Author: Kiarene
Pairings: Radditz/Vegeta
Warnings: AU, more angst, guard abuse, non-consensual situations
Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ
Published: 26th October 2003
Archive? Please ask first
And finally, the last chapter. This story could never have been possible without Lully! Thanks for reading over and picking up my mistakes, and then further improving on what's already there. And thanks also for the inspiring conversations that eventually allowed me to work my way through the muddle of this story! *hugs*
'…thoughts…'
~ a passing of time
~ ~ ~ a longer passing of time
Love Potion 6Remove from heat, stirring all the while until the mixture becomes clear. Decant and bottle.
In the harsh, bright light of day, or at least the bright lamps of the classroom, the situation seemed clear and straightforward to Vegeta: Radditz had wronged him badly and abused his trust. He could easily order Radditz' execution for his crime; he certainly had the jurisdiction to do so. And yet, thinking about such a punishment made him uneasy for reasons he dared not delve too deeply into. Surely it was only because he appreciated Radditz' years of excellent service.
He kept remembering how he had felt when he found out about Radditz' duplicity; he had felt absolutely furious, betrayed, but most of all, he felt hurt. To be tricked, to be used…
To think he had thought – had naïvely, stupidly hoped – that it was something more…
Was it only just yesterday?
And yet, he also kept recalling the good times. The pain was raw and fresh, yes, but Radditz was also the person he was closest to; someone he cared for, someone he respected and confided in. Someone he realized he still respected. Someone he still cared for, someone he hadn't realized he cared so deeply for.
And so he had kept quiet, knowing that the truth, if it leaked out, would definitely ruin the guard's chances at future employment. Officially, his bodyguard had been feeling restless after being planet-bound for years and had wanted a change, and they were parting on perfectly amicable terms. So he claimed.
No. If he were to be brutally frank, it was more than just that. He had been furious, yes, but he couldn't really bear to …hurt Radditz.
Maybe he had judged Radditz too harshly. Radditz was rough and roguish, but he knew the guard was honest and had been sincere about his remorse….
No! Vegeta snarled mentally in a flash of hot anger, his emotions snapping back to the other extreme. It was a serious breach of trust; it was practically rape! It was not a drunken night of debauchery or carelessness. And that trust was now irrevocably gone. As he had told Radditz, he could not afford to have a bodyguard he could not trust.
Yet…
Yet he felt terrible. Torn and hurt and so very confused. Why was it all so very difficult? This was just an isolated incident, a mere blip on their long relationship, and more often than not, he found himself thinking of the better times. After all, one incident does not define a person.
Vegeta hunched over his computer screen as he tuned out the droning of the lecturer, sinking his forehead into opened hands as his mind wandered back to Radditz again. While some of his year-mates around him were diligently taking notes and paying attention, most were ignoring the elderly Saiyajin in front and doing their own thing. His eyes flickered to the screen of the boy sitting beside him in wry amusement; Buroli was writing some torrid, smutty story again, fingers flying over the keyboard and pink tongue darting out occasionally to lick at the corner of his lips.
On his part, the lecturer couldn't and wouldn't be bothered. They were the children of Elites: nobles and military brass and other important – and so very, very busy – parents whom he knew better than to offend. Most of them were brilliant: good genes, strong breeding, only spoiled and coddled.
"Want to read?" A low hiss from his side.
Vegeta shook his head wearily. "Not today."
"Your loss. It's really steamy."
"What is it about again? A threesome sandwich between twins?" Vegeta sneered. "Oh, that's so new."
Buroli purred, dark eyes glazing with lust.
"Most of your stories are the same!" Vegeta snorted. "Everyone knows of your fetish for twins."
"Not all," Buroli defended himself. "I wrote about a triplet orgy once…"
"I don't particularly care," Vegeta cut in snidely and opened up his astrophysics homework on his computer in a blatant attempt to ignore the other boy.
There was a short pause, and then Buroli said softly, "What's really up with you today, Vegeta?"
