Even The Strongest

by An Ordinary Riceball

In which Goku has been traumatized in one of the worst ways imaginable and Vegeta is left to pick up the pieces. VENT FIC because I went through basically the same thing and needed an outlet. Trigger Warnings For Past Rape, Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation. VEGEKAKA. Set in Super.

3. Trust

Story: Even The Strongest, Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball

This process dragged on much longer than I remember, but I can't remember much of it, so I had to react it the best I could.

…

The first thing the nurse did after leading Goku to his room was introduce himself as Evra, then started to ask a series of questions.

Vegeta was sitting in a chair beside Goku's hospital bed, wordlessly listening in on their conversation. He had his arms folded and was leaning back somewhat with his legs crossed.

The first questions Goku was asked varied were as per the usual, ranging from his name and birth date, his weight, and his medical record as a whole.

There was one question in particular that caught Vegeta's attention after which he glanced at Goku.

Nurses were required to ask it every time a patient came to the hospital.

"Are you having any thoughts of hurting yourself or others?"

Goku paused at hearing it, taking a longer time to respond than he should have.

Vegeta studied him, guessing the reason for his hesitation. He knew fully well that Goku had not only been considering suicide but he had also witnessed him scratching into his own arm to the point it caused him to bleed. Sure, the scratching had clearly been an attempt at stimulating himself and calming himself down enough to talk about what happened, but that didn't mean Vegeta liked it, even if he understood why .

"Son?" Evra had to call out after not receiving an answer.

"Oh, sorry… No, I'm not." Goku finally spoke back up, having at least some knowledge on the way these hospitals worked. If he actually said anything about the way he actually felt, they'd just try to keep him here longer, and that was the last thing he wanted right now.

Vegeta wasn't even surprised by his answer. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. For now, he chose not to address it. He was far more concerned about the overlying matter of Goku's assaulter.

Evra didn't question Goku's delayed response. He continued on, and began asking into the details of what had happened. "In your own words, can you give me a brief description of what happened?"

"...There was this guy, he gave me some pills, said they would help me feel better. I wasn't feeling well. But the drugs made me feel worse, like drowsy and sick. He started doing things and forcing himself on me even though I kept telling him I didn't think I was comfortable with it. He... penetrated me, multiple times, I don't know how many."

"Are you in any pain?"

"...Mainly my backside. My jaws hurt some too."

Evra didn't question Goku's delayed response. He continued on, and began asking into the details of what had happened.

From there, Evra wanted to know things like which parts of Goku's body came into contact with what to get a better idea of exactly what they were working with.

"Have you showered since the assault?" Evra asked.

"No." Goku shook his head.

Evra typed something on his computer. "Have you drank anything since then?"

"No. I mean I started to, but Vegeta stopped me." Goku explained.

"That was good thinking of him." Evra noted, before asking more questions, all of which Goku answered to the best of his ability, despite not remembering or knowing certain things.

There was also some questions on optional shots and other things that Goku wasn't really responsive on or just said no because he didn't want to deal with it.

After a bit of time had passed, Evra seemed to have all the answers he needed and proceeded to take Goku's vitals and temperature.

Some time later, Goku was asked to give a urine sample, before a sexual assault advocate from helpline named Falman briefly came in and introduced himself, offering to stay with him during the examination process. Goku quickly declined as he didn't want more people in the room than necessary, especially since he already had Vegeta with him. Falman didn't seem bothered by this and said that he would be more than happy to wait and get back up with him later.

Soon Evra came back in and started preparing materials to draw blood. The problem with Goku was -

"No way, I hate needles!"

It was simple enough saying he wouldn't leave, but if there was anything Goku was absolutely terrified of, it was needles . Sure, maybe it was irrational, but Goku didn't care. There was just something about the tiny pointy metal object that sent him wanting to run away every single time. Yet another reason he actively avoided hospitals.

"Sir, you've got to try work with us. We can't do this if you 're flailing around. " The nurse was starting to become impatient.

Goku immediately started to jump off the hospital bed, refusing to let the nurse take hold of his arm. He glared at the nurse then at the needle, panic still on his face.

"Hey, try to calm down! You need to be still, and let them draw your blood…" Vegeta reached out, grabbing Goku's hand to pull him back down. He hugged against him and attempted to restrain him, to keep him from hurting the nurses, if not himself.

"No, I won't . I told them no needles and that's final!" Goku retorted, accidentally hitting him in the face while trying to push him off.

"Damn it, Kakarot! I know you don't like it, but you have to do this... Please..." Vegeta bit back his irritation at just how stubborn he was being. Before now, a part of him had always found Goku's Trypanophobia amusing. After all, a Saiyan as strong as Kakarot , who had faced adversaries from across the universe, including Frieza , afraid of a tiny needle ? It was just jarring .

But right now Vegeta didn't have the heart to joke about it or find humor in the situation as it was. He could imagine how frightening this process must be for Goku.

"Just think about the food ! Remember the buffet I promised you?" He sputtered out of no where without even thinking about it, desperate to find anything that might convince him to listen. "It's the best in the city ! Doesn't that sound good?"

Gah, what the hell am I even saying ?! There's no way this is going to work…! I'm just making a fool of myself by talking to him this way…!

Surprisingly enough, however, Goku seemed to relax some and looked over at Vegeta when he heard that, as if seriously considering his words this time.

"The best in the city…?" His voice was strained and his question was forced out, the needle in the corner of his eye haunting him and causing him to whimper and pull back some but not keep fighting him like he had been.

Vegeta was genuinely surprised by this turn of events.

Wait, was enticing him with food… really the answer, after all ?

Well, whatever the case, he seems like he's finally calmed down some.

He gave a small sigh of relief. "Yes, that's right… The food there is unbeatable . You won't be disappointed."

Evra once again reached out and tied a rubber band around his upper arm. The nurse probed around Goku's antecubital fossa for a good vein, before sanitizing the area and getting the needle prepared to stick him.

Goku bit his lip, looking away.

"I'm scared." He finally said, as he saw the tip come close to his skin in the corner of his vision. He winced when he felt a prick in his arm, but fortunately he didn't fight back this time.

"Don't worry , it will be over in a minute … That's it…" Vegeta said in as soft of a voice as he could manage.

"Now you're just patronizing me." Goku pouted, covering his face with his free hand. He was unable to fight off his embarrassment. "I'm a fully grown man who's afraid of needles . Where's the honor in that…?"

"Well, if it helps you feel any better, just remember that I'm afraid of worms… Always have been, ever since I was a child…" Vegeta mumbled, blushing a bit.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot." Goku recalled with a grin. "You do get pretty freaked out every time you see them. It's hilarious."

"Hey! I can't help it. They're disgusting …" Vegeta retorted, defensively. He appeared to be sulking yet was flustered at the same time.

Goku giggled in response, almost having completely forgotten about the needle in his arm until it was pulled out again at which he winced.

Finally having all the tubes filled, Evra left a bandage on Goku's arm to catch the blood that was oozing out of the wound.

Evra then came back in and held out a hospital gown for Goku to take. "For the examination, we're going to have to ask that you change into this. Your underwear need to come off as well."

"Okay." Goku said, taking it from him. Evra then left the room, giving him the space to change.

Goku gazed down at the gown in his hands before meeting Vegeta's eyes. He quickly turned his face away, feeling ashamed and even a little paranoid without intending to be.

"If you don't mind… I would prefer it if you didn't look at me while I'm changing…" He said, a downcast look on his face. While the request was personal to him, his voice was low. He was trying his best to avoid sounding rude.

Goku had never been a modest person when it came to his body, and it wasn't even like Vegeta hadn't seen him naked before, But, right now, the very idea of undressing in front of him terrified him for some reason.

He was filthy , he had been defiled . And he was not only ashamed of his body, but more than that. He didn't want Vegeta or anybody else looking at him in the same way as his rapist had.

Down deep, he wanted to believe his fears weren't rational, as Vegeta would never want to do something like that to him, and yet… it didn't stop the overwhelming anxiety he was feeling. Because he could never know for sure. He couldn't trust anybody right now. He was afraid to.

Upon hearing Goku's request, Vegeta's eyes widened a bit in response. He looked away, a pain-filled expression on his face. He had had no intention of watching him change. He believed in giving people personal space and privacy when they needed it. He wouldn't intentionally do something to make him feel uncomfortable like that.

On a few occasions he had even scolded him before for having no sense of decency to cover himself on a while they were in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber together.

And yet… To see somebody like Kakarot who was once so carefree and laid back this broken and untrusting…

Untrusting towards him even.

It hurt Vegeta in a way that he couldn't even express with words alone.

"You don't need to worry." He mumbled in a soft voice without judgment. "I hadn't planned on it…"

…

Once Goku was done changing into the gown they had given him, he threw his old clothes at the end of the bed and sat back down.

"Alright. I'm done." Goku said, giving Vegeta the cue to turn back around. "Can't say I'm too happy to be in one of these again, though. They aren't very comfortable."

"I thought you liked looser-fit stuff." Vegeta scoffed a bit.

"Yeah, but there's something about the material that just bothers me." Goku explained, stretching his arms around. "It's all rough and itchy. I'd prefer something softer."

Certain fabrics didn't work well for Goku. He needed them to be a specific way or he couldn't function properly in them.

Vegeta was about to say something but stopped himself when Evra came back into the room, alongside another nurse who had a name tag labeled Alistair.

"Son, would you give us permission to take your clothes in for evidence?" Alistair asked, reaching out towards his shoes and holding a plastic bag, presumably for collecting his clothes into.

"You want my gi?" Goku looked a bit upset by the request, pulling back his clothes towards himself, not entirely seeming ready to part with it. "But this is one of my favorite outfits."

The nurse frowned a bit at his response and Vegeta immediately moved towards Goku, deciding to intervene. He gently placed a hand on his shoulder, not surprised when Goku flinched again.

"Kakarot, please, just listen to what the nurse is telling you. Any bit of evidence we have is vital right now." He said in a low but firm voice, glad when Goku at least looked at him. "And besides, do you honestly wish to continue wearing those after what happened to you in them…?"

"No, but…" Goku still seemed reluctant to part with it.

"Look, if it's really that important to you, then we'll just have Whis make you a new one." Vegeta insisted. "A better one."

Unfortunately, he knew all too well that Goku's clothes weren't even half of the problem right now. This entire experience was unfamiliar to him.

