Even The Strongest (Under Reconstruction)

by An Ordinary Riceball

In which Goku has been traumatized in one of the worst ways imaginable and Vegeta is left to pick up the pieces. VENT FIC because I went through basically the same thing and needed an outlet. Trigger Warnings For Rape, Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation. VEGEKAKA. Set in Super. Major OOC in first chapters for trauma and drug side effect reasons. Have fixed some stuff in ch. 1-3

7. Even The Strongest Part 1

Story: Even the Strongest, Chapter 7 (Part 1/2)

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball

A/N: Hollllly shit, sorry it's been so long, since I last updated. I have created like, 80 different docs to this chapter alone just trying to figure out a way to make it work, and 25+ different starters with nothing sounding right)

But then, after getting advice from the amazing writer Sammysshampoo, I FINALLY had a direction on where to go(and I just want to say thank you thank you thank so much, because I never would have been able to do it without you. SERIOUSLY, your input and support throughout this chapter was a literal life saver for real. TwT.)

HUGE TRIGGER WARNINGS AHEAD:

4 Rape scenes (Sexual abuse) which I'll try to give warnings on, Eating Disorder, and Minor Self-harm. Also a lot of drinking if that's a trigger for anyone.

I've explored Goku's story, so for this chapter, I'll be going into Vegeta's. Warning ahead of time that it gets very dark in nature. Because the rapist explored in this portion of Vegeta's story is psychotic, dangerous, and unpredictable.

As implied, Vegeta suffers a LOT in this chapter, ok? It DOES get better, but he suffers badly before that. I'm so nervous even posting this, because I'm not used to writing stuff like this. As a positive, for VegeKaka fans, this chapter is much more sexual than the previous ones, and I sincerely hope y'all feel it's worth it by the end, because I tried my damndest to give it a good payoff. (This is actually my first time writing sexual stuff like this, so it was a VERY interesting experience for me.)

ALSO, I had to work up a timeline to figure out how much time had passed since the beginning of the story and I was SHOCKED, when I realized it was about TWO years. I did huff it a little, though, so keep that in mind. I'll probably post a timeline once I know I'm done for sure.

So nervous about sharing this because it's sexual abuse, I tried to avoid making it overly graphic, but there are unfortunately psychos like this so it leaves me on a stand still to how to avoid going overboard. I kinda feel guilty right now, writing a character like this. I don't want to come off insensitive with the way I handled this topic matter specifically because of how dark and touchy it is. I Really Did Try My Best.

...

"Woah! This place is huge!"

"You're telling me. I mean I knew it was big but not this big…"

Switching back and forth between worlds was a fairly common occurrence by now, but the reason for Goku and Vegeta coming back to Earth this time was something completely different.

The two Saiyans were immediately astonished by the size of the house that Bulma had picked out for them; the house that Vegeta had asked her to pick out for them.

Their new home.

It wasn't just large, it was three stories .

"So… What do you think, boys? Why don't you go on in?" Bulma smirked at them.

Goku made no haste in checking it out, followed by Vegeta.

Goku made loud remarks about each one of the rooms, especially the kitchen.

"Look Vegeta, it's even got a pantry room, that way we can store as much food as we need in here. Man, you really went all out with this one, huh, Bulma?" Goku laughed. "And that swimming pool too. Gosh, it's gotta be the largest one I've ever seen!"

"You know me. I refuse to accept anything but the best. Oh, I forgot. Vegeta?" Bulma looked over at the other Saiyan who hadn't said much, right as Goku walked off to one of the other rooms.

"Huh?" Vegeta looked at her.

"Here… I have a couple capsule cars that I'd like for you to take." She explained, handing them to him. "One of them is a new model of sorts that our company has been working on for a while now. I want you to test it out for me and tell me what you think."

"Oh, so I'm a guinea pig now, is that it? If that thing explodes, I hope you know I'm blaming you." Vegeta scoffed.

"Aww, but you're a big boy now, I'm sure you can handle it. Or is the Saiyan prince too scared…?"

"Tch. Woman, you really love trying my patience, don't you…?" Vegeta muttered.

"You know you'd be nothing without me." Bulma replied, unphased.

Another scoff.

Even if he wouldn't admit it, he knew she was right. And she knew he knew.

"By the way…" Bulma looked at him with a tent of mischief. "Have the two of you… you know… done it yet?"

W-What are you saying?!" Vegeta stammered, blushing furiously. "I… th-that's none of your business…!"

"Come on, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Just tell me." Bulma grinned.

Vegeta stared at her for a moment before his stomach clenched. He turned away, his ears hot. "...N-No… We haven't… Not yet, anyways… One day, I'd like to, but… I don't really know if he's ready for that yet…. Honestly, I'm not sure if he'll ever be."

Truth be told they hadn't discussed having sex since White Day, and it had been months since then, so deep down, he had no clue what Goku's current feelings were on the matter.

"If he wasn't, would that bother you…?" Bulma inquired.

"Of course not… Why would it…?" Vegeta mumbled.

"Well, everybody's different. Some guys need that. Others don't. As long as your interests align, I suppose that's really all that matters." Bulma spoke with nonchalance on the matter. "Besides, if sex itself isn't all that important to you, you could always just masturbate."

"You're so vulgar. Just get out of here already." Vegeta chastised, mockingly, becoming even redder.

"Hey, relax, I'm only kidding." Bulma shrugged it off, before her expression softened. "But on a more serious note… Take care of him, would you? I can tell he really looks up to you."

"You don't need to worry." Vegeta said. "He's safe with me…"

"I'm trusting you." Bulma handed him the keys to the house. "Anyways, I really need to get back to work now. I'll see you later, Vegeta."

"Yeah. Thanks, Bulma." Vegeta took them.

"Don't mention it." Bulma said simply, before she made her exit.

He then went to locate Goku, who was currently checking out the hot tub.

"Oh, hey, has Bulma left?" Goku looked up at him.

"Yeah, we should probably start sorting out the boxes, since she was nice enough to bring them all here." Vegeta said.

"Kay, I'll be out in a minute." Goku said, before turning back around.

Vegeta then headed to the master bedroom where a large stack of boxes had been put. Truth be told, they didn't have a lot of stuff all things considered, and some things Bulma had already had a team set up such as the TV and she had even gotten him a king size bed, one which he and Goku would undoubtedly be sharing.

While they were in Beerus's world, Vegeta had specifically told her that he'd accept whatever and left everything up to her because Goku didn't need to be around a place that was stressing him out too much for too long. He needed a place that, for the most part, he could move straight into.

That was only possible, of course, because of how rich Bulma was, but Vegeta was grateful nonetheless.

Vegeta separated the boxes that had his name on them, opening them up and taking out his stuff. Goku soon joined him, but didn't have nearly as much stuff to sort through. Mainly just some pairs of clothing.

After he was done, he sprawled out on the bed. "This place is awesome. It's really hard to believe we'll be living here."

"Yeah, well, don't get too excited, we've still got a lot of work to do before it's done. Hey! No sleeping until we get our room sorted."

"Oops, sorry. I'm just so exhausted right now… it's that pill they give me… It makes me drowsy sometimes, y'know…?" Goku's voice was groggy.

"...I'm aware, but that medicine is all we have… Besides, you haven't been eating very much, so I'm sure that's contributing. Come here, I want you to help me sort these."

"Sort what?"

"These clothes. They're yours. Separate the pants from the shirts, and bring them over there to the dresser next to the door. And stack them neatly."

"Great, not this again, I can't stand doin' laundry." Goku pouted.

"Oh, Stop complaining. Just be glad I don't make you fold them." Vegeta muttered, watching as Goku brought them over to the shelf, doing as told.

He heard the other Saiyan mutter something under his breath, but chose not to comment.

…

An hour later, Vegeta seemed satisfied with the job.

"There, we should have all the important stuff out of the way now. We'll sort the stuff in the bathroom next. After we tear down these boxes." Vegeta made quick work in doing exactly that, although Goku was moving much slower, but still tore down a few.

Neither one of them said much, and Goku almost seemed out of it.

Still, Vegeta chose not to ask about it. He just got like this sometimes.

After carrying them to the trash can that was outside of the house, Vegeta then came back in to see that Goku had already started working on the boxes in the bathroom.

He was taking out some shampoo.

"Scoot over." Vegeta sat down next to him, grabbing a box of his own.

The two Saiyans sat in silence, sorting out box after box and it wasn't long before they had finally filled the shelves and cabinets with their belongings.

…

One thing Vegeta was grateful for, but expected since he had specifically asked Bulma for it, was that the drawers and cabinets were lockable. That way Goku wouldn't have free access to things like knives, forks, or scissors. Anything that he could use to hurt himself would remain locked away just as it had been on Beerus's world.

His biggest concern was that Goku might choose to leave and find one that way anyway, which unfortunately wasn't something he could so easily prevent.

…

Later that evening, as Vegeta was in one of the other rooms, the smell of stew hit his nose.

Goku was apparently cooking something.

"What are you making?" Vegeta approached him, noticing that his shirt had been tossed on the floor.

"It's beef stew, I thought you might be hungry." Goku acknowledged him while keeping his focus on the food.

"Smells nice. But why are you shirtless?" Vegeta asked.

"I kinda spilled some stuff on it earlier and it was wet, so I decided to take it off." Goku explained, awkwardly.

"Clutz…" Vegeta scoffed in amusement, his lips meeting Goku's back, hugging against him from behind.

Goku's face flashed bright red when he felt Vegeta's hand brush against his pec, ever so slightly cupping it.

"V-Vegeta… Your hand… It's touching my…" Goku trailed off, his voice weak due to how sensitive the spot was.

"Ah, s-sorry… I really wasn't trying to do anything, I swear…!" Vegeta stammered as he quickly pulled back. It had been an accident, but the feeling was unforgettable. The skin there was so soft.

"I-it's okay, really… Don't worry about it..." Goku's heart pounded in his ears, the sensation of Vegeta's skin brushing against his pec having burned into his memory.

The way he held me just now… It felt so nice. I kinda wish… he'd touch me there more…

No, what's wrong with me? I shouldn't be thinking these things… It's too weird…

He cursed himself, feeling ashamed at the thought.

"Well… Just… be careful… We wouldn't want you getting burned." Fearing that he had crossed over a line, Vegeta backed up.

Crap… I hope I didn't upset him…

Everything was too awkward, so he finally moved over, sitting down at the table to keep an eye on him.

Down deep, some part of him wanted so badly to touch him there again, just to feel those precious lumps of flesh in his palms, but he wasn't going to step over any lines that Goku was uncomfortable with.

"Don't worry, I won't." Goku assured him with a gentle smile. Although the temptation was there, there were only certain types of injuries that he could tolerate when it came to self-harm. Burning himself on a stove top wasn't in that equation. Maybe that was why he hadn't blasted himself with his own energy by now either. He had certain methods he liked and others that he didn't.

For a long time, Vegeta found himself caught in a trance as Goku clumsily fumbled around with the spoon in the pot.

So adorable…

Briefly, he caught Goku glancing back at him, immediately afterwards turning away again, bashfully.

"What do you keep staring at me for? It's makin' me nervous…" Goku asked.

Vegeta could hardly contain himself when Goku got so flustered around him. It made him feel empowered somehow. "I can't help it. You're my partner, Kakarot. And the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. Why wouldn't I want to look at you?"

The love in his expression was genuine.

"You always say that about me…" Goku looked down.

"Well, it's true… You are beautiful…" Vegeta said, his lips still curved upwards.

"...A-Ah thanks… You're… beautiful too…" Goku didn't know how else to even respond to that.

"Heh. You're not very used to receiving compliments on your looks, are you…?" Vegeta asked, amused.

"It's not… that I've never been complimented before… I just… don't always know how to respond to it…" Goku replied with apprehension. Maybe he was supposed to say something different?

"I can tell." But Vegeta held no judgment. Truth be told, he rather liked seeing this side to Goku.

…

"Kay, the stew's done. I'll dip you out some then I'll put the rest in the fridge." Goku grabbed a paper bowl, spooning some into it.

"Just me…? You're going to eat too , aren't you? Here, let me make some soup." Vegeta got up, grabbing a can from the cabinet. "And turn off the stove."

"Oh, whoops…! Guess I forgot about that." Goku giggled, turning off the nob.

"Idiot…" Vegeta muttered, opening the can he was holding.

"Woah…" It was at that moment that a dizzy spell hit Goku out of nowhere. He clung onto Vegeta's shoulders to stop himself from falling.

"Hey… are you okay?" Vegeta caught him in his arms, placing the can aside to deal with Goku.

"Sorry." Goku slurred. "I kinda started feeling a bit dizzy all of a sudden…"

"It's alright. Let's go get you sat down." Vegeta said, leading him over to the table.

Almost immediately, Goku folded his arms over the table, burying his face in his arms.

Goku shakily gasped for air like he was trying to regain his breath.

It must be the medication causing this…

He acted like he wasn't feeling well earlier either.

"Do you want me to call somebody?" Vegeta had a feeling he'd say no, but he chose to offer it anyway.

"No, it's alright. Just… give me a moment, okay?" Goku assured him.

Vegeta brushed some hair out of his face, gently. "Well, if you're sure. I should have your soup done in a few minutes. Then we can eat."

"Kay…" But Goku's mind couldn't be further from eating.

…

"Here. Think you can sit up?" Vegeta took a seat next to Goku, holding the bowl of soup alongside the bowl of the beef stew that Goku had set aside for him.

"Yeah, I think so…" Goku said, taking his bowl and spoon. His hands were shaking.

Vegeta then grabbed a protein shake and bottle of water from the fridge. Before he and Goku had even come here, Bulma had fortunately already had a team stuff their fridge with various items, although Vegeta and Goku would be responsible for keeping themselves restocked in the future.

He felt visible relief when he saw Goku begin to eat, sitting down next to him.

Even if Goku hadn't cut himself since Beerus found out about his relapse, there was one thing that had Vegeta concerned.

It was true that it was hard to tell, because the medication he was on had similar side effects, but he had been having even more dizzy spells lately than before.

Is it possible his appetite has something to do with this? No, he has been eating, just as much as he was before , so why is his health suddenly declining like this?

"I'm finished… I want some milk." Goku said, after scarfing the meal and protein shake down as quickly as possible.

He had been having to ask permission to use cups and glasses because of the incident on Beerus's world where he had broken a cup and used the glass to hurt himself with it. It wouldn't have been an issue if Goku hadn't relapsed the last time they were there, but Vegeta couldn't take any risk.

"Um… Yeah, sure." Vegeta got up, unlocking the cabinet and taking out a cup. He then grabbed the milk jug from the fridge, pouring him some.

"Thanks…" Goku murmured, as he gulped it down, handing the cup back to him. "I'm goin' to the bathroom."

As Goku walked off, Vegeta began to clean off the cup he had drank from, returning it to its previous spot in the cabinet

That's when he remembered the shirt that had been tossed aside.

Can't that idiot ever learn to clean up after himself…?

He picked it up, bringing it to the laundry room and heading to the second floor.

When he got there, he heard the sound of water going.

Is he taking a shower? It seems kind of early.

He cracked open the door, peaking in. He knew it'd be unlocked because he had had Bulma remove the locks on the bathrooms for Goku's safety. "In the future, just make sure you pick up your clothes. I'd rather not to have to…"

His voice immediately caught in his throat at the sight before him. Goku on the floor, kneeling down in front of the toilet. He had just pulled his fingers out of his mouth right as Vegeta came into the room. He was throwing up.

"Kakarot…?" Vegeta was speechless.

"Vegeta…" Goku's heart skipped a beat, as his head whipped towards him, his eyes wide with guilt. He didn't seem to have time to formulate own thoughts either. A strand of saliva broke between his fingers and mouth.

"...You… threw up…? I thought you had stopped …" Vegeta uttered in disbelief.

"I had … For a while…" Goku turned away. He was shaking.

"So is this… Why you keep scarfing down meals then…?" Vegeta wanted to know. "Because you were planning on purging…?"

Goku lowered his head a bit. He couldn't even deny it. "It's easier if you haven't digested it yet. That way it doesn't burn as much when coming back up. I also heard dairy products helped some, so I wanted to try it..."

"Who told you that…?" Vegeta approached him, flushing the toilet.

"I overheard a couple of people at capsule corp talking about it earlier." Goku said vaguely.

Typical. Vegeta grabbed a rag, sighing.

"You're not mad at me, are you…?" Goku's bangs shadowed his eyes.

"No." Vegeta grabbed a rag, dampening it under the shower. He crouched down in front of him, and cupped Goku's chin so he could get him to meet his eyes. When Goku looked up, Vegeta cleaned off his face and mouth. "I just wish you would talk to me about this stuff. This can't keep going on. You know that."

"I know… I just…" Goku didn't finish.

"Listen… I want you to brush your teeth and wash your hands for me… We'll talk about this later. For now, I need you to go and rest for a while. You look pale."

No doubt as to why .

Goku did as told, leaving Vegeta to his own devices once he was done and heading back to the room.

Once the other Saiyan had left, Vegeta had to take a moment to breathe, turning off the shower and leaning against the wall.

…

"I'm trying , Bulma, but what am I supposed to do? He's starving himself." Vegeta pled into the phone for answers.

"I've already given you my advice on this, Vegeta. Setting him up with a therapist could take time. So you need to take him to a hospital if you want immediate support on something like this."

"And you really expect him to agree to that…?!" Vegeta hissed. "You've got to be joking."

"Well, whether he agrees to it or not is another matter entirely. And you know Goku. Getting him to say yes to something like that isn't going to be easy. I could offer you a crisis number so you can have some people come out and talk to him, but ultimately I think they'll probably suggest the same thing, especially if he's been having thoughts of hurting himself on top of it. And personally, I think if it's coming from somebody that Goku trusts, like you, then he'd be much more likely to say yes to it than if it were some stranger."

"No, there has to be another option ." Vegeta refused. "I can't do that to him…! Can you imagine how scared he'd be?"

"Well, I can't help you if you're going to be stubborn about it."

"I'm not being stubborn. I just don't want to abandon him." Vegeta argued.

"You're not 'abandoning' him. It's only for a few weeks and then he'll be out again."

"I know that, but-"

"Think about it this way. If a few weeks of hassle happens to save his life, then don't you think that's worth it?"

Save his life.

Hearing those words struck something inside of Vegeta, making him realize the severity of the situation. Bulma hadn't worded it like that by accident.

"...I guess so…" He finally admitted, despite not liking it. "I'll… figure something out."

When he hung up, he was once again left at a stand still. Same advice as always. The hospital, a last resort that he had been actively avoiding. For multiple reasons.

What could such a place really even do for Goku that he himself hadn't already ?

They could keep him under surveillance, provide him with some advice on coping mechanisms and what ?

Maybe put him on more medication? That could be done with his usual doctor.

But medication alone wasn't going to solve this, he knew that.

And yet… at the same time… A place like that would have resources. They would know who to contact, specialists, and so much more..

It frustrated him just thinking about it, but, once again he found himself hit with the harsh reality of the situation.

It was the only option there was, because he was already at a danger of hurting himself as it was, even without the eating disorder playing a part.

After all, it was pretty clear by now that this issue wasn't going to go away on its own.

And if he didn't eat something soon and keep it down, he was going to end up collapsing or worse.

Running his fingers through his hair, he let out a sigh, before leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs to locate Goku.

When he reached the third floor, the sounds of crying entered his senses. He rushed to their bedroom, knowing that's where it was coming from, to find Goku crying in his sleep.

He must be having a nightmare again.

Even though the medication he was on helped significantly, it hadn't got rid of them entirely. He could recall at least a few nights he woke up to hear Goku crying. But from what he could tell, it wasn't anything regular.

"Kakarot…?" Vegeta started to call out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Grandpa..." Goku uttered through a sob, cutting him off.

Hearing that was more than Vegeta could take.

So that's what it is…

It must have been bothering him lately.

It's getting close to that time again.

The day he died.

"Babe, wake up." Vegeta moved his hand up to Goku's face, giving him a small pinch. "You're having a nightmare."

Goku gasped, opening his eyes. "Vegeta…?"

"Hey." Vegeta studied him with concern. "Dreaming about your grandfather again…?"

"...He was just there… And then he was gone…" Goku wasn't sure he was making any sense, but he was still out of it.

"I know." Vegeta understood perfectly. "It happened out of nowhere."

"He was so happy that day... And even smiling… He had just taken me fishing, and I helped him cook the meal. I didn't think it was all that great, but he said he really liked it, so…" Goku's voice cracked. "I wanted to cook more for him…"

As Goku broke down in tears, Vegeta traced a hand along the side of his face, soaking up the tears with the fabric of his glove. "I'm sure he would have loved that…"

"...I just wish I had known… about the transformation back then… I would have stayed inside with him… But like an idiot, I just had to go waltzing out anyway and stare at the moon, even though he had told me not to." Goku swallowed, trembling.

"Kakarot…" Vegeta tried to speak, but couldn't formulate his thoughts before Goku continued.

"I know he'd want me to be happy and move on, but I just can't. I can't forgive myself for what I did to him… His body… There was so much blood. I can't stop seeing it… And his eyes… They… keep staring at me. I want it to stop…" Goku choked out, clutching at his chest and gasping for air.

"Kakarot, listen to me…" Vegeta stroked his back in a gentle manner. "I need you to slow down and try to breathe for me. Can you do that?"

"I… think so…" Goku barely managed, doing as told.

"That's it. You're doing good." He took hold of Goku's hand with his own, massaging it gently. "Just follow my lead…"

One after another, he began to enact breathing motions to get him to mimic him.

It took a while for Goku to finally relax, but, after a while, he did, lulled by the sound of Vegeta's voice as he spoke.

"Feeling any better?" Vegeta asked.

Goku nodded, but turned his head into the pillow. "I keep having these dreams… that I could go back into the past and change what had happened, but no matter what I do, I always end up transforming anyways…"

"You've been having nightmares again…? Oh, Kakarot, why didn't you tell me..?" Now, this was new. Sure, he had woken up a few times to hear Goku crying and would try to console him, but he didn't realize it was happening regularly. Maybe he only woke up on the nights that Goku cried and not the others, so that's why he didn't know. But also he wasn't there with him all the time since Goku often slept during the day.

"I didn't want to worry you." Goku melted as Vegeta's hand touched his.

"But that's what I'm here for." Vegeta insisted. "I don't mind acting as an advocate for you and talking to the doctor in your place at times if you need me to, but I can't do that if you won't tell me what's going on."

"I know that, I just…" Goku trailed off.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out, but listen… There's something I want to try and I need you to agree to it." Vegeta swallowed, seeming nervous.

"What?" Goku seemed unsure.

"I'm… going to bring you to the hospital… And I want you to tell them what's going on…" Vegeta tried to approach the conversation with as much care as he could have, but beating around the bush wasn't an option.

Goku's eyes widened.

"No. No, I don't wanna go to a hospital. Vegeta, please…" He backed up, shaking his head frantically.

"I'm sorry… You're not well right now… you've been starving yourself, and… if this keeps going on, I… I could lose you… I can't risk that…" Vegeta ran his hand through his hair, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Vegeta, I'll stop, I swear. Don't make me go there… Please…" Goku pled, his shoulders trembling. He could hardly breathe.

