Story: Even The Strongest, Chapter 4

A/N: Realizing I can't write fight scenes for the life of me, but I tried my best ahhhh I hoped somebody enjoys this ashyvdbdbxn

EDIT: I have changed and removed stuff for this chapter just because I thought it flowed better.

But looking back now this chapter is still not as good as it could have been.

...

Goku and Vegeta had been sparring for a couple hours now, exchanging blow after blow, kick after kick. Their clothes were in tatters and both of their bodies had become littered with bruises and injuries, but they didn't mind it. The feeling was intoxicating for them.

It was only in moments like these that the two truly felt alive , because when it came down to it, this was a central part of who they were .

They were two Saiyan warriors, in their prime, fighting for the thrill of the battle, and for the sake of getting stronger.

Goku was ecstatic right now and Vegeta could tell. Seeing the other man so excited and pumped up for the first time in days made Vegeta truly happy for some reason.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you, Kakarot?" An amused smirk spread across his lips as he soaked up some sweat from his brow with his glove.

"Can you blame me? I haven't had a good fight like this in a while ." Goku responded in kind. He and Vegeta then came at each other again, but this time, instead of their usual flurry of blows, they launched one powerful punch at each other, their knuckles suddenly colliding in a battle for supremacy.

What Goku liked so much about sparring with Vegeta was that he never had to pull his punches with him. Above that, Vegeta could actually both understand him as another Saiyan warrior and match him.

Not just that, but this was him, the person Goku was in love with. He never really even had this sort of chance with Chichi because he had always been too afraid of hurting her if they were to actually have a fight.

Ironically enough, however, him and Vegeta were complete opposites in everything they did, even their battle styles. That's why sparring with one another in particular provided such a challenge, because each one had what the other one lacked and vice versa. It pushed them both to realize their weaknesses and exactly what they needed to work on to achieve even greater heights, to become stronger .

"Is that so? Well then, I'll just have to make sure to keep this entertaining for you, won't I... ?" Vegeta said before sending a new barrage of punches towards Goku. "The truth is I'm having fun with this as well."

And he was . Vegeta, just like Goku, could appreciate being able to just let loose and fully immerse himself into battle. But the fact he was able to share this with somebody , especially Kakarot, gave him a feeling of bliss like none he had ever experienced before. He was just as grateful to have the pleasure of experiencing this right now as Goku was.

"Really? Glad to hear it!" Goku smiled.

Despite blocking Vegeta's strikes to the best of his abilities, several of them landed, creating bruises. At some point, however, Goku spotted an opening and struck him in the ribs.

Vegeta coughed up blood, stumbling back and clutching at his stomach in response. Goku immediately lunged towards him, sending a barrage of his own punches his way. Vegeta shielded the side of his face to defend himself from one particularly aggressive attack, his eyes darting around, and keeping an eye on everything Goku was doing. His movements were becoming stiffer than usual, Goku could see it. Finally, Vegeta attempted to swing his fist up at Goku's face, but before he could hit, the other Saiyan deftly stepped aside and attempted to counter with a punch of his own.

Vegeta just barely managed to catch the force of the impact within his palm, before kneeing him in the stomach. He wrapped his fingers tightly around his fist, before quickly sending him flying back into a tree with another kick.

The tree crashed to the ground, creating a cloud of dust in its wake.

Goku was fast to recover, his blood pumping in his veins, craving even more as he advanced towards him once again. In that moment, he started to spam Vegeta with more punches, who was shielding himself to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, however, Goku was only able to fend it off for so long. At some point one of Vegeta's fists came crashing straight into his nose.

Vegeta fell back, and held his face in pain. He was so distracted that he didn't have time to react before Goku suddenly came behind him with a smirk, locking his arms in his own.

Vegeta immediately head-butted Goku in the chin, forcing him to let go. He swiftly jumped back, on the offensive.

In that moment, he then began to bombard him with attack after attack almost too fast for him to Goku's eye to even follow or keep up with. The sheer force of each strike was incredible , but still, Goku kept managing to keep blocking every single one. That was until some point when Vegeta suddenly landed a vicious kick to his gut.

Goku almost instantly grabbed his leg, swinging him around into the air before he threw him off to the side.

Vegeta crashed into the ground, a large crater forming in the dirt beneath him. Goku ran over and attempted to get the drop on him, but right before his fist could make contact with Vegeta, Vegeta managed to jump out of the way at the last second. When Goku's fist missed its target and met the ground, the hole beneath them grew even larger.

Finally regaining his footing, Vegeta stood back with a defensive pose, trying to gather his breath and just observe him for the time being.

Goku slowly got up, wiping away blood and dirt from his cheek, taking a moment to reevaluate the situation.

Deciding to just go for it, Goku tackled Vegeta out of nowhere, grappling him. After a few minutes of scuffling around on the ground, Goku had seemed to win the tussle, pinning Vegeta down by holding an elbow to his chest.

Vegeta's eyes widened slightly at seeing their faces were barely over an inch apart. His face heated up and his heart began to loudly pound in his chest.

Too close too close tooclose

Goku chuckled, smirking down at him. He was too hyped up about the fight to even realize how close they actually were or that Vegeta was embarrassed.

That was until a moment later when he saw Vegeta was no longer attempting to fight him back. He didn't know why he had stopped, but he could tell that something was off.

