AN: Another week has gone by, and its time for another update!

Hello, reviewers!

A Random Fan: Heh, cool screen name, because we are all random fans! I'm often told that they are OOC, so that is a very welcome compliment! Welcome to this happy little niche in I'm glad you liked the chapter! Hope you'll stay to read the rest!

Chuquita: Veggie has very sensible, if warped logic! And Goku did try but it didn't work out too well, and I love tail hugging! More 'Karidasu', please! I left a long ass review on it! Well, we'll see how the cold water affects Kaks later. Thanks for the review! I love it when people quote my Vedge!

That sounded wrong…

Brolly: Uh huh.

Wildgirlxyz3: Yeah, but it just happened and I couldn't find it in my heart to delete that little piece. Here's the next chapter!

Falconsblade: Uh…no comment.

Mighty Agamemnon: Ah, it's my great pleasure to reply to my reviewers, since they take the time to read my work! I'm pretty smart, both by my own admission and that of many around me, but most of the big ass words used here come from what I learnt during high school! I did clavicular and diaphragmatic breathing in my drama classes and it turned out pretty useful. And Vegeta is very quotable. In the series, he says "my heart is pure and calm…but don't get me wrong; it's pure evil."

The man is brilliant! And thank you for your compliments, they do so warm the dark lump of coal residing in my chest!

Kevornman: Aw, that wouldn't be nice! Poor Goku would freak out and twitch for a good few days afterwards! But maybe I'll write a side-story about it. If I can find the time…

ChaosBardock: The pores idea is good, but they can just hold their breath for longer, not necessarily breathe underwater. But, I think that over time, Saiyan evolution would kick in and they would grow gills. Judging by my knowledge of the breathing system that fish have, it would mean that Saiyans would need to diffuse oxygen across gills and into their bodies. Could work…

And welcome! I think you're the third or fourth guy to join! Its hard to tell with screen names…I mean, does Zogeta sound like a girl's name? I don't think so, but here I am!

Omnimalevolent: I did know the stuff beforehand (I went to a pretty good school) but I did have to do research on the finer points. And Kaks is utterly adorable. He thinks Veggie is a space pirate! Vegeta is easier to write when it comes to smart-ass comments but I hope I do it well. I've always thought that Goku daydreams about puddings and cake. Especially when Chichi yells at him! The hair thing…'tis fluffy, but cute. And gods, does Vegeta look HOT with SSJ4 hair.

coughs Excuse me. I just had to have a silly little fan girl moment…

goes off to fantasize about SSJ4 hair

Clarobell: So that's how he trained his tail! As you saw in the last Author Note, Elenek nailed my ass over my lack of DB knowledge, but I did apologise…I really want to see DB! curses lack of Toonami in SA I'm glad you look so forward to my stories!

Yami Persephone: I need a veggie-plushie. I really, really, REALLY need one! All I have are action figures that aren't very cuddly! And badasses can wear pink cause they'll kill anyone who dares to comment! Vegeta is secure in his masculinity, which is why he can wear pink!

nods sagely

Poor Goku…he's shark-bait. And Roshi was evil to poor Goku and Baldy (I'm not too fond of Krillin) but it seems to have paid off. The lion king line comes from Scar, when he's doing that musical number with the hyenas: "Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry again!" Love it. Scar, Jafar and Genie are my favourites! Dinner time with your family must be amusing…

Lenora: Poor Chichi…but I see where you're coming from!

And in closing

I'm so chuffed that all these replies come in the day after I update! I didn't know people wanted to read my work as quickly as possible…unless there really is nothing to read on wouldn't know, really.

And at this rate, I'm afraid I'll have to close down the "Odd Couples" competition. Not that anyone will really notice…

And I'm updating earlier this week because I'm going away tomorrow and won't be back until Wednesday. So, think of it as a happy accident!

Have a brilliant week and may Shenron smile on you!

Regards

Zogeta

PS: If you want a spoiler of what's going to happen, then track this same story on the saiyanhideaway dot co dot us and on the author's page I'm right at the bottom! Don't come crying if you spoil it for yourself. Also that one is more amusing because at the end there are arguments between my muses.

Chapter Eight:

Evening to unwind

We carry the fish between us as we walk home to the ship, chatting about various things. Once inside our current abode, I put the fish down on the kitchen table and sigh. Even though we only got around to catching one fish, it still feels like one too many.

