A/N: I don't own DBZ and I don't pretend to. This story is AU so that gives me free range and my characters OOC (out of character). Be warned spelling and grammar mistakes will be found. ALWAYS! Another Warning, this could end up as a Yaoi male/male coupling. If you are homophobe then don't read. No-one is making you. Rated R
Royal Delivery
Chapter 17That night Gohan's Uncle Turles was on night shift piloting the ship back on its long path to their home world, Vegeta-sei. Back in his shared room Gohan was fighting his demons and with the silver ki ring still on no one knew of his plight.
(Gohan's nightmare)
A chill and the prince grabbed another pillow and pressed it in the crack of his window hoping to stop the cold breeze from entering his attic room in the outskirts of a small village surrounded by a dark forest on his master's home world. The boy quickly scurried back under the single blankets in search for warmth. "It's so cold." He shivered quietly not wanting to alert his master that he was awake. He doubted the man would wake up with his breath full of strong liquor but not wanting to take the chance he kept low.
He couldn't see the great interest his master found in the foul taste, but it did keep the blood warm on cold nights he knew of this when he was forced to drink it. Not being able to take it anymore Gohan swung his frozen feet out from under the covers and proceeded to pad his way to the door. Curiously he opened the door just enough at first to peek into the narrow hall. Confident that his master was still sleeping off his night on the grog with his loud mouthed friends the boy padded across to his master's bedroom were he found the huge man lying where he had fallen face down on the bed.
Gohan winched with every noise the floor boards under him made cursing them as he did and praying that his master doesn't wake up. The prince looked at the bedside table with its half empty bottles of mixed cocktails with his stretched out hand Gohan lifted one very carefully not wanting to disturb the man he had learned to hate with vengeance.
With the bottle in hand he looked over at his master snoring loudly. The boy turned to leave with his newly acquired liquor and head for his room breathing a sigh of relief when he pressed his back against the door with the hands still clutching the bottle to his chest he pushed off the door and crawled back over to his small bed and climbed under his covers and while sitting up he pried the cork from the neck of the bottle with light pop that made the boy's eyes widen. Holding his breath, his ears struggled to pick up on any unwanted sound of his master. No sound. He allowed himself to breathe once again. Gohan, close to hyperthermia from the chill, let the cork drop as he lifted the large bottle up and pressed it to his blue lips letting the foul taste warm up his numb body. His expression showed his dislike for the drink and his body shuddered as the drink entered his stomach. The warmth would always outweigh the taste or getting caught by his master.
With the last of the drink washed down his throat the flushed boy watched as his vision circled around him sending the dulled colours of his room into a mix. His whole body tingled with the warmed blood now travelling and pumping into his veins. His head tilted with the walls the weight of the bottle in his hand became too heavy as it slipped from his fingers and roll of the bed crashing spraying the green glass all over the cold wooden floor.
Moments later Gohan hazy vision saw his master burst into his room with the same sway in his body as the young boy in the bed. He saw the man standing at the doorframe holding it as safety line before pushing off looking at the broken glass and then the boy. "So you like to drink do you boy?"
"Arr." Gohan struggled from the hands as they reached out for him and pulled him up by the scruff of the shirt only to drag him from his covers across the bed and where he was thrown onto the floor where he tried to lift his heavy body up before he got a beating. Hands came back down and Gohan was lifted up by the hair and with the tight grip the boy was pushed into his master room with the door slamming shut behind them. The only sound that night was the cries from the boy been forced to drink bottle after bottle of drink, until he slipped into unconsciousness on the floor of his master's bedroom.
~~~
"GOHAN WAKE UP." Turles yelled with Raditz at his side trying to wake the boy as he lashed out in his bed with his uncles trying to hold the boy down before he hurt himself.
Both came running in when they heard the boy screaming Nappa took over the piloting of the ship as the two brothers tried to ease their nephew from his nightmare.
"Boy!" Raditz shook him Gohan eyes snapped open as he gasped for air with his heart pounding in his chest as he saw two figures leaning over his bed. With his eyes wide as plates he watched as his mind raced from his dream to the present.
"Master?"
"No Gohan. It's your Uncle and Raditz." Turles said sitting down on the bed with his brother standing watching the boy drag his still trembling body back to the wall as his knees came up in a hug he looked at the two as if he was trying to check for reality.
"Turles and Raditz?"