"Vegeta? Hey, what's-" He started to ask.

"It's nothing, Kakarot. Get off of me..." Vegeta hissed in a low voice, cutting him off.

Goku frowned a bit, but pulled away and released his hold on him as requested.

"Oh, sorry...! Was I really hurting you that bad? I didn't... mean to." He apologized, completely misunderstanding the situation.

"No, you weren't... hurting me... But I would prefer it if you actually attacked me next time, instead of just... holding me there, alright?" Vegeta muttered, awkwardly. "People might... get the wrong idea."

"The wrong idea about what ? We were just sparring, right? I'm confused, did I do something wrong?" Goku asked, looking a little guilty.

Vegeta's heart yearned to tell him the truth, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't the time. After what Goku had been through, it might never be the time, and he was prepared for that.

"I said it's nothing, so hurry up and fight me!" He snapped, once again lunging at him.

Goku dodged the attack, before catching his hand. He looked into his eyes with a great intensity, his expression becoming serious. "I'm serious, Vegeta. Did I... do something... to make you angry...?"

"What? No, why would you even think that?" Vegeta asked incredulously, not having intended to send out such an impression at all.

"Because you suddenly started acting weird a moment ago. If I did something that upset you somehow, I want to know so I can fix it." Goku insisted.

Vegeta avoided his gaze awkwardly, attempting to pull his hand out of his grip. "Look, I'm not mad at you. I just want to train. So stop worrying already, you clown."

"Well, if you say so... As long as you're sure about it, I guess I don't need to worry about holding back again. Let's continue, shall we?" Goku smiled, before sending a punch directly into Vegeta's solar plexus, causing him to bend over in pain.

"Heh, you jerk, I get the feeling you planned that attack." Vegeta conceded, grabbing the bruised area with a bitter laugh. He wasn't about to let that hit just slide . No, he had to get back at him, and he'd do just that. "Well, no matter, let's see if you can handle this !"

Using a ki blast, he blasted the man's arm without much of a warning. "There, now we're even ."

"Hey, no fair, this is supposed to be hand-to-hand combat, no ki attacks allowed!" Goku pouted, clutching his arm and jumping back.

"Yeah, well, I'm changing the rules, so take it or leave it, Kakarot!" Vegeta blasted towards him again.

"Fine, if that's how you want to do it, then why don't we just go all out instead?" Goku dodged out of the way, turning Super Saiyan Blue in an instant.

"Straight to blue, huh? Very well, if you insist, then I'll gladly oblige." Vegeta followed in tow, his aura becoming blue as well. "Bring it on!"

...

Eventually, Vegeta found himself starting to become exhausted, and so did Goku.

Goku caught one of Vegeta's fists, deflecting his attack and kicking him back once more. He narrowed his eyes, sensing that this was the exact moment he needed to take advantage of, and he did just that. He charged at Vegeta, slamming his shoulder into his stomach.

Vegeta doubled over, yelling out in pain, but before Goku could attack him again, he dodged out of the way at the last second, swiftly delivering an uppercut straight into Goku's chin, sending him crashing into the dirt behind him.

Goku felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. For a long moment, he couldn't even move, as he was more focused on regaining his breath.

In that instant, Vegeta saw his chance. This was it. He quickly jumped on top of Goku, roughly grabbing him by his hair.

"Thi-" He prepared a fist, but immediately stopped himself when he saw the shift in expression on Goku's face.

There was pure unbridled fear , but it wasn't directed at Vegeta , it was directed past him, like he was seeing somebody else entirely.

Goku had completely froze up, reverting to base form. All he could see and feel in that moment was that man . He couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe. Tears clung to the corners of his eyes.

"...Kakarot?" Vegeta inquired for a response.

After about thirty seconds it dawned on him what was going on, and he was forced to remember Goku's situation.

"Kakarot... Hey... Shit. "

He's not responding. What should I do?

Is it... Is this my fault ? I didn't mean to scare him like this ...

Damn it all...

It was ironic, Vegeta had never once been the type of person to shy away from exploiting the weaknesses or sore spots of his opponents to gain an upper hand in battle, but somehow... this just felt wrong to him, and vile . Like something Frieza would do. If he took his hit now, it would weigh on both him and his pride as a warrior. It wouldn't be the kind of victory he wanted .

Vegeta took a deep breath, before slowly releasing Goku's hair and eventually let go of it altogether.

He then got off of him, moving to his side instead, and after a moment, Goku seemed to relax somewhat, but still wasn't entirely all there.

Within a split second, Vegeta's demeanor changed entirely, from one of a battle-hardened Saiyan to one of simple love and concern.

He reached up and gently caressed his face.

"It's him... You're seeing him again, aren't you...? Feeling him..." He said it quietly at first, as if he didn't want the rest of the world to hear it. Such words could only be spoken by somebody who truly understood exactly what he was going through. "Did I... do something... to remind you of it...? I'm sorry, whatever it is, I won't... do it again... Just please... talk to me."

He spoke, as if he were walking on eggshells. He didn't want to treat Goku like he was a damsel in distress, because he wasn't . Goku was fully capable of fighting and defending himself in battle, but right now, he was suffering, he had just been traumatized , and Vegeta didn't want to tread on that.

It was a mistake for me to agree to spar with him. It's only been three days since then.

