Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was no build up to an argument or bad day resulting in a screaming match. It was a quiet evening after dinner, with the open windows letting a warm spring breeze drift in while Chi-Chi washed the plates. Goku was playing with his cup of water at the table, Goten having gone to bed an hour ago. By all accounts, it was a normal evening.

"I want a divorce."

Chi-Chi's hands stilled in the sink. Goku stared at the back of her head, waiting for her reaction to his statement. It was quiet for several seconds, the only noise from crickets in the yard. Slowly, Chi-Chi pulled her hands from the water, dried them against her apron, and turned to face Goku.

"Okay." She looked calm. She didn't look angry. Her hands were braced against the edge of the sink behind her, her knuckles turning pale. When she spoke again, her voice had a slight tremor. "I was wondering when this was going to happen."

Goku sighed, feeling as if the air was being pulled out of his lungs. He had been wondering, too. It was a long time coming; they both knew it would happen eventually. Goku had been spending more and more days training away from home, and the distance between them in their bed had grown wider. For some reason, Goku felt worse knowing that she had felt it all, too.

"Chi-Chi, I-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Goku," she cut him off gently, so much more gently than Goku deserved for saying that he didn't want her anymore. Her eyes were red-rimmed and shiny now. Goku felt his own throat closing up the more they stared at each other. After another period of silence, Chi-Chi spoke again.

"We should wait. At least until the boys are out of school for summer." He nodded. Silence was stretching between them again, long and uncomfortable.

"Okay," Goku said, his voice barely above a whisper, because if he spoke any louder his voice would've cracked.

"Okay," Chi-Chi responded, failing to keep her voice level the way Goku had, and that was it.

The hard part was over, Goku thought as he laid down to sleep in their still-stared bed, a foot between them and with separate blankets. That was it.

The hardest part wasn't actually over, of course.

The divorce was finalised in early June, right after Gohan and Goten were out for the summer, and it made for a weird, if not outright awkward atmosphere in the Son household.

Gohan had taken the information surprisingly well, which wasn't necessarily a surprise. He was an adult now, with his own wife and baby, only staying over occasionally during his college semesters. He had told his parents that he loved them both still, and that he wouldn't choose between them, which was exactly what both Chi-Chi and Goku had needed to hear.

Goten, however, did not take the news well at all. He was a teenager, and angry at the world and everyone in it, and channeled that anger directly at his father, even when Chi-Chi told him not to.

"You just got back," he said bitterly, crossing his arms and refusing to meet Goku's eyes, "and now you're leavin' all over again."

It took a lot of explaining, a lot of patience, and a lot of love from both parents to coax Goten back to his usual self. He also agreed that he wouldn't and didn't want to choose.

There had been a bit of a debate over how the property would be split. Goku wanted to give Chi-Chi the house since he was the one who asked for the split, but Chi-Chi kept insisting that she didn’t want to shut Goku out of the home he had helped build. Eventually, Goku calmed her down by saying he could talk to Bulma about getting him an apartment on the edge of the city. She seemed content with that answer, and told him to make sure there was enough room for the boys when they visited every two weeks. There were discussions of money, draining joint bank accounts, and other topics that made Goku’s head throb but that he sat through anyway. He made sure all of his belongings were packed away and moved into the new apartment Bulma had helped him get.

In mid-June, he gave Chi-Chi a long hug.

“I care about you a lot, y’know," he murmured into her hair.

She squeezed him tightly. “I know. I care about you a lot, too.”

He waved goodbye to his sons with the promise of seeing them again soon, and left.

That was it.

Chapter Text

It took exactly 5 hours and ten minutes of being in his new apartment for Goku to get lonely. He had been actively avoiding thinking about how little interaction he would have with anyone else after moving, but now he actually was alone, he was aware of how… empty his new home was.

He was itching to talk to someone, anyone, about the events of the last few months. Both him and Chi-Chi had agreed to not tell anyone until the divorce was actually finalised, and Bulma had been told very little when Goku asked for help with finding a place, only being told that Goku was looking for a place he could have a bit more privacy.

Unfortunately, Bulma was a little too good at the “more privacy” part. The apartment she had gotten him was downright massive; a penthouse with extra rooms for when his sons came to visit, and as Goku looked out the window of his bedroom, he found himself thinking about his ex-wife.

It wasn’t right to say he missed her, per se. He definitely missed having someone to call a partner, though. He missed falling asleep next to someone, and cooking in the kitchen together, and he really, really, missed intimacy. He hadn’t had sex since before that first night he asked for the divorce, and even that had been ages ago as he and Chi-Chi grew apart.

Goku groaned loudly, laying down and pulling out his phone. He just missed being with someone and the feeling of trusting someone enough to sleep together.

He needed a distraction, he decided, and scrolled through his contacts until he found the person he was looking for. The phone rang twice before being answered.

“What do you want, Kakarot?”

“Vegeta, hey!” Goku answered, feeling slightly awkward. “How, uh, how do you feel about goin' out to a bar?”

A pause from the other end. “A… bar? Why?”

Goku huffed, not really wanting to spill everything over the phone. “Ah, y’know, to catch up. I haven’t seen you in forever!”

He really hoped Vegeta would just agree instead of having to be coaxed out for the evening. As far as he knew, it wasn’t like Vegeta was doing much besides training these days, anyway.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” Vegeta conceded, and Goku cheered, audibly. “Where are we meeting?”

Goku sent the address of some local hole in the wall, the third option when he searched for bars around him, and within a couple minutes he and Vegeta were walking through its doors together. He looked nice, Goku thought, dressed in a bomber jacket that was slightly too big, sleeves hanging past his wrists, and denim jeans. Goku himself had discarded his gi for just a t-shirt and cargo shorts. Both their tails were curled around their waist, but Goku grinned when he saw Vegeta’s uncurl as they strolled through the building.

“It’s not like you to want to drink, Kakarot,” Vegeta mused as they picked a table in the back. A waiter came and took their orders, disappearing behind the bar, and Goku tried to brush off the statement.

“Eh, it’s just for fun. Besides, I wanted to see you.”

Vegeta turned away, looking pinker in the face than usual as their drinks were placed in front of them. He took a sip, clearing his throat after.

“Seriously, Kakarot. Is…” he hesitated and wrinkled his nose, clearly struggling with trying to get the words out, “is everything okay?”

Goku sighed, looking into his glass of amber liquid. Gods, he hadn’t wanted to talk about it this early. He hadn’t thought he was that easy to read.

“Me and Chi-Chi got divorced,” he admitted, watching the way Vegeta choked mid-drink. “I asked for it. It was finalised yesterday.”

Vegeta was still coughing on his drink. He wiped his mouth with his jacket sleeve and hesitantly met Goku’s eyes.

“Oh.”

Goku snorted at the awkwardness. “Yeah, ‘oh,’” he replied, sipping his drink. He tried not to gag. Vegeta was right, he really didn’t like to drink.

“What happened?”

“We… well, I… I think it was just time,” he answered, although he knew that wasn’t the whole truth. The waiter came back by, and Vegeta ordered another round for the both of them. He shrugged when Goku raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

“You seem like you need it.”

They kept drinking, throwing back far too many drinks for how seldom they consumed alcohol, the conversation veering away from the divorce and into more lighthearted topics. They talked about Bulma’s latest invention, how Goten and Trunks had gotten into a fistfight with other students at school, anything to keep the mood up.

