and robbing the Saiyan assassin of wind as his head collided with Kakarotto’s midsection. Then Vegeta proceeded to beat Kakarotto, pummeling him about, whacking him through tents, into piles of firewood and cooking pots, tunneling grooves in the earth with the force with which he would bat Kakarotto around.
At one point, Goku saw Kakarotto fly past, or, actually, tossed past, his body a bag of bones, the Saiyan assassin not even trying to fight. Goku realized that the fight had long been over. Vegeta was just playing with his catch at this point.
Vegeta landed, about to step on Kakarotto’s hand and grind it into the dirt with his boot when Vegeta heard Goku scream, “Vegeta! End it NOW!!”
Vegeta turned to regard Goku, seeing how worn out Goku was by the loss of blood. Goku implored Vegeta with his eyes.
“Please Vegeta! End it now!!”
Vegeta smirked at Goku and said, “All right.”
Vegeta turned to Kakarotto, who looked beyond pathetic. Blood streamed from his mouth, his jaw broken. He held himself up on his one good arm, the other crushed beyond recognition. One leg trailed behind him, broken in multiple places. It was Kakaroto’s strength alone that kept him alive at this point. But even he knew that his time had come.
Vegeta held his hand, palm up, facing Kakarotto. “Good bye.”
“NO!!”
A despondent wail broke through the hushed crowd, startling Vegeta from completing his finishing move. Raddoon, bleeding and injured, stumbled forward and threw himself on top of Kakarotto.
Raddoon looked up and glared defiance at Vegeta.
Vegeta smirked and completed the move, disintegrating the lovers in the heat of his attack. All that was left of them was a sooty smear at the bottom of a crater.
Vegeta would have laughed, had he not seen the solidarity between the two lovers at the very end, Raddoon’s fingers squeezing Kakarotto’s shoulder at the last moment. Vegeta knew that kind of bond.
Everyone stared in fear at the small warrior who glowed in a fiery blaze.
Vegeta glanced at Goku, looking at him to ascertain if he was truly all right. He walked toward Goku to have a closer look at the scar line that only a little while before was a gaping wound nearly costing Goku his life.
Vegeta stopped his advance when he saw the strange look in Goku’s eyes.
“Vegeta, you’re at Super Saiyan Three!”
Vegeta blinked at Goku, unable to comprehend what he was saying at first, the words not registering. Then, almost comically, the Saiyan Prince’s teal eyes bulged as he strained to see behind him, to have a glance at the long blond tresses draped down his back all the way past his tail.
So that was what had been tickling him every now and then as he fought.
Vegeta grabbed one long lock and stared at it in amazement. Then he really took the time to feel the power that coursed through his body. Vegeta had never felt such power before in his life.
Vegeta had been so blinded by his anger that he just didn’t sense the transformation, something that he had once wanted so badly. He had given up ever achieving it long ago.
Vegeta stared at Goku in shock, as Goku grinned at him.
The Prince smirked at the larger Saiyan and all the Saiyans around them breathed a sigh of relief.
* * *
Goku and Tomaron had the day off, after the attack from the night before -- they both needed time to recuperate. It was funny. The synthetic bean’s did their trick in healing the wounds, but did not restore to them the blood they had lost, nor the energy they had before the attack. Taking the real beans afterward had proved ineffective. Goku was annoyed to note that he had a scar line across his throat and wondered if it would ever fade with time.
Both Goku and Tomaron were just getting back from a meeting with their students where they just talked over some techniques. They were headed to the meal tent to have an early dinner so that they could retire to Tomaron’s tent for the night, Goku’s new tent not yet ready. Goku hadn’t been in a rush to restore it, disappointed to not have seen anything of the Saiyan Prince all day -- if he couldn’t share a tent with Vegeta, Goku just didn’t care where he slept.
Goku felt a weird tug inside him, the third he had felt for the last half hour and thought again of Vegeta and how he had annihilated Kakarotto and Raddoon for what they had done to him. Goku took a few more steps, following Tomaron, when he felt the weird tug again.
