I don't own Dragon Ball Z… everything in this story is a figment of my imagination…
Vegeta: Hey! I am NOT a figment… I am a Prince.
Goku: I like figments, especially the strawberry kind.
Vegeta: That's a Fig Newton not a figment, you idiot.
Trunks & Goten: Can we have some figments too?
Goku: Sure! Hey Vegeta, where do you keep your figments at?
Vegeta: I told you a figment is purely an imaginary thing; it's not a damned disgusting cookie looking thing.
Goku: [scratches head] I don't get it, so are you a cookie or imaginary?
Vegeta: Kami, just forget it!
Piccolo: If it makes any difference you can be my cookie, Little Prince.
Goku, Gohan, Mirai, Trunks, Goten : [snickers]
Vegeta: [crawls into a hole] Just get on with the story.
Vacation
Chapter 6
Secrets Part II
By the time Vegeta and Goku crawled out of the water they were muddy, their clothes were tattered, and they were exhausted. They lay down on the bank panting.
"That was awesome; I haven't had a fight like that in years. Thanks Vegeta." Goku said with a huge smile.
Vegeta lay back on the bank of the river panting, "Yeah, almost as good as sex. Hahaha" He laughed.
Roshi cackled with a wide smile, "Great show boys. I enjoyed the whole fight."
Goku bowed to his old master, "You're welcome Master Roshi."
Gohan and Mirai touched down beside Goku. "That was awesome dad! You and Vegeta head to head; it was great!"
"Ha! Glad you enjoyed it son. It felt great to fight full force with someone as powerful as I am." He smiled and offered Vegeta a hand up.
Vegeta sprang up on his own, "Hnn… I don't need your help Kakarot." He looked around at the kids. "Alright are you brats about ready to go home?" It was starting to get late and he was beginning to get hungry. Kakarot was probably ready to eat his own left hand. Kami, and he thought he himself was bad about being hungry all the time.
Marron yawned. "I'm getting tired daddy.
Krillin scooped his little girl up into his arms. "You sound tired, peanut." He looked at Roshi, "Alright, shall we leave now Master Roshi?"
"Yeah I guess so. We might even get home in time for me to watch 'Aerobics Express'. Those girls really know how to stay fit." He had a dirty old man smile on his face.
Krillin rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath, "Oh, brother give me a break."
Mirai and Gohan snickered when they heard him say it. Marron got down from her dad and ran over to Goten and Trunks. They all hugged each other in one big group hug.
Marron smiled and said, "Good bye you guys! I had a great time, thanks for asking me to come over to your house Trunksy."
Trunks blushed, "I'm glad your dad let you come over and spend the night."
Goten smiled at her also, "I'm glad you came too. We had so much fun; even if you didn't get to make the waffles for us."
Marron giggled, "You two are always hungry."
Krillin, Goku, and Vegeta smiled at their children. They saw the continuation of a new generation of Z fighters in them. "Okay Marron, it's time to go home now. Tell your friends good bye." He turned to Vegeta and stuck his hand out. Vegeta took it in a shake of friendship. "Thanks for having her over Vegeta. They seem to have had a lot of fun." He genuinely smiled at his onetime enemy.
"No problem Krillin. The brats like each other; besides, I would never hear the end of it from the boy if Marron didn't get to come for at least a night or two." Vegeta genuinely smiled back at his friend.
Marron kissed Trunks' cheek and ran back to her dad who picked her up again. Krillin gave Goku a slap on the back as he lifted into the air carrying Master Roshi and his daughter. "Good Bye everybody! We had a great time today." Everyone shouted good byes as the trio disappeared in the direction of Kami House.
Vegeta lifted into the air, he was tired from his fight, but he was hungry and he knew the kids would be also. "Well let's get going back home as well." He waited till he knew everyone could move as a pack and then took off like a shot toward Capsule Corp. He hoped the house keeper who was supposed to come today got his note instructing her to have dinner ready for them before she left. He didn't want to eat any more restaurant food. It was fine in a pinch, but it couldn't beat home cooked food. When they all touched down they could smell the roast beef from the back garden.
