The Bonded

Part Nine

It seemed impossible -- things were going amazingly, perfectly right. Goku smiled into the low red flames of the fire, within which meat was cooking in its own juices and blood. Vegeta came up from behind him with an armful of deadwood. He fed a few pieces to the fire and then sat near Goku, his eyes also trained on the flames. As the meat cooked there was a quiet, stretching on for minutes -- how many neither man knew.

Goten had told Goku that the first part of the mating was provision. Both individuals proved that they could supply whatever the other needed and anything he or she could want. Goku had followed his instinct, building a fire, and hunting a meal. Vegeta had skinned the animal with his hands and teeth and then cooked it, and Goku had realized as he watched that it was true: Vegeta felt as he did. With joy, he let Vegeta provide for him as well.

Rising, Vegeta retrieved the meat from the flames with his bare hands, passing a piece to the other man before taking one for himself. He sat next to Goku again, much closer this time. He knows. Goku bit into the flesh, the rich flavor of fat and blood filling his mouth. He knows, he thought, it will begin after we eat. Neither one had actually said it -- the entire trip had been on the pretence of Goku inviting Vegeta to the forest for a heavy sparring session -- but both knew that the time had come. Or, as Vegeta thought as he tried to suppress his instinct to touch Kakarotto, the time was about to come, finally. The wait was unbearable.

Goku watched, distracted from his meal, as Vegeta finished his first piece of meat and licked the thighbone and then his fingers clean. He was already fully hard, and the inside of his gi was stained with light precome. When he chanced a look, he found Vegeta to be similarly aroused. This time he knew that Vegeta would satisfy him, eventually, and was not distressed. However, Goku hurriedly ripped off the last shard of muscle and chewed, accepting a second piece from Vegeta. If all went as planned, he would need his energy.

By the end of the meal there was a large pile of bones between the two men, all that was left of two adult herbivores. The fire had died down and night had come, swamping the landscape in darkness. Vegeta cleaned the last of the meat's juices from his fingers with his tongue and then looked up at the moon, shining strongly and providing a low, ethereal light. The blood running through the veins of the pure saiya-jin heated gradually and, leaning back further and supporting himself with his arms, he let out a deep animalistic howl. Kakarotto looked over and then followed the other's gaze upwards. The moon slowly overtook his vision and his cry joined Vegeta's, harmonizing.

As the bays fell into silence Vegeta stood, looking down at the other. To hell with it, he decided. To hell with waiting for him to come to me. I know he's ready. "Kakarotto." The second looked up slowly, the moon reflecting on his hair and in his eyes. "Follow me." When he received a nod, Vegeta floated into the air and then flew up, over the treetops and away from the campsite with Kakarotto following him.

They landed in a small clearing in the middle of the woods. Vegeta turned to face Kakarotto, smirking. He licked his lips and blatantly ran his eyes down and then back up the muscular figure. "You," he paused and met Kakarotto's eyes, "are mine." Simultaneously both dropped into an offensive stance, and then the taller saiya-jin spoke.

"If you fight me, you know I will win." They clashed, hands interlocking, and moved in a tight circle, each looking for a moment of weakness to exploit. Vegeta kicked out but Kakarotto counterattacked, using Vegeta's lack of balance to throw him to the ground. Vegeta kept his grip on the other, pulling the body down on top on him. They rolled over each other on the ground, vying for dominance. Kakarotto found himself trapped to the floor, his arms immobilized at the elbow and his torso weighted down by Vegeta's body. In order to force him off, the taller male powered up to Super Saiya-jin and then bucked easily, throwing Vegeta into a heavy pine tree.

As Vegeta picked himself up Kakarotto faced him, laughing. "You are strong, Vegeta, but not strong enough."

Stranding with an intimidating air, Vegeta powered up directly to Super Saiya-jin Two, the bright yellow ki burning the low hanging pine bows. He charged Kakarotto, fist outstretched, and hit him hard in the gut. Doubled over in pain, Kakarotto heard the following statements over the sound of his own rushing blood. "You attain your power from your ability to unite body and soul." Vegeta backed away, waiting for Kakarotto to conquer the pain. "Something I have never been able to do. I am not pure, and my soul has always been at war."

With a narrow glare Kakarotto powered up to match Vegeta's level and attacked again, the two bodies clashing at an inhuman speed. Neither was able to land more than a glancing blow until Kakarotto's fist found Vegeta's jawbone. Vegeta's head snapped back and the other paused for a moment, grinning. Vegeta used the opening to fire a ki attack at Kakarotto's stomach, knocking him to the ground. The taller jumped up quickly, body prepared for an attack. Vegeta, however, made no move and Kakarotto stared at him, unsure of what to do.

