Just Like Him
Whenever he heard the name, Vegeta always found himself cringing with dread. That name meant an evening or even days of noisiness and a never-ending list of stupid questions that he would have to try and answer. It meant constantly looking over his shoulder and guarding his food as if it were his last meal.
The saiyan prince braced himself before his mate spoke those four horrible words that would ignite his own personal hell.
"Goten is sleeping over," the bluenette said in a chipper voice.
At the mention of his playmate, Trunks cheered excitedly. The little boy jumped off the couch and raised his hands up in the air with excitement.
"YAY!" Trunks screamed.
"Yay," Vegeta mumbled sarcastically with an annoyed expression on his face.
Bulma Brief's chose to ignore her husband's sour mood and giggled at her son's excitement. Trunks had earned a sleep over with his best friend after getting straight A's on his report card.
"Dad, can we set up my tent in the backyard?" Trunks asked straight away.
The idea of keeping the kids out of the house intrigued Vegeta. He slowly turned towards his son and asked, "Will I have to stay out there with you?"
Trunks looked at his father with his most serious expression before he replied, "The prince of saiyans does not need a grown up to go camping in the backyard."
Bulma burst out laughing when she heard her son's answer. In that moment, Trunks Briefs had become a way cuter mini version of his father. Normally Vegeta would not tolerate smack talk from his child but even he couldn't help but smirk at his son.
"Very well but I have conditions. You two are to stay outside for the entire night, you stay away from the gravity machine and no pranks," Vegeta said sternly.
"Deal. If I clean my room will you play saiyan hunt with us and tell a story?" Trunks asked with a big smile on his face.
Vegeta considered the request before he replied, "If your room meets my standard of clean by the time the brat shows up then this can be arranged."
"THANKS DAD!" Trunks yelled before he literally flew up to his room to start cleaning it before Goten's arrival.
"Nicely done dad," Bulma commented before she kissed her husband on the cheek.
Vegeta grunted before he replied, "Yes well, don't get to excited. Saiyan tag is basically them leaving me alone for twenty minutes before I decide to go look for them."
"Geez Vegeta would it kill you to be a little nicer to the kids," Bulma said as she watched her husband get off the couch.
"I suppose it wouldn't but why take the risk finding out. Now if you'll excuse me I have a tent to set up," the saiyan replied with one of his wicked grins before leaving his annoyed wife behind.
…
Goten had finally arrived and as promised Trunks had his room sparkling clean just in time. The two boys excitedly went outside to see the tent set up and waiting for them.
"I can't believe you got your dad to set up the tent for us!" Goten cried excitedly.
Trunks nodded his head with his arms crossed before he replied, "It pays to get good grades my friend."
Goten and Trunks quickly got to work and set up the inside of tent just the way they wanted it before they decided to go inside and find Vegeta. It didn't take long for them to find him, coming out of his room after training.
"Dad, can we play now?" Trunks asked impatiently.
Vegeta stared at the boys before he replied, "We will go after dinner. Until then go play and behave yourselves."
"Come on Vegeta. How come we can't play now?" Goten whined.
Vegeta glared at the child before he said, "We will go after dinner or else we will not go at all. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir," both boys replied quickly at the same time before they disappeared down the hall to Trunks' room.
The saiyan growled as he watched the boys leave. It infuriated him that every time that boy came over he questioned everything Vegeta told him and went out of his way to make the prince's life miserable.
'I swear the older that boy gets the more he irritates me just like his buffoon of a father' Vegeta thought already annoyed by this sleep over.
…
Finally, it was after dinner and the sun just beginning to set. Vegeta led the boys to the back of the Capsule Corp property where the forest area was. The forest area on the Capsule Corp was long and deep. It would be easy for anyone to get lost in these woods. Bulma had seen to it that both boys knew how to navigate through that forest and know it like the back of their hands. She had also set up markers so that both boys would know how far they could go.