When they were both sufficiently drunk and the hour hand on Goku’s watch was creeping past 12 very quickly, the waiter came back. As far as Goku could tell, she was trying very hard to be polite as she informed them the bar closed half an hour ago. Vegeta dug through his pockets, slamming a wad of bills into the woman’s hand.

“Kakarot,” he hiccupped, “what is it that humans say?” He looked confused before grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer.

“Keep the extra,” he said slowly, and gave her a thumbs up. The waiter smiled sweetly, pulling her arm away gently, and started counting the money to make sure the bill was covered. Her face lit up when she saw the amount crumpled in her fist.

“Thank you, sirs, you have a good night!”

Goku stood, swaying even as he grabbed the table to balance himself. Vegeta also began to stand, looking much drunker than Goku felt.

Probably because he’s so short, Goku thought to himself, snorting. He held out a hand for Vegeta to take, and to his surprise, he did. They made their way outside, stumbling over the doormat.

Goku suddenly felt a lot more awkward. What now?

Vegeta answered it for him, as if reading his mind.

“Well, Kakarot, are you going to show me where you’re staying now? I hope you have more of that... what was it called? Tequila?”

Goku exhaled, feeling relief wash over him. He really didn’t want to be alone right now, anyway.

“Yeah, I will. And I do, but we definitely need some water.”

They both sobered up a bit on the walk back to Goku’s new apartment. He kept looking down at Vegeta who just kept talking about random subjects, and Goku suddenly felt grateful for how close of a friend Vegeta had become.

Who else would understand him besides the prince of his species, after all?

They made it to the front door, and Goku fumbled his keys, suddenly nervous. What if it wasn’t good enough? What if Vegeta didn’t like the drinks he had? What if-?

Vegeta pushed past him, walking inside and flipping the light on himself. He looked around, giving a nod of approval.

“This is nice, Kakarot. Bulma told me she was helping you find a place, although I didn't know the reason. But she did a good job picking this one.”

Goku cleared his throat, closing the door and locking it behind him. “By the way, how is Bulma doin'? She’s... three months now, right?”

Vegeta froze for a second, before walking into Goku’s kitchen and opening cabinets. “Yes, she is. About a third of the way through. Human pregnancies are weirdly long.”

Goku opened the right cabinet, pulling out two cups. “You must be excited.”

“I don’t know,” Vegeta sounded slightly bitter now. “We broke up a while ago.”

The earth saiyan frowned. “Yeah, but it’s still your kid. I-”

“I didn’t want another kid, Kakarot. She made the wish without my permission,” he grunted. “That's why we split.”

Goku looked away. “I didn’t know. Sorry.”

He found his tequila, pouring way more than an ounce into each glass and sliding one to Vegeta, who was looking like he was coming down from his high way too fast. Goku placed a hand on his arm.

“Really, Vegeta. I’m sorry.”

Vegeta shrugged, picking up his glass and downing half of it. He picked up the bottle and walked to Goku’s living room, plopping down on the couch. Goku sat down next to him, also taking a hefty swig.

“...I am excited for the baby,” Vegeta admitted. “I just… I didn’t want another Trunks. I wanted our relationship to be a little more… permanent first.”

Goku nodded. He was well aware of the turbulent situation between Bulma and Vegeta. They were constantly on-and-off, which was never helped by the fact that Vegeta still lived in Capsule Corp. They had split officially almost immediately after Bulma’s pregnancy announcement. Vegeta had been incredibly angry the last few months, and now Goku understood why. He took another big swallow.

“What about you?” Vegeta asked, opening the bottle and pouring more into his cup.

“Uh, I guess I’m excited for the new baby. It’ll be nice for Trunks to have a little sister.”

“Not about the baby,” the shorter man rolled his eyes. “How did you and the woman split?”

Oh.

“I guess…” he hesitated. “I did love her when we first got married, and I was happy with her, but…”

“But…?” Vegeta pried.

“...I was in the Other World for seven years. Things just weren’t the same when I came back, no matter how hard we tried to go back to normal.” It felt good to get things off his chest, and his head was starting to swim again from the alcohol.

Vegeta was now drinking directly from the bottle. When he pulled back, he looked almost sad.

“Seven years, yeah…”

When had Goku scooted close enough for their thighs to press together?

He reached for the bottle, his hand closing over Vegeta’s as he brought it to his own lips. The action pulled Vegeta’s arm in front of his chest, and he left it there while Goku downed the rest of the tequila, dropping the bottle onto the carpet. He met Vegeta’s eyes, their faces now inches apart. They stared at each other for a long while, eyes unfocused as they both tried to speak. Vegeta exhaled shakily, his eyes darting between the different features of Goku’s face. Goku licked his lips as Vegeta’s eyes flicked past them.

“Kakarot, I… I’m sorr-”

Goku had leaned forward, planting his lips soundly on Vegeta’s. He wrapped his arms around the man’s small waist as Vegeta’s hands grasped Goku’s face, pulling him closer. Vegeta was climbing into his lap as Goku desperately kissed him, trying to hold him tighter than he could.

He didn’t know why he had done it. Maybe it was the loneliness, or the way his brain felt heavy, or how when he squinted, Vegeta almost, almost looked like her.

Goku kissed him harder, his hands roaming now, squeezing and pulling at Vegeta’s ass through his jeans and running under his jacket to grope at the muscle underneath.

No, it definitely wasn’t because Vegeta reminded him of Chi-Chi. As striking as her beauty was, nothing could compare to the fiery man in his lap.

Vegeta panted into his mouth, canting his hips forward when Goku’s hand touched the base of his tail, and moaning when Goku’s mouth left his to plant kisses up and down his neck. He started to roll his hips upwards, pulling Vegeta against him. Vegeta gasped loudly, Goku’s erection pressing firmly into his thigh, and he braced his hands on the other man’s shoulders, pushing him away.

“Wait, wait!” Vegeta looked pained, his face flushed dark red and eyes hazy.

“What?” Goku asked, breathlessly. He leaned in again, kissing Vegeta’s open mouth.

“Kakarot, just- just stop, please,” his shaking hands were back on Goku’s warm face, and his thumb brushed his cheekbone softly. “You- you just finalised everything yesterday. I don’t…” He trailed off. “I don’t want to just be your rebound fuck, Kakarot; I can’t.”

Goku felt his stomach drop. Did Vegeta really think that little of him that he would take his frustrations out on him? He kept looking into Vegeta’s eyes, mesmerized by how even bloodshot, they were beautiful.

No, he realized, Vegeta didn’t think that lowly of Goku. He thought that lowly of himself.

“Geta, no, no,” he shook his head slightly. He had never been eloquent, but he was trying so hard to fight through his drunken haze to speak clearly. “Geta, I’d never… I’m doin’ this because I want you. I want… You’re not a rebound. Not just- a fuck.”

Vegeta looked unconvinced, and he started to withdraw his hands from Goku’s face. Goku reached up, holding them in place.

“Vegeta, we can stop if you want,” he struggled to keep his hands from shaking as well, “but I am doin' this because I want to be with you.”

Gods, don’t let him fuck this up.

Vegeta was the one who leaned in for a kiss this time, keeping his hands on Goku’s face as the taller man trailed his fingers down to his trim waist. Goku pulled him closer, gently rolling his hips up again. Vegeta shuddered, his hands exploring Goku’s chest now.

“Kakarot…”

Their alcohol-addled brains blurred the events of the night together, and somewhere along the way Goku laid Vegeta down on the bed, kneeling between his thighs and making him cry out before sliding up to kiss him as his fingers fumbled messily in the dark. All Goku could sense was the slick on his fingers and the hot puffs of air on his neck, and he pushed inside the small man, listening to his whimpers.