"Nothing." Vegeta thought about it and changed his mind. It would be public knowledge soon anyway. "Actually, Radditz is leaving so I'm just preoccupied about hiring a new bodyguard. That's all. And don't ask me for more details."
"Ah."
Vegeta started on a routine calculation, tedious but rather straightforward. But when he realized his answer came out wrong for the fourth time in a row because the numbers in the column were starting to run into one another and he kept missing some, he closed the program with a snarl.
"Hey…" Buroli whispered again. "Have you thought about who you're going to hire?"
Vegeta bit back a scathing retort. The other boy knew he was clearly agitated and was only trying to help. When Vegeta remained silent, Buroli went on tentatively, "I heard the twins came out tops in the Guards' ranking this quarter."
"Twins?"
The slim, pale-skinned boy nodded animatedly. "Yeah. Radditz' younger brothers, Kakarrot and Turles. They're going to graduate from Guards training soon. You really should consider them. They make a great team, and think about it, two bodyguards are much better than one. Plus, I know they work really, really well as a team."
Vegeta remained skeptical. "And the fact that they are …twins …had nothing to do with your recommendation?"
"Well… I'll have to admit that fact caught my attention. But they are very good looking…" Buroli grinned shamelessly. He had probably spent hours staking out the Guards' locker rooms. "Very fu~ck~able."
"Why haven't you hired them then?" Vegeta asked curiously.
"Me? I'm just a scientist's son. Nobody important. I don't rate a bodyguard." Buroli pouted, heavy lashes fluttering deprecatingly. That much was true. Buroli's father was brilliant and respected, but hardly a target. However, the deceptively slender and pretty young man didn't really need to hire bodyguards; he attracted protective, burly males like flies to honey.
"But if you don't snap them up soon, they'll get shipped off-planet to some godforsaken way station on the other side of the galaxy, and that would be such a waste indeed."
"Indeed," Vegeta said dryly. "Do I really want you hanging about my quarters and drooling on my floor and generally making a pest of yourself after I hire them?"
"I wouldn't." Buroli looked affronted. "I am just giving you a suggestion. There's no need to be so insulting."
"I'll think about it." Vegeta snorted again, feeling slightly better after the banter.
~
However, his thoughts for the remainder of the day were not of Radditz' replacement, but rather of the longhaired guard.
He had never thought about Radditz in a sexual manner before this whole mess started. He had normal urges; he had noticed a couple of his year-mates in passing, but nothing like this. Nothing so …vivid, so lucid, so explicit…
He remembered the dream. And then remembered that it wasn't a dream.
So very …real.
Vegeta swallowed, unconsciously pressing his inner thighs together, and then cursed when he realized what he was doing. Cursing again, he looked down at the book he was supposed to be studying in dismay and slammed the book closed.
It was well past midnight but he was too keyed up to sleep.
And now, he couldn't stop thinking about Radditz in that light. It was entirely the sneaky bastard's fault, defiling his body and corrupting his thoughts. He felt …raped. Not so much physically, but mentally. For the choice to decide who he lusted for, the choice of who he – dare he admit it? – cared for, had been supplanted.
And yet, it had felt wonderful. It hadn't really felt like rape because it just felt so good. It wasn't rape… was it? Rape was about pain and force and being made to do something he didn't want…
Or did he want it, subconsciously? He recalled his midnight excursion into Radditz' room to return the vial unhappily.
Just thinking about it aroused him, and Vegeta slid his chair back reluctantly. Leaning back, he freed his erection and started to stroke slowly. Blood rushed downward and suddenly, he did not want to think about ethical or psychological issues; all he wanted was …
The feel of smooth, heated skin on his. The caress of soft lips. The press of hard muscle. On him, enveloping him, searing him…
He hadn't known that sex could be like that: the warm intimacy, the indescribable pleasure, the connection…. Even the orgasms were different. Fuller. Rippling through him and engulfing him in an immense wave.
