A/N: Bringingyaoiback is a saint for reading over this for me. I also apologize for the delay. I intend on updating all of my fics soon!
The arms clutching him were not lily soft, but instead muscled from years of training, and the thigh draped over his leg didn't have to struggle to claim purchase since it was much larger than his own; for those reasons Vegeta was filled with a fresh terror that snatched him from a dreamless night and catapulted him into a morning where he had finally forsaken his wife.
The inviting, yellow glow of the outside world fought to bleed through the tent's zipper opening. Luckily for Vegeta, the sun's light was tempered by the tent's thick canvas. Which meant their day hadn't officially started yet.
Memories from the night before rushed to the forefront of his mind: Kakarot, naked, and writhing, and laughing, and blushing—because Vegeta's fingers were inside of him. And because Vegeta had fucked him senseless. His rival had been so warm and tight and perfect, too…
And Kakarot had said he loved him. Vegeta believed him this time.
Kakarot loves me. The usual resistance present whenever he thought about the idiot currently cuddling him was nowhere to be found. Kakarot loved him and he didn't mind at all.
But do I love him?
Vegeta held his breath.
I think so. Kakarot is an ideal partner.
Vegeta exhaled. A light snore emitted from the man behind him. How much longer did he have to pontificate on bullshit reasons to cheat on Bulma?
But it was true that Kakarot would make a good mate. Kakarot was kind but strong-willed, and generally supportive of Vegeta. They sparred well with each other. They shared the same ancestry and lust for battle. He also couldn't deny that his rival was incredibly attractive.
But those weren't legitimate reasons to fall in love with someone, were they? They certainly weren't good enough reasons to cheat on Bulma. Whatever it was that made him feel drawn to Kakarot was not rational. Sadly, logic was all he was used to—the reasons he loved Bulma made perfect sense. She was kind to him when no one else was. She was objectively attractive, smart, and loyal. It would be idiotic for him not to love her.
But Kakarot was different. The man had a unique allure he couldn't quite articulate, an essence that defied sound reason. Therein lay the attraction.
I'm going straight to Hell. Not that banging his rival would have been the singular reason he deserved to spend eternity there. But what a way to go.
Butterfly-light kisses pressed against the back of his neck. Vegeta froze. Kakarot's hands slid down to his torso and ghosted trails around his abs. A voice deepened by half-sleep filled his ear: "Morning, Vegeta."
Vegeta huffed.
Kakarot responded with a purr. "How're ya?"
"Fine."
"Just fine?"
"Yes."
Kakarot tittered. "Sooo. Are we avoiding talking about last night?"
Here we go. "What is there to talk about?"
"We never did that before."
"So?"
"Aww. You feel shy talking about it?"
"Don't insult me." Vegeta grasped Kakarot's hand, which was wandering too far south for his comfort anyway. He pulled his rival's fingers to his lips and nipped on them, partly in affection and partly as a warning. "It's just sex."
Undeterred by Vegeta's reluctance to discuss the mind-blowing night before, Kakarot pulled him closer and whispered into his ear. "You think everything is the same between us? Even after that?"
Warmth spread across Vegeta's cheeks. "I don't see what's changed."
"You almost threw my back out, 'Geta!"
"Psh. I don't half-ass anything."
"You sure don't." Kakarot brushed his fingers across Vegeta's lower lip and immediately, the Prince regretted the trap he'd set for himself. The primal part of his brain urged him to suckle on the calloused finger tips, which he did without thinking.
"Hm?" Kakarot pressed deeper into Vegeta's mouth. "You hungry, 'Geta?"
Can't I go a minute without trying to fuck this man? Vegeta tried to ward away the desire swelling within him with cold logic: they needed to bathe. And spar. Literally anything else but this.
Despite his efforts, the feeling lingered. Kakarot added another finger to his mouth and he moaned. His rival tasted of the bath oil from the night before. Like a Pavlovian dog, Vegeta salivated and felt himself harden.
"I can feed you if you want. What are you hungry for?"
Vegeta's heart raced. A heavy weight rolled on top of him, and seconds later Kakarot had him pinned on his stomach. Warmth pressed between his buttocks, and a probing tip began to spread him wider open.
A feeling as powerful as instinct made him mewl, then spread his legs wider, hungry for more of the heat threatening to tear into him. Kakarot sighed, and slid his cock up and down Vegeta's crack as to toy with him. Fingers generously lubricated with Vegeta's own spit sank into his ass until they pressed into a spot that sent him reeling.