The sun was peeking through the window when Goku finally slumped against Vegeta, exhausted and sweaty. Vegeta was panting, tear stains streaking his face and fluids he didn’t want to think about slipping down his inner thighs as Goku pulled out and nuzzled into his neck.

“Mmm, Geta… Stay here with me,” he murmured, half asleep, wrapping his arms around Vegeta's small torso.

Vegeta relaxed into the body next to him, unable to stay awake as a dreamless sleep came over him.

Chapter Text

Vegeta woke up sweaty, sticky, and crushed by Goku’s weight. His head was pounding and his groin was sore, and he tried to focus on breathing as last night’s events began to filter back into his memory. 

He remembered being drunk. Incredibly and unsafely and stupidly drunk, he scolded himself, and he remembered the two men spilling their guts to each other, and then kissing, and then-

Vegeta felt himself growing warm. Yeah, falling into bed together had felt amazing, even if he was now trying to ignore the crusty bodily fluids caked between his thighs, but there was no way to avoid what he had said last night.

I don’t want to just be your rebound fuck, Kakarot; I can’t.

It was an embarrassing confession, as true as it was, and Vegeta blamed his alcohol-induced confidence for even allowing those words past his lips.

He had had feelings for Kakarot for a long time, longer than he cared to admit. He wasn’t a fool. He knew- or, at least, he thought he had known- that there was little to no chance of Kakarot reciprocating those emotions. 

But Kakarot had been the one to initiate the kiss last night, he said he wanted Vegeta, he specifically called him not a rebound, and Vegeta’s heart was thrumming loudly even now as he thought about the words that had fallen from Kakarot’s loose lips. Kakarot wanted him, and Vegeta wanted Kakarot, so why was his stomach still in knots from the confession?

Ugh, maybe it wasn’t the confession after all, Vegeta thought as he sat bolt upright, throwing Goku off of him and sprinting to the bathroom. Vegeta spilled his guts into the sink, unable to make it to the toilet, and cringed at the sight of the yellow vomit against the white ceramic. 

He hated hangovers.

“Geta?”

Vegeta leaned over, vomiting again, and turned on the sink to drown out the noise, although it didn’t help much with the bathroom door still open. Goku appeared in the doorway and turned around immediately.

“Sorry! Sorry. Um, let me get you some, um, some pants,” he skittered back down the hallway and into his room. Vegeta was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was naked, and he buried his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the counter.

So it was going to be one of those mornings, he thought bitterly, trying to fight down his disappointment and anger. He shut the door, sitting down on the toilet to clean himself up. 

And he hadn’t even been sober enough to take a piss after, no wonder he was so fucking sore, Gods-dammit-!

“Geta, I couldn’t find your pants,” Goku said through the door, still sounding anxious. “I got you a pair of my sweatpants. If you want them.”

Vegeta sighed, standing up to open the door. He paused to look in the mirror, a blush spreading down his shoulders at the sight of various bite marks and hickies covering his body. He also noted, annoyed, that the hickies went all the way up his neck, the highest one behind his left earlobe, in a spot that wouldn’t be covered no matter how high his collar was. And Kami, his chest looked like a feral animal had attacked it; his nipples were red and raw and there was a still-pink bite right on the curved underside of one of his breasts. He turned away, choosing not to look at his back or ass, determined to ignore whatever damage Kakarot had done there. He swung the door open and jumped. Kakarot was waiting right on the other side, sweatpants in hand.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in on you like that,” he giggled nervously as Vegeta swiped the pants and pulled them on. They drowned him, and he had to pull the drawstrings so tight the waistband bunched up. “I can get you a shirt if you want…”

Vegeta looked up as Goku trailed off, and he noticed the taller man was raking his eyes over the various marks he had left. He rolled his eyes, pushing past Goku a little too harshly as he left the bathroom. 

“I think we’re well beyond being embarassed about a lack of shirts,” Vegeta grunted, walking downstairs into the living room and glancing around for his actual pants. He got on his knees, leaning down to look under the couch.

“I just want you to be comfortable,” Goku said softly. He sounded upset, and Vegeta again felt anger bubbling inside him.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about it for much longer. I’ll be gone as soon as I find my pants,” he sat back up on his knees again, frustrated.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Goku said, alarmed. “Why would I want you to leave?”

Vegeta paused in his search. Gods, his head was throbbing. He needed water.

“Kakarot, I-”

“Vegeta, I meant what I said last night,” Goku said, kneeling down next to him. "I want to be with you, I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t'a done what we did if I wanted you to leave.”

He seemed so earnest, so sincere that Vegeta wanted to believe him. He wanted to feel the same way he felt last night, euphoric and intoxicated as Goku murmured sweet nothings into his ears while fucking him.

But it was the morning now, and they were both sober, and if what Goku was saying was true then that meant having a very serious and adult conversation about what they would do now, neither of which were exactly Goku's specialty. Vegeta groaned, loudly.

“Just- Kami. I need a glass of water.” 

Goku opened his mouth, then closed it and nodded. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen.”

Vegeta did feel better after three full glasses of water, and Goku waited, his tail flicking behind him in an agitated fashion. Vegeta set his cup down on the table, his nails clicking against the glass. They stared at each other for a long minute.

“So… How are you feelin'?” Goku asked, looking more and more uncomfortable as the seconds passed.

“I’m kind of sore, to be honest,” Vegeta answered, feeling just as awkward. “I’m… I think…”

Dammit, why couldn’t he get his words together?

“Please don’t leave,” Goku blurted out. “I meant everythin' I said last night. I want you here, with me.”

Vegeta was still trying to wrap his head around Goku’s confession from the night before, and now the man was doubling down, and it made his head swim. He sighed, starting to nod without realizing it.

“I want to stay, too,” he admitted. He pushed his bangs off his forehead, leaning down to rest his elbow on the table. He sighed, scrubbing his hand down his face. “I... I've felt this way for a long time. Longer than... I really care to admit. But… are you sure? That this is okay, with everything going on?”

Goku nodded fervently, moving close to Vegeta and reaching out, taking his unoccupied hand. “Yes, Vegeta, it is.”

Vegeta let himself relax the tiniest bit, squeezing Goku’s hand back. “Then… What do we do now? Where do we go from here?”

Goku shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted, looking down at their joined hands before meeting Vegeta’s eyes again. “But I really want to find it out with you.”

The small saiyan exhaled as his face grew warm. “Alright, don't push it."

Goku chuckled, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. 

Vegeta cleared his throat. "So... we just see where things go?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m getting old, you know.”

“I know.”

“And our families probably won’t understand.”

“I know.”

“And-”

“I know, Vegeta,” Goku repeated. “You don’t have to test me. If you’re stayin', so am I. I know I'm not the smartest man in the world, but I know what I want, and, honestly, I've wanted this for a lot longer than you know.”

Vegeta fought against his smile, covering the bottom half of his face with his hand. He wished that he had the same brazen confidence he used to have. The old him wouldn't ask so many questions, wouldn't be so hesitant to take what he wanted. Granted, the old him wouldn't have exactly willingly slept with Kakarot. Now, he felt shy of all things, thrumming with nervous energy as he stared at their intertwined fingers. He still didn’t know what would happen, but maybe with Kakarot firmly by his side, he didn’t need to.

“Okay,” he conceded, watching Goku smile broadly. He stood abruptly and before he knew what was happening, Vegeta was swept into a hug. He returned it, rolling his eyes and wrapping his arms around the taller man’s waist. They stayed like that for a long moment, until Vegeta felt himself become increasingly aware of how much he smelled like sex and sweat.