Trunks and Goten inhaled deeply. "Mmm that smells gooooood." They both ran in the back door.
Piccolo shouted at them, "Hey, You two go clean up. You may be half Saiyan but you can act like a human at the table." He chuckled. He wasn't a human either but he had better table manners than the Saiyans did; though Vegeta wasn't as bad as the rest even though he had his moments too.
They all went inside and six Saiyan stomachs growled at once; to them the aroma of food was intoxicating. Clean up were in order and since supper was not yet finished it gave them the chance to wash river water, dirt, mud, sweat, and general grime off themselves. Vegeta was grateful; he felt filthy by now and his hair was a mess. They all showered and were clean in record time and the table was set and waiting on them. Having servants was a good thing from time to time.
The first ones to sit down at the dining room table were Trunks and Goten; they waited for what seemed an eternity for everyone else to get done and come down to eat. Mirai was the next to come down followed a short time later by Goku who was sporting his usual wide goofy grin.
"Well you two look all squeaky clean." He said looking at the two young boys.
"We tried to hurry dad. We thought we would be late but it turns out we were the first ones down." Goten sighed as his stomach growled again for the umpteenth time.
Mirai laughed. "Haha. You should know already who'll be the last one down Trunks."
"Yeah I know." Trunks said impatiently. "It'll be dad; but why does he gotta take so long. I'm hungry."
"Dad likes to take his time; after all he was raised as a Prince once." Mirai reminded his little brother.
Just then Gohan and Piccolo came walking into the dining room taking quietly to one another. They stopped at the door and both looked at Mirai who shrank a little under their stare. Piccolo smiled and looked back at Gohan.
"We can talk about it later if you want to kid." He patted his back and both took their seats.
Gohan sat beside Mirai and secretly put his hand on his knee beneath the table. Everyone looked up as Vegeta walked into the room. Piccolo beamed; it looked out of place on his usually somber face. He stood and pulled the chair out for his mate. Vegeta sat down as Piccolo pushed the chair in and then sat down next to him. The housekeeper served the meal.
The Saiyans ate as usual. Piccolo tried not to stare at them in disgust. He knew they couldn't help eating so much; he reminded himself they were not human beings. They barely stopped stuffing their face to talk they were so hungry. The house keeper came out to clear away the dishes when they'd finished and they all left for the family room to relax for the rest of the night.
"I call dibs on the game system!" Mirai shouted getting there first, before the little kids got to it.
"Not if we get it first!" Trunks yelled as he dashed into the room grabbing up the controllers.
Suddenly a voice boomed in a gravely tone, "What if I take it first? What are you two brats going to do then?" Vegeta smiled in triumph.
Goku and Piccolo laughed. Mirai said "Well I guess that would mean you get to pick the game and you get to go first, dad."
"Alright! Dad's gonna play." Trunks said jumping on the sofa.
"What you wanna play dad?" Mirai asked.
"Put in that game with the ball. The one where you roll it around and pick everything up." Vegeta answered smiling. He'd become addicted to it while playing with Trunks one day.
Mirai rolled his eyes, "Ahh… that game is so lame."
"I don't care!" Vegeta said raising his voice. "I like that game." He smiled.
"Cool, we get to keep playing it, Trunks!" Goten was happy at least. It was the same game they'd been playing earlier that morning.
"Mirai chuckled at his dad, "Does that mean you're lame then?"
"Haha. Watch it boy." He replied to his gloating son.
Trunks turned the game back on for his dad. "How do I get to that racing board boy?" Vegeta asked his youngest off spring.
"Here dad, I'll help you" Trunks replied. He set the board for the racing level for him. He knew this one and the one where you rolled up the entire world were his favorite ones.
"Thank you brat." He took the controller with a smile.