"...Okay, if you say so…" Goku said, with hesitation, before doing as asked, letting go of his clothes. Alistair took them, putting them into the bag. Vegeta sat back down once more.

After that, Evra asked for a hair sample from Goku, who complied and allowed him to brush a comb through his hair. They also swabbed his mouth for DNA.

Soon, the nurses then asked to swab the lining of his butt, which was uncomfortable enough for him since he was sore there due to tearing. Even though he had his gown to cover a large portion of the view it didn't make him feel any better about this, he still felt exposed, and he hated it.

The next part of the exam, however, was the hardest by far, and one of the most difficult things Goku had ever had to endure in his entire life . Doctors and nurses not only had to take pictures of where he had been penetrated, but they also had to stick a speculum inside of him for a colposcopy to get evidence of any damage done and fluid the man might have left behind.

The nurses kept asking him to relax his legs, but Goku didn't want to relax, he couldn't . He screamed from the agony, feeling as though his insides were being stretched out and torn all over again beyond their limitations. The object was big and it hurt , more than he could stand.

The memories started plaguing his mind, causing tears to well up in his eyes. Even with Vegeta holding him down, he had to fight against the urge to ask them to stop.

"Here, take my hand, Kakarot. You may squeeze it as tightly as you need to if it will help distract you from the pain." Vegeta said, taking his hand into his own. "Look me in the eyes and keep your focus on me. Try not to think about anything else."

"It hurts , Vegeta…" Goku was crying. He clawed at Vegeta's hand in a desperate attempt to keep himself calm.

"I know , but you're doing great… " Vegeta said sincerely, caressing Goku's face with his free hand and wiping away the tears that were falling down his cheeks. "You will get through this, I promise… Just a little longer…"

Vegeta could have given him a speech about how he was a Saiyan and how this "paled in comparison to the foes he had beat on the battlefield", but he knew all too well that those things weren't comparable. This was something completely different .

Once the speculum was pulled out of him, Goku took a moment to physically relax.

"Well, I'm glad that that's over…" He said, letting his bangs shadow his eyes. "You must think I'm pathetic, right now."

"Now why in the world would you assume that? Honestly, I'm proud of you…" Vegeta said, gently pulling him into an embrace.

"But why ? All I did the whole time was cry like a baby." Goku laughed, feeling humiliated.

"Tears are nothing to me, Kakarot." Vegeta insisted. "What's important is that you had the courage to stick through this to the end and see it done regardless of the discomfort you knew it would cause you. There was nothing 'pathetic' about what I saw in you today… You are strong."

It was at that moment that Goku once again broke down into a fit of sobs, overwhelmed by just how draining the entire process had been.

Vegeta smiled softly, combing through Goku's hair with his fingers. "...It is over now, you can finally relax…"

There were other things that happened, but a large portion of Goku's memories were shot because of the pills, so he didn't remember it well.

He found himself frequently drifting off to sleep due to how tired he was. He wasn't all there and Vegeta could see that. His speech was somewhat slurred as well.

…

"So are you… still up for going out to eat somewhere?" Goku asked sheepishly, once he had received his discharge papers.

"Of course. I told you I would , didn't I…?" Vegeta said. "Aren't you going to use a Senzu bean for your… backside? If so, you should probably go see Korin."

"Nah, I think I'll pass..." Goku said dismissively, gazing off to the side.

"Why not? You are in pain, aren't you?" Vegeta looked at him incredulously.

"Yeah, but those Senzu beans should be used in battle, not over something like this." Goku looked away, as if his own pride had just been insulted. The very idea of having to use one to heal himself over something like sexual assault was just demeaning to him. He was a warrior . A Saiyan . Pain like this should be nothing to him.

What he couldn't say was that some part of him still felt responsible for what happened, that maybe he deserved to suffer through this for letting his guard down and not stopping it from happening in the first place.

Vegeta frowned. "...Kakarot, there is nothing wrong with… needing healing after what he did to you."

Goku turned his face away, and was quiet for a long time. Finally, he spoke back up, changing the subject.

"I should probably go back to Chichi's place for a change of clothes…" Goku fidgeted with his gown. "Although… I can't say I'm really looking forward to telling her what happened yet…"

Chichi had been somewhat unpredictable lately, he never quite knew what to expect from her. He didn't doubt she'd be worried if she found out, but at the same time-

"Then don't ." Vegeta said simply, interrupting his thoughts. He wasn't happy about the conversation change but decided to go with it. "Whatever you choose to tell the woman is your business. You shouldn't feel obligated to open up to her about any of this unless you are ready to."

"Yeah, but it's not like I can really hide this from her." Goku argued. "She'd probably start getting worried about it if she suddenly saw people from law enforcement suddenly popping up at her door and asking to talk with me. She might even think I did something bad."

"So then… You're going to tell her, after all?" Vegeta asked in a low voice. In the end, it was up to Goku what he wanted to do.

Goku nodded. "Yeah, but not all the details. Just some of them."

Vegeta swallowed and turned away somewhat.

"Well, it's not like I can't stop you." He said. "However… If you need me to come with you, I can..."

"What? No way, Vegeta, you don't have to do that, really." Goku insisted. "Chichi may get angry sometimes, but she wouldn't… fuss at me over something like that. At least I don't think she would…"

His uncertainty in his own statement gave Vegeta all the more reason to doubt him.

"Regardless, I'm still coming with you. Just in case."

If an argument with Chichi was even part of what led to this, then Vegeta wanted to confront the matter at hand. He highly doubted Goku would do it himself. Besides, there was also something else he wanted to talk to her about anyways.

"Are you really sure you want to? We could just plan to meet up somewhere later if not." Goku said, placing two fingers to his forehead.

"No, it's fine. Just hurry up and take us there." Vegeta said, holding his hand.

"Well, alright…" Goku said, doing as asked.

…

Chichi was washing the dishes when Goku and Vegeta appeared next to her.

"Hey, Chichi."

"Goku!" Chichi screamed, startled. A plate fell on the floor shattering. "How many times have I told you to not scare me like that?! You near about gave me a heart attack!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Goku giggled nervously. "I came here to get a change of clothes. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, just… Hold on, have you been in the hospital? What happened?" Chichi ran up to him and started feeling him out for injuries. "You didn't get into another fight, did you?"

"No, it's nothing, so please just listen to me… I…" Goku quickly started tensing up at the overload of abrupt physical contact. His breaths were starting to become somewhat uneven due to the panic he was feeling. He wanted her to back off, but couldn't say it.

A trauma-fueled reaction, Vegeta could only assume.

"Hey, get back. Can't you see he's stressed out? Just give him some space." Vegeta scolded Chichi, prying her away from him.

Fortunately, Chichi listened and did as asked in that moment, noticing it herself. She frowned a bit. She hadn't intended to hurt him. "Goku, I'm sorry… if I… pushed you too far… Are you okay?"

But Goku wasn't all there, he was trying his best to tell himself there was nothing to be afraid of. It was just Vegeta and Chichi there with him. It's not him.

"Just calm down , Kakarot…" Vegeta offered in as soothing a voice as he could offer. "Chichi isn't going to hurt you… She didn't know ."

"I'm sorry, I just…" Goku closed his eyes for a second to regain his breath. "I was starting to get overwhelmed. Everything reminds me of him..."

"Of who ? What's going on?" Chichi inquired softly, her eyes filled with genuine concern and guilt. Not receiving a response, she looked towards Vegeta, desperately wanting an explanation. "Vegeta, I've never seen him like this before. Did something happen?"

Upon hearing her question, Vegeta was about to open his mouth but Goku cut him to it.

"Chichi… there's something you need to know…" Goku looked over at her, slowly managing to calm down. "It's really important to me that you stay calm."

The woman let out a long sigh, and then, she closed her eyes - as if she was mentally steeling herself for something that was going to be very difficult.

"... Okay..." she murmured softly. "Go on, tell me whatever you need to. I am... prepared to hear it."

Chichi in reality had no clue what he wanted to say, so she couldn't help but get a bad feeling, but was pressing him to speak anyways.

Hearing Chichi's confirmation to continue, Goku hesitated before speaking. "...This morning, I was…"

He wanted to continue but immediately stopped himself when Goten entered the room.

"Dad!" The boy smiled, running up to hug him. "Welcome back!"

It had to have been the worst timing, but Goku grinned back to greet his son anyways. "Hey, Goten, how was your day?"

"I went and saw a movie earlier with Trunks! It was super awesome!" Goten said, excitedly.

"Oh? You'll have to tell me all about it later, okay? I just got out of the hospital and I'm not feeling too well right now." Goku said.

"Why were you at the hospital?" Goten wanted to know.

"Well… It's like this… uh…" Goku couldn't even find the words to explain himself, not in front of his son. He looked to Chichi, in hopes that she would get him out of this one.

Sensing Goku's nervousness, Chichi decided to say something. "Goten sweetie, why don't you go back to your room for now. Your father and I were discussing something."

"Why ? What happened?" Goten asked, sounding worried, vaguely sensing the mood in the room. "You're not fighting again, are you?"

"Just do what your mother told you." Vegeta said, in a harsher tone than intended. It was clear to him that Goku was overcrowded right now and needed more space.

"...Okay…" Goten still seemed reluctant, but after receiving an irritated look from Vegeta, he complied, returning to his room.

Goku was left with Vegeta and Chichi, trying to think about what to do or how to put what had happened into words. He looked back up at Chichi, but couldn't keep her gaze for long.

"...There was this… guy..., who raped me this morning, and I-" He finally started to explain, his voice low, and solemn, the words making him feel dirty all over again.

"... What ? You were... raped ?" Chichi asked, interrupting him. She looked as if she had been struck; as if she didn't even want to consider it as a possibility . "...Oh, please tell me you're joking... Please , Goku..."

She sounded as if she were trying to deny its existence with everything in her, as if she was looking for any other explanation, beyond the obvious. His words hurt her more than any punch - more than anything she'd ever experienced. She was just trying to process the information; trying to get a grip on herself. All of a sudden she felt like she was going to pass out.

Goku couldn't even look at her. His face heated up from the sheer humiliation he was feeling.

Hearing her momentary denial hurt, but he couldn't blame her. He stayed silent, allowing her to take her time. He had been worried all day about what her reaction was going to be, and now that he was here facing her, he wasn't even certain how to proceed.

