A/N: hi, it's me. This is the first multichapter thing I've ever posted in relation to Dragon Ball Z, so... yeah. I've also never posted multichapter fiction on before, so I don't know what to say here. I guess I'll put warnings. I don't want to give anything away though so, I'll just say that there will be graphic scenes (containing blood and violence.) I guess that's all. Pairing is Kakavege (Goku and Vegeta).
The Bloodlust Effect
Chapter 1:
Six Months Prior
He doesn't know how, but Vegeta is going to get rid of Chi-Chi.
Every morning before the first school bell rings, Vegeta has to sit behind her and Kakarot and watch her flirt effortlessly. The way she sits beside him and giggles at everything he says, the way she bats her eyes and flips her long, black hair over her shoulder, the way she bites her lip and watches him when he talks. All of it is disgusting, and Vegeta will put an end to it one way or another.
Spending the entirety of class watching Chi-Chi slowly scoot her chair closer to Kakarot's makes Vegeta want to puke. He glares a hole right into the back of her skull as he wishes she would suddenly drop dead, for any reason. Surely Kakarot wouldn't miss her. Vegeta wouldn't miss her.
That should be me, sitting next to that idiot. I deserve it more than her. I love him much more than she ever will.
For countless months now, Vegeta has watched Kakarot from the shadows. He isn't a stalker; or at least, he wouldn't identify himself as one. Kakarot speaks to him on occasion, but Vegeta can't seem to hold a conversation with him without getting flustered in his presence. He would do anything to belong to Kakarot. Or even just to get his attention. But his tsundere personality refuses to cooperate, and whenever he does have Kakarot's attention, he ends up bashing him and shutting him down immediately.
As if he could hear Vegeta's thoughts, Kakarot slowly spins around.
"Hey, Geta, are ya payin' attention? I'm a little lost." Kakarot slides his hand behind him and smiles nervously, scratching the back of his head.
Vegeta feels his ears burn but attempts to ignore Kakarot's attempt at conversation.
"Geta, are ya listenin' to me?" he whispers.
"Fuck off," he replies.
"But I don't understand what we're doin'." He folds his arms on the back of his chair and rests his chin there, looking up at Vegeta with soft eyes.
Vegeta stares hard at the black board, pretending to be invested in the words written on it. Kakarot is so close to him that Vegeta can feel his soft exhalation on his arm. He desperately attempts to suppress a shiver.
"Aw, don't pretend I ain't here." Kakarot giggles quietly. "Hey, where are ya eatin' yer lunch today?"
"None of your concern," he mumbles in response. Kakarot's voice is soft and sounds like a purr when he speaks so quietly. Vegeta wishes he would talk to him like that all day, purring words into his ear like that. This thought successfully causes a shiver to shoot down his spine.
"Yer so mean to me," Kakarot pouts.
Vegeta silently begs any existing deity to strike him down now before he looses control.
"Because I don't like you," he lies.
Kakarot only giggles again in response. He opens his mouth to speak, but the lunch bell replaces his voice.
Not exactly what I asked for, but I guess it works.
Vegeta immediately stands, wasting no time in gathering his things. He shoves them quickly into his bag and rushes passed Kakarot and Chi-Chi's table.
He would've successfully made it to the door if Kakarot hadn't reached out and tugged on the tail end of his uniform. Vegeta tenses and turns sharply, snapping away from his obsession's grasp.
"What the hell do you want, Kakarot?"
"You should eat yer lunch in here with me n' Chi-Chi," he says. He smiles. "If ya want."
"O-h, yeah. That would be nice." Chi-Chi smiles at him, and he growls under his breath.
"You couldn't pay me to," he says, his tone acidic.
"Here, you can sit by me," Kakarot insists, pulling the desk across from him closer. He pats the seat and smiles wide.
"Goku, Vegeta already said he doesn't want to. Don't upset him." Chi-Chi places a hand on Kakarot's shoulder.
Vegeta tosses his stuff back on the floor angrily and plops his ass in the seat. Kakarot proceeds to pull him closer until the tables touch, a stupid, wide smile plastered on his face.
Present Day
Vegeta knows how he's going to get rid of Chi-Chi.
The thought occurred to him one day when Kakarot somehow convinced him to come with him and Chi-Chi to the track to eat their lunch. Since the first day they had eaten together, Kakarot made it his duty to get Vegeta to eat with them every lunch hour, and even when the new school year began, the beautiful idiot continued this tradition.