Goku gasped.
It was a message -- a message that had been repeated to try to get his attention.
Goku stopped and looked towards the tug’s source, at the river’s shoreline. A small smile crept across Goku’s handsome face and a hopeful look lit in his dark eyes.
Tomaron stopped and asked, “Kakarot?”
Goku turned to Tomaron, smiling.
“Tomaron, I’ll have to catch dinner later. I’ve got to do something.”
Tomaron grinned, sensing what Goku had to go do. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Goku gave Tomaron a small smile before he took off in the air, testing out his weakened body in flight for the first time since the attack.
* * *
Goku landed, looking at the smaller warrior leaning against a tree.
Dusk was beginning to settle around the pair, as they regarded each other.
Goku had been elated when he realized that the repeated tug he had been feeling was an intentional signal from Vegeta to get Goku to meet him here. But now that Goku was here, after the hostility that had taken place between them, Goku didn’t know what to say.
Goku waited to see what Vegeta would do or say. Vegeta closed his eyes as if the Saiyan Prince intended to ignore Goku. But a small smile played at his lips and Goku felt reassured.
Vegeta opened his eyes. He didn’t look as confident as he regarded Goku in silence.
Goku let Vegeta see the pain and frustration of his situation and he heard something click in Vegeta’s throat as the Saiyan Prince yanked his head away. It was as if merely looking at Goku hurt him.
Goku felt defeated once more, and was tempted to turn and fly off if this was just going to be like all the other times he had run into the Saiyan Prince over the last week and a half.
Vegeta cleared his throat, halting Goku’s departure. Goku regarded Vegeta again, Vegeta’s head turned away showing off his strong, proud neck and chiseled jaw. The mere sight caused a yearning pain within Goku.
Vegeta closed his eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”
Goku blinked at Vegeta as if he hadn’t heard him right.
When Goku said nothing, Vegeta turned his dark stare on Goku. Then he shouted, “I’M SORRY!”
Goku blinked, but said nothing. The Saiyan Prince groaned in frustration, balling a fist at his side.
“I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted. I’m sorry for the things I said to you. I didn’t mean any of them.”
Goku just stared at Vegeta, not believing what he was hearing. Goku couldn’t recall a time when Vegeta apologized for anything, at least, not directly to him.
In frustration, Vegeta asked Goku, “Well?”
“Thank you.” Goku said it hurriedly, still unsure what to do.
Vegeta, a slight blush to his handsome cheeks, crossed his arms and looked off to the side, having trouble meeting Goku’s eyes.
But then his eyes, almost of their own, slid their way back to stare at Goku.
Goku’s dark eyes narrowed slightly in intensity, meeting Vegeta’s.
Vegeta’s breath quickened, as he heard his own heartbeat hammer in his chest.
Goku saw Vegeta’s tail swish from side to side, not in a playful manner, but in agitation. At first, the movement confused Goku, but then Goku looked in Vegeta’s eyes, the look and intention there unmistakable.
Hunger, need and passion grew palpable in the air between them.
Before Goku even knew what he was doing, he flew towards the Saiyan Prince and was upon him and in an embrace so tight, so hunger filled that he thought his heart would stop.
The two Saiyans gnashed their faces together in rough kisses, moans and growls tearing from their throats as they started to rip at each other’s leather clothing. Fingers dug into flesh, red rivulets flowing in haste and primal need as the Saiyans clawed the clothing, tiny piece after tiny piece from each other. As more flesh was exposed, it glistened in the colors of sunset reflecting off sweating skin, as blood dripping down caught the sun in its descent.
The two Saiyans pulled apart to catch their breath, smiling at each other.
Vegeta and Goku wanted it all so very badly, so much so that anyone seeing them now would think that the pair had been in another bloody battle against each other. That is, until they saw their rock hard needs fully exposed through the remnants of their clothing.
Vegeta smirked at Goku, Goku staring down at Vegeta in excitement.
