A/N: Set sometime after Buu. GT never happened. Lime.

Reviews very much welcomed.

Things had stopped surprising me a long time ago. After all, I was part of a race able to change into giant apes upon seeing a full moon. I had died multiple times, seen countless forms of evil, and even saved the world one or two times.

But I surprised myself this time.

Let early morning sun filtered through the window, promising a day of bright sunshine and warmth. To be honest I wanted none of it. I really wanted to stay in bed for the day.

I felt none of my usual delight for the day, no exuberance, nothing at all. And I had no idea why. Nothing had happened to put me in a sour mood. In fact, things couldn't be better.

So why was my head buried under my pillow?

"Goku!"

I groaned and burrowed myself further under my covers.

Chichi and I had formally separated a few years ago, yet I maintained my own little house on the grounds to help with the things Chichi couldn't handle when Goten was away, which was more and more often as he grew. After Gohan moved out, things became strained between my wife and I on how to raise our youngest. Maintaining a separate residence had stopped the quarrelling. To this day I'm not sure how since we still saw each other on a daily basis.

I heard as she opened my front door, and tsked at the dishes lying in the sink. I was never quite the clean freak she was, and she knew I could hear her disapproval clearly.

She was silent a moment as she leaned against the doorframe of my room, obviously taking in my clothes strewn about, and the fact that I was still in bed. It was only an hour past dawn, but that was usually an hour I would have been out doing my usual routine.

"Staying in bed today, are we?" her voice was slightly scolding, yet concerned at the same time.

I grunted but made no move.

With a sigh, Chichi moved from the doorway and began busying herself with cleaning the disaster around her. I simply didn't care. To be honest the sound of her bustling about started lulling me back to sleep.

"He's out there again, you know."

Of course he was. It was his routine to sit outside and stare into my window until I came out, if I wasn't already.

Vegeta was never one to be kept waiting.

My ex wife sighed again and sat at the edge of the bed. "Honey, what's going on with you?" she asked, gently tugging the pillow away from my face. "I've never known you to stay in bed past sunrise."

What was going on with me? Just how did I surprise myself?

Somehow, I had fallen for the very prince of Saiyans waiting outside.

Now here, I'm going to assume you are aware of myself and Vegeta's chequered past. How he was sent to eradicate Earth; the numerous times we've fought one another, how he hates the very fact I exist...

It is here where I would concede the stupidity point that is raised every time Vegeta opens his mouth either to me or about me. Why fall for someone who wants to pound your face in every time they see you?

How not is more the question.

It's very simple really. The power, the pride, the passion that exudes from him on a daily basis is enough to make a person drunk with lust. Well, that and he is a physical manifestation of perfection.

I'd learned over the years that Saiyans needed strength in their partners; partly why I chose to stay with ChiChi, and definitely why Vegeta had chosen Bulma to sire his son Trunks. That's why I was drawn to him like a moth to flame. And like that creature, it seemed I was destined to burn.

"Trust me, Chichi, you don't want to know." I grumbled, closing my eyes against the light invading my vision.

She leaned forward and brushed one of my spikes of hair away from my face. "I can guess it has something to do with the Prince of Sourness outside."

I chuckled deprecatingly. "It always does, doesn't it? The world revolves around him after all."

I could tell she was just looking at me, pity in her gaze. I could almost feel it burning my skin. I didn't want her pity, or empathy, or anything. I really just wanted to be left alone.

My ex wife waited another minute, and rose after she realized I wasn't going to be any sort of company at the moment. "He's going to stay out there until you get up, you know," she said as she paused in the doorway.

"Then he can bloody well come in here if it's so important."

I knew her eyebrows had shot up into her hairline at that. I was never one to use bold language like that, at least not outside of life or death situations.

"Do you want me to tell him that?"

Blindly grabbing at my covers, I threw them over my head. "He'll figure it out on his own soon enough."

And he did. I had been aware of him all morning, his ki like a throbbing pulse in the back of my mind. He stayed where he was till about a half hour after Chichi left. I had dozed off again, his presence almost having a calming effect on me. It was irking, but at this point I had decided not to fight anything when it came to him. Well, except for the prince himself. He, I would always fight tooth and nail, for or against.

I felt when he stood, irritation clearly readable in his energy. He took his time making his way inside, knowing full well that I knew he was there. Like he was going to make me wait, as I had done to him.

I smirked to myself and flopped onto my stomach. He thought to goad the one with unlimited patience. He was only going to irritate himself.

Vegeta wasted no time looking through my little house as Chichi had. He had little care for most things, even his own. If it could be replaced, it mattered not. With Bulma as your benefactor, everything could be replaced.

The floorboards of my room creaked slightly as his weight settled upon them. I could feel the heat coming off him in waves, surely absorbed from the hour plus he had sat in the sun.