“Can I use your shower?”

Goku pulled back slightly, sniffing Vegeta’s hair. “I guess so. But, uh, between the two of us, I like that you smell like me.”

Vegeta rolled his eyes again, flushing red down to his shoulders. “Then come join me. I just need to freshen up.”

Vegeta had never seen Goku so enthusiastic in his life as the younger saiyan pulled him down the hall.

Chapter Text

They fell into a routine after a couple weeks. Vegeta still technically lived at Capsule Corp, with all of his belongings still in his room on the third level, but he had begun to spend most of his days and nights at Goku’s apartment. Goku didn’t have any complaints about that– not by a long shot, and whined whenever Vegeta had to leave to pick up Trunks from basketball practice or train in the Gravity Chamber. 

And they were constantly having sex– to the point where Vegeta was convinced he'd never walk straight again. Kakarot was insatiable, constantly running his hands and mouth up and down Vegeta's body like he was trying to map it out. It made Vegeta feel good to be so wanted, though he was now eternally embarrassed over every lewd comment Goku made about him.

Needless to say, neither of them had realized that they had started to spend an overwhelming amount of time together until Bulma mentioned it on one of Vegeta’s frequent trips to Capsule Corp for a change of clothes.

“You sure are spending a lot of time at Goku’s now,” she said cooly from the doorway to his room, watching him freeze. He cleared his throat, smoothing the folded shirt in his hands.

“What of it?” He asked coldly. He kept his back to her, still smoothing invisible wrinkles on his shirt.

Bulma snorted. “Nothing. It’s nice to see you happy, is all.”

Vegeta turned around, meeting her eyes. “Meaning?”

“You think I wouldn’t notice? Every time you come back you look elated. It’s not hard to put two and two together,” she said, walking towards him and taking one of his hands. “I’ve never seen you look more at ease.”

His eyes drifted downward to her rounded belly, guilt itching in his chest. She noticed and squeezed his hand tighter.

“Hey, as long as you’re still in her life, I’m glad you have him,” Bulma reassured him.

“Of course I’m still going to be in her life,” he said, touching his free hand to her stomach. “I don’t mean to complicate things. But… you’re right. I am happy.”

She grinned. “Does that mean you’re moving out of my house?”

Vegeta rolled his eyes. “You say that like you don’t pay for his apartment.”

Bulma laughed, gripping his hand tighter, and Vegeta felt lighter than he had in months, watching the smile spreading across his ex’s face.

His face was wet, and he wiped his eyes before Bulma would notice. She also seemed happier, and Vegeta wondered for a moment if it was because he was around less.  He tried not to dwell on it as she straightened back up and let go of his hand.

“You know I love you, Vegeta,” she said.

“And I love how happy you are right now. I’m glad I got Goku that big place though.”

Vegeta cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“For the kids,” she said plainly. “I mean, if Gohan and Goten and Trunks and this one are going to be staying there, all that space is important. A four bedroom penthouse was a good idea, after all.”

The color drained from Vegeta’s face. “Oh, shit.”

It was Bulma’s turn to be confused. “What’s wrong?”

“Tonight is Kakarot’s first time having his children stay after everything,” Vegeta groaned, pressing his palms into his eyes. “I completely forgot.”

“Do you need to stay here?” Bulma asked, frowning. “If you aren’t ready for them to know, I mean.”

Vegeta thought for a moment. On one hand, they couldn’t keep it a secret, nor did they necessarily plan to, but on the other, Vegeta wasn’t sure if Kakarot’s children would be too keen on learning their father had moved on so quickly, and to Vegeta of all people.

“I… don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I would have to talk to Kakarot about it. I think…” He scrunched up his nose, agitated that he couldn’t find the words he needed to. It had been happening a lot more since everything started between the two of them.

Bulma placed a hand on his shoulder. “Well, whatever you decide, just let me know, okay? I’m here for you. Both of you.”

Vegeta let himself smile, and he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Thank you, Bulma.”

Goku was freaking out, a bottle of bleach in one hand and a wad of paper towels in the other when Vegeta opened the door to his apartment. The place was looking considerably cleaner than it had that morning, and Goku was frantically wiping the kitchen table down.

“Keeping busy?”

Goku met his eyes, looking manic. “Vegeta. Have you noticed how bad it smells in here?”

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. “All I smell is you and bleach.” He wrinkled his nose at the aforementioned bottle. “That stuff smells awful, by the way.”

“I’m usin' it because this apartment reeks like sex,” Goku stressed, setting the bottle down. “Especially our bedroom and the main bathroom. The boys are going to be able to smell it immediately.”

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, looking up at Goku. “Our bedroom?"

Goku flushed. “I- Yeah, our bedroom. If that’s okay?”

Vegeta nodded, turning away to hide his smile. He reached into one of the cabinets, hovering a few inches off the ground. “Well, if it reeks so badly of sex, maybe you should light a candle instead of spraying that everywhere. Seriously, it’s giving me a headache.”

“If it’s strong enough to do that, then it’s doing its job,” Goku said, sidling up behind the small man and placing his hands on his hips. “Are you stayin' tonight?”

Vegeta tried not to breathe too heavily as Goku pressed behind him. “If you want me to.”

“Yeah, I do,” he murmured into Vegeta’s ear, lifting the man further off the ground. “We don’t have to tell them why, but I’d like you here.”

Vegeta groaned as Goku’s arms sealed around his waist. “I thought you were trying to cover up the smell of sex, not add to it.”

Goku huffed. “Excuse me for tryin' to be romantic.”

“Rubbing your dick against my ass in a room that smells like a hospital is romantic to you? At least wash your hands first.”

Goku pouted as he let go and quickly scrubbed the cleaner off his hands. Then, before he could react, Vegeta was on their bed, watching Goku shut the door tight behind them. Vegeta rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in the sheets, and inhaled the smell of them. Kakarot was right, the sheets did smell like sex, but it was far more pleasant than the acidic scent of bleach and a million times more comforting. The smell turned his brain to putty as Goku knelt on the back of his thighs and began to grind against him. Vegeta couldn’t help the soft moan that trailed out of his mouth, pushing his face further into the blankets.

“I wanna fuck,” Goku moaned into his ear, tugging at Vegeta’s pants until they were situated around his knees.

“Oh, really?” Vegeta bit back a whine as two of Goku’s fingers swiped his entrance before pushing inside him. “I hadn’t noticed.”

A hand reached under his chin and hooked a thumb into his mouth. “Let me fuck you.” His fingers were moving faster, plunging in and out of Vegeta. “Fuck, you’re already so wet. Please, baby.”

The petname made Vegeta whimper, and he felt the blunt pressure of Goku’s dick replace his fingers. Goku slid inside, aided by the slick steadily slipping out of his partner, and both men groaned at the sensation. 

“So tight,” Goku groaned, his thumb rubbing against Vegeta's tongue. “So good, baby, so good…”

Vegeta couldn’t form coherent thoughts whenever he and Goku had sex. He thought maybe it was because every bit of free space inside him was taken up by his dick, forcing any random thoughts out of his head. The idea made him almost laugh around the finger in his mouth, drunk on pleasure.

Goku slowly pulled out before slamming back in, making Vegeta cry out. Goku let go of his chin, placing both hands on Vegeta’s hips. His large hands were firm, leaving no wiggle room and holding Vegeta in place, fucking into him. The smaller man shouted when his partner thrust particularly hard, and Goku stopped moving.