"Any time dad." Trunks smiled really big proud that he could help his dad do anything.
Vegeta stood in front of the television and immediately began grumbling that it was hard to control the racing ball. "Kami, you stupid scooting horse! Get off of me!"
Goku jumped up, he too had become addicted to the simple game this morning when the kids were playing it. "You're going the wrong direction Geta!" he yelled.
"Do you think I don't know that Kakarot? That fucking horse knocked me around!" He leaned into it already deep into the game.
"Well turn around then or everybody is gonna hit you and knock you all your stuff off! You'll never be big enough to get the present at this rate!" Goku shouted back at him.
"Damn it! I hate that stupid boy on the motorcycle as much as the damned horse!" He jumped levitating in the air about a foot off the floor without realizing it.
Gohan and Mirai looked at each other. Gohan raised a brow at how his dad and Vegeta were yelling at each other. 'and they talk about us?' he thought to himself. Mirai must have thought the same thing because he shook his head.
"There's the ship, Geta!" Goku yelled pushing his best friend in his excitement. "Go get the present!"
"I can't get it up there yet you idiot; I'm not big enough!" Vegeta yelled back.
Piccolo's eyes widened just a bit as he raised his own brow ridge. Somehow to him what just came out of his lover's mouth just sounded wrong on so many levels. He chuckled quietly at how his Little Prince was behaving. He looked so cute right now he smiled sitting back to watch the show in front of him.
"Try it anyway damn it!" Goku shouted trying to take the controller out of Vegeta's hand.
Vegeta turned away still playing the board. "Leave off Kaka! It's my turn right now!"
Trunks and Goten giggled quietly and Trunks whispered to his pal "Do you think we should tell them we already have the present for this board?"
Goten shook his head, "Nah, it's too funny watching them play." He whispered back with a smile.
"You're gonna make us lose Vegeta!" Goku shouted furrowing his brows. "Give it to me so we can get the present!" He tried to take the controller from his best friend again.
"I'm not after the fucking present anyway! I want the new cousin that weird assed giant power ranger looking thing is swinging around out there in the water!" Vegeta avoided him again.
"You can get the present at the same time damn it! If you don't we'll have to do it all over again!" Goku kicked a pillow across the room to get his point across.
"I don't care! I want the strawberry cousin, get out of the way!" Vegeta levitated higher to see around Goku's shoulders.
"Get it! You're big enough to get them both now!" He unwittingly shoved Vegeta so hard that Vegeta fell on the floor just as the timer went off.
He didn't get either one. He narrowed his eyes and looked up at his big idiot of a friend. "Thanks Kaka, because of you I missed both!" he almost snarled it at him.
"Don't blame me Geta, I told you to try and get them earlier." Goku looked down at his friend and extended his hand in a silent demand for the controller.
Vegeta threw it at his head. "Well here! Let's see you do it"
"OW!" Goku rubbed his head where it hit. "That's not very nice Geta, you should learn to play fair!" He shot Piccolo a demanding glance.
"Hey, don't look at me in this; I'm just an innocent bystander." Piccolo protested. He couldn't believe two grown men with children of their own would behave this way.
Goku looked back at Vegeta, "And I will do it thank you Mr. Attitued!"
He stood in front of the large television and leaned to and fro moving with the ball on the screen. "HA! I got the stupid horse."
"You're not doing so good for your time Kaka! Hurry up or you're not going to get the strawberry cousin either!" Vegeta yelled at him.
Goten pulled out his hand held version of the same base system they were playing. He smiled and looked at Trunks. "Look what I got." He held up the hand held version of the same game. "We can take turns on here since my dad and your dad are hogging the base."
Trunks smiled excited, "Cool! I have been looking for that for like forever! Where did you get it at?"
"Gohan's school friend Videl gave it to me. I don't like her, at least the game she gave me was awesome." Goten said.
Mirai narrowed his eyes "She probably just gave it to you to try and get in good with Gohan."