Vegeta stood back, his arms crossed over his chest, his lips pressed firmly into a line. His expression was one of fury, and anger.

A pause.

"...I've told you… to be more careful before..." Chichi continued, only realizing moments later just how insensitive that probably sounded. She wasn't blaming him, but it did sure as hell sound that way.

"I know… I didn't realize that's what he wanted or I wouldn't have…" Goku muttered, unable to even finish his sentence, looking down, ashamed.

"This isn't your fault, Kakarot. You can't blame yourself." Vegeta said, before giving Chichi a harsh glance.

"I'm sorry... I just… can't right now... How could he…?" Chichi spoke in a strained voice. She was on the brink of tears. The reality was finally setting in and she was starting to become livid. "...Have you… reported him?"

"...Yeah, Krillin sent me to the hospital for a rape kit afterwards, and said there should be a detective that's going to come out later, so I didn't want you to get the wrong idea if one of them showed up here asking to speak with me…" Goku explained simply, with a downcast look in his eyes.

"...No, of course not, just do what you need to." Chichi said, softly, before trying to think of any possible remedy that she could offer him. "Hopefully you won't have to worry... about seeing him again, in public anyways... Tell me... Is... there… anything I can do for you? Anything that you need? Like medicine or...? You can talk to me about it… as much as you want to..."

She had just asked the same question yet again.

Goku let his bangs shadow his eyes. "I just… need some time."

Chichi had wanted to embrace him, but upon seeing him flinch, she gave a silent nod, and just opted to give his shoulder a light squeeze.

"... I'll be here... when you're ready, okay?" she whispered softly. "You're strong. I believe in you."

"Thanks, Chichi…" The physical contact scared Goku. She had touched him so many times before, and yet it felt so foreign to him now. He gave a small smile. "I'm thinking about going to eat somewhere with Vegeta in a little while. You wouldn't mind if I go and take a shower, would you?"

"Of course, Goku... go ahead…" Chichi smiled, as Goku moved to leave. Once he was out of the room, she sat in a chair at the table and broke down crying with only Vegeta to bear witness to it.

"I… I've always warned him how people can be…" she choked out. "But you know Goku… He doesn't pick up on those things. He constantly puts himself into situations that could get him hurt without even realizing it…"

Vegeta sighed at her words, crossing his arms. "Kakarot's innocent nature and difficulty with reading social cues is no excuse for what that monster did to him. He isn't to blame for this."

"I know… I'm not saying he is. I'm just… worried for him. How could this even happen ?" Chichi barely knew anything and that lack of knowledge was destroying her.

Vegeta had so much he wanted to say to that but there was another matter entirely weighing on him, and he never was one to beat around the bush.

"There's something you should be aware of." He began. "The whole reason he went out this morning is because of what you said to him."

Chichi looked up at him, genuinely confused as she blotted away her tears. "Something I said? What are you talking about, Vegeta?"

Vegeta sighed. He didn't want to become confrontational with her if he could help it but he refused to sugarcoat this. "Was it not you who told Kakarot if he loved training in the other world so much that he should have just stayed there? "

Chichi's expression quickly turned from one of confusion to one of shock and guilt. "Wait, that ? Hold on, you don't mean he was… Oh."

"Yes, Chichi, he was suicidal when that man approached him, and he didn't want to come back here. That is part of why he went with him. Why he was so vulnerable. He wasn't in the right state of mind."

"I…. I didn't mean it like that… It's just… Gohan was visiting at the time, so when Goku asked to train with him and Goten, I got… angry … I wasn't really thinking about what I was saying, it just… came out…" Chichi held a hand over her mouth as the realization dawned on her. "So all of this is my fault…?"

Vegeta sat down in front of her. "No, I didn't say that… And I don't want you blaming yourself for this. However…"

"What is it?" Chichi inquired.

Vegeta paused, trying to come up with a way to approach this subject without over stepping his boundaries. Krillin's warning and request worried him more than he wanted to admit.

"...I don't think he should continue staying here. What Kakarot needs right now is a stable environment… One that he can overcome this in, away from all of the distractions… What's been going on between you two… It isn't healthy, for either one of you. Or your children."

"...Honestly, you're probably right about that…" Chichi admitted. "I do care about Goku, but we're just so… different . Because of that, we rub off on each other way too much and sometimes, I get carried away and end up saying things I later regret."

"Hold on… You're actually agreeing with me?" Vegeta was surprised. He had expected Chichi to respond much differently to his suggestion. This situation had really been an eye-opener for everybody who knew about Goku's situation.

"Yeah, it's not like I want to kick him out or anything, but, to be honest, I don't think he's happy staying here." Chichi explained. "Still… Even though I've suggested he find somewhere else to live before, a place he'd be happier at, he didn't know where he'd go and he didn't want to move away from Goten, which is understandable , I guess. He is his father, after all."

"I see…" Vegeta mused. "Perhaps I could… talk to him later about it… Bulma made a similar suggestion about this in the past, so he could stay with us , I suppose..."

"You think she would be willing to do that?" Chichi looked at him, smiling a bit. "Oh, that would be wonderful, Vegeta."

Vegeta blushed a bit, becoming flustered. "Look, I can't make any promises that he'll agree to it, but I am willing to try , okay? For Kakarot…"

…

"Thank you for letting me have this. You're so hot. And nice. You're the nicest person I've ever been with. You didn't even hit me once."

Goku stood in the shower, washing himself repeatedly, as the memories continued flooding back to him.

All he could see and feel was that man on top of him, inside of him. He could still remember screaming from the pain as his rapist penetrated him over and over again to the point it tore his skin apart. The man's hands were on his legs, on his arms, and exploring every part of his body like he was some animal, like he was an object on display.

"You must be feeling something down there, since you're erect."

I didn't want that…! I didn't want any of that, so why…? Why couldn't I stop it…? Why would my body lie like that?

He broke down into a fit of sobs, tears falling from his eyes. They mixed in with the water streaming down his face. Using the rag he was holding, he had started aggressively scrubbing into his wrist to the point his skin was raw. He wanted the memories gone . He couldn't breathe.

At some point he realized he was bleeding, running his fingers over his marred skin when he saw the damage that he had caused to his arm.

Oh, crap, I didn't intend to go that far. What's gotten into me…?

It was in that same moment that he realized the sight of the blood had snapped him back to the present.

Did that… help somehow…? No… I can't think like this. Hurting myself isn't going to solve anything . I just need to calm down…

Despite telling himself this, he had been scratching himself all day. He didn't even know why , but it almost seemed to keep him calm.

But Goku didn't want to be like that. He didn't want to rely on such an unhealthy coping mechanism to keep his emotions under check. He felt pathetic, right now, like he couldn't possibly get any weaker .

What am I even doing… ?

He kneeled down, curling in on himself. His backside hurt in the process. He ran his fingers through his hair, letting the rag drop to his side.

I just want these memories to go away…

"Hey. Kakarot. Are you almost done? You've been in there for over an hour now." Vegeta's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He was standing outside the door.

"Wait, has it really been that long already? Sorry, I'll be out in a few minutes." Goku said, apologetically, turning off the water, which had started to become cold.

"Hmph. Just hurry up, already, clown. If we're going to do this, then I'd rather not have to wait much longer." Vegeta responded, but despite his words, he didn't sound too annoyed.

Goku didn't respond this time, looking back down at the injury on his arm.

I should probably cover this before Vegeta or anybody else sees it…

He got out of the tub and pulled on one of his other fighting gis that he had brought into the bathroom as back up. The wrist cuffs he had on hand were just barely enough to cover the injury he had done to his arm, but it was better than nothing.

His hair was still damp when he came out, although he had dried it off to the best of his ability.

"Okay, I'm finished." He said.

"About time. So how are you feeling…?" Vegeta asked him, surprising both himself and Goku with his question. He had heard him crying in the bathroom, but didn't want to make any kind of deal about it.

"Much better now that I've taken a shower, actually." Goku smiled.

Vegeta could tell he was lying, but he simply sighed, softly grabbing Goku's wrist and pulling him towards the door. "Come with me. There's a place I want to take you to."

"Oh, uh, okay." Goku seemed a bit taken aback, but chose to follow him. His wrist was still sore from what he had done to it, so he couldn't help but flinch a bit.

Vegeta noticed it but assumed it was from his fear of physical contact so he didn't question it. However, he did loosen his grip on Goku's arm as a way of showing he meant no harm by it.

"Goku, wait…" Chichi's voice called out to him, coming around the corner.

Goku looked up at her. "What is it, Chichi?"

"About what I said to you… yesterday…" Chichi bit her lip, gazing down. "I need… to apologize. It was wrong of me."

Goku was quiet for a moment, taking in her apology. He smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not upset about it anymore, okay?"

"Still, if I hadn't said what I did, then… You wouldn't have have been hurt ." Chichi's voice cracked.

"Chichi, none of this is your fault… You can't blame yourself for what he did to me…" Goku said. "And besides, maybe it's for the best that this happened. I've reported him, so… if we're lucky, he won't be able to hurt anybody else again after this is over with."

There was nothing lucky about it. The truth was, this was just a desperate attempt to rationalize what had been done to him, just how badly he had been hurt. It was the only positive he had left to cling to, that just maybe the man who had hurt him would be put behind bars so he wouldn't be able to do the same thing to another .

What he couldn't tell her or anybody else, however, was that Chichi's words the day before were only the push . In actuality, he had been having those thoughts for a while, even before that. He was too good at hiding it for anybody to notice that something was wrong.

Goku looked away. "Anyways, I'll see you later…"

"Be careful out there..." Chichi said, forcing a smile. "And Vegeta…"

"Hm?" Vegeta gazed over at her upon hearing his name.

Chichi met his eyes with a serious expression. "You had better treat him well , you got that…?"

"…You don't need to worry." Vegeta turned away, keeping his hold on Goku's hand. "He'll be safe with me…"

…

"So where is it you wanted to take me?" Goku asked as he followed Vegeta in the air.

"...You'll see soon enough. Actually…, if you must know, there's this particular restaurant that I think you'll like." Vegeta explained. "The steak there is truly outstanding ."

"Hey, uh… It's not anything too expensive , is it?" Goku suddenly looked a bit apprehensive. "I don't really have a lot of zenni on me."

"Forget about the cost. I will cover it." Vegeta turned his focus back ahead of him. "I just… want you to enjoy yourself."