"Why did I have to catch such a big fish? I don't feel like gutting it."

Kakarot hops up onto a counter and cocks his head to the side. "Didn't Bulma invent anything to help you?"

"No. Her priorities are all wrong anyway. She still hasn't designed a portable Gravitron for me yet."

Kakarot laughs and leans back against the wall. "You know you owe me a story, right?"

I open drawers to look for knives. "Yes, I know, and I'll tell you one. But first this fish needs to be sliced up, then half of it cooked for dinner, I want a quick gravity-training session and then I've got a game we can play to strengthen our tails. After that -- if you're still awake -- I'll tell you a story."

He hops down off the counter and rolls up his sleeves. "Then I'll help you gut this thing so that we can get going on dinner. I'm starving!"

"Some things never change."

"Nope."

Half an hour later

"While that's cooking, it's time for some gravity training, Kakarot. Just twenty minutes tonight."

He grins and trots after me to the gravity room on the top level. After setting the gravity at nine hundred and twenty, we fall into stance and he smirks.

"Time to work up an appetite, Vegeta."

I beckon with my hand. "If you don't land sixty punches and fifty kicks, you aren't getting any food. Better do your best, Kakarot."

He knows that I'm not serious, but he does count out loud every time he hits me, manic grin appearing between his fists and feet.

"Punch thirty!"

"Well, forty-two for me, idiot!"

He flips backwards, catching me under my jaw and snapping my head back. "Kick number twenty-two!"

I retaliate with a punch to his exposed kidneys. "Hah! Forty-three!"

He lands on his feet and sweeps my feet out from under me, digging a knee into my stomach as I land on my back.

"The third class triumphs!"

I smirk and dig my fingers into his sides. "Not so fast, Kakarot! Tail attack!"

My unnoticed tail curls around his waist and I push him back as my tail pulls him, knocking him flat with my knee digging into his diaphragm. He coughs and writhes below my grip.

"Too bad, Kakarot. You should have watched out for my tail."

He smirks back at me.

"And you should've watched out for mine!"

He looks surprised when my tail catches his and winds around it to hold it in place. "Oh, but I did."

He blushes violently, his tail trying to tug away from mine, but I just tighten my grip. "Um, Vegeta…"

I realise why he's blushing and suddenly let go. The retreating brush of his tail against mine feels good. Too good. I hurriedly clamber off him and dust myself off. "That's enough for now. Err…dinner should be ready…I'll go check on it…"

He nods, sitting up and holding his tail. I gulp and leave the room. Great, now I'm blushing! I'd forgotten how sensitive tails are to touch…Bulma rarely touches mine outside the bedroom for good reason, but I can't remember the last time I had another tail wrapped around mine…

Dinner is awkward.

We both sit in silence, too embarrassed to meet each other's eyes. Being Saiyans, we can't stretch the meal out to cover the silence and we stare at empty plates. Eventually, Kakarot is the first to break the quiet.

"Um, Vegeta…about our tails…"

"What?"

I wince at my own sharp tone. Damn nerves have me high strung. Kakarot shrinks back at the tone and I hurry to make amends. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. What were you going to ask?"

Kakarot's blood flushes his cheeks as he looks at his lap, fiddling with his tail. "Are…are all tails sensitive? It isn't just us, is it?"

I want to run to my room and lock the door. I had hoped this topic wouldn't come up; it's the equivalent of a Saiyan 'birds and bees' talk. I try not to fidget, but it's hard when he has those big innocent eyes focused on me.

"Well, it's like…no, that's not it. Um…how do I put it? You see, Kakarot, there are, ahem, other uses for our tails."

This is frustrating. He obviously doesn't get it but doesn't want to say so, and I've never been one for tact. I sigh and try to hold eye contact. I hate blushing.

"Tails are Saiyan erogenous zones."

He scratches the back of his head. "I still don't get it."

Of all the times for his naiveté to show, it has to be now. This reminds me painfully of that time when I had to explain how sex worked to Trunks; I hadn't been able to put it quite right and Bulma had had to explain. I swallow and look away from him, feeling my face heat up.

"Kakarot…Saiyan tails are also designed for... for s-sexual pleasure between Saiyan mates."

