chapter 10
Vegeta had quickly become aggravated by Raditz and Arrah's affections toward one another and had stormed from the gardens, closely followed by Nappa.
The prince and his bodyguard walked in silence back down the darkening corridors of the huge war ship, the lights dimmed in preparation for artificial night time on board. There were very few people on the corridors because of this and Vegeta and Nappa walked undisturbed back to the room.
Vegeta threw the door open and stalked inside, quickly pulling at his armour in order to remove it.
Nappa watched the prince without a word. He'd known the boy since he was a tiny baby and probably knew him better then anyone. He could tell when the prince was seething underneath just like he was at that moment as he threw his shoes across the room in rage.
"Vegeta..." The older man called him with uncharacteristic gentleness.
The young saiyan ignored him as best he could. He could tell by Nappa's tone that the man wanted to talk, trouble was, he didn't want to.
"Vegeta..."He called again, walking toward the prince as he threw himself down on the bed with a grunt. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"
Vegeta propped himself up against the pillows in the bed, turning his head to glare at his bodyguard bitterly. Nappa, much to his credit, remained unshaken by the young man's angry eyes, more concerned with the prince's welfare.
"The last time you asked me that Nappa, I'd smashed the stain glass windows in my father's study and blamed it on the help..." He snorted after a little while and shifted in the bed while recalling that memory.
"Yea, well..." Nappa shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "I like to think I know you well now Vegeta."
"Familiarity is a dangerous thing Nappa..." The prince sneered, cutting his eyes at the bigger man now standing beside the bed.
"Might be, but I know when somethin's off with you." Nappa said firmly, his balled fists resting on his hips as he looked down at Vegeta. "Now, what's up?"
Vegeta shifted again, more uncomfortably this time. He'd pretty much forgotten just how long Nappa had watched over him. He'd forgotten that the big brute may have been more muscle than brain but he knew when Vegeta was feeling unsure or unsettled.
He'd forgotten just how much emotion he'd shown in front of the older man over the years that he dare not show others...
"Nothing's wrong." Vegeta scowled at the realisation that he would eventually have to tell the bigger man what was troubling him.
"Don't lie to me Vegeta." Nappa wagged his finger mockingly at him.
"I'm not!..."His scowl deepening, Vegeta tugged at the bed sheets sheepishly.
"Is it the girl?"
Nappa watched Vegeta cringe and pull a sour face at the mention of Arrah. He knew then he'd hit the nail on the head, so to speak.
"I'll take that as a yes." Then Nappa smirked.
"Drop it Nappa. That's an order." Vegeta hissed and lay down in the bed. Grasping the covers tightly, he pulled them up and over his head.
Undeterred, Nappa dropped himself down on the edge of the bed, earning a groan out of the strained mattress.
"want to talk?" He asked a second time to the prince under the covers.
"Go away Nappa..." Vegeta growled.
"Nope. Not when I can help." The older man tried hard not to leer. "I was just thinkin' that maybe, I could show you how to-!"
"Shut up Nappa!" Vegeta's muffled bark came from under the covers.
"Alright. Ok." The other man smirked, holding his hands up in surrender but didn't move from the edge of the bed. Instead, he sat quietly biting his lip against the rising smugness he felt. Dangling the offer of free knowledge in front of the prince's nose was just another way to get the boy to come round to talking.
It took a little while, but eventually, Vegeta pulled the covers from off his head and glared at Nappa, still sat beside him on the edge of the mattress.
"...You win. Tell me."
"Tell you what prince?" Nappa asked dumbly, barely holding back his grin.
Vegeta sat up in the bed, propping his elbows on his knees. He narrowed his eyes at his bodyguard but held back on the need to punch him in the head.
"The girl. She likes Raditz and not me. I want to change it. Tell me how." He demanded.
Nappa shrugged. "Personally I can't see why she likes fuzz butt."
"I didn't ask for your opinion Nappa." Vegeta snarled. "I want what little knowledge you have on how to turn her attention away from that trash. You had a family on Vegeta, so you must have basic knowledge at least."
A slow, sinister smile spread across Nappa's face and he turned more on the bed to face Vegeta. In a low voice, he began to explain everything Vegeta would need to know for when Arrah and Raditz returned to their room.
-oOo-
Arrah didn't think twice about the silence that greeted her and Raditz when she opened the door to the huge bedroom they were sharing with the prince and Nappa.
It was dark inside, the lights dimmed, like much of the rest of the ship. She figured they were readying for sleep, if they weren't already.
Raditz followed after her quietly, immediately sensing something very wrong with the room.
"Where are..." He whispered, looking over at the empty bed. Nappa too, was nowhere in sight.
