This One

Kagura Kyo Shinra

Warning: This is a shounen-ai story. That means it has to guys in it who are all in love and stuff, so if you don't like that kind of stuff, I suggest you don't read it.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything associated them.

A deep wind blew across the field outside the Son residence bringing with it a variety of flower petals. Lying on the deep green grass, Goku stared up at the passing clouds in the sky. Beside him, Vegeta sat, staring at the fields before him.

Goku rolled his head over and looked at his friend. "I had a dream."

"Who cares."

"You were in it."

"I still don't care…What was it about?"

"We were just living…Nothing more. No fighting and no training. We knew nothing of ki or saiyans. I think I was a business man, and you were a teacher."

"How boring."

"It was…nice."

Vegeta turned his head and looked at Goku, who was staring at the clouds again. Vegeta followed his gaze.

"You're the one who runs away, Kakarrot."

"I'm not running away. I need to train Uub. I only came back to say goodbye to everybody. I didn't think you'd make it this hard, Vegeta."

"Well, you're the one who dragged me out to your middle of nowhere house to stare at clouds."

Goku sat up and leaned his head on Vegeta's shoulder. Vegeta gave him a horrified look but didn't pull away.

"And after everything we've been through, you're still my best friend."

Vegeta snorted.

"And am I also your leaning post?" he asked, pushing Goku's head off his shoulder.

Goku smiled at him and closed his eyes. "Yes."

Vegeta looked aghast.

"That's something I wanted to tell you for a long time, Vegeta," Goku said. "There are so many great things I've done in my life, but many of them have been with your help. Without you, I think would have died long ago."

"I know you, Kakarrot. You would have found a way."

Goku stood up and cinched his belt.

"Where are you going?" Vegeta asked, jumping to his feet. "You're not leaving already, are you?" He blushed and turned his back to Goku. "Well, not that I care all that much, but you still owe me a fight."

"But, Vegeta, you've already beaten me."

"What?" Vegeta spun around.

Goku was gone.

"Vegeta, are you going to get up today?" Bulma shouted through the prince's bedroom door.

It had been one month since Goku left, and Vegeta had decided to stay barricaded in his room the whole time. He only left every now and then to get enough food and water to survive.

"Go away!" he shouted and covered his head with the blanket. "You're not my woman anymore, remember?"

"That's true, but you still have a son, and he'd like to see you sometime!"

"Stupid Kakarrot," Vegeta mumbled. "He did this to me. Hey!"

Bulma had broken in and torn the blanket away from Vegeta, tossing it out the window. She stood above him with a shaking fist.

"Get up!"

"That's my favorite blanket! I want…"

Both of their eyes traveled down Vegeta's body. For a moment, each of them just stared at the other with morbid embarrassment.

"Ah! Don't you wear clothes!"

"Don't you…Why don't…" He stood up and covered himself with a shirt. "Just get out, so I can go back to bed."

Bulma pulled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles.

"Wh…why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's a good thing I've seen you naked many times before, or else I might not be able to do this."

"Do wh…Ah!"

In one quick burst of strength, Bulma rammed into Vegeta, pushing him backwards into the bathroom and into the shower. She turned the water on full blast.

"COLD!"

Bulma fiddled with the knobs.

"HOT!"

She fiddled with them once more.

"Now?" she asked.

He threw the wet shirt at her. It landed on her head with a splat.

"I hate you sometimes," he said and pulled the shower curtain shut.

"Just get cleaned up, and you can hate me all you want."

Vegeta grabbed his head and let out a relieved sigh when he heard her leave. He didn't want to get up, but part of him was happy she had forced him to. He couldn't spend the rest of his life in that bed.

After his shower, Vegeta figured it would be good to make an appearance downstairs.

"Look who's up?" Bulma said and handed him a plate of lunch. "Hungry?"

Vegeta took it and sat down beside Trunks.

"Hey, Dad, there's a letter here for you from Goku."

"From Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked. "Give it to me."

He took it a tore it open.

Dear Prince,

I hope the kingdom is holding up well. Things here are…difficult. Uub…he isn't sure he wants to become my student, and maybe he's right. Perhaps it should be our children I should be training, but what can I do now? Uub is making great progress. Have the boys been training at all? I hoped at least Goten and Trunks would keep up on their training. I've written to everyone, telling them I miss them, but tell them again for me, will you? It sounds funny, but I even miss you, Vegeta. We have been through a lot. Back then…I tried so hard to kill you. I'm so glad I didn't. I don't know how things would be different without you around. Gosh, I would have never thought back then that you'd become someone so important in my life. Like I told you, you're my support. We're connected now, Vegeta. No matter where you go, it's my job to bring you back, and the same goes for you. I'll see you again one day, my friend.

Goku

Vegeta read the letter once more.

"What does it say, Vegeta?"

He headed for the open window and stepped onto the railing.

"Hey, where are you going?" Trunks asked.

"It said for me to come and get him, so I'm going to get him."

Vegeta landed at the small village where he had felt Goku's ki coming from. Upon his arrival, a group of villagers ran off in several directions.

"Where's Kakarrot?" he asked in a booming voice, but none of them answered.

He asked again.

"Goku's swimming, at that lake over there."

Vegeta looked down. The person speaking to him and pointing at a lake in the distance was the same boy Goku had raced off to train¾ Uub.

"Shouldn't you be training?"

"It's our day off," Uub said. "Have you come to take him back?"

Vegeta nodded.

"Good. He wouldn't go when I told him to, but now that you're here, maybe he will."

