Pacific
By Reiko Narita
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Dragonball Z or any of the characters.
Warnings: YAOI, GokuxVegeta, AU, language
Author's Note: This story takes place a year or so after everyone gets back from Namek and Goku has returned from Yardrat. (Trunks will not be making an appearance to warn about the androids.)
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Chapter One
It was raining again. But that wasn't a surprise. For the past two weeks it had been raining nonstop. It came down like iron nails, beating noisily against the roof. The sun had not been seen once during the past weeks and sometimes the early morning hours were dark and foreboding. In some areas, even floods were reported to be developing. Everything was soggy, cold, and gray, not to mention slightly hazardous. In the city, life didn't seem to slow down, but the people remained cautious. The storm seemed almost global as news reports came in, saying that these were unusual weather patterns for this time of year. All the forest animals had taken shelter, some in the high branches of trees, others in secluded caves. No birds dared to take flight in these dangerous conditions. The winds were much too strong. The weather was absolutely miserable and it seemed to be getting worse as the days went on. It made everything look empty and depressing. Vegeta didn't want to admit it, but all this rain was beginning to affect his mood, causing him to feel sad to some extent, though he failed to acknowledge it. These were not ideal conditions for training. Although working out in the Gravity Room was all well and good, he didn't want to train indoors all the time. The rain alone would not have deterred him, but with the strong winds and lightening, it was useless. What's more, his mind was already troubled by other thoughts.
"This weather is so dismal and discouraging. One would think it would be clearing up by now. At this rate, I'll get behind in my training."
He complained as he peered outside of the kitchen window. The small Saiyan was in the midst of washing several dishes at his leisure, but he quickened his pace when he saw lightening in the distance, followed by a muffled roar of thunder. It was about 10:00 PM and the storm didn't look like it would be departing any time soon. He stared at the dishes blankly, not really enjoying the chore, but he had gotten used to doing it. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and black athletic pants, with gray stripes running down the sides, an outfit he found to be comfortable. Over it, he wore a halter styled, oatmeal-colored apron.
As Vegeta came down to the last few dishes, there was a violent rap at the front door. At first, he imagined it was the rain or maybe it was the sound of sticks and limbs bumping against it, due to the violent winds. Ignoring the sounds, he proceeded soaking the dishes in the sink, wanting to get down as soon as possible. He went back to scrubbing at a white plate, the design very simple. The water was quite hot and would have scalded the skin of a human, however Vegeta's Saiyan hands were not damaged in anyway, nor did he feel discomfort. Soon, the sound was heard again after twenty seconds went by. Once more, Vegeta paid it no attention. But then, suddenly, the door bell rang. He jumped with alarm as his eyes glanced in the direction of the front door. This time, it was definitely not the storm. Immediately, he relaxed himself enough to wonder who it might be.
"Who could be out in weather like this? Why would they be at my door? Perhaps someone's lost their way. But still, I don't see how they could have found this place. It's too far back into the woods."
All the same, he didn't want to be bothered. He even thought against answering it. He let the plate sink into the water with a thump and walked to the door, drying his hands on the apron. For a third time, the rapping went on, more forceful than before. Vegeta took his time getting to the door and sighed as he approached. Whoever it was, they could wait for all he cared.
"Just a minute, I'm coming!" he mumbled, annoyance in his voice.
When he opened the door, he saw a figure, much taller than he, slouched over and getting drenched. He could not make out the face in the darkness and immediately felt uneasy. Then the figure stepped into the doorway and Vegeta was overcome with surprise upon finally recognizing the face.
It was Goku.
He looked so different. He was soaked from head to toe; he wore a long khaki trench coat covering a red polo shirt and blue jeans instead of the orange and blue gi he was usually seen in and a pair of raggedy sneakers covered his feet, in place of his boots. On his face, Goku displayed a look that Vegeta had never in his life seen on the larger Saiyan. His face, once full of cheer and life, now was hard and pale. His eyes once bright, were now blood shot, his nose was equally red and his mouth was drawn up tight, as if he didn't want anything to go in or come out. Goku looked as if he were Atlas, forever locked into his burden of supporting the heavens on his shoulders.
Vegeta could not help but stand staring in complete astonishment, his mouth slightly open. He had difficulty imagining why Goku looked this way, but he didn't feel the need to ask.
"Vegeta, I'm sorry I disturbed you, but I was wondering if you'd let me in for a few minutes," he said in a hoarse voice.
Vegeta blinked. He couldn't find the words to say and only remarked "Sure, come in."
Goku thanked him with a slight bow and walked in. As he entered the house, Vegeta noticed that Goku was carrying a brown leather suitcase, in his right hand. Many questions went rushing through his mind. He shut the door and offered to take Goku's coat. Goku didn't expect Vegeta to do such a thing because he had never known the prince to be at all polite, especially to him, yet he was glad that he didn't have to stay in the heavy wet coat anymore. The smaller Saiyan took the coat and draped it over a nearby chair and suggested that Goku take off his shoes, the typical Japanese custom. While Goku did this it gave Vegeta time to think about what to do next. He had always felt very uncomfortable being around Goku, but now that he had seen the taller Saiyan in a whole new way, it made him feel even worse. Not knowing exactly how to go about this, Vegeta attempted to be as polite as he knew how and offered Goku a seat at the dining table. They both leisurely walked towards it; Goku, head hanging low. Once seated, there was an uneasy silence. Goku's head rested on the table, his arms concealing his face. The prince could see that his larger counterpart was clearly soaked to the bone. His polo shirt clung tightly to his broad chest, showing off his muscles. He must have been undoubtedly uncomfortable in his wet blue jeans as well.
"Y-You must be cold. I'll get a towel for you", Vegeta said in a quiet voice, almost on the verge of stuttering.
He got up, went out of the dining room and up a flight of stairs, turning a corner sharply. In about 12 seconds, he returned with a large forest green towel and handed it to Goku, who gladly took it.
"Uh…Thanks", Goku said, his voice unusually deep.
Vegeta watched as Goku rubbed his head forcefully. This took about 4 minutes. He became a bit exasperated at the pace Goku took in drying his hair, but said nothing. Once he finished, the taller Saiyan let the towel hang from his neck. The look of sadness reappeared on his face and Goku reassumed his previous pose, hiding his face in his arms. They sat quietly, not saying a word, but the silence was almost too much for the prince to take. Vegeta fought boldly against the temptation to ask, but in the end he decided it was better if he did.
"Kakarotto, I'm not sure what's going on, but if you don't mind, could you tell me why you've come here?" he inquired in a somewhat gentle voice, but with sarcastic overtones.
No reply. He did not want to ask a second time, so he patiently waited for his larger counterpart. At that moment, Goku slowly lifted his head, revealing that he had been silently crying the whole time. The smaller Saiyan's eyes went wide, leaning back a little from fright.
He then sat up and took a deep breath. He looked Vegeta directly in the eye and began his heartrending story.