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Cold

by: katlynne

"Of course the idiot has to... Oof! Live out in the boondocks! Damn it! I should have refused! Ouch! I should have... Fuck! Never left the gravity room! Double fuck! This is ridiculous!" Needless to say, Vegeta wasn't having a good day.

Here he was, slogging through knee high snow during a blizzard trying to find a white capsule house. How stupid could you get? It made him feel like he'd switched brains with Goku for the time it took for Bulma to corral him into this. And to top it off, he'd gone off half-cocked and without a coat. He'd be lucky something vital didn't freeze and drop off!

He wasn't sure what bug had crawled up Bulma's ass. Goku had been living in the wilds for years. Just because he walked out on Chichi when she hit him once too often, doesn't mean he'd suddenly turned into some wimp and needed rescuing from a little snowstorm. Saiyans were made of sterner stuff; they could take a little cold.

"Damn it! This is not working. I should have kept flying." Vegeta shouted again, loosing his boot in a snowdrift. "Now how am I supposed to find him?"

Vegeta was digging around, trying to find his white boot, when he felt rather than saw Goku moving in his direction. It was a good thing too because if he had seen Goku first, he would have blasted him. Goku was in fur, shaggy fur, from his head to his feet. He knew enough about snow that he had worn snowshoes and was making good headway to the angry prince.

"What are you doing out here, Vegeta?" Goku asked, taking in the blue tinge to the other saiyan's skin. "Never mind. Here, grab on."

Vegeta didn't say anything, just grabbed Goku's arm and waited. Goku did his IT and Vegeta found himself in a cozy, warm house. Not giving him time to think, Goku grabbed Vegeta and hauled him into the bathroom where he stripped him down.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Vegeta shouted.

"Knock it off, Vegeta." Goku ordered. "Those clothes are soaked, you are freezing and if you aren't warmed gently, you might loose some toes." Goku leaned over and started the water in the tub, making it a little hotter than warm. "Get in. I'll find you something to wear."

Vegeta growled, but the affect was lost when Goku turned and left the bathroom. Not being one to miss an opportunity, Vegeta eased into the bath, hissing as his feet started to thaw.

"Now, we'll just keep letting water out and adding hot until your skin temperature is back up." Goku said, walking in with a pair of sweats and some thick socks. "I'll start cooking, but I'm warning you, if you want something fancy, you won't get it here. I managed to kill a deer earlier, so I'll make some stew."

Vegeta didn't say anything as the warmth of the water seeped into his skin. He emptied the tub three times before Goku came back, the smell of a delicious stew coming into the bathroom with him. Vegeta found himself the object of deep scrutiny as Goku waited for him to say something.

Finally, after Vegeta refused to even acknowledge Goku's presence, the big saiyan got up and left. Vegeta thought he would get some privacy, but Goku came back, a belled glass in his hand with a measure of amber liquid in the bottom. Not bothering to say anything, Goku handed to glass to Vegeta. Cocking an eyebrow, Vegeta gave Goku an assessing look before bolting the contents of the glass down. Vegeta's eyes watered as he coughed, the liquid burning a path from his nose to his stomach. Goku just sat on the toilet, grinning like a loon, making Vegeta want to hurt him.

Snatching the glass from Vegeta's loosened grip, Goku left the room and brought another measure of the amber hellfire back with him. "This time, sip it. Brandy will give you the feeling of warmth, but if you drink it in a gulp, you'll get sick."

"Why didn't you say that to begin with?" Vegeta wheezed.

"I thought you didn't want me to say anything." Goku answered simply.

"Idiot." Vegeta mumbled, but sipped the brandy this time.

Goku frowned, turned on his heel and left Vegeta alone. The prince had the feeling that if Goku didn't have himself under control, he would have slammed the door on the way out. Instead, Vegeta heard pots and pans banging in the other room.

"Me and my big mouth. He saves my life, again, and I act like I normally do. What would it cost me to bend a little? It's not like he's never bent for me." Vegeta grumbled to himself.

With a sigh, Vegeta hauled himself out of the tub, set the glass on the sink and grabbed one of the fluffy towels Goku had set within reach. Wincing with guilt, Vegeta used the warm towel to dry off, wondering when Goku had the time to heat the cloth. 'Oh well, I can't do anything about the past, but maybe I should start thinking about the future. After all, Kakarrot did find me in all that snow. And he's right, if I hadn't taken that bath, I would have lost some toes, maybe some other things.' Vegeta thought while pulling on the slightly too large sweats.

Grabbing the glass, Vegeta made his way into the other room. Just as he was entering the kitchen, the lights flickered, then went out. Goku swore, making Vegeta smile at his inventiveness, then there was a scratch of a match before soft candlelight filled the room.

"Sorry about that, Vegeta. The solar generators must have given out. Luckily there is wood for the fireplace and the stove is propane. The water might freeze so I better clean the tubs out and fill some containers. After that we can eat." Goku said, pulling out all kinds of bowls and pots.

"How about you take care of the tubs and filling them and I'll fill these up and put the kettle on. If worse comes to worse, we can melt snow." Vegeta said, reaching for a pot and starting to fill it from the tap.

Goku smiled. "I'm going to grab a shower while I have the chance. I've been hauling wood all day and if we're without water for a few days, our noses will be saved."

Vegeta smirked, then frowned. "How big is your water heater?"

"Well... I wasn't expecting company and was in a hurry when I left Chichi. I got what they had and it's rather small. I was lucky to get a house with a fireplace, but it has three bedrooms. Some things are more than I need, others... not enough. Look at the refrigerator and freezer. They're restaurant quality. I was able to store the whole deer in there. Oh shit."

"What?"

"Save some pots so we can fill them with snow. Without electricity, the 'fridge and freezer won't stay cold."

Vegeta grunted. "Good point. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks. I'll be back as soon as I finish." Goku said, grabbing a candle and lighting it from the other.

Vegeta got to work while he listened to the water run in another part of the house. It was going to be a long couple of days, but luckily Goku didn't seem to think anything out of the ordinary at Vegeta's behavior.

Goku didn't stay gone long. The water ran for a few moments, cut off, then came back on. When it stayed off for a while, Vegeta figured it was safe to resume filling containers with water.

"You know, with it as cold as it is out there, we could bundle up everything in the freezer and put it outside. If we hang it from a tree, the animals won't get it. Then we can load the freezer with snow and ice." Goku said from behind Vegeta.

Vegeta nodded. "I'll take care of that..."

"With one boot? I think I better take care of that and you get the food packed up." Goku grinned.