“Shit, are you okay?”

Vegeta groaned, one of his hands reaching behind him and touching the small of his back, just above his tail. “Yeah, I just-” He hissed, feeling the same twinge of pain, and he shifted his hips slightly.

“Do… do we need to stop?” Goku asked hesitantly.

The older saiyan grabbed a pillow and lifted his hips, sliding the cushion underneath him. He settled down onto it, sighing as some of the tension in his back eased. 

“There,” he grunted, shoving his face into the sheets again and inhaling deeply. “Sorry. I told you I was getting old.”

Goku rolled his hips forward, burying himself deep inside his partner, listening to his extended gasp. 

“I don’t mind,” he stated, leaning down and kissing the back of Vegeta’s neck. “I’d rather you be comfortable, because that means I can do this.”

He began doing slow, deep thrusts that made Vegeta feel like the wind was being sucked out of his lungs. He fucked Vegeta at a steady pace for several long, agonizing minutes in which Vegeta felt the pressure in his gut begin to build.

“Kakarot…” he groaned, trying to buck his hips back to meet the thrusts, but Goku’s hands stilled him. “I’m close.”

“Good,” he groaned behind him, his hips suddenly snapping hard and increasing speed. Vegeta shouted again, in pleasure this time, and came after Goku thrust into him a few more times. Goku followed closely behind, pulling out halfway through and letting his cum dribble onto Vegeta’s thighs.

The smaller man panted, trying to catch his breath as he felt the bed shift and fabric swipe across his backside. He bit his lip, trying not to moan when the towel was dragged across his entrance.

“Are you okay?” Goku asked. He sounded nervous.

Vegeta waved him off. “I’m fine.” He pushed himself into an upright position, pulling his pants back up past his hips. “You used to never be scared about hurting me in training.”

“It’s different now.” Goku said, placing a hand on Vegeta’s hip. “I don’t want to hurt you. I mean, I never wanted to, like, hurt-hurt you before, either, but I 'specially don’t wanna hurt you durin' sex.”

Vegeta met his eyes, his gaze softening when he saw how earnest Goku looked. “You didn’t hurt me. Like I said, I’m just… Getting older. My body already barely listens to me at the best of times, so my back or knees hurting every now and then is normal.”

Goku nodded, kissing Vegeta’s forehead. “I know,” he murmured. “You should shower, though. Your hair smells like me.”

Vegeta groaned loudly, pushing his partner away in fake annoyance. “Gods-dammit, Kakarot, your kids are going to be here in a few hours. Go finish getting everything ready while I clean up.”

Goku laughed, kissing his cheek this time, and helped Vegeta stand up. “Anythin' for you, my Prince,” he said sweetly, pressing one last kiss onto Vegeta’s hand before leaving the bedroom. 

Vegeta felt his heart skip a beat, and he smiled as he watched Kakarot’s retreating back.

Chapter Text

Vegeta admittedly spent longer than he should've in the shower, taking his time to wash the stench of sex and sweat out of his hair. It reached the middle of his back when wet, and he combed through it carefully with his fingers, picking through any knots. He closed his eyes, relishing the hot water pouring down his body.

As he scrubbed his body, Vegeta ran his fingers over the bumps on his skin, scars from his past both far and recent. A slice along his hip, a crisscross of raised flesh on his bicep, an indention in his chest... His fingers lingered on the uneven scar marring his adbomen, tracing it's jagged outline absentmindedly. He hadn't been allowed a healing chamber after that surgery, a punishment Freeza had seemed all too happy to enforce. It had been an agonizing road to recovery, an experience Vegeta shoved down into the back of his mind at the best of times.

He often wondered how anyone found attraction in the physical map of trauma across his body.

He shook himself from his memories, shutting the water off and squeezing the excess water out of his hair. He quickly dried himself with a small surge of ki, and left the bathroom to change, flicking his tail behind him. Goku was waiting in the bedroom, tucking new sheets onto the bed, the fresh scent of linen filling Vegeta's senses.

"Hey, baby," Goku said cheerily. "You smell good!"

Vegeta grunted, picking up one of the black sweaters he had brought and slipping it over his head, noticing that his hair was still slightly damp when he went to push his bangs out of his eyes.

"You should leave your bangs down more," Goku said, plopping down on the bed. "You look cute."

Vegeta paused. "I'm not cute." His fingers toyed with his bangs for another moment. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I think you look nice," the earth saiyan grinned, watching as Vegeta bent over to pull his leggings on. "I think you look really nice tonight."

"Okay, what's with all the compliments?" Vegeta asked, straightening up. He pushed up the sleeves of his sweater so they were bunched at his wrists. Goku looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"What? Me, complimentin' you too much? Nah." His smiled faded slightly. "I mostly just want tonight to go well. It's their first time comin' over, so..."

Vegeta sat on Goku's knees facing him, and placed his hands on the man's cheeks. He pressed a soft kiss to the other's forhead.

"I'm sure it'll go well."

Goku placed his hands on Vegeta's hips, raising his eyebrows.

"You're bein'... uncharacteristically nice today, Geta."

The smaller man blushed, turning his head to the side. "Don't get used to it. I just want this to go smoothly enough that your brats don't question why I'm sleeping in your room."

Goku huffed a laugh, kissing Vegeta's exposed neck and making him blush deeper.

"You're the best, Vegeta," he murmured.

Vegeta closed his eyes, biting back a snarky response and letting his partner nuzzle into the crook of his neck. A few extra minutes to themselves wouldn't hurt.

The "few extra minutes" resulted in Vegeta washing his face for a second time in an hour and Goku scrambling to start cooking dinner. It was nearing 6 in the evening, and the boys were scheduled to come between 6 and 7, so the men were already running late.

"Did you seriously need to finish on my face?" Vegeta griped, walking into the kitchen, patting his face dry. "I had just showered."

Goku giggled, leaning down to kiss him. "Sorry, sorry. At least it didnt get in your hair." He ruffled Vegeta's hair until his bangs came loose.

Vegeta opened his mouth to reply when a knock at the door cut him off. Goku stiffened, standing back up to his full height.

"Oh, they got here right on time, ha," he said nervously. "Keep mixin' the rice?"

Vegeta nodded, taking the spatula as Goku went to answer the door. He heard Goku greet his kids with excitement and cringed slightly as all three spoke loudly and the door slammed behind them. Vegeta braced himself as he heard them approach the kitchen entrance, keeping his eyes firmly on the pan in front of him.

"Wow, this place is- Oh! Hi, Vegeta!" Gohan greeted him, looking confused. "What are you doin' here?"

"Cooking," he grunted, turning the heat off and taking the pan off the burner. "Obviously."

Gohan laughed, used to the man's attitude. "Well, it's good to see you again. I don't think I've seen you since before I left for school."

Vegeta felt the tension in his hands ease slightly. He nodded, floating a couple feet off the ground to pull out some bowls from the top cabinet.

"Goten, can you help Vegeta so I can get the food?" Goku asked, glancing to Vegeta. They were face level now, eyes meeting over the top of Goten's head, who agreed without hesitation. Goku sent a pleading look to Vegeta, who sighed and planted his feet back on the ground, handing the bowls to the young boy.

The 13 year old who was already taller than him now, he thought with annoyance.

Goku grabbed the pans on the stove and Gohan followed him out of the kitchen, talking about the classes he had been taking this semester. Vegeta cleared his throat, pushing his sleeves up past his wrists again.

"How've you been, Mr. Vegeta?" Goten asked brightly, setting the dishes down on the counter. He started opening random drawers, looking for eating utensils.