They kissed again, both Saiyan’s purring their lust for each other...
To be continued (at the exact point where they left off ~_^)
Click here for the illustration of this scene, art by the talented Rena Sama, titled Bloody Reconciliation:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/janaleigh/1.jpg
Email: lilith8@adelphia.net
NC17 rating. -- be warned -- extremely graphic content. Warning: this is a YAOI FIC (male x male), my first Gk x V fic!.
Spoilers: everything up to the last episode of DBZ. This takes place before, and thus, negates DBGT.
I don't own DBZ or make any money from this story.
The story over all contains sexual situations between men, violence, and psychological melodrama
Here are the first 16 chapters:
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/87402/
Hope you like it, and please, let me know what you think! Thanks for all the nice reviews, guys!!
Chapter 17 - No More Hiding
Vegeta flew as fast as possible, not even bothering with his tent flap; he just burst through and dragged half the tent with him. The only moment he spared was to grab his Saiyan armor before he left. He fumbled with it as he flew and produced the senzu beans, both synthetic and natural, that had been tucked into an inner pocket. Vegeta clutched them in his hands as he made it to Goku’s tent within what seemed a millisecond, yet still too long a lapse of time in Vegeta’s mind.
Vegeta saw a bleeding and dying Tomaron at the tent’s entrance and didn’t give him a second glance as he rushed inside Goku’s tent. Vegeta, upon seeing Goku, knew immediately, that yes, every second counted.
Goku lay in a growing puddle of his own blood, blood soaking into the white furs beneath him. Goku would occasionally flail a hand about, his eyes circling in his head.
Vegeta felt a horrible lump of despair and fear gather in his throat as he fumbled with the synthetic bean’s pen casing. He didn’t bother with the natural one’s as there was no way that Goku would even be able to swallow one. As Vegeta flicked off the cap, trying not to look at Goku’s throat as he did so, he slammed the injection into Goku’s upper arm and prayed that it would work. Bulma had been working on the synthetic beans for years, and he knew that they worked on minor injuries, Vegeta having acted as her guinea pig in testing the beans over the years. But would they stop Goku from dying?
Vegeta stared at Goku with fear and open sorrow evident on his face. He saw Goku looking at him with a glimmer of hope in his eyes even though he was very weak from all the blood he had lost.
Vegeta could smell the attacker’s essence in the air around them, but ignored it for now. It was obvious the attacker had left through the damaged smoke hole in the tent.
Nardon had stopped outside in front of Tomaron’s dying body and then jumped into the tent.
Goku flicked his eyes from Vegeta over to Nardon and then flailed his hand in that direction, looking at Vegeta. He did it a couple of times more and Vegeta finally realized what he was trying to communicate -- save Tomaron.
Vegeta didn’t even have time to wonder how Goku knew about Tomaron in a similar state nearby but just yelled, “All right!”
Vegeta hopped up and went over to Tomaron, who was at the brink of death. He slammed the synthetic bean into Tomaron’s upper arm and promptly left him.
“Take care of him,” Vegeta shot to Nardon.
Vegeta glanced at Goku in earnest as he returned to him and was almost rapturously happy to see that the open wound on Goku’s throat was starting to knit together.
“Come on! Work!”
Vegeta glanced at the furs beneath him and found another synth bean. He was about to ram it home when Goku flailed his arm again to get Vegeta’s attention.
Vegeta’s face grew incredulous as he slammed the injection into Goku’s arm. “I don’t care if you don’t like shots, idiot!”
Vegeta could see that the bleeding was near an end, but hoped it wasn’t because Goku had nothing left to bleed. Then Vegeta almost barfed as he saw vocal chords and blood vessels knit together just before the skin at Goku’s throat started to press together and close.
Nardon came over, looking ill, having seen a similar sight in Tomaron’s throat himself.
Speaking of Tomaron, Nardon said, “I think he needs another one.”