"You love this," Kakarot muttered. The arch in Vegeta's back deepened the longer Kakarot explored and scissored his tightness.
"Ff—stop."
"Wha? Why?"
"We're not going to fuck. Not right now."
"But I was just about to stick it in!"
"I don't care!"
A pitchy whine fell from Kakarot's mouth as his fingers slipped out of Vegeta's ass. He freed Vegeta from his weight and rolled over until he sat up. "Eh, I gotta pee anyway. After breakfast we can do it!"
Vegeta mirrored Kakarot's position and sat up with his legs crossed. "Says who?"
Kakarot blinked. "Says me?"
Vegeta rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes. "No."
"No?" Kakarot echoed.
"We need to spar." Staring at Kakarot's droopy eyelids and awful bed hair made it hard for him to keep his lip curled into a sneer. He'd never been so close to another man right after waking up, or at least not while in the nude. "And after that, maybe I'll think about having sex again."
"Wha? But I want to do it again."
"I'm well aware."
"I feel like you're doing this just to make me mad."
Vegeta's smirk widened into a genuine smile. He just wanted a few hours to prove to himself he had a modicum of self-control. But it was cute that Kakarot believed he was withdrawing sex as punishment. "Why would I want to make you mad?"
"Dunno," Kakarot grumbled, voice still scratchy. "Did that thing I said last night make you mad?"
Vegeta gnawed on his lip. He couldn't read the look on Kakarot's face, which filled him with a mild panic. How could one man make him so anxious? "What are you talking about?"
Kakarot rubbed the bottom of his nose with his finger and sniffled. "Said I loved ya," he muttered.
"Oh." Vegeta shrugged. "No, that didn't make me mad."
Kakarot's face lit up. "Are you sure?"
I need to lie. I don't need Kakarot saying that to me anymore. "Yes, I'm sure. I didn't mind."
Kakarot grinned. "I really do love you, Vegeta!"
Vegeta grimaced. Kakarot leaned forward and smiled back at him, waiting for a response. None came.
"So…?"
"So what, Kakarot?"
"Don't you have something to say?"
"No."
Kakarot tilted his head to the side. "You don't?"
"Should I?"
Vegeta couldn't stand the way Kakarot's lower lip quivered in response. Vegeta crawled past the mess of a man and unzipped the tent's opening. "Let's go."
"But I thought…" Kakarot trailed off and never finished his thought. Which was a first. Vegeta crawled out of the tent and prayed the discussion was over.
As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, the salty ocean aroma pinched at his nose and reminded him of the eerily perfect world made for them. He crouched and slid his hand across the ground around the tent, ready to put his clothes back on so they could return home as soon as possible.
Nothing. There was nothing near the tent. His clothes were missing. Vegeta climbed to his feet and inspected the perimeter of their camp: Kakarot's clothes and bag sat nearby undisturbed.
"Kakarot, where the hell is my armor?"
Kakarot dragged himself out of the tent, a pouty look still on his face. "How should I know? You took them off before you came in the tent last night."
Vegeta planted his hands on his hips. "You must have moved them when I wasn't looking." He spun on his heel and glared up at Kakarot. "Where are they?"
Kakarot lightly shoved Vegeta to the side and made his way toward the edge of their campsite. The sound of trickling water pricked Vegeta's ears. The idiot was pissing off the side of the cliff. " I didn't touch them."
"Oh? Did someone come steal them away in the night, then?"
Still peeing, Kakarot looked over his shoulder to glare at Vegeta. "Maybe. How should I know?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes. It wouldn't do him any good to spend the rest of his time in the chamber without his armor. He desperately scanned the horizon for any clue as to where his clothing went. His stomach grumbled. "Fuck."
Kakarot shook himself clean, and turned to stare at Vegeta. "Bulma didn't pack you more than one pair? That's weird."
Vegeta raised a brow. The way Kakarot had said his wife's name had a hint of annoyance to it. "I packed my own bag. And I didn't see a reason to bring more than one suit of armor."
"Alright." Kakarot walked to his duffle bag near their tent and rifled through its contents. "I can give you one of my shirts to wear while we go hunting for it."
Vegeta lifted his nose into the air. "No. Absolutely not."
