Stepping delicately into the bathtub, goosebumps appeared on Goku's skin, instantly setting his dreary senses ablaze with this nearly boiling water temp. He could tell that Vegeta was enjoying himself as well, as his lover's vigilant eyes slowly fluttered shut as the rest of his youthful body sunk into the tub. Indeed, he was undoubtedly going to have to properly thank Salza for this place later. Up till now, it hadn't been the complete disappointment that Vegeta had anxiously anticipated it would be. The complaining from earlier on had quieted down, but he knew better than to naively assume it was done.
"Kakarot, do you possess any sensible idea what that harebrained Frenchie had in mind for a proper sized bedroom? That pathetic excuse of a shallow bed is barely big enough for one of us."
Goku merely shrugged his shoulders and sank in the perfumed water a tad bit deeper, smelling the eucalyptus and allowing it flow through his nasal chambers. Lavender wasn't his favorite scent, always giving off a pretty synthetic vibe. But he wouldn't dare argue with his royal partner, as it always did tend to fortunately find some way to promote his calmer side. Course Goku could always exploit his overwhelming dominance to forcefully calm his omega, but that would naturally lead to a fight that often happened when Vegeta felt his pride being hurt. As a result, he'd deal with the lavender if it made his noble lover happy and kept the peace around them. Speaking of said dominance, Goku had suffered a severe lack of these past couple of hectic days.
"Well, I mean like, it's not like we're staying here for all that long. I'm not even sure I'm gonna stay here for the full week, just because..."
Promptly raising one eyebrow at the silence, Vegeta glanced over to his tall lover in time to recognize the deadpan look Goku normally had a hard time even forming. Goku tried with difficulty to keep his face neutral but knew there was a key reason that he was an acclaimed chef and not a talented actor. Vegeta was always so expressive, typically in some variation of evident irritation or considerable annoyance with occasional egotism sprinkled through. While he earnestly hoped to experience some of that emotional power rub off on him; Goku never could seem to get unoffended when his life choices were aggressively questioned. It'd been eating at him. He could clearly see the way that people were looking at him, and he wasn't sure how to respond to it still. Unlike his ever-prideful lover, Goku was very in tune with people and their genuine feelings. If he tried hard enough, he could hear their thoughts, but he knew better than to try to listen in on what strangers had to say about him. Not being able to stand anymore of the unusual silence, Vegeta spoke up on what he knew was the dragon in the tub.
"You know Kakarot, when I got wedded, I swore I wed a formidable warrior with a powerful, worthy body and mind. Little did I know that I attached myself to someone with such a tender heart. So very tender in fact, that he would passively allow the opposing opinions of imbeciles to interfere with the precious time that he spends with me."
Glancing anxiously into the Valspar water, Goku knew his insecurities had somewhat ruined the mood, again. They'd admittedly been over this 100 times now, and it didn't matter how the sensitive topic came up. Their chosen lifestyle wasn't all that odd, but there were nevertheless a lot of people who had arbitrarily, different ideas about what they both should be doing with their lives. At some point or another, Goku would find himself with some hefty thoughts. He'd overthink himself into a tearful mess if he wasn't careful, and that's when Vegeta would go absolutely mad. Why, the last time that something like that had happened, Vegeta went out and actually found the unfortunate person that had caused him to feel that way in the first place. It was not a fun day; the first half of it spent trying not to feel bad in front of Vegeta, the second half down at the police station trying to explain away the car that had been blown to bits.
"Sorry Vegeta, I'm not tryin to ruin the mood or anything like that, it's nothing but... The way they were looking at us and what they were saying..."
Goku reluctantly began explaining his whole day that didn't involve Vegeta, from the woman and her daughter pointing out how their controversial relationship goes against history. Then to the part about the man claiming it's rebellious people like them that don't understand what the scientific purpose is of having a partner. It went on and on, the day turning into a laughingstock through out. He had to avoid evil looks, snide comments and everything between. Vegeta listened quietly, thoroughly taking in everything his lover had to say. Once finished, Goku's kind eyes were a little red, feeling the tears well up. This really bothered him, as he didn't know how to handle feeling the way that he did, he wanted people to regard them as normal, not as some freaks who aren't understanding each other's bodies.
"Vegeta... I don't know what's wrong. I don't understand, why is this bothering me?"