Great, now both of us are probably going to pass out from inappropriate blood distribution. He looks like a sunburnt tomato and I can't imagine that I look much better. He squeaks and drops his tail, looking at it with something like shock and almost accusation. Well, since I'm already on thin ice, I might as well dance.

"Saiyans use their tails for communication, to comfort and to soothe…but winding them together is…is something best left for the bedroom. I didn't mean it in any, um, sexual way…I haven't been with a Saiyan mate so I haven't really used it for that so I don't know about it and I promise you I don't feel that way about you even though you are my friend and I'm babbling, aren't I?"

The admission helps to break some of the tension and Kakarot relaxes visibly. He manages a lopsided smile and rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, but I was just confused when it happened. It was an amazing feeling, don't get me wrong, but it had felt very out of place. And a part of me kind of knew what it meant…which was why I freaked out. I was wondering if you had an alternative explanation."

I let out a long breath. "So can we stop being awkward? I'd still like to show you the tail game, and hopefully now that this is cleared up, it'll be less threatening."

He grins and it helps me roll some of the nervousness. "Sure, Vegeta. By the way, when you say that tails can soothe, how does that work?"

"I've used my tail several times over this trip to congratulate you or just for play. Soothing is much the same, just with more intent. Tail touch can help settle scared cubs or sick, sad and depressed Saiyans. Sometimes it tides over angry Saiyans. Here, it sort of works like this."

I shift my chair closer to his, then slowly sweep my tail along his bare arm before curling around his forearm and squeezing gently. He watches my tail for a moment before gingerly touching the fur. When I don't retaliate, he strokes the wine-red highlights and smiles.

"Tails are my favourite part of being a Saiyan."

I can't help the small purr that builds in my chest. "Saiyans are a pack race. We live in family groups and touch is a powerful sense, as well as smell. Parents use their tails for so many things when rearing children and Saiyan friends share almost a blood-brother closeness."

My heart sinks as I correct myself. "We were like that. Saiyans aren't meant to be alone, Kakarot. In many ways, no matter how many friends we make from other races, we are lonely without our kind. Those seven years after you died were so hard for me…because for the first time in my life, I really was alone. And as much as you pissed me off back then, I wasn't at all glad to see you go."

I look away, wondering why I blurted that out. But it's so hard to hide things from him now, especially since I admitted to myself that I consider him a friend. My head jerks up as his tail winds around my upper arm and tugs me closer to him…close enough that our arms are touching. I look up at him and he smiles.

"Did I ever tell you why I wouldn't let Krillin kill you?"

I shake my head and he looks down at his knees. "I know that it would have been the sane thing to do at the time, especially considering who you were and how powerful you were, but I remember thinking that it would be a waste to kill you; you were the sparring partner I'd been looking for. And a part of me felt guilty for killing my brother and I didn't want to kill another Saiyan. I realised, on King Kai's planet, that I was part of something special…and I had lost the chance to find out more when Raditz died."

He smiles at something, his eyes closing half-way. "And then you came, so much stronger than I was, and I wasn't that upset about it. In my blind naïveté, I was hoping that I could somehow convince you to join me, even though that was rather ambitious. And although I wasn't exactly proud to be a Saiyan then, I was curious. You intrigued me then, Vegeta, as you do now."

A small laugh.

"I've always been fascinated by strength, by the stories others have to tell. And I feel that I've wasted the last few years by not getting to know you better. I know you have a hard past behind you, some of it probably unmentionable, but I would like to know what your life was like…so that I can understand you now. I do know some parts of you and I can sometimes understand why you do things the way you do, but I don't feel as though it is enough. How long have we known each other, Vegeta?"

I count back in my head. "Gohan was six when we met…and he's twenty-one now…so it's been fifteen years or so."

He leans back in his chair, but his tail stays firmly wrapped around my arm. "That long? It feels like I was having my legs crushed by a certain Oozaru only last Monday. Well, it's alright; we've got many years ahead of us, don't we?"

My heart flinches and it hurts. I'm so sorry, Kakarot. I won't even be around to wish you happy birthday in May. I'll be long dead by then…

"Yeah, in a manner of speaking." I'll be immortal and you'll be here on Earth. No years together though.

He grins and my heart drops a little lower in my chest. "We'll have lots of time to catch up and be really good friends! And we can spar and do all these exercises because I want to get really good at them so that I can be a survivor like you!"