Vegeta shook his head and went to get some sheets. He found the linen cupboard easily, the neat stacks of fresh bedding and towels made him wonder how Goku managed out here alone. Vegeta wasn't sure he could handle it, not having any of the many things he had gotten used to having in the city. Out here it was too quiet, too dark... Maybe even too lonely.

As Vegeta finished the sacks of food, Goku took them out and hung them in the top of the trees. For a moment, Vegeta worried Goku would freeze, but instead of putting a lot of clothing on, the younger saiyan just flared his ki, keeping warm and warning off any dangerous animals at the same time. The wild beasts in the area might not know about ki, but they could recognize a warning when they felt it.

"That's the last of it. Let's get some snow packed in there. The cold won't be circulated until the power is restored, but it will filter through enough that the refrigerator will stay chilled." Goku said, stamping his feet free of snow while shutting the door.

Working together, the job didn't take long. Afterwards, Goku and Vegeta sat down and ate. The candlelight and the warmth from the fireplace lent a mellow air to the proceedings, making Vegeta think it was almost romantic, though he wouldn't say it out loud.

~

Vegeta roused when there was an increase in heat in front of him and then a warm body slipped under the blankets he was covered with. It felt... Comfortable, something he hadn't expected. For a moment he waited for some body part to touch his, but it never happened.

Blinking to clear his thoughts, Vegeta realized he was on Goku's living room floor on a feather mattress before a now roaring fire. Goku had offered him the place, since he knew without electricity, the heat would be off and the winds fueling the blizzard outside would make the house cold. The fire had just been dying down when Vegeta had fallen asleep.

It was the fire being built up and Goku slipping into the bedding that had woken him up. Vegeta knew it wasn't personal; it was just so damn cold that if Goku had stayed in his bedroom, he would freeze to death. This way they both could get some sleep without worrying about hypothermia setting in.

"Want to tell me why you came out here looking for me?" Goku asked, startling Vegeta.

Vegeta realized this could go one of many ways, opting for the truth in the end. "Bulma was worried about you when she heard about the blizzard moving into this area. She thought you might have problems with the house, or would run out of food. Ordered me to come get you and bring you back to CC."

Goku sighed. "I don't want to go back. I do that and I'll end up dealing with endless questions from Bulma or my sons. They don't need to know and I'd rather not explain."

"Explain what? Why you left your wife? Why you cut off all contact with your friends and family? What exactly are you worried about explaining?"

Goku carefully rolled over and Vegeta knew he was now facing away from him. "See that's what I mean. Just forget it Vegeta, and go to sleep. I'll IT you home in the morning and you can go back to your life."

Vegeta wondered why it hurt so much, to be in effect told that he wasn't wanted, wasn't needed. He knew he should have stopped, but wanted to know what was going on. Vegeta could feel himself getting angry at Goku's refusal to answer his questions. Wondering if he was pushing things, knowing Goku could toss him out of the house and into the storm without breaking a sweat, Vegeta poked the big shoulder.

"Just tell me and get it over with." Vegeta growled.

Suddenly, Goku jumped up, knocking the blankets off them. He burst into super saiyan, lighting up the whole room.

"You really want to know? Want to know why I left; tossed everything I had out the window to become a hermit? Ok, but you won't like it." Goku growled in Vegeta's face. "Chichi decided that Goten could no longer go over to 'that den of animals'. That 'the prince animal' and his son were a bad influence. That she 'didn't want an animal for a husband' and was going to beat it out of me. Chichi figured if one little fall when I was a baby kept me 'tame', a bit more would make me into her idea of a model husband."

Goku started pacing like a caged animal. "So I packed some clothes up for Goten, shoved some money into his hands and tossed him out of the house in the middle of the night. Chichi was so mad about that, she tried to take a knife to me. It didn't do more than give me a scratch before I was able to raise my ki and the blade broke the next time she stabbed me. Then she started yelling, told me that if I didn't leave and stay away, she'd tell everybody I was abusive, that I beat her, raped her, tried to rape Goten and she was the one to send him away. I bargained with her. Finally after hours of yelling, she said she wouldn't drag Goten home, would let him at your place, all I had to do was leave and never come back. I can't contact anybody, or ask for help. She wanted me off planet, but I flatly refused that."

Goku flopped onto the floor, his ki dropping to normal. "Vegeta, I like being saiyan. I look at it as giving me a special place in the universe. It took me a long time to realize that without that, I wouldn't have the strength to defend my home. I can never learn what it means to you to be saiyan, but I want Goten to have that. I want him to know what you can teach him."

Vegeta sat stunned. Goku sighed, got up and lit a candle from the fire. Turning on his heel, Goku stalked off and Vegeta heard a door slam. For a while, Vegeta sat and stared at the fire, wondering when the world had tilted on its axis and when it would right itself. Before he could settle back down to get some more sleep, Goku was back and tossing a coat at him.

"Put that on. I'm taking you home." Goku said quietly.

"Bullshit." Vegeta said, tossing the coat over his shoulder.

"Excuse me?"

Vegeta snorted. "I'm not ready to leave."

Goku rolled his eyes. "Vegeta, let's not do this. You know what the outcome will be. You'll yell, I'll yell, you'll start a fight, and I'll fight back. You'll go to level one and then we both know where that will lead. I don't have time to deal with all that hair, so let's just mark it as done, you put the coat on and I'll IT to the back of CC."

Vegeta knew that was exactly what would happen. He would end up going home one way or another. Goku was giving him an out, but he damn well didn't like it. He didn't like it and he wasn't going to take it.

"Kakarrot, just stop right there. I never asked you to defend my family or me. I never asked you to defend our race. I just..." Vegeta suddenly came to a stop.

"You just asked me at every turn to 'act like the saiyan I was born to be.' Right, Vegeta? Well, to clue you in, you have no idea what kind of saiyan I am, what I was born to do, or how this saiyan acts when you aren't trying to find the back of my skull with your fist." Goku ended up shouting.

Vegeta stood up, having to hold the sweatpants he was wearing up when they wanted to stay in the blankets. "Damn it, I can fight my own battles."

Goku started laughing. "You conceded little brat! This isn't about you, or being saiyan. It's about GOTEN and TRUNKS."

"Huh?"

"This all started when Trunks asked Goten to the movies the day before I left home. Chichi caught them kissing on the doorstep when Trunks brought Goten home."

Vegeta sat down, hard. "Shit! I told him to be sure he didn't do anything around your house. This is her idea of keeping them apart?"

Goku said down beside Vegeta. "Actually, she thinks it's all my idea. That I told Trunks that Goten liked him and I was all right with them becoming more than friends."

"Where would she get that from?"

Goku looked away, then looked back at Vegeta. "Bulma."