He stated it more as a question to himself than to Vegeta. Reaching his hands up, Vegeta placed Goku's innocent head down to his chest and just let him silently sob for a moment. As the binaural beats played passively through the room and the steam soothed their pores, the two of them just sat there in each other's arms for a few minutes. Their focused energies, not visible to the naked eye, molded together into one, their feelings in the current moment crossing over to one another. Vegeta could feel Goku's personal fear, his acute anxiety, and his overwhelming stress. Goku, in turn, could feel Vegeta's minor irritation, his maternal love, and the anxious uncertainty. This caused Goku's fear to go unexpectedly higher. What was he uncertain about? Goku's crying fit? His fear? Their relationship? His speedy thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt when his head was upturned to gaze directly into Vegeta's eyes.
"Listen to me Kakarot and listen carefully. I have told you too many goddamn times to not permit these peons, and their absurd ideas to taunt you. How many times are you really going to force me to pick you up from the floor before I get furious and kick you?"
Goku was at a loss of what to say in the moment. On one hand, he knew Vegeta was right; they had this conversation a lot. Too many times through their lifelong marriage has Vegeta had to explain to Goku that it really didn't matter what people thought about them, and that there would inevitably be people who would see them differently. Goku grasped this, but to not allow the way people treat him get under his skin was harder than a whole year of physical training. Vegeta's thumb swiped over a fresh tear as his volatile energy softened.
"However true that may be, I suppose you really can't help yourself. It is in your nature after all to bring others satisfaction in some way shape or form. It's done you well in your fruitful career, tending to the needs of others. Such as my distinct lack of care has effectively boosted mine. But how long? How long will you allow yourself to be walked on for the sake of others? How long will you allow their foolish thoughts and contrasting opinions to kick you while you're down and bleeding?"
Silence continued to furnish the luxurious room as Goku thought harder on what his lover was conveying. It was true that throughout all his life; he's always done things for the sake of others, even if it meant doing something that he shouldn't. His father being in the military serving some king on far off planets, his mother being a women's rights activist leader, and his brother being a caretaker for the elderly. His entire family was completely built on taking care of others and tending on what they wanted or needed. Vegeta's family on the other hand was one of undisputed control and unconquerable power. His father, ruling over the Saiyan's and their armies with an iron fist. His mother, being the queen, could be just as merciless, though she dealt more in politics. His brother was the closest thing to someone who took care of others, as he was a public-relations specialist. They were superior and that's all there was to it. Vegeta had tried to discipline him about how to channel those kinds of thoughts into actions, but Goku just wasn't cut out for that kind of authority.
"I'm aware of how much you value this planet, and how hard you've worked to grow your business here, but with all the stars in this unfathomable universe, there's got to be another one out there that's similar."
Leaning up, Goku made to protest, but was beat by a magnificent pair of lips landing on his. It wasn't a heated kiss or anything like that, but a much gentler way to silence Goku's on coming rant about the effort they've both put into building up their careers on Earth. Sure, they'd been to other planets, but was Vegeta really willing to throw all that away for them to start somewhere new? Where would they go, and how would they operate their businesses there? What about their longtime housekeeper and his job? There was so much for him to think about in a brief span of time, but the small pinch to his cheek brought him back to reality.
"For fucks sake Kakarot, if you don't stop over thinking things and just let the shit rest, I'll shatter your jaw! Now shut the trap on that overreactive mind of yours so we can enjoy the goddamn bath!"
And that was the end of the familiar conversation for the rest of the time that they were in the bath. They sat, in utter silence, wrapped in each other's arms. Their tails intimately intertwined with themselves and their minds both finally at peace as they basked in each other's presence once more.
Author's Note: So, this is the 3rd story that I've done, and I'm pretty proud of it too. I don't think that I've actually left notes at the end of any of my stories thus far, so there's a first time for everything! I love that you've taken the time to read this. What would really make my day, is if you took another minute (yes, set a timer on your phone if you want) and leave a review for me. It helps out when I have the constructive criticism to critique my own writing. I love that you guys leave kudos, follow me and the story, but I would also REALLY love it if I had some feedback, good or bad. With that in mind, I am not saying for you to proactively go through my story looking for something wrong. If that's what you choose to do, I mean like it's your time not mine. But even then, I'd appreciate it, because it means that it was good enough for someone to take the time to read it, and even better that they want to tell me ways on how I can improve it. In any case, this is why I don't do notes that often, because it becomes a whole book at the end, lol. Anywho, hope everyone enjoys it, and has a great rest of your night!