Kakarot…I can't. I can't stay and do all of this with you. I have to leave you as the last of our kind…and I don't want to upset you by dying but I have no choice…

"You'll do well, Kakarot. Your underwater sparring today was excellent, but you could still use more practice. Let's go up to the gravity room and I'll show you that tail strengthening game."

He doesn't seem to notice the change in topic, fortunately, so we unwind our tails and he lopes after me to the gravity room upstairs. I open the door and he follows me in.

"Oh, by the way, Kakarot, if you beat me, you get a prize."

Kakarot's eyes widen and he grins at me. "Sounds like fun! What's the prize?"

"You've got to win to find out."

"You're so mean."

I point at a strip of duct tape on the floor. "This is the middle point. Think of this as a sort of tug-of-war except that our tails will be the rope. Give me your tail."

He swings it over to me, shifting closer. I gently tie a knot as close to the tips as possible. A sharp tug tightens the knot and he looks at it.

"That's going to be painful to untie."

"Not if we're careful. Alright, now you stand on that side of the duct tape…"

We both move so that the knot is hanging over the tape. Our tails are about four feet long and I'm surprised at the strength of Kakarot's. He's been doing some training on the side, I'm sure.

"…then crouch down, like so."

We face away from each other and crouch down, almost like runners at the beginning of a race. I look over my shoulder at him. "The loser is the one that gets pulled over the line. The only rule is that you have to stay crouched; you can't get up and run. Got it?"

He grins back at me. "Hah, your height is going to be a disadvantage! I'm looking forward to that prize!"

I shake my head and tense my muscles. "We'll talk again in a few minutes, Kakarot. On your marks…get set…go!"

He jerks forward at the exact same second I do, pulling our tails taut with a twanging sound. There's grunting and pulling, but the knot only slides a few inches either way. I push hard against the ground, grateful for the tread on my boots. The extra grip pays off and I feel Kakarot sliding.

"What's the matter? Aren't you strong enough to beat the midget?"

"I haven't even tried yet! Eat those words, shorty!"

I'm too busy snickering to myself to notice that he's somehow managed to stay in one place. Then with a roar he springs forward, kicking off the ground and tugging me back with such a hard jerk that I lose my grip, fly backwards and slam against his back, knocking him face forward to the floor. But despite a bruised nose, he still looks over his shoulder at me and grins.

"Hah! Height does matter! I win, I win, I win! I beat the great Vegeta at his game!"

I grumble and roll off his back. "Okay, you can stop rubbing it in now."

He stops chanting and sits up, smiling in that baka way. "That was fun! So…where's my prize?"

I smack him upside the head playfully, although that little smack would have knocked out a human. "Idiot, how can I get your prize when we're still knotted together? Now sit still and let me undo this knot."

He rubs his head and grins. "I hope you can get it undone; I don't want to have to share the shower with you."

I grimace. "Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself! Bring your tail here before I smash your nose into my knee."

I place the knot on my lap and study it for a bit. I can easily discern where one tail begins and the other ends. I stroke along dark fur, trying to find a place to start picking out the knot. A purr interrupts me. The spiky-haired idiot has the audacity to purr at me!

"Kakarot! Control yourself, man!"

The purr stutters and he blushes. "Uh…sorry. My tail's just so sensitive and sometimes I just purr without meaning to."

"It's alright. Purr to yourself if you must purr. Now, if that's my tail, then this must be yours…and if I tug here…nope, that tightens the knot further. So, if I tug here, then this part will come undone…" I mutter out loud, Kakarot watching me intently. He's sitting next me and following my fingers. Just as well I took my gloves off; this is intricate work. But the purring to my left hiccups into giggles…which, frankly, disturbs me.

"Now what, Kakarot?"

"That's so ticklish!"

Oh, great. Now I have to tug and prise and he can't handle a few touches. Gods, but he can drive me insane sometimes.

"Try think about something sad, like there being no food in your fridge. I can't undo this knot if your giggling makes your tail shiver."

He giggles to himself and it's all I can do to stop myself from rolling my eyes. He catches my frustration and puts an arm around my neck.

