Bardock sat on his haunches, a chunk of meat clutched in his hand and tail wrapped around his youngest sons bicep. After catching a buck and flaying it, the two had sat to consume their meal but Bardock's mind wouldn't allow him to enjoy it knowing that had Radditz been in on the kill there wouldn't be anything left for them to take home. Kakkarot had understood his fathers need for solace and comfort, when he had unconsciously wrapped his tail around his arm he remembered back to when he was a child and he would do the same as he sang him to sleep or told stories. On those times Kakkarot would wrap his own tail around his brother's arm or leg as they fell asleep, they were each other's security blanket. Now as his father sought to remember better times, Kakkarot's heart grew heavy at the need to wrap his own appendage around his brother who was no longer there.
Kakkarot sighed and looked at the half eaten meat in front of him, he had no appetite anymore and set the chunk back down with the rest of the kill. Licking the juices from his fingers, he watched his father chew slowly on his food and could almost feel the depressing thoughts he saw etched on his fathers face.
"Father…" Bardock blinked slowly and looked at his son's face, "Are we sure Radditz is dead?" Sitting up straight, Bardock took his tail away from his son's arm and rewound it across his waist.
"What kind of foolish question is that?" Color rose in Bardock's cheeks and he ripped a large hunk of meat with his teeth.
"I keep trying to feel his loss, but I can't." Kakkarot looked at his lap then back to his father. "There is no hole. When mom died I could feel it, this huge piece of me had fallen out. But when I feel for Radditz there is no hole…I mean there is something but it's more like being lonely…do you understand what I'm saying?"
Bardock shook his head but chewed thoughtfully on the beef in his mouth. "I don't really know. The only way to put this to rest is to find your brother's body and send him off properly."
Kakkarot nodded and ran a hand through his mussed up hair stopping to scratch the back of his head.
"Don't think about it anymore. Go home and clean up, you have duty in a couple hours." Kakkarot nodded again and stood ready to head out, Bardock stood and put a calloused hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze before he took off through the line of trees.
*~*~*~*~*
The trip seemed terribly long, even though the afternoon sun made the day the most beautiful for months on Vegetasei. Radditz tried to stay angry at the smaller man that walked in front of him but couldn't help but smile when he watched him walk a pace slower than jogging just to keep away. The trip had been a silent one, Radditz walked comfortably in the silence, not really wanting to share the details of why he was here just in case the man happened to be violent about the war. But he never spoke either, though Radditz caught him muttering to himself on several occasions.
A marker in the road told him that he was nearly halfway to the city. Satisfied he had made good time, Radditz looked around him and found a rather large stump of tree. Setting the basket on top he sat among the needles and ferns and began to set rummage through the basket. The small man had stopped, noticing that Radditz had gone, and turned back looking at the food Radditz was handling. Radditz watched as the man seemed to salivate as he removed hunks of ham and bread from the basket, _I must remember to thank Lunna one day for such a feast. _
"Are you hungry?"
Vegeta came to with a start and looked at the man whose eyes shone with merriment at the drooling prince. "What's it matter to you?" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and stood in the middle of the road.
Radditz rolled his eyes, "There's no need to get defensive, you might as well come get something to eat there's still plenty of walking to do." Vegeta took a hesitant step forward. "You could always guess among the fruit if you'd like." Radditz didn't try to hide his laughter and motioned for the blushing Vegeta to sit across from him.
Vegeta was angry, but his hunger got the better of him and he sat heavily into the grass as Radditz portioned out food into two piles. Vegeta waited for Radditz to tear into his own meal before carefully chewing on a piece of meat. "Why do you walk so stiffly?" Vegeta chewed a mouthful of food and watched Radditz while waiting for his answer.
Radditz leaned against a tree and took another large bite of ham before answering, "I have a couple broken ribs. I've applied a paste over them that hardens."
Vegeta nodded, "Yes, yes I know about it." Vegeta crossed his arms and swallowed. Radditz was taken slightly aback; _The only people that really know about that trick are people from the royal guard… _ Radditz shrugged it off and grasped a small loaf of bread from the pile and ripped it in half. He offered the better half to Vegeta who graciously took it.
"What is your name anyway?" Radditz said around a mouthful of chewed dough.
Vegeta thought quickly, "What difference does it make? We'll be parting company soon enough anyway." Radditz held up his hands in mock defense and nodded. They had nearly polished off the basket when Radditz began to pack up what was left and started on the trail again. Vegeta wiped the seat of his pants and quickly fell into step, this time beside Radditz. "Thank you."
Radditz looked down at him as they walked and only nodded, he had a feeling that meant a lot coming from the small man. _This guy seems awful high and mighty… must be an elite from the look. He's small but he looks hella strong, if he is an elite I wouldn't mind tangling with him when I get back…might be fun. _ Radditz smirked and the man beside him glanced up at him with a scowl.