Vegeta tilted his head back, eyes closed in a grimace as his right hand moved faster. He felt the familiar pounding rush that seemed to pool all the blood down there, his balls already pulling up in delicious tension, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't the same…
It wasn't enough!
Sitting up with a wide-eyed gasp, he pulled out a drawer in his desk and rummaged frantically for a small bag. He tipped the contents out on the table, small black discs clattering on top of his papers. Sifting through them, he found a mild sedative. It worked in the same manner as alcohol, relaxing inhibitions and confounding the senses – it would do.
He was insane, he knew he was.
Maybe it was just a momentary, overwhelming lust-attraction for Radditz because he was inexperienced.
Maybe he just needed to satisfy his …curiosity. Collect some empirical data.
Vegeta sneered at that excuse and swept up a disc. He was walking out of the door before he realized it, and then it was almost too late to think.
He had a momentary pang of doubt when the door to Radditz' bedroom opened to his touch, the hiss sounding loud in the quiet stillness of the night, and then he looked in and saw the curled form on the floor. And then he found he didn't care. Any hesitation disappeared when he stepped into the room, the blanketing darkness seeming to muffle and hide his covert actions, and he suddenly understood why dark deeds were commonly done at night. There was a certain nerve-singing rush, where one feels invisible and invincible, and the temptation to indulge in that hidden curiosity becomes irresistible.
He could have excused himself on a handful of logical, glib reasons, but he didn't. He couldn't. It was as if his body was moving of its own volition, and nothing existed but him and Radditz.
He found himself moving across the room and then crouching over the guard; he heard the sibilant puff as he administered the sedative. Carefully, he lifted the heavy male onto the rumpled bed and stripped him. As he pulled his own clothes off, he wondered briefly at his momentary lapse of sanity. Perhaps it was the dark, or perhaps it was his anger that made him so bold.
And perhaps it all didn't matter. Arousal and reckless abandon percolated through his nerves; he ceased to think, analyze, regret. He only wanted to feel and relish and savor.
What mattered was now. Him. Them.
The warmth of another body. The heavy tail that puffed as if startled when he slid into bed and then wrapped around his waist as he flowed into the guard's embrace. It felt welcoming and it felt right and he closed his eyes with a purr and he lost himself.
Soft muffled sounds and hungry movements. His touch. His presence.
Nothing else.
Him.
~
Vegeta awoke slowly, stretching languidly from an endorphin-soused sleep. For a few moments, the world looked sleep-blurred. He blinked, turning over, legs and tail twisting lazily to follow his upper half and absently draped an arm over a warm body as he wriggled in closer.
Then he remembered where he was. What he had done.
Saw the warm body he was curled against. Saw who lay beside him.
His eyes widened and cleared, and he writhed away in panic from the tangle of limbs, scrambling off the bed in clumsy haste. Radditz was a heavy sleeper and did not awaken at the sudden movements; he simply turned over. Pausing only to gather his clothes, Vegeta ran out of the room, heart hammering.
How… Why…
He had even shocked himself speechless.
Quickly, he stepped into his shower, wanting to bathe and get dressed; to be out of the apartments before the guard awoke. The water was hot, almost scalding, but he didn't care; he wanted to purge the scent of the older male from his pores. To drive out the memories.
Vegeta closed his eyes as bergamot-fragrant steam furled around him, the heavy pounding spray strangely calming. It worked; the scents of sex and sweat and Radditz no longer clung to him, and he started to calm down slightly after his panic-driven flight from the guard's bedroom. But it didn't – couldn't – erase the events of the previous night.
Why? Because he wanted to.
How? …All too easily, he admitted.
Finally turning off the shower, he reached for a towel. Vegeta shivered when he stepped out into the cooler bedroom, shivers that had nothing to do with the temperature. The small black discs on his table glinted dully in the morning light as if mocking him. Angrily, he swept them into the pouch and was about to throw it away when something held him back.