As they walked to the track, Vegeta studied the girl with the long black hair. She had gotten much braver over the course of time. When she reached out and gently took Kakarot's hand in her own, Vegeta stopped walking and froze, nearly snapping right then and there. How dare she touch his Kakarot like that?
I'm going to fucking kill her.
He was a little shocked at his own thought at first, but as Kakarot awkwardly pulled his hand away from hers and turned around to see Vegeta far behind, he gave a crooked smile, and the tsundere could only interpret it as a call for help. She most certainly won't be missed, not by Kakarot.
I'll fucking kill her.
As the days came and went, Vegeta was able to control his anger around her enough to take note of everything about her in order to calculate his murder carefully. It wasn't scary to him that he thought so often about how to slaughter this girl who grew even braver as Vegeta grew even more homicidal. This was the only thing that could be done to fix it.
And now, as he watches Chi-Chi giggle far too much at something Kakarot says, he's going over the plan. He taps his finger on his desk and furrows his brow, staring at her as if that alone would cause her to combust into millions of pieces of flesh and blood on the floor. But a death that extreme may upset Kakarot. Her death at all may upset Kakarot. That's why it must be taken care of quietly.
The bell rings and Chi-Chi stands up, sighing.
"Goku-kun, what're you doin' after school?"
"Goin' home," he answers. "I'm awful sleepy." He yawns to prove his point and grabs his bag, tossing it over his shoulder. "I'll see ya tomorrow though, 'kay?"
She puffs out her cheeks a little and pouts. "Okay. See ya tomorrow."
He turns and smiles at Vegeta, absolutely clueless as to how much it speeds Vegeta's heart rate up when he does it. Vegeta blushes and immediately averts his gaze to the top of his desk with a frown.
Once Kakarot leaves, Chi-Chi sits down in his chair in front of Vegeta and turns around to smile at him.
"Hello, Vegeta."
Vegeta swallows down the stinging bile that rises in his throat and looks up at her. He forces the kindest smile he can conjure.
"Hello, Chi-Chi."
"D'ya think Goku-kun is okay? I'm a little worried 'bout him." She pulls out another pout and glances out the window.
Vegeta gags silently.
"I don't care if he is or if he isn't."
"Aw, don't be like that." She giggles, the same way she does when Kakarot says literally anything, and for a brief second, Vegeta wonders if she's flirting with him. The thought makes him physically nauseous.
With Kakarot gone already, Vegeta considers killing her today. It wouldn't be difficult, she's extremely naïve. He could lead her to the roof, like he's envisioned numerous times, and strangle her with his bare hands, or push her off the edge of the building. He could knock her down and beat her skull in with the heel of his shoe, or break some glass and slit her throat...
"I think I'll make him a lunch tomorrow," she says cheerfully. "That will surely make him better! What d'ya think?"
Vegeta grits his teeth.
"Sure, food is a great way to win him over."
"Win him over?" She smiles. "Win him over for what?"
Vegeta's faux smile fades and he glares at her.
"You're trying to win him over with food. You love him, right?"
Chi-Chi's face turns a gentle shade of pink and she brings her hands to her cheeks. "Oh, is it that obvious?"
Shaking, Vegeta forces a smirk. "There's obviously a lot about Kakarot you don't know."
"Huh?" She looks up at him, her full attention on him. "What d'ya mean?"
Vegeta's smirk grows more natural as she plays right into it.
"I mean, he may be an idiot, but he's far more complex than you may realize."
"Really?" Her eyes widen. "I didn't know ya knew so much about him! Will you tell me all this stuff that I don't know?"
This is too easy.
"No."
"Wha?" She claps her hands together over her head and bows. "Please, Vegeta? I'll do whatever ya want in return!"
Vegeta pretends to think about it.
"Hm... anything?"
"Anythin'!"
"Fine." He stands and grabs his bag. "Meet me tomorrow after school. I'll be on the roof."
Chi-Chi stands and smiles wide. "Thank you so much, Vegeta! I'll bring tea!" She bows again before turning and running out the door.
This is far too easy.
The morning walk to school is Vegeta's down time. The rush of preparing for school is always followed by a quiet stroll down a relatively empty sidewalk, and it helps calm Vegeta down enough to prevent snapping during the day. Since the new year, Vegeta has had the company of his first year brother in the morning. He doesn't mind his brother much. The boy is quiet and timid, and mostly speaks only when spoken to. But Tarble adores Vegeta, and takes very good care of him. In turn, Vegeta is kind to Tarble.