Vegeta handed Nardon the last synth bean without even glancing at him, his eyes were only for Goku. If Goku wouldn’t survive after two of those, then giving away the last synth bean wouldn’t matter anyway.
Vegeta felt his body tremble as he saw the last bit of skin seal together on Goku’s throat. As soon as it did, Goku sat up, choking and coughing. Vegeta rubbed his back, happy to hear Goku gasping for breath. If Vegeta hadn’t been startled out of sleep by intuition as he had been, Goku would probably have bled to death. Goku held onto Vegeta as he tried to get past the dry choking feeling as the rest of his throat healed within him.
Vegeta sensing that Goku would be all right, finally opened his senses to the room around him.
Vegeta could smell him.
Vegeta glanced up at the ripped open smoke-hole in Goku’s tent, the point of escape for Goku’s attacker.
Tomaron was choking in similar fashion, Nardon sitting with him. Nardon looked at Vegeta.
Vegeta nodded.
There was no doubt in their minds as to who did this.
Goku sucked in breath, finally calming from his choking. His face was tear-streaked as he glanced up at Vegeta.
Goku flinched at the sight that met him.
Vegeta stood, murder written all over his face.
In all the time that Goku had known Vegeta, in all that they had been through together, he had never seen him look as angry and hate-filled as he did now.
Vegeta radiated anger in a swell around him and Goku saw Nardon glance up at him in nervous fear. Tomaron was too busy trying to catch his breath to notice, clutching Nardon for support.
Goku, still clutching at his sore throat, attempted to speak but was taken over in a fit of coughing again.
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Vegeta had closed his eyes, and was trying to pick up any traces of Kakarotto’s ki, his mind completely focused on that one goal. His every sense was tuned to find the bastard that did this.
A tiny shiver in his nerve endings finally told him where Kakarotto was.
There was a blue flash and an angry roar and Vegeta tore through what remained of the tent’s smoke-hole in search of Kakarotto.
* * *
Nardon came over to Goku for a moment. Goku swallowed then cleared his throat a bit, his throat sore and in pain, before he spoke.
“It was Kakarotto.”
“I thought it might be. I wouldn’t want to be Kakarotto now for anything.”
Goku gave Nardon a worried smile. Goku didn’t like the look he had seen in Vegeta’s eyes.
Goku looked over at Tomaron, who was bracing himself in an upright position on the ground.
Goku rasped, “Tomaron, are you ok?”
Tomaron nodded, still unable to speak. Tomaron was suffering from shock, unused to anything like a senzu bean, or nearly being killed for that matter.
Tomaron managed to give Goku a wan smile.
Goku got to his feet, much to Nardon’s protest.
“I’ve got to make sure Vegeta’s going to be OK.”
* * *
Vegeta flared into Super Saiyan form, which heightened his keen senses all the more. He trained all his thought on that one point of ki that had a stench to it like no other.
Kakarotto.
As Vegeta neared, he felt the ki bottle itself up as it tried to conceal itself. Cursing, Vegeta realized that Kakarotto masked his ki again, this time in answer to sensing Vegeta’s impending ki. Kakarotto knew he was being pursued.
Vegeta stopped, as angry as he was, he didn’t want to throw a tantrum and lose Kakarotto. Vegeta stilled his mind. He hovered in the air, eyes closed, his senses trained outward, trying to catch anything he could.
Vegeta’s head snapped up -- he detected someone all right. It wasn’t Kakarotto, but it was just as good.
Vegeta blasted towards the shoreline in pursuit of Raddoon.
* * *
Raddoon had stopped his pacing long ago, afraid even to move. He sat on the shoreline, staring at the stars reflected in the river’s glassy surface.
Was this all a mistake? Should they have just let it all alone? Should he have cooperated with the Vegitsen’s plans for the cities?
Once again, Raddoon feared that he was of being used, manipulated and fooled so easily by his lover.
At the last moment, before a strong hand closed over his throat from behind, Raddoon had thought it was his lover that approached. But the menace in the embrace immediately told him otherwise.
