Hi everyone! So... this chapter is certainly different, be wary ;) There's an abundance of drinking.... and quite a celebration! Oh, and it's REALLY long. Inspiration struck!

Heh! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what you think ^^ Thanks!

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Chapter Four:

A Celebration To Remember

Some of the best months of my life had passed in the forest. I smile now, thinking about my days there. Life was simple, just the way I liked it! Eating, sparring, sleeping under the stars...

I hadn't seen anyone other than Vegeta, but I had felt satisfied... more than satisfied. Complete. Happy.

Now, looking back, I realize how obvious it should have been that I was in love with Vegeta. I must have been in denial... It took a drunken night for me to realize exactly what he meant to me.

---

It was early morning. I was floating happily in my favorite forest pool when I felt Vegeta's ki arrive. He was earlier than I had expected. His energy seemed agitated, and I immediately swam over to the edge of the pool, pulling myself up and out. Vegeta's eyes widened a little.

"Kakarrot! Cover yourself, fool."

Eh? I looked down at myself in confusion. Oh. I was completely naked.

"Sorry... Heh, heh! I guess I just feel more comfortable naked.. It's not something I think about!"

"Hmph... Clearly!"

I grinned at him, noting his cheeks turn pale pink. I loved making him blush! After I got dressed, I turned to find him leaning against a tree, pointedly looking away from me. I headed over to him with a smile, wondering what he was thinking.

"So, what's up, Vegeta? Something wrong?"

He still refused to look at me. "Bulma's having a celebration for Gohan and Videl. It will be held in a week."

I beamed. "Oh! Well, that's good. Those two deserve that! How nice of Bulma to plan a party for them!"

"...."

I swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. "Who...who all will be there?"

He tilted his head to gaze at me. "Everyone we know, and quite possibly many more, knowing Bulma..." He sighed irritatedly.

I chuckled. "She really goes all out, doesn't she?" But then I thought of Chichi. "Will... uh, Chichi be there?"

"Why wouldn't she be there? She's Gohan's mother, just as you are his father." I sensed something else coming from him; something more than mere annoyance. He was bothered by something.

"Yeah, that's true. Well, okay then. I'll be there! Thanks for the invite, 'Geta."

"I didn't invite you; Bulma did."

"Oh... so you're simply the messenger boy, eh? Who would've thought?" I grinned, knowing it would make him angry.

And so it did. He growled, and came flying at me, fists raised. I smirked and got into battle stance, ready for action.

Later, we went for our daily swim. Everything was calm and beautiful. Birds were chirping; I heard a waterfall in the distance. Ahh... nice! I thought, looking over at Vegeta, who floating alongside me, his eyes closed and the smallest of smiles on his face. He looked beautiful, and much calmer than he'd been earlier. I closed my eyes as well, utterly content.

Yep... Life was good these days!

"I wonder how Chichi's doing." I thought out loud. "Maybe I should give her a visit..."

"I really wouldn't suggest that, Kakarrot.." Vegeta growled, suddenly pissed. His ki rose rapidly.

"Why?" I looked at him inquiringly. I didn't understand Vegeta's behavior at all today.. But then again, he'd never been predictable.

He narrowed his eyes. "The bitch has found a new mate." He announced, anger emanating from every word.

My heart felt crushed, and my jaw dropped as I looked back at him. "So...so soon?!" I whispered, dismayed. We had just split up! Sure, we weren't in love, but... she definitely didn't waste any time!

He contemplated me. "Yes."

I clenched my fists. "But..."

"Oh, stop your whining, Kakarrot! I'm sick of it already!" Vegeta snapped at me, losing his temper and storming out of the pool. I followed him.

"How do you know this?" I asked him, grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards me. I felt betrayed.

He scowled at me, trying unsuccessfully to peel my fingers off of his shirt. "Bulma told me. Your damned ex has moved on with some businessman.. That's all I know. Now, LET GO!" He barked.

I released him, my lip quivering. He growled at me, and blasted off into the sky.

I closed my eyes.

---

Later that night, I lay down on the grass, staring up into the night sky. Oh, well. So it goes.. Chichi was moving on, and I couldn't really fault her for that... Although I couldn't help feeling betrayed still. Moving on was hard.

