Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Time & Tide ❯ Misery Loves Company ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five

For the next few days, neither Zafira nor Vegeta saw much of Vaya. She was either in the training rooms where she practiced all sorts of techniques, including ones with her father's sword, or she was out flying with Cassinian, whom she seemed to feel particularly safe with. Vegeta kept trying to gather the courage to talk to her, but all he could think about was the way his stomach felt around her.
Vaya would visit her father every so often. Once, she was surprised to find Zafira standing by the tank, with a strange look on her face that Vaya had never seen before. But the queen only gave Vaya a warm smile and left without saying anything.
One the third day, the infirmary was unoccupied when Sdhoirm's health charts started to pulse. Zafira happened to come walking in as the rejuvenation tank automatically began to drain.
"Sdhoirm! You're awake," she said as he stepped out of the rejuvenation tank, already taking to initiative to grab the towel on the table beside him. His expression was stormy, and he didn't seem at all surprised at where he was. He was surprised, however, to see the queen instead of a doctor.
"I take it you feel much better now. You've been out for days," she said, leaning up against the wall. He smiled, nodding. It was still strange to see the queen showing so much concern for him, not that he minded at all. Lately, the queen had appeared more appealing to him, in more ways than one. She seemed to be feeling likewise about him, or at least he hoped.
"How have the kids been since I was out?"
"Fine. Vaya likes to explore the garden with Cassinian," she said.
"M'lady...I've considered leaving, heading out into space again," Sdhoirm said, seriousness in his voice. Zafira frowned.
"I see," she said.
"I was hoping to leave Vaya with her brother, or possibly here in the palace," he said, feeling a little uneasy.
"Well of course, she's always welcome here," Zafira said, trying to smile. Sdhoirm noticed this and slowly approached her. Zafira caught her breath as he came up to her.
"You don't approve?" he asked with curiosity.
"Well, I can't keep you cooped up in the palace. It's just that I had hoped you would stay here. It was actually kind of lonely with you in that tank for the past few days. I had to watch over the little rugrats by myself," she said with a smile, earning a chuckle for him. Lately, she had been developing feelings for Sdhoirm, but she was deathly afraid to express them. After all, being the queen, she was only to be touched by the king, who was dead. And she so longed to be held in a strong pair of muscular arms. She felt lonely, having no one to share her room with and no one to love her now that her husband was gone. Maybe misery loves company, she thought, realizing Sdhoirm's situation as well. He had noticed that she wasn't saying anything, only staring at him. He wanted to express to her the feelings he had been developing for her whenever she was near. It had been so long since he had kissed a woman, held one in his arms, or made love to one. He caught himself on that last thought. There was a risk that the queen would not feel mutual about the situation, but he just had to know. He began to inch closer towards her face.
"Sdhoirm..?" she said in almost a whisper.
"Yes..?"

Neither of them had noticed that Vaya had entered the infirmary to check up on her father. Luckily, she had witnessed the scene before alerting them of her presence. She was thankful for that as she quickly hid behind the wall. She quickly sneaked out of the infirmary and held her back against the wall, the same scene replaying in her mind. Her father was standing there in nothing but a towel before the queen, holding her up against the wall and kissing her! What the hell was going on?! She blushed profusely and rushed down the halls. She wouldn't be returning there anytime soon.

Sdhoirm finally pulled away, both of them breathless.
"Sdhoirm..." the queen couldn't find the words.
"I'll stay," he said, his hand still bracing him against the wall while the other was wrapped around her waist. Zafira looked at him in the eyes, still blushing as their bodies were pressed against each other. Thinking of nothing to say, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to kiss her again.