"That's right we taking you back to your fathers remember?" Gohan's dark pools were unsettling to the two uncles as they saw all the signs of abuse and fear as the boy searched for the truth.
"That must have being one bad dream you had boy. You care to explain?" Gohan's eyes, void of any emotion, now looked up at his uncle and indicated with a weak nod that he didn't want to talk. He turned his back to them and lay back down pulling the blankets over him.
"Ok but if you change your mind we just outside. Good night son." Raditz motioned for his young brother to leave the boy. Both Saiyanjin brothers walked back out to the cockpit to talk.
"That was some nightmare."
"I agree. We will have to watch it with that blasted ki ring on I can't sense the boy's distress." Raditz frowned as they both looked back to the boy's room.
"Dad will be able to take it off." Turles reassured him. "Go back to sleep. You still have few hours before it's your shift anyway."
"Fine but I'll leave my door open in case he has another one of those nightmares. Kakarrot has his hands full with the boy." The large Saiyan said
"We'll all be there for him. I'll send Nappa to bed before he crashes the ship." Turles said with Raditz nodding in agreement before heading back to his room. Turles went to relieve Nappa. The giant saiyanjin was thankful and took off back to his room leaving Turles in his thoughts about the boy and how things will be for him now he was heading back to the home world with his family.
In his room Gohan, with eyes wide stared, at the wall in front of him and in a whisper he recalls his master's words. "You will learn your place boy! Remember that and we will get on famously."
~~~
"Hey Mirai. I think he's looking for you?" The boy pushed his chair back with the prince vaguely impressed, watching his friend whistle out loud across the crowded room full of young warriors with drinks in hands and the sound of boasting and laughing in their favourite tavern.
"Hey you! Are looking for the prince? " Ursus yelled from the table with his friend washing down another glass of strong liquor trying to cool down his temper. Mirai glared back up his friend who still whistling and pointing at him. The prince, with blurred vision, looked over the mass of young Saiyanjins.
At the far end of the noisy crowded room was one of his father's burly guards from the palace. "Shit what now?"
"Hey maybe he just want to have a drink with us." Ursus smirked at the frowning prince. His friend has being in foul mood ever since he had that fight with the King.
"Yeah right Ursus you are so full of shi…"
"Prince Mirai, your father the King would like you to accompany me back to the palace."
"Does he now?" Mirai said with his elbow resting on the table cupping his chin he looks up uninterested at the guard with an empty glass in his other hand.
"Yes he is expecting you back in your parents' private apartment." Mirai rolled his eyes. His blurred vision looked back at the man who waited for him.
"Did my darling father say why?"
"No sire he didn't. But it is of some urgency that he requires your immediate attention." The older guard looked down at the young prince cub with his glazed blues looking back at him. "Sire?"
"I'm thinking." Mirai frowned and turned to his friend drinking his third drink. "Ursus you're coming with me."
He looks back at the prince in mid swig ready to protect. "But I wanted to… Forget it let's go. Then we can come back right?" He asked watching his friend nod as Ursus downed the last of his drink.
"Yeah. Come on let's get this over with." The prince turned to the man who was bowing.
"Thank you sire."
"I suppose it makes your job easier. Did my father give you orders to hit me on the head again if I decided not to comply?"
"Yes sire."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"Maybe next time prince Mirai you will give me the privilege." Mirai smirked and followed the man out with Ursus at his side yelling back at the others waving to them. "We will be back."
The journey back was uneventful if not slow with Mirai and Ursus in no rush to see the king much preferring to be elsewhere. The burly guard stopped and waited for the prince and his friend to catch up as they chatted behind. "I'll leave you sire I'm sure you won't need my services anymore." The man said.
"No go. I promise I won't run away again."
"Thankyou sire. I appreciate that." The guard said, with a slight smirk as he bowed and left the boys to walk up the private stairs to his royal apartment. Mirai was glad when he moved out and went down to the academy, even if it was only just outside the gates and still within both his fathers' reach. His old room was a constant reminder of his brother and the warmth that wasn't there when he returned.
Mirai, with Ursus, came to a stop with his knuckles ready to knock on the door only to have it swing open for him. The prince frowned ready for his father's normal glare of disapproval or the tongue lashing only to be met by an over excited papa beaming at him.
"Mirai, they found Gohan."
TBC…
A/N: A small chappie I know. But that was cool. I can picture Mirai Trunks face. A Kodak moment. *grins*
Thanks again.
^_^