I felt Vegeta land once more beside me. Neither of us spoke, but he settled down beside me.

We watched the stars.

---

Vegeta and I slept side by side, and in the morning, he was gone. It made me strangely sad, but I brushed it aside. What would Vegeta think if he knew I was missing him?

The week passed swiftly, and he didn't come to visit. I felt restless, but I was looking forward to the party.. It would be great to see everyone again! When the big night arrived, I was nervous, and took a nap. I woke up and it was already dark. Oops! I was already late. I changed into a tan suit as fast as possible.

The party at Bulma's was in full swing when I arrived.

I walked through the doors to her gym, which had been emptied of all of the usual workout equipment and now looked like the ideal place to celebrate. It was so colorful, I couldn't help but smile and look around. There were balloons hanging everywhere. A band was playing a peppy song I had never heard of on a black stage near the front, and everyone in the room was grooving along. A large sign saying "CONGRATS, Gohan and Videl!" was hanging over the stage in shiny red letters. The wall to my left held large white tables filled with food, and the opposing wall held tables filled with various alcoholic substances. I licked my lips, and began walking over to my left immediately, intent on grabbing a turkey before I did anything else. Mmm, foodage. Yay!

"GOKU!"

I heard Bulma's voice from somewhere in the room, and turned to find her. She was right below the stage, waving wildly, while the crowd looked on, some of them grinning at me. She was wearing a short black party dress, and her hair was pulled up. I noticed Yamcha standing a little to her left, wearing a pale pink suit, and he winked at me cheerfully. Krillin rushed out from somewhere, colliding with Yamcha. They fell to the ground in a pile. Krillin grinned happily at me, his face very red, and he pumped his fist in the air with a loud howl. Yamcha started cracking up uncontrollably. Yep, they hadn't wasted any time getting drunk!

"Hey, guys!" I smiled at them all, feeling a little self-conscious with the entire party's eyes on me. But man! It was awesome to see my old friends after so long. I had stayed away from everyone for so long, hadn't I? Except for Vegeta...

"Everrrryone, Goku's heeeeere!" Krillin shouted, slurring drunkenly. "So let's GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" He pumped his fist in the air once more, and Yamcha followed suit. Bulma turned and nodded to the band, who had finished their previous song and now began playing "Celebration". Then, the three rushed up to me, and I engulfed them tightly in a four-way hug.

"I'm so glad you came!" Bulma smiled at me, her eyes twinkling. "It's been far too long, Goku Son! Have you been taking good care of yourself?" She pulled away from me to look me up and down carefully.

I put my arm behind my head, smiling. I was doing much better, though I didn't relish the idea of seeing Chichi's new man.

"I'm doing just fine, Bulma! Life goes on. How are all of you?"

Bulma looked pleased by my response, and so did the others. Krillin and Yamcha looked at each other triumphantly. "Glad to hear it! As for me...I'm great, we're all great! We've missed you so much though, of course!"

"Greaaaaaaat!" Krillin and Yamcha sang together, throwing their arms around each other.

Bulma and I burst into giggles. She eyed me. "Now, you'll take it easy at least, right Goku? Not gonna get as drunk as these two layabouts, are you?"

I tilted my head to the side and put my arm behind my head, considering the question. "Wellllllll.." Getting drunk sounded like fun, actually. I'd never been the drinking type, but... I wanted to do something different. "Probably not. Heh. I'm a Saiyan after all, it would take a lot to get me drunk, I think.."

She nodded approvingly. "Yes, it would. I believe it would take perhaps 5 times as much alcohol, based on some blood samples I tested a few years back. Of course, you have never drunk before, so I don't know for sure... Could be less for you. But I really wouldn't suggest it, Goku. You don't want to end up like them!" She tilted her head towards the pair on the floor meaningfully.

"Heh, heh!" I nodded back at her. True!

Bulma smiled at me once more, before someone pulled her away to deal with something to do with the band.

The two men were now wresting on the floor to see who was the strongest. Heh, reminded me of Vegeta and I. Vegeta.. I wondered where he was, and looked around curiously.

There were probably a hundred people in the room; mostly people I had never met before. I blinked, realizing that more than half seemed to be women, and most of them kept winking at me and giving me sultry looks. Whoa! Was I imagining it? I looked behind me, but no one else was there. Nope, they were definitely looking at me. Uh-oh! Why me? I wondered if Bulma had planned it...

