Goku stood with his head bowed and arms crossed. The wavering voice delivering the eulogy buzzed through his ears as his frown deepened, not because of the orator's words, but because of the thoughts running through his head.
He knew this was going to happen, and now he felt incredibly guilty for having been powerless to prevent it. Bulma was dead. There he stood, gathered with his close friends and Bulma's family, burying his longtime friend-a tragedy he never would have imagined possible. Still, no one understood what had happened to her; there were no answers regarding this mysterious illness that lead to Bulma's death. When Goku ground his teeth in frustration, Chi-Chi's small hand wrapped around his arm, offering him comfort with her warmth.
Goku placed a hand over hers, keeping his chin down. He pressed his lips tightly together as the eulogy ended and Dr. and Mrs. Brief stepped forward to spend a moment of silence over the coffin. He could hear Chi-Chi sobbing in his ear as he watched Mrs. Brief become nearly hysterical with grief, while Dr. Brief hugged her tightly to calm and restrain her.
Goku tightened his grip on Chi-Chi's hand. This shouldn't have happened. He didn't understand, but he wanted to. As rain clouds settled over the open cemetery, Goku looked away from the congregation to sight a shadowy figure standing beneath the shade of a distant oak tree. When his eyes lit on the figure, he became overwhelmed with the sensation that he was being watched. Goku narrowed his eyes at the sight, peering more closely until the figure moved to disappear behind the tree.
"Goku, are you ready?"
Goku looked down towards his shoulder to see Chi-Chi's puffy-eyed gaze set expectantly on him. He offered her the most reassuring smile he could muster and choked out, "Yeah."
They stepped together towards the coffin, offering their late friend a final goodbye before Mrs. Brief took them by surprise by letting lose a grief-stricken wail behind them. They turned at her sudden outburst, seeing Dr. Brief holding her tightly as she fought his hold and screamed.
"She can't be dead!" Mrs. Brief cried before her sobs racked her body so much that she finally fell silent and into the comforting grip of her husband's arms.
The consoling of others around her seemed to help the grieving mother, though Goku and Chi-Chi exchanged a worried glance after witnessing the scene. It seemed Mrs. Brief was not handling Bulma's death well at all. They could only hope she would recover from this in time, they both thought, as they solemnly joined hands and turned to leave the cemetery.
When Chi-Chi's light sobs started up again and Goku could feel her shoulder shaking against his arm, Goku released his grip on her hand to place his hand on her back and rub consolingly. As they passed the oak tree, he glanced in that direction, hoping to get a closer look at who had been lurking in the shadows. The tree was abandoned, but Goku sighted the man walking away from the cemetery, concealed by an umbrella held overhead.
The heavy moisture of falling rain drops pelted Goku's skin. As much as he wanted to pursue that man, he knew he needed to get Chi-Chi to shelter before the rain came down. He reached the car with Chi-Chi still in his embrace, frowning in the direction of the disappearing man as he opened the car door.
When Chi-Chi slid into the car and he closed the door, Goku hesitated there, ignoring the surmounting moisture on his head and arms as the rain fell faster. Something wasn't sitting right with him about that unknown presence near the oak tree. Bulma's death, though apparently caused by an illness, felt so unnatural. That presence felt unnatural to Goku. Unnatural as the presence felt, it also felt oddly familiar-like he had known it all his life.
When the rain progressed to the point that Goku realized he was getting drenched, he finally opened his door, ducking into the car to join Chi-Chi and head home for a dreary day that was to continue in mourning.
Vegeta awoke in the dawn of night to find Nappa standing over him. He was still tired-leaving his protective soil during the hours of daylight to view that funeral zapped much of his strength. However, he could not resist that voyeuristic temptation. It had been so long since he'd last been able to attend the funeral of one of his victims. That storm rolled in just in time to deter the sunlight enough for him to make his secretive appearance of the pleasing event. Now, he was staring impassively at his frowning servant, wondering what had prompted Nappa to preemptively wake him from his sleep.
Nappa swallowed nervously. "Forgive my intrusion, Prince Vegeta."