Not that he minded. He didn't go out often, but thanks to Bulma, he had as much money as he could need to afford essentially anything.

Goku was hesitant at first, but it wasn't like he could turn down free food. "Well, if you're really sure about this, I guess it couldn't hurt."

Despite saying this, there was a feeling of anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach.

The last time somebody gave him free food was-

"Good. Come on, then." Vegeta slowly flew down towards his destination - A large building by the name of Aoife's Steakhouse .

Once they were on the ground, Vegeta and Goku made their way through the crowd. He tried his best to bite back his irritation when several people bumped into him. "Damn it all… Can't these people watch where they're going …?"

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Goku asked, worried and feeling a little guilty. "We can leave if you want. I don't want you to put yourself through this if it means getting stressed out about it."

"No, I assure you I'm fine . Follow me." Vegeta muttered, opening the doors of the building.

Since Vegeta seemed insistent on going through with this, Goku didn't protest, allowing himself to be led by Vegeta through the restaurant.

Vegeta opted for taking a private booth if only because it was just a little bit quieter. When he sat down, he noticed the other Saiyan was still standing. He seemed like he was distracted by something. His eyes were darting around the room.

"What's wrong, Kakarot?" Vegeta asked, wanting to get him to loosen up a bit. "Aren't you going to sit down?"

His voice snapped Goku back to his surroundings.

"Oh, uh right... Sorry..." The man said apologetically, sitting down across the table from him.

He was visibly disturbed, fidgeting, drumming his fingers again…

Vegeta frowned a bit, he couldn't stand seeing him like this. He wanted to say something. He needed to. He had brought him here to help him feel better, not to stress him out more .

"Hey." Vegeta gently placed his hands over Goku's. His face had a hint of concern. "Just calm down … Relax…"

Vegeta didn't know if he was still stressed out about the stuff from earlier, or if this was something else. He could only assume it was both. But he needed to gauge for an answer anyways, just to find out for certain.

After a long moment, he finally dredged up the courage to ask him the question. "Is there… something you want to talk about…? A reason you were drumming your fingers like that? We both know you only do that when you're stressed out about something."

"No… I'm… fine. Really." Goku's voice was low, barely above a whisper. He wasn't looking at him. His eyes were glued to Vegeta's hands, to his own hands.

"...Don't lie to me. I can tell that you're not fine…" Vegeta said in a tone that held no judgment. He wasn't mad, just concerned. "Tell me… Is it me? Have I… done something… to make you uncomfortable…? Do you want me to stop touching you? Is that it?"

Slowly, Vegeta began to feel insecure, worried that he had done something wrong or overstepped a line without intending to. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

He had to know if this was a fault on his part. Was it a mistake bringing him here? Vegeta didn't know, but he wanted Goku to communicate with him, to speak his mind freely so he could help him feel more at ease.

Goku was surprised by just how blunt and to the point his question was. He immediately felt guilty.

"Vegeta, no, it's not you." he shook his head, giving a small smile. "You haven't done anything wrong…"

The truth was, Vegeta's assumption was almost spot on, but not because Vegeta had done anything, he was only trying to be there for him. All of this paranoia, and lack of trust, was in Goku's head, and, down deep, Goku knew that.

He quickly scolded himself.

I shouldn't be feeling this way.

"Then what?" Vegeta asked, a part of him feeling like Goku was only saying that to avoid hurting his feelings. "Is it about… the stuff from earlier?"

Well, of course that's a part of it, why would I even ask that? Stupid!

Vegeta felt like he had just asked the obvious in the worst way possible. He could only hope it didn't upset Goku.

Goku turned his gaze away, not wanting to bother him with this. "It's…"

Vegeta has been so nice to me today… He's done more for me than I could ever even begin to repay him for… Yet all I can do is feel like… this .

Why am I so nervous right now?

This isn't… a date… is it? No, it can't be, Vegeta doesn't see me that way. We're just friends.

But… even if he did feel that way , he wouldn't… expect something from me for this, or try anything weird, right?

No, he isn't that kind of person . I just need to trust him . He only brought me here to help me feel better.

I need to stop thinking about these things. I'm just getting myself worked up over nothing.

"I think we had a good time. You did have a good time, didn't you? I even gave you a sandwich and a drink, and then we had hot sex. I just wanted to make you feel better because you looked so sad."

The voice of Allan suddenly echoed in his head, causing Goku to bite down onto his lip so hard it drew blood. He closed his eyes, trying to stay calm. Tears welled up in his eyes, as his mind once again started becoming clouded by the memories. Slowly he started to pull his hands away from Vegeta's grip and hugged himself, digging his nails into his arms. Before he knew what was happening, he broke down crying. His bangs shadowed his eyes. "I'm… sorry…"

Because of him… Because of what that man did to me , I can't even trust the people I care about, or the person that I love.

Somewhere down the line, Goku had come to the conclusion that he had feelings for Vegeta, but after what happened to him that morning with Allan, he had suddenly found himself questioning Vegeta's intentions. Every time he caressed his face, or held his hand, or hugged him - gestures that Goku had started to love coming from him over the past few months - there was now the voice somewhere at the back of his mind telling him that the other saiyan was going to - or wanted to - do something else, to hurt him. That he was expecting something from him just for being nice.

"I don't know what's…" He choked out with frustration. Blood was starting to form in the fresh scratches on his arms. "What's wrong with me…?"

Vegeta's heart ached as he watched him cry, hearing his words. It took him a moment to form his response. "Hey, don't apologize… There is nothing… wrong with you…"

Goku heard his words, but couldn't bring himself to respond. He kept clawing into his skin, trying his best to stifle his sobs. It's like he wasn't entirely there .

"Kakarot…" Seeing the blood increasing, Vegeta felt the familiar sense of simultaneous urgency and helplessness creeping back up on him that he had felt earlier that day. He started to speak up again, but a voice interrupted him.

"Are either of you ready to order? I can…"

It was a waiter. She trailed off into silence, seeming to recognize the mood.

"Give us some time." Vegeta said, glancing back at her. "It may be a while."

"Is he okay?" The woman asked. "We can call somebody if he's not feeling well."

"No, he will be fine… I can handle this." Vegeta said, despite his own uncertainty.

"Alright. Just wave when you're ready to order." The woman said kindly, walking off.

Vegeta then turned his attention back to Goku, who seemed even more stressed out than before.

"Kakarot, you… You need to stop that." He said weakly.

What should I do ? Should I hug him? No, I don't think he wants to be touched right now. But still… I can't just sit idly by and do nothing while he's hurting himself right in front of me. I have to do something. Think , damn it.

Forcing himself to get up, he cautiously moved around the table so he could sit next to Goku.

After a few seconds, he spoke up again, leaning over and cocking his head a bit so he could still meet the other man's eyes. "Listen to me… I know you're in pain right now, but you can't… keep hurting yourself like this. Whatever it is that's bothering you, we can talk about it…"

He already had a pretty big idea what it was related to, but he wasn't a mind reader. As such, the exact thoughts going through Goku's mind was anybody's guess unless he told them.

"I can't… " Goku tried to speak in a strained voice, momentarily releasing his nails from his arms. "I don't… know why I'm feeling this way... "

Goku did know why, but at the same time he didn't . He wanted to tell himself he was just overreacting. That this wasn't normal, even given his situation. He felt so stupid for it.

" Feeling what way…?" Vegeta encouraged, without pressure.

There was a brief silence as Goku hesitated.

" Distrustful… " He finally managed, hanging his head in shame like he had just confessed to committing some crime. "Of everybody. Even you …"

Vegeta was quiet for a moment after hearing his words. While it did hurt somewhat, he couldn't feel offended by it, because he knew why. It wasn't a personal attack on him. This was all because of that man, the one who had hurt Kakarot so badly and preyed on his kind nature and trust.

"That's what this is about?" Vegeta inquired, without judgment. "That's nothing to be ashamed for. What you're feeling right now… It's completely normal…"

"It is…?" Goku asked, in a low voice, not wanting to believe it.

"Yes, Kakarot…" Vegeta mumbled. "It's… not… unusual… to struggle with… trusting others after experiencing something as traumatic as what you just went through."

"Maybe so, but…" Goku momentarily trailed off, starting to scratch at arms again. "...You remember how I said he… gave me food before he did that…? I…"

He couldn't finish his sentence. Truth be told, he couldn't even put it into words. He didn't know how to explain it. He was afraid to even try.

At that moment, everything was finally beginning to make sense to Vegeta. The desire to kill Goku's rapist in cold blood started resurfacing once more, but he knew he had to stay calm. He tilted his head towards him.

He folded his arms and softly leaned against Goku.

"Let me guess…" He approached the subject as carefully as possible but it wasn't like he could beat around the bush on this one. "You were worried that I might try something, weren't you…? And put pressure on you to do something you weren't comfortable with as some sort of payment for bringing you here and covering your meal cost. Is that it…?"

He wasn't angry - at least not at Goku. He was only asking for the facts.

"It's stupid , I know…" Goku's voice cracked as he ignored the damage he was causing to his skin. "This is why I said there's something wrong with me. I shouldn't be thinking these things about the people I care about… About you or anybody . And I'm trying not to, but… I… I can't help it… "

Goku's nails were covered in blood at this point. Vegeta had had enough. He couldn't stomach it anymore. He had asked him to stop, but Goku had gone right back to hurting himself again.

"Regardless, that doesn't make you stupid nor does it mean anything is wrong with you. Please… stop that ." He reached out and attempted to pry his hands away from his arms, but Goku was completely refusing to cooperate, much to his frustration. "I-"

He cut himself off briefly when his hand slipped across Goku's wrist cuff, unintentionally sliding it back in the process to reveal the injury he had been hiding. His eyes widened, as he forcibly turned Goku's arm around to get a better look at it.

That definitely wasn't there earlier. It looks fresh.

"Kakarot…" Vegeta almost couldn't speak at first, not entirely knowing what he was even looking at. It appeared like something had been repeatedly rubbed into his skin to create an injury favoring a burn mark. "What is this? What happened to your arm… ?"

"It's nothing ." Goku immediately turned his head away, unable to face him. He hadn't intended for him to see this. "Just an accident…"

Vegeta could immediately tell he was hiding something. This kind of injury didn't happen from a mere accident. Concern began to consume him, as the implications suddenly dawned on him.

