I'm halfway through my exams, and doing okay, thanks for all the goodwill you guys have sent, it really does help!
So, yes, this resolves the evil cliffhanger I left you with last time…and you know that I don't let things go well for long, well, those that have been with me since back then.
There was a one shot, when Vegeta meets Claudia's killers, and it was out of , but they took it down in six hours and banned me for two weeks! So, I'm not taking that risk. So, if you want it, if you're one of the big readers of "Goku's Priorities" then send me an email, and I'll reply with an attachment called "Vegeta meets the reviewers".
Thanks!
Shout outs to the fantastic and wonderful people who read this little story:
Elenek: Thanks for the tip. The link is www. Zogeta. Deviantart. Com (take away all the capitals) And your wish will come true here…no worries.
Veggie's boo: Such a long review! And there can be a reunion. Anyone who would like to be involved in Chichi's inevitable demise, leave me a note in your review. And a certain ninja with a kitana shall return!
Katchan: Welcome back! I know, I like that line too. And things aren't always happy in the lives of confused Saiyans… and it makes me happy that you look forward to updates!
Lenora: Goku's morality…sounds like Chichi, doesn't it?
Gutterball: (staring at pictures) mmmmmm…..pictures….just dropped more stuff in your inbox!
Ozuma's girl – Woah…that's a lot of updates! And I can't wait to see the preggers Vegeta! Cuz that's cute! No, everybody, that doesn't happen in this story.
Thanks for all the uplifting reviews!
Review award for chapter 12:
throttles Goku's morality SHUT UP AND LET THE BOY GET LAID! more more more more more more more more more!
---Lenora (also wins the honesty award)
Chapter Thirteen: Acid tongueGoku pulled away from Vegeta, untangled himself and moved away from him.
"No, I can't, Vegeta."
Vegeta propped himself up on his elbows, his face confused.
"Why? What's wrong?"
Goku stood up and Vegeta watched him, wondering why Goku had broken off what was a brilliant kiss.
"This isn't right. I'm worried what the others will think. And I'm still married to Chichi. We can't, Geta."
Vegeta started backing away, glaring at Goku as he got to his feet. "Are you serious? You mean to tell me that you care more about what others think than about your own emotions?"
His voice was dangerously soft. Goku could see that Vegeta was getting angrier with each passing second.
Goku looked helpless. "Geta…"
"Don't use that name, don't you fucking dare! There you stand, ripping my heart into shreds and you have the audacity to use that term of endearment!"
Goku looked like he'd been slapped.
"Why won't you understand, Vegeta? I just can't. I don't think Gohan and Goten would approve, or Trunks, for that matter."
"That's a pathetic excuse, Kakarot! What makes you think that I care about what others think? You know what they asked me when I was at that party last weekend? They asked if we've set a wedding date yet! They suspect it already! Two guys, living alone together in a forest, what are they supposed to think? And in any case, Goten and Trunks are a couple! Gohan and Piccolo are already mated! What the hell is wrong with you?! Why do you care so much about what other people think!? Why does it matter!?"
"Vegeta…"
Vegeta stamped his foot in irritation. "No, Kakarot! You listen to me for once! If they cared so much, they would have come to find you! They would have tracked you down and come to see you! But they didn't. They're all so self absorbed in their own pathetic little worlds and problems, they've forgotten that you're even alive. You've been gone before, what's different now? But I came to find you. I wanted your company, I wanted to be with you. And, surprise, I fell in love with you!"
Goku's jaw dropped, as he stared at Vegeta, whose voice was starting to crack a little.
"But then you do this, and tear my heart to bits. You care so much about what other people think that you can't even see what's in front of you! Me, Kakarot. I'm standing here. I care about you more than they do; I'm willing to die for you, willing to kill for you. What am I supposed to think? I thought you felt the same. The way you were kissing me back like that, I thought it was mutual. But I see now that it isn't. I'm just not good enough for you, am I?"
"Wait a minute –"
Vegeta interrupted him, his anger gettingthe best of him.