“Waiting for someone?”
The deadly tone of voice told Raddoon that his life was over.
* * *
Vegeta, as he had approached with his ki masked, saw the Radditsen leader sitting on the shoreline, obviously waiting for Kakarotto.
Vegeta thought about his own lover, and how easily he could have lost Goku forever.
Something happened to Vegeta. He managed to contain his ki and his reaction, so that he channeled his rage inward. It was so unlike the Saiyan Prince, but Vegeta was determined to get these two for what they did and to make sure that there wouldn’t be another chance for them to try to kill Goku.
Always before, Vegeta had given into rage, acting without thinking, acting boldly with little regard for the outcome. But getting Kakarotto and Raddoon was everything to Vegeta at the moment, so he contained his rage, which was still no less potent within him.
As Vegeta stared at Raddoon’s back, a fire burned within him, ready to be unleashed. Once Vegeta made his presence known, his hand firmly clasped around Raddoon’s throat, Vegeta gave into his anger. A power like no other surged through Vegeta, cowering the whimpering Raddoon in Vegeta’s embrace.
* * *
Kakarotto sensed the flair of power in the horrendous, murderous ki that had pursued him, just as he felt the flair of fear in his lover. Kakarotto gritted his teeth, turning to fly in the other direction as fast as he could to make his escape.
But something stopped Kakarotto.
Kakarotto turned back to regard the shoreline, knowing his lover was facing his death.
Kakarotto remembered the happiness in Raddoon’s eyes that morning as he had woken him to make love.
Kakarotto knew that Raddoon had come because he had asked him to and would not now be here otherwise. And for the first time in Kakarotto’s life, he felt empathy for another person’s plight.
Kakarotto made his way to the shoreline and to his own death.
* * *
Goku, standing on shaking legs, put out his senses and felt Kakarotto’s hateful ki making its way to the shoreline. Goku would have pursued him himself, had it not been for his weakened state.
Goku looked down at the senzu bean in his hand. He chewed on it, hoping a natural one would restore him to full health. The synthetic one had saved his life, but had not restored his lost blood and still, despite escaping death, Goku felt weakened as if there were something off in the chemical concoction.
Many other Saiyans were gathered outside the tent in response to the whole commotion. Soon Vegit made his way over and was filled in by Nardon as to what had happened.
Goku felt the same angry flair in Vegeta’s ki burst to life again. The power was overwhelming and Goku noted that a few other Saiyans in the growing crowd sensed it too, fear evident in their dark eyes.
* * *
Vegeta dragged Raddoon through the air by his hair alone. Vegeta stopped to meet the oncoming Kakarotto, high above a line of forest that separated the camp from the river.
Vegeta, dangling Raddoon from his long locks, stared at a grim Kakarotto with murder in his eyes.
Seeing Kakarotto pushed Vegeta over the edge.
* * *
In one moment, Goku felt a wave of hatred and anger in a swell of ki that threatened to rob him of breath. Goku, in his reaction saw that many other Saiyans caught the same sensation.
In the next moment, a fireball hurtled through the sky to bury itself in a large crater twenty feet from them.
All the Saiyans gathered ran or flew to the crater. Goku followed in the crowd and was not too surprised to find Kakarotto lying at the bottom of the crater, injured, trying in vain to get to his feet.
Goku looked up at the sky and his breath caught in his throat.
It was as if Vegeta’s whole body was ablaze, his hair one long fiery mane.
Goku stared at Vegeta, afraid that the Saiyan Prince would lose control in his rage -- in this new form.
Vegeta roared like a feral beast and rocketed towards Kakarotto, throwing Raddoon aside like a rag doll, and robbing the Saiyan assassin of wind as his head collided with Kakarotto’s midsection. Then Vegeta proceeded to beat Kakarotto, pummeling him about, whacking him through tents, into piles of firewood and cooking pots, tunneling grooves in the earth with the force with which he would bat Kakarotto around.