With a sudden yell, Vegeta's aura began to burn brighter, and brighter still. Reflexively Kakarotto's rose as well, but his eyes stayed trained on the curious show. The Prince glowed blindingly with an energy that Kakarotto had never felt before and the ground beneath him was blown away, the force pushing the second man back two steps. For the first time, Vegeta broke Super Saiya-jin Three. His hair tumbled down his back, spikes just reaching his leggings. Still his power continued to grow, brilliant in the dark, and Vegeta's lighted body flashed gold once, twice, three times and then the effect faded and he dropped to level two, but a glittery sheen of sweat and power remained on his skin. Without warning Vegeta attacked, easily pinning Kakarotto to the ground. The taller saiya-jin was burned by the pure energy coming from Vegeta, shards of clothing ripped off with every small movement of the man above him. Before he could do anything, Kakarotto was lifted and thrown into a tree, snapping it and the one behind in two. Vegeta send a ki blast at him, incinerating the wood and temporarily paralyzing his body, returning it to his normal form. He was completely incapable of movement for a few moments, and then finally pulled himself into a crouch, head turned to the ground. Again Vegeta was victorious, but this time Kakarotto knew that he was completely beaten. He could fight, and even hold his ground, but never again would he be able to win against Vegeta. Something had changed in the Prince.

"Do you know how long I've wanted you?" Vegeta's aura faded and his hair resuming its normal black. Moving forward he bent and took Kakarotto's chin in his hand. He tilted the face up and with his thumb carefully, tenderly wiped a trail of blood from the side of Kakarotto's mouth. "I get what I want. And now that I can have you, my soul is pure." He kissed the parted lips lightly at first, and then harder. When he pulled away his breathing was harsh. "Run, my prey. I want to chase you."

Kakarotto smiled lightly and stood, brushing his lips against Vegeta's hairline. And then he turned, and then he ran. Vegeta chased after him, his boots crushing small plants and dry needles as he dodged trees and a handful of startled wildlife. Ever before him was Kakarotto, running with power and speed that only a pureblooded saiya-jin could attain, the shards of his ripped and scorched gi fluttering.

Vegeta caught him miles away, ending the run under the moon when he appeared before Kakarotto, tackling him and then taking him into his arms as they lay together on the earth. For a moment they held each other to the constant sound of insects and gasping breath. Detangling himself, Vegeta pulled up to kneel on his knees. As the other watched, he stripped off his top and then pants and boots, settling himself back between Kakarotto's legs as he threw the clothing to the side. Raising his left hand to his mouth he bit one fingertip of the white saiya-jin glove and pulled it off, repeating the process with the second. Grasping the shredded remains of Kakarotto's gi he ripped them away, exposing the muscular, aroused body to his eyes and the chill night air. And then Vegeta kissed his almost-mate with a bruising force, settling down on top of him and moaning when their erections touched. Kakarotto allowed Vegeta to control the kiss, opening his mouth to the exploring tongue. The Prince pulled back slightly, licking across Kakarotto's lower lip, and then moved down to the neck and chest.

Each inch of skin was tasted and claimed as Kakarotto moaned, lust and love heavy on his breath. Vegeta lapped at one nipple and then worried it, almost harshly, with his teeth, before moving over and taking the other. The prone man's hands laced into Vegeta's hair, guiding him lower, and the Prince succeeded to the muscled abdomen, tasting the salty sweat. After a long moment of blissful torture Vegeta reached Kakarotto's erection, breathing on it and watching Kakarotto tremble before licking slowly from base to head. He collected the precome with his tongue and swallowed it, savoring the essence. Kakarotto struggled to contain the noises clawing at his throat and a few escaped as groans and pants as Vegeta used one hand to hold his length tightly, thumb fondling the head. Both sensed that Kakarotto would come if the treatment continued and so Vegetadropped off, his hand falling down to caress the sculpted thigh below. He wanted Kakarotto's orgasm to be caused by his erection, deep inside, and leaned over so that his mouth was at the taller male's ear.

"Spread your legs, Kakarotto." The obscene command rolled from his mouth in a growl and the other complied with an almost inaudible moan. Vegeta's hand moved between the open legs, two fingers penetrating Kakarotto's anus. Unhurriedly they worked, stretching the tight entrance and touching intimately where only he and the body's owner had touched before. Meanwhile, Vegeta cared for the rest of the gasping, straining body, diligently ignoring his own arousal as he kissed the flushed face and heaving chest. When the ring of muscle had loosed he inserted another finger, his tongue tracing white scar tissue on Kakarotto's neck. They were the imprints of Vegeta's canines, a vivid memento of their first time. Another finger gained entry and Vegeta soon pushed himself up, pulling his hand away. Kakarotto moaned at the loss of contact, gazing at Vegeta from under heavy eyelids. The Prince spoke softly in an uncharacteristically tender voice. "This will hurt."

"I don't care, Vegeta." When Vegeta made no move Kakarotto reached up, taking the hand than had been within him moments ago. "Take me Vegeta. Mate me." Vegeta smiled, looking down at the warrior below him -- powerful, deadly, but begging in broken sentences. He held Kakarotto's legs to the man's chest and positioned himself before lowering down. The entry was quick and painful, but Goku held onto the pain the way Vegeta held to the constricting pressure. Pain and pleasure -- it was all part of the mating, intertwined until there were no longer discernable.