They live on the same street as Kakarot, but Vegeta has fashioned his schedule so that he gets up before Kakarot does every morning and avoids seeing him. He loves him truly and would do anything he asked, but Vegeta needs the quiet mornings alone with his younger brother.
"Nii-san," Tarble says, his voice gentle. "How are you?"
Vegeta raises a brow and glances to him. "What do you mean?"
"I'm asking how you're feeling this morning," Tarble elaborates.
"I'm alright." Vegeta slides his hands into his pockets.
"How's Kakarot?"
Vegeta feels the tips of his ears burn. "How should I know?"
"Nii-san..."
Vegeta sighs. "He's fine, I suppose."
Whilst Tarble doesn't know to what extent Vegeta loves Kakarot, he still knows that the feelings are present. Nothing can be hidden from the boy.
"That's good," he answers. "Have you talked to him yet?"
"I avoid him."
"I know." Tarble folds his hands behind his back. "Why?"
Vegeta only shrugs in response.
"I walked with him home yesterday," Tarble announces. Vegeta's eyes widen and he stops walking. Tarble does as well and smiles up at Vegeta.
"Did you?"
"I did."
"Did you speak to him?"
"I did."
"About what?"
"You." Tarble takes another step and continues walking.
Vegeta speeds to catch up and stares down at his brother as they continue on the path to school.
"What did he say?"
"He said some interesting things."
"About me?"
"Yes, Nii-san."
"Like what?" His voice rises in volume as he grows further frustrated with how little information Tarble is delivering.
"He said it hurts him when you're so mean," he speaks, in a tone as close to mocking as Vegeta has ever heard out of his little brother's mouth.
"Did he?"
"He did."
"I see."
"Nii-san, do you want my opinion?"
"Not if it's about my relationship with Kakarot."
"What else would it be?"
Vegeta sighs heavily and scratches the back of his head. "What is your opinion?"
"Confess to him."
This advice catches Vegeta entirely off guard. Bewildered, he looks down at Tarble and silently asks for a further explanation.
"He thinks you hate him," Tarble continues. "I think it would thrill him to know you have other feelings for him."
"You're just a child," he spits. "You clearly don't know what you're talking about."
"Why are you getting aggressive with me?" Tarble asks, furrowing his brow. "I was just offering my opinion on what you should do to handle the situation."
"W-well, I already know what I'm doing to handle the situation." Vegeta folds his arms over his chest. "It will be taken care of."
"Consider what I've said."
"We'll see."
The day passes tediously. Every second that ticks by is so meticulous that Vegeta feels like he'll smother in his own anticipation for the final bell. He scoped out the path to the roof yesterday, and drew out his plan last night. He goes over it time after time, step by step, practices exactly what to do and say down to each calculated breath he's going to take. Everything is ready.
Kakarot isn't at school today. Vegeta wonders if Tarble knew he wouldn't be here, but he supposes that it doesn't matter. It will make it easier to get Chi-Chi alone.
When the final bell rings and dismisses the classroom of bored students, Chi-Chi swirls around to face him.
"Are ya still going to the roof today?"
"Of course," Vegeta answers. His hands tremble in excitement.
"Okay!" She smiles and stands. "Let's go right away, then!"
Vegeta exhales slowly through his nose and stands.
He lets her climb the staircase a few steps before him. He slows down every few seconds so that she's far enough away to not notice him retrieve the blade concealed under his pant leg. He holds it behind his back until they arrive at the roof.
Chi-Chi's obliviousness excites Vegeta even further. She has no idea what he plans for her. She pulls a small blanket out of her bag and sets it on the ground before pulling a thermos and two small cups out and setting them there.
"I made tea," she tells him with a smile.
Vegeta doesn't speak. He runs through the final part of the plan one last time before stepping closer to her. Her back is facing him. He nearly drops the knife as he approaches her.
Nothing about this makes him nervous. He was sure when the time came he would try to find a reason to avoid doing this, but now that the hour has arrived, he can hardly contain himself. His heart has never beat so hard against his ribcage before in his whole life, and her voice sounds like nothing more than muffled nonsense to him.