Vegeta's patience thinned as he sat upright and intensified his gaze at the servant.
Nappa nervously licked his lips. "There was a knock at the castle doors earlier."
When Nappa's surprising remark captured his interest, Vegeta stiffened. "Did you allow anyone into my castle, Nappa?"
"No! Of course not, Prince Vegeta."
Vegeta sighed as he climbed out of his safe haven of soil to stand and meet his servant's eyes on a closer level.
"But," Nappa said, "I thought you would want to know about the purpose of the visit as soon as possible." Nappa paused to gauge Vegeta's reaction, but quickly continued when the vampire glowered impatiently. "It was Goku Son, asking whether you had attended Bulma Brief's funeral."
"Goku Son!" Vegeta's brows lowered. "Did you tell him I did not attend?"
Nappa bit his lip and nodded. "I told him you were feeling ill and therefore unavailable to attend the funeral or receive his visit today, Master." As Vegeta clenched his jaw and turned to his wardrobe to dress, Nappa watched the vampire nervously. "Is that...what you wanted me to say?"
Vegeta sighed loudly as he dressed. "Why did he want to know whether I was at the funeral?" He turned to face Nappa with a suspicious gaze. "He thought he saw me?"
"Yes, Prince Vegeta. He said he thought he might have seen you, and he was wondering if you were there because you knew something about the circumstances surrounding the woman's death."
So Goku Son knew it was Vegeta lurking on the outskirts of the funeral. But he shouldn't have been able to. Vegeta knew it would be impossible for any human to recognize him there. He kept himself hidden well enough. The only way Goku could have known Vegeta was there was if he sensed him somehow. Not just any human could do that. And if he suspected that Vegeta knew about Bulma's death, then things were already unraveling too fast for Vegeta's liking.
Vegeta grunted. "Damn. I didn't expect to arouse his suspicion so soon."
"It's not just him, Master."
"What do you mean?"
"The whole town is talking about it. No one understands how she died. The woman was young and healthy and unharmed as far as anyone knew." Nappa shrugged. "I think the whole town is taking her death pretty hard. She was very well-liked."
Vegeta smirked. "Well, won't they be surprised when they see her again."
Nappa's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Master?"
"Never mind that. This only strengthens my suspicions." Vegeta closed his wardrobe and hastily approached the stairs, before whipping around to face Nappa. "There is no time to waste. If Goku Son is who I think he is, he will see what has happened to Bulma faster than any of the other fools in this town. He might not understand clearly, but I think that's why he came to me. I need to see him tonight, to determine if he really is Kakarot."
"Kakarot?" Nappa asked in confusion as Vegeta stomped up the stairs. Nappa shook his head. "H-how will you be able to tell, Master?"
Vegeta chuckled at the muffled shout of his servant from below when he reached the top of the stairs. "I have my ways, Nappa."
Vegeta smiled with anticipation. If he'd truly found Kakarot reincarnated as he suspected, Vegeta could restore the human's immortality and make him remember his past. The two of them could rule over Vegetasei together like they used to. Vegeta's immortal life would be so much fuller with him in it.
Vegeta chuckled deviously before sweeping towards the nearest window and flying into the night sky. His next victim was waiting, and if Vegeta's suspicions were correct, would be pleasantly surprised by Vegeta's visit.
Goku's eyes fluttered open as he awakened alone in his room from a deep sleep with the sense of not being alone. His eyes instantly drew to the balcony doors before him, even as he squinted to focus his gaze through the haze of recent slumber.
Through the panes of glass, an eerie fog swirled and floated through the air outside, as if announcing an ominous presence. Goku lay still as he warily eyed the movements of the mist. He nearly expected a figure to emerge from the ambiguous and random swirls of white against the canvas of black outside his window.
Upon seeing no such emergence, Goku rested his head on his soft pillow again. As his eyes shut, the indistinguishable sound of a latch opening in the vicinity of the balcony alerted him again. Goku's eyes shot open and his heart began to pound in his chest as he slowly lifted his head again, towards the doors. This time, the mist outside invited itself in through the small crack of an opening between the unlatched double doors.
