Rating: M

Story: 4 of 30 (Parts 4-6 are connected)

Setting: Part 1 of 3 - Lapses can be dangerous, especially when the kind-hearted creature hadn't been one previously.

*I have mixed feelings for Super Saiya-jin 4...

Lapse

Goku was found under the rubble of a building, Kuririn surprised at his form. There had been an earthquake in West City, what was called Satan City, and they had all rushed to help. Goku held up the building as long as he could while the others - his eldest son, Kuririn, Yamucha, and Piccolo - helped the citizens down below.

He called the others, pulling Goku out as carefully as he could. It was strange, the red fur, and Kuririn found himself frozen as he recognized the tail that emerged from his friend's body, curling slightly at each stimulus. Yamucha came first. Understanding Kuririn's fears, he shouldered some of Goku's weight, flying quickly and following Kuririn's lead towards the East District. Piccolo and Gohan continued to help out, assisting the wounded and lost.

When they called Bulma for help, Chi-Chi was trying to clean Goku up, trying to help him wake up slowly. The soft purring in his chest wasn't different than what she would hear after they made love or when they would take their walks in the woods. It was a sign of contentment, she knew, and she continued to wipe down the red fur, trying to be careful not to pull out the soft hairs while trying to pick out the blood clots. Goku purred a bit more loudly when she reached down to clean his abdomen.

He opened his eyes, and Chi-Chi was drawn into the gold irises.

She knew then that it wasn't her husband in that body. His voice, saying her name, was that of indifference; he sounded like he recognized her, but it was almost that of a stranger's voice at worst, a friend at best. He tried talking to her, but all she could hear was her name without emotion.

"Goku-sa?" She pressed a kiss carefully to his cheek, to which he responded with a small growl. She pulled back, nervous, but his arms around her were kind and warm. He smelt of strength and caring, and she felt safe again, if some trepidation.

But her husband never came back. Instead, there was a friendly beast.

Vegeta doubted whatever concerns Kakarotto's friends had. Buruma hadn't sounded concerned at the time, saying that if the other Saiyan was aware of it, then he would know not to look at the Moon. Vegeta scoffed. If anything, Kakarotto would try to cut his tail right off; he'd probably mention the human that raised him. He smirked as he saw the full moon peeking from behind the clouds, as if to show him that he had a chance to prove what he had imagined. As he flew out to the wide open area that was Kakarotto's part of Mount Paozu, he looked down and was stricken still by what he saw in the canopy of the forest.

"What the hell?"

As he flew down, the smell confirmed it all.

The half-consumed bodies of various animals laid strewn about, their blood still coating the leaves and leaving them stained a dark brown. The smell of it rotting excited his nose, telling him that a hunter lived here. Vegeta settled down in the middle of it all, realizing that it was a strange sort of nest. The full moon was making his senses aware, and he knew that whatever had thrown these bodies around was close by.

"How could Kakarotto let something like this stay near his home?"

He noticed some of the corpses were quite recent, and when he placed his hand on one, it was warm, almost hot. It was a fresh kill, and Vegeta felt his heart picking up its pace. How far away was this creature if-

He found himself plowed into the ground from behind, his breath taken away from him and the feel of sharp nails against his back, tearing through the fabric. The hands seemed human, and Vegeta felt that he would snap the neck of his assailant.

"Get the-"

He stopped himself at the scent that flooded his nose. He had smelt it once before - the night that he had claimed Buruma to bear their daughter, and before when he had done so to bear their son. It was familiar by the scent that surrounded it. He always smelt it when sparring...

"Kakarotto?"

A strange panting sound, one that he recognized as that of a mature Saiya-jin, one that was ready to mate. He smelt the other now, his own head getting full and wondering of the male above him. He said Kakarotto's name again, and Kakarotto hummed in contentment, roughly turning the other underneath to face him. Vegeta blinked up at the golden eyes.

"What the fuck happened to you?"

A gentle purr answered him, as well as a cheek against his. Vegeta let his jaw drop at that. The younger Saiya-jin was mixing their scents, and the resulting smell was making his heart pump faster. He found himself leaning his head back, baring himself. Kakarotto responded by rubbing his cheek on the new expanse of skin, purring more loudly. The younger male let his tongue peek out of his mouth, tasting Vegeta and both of them responded favorably.

Vegeta looked down at the other finally. Red fur wasn't common for their race, and it was reserved for those that had only recently gained a human form, it seemed. It might explain some of Kakarotto's ingrained behaviors and his almost-inability to adapt to humanity despite his lifetime on Earth. He would think on that more later. For now, he wanted to bury his fingers in it, and so he did, tracing over the fur that was stained with blood and sweat. It was the blood of the animals strewn about, and Vegeta almost laughed at the irony; Vegeta was called a monster, yet Kakarotto's behaviors that he was developing now would make Vegeta look saintly.

"Were you bored?"

A small nod was made against him, and Vegeta thanked the gods he knew of that Kakarotto could still communicate.

"Hun..." Gold eyes stared down at Vegeta, and the older male felt his heart stir. There was pride for him in the golden irises, and Kakarotto was purring so loudly and insistently that his body surely responding.

Vegeta smirked and pushed the other gently down, surprised at the obedience Kakarotto showed him. His head snapped up from its focus on the bare chest and abdomen when he heard Kakarotto speak.

"Prinz."

Vegeta bent down and pressed his cheek to the other's.

"Kakarotto... I'll help you, but first, let's test to see what problems this may have, huh?"

13 October 2015 - 10:06 PM 2 hours