"Shh, hey… just listen to me…" Vegeta tried to soothe him, but the other Saiyan wasn't hearing it.

"No, I won't…" Goku scooted back on the bed again, even further from him. "You just want to get rid of me…"

Okay, hearing that stung. "What? Kakarot, that's not true. I'm not-"

"I know I'm a lot to handle sometimes, and I keep makin' things worse for you. So if you want to leave me after this, I'd understand… But still… you don't have to lock me away in some hospital to get me to go away…. I'll just go..." Tears falling down his cheeks, Goku reached up, placing two fingers on his forehead.

"Wait, don't!" Vegeta had no clue where he was planning on going, but he was afraid that if he let him go, he would never see him again.

So in a panic, right before Goku could use his instant transmission, Vegeta grabbed his wrist, stopping him just in time.

"Hey! Let go!" Goku struggled to break from Vegeta's grasp, but the other man was too strong.

"No, I'm not going to let you do this. You're going to stay right here, and hear what I have to tell you." Vegeta demanded sternly, forcing his hands down on the bed between them. He didn't like having to restrain Goku but it was the only option he had left.

Goku knew at this point he had no choice in the matter. He sniffled, but didn't protest otherwise.

"Now, I'm not leaving you, okay…?" Vegeta averted his gaze. "It only be for a few weeks, then you can come back home…"

"I don't want to, I hate hospitals..." Goku murmured.

"I know that. And I'm not going to make you stay there any longer than necessary, I just think they might be able to provide you with some advice that I myself wouldn't have been able to. That's all. Can't you at least try it…? For me?" Vegeta tried his best to convince himself he wasn't abandoning Goku, because that wasn't his intention. Truth be told, he wanted the other Saiyan by his side more than anything. To remain in bed with him until morning. But if there was the slightest chance that this could help him, he would take it.

"...And it's… really only for a few weeks…? No more…?" Goku had been in hospitals due to injuries for months before. In comparison, that didn't sound the worst.

"Yeah… I'll even come and visit you. That way you won't have to be there alone all the time." Vegeta offered. "And, hey, when all of this is over, maybe could go and do something special. Just the two of us."

"Something… special…?" Goku looked at him, with a tinge of curiosity, and budding trust. "Like what…?"

Leaning in, Vegeta gently pressed their lips together with the smallest of smiles.

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." He teased, tracing a finger over his chest. " If you behave."

"Okay…" The sensation of Vegeta's finger caused a tingly warmth to form in Goku's chest. Once again, he found himself wanting it to last, but couldn't say it.

"If… you're still afraid to do this, I'd understand… I can't force you…" Vegeta admitted. "Even so… If possible, I'd like for you to give yourself this chance to heal… But that choice is up to you… What do you want to do, Kakarot…?"

Goku was quiet for a moment as he pondered Vegeta's words with uncertainty.

"...I'll go…" He finally spoke. "If you really think this is for the best…. Then… I'll do it…"

"I see…" All Vegeta could do was kiss his earlobe, pulling him into an embrace after releasing his hands. He whispered into his ear soothingly. "If that's your decision, then we'll face this together."

…

"Get in. We're going for a ride." Vegeta later invited him into one of the capsules cars that Bulma had given him. He probably wouldn't have used a car, but Goku wasn't in any state to be flying around right now. He had already almost collapsed earlier, Vegeta didn't want to take any risks while they were in mid air.

"Hey, wait, I didn't know you knew how to drive." Goku noted with interest.

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me, so get used to it." Vegeta said simply, before switching on his phone and plugging in maps to locate the closest hospital.

It would be about 15 minutes.

Pulling on his seat belt, Goku slumped over, leaning against the window.

He still wasn't feeling well, Vegeta could see that. Reaching over, he ran a few fingers through the other Saiyan's hair as if trying to reassure him.

Goku was quiet for a long moment, before speaking back up. "...When… When I get back… I… I think I'd like to try it with you…"

"Try what, Kakarot…?" Vegeta asked.

"You know… S-sex…" The response came out, barely above a whisper.

"Sex?" Vegeta's ears heated up, taken aback by the sudden topic change. "Where did that come from…?"

"Well, it's just that… I um… I kinda liked how your hands felt on me earlier… when I was cooking…" Goku's cheeks tinged red as he fidgeted around with his fingers due to his nerves. "I know it was an accident and all, but still… it felt nice."

Vegeta paused for a moment as he processed his words. "I see…, then… if that's something you really want… Then you can look forward to it…"

"...The truth is I really like it when you touch me… Unlike… him , you're always so gentle with me, so… if it was with you… I think… I'd be okay with it…"

Painfully, Vegeta looked off to the side, his strokes in Goku's hair continuing. "I'm not… as soft as you think I am… but… if that's what you need me to be, then I don't mind…"

"...I love you…" Goku closed his eyes, relaxing under his touch.

"I love you too."

….

When they got there, there weren't a lot of people in the emergency room, minus for a few older women that were sitting in the lobby.

"Come here." Vegeta led Goku up to the lady sitting at the desk.

"What brings you in tonight?" She asked.

"He's been having trouble keeping food down. Purging."

"Name?"

"It's Son Goku."

The woman asked several other questions before stepping away for a moment. When she came back, she had an armband. "Mr. Son, can I see your wrist?"

Goku held out his arm, letting her put it on him.

"Go and sit over there, somebody will be calling you back shortly."

Goku wordlessly walked off to the seats that she had pointed at.

Vegeta followed close by, sitting down next to him.

"Do you know my number…? We'll probably be separated for a while but I want you to be able to call me."

"Could you maybe write it down for me? I don't really remember numbers very well…" Goku lowered his head slightly.

"Sure, let me go get a sticky note."

"Kay." Goku said.

Vegeta got up and grabbed one from the desk, taking out a pen from the cup and writing down his cell phone number.

He brought it back and handed it to Goku. "Here. Just try not to lose it, okay?"

"You… promise you'll keep your phone on…?" Goku nervously fidgeted with the fabric of his clothes, bouncing his leg. "So if I call you, you'll hear it."

"I promise." Vegeta murmured.

"And… you'll keep it with you, right?" Goku pulled at his wrist cuff.

"Yes, Kakarot… I'll keep it with me, fully charged."

"I'm afraid if you're training, you won't notice it ring… " Goku swallowed, his bangs falling in his face. "And then… I'll miss my chance to talk to you…"

"That's not going to happen." Vegeta assured him. "No matter what time it is, I'll answer. I'm not going to abandon you."

"...Mn…" Goku struggled to respond, rubbing at his arm.

"Son Goku?" The voice of a woman called out.

Goku got up and approached her. "That's me."

Vegeta would have followed him, but he was told that he needed to wait first until Goku had seen a doctor.

It was understandable, so Vegeta sat back down.

…

Goku was asked some questions, before he was led to the other unit.

"We're going to need to ask that you change into these and take off everything except your underwear." A nurse told Goku.

He had been brought to a room that was almost entirely empty save for a bed and a TV.

Goku didn't particularly like being watched when he was undressing but he knew they weren't going to leave until he changed, so, slowly, he removed himself of his clothing and as expected, the paper gown they had given him was as uncomfortable as it could have been.

"We need your armbands too."

"My arm bands? But those are-" Goku started to protest, feeling like he was being robbed but took them off and handed them to them. "Fine…"

After pulling on the hospital socks they had given him, he was quick to wrap himself up in the blanket that was sitting on the bed.

The staff gathered his clothing into a patient belongings bag. At the very least, however, they did allow him to keep the sticky note that Vegeta had given him.

A few minutes later, some guy scanned him over with a metal detector to make sure he had no weapons on him, before somebody else took his vitals.

A registered nurse's assistant had been assigned to sit outside his door, although he was mostly on his phone.

It took about an hour before the doctor finally got up with him. He was a middle aged man, and wore glasses.

"Can I ask you a little bit about what brings you in tonight?" He asked.

"My boyfriend was worried about me…" Goku said vaguely.

"Any specific reason?"

"...It's…" He paused. Explaining it to anybody except Vegeta felt wrong to him.

"It says here that you've been throwing up food. Is that correct?" The doctor seemed to know, but asked anyways.

"Yeah… He found out I was purging again… I almost fainted earlier."

"Are you having thoughts of hurting yourself right now?"

"Some…"

"That's a lot of scars. You've really done a number."

"Mn." Goku wasn't sure how to respond.

"Is there any specific reason?"

"It's a lotta things. I'd rather not talk about it right now." He replied stubbornly, somewhat tuning the doctor out until he asked about the medications he was on to which Goku simply told him to talk to Vegeta about it.

The doctor had him sign a form consenting to treatment, and then a hipaa waiver so he would have permission to discuss his records with Vegeta and get the information he needed, as well as several other papers.

Goku did so, despite how tired he was.

…

Vegeta was allowed back a couple hours later but was told he couldn't stay long due to visiting hours almost being over.

The staff had apparently hooked Goku up to some kind of tube, one that had been stuck through his nose.

He also looked somewhat out of it.

They must have put him on a sedative of some kind to calm him down.

He took a seat next to him in the chair, briefly glancing at the man sitting by Goku's door.

"Hey…" Goku gazed over at him, with a small smile.

"Hey, yourself." Vegeta smirked. "It's nice to see a little color on your face for a change. You looked as pale as a ghost earlier."

Goku giggled a bit, before his expression became saddened. "I hope you're not mad at me…"

"For what…?" Vegeta inquired softly.

"Because I keep hidin' stuff from you and lyin' about it. I never did that before." Goku looked down.

"You were scared, that's why… You thought I'd judge you for it… But it's alright… I'm not angry. Just worried… All I want right now is for you to heal." Vegeta yet again found himself brushing some hair out of Goku's face in the tender way that Goku loved so much.

"Oh, hey, there's a TV in here. Why don't we put something on? I'm sure it would be better than staring at the wall. You think?" Vegeta offered.

"Mn… Maybe…" Goku's response was delayed, his eyes half-lidded, obviously due to the drugs.

Getting up, Vegeta asked the RNA for the remote. Vegeta took it, and turned it on at low volume to some channel that was playing funny animal clips.

Goku giggled at a few of them, but slowly started to nod off, too exhausted to keep his eyes open.

Vegeta didn't mind.

Even with Goku asleep, Vegeta stayed until he was asked to leave by the staff due to visiting hours being over.

"Kakarot. I've got to leave now, but I'm coming back tomorrow. Is there anything you want me to get you? Like a book or-"

"Crayons. And paper." Goku interrupted. "They won't let me have pens or pencils here."

"Crayons, huh? But wouldn't markers be more sufficient?" Vegeta offered.

"Ah, maybe… I hadn't thought of that…" Goku admitted.

"I'll go ask them. And see what I can bring. In the meantime, I want you to get some rest for me." Vegeta caressed his cheek before he started to pull away.

Goku took his hand before he could.

"Kiss…" He said weakly.

Vegeta leaning down towards him.

"Missing my lips that badly, are you? It's only been a few hours." Vegeta teased.

"Can't help it… I like it when you kiss me…" Affectionate eyes met Vegeta's as the other Saiyan pulled him into a kiss.

Vegeta wasn't sure what to think at first, but he smiled nonetheless. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Come early, okay?" Goku looked at him expectantly.

"Yeah, I'll do that…" Vegeta kissed him one last time, this time on his forehead.

…

"Do you know if they're going to be sending him somewhere?" Vegeta approached a woman he saw at the desk.

"We're not sure yet. He still needs to see our therapist and she'll decide whether he needs to be sent to another facility or not. But, in cases like this, particularly because he's been having thoughts of harming himself, he probably will be." She explained.

"Do you have an idea how long that'll take?" He wanted to know.

"It all depends on availability. It could take anywhere from a day to several weeks to find a bed for him. Certain facilities also have the right to refuse patients depending on criteria, so it's more of just a waiting game to know for sure."

"I see." Vegeta pondered it. "Is there anything that I could bring him? He wanted crayons and paper… He's allowed to have those, right?"

"Yes, he can have those." She said.

"What about markers?" Vegeta asked.

"He'll need to be supervised when he's using them, but yes. If you could, you might want to bring him a few changes of clothes as well, in the case that he's sent to another facility. Just nothing with strings or hoodies."

"Oh, alright. Also, about his medication, do you need me to bring his pills?" He spoke back up nervously. "I spoke with the doctor about it earlier, but I don't think they've given him any."

"If you could do that, that would be great." She said.

"Alright… I'll bring his stuff here first thing tomorrow morning, then. Thanks." Vegeta took his leave after that, making his way out to the front of the building and taking out his capsule car again.

However, right after he got in, he leaned his forehead against the steering wheel, closing his eyes.

Just breathe.

He'll be fine.

He has to be.

…

When Vegeta returned to visit him the next day, Goku was being spoken to by a therapist who asked him some questions about what had been going on, his family history, his trauma, the nightmares he had been having and various other things. Even about his relationship with Vegeta and what that had been like for him.

He almost wanted to ask to go back home, but knew that Vegeta was counting on him to see this through to the end, so he cooperated.

Vegeta didn't say much and just listened to the two talk. When the woman left, Vegeta gave him the crayons and paper. "I got these for you. The markers are with the woman at the front desk.

"Thanks, Vegeta…" Goku took them, but didn't bother to open the box.

"Don't mention it. So how have things been going?" Vegeta asked.

"Well, I told them I wanted to get a shower a few hours ago, but they still haven't done anything. My hair feels all oily right now… Man, I can't stand hospitals."

"I'm sure they're probably busy right now." Vegeta rationalized, even though it did upset him a bit.

"Yeah, I know, but still… All this waiting around like this is making me anxious." Goku grumbled bitterly.

"...Oh, I brought you some more clothes, in case you're sent to another hospital." Vegeta said.

"Another?" Goku paused before his eyes lit up. "Wait, you mean they'd actually allow me to wear normal clothes there?"

"Apparently. I'm sure it'll be preferable to the paper gowns they have you wear here."

"You got that right." Goku didn't even hesitate to gripe about it. "This material is so itchy, I hate it."

Vegeta quietly listened to Goku ramble on about anything and everything, staying by his side, until a nurse finally came back offering him to let him take a shower.

Unsurprisingly, he was still to be monitored while showering. And what made it worse was that the shower rooms didn't trap heat like normal bathrooms did, so he was shivering when he finished, but he was grateful to have his hair washed nonetheless.

They allowed him to keep the towel for the time being until his hair had dried off and he was no longer dripping water around.

Vegeta's seat was empty when Goku returned, causing him to look around questionably at the RNA. "Hey, you know where Vegeta went?"

"He said he was going to get something to eat. He should be back shortly." He said.

"Oh, okay." Absent-mindedly, Goku sat back down on the bed, the towel still on his head as he took out his crayons and started doodling something random.

"What are you drawing?" Vegeta's voice interrupted him as he looked over at the paper.

"Vegeta…! You scared me… It's um… Just a dragon…" Goku mumbled.

"Not half bad. It reminds me of Spyro." Vegeta observed with some amusement.

"You're just saying that. It looks like garbage." Goku pouted.

"Heh, if you honestly believe that, then you should see how I draw. My art is nothing compared to yours." Vegeta said, shamelessly.

"You have a pretty singing voice, though, so… It makes up for it… The only thing I'm good at is fighting… And I can't even handle that much right now." As he was speaking, he accidentally pressed too hard so part of the tip of his crayon broke off.

Vegeta noticed it, but didn't say much. He glanced away briefly at the mention of his singing voice. "That's not true, you have your own qualities, ones that you don't even see."

"Yeah, like what…?" Goku's bangs fell in his face as he lowered his head.

"Well, for starters, the stew you made me yesterday was some of the best I've ever had. I'd like you to cook more for me when you get back."

"You… really liked it that much…?"

"I did. But it's not just that… Remember the stuffed bear you made me on White Day? I could tell you put your heart into sewing that. Even if it meant pricking your fingers with needles a thousand times over. The thing which you fear the most." Vegeta's expression softened.

Goku blushed slightly, lowering his head upon hearing that.

"And the puzzles you like so much too. Or even when you're training and trying to achieve a new form. Hell, when you were in court and you stood your ground in front of everyone. You don't rest until you've finished what you started. That's something I like about you." Vegeta took Goku's hand into his, noticing how bashful he was getting.

"I'm not as amazing as you think I am. I've given up more times than I can even remember. But it was you who always pushed me forward, Vegeta… Despite everything…"

"While it may be true that I've encouraged you to keep fighting, you still made that choice on your own. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. I really admire you, Kakarot."

At that moment, their eyes met and Vegeta tried to convey his feelings in the only way the circumstances would allow him to.

A simple kiss.

"I admire you too, Vegeta… I always have… Ever since I first met you." Goku said softly.

"Che. That's a bold statement. When you first met me, I was trying to kill you, you clown…" Vegeta said with some amusement..

"I know that, but it's… How confident you are… I always respected that about you… If not for you, I don't think… I would have ever come to appreciate my Saiyan origins… I used to be ashamed of my birth name. But meeting you changed that."

"Well, if not for you, I would be dead right now, so…" Vegeta mumbled.

"It's not that big, is it? You've saved me too. Countless times." Goku insisted.

"I know that, but… It's… not just that… You've… got a personality like no other, Kakarot. You're kind and gentle. Funny too. And also… you're one of the only people who have ever touched me without the intention of hurting me. And one day…" Fingers ran up Goku's chest, grazing his neck. "I'd like to return that favor…"

"You mean…" Goku trailed off.

"Yeah…" Vegeta blushed slightly. "I want that too…"

Goku gave a sheepish smile as Vegeta's arm wrapped around his neck, his ears turning red. He looked vulnerable. "I would offer now… but we're kinda in a hospital at the moment, so… I guess we'll hav'ta wait a few weeks…"

His voice was loud enough for only Vegeta to hear.

Vegeta leaned towards him, kissing his cheek. "Count on it."

Goku's heart fluttered at the gesture, wanting so badly to be held and touched by Vegeta more, excitement getting the better of him. He immediately scolded himself for the thought, knowing the situation they were in.

Against their desires to, the two Saiyans- separated themselves, returning their focus to the drawing that Goku was working on.

And yet, for the longest time, neither of the Saiyans could fight off the blushes covering their faces.

…

Later that day, a dietician came in and spoke with Goku about different meal plans, options and more. Goku didn't really understand all of it, but Vegeta did and he took in every word, wanting as much information as he could get on what Goku was going through so he would be able to help him in the future.

The talk of food, however, wasn't something Goku wanted to partake in so he had tuned the conversation out.

…

"Son?" A nurse popped her head into the room that evening. It was around 3 pm.

"Huh?" Goku looked up, followed by Vegeta.

"Come on." She said.

"Where to?" Goku wanted to know.

"Your ride is here." She replied, holding up his patient's belonging bag. "We need you to change before you go. But leave your belt and shoe strings in the bag. You can change in the bathroom over there."

"Uh, okay." Goku confusingly grabbed his clothes. When he came out of the room, he saw a couple police officers standing there.

"Is he being transferred?" Vegeta asked.

"Yeah." The nurse answered, grabbing Goku's crayons and paper, as well as the note with Vegeta's number on it.

"Can you tell me where?" Vegeta probed.

"Greenwood Behavioral Health in Nexis City. It's about two hours away from here."

"I see." Vegeta said. It was quite the distance, sure, but for somebody like him, it was no problem at all.

"I can give you the address if you'd like."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary… As long as I have the name that's all I need."

He walked past her and chose to wait by the bathroom so he could say goodbye.

At long last, Goku came out of the room, grumbling as he tried to hold his pants up. "Ugh, these pants are too big, I could really use my obi right about now…"

"Hey, I'll see you later." Vegeta said as Goku approached him.

"Yeah. I-" Goku cut himself off when Vegeta's lips met his. Knowing they were being watched, his face flushed bright red. "Vegeta…"

"Take care of yourself." Vegeta looked at him painfully.

"I will…" Goku replied, sheepishly.

"I love you." Vegeta murmured into his ear, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you too." Goku hugged him back briefly with one of his arms before pulling away.

That's when one of the policemen came over. "I'm going to have to put you in some handcuffs for the ride there."

"Wait, what are you handcuffing him for?" He demanded defensively, stepping in between the sheriff and Goku. "He hasn't done anything."

"It's alright. It's just standard protocol-" He said vaguely.

"Protocol for what? I-" Vegeta started to protest, but one of the sheriffs placed a hand on his shoulder to get him to move back a bit.

"Sir, you need to relax, we just do this so he can't run off and hurt himself. It's to make sure the transfer goes smoothly, that's all. He's not in any trouble." The man whispered into his ear.

Vegeta calmed down a bit upon hearing that, even though he was still a bit nervous when he saw Goku's distrustful expression.

Goku backed up a bit when the sheriff brushed a hand over his arm in an attempt to handcuff him. "Hey, what are you doing? Stop that, let go of me. I don't want to be touched right now..."

"Kakarot." Vegeta moved over, stopping him from running off just in time. "Listen, it's alright. They're not going to hurt you. But you need to cooperate."

." Goku paused at hearing his words. "Vegeta, why do they want to put handcuffs on me...? They're not taking me to jail, are they? Have I done something wrong...?"

"No... Of course not." Vegeta assured. "They're taking you to another hospital right now and they need to put you in handcuffs so you won't be able to hurt yourself... Can you let them do that?"

Not that handcuffs couldn't easily be broken, but that was the explanation.

"Mn... Okay..." Goku held out his arms and let the officer do his thing.

However, right as he let go of his pants, they started to fall, so Vegeta caught them for him, stopping them just in time. He protectively glared at one of the female nurses who started to stare.

She quickly looked away.

Once Goku was handcuffed, he grabbed his pants again, before the sheriff put shackles on his ankles.

Vegeta couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy as he watched Goku walk off, desperate to keep his pants from slipping off again. The RNA handed Goku the sticky note with Vegeta's number on it, which he took with a small thanks. The sheriff meanwhile had handled all of Goku's bags with his changes of clothes that Vegeta had brought, as well as his medication.

Vegeta turned to the woman at the desk after he was gone. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to take that address down, after all."

…

Vegeta stepped out of the hospital with his phone in hand. From what he understood, it would be several hours before the police reached their destination, and after that he would probably be strip searched, and placed into one of the units there.

Unlike the ER, however, visiting hours would be limited so it was just a matter of waiting until he received a call.

What he didn't expect, however, was to receive a call right then and there.

"It's Bulma… What could she want…?" He wondered, looking down at his screen, before clicking the talk button. "Hello?"

"Yeah, Vegeta? There's something I need to ask you. Do you have a moment?"

"What is it?" Vegeta asked simply.

"Do you know somebody by the name of Atticus…?"

In that moment, Vegeta's blood ran cold at the very mention of the name. He couldn't even respond.

"Vegeta?"

"W-Why are you asking…?! Bulma, tell me, where have you heard that name before…?!" Panic increased by the second.

That was a name he had never wanted to hear again in his life. She didn't need to know the truth. She didn't need to know anything . The time he'd spent in the Frieza force wasn't something he wanted to talk about with anybody . Even Goku only knew so much.