"Why is your lazy ass still in bed?" he asked, irritation plain, yet sounding bored at the same time.

Using my tail, I pulled down the covers enough to stare balefully at him. "Because this ass wants to."

He shoved off of the wall he was leaning on and came to stand in front of the bed, hands on his hips. His presence was nearly overwhelming; it also didn't help that the jeans the prince was wearing clung skin tight to his muscular thighs, which were about eye level with me at the moment.

"Get out of bed Kakarott."

I snorted. I loved how he always thought I'd do whatever he said. "I don't feel like it. Maybe later."

Vegeta frowned, eyes darkening. "Why the hell not?"

Sighing, I turned over onto my back. "I believe I stated why."

The prince leaned over slightly, his own tail uncurling from his waist to hang at his side. "I'll drag you out if I have to," he growled, that same auburn tail snaking out to grab the blanket.

Now, here I will say, I sleep naked. I hate clothes, always have, always will. They are a hindrance, and cumbersome. So whenever I can, well, I don't wear them. Anyone who knows me knows this.

I must not have been thinking properly, because I panicked, thinking that Vegeta had no idea what he was about to do. So my own tail shot out from beneath the covers to grasp his and stop its advance.

The fur on fur contact shot a jolt of sensation from the tips of my hair down to my toes. And most definitely my crotch.

Vegeta hissed through his teeth as well, and he retracted his appendage like it had been burned. "What the fuck, Kakarott?" he all but roared. "What were you thinking?"

I had shot up as well, trying to hide my sudden erection. "What the hell were you thinking?" I shot back angrily, furious as a blush crept traitorously up my cheeks. "Don't you think there was a goddamn reason I was covered up?"

A smirk crept into Vegetas features, and his eyes raked over me. Somehow, I felt more exposed than I ever had in my entire life. "I was aware of that Kakarott."

Somehow, my cheeks got redder, and my crotch harder at this.

This seemed to please the prince even more. "What's wrong, Kakarott?" he purred, the way he rolled over the 'r's in my name making me want to choke. "Feeling a little uncomfortable?"

"Fuck you," was all I could manage.

"Hmmm."

Vegeta stepped back a pace, and I couldn't help but notice he was hard as well. To be honest, I knew he was more aroused at the thought of what he was doing to me, more than just me.

"It seems you feel like getting up now, Kakarott." he said smugly, and I wanted to punch the smirk right off his face. Somehow, even though he was in the same state as I was, he had managed to make me feel embarrassed.

I suddenly felt angry, and not caring anymore, I flopped onto my back. "Go away, Vegeta. I don't feel like playing your games today."

His dark eyes glittered. "It seems you do. Or, at least part of you does."

"You seem to forget your own pants aren't exactly hiding anything."

Vegeta shrugged, a simple move he made seem so graceful. "Simply showing my appreciation."

I snorted. "More like you get off on making others uncomfortable."

His brows lowered, and he crossed his arms. A muscle jumped in his jaw, reacting to how hard he was clenching his teeth.

"You know nothing Kakarott," he ground out, whirling and heading for the door. His tail made a lazy wave in the air behind him. "If you feel like joining the world today, you know how to find me."

I was left blinking as I listened to the door shut, and then the buffet of wind against my windows as the prince took off. Had I offended him by my remark? Could I have possibly been reading him wrong? Or was this another ploy to drag me into a fight?

I sighed and scrubbed at my eyes. It was always something with Vegeta. Nothing was easy where he was concerned. And sadly, I loved how complicated he was. I loved him.

I growled and flopped back onto my stomach. I wished I could just flip a switch and stop caring. This constant yearning was driving me mad. Driving me to stay in bed all day, when I'd rather be out punching the daylights out of Vegeta, doing anything I could to be near him.

I shifted a little and groaned at the contact with my aching groin. This wasn't something I needed right now either. Sure, working out my frustrations while imagining my rivals writhing body beneath me may feel good, but I wasn't going to solve my problem.

Shoving my face in my pillow, I steadfastly ignored my body. It worked. I must have dozed off because when I opened my eyes again, the sun was halfway in the sky.

And Vegeta was in the front yard again.

He was trying hard to suppress his ki, but I could feel it anyways. After we had fused, it was like a little piece of him was left behind, something I could easily find.

I wondered briefly why he was here again. He was either really itching for a spar, or he was genuinely concerned about me. I wanted to dismiss the latter, but I knew if the former were true I would have been drug out kicking and screaming long ago.

My chest constricted as the thought took root in my brain. What if Vegeta cared? He and Bulma had attempted to stay together, but they drove each other crazy, and Bulma had wanted to focus on the corporation. Vegeta hadn't batted an eyelash. He said human women couldn't keep up with him anyhow.