Vegeta shook his head. "I didn't hear that right."

"Let me see if I can follow Bulma's logic." Goku grinned. "You told her that there were very few female saiyans. Saiyans didn't become extinct because of inbreeding; Freezea killed most of them off. If the race was still going strong before the planet was blown up, then where were they getting the babies from?"

"Incubation tanks."

"Yeah, right. Something that has never existed on Earth and is beyond what Bulma knows. She thought that because there weren't many female saiyans, all male saiyans had to be gay or bi."

Vegeta snorted. "Most were, simply because they were always around males and you have to do something to relieve tension."

Goku nodded. "I'll grant you that. I know personally that I have to be bi. I know I've looked at guys and thought of what it would be like with them in bed."

Vegeta choked. "You?"

"Get real, Vegeta. Remember, saiyan here... I like sex. Having a willing partner is better than taking care of it myself." Goku leaned back. "And you can't tell me that you lived all that time with Raditz and didn't have his tail a few times."

Vegeta fell over, shocked at what Goku was saying. "Where the hell is Kakarrot?"

Goku laughed. "Now that look is priceless." He sighed. "Seriously, Vegeta. Bulma told Chichi that saiyans are all gay or bi, and if we are, then so are our sons. Chichi then catches the boys kissing... See where this is going?"

"Shit! So instead of breaking Trunks and Goten up, or letting Chichi do it, you pack him off and send him to Capsule Corp. And to keep her from him, you agree to leaving her with everything you own and just take off, cutting yourself off from everybody." Vegeta sat up again. "Kami, Kakarrot! Are you nuts?"

Goku shook his head. "Listen Vegeta. I want Goten to have a happy life. If that is with Trunks, fine by me. If not, then I want him to be able to find it and not be forced into a life he hates. I'm not going to have him brainwashed like Gohan is." He ran a hand through his hair. "I can live alone, if that means my son gets who and what he needs to make him happy."

Vegeta nodded in understanding. "For once I think you're really talking to me, not just putting on an act." He sighed. "Ok, if this is what you feel you have to do, I'll keep an eye on the brats. But let me bring some things to make life easier for you. I don't feel right that you've given up so much and I didn't even know."

"No, Vegeta." Goku shook his head. "I don't know how much contact Chichi has with Goten. If she finds out you're seeing me, it will do a lot to push her closer into doing something to Goten."

"Like what?"

"She'll see it as either I went back on my word, or confirm what Bulma told her. She'll think we're seeing each other, no matter what she's told." Goku rubbed his face. "She might think that anyway, once she finds out you came here. And I know Bulma won't be able to keep her mouth shut."

"Damn it! You should at least have a phone. Something you can call for help if you need it." Vegeta growled.

Goku laughed. "Are you forgetting something?"

"Like what?" Vegeta said again.

"Like, oh I don't know. Maybe you're forgetting I'm a saiyan? If I need help, I raise my ki and at least ten people are going to know."

"Shit."

"Outsmarted you?"

"Damn you. Fine. Give me that coat and we'll get out of here."

"Nope. I'll give you the coat and take you home, but I'm coming back."

Goku tossed Vegeta the coat, then grabbed his and put it on. Vegeta still didn't know what animal Goku got that shaggy pelt from, but he had to admit, it made an impressive coat on the big saiyan. Slipping into the borrowed coat, Vegeta absently placed his hand on Goku's arm, letting him IT them back to CC.

"Bye, Vegeta. Tell Goten I'm thinking of him." Goku said before flickering out.

Vegeta shook his head, various plans running through it on how to get their wayward saiyan home where he belonged.

~

"And that's why Kakarrot is out in the boonies cooling his heels." Vegeta finished, sipping his tea.

"Goku's doing that for us?" Trunks asked, amazed at the lengths Goku was willing to go if it gave Goten a chance at happiness.

"From what he told me." Vegeta smirked. "Wasn't easy getting him to open up."

"I don't know what to say." Goten commented. "It's so like Dad to do something like this, and like Mom. She'll do anything to keep people thinking she has a model family."

Gohan kept quiet, wondering if it was true or if Vegeta was making it up. He knew Vegeta had gone off to find his dad, and that he most likely had found Goku, or the other way around. Now Gohan felt he needed to confirm what Vegeta had said before condemning his mother's actions without proof.

"The question is, what are we going to do about it?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta's smirk turned evil. "I have just the thing in mind."

~

"Come on, Mom. You know how fancy Bulma's to-dos are." Gohan said, pulling Chichi a bit to get her walking from the car to the door of CC.

"But I'm not sure I want to go." Chichi argued.

"Nonsense. We haven't seen everybody for almost a year. Bulma set this up as a surprise to Goten for getting good grades. You want him to know you're proud of his efforts, don't you? He worked really hard to get those straight A's." Gohan said, hitting Chichi in a known weak spot.

Chichi sighed, using her free hand to fuss at her hair and dress. Gohan was right, it was important to show the boy that his scholastic endeavors were important. She just hoped that Vegeta wouldn't show up and that Trunks kept his hands to himself. It wouldn't do to let the boys' activities become common knowledge.

"And you said that nobody could find Goku?" Chichi asked.

If Gohan had any doubts about what his mother was doing to his father, the look in Chichi's eyes and that question confirmed it. For the first time since Vegeta had sat Goten, Trunks, Bulma and him down and told them what Goku had said was going on and why he wasn't around, Gohan had no reservations about what they were going to do.

Realizing he had been too quiet when Chichi stopped walking again, Gohan quickly covered his slip. "Ah... No, nobody has been able to find him. Dende said he thinks he went to New Namek to help with planting there."

Chichi's mouth turned up in a sly smile. "Good, good. I wish he would be here, but if he's busy on another planet..." Chichi sighed. "I guess there isn't much we can do."

Gohan held the door for his mother, waiting for her to enter before him. While she was busy with her coat, he motioned to Bulma, letting her know he was with them. Before Chichi quite knew what was happening, she found herself handcuffed to a chair in a circle of who she thought were her friends.

"What's going on?" Chichi asked, pulling at the cuffs, trying to get free.

"We're going to call Kakarrot and then have a little talk." Vegeta said, moving out of the shadows.

"You!" Chichi hissed. "Only you would want that..."

"Finish that sentence and we'll all know where you stand." Bulma almost growled. "You were the one who drove Goku away, and he's staying away for your son's sake."

"So? I didn't raise a pervert. Goten will follow Gohan's example and graduate, then marry a nice wealthy woman and give me grandchildren." Chichi spat.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "It's a wonder I graduated at the head of my class. How can you be so stupid!?" Gohan yelled at his mother. "Goten is not me. What I like doesn't have to be what he likes because he will never be me. If being with Trunks is what makes him happy, I would think since you are his mother and want him to be happy, you would allow him to be who he is."