Gohan chuckled softly at Mirai's jealousy. "It doesn't matter." He smiled at his lavender haired boyfriend, "No matter how hard she tries she won't get anywhere with it." He scooted closer to Mirai and went back to watching his dad as Goten gave the hand held to Trunks to start off. Mirai draped an arm around Gohan's shoulder.
The timer was sounding on the game. "Huh? Where'd the present go?" Goku said bewildered.
"Oh yeah, me and Trunks already got it dad." Goten said not even looking up as he watched Trunks play.
The timer went off as Goku's jaw hit the floor and he fell over. "Hahahaha." Vegeta laughed point at him and holding his sides. "All that fuss for nothing. Duped by a couple of brats!" He was rolling on the floor laughing at his best friend. "My turn!"
"Here Geta." He tossed the controller at the still giggling Prince who caught it mid-air.
"I'm leaving this board."
"Good, I'm tired of listening to the Old Poopy Love song for that board." Trunks said.
"What?" Gohan and Mirai laughed and Piccolo just rolled his eyes. "That's awesome Trunks!" Mirai said smiling at his little brother. Trunks smiled not looking up from his game. Vegeta shot his son a look and shook his head.
"I'm going back to the robot world. I want to do that 11 minute board." Vegeta said.
"Ahh not that one Geta; I hate that one. It's hard and it moves too slow." Goku protested.
Vegeta looked at him and said, "What you can't take the challenge Kaka?"
"Oh alright." Goku sighed resigned to the fact that he would never get anywhere arguing with the Prince.
Vegeta levitated about a foot off the floor again as he began to play his turn. "Why does this fucking thing move so slow?" He demanded shaking the controller; which only made the ball jump around further aggravating him.
"It's gonna jump every time you shake it Geta." Goku said. "And I hate this board. It takes too long to get big because there's hardly anything to pick up."
"Get you stupid fat head out of the way damn it!" Vegeta floated higher in the air as if it would help him see behind the robot king's head. "Great now I am stuck behind a damned wall!"
"Give it to me I can get it out!" Goku grabbed the controller out of Vegeta's hand.
"Hey, give that back to me! It's MY turn Kaka!" Vegeta jumped for it but Goku held it out of his reach since he was short.
"You have to keep pickin stuff up Geta." Goku said still keeping the controller away from him.
"You jack ass, it's my turn and you're the one not playing fair!" He levitated grabbing hold of the controller to try and pull it out of Goku's hand. Goku's hand didn't budge.
Goku smiled knowing he was the stronger of the two. "What's wrong Geta? Can't take it from me?" They were like two brothers bickering with each other over a silly game.
"Hey dad, isn't it Vegeta's game tough?" Gohan said beginning to think it was getting out of control.
Vegeta was now mad and was drawing in more and more power trying to jerk it out of Goku's hand. "Give me that baka! It's still my turn!" His hair flamed up a golden color as he knocked Goku down.
By this time Goku was laughing as it had went from playing a video game to a wrestling match. Vegeta didn't seem to think it was so funny. He shocked Goku with his free hand.
Goku shouted loudly. "OWW. You are just pure evil." He flung Vegeta over his shoulder sending him into the sofa.
The sofa was flipped onto its back which spilled Trunks and Goten out of it in a heap. "Hey! You made me lose dad!" Trunks protested.
"Get out of the way boys; your dads are testing each other again. It's just best to stay out of the way till they get it out of their system." Piccolo said, waving them over to him.
Gohan and Mirai however loved it when their dads fought each other. They knew their little bouts were all over a dominance issue. The Prince felt he should be the stronger of the two, and Goku just loved the fight and saw Vegeta as the only person in the universe who could give him a good fight. Gohan and Mirai hovered in the air just above the two men; both shouting and cheering their dad on.
Vegeta still hadn't let go of the controller. "Get off of me!" He kicked Goku off and yanked really hard on it just as Goku shimmered to a glowing yellow.