"Hold on, did you do this … ?" Vegeta asked tentatively, in disbelief.

Goku still wouldn't speak or look at him, more or less confirming Vegeta's suspicions.

" Answer me." Vegeta said in a harsher tone than intended, desperate for an explanation.

Goku already knew that Vegeta wasn't going to drop it until he answered. So he decided to tell him the truth.

"It happened… when I was in the shower earlier… " Goku started to confess, his leg bouncing due to his nerves. "I started… getting stressed out about something he said to me… And I… wasn't thinking …"

He was certain that Vegeta was going to call him weak and a complete idiot for this.

No sane person does this sort of thing.

Despite what Goku assumed, however, Vegeta didn't even know what to say at first, nothing seemed appropriate.

After a long silence, he felt himself let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"Is the other one like this as well…?" He forced himself to ask.

"No… it's just that one." Goku mumbled.

As Vegeta pondered the situation, he just continued to hold Goku's wrist between both of his hands. He had to take a moment to think.

"Are you… mad at me…?" Goku suddenly asked in a low voice. His question caught Vegeta off guard.

Vegeta looked up to meet the gaze of the other Saiyan, who was staring at him. Vegeta could tell that for whatever reason, his opinion meant everything to Goku right now. He was genuinely worried about being judged for this.

"No… I'm not… mad at you." Vegeta spoke in a low voice, shaking his head as he slowly pulled back up Goku's wrist cuff to cover the wound again. "But… this… this isn't how you deal with things.. . "

Saying that he was frustrated was an understatement.

"I know… It won't happen again." Goku said, despite knowing such a statement was easier said than kept.

"...Just make sure it doesn't..." Vegeta grabbed a napkin and ran it over one of the scratches near his shoulder, blotting up some blood that was starting to trickle down his arm. A saddened look rested in his eyes. "...Your life… has more value than this… "

Goku looked down with a guilty expression, unsure how to even respond to that, some part of him wishing Vegeta hadn't seen it. He couldn't stand making him worry like this. Causing him to worry about him again was the last thing he had wanted to do.

What hurt even more was the voices inside of him contradicting everything Vegeta had just told him.

Does it really though…? What if I deserve this…?

Vegeta closed his eyes for a moment, sighing. When he opened them again, he was calmer, able to finally think.

"Swear to me something…" He gazed at him with an intense expression on his face. "If you even think of doing something like this again , I want you to come to me immediately . Can you do that?"

Goku could go to somebody else as well - like Krillin, but that didn't need to be said. He was putting himself out there in hopes that Goku would rely on him should the need arise.

"Mhm." Goku hung his head and nodded.

"And, hey, look at me." Vegeta slowly reached up, cupping Goku's cheek to get him to meet his eyes again. "About what we were discussing earlier… I know what you're going through right now and you'll probably feel this way for a while. But still… For what it's worth, I don't want you to be so nervous around me. I would never even think of doing anything like what he did to you… You have my word on that."

Goku didn't respond, but he wanted to believe Vegeta. He had stopped crying and had finally calmed down some, much to Vegeta's relief.

He met his gaze, thinking over his words. "...I'm not… used to you being this nice to me. I know you were trying to get me through that earlier, but still… I'm surprised you offered to bring me to a restaurant…"

He quickly regretted saying that. He hadn't intended it in a bad way.

Fortunately, Vegeta wasn't even all that offended by it. He was painfully aware of how his own personality issues could have led Goku to feeling that way. After all, those same issues were a large portion of the reason he and Bulma had gotten divorced.

For a long time, Vegeta was silent, his expression unreadable for Goku.

"Can I… tell you something…?" He finally asked.

"Of course, what is it?" Goku cocked his head curiously.

Vegeta gave a downcast look as folded his arms on the top of the table. "...When I first started living on Earth, I couldn't stand it here. But at some point… Bulma… She started showing me around, introducing me to new places, and I slowly began to realize exactly what this world has to offer, the food here being only a small portion of that. It's true that I don't always go out places like everybody else does, but… on occasion, I do like to come here, if only… just to unwind . That's the same reason I brought you here as well, because I thought it might help you somehow…"

He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair as he forced himself to find the words. He didn't want to make this worse or overstep his boundaries. In that moment, his vision was suddenly invaded by the blasted liquid forming in his eyes. "I just wanted… for you to see that there are still good things out there. Things you can look forward to… And what you said to me earlier… About wanting to die… It worried me, okay…? I…"

Goku felt a lump in his throat when he realized Vegeta was crying, not even sure how to respond. He hesitantly reached up and grazed his fingers over his shoulder, which was shaking. "Vegeta-"

"I won't lose you again… Not like that." Vegeta let the words slip out in an instant, revealing just how scared and hurt he was.

Unable to bear the guilt he was feeling for making Vegeta cry, Goku pulled him into an embrace. The physical contact scared him more than anything, but he had to do this, to offer something, even if he didn't have the words for it.

He rested his cheek on the top of Vegeta's head, seeming to surprise him. Vegeta clearly hadn't expected it, but slowly seemed to relax into his embrace. In that moment, Goku felt tears well up in his own eyes.

How could I have forgotten…? Back when I died fighting Cell and was gone all those years, Vegeta was one of the people who was affected the most by it.

"I'm sorry… I won't… I won't leave you…" His voice became raspy as he forced himself to continue. "...I'm just so… tired.., Vegeta , of everything… And after what happened this morning … I… "

In the end, he couldn't even finish the sentence. He was afraid to. Vegeta pulled back, meeting his gaze.

"I understand… Why don't we go back to Beerus's world and train some more…?" Vegeta said in as soft of a voice as he could manage. "Take some time away… and get your mind off of the things that have been stressing you out. Would you… like that…?"

"...I… I don't know…" Goku paused at his offer, mulling it over. "Maybe that would help…? It has been a while since I've been there."

Vegeta tenderly brushed some hair out of his face. "Alright. In a few weeks, after some of this mess dies down, We'll contact Whis and see if he can come and get us. In the meantime, I need you to press through this, and finish up answering any… questions they may have for you about… that man . Alright?"

"...Mhm." Goku yet again gave another sheepish nod. Despite the uncertainty he was feeling, some part of him wanted to trust Vegeta. After all, training always helped. It had to.

"I mean it ." Vegeta said grievously, pointing a hand at his chest and looking into his eyes with a great intensity. "If there is a problem , then you come talk to me so that we can solve it together, just like we did today. But running away and choosing death to deal with that problem ; that is something I will not allow, under any circumstances. Because suicide , Kakarot… That isn't the answer to anything. Are we clear?"

Despite hoping for a more wordy response, he felt a wave of relief pass over him when Goku at least offered another nod again, showing he was listening and hearing his words.

"Good. Now why don't we eat?" Vegeta smirked ever so slightly, wiping away the other Saiyan's tears once more before pulling back his hand to give him some space. "You'll probably feel a little better once you get some food into your stomach. Hand me the menu over there."

He still had so many questions that he wanted answers to, but right now he could easily tell Goku still wasn't ready to talk about them. He wouldn't pressure him for anything more. Even suggesting he come stay at Capsule Corp could wait. Goku already had too many things going on as it was.

Besides, they'd have plenty of time to discuss all of that other stuff in Beerus's world.

"This one?" Goku reached over and offered him the menu he saw, although there appeared to be a couple different ones.

"No, the other one." Vegeta said taking it when Goku switched it out. He then opened it so Goku could get a look at it. "What do you want to order?"

Goku leaned over, skimming some over some of the items. Vegeta tried his hardest not to blush at the close proximity of their faces, but failed miserably. Fortunately for him, Goku was too distracted by the menu to even notice it.

"I'm not sure, there's too much to choose from." Goku said after a long silence. The truth was he didn't want to waste any more of Vegeta's time than he already had. "Why don't you surprise me…?"

"What, you want me to choose for you?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Goku confirmed. "I figured you'd know more about which ones are good or not since you've been here before."

"You know. I could end up ordering something for you that you absolutely despise. Are you really okay with that outcome?" Vegeta asked, his voice dropping to a whisper. Unintentionally, it almost came across as flirtatious—a term that felt still relatively new to Vegeta's vocabulary despite all the time he had spent around Bulma .

"It's alright. I trust you to not choose anything too bad ." Goku smiled. "Besides, you know me, I'll eat basically anything. Just no peas."

"Why peas?" Vegeta inquired. "Do you dislike them?"

"Yeah, Chichi always nags me for it too." Goku mumbled. "She says they're good for me, but personally I can't stand them."

"I see." Vegeta smirked with a hint of mischief, interested in poking at this new sore spot and tease him a bit. "Then maybe I should order a large plate of peas, special just for you ."

"No, you wouldn't !" Goku glared, defensively.

" Try me." Vegeta said smuggly.

" Vegeta…! " Goku pulled away, pouting a bit.

Hold on, does he actually think I'm being serious…?

He acts like such a child sometimes.

Still… It's kind of… cute somehow… Shit, Why am I feeling guilty all of a sudden?!

"Relax. I was only kidding." He relented, deciding not to tease him any further, he looked away with a small blush. "To be honest, I don't really like them either."

Goku seemed surprised by the confession.

"What, you too ? I thought it was just me…"

"I don't… hate them, but they still taste weird." Vegeta explained. "I prefer to avoid them when I can."

Goku mulled over it. "For me, it's not just the taste. Something about the texture always makes me feel sick for some reason."

"I see. Well, Kakarot, you'll be glad to know that I have something different in mind than peas. I did say that the steak here is outstanding , didn't I? Would you like to try it?" Vegeta asked, already guessing what his answer would be.

"Yeah, steak sounds awesome. I'm starving right now." Goku said, his stomach growling.

Vegeta couldn't stop himself from smiling a bit. "Alright. Just give me a moment."

Vegeta then began to scan the room, looking around for the waiter as his finger tapped the table rhythmically. He then made eye contact with the waiter, who soon came over to them and asked for their order.

"... We'll have two Ribeyes and two filets mignons." Vegeta said. "Also a couple sides of mashed potatoes and gravy."

"Of course, is that all? Would you two like a drink to go with that?" The woman asked.

"Just water is fine. What about you, Kakarot?" Vegeta wanted to know.

"Oh, uh… Sweet Tea, I guess." Goku answered with some apprehension.

The waiter politely made her leave, and returned some time later with the two drinks as well as some silverware and their food.