Vegeta had begun using it as a training area when Trunks kept complaining that he wished his training could be more like a game. Saiyan hunt was essentially a more intense version of man hunt. Both boys had a window of time to hide themselves from their enemy. They were expected to suppress their power levels to avoid detection. If one or both boys could get the jump on Vegeta without being detected they won and usually got a reward.
The warrior and two boys stopped at the age of the forest before Vegeta turned to the children with his arms crossed.
"Alright, tonight we make things interesting and play completely in the dark of night. You have from now till the sun completely sets to go and try to hide from me," Vegeta explained.
Both boys lit up like Chirsmas trees as their tails wagged wildly with anticipation to begin. The saiyan king couldn't help but smirk at the pair as they waited for the signal.
"Ground rules; when I call game over, you answer. If you brats try to prank me in there, story time is off the table no exception. You win and I'll see to it that there are extra snacks in the tent of your choice…if I win then I get all the snacks," Vegeta explained with a wicked grin at the end.
"Daaaaaad, that's not fair!" Trunks whined.
Vegeta rolled his eyes before he asked, "Then what do I get out of all this."
Trunks squinted his eyes in concentration with crossed arms for a few moments before he replied, "No pranks for a month."
Goten looked at his friend in horror before he said, "Trunks, no!"
"Relax Goten, we'll just prank your dad. We've been going easy on him anyway," Trunks replied casually.
That seemed to appease the younger boy before Trunks turned to his dad. He waited patiently for his dad to consider his offer. At the mention of pranking Goten's dad instead of him, Trunks knew his dad wouldn't be able to resist and their snacks would be safe.
"Alright you gotta deal," Vegeta said.
Both boys smiled as they felt themselves getting excited again. It was always more fun when the prize was high for both Vegeta and the boys.
"The game starts now GO!" Vegeta cried before both boys disappeared into the forest.
…
Vegeta put in a quick training session of his own as he waited for the sun to completely set. Once night fall had settled, the hunt was on. The king couldn't help the feeling of delight as he went into the forest to find the boys.
"Ready or not, here I come brats!" Vegeta yelled into the forest and was not surprised when he received no reply.
Both children had become quite good at this game which made it more challenging for him. Vegeta loved a challenge. Both boys had done well to suppress their power levels. If the prince didn't know any better, he would say that there was no one in these woods at all. Cautiously he moved through the forest listening intently for the slightest sound.
It had been almost an hour he had been out with still no sign of the boys when a sudden crash disturbed the silence of the forest. Vegeta was immediately on alert as he sought out where the sound could have possibly come from.
As he was concentrating on where the sound was coming from, he didn't notice a presence approaching him until it was too late.
"GOTCHA!" a voice cried as tiny arms wrapped around Vegeta's middle.
The saiyan jumped and spun around to see none other than Goten standing before him. The little boy was giggling and feeling quite proud of himself.
"I can't believe I actually got you! This is awesome!" Goten cried happily as he started doing a victory dance around Vegeta.
Vegeta was furious with himself for leaving himself vulnerable. To add salt to the wound it just had to be Kakarot's brat that got the jump on him.
"Alright brat good job. Where's Trunks?" Vegeta growled at the boy.
Goten stopped dancing suddenly and looked at Vegeta before he replied, "Dunno. We split up so that you wouldn't find us together."
Vegeta rolled his eyes in annoyance as he realized he now had another brat to find before he looked at Goten and demanded, "Which way did he go?"
The little boy looked around him for a moment for pointing over his left shoulder. Vegeta groaned as he realized Trunks had gone deep into the woods. Bulma had told him about the underground caves with top side entrances that were further back into the forest. The woman had told Vegeta that they were a natural phenomenon.
Those were the reason why Bulma had set up the markers for the boys. Some of the caves were deep, wide, and sometimes contained water. Nobody knew why but for some reason it was difficult to locate power levels near water. That was why until the boys were old enough to explore the caves on their own, they were to to go further than the trails marked for them. However those markers did not glow in the dark.
Vegeta knew he would have to take Goten with him to find his son and he truly wasn't looking forward to this trek.
"Come on boy and don't wander off," Vegeta said before he started calling his son's name.