Arrah also looked for the two older men, totally missing the dark shadow lurking behind her in the dark spot in the corner of the room.
"They did come back to the room right?" She asked in a hushed voice, right before she was grabbed around the waist and with a scream, tossed to the floor.
Raditz jumped, his hair spiking in shock as he spun on his heels. "ARRAH?!"
Arrah hit the floor with a grunt and rolled to try and get distance between herself and her attacker. However, Vegeta lunged from the corner and straddled her waist, pinning her to the floor.
Nappa appeared after him, grabbing a hold of Raditz and wrestling with him until the younger saiyan's arms were up his back and Raditz snarled with the strain of being held.
The prince grabbed at her arms, trying to pin her without causing her pain. The goal was to restrain her, not damage her. Arrah was having none of it though and continued to flail, her body thrashing under him and her arms flying about wildly.
"Arrah!" Raditz yelled, trying to break free of Nappa's grip. He'd already clocked on to what was happening and what was going to happen. Nappa must have informed the prince of the saiyan courting ritual while he and Arrah were out of their way. Now, armed with that new knowledge, Vegeta was attempting to lay full claim on the girl.
"Fight him!" He howled and wrenched an arm free. He swung at Nappa, missing him by millimetres and allowing the other man the opportunity to grab his arm again. "You have to fight him!" Nappa spun Raditz face first into the wall and held him there with a deathly grip.
Hearing Raditz's rushed advice, Arrah gritted her teeth. It was now or never and Vegeta wasn't going to wait. She didn't know if Nappa had told him or what, but Vegeta was intent on getting his own way yet again. If he pinned her, by some unwritten law, he'd win. That wasn't going to happen. Not after everything that had happened in the short time she'd been with them.
Growling, her fist slammed into his ribs, causing the saiyan prince to grunt and gasp and for a split second, lose his grip and focus.
That moment was enough and Arrah bucked him off with ease. He hit the floor with a thud and Arrah jumped on top of him, just like he'd done to her, her hands groping at his wrists to try and hold him.
Vegeta lost his resolve. What THE HELL had just happened? Still stunned by the events that had led to his sudden loss of control, he began to struggle. He was far stronger than Arrah was and easily knocked her off him.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING VEGETA?!" Nappa barked, glancing over his shoulder at the two younger saiyans rolling about on the floor like a couple of children. "PIN HER ALREADY!"
"ARRAH NO!" Raditz yelped. Nappa shoved his knee into the smaller man's back to both hold him still and shut him up.
Back on the floor, Arrah scrambled to her knees, managing to kick Vegeta in the chest in the process and stumbled forward. She didn't know where she would run to. The door was blocked by Nappa holding back Raditz and there was definitely nowhere to hide from Vegeta anywhere else in the room. She just had to make some distance between them.
Vegeta made a grab for her leg, his fingers just about brushing her ankle as she made a run for it. Straight away, he was up and after her without hesitation, catching her in no time when she cornered herself near the bathtub. Arrah screamed and snarled in protest while wriggling in his grasp. She clawed his wrists and arms, she even bit him before, finally, he dropped her down on the bed.
"No!" She bit and grabbed at his spandex body suit. It tore in her grasp and Vegeta gave a growl of irritation. He'd have to find another one in the locker rooms once this was all over. Fuck, he hoped it would be worth it like Nappa had said.
"Enough!" He roared and pounced on her yet again. His hands snatched up her wrists and he straddled her waist, pinning her. "I win." He hissed, leaning down to grin at her. He allowed himself to inhale deeply, taking in her soft scent and in a spur of the moment action, traced his tongue over her earlobe.
"Wrong way!"
Vegeta's mind jarred, his eyes widening. Twisting his head, he saw Nappa starting to struggle with a red faced Raditz again. "She's the wrong way!" The bald saiyan yelled. "Pin her ass up!"
Seeing her moment, Arrah arched up, breaking Vegeta's grip and slamming her forehead against his when his head spun around to look at her.
There was a scream from the prince, his head thrown back with the force of the blow. Pain exploded in his forehead and shook the rest of his skull. He clutched his face tightly, still moaning in pain as Arrah slipped free of him.
"I'll show you ass up!" She growled through clenched teeth and jumped from the bed. She made a beeline for Nappa and Raditz, springing off the floor and onto Nappa's back.
"Hey! wha-!" Nappa yelled, his grip easing on Raditz. It dropped completely when Arrah sank her teeth into the bald man's ear, her little sharp canines slicing through the thin skin.
Like Vegeta before him, Nappa screamed in pain, dropping Raditz to the floor as he tried desperately to pry Arrah off his back and ear.