~*~
Sdhoirm and Vaya decided to stay at the palace for a little while longer. They preferred to share a bedroom for companionship, but their days were often spent apart. Sdhoirm would either be alone with Zafira, training Vegeta, or overseeing production of the Elite teams. Every fighter would have given their arms just to have Sdhoirm compliment them personally.
Vaya and Vegeta's friends, Kakarrot and Chi-Chi, had been recruited to the Junior Elite. Although this allowed them to spend almost all of their time at the palace, Vegeta and Vaya hardly saw them because they were always training. However, Sdhoirm and Zafira understood the situation and would sometimes let the Juniors off early to visit with their friends.
Vaya had not forgotten the events she had witnessed in the infirmary. But she knew her father would be upset if she told anyone, and she liked the queen too much to embarrass her like that. Besides, Vaya didn't want to actually have to mention what she had seen. So she just kept quiet about it.
Vegeta had been watching her often ever since the night of the attack. He never got tired of it, but he was still too shy to tell her about his feelings. They talked every once in a while, but Vaya always seemed disinterested and eager to return to her training or exploring. However, Vegeta had been paying such close attention to her, that he noticed one day when she started to look more uncomfortable than usual. He tried and tried to figure out what was bothering her, but couldn't spot a single thing out of the ordinary. So he mustered up all of his courage and decided to ask her.
On the day he chose to do this, he found Vaya in one of the courtyards with Sdhoirm. The father/daughter pair preferred to practice outdoors together...training alone was done inside. Sdhoirm appeared to be teaching Vaya how to use a weapon, because she was gripping his sword with both hands, and he was unarmed and standing with his arms folded a few feet in front of her.
"Balance out the weight," he was saying to her in a serious tone. "Don't think about it as a sword. Pretend it is part of your body."
Vaya nodded, looking nervous but determined. She shifted her weight slightly.
Sdhoirm lowered his head. "Now...You have the sword. I have no weapon. I will try to take the sword from you. The purpose of this drill is for you to not let that happen. Understand?"
Vaya nodded again.
"Good." Sdhoirm suddenly phased out.
Vegeta watched Vaya as she didn't move at all...Then suddenly she jumped up and swung the sword behind her. Sdhoirm appeared and had just enough time to duck the powerful blow. He looked pleased as he continued to shoot in circles around her, as Vaya expertly sliced at every attempt he made to retrieve the weapon. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, impressed at how they seemed to know every move that the other would make.
Finally, Sdhoirm pulled his arm behind him and shot a blast of energy to Vaya's face at close-range. She gasped and swung the blade, batting the energy aside. But in the instant that she had taken her eyes from her father, he had phased behind her and he flipped the sword out of her hands. Vegeta blinked.
Vaya was breathing hard, and she turned to face Sdhoirm. He stared at her for a second with dark shadowed eyes...Then he smiled.
"That was very good," he praised her sincerely. "But we're going to stop here for now." He slipped the sword back into its sheath. Vaya looked slightly surprised, but she nodded and went to pick up her towel. Vegeta swallowed, knowing that he would soon get his chance...
Impressed?
Vegeta jumped and turned to see Sdhoirm standing next to him. Vegeta hadn't even noticed his approach. But he nodded. Yeah, she's really good.
She works hard. Maybe you two should practice together more often, Sdhoirm sent. His expression was serious, but Vegeta could see a faint sparkle in his soul-father's eyes.
I'm going out for a little while, Sdhoirm told him. But when I get back I'll see you for our training session. All right?
Vegeta grinned. Sure!
Sdhoirm nodded and left.
Vegeta looked back at Vaya, who was wiping her face with the towel. He took a deep breath and strode up to her. She turned upon hearing his footsteps, but she only raised an eyebrow and gave a short bow.
"What can I do for you, your Highness?"
Vegeta winced. "Call me Vegeta, okay? Everyone else does." There. He had said it.
Vaya shrugged. "As you wish."
Vegeta took this is a good sign and decided to roll right into why he was there. "Vaya, is something wrong?"
Vaya didn't look at him. "No, why do you ask?"
"Well, ever since Sdhoirm got better, you've been acting really restless."
Vegeta was paying close attention to her reaction, and he saw her stiffen. She looked down. "I don't know what you're talking about..."
Vegeta frowned. "I think you do. Your voice betrays you."
This seemed to make Vaya unusually angry. She whirled to the prince and her eyes flashed. "Look, I told you there's nothing wrong, so why are you meddling in my affairs? You may be the prince but you should still have at least some respect for people's privacy!"
Now Vegeta was mad. He didn't like being spoken to that way by anyone. "I don't have to respect other people! It is their duty to respect me! They are nothing but common fighters, I don't owe them anything!"
"Don't give me that holier-than-thou bit. You are flesh and blood like the rest of us. I think it's time you came down off of your pedestal and started acting like it!"
Vegeta leaped for her and the two of them started fighting. It was no structured battle, but more like an all-out, no-holds-barred wrestling competition. They had gotten into fights like this before, but this time they were both harshly insulted by the insinuations about their status. Both wanted to prove that they were better than the other, by right and by blood.
However, they were so evenly matched that they couldn't beat each other. They continued to roll around the courtyard, punching and kicking and even biting. Both of the Saiyan teenagers refused to give up, but they were exhausting their strength over such a trivial matter of pride.
Neither one of them knew exactly when it happened, but suddenly, they were not fighting any longer. They had started to kiss each other passionately, almost frantically. Vaya held Vegeta close by his neck as she kissed his face, and he left her lips to ravage her neck. It didn't matter to them that they were still on the ground, smudged by dirt and looking completely disheveled. It wasn't like their eyes were open anyway. Vegeta nipped at Vaya's throat and massaged the sides of her body, wrapping his arms possessively around her slim waist. The purring sound she made was music to his ears, and even the pain of her fingernails as they dug into his back was welcome.
Suddenly, Vegeta stopped. "Wait a minute...When did--"
"Shut up," Vaya hissed, silencing him by kissing him deeply. Vegeta mentally shrugged and returned to her again.
"Ahem."
Vegeta and Vaya froze. Vegeta looked up and Vaya tilted her head backward to see Warfrost, Kakarrot and Chi-Chi standing in the archway of the courtyard. Kakarrot was choking from smothered laughter, and Chi-Chi was smirking. Warfrost towered over the others, and the rumbling noises he was making sounded like laughter. Vegeta and Vaya's dark skin turned crimson, and they both leaped to their feet and started to absently brush off their clothes. Kakarrot had given up holding in his mirth, and was now laughing so hard that he had to lean on Warfrost's leg for support. Chi-Chi walked over to the embarrassed pair.
"See? I told you guys you were perfect for each other. Nobody ever listens to me," she sighed.
"That's because most of the time you're screeching like there's no tomorrow," Vegeta snapped.
Kakarrot stopped laughing. "Hey, Vegeta, don't be mean to Chi-Chi. She was only saying--"
"I know, I know, Kakarrot," Vegeta said impatiently. "What do you want, anyway?"
"Queen Zafira gave us the rest of the day off," Kakarrot explained. "She said that you and Vaya needed to go do something fun for a while."
"And we know just the thing!" Chi-Chi cried excitedly, grabbing Vaya's hand and pulling her away. "C'mon, c'mon, let's go! Hurry up!"
Vaya gave Vegeta an overwhelmed look. He just stared back at her in confusion and shrugged. Then he and Kakarrot followed the girls out of the courtyard.