"Never, you'll have to take it from me!" He laughed, easily throwing the smaller Prince backward into a table.
Vegeta hit the end table finally letting go of the controller to fling his arms out; trying to not break the table. His right arm scrapped down the edge of it instantly lifting a huge long deep bruise down the back of his arm; then the back of his head smacked it at the base of his skull. He blinked laughing and stumbling as he got up and tried to walk seriously leaning to the left. "Okay, I give up you can have it." He was dazed as he let go of super Saiyan state.
"Dad! Are you okay?" Mirai shouted.
Piccolo was instantly next to him, "You too push things too far! One day you're really going to hurt or kill each other!" He grabbed his Little Prince by the arm. Vegeta yelped as his Green Man grabbed his bruise.
Trunks and Goten ran to their dads. "Dad, dad, are you alright." He saw the bruise and his eyes got wide. "Whoa… does that hurt?" He said poking at it.
"Agh…What do you think boy?" Vegeta said through gritted teeth.
"Dad, I think you used a little too much force there." Gohan said.
Piccolo shook his head and looked at his air headed friend, "next time can you try not to kill him for me, please?"
"Heh, sorry Geta. I was just playing, I didn't mean for you to really get hurt." Goku said sheepishly embaressed.
"No it's my fault for getting to wrapped up in a stupid game." Vegeta said wincing as Piccolo poked the bruise trying to feel just how deep it was and how he should heal it shortly.
"Okay that's it. Trunks, Goten you should get ready for bed." Piccolo said pointing at them.
"Ahh, do we have to go to bed now?" Goten whined.
Piccolo looked at Goku and asked, "Can you handle it tonight?"
Goku smiled at his green friend, "Sure. Go help Geta, Piccolo." He turned to the kids answering his youngest son, "No, you should get ready for bed but, you can go play in Trunks' room for a while before you hit the hay." He shooed them toward the stairs.
"Good night dad" They both shouted over their shoulders, "Good night Mirai, Gohan, and Piccolo." They shouted in unison as they darted upstairs.
"We're gonna stay down here for a while and play games if that's okay with you guys." Mirai said looking mostly at Piccolo, and then at his dad.
"I don't care boy, just keep it down and don't stay up all night." Vegeta told his older son.
"Alright dad." Mirai answered with a smile and a nod. "Good night guys."
"Good night boy." Vegeta said stumbling supported by Piccolo.
Goku hugged Gohan. "Good night son." He smiled at Mirai. "Good night Mirai. You guys have fun but don't get loud and wake people up. If you need anything come and get me. I'm going to bed too."
"Alright dad. Good night." He helped Mirai pick the sofa back up again and then sat down next to him on it.
Piccolo wasn't going to wait any longer. He scooped Vegeta up into his arms. "Take care of things for me Goku, good night." He carried Vegeta all the way upstairs to his bedroom. He kissed his nose when they were inside. "You just love to scare me don't you." He smiled and chuckled at his small mate.
"I live for it Green Man." He smiled still a little out of it.
Piccolo laid him down on the bed and zapped his clothing off, all of it. His Little Prince shivered. "It's cold in here Green Man." Piccolo knew that was coming; Vegeta wasn't lying he felt cold through their bond. He also felt just how dazed the Prince really was.
"It'll get warm soon, baby. I promise." Piccolo whispered to him as he gently rolled him over. He picked up his right arm and ran his tongue all the way up it to his shoulder and then back down to his elbow again. "Next time be more careful you just about gave me a heart attack, Little Prince." He planted little kisses all up and down that horrible looking bruise.
Vegeta moaned half out of it. He was cold and the back of his head hurt really badly. He felt as if he'd been punched in the back of the head by Frieza during one of his fits. Where the hell was he now and who was it there with him? He was too groggy to fight them this time.
Piccolo looked down at him feeling what he was feeling. 'What is he thinking about? Does he think he's back in Frieza's clutches?' he thought to himself. He leaned down to kiss the back of his Little Prince's neck and head. 'Poor baby, I can feel how much his head hurts. Gotta try and heal this fast.'