I tried to analyze the last few years, wondering if there has been changes in vegetas behaviour towards me. He sought me out more often, sure, but he'd always loved a good spar, and I was the only one able to provide him with a challenge.

There had been a few times where one of us would join the other during times of contemplation, but I had sought him out just as much as he I. We never talked to each other, just simply sat and were content in our company.

I shook my head, yawned, and stretched. I wasn't going to over think this. For once I was just going to leave things be. If something happened, then I'd be the first to say 'fuck yes.'

For now, all I wanted was to bathe. The extended time in bed made me feel like I had slept in dirt. But did I want a shower, or a swim in the lake not far from here?

I decided I wanted to test something. So I quickly put on a pair of sweatpants Chichi had thrown on my dresser, grabbed a towel with my tail and threw it over my shoulder, and proceeded out of the house.

Vegeta had set himself back in the tree line, where I would have been unable to see him if I looked out my window. His eyebrows rose slightly, a sign of surprise most people would miss. I said nothing to him as I walked by, but let my tail brush slightly over his cheek as I passed. I'd figured the move would have two outcomes: he would either get mad and curse at me for my negligence, or he would say nothing.

Luck was on my side. From the corner of my vision, I saw the prince silently rise and follow behind me. I could feel his eyes staring into me as we walked, and I silently cursed my lack of forethought. My pants were loose enough that they hung low, so much so that if I bent over, he would get an eyeful. I hadn't bothered cutting a hole for my tail for just this reason. It felt like like a hole was burning into my backside from the intensity of his gaze.

Staying quiet, I wound my way through the trees, my footfalls causing all sorts of noise despite being barefoot. Vegetas made none. He was so agile on his feet, he could probably walk on snow without falling through. I figured the only reason he had made noise on my floor earlier was because he wanted to.

Vegeta said nothing, which had me curious, since I had expected him to demand to know where we were going. But he seemed pensive, yet relaxed. His arms were uncrossed and his tail loose, which was rare most times.

I actually wanted to turn and do my own form of demanding, to see what was up with the normally verbal (albeit abusively) prince. But I shrugged, hiding it by rolling my shoulders as well. My muscles felt tight after long disuse; a swim would help ease the tension.

Not long after, the sound of the waterfall feeding the lake reached my ears, and I couldn't help the smile that overcame me. This was a favourite spot of mine as I could come here to do many things; swim, fish, or simply sit and think.

When the falls came into view, I turned and flashed a predatory grin at Vegeta, shed my pants and towel, and bolted for the ridge. As I stood on the rise, I looked down to see the prince staring up at me, his tail swaying gently behind him. After years of both studying him and my own personal experience, I knew that meant he was enjoying himself. Stretching quickly, I dove.

The water was icy as I hit the surface. It was invigorating. I dove, farther and farther down, watching as monstrous fish in turn watched me as I passed. Down and down, until my lungs burned minutes later and I reached the bottom. Using the sandy floor as a springboard, I launched myself up, gasping as I broke the surface.

Glancing around, I saw Vegeta leaning against a tree, legs crossed at the knee, arms mimicking, head down and his eyes closed. A casual observer would think the prince asleep. The tip of his tail flicking back and forth betrayed his awareness.

I twisted onto my back and floated for a while, arms outstretched. The spray of the falls kept my eyes closed; tranquility seemed to reign.

Until Vegeta broke the silence. "Determined to flash me, aren't you Kakarott?" it seemed Mr. Smug had returned.

He was floating above me, I could tell without looking. "Just as you are to look, Vegeta."

The prince snorted, and a idea overtook me. With a burst of speed, I grabbed Vegeta's ankle, and hauled him underwater. He fought at first, purely on instinct, before stilling a bit. He did however manage to knee me in the face, making me lose my grip on him.

He bolted past me, diving quickly like an arrow shot from a bow. His tail managed to snag my wrist, pulling me with him.

Further and further into depths we went, the sunlight barely reaching this far down. The tug on my wrist loosened, but didn't let go. Vegeta turned towards me and smiled. A true, unfettered thing, his face lighting up. It held no mockery, pride, anything that made the prince who he was to the outside world. This was just simple glee.

It was breathtaking.

My lungs were starting to burn, so I jerked my head upwards. My companion nodded, and then did something I never expected.

He grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me. His lips were hot against my chilled flesh, the touch almost tentative. And then he breathed into me, sharing his air, sharing himself in such a simple act.

He broke away, and stared into my eyes a moment, his gaze unfathomable, like the lake. He let go of my wrist, only to wrap his tail around my bicep, and we were off.

Vegeta let go of me and continued up as we broke the surface, hovering with his toes just above the crest. I stayed submerged; I was naked after all.

