Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ To the Stronger ❯ 9 ( Chapter 9 )

To the Stronger

By Just Another Saiyan Wannabe

Chapter 9:

Vegeta surfaced from nightmares slowly, feeling weak and wrung out. He also felt a vague sort of anxiety, a dull anguish coursing through him that he couldn't explain. His vision focused finally on the skylight above him. The sun was shining in and clouds were scuttling slowly across the sky. He wanted to pull the blanket over his face and never wake up again. But his life just kept going, it never would stop for him wanting it to. And he would have to face everyone and try to explain what had happened when he didn't know himself.

The clock read 10:30 AM. He sat up and plucked at his shirt. He was wearing his clothes from last night. He forced himself to change and comb out his hair and then he opened his bedroom door and looked out. He could hear noise from Kakkarot's room, so he went there first. No sense in putting things off. That had never done any good.

Kakkarot was sitting on his unmade bed, fiddling with some sort of action figure. Radditz was seated at Kakkarot's desk, twirling his pencils around and whistling. Kakkarot was talking about the party and it was obvious Radditz was only half-listening.

Vegeta knocked on the open door. The talking and whistling stopped as they looked over at him. Kakkarot stood up quickly and approached him. "Vegeta! Are you OK? How are you feeling?"

He shrugged. "Fine."

Radditz came over, too. "What happened last night? Do you remember?"

Not remembering was an option? "No."

"Oh. Well, we felt your ki drop really low, and Daikon's go up really high, so I got worried," Radditz told him. "We left the party to find you-it was almost over, anyway. We found Daikon trying to pick you up so she could carry you home. She was very glad to see us."

"She said you just collapsed. You started acting kind of funny and said you needed to go home and then fainted."

"Are you sick?" Radditz put a hand on his forehead to check for a fever. Vegeta stiffened and didn't move as Radditz touched him. "You don't feel hot."

Vegeta stepped back and batted his hand away. "I'm fine." Radditz didn't look any less worried.

"Dad and Sarah wanted to know as soon as you woke up. I'll go tell them." Kakkarot left the room.

"Well, it wasn't me," Radditz declared when Kakkarot had gone.

Vegeta frowned. "What wasn't?"

"I didn't make you sick. I don't have any germs. So you didn't get any when you kissed me."

Vegeta tensed even more and made sure Radditz wasn't in between him and the door. "Shut up! Do you want Bardock to hear?"

Now Radditz was smiling. "Don't get weirded out, Vegeta. I'm never going to bring it up again. I know neither of us did it by choice, and there won't be any more kissing. That's that, end of story. I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."

Vegeta looked hard at Radditz, then relaxed. He meant it. Radditz was straight. "OK."

Sarah hurried into the room then and started fussing over Vegeta. "Vegeta! Oh, I was so worried about you! When Kakkarot carried you in last night, you wouldn't wake up! I didn't know what to do! I wanted to take you to the emergency room, but Bardock said you'd be all right. How do you feel now?"

"Fine."

She put her hand on his forehead, too. He sighed. At least he knew that had some legitimate meaning now.

"First thing Monday I'm taking you to the doctor!"

"He can't miss school Monday!" Kakkarot protested. "It's martial arts team try-outs."

Bardock came in then. "Vegeta, how are you?"

Vegeta opened his mouth, but the other boys beat him to it, knowing what his answer would be. "Fine," they chorused together.

Radditz grinned at Vegeta's expression. "Was that a scowl or a smirk?"

"I was concerned about you," Bardock said.

Vegeta regarded him thoughtfully. "Yes," he murmured. "Ani would be unhappy with you if I died." He could think of no other reason Bardock would care.

Bardock wasn't sure how to take this. He felt his face heating up. "Vegeta, why did you pass out?"

"You don't need to sound so accusing," Sarah smiled and patted Bardock on the shoulder. "He didn't do it by choice."

Vegeta was frowning. "No. I don't know why."

"I really think you should go to the doctor."

"I'm fine. Don't worry." Vegeta wondered how to get away from them all.

"Well. Do you feel like eating?"

He wasn't hungry, but he nodded.

"OK then. I'll make you something." Sarah went off to the kitchen.

"Daikon said to tell you she's sorry about what happened and can't wait to see you again," Radditz reported, remembering her message for the first time.

Bardock finally smiled. "He faints and still gets a second date. The girl must really like you."

Vegeta controlled his tail, which wanted to unwind and lash about in agitation.

"Come on, Vegeta." Radditz pulled on his arm. "Let's sit down in the living room and mindlessly watch T.V."

________ __________

Vegeta was not looking forward to school. When he woke up Monday morning, his stomach clenched with nausea. What would Daikon say to him?

Then there were also the try-outs for the martial arts team to deal with. At least he would be facing that with allies.

Sarah still gave him worried looks as he forced himself to eat breakfast. She felt his forehead one more time, coming up from behind him, making him flinch. He still wasn't used to people touching him unless-unless they wanted to hurt him. Or have sex with him.

Sarah's hands were always gentle and it made him think better of humans.

__________ ___________

Daikon was in what Vegeta thought of as a girl cluster. He had noticed females seemed to huddle together in small groups. Daikon's group consisted of Bulma, Chi-Chi, Sarada, and Mame.

Her face brightened when she saw him and she excused herself at once, rushing over to him. Bulma trailed behind her, hovering some few feet away and observing.

Daikon peered up at him, looking happy, concerned, and confused all at once. "Vegeta! How are you? Are you feeling OK?"

"Fine," he responded automatically. "I think-I think I was just dizzy. From the going around thing."

"The merry go round. You poor boy. It was a long night." She smiled at him.

His knees felt strangely wobbly. He hesitantly almost-smiled back.

"He seems to be recovered," Kakkarot said, coming up behind them, completely clueless about people having moments. "It's a good thing, cause we have try-outs after school."

The bell rang, signaling the start of classes in five minutes. They started to move out. As they walked by the other students, Vegeta suddenly found himself bumped into with a great deal of force. He quickly turned around to see who hade run into him. Brolly-it figured. The other boy sneered at him and walked on.

"Let's all jump him," Nappa suggested from Vegeta's right.

"No, no, just ignore him," Mame advised.

"This time anyway," added Sarada with a toss of her hair.

The day seemed to drag and yet go too fast at the same time. Vegeta noticed Brolly watching him a couple times, but did not react. Brolly was obviously trying to get him to start something, and he wasn't going to.

He made it to the final bell of school. Then he followed Radditz and the rest to the gym for the auditions.