This sort of thing was another reason he had suggested at least a few weeks before they had Whis come back to train them more. Because Goku needed time, to at least have a chance to somewhat process what had happened.

Goku was quiet for a moment before speaking back up. "...The other day... When he... made me suck his..."

"His dick...?" Vegeta tentatively finished the sentence, in a soft tone of voice, knowing that Goku probably felt disgusted even saying the word considering the circumstances.

"Y...yeah, he... pulled my hair..." Goku confirmed in a low and strained voice. "So when you... grabbed me... It reminded me of that... I'm sorry... I overreacted again..."

"No, don't apologize for this." Vegeta shook his head vehemently, tightly embracing him. "It's not your fault. If anyone should be sorry right now, it's me. I should have been more careful... "

"Vegeta, no, I don't want you coddling me. There's no way you could have known. I didn't even expect it to happen..." Goku insisted, a tired look in his eyes. He was trying his hardest to regain his composure but failing miserably. Still, Vegeta's hug - his warmth - it felt so nice to him, the one thing keeping him from breaking down all together in that moment. He felt safe .

Keeping him in his arms, Vegeta was quiet for a moment, taking stock of the other man's condition. Despite calming down some, Goku was still shaking, and his breathing was erratic. He seemed like he had had enough for the day - the stress was clearly too much for him to deal with right now.

"Let's stop this..." Vegeta conceded, letting out a small sigh as he turned back to his base form. "I refuse to hurt you any further when you're like this..."

"It's fine. I can keep going. Just give me a minute to calm down a bit." Goku immediately insisted, feeling as though he had just been insulted . He may not be as prideful as Vegeta about some things, but he still didn't like being patronized in the middle of a fight. He couldn't stand this.

Despite what Goku said, however, Vegeta could tell that he wasn't in a proper mental state to continue sparring with him right now, no matter what he tried to say. It wasn't a matter of doubting of Goku's abilities or looking down on him. It was because he cared about him. As it was now, Vegeta could tell that Goku was too tense to continue sparring.

"Absolutely not. You've already been through enough. This ends right here and that's final." Vegeta said with a serious expression. "For now, we are going to go back to Capsule Corp, and you are going to take some time to relax - and rest if you need to. Only then will we talk about more sparring. Got it...?"

For a long time, Goku said nothing, his eyes glued to the ground beneath him. Finally, he caved, knowing Vegeta wasn't going to take no for an answer on this. "...Okay."

He didn't want to, but some part of him knew that Vegeta was right. He felt exhausted after that, and not just physically .

"Good. Here, eat this." Vegeta held a Senzu bean up to his mouth, having taken the ones that Goku got from Korin and stored them in his uniform.

After a moment, Goku bit down and swallowed it.

All of his injuries were soon gone, but Vegeta still wasn't able to find relief.

...

In the end, it was Bulma who Goku and Vegeta teleported to. She was startled at first, but some part of her was relieved to see them.

"Oh, Goku, there you are, I was just looking for you." She said, holding out his phone. "I finally got your number changed."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Bulma." Goku smiled, taking the phone. He frowned a bit when he saw the expression on her face. She looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"It's... If you don't mind me asking..." She paused, feeling as though she was treading onto a sensitive topic area, but wanted to ask him about it anyways. "What were those messages on your phone about? That Allan , I mean, who is he? Is he the one you said you didn't want messaging you again? Just what happened between you two?"

She hadn't intended to see them, but when testing to make sure the number was working properly, she had come across Goku's recent message to him and it worried her, even furthermore when she skimmed over the other messages that Allan had sent, the implications were so obvious it was painful.

The simple mention of the name was enough to cause Goku to tense up. He fidgeted with his gi, nervously. She saw them. What if she knows? I should have just deleted them.

Vegeta could tell he was on edge. He knew about the messages, but he wouldn't speak about them nor would he intervene unless that's what Goku wanted. A certain part of him wanted to scold Bulma for her invasion of Goku's privacy but knowing the gravity of this whole situation made it nearly impossible. In the end, she was just worried about him, rightfully so.

What was the appropriate way to respond in a situation like this?

"It's nothing. I'd rather not... talk about it." Goku said, dismissively, avoiding her gaze entirely.

Bulma only became more concerned after that.

"Are you sure? They look like... you were being... sexually harassed by him. Did he... do something to you...?" She asked with hesitation. "Is that why you had me change your number?"

Her assumption was surprisingly spot on. So much so that Goku immediately lowered his head in shame.

Bulma was his oldest friend, so while her just seeing the messages was bad enough, knowing that she already had an idea of what had happened was humiliating .

He felt furious that he had let himself get into such a stupid situation in the first place, and some part of him wanted to deny it all together; wanted to shout out loud to her that it didn't happen like that, but it was too late now. She knew .

"I..." Goku bit his lip before giving in. He bowed his head, looking ashamed. "Yeah, but don't tell anybody else, okay...? Aside from Vegeta, only a few others know about it. If possible, I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody, but..." Bulma was quiet for a moment. It had only been a suspicion, but with it confirmed, she felt the need to press the matter. "Exactly... What did he do to you? You don't... have to say if don't want to, but-"

Vegeta had his arms crossed, wanting to tell her to back off on the questions since Goku had already said once that he didn't want to talk about it. However, before he had a chance to speak, Goku beat him to it, answering her question.