"Gohan?" Chichi shrank back in the chair. "How can you talk to me like that?"

Gohan wanted to pull his hair. "Mom, I love you, but you are so wrong it defies the definition of wrong. I'm not sure there is a name for how wrong you are. And driving Dad away... What was that for?"

"He was going to leave me anyway." Chichi yelled. "He told me he didn't love me and never had. That now that you and Goten were grown enough to take care of yourselves, he needed to go where his heart told him, and it wasn't where I was." Chichi started crying.

"I thought as much." Vegeta said. "Now then, Goten, drop your energy, Trunks boost your's. Gohan, Piccolo, the rest of you, be ready to jump our wayward saiyan."

Goten and Trunks nodded and did what Vegeta ordered. The reaction was almost instantaneous. Goku flickered into being, dressed in a pair of sleep pants that hung low on his hips, and nothing else. For a minute, he blinked at the people in the room and his very uninjured son, then the Z warriors dog piled on him.

"What? Ooofff!" Goku managed to ask before his friends, who all tried to get a grip on him, smothered him.

"What the...?" Krillin sat up with a fuzzy object trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

"Give me that." Piccolo growled, grabbing the saiyan tail that he just knew was attached to Goku's ass. "If you want to keep it, stop fighting us."

Vegeta stood to the side, eyes gleaming. "This changes things, doesn't it? Piccolo, at the first sign of him trying to power up or do that IT thing, start squeezing."

Piccolo arched an eyebrow, wondering when Vegeta was made the commander of this little boat they found themselves in. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was going to be the one pounded on by Goku when this was all over. After all, it was Piccolo with Goku's tail in his hands, who was the one to grab it from Krillin, Goku was going to blame him for everything that went on here from that point on. With a resigned sigh and a promise to himself to hound Korin for senzu, Piccolo nodded.

"Damn it, Yamcha, get off my head!" Goku growled.

Vegeta gave a low chuckle. "Ok, let him up."

Goku didn't need to power up to toss everybody but Piccolo off him. He wasn't going to risk his tail being torn off. Firstly, because he'd come to like the feeling of having it, and secondly, he knew what it felt like to have it removed that way. It hurt, almost as bad as the heart virus had.

"Alright, Vegeta, now what's going on here?" Goku asked, taking in Chichi handcuffed in the chair and not making a move to help her.

"Interesting." Vegeta commented in a low, smoky voice.

Goku blinked, then followed Vegeta's eyes to where his sleep pants had slipped a little, showing off a patch of whiter skin and a little wisp of black hair. Growling a warning, Goku pulled his pants higher, tightening the string holding them up so tight it threatened to snap.

"Get your mind out of my pants and back to what you were doing when you summoned me here." Goku snarled, making Piccolo blink.

"Goku, maybe you should calm down." Piccolo said quietly.

"Shut up, Piccolo. You may be choking my tail, but not my brain. Something is going on, orchestrated by Vegeta, and for some reason you all are playing along. If you aren't going to let me go, then get to the point." Goku said over his shoulder.

Vegeta rocked on his heels, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "You know, a saiyan can only re-grow their tail during certain times in their lives. Either they are very young, on the brink of turning mature or while claiming a life-mate. Since we know Kakarrot isn't a baby, and he left Chichi, proving she isn't his life-mate, that leaves his coming of age."

"And?" Goku growled louder.

"And, the only times a saiyan leaves home is when they are young or have no other choice. You could have left planet when you dropped the pretence with Chichi, but you didn't because this is your home."

"Vegeta, you are pissing me off. Get to the point." Goku snapped.

Vegeta almost rubbed his hands together in glee. "Feeling a little saiyan are we?"

"Father, I think you better knock it off before you push him to far." Trunks said out of the side of his mouth while keeping an eye on Goku.

"Right. The point is, Kakarrot, you don't have to protect Goten. She can't say or do anything to harm him." Vegeta said. "Everybody here knows about him and Trunks, and if you haven't noticed, they don't seem to mind."

Goku crossed his arms, his tail jerking in Piccolo's hold. "And you made me foreswear myself for this? You must really think I'm stupid. I know Chichi can tell everybody she wants about Goten. He can take care of himself. I just don't want her acting like he's hurt her somehow, and making him feel guilty for loving who he loves."

"Dad, Mom can't do that." Goten spoke up.

"Goten, she can. If every time you visit her, she looks like you are a stain on her clean floor, it will hurt you. I didn't want to break the mother/son bond you have with her, it's too important to have. I know, I didn't have either bond and I missed it every time I visited Bulma."

"Aww Dad." Goten walked over and hugged Goku.

"I'm sorry, Kakarrot. I didn't think of that." Vegeta said.

"Well, now is a poor time to realize it. I'm going to kick your saiyan ass all over the place, Vegeta. Better get to training." Goku glowered at the prince. "And as for you, Piccolo. Better get a matching room set up on the Lookout, you and Vegeta are going to be visiting with Dende for a while."

Piccolo almost eeped, but held off, instead he let go of Goku's tail and took a step back. "I... I think I'll go see if the senzu are ready."

"You do that. I'll find you soon enough." Goku smirked.

"What about me?" Chichi asked.

"What about you? I think you can safely say your little plot is blown to hell and gone. I'm not going to stay away from my sons any longer." Goku moved over and snapped the handcuffs easily. "Go home, visit your father."

"Goku, I didn't know you felt like that." Chichi said. "When I made you swear to stay away, I was angry."

"And you aren't now? Save it, Chichi. I let you get away with a lot of shit while we were together, I don't have to now. Just don't take it out on the boys or their families. If I hear about you doing that, and I will, I'll be on you faster than you can blink. And remember, I know where all the skeletons are in your closet." Goku smirked, looking more like Vegeta with every passing minute.

Chichi didn't bother to say anything else, just got up and left. Everybody heard her car start and pull out, and they all relaxed. Piccolo slowly eased to the door, making his own exit while he could, knowing Goku would make good on his words soon enough. The rest of the assembled people decided not to waist the opportunity, sitting down and enjoying the feast the CC chiefs had prepared.

Goku was starting to feel like a bug in a glass jar. Between Bulma leering at him, Vegeta smirking at him and the rest casting him glances out of the corner of their eyes, he was beginning to twitch. Finally he couldn't take it any more, standing and moving away from the table.

"Where do you think you are going?" Vegeta asked, going after Goku.

"Home. I don't want to be the meat between a Bulma/Vegeta sandwich." Goku answered. "Talk to you later, Goten, Gohan."