"Well, some guy is here… and his spaceship's in need of repairs. He says he knows you, and he wants to know if he could stay with you until I'm done with them? And also… He mentioned something… about you owing him some sort of favor."

Vegeta's breath caught in his throat. He fell against the car, clutching at his chest as he gasped for air.

That sick… bastard…! He's talking about Bulma …!

He's threatening her life to get to me.

I don't go there now, he's going to kill her.

"Listen, tell him I said yes, I'll be there as fast as I can, okay? I'm headed there now…!"

Of course, Vegeta wanted to say no. He would prefer nothing more than to pretend that part of his past didn't exist. And ignore it.

But the one thing stopping him was Bulma. Just knowing that she was in the presence of somebody who was volatile and manic. Somebody who even himself had a hard time handling. He had to separate them.

He couldn't risk her getting hurt, or worse.

"Alright, I have some things I need to get back to, but I'll have him wait at the front of the building."

Steeling himself for the situation he was risking by saying yes, he said his goodbyes. As Vegeta heard the click of the phone, he just barely resisted the urge to smash his phone.

Damn it all!

Why is this happening to me…?

Of all the times, why the hell did he have to show up now ?

What's he after…?

Did he just come here to mess with me again?

Knowing him… Probably…

After a long moment, he let out a sigh.

His hands were shaking.

Well, at least Kakarot's safe… For now, anyway…

…

Atticus was a middle aged looking man(although he was actually over 100 years old.) who stood 7 foot tall. He had spiky red hair, pinkish skin, and small horns that stuck out of the sides of his head as well as a furry red tail that flipped around his backside. Clearly an alien from outer space.

As his uniform implied, he used to be in the Frieza force, but he had left on a mission one day and went into hiding, never to be seen again, until now.

As soon as Vegeta saw him, disgust consumed him.

"Vegeta…" The man spoke in a surprisingly soft voice as he approached him, almost as if in disbelief. "It's really you… I'm so glad…"

Vegeta said nothing, freezing up when he was pulled into the man's arms. Even as Atticus pulled away and touched his face, Vegeta still said nothing.

"It's been so long… How have you been…?" Atticus asked.

"I'm fine." Vegeta spoke simply. Quietly. Not wanting to cause a scene. "Come on. We're leaving. Did you ever learn how to fly?"

"Fly? Like… with a spaceship , or…?" Atticus looked confused.

"No, I mean fly . As in… this." Vegeta clarified, hovering in the air.

"Oh…" Atticus paused. "No… I don't know how to do that…"

How the hell does he not know how to fly by now? Of all the-

"Tch… Forget it, we'll just use a capsule car." Vegeta had no interest in carrying him around, so he took the capsule out of his uniform and pressed the button, tossing it out in front of him. "Get in."

Vegeta sent Bulma a quick message saying, "He's with me. I'm going now."

When he looked up, Atticus seemed to be struggling with figuring the machine out for a moment, before finally succeeding in opening the door and sitting down in the passenger's seat.

Vegeta took his own spot in the driver's seat before starting up the car. "Put your seatbelt on."

"My… what?"

"Your seatbelt . For fucks sake, it's behind you." Vegeta had to point to it. "You see that thing sticking out of the wall next to the window? Yes, that , pull it out."

"Uh, okay, like that?" Atticus did as told.

"Yes, now stick it in this." Vegeta instructed him, sighing when he figured it out.

Finally… He turned his attention back to in front of him until he felt a hand running up his thigh.

"I missed you, Vegeta…" Atticus said. "I heard you fought Frieza. I'm glad you're alive. He could have killed you..."

"He did." Vegeta admitted in a low voice. "Twice. They resurrected me…"

"Resurrected you, how?" Atticus inquired.

"Once with the Dragon Balls and the other time with a Temporal Do-Over. It was an angel." Vegeta replied curtly.

"A real life angel, huh? Sounds awesome." Much to Vegeta's chagrin, the touching continued, a hand brushing against his crotch.

Grabbing his hand, he freed himself of the touch. "Stop that. I have a partner now, Atticus. We can't do this."

"Why not…?" Atticus looked at him.

"Because it's wrong." Vegeta bit his lip, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"...Hm… You say that, but I can tell that you've missed me too… Otherwise… Your body wouldn't be responding to me this way… After all, you like it when I touch you, don't you, Vegeta…?" Once again, the man tried to reach out and grope him.

"Get off of me." Vegeta said in a strained voice, pushing his hand way away. "We're in the car right now…"

"Fine, we'll do it later, then. I promise I'll make you feel good… Just like I did before. You remember, don't you…? When you cried out my name for the first time…? It made me so happy." Atticus spoke.

Vegeta tried to ignore it, but his stomach turned. Of course he remembered. That was something he could never forget. Being raped as a child repeatedly by somebody who was much larger and stronger than he was, not a single person stepping in to help him.

A wave of nausea passed over him and yet he said nothing.

If he tries anything, then I'll knock him out. I'm probably stronger than he is now, so I should have no problem defending myself. And besides, it's only for a few weeks. After that, I'll make him leave.

That was the only rationalization he could come up with to calm down. Telling himself that he was the one in control, it gave him a sense of security which he so desperately needed right now, especially without Goku around.

Then again, he could just be concealing his power level… If that's the case, then…

What can I do… to save myself?

…

"...And this is where you'll be sleeping. It's kind of small, but as a bedroom it should suffice." Vegeta later found himself explaining, after having shown Atticus around the house.

"I've been sleeping in a spaceship on a hard floor for the past couple months, so this is perfect actually." Atticus said, taking note of the bed.

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go train for a while. Don't bother me." Vegeta muttered. Grabbing the capsule on the shelf that was dedicated to the gravity chamber, he walked back outside, and popped it open. He entered almost immediately, locking the door behind him.

Finally, in that moment, he could breathe.

Finally, he had some space away from wandering hands that didn't know the meaning of personal space or boundaries.

It was only at that moment that Vegeta realized he was scared. And more vulnerable than he ever wanted to admit.

But he wasn't a child anymore and nor was he weak. He could handle this.

Turning on the gravity and bots, he began to train until his entire body was sore and covered in sweat. In the end, he finally collapsed due to exhaustion.

As he laid on the floor, he stared at the ceiling, trying to regain his breath. Already, his thoughts were wandering off again. Back to the way Atticus had touched him earlier.

It was only briefly, but it kept replaying in his head over and over again.

The urge to kill him was so strong he could barely stand it. But the urge to avoid him was even stronger, leaving him at a stand still.

This wasn't like the hate he had for Frieza, it was so much more complicated than that.

"After all, you like it when I touch you, don't you Vegeta…?"

Shut up… get out of my head…!

He turned over on his side, swallowing back the lump that had formed in his throat.

He had to clear his mind.

Getting up, he stumbled out of the gravity chamber, before heading back into the house. He grabbed some clothes from his bedroom and started to head straight to the shower.

*RAPE SCENE AHEAD*

He was unsurprised when he saw Atticus in the hallway.

"There you are. Finished training?"

"Yeah. I need to take a shower." Vegeta tried walking past him, but before he could, the larger man pulled him into his arms, reeking of booze. He had apparently gone through the fridge.

"Hey-! Let go of me!" Vegeta snapped. He tried to pull away but the grip on him was too strong.

There was no doubt in his mind now that Atticus was holding back his power level, this strength, it was unreal .

"You're so cute. I wanna make you cum for me again. Can I? It'll feel good." Atticus slurred, reaching a hand into his pants.

"Damn it, Atticus, I told you to stop touching me…! I have a partner now, remember…?" Vegeta hissed.

"Maybe so, but you're still hard, right? So let's do it. As long as I can get this kind of reaction from you, that's all I care about."

Vegeta's breath caught in his throat when Atticus bit down on his neck, his other hand working its way up into his shirt and teasing at the lumps of flesh on his chest, which were so small in comparison.

"Ahh…!" In that moment, something inside of Vegeta snapped, a hardwired fear consuming him. He wasn't being listened to.

It was just like before. A disconnect - His mind telling him to run, but his body remaining frozen. He couldn't move.

He was terrified.

Maybe it was because he had known this man since he was just a boy, hardwired by him to obey.

The very thought sickened him, realizing that weakness was still a part of him.

"You're wet. I can feel it. So much precum…" Atticus stroked him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Vegeta…?"

"No. I'm not." A lump formed in Vegeta's throat, shame consuming him.

"Stop lying to yourself. A dick doesn't get hard and wet like this unless you're aroused. You want me. Admit it."

"The only person I want is him , I have no interest in you. Stop it…!" Vegeta tried to fight back but as Atticus dragged him into the bedroom and pushed him down against the bed, he found that his will to fight back was gone. Not because he didn't want to, but because he was scared.

"Stop struggling, and do what I say!" Atticus snapped. "I'll prove to you that I'm a much better lay than he is."

Over and over and again, the voices in his head screamed at him to defend himself, and yet, as his clothes were ripped off, he could do nothing except beg. "No. Atticus, please, don't do this. Atticus-"

"Hey. Shh… Just relax. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to make you feel good, just like I said I would. As long as you cooperate. Trust me…" A hand caressed his cheek before pinning Vegeta down by his wrists.

"Please… Don't, I-ah!" Pain shot up Vegeta's backside, his breath catching in his throat.

In that moment, he was no longer in the comfort of his own home. He was back on Frieza's ship.

A child.

At the mercy of a monster.

Arms pinning him to the floor like an animal.

He couldn't move.

He was crying.

And helpless.

It's just like it was before…

Vegeta shouted, finally breaking down in tears as the larger man thrusted into him. His nails dug into his palms in an attempt to distract himself to no avail.

"That's it, Vegeta… Just let it go. You want this as much as I do. I know you do. I can tell… This feels good, doesn't it?" Atticus whispered, going deeper and deeper by the moment, satisfied when Vegeta began to writhe underneath him.

"Kakarot…" The name rolled off Vegeta's tongue without him even thinking. He was crying, his body begging him to let go, to give in. "I need you…"

He fought with every bit of power he had to reject his arousal, ashamed of himself for not being stronger. He couldn't allow himself to react this way to another man that wasn't Goku. That was paramount to cheating, even if it was rape.

But, in the end, it happened despite his every wish to stop it. Cum shot out of him, filling him with a sense of shame like never before.

You unfaithful whore.

In a flash, Atticus released inside of him, pulling out and falling asleep due to his drunken stupor.

*RAPE SCENE END*

Vegeta was left sobbing. He was humiliated. He had lost control again , just like back then .

What the hell is wrong with me?

Why did I just freeze up like that?

I should have fought back harder .

…No, I did try, but he was too powerful…

"You're wet. I can feel it. So much precum… You're enjoying this, aren't you, Vegeta…?"

Touching the cum on his stomach, he felt bile rise to his throat. With the reminder of his weakness in his fingers, he cried even harder, his vision blurring.

Damn him .

Getting up and grabbing his phone, he stumbled into the bathroom desperate to wash himself off, trying his best to wipe away the tears falling down his face.

All those times he had told Goku that a person couldn't help how their body responds, and yet here he was, cursing himself all over again for not being able to control his own reaction.

What he had forgotten was that he had asked Bulma to remove the lock on the door. Making that realization left him feeling vulnerable, knowing that Atticus could waltz in any time he wanted.

So he did all he could think of. He lifted a shelf and stuck it in front of the door. Not that it would actually do anything.

Placing his phone on the side of the bathtub, he turned on the shower, proceeding to undress and step under the water which he had set as hot as possible.

Grabbing a rag, he lathered soap into it, scrubbing himself with it until his skin was raw.

Memory after memory kept flashing through his head all over and over again.

"A dick doesn't get hard unless you're aroused. You want me. Admit it ."

Out…

Get out …

I need him out.

His throat burned, and his body was sore. To make matters worse, he was bleeding. No surprise there since Atticus hadn't even had the decency to prepare him first.

He tossed the rag to the side, before washing his hair in an emotional frenzy. He then plugged the drain, turning on the bath faucet.

At long last, he slipped into the water, closing his eyes as it filled up around him. The hot water felt nice.

Truthfully, Vegeta didn't take baths often, that was something Goku usually preferred to do. But on the rarest of occasions, he needed it to unwind.

Although that was hard right now, since he had invited a rapist into his house.

Breathing in and out through his nose, his eye caught the necklace that Goku had given him back at the festival. He took it into his hands and held it tightly to his chest. Just breathe.

Eventually he picked back up his phone, turning on the screen and gazing through DMs. Krillin had messaged him(yes, at some point he had taken down his number, believe it or not).

The message was old, though. He sort of felt bad for having forgotten to respond.

"How's Goku doing? Is he any better? I haven't heard from him in a while."

Pausing, he wondered if he should tell him.

Krillin was Goku's best friend. It only seemed right that he should know. And yet this wasn't a boundary Vegeta was sure he should be treading on. "Well, he's alive, if that's what you're wondering."

"Very funny, Vegeta. But you know what I meant." The response came only a moment later.

"Fine. He's in the hospital. Satisfied?" Vegeta didn't particularly like the prying but knew he had brought it on himself.

"Yes, actually. But what happened?"

Vegeta paused. Goku had cut Krillin off. That was, of course, his choice not to get him involved if he didn't want him to be.

"It's a personal matter. I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to give you the exact details right now."

"Mental health related, I take it…?"

"How did you know?"

"I've been around long enough to know what a phrase like that means, Vegeta. Especially with somebody like Goku. I won't ask you to talk about it, but let him know I'm worried about him. We all are…"

"Yeah. I'll do that."

"On another note, how are *you* doing?"

"I'm fine." The response was curt. A lie.

He had barely managed to stop crying.

"You sure? I get the feeling you're just saying that to stop me from worrying about you. He is your partner, after all. So it's okay to be upset. You can be honest about it. I'm not going to judge you."

"Honest? You want me to be honest? I feel like I'm going crazy, Krillin. I'm trying my best to help him, but all I've been doing is making everything worse. I feel like shit for abandoning him like that. You know how much he hates hospitals. He's probably scared right now."

Keep the focus on Goku.

Nobody needs to know.

"You haven't *abandoned* him, though. There's nothing wrong with seeking out professional help every now and then. Goku just needs some extra support right now and that's okay. You haven't done anything wrong. In my own career, I too have had to admit people to the hospital more times than I care to admit for many of the same reasons. What Goku's struggling with, that's not always something that a partner or friend can manage alone. You get what I'm saying?"

Vegeta swallowed at seeing the message.

"I think so."

"Listen, all that's important right now is making sure Goku gets the care he needs. If that help has to come through hospitalization, then so be it. As long as you visit him and talk to him, I think he'll be just fine."

"Thanks."

"It's no problem. I've got to get back to work but feel free to message me any time and keep me updated, okay?"

"Yeah…"

"I-" He started to type the words but stopped when the phone started to ring. He didn't recognize the number so he could only assume it to be Goku.

"Hello?" When he answered, however, the phone cut off for some reason.

For a long moment he wondered if it could have been a telemarketer but he pressed past his hesitation and called back.

"Hello?" It was Goku. He sounded like he was crying.

"Kakarot?"

"Vegeta, hey…" More sniffling.

"Why are you crying?" Vegeta asked, a bit worried.

"It's the phone… It cut me off, said I had to pay to call out… I didn't have any money on me, so I was worried I wouldn't get to talk to you… But it worked for some reason when you called back… They said I have ten minutes I can talk to you and then I have to give the phone over to another patient."

"I see. Well, at least you have some time." Vegeta could tell he was emotional, so he tried to handle the situation with care. "So how are you feeling…?"

"I-I'm okay. I'd rather be with you right now, though. I don't really like it here. They had me do a physical earlier where I had to strip down naked in front of several guys, guess they were checkin' for weapons or sharp objects or something. And after that, some lady had to take some blood work from me too. She kept pricking me in different spots cuz she couldn't find a good vein. My arm is all bruised because of her. My roommate said they do that every morning, drawin' blood from patients, I mean. Can't say I'm really lookin' forward to all that."

"I can imagine. I know how terrified you are of needles... Still… has anything positive happened?"

"Well, they did let me go to the gym earlier with the group. They apparently have one here. It's fairly small, but I thought it was pretty nice. I played this game called ping pong earlier with one of the patients. I kept winning though, so he eventually got angry and quit."

Vegeta couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. "Too good for him, huh? Well, I wouldn't have picked just anybody to be my partner. It's his own fault for underestimating a Saiyan."

"...I'd… like to play ping pong with you too, one day."

Vegeta's eyes widened at hearing that. He then smiled softly. "When you get better, we will."

"Another dietician talked with me earlier about food plans and liquid diets I could focus on to work my way back up to eatin' solids again. They said it could take a few weeks before then, though."

"Well, that's not too bad. Could be worse. Do you know when visiting hours are? I want to come and see you." Vegeta murmured.

"O-Oh, right. It's Tuesdays and Thursdays. Um, hey, what was the time for visiting hours again…? 3 Pm…? It's 3pm. 3 to 4. Also, they said you'd need my patient code to be able to see me. I can give it to you."

"Alright. Just give me a second." The best thing he could do was pull up notes on his phone, turning on the speaker. "I'm ready."

"It's uh… 348."

"3…4…8… Got it. I'll see you Tuesday then, yeah…?" Vegeta noted aloud.

"Y-Yeah…" There seemed to be some hesitation from Goku's end.

"What's wrong…? It's only a few days…" Vegeta tried to reassure him. He knew how alone Goku must have felt particularly because of how much he hated hospitals.

"I know, but… it's only a couple hours a week ..."

"Maybe, but you'll be able to call me every day, though, right?"

"Yeah, for like ten minutes … That's not the same. I wanna be with you." Goku's voice was weak.

"Kakarot…" Vegeta had to bite his lip to stop himself from breaking down at hearing that. "I want you here too… But I need you to get better first. You know that, right?"

"I know… I just… really miss you right now."

"...I miss you too." Vegeta said softly. The truth was, he craved Goku's warmth right now more than he ever wanted to admit. To have him by his side, that's all he needed. "I know this is hard for you, but just try to hang in there. For me."

"I will… "

"By the way, did you ever get to change into something better fitting? Your pants were on the verge of falling off of you earlier." Vegeta mused.

"Well, I ended up tying it with a sock to hold it up. I'm still waiting for them to bring me back my clothes." Vegeta could hear a small pout in that. "I think they were planning on washing them or something first."

"I see… And what about your medication?"

"The nurse said she's gonna give it to me in about an hour from now."

"Oh. That's good. You said you had a roommate. What's he like?"

"...He's… kinda strange, but he seems pretty easy to get along with. Although I'm still not very happy about having to share a room with another guy who's not you, y'know…?"

"I understand." Vegeta did, all too well. He didn't even feel safe in his own house right now.

For the next few minutes, Vegeta listened to him ramble on about his day, finding it much too soon when Goku said it was time to get off off the phone.

"Sorry. They said I gotta go."

"Oh. Okay." Vegeta swallowed.

"I love you."

At hearing those simple words, something inside of Vegeta just broke, the flashbacks consuming him.

He tried to fight off Atticus's voice in his head, the memory of how his body had reacted.

Unfaithful.

Unfaithful.

Unfaithful.

Unfaithful.

Unfaithful.

The word in his head replayed like a mantra.

I should have been stronger, I should have fought back harder, but I didn't…

Kakarot trusted me, and yet I betrayed him.

I cheated on him with another man .

No, it wasn't consensual . I told him to stop .

But I still let it happen.

No, I did try to fight, but he was too strong.

I was weaker than him.

Excuses .

"Vegeta…?"

"I love you too." His response was delayed.

I don't deserve him.

"I'll… call you tomorrow."

"Yeah. I'll look forward to it."

"G'night."

"Goodnight, Kakarot. Get some rest."

Clicking off the phone, Vegeta leaned his head back against the bathtub wall.

The water was still hot, so, even if only for a little while, he could enjoy a moment of peace.

Slowly, thoughts of his mate filled his head.

His sweet smile.

His blush.

His laughter.

Even his scent and the sensation of his skin.

Desires and urges which he suddenly felt ashamed for.

He curled in on himself, burying his face in his arms.

His shoulders were shaking. "Kakarot… I'm sorry…"

…

Goku clicked off the phone, handing it to another patient before walking off and sitting down next to a couple guys who were watching TV.

It had been a grueling unpleasant day, one of the worst in his life.

Maybe he wouldn't have had a huge issue with being separated from Vegeta otherwise, but this was a hospital, and he was surrounded by strangers. He didn't want to be here.

He let out a sigh.

"Goku?"

"Huh?" He looked up to see that one of the staff members were talking to him.

"Are you coming?" She asked.

He had been so out of it, that he didn't process the fact that most of patients had left the room.

"Coming where?"

"To the cafeteria. It's time for snacks." She said.

"Oh. I'm not really hungry, but I guess I'll go." He got up, following after her.

They had to walk down multiple hallways to reach the cafeteria, one woman scanning her card to open the doors.

They had various snack items, including fruit, juice, milk, crackers and other things.

He just grabbed an apple juice and a cup of apple sauce.

He didn't know if he'd be able to stomach it, but it was practically liquid so maybe it would be fine. He knew he needed to try. For Vegeta.

Plus, the dietician had even suggested apple sauce as an option.

He headed over to an empty table opening up the cup of apple sauce. Spooning some of it out, he hesitantly stuck it in his mouth. The flavor in this one was extra sweet for some reason.

It was good.

Slowly, he swallowed.

Bit by bit until the cup was empty.

After that, he drank the juice.

He found that it was surprisingly easier to keep down than expected, even if there was some minor nausea. It wasn't like the soups he'd been eating which had chunks in it.

That's when he heard somebody sit down next to him.

It was his roommate.

They hadn't really spoken much. The only exchange they had really had was Goku complaining about the blood work they had done then him responding, "Well, you had better get used to it. They do that every morning." before he laid back down.

Goku didn't comment at first, the guy didn't seem to want to say anything.

But then in a low voice, he spoke. "That's really all you're eating? A cup of apple sauce?"

"I can't stomach much more." Goku said, vaguely.

"Oh…" the guy replied, curtly.

"By the way, I never got your name… What was it?" Goku asked.

"...It's Marsh." The other man muttered.

"Marsh, huh? I'm Goku."

"I see." Marsh replied.

"So if you don't mind my asking, what are you here for…?" Goku wanted to know.

"That's none of your business." Marsh growled out.

"Oh, right. Sorry. I have a lot of things I don't wanna talk about either." Goku giggled nervously. "Sometimes, I forget what's appropriate or not."

"Tch." Marsh scoffed.

Goku felt a bit insecure after that, but didn't say anything further, not wanting to upset him more.

…

When snack time was over, the nurse gave Goku his medication before he went into his room and closed the door, turning on the bathroom light as a night light.

Marsh was already in bed.

"You don't seem to be much of a people person." Goku noted, sitting down on his bed.

"I'm not." Marsh snorted. "Why? Does that bother you?"

"No. It's just... You remind me a little bit of my partner." Goku reflected with a gentle expression.

