"You know this isn't the first time you've been to my father's apartment." Kakarot laughed he knew Vegeta was nervous even though he wasn't showing it at all on the outside.
"I know that idiot, but this time is different." Vegeta huffed in his normal hard voice he used when he was outside the safety of his room.
"I know; I know." Kakarot laughed as he stopped in front of his father's door and knocked.
"Hay boy's, it's been a while." Bardock laughed as he opened the door and let the pair enter. Bardock was in his normal home wear cloths which consisted of a loose black t-shirt and a pair of baggy jogging bottoms. "Pardon the appearance, not really the thing you wear when greeting royalty." Bardock laughed as he led them into the living room.
"What you cooking dad? Whatever it is it smells amazing." Kakarot laughed as he jumped onto the nearest sofa.
"You'll have to wait and see I've done a mix of different things, I've slightly over prepared." Bardock again laughed as he slapped Vegeta on the back, "You can sit down you know, you don't need to stand on ceremony here, make yourself at home."
"Ye sure, sorry…" Vegeta said now letting the nervousness in his voice come out not able to hold it back any longer, the moment he saw Bardock he panicked internally and had managed to wear himself out.
"Well I'll go get some drinks." Bardock said before disappearing into the kitchen. Kakarot saw his chance and reached over; grabbed Vegeta by the hand and led him over to the sofa next to him.
"Calm down, you'll only make yourself dizzy." Kakarot laughed as he pulled Vegeta into a quick hug to try and calm him down.
"I thought I would be fine but the moment I saw your Father I just panicked…" Vegeta confessed as he took deep breaths.
"It's fine, trust me, I was nervous too but just sit back and relax, life my dad said make yourself at home." Kakarot soothed as he quickly kissed Vegeta on the head before his Father came back into the room with huge trays full of drinks and food. "Dig in boys." Bardock laughed as Kakarot's face lit up.
"God I'm so full." Kakarot huffed as he stretched out on the sofa and patted his belly.
"That was amazing." Vegeta smiled his thanks.
"Glad you enjoyed it, as I said I think I over prepared but I'm glad to see it was all eaten." Bardock smiled as he handed Vegeta (who had finally managed to relax and enjoy himself half way through the meal) and handed him another beer.
"Who taught you how to cook? I may have to get them to teach my cooking staff." Vegeta half laughed.
"Well unfortunately it was my late mate who taught me, she was adamant she would never accept my mating proposal until I knew how to cook." Bardock looked out of the window and smiled happily at the memory.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to bring up the past."
"Don't be sorry, your part of the family now so you'll learn all about us sooner or later."
"Oh right… Well I guess so." Vegeta stuttered as embarrassment took over.
"Oi Kakarot; don't fall to sleep." Bardock yelled as he threw a pillow over at his son who was slowly passing out into a food coma.
"I'm awake; I'm awake." Kakarot slurred sleepily as he sat up quickly and came to attention.
"Idiot" Bardock rolled his eyes "Boy listen up I have some news for you so wake up."
"What news? Is everything alright?" Kakarot asked as he rubbed sleep from his eyes and yawned.
"Your bother will be returning to the planet in about a month's time, you will have to ready yourself for the battle." Bardock laughed and looked over to Vegeta. "my eldest son Raditz has been part of the army since he was old enough to sign up, since that time he has only ever come back to the planet twice and every time he is back; he and a group from the regiment he oversees will challenge Kakarot daily, this will be the first time he has returned since Kakarot was promoted to Lieutenant of the Royal Guard. Kakarot technically outranks Raditz now so he will be coming back to prove he is the better brother." Bardock explained as Kakarot moaned and huffed to himself about the situation.
"Seems like you'll have your work cut out for you then?" Vegeta mocked as he nudged Kakarot in the ribs.
"Raditz hates me because I have his dream job so he tried to 'put me in my place' every time he is back on the planet."
"What did he want to be Lieutenant?" Vegeta asked curiously.
"That and your personal body guard, he believes he was better suited for the job because he is the eldest."
"I will admit, my eldest has a horrible tendency to believe he is the best at what he does, now don't get me wrong he is bloody good, his strategic mind is fantastic but he believes that makes him… untouchable." Bardock confessed with a smile.
"Well maybe once he is back on the planet I can meet him, we are always looking out for good strategists in the intelligent sector and from what I hear there is a shortage at the moment." Vegeta thought out loud.
"Well you will need to meet him eventually now you're part of the family and everything, and don't worry I won't say a word to him about the pair of you." Bardock smiled reassuringly which put Vegeta at ease.
"Oh he would love that, 'hi bro, did you know I'm married to the prince'?" Kakarot laughed to himself as he played out the scene in his head.
Bardock lent forward closer to Vegeta as Kakarot continued to ramble to himself "You know if you ever want to get a divorce I completely understand." Bardock whispered making the pair laugh out loud.