Vegeta placed one of the sides of mashed potatoes and gravy in front of him as well as the knife. "Here, this one's for you. Just remember. We can always get more steak if you're still hungry after this."

"Okay." Goku said, despite the apprehension that was beginning to build up in him once more. It was hard not to worry right now. Sure, in this moment, he was just allowed to relax and eat, but what about later? What about down the road when he'd have to see that man's face again ?

He started fidgeting with the silverware, particularly the knife he had just picked up with the intention of cutting his steak. Out of nowhere, a voice entered his head, taunting him, telling him it would be the perfect kind of object to hurt himself - to make himself bleed - but he quickly scolded himself yet again, trying his best to ignore it.

Goku was long since used to suicidal thoughts popping into his head by now, but never once before today had he had outright urges to hurt himself just for the sake of it. He couldn't stand it.

Vegeta had asked him to talk about it if he felt like doing that again, but Goku didn't want to worry him, or disappoint him, especially when he was trying his best to make him feel better .

Vegeta noticed the way the other Saiyan was just holding the knife and staring. He had no idea what he was thinking but he didn't like the look in his eyes. Whatever was on his mind couldn't be good .

Cautiously, he forced himself to speak.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pretending not to notice it. "Aren't you going to cut it?"

"Oh… right…" Goku's voice was low, almost like he had come out of some kind of trance.

"What? Does it not look appetizing to you?" Vegeta sarcastically teased, despite being almost certain that it had nothing to do with the food.

"No, it looks great. And smells good too." Goku smiled, but Vegeta could tell it was forced.

"You sure sound confident." Vegeta deadpanned, before reaching out towards the knife he was holding. "Give me that. I'll cut it for you and make you try it."

Vegeta wouldn't normally do this but he needed an excuse to get the knife out of Goku's hand and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for that, to distract him from whatever dangerous thoughts could be going through his head.

"Vegeta…" Goku started to protest but didn't stop him.

Vegeta then began to cut the meat into perfect squares, using Goku's fork to pick up one of the pieces of steak. "Here, now tell me how it tastes."

"Hey, you don't have to feed me, you know. I can do this myself." Goku pouted again, his cheeks heating up.

At the sight, Vegeta felt like his face was on fire, his heart pounding faster than ever before when he realized the implications of what he himself was even doing .

He quickly turned his head away and shoved the fork holding the steak into Goku's chest, but not in an aggressive way. "Then just do it already, you clown…"

Was I really about to spoonfeed Kakarot? Damn it, what the hell has gotten into me?! I like him, but this is just embarrassing!

"Okay, fine, I will ." Goku muttered, taking it from him. He took the food into his mouth and began to chew on it. Within seconds, his eyes lit up, showing more life than they had had in them all day. He grinned excitedly as he let the flavor set in. "Oh man, you were right , Vegeta, this is delicious! It's perfectly seasoned and everything!"

Vegeta looked back over at him, feeling a warmth enter his chest when he saw that Goku was genuinely smiling this time.

"See, I told you, didn't I?" He said proudly, eating some of his own steak. "This restaurant is one of the most highly regarded in the city for a reason ."

"I can see why. I might just have to take you up on your offer for seconds, after all. You don't mind, do you?" Goku wanted to know.

"No, of course not. It's as I said before. You can have as much as you like. And besides," Vegeta assured him, before pulling out a card from inside his uniform. "It was Bulma who gave me this and told me I could get whatever I want with it so that's exactly what I'm doing, and I say… go wild ."

"Man, you're awful , Vegeta." Goku laughed, playfully pushing him.

"Am I really? Don't forget it's benefiting you as well right now, Kakarot." Vegeta pointed out.

Not that Bulma would have minded, she was loaded . They both knew that, and that's why they could joke so flippantly about it.

Goku giggled nervously. "Well, you got me there."

After that, the two continued to banter on, ordering plate after plate. They almost lost track of time, and for the first time all day - even if only for a little while - Goku actually felt at ease.

…

"Man, this place is awesome." Goku said as they were leaving the restaurant that night. "I had so much fun tonight, and the food here is great. Next time, though, there's a few other menu items that I'd like to try, if you're okay with it."

"Hold on, Kakarot, did you just say 'next time'? Are you actually implying you want me to bring you back here again?" Vegeta leaned in towards him with an auspicious look.

Goku's face heated up when he realized it himself.

"Why? Is that a problem…? I mean… We don't… have to… if you don't want to… I just thought…" Goku stammered a bit shyly, growing uncomfortable when Vegeta didn't respond immediately. "Sorry if I misunderstood…"

Did I say something wrong? I can't tell what he's thinking. I hope he's not mad at me… I really enjoyed spending this time with him, but I'm not sure if he feels the same about it as me. He seemed happy enough earlier , but…

Goku usually wasn't that obsessive over things like this, at least not to this degree, but he couldn't always read Vegeta.

"No, don't apologize. It's… fine." Vegeta said, surprised - worried even - by his sudden shift in mood. Goku looked emotionally vulnerable in that moment, like any wrong word could seriously hurt him.

Kakarot isn't usually like this. Does me agreeing to let him come with me again really mean that much to him? He could just come back here on his own so why? Well, whatever, it doesn't matter. I can't stand seeing him like this. I've got to say something.

He averted his gaze with a small blush. "Just as long as you don't bother me about it everyday, I guess I don't… mind… too much …"

"Wait, really?" Goku looked back up again, surprised and excited at that. He leaned in close to him, startling Vegeta a bit with his enthusiasm. "You mean you'd really be okay with it? With me being with you?"

It's not like it was a date proposal or anything, and yet with the way Goku was acting one would almost think he was asking him out or something . Fortunately, Vegeta knew him well enough to be able to assume that wasn't what Goku had in mind.

Still, Vegeta actually agreeing to spend personal time with him had made Goku really happy for some reason.

"S…Sure… But remember, only once in a while, alright…?" Vegeta said, flustered.

"I understand, I'll be sure not to bug you too much about it, but still…" Goku said. "Vegeta…?"

His voice cracked.

"Hm?" Vegeta glanced over at him, immediately rendered speechless when he saw the tears suddenly falling down Goku's face.

"Thank you… for everything." The other Saiyan choked out, trying to force a smile that had never looked sadder. His shoulders were starting to shake as he hung his head, hair falling in his face. "For just… putting up with me … I know I can be... really hard to deal with sometimes, not just for you, but everybody else as well. So you just… being here with me today, and over these past few months, even… It means more to me than you could ever even realize . I only wish that I could repay you somehow…, for everything you've done for me, the kindness you've shown me…"

Even Goku didn't know why he was crying this time, but he couldn't stop himself. His emotions had been running rampant all day. He felt so embarrassed by it. He wasn't the type of person who cried much, but today, after what happened, he hadn't been able to stop himself, the crying fits had been basically uncontrollable.

But Vegeta's efforts to comfort him and just talk with him, had sparked something inside of him, he couldn't possibly be more grateful to him right now.

"...Kakarot, look at me…" Vegeta approached him, carefully, gently . "You don't… need to owe me anything for this. I'm only here right now because I want to be. Not because of some obligation . All I ask…"

In that moment, he reached out and softly grabbed his hands, resting his forehead against Goku's chest. "All I want right now is for you to stay alive … Can you… promise me that you will at least try… ?"

Goku was quiet for a long time but finally spoke back up in a low voice, only audible because Vegeta was right in front of him.

"...Okay." Goku once again rested his cheek on Vegeta's head. "I will… For you… "

Vegeta closed his eyes for a second upon hearing that. He wanted Goku to do this for himself, not for him . But it was a better start than none. It was no doubt the best response he was going to get right now, and that was okay. Goku needed him right now; he needed support to get back on his feet. "I couldn't ask for anything more. Now… Let's get you back home."

…

When Goku and Vegeta returned to Chichi's, Vegeta decided it was time he probably should head home.

"Will you… be alright here?" He asked. "I mean… Do you need me to stay with you until the detective arrives? I don't mind…"

"Nah, I'll be fine… Just go on and get some rest already. I can tell that you're tired." Goku smiled. He didn't want to cause Vegeta any more trouble than he already had.

"Well, if you're absolutely certain about it, then fine... But…" Vegeta felt a lump forming in his throat as he spoke. "Kakarot…"

"What is it?" Goku inquired.

"...If you… ever need to talk… " Vegeta paused for a second with concern. "about anything… You know where you can find me."

Goku's response was curt, but not with bad intent. Just a simple, "Yeah."

At that moment, Vegeta did something completely unexpected. He hugged him for probably the thousandth time that day. The contact was soft yet firm at the same time. It wasn't one of comfort. This was different somehow. Goku was startled at first, almost scared, but more so confused than anything else. He didn't even know what to think until he heard the next words that came out of Vegeta's mouth.

"I want you to take care of yourself…" the smaller Saiyan mumbled into his chest. "That means no hurting yourself, got it?"

Goku's eyes widened a bit, before he smiled, hesitantly brushing a hand over Vegeta's head in an attempt to reassure him. His hair was surprisingly soft to the touch. Not that he hadn't felt it before, but he never had the time to focus on that until now.

"Hey, you don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine. I promise." He said that, but both he and Vegeta knew fully well that such thoughts and urges don't just go away overnight, nor does a traumatic event like what Goku had been through. This would take time. "Are you sure you don't want me to use my instant transmission to take you back to Capsule Corp?"

"No, it's fine. I'm planning to stay out a while longer." Vegeta admitted. Goku's hand felt nice, but Vegeta didn't want to linger on it. He looked up at him solicitously. "Just… Will you keep me updated?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, I'll let you know how things go as soon as I can."

"Alright, I'll see you later then…" Vegeta pulled away, giving his arm a small squeeze.

"Bye, Vegeta…" Goku mumbled quietly, as Vegeta flew off.

For a long time, Goku just stood there reflecting on everything that had transpired today, Vegeta's words of encouragement and praise echoing in his head. Somewhere deep inside of him, he felt a small boost of confidence, telling himself he could get through this. He sighed before heading back inside.

…

"So…, how was your night, Goku?" Chichi asked, when she saw him. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah. The steak at that place was awesome. You should try it sometime." Goku smiled, seeming just a little bit a happier than what he was earlier.

" Steak , huh? Wow, sounds like Vegeta really treated you well." Chichi smirked a bit. "The perks of being the father of Bulma's kids, I guess. That entire family is loaded. So did you two talk about anything while you were there?"