"Well, great, cuz you remind me of mine and he's annoying. He's the idiot who admitted me here." Marsh growled.

Goku paused at hearing that. "I didn't know…"

"Well, now you do. So leave me alone." Marsh looked away, bitterly.

"My partner admitted me here too… But he did it cuz he was worried about me…" Goku pressed forward.

"Bullshit. He probably just did it because he got tired of dealing with you, like mine did…" Marsh retorted.

"...I can't say I know exactly what you're going through, but if he's anything like me as you say he is, then… maybe he wants to help you and just didn't know how…"

"I never asked for his help." Marsh retorted. "He should have minded his own business like I told him to. If I choose to hurt myself, that's my business, not his ..."

"Well," Goku wanted to ask the details but could tell he wasn't going to get any answers. "There's nothing wrong with needing support every now and then. That's something I've had to learn myself. With Vegeta…"

"...I noticed your scars. You cut yourself too?" Marsh inquired after a long moment of silence, glancing back over at him again.

"Yeah… sometimes… I haven't really had a relapse in a while though…" Goku admitted.

"What's your story…? Why did you cut?" Marsh asked.

"You first…" Goku pressed. He knew he might not get a chance to hear anything if he didn't.

Marsh sighed after a moment. "Fine… It's my father, he would get drunk and do things to me… things that no father should even think of doing… I never reported him. I don't even want to. I'd rather just stay away. Makes it easier for all of us..."

"That's awful… I'm sorry… You didn't deserve that, especially not from a parent." Goku wasn't sure how else to respond. It was nauseating to think about. He would never even think of doing something like that to Gohan and Goten.

"Yeah, well, now it's your turn. What's a guy like you doing in here anyways…?" Marsh asked.

"...I was raped." Goku said.

"By who…?" Marsh seemed to hesitate after that.

"Didn't know him." Goku looked down.

"Did you report?" Marsh wanted to know.

"Yeah. He's in jail right now." Goku confirmed.

"For how long?" Marsh inquired.

"Ten years." The words came out more painfully than Goku had anticipated.

"Only ten?" Marsh looked disgusted. "I swear, this system is messed up. That's one of the reasons why I never told anyone."

"...I moved because of that. I don't want to be in the same city as him when he gets out."

"I don't blame you…" Marsh murmured. "Sometimes… when men go through that… they're not… taken seriously. So… the punishment is usually less severe than it would be if the victim were a woman. Penis in vagina and penis in anus are regarded as two different crimes. If they even get a case that is."

"They called it Quasi Rape because of that and because I was drugged when it happened…" Goku rubbed the fabric of his pants.

"What kind of logic is that? Shouldn't that make it worse ? I mean… if you were drugged, you couldn't even fight back..."

"I know, that's the whole point. They… say… if you don't fight back," Goku hesitated before continuing. "then you must have consented."

"That's bullshit and I hope you know that. Because they're wrong… Goku…" Marsh said with unexpected sincerity. "You didn't consent to anything. You couldn't have."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. The reasons I froze up and trusted him. I was vulnerable at the time…"

"Freezing up is normal, even without being drugged. It happened to me too. So you can't blame yourself. It isn't your fault."

"...Man, you really do remind me of him." Goku laughed, wiping away the tears that had formed. "Of Vegeta, I mean."

"Tch. Well, I'd certainly hope that's a good thing." Marsh smirked.

"Believe me, it is. He's kinda the only reason I'm still alive." Goku smiled softly.

"Is that so? He must really care about you." Marsh remarked.

"He does. But at the same time, I can't stop worrying about him, y'know…? Even though he's been through something similar to what I have, he doesn't like talkin' about it very much. Yet I kinda get why… I'm the same way…"

"Hmph… Well, if I was him, I'd probably tell you to get some rest."

"Hehe, you're right. He would. Thanks… Marsh." Goku said, awkwardly, laying down.

"Don't mention it, Goku." Marsh turned over, soon after dozing off.

It wasn't long after that that Goku did as well.

…

5:00 AM

Marsh hadn't been joking when he said the staff would draw blood in the mornings.

All he could remember was being dead asleep, then out of nowhere being woken up by a sharp pain in his arm. It was one of the most irritating experiences possible and of course he lashed out.

He couldn't help it. It was a knee jerk reaction, but their own fault for not giving him any kind of warning first or trying to make sure he was actually awake.

Soon after, he fell back asleep.

7:30 AM

He was woken up again and asked if he wanted to go down to the cafeteria for breakfast. He said no, because he was too tired. His medication always made him feel that way in the mornings.

Marsh, however, apparently had left.

9:00 AM

Goku was dragged out of bed by a staff member who wanted to take his vitals, before he was given an option to take a shower, which he turned down, because, once again, all he wanted to do was sleep.

10:00 AM

He was invited out for some kind of process group. He didn't fall back asleep after this, due to having been woken back up repeatedly, but he was still out of it so he ignored her.

11:00 AM .

A weekend doctor came to see him, asking a lot of questions about how he was doing, mainly physically. Many he forgot and, others, well, really, it was just repeating the same stuff he had already said over and over again by now.

11:30 AM

A social worker and therapist spoke to him.

More questions, this time about his mental wellbeing and what had brought him here.

They offered to help find him a therapist in his area, one who specialized in dealing with eating disorders and self-harm.

Of course, that could take up to several weeks, all things considered.

He was grateful nonetheless, some part of him having finally acknowledged that he needed professional help right now.

12:45 PM

The unit was sent down for lunch.

Goku decided to join them this time, but stuck to eating apple sauce again.

2:00 PM

Another group. This one he joined.

It was art therapy. They made a small bird house.

He didn't care much for it, but he figured it was better than doing nothing, so he participated.

3:00 PM

Marsh and him played ping pong in the gym. Unlike the last guy, he actually provided a challenge. Goku liked that.

He took a note that he'd like to do it again when he came back.

4:00 PM

The last group of the day.

They talked about triggers and coping mechanisms.

Goku didn't really say much, but he did listen, mainly to the stories that other patients had to share.

One of the suggestions for healthy coping mechanisms was to write in a journal.

But Goku had already made up his mind that he hated writing, so he ignored it.

…

5:00 PM

It was dinner.

Goku had a protein shake added to his meal due to word from the doctor.

As for food however, he turned it down this time.

Fortunately, the protein shake would still at least provide him with some nutrients, so the staff didn't say much. Even keeping the apple sauce down earlier had provided enough of a challenge.

5:45 PM:

The unit watched a movie.

Some kind of horror movie.

Goku had seen much scarier stuff in his lifetime, however, so he ended up finding himself laughing at it, while everybody else was scared out of their wits.

Marsh scoffed at the whole thing, not seeming too impressed with it either.

7:00 PM:

His approved items were finally brought back to his room and everybody was given the option to bathe.

Well, more like shower, because they didn't have bathtubs.

Due to their bathroom being shared, Marsh took his shower first, before letting Goku take his.

Goku quickly found himself reminded once again how much he hated hospital bathrooms. They were cold, this one especially because the space under the door was so large. He knew why of course.

At the very least, he was grateful to finally be able to change into pants that he didn't have to pull up every fifteen seconds. Frustratingly enough, they still didn't allow him to have his armbands, but Vegeta had apparently sent him a loose, long sleeve shirt, so, even though his preference was short sleeves, he still found it to be more comforting to have coverage over his scars.

Right as he was getting dressed, he suddenly picked up on the sound of shouting.

"Hey, what's going on?" He started to leave the room to see what the commotion was about, but right as he did, a chair was sent flying in his direction, hitting him directly in the face.

"Ow! That hurt!" He was knocked back, rubbing his nose and forehead in pain.

"Hey, are you okay?" Marsh ran over to his side.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but… What-" Goku looked back up, startled when he saw the other patient already had another chair in hand.

"I don't want to be here. Let me go home!" The man shouted, in tears.

"Kumqua... You need to relax." A nurse approached him.

"Don't tell me to relax! Let me out of here!" Kumqua shouted, continuing his outburst.

"He gets like this every night. Come on, let's go back in our room. Goku? You idiot, what are you doing?" Marsh hissed when Goku got up and started approaching him despite the staff's warning to go back to his room.

"Get back!" Kumqua tossed another chair at Goku, but everybody in the room seemed shocked when he caught it with ease.

"Hey, just calm down. I'm not your enemy." He placed it on the floor, approaching him.

"I said get back! This is none of your business, so butt out!" Once again, Kumqua grabbed another chair, but Goku took hold of it before it could be thrown. Through sheer physical strength, Goku had already won.

"I won't. Not until you stop this." Goku said firmly, his expression unwavering.

Slowly, Kumqua did as told, knowing he didn't have an option.

"There you go. See, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Goku grinned.

"Don't patronize me." Kumqua spat, glaring at him.

"I'm not. Now listen. You said you want to go home, right?" Goku murmured. "Well, threatening others isn't the answer to that. You could have seriously injured somebody just now… and then what would you have done?"

"Tch, it's so easy for you to give people lectures, isn't it? You've only been here for a day. I've been here for over three months now."

"I-" Goku started to speak back up but was cut off by a nurse.

"Goku, you need to go back to your room. We'll handle this."

"But-"

"Now."

"Fine…" Goku reluctantly listened, following Marsh back into the room.

"You're such a moron. Do you have any clue how that could have backfired on you?" Marsh berated him once they got inside.

"I'd have been fine. I had it handled." Goku rationalized.

"Handled my ass . You just got socked in the face with a chair. What the hell's the matter with you? This isn't the place to be playing heroics. That guy's a lunatic , that's exactly why he's here. He can't control himself. And like I said, he does this every other night."

"...Still, I feel kinda bad for him. He said he's been here three months now…" Goku looked down a bit.

"Yeah, because he can't control himself . God, how many times do I have to repeat that…?"

"I'm sorry. Just… don't yell at me, okay?"

Marsh sighed. "Look. Just… You'd do better to avoid him when he's like that. For your own sake. He's not stable. My dad… Had outbursts like that too. I don't like being around it."

"...Marsh-" Goku seemed at a loss for words as he said that.

"Goku?" A woman's voice cut him off.

"Huh?" Goku looked over at the door to see the nurse.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "Any pain in your head or face."

"Nah, I'm good." Goku shrugged.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Yeah. It hurts a little, but I'll be fine." Goku assured her.

"Just checking. Let me know if you need anything, alright?" She replied.

"I will." He said as she left the room.

Marsh was already laying down when Goku turned around.

Goku almost wanted to say something, but could tell he needed to be left alone right now.

This had apparently brought back bad memories for the other man, and he didn't want to tread on that.

8:00 PM

Goku was one of the first ones to ask to use the phone that evening.

He couldn't be more excited to hear from Vegeta.

Dialing out, the same thing happened as it did last time. It cut off, so Vegeta had to call back.

It took a moment though.

"Hello?"

"Vegeta, hey…"

"Hey…"

This time it was Goku who noticed sniffling on the other line. Vegeta's voice sounded strained.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked, worry consuming him.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing. How's your day been?"

Goku almost wanted to question him further but in the end, he didn't press it. "It's been alright. They're planning on hooking me up with a therapist in our area."

"That'll be good. You need as much support as you can get right now."

"Yeah… Also… I ate some apple sauce earlier. It wasn't much, but it's easier on my stomach than other stuff is right now."

"And you kept it down?"

"Mhm."

"That's better than starving yourself at least… I'm proud of you…"

Goku's heart fluttered when he heard that, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"I played ping pong again. This time it was with my roommate. He actually gave me a bit of a challenge unlike that other guy. He reminds me a bit of you."

He knew he kept changing conversations right and left, but Vegeta was long since aware of how he could be, so he didn't seem to mind.

"Is that so? Well, I hope you're not trying to make me jealous now." Vegeta was clearly just teasing him.

"I'm not." Goku smiled. "He apparently has a partner as well. Although earlier, I kinda got hit in the face with a chair. He was pretty worried about me."

"Hit in the face with a chair ? By who?"

"It was one of the patients. He was upset and wanted to go home. So he started throwing chairs around." Goku murmured.

"That seems like a sure fire way to get what he wants." Vegeta's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Yeah, I tried to talk to him, but the staff made me go back to my room."

"Let me guess. You tried to play the hero again, didn't you?"

"No, I just couldn't stand by and watch while he was threatening other patients like that. So I grabbed the chair from him."

"...Tch. Typical. As soon as you see somebody in danger, you just have to go and rescue them, don't you?"

"You know me… I can't really consider myself a hero, but I don't like seein' people get hurt either… You think that's strange…?" Goku mused, twisting the phone cord.

"Strange for a Saiyan maybe, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. That meddlesome nature of yours is something I like about you…"

"I guess I should be honored then…" Goku noted.

"You had better be. I'm not the type of person who hands out compliments very often…"

"Yeah…" Goku pondered it with a small surge of pride. Vegeta seemed to have that impact on him a lot lately. "Oh, we made bird houses today. They wouldn't let me take it back here though because it has a string on it. I'll show it to you when I get out."

"Alright. Hey…"

"Hm?"

"...You know I… love you, right…? That I'd… never do anything to intentionally betray you…"

Goku could hear the hesitation on the other end. Something was definitely bothering Vegeta, but what?

"Of course you wouldn't. Vegeta… Is this… about you sending me here? I know you only did that because you're worried about me. If I was in your situation, I'd have probably done the same thing…"

"...Yeah… right…"

Vegeta's response was once again delayed, but assuming he was just worried that he was mad over the hospital ordeal, he didn't bother prying into it.

He just needed some time to calm down.

Or that least that's what he tried to tell himself.

"So how have you been…?" He continued the conversation, trying to think of anything little thing he could think of to keep Vegeta distracted.

"I'm alright. Just been doing some training today. And sorting out the house. There's still a lot of unpacking that I need to take care of. I want everything to be in order for when you get back."

"Aw, Vegeta, You don't need to do everything at once. I wouldn't have minded helping you."

"It's alright. I want you to focus on your own problems and leave the more difficult stuff to me. I'll handle it."

"You sound tired. I'm worried you're gonna overwork yourself."

"A little bit of house work isn't going to kill me."

"No, maybe not, but if you're overdoing it when you're training on top of that, then that isn't healthy."

"Stop worrying, I said I'm fine."

"Vegeta…"

" Vegeta nothing . Your job right now is to heal . That's all I want you focused to, until you get better. Got it?"

"..Okay… If you say so." Goku caved, giving in. "I really miss you right now… I wanna hug you…"

"You'll get to hug me on Tuesday…"

"I know…" Goku pouted. "But still… I wanna hug you now . And kiss you too… I usually don't feel these things so intensely for anybody… but when I do, it makes me go crazy, you know…?"

"So I'm special to you, am I?"

"…You are special." Goku wasn't even ashamed to admit it. "The truth is… if anybody's to touch me like that, then I want it to be you, Nobody else…"

"...I see…" Vegeta didn't seem to know how else to respond, until, "Well… you're special to me too, Kakarot… I really wish you were here right now…"

"Heh, it's kinda funny that we're acting this way… we just saw each other yesterday, but all we can talk about is seeing each other again."

"Tch. I'm blaming you . I never used to be like this before. You made me this way…"

"Hey, that's not fair, Vegeta. I wasn't like this either before we got together."

"Well, it's certainly not my doing…"

" ...I do think… my attachment issues may have gotten worse since…" Goku trailed off.

"The divorce?"

"Yeah… between that and the stuff with my grandpa… and then… him… it's like… I'm afraid of losing you or something…" That of course had multiple meanings.

"I feel the same way. Even though I don't say it much… Every time you go off somewhere, I worry, that I'll never see you again. It terrifies me…"

"Hey, try to cheer up. I'll be back before you know it." It was strange that they had switched roles, but Vegeta seemed to need the reassurance right now.

"Yeah."

Without receiving much response in return, Goku, as always, continued rambling on until it was time for him to get off.

"I guess I should probably get off now. It's about time. One of the patients are starting to get impatient." There were two different phones so they had to spread between them.

"Oh. Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Goodnight."

"G''night. I love you."

"I love you too." Goku could practically hear him blushing when he said that.

He smiled before hanging up the phone and heading back to his room. Marsh was already asleep. He didn't seem to use the phone much for some reason. But Goku didn't ask.

9:00 PM

Goku was given an option to go back for a snack again. He stuck to apple sauce as always, alongside grape juice.

9:30 PM

He was given his medication. He was almost certain by now that the nurse was his favorite staff member. She was nice and spoke to him with understanding.

10:00 PM

The TV in the unit was turned off, and all the patients went to their rooms.

10:30 PM

Goku found himself tossing and turning that night, unable to get to sleep. The mattress was hard and his pillow was too thick. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't relax. And every so often, a staff member would come and shine a light into the rooms to make sure all the patients were okay.

He had fallen asleep pretty easily the past couple nights between the other hospital and this one, but tonight it seemed like he just couldn't relax for some reason. He was so used to having Vegeta by his side as he slept.

It took a while for him to realize that he was feeling lonely. He wanted Vegeta by his side.

To be able to feel his skin.

His warmth.

His embrace.

He even missed his scent.

And above all else, the sense of security he felt when being held and touched by him.

It was something he had been ashamed of not even a week ago, but now he found himself craving it more than anything.

To be able to give himself over to him fully.

All of a sudden an image passed through his head, of reaching up to touch Vegeta's face and embracing him, Vegeta looking down at him with that rare gentle expression of his, as he kissed him all over and became one with him.

He wanted that right now, so badly it hurt.

Vegeta…

Tears welled up in his eyes, a rare heat flowing through his groin at the mere thought of it. Shame consumed him when he realized he was hard. And wet too apparently.

Despite it being there, he resisted the urge to touch himself, cursing himself again and again for losing control of himself like that. Just wait for it to go down.

Biting his lip for the distraction of pain, Goku buried his face in his pillow, trying to calm himself down.

What's wrong with me…? I shouldn't be thinking about these things about him. It's disgusting…

I need to sleep.

This sort of thing didn't happen often. Even when he was with Chichi.

So the few times it did happen, it always left him feeling bad about it. Because usually the thought of sex was the furthest thing from his mind.

Wrapping his blanket around himself to hide the wet spot on his pants, he got up and left the room, stumbling over to the nurse, who had the window closed.

She opened it. "Need something?"

"Can't sleep…."

"Alright. Just give me a second. Can you show me your armband?"

"Yeah, sure." Goku held up his wrist. The nurse scanned the barcode.

He had been given a new armband since coming here, which had his patient code written down on it. The other they had clipped off because it was useless.

Most medication required having a doctor's order for it, but there were a few pre-approved options that the nurse could give him so he let her choose what was the best one.

She gave him a small plastic cup that had the pill in it as well as a larger cup that he could fill with water at the nearby water machine.

He took the pill and downed it with some water before handing her the plastic cup, and throwing the other into the trash.

"Thanks." he said, before heading back to bed.

As he lay there, he found himself thinking about Vegeta again, but the previous thoughts were gone.

Because it was only then that he recalled it due to how brief it had been.

He was crying earlier...

Something must have upset him, but what…?

He sounded so exhausted…

I hope everything's okay…

It'd be so easy for me to go to him right now, but I know he wouldn't forgive me for that…

Vegeta…

It was moments like this Goku found himself not just craving Vegeta's warmth, but wanting to hold him in his arms and offer him the same sense of security that Vegeta himself had always provided him with.

If something was causing Vegeta pain, then Goku wanted to be there for him.

Please… try to hang in there…

So that way I can do the same…

Closing his eyes, he slowly began to relax, before eventually dozing off.

…

The next couple days went by as eventfully as it could have. The schedule remained overall the same, although some group activities changed depending on the day.

Goku had picked up on it pretty quickly, and certain things he looked forward to, certain things he didn't. He simply avoided the activities he didn't care for.

Goku did like the gym. So he made sure to go there.

…

Goku had noticed the bruises on Vegeta's arms and neck almost immediately as well as his limp. He didn't know what they were from but he could tell they weren't from some accident. Somebody had hurt him. Whether that was during training or not, Goku didn't know.

"Hey." Goku said, wrapping his arms around him carefully. Giving the same introductory statement as they often did.

"Hey." Vegeta replied, hesitantly returning it. There were lines under his eyes from sleep deprivation. He hadn't been able to rest much at all the past couple days. But he had swore to himself that he would come, no matter what.

Almost immediately, he melted at the embrace. Goku's touch was always so gentle to him. So caring.

He needed it, more than he even realized.

Goku blushed a bit when he felt Vegeta bury his face in his chest.

"I missed you…" Vegeta said, barely above a whisper.

"I've missed you too, but… What's gotten into you? Vegeta… cut it out, this is embarrassing." Goku giggled a little.

"I can't help it. They're so soft… Like pillows…" Vegeta said, his hair brushing against Goku's neck and face.

Goku's face flashed bright red upon hearing that, but he forced himself to regain his composure. "Come on, let's go sit down at the table over there."

Slowly Goku led Vegeta over to one of the tables in the cafeteria, grabbing Vegeta a chair. He could tell how tired he was just by looking at him. It worried Goku more than he wanted to admit.

Upon sitting down next to him, Vegeta once again clung against his chest, closing his eyes.

Goku took note of the injuries on his wrists again. It looked like he had been held down for a long period of time by somebody, somebody who was much larger than he was.

He reached out, brushing a finger over the wound.

"What happened to your wrists…? They're all bruised. Your neck too."

Vegeta seemed to tense up slightly at the contact, pulling his arms away. "It's just a mishap is all. I got careless and let my guard down."

"Training…?" Goku asked.

"...Yeah." Vegeta said, but he had never looked sadder.

"With who?" Goku wasn't an idiot. He knew those marks had to have been caused by somebody. They were aggressive looking.

And then there was the limp. What could have caused it?

"It's just an old acquaintance… It's nothing to worry about." Vegeta replied vaguely. He couldn't tell him, it would impede on his recovery. At the same time, he couldn't lie either and say that he was training alone, Goku wouldn't fall for it, so the best thing he could do was beat around what was going on. Maybe if he was less exhausted, he could have come up with a better excuse. "So how are you doing?"

Goku swallowed when he heard Vegeta change the conversation, but he wanted to trust him, so he played along again, as he had before, even after hearing Vegeta cry on the phone.

He wasn't the type of person to push people to talk about things they didn't want to, especially when it was only baseless suspicion. It was none of his business.

Vegeta said it was just training, so it was probably nothing.

But who was the acquaintance?

An old sparring partner?

Somebody he knew on earth?

Somebody from another planet?

Who?

The questions nagged at Goku, eating away at him like parasites.

Vegeta had been acting somewhat strange the past few days yet Goku couldn't put his finger on why.

But Vegeta was strong. Even stronger than he was right now, so, whatever it was, Goku wanted to believe that Vegeta could take care of himself.

"I'm doing okay." He finally answered. "Oh, um... I finally finished the dragon I was working on before. You can have it if you'd like..."

Goku unfolded the piece of paper he had been working on, handing it to him.

"Thanks. I'll… put it on the fridge." Vegeta murmured, taking it from him. "It looks good."

"Ah, thanks… I kinda messed up the tail, though." Goku scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Vegeta shrugged it off. Whatever error Goku was noticing was so small that it was pretty much irrelevant. "I like it."