"He raped me... A few days ago..." Goku forced it out if only just to get it over with. It honestly seemed like the more he was asked to talk about it, the harder it got to do so. And as more people found out, the dirtier and more vulnerable he felt .

Bulma gasped at hearing the words out loud. Her eyes widened at the realization. She covered her mouth, shocked at the information. She was speechless for a moment as she let it sink in. "Oh my god... Goku, I... I'm so sorry ."

She assumed Allan might have courted him or made him uncomfortable somehow, but this? She wanted to cry, or scream or throw down her lab coat in frustration, choke somebody . Nobody, not even her worst enemy , deserved that.

How dare somebody hurt Goku like that?! Or anybody , for that matter?! How could he?

She looked over at Vegeta, who had a pain-filled, but knowing expression on his face. In a split second, she put two and two together. Before Goku could even respond, she asked another question. "Vegeta, did you... Did you know about this as well...? Is that why you've been acting so strange these past few days...?"

"I..." Vegeta gazed away, opening his mouth to speak, trying to formulate a response.

In the end, it was Goku who spoke.

"Yeah, Vegeta is the first person I told about it... right after it happened." He said in a low voice. "He probably didn't mention it because he didn't want to worry you..."

"So did you... report him, then? The one who did that to you." Bulma desperately wanted to know, hundreds of emotions swarming in her head. Even though some part of her understood Vegeta's reason for not saying anything about this before now, it still hurt that she was only just now finding out about this.

"Mhm," Goku affirmed, in a low voice. "Vegeta went with me... to the police station. We reported it to Krillin. A couple detectives just had me go in for more questioning this morning. I think they said they needed a warrant or something first before they could arrest him, so..."

Bulma gazed at him with a face of defeat. No matter how much it frustrated her admitting it, she knew that justice wouldn't happen overnight. In times like this, she needed to keep her cool, especially in front of Goku, who was already going through enough as it was.

"I see..." She took a moment of silence, forcing herself to calm down, as she wiped away some tears that had formed in her eyes. "Well, I'm always here for you, okay?" Bulma placed a hand on both of his shoulders with a small smile.

"Yeah, thanks, Bulma..." Goku said meekly, his tone hinting that he didn't want to bother her with it. He was becoming a tad nervous about the contact to his shoulders.

"I mean it, Goku." Bulma asserted her sincerity, a serious look in her eyes. "If you ever need anything during this, don't even hesitate for a second to ask me. I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you. Hell, I could even hook you up with a good attorney and help you sue the crap out of him if you'd like."

Goku was quiet for a moment, as he heard her words. He gazed away, unable to look her in the eyes. "I really appreciate the offer, but I'm not... all that interested in getting any zeni out of this. All I want right now is for him to be put in jail, so I won't have to worry about seeing him again for a while ."

"I figured you'd say that..." Bulma gave a sad smirk when he turned down her offer. "You've always been that way, ever since you were a child. Still, just in case you change your mind, you know where you can find me. Just call me next time instead of appearing before me while I'm showering ."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I keep forgetting to use my phone." Goku laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I was so stressed out earlier from having to answer their questions that I didn't really think to ask first..."

"Don't worry, I'm not too upset."

Bulma smiled, lightheartedly. "I understand fully well how nerve-wracking this whole process can be sometimes. Still... If you ever want to talk about it, you could just hit me up with a text or something. Believe it or not, writing about it can sometimes be a lot easier than talking about it out loud because you have more time to formulate your responses. Plus..."

Bulma gave a mischievous smirk, leaning in close to the taller man's ear.

Vegeta secretly found himself eyeing them, making sure she didn't get too close to Goku, for multiple reasons. He couldn't help but feel like she was up to something. He couldn't have possibly imagined what .

"Didn't you know?" Bulma asked, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Even Vegeta has a phone. Maybe you could try sending him a text some time. He might not say a lot, but I can assure you he does at least read them."

Vegeta blushed a bit when Goku glanced over at him with an accusative stare.

"Wait, is that true ? How come you never told me you had a phone, Vegeta?" Goku asked, pouting a bit. "You could have given me your number..."

"Hey, it's not like you asked me about it or anything..." Vegeta muttered, awkwardly. "How was I supposed to know you wanted my number when you can just use your instant transmission to find me or whatever...? Besides, I just assumed you wouldn't care much about that sort of thing..."

"I don't... not really, but still... I would have at least liked to have your number just in case..." Goku fidgeted a bit, suddenly feeling bashful for some reason.

Vegeta wasn't even able to look at Goku's shy expression for thirty seconds before he caved, unable to deny him his request.

"Alright, fine... Give me that. " Vegeta's face heated up as he reached out and grabbed the other man's phone. He flipped on the screen and went to the contacts list. "If I add my number to your contacts, will you stop bugging me about it...?"

"Yeah, of course. Thank you, Vegeta..." Goku grinned, feeling overly excited for some reason by the simple offer.

"Tch, whatever, you clown..." Vegeta grumbled, yet he actually wasn't all that annoyed. Honestly, he was glad that Goku had asked for his number, because he himself probably wouldn't have had the courage to do so otherwise. Rather, his pride wouldn't have allowed him to. "Here."

He handed Goku's phone back to him, turning his face away.

Bulma observed them with some amusement. She had had her suspicions Vegeta had been developing feelings for Goku for a while, and even vise versa, but she had never really confronted either one of them about it before.