Vegeta shivered violently. 'Gotta be Frieza's ship; it's so cold in here.' He thought. 'He must have drugged me or something. Can't open my eyes.'
Piccolo felt a wave of shame pour off Prince and then understood why. His jaw fell slightly open. 'He thinks I am Frieza about to rape him.' He thought as sadness struck him over what his lover had been through at that monster's hands. "No, baby I won't take advantage of you like that. I don't ever want you to fear that." He whispered taking the headache away from him sending him into a deep slumber. He pulled the blankets up over them and settled in spooning against him; keeping him safe in his arms.
Vegeta shook lightly in his sleep; he was already sweating. Deep inside the nightmarish dream he was entangled in he was a young man again being dragged by chains around his wrists and ankles; once again he was Frieza's slave. Frieza held him, Nappa, and Raditz captive in his gladiatorial style arena trying to break them. It was a most cruel game he played with his three Saiyan captives. He kept them in a state of constant starvation. He'd discovered that they were easier to manipulate if they were hungry all of the time. It was true; the way to a Saiyan's head was through his stomach. Frieza used it here in his arena; they would break or they would die. Vegeta moaned quietly in his sleep.
Some poor alien creature had the misfortune to find itself here, also having been captured by Frieza during its planet's annihilation. It stumbled out into the bright light of the arena. Cheers came up out of the crowd of people who'd been lucky enough to receive an invitation to it from the Lord himself.
Frieza spoke in his sickeningly sweet voice, "Welcome, to the entertainment." He stood and spread his arms. More cheers roared. "Thank you, your reverence is noticed. I ask a question of you my dear friends." The arena quieted hanging on every word he spoke. "How should we deal with this disgusting abomination before us?"
Vegeta was standing at the edge of his gate, across the way he could see Nappa behind another, and behind yet another gate he could see Raditz's spiky wild hair. He listened to the Lord of all, as he had come to believe he was, he was starving; if the crowd chose him that thing out there didn't stand a chance. He stood straight and didn't move a muscle but smiled a primeval toothy grin as he heard his name chanted.
The crowd went into a screaming chant, "Prince… Prince… Prince…Prince…" Frieza smiled and pointed at the gate Vegeta was behind.
The guards took away the chains and opened the gate standing ready in the event they were turned on but Vegeta was too hungry to think about them. He knew that if he could kill the thing out there he would get to eat it. His fangs grew thinking about it as the feral Saiyan stepped out into the bright arena, lit by three over head stars, amid wild cheers. His tail was frizzed out as he went into stalk mode.
The creature, looking like a cross between a lizard and some kind of antelope, backed away screeching in fear; it watched Vegeta with wide terrified eyes. Vegeta dropped to all fours; hunger was all he thought about as he crept toward it; like a tiger stalking prey.
Piccolo was startled awake by what he felt and the images he had seen coming from his lover as he slept. He stared at him watching as he slept unable to decide the best way to wake him. 'If I shake him, he could come awake fighting. But I can't keep letting him suffer through this memory. I wish I'd been the one to kill Frieza now. It's no wonder Vegeta behaved the way he did when they first got here.' He decided the best way to wake him was not to touch him but to quietly say his name till his mind was distracted enough to wake up. "Vegeta, wake up baby."
He streaked at lightning speed toward the lizard creature, which ran as fast as its hooves could carry it letting out a screeching bray all the while. It knew it was running for its life. Vegeta jumped on its back digging his Saiyan claws deep into its front haunches. It stumbled and rolled as the Prince sank his long fangs into the unfortunate creature's neck. It made a gurgling sound as green blood flowed from its nostrils and mouth. Vegeta ripped its throat out in victory with a crazed wild look in his eyes. He gulped the flesh in his mouth down and roared, rather tiger like claiming his prize amid throngs of cheering alien peoples; all of which he ignored. He dragged the carcass away to the shadowed end of the arena to devour it but stopped, looking at his surroundings for a particular voice that tickled his mind. He went back to dragging his meat into the shadows.