~*~
Sdhoirm mounted Cassinian just outside the palace walls. Just before he took off, Vaya came flying up to them.
"Dad, Chi-Chi and Kakarrot wanted to take Vegeta and I out to do something or other. Zafira already said Vegeta could go. Is it okay with you? Can I?" she asked hopefully.
Sdhoirm looked his daughter over for a moment. Then he gave the smallest of knowing smiles. "Well. If Zafira is willing to let Vegeta out of the castle, I suppose it's all right with me if you do as well. Yes, you may go."
"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Vaya cried happily, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Sdhoirm returned the hug, and Vaya flew back to let Cassinian take off. "Have fun," Sdhoirm said with a wink, and Cassinian beat the air with his powerful wings. He crouched low and leaped into the air, disappearing quickly into the clouds.

~*~
Sdhoirm returned to the palace shortly after, leaving Cassinian in the courtyard as he headed inside the palace. The queen had requested his presence and he was already walking down the halls to her chambers.
Zafira was standing in front of her window, the curtains only leaving a crack open to give the queen view of the outer part of the palace. She smiled, when she noticed Cassinian making a landing there.
"Sdhoirm is here to see, m'lady," the computer voice spoke and Zafira's smile deepened. Though she was used to seeing him all the time, this time she felt particularly nervous. Excited, but nervous at the same time.
"Let him in," Zafira finally spoke and closed the curtains as the automatic doors slid open.
"You requested me, m'lady?" Sdhoirm asked politely as he kneeled behind her. Zafira turned around, that same smile still on her face.
"You may rise," she said before walking past him to take a seat at her table. Sdhoirm got up and faced her, remaining where he stood.
"I wanted to talk about what we discussed earlier," Zafira said, absently running her fingers through her hair and keeping them there. Sdhoirm's brow rose.
"In the infirmary," she said, a slight blush forming on her face, one he had grown accustomed to. He smirked knowingly and walked up to her, taking her hands and pulling her up from the chair. He wrapped his arms around her slim waist and held her close.
"Well, I don't think there's anything to discuss. I meant every word," and with that, he gently pulled her face closer to his and kissed her deeply. When they pulled away, both were breathless, but neither ready to stop just yet. Sdhoirm immediately turned to ravaging her neck as her hands massaged his broad chest, which was covered by his loose clothing. They soon turned to kissing again as Sdhoirm led her towards the bed. Zafira gently pulled away and their clothing was gone in a minute. Zafira sat on the bed, backing away slowly till she was at the center as Sdhoirm climbed on top of her. He kissed her again, gently lying her down on her back as her arms wrapped around his neck. They pulled away once more as he descended downward to take one of her breasts into his mouth. Zafira kept her eyes closed as he continued his ministrations, moaning as she grabbed his unruly hair. Sdhoirm gave equal treatment to the other before slowly working his way back up to her lips again. He lightly nipped her on the nose and she nipped his chin. An old saiiyan gesture when mating. Sdhoirm got on his hands and knees, smiling down at her, getting lost in her eyes before he dove into her, earning a quiet gasp from his partner. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her as he started thrusting in and out of her, speeding up his pace as he went on. Her moans were driving him to the edge and he began to thrust harder, not daring to loosen his grip on her. She soon moved to his rhythm till the two reached their climax. Sdhoirm buried his face in the crook of her neck and bit her, drawing blood. Zafira winced at first, but the pain was soon replaced with pleasure and she mimicked the gesture, both lapping at each other's wounds.