I decided I would avoid them at all costs, and scurried over to the food tables. Goten and Trunks were there, chomping away, full plates in front of them.

Goten looked at me and leapt up. "Daddy!"

"Hey, boys!" I pulled him into a hug. "Good to see ya both!"

"You too!" Goten laughed happily.

Trunks gazed at me curiously. "Hey."

"Do you know where your dad is?" I asked him casually.

"My dad was here earlier, but he left." He said simply, eyeing me with a slightly suspicious gleam in his eye. His lips curled into a tiny smile.

"Oh." I replied. "Well... do you know when he'll be back?"

Trunks' smile widened, and I shuffled my feet uneasily, wondering what he was thinking. Did he know I had a little crush on his dad? Well, maybe a big crush, come to think of it... I missed his presence.

Trunks shrugged and continued to gaze at me thoughtfully. Goten was oblivious to the whole thing, eating. I wished Trunks would get back to eating, too..

"HEY! Goku, we're gonna have another shot...or a few, hehehe! Wanna join, buddy?" Krillin came up behind me and clapped a hand to my back.

I was grateful for the distraction, and grinned at him, leading him to the other side of the room where Yamcha and the drinks were. "I'm not sure that you need any more, Krillin! But I'd love a few drinks myself. This is a celebration of love, after all! ...Oh! Hey, where are Gohan and Videl?"

"Ohhhhhh, we persuaded them to have a few drinks... And being the lightweights they are, they're goners!" Yamcha laughed loudly. "Videl got all pissed at us, and stormed off. Gohan left to go calm her down... They're having some alone time, if ya know what I mean." He winked at me, and I blushed.

I shook my head, wanting a shot. Luckily, Yamcha was pouring us each a few, and we took one in each hand.

"Batter uppp!" He cried out, reminding me of his baseball days. We drank a shot. "Aaaaaand STRIKE ONE!"

"Wait, why is that a strike?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah... Shouldn't that be a hit or something?" Krillin chortled.

Yamcha considered this. "Yeah! One point for our team! Let's go for the win!"

We took the other shot.

"Wait, another question!" I grabbed Yamcha's shoulder. "Who's the other team?!"

He surveyed the room, his eyes narrowing. He leaned in to whisper to me. "Everyone out there, man! We gotta beat 'em!"

I couldn't help but smile. Man, I had missed those two!

---

The night wore on; at some point the room began spinning for me.

I found myself drunker than I could imagine, and danced beside Yamcha and Krillin for an hour or two. We were having a blast! Eventually, Bulma came up to me with a few of her friends, two blondes named Dior and Annaline... or something like that. I couldn't focus very well on them, and didn't really want to, so I ended up just laughing a lot while Bulma rolled her eyes. Each time she did, I laughed harder.

"Saiyans!" She glared at me, stamping her foot.

"What is a Saiyan?" One of the blondes asked her.

"Uhhh! Nothing, just my pet name for him." Bulma smiled at her disarmingly.

"Liar!" I pulled the blonde close to me, and grinned into her face. "Nope, we Saiyans are from another planet. I was raised as a human, though... I didn't know...But it explains a lot about me! Like my old tail! Heh, heh, heh! There's only two of us left now though...In all of the universe..." Just two of us. Vegeta and I. "One happens to be a prince... and it's not me!" I giggled, finding it extremely funny. I wasn't the prince! "OH, but we fused once! So I guess I was him for a little bit!"

The blonde's jaw dropped to the floor, and Bulma smacked me. Krillin and Yamcha fell to the floor in hysterics.

"That's IT!" Bulma hissed. "You three, get off the dance floor NOW! You're making me look ridiculous! Go behave yourselves...and NO MORE ALCOHOL!"

"Sure thing! We don't want to dance anymore, anyway!" We sauntered off the dance floor, all smiles and arms around each other.

And then I spotted him! My breath caught in my throat, and a shiver of happiness went through me like a lightning bolt.

Vegeta was leaning against a wall, observing the movements of the room. I bounded over to him, forgetting about the others.

His eyes focused on mine. I smiled.

