Vegeta's spirit moved closer. It sat on the bed without leaving a dent in the sheets. He watched Kakarot, who brought his feet closer and rested his forearms on his knees, hands hanging limp. He started wringing his hands together, nervously twisting his fingers around each other, as he swallowed and looked at Vegeta.
" Vegeta, we've been friends for over eleven years now. But what I'm about to say will probably be enough to throw all of that away. I don't know if I'll get another chance to say this, so it had might as well be now. In a way, I want you to listen, another part is glad that you are unaware of my presence. I'll put it simply. I love you. There. I said it. Since I've started living at Capsule Corp I've started realizing how much I need you. I was so scared when you got this virus, this virus which ironically is allowing me to tell you how I feel. I got scared 'cause I thought that I'd lose you. Your pride would never allow you to consider me as anything more than a friend. I know how it irks you that I am more powerful than you, I know that it still eats at a part of your soul, maybe not as much as it used to, but its still there. I can't change whom I love. As neither can you. But parts of us do change. All these years I've seen through the insults, the moods, the arrogance, the pride, through to the Vegeta inside. You couldn't help being influenced by your difficult and terrible circumstances as a child. On the inside, you are one of the best people I know. I consider it an honour to call you my friend, even though you'll never allow me to call you anything more intimate than that. I would do anything for you, although you probably wouldn't do the same for me, understandably. I'm sitting here watching you recover and I so desperately want to touch you, not hit, or kick, or punch, like we usually do, but just to hold your hand, or stroke your face. But all we've ever done is hurt each other, on the battlefield, in sparring, in words. Even though I act like your insults don't hurt, they do, because it hurts to be insulted by some one you care about so much but not get the same kind of love in return. But I can't expect you to fall in love with me, as I have with you. After all, it took you years before you loved Bulma as much as you did, so, what chance do I have? I know you loved Bulma, I know you're hurting. I stopped loving Chichi so long ago. I only stayed with her for Goten's sake. You said you were going to go live on an island somewhere. I just wish that you'd ask me to join you. I wish you would love me the way I love you. I guess this is what they call a crush, but that's not really the right word. A crush is all about lust. I don't lust after you, I just love you. It feels like my heart breaks a little more every day, Vegeta."
He paused, his hands in his hair, his face sad. His eyes were a little wet, the tears waiting on the edge. Vegeta's spirit watched his friend, an equally sad look on his face as well.
"I want what I cannot have. I can't force you into loving me. I'm not even worthy of you. I'm just Kakarot, a third level saiyan. But I can't wait for you to wake up, and we can spar again, and watch movies. And I'd really love it if you made me your special pasta, just like the other day, because you do it just for me. I'm dreading wishing Bulma back, because what if you guys do resolve everything? I won't see you that much anymore. I want to live with you forever. What am I going to do if you move away to your island? I won't stay at my house anymore, I can't bear having Yamcha's stench all around me. Maybe I'll go live at Master Roshi." Goku swallowed hard, his voice sounding cracked.
"Vegeta, when you wake up, nothing will have changed, to you. But now I guess a part of me realizes that I can't live with or without you. Living with you is painful because it's a depressing reminder that we can never be anything more than best friends. But I also can't bear to be without you either. Yeah, if you could just hear me now, I can easily imagine your reaction. You'd probably try strangling me while calling me a perverted fool. And I'd still love you, because that's just your way of dealing with things, and I wouldn't change that for the world. I'll be here when you wake up, but after that, I have to go. My heart is full of glass shards, for you, because of you, because I love someone who won't love me back."
Goku dropped his head, finally allowing the tears to free-fall onto his orange gi, little islands of pain in a cheerful colour. Allowing the tears, which he had been holding back for so long to finally escape, in the vain hope that they could alleviate his inner pain.
Vegeta watched his friend's shoulders shudder with his silent pain, too proud to sob, too proud to allow himself to fall to pieces. Vegeta was confused. Why does Kakarot care so much? It doesn't make sense! No one except Bulma and Trunks ever cared. Well, Bulma not so much any more. Is it possible that someone might actually be willing to go to any lengths for me? After all, Kakarot almost sacrificed the universe to save me against Kid Buu, when he refused to throw that damn spirit bomb we worked so hard to make.
Vegeta saw Kakarot wipe his eyes and nose on the bed sheet, and tilted his head to the side. But what do I feel? Do I like him the same way? He's been in so much damn emotional pain, and I've been to self-centered to notice. He's always shelved his problems away behind that goofy exterior. I remember that popcorn incident…how much I savoured his taste. Would it be so wrong to tell him its okay? Would it kill me to tell him how important he is to me? I don't want him to leave, ever. I don't care about Bulma anymore, why should I? She took my heart and laughed at me while she butchered it into an unrecognizable mass of pain and lost dreams. I want him to come live with me forever, I don't want to grow old on an island by myself! Yes Kakarot! So what if I'm the Prince? I'm a forgotten Prince of a dead and gone race. I'm no better than you. I'm not worthy of Kakarot, not the other way round! I'm no better than you; your hands are not stained with the blood of innocents, the cries of women and children do not haunt you as they do me, dogging my waking moments, tormenting my dreams. Who am I to you? I'm nothing more than Vegeta. Maybe my circumstances weren't exactly perfect by anyone's standards. But it's not that way anymore, I can't go blaming my past for everything forever. I want to stop hurting you. I don't want to see you so broken, so tormented. To see you cry is a harsh reminder of how much pain I am capable of inflicting on others. I've always admired you, Kakarot, it may not be obvious, but I have always seen you as strength personified. For me to cause this much pain in you, my best friend, is sickening. As soon as I get rid of this damn virus, its going to get better, Kakarot. I promise. And with these thoughts, Vegeta's spirit slipped back into his body, awaiting awakening.