At one point, Goku saw Kakarotto fly past, or, actually, tossed past, his body a bag of bones, the Saiyan assassin not even trying to fight. Goku realized that the fight had long been over. Vegeta was just playing with his catch at this point.
Vegeta landed, about to step on Kakarotto’s hand and grind it into the dirt with his boot when Vegeta heard Goku scream, “Vegeta! End it NOW!!”
Vegeta turned to regard Goku, seeing how worn out Goku was by the loss of blood. Goku implored Vegeta with his eyes.
“Please Vegeta! End it now!!”
Vegeta smirked at Goku and said, “All right.”
Vegeta turned to Kakarotto, who looked beyond pathetic. Blood streamed from his mouth, his jaw broken. He held himself up on his one good arm, the other crushed beyond recognition. One leg trailed behind him, broken in multiple places. It was Kakaroto’s strength alone that kept him alive at this point. But even he knew that his time had come.
Vegeta held his hand, palm up, facing Kakarotto. “Good bye.”
“NO!!”
A despondent wail broke through the hushed crowd, startling Vegeta from completing his finishing move. Raddoon, bleeding and injured, stumbled forward and threw himself on top of Kakarotto.
Raddoon looked up and glared defiance at Vegeta.
Vegeta smirked and completed the move, disintegrating the lovers in the heat of his attack. All that was left of them was a sooty smear at the bottom of a crater.
Vegeta would have laughed, had he not seen the solidarity between the two lovers at the very end, Raddoon’s fingers squeezing Kakarotto’s shoulder at the last moment. Vegeta knew that kind of bond.
Everyone stared in fear at the small warrior who glowed in a fiery blaze.
Vegeta glanced at Goku, looking at him to ascertain if he was truly all right. He walked toward Goku to have a closer look at the scar line that only a little while before was a gaping wound nearly costing Goku his life.
Vegeta stopped his advance when he saw the strange look in Goku’s eyes.
“Vegeta, you’re at Super Saiyan Three!”
Vegeta blinked at Goku, unable to comprehend what he was saying at first, the words not registering. Then, almost comically, the Saiyan Prince’s teal eyes bulged as he strained to see behind him, to have a glance at the long blond tresses draped down his back all the way past his tail.
So that was what had been tickling him every now and then as he fought.
Vegeta grabbed one long lock and stared at it in amazement. Then he really took the time to feel the power that coursed through his body. Vegeta had never felt such power before in his life.
Vegeta had been so blinded by his anger that he just didn’t sense the transformation, something that he had once wanted so badly. He had given up ever achieving it long ago.
Vegeta stared at Goku in shock, as Goku grinned at him.
The Prince smirked at the larger Saiyan and all the Saiyans around them breathed a sigh of relief.
* * *
Goku and Tomaron had the day off, after the attack from the night before -- they both needed time to recuperate. It was funny. The synthetic bean’s did their trick in healing the wounds, but did not restore to them the blood they had lost, nor the energy they had before the attack. Taking the real beans afterward had proved ineffective. Goku was annoyed to note that he had a scar line across his throat and wondered if it would ever fade with time.
Both Goku and Tomaron were just getting back from a meeting with their students where they just talked over some techniques. They were headed to the meal tent to have an early dinner so that they could retire to Tomaron’s tent for the night, Goku’s new tent not yet ready. Goku hadn’t been in a rush to restore it, disappointed to not have seen anything of the Saiyan Prince all day -- if he couldn’t share a tent with Vegeta, Goku just didn’t care where he slept.
Goku felt a weird tug inside him, the third he had felt for the last half hour and thought again of Vegeta and how he had annihilated Kakarotto and Raddoon for what they had done to him. Goku took a few more steps, following Tomaron, when he felt the weird tug again.
Goku gasped.
It was a message -- a message that had been repeated to try to get his attention.
Goku stopped and looked towards the tug’s source, at the river’s shoreline. A small smile crept across Goku’s handsome face and a hopeful look lit in his dark eyes.