"Grandpa would often say the same thing… I used to draw stuff for him a lot." Goku twiddled his thumbs. "Not really on paper, but sometimes I'd carve stuff into the ground for him with a stick. He always liked watching me. Sometimes he'd even ask me to draw things for him… It was fun."

"Well… You're free to draw me anything you want." Vegeta moved up against him.

Goku was just about to reply, but stopped himself when the strap of Vegeta's tanktop fell down his shoulder.

That's when another bruise caught his attention. It was a bite mark.

Vegeta's eyes widened slightly when he felt Goku's fingers exploring his shoulder and chest.

Goku wasn't surprised when he found a mark on one of his pecs as well. It was dark, maybe even more aggressive than the others had been.

"What is this?" Goku gazed at it with a painful expression. "Did he bite you…?"

It wasn't like he himself was anybody to talk, because he too had bitten his opponents before, but this one looked different somehow.

As Goku traced his thumb over the spot, Vegeta winced at the contact, pulling closer and burying his face against his chest.

He looked so vulnerable.

Vegeta wouldn't be acting this way unless something bad had happened.

"Hey… It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know what happened…" Goku ran a hand through his hair, kissing his crown.

"You startled me." Vegeta said vaguely. "We were just training, nothing else."

Not really the answer Goku was looking for and, quite frankly, he refused to believe that's all there was to it.

But, once again, without proof, he couldn't say or do anything.

So, in the end, he carried on the conversation as usual until time was up and Vegeta had to leave.

"I'll see you on Thursday." Vegeta said.

"Yeah… But… Vegeta…?" Goku traced his jawline, noticing painfully just how tense he seemed in response. It was like he was afraid of something.

"Hm?" Vegeta uttered.

"Take care of yourself." Goku told him the same words Vegeta had told him before. "I'm really worried about you."

"I'll be fine. I just need some rest." Vegeta assured.

As they said their goodbyes, and Goku watched him leave, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

…

Vegeta had long since reached the conclusion that not fighting back would make things go by faster. So he cooperated. Did whatever Atticus told him to. It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter.

Obedience. It was a hardwired instinct that he had learned for survival.

It was just like with Frieza. Bite his tongue and listen.

Of course, Frieza had never done to him what Atticus had done, but he was twisted in his own ways, torturing him, abusing him and humiliating him all for some sick sense of pleasure if he even got the slightest inkling to.

As a child, he had been thrown into a den of lions by his father. And it was no different now. He may have gotten stronger, but so had Atticus.

All Vegeta could do right now was endure.

…

"Marsh is gone? I was gonna give him something." Goku couldn't help his disappointment upon discovering the empty bed, all the bedding removed. Marsh had been discharged a week after Vegeta's second visitation.

It came as a shock because Marsh hadn't said a word about being discharged beforehand.

"I'm sorry." The tech said simply.

"He didn't tell me anything…" Goku sulked, bitterly, before walking back to his room.

Marsh was the one patient he really liked at this place and now he was gone.

That's when he saw the sticky note on his dresser.

"What's this…?" He wondered aloud.

| "If you need something, call me."

"Well, at least he left his number, I guess." Goku pouted. "Still, he could have said goodbye first…"

Unfortunately, it was just like him not to mention anything about leaving beforehand.

His next roommate was somebody much less interesting. A quiet older man who just liked sleeping all the time.

…

The only positive of Marsh leaving is that it did give him more time to get his focus back on Vegeta.

Over time, the number of wounds had started increasing drastically and becoming much bolder with each visitation. It was like it was intentional, as if the person responsible was deliberately trying to provoke him.

Because the injuries were not only abusive but possessive as well, an effort to display control and power over him.

It frustrated Goku. Vegeta wasn't some object. He was a person, with feelings of his own. He didn't deserve to be treated that way.

Vegeta had obviously tried his best to conceal the wounds with long sleeves but he couldn't hide the marks on his neck unless he wore a scarf, but that would be too suspicious, so he had to forgo it.

And yet, he knew that Goku still noticed it. Even if he didn't always say anything, it was obviously worrying him.

Vegeta couldn't stand lying to him, but there was no telling how Goku would react if he found out. Most likely, he would try to confront Atticus himself, but Vegeta knew Goku wasn't strong enough to stand up to him as he was.

He couldn't put his life in danger like that, knowing that Atticus could easily kill him if he wanted to.

So every time Goku asked, Vegeta had to repeat the same old story again and again. That it was from training. Goku didn't seem to believe him because the placement of the bruising was always the same, creating an obvious pattern, but, still, Vegeta kept quiet in a desperate effort to protect Goku.

…

Goku started to consider abuse on the fourth week when he himself was finally starting to recover.

The signs were obvious.

The bruising and sensitivity.

The exhaustion.

The tenseness.

The persistent limp.

How evasive he was when talking about what had been going on.

And so many other things, even how unstable his energy felt.

Vegeta was afraid of something.

An old acquaintance.

Somebody from his past.

Somebody who must have hurt him before.

That realization dawned on him like a ton of bricks one night as he laid in bed.

Somebody from the Frieza force? No, it couldn't be. They should all be dead, shouldn't they…?

It must be somebody else then, but who?

With that question unanswered, he decided then that he was going to leave.

…

Unfortunately, disappearing from the hospital with his instant transmission wasn't an option, Not one that Vegeta would ever approve of. It was dishonest and would cause far too much trouble. And he couldn't just casually check himself out or leave like in the ER without repercussions.

So, as much as he hated it, he would have to get the doctor to professionally discharge him.

He had to answer the questions with the responses they wanted, that he didn't feel like hurting himself anymore, that things were better now, that he had a plan to see a therapist once he got out, that he was eating again and so on. Just be positive. It was fairly easy, all things considered.

The only thing left was getting the doctor to call somebody who could confirm he was safe to go home.

But calling Vegeta right now was out of the question. What he might say was unpredictable.

As things stood, he was afraid that Vegeta wouldn't want him to come home yet (he had already asked a couple weeks before after which Vegeta had told him no because he still wasn't eating solids properly. He wanted him better) so Goku chose Krillin instead.

…

Krillin seemed stunned when the doctor called him.

"Goku has said that going to stay with you could be an option. Are you okay with that?"

"Uh, yeah…. I guess he can stay with us. Why? Is Vegeta not available?"

"I couldn't get up with him. I'll stay with you for a while until I hear back from him." Goku said, quickly deflecting the conversation.

"Alright. Well, as you know, I have a job, but 18 will be around, so I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I need to confirm that he'll be returning to a safe environment. No sharp objects lying around. Nothing that he could hurt himself with, etc." The doctor said.

"No, we have a child so we keep that stuff locked away."

The doctor seemed satisfied after that, making arrangements for Goku to be able to leave the same day.

…

In the end, Goku was given a referral to a therapist, and paperwork discussing his treatment plan once he was out.

It was stressful and took over two hours of waiting, but he was finally allowed to leave.

Goku then followed the woman to the front of the building, and unsurprisingly, the first thing he did was use his Instant Transmission to get to Vegeta.

What he didn't expect, however, was to find Vegeta laying shirtless in bed with more bruises than ever covering his body. Even around his waist line.

"Vegeta!" He rushed over in seconds, worry consuming him. "Hey… talk to me."

"Kakarot…?" Vegeta slurred, looking up and meeting his gaze. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the hospital."

"I checked myself out. But enough about me." Goku deleted the conversation. "What happened to you? Why are you covered in all these bruises? I knew there were some but I never realized it was this bad."

"You checked yourself out…? Kakarot-" Vegeta started to scold him but was cut off by Goku.

"Answer the question, now. Please…" he pleaded. Tracing a hand over a particularly bad bruise on his chest.

"I keep telling you. It's from training." Vegeta lied. "You don't need to worry. I'll be fine."

"You sound like you've been drugged." Goku argued.

"I took some sleeping medication earlier so I could rest for a while." Vegeta said.

"Then tell me. Who's the person you've been training with?" Goku demanded to know.

"That's-"

"Ah, so you must be Kakarot…" Goku looked over to see Atticus at the door. "Vegeta's told me a lot about you."

"Atticus. Stay away from him." Vegeta said, as Atticus took a step towards Goku.

"Vegeta, who is this?" Goku asked, suspiciously, taking notice of the uniform he was wearing. It had been a possibility he had wanted to rule out but as it turns out maybe he was spot on.

"He's the acquaintance I mentioned. He's staying here until Bulma fixes his spaceship." Vegeta answered vaguely.

"He's from the Frieza force, though, and he's been staying here? Why didn't you tell me anything?" Goku wasn't angry, not by a long shot, but his concerns were suddenly amplified.

"I didn't want to bother you with it." Vegeta replied.

"Bother me with what?" Goku looked at him with confusion.

"'s nothing. Just forget about it. This doesn't concern you." Vegeta dismissed.

"The hell it doesn't. This is my home too. I'd like to know what's going on here. And he's been hurting you." Goku argued weakly.

"I told you. We were just training. That's all." Vegeta winced as he tried to move.

"Vegeta…!" Goku caressed his face. "Listen, I'm going to get you a Senzu bean, alright?"

Goku disappeared right before them, his hospital papers and patient belongings bag dropping at the bedside.

"Wait, where did he go?" Atticus asked, seeming baffled.

"He'll be back in a few minutes. But this changes things. I want you out of here. I only agreed to let you stay here because he was in the hospital. I don't want you around him."

"Oh, trust me. I'm not going anywhere. You know why?" Atticus's eyes narrowed.

"And why's that…?"

"Because I'll tell him everything ." Atticus said, satisfied when Vegeta's eyes widened, his hand twitching. "What we've been doing together. He'll know that you've been cheating on him. Is that what you want?"

Vegeta's entire being froze upon hearing that. "It wasn't cheating. I never consented to you!"

"Yet your body says otherwise, Vegeta." Atticus said coldly. "You always claim you hate it, but the truth is you like it when I fuck you, and the very fact that you came to another man outside of your partner is proof enough of your unloyalty."

"I can't control how my body responds to something like that... You're a rapist." Vegeta argued weakly, his mind foggy because of the medication.

"That's an excuse and you know it."

Vegeta was left speechless after that, questioning his words, doubting himself as he already had over the past few weeks. He wanted so badly to kill Atticus right then and there and then tell Goku everything, but Atticus was too powerful. There was nothing he could do but cooperate and Endure.

Cooperate and Endure

Cooperate and Endure

"Then... Just promise me something. If you choose stay here, then you'll leave Kakarot alone. If you lay so much as one finger on him. I swear I'll-"

"You don't need to worry. He's not really my type, so, as long as I can have you , then that's enough for me. I'll see you tonight, Vegeta." Atticus smiled before returning to his room.

Tears welled up in Vegeta's eyes as he left, cursing himself again and again.

Damn it. Why am I letting him control me like this? I thought I had put this behind me, but apparently I'm the same as I always was. I can't stand this!

…Is it possible that Kakarot would actually believe him if he said that I was cheating on him? No, probably not, but… even so, even if I wanted to tell him, I can't put him in danger like that… and knowing everything he's been through, I can't imagine how much it would worry him.

As long as Kakarot remains unharmed, that's all that matters to me. I just want him to be safe.

"Hey, I'm back. sorry it took so long. Yajirobi needed my help with something. But I got you the senzu bean. Here." Goku smiled as he put it up to his mouth.

Vegeta almost immediately rejected it.

"Vegeta…" Goku uttered painfully when he saw that his lover was refusing treatment.

"Come on… Do it for me. You need to let yourself heal." Goku rested his other hand on the other Saiyan's cheek. "Please…?"

His touch. So gentle. Filled with so much love and concern.

Vegeta's heart melted, guilt eating away at him. He couldn't worry him like this.

Slowly, he took it into his mouth and chewed it up.

"There you go." Goku's expression softened, when he swallowed it and the injuries disappeared. "Feeling better?"

"...Kakarot." Vegeta shakily reached up, touching his face. "I know you just got back but lay down next to me. I want to hold you."

"Okay…" Goku blushed a bit, crawling up on the bed with him. The senzu bean had taken care of Vegeta's injuries, but, apparently, whatever he had taken was still in his system.

Once again, Vegeta rested against Goku's chest, almost feeling like it was a pillow in itself.

"Why would you check yourself out like that without me knowing anything…?" He asked.

"I was worried about you… and I thought you'd say no like last time."

"I said no because the doctor was still worried about you. But are you really sure you're okay to be out like this?" Vegeta asked with concern.

"Yeah… I'll be fine. Try not to worry about it. I haven't purged in a while, and I've started eating solids again. They have some stuff in my paperwork about it."

"I'll take a look at it later." Vegeta murmured.

"If you could, do you think you could let Krillin know I'm okay?" Goku asked. "I kinda had the doctor call him earlier because they needed somebody to confirm I was safe to go home. I feel kinda bad because he seemed confused."

"Yeah, sure." Vegeta replied weakly, not sure how else to respond, he was kind of too out of it to truly process what Goku had said. "I'll do that."

"Oh, I forgot to mention." Goku moved closer, wanting his warmth as much as Vegeta wanted his . "They gave me a referral to a therapist here. They said we'd have to call them tomorrow."

"That's good. Maybe you can get some help…" Vegeta slurred.

"Also, what happened to the guy that was here earlier?" Goku asked. "I wasn't done talking to him."

"He's probably in the room I gave him. But don't bother. I don't want you going anywhere near him. He's dangerous, Kakarot..." Vegeta warned.

"Dangerous how?" Goku asked, alarmed.

"Just take my word for it, and leave him alone. Please." Vegeta refused to speak on the matter.

"He's the one who hurt you, right? And he's from the Frieza force. So why are you letting him stay here…? Vegeta, answer me. You've been acting strange these past few weeks, every time you came to see me. Has he… done something to you…? In your past?" Goku wanted to know.

"I… I'd rather not talk about it." Vegeta murmured. "I'm sorry…"

"...It's okay… I won't force you to talk about it if it's that personal, but I've been really worried about you… Ever since I heard you crying on the phone that night, I wanted nothing more than to come to you… but I knew you wouldn't forgive me if I did that. So I waited. Told myself I'd get better so I could help you too."

"You're always so caring… But that's really not necessary, Kakarot…" Vegeta assured him. "Focus on your own problems and I'll deal with mine…"

Always the same thing. He always said that. It was frustrating.

"...I really missed being held by you like this…" Goku said.

"Did you? How funny, because I missed holding you." Vegeta murmured.

Goku was quiet for another long moment before Vegeta looked up at him.

"Hey… what we talked about before… Is that something you still want…? Because I really don't mind… If it's you." Vegeta offered, crawling up on top of him.

"Vegeta… I don't… think now is a good time… You seem… different somehow…" Goku treaded carefully, tracing a hand over his small waistline. "You said you took something, right…? Sleeping medication. I wouldn't feel right doing that with you when you're like this."

"Oh…" Vegeta's response was delayed, closing his eyes again. "Okay."

He sounds so tired.

Goku softly ran some fingers through his hair, even as Vegeta moved his head back down to rest against his chest.

At some point, he dozed off, leaving Goku to admire his sleeping face.

The other stuff could wait.

…

"So let me get this straight. You had the doctor call Krillin and told him you were going to be staying with him…?" Was the first thing Vegeta really said when he had woken back up and actually had a chance to process everything.

"Sorry…" Goku lowered his head.

"Did you honestly believe I was going to force you to stay there if you were doing better?" Vegeta asked, exasperated.

"I didn't know… Please don't shout at me." A guilty expression passed over Goku's face as he looked down.

"I'm not… I just… wish you had talked to me first…" Vegeta sighed. "I'll let Krillin know what's going on later, okay? In the meantime, you said you were given a referral to a therapist, right? Let me see your paperwork."

"Uh, ok." Goku grabbed it, handing it to him. "They also gave me a new prescription there. As well as my old one."

Vegeta scanned through it, before grabbing his phone from the dresser. "It's the thirteenth. That's five days from now. I'm putting it into my calendar so I won't forget. It's also apparently the same business, so you should already be registered in their system." Vegeta noted.

"Well, that's good, I guess." Goku replied, not sure what else to say.

"It is. At the very least it'll save us a lot of hassle, and make it easier to get you in." Vegeta said. He then continued skimming over the information Goku had been sent home with.

"They've upped your dose of Catapres?" Vegeta inquired.

"Yeah. I started having problems relaxing at bedtime.. So the doctor increased it."

"I see." Vegeta took a mental note of it. "But you already had the melatonin. Or did they not give you that?"

"Well, they didn't have melatonin there, because it's like a vitamin or something, so…"

He didn't say much more after that, trying to give him in all the information he could on it.

"I'm gonna go and make something for us to eat." Goku said.

"Okay-Oh, wait! Let me come with you…!" Vegeta jumped up in a hurry, bringing the papers with him.

"Alright." Goku didn't know how else to respond when Vegeta suddenly clung to his arm.

What's with him all of a sudden…? He's actin' strange.

The two headed to the kitchen, Goku already debating on what to make. Some kind of soup would probably be best, the easiest to stomach.

Vegeta found his seat at the table, allowing Goku to do his own thing.

Goku glanced at him, admiring how focused he was.

He himself had trouble concentrating on basic tasks, but Vegeta always managed to catch every detail, things that Goku would have never even picked up on. In some ways, it was amazing. "Hey, Vegeta?"

"Hm?" Vegeta glanced over at him.

"You okay with Kakitamajiru?" Goku asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine with whatever you want, Kakarot." Vegeta replied simply, turning his attention back to the papers.

"Kay. I'll make some rice to go along with it, in case you want more." Goku offered.

Vegeta didn't reply, but Goku didn't mind.

For a long time the room was silent until Vegeta finally spoke back up, having finished reading the papers. "Did they talk with you about any kind of coping mechanisms while you were in there…?"

"Some. They mostly just made suggestions I wasn't interested in, though." Goku mumbled.

"Like what?" Vegeta inquired.

"Like… writing in a journal." Goku answered evasively. "I don't really like writing, though, because of all the kanji and stuff, so…"

"You don't always have to use kanji. You can use kana too."

"Yeah, but still, that's not always easy to understand… Besides, it seems pointless to write in a journal. It's not like anybody's gonna be reading it or anything." Goku shrugged.

"I would…," Vegeta blushed slightly. "if you'd allow me to…"

"I never thought my thoughts were that interesting to you…" Goku teased slightly.

"Yeah, w-well…" Vegeta stammered, struggling to fight off the embarrassment. "As your partner, it's my responsibility to know what's going on with you so I can understand your needs better. Besides, most people may not understand your writing, but I can read it just fine…"

"Last I checked, you called it chicken scratch…" Goku grumbled.

A pang of guilt hit Vegeta upon hearing that. "Well, I wasn't being serious …"

"You weren't…?" Goku glanced at him with a look of surprise.

"No, of course not…" Vegeta lowered his head slightly. "And if it's a journal, that doesn't need to be professional to begin with. It's something you can express your feelings in in a way that you feel the most comfortable with."

"I guess so… I hadn't thought of it that way…" Goku pondered it.

"Hold on, I think I have an empty book around here somewhere. I can give it to you." Vegeta got up and walked over to a storage shelf, pulling out a black book that he had connected a pen to. "Would this work?"

Yeah, this is perfect. Thanks." Goku smiled softly, placing it beside him.

"Don't mention it." Vegeta said.

Another silence settled between them as Vegeta observed him work with the ingredients he had picked out.

Without really thinking about it, he started to hug him from behind.

"Vegeta… I can't cook with you clinging to me like this." Goku flushed, sounding a bit harsher than intended.

"I'm sorry… I'll go back over to the table." Dejected, Vegeta pulled back, returning to his seat.

A pang of guilt hit Goku when he saw how sad Vegeta looked. Something had definitely been bothering him. It was like he had been much more reliant on physical contact than he used to be, even if he had still had periods he wasn't comfortable with it at all.

What really worried him was how vulnerable Vegeta seemed. It was almost like he needed to touch him to stay grounded, to feel safe, but he was afraid at the same time that the slightest wrong touch could send him over the edge.

Vegeta had his head lowered when Goku approached him with three bowls and a couple spoons. Goku smiled softly, sitting down next to him. "Here. Eat this. Get some rice too if you want."

"Thanks." Vegeta took it. Slowly, he began to eat it, as Goku brought over some tea.

"Is it good?" Goku asked.

"Yes, Kakarot. Your cooking is always good." He gave a saddened smile. "Back on Planet Vegeta, and in the Frieza force, we didn't usually have meals like this. To be honest, the stuff you've made me… It's probably some of the best I've ever had."

"That good, huh? What's your favorite food then?" Goku asked, with curious eyes.

"I told you already, didn't I? It's carrot cake." Vegeta teased, happy to see Goku's face turn red.

"I meant b-beside that." Goku stuttered, flustered. He got the feeling that Vegeta was only saying that to tease him.

"Beside carrot cake, huh? Honestly, I don't really have a favorite. I like a bit of everything." Vegeta shrugged.

"I see… I'm the same way. As you know, I was raised in the wilderness, so there are still a lot of foods I'm not familiar with. Getting to try new things, it's really a lot of fun."

"Would you believe me if I said I've never had this before?" Vegeta asked.

"Wait, you've never had Kakitamajiru?" Goku seemed shocked. "Oh man, that's one of the first things Chichi ever made for me."

"Bulma's let me try a lot of nice foods too… " Vegeta's retort was barely above a whisper. "You didn't even know what kind of steak to pick out at the restaurant I brought you to."

"Yeah, that's because steak is like… super expensive . Chichi couldn't afford that stuff." Goku argued. That's when the realization dawned on him. "Oh, hey, that reminds me. We never went back there, did we? Even though we said we were going to."

"No. We didn't, did we…?" Vegeta pondered it.

"We should plan on that. You think?" Goku offered with a grin.

"Yeah. I'd… like that." Vegeta mumbled, his ears heating up at what he could only assume to be a date proposal.

"Cool. So… how's a few weeks from now sound?" Goku brushed a hand against his arm.

"Great…" Vegeta suddenly found himself at a loss for words, the contact making him shutter slightly. "I… Kakarot…?"

His face flashed bright red again when he looked over and saw that their noses were only inches apart.

"Mn." He moaned slightly as the other Saiyan's lips met his.

Goku took the initiative on this one, just to test the waters. If Vegeta rejected him or showed any sign of discomfort then he would stop.

But Vegeta didn't. He allowed it.

After a second, Goku pulled back, lowering his head slightly as he fidgeted with Vegeta's pants, apprehensively. "...Do you… mind if we… you know…?"

"You… want to have sex?" Vegeta stared at him, his heart pounding in his ears.

"Mhm…" Goku nodded, shyly, meeting his gaze again. "You're… okay, with that…, aren't you, Vegeta…?"

Vegeta hesitated.

Am I…? After what happened, I'm not sure…

But this is what Kakarot wants…

So…

Shouldn't I want this too…?

A part of me does, but…

But what if he wants me to take the position I'm not comfortable with?

How would I even explain that to him?

"Vegeta…?" Goku pressed, a bit worried by his lack of response.