Before Bulma could protest, or Vegeta get a hold on him, Goku IT'ed out. Vegeta growled in frustration. Thinking it was better to get as much food in him as he could, since he would be looking over his shoulder until Goku got his revenge, Vegeta went back to the table.

~

Vegeta wore out the gravity room's generators. Bulma was livid, she had worked hard to keep those things running just so Vegeta was out of her hair and he burned them out in a month. The weather changed from cold snow to cold rain, and she wasn't going to slog through the mud to fix the damn thing.

"Vegeta, you found him once, just go back out there and find Goku again." Bulma said in exasperation as Vegeta blew up another piece of equipment. "He's not hiding his ki any longer. Goten and Trunks visited him just last week."

"Damn it Woman, you don't understand. Kakarrot has called for revenge for a slight I did to him. He'll come hunting for me. If I jump the gun and go searching for him, it would be seen as a sign I don't trust him." Vegeta slammed his hand on a worktable.

"You wait around for him to kill you and that shows you trust him?"

"It shows..." Vegeta said as if he was talking to a five year old. "That I trust him to get revenge for a slight done to his honor. If I don't trust his honor, he won't..."

Bulma glanced up in time to see Vegeta blush. "He won't what?"

"Never mind. Fix the damn machine. I need to be ready when he gets here."

Bulma watched Vegeta leave, making some quick calculations in her mind using what Vegeta hadn't said. "Oh, Vegeta... You little bitch. Got your eye on the saiyan stud and don't want to mess it up before he jumps you?" She smirked. "Who knows, this could be fun."

~

Vegeta growled to himself as he slogged through the mud of the back yard to the disabled gravity room. If there was one thing he hated more than snow, it was mud. The daily rainstorm made sure the footing any place not paved a test of equilibrium and strength. He could understand why Bulma refused to make the trek.

He never felt the hand that grabbed the back of his head and shoved him forward. Vegeta was too busy trying to keep on his feet, a task made impossible when a large knee slammed into his thigh. With a startled cry, Vegeta fell to the side, sliding in the mud. Bands of ki surrounded his wrists and ankles, trussing him up like a Christmas goose. Just before a large fist connected with his face, he saw Goku's smirking face, then a flash and darkness as he went under.

~

Waking up to a polka band going strong in his head wasn't one of Vegeta's most treasured moments. Realizing he was ki bound to a bed, naked, face down and with somebody sitting on his upper thighs just pissed him off. Growling, he tried to pull free, only to feel a sharp sting on his ass as the person on him retaliated with a quick slap.

"Nice to know you are back to enjoy..." Goku snickered. "The first part of this evening's program."

"Kakarrot, damn it, get off me!" Vegeta snarled.

"You know, you need to expand your vocabulary. Every time it's the same thing. Kakarrot, do this. Kakarrot, do that. Vegeta, face facts, at the moment, you aren't in any position to demand anything, so shut the fuck up."

Vegeta blinked. He had forgotten that Goku wasn't acting much like he used to. That sneak attack wouldn't have been what he would have done. All right, so he had stripped him down before, but Goku didn't sit on naked people. Vegeta shivered, as he felt something run over his back, leaving a trail of wet fire.

"Kakarrot, if you are licking me, I'm going to rip out your tongue." Vegeta snapped.

Goku laughed. "Nope, not licking you. It's paint, a special paint. You know, I had a lot of time to think about things. Had time to go look for answers to some questions too. I had a really interesting talk with your father. He's a bit of an idiot, isn't he? Thought he could attack me, then cowered when I jumped to level one. Bardock almost laughed himself silly when he did that."

"Sonofabitch!"

"Heh! Hardly. I'm a Tankboy, thank you very much. I got the specs for those, by the way, and I'll give them to Bulma. But I did find out an interesting thing about the royal house."

"What?"

Goku continued painting, the fire growing with each pass. "Well, I know that you've never let anybody Top you."

Vegeta jerked. "So what?"

"Hmm... You aren't going to like this part." With that, Goku finished his artwork by swirling over Vegeta's tail scar.

Vegeta thought he had been dipped in a hill of fire ants. His eyes rolled back, his muscles started to convulse, and he couldn't seem to stop screaming. The pain was like nothing he had ever felt, dying hadn't hurt this much. His lungs seemed to be collapsing and his head expanding, until he lost consciousness in a blinding flash of light, sound and sensation.

It couldn't have been long before Vegeta felt himself come back to awareness. He could feel that ki holding his body had been repositioned. Now his arms were out in front of him, his knees brought up under him, but his legs spread. His cock, that was aroused, hung between his thighs, a frustrating sensation. He could feel Goku's fingers slowly penetrate his ass, brushing against his inner walls and over his prostate.

"I'm going to kill you for this, you know." Vegeta said quietly.

"Maybe, but then you've been trying to kill me for years. Frankly, I'm sick of pussyfooting around, Vegeta. I want to get on with my life and figure you want to, too. Mated, we can do anything, beat anybody, and go anywhere we want to. Separate and alone, we are nothing." Goku said, nipping at Vegeta's ear. "Aren't you going to thank me?"

Vegeta thought over what Goku had said and his eyes widened. Experimentally, he tried to move his tail, and felt it after all these year, an answering sensation of air swirling against the fur as it swished through the air. 'Damn him and his memory. I shouldn't have said that about saiyans only getting their tails back after they became adults when they were ready to take a mate.' Vegeta thought.

Sucking in a breath when Goku added another finger to his busy hand, Vegeta grudgingly spoke. "Thank you for my tail. How did you figure out how to get it back?"

"All that paint stuff. I had to go to Other World, talk to King Kai and get special permission to talk to the saiyans in Hell. Took a while to find our fathers, who by the way are banging each other. Your father isn't the easiest person to convince, I had to go to level three before he was ready to tell me everything he knew about everything."

Vegeta snorted. "Probably took less, but you wanted to show off for your father."

Goku chuckled. "I told them you knew me well. Anyway, they told me what I needed to get, what to do with it when I had it, and how to finish the bond and mated. You're not going to be very happy for a while, I'm afraid."

Vegeta growled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I figured that out when you said that stuff about us being mated. So this is how you are going to get revenge?"

Goku stopped. Just stopped moving his hand, stopped talking, and as far as Vegeta could tell, stopped breathing. He did move quickly off the bed and released the ki bonds.

"Get the hell up and get out." Goku shouted, back against the wall, as far away from Vegeta as he could get and still be in the same room.

Vegeta put his head down on the bed, then bounced it against the mattress a few times, wishing it was something harder. Here he was, his tail back, his body extremely happy with what Goku had been doing to it, and his mind settling into the prospect of actually getting a live saiyan mate. He had to open his mouth and ruin the whole thing.