"Why don't you want him to train you?" Vegeta asked.

"He should train his own children to take his place," Uub said. "I've learned enough to protect our village. When I'm older, I'll find him again and learn more. But I just can't take him away from his family and friends like that. It's not fair."

"You're a deep kid."

"I know."

Vegeta thanked Uub and made his way to the lake where Goku was.

When he got there, he immediately smiled at what he saw. Goku was lazily floating on his back, his eyes closed, and a hand covered his face from the son.

Stepping to the lake's edge, Vegeta tapped the water with his foot. The ripples fluttered out until they reached Goku.

He opened his eyes and turned to Vegeta.

"You came." He smiled.

Vegeta crossed his arms across his chest and snorted. "You couldn't come back on your own? You had to send for me to come and pick you up? You're such a child."

Goku stood up on the water and hovered over to Vegeta.

"I didn't know if you'd come."

"Let's go," Vegeta said.

He started walking, but Goku rushed up and slipped his hand into Vegeta's. Vegeta looked back with a flushed face that matched Goku's. He gave a disgusted glance at their hands but didn't let go.

"Afraid you'll get lost?" he asked.

"Let's."

"Let's what?"

"Let's get lost…together."

"What are you talking about?" Vegeta asked. "It's impossible for us to get lost. If it gets that bad, you could just use your instant transmission to get us home."

Goku stared at Vegeta and held his hand tighter.

"Let's not fly home. Let's walk."

"Walk!" Vegeta shouted. "Do you know how long it will take us to walk home?"

Goku nodded. "When Bulma and I were kids, we didn't fly anywhere. I had the nimbus, but that couldn't go very fast."

"You're not a kid anymore."

A strong wind blew past both of them. Goku's hair fluttered across his face, sticking to his lips. He didn't seem to mind.

"Things were so simple back then," he said.

"Do you need to say goodbye to Uub?"

"I already did."

Vegeta looked at him and grinned. "Not sure I'd come, huh?"

Goku looked at his feet.

"Hey!" he said and looked up. "I have an idea. Let's take the nimbus. NIMBUS!"

From out of the distant sky, Goku's nimbus cloud zoomed down. Goku jumped on it and pulled on Vegeta's hand.

"I can't ride that thing, Kakarrot. Only you and your bizarre family can."

"I bet you can, Vegeta. You've changed a lot." He pulled on Vegeta's hand. "You're such a kinder person now."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and leaped at the cloud.

BAM!

He hit the ground with a painful thud.

"Oops," Goku said, trying not to laugh. "I guess I was wrong."

Vegeta stood up and grabbed Goku's hand, pulling him off the cloud. "Let's just walk."

"Kakarrot, are you sure you don't want to use your instant transmission?"

They'd been walking for hours and weren't any closer to home, and it was getting late.

"Not just yet," Goku said. "Oh, look!"

He let go of Vegeta's hand and ran up to a field of colorful flowers.

"Watch yourself."

It was too late. Goku tripped over a rock and toppled head first into the flowers. He sat up, flower petals sticking to his hair.

Vegeta felt a smile slipping onto his face.

Goku truly was angelic.

"Kakarrot…"

Goku smiled and held out his hand. "Help me up?"

Vegeta stepped forward and took Goku's hand, but Goku pulled on him. Vegeta toppled forward, landing on Goku's warm body.

From under him, Goku blushed and shifted his eyes to the side.

"Let's not play anymore, Kakarrot," Vegeta said.

He brushed a hand through Goku's hair and down his face. Gently, he leaned in and kissed Goku's soft, wet lips.

"This is better," Goku said.

"Better than what?"

"Better than that other life I dreamt of. This is the life I want."

Vegeta blushed and kissed Goku's forehead.

The morning sun spread across Vegeta's face, assaulting his eyes. He blinked them open and sat up.

"Morning, Vegeta," Goku said, handing him his clothes.

Vegeta dressed and looked around. They were in his bedroom.

"So that's what you were waiting for…" he mumbled.

"I'm hungry!" Goku cheered and held his hand out to Vegeta. "Let's go get breakfast!"

Vegeta hesitated, but then slipped his hand into Goku's.

Goku let out a cheer and bounced out the door and down the stairs, pulling Vegeta with him.

"So, you're back, Go…ku?"

Bulma stared at Vegeta and Goku. The bagel she had been holding dropped to the ground.

"Er…? So, Goku, I guess you'll be staying?"

Goku beamed and nodded.

Vegeta reddened. "If anyone has anything to say, they'd better get it out right now."

"Say about what?" Trunks asked as he and Goten entered the kitchen.

Trunks stared at the two of them with a horrified look spreading across his face.

"Damn it," he cursed. "How could this happen." He handed Goten a wad of money. "I can't believe I lost. Next time I'm going with my gut instance, not what my brain says."

"You bet on us?" Goku asked.

"That's right!" Goten grinned. "Hey, who wants to go out for breakfast? It's on me!"

The group started to head outside, but Vegeta didn't move.

"Something wrong?" Goku asked.

Vegeta looked at him. "Are you really happy with me, Kakarrot?"

Goku winked at him. "Uh huh! And what about you?"

Vegeta pulled Goku closer. "If we have different roads to take in life, I think this is the best one."

Goku kissed his cheek and pulled on his arm. "Let's go, Vegeta. And after breakfast, let's go see a movie!"

Vegeta smiled. "I'm coming, Kakarrot," he said. "Let's see where this one takes us."

Owari