Of course, after everything Goku had been through over these past few days, it didn't even seem right to focus much on that, but still watching Vegeta get so flustered around the other Saiyan was so sweet somehow.

Soon, she reverted her attention back to Goku, changing the subject.

"You know, I'm really impressed that you actually decided to tell somebody about what that guy did to you, Goku, let alone report it." She noted, complimenting him for his bravery. "Not a lot of people would have the courage to do that."

"To be honest, I didn't even want to at first. I was afraid that they would blame me for it or something. But Vegeta ended up making a pretty convincing argument and refused to drop it until I finally agreed to do something about it." Goku explained, nervously.

"Oh, did he now?" Bulma looked over at Vegeta with a curious and knowing expression.

"Hmph, please ." Vegeta scoffed, suddenly hugging against the other Saiyan's arm, almost defensively. Goku looked down at him, blushing ever so slightly at the gesture before Vegeta continued. "If I had my choice, that bastard wouldn't even be alive right now, but this idiot just had to go and choose mercy ..."

"Vegeta, don't say it like that..." Goku pouted a bit. "I want him to go to jail, not kill him..."

"Tch." Vegeta huffed in response, giving in. "Well, whatever... As long as he can't hurt you again, I guess that's all that matters to me..."

"Wow, Vegeta, you like to play the tough guy act, but you actually care a lot for him, don't you...?" Bulma teased, with a sly smirk.

"I... what-" Vegeta blushed profusely, unable to even formulate a proper response at first. Not that he could hide it. He had made it abundantly clear to Goku himself on several occasions over the past few days. He looked down towards Goku's arm, avoiding her gaze, as if he were shy about it or something. "Well, of course I do..."

His voice was low, a bit strained even. Bulma and Goku were the only two people in his life who had ever managed to get these kinds of rises out of him. He couldn't stand it, being teased like this, but so long as Goku never brought up the as your prince comment which he had blurted out at on pure emotion at the time, he would be fine. If Bulma found out about that one, there was no way she'd let him live it down.

Goku silently listened to their conversation, feeling a bit weird since they were talking about him. However, when he heard Vegeta's words, and saw the look on his face, a small warmth entered his chest.

Vegeta is so cute when he blushes...

"Trust me, I can tell ." Bulma smirked at Vegeta. "So take care of him for me, will you? I'm sure you're aware by now, but I've known Goku since he was a little boy, so he's really special to me. I just don't want to see him get hurt again."

"You didn't need to ask, I already decided from the start that I would help him through this regardless if anybody else told me to or not ." Vegeta unashamedly vowed with a surprising amount of devotion in his tone. Slowly, he started pulling Goku towards the door. "Anyways, we're leaving now. Kakarot, come on."

"Oh, okay..." Goku said, somewhat sheepishly as he allowed himself to be led off by Vegeta, scratching his head a bit. "Bye, Bulma."

As Bulma waved at the two, Vegeta reflected on her words to him about looking after Goku.

Why does everybody keep saying that to me...? It's not like I wasn't already planning to look after him, but...

Once they were out of the room, Goku turned to look back down at Vegeta who was still holding onto his arm. His words had touched Goku, but at the same time, he couldn't help but felt bad for some reason...

Vegeta's been putting himself through so much for me lately, yet all I've been doing these past few days is causing him more trouble than ever.

What if he starts to get tired of it? Of me? I know I can be a lot, but I wouldn't want him to actually hate me...

Am I... being selfish... for relying on him?

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Vegeta asked, a hint of concern in his voice when he noticed the expression on Goku's face.

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Goku mumbled dismissively, but Vegeta could tell he was lying.

Vegeta scowled a bit, but decided it was best to not probe for the time being.

...

In the end, Vegeta led Goku to sit in his bedroom, which had a bathroom attached to it. It wasn't intended as anything strange. Over the past few months, in fact, Goku had appeared here using his instant transmission on multiple occasions, just to hang out and bug him about any possible thing, usually to distance himself from his arguments with Chichi.

At first, it had somewhat annoyed Vegeta, who liked and wanted his personal space, especially after he and Bulma had split up, but somehow, he had quickly started to grow fond of and even look forward to the other Saiyan's company more than he ever had before.

Similarly, he too had eventually started to get the sense that Goku had grown somewhat lonely as well following his own divorce. Understanding what he must have been going through, Vegeta was never able to bring himself to out right push the other Saiyan away. Vegeta didn't always comment but he would listen, occasionally making comments here and there. Goku especially talked about basically anything that popped into his head, even stuff going on with Gohan and Piccolo and King Kai.

That was why Vegeta had seen no issue with bringing Goku here today because he thought it would help him relax just like any other. That it would be seen as a safe space where Goku could just talk to him again without other people bothering him.

However, what didn't dawn on him at first was the fact that this was the first time Goku had been here since before being assaulted , an event which had just so happened to take place in another man's bedroom .

"I want you to stay here for a moment." Vegeta said, still standing at the door, looking back at him. "I'm going to get you some water."

"Okay..." Goku replied anxiously, suddenly bouncing his leg. He had his head tilted downward, his hair partly covering his eyes. A sense of foreboding creeped up on him, and even though he tried to refamiliarize himself by sitting down on Vegeta's bed, it didn't help much.