"Huh?" Kakarot pulled out the top of his orange gi and held it up for Vegeta to see. "Why not?"
"I wouldn't dream of ever wearing your clothes."
"What's wrong with them?" Kakarot sniffed the fabric in his hands. "It doesn't smell bad. I think."
"I don't want to walk around looking like you!"
"Why not? What's wrong with me?"
Vegeta scoffed. "I don't have enough time to list all of the reasons."
"Shut-up! You like me enough to have sex with me!"
As Kakarot furiously tugged his gi over his shoulders, Vegeta took a few cautionary steps away from him. He's awfully sensitive this morning. Vegeta knew why, but figured it wasn't worth bringing up the 'love' discussion again. "Don't take it so personally. I just don't want to look like I'm wearing a boyfriend shirt."
Kakarot wrinkled his nose. "A 'boyfriend shirt'? What's that?"
"It's where a woman wears her boyfriend's shirt that's too big for her."
Kakarot blinked. "I'm your boyfriend?"
Vegeta choked on his own spit. "No!"
"Then why would my shirt turn into a boyfriend shirt if you wore it?"
"It's—I mean—" Vegeta clenched his fists at his sides. "Just forget I even mentioned, okay? I need to find my armor now!" He flew off into the air, still nude.
In a few seconds he'd flown over the rocky path that led away from their campsite and reached shore. He hadn't the faintest clue where to even look for his armor, but at least he could enjoy a few seconds away from Kakarot's presence. Sweat gathered on his brow as he relaxed his muscles and hovered still hundreds of feet above sand. What now?
A few miles east he sensed a familiar ki signature that almost knocked him from the sky. He squinted his eyes in the direction of the energy spike. Someone was in the forest nearby.
Kakarot caught up to him a few moments later. Vegeta sneered when he saw that his rival, too, was naked. "Why aren't you dressed?" Vegeta asked.
"I dunno. I thought it would be weird if only one of us was naked."
"So you don't think it's odd that now we're both on a naked scavenger hunt?"
Kakarot slumped his shoulders. "I can't make you happy, can I?"
"Quiet. Do you sense that?"
Kakarot stilled. His eyes narrowed. "I do. But why would he come in here?"
"I'm not sure." Vegeta had half the mind to incinerate the forest miles away with ki blasts just so they didn't have to answer their question. But acting on such a whim would put him in bad favor with too many people. "Let's lower our ki and sneak up on—"
"DENDE!" Kakarot screamed. He flew east toward the forest. "DENDE, ARE YOU HERE RIGHT NOW?!"
FUCK! Vegeta trailed behind his rival. "You moron! What if it's a trap?!"
Kakarot continued to scream into the stratosphere. "DENDE, WHY ARE YOU HERE WITH US?"
The mysterious being with Dende's unmistakable ki ran away from their direction. Kakarot sped up and Vegeta followed suit; once they were above their target they plummeted from the sky and landed into the soft earth of the forest floor. A flock of birds scattered in all directions around them, blinding Vegeta from seeing the identity of the figure before him.
Kakarot stood at his side, panting. "Hey! HEY! It is Dende!"
The dense thicket of feathers cleared. A few feet away lying on his back in shock was…none other than Earth's guardian.
"H-hello," the young Namekian squeaked, quivering in fright. His arms clung for dear life around a large, wooden box. Vegeta was too furious to notice more than engraved Namekian writing on the obviously sacred object.
"What's up?" Kakarot his flattened palm over his brow. It was far too bright outside. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh," Dende said. Vegeta had never heard him be so inarticulate. "Um. I…well—"
Vegeta grabbed onto the collar of his robes and dragged him up from the ground. He knew someone was tampering with the time chamber, but did he really believe Dende would have much to gain from tormenting them? "Spit it out, Namekian. I already know you've been up to no good, so there's no use hiding it."
"Huh? He has?" Kakarot asked.
"He's the one that's been screwing around with us in the chamber. Isn't that right?" He and Dende were so close that their noses touched. "I bet you've even been watching us."
"Is that true, Dende?" Kakarot asked. Out of the corner of his eyes, Vegeta saw him flush red. Even Kakarot wasn't as dumb as to miss the implication of Dende spying on them during their three years of "training."
"Ah, w-well," Dende stuttered, "I have been m—monitoring the time chamber for some time now—"
Vegeta's raised his arm, and Kakarot held it back so he didn't pummel Dende into green meat. "You little pervert!"