There was an awkward silence as they travelled through the dark woods calling for Trunks. As they walked Goten couldn't help noticing Vegeta mumble under his breath. In true Goten fashion the boy tried to lighten the mood.
"Hey Vegeta, why don't we make lookin' for Trunks a game like marco polo. I bet Trunks would answer if he heard us yell marco," the little boy suggested with a giggle.
"MARCO!"
"MARCO!"
"MARCO!"
"MARCO!"
"MARCO!"
"SHUT UP!" Vegeta yelled instantly silencing the little boy.
Goten looked surprised before the older saiyan growled, "How are we supposed to hear Trunks if you're screaming like that?"
The little boy shrugged before he replied, "I was just tryin' to help."
Vegeta snorted at the child's words before he said, "helping by playing silly games…just like your father."
The saiyan began to carry on before Goten said, "What's wrong with being just like my dad? I thought you liked my dad."
Vegeta around before he said, "Your father is a clown with a horse shoe up his ass when it comes to gaining power."
"Then why do you hang out with him all the time?" Goten asked.
"Mind your own damn business and help me find Trunks," Vegeta replied curtly.
The pair began walking once again only speaking to call out for Trunks. Vegeta could feel a tug of guilt towards his outburst. However, pride refused to allow him to apologize for his words. He dared to glance over at Goten who only seemed to stare ahead with an unreadable expression. The little boy was quiet for so long that it almost made Vegeta jump when he suddenly spoke up.
"You know what Vegeta? I'm glad I'm just like daddy…even if he is a little silly," Goten said innocently.
"Why is that?" Vegeta asked in a much calmer voice.
Goten just smiled before he replied "Cause Trunks is just like you."
That made Vegeta stop in his tracks before looking at the child in shock before Goten explained, "Mommy and Auntie Bulma say that you that as strange as you two are being friends it makes sense. You balance each other out and bring out the best in each other. I like that I'm like daddy and Trunks is like you cause then we get to be best friends like you and daddy."
The saiyan smirked as he allowed the boy's words to sink in. He recalled when they first met and how furious he had been when Kakarot walked away from their fight without finishing it off. It was the saiyan way to fight to the death, not near death. On Namek, something in Vegeta possessed him to open up to the other saiyan. After that moment while Vegeta was busy trying to become stronger then Kakarot, the other warrior was trying to get the others to see that there was good in him. Nobody was more proud of Vegeta becoming super saiyan then Kakarot was, not even Vegeta himself.
'He saw potential in me to be more than a murdering slave' Vegeta thought.
In that the moment Vegeta decided something. Even if this child annoyed him mercilessly he still couldn't imagine life without him. Goten gave Trunks what Kakarot gave him and Vegeta would forever be grateful for it. Trunks would be a much better man then his father ever hoped to become and Goten was partly to thank for that.
"Well they aren't wrong...we do make for a strange pair," Vegeta admitted reluctantly.
"You really don't wanna admit that you secretly think my dad is your best friend, do you?" Goten asked knowingly.
Vegeta growled as he glared daggers at the little boy that would make a grown man piss himself. Goten just smiled at the older saiyan and giggled.
"I'll admit that I don't hate him; but that doesn't mean I like him," Vegeta declared before Goten rolled his eyes.
The saiyan king was quiet for a moment before he sighed and mumbled, "That said I guess you're not so bad either…ya know for a pigmy clown."
Before Vegeta could stop him, Goten slammed into his middle and hugged him tightly and said, "I like you to Uncle Vegeta."
'Oh Kami…I'm feeling!' Vegeta thought as he felt his heart grow three sizes that day…well maybe like one and a half.
Feeling the need to protect his reputation Vegeta shouted, "CHILD REMOVE YOURSELF AT ONCE. SAIYANS DO NOT HUG!"
"This one does," Goten argued.
Vegeta began mumbling curses under his breath before he pried the Goten barnacle off his body and started stomping away.
"Wait Vegeta, you're going the wrong way!" Goten shouted making the saiyan stop and look at him oddly.