A frown formed on Vegeta's face when he saw that. It gripped at his chest, filling him with uncertainty.

Is it really a good idea to leave him alone like this?

Whatever, it's not like I'm leaving for an hour or anything. It's only a few minutes. He should be fine.

With that thought in mind, Vegeta exited the room and closed the door behind him, then heading towards the kitchen.

Goku continued to sit on Vegeta's bed, trying to fight off the intrusive thoughts that were currently running through his head.

Why is it so hard to just relax... ?

I've been here before, so I shouldn't be feeling this way.

This is supposed to be normal .

Vegeta and I are just friends, he wouldn't do what that man did.

So why then?

Why are these memories bothering me so much right now?

I can't stand this.

I need to calm down. Breathe.

Curling in on himself and desperate to calm his nerves, Goku laid down on his side, barely resisting the urge to claw into his skin. The mattress beneath him was soft and the sheets were cool to the touch. It was somewhat stimulating at the very least. But it still wasn't-

Right as his thoughts started going into a darker territory, a cold bottle of water was pressed to his cheek as he felt weight dip into the bed from the other side.

"Drink this. It might help you feel better." Vegeta had just sat down next to him, drinking from a water bottle of his own while offering him another.

"Oh, thanks." Goku took it, but didn't make an effort to open it.

Vegeta frowned once again, an uncomfortable silence settling between them. He leaned his elbow down on the bed, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand so he was facing Goku. "Kakarot... Are you... sure you're okay? You're not usually this quiet..."

"Sorry, I'm just... really nervous right now." Goku mumbled, sheepishly.

"Nervous... ? Why ? This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with something Bulma said, would it...? Or what happened earlier?" Vegeta took a wild guess, knowing he had to start somewhere .

"No .. . Not really, anyway." Goku replied vaguely. While that had helped wire him up more , it wasn't the direct cause of why he was this nervous right now.

"Then what is it...?" Vegeta tried to probe for any answer he could get. "You can tell me."

"...It's just... being in somebody else's bedroom like this... It reminds me of him..." Goku finally admitted.

Vegeta immediately felt his heart ache when it dawned on him.

"Oh..." He uttered, barely above a whisper. "I... I'm sorry... Shit , I didn't even consider that. Do you want to leave? We don't... have to stay here if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine..." Goku reassured him. "I know you only brought me here because you thought it might help me calm down some."

"Yeah, but if you don't even feel safe here, then what's the point...? I just want what's best for you ." Vegeta expressed doubtedly.

"Vegeta, please... Believe me, There's no other place I'd rather be than with you... I'll admit it's true that I'm scared. But still... I want... to trust you." Goku insisted, his cheeks turning a slight shade of red as he said that.

Vegeta felt warmth rise to his own face at seeing that.

"Well... Just let me know if you change your mind, alright...?" He encouraged him tentatively.

"Okay..." Goku replied simply. After a long moment, he spoke back up, avoiding Vegeta's gaze with a look of shame in his eyes. "I'm sure you must be disappointed in me right now... For what happened earlier."

"What? Kakarot, I..." Vegeta was silent for a moment, trying to process what he had just said. "No, I'm not... disappointed in you, okay...? That... wasn't your fault."

"I know, but still... It frustrates me... I can't believe I just froze up like that." Goku muttered, as he tightened his hand over the water bottle causing it to crinkle under his grip. "I feel so weak right now.

"You're not weak...! Listen to me." Vegeta all but snapped. He hesitantly reached out and caressed the other man's cheek in a gentle manner. "You just need to give yourself some more time to process this ... "

"I should have been able to hold out longer... " Goku muttered, bitter tears forming in his eyes as he grew more and more agitated at himself by the second. "I should have..."

"No, Stop being so hard on yourself..." Vegeta scolded. "These sorts of setbacks are almost bound to happen when you're... dealing with something traumatic like this. There will always be things that trigger you from time to time and that's okay, it's normal... If you want the truth, I'm honestly impressed that you lasted as long as you did... "

"But still, you had to cut our match short because of me-" Goku tried to argue back.

"To hell with our match." Vegeta all but growled. "The only thing that matters to me right now is you... and making sure that you get better . For now, I just want you to relax, and rest for a while..."

"I don't want to rest... I need to get my mind off of it." Goku was starting to become upset and Vegeta could see it. "Please , you're the only person I can truly trust with this."

"Kakarot, I..." Vegeta paused a moment, trying to figure out a way to handle this with caution. "I have no... problem with sparring with you, as much as you need me to, but you also need to realize that your usual methods of dealing with things ... aren't always going to be an option. You saw that for yourself earlier ..."

"Then what am I supposed to do? Training and fighting are all I have left ." Goku said, with tears in his eyes.

"Well..." After a moment, Vegeta let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. He then reached over and yet again found himself running his gloved fingers through the other man's gravity-defying hair, watching as it bounced. "You also have me, don't you...? So why don't you try... talking about it...?"

For a long moment, Goku wordlessly stared into Vegeta's eyes, then looked back down at the water bottle he was holding.

"Can you... hold me?" He asked, once again.

"I-What?" Vegeta was completely startled by the sudden request, simply because of how random it was. His heart pounded in his chest, trying to process it.

"...Hug me... You don't... mind, do you...?" Goku asked, suddenly feeling insecure.

"No, I don't... mind." Vegeta clarified . "You just... surprised me, is all..."