Weak! He scolded himself scornfully. He should have resisted such impulses, both last night and now, should have resisted them easily –- but he did not.He glared at the small pouch in his hand, but the same small, tempting thought that had crept in the previous night had apparently taken up permanent residence within him. Knowing he would regret it but unable to stop himself, he opened the lowest drawer in his desk and tossed the small bag into the far corner.
Just in case…. Just because.
He left his room furtively, further irritated by the fact that he was reduced to creeping around his own apartments.
It certainly wasn't one of his better mornings.
If anything, his nocturnal indulgence – he tried to convince himself it was an experiment, a fact-finding foray – left him even more confused than before. He felt fuzzy. Slow. Distracted. Was it due to a lack of sleep? No, it wasn't that. He had enjoyed a restful slumber, ironically.
And that was what really disturbed him: how good his sleep was, how right it felt to curl up against another warm body, how utterly perfect it felt to fall asleep next to the larger guard.
It was as if there was this huge itch, tingling under his skin and raising his hackles, but it wasn't a bad kind of itch. It was a sense of heightened awareness, but only for Radditz. He could tell when the guard neared – there was this certain scent – and he could feel Radditz' stare upon him. Whenever he turned around, his eyes zeroed in on the tall guard immediately, unerringly. Radditz was tall, his long hair unmistakable, but Vegeta hadn't really noticed before just how much time Radditz spent with him. Ire replaced embarrassment. Was Radditz stalking him?
Then again, Radditz was supposed to be his bodyguard, an inner voice pointed out slyly. He had no reason to blame the guard in this instance; he knew logically he was projecting his irritation onto Radditz' normal actions.
Cranky and as tensed as an over-wound spring, he snapped back whenever Radditz approached him to try to talk and explain. Rebuffing him, as if to make up for his lack of will the night before, as if pushing him away now would make up for his failure to do so the night before. And poor Radditz backed off but not away, to hover at a distance.
He knew what Radditz had been trying to tell him. Despite appearances, despite Radditz' clumsy but heartfelt words, he had listened to what Radditz said.
But knowing and understanding didn't make forgiveness any easier. He wanted to blame Radditz; he wanted his righteous anger; he didn't want to have to be reasonable and see it from the other's point of view.
He was hurt. Betrayed. Furious. He wanted it to be black and white, right or wrong, clear-cut, obvious.
Yet, he could not deny the frisson of pleasure, ruthlessly quashed as soon as it bubbled up, when he had heard the soft words "I do love you", when he realized that Radditz did care for him greatly. And he could not deny that a small, tired part of him wanted to just give in, forgive, forget, sweep the whole shitty mess under the proverbial carpet and maybe then everything would go back to the way it was.
That, of course, was stupid and utterly impossible.
Vegeta snarled angrily as he paced in agitation around his room. It was late, but he couldn't seem to relax, much less sleep.
He had been reduced to hiding in his room. Oh, the irony! He, he was the wronged party here! Did Radditz think that some pretty words and groveling would smooth over that? His forgiveness, however slight, would imply his acceptance of what had been done to him. Which, he would not – could not – allow. He would not allow any of his peers, any Elite, to treat him so, much less a guard! He was the crown prince!
Vegeta slowed down, steps faltering. A proud, confused, unhappy crown prince.
As if manipulated by an outside source, he found himself opening that drawer and taking out the small pouch. The small black discs spilled onto the desk and though his hand hovered hesitantly above them, Vegeta's mind was already made up.
~ ~ ~
"This is not a dream," Radditz asked as he lifted a hand. "Is it?"
Vegeta stared at him, dazed and shocked and horrified. The air was molten, dragging heavily in Vegeta's lungs as he struggled for words.
Radditz' hand drifted down to settle ever so slowly over his upper arms, almost as if he were trying to trap a wary animal. Vegeta panicked momentarily when he realized that his arm was caught, but then the moment passed when he realized that that was the least of his problems now. Radditz' large hand had closed easily over Vegeta's thinner arms, the grip light but firm, and strangely enough, Vegeta didn't feel trapped.