"It's not like that!" Dende cried. "It's not my fault, you know!"
"What do you mean?" Kakarot pulled Dende free from Vegeta's clutches and lowered him back onto the ground. "Is the time chamber broken or something? Is that why there's a whole new world in here now?"
Dende scanned his eyes up and down Kakarot's naked body. He glanced back at Vegeta. "It's not broken, exactly."
Vegeta crossed his arms, irritated beyond belief. He hoped Dende would spare them the humiliation and not point out the obvious reason they were both naked. "Alright. Then why are you here and why was there a need to monitor the chamber?"
The guardian wheezed for a long while, still struggling to catch his breath. Kakarot side-glanced at Vegeta and shrugged his shoulders. Eventually Dende caught his bearings and could speak without stumbling over every word.
"There's something you must understand about this place first. While you know it as the time chamber, it is first and foremost an alternate dimension where time and space react differently than what you are used to on Earth."
Kakarot rubbed his chin. "I always knew that. You didn't make any changes to it before we came in here that would make it act strangely?"
"No. I only altered it to make it possible for the door that connects both dimensions to stay open for three days instead of two."
"Then what's the deal with all of this nonsense?" Vegeta spat, gesturing toward all of the nature around them. Immediately, a colorful bird landed and perched on Vegeta's extended arm; it sang a gay ditty much too complex for a normal animal to compose.
He groaned. Cruel and unusual punishment for likewise behavior. If I go to Hell, I hope Kakarot comes with me.
"Yes. Well." Dende cleared his throat. "I've heard a lot of strange commotion behind the chamber door for what has been the past few hours in Earth's dimension."
Disgusted, Vegeta shook his arm until the bird flapped away deeper into the forest. He glanced at Kakarot to see his reaction, only to find the fool already blushing from guilt.
"The things I heard were stranger than usual, of course—I assumed the sound of torrential rain and snowstorms had nothing to do with whatever new attacks you may be honing."
Kakarot exhaled in relief. "Whew!"
Vegeta rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day at Kakarot's theatrics and thought back on the past few weeks. He distinctly remembered one of their worst sparring sessions involving quicksand. And how could he forget the time it poured for the few weeks he and Kakarot avoided speaking to each other. "It's certainly been more eventful in here than I hoped it would be," he admitted, taking some of the bite out of his voice for Dende's sake.
Dende nodded in acknowledgment and continued. "So you can understand how I naturally became concerned. I decided to come inside to investigate to make sure there hadn't been some sort of horrible accident. I've only been here since last night. I tried to find you two, but you were preoccupied."
"You're lying. We would have noticed your ki before now!"
Dende stared at the ground. "No, I don't think you would have."
Kakarot scratched his head. "Why not?"
"Goku was busy…yelling things." Dende blushed purple.
"Yelling what?" Kakarot asked.
The Namekian mumbled.
"Care to repeat that?" Vegeta asked.
"'Fuck me harder, Vegeta'…Things of that nature…"
Kakarot made a noise that was a cross between a screech and a sob. Vegeta's expression of pain was more insular: a horrendous pressure hammered inside of his skull. The worst migraine of his life.
He massaged his temples. "You're not going to go blathering to all of Kakarot's friends about this, are you?" Including Bulma. For God's sake, don't let a word of this get to her.
"No! I wouldn't dream of it!" Dende helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want to disturb you in the first place! But last night when I realized I wouldn't be able to speak with you both, I continued my research until the morning." He didn't dare raise his eyes from the forest floor.
"Get on with it," Vegeta said. "If you didn't orchestrate this little world, who did?"
"It appears the room is highly influenced by your emotions."
Awkward silence. Dende winced. He clung tighter to the precious box in his arms.
Vegeta raised a brow. "Is that supposed to explain everything?"
"Yes."
"How?" Kakarot asked. It annoyed Vegeta that he and his rival were on the same level of misunderstanding.
"Simply put," Dende admitted, "when you are both in good spirits the dimension creates a very peaceful environment. Specifically in your case, a paradise. And while I haven't been here to prove this hypothesis, I imagine the environment becomes hostile when your emotions are more negatively charged. Am I correct?"
"That's stupid," Vegeta blurted. He paused. "And to answer your question, yes, it does get nasty in here whenever Kakarot pisses me right the fuck off."