Throughout the evening Bardock and Vegeta did most of the talking, they spoke about the newest science department which had just opened and what they were working on, Bardock spoke about his work as the Chief Science Officer and what that entailed and Vegeta spoke about meetings he had been involved in and how he would like to change a few things once he was King. Eventually Kakarot has fallen asleep and left the pair to their conversations. "Oh is that the painting from your old house?" Vegeta asked as he spotted the family portrait which was the last Kakarot's mother was involved in; he has seen it before when he first met Kakarot all those years ago.
"Ye it is, I brought it with me when I moved into here, I like to have it close." Bardock smiled sadly as he looked up at the painting. "We all looked so young back then; it's hard to believe that was done over 20 years ago now."
"It's very different from my 'Families Portraits' you all look so happy in yours." Vegeta confessed.
"I guess it's different when you're Royalty, must be difficult at times."
"Sometimes it feels that way but I'm used to it now, It was mostly when I was younger I hated being a Prince, not even Kakarot knows this but when I was younger I actually planned to run away and life what I thought was a 'normal life' but then my mother found my plan and scolded me severally, then made me promise never to leave her side." Vegeta confessed.
"I could imagine; I had the honour of meeting the late Queen a few times while I was climbing up the ranks in the science department."
"I wish I could remember her… I try to think back to how she looked or how she may have sounded but it always comes up blank." Vegeta put his hands in his lap and looked down saddened.
"You were extremely young when you lost her so it's to be expected, don't you have a photo of her so you can look back and see her?" Bardock ask slightly concerned.
"I did but after she died, my father had them all removed and locked the family portraits away that we had done before she died , it wasn't long after that he started taking any loose females to his bed." Vegeta confessed as his sadness turned into anger.
"I had heard rumours but I never wanted to believe them." Bardock put his hand on Vegeta's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it, to be honest if it hadn't have been for Nappa, Kakarot and you I don't know how I would have turned out. I remember when you found out my mother had died, you had me and Nappa both stay over at the old house for a few weeks just so I wasn't bombarded and harassed by the press, that was the first time apart from Nappa I thought someone actually cared about me as a Sayian and not just because of a title."
"It didn't matter to me if you were a Prince or not; you were a child who had gone through a loss no child your age should have to go through, it was the least I could have done, the last thing you needed was nosey reporters shoving cameras and microphones in your face." Bardock lent forward in his chair so he was sat Level with Vegeta on the Sofa they were sharing, he draped his large arm over the Prince's shoulder and brought him in for a half hug.
"I've learnt a lot about what it means to have a family from you and Kakarot, I now understand this 'loving warmth' Kakarot used to babble on about when we were kids, I only ever got warmth from Nappa and my Mother, but with her it was only very rarely not even when I was sick or when you brought me back after being lost in the woods." Vegeta didn't know why he was telling Bardock all of this, but something about him made Vegeta feel safe and calm, he believed he could tell the older Sayian anything and he would strive to help in any way he could, even if that was to just sit back and listen. Vegeta smiled to himself as he thought about Bardock, "I have a strange request to ask of you."
"Go on, I will do it if it is within my power." Bardock spoke softly as he squeezed a little tighter on Vegeta's shoulder.
"Can I call you Dad too, like Kakarot does?" He felt his cheeks redden as he made his request.
"Sure you can." Bardock laughed as he rested Vegeta's head on his shoulder and ran his hand up and down Vegeta's arm. "I am technically your father in law so dad will be fine, and I'll call you son if that's alright, can't really go around calling you 'boy' like I do with Kakarot."
"I would like that." Vegeta smiled as he felt his eyes grow heavier as sleep took hold of him. Kakarot used to tell him about how he would fall to sleep on his Fathers shoulder some time's, even if he wasn't tied he could guarantee the moment his head touched his fathers shoulder he was ready to sleep, there was something calming about being around Bardock, it was like his Aura would reach out and cover you in a warm and calming glow.
"How long has he been asleep?" Kakarot asked as he stretched and stood up.
"About an hour, I didn't expect him to fall asleep." Bardock laughed as his son came over and picked Vegeta up in his arms like a child.
"It because he is comfortable with you, you know when Vegeta feels safe because he can sleep soundly." Kakarot smiled as he looked at Vegeta's blissful face.
"You gonna be alright carrying him back? I don't mind if you want to put him in my bed." Bardock offered as he stood up and cleared a few empty cans off the floor.
"No I should really take him back, I think he has meetings in the morning so it will be easier for him from his room."
"Not a problem, well call if you need anything." Bardock smiled as he ruffled his son's hair. "Mind how you go." Bardock added as he placed a hand on Vegeta's forehead gently so he wouldn't wake him.
"Next time you'll have to come over ours." Kakarot laughed as he smiled his farewell and headed back to the room.