The air was charged and taut between them; Radditz looked as if he were ready to pounce if Vegeta even twitched, his earlier lazy mood gone. His expression was intent, thoughtful; his demeanor changing, sharpening. Vegeta could almost see the flame of realization flicker in his eyes as the dark pupils widened, and then the flame flared, heavy brows drawing down determinedly.
Now Vegeta panicked. He knew then that he was well and truly ensnared.
Not by physical force; nothing as simple as that. He was stronger than Radditz and if his ki suddenly spiked dangerously, troops would be breaking down the door to his apartment in minutes. No, he was trapped in a snare that was ironically, embarrassingly all his fault.
He felt like looking down, away, anywhere but at that searching gaze. What could he do; what could he say?
Instead, he lifted his chin defiantly and stared back.
For a long time it seemed, neither moved. Their breaths puffed faintly in the quiet room. Then Radditz' expression softened fractionally, but his grip tightened a little as he shifted closer. "Vegeta?"
It might have been a contest of wills, to see who could hold out longer, but Vegeta already knew the outcome. He knew that Radditz would wait all night if he had to and that Radditz would follow him relentlessly if he tried to run, especially now that Radditz knew. Vegeta narrowed his eyes, trying to dredge up some resistance, but it was weak and false, faltering even as his lips turned further down in a sneer; he knew he would give in first, he knew he was already cracking.
Abruptly, he looked away, shoulders sagging in defeat as he said in a small voice, "Let me go Radditz…" and when he heard the other's intake of breath to protest, he continued in a reluctant whisper, "I won't run."
To his surprise, Radditz released his arm immediately. Vegeta glanced up, betraying his shock, and then he looked away again. How was he to explain… his presence? His actions? He didn't even – fully – understand why he had been doing what he had been doing.
Truth. Just tell the truth, he decided. There had been too many half-truths and deceit between them, each afraid of the other; it was shameful and cowardly and stupid, and it got them nowhere except in trouble, nothing except heartache. Really, how much worse could it get?
But, how could he start? Vegeta wetted his dry lips nervously. "I… You… you were right. This isn't a dream."
Something furry brushed past the bared skin on his calf and he started. "So…" The tail coiled around his leg as Radditz leaned forward, his voice carrying the faint glimmer of hope. "You came to me."
Vegeta flushed, but he could not deny it. He gave a curt, mortified nod.
"But, I thought… I thought…" Radditz asked in confusion, tailing off. Then, "How?"
The tail around his leg tightened and Vegeta focused on its bristling fur as he spoke. A simple question. It helped if he didn't face Radditz. "Mild sedatives."
He heard a grunt and the rustling of bed linen as the tall guard shifted. "Why?"
"Why?" Vegeta echoed, his hands clenching hard. Oh, a hard question.
Radditz waited patiently.
"I'm not sure myself… It's…" Strangely, even though he had no idea what he would say, what he could say, once he started talking, the words just spilled out. "I don't know why, I don't know what you did, if you did anything or maybe I'm just going crazy, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. About what happened."
"The," Radditz asked hesitantly, "….sex?"
"Yes, no… I don't know. Maybe, yeah probably." Vegeta shook his head. Shrugged his shoulders helplessly as his own tail started lashing in frustration. It sounded so tawdry, so cheap, but what other reason could there be? He was uncomfortable with the alternative, with the possibility that it could be something deeper, something …unknown. An excuse as base as physical urges could be more easily dealt with, more easily controlled. He was a teenager – he knew all about base urges.
"I don't know why I did it… Coming into your room at night that is. I… I wanted you…" Vegeta's head snapped up, eyes flashing in warning as Radditz' expression became hopeful. "Don't get me wrong. And yet, I don't want you."
Radditz ignored him and scooted closer, even as Vegeta leaned back warily. "What do you mean, you don't want me?" A bit of his old, roguish confidence came back as he daringly laid his hand on the clearly skittish prince's thigh.
Vegeta slapped the errant hand away sharply, though he did not move away. "Not this way, not like this."