"Vegeta. You heard me. Get out and go home."

"No."

Goku sighed. "Not this again."

"I'm not leaving." Vegeta said, not moving from the position Goku had put him in.

"This is the second time, Vegeta. Leave now." Goku's voice dropped an octave, a distinct rumble entering into it.

Vegeta didn't know much about saiyan mating, but he knew enough. Vegeta knew two things right now. One was he had pushed Goku straight into the Claiming. The other was Goku was pissed at being rushed. The prince hoped Goku's innate gentleness would override his instinct to punish him for what he had said. Vegeta couldn't even be sure that Goku knew what was going on.

"I'm not leaving, Kakarrot." Vegeta said, pulling his arms under him and raising his hips. "You started something, come finish it." Vegeta waved his tail, making sure Goku could see his prepared hole.

Goku growled, the sound sending shivers up Vegeta's spine. "Last time, Vegeta. Leave or be bound forever."

Vegeta shook his head and braced himself. "The hunter has won his prize. The pray is his, let his will prevail. As the bound one, I surrender." As the formal words left his mouth, Vegeta did his best to relax his muscles.

The words had barely had a chance to die down in the room before Goku let out an animalistic roar and pounced on Vegeta. The bed creaked as Goku took hold of Vegeta's hips and slammed his cock deep into the smaller saiyan's body. Vegeta grunted, but otherwise didn't react. Goku seemed content once he was balls deep in Vegeta's warm body, leaning over to lick at the prince's neck.

Vegeta almost howled with frustration when Goku pulled his hips back slightly and gave a slow thrust, rubbing over that spot that sent a zing of pleasure through him. He felt the warm splash of Goku's first release inside his channel, making Vegeta realize this was going to be a long night.

Goku panted a few times. "Now will you listen to me?"

Vegeta almost laughed. "I don't have much choice, now do I?"

"Guess not. I was trying to tell you, I talked to your father and once he started going, he wouldn't shut up. Kind of like you." Goku chuckled, making his semi-erect cock vibrate inside Vegeta's ass. "Told me all about the 'Royal Curse'. Now that's one well keep secret."

"What curse? What are you talking about?" Vegeta asked.

Goku laughed. "Oh, now this is good. I know something about saiyans that you don't. Vegeta, the reason there were only males born to the royal bloodlines was because saiyans with royal blood can conceive and carry children."

Vegeta stilled, turning his head enough to look at Goku. He could see he was telling the truth; he wouldn't lie about something like that. Turning his head around to stare at the headboard of the bed, Vegeta wondered why he had never known about that little fact.

"So what does that mean?" Vegeta finally asked.

Goku rubbed his cheek against Vegeta's neck. "It means that before we're finished with the bonding, we're going to be expectant parents."

"Sonofabitch!"

"No, son of Vegeta. And I'll have to tell Goten, so that he can take measures that Trunks doesn't get pregnant until they are ready."

"Why didn't you take precautions?" Vegeta growled.

"Well..." Goku huffed. "Actually, if you look to the left, you'll see the container of condoms I had waiting. You just had to push. If you would have been able to keep some control over your mouth, I would have used them."

Vegeta thumped his head against the bed. Goku just laughed and started to slowly thrust into Vegeta, making him gasp. This time it was long and slow and Goku made sure Vegeta got as much out of it as he did. The pace was languid, even though Vegeta wanted it faster, and Goku played with his body in time with his plunging hips.

"You can go faster, you know." Vegeta growled.

"Of course I can. I happen to like slow." Goku rolled his hips, adding something new to the mix.

"Arg! Damn!" Vegeta hissed.

Goku wrapped his tail around Vegeta's cock, the feel of soft fur around such a sensitive area making the prince buck back. Goku laughed, slammed his hips against Vegeta and watched him claw at the bed as he came in long streams. Goku grit his teeth, holding still as Vegeta's ass clutched at his cock until he eased. With gentle hands, the big saiyan eased Vegeta to the bed, straightening out his legs as much as he could.

"How you doing, Vegeta?" Goku whispered in the prince's ear before giving it a nibble.

"Hn... Not done yet?"

"Hardly. The king said this would be expected. I had a lot of rest before coming to get you. On the other hand, you just got over your tail being re-grown. That takes a lot out of you. If you roll onto your side, you can catch some sleep."

"You could pull out."

Goku moved more than before and Vegeta gave a yelp. "Not going to happen yet."

Vegeta wondered what was going on. He was only a child when he left Planet Vegeta. Mating and bonding wasn't something that was covered in his education. He knew the terms, knew the formal words, knew what they meant, but didn't know the whole process saiyans went through to become bonded or mated. Nappa and Raditz had never had the time to explain that to him since with their lifestyle, it wasn't that important.

Goku sighed, wrapping a hand around Vegeta's chest and hips and rolling them, still connected, onto their sides. He knew from the long, long, long, talks with his father and Vegeta's that this wasn't going to be something done in an instant. A quick fuck wasn't going to forge the deep connections between their minds that would make the bonds.

The night of the snowstorm, Goku had felt Vegeta's mind reach out to him, even though he wasn't aware of the meaning then. Vegeta must not have noticed it, not when he was half asleep when Goku had been driven to the fireplace by the cold. Goku had taken the time to think about what he wanted to do, interrupted by Vegeta's stupid stunt that had pushed his temper through the roof. He had gone off to Other World to get answers from people who had them instead of stumbling through; worried he might hurt Vegeta doing it that way.

"Just get some sleep, Vegeta. When you're ready, we'll continue." Goku said, feeling Vegeta's body get heavier as he followed orders for once.

~

Vegeta became aware of his mind wrapping around another's as strong arms were wrapped around his waist. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, rather the opposite. Like the feeling of companionship and closeness, warmth and caring, of not being alone, and Vegeta found that he could enjoy it if he let himself.

Goku gave Vegeta a squeeze. "Awake enough?"

"That you?"

"Yeah. It happened when we were asleep and our natural mental shields are low. It only happens when the physical connection is carried over during bonding. That's why it's so hard for saiyans to bond. Mating is just the caring for another, we actually already had that." Goku rubbed his cheek against Vegeta's hair. "Your father wasn't real pleased that I was the one mated with you. Saw it as the next thing to incest." Goku shook with laughter.

"What?" Vegeta turned his head enough to look at Goku.

"Yeah. Our fathers are bonded and mated, and your father isn't dominant."

"Shit! That's hard to believe."