"Yeah, he said he wants me to come train with him again in Lord Beerus's world in a few weeks. He thought it would help me feel as better." Goku explained. "You don't mind, do you…?"

Normally, Chichi would have fussed at him, but after what had happened today, she knew Vegeta was right. She needed to give Goku some space, in more ways than one. And she trusted Vegeta. If he hadn't already talked with Goku about the other stuff, then he probably would at some other point when he was less weighed down by the matters at hand.

"No, of course not." Chichi nodded placing a hand on both of his shoulders. "Do what you need to, okay? I'll support you in whatever you choose to do. I just want you to get better."

"Okay, thanks, Chichi." Goku started to say. "I-"

He was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Oh, that must be the detective. Let me get it for you." Chichi said letting go and heading to the door, when she opened it, there were two women standing there, a darker skinned woman with dreadlocks who appeared to be in her mid twenties, and an older lady who had fair skin and brown hair. They introduced themselves as detectives, the younger woman being named Fran and the older one Carole.

"We're here to speak with Son Goku. Do you mind if we come in?" The other lady asked.

"Yeah, of course. He's over there." Chichi let them in.

"A detective? What's going on?" Goten suddenly popped his head into the kitchen, to quickly be escorted out by Chichi.

"Goten, honey, why don't we go up to your room for a little while?" Chichi said, taking his hand and urging him towards his room.

"Why? Is dad in trouble?" Goten asked in a low voice, confused.

"No, he's not. Your father was… hurt , sweetie." Chichi tried to explain, once they were in Goten's room. "They're trying to arrest the man that did it to him. That's why the detective is here, to talk with him about it."

"But why ?" He asked, his confusion growing. "Couldn't dad just beat up the person who did it to him? He's one of the strongest people in the whole universe."

What he didn't understand was that there were more ways to hurt somebody than just purely physical.

Chichi shook her head with a sad smile,

"... Sometimes, Goten… Power ... cannot beat… other kinds of power..." she explained to him. "... There are many kinds of power..."

"Well, what other kinds of power are there?" Goten titled his head at her, not entirely following her explanation.

"... Emotional ... power…, Controlling someone, or..." - Chichi paused for a moment, struggling to find the words without scaring him. "... Hurting someone… In ways other than just physical harm."

Is this really the only explanation she could come up with? She wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"You mean he made dad sad?" Goten inquired.

"... No..." she whispered. "...It's more than just sadness... It's something... that stays with you, for a very long time... Like an open wound..."

Goten thought about it for a second. "Like trauma?"

"...Trauma..." Chichi repeated, "... Yes... like trauma ... and... just like an open wound ... it will heal ... but it will leave a scar. And that scar … You never really heal from... You only... learn to live with it."

"So what did he do to him to traumatize him?" Goten probed for answer.

"He... assaulted your father..." Chichi whispered, "... and... he made him feel... unsafe in his own body… He hurt him... in a way, that he... will never fully heal from emotionally... Does that... make sense?"

"I think so… Did he… rape dad?" Goten looked up at her with a saddened look on his face.

Goten might be a child but he wasn't stupid. He did know about those things, and yet Chichi's heart broke as soon as the vulgar word came out of his mouth.

"...Yes, Goten... He did... that's why..." She paused for a moment; she closed her eyes, and then she inhaled a deep breath before letting it out, slowly. "...you father… has to talk to the detective... in order to get justice... Just promise me something, Goten."

Goten couldn't stand seeing her looking so sad. "What is it, mom?"

"If you ever meet somebody... anybody… and you loved them ... do not ever touch them... in a way... that would make them feel..." Her voice trembled "... unsafe , or uncomfortable . Do not ever do that, to anyone . Do you hear me? ...Can you promise me that?" she asked, feeling as if she needed his reassurance.

Goten nodded. "I promise. I'd never do that to anybody unless they asked me to."

The boy's simple promise felt like such a great relief to Chichi - it wasn't quite the promise that she had asked for, but she would just have to take it. She needed to hear the words from him; and that was the best that she could get.

"Thank you..." Chichi pulled him into a hug. "...Thank you, Goten... And I promise... to do everything... that I can to help your father ... so that he can heal... Can you also promise me that?... That you will be there for him?"

"Okay… I don't want Dad to be sad either, so I'll try to do everything I can to make him feel better." Goten said. "But Mom…? Can I... go and spend the night with Trunks?"

Goten's question abruptly changed the subject. This was no doubt a lot for him to process.

"Of course, Goten, go ahead…" Chichi was surprised for a moment, but it was probably for the best , as she didn't want him to be here... around this. It was too overwhelming, too much to bear. "Just… be safe, okay?"

Goten had already started picking out a change of clothes and a pair of pajamas by the time he spoke. "Don't worry, I will."

Chichi then took a deep breath, to settle the sudden wave of unease she was feeling, before smiling. She then left the room, letting out a small sigh as she returned to the kitchen.

…

"If you could show me where he lives, that would be a huge help." Fran had said after chatting with Goku for a bit and asking him some basic questions.

"Yeah. I'd be glad to." Goku offered, following them out to their car. He didn't often rely on cars or transportation since he could always fly or use his instant transmission, but once in a while it felt nice to just sit back and ride in a vehicle for a change of pace.

He told them the area to drive to and watched in silence as houses and trees passed him by. Once they reached the area he led them to the exact place. It was part of a townhouse. Even seeing the place again was difficult for him and brought back memories he wanted more than anything forget right now.

"Which one is it?" The detective asked.

Goku pointed at it. "It's that one. The door on the furthest right."

Having her answer, the detective thanked him and left again. They still needed a warrant, but at least they had his location now. It was a better start than none.

All throughout the process the two spoke with compassion and understanding saying that he was brave for coming forth, just like everybody else had been telling him, but he didn't really say much. He couldn't.

…

Vegeta stood in an isolated area with nothing but the ground and rubble surrounding him.

Thought after thought continued swarming through his head, remembering everything Goku had told him; every single detail.

Just knowing that the person he loved had been raped and violated hurt more than he could stand, but the memory of seeing Goku crying and hurting himself, the self-inflicted injury on his wrist, frustrated him just as much.

What if my just being here for him isn't enough? What if he hurts himself again or worse ? What should I do? I don't want to lose him again, I can't…

Damn it, all of this is that bastard's fault. That monster deserves to die for what he did, yet all Kakarot wants to do is put him in jail?! To let the police handle it?! It doesn't make sense! We could just kill him and be done with it !

Vegeta clenched his fists, gritting his jaw.

…But still… If I did that… I would be taking away… the only thing Kakarot has left .

This is his choice , his trauma, his right to a trial. I have… no right to interfere with that.

That realization instantaneously hit him like a ton of bricks.

More than anything, even more than revenge, all he wanted right now was for Goku to get better, to heal . To be there for him and support him in whatever way he could.

So if that meant leaving it up to Krillin and the others to handle this, then Vegeta would ultimately have no choice but to do that. But still, it infuriated him and filled him with an unrivaled sense of helplessness.

In that moment, there was nothing more he could do.

Except shout.

Vegeta shouted, at the top of his lungs, letting out every bit of frustration and anger that he had been bottling it up.

His throat was slightly sore by the time he was done, but he didn't care. He started blindly sending chi blasts towards rocks and stones for no other reason than to let off steam.

Once he calmed down some, the area was in shambles. Soon, he returned home, ignoring Bulma's attempt at questioning him or the concern she was feeling for why he looked so upset. In the end, he went straight to bed without showering or anything. He was just… exhausted .

…

Over the course of the next few days, Goku was in more pain than ever. He didn't want to say it out loud, but even using the bathroom hurt like hell, and the urges to hurt himself had only been getting worse as the memories continued flooding back to him, things which he had temporarily blocked out right out after the assault.

"I can't believe he would do that to you." Goku heard Chichi say, somewhere in his clouded state of awareness when she inquired about the pain he seemed to be in and he had no choice but to once again explain that it was from where he had been penetrated.

He didn't respond that time. Instead, he sat down on his bed, looking at the cell phone that Bulma had given him.

Goku didn't use cell phones often, he found no reason to. But he did choose to keep that one, just in case he needed to ask Bulma something or call somebody else without using instant transmission and arriving at the most inopportune moments.

However, as he stared at the messages on screen, he quickly found himself wishing he didn't have one.

"Hey, it's Allan."

"You up? I sure know I am."

"I miss you already."

"I really miss you."

"I want to take you on a date. I'll treat you nice."

"I can tell you're mad at me. I know I may have messed up with you. I'm sorry. I admit I went too far and got carried away. You're just so hot, I couldn't help myself. You made me so passionate. Don't worry, though, I'll chill out."

At the time, it seemed like a good idea to give his rapist his number just to hold up the image that he really was planning on coming back, but he was sure that everybody around him would think him stupid for what he had done. As long as that man knew his number, he could keep contacting him.

Did the police need to know about this?

What should I do?

"I'm sorry, it's nothing personal, but I think you need to find somebody who actually wants that from you. I'm just not the right person for you and I guess it's partly my own fault for not standing up to you more about how I was feeling." He started to type, not even sure what he was apologizing to him for.

He had said how he was feeling, yet the man didn't respect his request to stop or let him go until he had kept him there over four hours, so why…?

Why did he still feel so bad for all of this…?

He quickly sent the message before blocking the number. He called Bulma immediately after. It didn't take her long to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bulma, I sort of have a… favor to ask." Goku felt awkward even asking for this. "You wouldn't mind… uh… maybe changing my number, would you?"

"No? Not really… Why? What's up?"

"Well, uh you see… There's this… guy… who messaged me earlier, and I don't want him contacting me again." Goku tried to explain. "I just blocked him, but I'm worried that he could message me again from another number."

"Well, okay, but you'll have to bring your phone by here when you get a chance. I can't change the number unless I have it in hand."

"Alright, thanks Bulma." Goku smiled softly.

"It's no problem. I'll see you later, Goku. Make sure you call me first before you come here."

"Okay, Bye." Goku said, before sighing, tossing the phone off to the side. He started debating. What if Bulma saw the messages and found out about all of this?

Would everybody doubt him as a victim if they saw how he responded to him?

As question after question plagued him, his mind started spiraling in a bunch of different directions.