"Fine," was Vegeta's clipped response as he opened the correct drawer and pulled out four forks.

"Oh. Thanks!" Goten left the kitchen with the dishes, and Vegeta exhaled, bracing his hands on the counter.

Why was he getting so worked up? He had been friends with their father before, so it shouldn't be weird that he was here, but it felt weird now. The boys didn't know he had been seeing (dating?) their father, they didn't know that that's why Vegeta was over. He squeezed his eyes shut, sliding down and pressing his back against one of the kitchen cabinets.

Fuck, he felt like his chest was constricting, making it harder to breathe.

"I'm just gettin' some napkins, go ahead and serve yourselves!" Goku's voice was right outside the doorway. He stepped inside, seeing Vegeta curled up on the floor. "Geta? What happened?"

Vegeta felt him kneel down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes.

"Kakarot."

"What's goin' on?" Goku asked, lowering his voice.

"Are- are you sure it's okay if I'm here?" Vegeta asked lowly.

Goku's eyes softened. "Of course I'm sure. I want you here."

The older man took a deep breath, letting Goku help him stand back up, his knees popping loudly. Goku held his hand tightly.

"Are you ready?"

Vegeta nodded, and the other man looked around before stooping to kiss him.

When they reentered the dining room, Goku had one arm around Vegeta's shoulders and napkins in his free hand. Vegeta face was bright pink.

They settled in for dinner, with the Son family filling in most of the conversation. They talked about their latest hobbies, about Gohan and Videl's marriage, how Pan had said her first words, and Goten's newest crush, a young girl he had met while biking the other day. Vegeta watched them interact, picking at the fried rice in front of him, his appetite still gone.

They seem so happy around each other.

"Mr. Vegeta, do y'know if Trunks is free on Wednesday?"

Vegeta blinked out of his thoughts, meeting Goten's expectant eyes.

"He has basketball practice until 4," he responded, taking a sip a water.

"Oh, cool. Just 'cause, since I'm in the city right now, it's easier to hang out."

"You'd have to ask his mom if he can "hang out" after," Vegeta said. Goku glanced at the amount of food in front of Vegeta, and he rolled his eyes in response, shoveling a forkfull into his mouth. That answer seemed to appease the young boy, and he went back to talking about nonsense with his father.

Gohan was also staring at Vegeta now, having witnessed the miniscule interaction the older men had. Vegeta grew uncomfortable, shoving more food into his mouth and almost choking, the grease clogging his senses as bile threatened to rise in his throat.

"So, Vegeta," Gohan scooted his chair closer. "What are you doin' here, exactly?"

He kept his voice low enough that he didn't draw the attention of the others. He sniffed the air, closing his eyes to focus on the scent, and Vegeta felt the blood drain from his face.

"It's not like you to spend time with Dad without bein' forced to," Gohan joked, seemingly done with his invasive sniffing.

"He asked me to be here," Vegeta bit out, his eyes darting to Goku, who was laughing at a joke Goten just told him. That tight feeling in his chest was back, the fork bending slightly in his tight grip.

Gohan looked slightly taken aback. "Are you okay, Vegeta? You seem real on edge."

Goku had taken notice of the slight spike in Vegeta's ki, and he interrupted the confrontation by annoucing that they should get a tour of their bedrooms.

They all stood up, and Vegeta stayed behind, picking up the dishes and taking them back to the kitchen.

He placed them in the sink and leaned forward on the counter, trying to focus on his breathing. When he sucked air into his lungs, it sounded like someone was shaking a rattle. His hands were shaking so bad he could barely keep his grip on the counter. The meager amount he had managed to eat was clawing its way back up, burning his throat.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Vegeta couldn't take it anymore, and he bolted to the master bedroom, slamming the door behind him as he frantically searched for his phone, fumbling with the lockscreen when he found it. He searched for Bulma's contact, and listened to the quiet ringing until she picked up.

"Vegeta?"

He started pouring out everything that had happened, stuttering over his words as he described the pain in his chest and difficulty breathing. He tried to keep his voice down, knowing that if he was loud then the others would definitely be able to hear him through the walls.

"Vegeta, it sounds like you're having a panic attack," Bulma said, making the man pause in his words. "Have you been taking your prescription?"

Vegeta wheezed in annoyance. "No, I stopped because they weren't helping. Obviously."

He knew she was pissed when she responded again, aggrivation tinting her words. "It obviously was working since you stopped and now have to deal with this. You can't just quit your medication like that."

"I shouldn't even need medication!" He exclaimed loudly. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and squeezed his eyes shut as he gagged.

Shit, shit, shit.

"Well, you do , and if you just stop taking it then your body reacts negatively. Just- Come by tomorrow and I'll have it for you," she sounded mad, and when she hung up Vegeta just felt worse.

This night is a disaster.

Vegeta buried his face in his hands, feeling intently for the ki of the three other men. They were downstairs in the living room now, and when Vegeta focused his hearing, he could hear the TV playing.

He texted Kakarot a short message, fingers shaking and making him press the wrong keys.

To Kakarot: Hhelp

To Kakarot: PleAsde

He backed up against one of the walls, sliding down to sit in the corner. He felt the subsequent buzzing of his phone, still fighting to draw in a full breath. He squeezed his eyes shut, hand over his mouth once more as he continued wheezing.

Goku was there within the next minute, quietly opening and closing the door before swiftly kneeling in front of his partner.

"Geta, hey; baby, what's goin' on?" 

Vegeta shook his head, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"Please don't do that," Goku said while gently pulling his hands away from his face. He held them firmly as Vegeta continued to suck in ragged breaths. "It's just me. It's okay; you're okay. You're safe."

Vegeta jolted in surprise when he felt something touch his tail. He realized with a start that Goku's tail was gently intertwining with his, applying soft but consistent pressure along the appendage.

Finally, finally, his heartrate began to slow. He strained his ears, listening to Goku's steady breathing to try and match the man's breaths. Goku released his hands and Vegeta leaned forward, all but melting into his arms.

"What happened, baby?" Goku asked quietly, rubbing a hand up and down Vegeta's back. "I... I've never seen you get like this."

Vegeta cringed. "It's..." He swallowed, forcing the bile in his throat back down. "It just happens sometimes. Bulma once said it had something to do with... fight or flight. Or freeze. After... Ever since Freeza, I've been like this."

Goku was silent, letting him speak as his hand continued to rub soothingly. It felt nice to tell Kakarot, to not hide such a big part of himself anymore.

"It's okay, ya know," Goku murmured softly. "I think... I think Gohan gets the same thing, too, sometimes. He'll go all quiet if I say the wrong thing'n gets real angry sometimes at his memories. So... I get it. I'm not mad or anythin'."

Vegeta sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry for ruining the night." 

"Nah," Goku brushed it off. "You could never."

They stayed like that for a few long minutes as Vegeta continued to calm down before Goku spoke again.

"If ya just want to go to bed, I understand, okay? It's already kinda late anyway."

Vegeta leaned back and looked up at the younger man. He'd never admit it to anyone else, but Goku got this sort of... softness in his eyes that only Vegeta was privvy to that he absolutely adored. 

"Yeah, Kakarot. I'd like that," he said as he let Goku lean forward and press several kisses across his face. "Okay, okay. I'll be fine. Go back to the boys."

Goku kissed his lips one last time and pulled away with a smile. "Okay. I'll see you in the mornin', okay?"