Wow...They were like dark pools of mystery... Mmmmm. I could feel myself getting lost in them. "Mmm... perfection..." I murmured, leaning close to him.

His eyes widened. "...What did you just say?"

"Oh, uhhh.... Hi!" I grinned nervously at him, and wiggled my body, so excited to see him. You beautiful creature, you! I wanted to hug him...I leaned forward, scooping him up in my arms and pulling him close to me, my face in his hair. "I misssed you, my prince!" I laughed loudly.

"You just saw me a week ago, idiot! Now let me go!" He growled, hastily shoving me away from him. I lost my balance, and toppled onto the ground in front of him, still cracking up. I could feel his immense annoyance, and it made me laugh harder. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kakarrot? You drunken buffoon..."

Oh yeah, I was drunk. And boy, did it feel great! I felt so free, so happy. Everything was so fucking funny. Especially him... Standing over me, his fists clenched, his teeth ground together in a snarl. Vegeta was really cute... How had I not noticed how cute he was before? I opened my mouth to say it, but before I could, Krillin and Yamcha came flying at me, landing on top of me with identical maniacal grins.

"Gokuuu! Come sing with us! It'll be fucking awesome!" Yamcha shouted into my face.

"Yeah! We're going to sing a Beatles song! Bulma's not gonna know what hit her!!!" Krillin added with a whoop.

I blinked at them from the ground, and started giggling uncontrollably. "Beatles?! Like the bug? Bugs don't sing, do they?!"

They stared at each other in astonishment, mouths open.

"Goku! Man, you've never lived if you don't know the Beatles!" Yamcha declared with a smirk, jumping off of me abruptly. "The Beatles are only like one of the best bands! Like, of allllll time! And that's a lot of fucking time!"

Krillin nodded emphatically. "Yeah, c'mon buddy... We'll sing together, you'll love it!" He stood, offering me a hand. I took it, but while I was getting up, I tripped, somehow managing to crash into Vegeta, who was staring at us incredulously from the side. We fell to the ground, our legs tangled together.

I grinned wolfishly at him, my bangs in my eyes. "Oops! Sorry, 'Geta!"

But.. I didn't want to move right away. Instead of backing up, I stayed there, my body on top of Vegeta's. My face was inches from his. I found myself staring deep into his eyes. He stared back at me, his eyes widening. I felt him tremble ever so slightly. I felt hot, and dazed. My prince, my perfect prince, was right here... Everything I wanted was right here in front of me.

My pants started to tighten and my breathing quickened. Yes, I wanted him. I wanted to kiss him, touch him, fuck him. I wanted to be one with him.... And I wanted it to be that way forever. My eyes widened and I reached forward to stroke his cheek gently. It was undeniable; I saw it now.

I was in love with the prince of all saiyans.

I wanted to claim him, make him mine forever.

I wanted to be his forever.

I shivered visibly, closing my eyes and letting myself feel the warmth emanating from his body. This was rapture...I sighed blissfully, opening my eyes to stare deep into his with a smile. He didn't move; he just watched me, a strange look on his face, my finger still stoking his cheek.

"Kakarott..." He whispered, so soft I could barely hear it.

"Vegeta..." My lips brushed against his, and I moaned. This was it, right here. This was what I'd been searching for...This was what I had missed out on all of my life. I wanted to lie there forever with him.

And then, in an instant, it was all over. He jerked away from me, his chest heaving. Narrowing his eyes, he shoved me away roughly away for the second time that night. He stood up angrilly, glaring all all of us. "Drunken fools! All of you...Just... stay away from me!" He stomped away, leaving the room. I stared after him, still feeling dazed.

I had kissed him. It had been brief, it had been barely a kiss really, but... Everything was different now. Vegeta wasn't drunk; even if I forgot this, he would remember. I had changed everything between us in one instant.

I didn't know what to think about it, other than wanting to chase him down and make him talk to me. But this was Vegeta; he would need his space right now.

Man. How long would I have to wait before he talked to me again?

I felt elated, and horrified.

What if he stayed away forever?

"So... you coming, Goku?" Krillin asked from behind me.

I looked at both of them with wide eyes, and then relaxed. Neither of them had noticed the kiss, cause they were too drunk to pay attention. What I had done was safe from them.. But what about everyone else? I gazed around the room. Everyone was beyond drunk; I had nothing to worry about.