Dende bowed his head even lower. "I'm sorry."
"So when we're happy, it's nice in here?" Excited, Kakarot grabbed onto Vegeta's shoulder. His touch was far too affectionate for anyone to be witness to, especially since they were still naked. Once Kakarot's hand slid down the curve of his bicep to his elbow, Vegeta hissed and wrenched his arm away.
"Don't be mad, Vegeta. All the weird forest stuff just means we're happy when we're around each other now."
"I refuse to believe it. It's too stupid to make any sense."
"Is mind over matter such a strange concept?" Dende nervously glanced at the box in his arms. "I speculate that if you become more aware of your emotions, you can rid yourself of this world. Um, that is if you want to."
"Have you even tested this hypothesis of yours? How are we sure you're not full of shit? For all we know, you could be having a fun time using us as your lab rats while you drive us crazy with these environmental shifts!"
"I want to keep it!" Kakarot said with an air of finality. He crossed his arms.
"Of course you would. You're an idiot." Vegeta tapped his foot against the ground. "What about the animals? I hate them. What are they doing here?"
"Do you really hate them, Vegeta?" Dende was clearly frightened, but not a person without fortitude: he finally ventured to look the Prince in the eyes. "What have you done to try and get rid of them?"
"Do you take me as some sort of monster that kills animals?" His migraine forced him to close his eyes for a few seconds so he could refocus his thoughts on giving Dende as many counter arguments as possible.
Sound logic didn't explain what was happening to them. There had to be a rational explanation. In so many words, Dende claimed that he and Kakarot's recent "chumminess" has created the paradise that had become his own personal hell. And he wouldn't stand for it.
"Fine then. You're the expert. How do we get rid of all of this nonsense?"
Kakarot protested with a loud whine. "Noo, I wanna keep it. Please, Vegeta!"
Vegeta ignored Kakarot's giant puppy dog eyes. "Shut up." He pointed at Dende. "Namekian. Get rid of all of this shit." He swirled his finger in the air at the trees around them.
"I imagine if you meditate daily, you can have a better grasp over your emotions. Theoretically that should work."
"You can't just get rid of it on your own?"
Dende shook his head. "I can't. Honestly, for this to even happen, your will must be very powerful."
"My will? I'm willing this place away as we speak."
"I get the impression both of you are very…hm." The tips of his ears turned violet. "Close. You're very close to each other and this place is a reflection of that." He sucked in air between his teeth. "It's a beautiful thing, really."
No. No. Vegeta's vision clouded. How can this be happening?
Dended brought his fist to his mouth and coughed into it. "Vegeta. May I speak to you a second? Privately?"
That couldn't lead to anything good. At least it would give him a chance to dismantle Dende's bullshit theory away from Kakarot, who wanted the damn place to stay the same.
He walked a few feet away from Kakarot along with the Guardian. Dende spoke in hushed tones, the box hugged to his chest tighter than ever.
"I brought you some items that may be helpful. When I heard you both last night, I went back to my quarters to retrieve this." He unlatched a rusty lock on the front of the box, which Vegeta now saw was no wider than a briefcase.
Dende pulled the top of the box open and revealed an arrangement of objects that made all of the blood drain from Vegeta's face. Dozens of colorful vials of lubricant filled most of the box. They encircled the more lascivious items in the center of the display: oddly-shaped toys and beads meant for adult pleasure. When Vegeta noticed a few condoms thrown into the mix, he immediately closed the box shut again.
"Why did you show this to me?" he whisper-shouted. He hated how his cheeks burned around this child!
"I noticed you and Goku had become intimate. I thought it would be appropriate to—"
"NOTHING about this is appropriate!" Vegeta clasped his hand over his mouth and looked over his shoulder at Kakarot. His rival blinked dumbly back at him.
"What are you guys talking about?" Kakarot leaned forward to sneak a peek at the mysterious box that had made Vegeta so pissed.
Vegeta ignored him and returned his attention to Dende. "Is this some sort of joke?" he asked, this time in a whisper again.
"Not at all." Dende pressed the box into Vegeta's hands. Vegeta pushed it away again. They had a short shoving match, which ended only when Dende stepped backwards and forced Vegeta to either hold the box or drop it on the ground. Irate, Vegeta acquiesced and tucked the box under his arm.