The original plan was to tell her everything he knew about Kakarot. And Vegeta knew a lot about him. At the end, he was going to tell her that he loved Kakarot far more than she would, and ask her if she agreed. He would ask her if he deserved Kakarot more than she did. And when she became too flustered to answer, he would pull the concealed knife out and stab her in the chest until she died. He would be efficient and burn the wound as soon as she was dead so it wouldnt bleed too much. The knife could stay in her, it would cause less blood to spill and save him the trouble of having to clean up too much. He would watch from the roof and wait until everyone on school grounds had left before dragging her carcass down the stairs into the basement. He would throw her body in the incinerator, knife and all, and leave the school grounds with a clear conscience.
But now that it's actually happening, Vegeta cannot control himself enough to do that. She's too vulnerable as she sits on her knees, pouring tea into a cup. He advances on her, and before he realizes what he's doing, his blade has sunk into her back all the way to the hilt.
She screams, and Vegeta jolts into action. He slams a hand over her mouth and leans close to her ear, laughing against her neck. Adrenaline courses through him and his dark smirk refuses to leave his lips. She screams and cries behind his hand and breathes raggedly, twisting in his grasp and screaming more as the knife digs into her with every movement. Blood soaks her white shirt, and Vegeta drags his tongue across his lips at the sight.
Nothing about this feels immoral or wrong. The high he's getting from killing Chi-Chi is indescribable and causes a maniac giggle to rise from his chest. Vegeta has never felt an emotion like this before.
Ideas come at rapid speed and he follows them without hesitation. He moves the hand on the blade to his pocket to retrieve the lighter previously designated for burning the injury shut. Instead of using it like he had planned, he throws her down and sits on top of her, his hand still clamped tight over her mouth. He pulls her shirt up, the fabric ripping passed the knife still lodged in her lower back, and strikes the lighter a few times until a flame arises. He continues to laugh darkly under his breath as he slowly draws the small fire to her skin. She screams again and thrashes as her flesh reddens and starts to bubble under the flame. Vegeta wishes he had more of a fire to singe her with, but he works with what he has.
'Be efficient' was the one rule he stressed when going over his plan. Don't do anything unnecessary. Be efficient.
But that rule has gone out the window as he lights her skin on fire and listens to her scream.
Vegeta drops the lighter from excitement but doesn't bother to pick it back up. He pulls the knife out of her back and turns her over, smirking wide at the sight of her pale skin and wide, desperate eyes. She squeezes them shut when they make eye contact and kicks her feet.
"Let me tell you what I know about Kakarot," he says, his voice gruff and gravelly. The look on her face is, for lack of a better word, delicious, and all he can think about is having Kakarot's attention all to himself. With her out of the way, who can stop him? Perhaps he'll take his little brother up on that advice later.
But for now, Vegeta presses the cold blade to her throat and bites his lower lip. He presses into her skin and smiles kindly at her.
"I know that he's all mine."
He pushes the blade backward for better traction before slashing it across her throat. He removes his hand to listen to her gag on her own blood.
As the life drains away from her slowly, Vegeta sinks the knife into her chest once. The feel of the blade ripping her flesh and tearing into her body is addictive. He does it again, and again, and again, until she stops breathing and lies still in a pool of her own blood.
Panting hard, Vegeta drops the knife and stands up over her carcass. His hands and clothes are caked in blood. The choking smell of copper lingers in the air. He soaks in the surroundings of his first murder, the first time he's taken a life. It was all for Kakarot. And damn, did feel good.
A panic was bound to uprise soon enough from the public about Chi-Chi's missing body. Her father was gone for a month on a business trip of some sorts, so no one would even know she was missing until his return. Not that it matters to Vegeta. With her now out of the way for good, he doesn't feel the need to give her a second thought.
When the next day rolls around, Vegeta feels great. The anticipation of seeing Kakarot is nearly unbearable. Although he would never speak a word of it, he imagines himself approaching Kakarot and leaning close to him, whispering that he killed someone for him, that he loves him enough to take a life for him. He imagines Kakarot thanking him and praising him, and kissing him sweetly for all that he's done. It's an unrealistic scenario, but Vegeta likes to pretend.
He took extra special care to clean up the aftermath. Not a trace was left behind. Her body was thrown in the incinerator as planned, and who knows if she'll ever be found?
Vegeta feels so great today, in fact, that he plans on acting upon Tarble's advice.
It's a relief to see that Kakarot is at school today. He looks tired and a little sad when he enters the classroom, but his eyes light up immediately when he sees Vegeta. He rushes over and sits.
"Hey, Geta."
"Hello, Kakarot." Vegeta sits tall, feeling far more confident with the threat of Chi-Chi now obsolete. He allows himself a smile in Kakarot's direction.