Slowly, he moved over closer to Goku, softly wrapping his left arm around his torso, and rested his right arm under Goku's head. He used a pillow to pillow to cushion his own head.

"How's this...?" He asked awkwardly, pulling him towards himself somewhat, careful not to squeeze too tight.

"...Feels nice." Goku breathed softly. He leaned against Vegeta's chest, closing his eyes as he let himself get comfortable, melting into the other Saiyan's warmth. It was relaxing, and if only for a while, helped ease the pain in his heart and distract him from the thoughts that had been eating away at him for the past few days and even months.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad..." Vegeta titled his head down slightly so he could rest his chin above Goku's head. Goku's frame was larger than his but this still felt... right to him somehow. Quietly, he focused on the rising and falling of Goku's shoulders. It was just a hug, but the thought of somebody else having this closeness with Kakarot caused a small flare of jealousy to blaze within him, and he drew the Saiyan closer.

And yet... What actually enraged him was the fact that such a pitiful excuse for a man as Allan existed ; somebody who could do something so disgusting to somebody so... pure-hearted without even getting explicit consent.

Vegeta wasn't by any means a saint, and nor was he claiming to be. He had committed so many atrocities in his lifetime that he could never even hope to atone for, such as the things he had done on Nemek and many other places. However, in all his years, rape was the one line he absolutely refused to cross under any circumstance. It was just depraved .

Of course maybe his reason for being so disgusted by it was... personal - a humiliating part of his own past he had never spoken of to anybody before - but even if he didn't have a reason, he still wouldn't cross such a line, not for the sake of breeding, as Nappa had once suggested, nor for pleasure or control.

Hugging Goku securely in his arms, he affectionately continued to stroke his hair, occasionally running a hand down his back. Slowly, he felt some sort of protective instinct rising inside of him, silently vowing to do whatever he had to to ensure that Goku never had to go through anything like this again.

He didn't know if Goku wanted to talk as he had offered him to but, if not, he would continue to stay with him as long as the other Saiyan needed him to.

Goku was quiet for a long moment before speaking.

"Heh, it probably seems strange, but fighting... I guess it kinda helps me cope with stuff or something." He explained in a tired voice, stating what had already been gathered by both of them at this point. "Without it, I start to get anxious and I don't function well..."

"That's not strange at all, believe me... I'm the same way." Vegeta mumbled.

"Still, if I were different, then maybe Chichi and me wouldn't have..." Goku started going off onto an uncharacteristically dark tangent.

"No, don't you even think about finishing that line." Vegeta immediately cut him off. "Look at me right now, Kakarot ."

Slowly, Goku moved his face up to look at him, hesitantly meeting his gaze.

Gently, Vegeta cupped his left hand over his cheek to make sure he didn't turn away again.

"You are perfect just the way you are, do you hear me? Sure, you may have made some mistakes, but all of us have. And stop holding yourself to the standards of humans already, because you're not one. You're a Saiyan." Vegeta said, his words practically hitting the other man like a sledgehammer. "Earth may be your home, this may be the place where you were raised and grew up. But the Saiyan blood flowing through your veins? That will always be a part of you, and not a single person has a right to make you feel guilty for that, not even yourself. You should be proud of who you are."

Goku took another long pause, taking in his words of encouragement. He soon moved his head back down to rest against his chest.

"It's just... so hard sometimes..." he said, his voice trembling. "First there was the divorce with her and now this...? After what he did to me, I just... I can't... take it anymore... I feel like my entire world is falling apart..."

"I know it's hard... but you've got to fight it. You can't let this trauma define you... Any of it." Vegeta embraced him once more.

"Do you... really think that man will be arrested? I mean... What if there wasn't enough evidence? Or what if they still try to say I wanted it? What if-" Goku realized he had been changing the conversations right and left but he couldn't help it. He had so many things that had been going through his mind and was stressed out. He felt like he was going to explode.

"Hey, calm down ." Vegeta could sense that he was becoming frantic, getting himself worked up. "All of this is going to work out. I told you that before, didn't I...?"

"Yeah, but what if it doesn't ?" Goku looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "What if he-"

"It will. Believe me. Krillin and the police department will ensure that it does. And even if they can't. I will. I swear to you that after this is over - one way or another - you will never have to see that bastard's face ever again." Vegeta almost growled. The look on his face spoke a thousand words.

"I just... I want these memories to go away. I can still feel him inside of me..." Goku choked out.

He what-

A look of pure horror passed over Vegeta's face as he heard those words, almost feeling like his heart had just been ripped straight out of his chest. He stared down at Goku, biting the inside of his lip to stop himself from crying. He squeezed his hand to stop him from once again reaching out for the new self-inflicted wound he had just created - firmly, as if for dear life.

"He's gone, Kakarot..." he said with pain in his voice.

"I know... but this memory... It feels so real, as if it's still happening to me, even though it's not... It's like I'm still reliving it. I want it to stop." Goku quivered. "When he penetrated me... He told me... that I was the perfect fit. I was tight. That my body... was made for him... I feel so dirty right now."

Vegeta was on the verge of breaking down in tears at hearing that. He held him close to his chest.

"You're not dirty. Don't think that..." Once again, he wanted more than anything to kill the bastard with his bare hands. His anger was at a point he could barely describe it in words. Still, he had to keep himself calm. He knew this.