Vegeta nodded, his lips tingling long after Goku left the room and he climbed into their bed. Despite being freshly cleaned, he could still faintly smell Kakarot's scent on the pillows. He buried his face in them, letting his exhausted brain succumb to sleep.

Chapter Text

Vegeta stirred awake when he heard Goku open the bedroom door and slide under the covers behind him, wrapping his arms around Vegeta's waist. He could feel the other man's ki humming, the energy buzzing in the back of his skull. Goku kissed the back of his neck, slow and gentle, and Vegeta melted against him.

They didn't speak. Vegeta just let Goku hold him, eyes drifting shut as his partner continued to kiss him. It felt nice. He didn't know when he fell back asleep, but he knows he woke up in the same position, strong arms locked around his body and Goku's chest flush with his back.

"Mornin'," the word rumbled deep in Kakarot's chest, heavy with sleep and lack of use. A kiss landed behind Vegeta's ear.

"Morning." His reply came out barely as a whisper. He tried to stay quiet as Kakarot shifted, slowly turning Vegeta over in his arms so that they were face-to-face.

"Hi, baby," he murmured, keeping his hands at Vegeta's waist. He continued his barrage of kisses, planting them on the smaller man's cheekbones, nose, forehead, and lips. Vegeta didn't stop him, letting himself enjoy the attention after the trainwreck his body experienced the night before.

"I want to tell the boys about us," Goku began, and Vegeta stiffened in his arms. "I want to tell them because of last night. Trying to act like there's nothin' was clearly takin' a toll on you. And me."

"And you?" Vegeta questioned, and Goku met his eyes, a thumb now rubbing soothingly into the indention of Vegeta's hip.

"I can't hide how I feel about you, Geta. It's like... it's like I have the moon in my hand and I'm not allowed to show anyone."

Vegeta's heart fluttered. "They'd probably try to take it away from you. It wouldn't be the first time."

"I'd stop them," his grip tightened, but his eyes stayed gentle, fixed on the prince's. "I'd fight the gods for... for the moon."

"You're not serious."

Goku looked upset at that statement. "I am! If they can't see how happy the moon makes me, then... then they don't deserve to be around me. I love the moon, and... I hope the moon loves me, too."

They had never exchanged those words before, yet here Goku was, telling Vegeta in so many words that he loved him.

"Why wouldn't it?" he said quietly, and Goku's face split into a half relieved, half excited expression. Vegeta cleared his throat, wanting to do this properly. "I love you."

Goku nuzzled his nose into Vegeta's neck, kissing the spot under his jaw that made him squirm. "I love you, too, my moon."

"You're terrible at metaphors," Vegeta murmured.

Goku laughed, the vibrations rumbling across Vegeta's skin as he kept kissing along the man's neck, his hands sliding down to cup his ass and stroke the base of his tail. Vegeta mewled, feeling his body grow warm.

"Kakarot, we shouldn't do anything with the boys here... They could already be awake..."

Goku bit into his neck, sucking hard on the skin there, and Vegeta bucked his hips forward. "So we just need to be quiet. Come on, moon, let me show you how much I love you. "

So Vegeta let him, biting his hand to muffle his moans as his partner fingered him, then ate him out, and finally, finally settled Vegeta onto his lap and fucked up into him, kissing his nipples and licking the sweat gathering beneath his breasts. He pushed their lips together, swallowing every noise Vegeta made until they both came with a low groan, Goku spilling inside his partner. They panted into each other's mouths, Vegeta looking like he had run a marathon, his stomach distending slightly from Goku's dick.

"You look good like this," Goku murmured, his hands tracing the slightly swollen belly. "I can't describe it. Maybe I just like lookin' at you on top of me."

Carefully, he pulled out and gently lifted Vegeta into a bridal carry. He closed his eyes, focusing on the ki of his sons, and noted happily that they were both still in their rooms.

"Okay, come on!" He whispered, quickly whisking them both down the hall and into the bathroom, quickly locking the door and turning the shower on. Goku brought them both into the shower, sitting down on the bench inside. He sat Vegeta up on his lap again and slid inside him once more.

"Kakarot," Vegeta whined softly, feeling the man's length twitch inside him. "It's too much."

"Shhhh," Goku replied, placing his hands under Vegeta's ass and beginning to slide him up and down his still hard length. "You look so good right now, I can't help myself. I feel like I'm goin' crazy."

He really did feel like he was going crazy. He didn't know why the sight of Vegeta's full stomach was so enticing, just that he suddenly felt a fierce urge to prove to Vegeta how much he loved and cared about him. He wanted to protect him.

On some sort of primal instinct that he couldn't control, Goku sank his teeth into the crook between Vegeta's shoulder and neck, the small man gasped and suddenly came, squeezing Goku so hard he had to pull away and still their hips. He barely had time to think before Vegeta was surging forward, biting Goku in the same spot, and suddenly Goku understood.

That was an entirely new feeling, coursing through his veins and frying his nerve endings.

Goku forced Vegeta's hips all the way down, eyes flitting between the euphoric bliss on his partner's face and the bulge in his stomach. He came with a grunt, filling Vegeta for a second time.

He kissed the bite on Vegeta's neck, small rivers of blood trailing down his breasts and mixing with the water.

"I love you," he whispered, lifting Vegeta off his length. Vegeta whimpered, feeling empty, and Goku pulled him in for more kisses, anywhere his mouth could reach. He ran his fingers over every line and curve, aiding the water in cleaning the sweat and smell of sex off of Vegeta's skin.

"I love you, too," Vegeta murmured, staring at the bite he had made. It was deep, bleeding a dark scarlet. The spray from the water didn't quite reach Goku's shoulders, but the taller man seemed unbothered. Vegeta licked the bite, and it was Goku's turn to freeze, the sensation new and slightly overstimulating. He kept licking until the blood stopped flowing, and kissed it when he was done.

Wordlessly, they dried off and snuck back into their bedroom. They began getting dressed, their moods significantly improved.

"When do you want to tell them?" Vegeta asked, pulling a pair of his workout leggings on. Goku watched as he pulled them up past his ass before answering.

"Probably today. I dunno; I could honestly just kiss you in front of them to see how they react."

Vegeta paused, playing with the hem of his pants. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Kakarot."

"Is it better than sittin' down to have a discussion?"

Fair point, although Vegeta could feel that telltale knot in his stomach forming. He thought for a second, rummaging through his clothes.

"You can kiss me in front of them," he decided, pulling a sweater over his head and adjusting the neckline to cover most of the bite mark. "But don't tell me when you're going to do it, otherwise I'll panic too much."

Goku smiled softly. "Of course, my moon."

They shared one last private kiss, Vegeta floating up so that they were eye level.

The calm before the storm, Vegeta mused, and he kissed his partner back deeply, trying to convey his emotions through that single action. Somehow, when he pulled back to see Kakarot's face, he was sure the younger man had understood.

"Let's get the day started," Goku said, cheerily, taking Vegeta's hand in his and holding it firmly, not letting go even as they entered the living room, where Gohan was now reading a book on the couch.

Vegeta focused on his breathing.

The calm before the storm, indeed.

Chapter Text

“Mornin’, Gohan!” Goku said happily. Vegeta stood slightly behind his back, hand still clasped in Goku’s. “You sleep alright?”

Gohan opened his mouth to answer at the same time he looked up. His fingers paused while turning a page, and his eyes slid from their faces to their hands. He lingered on the interlocked fingers for a couple seconds before looking back up to meet his father’s eyes.

Oh, Gods, he knew; he was going to say something, he was going to fight–

“Yeah, I did,” he responded. His gaze shifted to Vegeta’s face, a coy grin slipping onto his face. “Did you?”