Tomaron stopped and asked, “Kakarot?”
Goku turned to Tomaron, smiling.
“Tomaron, I’ll have to catch dinner later. I’ve got to do something.”
Tomaron grinned, sensing what Goku had to go do. “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Goku gave Tomaron a small smile before he took off in the air, testing out his weakened body in flight for the first time since the attack.
* * *
Goku landed, looking at the smaller warrior leaning against a tree.
Dusk was beginning to settle around the pair, as they regarded each other.
Goku had been elated when he realized that the repeated tug he had been feeling was an intentional signal from Vegeta to get Goku to meet him here. But now that Goku was here, after the hostility that had taken place between them, Goku didn’t know what to say.
Goku waited to see what Vegeta would do or say. Vegeta closed his eyes as if the Saiyan Prince intended to ignore Goku. But a small smile played at his lips and Goku felt reassured.
Vegeta opened his eyes. He didn’t look as confident as he regarded Goku in silence.
Goku let Vegeta see the pain and frustration of his situation and he heard something click in Vegeta’s throat as the Saiyan Prince yanked his head away. It was as if merely looking at Goku hurt him.
Goku felt defeated once more, and was tempted to turn and fly off if this was just going to be like all the other times he had run into the Saiyan Prince over the last week and a half.
Vegeta cleared his throat, halting Goku’s departure. Goku regarded Vegeta again, Vegeta’s head turned away showing off his strong, proud neck and chiseled jaw. The mere sight caused a yearning pain within Goku.
Vegeta closed his eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”
Goku blinked at Vegeta as if he hadn’t heard him right.
When Goku said nothing, Vegeta turned his dark stare on Goku. Then he shouted, “I’M SORRY!”
Goku blinked, but said nothing. The Saiyan Prince groaned in frustration, balling a fist at his side.
“I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted. I’m sorry for the things I said to you. I didn’t mean any of them.”
Goku just stared at Vegeta, not believing what he was hearing. Goku couldn’t recall a time when Vegeta apologized for anything, at least, not directly to him.
In frustration, Vegeta asked Goku, “Well?”
“Thank you.” Goku said it hurriedly, still unsure what to do.
Vegeta, a slight blush to his handsome cheeks, crossed his arms and looked off to the side, having trouble meeting Goku’s eyes.
But then his eyes, almost of their own, slid their way back to stare at Goku.
Goku’s dark eyes narrowed slightly in intensity, meeting Vegeta’s.
Vegeta’s breath quickened, as he heard his own heartbeat hammer in his chest.
Goku saw Vegeta’s tail swish from side to side, not in a playful manner, but in agitation. At first, the movement confused Goku, but then Goku looked in Vegeta’s eyes, the look and intention there unmistakable.
Hunger, need and passion grew palpable in the air between them.
Before Goku even knew what he was doing, he flew towards the Saiyan Prince and was upon him and in an embrace so tight, so hunger filled that he thought his heart would stop.
The two Saiyans gnashed their faces together in rough kisses, moans and growls tearing from their throats as they started to rip at each other’s leather clothing. Fingers dug into flesh, red rivulets flowing in haste and primal need as the Saiyans clawed the clothing, tiny piece after tiny piece from each other. As more flesh was exposed, it glistened in the colors of sunset reflecting off sweating skin, as blood dripping down caught the sun in its descent.
The two Saiyans pulled apart to catch their breath, smiling at each other.
Vegeta and Goku wanted it all so very badly, so much so that anyone seeing them now would think that the pair had been in another bloody battle against each other. That is, until they saw their rock hard needs fully exposed through the remnants of their clothing.
Vegeta smirked at Goku, Goku staring down at Vegeta in excitement.
They kissed again, both Saiyan’s purring their lust for each other...
To be continued (at the exact point where they left off ~_^)
Click here for the illustration of this scene, art by the talented Rena Sama, titled Bloody Reconciliation:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/janaleigh/1.jpg