"A-ah… Yeah, of course… just… let me put the dishes in the sink, alright?" Taking Goku's hand into his own, he kissed his fingers, trying to fight back how nervous he was. "Then we can go back to our room."

"Okay." Goku watched him head to the sink, before standing up himself. Once Vegeta was done, Goku followed him upstairs, a smile on his face as he reached out and grabbed Vegeta's hand.

In response, Vegeta gnawed at the inside of his cheek, but chose to press forward, despite the fear he was feeling.

Even though he's nervous, I can tell he's excited.

He looks so happy…

I guess I can't blame him.

He's been looking forward to this for weeks now…

So if I reject him again after all this time…

I can't imagine how much it would crush him.

"Take care of him, would you? I can tell he really looks up to you."

For some reason or another, Bulma's voice echoed in Vegeta's head in that moment, a familiar warmth spreading through his groin.

"I'm trusting you."

Hopeful eyes were looking at him. He could see it even in the corner of his vision.

I don't want him to be disappointed in me…

When Goku's fingers intertwined with his, Vegeta met his gaze, swallowing the lump in his throat.

As soon as he caught Vegeta's eyes, Goku turned away again, almost immediately.

Vegeta could tell.

He's obviously nervous.

But, to be fair, so am I…

Just as anxious as his lover was, Vegeta allowed himself to be pulled by the other Saiyan to their bedroom, into the dimly lit lighting. He inwardly shuddered as he heard the door shut behind him followed by the click of a lock.

Still, I need to tell him how I'm feeling.

If don't say something soon, he's liable to-

Hands loosely brushing against his side, as Goku now stood in front of him.

"Do you… mind if I kiss you again…?" Goku's cheeks were red. He was only taking the lead because Vegeta himself hadn't already.

"Yeah, um, sure, go ahead..." Vegeta put on a brave face, despite the pit forming in his stomach.

Shyly, Goku leaned forward and captured Vegeta's lips with his own again. Gently urging him up on the bed, he cupped one of Vegeta's pecs, stimulating the spot.

Leaving a trail of kisses up and down his neck and chest, Goku tried his best to replicate what Chichi had him do or, rather, what Chichi always did to him , hoping it would help.

Vegeta tensed up at the contact, quickly losing his ground.

"Are you okay…?" Goku paused, concerned at sensing his hesitation.

"Yeah," Vegeta lied. "I'm… fine…" Why do I suddenly feel so terrified?

"You sure…?" Goku still felt uneasy.

Down deep, he'd have really preferred Vegeta to take the lead on this, but it didn't seem like he was going to, that's the only reason he had taken the initiative.

"I'll be fine, I'm… just a little nervous, is all." Vegeta swallowed. "Keep going."

I don't want to hurt his feelings.

"Well, if… you're certain about it…" Goku hesitated, but decided to trust his word.

It's probably nothing. I'm sure he'd tell me if he wasn't comfortable, right?

The truth is, Goku had no clue what he was doing anymore. He swallowed, tracing a hand along Vegeta's cheek and then back to his chest. His heart was racing in his chest as he stared into Vegeta's eyes.

What are we supposed to do in a case like this…?

We're both guys…

And Vegeta has the same parts as me, so…

I don't know what he wants…

…He usually prefers to be in control… so

I guess I could try… taking the role of the woman, but from the top instead…? Chichi did that a couple times with me too… so it should probably be fine, right…?

Pressing his hands against Vegeta's thighs, Goku gazed down at the bulge between Vegeta's legs with a small blush. He had never felt more vulnerable.

Maybe I could try pleasuring him a bit first? It should help relax him some. "You… mind if I take off your pants?"

"No… it's um… alright." Vegeta looked down at Goku's hands, the pit in his stomach becoming larger by the second.

Right as Goku started to do as verbally permitted, however, Vegeta immediately found himself panicking, his chest constricting.

Crap… He's expecting me to be the bottom, after all….

I can't, not like this . Not with him .

I just need to ask him to switch. I'm sure he'd be okay with it.

He'd understand.

No, how the hell can I possibly expect that of him knowing everything he's been through?

I'm so selfish…

"What's wrong, little Prince? Can't take a little dick? I thought anal was your kind's favorite. That's okay, I don't mind toughening you up a bit. Then you'll be begging me for more."

"Wait..." His voice shook, pressing his palms against chest, gasping for air right as Goku had pulled his pants halfway off.

"W-What's wrong?" Goku wavered, his heart skipping a beat.

"I…" Vegeta cursed his voice, his eyes darting around. He was so used to being ignored by now. Why would this be any different? Tears fell down his cheeks.

Come on. Speak , damn it!

"Vegeta…?" Goku paused, only now recognizing the fear in his face. Had he made a mistake? Misunderstood? "Hey…"

"It's… Please… don't… I'm afraid…" It took everything Vegeta had to say those words. And even then, he wondered if he was still going to be ignored.

Atticus and everybody else always had.

"Vegeta…" Goku's breath hitched when he saw the tears, immediately retracting his hand. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know… I thought you wanted this… Oh God, what have I done…? I won't touch you. I swear… Please don't cry…"

"Kakarot, It's okay… I know you weren't trying to hurt me…" Vegeta reassured him, wiping away the moisture that had formed in the corner of his partner's eye. "There's just… some things… I can't do right now… and this is one of them… It's the memories… It terrifies me."

Well, that was putting it lightly, it wasn't just the memories, but a matter of simple preference too, and yet the trauma had amplified that tenfold.

He felt weak even admitting that.

The answer was vaguer than intended, so it left Goku misunderstanding, thinking he meant he was afraid of sex in general, but the guilt consuming him was much more pressing.

"I'm such an idiot… I should have realized that you were uncomfortable…" Goku had never felt worse in his life. He himself had started crying as well. "I'm so sorry…"

Again and again, he apologized, hugging against him.

"Shh… Hey, it's okay… Kakarot…" Vegeta tried to soothe him, pulling him in for an embrace, his heart breaking as Goku sobbed in his arms.

Goku was so sweet. He would never intentionally hurt somebody. Vegeta knew this.

He wasn't like their assaulters.

"If I had hurt you, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself." Goku choked out.

"No. You wouldn't have done that… I know you wouldn't have… You're different from them. You're a good person, Kakarot…" Vegeta ran a few fingers through his hair, in an attempt to calm him down. "Let's… just rest for a while, and we'll figure this out later, okay…? Or would you like to take a shower first?"

"I wanna take a bath with you…"

"If that's what you want, then we'll do that. I'll even wash your hair like before. How's that sound?"

"Ok." Goku murmured.

Vegeta kissed his crown. "Then go pick yourself out some clothes."

Goku got up, heading over to his dresser, getting some pajamas.

In the meantime, Vegeta took a moment to send Krillin a text message, just then remembering he had needed to.

"Kakarot is safe with me. I apologize if he bothered you earlier. He was worried about something and wasn't sure if I'd allow him to come back home…"

"I figured it was something like that. Well, as long as he's okay, that's all that matters."

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'm ready." Goku had already finished.

"Oh, let me get mine." Vegeta got up, grabbing some clothes from his own dresser, consisting of a pair of shorts and a tank top.

…

It wasn't long before the two found themselves in a bathtub together, water and suds surrounding them.

"Oh man… This is way better than those crappy hospital showers… A real life bath." Goku had never felt better. In comparison to the ones at the hospital, the bathrooms actually trapped heat.

Vegeta watched with some irritation yet a begrudging fondness as Goku started playing with the suds floating around in the water as well as the soap on himself..

"Hey, Vegeta… Look how big this bubble is." Goku giggled, holding up a large bubble in his palms.

"Idiot, stop playing around. You're making a mess." Vegeta scolded him. He's like a child…

He had said that so many times, and yet that innocence and fascination over the smallest of things is one of the many things that made Goku so alluring to Vegeta.

Reaching out, Vegeta rested a hand against Goku's cheek, moving over towards him.

"...geta…" Caught off guard, Goku stopped what he was doing to meet his gaze.

"Mn." He moaned a bit as Vegeta's tongue entered his mouth.

He liked this. Letting Vegeta take control. Dare say, in some ways, he preferred it this way.

Their tongues collided, but it wasn't aggressive. It was actually quite gentle. Vegeta just wanted a chance to explore his lover's mouth for the first time in what felt like forever. He pulled back, his cheeks tinged with a pink hue. "Did you just call me 'geta'…?"

"N-no." Goku stammered, embarrassed. It hadn't been intentional. The first part simply hadn't come out loud enough.

"Oh, but I believe you did . Call me that again."

"I…" Goku's voice caught in his throat as he looked down. "W-Why?"

"Because I liked hearing it." Vegeta caught his eyes again. "It was cute."

"Cute…?" Goku blushed. Y-ya really think so? Then it wasn't… strange, after all…?"

"Of course not…" Vegeta looked away. "just… don't call me that around the others, okay…? Bulma would have a field day if she heard you using a nickname like that with me."

"...Geta." Goku tested the name on his tongue, too distracted by the fact that Vegeta had even permitted it to focus on any of the other stuff. "I dunno, it still feels weird t'me..."

"Well, you are weird. In a good way…" Vegeta kissed him again.

And again.

He kept kissing him, even nibbling at his lips, until they were red.

Goku let out several breathy moans as he tried to keep up with it, his ears red.

Vegeta's always so passionate when he kisses me. I almost feel like my face is gonna be eaten or something… but it feels nice…

"I really missed this…" Goku pulled back slightly, just enough to talk. "Being able to kiss ya like this… We couldn't do this when I was in the hospital."

"What are you talking about? We kissed each other multiple times." Vegeta said.

"I know, but it's different when we're alone…" Goku replied in a weak voice.

"Different how…?" Vegeta asked.

"...excites me." Goku blushed, a bit frustrated. "And makes me feel things."

"Like it turns you on…?" Vegeta inquired without judgment.

"...Mhm…" Goku looked down, almost like he was ashamed. "I kinda feel bad about it, though."

"That's nothing to feel bad about, Kakarot. I feel the same way when I'm kissing you too sometimes…" Vegeta took his hand into his own, brushing his lips against his fingers.

"You do?" Goku asked, the guilt in his expression vanishing somewhat.

"Yes, it's normal." Although he got turned on by a lot more than just kissing. But he didn't need to say that. "Listen. I still have things I need to figure out right now, but, if you're willing to wait for me, then… maybe… we could do those things some time soon…"

"Kay…" Goku looked away, twiddling his fingers. "Actually, to be honest with you, I kinda felt awkward earlier because I was expecting you to be the one to…"

He didn't finish the sentence, leaving Vegeta confused.

"Expecting me to what…?" Vegeta probed.

"Mn… No, it's nothing… Don't worry about it." Goku nervously scratched the back of his head in embarrassment for even thinking about such a thing.

Vegeta didn't press it, but couldn't help but wonder.

…

"Here, I've got your medication." Vegeta held out a cup of water, alongside Goku's pill and melatonin for him to take once Goku came back to bed.

"Oh. Thanks." Goku smiled as he took them. Once he was done, he handed the cup back to Vegeta, who placed it on the dresser.

He then laid down, waiting for Vegeta to join him, which Vegeta did after a moment.

Vegeta ran a hand up Goku's side, pulling him into an embrace. "You know I'm glad you're back… So I can hold you like this."

"You said that earlier." Goku brushed a hand through his hair.

"I did? Heh. Must be getting old." Vegeta joked.

"Well, you are older than I am and I'm a grandpa now. Man, time really flies ya by, doesn't it? This past year has went by so fast I almost can't keep track of it all." Goku laughed.

"Feels like just yesterday that I was trying to kill you. Yet here we are, in a relationship… It's almost crazy…" Vegeta added.

The two laughed and talked for a while before Goku started to doze off, relaxing in Vegeta's arms.

Vegeta watched him with fondness, his expression soft as he caressed Goku's cheek.

Kakarot…

My sweet mate…

I promise I'll keep you safe from him.

Even if it means losing myself in the process.

You'll never have to endure anything like that again.

Not while I'm alive.

Vegeta's heart dropped when he saw Atticus out of the corner of his eye. No surprise, he was drunk again.

"Vegeta…" he slurred. "Get over here. I need you…"

Vegeta kissed Goku's forehead, biting back tears, before getting off the bed and leaving the room.

Almost immediately, Atticus grabbed his wrist.

"Come with me. We're going to your gravity chamber."

"What? Why?" Vegeta protested, fear and confusion consuming him.

"Because. I don't want any chance of him waking up because of your incessant crying. You're too noisy." Atticus spat.

That comment stung more than Vegeta had wanted to admit, especially considering all their ordeals had been non-consensual, but now Atticus wanted to silence him too. He felt like an animal.

But down deep, he couldn't bring himself to protest. He could never do anything to impede on Goku's rest or recovery.

He could accept Goku hating him, but he couldn't risk his life.

*RAPE SCENE AHEAD*

Entering the gravity chamber, Atticus pushed Vegeta inside, closing the door behind him.

"Strip."

Slowly, Vegeta did as told, gasping for air when Atticus slammed him into the wall by his neck.

When he was drunk like this, his behavior was always so volatile. Some nights he was more mild mannered, and then other times like this he was aggressive. This was one of those nights.

"That's right. Now tell me who you belong to. I want to hear you say it."

"I belong to you." Vegeta choked out amidst tears. Obedience was the only option he had. He wasn't strong enough to fight back, no matter how much he wanted to.

"And your body?" Atticus harshly squeezed his nipple, causing Vegeta to groan in pain.

"My body… is yours. You may do with me as you wish." Vegeta was barely able to breathe.

"Good boy." Atticus grinded against him. "Now… I want you to start singing for me… Like you used to."

"No, please. Anything, but that." Vegeta pled.

"Anything, huh? I wonder how your Kakarot sounds when he sings, then."

"W-wait, I'll do it. Just don't hurt him..." Vegeta stammered, anxiously preparing himself. After a long moment, he began to sing, his shoulders shaking.

"That's it… Just like that." Atticus entered him with a euphoric expression.

"Ah…!" Vegeta clasped a hand over his mouth to stifle a sob from the overwhelming sensation of his walls being torn to shreds, fingernails digging into the wall in an attempt to ground himself.

"Keep singing…! Don't stop." Atticus snapped, pulling at his hair, yanking his head back. His other hand was clutching at Vegeta's waist so tightly that Vegeta already knew it was going to leave another bruise, just like the wound on his neck.

The bulge in his stomach caught his sight, causing a mix of shame and nausea to consume him as Atticus's fingers poked at the spot.

Bile rose to his throat, but in the end, Vegeta could do nothing.

Cooperate and endure

Cooperate and endure

Cooperate and endure

That was the only way to survive this.

…

*RAPE SCENE END*

...

An hour later, Vegeta found himself on the floor covered in cum, his entire body aching more than ever before.

His hair was a mess from being pulled at and his throat and jaw were sore, for reasons which he didn't even want to think back on.

Part of the experience had been a blur, his memories tended to jumble together every time this happened anymore.

And yet the fire in him had never been stronger.

Damn him.

I swear I'm going to kill that bastard.

I just have to bide my time, until I'm strong enough to take him down.

Digging his nails into the surface of the floor, he formed a fist as frustrated tears welled up in his eyes yet again that night.

Just you wait, Atticus.

I'm not your plaything and nor am I some weakling to be pushed around.

And one day. You're going to rue the day you chose to make a mockery of a Saiyan's honor this way. Then you'll know the true meaning of humiliation.

I'll see to that one for sure.

Wiping the sticky substance off his face and pulling on his clothes, the first thing Vegeta did was head to the kitchen, grabbing a can of booze. The same kind Atticus had been drinking.

Even if only for a little while, he needed to clear his head.

Stop crying, damn it. I can't let him control me like this.

Brushing away the tears, he took several gulps, sitting down by the fridge. Curling in on himself, he drank sip after sip, waiting for the buzz to kick in.

Memory upon memory continued flooding back to him.

"Take it all in."

He clawed at his neck and jaw.

I can still feel it in my throat.

"That's it Vegeta, like that. Such a lovely expression."

Damn it all…! I need him… out… !

Throwing the now empty can against the trash can, he grabbed another from the fridge, and downed it in a matter of minutes.

And then another.

And another.

He kept drinking until he couldn't even think straight. So many cans he had lost track. Of course, he himself didn't realize it, but his emotions were running even more haywire than before.

He tried to get up, stumbling towards his room with one of the cans still in hand.

Much to his frustration, he lost his balance along the way, tripping right in front of the door. The can slipped out of his hand, spilling across the floor.

The sound jolted Goku from his sleep.

"What… was that..?" He sat up, his eyes widening when he saw the familiar figure, rushing over despite his own issues with balance. "Vegeta!? Hey, are you okay?!"

Kneeling down by his side, he brushed a hand against Goku's shoulder. But couldn't ignore how hurt he felt when Vegeta slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" Vegeta growled, refusing to budge.

"Ow! What's with you? This isn't like you." Goku pulled back, before looking over and noticing the can, he picked it up and realized a moment later what it was, the smell entering his senses. "Hold on, have you been drinking?"

"So what if I have…? What would you know?" Vegeta slurred.

"I…" Goku was genuinely at a loss of words at hearing that. Still, he refused to be detoured. "Look, I can't let you stay here on the floor like this. I'm bringing you back to bed now, okay?"

"No…" Vegeta attempted to fight him off when Goku lifted him in his arms.

"Ouch. Cut it out, I'm just trying to help you." Goku swallowed back. "I'm not going to hurt you."

At hearing that, Vegeta seemed to calm down some. Or maybe he was too out of it because of the alcohol to fight back any further, Goku didn't know.

Placing him down on the bed, Goku gave a small smile, caressing his cheek. "There you go… Just try to get some rest now. Do you need anything…?"

"Water..."

"Yeah. Sure." Goku started to walk off but Vegeta caught his hand.

"No, wait, don't go. Stay here…" Vegeta said in a drunken panic, almost as if he had forgotten their conversation up to now.

"I can't get the water for you if I stay here, silly." Goku teased a bit, although he himself was somewhat out of it as well.

"You can do it later." Vegeta murmured.

"Vegeta…" Goku couldn't help but feel slightly amused that Vegeta wanted him to stay there so badly.

"Please… Kakarot." Vegeta refused to let his hand go.

"I still need to clean up the alcohol. I can't just leave it there." Goku pointed out, gently breaking Vegeta's grip on him.

"Yeah, but…" Vegeta trailed off.

"Hey, try not to worry so much, I'll be back in a moment." Goku grinned.

Vegeta wanted to protest, but when the other Saiyan kissed him on the forehead, he calmed down some, letting him go.

Much to his relief, Goku came back only minutes later as promised, wiping up the alcohol with a towel before laying back down in the bed next to him, a cup of water in hand. "Here. I want you to sit up. And drink slowly. We wouldn't want you to start choking now."

Vegeta slowly did as instructed, drinking it down.

Afterwards, he laid back down, handing the cup back over to Goku, who simply put it on the dresser.

Goku then joined him in bed, watching as the other Saiyan curled up against him. "I've never seen you drink like this before. Did something happen…?"

Goku had seen him drunk at the festival, months before, but it was nothing like this.

"No. It's nothing…" Vegeta couldn't say. He winced slightly when Goku's fingers brushed against his cheek which was slightly swollen.

"Idiot! If you throw up on me again, I'll kill you. Now try again, and do it properly this time."

Goku's heart clenched at the sight. He swallowed. "He's hurt you again, hasn't he? Answer me, Vegeta."

Vegeta looked up at him, Goku's voice flooding in his head which collided with Atticus's.

"Let's keep this our little secret, between just the two of us. And if you do happen to tell him or anybody else about what we've been doing here, I'll make certain to do the exact same thing to him right in front of you, before I kill him. And I'm sure you don't want that, do you now, my dear Vegeta…?"

"We were just training. That's all. Stay out of it."

Once again, Vegeta gave the same answer as always.

Hearing his concerns shot down so quickly by Vegeta was frustrating, but in the end, Goku had no choice but to drop it. "Well… Do you want another senzu bean? I still have some from earlier."

"No. Keep it." Turning over, Vegeta curled up against his pillow, his shoulders shaking as a sob escaped his lips. Maybe I deserve this.

Goku watched him in pure agony, wanting so badly to help him feel better. But how…?

Vegeta was supposed to be the strong one, and Goku had gotten so used to him being exactly that, so he didn't really know how to handle himself in a situation like this.

His thoughts were running in a million different directions due to how anxious he was, afraid of making the wrong move, but still, he tried to stay calm.

To come up with a solution.

What would grandpa have done if he saw that I was crying…?

He might hug me, but I don't think Vegeta wants to be hugged right now. So what else is there?

Come on. Think .

Wait… There might be something I could try.

I don't know how he'll react to it, though…

Goku hesitantly reached out, grazing his fingernails over the other man's back in a gentle stroke.

Much to his surprise, Vegeta grew less and less tense as Goku continued.

Rubbing his back seemed to do the trick.

Slowly, Vegeta relaxed, his expression softening.

Kakarot's fingers… and the touch of his skin…

He's the only man who's ever been this kind to me…

Yet I betrayed him…

I allowed my body to respond to somebody who isn't even my own partner .

It's disgusting …

As Goku's nails moved upwards, flicking and swerving though his hair, Vegeta closed his eyes his entire thought process changing in a matter of seconds.

Still… He's always so gentle with me…

I should hate it, being pampered this way, but it feels nice.

Reminds me of Bulma in some ways…

He was already exhausted due to the alcohol so it wasn't long before he dozed off.

Goku watched with relief, carefully pulling him closer under the covers so their bodies were intermingling. The feeling of Vegeta's warmth meshing with his, it was a bliss like no other, one he had so desperately missed while in the hospital.

Kissing the nape of Vegeta's neck, he wrapped his arm around the other man's waist before planting several more kisses on the back of his head. He then gently rested his hand against the other man's chest, finding himself enamored by how small Vegeta's pecs were. Although his heart was beating faster than ever, he couldn't help it. He needed this right now.

He didn't do much, of course - he would never cross over those lines - but he wanted to feel him all the same.

Closing his eyes, he too soon dozed back off.

…

The course of the following five days were hectic, and neither Goku nor Vegeta himself had brought back up his incident with getting drunk. Goku himself almost started to, but, outside of having a hangover, it was pretty clear Vegeta preferred to pretend it never happened.

During the day, Atticus usually didn't come out of his room much except to go to the fridge for more alcohol, so Goku and Vegeta were typically left to their own devices.

Night time, on the other hand, that was another matter entirely.

Atticus had been noticeably becoming bolder and more aggressive than ever towards Vegeta, doing and saying anything he could to remind Vegeta how small and helpless he was.

But what tore Vegeta apart more than anything was the fact that Atticus chose to rape him while Goku was asleep.

He hated having to lie about it.

It was vile and dishonest.

He had already vowed that once this was over, he'd tell Goku everything .

And if Goku chose to leave him for him, then so be it.

…

At long last, the day of Goku's appointment arrived.

The place was busier than the doctor's office that Goku and Vegeta were used to but it was also more spacious and the staff were nice.