This clearly confuses the other boy to the point of being flustered. He stammers a bit before clearing his throat.
"E-er, you're in a good mood today," he says.
"I suppose so."
"Where's Chi-Chi?"
The question was to be expected, but it still kind of hurts. "How should I know?"
Kakarot shrugs, but doesn't seem too terribly worried about it.
"Anyway, I'm sorry I was gone yesterday." He smiles. "I missed ya."
Vegeta internally has a small panic attack and blushes a bit, glancing down at his hands. "Whatever."
At lunch, Vegeta swallowed his pride and asked Kakarot to go to the roof of the building with him. Vegeta couldn't imagine a more romantic place to tell Kakarot that he was madly in love with him than the place where he slit Chi-Chi's throat. Imagining it was surreal and dreamy, like something you would read in a book.
So when the otherwise uneventful day ends, Kakarot follows the lovesick tsundere up the stairs and to the roof.
Vegeta's heart pounds in a different manner than last time he was here as he stands over the spot where he can still see her body lying cold. He knows it's only a figment of his imagination, but imagining her corpse on the ground between himself and his Kakarot gives him a large boost of courage.
"So, 'Geta," Kakarot begins. He tucks his hands into his pockets and strolls to the railing. "I dunno what changed but I'm glad ya wanted to hang out with me after school." Kakarot glances out over the courtyard below.
"Sure." Vegeta forces himself away from his imaginary zone of comfort and joins Kakarot, glancing down. Stories below, tiny specks exit the building and inch across the school grounds towards the gate.
"I talked to your brother the other day," he says.
"I know."
"What was his name?" Kakarot glances towards the sky and taps his chin. "Hm... Turles?"
"Tarble." Vegeta leans against the rail and watches the sun slowly sink ever closer to the horizon.
"Oh, yeah! That's what I meant. Tarble." He repeats the name with a thoughtful tone. "Yeah. He was real smart. He said that ya didn't hate me as much as I thought ya did." He smiles. "I hope that's true."
"Kakarot, I didn't invite you up here to speak about my brother." Vegeta winces at his own needy sounding voice and turns his head away to stare at a couple as they leave the school building and walk towards the track.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Kakarot chuckles. "What didya wanna talk about, then?"
Vegeta stiffens as he feels Kakarot's gaze from behind. He clears his throat, turning entirely to face the opposing male.
"Well, I-" When their eyes lock, Vegeta looses his nerve and turns his attention down to his feet. He feels a blush crawl up his neck.
"Hm?" Still leaning over the railing and hardly paying attention, Kakarot looks away from Vegeta to happily watch as students continue to leave school.
Damn it, just spit it out!
Vegeta's inner turmoil nearly physically rips him apart. He bites his lip and desperately attempts to regain his confidence.
But Kakarot has long forgotten about Vegeta's unfinished sentence, and he begins speaking again.
"Can I talk to ya about somethin'?" Kakarot asks. He glances over at Vegeta with a small smile.
Vegeta swallows the bitter taste in his throat and shifts back to his spot beside Kakarot. "I guess."
"It's about Chi-Chi." His smile fades to a frown, as if the clipped way he pronounces her name feels unsatisfactory on his tongue. "She... well, don't tell her I said this, but that girl drives me insane!"
Vegeta almost laughs, despite his nerves. He clears his throat. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah." Kakarot kicks the wall a few times. "She won't leave me alone. Even when I say, 'Leave me alone, Chi-Chi,' she just laughs like I said somethin' funny." He hunches his shoulders a bit. "I know that she likes me and all, and I like her too, but, well, I'm glad she wasn't here today." He pauses before giving a soft chuckle. "That pro'ly doesn't make any sense, huh?"
"Hm." Vegeta rests his chin in his hand and studies the impending sunset.
"She's alright, and I like her as a friend. But she wants to kiss me, I think." He cocks his head innocently in thought. "I don't like her like that," he clarifies.
Vegeta's heart rate skyrockets. To hear that, between Goku and Chi-Chi, the feeling isn't (or rather, wasn't) mutual is certainly exciting news. He turns to look at Goku with more ease than before.
"Sorry, weren't ya sayin' somethin'?"
"No." Vegeta turns around, stepping towards the door.
"Wait, are ya sure? Where're ya goin'?"
"We'll talk later, Kakarot." With that, Vegeta waves at the confused male at the railing and proceeds down the stairs and through the school building without looking back.