"Thank you, Vegeta!" Dende quickly bowed. "I really do think this care package will be helpful. When I equipped the room with supplies I hadn't considered you two would be having—"
"Save me the embarrassment and shut your hole." Vegeta spat a few feet away from Dende's boots. "Why did you show this to me and not Kakarot?"
Dende rocked back and forth on his feet. His hands now free, he secured them safely behind his back and assumed the air of a shy choir boy. "I thought it would be easier for you to explain the contents of the box to Goku than for me to do it."
"You just wanted to pass the dirty work off to me!" Vegeta fought back the urge to knock Dende off his feet. "Do you have any more presents to hand off to me?"
"No. Do you have any other concerns?"
"This place," Vegeta said, lowering his voice so low that Dende had to lean closer to hear him, "has made me act in strange ways. Surely there is a way to stop that from happening."
"In what kind of strange ways?"
"This room has changed my feelings toward Kakarot." Vegeta left it at that.
Dende shook his head. "I really don't think that's the case, Vegeta. This room is highly influenced by the both of you. Not the other way around."
"Impossible."
"This place is simply a dimension. There's no puppet master bending your will, thank goodness."
Vegeta winced. The weight of the truth bore down on his conscious. His tongue as heavy as lead, he slowly spoke. "I have nothing else to say to you."
Dende walked toward Kakarot and bowed his head down once more. "Goku. It was nice speaking with you as well. I wish you both luck in your training. Please do take to heart my advice about meditation so you can control the environment to suit your needs."
"Um, alright. Thanks. This place can't hurt us, right?"
"I don't believe so. If anything, you should be able to use the fluctuations in the worlds created here to your advantage. But if you do have any issues, you are free to leave the chamber."
"You aren't going to come in and spy on us any more, are you?" Vegeta asked.
Dende laughed for the first time since they'd caught him earlier. "I won't! I promise!" He awkwardly waved at the both of them as he walked backwards. "I guess I'll be going now."
"Hold it." Vegeta narrowed his eyes and pinned Dende to the spot. "Do you happen to know where my armor went to?"
"N-no? You lost it? Would you like me to contact Bulma to bring you a new suit?"
"NO!" Vegeta screeched. Birds flew out of nearby trees. Kakarot even placed his not-so-platonic hand on his shoulder again in concern.
"Okay…" Dende continued to walk backwards.
"I don't want Bulma knowing anything about me in here."
"I understand. I'll make sure you two aren't disturbed again." Dende was meters away now, making their conversation all the more difficult to continue. He raised his voice. "Good luck with your training!"
"Thanks, Dende!" Kakarot waved wildly back at him.
A minute later, Dende's receding form disappeared among the greens of the forest. In that time, Kakarot had moved behind Vegeta and successfully wrapped his arms around his neck. Kakarot's warm chest against Vegeta's back soothed him.
"What did Dende give you?" Kakarot nuzzled his nose into Vegeta's hair and inhaled his scent.
"Supplies."
"Like food?"
"Something like that." Vegeta leaned backwards into Kakarot's weight. "Let's go back home."
"What about your clothes?"
"Hopefully I'll find them eventually." He paused. "I have some other clothing I brought with me."
"Like your blue spandex one?"
Vegeta chuckled. "Yes."
Kakarot squeaked. "Oh. Cool."
"Do you like that one?"
"Yeah. But I like you even more without anything on."
Vegeta knew if he didn't make a move, they'd end up tangled together on the forest floor with a captive animal audience. Kakarot's tongue lapped at the curve in his neck, and he took it as a sign to pull away. "Get your things from the campsite and meet me back in our room. We're going to spar, like I asked."
"Aww, okay." Kakarot freed Vegeta from his hug and floated up into the air. He shouted something endearing down at him, but Vegeta was already lost in his thoughts again. Kakarot's energy traveled back west to their campsite.
It's me. Vegeta's knees gave out under him and he fell to the ground, box still clutched to his chest. It was all me. Every moment and every single thing that's appeared here is because of me.
Nausea rolled through his stomach and he felt his throat constrict. He'd never been so disgusted with himself. Good thing they hadn't had breakfast yet, or else his body would have rejected it by now.
The second we get back home, I'm meditating.
He held his breath. Maybe if he concentrated long enough, he would believe it.
He wobbled back onto his feet. The box felt heavier than it did seconds before. It was then he realized that before the day was over that it would be opened again.