"What are you looking at?" Vegeta growled.
Radditz smirked again, "You." Vegeta's cheeks tinted pink lightly as he looked at his feet. Radditz looked back to the road and changed the subject. "We're nearly to the city. Shouldn't take an hour now." Vegeta nodded in deep thought, tail twitching behind him.
Radditz sighed, apparently the conversation was over again.
Kakkarot sighed and looked at the half eaten meat in front of him, he had no appetite anymore and set the chunk back down with the rest of the kill. Licking the juices from his fingers, he watched his father chew slowly on his food and could almost feel the depressing thoughts he saw etched on his fathers face.
"Father…" Bardock blinked slowly and looked at his son's face, "Are we sure Radditz is dead?" Sitting up straight, Bardock took his tail away from his son's arm and rewound it across his waist.
"What kind of foolish question is that?" Color rose in Bardock's cheeks and he ripped a large hunk of meat with his teeth.
"I keep trying to feel his loss, but I can't." Kakkarot looked at his lap then back to his father. "There is no hole. When mom died I could feel it, this huge piece of me had fallen out. But when I feel for Radditz there is no hole…I mean there is something but it's more like being lonely…do you understand what I'm saying?"
Bardock shook his head but chewed thoughtfully on the beef in his mouth. "I don't really know. The only way to put this to rest is to find your brother's body and send him off properly."
Kakkarot nodded and ran a hand through his mussed up hair stopping to scratch the back of his head.
"Don't think about it anymore. Go home and clean up, you have duty in a couple hours." Kakkarot nodded again and stood ready to head out, Bardock stood and put a calloused hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze before he took off through the line of trees.
*~*~*~*~*
The trip seemed terribly long, even though the afternoon sun made the day the most beautiful for months on Vegetasei. Radditz tried to stay angry at the smaller man that walked in front of him but couldn't help but smile when he watched him walk a pace slower than jogging just to keep away. The trip had been a silent one, Radditz walked comfortably in the silence, not really wanting to share the details of why he was here just in case the man happened to be violent about the war. But he never spoke either, though Radditz caught him muttering to himself on several occasions.
A marker in the road told him that he was nearly halfway to the city. Satisfied he had made good time, Radditz looked around him and found a rather large stump of tree. Setting the basket on top he sat among the needles and ferns and began to set rummage through the basket. The small man had stopped, noticing that Radditz had gone, and turned back looking at the food Radditz was handling. Radditz watched as the man seemed to salivate as he removed hunks of ham and bread from the basket, _I must remember to thank Lunna one day for such a feast. _
"Are you hungry?"
Vegeta came to with a start and looked at the man whose eyes shone with merriment at the drooling prince. "What's it matter to you?" Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and stood in the middle of the road.
Radditz rolled his eyes, "There's no need to get defensive, you might as well come get something to eat there's still plenty of walking to do." Vegeta took a hesitant step forward. "You could always guess among the fruit if you'd like." Radditz didn't try to hide his laughter and motioned for the blushing Vegeta to sit across from him.
Vegeta was angry, but his hunger got the better of him and he sat heavily into the grass as Radditz portioned out food into two piles. Vegeta waited for Radditz to tear into his own meal before carefully chewing on a piece of meat. "Why do you walk so stiffly?" Vegeta chewed a mouthful of food and watched Radditz while waiting for his answer.
Radditz leaned against a tree and took another large bite of ham before answering, "I have a couple broken ribs. I've applied a paste over them that hardens."
Vegeta nodded, "Yes, yes I know about it." Vegeta crossed his arms and swallowed. Radditz was taken slightly aback; _The only people that really know about that trick are people from the royal guard… _ Radditz shrugged it off and grasped a small loaf of bread from the pile and ripped it in half. He offered the better half to Vegeta who graciously took it.
"What is your name anyway?" Radditz said around a mouthful of chewed dough.
Vegeta thought quickly, "What difference does it make? We'll be parting company soon enough anyway." Radditz held up his hands in mock defense and nodded. They had nearly polished off the basket when Radditz began to pack up what was left and started on the trail again. Vegeta wiped the seat of his pants and quickly fell into step, this time beside Radditz. "Thank you."
Radditz looked down at him as they walked and only nodded, he had a feeling that meant a lot coming from the small man. _This guy seems awful high and mighty… must be an elite from the look. He's small but he looks hella strong, if he is an elite I wouldn't mind tangling with him when I get back…might be fun. _ Radditz smirked and the man beside him glanced up at him with a scowl.
"What are you looking at?" Vegeta growled.
Radditz smirked again, "You." Vegeta's cheeks tinted pink lightly as he looked at his feet. Radditz looked back to the road and changed the subject. "We're nearly to the city. Shouldn't take an hour now." Vegeta nodded in deep thought, tail twitching behind him.
Radditz sighed, apparently the conversation was over again.