Before he could think of what to say or do, Chichi called out his name, asking him to come into the kitchen, because somebody wanted to talk to him. It was the detective.

He was then brought back to the police department and led into a small room with a single table and dry erase board hanging on the wall. He was given a water and left to his own devices on several occasions, in which he boredly doodled some faces on the dry erase board.

Over the course of the few hours he was there, he was asked to go into full depth about his experience and what he remembered.

Vegeta wasn't there with him that time, so the process was nerve wracking for him, especially when he was asked to go into full depth about his experience.

"We just have one final question for you. When he was doing those things to you, how did this make you feel?"

Feeling disgusted as he once again thought back to it, he told them the exact same thing he had told Vegeta:

"It made me feel like an animal, like I wasn't even a real person to him…"

"Thank you. That should be all for now."

Much to his comfort, his prosecuting team seemed nice, and praised him for all the info he had given them, telling him once more how brave he was for coming forth over this.

He was then brought back to the police department and led into a small room with a single table and dry erase board hanging on the wall. He was given a water and left to his own devices on several occasions, in which he boredly doodled some faces on the dry erase board.

Over the course of the few hours he was there, he was asked to go into full depth about what had happened, even how he felt at the time.

Vegeta wasn't there with him that time, so the process was nerve wracking for him, but somehow he made it through it.

Much to his comfort, they seemed nice enough, and praised him for all the info he had given them, telling him once more how brave he was for coming forth over this.

Against his desire to hide it, he also ended up showing them the messages on his phone which he decided to bring, knowing it would be brought up at some point, anyways. One of the women took a picture of it to presumably use it as evidence.

Once he was finished, he used his instant transmission to appear before Bulma. He was so rattled from the experience that he didn't think to ask first if she was decent to see him.

"Goku! I told you to call me first before you did that!" She screamed angrily, quickly wrapping a towel around herself. She had just gotten out of the shower. This wasn't the first time this had happened. "Get out!"

Goku practically cried when a shampoo bottle was thrown at his face.

"Ahh! I'm sorry, it won't happen again, I promise! Anyway, here's my phone! I'm just gonna go and talk with Vegeta for a while now, so bye, Bulma!"

He disappeared almost as quickly as he had come, leaving the phone on a shelf.

…

Vegeta was standing in the Gravity Chamber, wiping some sweat off of his face. He had just turned it off when he saw Goku appear next to him, still holding the bottle that had been thrown at him. His shirt was off.

"Owwww, geez that actually hurt." Goku grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Let me guess, you landed in Bulma's bathroom while she was showering?" Vegeta deadpanned. He'd have probably scolded him, but Bulma seemed to have already taken care of that one.

"Yeah, but she didn't have to throw a shampoo bottle at me…" Goku pouted a bit. "Well, I guess it is kind of my fault for not calling first."

"So what are you doing here, anyways?" Vegeta asked.

"Oh, yeah, there's something I need to talk with you about if you don't mind. You're not busy, are you?"

"No, it's fine." Vegeta pointed over to his side. "Just sit down over there."

…

"So… Have there been any more updates?" Vegeta inquired simply, as he took a seat next to Goku, drinking from a bottle of water.

"Not yet, but they did have me go in for more questioning again just a little while ago. I had to talk to them about everything that happened, even the way it made me feel." Goku mumbled. "But I couldn't remember everything."

"Try not to worry about it too much. Nobody is expecting you to remember everything. What's important right now is that you answered everything to the best of your abilities." Vegeta reassured him.

"Also… that man … he messaged me earlier." Goku suddenly said.

"He what ?" Vegeta looked at him incredulously. "What did he say?"

"He said that he had gone too far… but I was… so hot that he couldn't help himself…" Goku swallowed, with an ashamed expression. "He wanted to take me on a date."

"After what he did-" Vegeta couldn't believe his ears. The idea of using somebody's looks as an excuse to- to do something like that. He was beside himself. "Ignore him. It doesn't matter how attractive you are, there was absolutely no justification whatsoever for him to put his hands on you when you didn't want him to. He-"

"I responded to him…" Goku interrupted, glaring at the floor. Vegeta's eyes widened when he heard that. He was about to ask him why he even bothered messaging him back, but before he could, Goku continued. "I said that he needed to find somebody that actually wanted that from him. I told him that it was partly my fault for not communicating with him better and apologized. But I… I did communicate, Vegeta…! I kept telling him I wasn't comfortable with it, that I didn't think I wanted to do that. I even asked to leave over five times . But he wouldn't listen, so why? Why do I feel so guilty about this…?"

As Goku spoke he started rubbing his hand over his wrist cuff, trying his best to hold back the urge to scratch at his wrist which was itching due to how sore it still was.

Vegeta sighed, seeing it, having an idea of what he was thinking. After a moment, he looked down and grabbed Goku's hand that was starting to reach towards his skin. "You have nothing… to feel guilty for… There isn't anything you could have said that would have changed that bastard's mind. Not a single thing ."

"Yeah, but maybe if I had been more clear, then he-" Goku started to argue.

"No . I will not allow you to take responsibility for the twisted actions of somebody else…" Vegeta said firmly, staring at him with an intense expression, before gazing back down at his arm. Slowly, he trailed his thumb down Goku's skin over some fresh scratches. They weren't the worst but it still frustrated him to see them. "He wanted your body, Kakarot ... for his own satisfaction... He knew you were uncomfortable, but he did it anyway…"

"I don't know why it hurts you so much."

Goku bit his lip, suddenly clutching at his head with his free hand as Allan's voice flooded into his mind. "He did… recognize… that I was in pain… but he… didn't know why."

In that moment, it was like he could feel himself being penetrated all over again.

"Calm down, and listen to me…" Vegeta said with desperation. "...You don't... need to waste your time trying to understand what he did or why. The only thing that matters is that it was wrong. Do you hear me? It was wrong."

"I just wish I… did something to stop him." Goku's voice cracked, he couldn't face him.

"Damn it, Kakarot, look at me…" Vegeta reached up and placed a hand on both sides of his face, getting him to look him in the eyes. "You can't keep finding ways to blame yourself for this, because if you do… then you will never be able to find the peace - or the happiness - that you deserve… Because This . Was. Not. Your. Fault. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Goku was silent for a moment before nodding.

The truth was he was still trying to rationalize it. Trying to find some way to fault himself. To take responsibility for what had been done to him.

And yet… deep down, something inside of him almost wanted to believe Vegeta's words to him. It didn't make the pain go away, of course, but just hearing his reassurance provided some limited level of comfort, that he couldn't bring himself to couldn't muster up on his own.

"Good. Now I'm going to go and get some more water. Do you want any?" Vegeta asked, starting to get up.

"Wait," Goku suddenly grabbed his hand to stop him.

"What is it?" Vegeta inquired.

"...After you do that, can I…" Goku swallowed hesitantly, looking at him with uncertainty. "spar with you for a while?"

He had never had a hard time asking this question before, but some part of him was worried that after everything that had happened the other day, he had made things awkward between them somehow and Vegeta wouldn't want to train with him anymore.

"I guess I don't mind, but…" he considered his words for a moment. "Are you sure you're ready to? It's fine if you still need some time. After what happened."

Goku shook his head. "Yeah, I can handle it. I need to let off some steam."

Vegeta studied him for a moment, before giving in. "Very well, but first.. I want you to go and eat a senzu bean. I saw you limping earlier. I can tell you're still in pain…"

Not only that but all the other self-inflicted scratches that were covering his arms were bothering him. Vegeta wanted Goku in peak shape before he fought with him again or none of this would feel right to him.

"I can press through it, though. I don't need it." Goku tried to protest.

"Yes, you do ." Vegeta said intensely, refusing to let up on this. "Just… do what I said , Kakarot. For me."

Goku finally caved. He couldn't deny Vegeta this request. He laughed nervously. "Well, if you're so insistent about it, I guess I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

"Hmph." Vegeta smirked. "Just so we're clear, I'm not about to go easy on you once you're healed."

Goku responded in kind. "Good. I wouldn't have it any other way."

…

A/N: Wow, uh, yeah, so… that was a LOT to take in and write for me. So first off thank you so much for all the feed back and kudos. Every positive comment I recieve means more than you could know. Just sharing this part of my life in this story has been exceedingly difficult for me.

From this point on, I'm mostly gonna be focusing on the recovery aspect, and slowly building up to the VegeKaka stuff. I hope somebody enjoyed this because I'm really nervous about it. And, yes, the whole cell phone message thing actually happened, after I reported the guy.

I'm also having a hard time writing Vegeta. He's usually the "tough love" kind of guy, but I want to imagine him being capable of showing more of the "softer" side of him that we don't see a lot in the show itself. I can only hope others are enjoying this take as much as I am because I feel insecure as hell right now.

I have to go back in next week to the court house next week to discuss further info on my trial and prepare more with my prosecuting team so I'm so nervous right now nngggghhhhhhh.

For those who aren't aware, my goal with this story is to explore things like arousal doesn't equal consent and break common stereotypes about rapists that feed into rape culture.

I want to break this notion that all rapists are "violent" per say. Sometimes, rapists are actually less aggressive on the surface level. They put pressure on you and use coercion, they make you feel guilty so it leads you to wonder if you're the one in the wrong or led them on somehow. Even if you asked to leave five times, or specified that you weren't comfortable, you'll still feel to blame like I did. But it's not your fault. As an autistic person who has trouble standing up for myself and doesn't always read social cues, I had to learn this over time on my own, that I wasn't the only one who had been through something like that.

That being said, I do hope nobody will take Goku's trust issues in this chapter as an attack on Vegeta or anybody else, because that wasn't my intentions. For the sake of this story, Goku already has established feelings for him but after what Allan did to him, it's gonna be a bit before he can get to the actual point of being in a relationship with him.

Even for me I still find it hard to trust others to this today. I couldn't even trust my own family for a while after it happened and have nightmares sometimes. Trauma is crazy and i haven't even had a therapist since then so huge fat joy there. But I am trying to work on it.

Lastly, my memories from my time in the hospital and some of the following days are very hazy because it was back in 2021. Because of that some descriptions are vague because I can't even remember them well myself.

Gonna be honest, though, I'm not all that happy with how this chapter turned out just because of how bad my memory was, so I may yet delete and reupload at some point or delete all together, still not sure if I want to keep this story up, unless people are really that insistent on me keeping it up, I just feel so insecure right now haha. :'(