Rock Your World
Part 13 – Words Are Weapons
Amazingly, even after the incredible fact that Vegeta had admitted he could love – that he felt that depth of emotion for me – even after he'd smiled four times in one day – which, if I hadn't been there to see it, I would have said was impossible; even after all that, absolutely nothing of interest happened for a whole week following Vegeta and my second date. I ate, I slept, I played guitar, I pestered and teased Vegeta relentlessly – and got teased in return, I picked Goten up from school every day, but other than that; the week was completely uneventful.
At the end of the week, however, it snowed; which was ridiculous. It was still early November and already the temperature had dropped low enough to accommodate the fluffy white stuff that carpeted the world that day. As Goten and I flew home from his school – we were still living at ChiChi's place until Vegeta could wheedle a Capsule house from Bulma – he happily melted the snowflakes on his tongue, giggling, rolling through the air; and reminding me that he was still a young child. A young child that not only accepted, supported and understood his father's choices, but stood up for him; even defended him against his own older brother and best friend. It was an almost inconceivable display of loyalty and love, and I found myself writing lyrics for that as I joined my youngest son in the glorious act of eating snowflakes in midair –if you haven't tried that at least once, you seriously ought to rethink your life.
And then, right then and there, that happy moment was shattered as Gohan appeared out of nowhere; standing in the air, arms crossed, short black hair whipping terrifyingly around him in the snow-heavy wind, eyes narrowed coldly.
Oh, come on, I thought exasperatedly, Am I not allowed to be happy for two seconds?
Goten stopped mid-somersault and stared at Gohan, confusion and anger warring it out on his little face.
"What do you want, Gohan?" the child snapped; I felt a shiver of pride at his defiant bravery.
"Who says I want anything?" Gohan said calmly. I almost bought the nonchalance act for a moment, but I still saw the icy glint in his ebony eyes and remained wary.
"You wouldn't go out of your way to see me in a November snowstorm for no reason," I pointed out, stopping in midair as well and crossing my arms over my chest, mirroring my eldest son.
"Alright, you caught me," Gohan threw up his hands in a gesture of submission, "I came to take you back with me, Goten," I noticed that he was acting like I wasn't there; not meeting my gaze, not addressing me at all.
"Back where?" I asked warily, trying to get Gohan to make eye contact with me; the totally false caring-older-brother mask he was giving Goten was creeping me out – especially since it was still tinted with malice.
"Where else? I've been staying with Videl, obviously," his friendly tone didn't change, but he shot me a withering glance that made me cringe.
He's trying to win Goten over, I thought helplessly, And there's nothing I can do; I don't own Goten, he has to make his own choices.
Goten's tiny eyebrows furrowed; indecision written all over his face.
"Gohan…. are…. are you st-still mad at Dad?" he asked carefully.
"No, of course not," Gohan plastered a totally fabricated but hauntingly comforting smile on his face; the lie screaming in his eyes. I didn't know if Goten could see that his brother was lying, and I felt the urge to warn him, but I couldn't make my mouth move.
"But-" Goten stammered, "You said-"
"It doesn't matter, Goten," oh, now I could see the frustration in Gohan's eyes; he'd expected his loyal little brother to rocket into his arms with a grin and let him piggyback him home, I suppose. I almost smirked at his disappointment. At least Goten wasn't that fickle, "It's alright. Trust me,"
Goten's eyes narrowed for a second. He hesitated. Then a smile edged the corner of his mouth and he flew up to Gohan, shoulders loose, completely relaxed. Oh, no. I felt my heart sink. Goten had bought the charade.
Goten looked into his brother's eyes, smiling innocently, for all of three seconds. Then the grin slid off his face as if it had never been there. Gohan's eyebrows raised in confusion at the sudden look of rage on his little brother's face, and before my eyes Goten's hand – now clenched in a fist – drew back in awesome slow motion. Gohan didn't even have time to flinch.
"Trust-" - the tiny fist slammed into Gohan's jaw, the resounding crack making even me wince – "-You?!"
Gohan's eyes widened in shock as Goten punched him again, and again; eventually the look of shock turned to a grimace of pain, but he couldn't stop the whirlwind of anger that was his little brother. Goten didn't stop shouting the entire time, punctuating each word with a blow. I'd never been prouder.
"Trust – you?!" he repeated, his blows becoming more vicious, and more creative, "After – you - called – Dad – all – those – horrible - names? After – you – crawled – away – and – hid - in – Videl's – house – like – a – criminal – when – Dad – banished – you? After – you – lied – to – me – and – tried – to - deceive – me – like – the – spineless – coward – you – are? Not – in – a – million – years – you – damn - homophobic – son of a bitch!"
I should have been alarmed at Goten's word choice; that a nine-year-old could use such vulgar terms so fluently; but I was frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Goten was beating up his older – much taller, too – brother right in front of me. Defending me again! I thought I might pass out, but not before I enjoyed this immensely entertaining spectacle.
Finally, Goten let up his assault and simply stood back and watched as Gohan reeled, clutching his bleeding nose and slurring curses crazily, barely able to stay aloft. Goten then turned his back on his brother and flew towards me, eyes somehow both overflowing with and devoid of emotion at the same time, snow and Gohan's blood still tangled in his wild black spikes that were so identical to mine. He looked at me for a second, then launched forward like a rocket and hugged me around my shoulders. Despite my shock, I registered that he was sobbing, his little tears wetting my neck as he buried his face in my familiar scent.
"I love you Dad," he choked, tightening his grip.
I nodded to show I understood, hugging him close, stroking his back comfortingly up and down with my hand and "shhh"-ing soothingly.
"I know," I whispered, "Thanks, Goten."
Goten swallowed hard and looked up, his eyes still brimming with tears, yet his gaze was steady.
"You're not a bad person," he said forcefully, as if trying to convince me of something, "No matter what people say."
I couldn't even tell him how much that one statement meant to me.
Then I flew him home, still holding him to my chest. I didn't look back; leaving my firstborn son to bleed alone.
TBC