From outside, the crickets hummed steadily, the wind blew quietly, and the music of the night would have readily lulled Goku back to sleep if it weren't for the persistence of a foreboding feeling. But then, a movement in the shadows, near the far wall of the room drew Goku's eye away from the mysteriously opened balcony doors, towards his left.
A subtle sparkle of eyes shone from the moving shadow, where Goku was able to distinguish a notable figure. That eerie shimmer of the figure's gaze was all he could focus on until the figure emerged into the light, his features becoming apparent as he did so.
His footsteps were silent and his movements were graceful. It was as if he were not walking, but gliding towards the bed. Goku was frozen in place. It was not fear or apprehension that grounded him into the bed, but something else entirely, something more powerful and outside of himself as that lurking presence neared.
Though he instantly recognized the face, with those flat black irises, that unique, silky black upsweep of hair atop his head, and the intense, unwavering gaze that only he could possess, Goku could not speak a word to his approaching nighttime intruder.
The intruder came near with a look of longing, of need crossing his face, which somehow was calming to Goku. By the time the prince reached his bedside, Goku was relaxed and gazing peacefully at his recent acquaintance. He found himself able to speak again once he did so, as if a weight had been removed from his chest.
"Vegeta?" He knit his brows warily at the changing expression upon the other's face at that simple utterance of his name.
Vegeta's intense expression had reached beyond longing and crossed into lustful desire. Goku shook his head slowly and pushed himself towards the headboard, making a meager attempt at distancing himself from Vegeta's imposing figure. Vegeta fluidly fell to his knees with that desirous look strengthening as he neared. Goku attempted to back away again as Vegeta's face glided towards his.
All Goku could say in his intended adamant refusal was, "I'm not-" before Vegeta ignored his warning and pressed his lips against Goku's in a smoldering kiss.
The kiss took Goku's breath away, as cool, soft, moist lips collided with Goku's, causing a sensation much different than what he expected. For only a moment, Vegeta's lips lingered on Goku's. Vegeta smiled into their kiss before pulling away, leaving his intended wantonly reaching for him as they separated.
Vegeta studied Goku's expression carefully before smiling smugly at the obvious effect he had caused on his mystified victim. "You're not what?"
Goku released a few harsh exhales as his spine tingled at the lingering sensation of Vegeta's lips on his and the sensation of Vegeta's eyes on him, paired with that question. He knew what he was going to say before that kiss, but after experiencing the kiss, he knew the words weren't true. Not with Vegeta.
Something was different about him from other men; Vegeta was completely alluring. Goku was drawn to him to the point that he was desperately wishing for another kiss, even when his mind screamed for him to tell Vegeta to leave.
Goku's eyes darted rapidly as he tried to read through the unwavering patience in Vegeta's gaze. The prince stood proud, confident and pleased, and in the eyes of the man seated in bed before him, remained unreadable.
"What are you?" Goku breathed in awe.
Vegeta smirked as he leaned in close again, breathing in the intoxicating scent of Goku's blood before gazing hypnotically into Goku's eyes. "Sleep, Kakarot."
Unable to respond to the strange name or Vegeta's command, Goku unwillingly slipped into the softness of his pillow again, feeling frozen as he focused on Vegeta's eyes. The blackness of the vampire's irises seemed to expand and fill his entire field of vision with black until there was nothing but silence and darkness. When Goku obeyed his command and his eyes fell closed, Vegeta bared his fangs, planting his teeth into the thick cord of muscle in Goku's neck.
Vegeta drank of the sweet nectar from his unconscious victim, his eyes clearing to a pure white as he lapped Goku's uniquely tasting blood. With a sigh of satisfaction, Vegeta stood and licked his lips clean, pulling up the sheets to conceal Goku's neck. He smiled down at the sight of his sleeping victim. He knew for certain after experiencing that kiss and tasting his blood that he finally found him, after centuries of thinking he was alone.
He would make Kakarot one with him again.