Radditz realized he had pushed beyond the limit of Vegeta's patience and did not try his luck again, though his gaze remained intent, his expression confused but patient, as if cajoling a high-strung wild animal. His tail crept ever so slightly further up Vegeta's thigh, but the prince was too agitated to notice.
"I've been forced into things that I don't want, or maybe I do. I. Don't. Know." Vegeta growled, crossing his arms. "I mean, us… we're close, very close…" he trailed off as he floundered with words and worse, emotional words that were embarrassing to even think about, much less admit out loud to the focus of that affection. Hurriedly, he went on, "I mean that's unavoidable; we practically live together, so it's not strange that we're close…"
Vegeta thought that sounded even more stupid and turned a dark red. But he couldn't seem to stop now; the mortifying words just kept coming and the situation was careening wildly, rapidly, out of his control. He had carefully avoided thinking about such things for the past few days, repressing, excusing himself. It was strange how the mind could work sometimes – he wanted this: this intimacy and him, Radditz, in particular. Yet he didn't want it as well – it was like a betrayal of his principles, like he was some slut that couldn't get enough once given a taste, and it was all distracting him, tearing him apart, driving him crazy. So he carefully did not think about it.
But was that really all there was to it? Or could there be something more?
So he had locked it, whatever it was, away under the icy slopes of his towering anger, only now all that was calving away in raw, jagged glaciers; and he was caught, sliding and falling with the avalanche.
Yet, dare he…?
"…and I think that I have… I might have… deep feelings for you." Vegeta realized, belatedly, that he was still babbling away. His eyes flickered uneasily to Radditz' face and away and back again. "Maybe it might have sparked into something more between us…"
A gamut of expressions ran across the older male's face as Vegeta spoke: delighted surprise, followed rapidly by a guilty wince and then, raw, hopeless pain when he realized the full extent of his folly.
"Maybe you coerced me, maybe not. Maybe, deep down inside, I wanted it too. Or maybe I didn't." Vegeta paused. That was a very uncomfortable point for him, one he struggled with reluctantly. Such drugs only lowered his inhibitions; thus, following that line of reasoning, he must have wanted it, even if only the tiniest bit.
Radditz shook his head fervently, his voice raspy, suddenly understanding. "No Vegeta, it….it doesn't work like that."
"Yes, well, the point is, I was never given the choice," Vegeta snapped back angrily. There was a tense silence as Vegeta glared at Radditz while Radditz tried to hold the accusing look bravely and only ended up looking as if he was facing the death row, face pale and eyes defeated.
"And the point is, also, that what's done is done," Vegeta's voice was rising in agitation now, his fingers tugging fretfully at the bedcovers. "It can't be undone. I could go on blaming you, wondering at what might have been, wishing that it all never happened, but all that is moot! What use is this anger when I feel no better even after blaming you?"
He paused, breathing erratic and pupils dilated in a thunderbolt of amazement as he abruptly realized what he had said. Yet, the odd thing was he also realized at the same time that it wasn't a sudden flash of revelation. He had probably known this somewhere along the way when he had let go of that fury and come looking for Radditz at night; it just hadn't sunk in fully and he continued to be angry the next morning in a frustrating cycle.
A small part of Vegeta's mind wondered irrelevantly why there wasn't something dramatic to mark such moments where lives were supposed to change – some big bright light, fireworks, tears, laughter, orgasm. Whatever.
Instead, the revelation came quietly, very quietly, and it softly stole over him like the realization of growing warmth. And he felt so much lighter, relieved, calmer, for it.
"So," Radditz asked slowly, carefully. His eyes were wide, his posture still uncertain as he unconsciously held his palms out. "You …forgive me?"
"No. Maybe. I don't know," Vegeta said, brows knitting darkly. "Look, I'm still angry – very angry – at you. I still have my pride, I could still have my pride and anger…"
Which made for very cold, poor bed partners, he admitted privately. And suddenly, the situation seemed very simple, very clear, so very obvious to him, now that he had let go.