The prince flashed his ki to dry off. I read confusion in his eyes, his eyebrows lowered. This seemed like one of those times where a wrong word would send him either in a rage, or flying away.

I shook my head vigorously, the shed water leaving my hair free and wild. "Good spot, eh Vegeta?" I asked casually as I tread water. "An excellent place to swim, even better to fish. You hungry?"

My smaller counterpart snorted, but a grin tugged at his lips. "Always hungry, aren't you?"

I winked at him. "Always hungry, for many different things." Before he could answer, I dove again. Let him chew on that for a minute.

I had the perfect meal in mind. For as long as I could remember, there was a fish that lived in this lagoon, a monster that I had only glimpsed a handful of times. I had never had an excuse to go after him; after all these years he had grown to a size that even my admittedly large appetite couldn't justify in killing. With another Saiyan by my side, this would be a treat.

I dove further, but saw no sign. With a frown I came up for air.

"Not much of a hunter, are you Kakarott?" Vegeta mocked from above.

I clucked my tongue at him. "I was planning on having you join this hunt, but if you're just going to insult me, you can chew rocks."

An ebony brow rose. "You asking for help?"

I shrugged. "The prey in mind is worthy enough for both if us. I want a true Saiyan hunt, and this will be a challenge."

Vegetas eyes started to gleam. "Easy way, or hard?"

I knew what he was asking. If this took long, did we cheat and erect bubbles of air, or do what Vegeta had done previously? It would only get us so far, before we were forced to come up for air, but a time limit made things more challenging. And the thought of having those lips on mine again….

"I chose the prey, you the style," I told him as casually as I could.

I had seen Vegeta in battle mode many times before. I has seen him prime for it as well. But I had never seen just how much it excited him. His lips parted ever so slightly, his heart quickened, evidenced by the pulse I saw in his neck, his skin flushed...

I mentally groaned to myself as my body responded to his automatically. I was thankful I was in the water.

Using his teeth, the prince tore off his gloves and threw them ashore. Next came his shirt, and I had to bite my tongue. Vegetas exposed flesh wasn't something I hadn't seen a million times, but this time seemed so much more personal.

He locked eyes with me as he slowly descended into the water right in front of me, a smirk tugging lightly at the corner of his mouth.

"Shall we?" he breathed, and I licked my lips involuntarily. His gaze tracked the movement. Somewhere between my house and the lake, sexual tension had taken center stage. Somewhere between my last dive and now, Vegeta's confusion had fled.

I didn't know if I was ready for it. Sure I had dreamed of it, fantasized, but now that it was nearly smacking me in the face I wanted a breather.

After all, I wasn't just looking for sex. I wanted that infuriating prince to be by my side always. But what did he think? Sure he wasn't with Bulma anymore, but he had always seemed like a lone wolf type. Like me. Yet I wanted, no, needed, a companion. Shit, my brain was going in circles.

All the while, Vegeta was inching closer, his eyes dark with what could only be called lust. His tail snaked through the water, wrapping around my thigh tightly. My breathing hitched and I got instantly harder. I was acutely aware that I was wearing nothing. "Kakarott," he said my name like a benediction, "I'm hungry." Tilting his head, he inhaled my scent by my neck. His tongue reached out and tentatively traced my earlobe. "Are you going to feed me?"

What a loaded question that was. Somehow, in the part of my brain that hadn't shut down from lust, I knew he referred to more than food. This was asking about satiating our current need, wanting me to prove I could provide for him. A ritual of sorts.

I pulled away a bit, and, still keeping eye contact, reached up with my tail, traced from his jaw, down his collarbone and chest, and wrapped around his waist, pulling his lower half against mine.

I was pleased to note he was as aroused as I was, and he groaned as he ground our erections together.

His breath came in short gasps, but his eyes were pained. "I've wanted this a long time, Kakarott," he whispered, his thumb tracing my lower lip. His tail encircled my waist as I had done. "But I can't stand being left again." He swallowed thickly and grasped my face in both hands.

I was honoured by the trust he was putting in me by laying himself bare, leaving himself open. Here was the most guarded creature in the world, stripped down to his insecurities, putting faith in me that I wouldn't hurt him because of it.

As someone who had saved the universe on a regular basis, this seemed easy. I placed my hands on his against my face. "If this is what you want, you will not be alone ever again." I cracked a grin. "This Baka will be annoying you for the rest of your life if you'd like."

"We live together, fight together, die together."

I gave him a quick kiss. "There is much more to it than that, my prince. There's eating, laughing, crying, and a whole lot of fucking to be had as well."

"Let's not waste any time then, eh?"

I may have surprised myself by falling in love with Vegeta. But had given me an even better one, falling for me.

That fish lived to fight another day.