When he finally had a bit of cover he tore into it; but suddenly felt a presence. He growled, with his teeth and mouth still connected to the carcass, glancing up in the direction of whoever was there.
Piccolo stayed where he was; this was Vegeta's mind after all. "Vegeta, can you understand me?" He calmly and quietly asked. His heart broke seeing his mate reduced to this state by the vicious and horribly cruel bastard Frieza was.
Vegeta snarled at him pulling the carcass closer to him. Nobody was going to pry it away from him. Piccolo made no move to get closer. "Vegeta, it's okay baby. You're trapped in a nightmare, you have to wake up."
He snarled at the Namekian and sunk his teeth deeper into his flesh prize pulling it a little further into the shadows still growling and watching the intruder with feral red eyes. 'This must have been the primitive version of a Saiyan; the thing which their species evolved from.' Piccolo thought. He very slowly sat down and watched his lover whispering soothingly to him all the while; his mate was in there somewhere.
"He's gone baby, Frieza can't hurt you anymore." Vegeta looked up as he spoke but kept his clawed hand dug into his meat. All he wanted was to eat, why wasn't he allowed to do so; he killed it fairly. "I'm not going to take it from you baby, you can have it." Vegeta settled into a quiet growl as he licked at the blood still fresh on the thing's neck. Piccolo kept taking, "I wish I could have rescued you from this. It hurts my soul to know you were treated this way."
Somewhere deep in his mind he knew the voice; it was comforting to him, though he didn't understand why. His eyes began to fade to a deep black color as he let go of the primal urge to kill and eat; he dropped his prize. He looked down at the carcass and then at his bloody hands and chest. He looked up at Piccolo, it was Piccolo that familiar voice belonged too, and his brow knit itself together in shame; for he knew that piccolo had seen firsthand things he had done in his life under Frieza. He shoved the dead creature away and curled into a tight ball with his tail covering his face and shook with fear. He couldn't stand it; now Piccolo knew. He would lose his Green Man and he would end up alone again. Piccolo felt it, he had his love back.
Their surroundings faded and shimmered as Vegeta's mind drifted. Piccolo, his savior, he couldn't bare the loss. Piccolo reached out to touch him; to pet his lion's mane of hair. Instantly the setting changed in Vegeta's mind to the look out; where he'd first confessed his feelings for his Namekian friend. Piccolo smiled knowing exactly what it was in Vegeta's mind. He spoke quietly, "It's alright, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. It isn't your fault what that monster did to you." Vegeta lunged to him wrapping his arms around his waist and laying his head in his lap sobbing.
Piccolo pulled him totally into his lap and held him wrapping his soft white cloak around him inside his mind. "It's alright, baby. I won't ever let you go. I've got you, you're safe now."
Piccolo wished Frieza was alive again just so he could have the pleasure of gruesomely killing him. He had his arms wrapped gently around Vegeta as they lay in bed in the real world, and in Vegeta's mind he held his Little Prince as one held a child; running his fingers through his hair and cooing quietly to him. Eventually their surroundings faded to black as Vegeta drifted into a deep peaceful sleep.
Piccolo opened his eyes in the real world and kissed his lover's cheek softly whispering, "You can sleep baby; I won't let anything hurt you."
Getting this glimpse into what Vegeta's world had been like made his heart ache. Piccolo felt even more connected to the Prince. He understood so many things now; why he growled when someone teased him trying to take his food away, and why he struggled so hard at keeping his dignity. He feared being reduced to that creature which Frieza had forced him to become. Piccolo nuzzled the back of his head thinking, 'You'll always be a Prince in my eyes, Vegeta. No matter what."
He got up, gently slipping out of bed to go and get a drink of water. As Piccolo reached for the doorknob he heard and felt Vegeta wake up.