This time, Vegeta paused once he was fully inside, but did not do so by choice. He was paralyzed, as was the body below him. A flood of sensation, emotion, memory and life crashed into both, leaving their physical selves frozen and minds racing.

He had always been different -- Goku, a small, human boy with a tail and an ability to fight that had never before been seen. And when he had discovered: a saiya-jin, an alien, a child of a race that killed to survive. Surely, surely he had noticed something about him was different, had he not? He had, yes, of course he had, and he wished otherwise.

He had been granted with an exceptional level of power, and tried to use it in the best way he knew how. Goku had protected Earth and innocents throughout the universe, always fearing that the time would come when there would be nothing, nothing at all he could do. Training, dying, training, becoming ever stronger and learning more about the art of fighting, his principles remained. But there was Vegeta.

Another of his own race, the Prince of the planet that had once been. He was everything Goku -- Kakarotto -- feared to be. Cruel, vicious, and pitiless, full of hate and using his overwhelming power to cause chaos, to kill. For some unexplainable reason, one he still did not know, he had spared the warrior's life. For decades following that instant something had grown between them, something that caused distress and fear but also brought companionship. And now this: his soul, bare and exposed as his body was to his lover and mate.

He was Vegeta. The elite of the elite, the saiya-no-ouji. From his first moment of life he was royalty. He held the title Prince, a simple word that said many things. It whispered pride to him, hold yourself high, Prince, and scoff at those below you. It called status and breeding for all to hear. To an ear, in passing, it rumored power and made heads turn. But behind white wall after wall, deep in dark, blood red buildings it spat pain; snap of whip and thud of fist against flesh murmured anguish and blood for you, dear Prince, suffer and fear and finally die...

His teachers -- Freezer, his father -- had taught him well. Vegeta had become a warrior and a ruthless, cruel, cold-blooded killer. His final fate was death, and it was his terror. To lose a battle and to die. But his mind and soul were conditioned as well. Fear and pain suppressed until the mind cracked, fight to win, hard and dirty, the strong and cunning are victorious. But Kakarotto...

The one he could not beat, but did not die to. Low-class and from a nearly insignificant bloodline, Kakarotto should have been an easy exercise. But thought to practice proved him unconquerable. He had power, great and overshadowing. But he was an anomaly to his race. Kakarotto -- Goku, as he called himself -- did not kill, and he fought for ludicrous ideals of freedom, peace, and ... friendship. Kakarotto had become a study, and then an obsession, a total fixation and a race. Now he owned, and had won. Something more had risen from the flames of Vegeta's soul -- love.

Slowly, slowly the lovers began to move, limbs spasming slightly and pupils dilating, and returned to their physical selves. Their eyes met and there was a silence. Vegeta then pulled back and began to thrust, lowering his head to kiss Kakarotto. The pace he set was hard and intense, all emotion expressed as he moved forward again and again. Gku met him each time, his tongue battling with Vegeta's. When the kiss broke their eyes remained closed, heightening the sensation of burning friction. After ages of waiting and planning, worrying and anticipating, Vegeta moaned aloud as he thrust in once again, encasing himself in Kakarotto's body. He moved a hand from its placement above the other's shoulder to push Kakarotto's right leg back further, allowing him a greater entry. With each drive Vegeta stroked the gland deep within Kakarotto's body, driving the saiya-jin higher and higher. It was overwhelming; even if he opened his eyes, he would have been blind. Between the two bodies, Kakarotto's erection was trapped, rubbed roughly with Vegeta's every move.

Lightning-like energy sparked through the air, the neon blue highlighting the pleasure washed features and sweating bodies. It was eternity in a moment, always greater, persisting to ecstasy. Vegeta threw his head back, the tendons on his neck standing out. His eyes parted slightly and he saw the full moon, hovering overhead. Again he howled, and the trees reverberated with his call. At the sound Kakarotto's eyes opened and the glowing sphere in the sky consumed his vision, so white it burned. His voice joined his partner's, beginning low and rising in volume and tone. The energy grew, cracking wood and stone, electric fingertips caressing skin and then reaching for the heavens.

Ultimately, climax came. Semen coated both abdomens and Kakarotto's hidden walls. There was a gradually growing burning experienced by both men, moving along their spines to their tailbones. With a sudden agonizing pain two tails formed, blissfully liberated and uncoiling, waving in the night. The minds rose above: beyond body, surpassing thought, hurling from consciousness. Together, tightly interwoven but individual, minds joined together -- they bonded. Time stopped and then experience suddenly doubled as each male felt as his mate did. Giving and taking, pain and pleasure, years of bloodshed and toil, hate become love all to this moment of total completion. Tears streamed down the flushed cheeks and the minds embraced so tightly it hurt before falling back into the motionless bodies.

Lungs remembered to breathe and hearts to beat, and Vegeta fell on top of his mate, his length still encased in the slowly throbbing body. He eventually forced himself up and pulled out, one last tremor running through Goku, and then he collapsed to the ground beside Kakarotto. The bodies gravitated towards each other, legs and arms wrapping around to hold the other close. Under the full moon and endless night they descended into welcome unconsciousness.