"Aw, its okay, Vegeta; I don't mind being tied to you. If I'm lucky, some of your genius will flow through to me via my tail. God knows I need all the help I can get…"

I look up from the tails. "Don't tell me that you think –"

He shakes his head quickly. "No, its not that I think I'm stupid, it's just that I wish I was as smart as you. Although I've always had more raw power than you, you know what to do with it. If you could go super Saiyan three, you'd probably have found a way by now to reduce the amount of energy it drains. You mastered that level between super Saiyan one and two, whereas Trunks and I couldn't. Your fighting style is unlike anything I've encountered, and Vegito is proof of that. No fighter will ever be able to touch him because of the brains and power he had."

He grins and leans his head against mine. "You know, I loved being part of that fusion. Having that sort of control and speed and technique…and even though it was more practical in the long run to be apart, I still miss that short time when I got to be Vegeta."

I can't believe what I'm hearing, what he's saying. Was it really that great? But, when I think about it…I had enjoyed having all that power as my own. When Kakarot's power was mine to mould and use.

"Well, I liked being tall."

He laughs and tightens the grip of his arm around my neck. "That's so you, Vegeta. Trust you to come up with that aspect. You know, being as lean and compact as you are is an advantage. You're harder to hit and you're faster than me. Always have been."

I drop my eyes back down to the tails in my lap and absently tug at the knot. "I don't deserve all this praise, Kakarot."

His hand drops to cover mine and I look up at him, only to be knocked back by the seriousness he presents me with. Kakarot, what…?

"You do, Vegeta. No one ever gives you credit for all you do or for everything you worked so hard for. You've given up your time to do all this for me; it's the best thing anyone has ever done for me, and I appreciate it more than I can say. No one thanked you for helping me beat Buu or acknowledged how much you gave. It's not fair that you think you don't deserve any credit for what you've done and at the very least, I want to give you the recognition you ought to have."

He smiles and squeezes my hand lightly. "I'm sorry for all those times I took you for granted. I felt lonely my whole life until I met you, and now I understand why. As much as I am human in many of my ways, I was born elsewhere and given powers far beyond that of a human, and I never really understood why. But when I found out that I am a Saiyan and that I would meet other Saiyans, I was excited. And when you put your plans to kill me on hold, I was desperate to get to know you…but then all of a sudden I was dead and I made my decision without realising one thing; I was going to be alone again in a different dimension."

He shook his head. "In retrospect, that decision wasn't one of my best. I missed so much here on Earth and yes, the planet was safe, but my sons had to grow up without a father, and Chichi had to do the work of two parents. You know, I watched you a lot from Otherworld. And you were right; we were both worse off for the separation. So, I won't let it happen again. From now on, we're going to be great friends and put all our problems behind us and enjoy years and years of spars and just being Saiyans."

How can I look at him and agree, knowing that I'm maybe six weeks from the end of my life? He just wants to make up for lost time and I can't do it with him. I so badly want to stay on with him, but my natural death stops me from being wished back. I hate lying to Kakarot but I have no choice.

"Yeah, we will. If you want to hear that story, let's get this knot untied."

"Yay! A bedtime story!"

I smile as I finally disentangle his darker tail, the appendage lashing once to get the fur lying right. "It's been a long day, but I've got enough energy for a story. Come, Kakarot."

He trots after me, then puts an arm around my shoulder. "What about my prize?"

"Oh, right. Wait for me in your room, and I'll bring it."

He removes his arm from me and takes a left turn to his room, and I take a right. A quick visit to my personal safe and I walk into his room hiding the prize behind my back. He's sitting on his bed with legs folded and elbows propped on his knees when I walk in.

"Here you go, Kakarot. The sugar will probably put you on a high for a week, but…"

I hold out a monstrous bar of dairy milk chocolate with pistachios inside and he lights up. "…I think you deserve it. Enjoy."

I chuck him the bar and he catches it, taking a moment to sniff the substance.

"This is great, Vegeta! Thanks! I've been craving chocolate for the last three days!"

I settle myself on the end of his bed, my tail curled around my ankle. "You earned it. Now, about that story…"

He breaks the bar in half and holds out one half towards me. "I can't just eat this on my own."

"But, Kakarot, it's your –"

He grins and chucks it into my lap. "I want to share it. Just take the damn stuff, please?"

Why can't I stop these inane grins from appearing?

"Oh, alright, if you insist. Now…I'll tell you a few stories about what Raditz and I used to get up to between planet purges…"