"Are you leaving me, Green Man?" Vegeta asked quietly. Sadness filled his voice to the brim.
Piccolo turned and walked back to sit on the edge of the bed and swept his fingers over his uke's cheeks. "Only long enough to get a drink of water, baby. I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Vegeta grabbed his hand. "Please don't leave me alone." He begged.
Piccolo really did need a drink, Namekians dehydrated easily that's why he was always drinking water. "I won't leave you baby, but I have to go and get something to drink." He kissed his Little Prince's finger tips.
"Piccolo" Vegeta whispered looking up at his giant seme.
"What sugar?" He answered.
Vegeta hung his head and spoke barely audible, "I'm hungry."
Piccolo smiled warmly at him, "Why don't you come down with me, and I'll get you something to eat while we're in the kitchen?"
"You'd do that?" Vegeta looked up at him eyes getting a little sparkly at the mention of food from his lover.
Piccolo leaned down to kiss his brow, "Of course" he said in his deep quiet voice. He pulled him up out of bed. "I'll see to it that you get a nice big plate of food, baby."
Vegeta clung to him from behind. Piccolo was almost seven and a half feet tall and dwarfed the small prince who was only five feet seven inches in height. Piccolo chuckled quietly and opened the door and walked as one, with his lover clinging to him from behind, down the stairs.
Goku opened one eye when he felt someone stirring. 'Just Vegeta and Piccolo' he thought. He briefly considered getting up to get something to eat with his friend; he assumed that's what they were doing. He decided he was more tired than he was hungry and closed his eye again.
When they reached the kitchen Vegeta let go long enough to let Piccolo get him something to eat out of the refrigerator. He sat down and kept his eyes glued to Piccolo's every move; believing he would disappear from him the first chance he got. He watched as his Green Man made him a stack of sandwiches from leftover meat from supper.
Piccolo smiled as he felt Vegeta's tail touch him. 'He must really need contact. He's really shaken up over that, not his usual confident self.' He thought and he reached down to run his fingers over his lover's silky tail. 'If he needs reassurance, he'll get as much of it as he needs.'
He put the plate of food down in front of Vegeta, who looked up at him in silence. Piccolo smiled down at him letting him know everything was alright. Vegeta gave him a tiny smile in return. Piccolo turned to get a glass out of the cabinet and then filled it with water; he drank the entire thing before rinsing it and setting it upside down on the counter. When he turned around again every crumb on the plate in front of Vegeta was gone. Piccolo blinked; that had to be a record for fast eating for his Little Prince. 'No matter' he thought, 'as long as he's not hungry now.' He never wanted his Little Prince to go hungry again.
The entire time Vegeta continued to physically touch Piccolo in some way. "Are you ready to go back to bed baby?" the large green warrior asked. Vegeta nodded still not saying anything. "Alright then let's go" he said pulling him to his feet and leading him back up the stairs to his bed.
Vegeta crawled up and sat down at the foot of the bed then lay down across it yawning deeply as he did. Piccolo watched him curiously wondering if his odd behavior was the after effects of dreaming he was Frieza's slave again. 'I hope he is boiling in a pot of oil in hell somewhere.' He thought to himself.
He patted the pillow next to him. "Come sleep here next to me baby. I don't want you to get cold."
Vegeta glanced up at him a little fearful, but obeyed his master and crawled up next to him. Piccolo covered him with the heavy blanket. "Thank you, master." Vegeta whispered.
"It'll be alright baby. I want you to sleep and I'll make sure you're safe." Piccolo said yawning himself; Vegeta snuggled down next to him happy to be in a safe place. Piccolo's eye popped open. 'Did he just call me master?' he thought, 'One day, I'm going to go to hell and find that bastard and then make him wish he could die again as I squeeze his neck hard enough to make his head pop off.' A smile crept over his lips at his last thought before he drifted into sleep hopefully nothing else would happen and they could both finally get some much needed rest. Tomorrow would be another long day.