So was the therapist. He was a middle aged man who wore glasses, had a long beard and a slouch. He went by the nickname Kurr.

Of course it was more of an introductory meeting, but Goku quickly resonated with him.

He was funny, outgoing, and what really pulled him in was that Kurr knew basically everything there was to know about martial arts.

He was completely different from what Goku had initially expected.

They talked about Goku's plans for the future, what he'd like to do, as well as touching on his his current stressors.

Unsurprisingly, Kurr made the suggestion for writing in a journal just as the people at the hospital and Vegeta had encouraged him to.

He had been a bit unsure about it, but upon receiving yet another suggestion for it, he finally found himself considering it.

"I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to use a journal," Goku admitted, gaining a look from Vegeta, who was sitting next to him. "but I'm not really sure what I'd write in it…"

"Anything that comes to mind." Kurr said. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy, it can just be a single sentence, saying how you're feeling, whether good or bad. And then we could talk about it the next time you come back here, if you'd like."

Goku was sold. This man seemed to know what he was talking about.

"Alright. I guess I could try it, just to see if it helps any…"

…

"The store?" Goku inquired, once they were out of the doctor's office.

"Yeah, we're running out of milk and there's several other things I need to get." Vegeta said.

"Uh, okay." Goku mulled it over. "Actually, come to think of it, we need more eggs. We're almost out of them."

"I'm aware." Vegeta said. "I have that on the list. And when we get there, I want you to pick out some food items that you'd like to eat."

"Alright." Goku replied.

"I mean it." Vegeta brushed a hand over Goku's stomach, causing him to giggle. "That stomach is to stay full while I'm around."

"I know…." Goku lowered his head with a small blush, a slight look of guilt in his eyes at knowing Vegeta was worried about him.

Vegeta watched him with a certain fondness. He was glad that Goku had started eating again, but he could only hope that it would stay that way.

…

Together, the two Saiyans walked around the store, picking up items they needed and wanted. Vegeta, of course, had the ultimate say-so in what they bought, but, for the most part, he let Goku choose except when it came to him trying to grab too many of one item.

"We only have so much room in our freezer, Kakarot, we are not stuffing it with ice cream."

"It's only four containers." Goku pouted.

"On top of the 6 boxes of popsicles and 4 boxes of ice cream sandwiches you grabbed? I said no." Vegeta had made up his mind. "We can come back here when you finish the other stuff."

"Jerk." Goku muttered, putting them back up.

"I'm not being a jerk. I'm just thinking rationally…" Vegeta let out a sigh. Despite his reasoning, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as Goku continued glaring at him even as he was following him out of the isle.

He's not going to let this go, is he…?

"Ugh. Fine ." He caved. "You can have one , okay? But no more."

"Really? Man, you're the best, Vegeta!" Goku grinned, as he grabbed the container of strawberry ice cream from the freezer, putting it into the basket.

He had just won through guilt tripping and Vegeta saw that.

"Ugh. Whatever, but you had better finish these, you hear?" He pointed a finger at him. "If even one box goes past its expiration date, you're through ."

"Don't worry. I'll finish it." Goku assured him.

Vegeta sighed. He could only assume that Goku had picked up so much ice cream because it was easy for him to eat and could technically even qualify as liquid.

But he wanted him to focus more on solids.

And it wasn't just that. There was still the concern Vegeta had after the whole milk incident. He didn't want to bring it up, but he could only hope this wasn't related.

"Oh, that reminds me." He turned into another frozen isle. "I'd like you to pick out some microwave dinners. Kakarot?" Vegeta looked over to see that Goku was trying to walk past the aisle. Grabbing his wrist, he ignored the protest, pulling him with him. "Get over here."

"No, I don't want any of those." Goku struggled to pull back, but Vegeta's grip was too strong.

"Kakarot… listen to me." Vegeta pled. "You need variety in your diet… Like meat and vegetables. You can't just keep eating the stuff you have been."

Gently, Vegeta pulled Goku with him, towards one of the doors. "Look here. It's turkey, corn and mashed potatoes. You like turkey, don't you? So why don't we get this one?"

Goku paused for a moment, uncertain. And nervous. "Okay…"

"Ohh, it's broccoli and cheese. That looks good, doesn't it?" Vegeta was putting his pride aside to speak with enthusiasm in hopes that it would encourage Goku to agree to it.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Vegeta's heart sank at the lack of interest, but he grabbed some of the dinners anyway.

"Hey, let's go and take a look at the pasta they have here, maybe we could get some rigatoni or lasagna." Vegeta took his hand again, intertwining their fingers as he led him out of the aisle.

Goku followed behind wordlessly. The very thought of this stuff was making him sick. It was true he had started eating regular foods again but it was still hard at times.

So in the end, he had no choice but to tune the conversation out. Vegeta could do what he wanted.

Vegeta realized that Goku was ignoring him almost immediately, but deep down, he knew he couldn't force him to do anything.

He sighed, seeing that it was apparently going to be left up to him to make the decision on food. Just maybe, Goku would cooperate in eating whatever he picked out.

…

Once he had finished picking up all the items on his list, he thought for a moment.

"Kakarot, you want some fruit? Surely you'd like that ."

"Well, fruit does sound pretty good. I kinda want some kiwis and oranges…" Goku mumbled, sheepishly.

Vegeta smiled softly, brushing a hand against Goku's arm. "If that's what you want, then we'll get that…"

…

Once Vegeta and Goku had finished their shopping, they headed over to the check-out line and Vegeta started lifting items onto the conveyor belt.

Goku was about to help but that's when Vegeta's phone rang.

Vegeta took it out of his pocket, handing it over to Goku. "It's Bulma. Can you answer this?"

"Yeah, sure." Goku took it from him, clicking it. "Hello? Hey, Bulma."

He walked off a few feet, wanting to give Vegeta more room.

Vegeta listened to him as he continued moving the groceries.

"Yeah, I'm doing okay. Did you need something? A party…? Sure, I guess we could go. When is it…? Oh, okay. Hold on. Did you say the 23rd or 24th of May? I couldn't hear… The 23rd? 1 PM…? Alright…. Mhm, I don't mind. Thanks."

A moment later, Goku clicked off the phone returning to Vegeta's side.

"No news on the spaceship yet, I take it…?" Vegeta asked, almost immediately.

"Well, she didn't mention anything about that, but apparently, there's this party on the 23rd of May that she wants us to go to. She said it had something to do with capsule corp…"

"I see." Vegeta mused. What could be taking her so long…? They should have had it repaired by now. I-

No, I need to be patient.

And what difference is it going to make anyways if Atticus decides he wants to stay here, after all…?

Knowing that bastard, he probably will …

The thought terrified Vegeta more than he could speak out loud. He felt so helpless.

Why is this happening?

"Vegeta? Hey, the cashier is waiting for you."

"Oh, right, sorry." Vegeta jumped, startled, pulling out his card.

Goku's eyebrows furrowed. What's with him? He seems on edge all of a sudden… It's like he's afraid of something… Is it Atticus…? He keeps saying that nothing is going on between them, but the way he acts about him… It's not normal.

"What's wrong? What are you looking at me like that for?" Vegeta asked.

"Mn. It's nothing…" Goku averted his gaze.

If something really has been going on, and Vegeta's just too afraid to tell me about it, then what can I do? As I am now, I'm not strong enough to beat Atticus. I know that much from his power level. So if I tried to get involved now, I'd just end up putting both of our lives at risk… Still, I can't just stand by if he's being abused like this… What should I do…?

"Come on. I'm putting this stuff into the car." Vegeta said after paying, walking past Goku with the shopping cart.

Goku followed behind, waiting for him to get his capsule out. Once the car popped out, Goku helped him load the bags into the back seat, afterwards hopping into the passenger's seat.

Vegeta brought the shopping cart back into the store, before returning to the car. When he started it up, he paused for a moment. "I kind of want a coffee. Do you have somewhere in mind that you'd like to eat?"

"Uh-uh. Not really." Goku shook his head. "I'm not all that familiar with this area, either, so I wouldn't know what all they have here."

"Hm." Vegeta thought it over, taking out his phone and searching up something. "There's a coffee shop nearby here."

"You know I can't stand coffee." Goku muttered.

"I'm not getting you any." Vegeta retorted. "We'll go somewhere else once I'm done there."

"You don't need to do that. I'm not really hungry right now. I can make something later." Goku said.

"Well, if you're certain about it." Vegeta gave in. "But I'm holding you to that. No shirking out on me."

"I won't…" Goku replied, sheepishly.

Not much was said after that. Vegeta drove in silence, making his way to his destination.

The two arrived at the coffee shop a few minutes later.

"I'm going inside, you can stay out here if you want to. I should be back in a couple minutes." Vegeta said, getting out. "I'll leave the car running for you so you can use the AC."

"Alright." Goku replied, adjusting his seat so he was leaning back a bit.

Vegeta closed the door behind him and headed inside. As he waited, Goku reached over, turning on the Radio.

He absentmindedly flipped through the stations one by one just to see what was on when a familiar voice caught his attention. It was Satan, bragging about saving the world again.

No surprise there.

At the same time, it wasn't like Goku minded, considering everything Satan and Videl had done for Gohan. They had given him a chance to fulfill his dream of becoming a scholar and he actually had a future with them, one that Goku and Chichi themselves may have never been able to provide.

In that sense, Goku couldn't be more grateful to them. He knew Chichi had been so as well.

To be honest, it kind of made him feel bad because he hadn't been able to do those things for Gohan or Goten. Minus for the little bit of field work he had done, he always left things in Chichi's hands to take care of.

And now the same thing was happening between him and Vegeta. Vegeta and Bulma kept shelling out for him and he had no way to pay them back.

Vegeta kept saying he didn't owe him anything, but that didn't really offer him much reassurance.

"Kakarot?" Vegeta's warm breath suddenly hit his ear.

"Huh?!" Goku shuttered, looking over to see that Vegeta had returned with a cup of coffee in hand.

"What's the matter? You were spaced out." He asked.

"I-It's nothing…" Goku stuttered, not wanting to worry him, changing the station. "Just thinking about some stuff is all."

"Like what…?" Vegeta observed him with a risen eyebrow..

"That…. maybe I should get a job." Goku turned away.

"A job …? What kind of job?" Vegeta rose an eyebrow. This was coming out of nowhere.

"Not sure yet. Haven't really thought about it. Meat shop…?" Goku piped out randomly, with a nervous smile. He clearly hadn't thought about it.

"What? Don't be ridiculous…" Vegeta scoffed.

"I'm serious, Vegeta." Goku said.

"...Kakarot… Look, I won't stop you, but what's this all about…?" Vegeta asked, baffled.

"...I just… feel bad for not doing more for you… You just bought me a bunch of food, and even provided me with a home yet I can't even pay you back for it…" Goku rubbed his arm nervously.

"You don't need to. I told you before. I'm not doing this because I want something in return. Everything I've done is because I care about you, you moron. So if you do happen to get a job, then I want that to be on your own terms, not because you feel like you owe me something…" Vegeta reached up cupping his chin to stop him from looking away. When their eyes met, his expression softened. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah… I guess so…" Goku said.

"And besides, all the money I get is from Bulma. So if you really want to thank anybody, then it should be her, not me…" Vegeta mumbled.

"Still…. I want to be able to support you like she has. I… I really messed up with Chichi, I'm starting to realize that now. But I don't want to mess up with you too…" Goku lowered his head. "Bulma's always building stuff for you. I can't do those things, but I'd at least like to provide some money to pay you back somehow, for everything you've done for me."

Vegeta had to take a moment to pause. "Kakarot… I wasn't attracted to Bulma because she was rich or even smart. Sure, her intelligence may have been a part of it, But that's not why I fell in love with her…"

"Why… was it…?" Goku asked, hesitantly.

"…It's because she was kind to me, Kakarot. After you died, I was… having a really hard time dealing with my emotions. I wasn't handling things well, and she… she was the one who helped me through that." Vegeta turned away. "No matter how much trouble I may have caused her, she never gave up on me. It was because of her that I started training again, even though I had told myself that I never would."

"I… didn't know…" Goku looked away.

"Do you see now? The reason I fell in love with you… It's the same as it was with her… And I don't know if I've ever said this before, but… outside of you and Bulma… The only experiences I've ever had with intimacy before… They were painful, Kakarot… Pedophiles, and rapists. People who wanted to take advantage of me and use me for my body… But you're different… You're gentle with me… And being able to kiss you… It makes me so happy."

Goku stared at him for a moment, his heart fluttering at the confession.

"I… really like kissing you too." He blurted the words out without thinking. Maybe that wasn't the correct response to such a heart felt confession, but Vegeta wasn't all that offended.

Their eyes met again, an awkward silence settling between them.

Leaning in, Vegeta briefly brushed his lips against Goku's before pulling away.

Running a few fingers through his hair, he smiled. "Let's go home… Yeah?"

Goku gave a small nod. "Okay."

As Vegeta began driving again, Goku quietly watched his surroundings pass him by. He didn't say much more after that, seeming content listening to the radio.

…

"Kakarot. Wake up. We're home."

Goku opened his eyes to realize he had fallen asleep. He murmured something incomprehensible.

"I want you to help me unload the groceries." Vegeta instructed. "We've got to bring them to the kitchen."

"Alright…" Goku got out, before grabbing some bags from the back of the car and walking over to the front of the house.

Vegeta followed behind, unlocking the door.

Immediately after, Goku headed to the kitchen, placing the groceries on the table, after which the two Saiyans made quick work of bringing the stuff in in a matter of minutes.

"I've gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes." Goku said, running off.

As Vegeta sorted through the groceries, he saw Atticus into the kitchen out of the corner of his eye.

"Did you get more alcohol?" He asked, pressing a hand against Vegeta's backside.

"Yes, I got the alcohol, as per your request…" Vegeta said, biting the inside of his cheek, as he bitterly tried his best to ignore the wandering hand. "There's a pack in this bag. I…"

He tensed up when Atticus took it and breathed into his neck.

"Meet me out in the gravity chamber later. The usual time. I'll be waiting." The larger man purred, right as Goku walked back in.

Goku heard what he said and he was at a loss for words, especially when he saw Atticus's hand groping Vegeta's butt.

Down deep, he wanted to say something, and maybe he would have if Atticus didn't remove it right after.

Despite not speaking, however, he sent Atticus a glare, as some sort of warning.

Nobody was allowed to touch Vegeta like that.

Atticus smirked, walking past him with the bag.

Goku was by Vegeta's side in a matter of moments.

"...Hey, what was that? Why was he touching you like that?" Goku asked, but Vegeta refused to look at him. "Vegeta-"

He started to reach a hand out towards his shoulder only to be slapped away.

"It's nothing . Just stay out of it." Vegeta growled.

"But he was-" Goku's chest burned.

"I said to drop it …" Vegeta cut him off again. "Just focus on unbagging the groceries."

"...Fine…" Goku muttered after a long moment of hesitation, a raw stinging sensation in his chest. Maybe he was just mistaken and it wasn't what he thought it was. But if that was true, then why was Vegeta acting so defensive about it?

He gnawed at his lip to keep himself from pressing the matter any further. Mostly because he was too afraid to. He'd already been shot down multiple times when asking about Atticus, he didn't want to make Vegeta angry at him.

Without saying anything further, Goku helped Vegeta unpack the groceries, but ultimately left it up to Vegeta to put the stuff where it belonged. He did take out the container of ice cream, however, opening up the pack.

Grabbing a paper bowl and spoon, he dipped himself out some, watching from the tablet as Vegeta slowly sorted through everything.

"Hey, you forgot to put up the ice cream." Vegeta scolded him, noticing the container he'd left on the cabinet.

"Oh, whoops. Sorry." Goku started to get up.

"It's fine, I'll take care of it." Vegeta sighed, grabbing it and putting it up in the freezer, before sitting down at the table with a bowl of cereal and his phone.

As Goku ate away at his ice cream, Vegeta looked back up at him, drawn to the white liquid covering Goku's mouth.

Goku's tongue slowly flicked over the ice cream in the spoon. He was clearly savoring the taste of it.

Vegeta swallowed, his heart racing in his chest.

He's so cute…

Out of nowhere, just like at the festival, erotic images suddenly popped into his head.

I'd kind of like… for him to… do that to me one day…

Heat spread to his groin like wildfire as he watched him.

His eyes widened when he realized the impact it was having on him.

Shit shitshit ! Not again! What the hell is wrong with me?!

I'm such an idiot! What am I even thinking ?!

He cursed himself again and again, covering his face and clawing at his hair. At the festival, he'd simply blamed it on the alcohol, but the thoughts were back again, just as rampant as they were the last time. And the worst thing was he was completely sober this time.

His throat burned. Why do I keep imagining these things…?

Vegeta…?" Goku's cheeks flushed when he turned towards him, catching his eyes. The spoon was still in his mouth.

"Huh…?" Vegeta's ears turned red. His voice was weak and his hands felt clammy. He could only hope Goku wouldn't notice. Damn body.

"You okay?" Goku grabbed another spoonful of ice cream. "Ya seem nervous."

"I was? Sorry. I've… just got a lot on my mind." Vegeta turned away, his heart racing in his chest.

I can't think about him that way… It's no better than that bastard Atticus.

I won't… I refuse to be like him.

It's wrong of me…

Knowing everything that man did to him…

How much it traumatized him.

I can't… feel those things…

"Here, you want a bite?" Goku offered, holding up the spoon to Vegeta's mouth with a grin.

"Oh, uh, sure." Vegeta took the ice cream into his mouth, a burst of flavor hitting his tongue. His eyes lit up slightly as he swallowed it.

Goku watched him with a small blush, but sweet smile. "See? It's good, right?"

"Yeah, it tastes fine…" Vegeta whispered.

It was just like before.

So innocent.

He had no clue.

"So…? Do I get to call that an indirect kiss then?" Goku smirked a bit, hoping it would loosen him up a bit.

"Hey!" Vegeta's face heated up. "You tricked me!"

"Maybe~!" Goku teased. "So do I?"

"Tch…! Fine… D-Do whatever you want." Vegeta grumbled.

"...By the way… I uh… kinda wanted to ask you something… If you don't mind…" Goku gazed down, resting his cheek in his hand.

"What is it?" Vegeta's expression softened.

"Well, it's um… In a few weeks from now… May 22nd. You know… The day that Grandpa died…? Well…, I was wondering…" Goku fidgeted nervously. He had put the spoon back in the bowl. "If you'd be willing to come with me to visit his grave again… Like we have the last couple times. You don't… mind, do you…?"

"No, of course not…" Vegeta assured him, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers. "On that morning, we'll go and get him some flowers, just like we always do… Alright?"

"Alright…" Goku smiled softly. "Thanks, Vegeta…"

Vegeta kissed his knuckles. "Yeah… don't mention it."

…

Journal Entry 1 (April 13th, 780)

My therapist told me I should try writing in a journal, but, to be honest, I'm not really sure what to write about.

So many things have been happening lately…

I've been having a lot of trouble dealing with stuff and to make matters worse, my boyfriend's really worrying me.

Ever since I got out of the hospital, he's been acting strange, like something is bothering him, but he never tells me what. I just wish he'd talk to me.

I can't stand being kept in the dark like this.

…

| Journal Entry 2 (April 14th, 780)

Vegeta got drunk earlier. I'm not really sure why, but he was crying.

I noticed some more bruises on his neck. He looked like he had been strangled.

Actually, I've been seeing marks like that on him a lot lately. They're always in the same places. He says he's been training with Atticus, but I feel like he's hiding something.

The other day, I think Atticus groped him.

I can't say for certain about it, but Vegeta looked really uncomfortable when it happened. I tried to ask him about it, but he told me it was nothing, and said to stay out of it.

I've never seen him like this before.

He seems scared of him.

…

| Journal Entry 3 (April 17th, 780)

Vegeta's thighs were bruised terribly earlier.

I've never seen anything like it.

Is it really just from sparring?

I don't know anymore.

…

| Journal Entry 4 (April 18th, 780)

Vegeta got me a cake for my birthday earlier. It tasted good.

It was Carrot Cake, though, so I think he just did it to mess with me.

…

| Journal Entry 5, (April 22nd, 780)

Today, Vegeta sang to me again. I wish I could hear him sing more often. His voice is so pretty. But it always makes me so emotional for some reason. I feel like I've heard that song somewhere, yet I can never place where it's from. I wish I knew. I'm kinda embarrassed to ask for some reason. It seems personal to him.

…

| Journal Entry 6, (April 29th, 780)

Atticus scares me. I'm convinced that something is wrong with him. I keep hearing him rambling nonsense from down the hall. Maybe he's drunk, but it sounds psychotic. Vegeta said to ignore it. I'm trying, but it's so creepy.

…

| Journal Entry 7, (April 30th, 780)

Atticus punched Vegeta in the face earlier. He was mad because he had forgotten to buy him alcohol. It really pissed me off seeing him get treated that way, but Vegeta stopped me from doing anything and apologized to him.

…

Journal Entry 8, (May 9th, 780)

I had another relapse earlier, or at least started to. Vegeta stopped me before I could do much. I was upset because of a nightmare. Thanks to the medication, I don't have them very often anymore, but they still trigger me from time to time.

…

Journal Entry 9, (May 14th, 780)

I really miss Grandpa right now. I don't talk about him a lot, and I'm trying to move forward, but it's so hard sometimes.

…

Journal Entry 10, (May 15th, 780)

I wish I were with him. Sometimes, I just want to give up, but Vegeta needs me right now.

….

| Journal Entry 11, (May 16th, 780)

I want to cut myself so badly right now, but Vegeta locked away all the razors and sharp objects.

I hate this

I could go somewhere, but it seems too much hassle just to grab a knife or razor. Plus, I don't really feel comfortable leaving Vegeta alone with Atticus right now.

Journal Entry 12, (May 17th, 780)

GET OFF GET O F F OFF GET OFF GET OFF

I WANT TO DIE

…

| Journal Entry 13, (May 19th, 780)

I wish Vegeta would stop drinking. I'm starting to wonder if Atticus is rubbing off on him. He was acting strange again earlier. It's kinda scaring me.

…

| Journal Entry 14, (May 22nd, 780)

I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm really tired right now. But today, Vegeta's planning on going with me to visit Grandpa's grave. I can't express how grateful I am for how much he's done for me over these past couple years. I really owe him.

Still… I can't help but worry about him. When I woke up earlier, I noticed there were more bruises on his neck and wrists. But it's so strange. As far as I can tell, Atticus just stays in his room most of the time and Vegeta's usually with me. So when is all of this happening?

…

Goku put up his journal, getting up from the desk and walking over to the sleeping frame of his lover, who was laying on the bed.

He crawled up on the bed next to him, reaching out and grazing some fingers over the dark marks littering Vegeta's neck, trying his best to avoid focusing on the ones on his legs.

Vegeta…

What's happened to you…?

What's the deal with you and Atticus…?

Just who is he to you…?

And why do you seem so afraid of him…?

Resting his head against Vegeta's chest, he wrapped his arm around him, closing his eyes.

Why won't you tell me anything…?

"Kakarot…?" A tired voice.