"I won't take this, Kakarot! Your body says different to what you're telling me! Your body responded to my kiss! You were enjoying it, don't lie! Your ki started spiking, for fuck's sake! Why don't you even want to try!? Why do you insist that you care about the others? They just need you to save their skins if some one invades the Earth!"
"That's not true!"
Vegeta balled his fists, and started backing away from Goku, his voice a harsh rasp.
"You hate the truth, don't you? How bitterly ironic. You, the so-called defender of truth, and you can't accept it when you hear it. How about this one? Chichi has a boyfriend, Kakarot! He was at Trunks' party! They were making out in front of every one! She doesn't think you're coming home! No one does. You've left them again, just like you did all those years ago. Maybe they wouldn't think that if you came to visit. But you feel so damn guilty about leaving that you won't do anything to change their perceptions!"
Goku slumped down onto a couch, shaking his head slowly.
"No…"
Vegeta allowed his anger to take over, not keeping his tongue under control. "And here I am, the one person that loves you so unconditionally, the one person that would do anything for you, who accepts you for who you really are, under that exterior, the person that loves the Kakarot who's too afraid to follow his own heart! And you won't love me just because I happen to be male, the same as you! Your fucking earth-bound morality is getting in the way! Like it always has! Your friends won't die for you, but I will! Yet they matter more! Why are you lying to yourself like this!?"
"I am following my heart, Vegeta! This is wrong!"
"Why, Kakarot!? You can't even tell me why!"
Goku buried his face in his handsBecause we'll break each other's hearts…Can't you see I've already taken a knife to yours?
"Vegeta, just…don't."
"Don't what? Don't allow myself to feel anything for you? I must just swallow my heart and ignore how my body and soul want you so much? This is all because you won't let me love you! Do you think that I'm incapable of love? That I'm not pure enough for you? We've been together for almost five months, Kakarot! Can't you see that I'm a different person? Can't you understand that this is killing me? I can't believe that you're doing this!"
Vegeta shut his eyes tightly, and felt his anger come to the surface.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"
Goku stood up, and stared at Vegeta, his mind full of commotion, the thoughts crowding his mind and making it hard to concentrate.
I don't know what to do Geta
I'm scared…
Don't leave me
I can't do this all without you
I can't do this to you
But I am
Please Geta
Please don't go I need you
I don't know why I'm doing this to you
I don't know how to cope
I don't know how to love you
I want to so much
I don't know if I can return your love
But it's so hard
When I've never been loved like this before
Loved so absolutely
I don't know how to love you back
I want you
Please give me a chance to make it right, Geta
My fears are holding me back
I don't want to hurt you
Don't leave me like everyone else did….
The thoughts were chasing and tumbling over in Goku's brain as his mind jammed. He just couldn't get the words out, like they were cemented into his brain, refusing to move, like shoving Shenron through a cat flap. Why was it all going so wrong? He took a step closer to Vegeta.
Vegeta snarled.
"Get away from me! WHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME!?"
Vegeta stormed out of the room, and ran upstairs to his bedroom, grabbed his suitcase out of a cupboard and dumped it onto the bed. Goku stayed in the lounge, his hand stretched out towards where Vegeta had been standing, feeling sick and sore and sad. Then he went upstairs to follow Vegeta.
Vegeta wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as he pulled his stuff out of the drawers, cupboards and shelves and chucked it all his suitcase; feeling angry and sad and depressed all at the same time.
"Look, Vegeta, you've gotta understand!"
"What the hell is there to understand, clown!?"
I'm wishing that I'd never fallen in love with the third class idiot in the first place. He crammed in as much as he could so that he wouldn't have to come back. He pulled on an orange long sleeve shirt, then tore it off. Not this one…Kakarot had bought it for him the other day. He pulled on another shirt instead. He wasn't coming back here. How could he return to this place? He loved it so much, yet, everything had changed. This home that had been the happiest place he'd ever been in. This little home, which they'd made their very own, together. Only to fall in love with some one just to be told that everyone else's opinion matters more. Vegeta had guessed what Goku was thinking. The third class bastard is too scared to even try…
'Vegeta…wait. Just let me explain!"
But Vegeta ignored him as he slammed the suitcase closed, dragged it off the bed, and stormed downstairs, Goku still trying to keep up with him.