"…or I could accept this fucked-up situation. Make the best of it, move on," Vegeta whispered. And leaned forward on an impulse, catching the startled guard's lips in a clumsy kiss.
That felt just about right, Vegeta discovered.
Rapidly, he squirmed closer until Radditz fell back and he was lying half-draped over the taller male's body.
"Move on," Radditz echoed dazedly.
"Yes," Vegeta breathed. It was a good impulse, he decided. "Move on. See if there's something more." And melted against the stunned guard.
The abrupt change of mood in the room was surprising. Or perhaps not. Vegeta couldn't really care less now. He was occupied – much more pleasantly so – with Radditz' lips.
After his initial shock, which perhaps lasted a couple of heartbeats, Radditz reciprocated eagerly. And then Vegeta really couldn't think, only feel and touch and writhe. He couldn't do much else really since his brains were draining into his balls and threatening to come out in his pants.
Radditz pulled back to peel off his clothing, a devilish grin dancing upon swollen and slick lips. "Oh, there will be," he promised.
Vegeta frowned at such impudence. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you. I'm still mad at you."
"I know." Radditz nodded solemnly and kissed the prince soundly on the lips. "You have every right to be."
"You're laughing at me." Vegeta cuffed him on the side of his head. But not that hard.
"Oh no, I'm perfectly serious my prince." A softer kiss, and then Radditz reared up, resting on his forearms, his expression sober. "Believe me, this is no laughing matter. I… I love you."
Faint color dusted Vegeta's cheeks and he shifted in slight embarssment. "I… Radditz…" Feelings and emotions were really not something a teenage male felt comfortable talking about.
"I know that I'm not the best – I'm just your guard and your parents won't approve," Radditz swallowed, faltering, his earlier bravado was gone. "But I…"
"But nothing," Vegeta said firmly, laying a finger across the startled male's lips. "I am the crown prince and by the time I have to decide, I will probably be king so I can do whatever I want."
Radditz snorted at that arrogant and blatant lie, and Vegeta sneered. The irony was that restrictions increased in proportion with status and the royal family were literally, liberally bound. A guilded cage, but a cage nonetheless.
"I just don't want to think about all that now, I don't care about all that now." Vegeta gave a sultry smile and his tail snaked out to trail meaningfully down the side of Radditz' cheek.
Radditz' breath emptied in a thin moan as the furry tip flicked across his nose, eyelids drooping and lips curling in a smirk. Turning his head slightly, he caught the tail between his teeth carefully. And licked.
Vegeta gave a tiny purr in response, and Radditz lowered his head to trap the shivering tail between them. An open, slow kiss. The juxtaposition of the sleepy-lazy glide of slick tongues and a thick, rough tail; it was all incredibly erotic. Arms wrapped around the other, pressing skin to hot skin closer, tighter.
"Fuck me now," Vegeta demanded roughly when Radditz finally pulled back, his tail slipping down to lie limply on the bed, writhing shamelessly. His hands moved to cup Radditz' buttocks – firm and just the perfect handful, he noted absently – and circled insistently. "Now."
"Not yet." Radditz grinned, easily pinning his wrists to the bed and the guard slithered down.
"Rad~ditz…" Oh fuck. Was he whining? His eyes crossed in pleasure and then he really couldn't care less. "Oh yes oh yes oh fuck, Radditz…"
"Still want me to stop?"
"You're evil." A long breathess groan, eyes fluttering close as he arched against the other, wanting more.
"Wicked," he declared dreamily.
"Mmhm," Radditz agreed, mouth occupied, and Vegeta sighed wordlessly and let himself be touched and tasted and opened and owned.
~ ~ ~
~ ~
~
Vegeta paused as the Marquis shifted uncomfortably, yet again. The taller man's pale skin was flushed red and he fanned himself agitatedly, yet somehow still gracefully, with the folded program. "Are you feeling all right?" he inquired politely.