Goku waited for Vegeta to relax again before starting to run his hands over his chest. "From what Bardock said, they tried it with him submissive, but the king kept loosing it. Couldn't keep from coming when Bardock did. So my father got pissed and decided to try his hand at it. Tied King Vegeta down and basically pounded him into submission."

Vegeta had to laugh. The remembrance of his stiff, stern no-nonsense father tied down and fucked by a lesser warrior was too much. Added to that was the projection of Goku's emotions. They were like swimming in a glass of that sparkling wine Bulma liked to drink at special occasions. Vegeta realized that Goku honestly felt all bubbly and light, that it wasn't a trick. That because people who cared about him, though they used him for his or her own ends, raised him he was able to grow into the person he was meant to be. That even though he knew fighting and death all his life, Goku hadn't been a slave to a monster, made into one just to survive.

"How do I know..." Vegeta started.

"About my life?" Goku finished for him, slowly starting to thrust as he filtered more of his past through the bond he was forging with Vegeta. "I'm giving it to you. A gift, freely given."

Vegeta started to pant as his arousal grew and his temperature rose. He hadn't noticed before how cold it was in the room they were in, but now he could tell that Goku had turned off the heat. Vegeta was glad because he was sure he would have died from heat stroke otherwise. As it was, he could feel his ki being pushed up with every thrust of Goku's cock into his body.

"What are you doing now?" Vegeta asked.

"Showing you the way. Just flow with it." Goku said, making the jump to level one and pulling Vegeta along.

Vegeta didn't know what to do. On the one hand, level one was familiar, like a well-worn shoe, but he had never been able to use his full power while making love, so was a little leery. Goku, on the other hand, seemed to know just what to do, giving Vegeta a chance to feel the changes in their bodies that the ascension gave them. He let Vegeta play with raising and lowering his ki, all the time keeping a steady counterpoint going between hips, hands and tail.

Goku waited for Vegeta to get used to using level one power to move while making love before rolling them over until the prince was on top of him. Vegeta blinked, wondering how he had gone from looking at the wall to looking at the ceiling all of a sudden when he figured it out. With a grunt, he sat up, placed his feet flat on the bed and started to set his own pace to their movements.

"There you go. Have a little fun while we do this." Goku grinned up at Vegeta.

"I think you'd have fun having dinner with Freeza, Cell, Bibbidi, Bobbidi and Buu in Hell." Vegeta smirked back.

"Actually..."

"No. Don't tell me."

"What?" Goku said, trying to sound innocent and failing. "I didn't have dinner with them, but I had to get rid of them for the Kais before they would let me talk to the saiyans. They were causing more trouble than putting them through the soul wash could cure."

Vegeta gave Goku's tail a jerk. "I said not to tell me."

"Hey! I'm kind of attached to that."

Vegeta moved harder against Goku and in return the big saiyan slowly raised their power to level two. Vegeta ran his hands over his skin, feeling the energy arc between the two electrical fields. It was addicting, but also made him worry. Too much of a good thing can be dangerous, he'd found that out first hand when he had first made level one. He'd thought he was all that and a box of doughnuts when Cell showed up and got his clock cleaned. Now Goku was playing with their saiyan power and if it got out of hand...

"I have it, don't worry. I practiced very hard and only blew up one small moon that was orbiting an uninhabited world." Goku said, reading Vegeta's thoughts.

"ShitDamnitSonofabitchingFuck!"

Goku laughed, bouncing Vegeta. "Is that because we can join thoughts or blowing up?"

"If you blow me up, I'll..."

"Not much you can do. Calm down, Vegeta. I said I know what to do, and I meant it."

Vegeta was so focused on their power melding and rising that he never thought that Goku was behind him. With a look that did Vegeta proud, Goku grabbed the prince's waving tail and gave it a long slow stoke. Vegeta's back snapped straight at the sensation of hypersensitive fur being ruffled the wrong way, then smoothed down.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Vegeta snapped, grinding his hips against Goku's.

"Took your mind off being blown up, didn't it. Relax. Just give it a chance, will you?"

Goku undulated under Vegeta, making him arch his head back and hiss. At this level, everything was stretched out, a minute taking forever. The slow strokes seemed to flow like water through him, turning him into golden liquid guided by the demon below him. Vegeta wondered where Goku got the experience to handle this heightened form of lovemaking, and for an instant felt a jolt of jealousy.

"Meditation, Vegeta. It wasn't with anybody physical." Goku whispered.

Vegeta growled, feeling Goku pull him close and halting their movements. With more strength than Vegeta could have managed, Goku lifted Vegeta up and turned him around until he was facing him. Gently Goku eased back into Vegeta's ass, letting the prince sit back up and grinned at him, wiping the sweat that was dripping into his eyes.

"I thought you couldn't do that until we finished the bond." Vegeta said.

"It wasn't easy, but I thought eye contact was important at this stage." Goku panted.

Vegeta locked eyes with Goku and was gone. His body tightened around Goku's cock, his seed speeding from him in waves of sensation that made colors of reds and whites flash within his vision. For a moment, Vegeta though his heart would stop, but it kept pounding in his ears, roaring with the rhythm of life. With a start he realized that it wasn't only his heart that was making all the noise, he and Goku were both shouting for all they were worth.

//You still with me, Vegeta?// Goku's mind spoke directly to Vegeta's for the first time.

//Yes, I'm here.// Vegeta groaned, noticed that Goku was breathing heavily and was still hard inside him.

//You look good in long hair.//

//What did you do?// Vegeta sat up and shook his head, feeling his hair brush over his lower back.

"Level three." Goku said quietly.

"Damn." Vegeta stretched, feeling all the aches and pains he'd had easing. "Does it always feel like this?"

Goku laughed. "Nope. It's just the power rush and the endorphins."

"Are you ever going to cum? I'm starting to feel a little inadequate here." Vegeta griped.

Goku flashed a cheeky grin. "Vegeta, you've been training like mad for weeks. I've been lazing around Other World and the time there runs different than here. I've had a lot more rest and food than you, so have more stamina. I'll have to cum this time, though, or die. The bond will force it to finish since our minds have met and merged."

"That's what you were doing when you called to me? That's what all this was, bringing my ki up with yours?"

"It's the way it's done. If I couldn't bring you beyond your limits, then we wouldn't be a match."

Vegeta shook his head. "You are one sneaky bastard."

Goku gave a deep chuckle, then in a quick move, flipped them over until he was the one looking down at Vegeta. With a snap of his hips, Goku nailed Vegeta's prostate, making the prince toss his head back and grit his teeth to hold back a cry. Goku did it again, and then again, making Vegeta think he was set on driving him crazy. At level three, they were both larger, both energized, so every inch of skin that made contact sent frizzles of sensations along nerves that were quickly becoming overstressed.