"Vegeta, don't leave…" Goku bit his lower lip, the tears burning his eyes. Vegeta kept going towards the door, keeping his face turned away from Goku.
I'll be damned if I'll let you see me cry.
"I'm going, whether you like it or not, Kakarot. I can't be in love with some one that doesn't love me back. It's all gone now."
"But, Vegeta –"
Vegeta dropped the suitcase, and lashed out at Goku, his anger, his hurt and his pain whirling together to try and protect him in a gold aura, his emotions running too high and out of control for him to think clearly.
"ALL I EVER DID WAS LOVE YOU! ALL I EVER DID WAS TRY TO BE WHO YOU WANTED ME TO BE! AND THEN YOU HAVE THE FUCKING AUDACITY TO TURN AROUND AND WORRY MORE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WILL THINK! OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE, KAKAROT? ARE YOU JUST A FUCKING COWARD!? TOO FUCKING SCARED TO EVEN TRY!"
Goku also turned super Saiyan, his anger getting to him. He was scared, yes, scared to love Vegeta, scared to make another mistake and hurt the best friend he had, but Vegeta wasn't even going to hear him out, unless he yelled. And if that was what was necessary…
"I AM NOT A COWARD! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S RUNNING AWAY! NOT ME!"
"WHAT?! YOU WANTED TO KISS ME! YOUR BODY WANTED TO, BUT YOUR MIND IS TOO CONCERNED WITH YOUR FUCKING REPUTATION!"
"SHUT UP, VEGETA! LISTEN TO ME!"
"NO, I WON'T! YOU WON'T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO LOVE YOU!"
Vegeta and Goku were standing two metres apart yelling at each other, trying to drown each other out, trying to be heard, their super Saiyan bodies crackling with energy, their tempers getting more and more out of control.
"YOU WON'T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN!"
"I HEARD ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR!"
"FUCK IT, VEGETA! ALL I SAID WAS THAT – "
"YOU CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU UNLESS THEY'RE BEING THREATENED! "
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"
"AND THEY MIGHT HATE YOU IF YOU EVEN DARED TO LOVE ME!"
"STOP IT!"
"AND YOU'RE TOO SCARED TO EVEN LOVE ME! YOU THINK THAT I CAN'T LOVE YOU ENOUGH! HOW COULD SOMEONE LIKE ME BE CAPABLE OF LOVE? I'LL NEVER BE FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH FOR HOLY KAKAROT!"
"VEGETA!"
"BUT YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT ME! YOU'RE DESTROYING ME FROM THE INSIDE! YOU WON'T GIVE US A CHANCE!"
"I DO CARE ABOUT YOU, VEGETA!"
" NO, YOU FUCKING DON'T! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOUR LITTLE IMAGE OF BEING A HERO! BUT YOU WERE MY HERO! I LOVED THE KAKAROT THAT NO ONE ELSE KNEW ABOUT! DAMMIT, KAKAROT, I LOVED YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE, NOT FOR WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BE! I KNOW YOU'RE JUST MAKING STUPID EXCUSES JUST TO GET OUT OF A RELATIONSHIP! BUT I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER UNDESTAND!"
Vegeta wiped his sleeve across his eyes, and picked up his suitcase. Goku didn't even bother to wipe away his tears, as they curved down his cheeks. They stared at each other, red rimmed eyes begging for answers, chests heaving slightly from all their yelling, as they slowly bled out of super Saiyan.
"You can't leave me, Vegeta. We can work this out."
Vegeta turned and faced the door.
"What is there to work out? You won't love me. I can't stop loving you. I guess it just wasn't meant to be, Kakarot."
"Vegeta…please…"
"Just…leave me. You've done enough damage, isn't it enough? Or do you need to shred my soul as well as my heart? Just let me go and hurt in peace."
Vegeta pulled the door open, and went out into the lashing rain.
Goku stared through the open doorway, heard the slamming of doors, the revving of Vegeta's car, a screech of tires. Then he was gone.
Goku fell to his knees and hung his head, his arms wrapped around himself.
"Vegeta…come back…"