"Listen…do you hear it?" Goten asked for he suddenly darted off down the path on his left.
Vegeta was to stunned to say anything but quickly followed the child. When he caught up to him, Goten had an unusual look of concentration on his face. Vegeta decided to stay quiet and let the boy's instincts lead them.
It seemed like hours that they were flying until Goten suddenly stopped. They had been going so fast that Vegeta almost slammed into the child. The little boy crouched as he stared down large black hole in the ground.
"Boy, what the hell has gotten into you? There is nothing here," Vegeta scolded.
Goten looked up at Vegeta looking determined before he explained, "Trunks is down there. I can feel him calling for help."
Without warning Goten flew down the hole and he called his best friend's name. Vegeta quickly flew after him while he powered up a small energy ball to find the kid.
"Dad!" Vegeta heard in the distance.
"Impossible," the saiyan whispered to himself in astonishment as he flew down the hole.
As he got closer to the sound of his son's voice, Vegeta could hear the voice of Goten sounding loud and clear from below.
"It's okay Trunks," Goten said.
Hearing that was enough to make Vegeta fly faster thinking something awful had happened. Fear made his chest slightly tighten as he braced himself for what he would see. However, nothing could prepare him for the sight he found.
The light from the energy ball cast a glow of the two boys shoulder deep in water. It appeared that Goten was holding up Trunks by his armpits.
Trunks looked up at his father before he said, "Dad help, I'm stuck."
"What the hell happened?" Vegeta demanded.
The lavender haired boy looked bashful before he explained, "I heard you coming, I ran so that I could keep my power level down. It was dark and I didn't see the hole covered with a giant wood thing. I fell and my ankle got stuck in something…it was too dark underwater to try to shoot my foot out."
"The water was at his ears when I found him," Goten said sounding scared as he held up his friend.
Vegeta nodded his head as he tried to think of a plan. It was wise of Trunks to not try and free himself when he couldn't see what was trapping him or try and force his foot out. If the boy was a little older he probably could have done it once he had more control to use his energy blasts as an emergency light.
"Alright Goten keep holding him up. Trunks no matter what do not move. I'm going down to see what you've done to yourself,"
Vegeta felt like he was diving into pure darkness as he went underwater. He quickly made an energy ball before investigating what was trapping his son. It didn't take long to find that poor Trunks had become yet another victim of physics. His ankle was perfectly wedged between two boulders, not injured just stuck. Like a finger trap it was angled just the right way where you could get your foot it but it wasn't coming back out without a fight.
The warrior quickly got to work making precise weak spots in the rocks where he could destroy them without hurting Trunks.
'Don't worry I'm here. I won't let go I promise.'
Even underwater Vegeta could hear the boy's talking to one another. Hearing Goten's determination to hold on to his best friend couldn't help but make him smile.
'Just like his father' Vegeta thought.
Once the saiyan had found the weak points in the boulders, he powered up two very precise energy blasts that instantly destroyed them. Trunks instantly shot out of the water like a cork from a champagne bottle. Vegeta quickly surfaced to find a very surprised Goten still clinging onto an equally as surprised Trunks hovering above the water.
The saiyan smirked at shocked pair before he asked, "Shall we play again?"
Both Goten and Trunks quickly shook their heads wanting nothing more than to go climb into their tent and fall asleep listening to Vegeta's stories.
…
It had been a very long night for Vegeta and all he wanted to do was pass out in his own bed beside his wife. As he drifted off to sleep he couldn't help thinking about the talk he had with Goten and the realization that the boy had dawned on him.
The brat might steal your last piece of shrimp sushi but he would never lie to you. He might put makeup on you while your sleeping, but he would never break a promise. Most importantly though as much as the brat got Trunks in trouble, he never once let the boy take the blame alone. Son Goten might be a clown, but you couldn't ask for a more loyal friend.
Vegeta couldn't be more pleased that his son had this kind of friend in his life.
That's all for now folks. Don't forget to send me story challenges and/or reviews