"When he... shoved his... dick down my throat, I couldn't even breathe... I threw up... multiple times because of it. And he... he laughed at me. He called me a whore, motherfucker, a slut... and I... I felt like an animal, like I wasn't even a real person to him... Tell me..." Goku practically plead for an answer. "What can I do...? What can I do to make these memories go away...? I want them gone..."

"...I don't know..." Vegeta finally admitted. Goku was hurting - He could see it, feel it. "What you've suffered is unimaginable... and I wish I knew what to tell you, to make it better, but I don't... I'm sorry..." In that moment, he enveloped him even tighter into his arms, cradling his body against his own. His voice was strained as he continued. "I'm so sorry, Kakarot... What that monster did to you... What he stole from you... you should have never had to endure that... You shouldn't have been hurt like this. I promise... I won'tallow this to happen to you again, not by his hands or anybody's. Not even my own... I'll even... protect you if I have to..."

The word "protect" felt foreign on his tongue, especially when using it in relation to Kakarot. After all, it wasn't as though he thought the man was weak or that he was looking down on him, far from it. Goku was one of the most physically capable men Vegeta had ever known. But even people like him needed help sometimes. As much as he hated to admit it, they were a team . They did things together, although their ways of doing things were different.

A lump formed in his throat as he tried to keep himself from breaking down.

Dark memories plagued his mind of the times he was but a child, made to suffer at the hands of the monsters who had treated him as nothing but an animal, a pet. A plaything.

I would have never - not in a million years - wished for anybody to go through what I had to, least of all somebody like Kakarot.

He almost expected Goku to argue back and say he didn't need protecting, but he didn't.

Instead, Goku actually seemed to genuinely relax when he heard his words. "Vegeta...?"

"Hm?"

"I know I said it the other day, but thank you... for just being here . It really means a lot to me..." Goku said in a muffled voice. "You mean a lot to me..."

In response to what the other Saiyan had just said to him, Vegeta found himself completely stunned at first. He didn't even know how to react. But slowly, his expression softened, and he titled his head down to where was - almost - kissing him on the top of his head.

In these moments, more than any other, Goku needed to know that he was loved , and genuinely cared for. Above all else that he was wanted.

"...You mean a lot to me as well..."

Goku's face turned red as soon as Vegeta uttered those words of affirmation. He was elated. He suddenly felt a bit giddy.

"Do you... mind if we... stay like this...?" He asked, bashfully, listening to the other Saiyan's heartbeat, which matched his own. They were both nervous and he could tell. "For just a little while? I'd like... to rest... if that's okay."

Goku still seemed somewhat nervous and Vegeta still had many more questions he wanted to ask, but all of that could wait. In the end, he couldn't have possibly been more grateful just to have this moment with him.

"Of course, go right ahead..." He told him. "As long as you need to..."

Upon hearing that, Goku closed his eyes, and began to relax, more than he had been. "Thanks..."

"Don't mention it..." Vegeta continued to lay there, allowing himself to just breathe . He had become so lost in the other Saiyan's body heat that he no longer cared to keep track of how much time had passed.

Eventually, he could tell that Goku had dozed off, quiet contented breaths escaping from his lips as he slept.

It was at this point that Vegeta realized that his arm had fallen asleep, so he slowly began to shift underneath Goku, careful not to wake him up. He then positioned Goku on the bed next to him, before placing a pillow under his head and spreading a blanket over him.

Taking off his gloves and placing them beside him, Vegeta leaned with his back against his bedframe in an attempt to get more comfortable. He looked over at Goku, wordlessly observing his slumber.

Hesitantly, he reached out towards Goku's face and grazed the back of his hand over his cheek in a tender motion. His skin was soft and warm to the touch, Vegeta had never really taken the chance to do this.

A few minutes later, Vegeta worked his fingers up his temple towards his bangs, brushing them to the side.

The peaceful expression on Goku's face set Vegeta's heart on fire.

And yet, it seemed strange. Six months ago, he wouldn't have been caught dead doing these things for him, caring for him like this. But here he was, doing exactly that. And more than that, he had even fallen in love with him.

Yes, he loved him, with every fiber of his being and he'd do anything he had to if it meant getting the infuriatingly stupid smile he knew and loved so much back. But he didn't know if Goku felt the same way as him. Sure, he'd like that, but even if he didn't, even if he never returned his feelings, Vegeta didn't care, none of that mattered to him.

More than anything , all I want right now is for him to heal...

Vegeta leaned over, holding Goku's hair back.. Without even questioning it this time, he found himself planting a small kiss on the sleeping man's forehead, before once again laying down next to him, this time with an arm draped over his stomach and resting his own head against Goku's chest. He shut his eyes, clutching lightly at the fabric of Goku's Gi, slowly drifting off to sleep with one final thought - a silent vow - racing through his mind.

We're going to fix this. I swear it... At the very least, he won't have to suffer through this alone...

Never again.

I will keep him safe. From both that man and from himself .

Everything is going to be alright. It has to be...

Yet down deep, Vegeta was not stupid enough to think that such issues would go away overnight. Goku would probably never truly be okay after this.

In the end, he only had one option and that was to stand by his side and support him to the best of his ability. And just maybe, one day, Goku would finally be able to realize that this wasn't his fault.

...

A/N: until next time whenever that is.