Goku looked up to see dark eyes meeting his.

"Hey… Morning…" He gave a lopsided smile, relieved to see him awake again. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine… But I should be asking you that, Kakarot, considering the date and all…" Vegeta replied groggily.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't really get good sleep last night." Goku admitted. "I woke up around 3 AM."

"Really?" Vegeta's fingers curled around Goku's hair, with a gentle expression. "You should have told me... I'd have given you some more of your medication. It's no good if you don't get any rest."

"It's fine… I can just sleep some this evening once we come back." Goku said. "If anything I'm more worried about you. I feel like you're training yourself into exhaustion."

"I'll be fine. Just focus on yourself right now." If only he knew .

"Hey… Why don't we go get some breakfast before we go? There's a Bagel House not too far from there. They have a lot of different stuff to choose from…"

"Actually, that doesn't sound half bad right now." Vegeta noted.

"Your treat?" Goku gazed at him with cute eyes.

"I don't know, Kakarot… Why should I?" Vegeta's hand ran down Goku's backside, but there was no ill will behind it. "What do I get out of it?"

"Well, I'll give you lots of hugs for it later…" Goku purred.

"That's all…? I think I deserve a little more than that." Vegeta teased.

"Okay… and kisses too…" Goku puffed his cheeks out.

"Now that's more like it." Vegeta smirked a bit, his fingers brushing over Goku's tail scar by accident.

"Ng… Vegeta… That's…" Goku moaned slightly, hiding his face in Vegeta's chest.

"Oh, sorry." Vegeta pulled his hand away, worried that he'd upset him.

"No, it's okay… It felt… nice…" Goku murmured, shyly.

"It did…?" Vegeta's heart pounded in his chest..

"Mhm." Goku nodded, his ears turning red.

"Can I… touch you there more , then…? Or do you mind…?" Vegeta asked, tentatively.

"No, I don't mind… if it's you…" Goku peeked his face out of Vegeta's chest ever so slightly.

"If you're… sure about it." Hesitantly, Vegeta slipped a few fingers into Goku's pants to softly stroke the spot.

"Ah…" Goku moaned again in response, clutching at the fabric of Vegeta's shirt, barely able to contain himself. Every shift in pressure sent him closer to the brink of arousal, tears welling up in his eyes.

Vegeta watched him with a blush.

It's an erogenous zone…?

I had no idea the Saiyan tail could be used this way for some people…

Shit…

When he's reacting this way… It makes it hard to control myself…

"Eep!" Goku's eyes widened when he felt something poking at his stomach. He jumped back. "Vegeta, you're… hard?"

Vegeta's face flushed bright red. He covered himself with the blankets. "Fuck! Ignore that! It's not what it looks like!"

"It's me , isn't it…?" Goku's own cheeks tinged pink. "You got hard because of me…"

"I… It's not my fault you kept moaning…! I-I couldn't help it!" Vegeta stammered, looking down, desperate to avoid his gaze. It was just too embarrassing.

"I'm sorry… Do you… Want me to… you know…" Goku trailed off, too shy to continue. Pleasuring him was the least he could offer for making things so awkward between them.

"That's really not necessary! I'll take care of it." Vegeta awkwardly got up. He knew Goku meant well, but he just couldn't . Not like that.

"Oh, okay…" Goku looked down, feeling a bit dejected as Vegeta ran off of the room towards the bathroom. He couldn't blame him though. The matter of his natural inclinations aside, there were still times he wanted nothing to do with sex simply because of the trauma.

Still… Vegeta told me he wanted to do it, back when we were in the hospital.

So did something change that?

Have I… done something… to scare him off somehow?

Something I'm not aware of?

Or did he just say that… because he wanted to make me feel better?

How would I even be able to tell something like that…?

Maybe he doesn't like me like that, after all…

If that's true…

I just wish he'd talk to me about it.

Because I was kind of looking forward to it…

But if he doesn't want that… I guess I can't blame him…

After everything that man did to me…

Who would …?

Doubts about his body once again resurfaced, self-loathing hitting him like bricks.

Moisture blurred his vision. Biting his lip, he wiped it away as fast as he could.

Why am I crying? Stupid…

"Hey! Kakarot!"

Goku's heart skipped a beat when there was a banging noise at the door frame.

He jumped back up, looked over to see Atticus standing there.

"Atticus! What's up?" Goku asked, nervously. "Need something?"

"Yeah, where's the alcohol?" Atticus demanded.

"Uh... I'm not sure. I haven't touched it." Goku scooted back a bit when Atticus started to approach him. "I don't drink alcohol, so it should be in the same place it was earlier. Unless Vegeta moved it."

"Come with me." Atticus pulled him off the bed by his shirt. "You'll show me, won't you?"

"I…" Goku started to resist, but Atticus's grip was too strong, so he had no choice but to be pulled along.

They were about half way down the hall before Vegeta came out.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get away from him!" Vegeta glared at Atticus, enveloping Goku into his arms, protectively. "If you need something, you talk to me, not him."

"Fine by me." Atticus muttered, letting go. "Just tell me where the alcohol is already."

"I-It's on the bottom shelf in the very back. I moved them…" Vegeta swallowed.

"Oh… I was looking in drawers. I'll go and look there instead. You had better not be lying to me." Atticus growled, walking off.

Vegeta immediately urged Goku back into his room.

"Hey, are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Vegeta scanned him over for injuries, worry consuming him.

"Well, my arm is a little sore, but I'm okay otherwise… Don't worry about it." Goku assured him.

"I'm sorry. He had no right to touch you like that… He's not even supposed to be talking to you. I told him not to." Vegeta murmured.

"Vegeta… I really don't like him. And I don't like the way he treats you either..." Goku snarled, tears welling up in his eyes. "I want him out of here…"

Vegeta wrapped his arms around him, all of their previous discussions forgotten. He kissed Goku's ear. Telling him the only thing he could. "He will be soon, I promise. Then you'll never have to see him again."

"Why don't we just go stay somewhere else, like a hotel, or… even capsule corp would be better than this…" Goku insisted.

"Because… It's like I told you before. That man is dangerous…" Vegeta spoke vaguely once again. "If I'm gone for too long, he's liable to hurt somebody… It can't be helped that he's much stronger than I am right now…"

"Yeah, but… If we use fusion-" Goku started to say, without even processing his own words.

"No. Listen…" Vegeta cut him off. "I don't want you to become his enemy, under any circumstances, do you understand?"

Goku hesitated, but finally nodded. "Okay…"

Pulling him into a hug, Vegeta kissed him on the cheek again.

"...All of that aside, there's no reason you should have to be stuck around a person like him. So if you want to go somewhere else right now, I won't stop you." He mumbled.

"No, I wanna stay with you." Goku insisted, tugging at his shirt, not wanting to be separated from Vegeta again.

"I understand…" Vegeta mumbled. "Hey, let's get around and go eat. Get our minds off of him for a while."

"Kay…" Always that same cute response that Vegeta adored so much.

…

The Bagel House was packed when Goku and Vegeta got there. Thankfully, they were able to find a table. Vegeta ended up having to make the orders because Goku couldn't decide on what to eat. Or rather he didn't want to.

Goku had been quiet since earlier.

It was frustrating.

"Aren't you going to eat your biscuit…?" He gestured towards the unopened pack.

"I'm not hungry." Goku muttered, looking away.

"Kakarot, I heard your stomach growling just a few minutes ago when we were in the car, so you and I both know that's a lie."

Goku's cheeks turned pink, but he didn't say anything.

"Come on, your grandfather would want you to eat right now." Vegeta jabbed lightly at Goku's leg with his foot. "Surely, you don't want to go there on an empty stomach, do you…?"

There was a long moment of silence, before - slowly - Goku picked up the biscuit, unwrapping it.

Vegeta felt a wave of relief wash over him as Goku began to take bite after bite until it was gone. "That's it. That was good. You want some of your sweat tea?"

Goku took a small sip, but gave a sour expression almost immediately after.

"I feel sick." He lowered his head. The urge to throw it up was almost too strong to handle.

"I know… But you need to be strong. I know you can do it." Vegeta said, as softly as he could manage.

"I'm trying… I just…" Goku uttered, tears forming again. "really miss him…"

He was digging into his arm again.

Vegeta hated it when Goku got like this. He had to do something.

"No… Kakarot, come here…" Getting up, he moved around the table to sit down next to him, enveloping him in an embrace.

Goku's body suddenly felt so small and fragile in his arms, like the smallest wrong touch could break him.

Vegeta gently ran some fingers through his hair, whispering words of comfort into his ears, anything he could do to get him to stop crying.

Slowly, his efforts paid off and Goku relaxed.

But still, Vegeta did not stop. Holding him tightly, he kissed his cheek and then his neck to show him just how much he meant to him. That he was there for him.

What can I do for him?

To make this easier…?

I wish I had an answer.

…

Seeing Gohan's grave was always just as difficult as the last time for Goku. If anything, the guilt he felt ever since finding out the truth seemed to increase every time he came back here.

He sat down, placing the flowers down as sat in front of the grave, followed by Vegeta.

For what felt like hours, nothing was said, until Goku finally spoke back up. "Back when Grandpa died, I... I had a lot of trouble with certain foods, different fruits and vegetables... Things that he liked. For the longest time, I didn't even want to eat fish anymore, because it reminded me of him... It was like... this voice telling me... He's supposed to be here... so I shouldn't eat this without him... It made me feel guilty for some reason... I didn't know the truth about the great ape form back then. It was just a thought... that maybe I didn't deserve to eat... Later, after finding out what I had done to him..., I sometimes thought about those things again, even though I never really acted on them until... what happened with that man..."

"I thought it was just the rape... I didn't know it was... related to that as well... I'm….. sorry..." Vegeta looked away briefly, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Well, yeah, that was certainly part of it." Goku said. "Cuz it only really resurfaced after what he did to me, and I had never purged before that…"

"Thoughts are one thing, but... I hope you don't actually believe them..." Vegeta met his gaze again. "You do deserve to eat, Kakarot..."

"Yeah... I know..." Goku sounded like he was having a hard time saying it, which hinted he was still apprehensive about it. Still, he offered a small sweet smile to show his gratitude. "By the way, thanks again. For coming here with me..."

"It's no problem..." Vegeta gazed down at flowers, deciding to drop it for the time being. "I really don't mind it. Not when I know how important this is to you."

"Heh... It's kinda hard to believe it's been two years since all of this started, I mean... with me and you..." Goku pulled his knees up to his chest. "All the same, so much has happened since then, and to be honest, I don't really know where my life is headed right now, but... even so..."

He reached over, shyly intertwining their fingers. "I'm really glad that you're in it, Vegeta... it means more to me than you could ever know."

"...Well..." Vegeta's thumb brushed over Goku's hand. "For whatever it's worth... I feel the same way, about you..."

"Sometimes... I really wish... you could have met him... my Grandpa, I'm sure he would have liked you..." Goku gave a sad smile.

"...Heh, I doubt it... I tend to make enemies pretty quickly..." Vegeta joked. "But still… I'm sure he was a good man."

"He was..." Goku murmured, before he smiled. "And hey, who knows, maybe you will get to meet him one day, ya think?"

"No way. I told you already. When I die, I'll be going straight to hell. Of that one, I'm sure." Vegeta made no attempts to sugarcoat it. "I've spent far too much time hurting others. A few good deeds isn't going to change all that... Although, come to think of it, when that happens... The two of us will be separated, like before..."

"Yeah, maybe." Goku pondered it. "All the same... I like you just fine the way you are now... So... if things do happen to go sour... I'll make sure to come visit you, no matter where you are."

"Idiot... is that your way of flirting with me? By saying you'd come visit me in hell?" Vegeta moved closer with an amused expression. "You're something else, you know that...? But... I like you too."

Goku blushed slightly when Vegeta's lips met his cheek.

"Hey, I've got an idea..." Vegeta spoke back up a moment later, resting his face on Goku's shoulder.

"What is it?" Goku asked.

"Why don't we go fishing?" Vegeta suggested.

"Wh-what, right now?" Goku stammered.

"Yeah, are you interested?" Vegeta asked. "It can be our meal this evening."

"Oh, uh, sure." Goku took a moment to process it. "Just give me a moment, okay?"

He turned back to the grave, adjusting the flowers a bit.

"Of course, take your time." Vegeta stood up, watching him with a fond expression.

After a long time, Goku stood up. "Okay, I'm ready."

Vegeta grabbed his hand, smirking as he pulled him along. "Then come on."

Goku laughed. "I'm coming. I'm coming. Don't pull me."

…

"Man, I'm beat." Goku didn't even hesitate to hop in bed that night. Between visiting his grandfather's grave, fishing, going to the store, cooking their meal that night, and several other things, he was not only physically exhausted, but emotionally too.

"It's no wonder… You said earlier that you've been awake since 3 AM. I'd be tired too." Vegeta pulled off his shirt, placing it on the dresser, before bringing Goku his medication. "Here. Take this."

"Thanks…" Goku swallowed it, before turning over.

"Don't mention it." Vegeta crawled into the bed next to him, hesitantly spooning him. "Also… remember… We have a party to go to tomorrow, so get some good rest for me, okay…?"

"Kay." Goku closed his eyes, blushing a bit.

It wasn't long before he fell asleep, leaving Vegeta to his thoughts. But Goku wasn't the only one who was tired.

So was Vegeta.

I'm so exhausted right now, I can barely keep my eyes open…

Atticus will probably get angry if I don't come to him immediately, but a few minutes can't hurt anything, right?

I need to sleep.

Unable to stay awake any longer, Vegeta quickly ended up falling asleep as well, just long enough until he was woken up again by the sound of crying.

Goku was having another nightmare.

"Kakarot…?" Vegeta sat up, starting to brush a hand through Goku's hair. "Hey… It's okay… Shh…"

Hoping it would do the trick without having to wake him back up, Vegeta rubbed his back and head in a soothing manner.

This tactic didn't always succeed, but sometimes it did, and, fortunately, this time, it seemed to be doing the trick. Even in his sleep, he was somehow processing Vegeta's words and actions. Whatever he was seeing, he knew that his lover was right there with him.

Slowly, Goku began to calm down, uttering his name in his sleep. "Ve…geta."

"It's okay… I'm right here…" Vegeta kissed his crown. "Shh… Everything's going to be okay… I-"

"Vegeta…" Atticus cut him off, entering the room before he could say anything. "Get out here…"

Vegeta's blood ran cold. Of all the times. "Atticus, wait, just hold on….! Just a little longer, please… He's having a nightmare, he needs me right now. I-"

"I don't care, I've waited long enough, you can deal with him afterwards." Atticus approached him aggressively.

"No, just hold on, it's only a few minutes. Then I'll go with you. Whatever you want, I swear. But I need to make sure he's okay first. He's crying!"

"I said that can wait , get up." Atticus grabbed his wrist, pulling him out of bed by force.

"Vege…ta…" Goku moaned in his sleep again when Vegeta was separated from him. He started reaching out, as if trying to find him. Tears fell down his cheeks.

The sight destroyed Vegeta. "Please, Atticus! I can't leave him right now."

"Shut up, and keep walking. You'll get to be with your boyfriend again after you sing to me." Atticus pushed him through the door and into the hallway.

The sound of sobbing could be heard, as Goku fell into a panic in his sleep, calling out for Vegeta again.

"No…! I'll sing to you later… I need to be with him…" Vegeta vehemently fought back, but Atticus was simply too strong, dragging him down the stairs against his will.

"Stop struggling. You'll do as I say…!" Atticus had a hold on his wrist, his other hand clutching at the back of Vegeta's collar, pushing him down to the first floor and forcing him outside despite his protests. "You've let me fuck you every other night, so why does tonight matter so much?"

The question was of course, rhetorical, he wasn't asking for an explanation.

Atticus made quick work of forcing him into the gravity chamber and pushing him down on the floor by his throat.

"You don't understand…! If he wakes up now, he's liable to hurt himself! Please, Atticus…! Just give me a little more time…!" Vegeta attempted to push him off of him to no avail.

"I said shut up!" Atticus slapped him. "I'm tired of hearing all of your whining ! You're so annoying . Kakarot this , that Kakarot that ! Just shut up about him already! You focus on me while you're in here, and nobody else!"

Atticus ripped off Vegeta's clothes in a mere instant, more abrupt and harsher than ever.

Vegeta was left silently crying after that, not resisting any longer.

Cooperate and Endure.

*RAPE SCENE AHEAD*

Disgust consumed him when he felt a cold hand starting to explore his body, the familiar heat rushing through his groin.

"Such a beautiful body. You're so hot. Mn… I just can't help myself." Atticus grinded against him, becoming harder by the moment. "To be honest with you… I highly doubt your precious Kakarot would love you anymore if he found out how much of a filthy whore you are. Knowing the man he looks up to so much… Gets boners any time another man touches him. You're so unfaithful. But I like that naughty side to you… It's sexy."

Vegeta stifled sob after sob. He wanted nothing more than for this to end.

Why does this always happen to me? He cursed himself. His lover was having a nightmare, but here he was unable to stop his dick from getting hard for another man. He hated this. It wasn't any better than cheating, even if it was rape.

Tears fell down his cheeks, as he turned his head away. "Stop mocking me, and just get it over with already."

"Uh-uh. Not yet… I told you, I want to hear you sing for me, remember? I know you've done it for Kakarot. I thought that was our thing." Atticus purred, biting his neck.

"He needs me, Atticus… Please don't do this to me…" He weakly pled again, already knowing by his body language that Atticus was planning to take his precious time, just to mess with him. In that moment, past images of Goku cutting himself, the near death state he had found him in on Beerus's world - blood, so much blood, staining his gloves - it flashed before him, sending Vegeta into another panic. He tried to resist, but Atticus's hold on his body was simply too strong. "Listen, I promise I'll sing to you when I know that he's okay..."

"I told before, you can go back to him after we're done here ." Atticus muttered, yanking at his hair. "So hurry up, ion got all night."

Feeling defeated, Vegeta finally caved and did as told, crying out in anguish when Atticus filled him.

…

Vegeta had long since gotten used to having his body stolen from him, taken on Atticus's whim. Violently fucked over and over again until he couldn't even sit straight because of how badly it had hurt him. Even broken bones.

But this was something else. Goku needed him right now. He had to be there.

Emotion after emotion began to flow through him each time Atticus thrusted into him, causing him to sob even harder than the physical pain he was in.

Self-loathing.

Guilt.

Panic.

Disgust.

Fear.

Humiliation.

Dissociation.

And anger.

Anger , at not only Atticus, but at himself , for not being stronger; for letting his body betray him like this. Just knowing that he was letting this happen while Goku was asleep, while Goku was crying out for him , it was more than he could stand for.

So maybe that's why he did it.

…

"What's the matter? I told you to keep singing…!" Atticus demanded when Vegeta stopped.

"No… I can't keep lying to him like this." A sudden urge to fight back again. Pull away . "I have to go to him."

Every bone in his bottom felt like it had been broken, but, still, he knew he had to move.

"Uh-uh-uh. You're not going anywhere, little prince ... Not until I'm satisfied." Atticus dug into his thighs as Vegeta struggled under his grasp. "I still need to cum first. I think you can afford to wait a few minutes. Now hurry up and keep singing."

"I won't ! I refuse!" Vegeta growled. " Let go of me !"

"Stay still and do what I tell you, damn it!" Atticus was spitting on him. He grabbed him by his throat, his skin marred due to his nails. "I said stop it , or I'll break your neck and make you."

"Just try it, I dare you!" With every bit of strength he had, despite the awkward position they were in, Vegeta just barely managed to kick him in the groin, stunning him long enough to escape his grip and force Atticus into pulling out of him.

*RAPE SCENE END*

Grabbing his crotch in pain, Atticus shouted, swiping a fist at him, but Vegeta jumped out of the way so the wall ended up cracked instead.

Getting up and stumbling to the door, Vegeta left, his heart pounding in his ears.

Once Atticus recovered, he glared at the open door.

"Damn that brat. He's going to pay for that."

…

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Atticus is going to kill me.

I can't believe I just did that….

What the hell is wrong with me…?

No, I had to, Kakarot needs me…

I have to get back to him.

Vegeta rushed into the bedroom, locking the door in a panic. Not that it would do any good if Atticus decided to come in, but he didn't care. He was too nerve wracked to process it.

"Vegeta…? What's going on?" A voice startled him. It was Goku. The commotion must have woken him up.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep…" Vegeta moved into the bed next to him, pulling him into his arms.

Goku's vision was somewhat blurry, but after a moment, he was able to make out that Vegeta was naked. There were bloody scratch marks all over his body, especially on his neck and legs.

"Is everything okay…?" Goku asked, half asleep. "Why are you crying…?"

"Shh… I'm fine… you don't need to worry…" Vegeta soothed him, kissing his forehead. "I just need you to rest for me, alright?"

"Oh, okay…" As Vegeta's fingers ran through his hair in a soothing manner, Goku slowly relaxed again, closing his eyes. He was too tired and out of it to truly process it, so in the end, he dozed back off, completely oblivious to what it just happened.

…

Vegeta laid on the bed that night, expecting Atticus to come after him. He couldn't rest.

If he fell asleep, both he and Goku would be in danger, he had to stay awake. Goku was defenseless as he was now.

So with dawn approaching, Vegeta stayed by Goku's side, holding onto him protectively.

Tighter than ever.

…

"Hurry up and get around. We're almost late as it is."

"Yeah, I know, I know, I'm tryin, okay? Don't rush me."

"We're wasting time, we need to go." Vegeta watched later that morning as Goku struggled to pull his pants on.

"I said I know. Why are you acting this way?" Goku looked at him, he could tell that Vegeta was on edge and he didn't know why.

"It's not important. I-" Vegeta started to ask.

"So where are you two going?" Atticus asked, stepping inside the bedroom door without permission.

Goku immediately turned away, embarrassed. But continued pulling on his clothes.

"It's none of your business, but if you must know. We're going to a party." Vegeta grumbled.

"A party? Will there be alcohol?" Atticus wanted to know.

"Probably." Vegeta sneered. Maybe Atticus had got the picture after being kicked in the nuts and that's why he hadn't done anything.

No. That definitely wasn't it.

"Then take me with you." Atticus slurred.

"What?" Vegeta looked at him. Goku too seemed confused.

"I said take me to the party. Hard of hearing?" Atticus glared at him.

A chill ran down Vegeta's spine. He stiffened up, looking down. "No. W-we'll take you…"

What's with him…? Goku wondered, but didn't say anything. In that moment, the images from the night before suddenly popped into his head. He had been so tired at the time that he hadn't questioned it much, but…

Hold on… I vaguely remember something… Vegeta was crying last night. And he was naked… but not only that… There were scratch marks on his body, especially his legs and neck… Something bad must have happened between him and Atticus…

But what…?

Some kind of struggle?

His heart dropped in his chest like never before, as the image of Vegeta being groped by Atticus flashed through his head.

The drinking.

The bruises.

The sudden fear of sex.

The limping.

His strange behavior lately.

And how afraid Vegeta was of Atticus.

The realization hit him like bricks.

No… It couldn't be.

…

onto part 2