"Don't take too long enjoying this, Vegeta." Goku ground out, snapping Vegeta from his daze.

Closing his eyes and looking to the newly formed bond, Vegeta realized that if he didn't finish this soon, Goku was going to die. His body was sustaining Vegeta's, holding him at level three since the prince's wasn't used to it. While he had been enjoying himself, Goku had been working hard at something they both needed. The extent of his selfishness smacked him in the face and for once, Vegeta was ashamed of himself.

Crying out, Vegeta wound his tail around Goku's, along with wrapping his arms and legs around his body. With a grunt, he started moving in time with Goku's thrusts, tightening around his cock with renewed energy. Before he could do anything else, Goku growled, and buried his teeth in Vegeta's shoulder, drawing blood.

"Damn it!" Vegeta howled.

"Bite me!" Goku shouted in Vegeta's face.

Vegeta blinked, then smirked, eyeing Goku's shoulder before sinking his teeth to the bone. Goku shrieked, but finally came, filling Vegeta's insides to overflowing. Vegeta's orgasm was dry, but still intense, the blood heightening his pleasure. Panting, he licked at his lips as he felt Goku settle on him half way, his breathing signaling that the big saiyan had finally given into the need to sleep.

"I know I'm going to feel this in the morning, but damn... He sure knows how to fuck." Vegeta grinned to himself. "I wonder who taught him that."

~

Goku stretched himself awake, the bite on his shoulder giving him a sharp reminder of what went on the night before. With a grin, he opened his eyes and shivered in the cold air of the unheated bedroom. The light blanket covering him was scant help against the chill of the day.

Looking out the window, Goku saw it was snowing again. It wasn't an uncommon happening in the mountains at this time of year and would likely blow over in a couple of hours. The snow would be gone in a few days and by then they would be able to pack up the house and head to wherever Vegeta wanted.

Thinking of the prince made Goku check on him through the bond. A feeling a peace filled him when he touched Vegeta's mind, finding him busy in the kitchen cooking. It was nice finding out that Vegeta could share the cooking duty, though Goku didn't mind doing it.

Scratching at his stomach, Goku got up and headed to the bathroom, a shower sounding very good to him about then. With a little lift to his ki, he warmed up nicely, not even feeling the cold water as it sluiced over him, washing dried sweat and cum from his body. The bite on his shoulder gave him a moment's pause, then he shrugged, knowing it had to heal naturally and that Vegeta's had to hurt too.

Shaking off water like a shaggy dog, Goku dried off before heading back to the cold bedroom and scrambling into clean clothes. Wool cable knit sweater, dark blue jeans, thick socks and heavy boots carried in one hand, Goku took a last look at his refection before heading out to check on Vegeta and breakfasts' progress.

The low music met him first, making Goku take the time to lean against the door and watch Vegeta dance around the room. He moved with the tune as well as he did any fight, the sure steps signs of early teaching in techniques of more courtly dances. Rock and roll wasn't waltzing, but when Vegeta danced to it, Goku could almost see the rest of the court jamming along with him over a glittering dance floor. It made Goku feel both happy and sad, happy that Vegeta felt comfortable enough to relax his guard and enjoy himself in the here and now. Sad that Vegeta didn't have his place in the universe, the right to rule over the vast number of people he was born to do.

"You should cook more often, Vegeta. It smells wonderful." Goku said when Vegeta noticed him.

"Too many people would stick me with it." Vegeta said, turning to put the food on the table.

Goku rolled his eyes. "If you don't want to cook, then I'll do it. I can take care of it."

"From what your wife said, she had to wait on you hand and foot." Vegeta said as he sat down.

"Chichi lies a lot. She was told she wouldn't be a good wife if she didn't cook and clean, so she did all of it. Then used it as a tool to beat me over the head with when I didn't jump through her hoops. Sometimes I wonder who she thinks took care of me when I was training with Roshi. He sure wasn't interested in feeding or clothing two growing boys." Goku sat and waited for Vegeta to serve himself before taking some for himself. "Krillin and I did the cooking, cleaning and made our own clothes or we would have been running around in just turtle shells."

Vegeta coughed, but kept on eating, trying to keep the thought of Goku making clothes, Krillin seeing Goku naked and the two of them running around naked from his mind. Didn't work. He wanted to go find the monk, former monk, and kill him for getting to see his mate naked. 'Hold on. What is wrong with this picture?' Vegeta thought, before closing his eyes and setting his fork down.

"Just let it go, Vegeta. Krillin never stood a chance. He never smelled right, acted worse than Bulma when it came to sex, and spent more time with Roshi's magazines than the old pervert did." Goku said. "Now, Eighteen would cut off his balls with a dull spoon and feed them to him if Krillin even thought of trying to kiss me."

Vegeta snorted. "Ok, ok. I guess I couldn't do worse to him than that."

"Oh, I don't know. You're a pretty inventive guy when you want to be."

After that there was just the sounds of eating, the slosh of liquid, the scrape of silverware, the clank of a dish. Goku finished first, but waited until Vegeta was done before clearing the table and setting the pot on to make tea.

"With the snow coming down, I'll need to chop some wood. We'll need to wait a few days before closing up the house and moving to the city. Unless you want to go someplace else." Goku said.

"About that. I've been trying to remember what I know about new mates. We need a few weeks alone before being around people or there will be trouble. We could stay here, then go back to the city for a while. I'd like to go to Other World and see my father some time too."

Goku smiled. "Sure, we can do that. Don't be surprised if we have to do something to pay for the pass to Hell, though."

"You mean they don't let you just pop in wherever you want to?"

"Sure, but where's the fun in that?"

Vegeta shook his head. "I'm mated to an overgrown delinquent."

"Heh... Probably pregnant too."

"You just had to remind me."

"I'm not going to apologize, though I will give Bulma the specs on the artificial wombs."

Goku turned to finish making the tea and felt Vegeta's arms come around his waist. With a smile he rested one hand on the pair that held him tight, sending reassurance through the bond.

"It'll be ok, Vegeta. We'll get through whatever comes up." Goku said quietly.

"Yes, well..." Vegeta let go and moved back to sit at the table. "Just don't get used to that."

"Of course not."

Goku grinned, pouring the tea and setting a cup in front of Vegeta. Picking his own up, Goku gave Vegeta a silent toast, then sipped the hot liquid, letting the warmth fill his stomach as the warmth of Vegeta's thoughts were warming him through the bond. The king and Bardock had been right. They had both needed the bond to fill up the cold spots in their lives. A cold that was of the soul and had been eating at them for years. Now they could get past it, and live in the warmth, as they were meant to.

~

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