"Well, actually," the Marquis replied, flustered. And shifted again. "No, no, I think I'm not. Perhaps I'm not used to the heat on your planet…" His eyes suddenly threatened to cross and his next words spilled out in a hurry. "Vegetasei is lovely, simply gorgeous, and it has been especially delightful meeting you. But I am a tad fatigued from my journey and perhaps I should retire now. Shall I see you tomorrow to continue our conversation?"
"I'm sorry to hear that. Tomorrow then," Vegeta said graciously. He watched as the tall blond man bowed and left with a dramatic swirl of his cloak, a suspicion forming in his mind.
"Vegetasei is lov~er~ly, sim~ply gorgeous…." A voice simpered behind him, and he knew his suspicion was right.
Turning his head slightly, he acknowledged his bodyguard and jealous lover of some months with a small smirk. "What did you do to him, Radditz?"
"Me? What makes you think I did anything to him?" The tall guard's eyes were wide and bright, almost twinkling, as he followed the prince. The pair left the throne-room as they spoke softly, turning towards the direction of the prince's apartments. Their apartments.
"Oh, so he really was feeling the effects of Vegetasei's heat?" Vegeta's eyes grew wide and earnest as well. "Poor guy, perhaps I should see to his welfare; he is our guest after all and …"
"And don't you dare Vegeta," Radditz growled possessively as he pushed the smaller figure against the wall. "I admit I did do something to him, nothing harmful I assure you, but he was hitting on you!"
"Oh?" Vegeta purred as he squirmed, loving the press of the hot, hard body against his.
"It has been de~light~ful meeting you," Radditz fluttered his lashes coyly. And then made a retching noise. "What a ponce…no, a faerie!"
Vegeta threw his head back at that and burst out in laughter. "Faerie?"
"I mean, just look at him. He's so pale and delicate, so.. so blond. It's unnatural." Radditz rolled his eyes.
"And so pretty," Vegeta agreed. Yes, the reference to the old folk legends seemed appropriate. The Marquis had looked just like one of the ethereal figures from his childish story books. "Just like a faerie."
Radditz scowled. "You think he's pretty?"
"Mmm," Vegeta considered thoughfully. "Very, very pretty."
"But he's …" Radditz looked stricken and Vegeta immediately felt guilty. While it was amusing to tease Radditz when he got jealous, highly flattering really, Vegeta knew it was because the guard felt insecure.
"But he's not my type," Vegeta cut in firmly.
"He's so effeminate, not a warrior at all," Radditz added, frowning. "And… what's your type?"
"Tall, brawny – he's got to be defined," Vegeta grinned. "Long hair, thick and messy and luxuriant hair, now that turns me on too." He lifted a hand to Radditz' chin and pushed the guard's head from side to side as he spoke. "Someone rugged. With a certain roguish charm; someone who gets what he wants, by any means possible."
Radditz flushed, leaning his forehead against the prince with a rueful laugh. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"
"Never." Vegeta twisted his face away and nipped the other on the chin playfully. "If anyone asks me how we got together, I'll say you used underhanded tactics. I'll say you used a love potion."
"Mmmm…." Radditz purred, a vibrating rumble of deep contentment. "Mine."
"Mmmhmm…"
Finally, Radditz pushed away from the wall. As they started walking again, Radditz pulled Vegeta snugly against his side, draping an arm and tail over the smaller figure. "Even now, I still wonder how you put up with such an unreasonable lover."
"You manage to distract me well with your other, more favorable, attributes," Vegeta deadpanned as he patted the well-built guard all over.
"So I'm just a fuck-toy to you?"
"Yep." A lingering grope, a smirking grin. And smoldering dark eyes that said what he really meant to say.
Radditz became pensive. "Sometimes I wonder how we're…"
"Hush. We're still here, aren't we?"
A silence. Then slowly, Radditz smiled. "Yes, yes we are."
~
A laugh. "So tell me, what did you do to the Marquis?"
"…itching powder."
~*~ The End ~*~