I touched a finger to my lips, a reminder of what I'd done. Yes, there was something between us. I was positive that I wasn't the only one feeling it. But what could I do now? Vegeta had stormed off; he clearly wanted to be left alone.

Krillin and Yamcha were looking at me questioningly, and I smiled feebly at them. I wanted nothing more than to follow my prince into the shadows... I'd follow him forever, if only he'd let me.

I still couldn't believe it; I was in love. With the Prince of all Saiyans.

I smiled. My prince.

For the first time in my life, I understood where I belonged. All the pieces added up. This was love; not like I'd had with Chichi. That was childish infatuation and fun; this was something I felt deep to my very core. But was it reciprocated? Could he ever....?

I swayed on my feet. No use thinking about it now. I felt dizzy, and it was hard to concentrate. I would have to find out, though... and soon.

But for now.. Being with two of my best friends sounded like a reasonable alternative.

"Sure! Let's do it!"

"ALLRIGHTTTT!" They led the way happily, but first we made another stop at the vodka table.

"One more shot, that's all I need!" Krillin grinned, pouring himself a shot.

"Oh yeah? Then I'll take TWO more, bitch!" Yamcha laughed and grabbed the bottle out of Krillin's hand and poured himself two shots.

Krillin puffed himself up. "What?! You can't handle it, ya lightweight!" He took two more shot glasses, and grabbed the bottle back from Yamcha.

"Me? Helll no!"

They started a tug-of-war over the bottle, which was open, and alcohol started spilling everywhere. Pretty soon, they were fighting over an empty bottle! The sight of this was too much for me, and I started giggling uncontrollably, bending my knees and holding my stomach as I watched them.

They scowled at me.

"You're laughing at us? Fine, then you get FIVE shots, you damn Saiyan!" Yamcha yelled, holding the empty bottle up to me. "Drink up!"

I collapsed on the floor, eyes shut tight from crying with laughter, and as soon as they realized it was empty, they did, too.

---

Urgh. Headache.

I groaned, opening my eyes to a stream of sunlight. Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I swiveled over to my side.

Wait... Where was I?

I opened my eyes again and sat up. Oh. One of Bulma's guest bedrooms. I was in a large bed with a tan comforter. Mmmm... So soft! I had no inclination to get up. I was alone, all was calm, it was morning. The party was over.

I gasped. The PARTY! What had happened at the party? I felt like something important had happened...

I remembered drinking. Whoa... I drank a LOT.

I wondered how Krillin and Yamcha must be feeling; I had a headache, and my eyes were a little sensitive to sunlight, but I was a Saiyan... They must be waaay worse off. Probably wouldn't get out of bed all day... Man, what a night.

I remembered dancing...And singing...A hazy memory came back to me..

We had been singing "Love Today", dancing around with each other randomly.

"Everybody's gonna love today, love today, LOVE TODAY!" I had shouted, throwing my arms up in the air.

Yamcha had started doing backflips, and Krillin zoomed around the room, laughing manaically. Bulma's friends had stared, and Bulma herself had glared. Everyone was really drunk though; I doubted that very much of last night would be remembered.

I smiled; what a night! I had never had an experience quite like that.

Except... Another memory was coming back to me... Vegeta.

I had kissed him. I had kissed him and he had stormed off. I didn't remember him coming back to the party! Then again, my memory got pretty hazy after that... Let's see, I remembered Bulma getting angry, and Yamcha calming her down with a few drinks... Krillin doing a little jig on a table... Goten and Trunks, who were not allowed to drink, laughing at everyone for hours...Gohan and Videl dancing sweetly together, united in love... Hercule showing off his karate moves...

But I definitely couldn't remember Vegeta coming back inside.. And no wonder, for I had made my feelings known to him, just as they were becoming known to me.

I put my head in my hands. Arghhh! What had I done?!

So Goku's finally realized his feelings... and kissed the prince of his dreams! (though it really wasn't much of a kiss..:P sorry folks! The good stuff is yet to come) But what's Vegeta thinking about all of this? And did anything else happen that Goku simply doesn't remember? ;)

This chapter took on a different direction than I thought! I hope you all liked it...

Thoughts so far? ^^