Love Has No Cure

Part 1 – Beginning

If there's one thing I've learned over the course of my life, it's that even when you think something's over; it's never actually ends. Many battles I thought were won or lost had actually only just started, many dreams, many nightmares I thought were over had only just begun, and just when I think my story had already reached its end, it's only just beginning.

I woke to the subtle sound of my lover sliding out of bed, squinting open one eye to see him pad softly toward the bathroom, tail swishing agitatedly. I disregard the discomfort pulsing off him in waves in favor of admiring his lithe, nude body. Shallow of me, yes, but I could never quite get over Vegeta's feral beauty, no matter how I stared. And the fact that I got to see, to feel, that much perfect, bronze skin almost every day made me one of the happiest people on Earth.

A few minutes passed and Vegeta crept back into bed and slid into my arms.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, nuzzling his neck.

"Nothing Kakarot, just a headache. Go back to sleep," he mumbled, settling in my embrace with a sigh.

"Did you take something for it?"

"Yeah, it should kick in in a bit,"

I took his advice and drifted back to sleep, soothing my lover with a quiet purr. His tail twined with mine and slipped into an uneasy state of rest.

"Daddy! 'Geta! Wake up!" was the warning we got before Goten pounced on us, shaking us to the full extent of wakefulness despite my yelp of surprise and Vegeta's startled cursing.

Vegeta recovered first, glaring at the demi-Saiyan teen and growling,

"How many times do I have to tell you, brat? It's Vegeta, not ''Geta', not 'Veggie', not 'V', you may not, under any circumstances, give the Prince of All Saiyans nicknames unless you have an insistent death wish!"

Goten smirked, "Whatever you say, 'Geta,"

I had the foresight to shield my face as Vegeta leapt from the bed, flinging Goten off as well and flaring to level two of Super Saiyan with a snarl.

"I'm serious, brat!"

I grabbed his wrist gently and pulled him back into the bed, laughing in harmony with my youngest son, who was rolling on the floor, giggling.

"Come on, Vegeta, you don't want to scar him with your nudity," I snickered.

Vegeta smirked over his shoulder, then dropped out of Super Saiyan in a rush, breathing hard and sweating. I looked at him concernedly, he'd only been powered up for all of two seconds and he looked like he'd run a mile.

His charcoal eyes met mine for a moment, then he attempted a smile, shrugging off my fretting glance.

"I'm fine," he muttered, "But the headache's back,"

"Do you want me to - ?" I began, he waved me off.

"It's no big deal, I'll be okay,"

Goten had gotten up off the floor and was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Why'd you wake us up like that?" I asked, I was about to add 'why so early?' but according to the clock on the bedside table it was almost noon. Not exactly the crack of dawn.

"Because," Goten rolled his eyes as if I'd asked the dumbest question ever, "Bulma told you guys to take a break from sparring and screwing each other to come to her party or she'd blow up the gravity room and you guys's bedroom with dynamite. It's today, you know."

I groaned and leaned back, against my pillows, rubbing my eyes exasperatedly.

"I forgot it was today,"

Vegeta's tail twitched, "I think she's serious about the dynamite; that woman's not known for jesting,"

Goten hid a laugh behind his hand.

"Well come on, let's go," I stretched and stood, looping my tail around one of the sheets and wrapping it around my waist like a skirt to hide my own nudity, "Bulma's wrath is something of legendary; we should do our best not to piss her off at all or she'll probably shave our tails off."

Goten inched off the bed and left the room, still snickering.

This was going to be a long day.

TBC