Raditz hit the floor, his elbow hitting the marble floor with enough force to make the battle hardened warrior's eyes water.
"GET OFF!" Nappa shouted above him. The older man grabbed a fist full of Arrah's hair and pulled with everything he had. the force tore Arrah free...his ear still in her teeth.
Blood went everywhere, Nappa's fleshy lobe flapping from Arrah's teeth when she opened her mouth to cry out in pain, her dreads tangled around Nappa's fist.
A very unmanly screech ripped free of Nappa's throat before he dropped to the floor holding the bloody mess that used to be his ear.
"GODDAMN IT!" He cried, blood running through his fingers, down his neck and over his armour.
"I told you you didn't need to do that..." Raditz grumbled, rubbing his throbbing elbow, trying to get the feeling back.
The three male saiyans lay about the room, moaning and groaning in pain. Vegeta's head was spinning and the little prince couldn't see straight to save his life. Nappa hissed and groaned, cradling his bloodied ear with one hand, the other groping around trying to find the flesh Arrah had torn off. Raditz clenched his fist tightly, his whole arm feeling numb... a knocked elbow isn't fun in any race.
Arrah clutched at her head, the roots of her dreads throbbed from being pulled. The pain made her tear up and with an angry sniff, the little saiyan female shot a glare at the three men around her.
"What...THE FUCK?!" She snapped over at Raditz.
"Cause grievous bodily harm to everyone." The older man chuckled slightly, still holding his elbow. Fuck it hurt... "I told you you didn't need to..."
"You said fight." Arrah pouted, finally releasing her hair.
"I think I'm gonna pass out..." Nappa suddenly butted in. He'd turned white, blood still pouring from his ear.
-oOo-
"You should really allow us to put you in the tank..." The doctor mumbled as he continued the delicate process of sewing Nappa's ear back on. The oldest Saiyan was grunting and growling, his hands gripping the doctor's bench with a white knuckle grip.
"Just put my fucking ear back on!" He raged.
"My head hurts..." Arrah muttered quietly across from him. Getting their bearings before Nappa actually passed out from blood loss, the four had shuffled back down to the medical bay yet again. Needless to say, the staff were horrified.
"I'll rip your fucking head off next time!" Nappa yelled, scaring the nurse stood quivering beside the doctor who was trying to see to his injury.
"try it you bald bastard!" Arrah yelled back. Nappa couldn't help the feeling of pride that swelled in his chest.
"Stop. Shouting..." Came Vegeta's low, angry growl. He had the worst headache he'd ever felt in his life and sat further down the bench with his head in his hands. A nurse had already seen to him, handing him some pain relief tablets and a glass of water.
Raditz was slumped beside Arrah, rubbing his sore elbow absently. It wasn't broken or dislocated, just bruised and battered. The same nurse that had treated Vegeta had rolled her eyes in disbelief that a big Warrior like the saiyan could whine so much about something so small. She'd rubbed ointment on it to bring out the bruise and left.
"Maybe we should try this again..." Raditz sighed.
"What?!" Arrah bristled. "No way! Vegeta nearly raped me!"
Vegeta gasped, choking on the water he was sipping. "I did not!" The prince blushed but retained his angry expression. "I did exactly as Nappa told me to...I was NOT going to...to rape you." He coughed to cover his sudden discomfort.
"I didn't tell him to rape you!" Nappa barked, rubbing his hand irritably over his face. "Least I don't think I did... I meant for him to grapple you!"
The doctor finished sewing and quickly rubbed ointment over the stitches while the big saiyan fidgeted.
"I think this has all been blown out of proportion..." Raditz added. "I doubt Nappa meant...well. Maybe he didn't explain it well enough."
"Shut the fuck up low level scum" The bigger man growled. "I know what I meant."
"Yes, but did Vegeta?" Raditz retorted.
"I vaguely got it..." Vegeta confessed with a snort. "Then again, I always only vaguely get the garble Nappa comes out with..."
"I think we've found the problem." Raditz smirked.
Nappa huffed and threw himself back against the metal wall as a black cloud came over him.
Arrah sat silently listening to the men. They were talking about an act that was so personal so casually it was almost unreal.
"We'll direct them Nappa." Raditz shrugged, waving a hand. He wasn't happy with the idea of Vegeta being the young girls first... but it wasn't really his choice. And anyway, once it was over, He could step in and 'kiss it better' so to speak.
"I couldn't just...sit and watch..." Nappa purred, his eyes fixed on Arrah.
"Well you're gonna have to." Raditz ground out. "Vegeta wants to do this like a big boy...So lets let him..."