Vegeta’s face turned red, but he didn’t feel any animosity coming from the young adult. In fact, Gohan was now grinning from ear to ear, closing his book and setting it beside him on the couch.

Goku laughed, and his slightly higher pitch clued Vegeta into the fact that he was also nervous. “Yeah, just fine.”

Gohan leaned closer, placing his chin in his hand. “Mhm; how about you, Vegeta?”

He was smiling, it looked sinister, like he was about to pounce on his prey. Vegeta wanted to run back up to their bedroom like last night, but he figured he owed staying to Goku. He opened his mouth a couple times, trying to form words as Gohan looked at him expectantly.

Vegeta was saved from answering by Goten walking into the room, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, pajamas wrinkled. He mumbled out a greeting to his family, plopping down on the couch beside his brother and blindly groping for the TV remote. Gohan chastised him, saying something about the younger brother needing glasses just like him, and when Goku laughed this time, his voice was back to its regular pitch.

“I’m gonna make some coffee,” he announced to no one in particular. Gohan nodded, and Goku looked down at the small man by his side. “You want some?”

Vegeta nodded, and Goku slipped an arm around his waist and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. Then he was back up, walking rather quickly to the kitchen, his tail wagging behind him.

Vegeta was frozen, and so were the boys who were now staring at him, Gohan looking smug, and Goten with his mouth agape. He felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears burning.

“What?” he snapped, trying to play off his embarrassment. He sat down in the free corner of the couch, avoiding the prying eyes of the boys. Gohan opened his mouth to say something, but Goten beat him to the punch.

“Does this mean me an’ Trunks are brothers?” His question was still slurred with sleep, eyes half-open. 

Vegeta blew out a breath, not sure how to answer. He hadn’t directly told his son, but he was sure the teen had picked up on it. He was scarily similar to his mother in that sense, and he had been throwing sly smiles at Vegeta when he’d been by to spend time with him. That didn’t mean Vegeta was ready to start thinking about merging their families together, though, and the question made him more uncomfortable than he expected. He was broken out of his thoughts by Gohan placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Really though, Vegeta, I’m happy for you,” he began. Vegeta braced himself for a back-handed compliment, but Gohan spoke with kindness, sincerity present in his eyes. “Every time I’ve seen Dad these last couple’a weeks, he’s been a whole lot happier. He never said why, but… I’m glad it’s you.” 

He smiled at Vegeta, looking back up at his father, who had reentered the room with three mugs clenched in his hands. Vegeta quietly accepted the cup and Goku kissed his cheek. Goten was falling back asleep on the couch while Gohan flipped through TV channels, settling on a news station. 

This felt… too easy. Vegeta withdrew into the couch, folding his legs up to his chest and sipping the drink. Kakarot had remembered how he liked it, actually. It added to the anxiety building in his chest. 

His phone began to ring, loudly, and he almost dropped his cup as he fumbled to answer it, drawing the attention of the others. 

Call From: Bulma

Vegeta groaned, standing back up and walking into the kitchen as he picked up the call. Bulma answered, sounding annoyed.

“It’s ten. Where are you?”

“I slept in,” he grunted. “Is it ready?”

“Would I be calling if it wasn’t?” 

Vegeta paused. She sounded upset, and he tried to even his own breathing before continuing. 

“Bulma. What’s going on?”

The change in his tone must’ve surprised her, because when she answered, she sounded slightly calmer.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I haven’t been sleeping well. The baby… you know.”

He quietly sighed. He didn’t want to talk about this right now.

“I can be there soon, okay?” He promised. He hung up, rubbing a hand down his face.

Shit, it was always something, wasn’t it? 

Always waiting for the other foot to drop.  

Goku was back in the kitchen, scooting up behind his partner and dropping kisses onto the top of his head. He was being quite affectionate this morning, and Vegeta commented on it absentmindedly. Goku giggled in reply.

“I need to go to Capsule Corp.”

“Oh. Uh, okay,” Goku said. “What for?”

“I have this… prescription Bulma gives me. Helps with… all this shit,” he admitted. Goku grinned, kissing his head again.

“Oh, that’s all?” His weight on top of Vegeta made him stumble, spilling coffee. “I can pop in and pick it up for you right now, if ya want.”

Vegeta considered it, knowing that it would be the easiest option, but the promise to stop by and make sure she was okay was nagging at him. He sighed in exasperation. 

“No, I told her I would come in person.”

Goku whined, but it was playful. “Okay, okay. But I’ll miss you every second.”

Vegeta turned around, hovering slightly to meet the other’s eyes. “I know.”

He kissed him, letting Goku wrap his hands around his waist. A shout from the living room broke them apart, and Goku kissed his nose instead.

“You goin’ now?”

Vegeta nodded. “Better sooner than later.”

Goku nodded back, quickly kissing him again. “Hurry back.”

Chapter Text

When Vegeta arrived at Capsule Corp, he was expecting Bulma to be her normal self, if not a bit more aggravated than usual due to her pregnancy. He was not expecting to find her crying in the kitchen over a shattered cup, coffee spilled on the floor. He rushed over to her, helping her stand back up before walking her to a chair at the table. She was sobbing, tear tracks painting her face while Vegeta awkwardly pushed her hair behind her ear.

“What happened?” He asked, looking behind him at the mess.

Bulma shuddered out a breath, wiping her cheeks against her sleeve. “I don’t know! I dropped the mug and I just started crying and couldn’t stop!”

He straightened back up, grabbing paper towels off the counter and leaning down to clean the spill.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, honey-”

“It’s fine. Really.” He picked up the ceramic pieces, trying to ignore the petname. “You know you shouldn’t be drinking coffee while pregnant, right?”

He remembered how disgruntled she had been during her pregnancy with Trunks, unable to drink her morning beverage. She had been adamant about how her caffeine intake might ruin everything, about how she could potentially lose the baby if someone so much as had a cup in the same room as her. 

The idea of losing his child with her– Ugh, even though he hadn't wanted the kid, it had sent Vegeta into a spiral so bad he had blasted off into space and missed Trunks’ birth. He still regretted leaving Bulma in such a bad state, but he really wanted to make up for it this time with Bra. He was trying, even if he hadn’t been okay with the wish, even if he hadn’t been okay with having another kid while not actually married, and even if he wasn’t in love with her and maybe never really had been.

Vegeta finished cleaning up the mess, tossing the wet paper towels in the trash. Bulma was looking away guiltily, fidgeting with her hands.

“I just wanted some. I know I shouldn't; it’s just been a bad craving,” she mumbled. Vegeta squinted at her, and she huffed in exasperation. “Seriously! It was just a craving. I wasn’t trying to, you know, fuck anything up.”

He stood quietly for a moment. “Are you... okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’m just… It’s hard, without you here. I’m alone all the time now,” she looked guilty again. “And I don’t want you to feel like, I don’t know, like it’s your fault, because I know that’s how your brain works. I’m just… lonely.”

Vegeta just listened to her ramble about everything, a low ringing building in his ears. The guilt about leaving burned in his chest, even with her previous blessing for him to move out. She was still talking, just repeating over and over that it wasn’t his fault and that she just wanted company again. 

“Look, I understand,” Vegeta cut her off. “I can come over more often. I should be coming over more, anyway. You’re what, halfway at this point?”

She nodded. “Thanks, honey. I would really appreciate that.”

He tried to smile, though it looked more like a grimace as he ran a hand through his hair. “Come on, I can get you some juice or tea.”

Vegeta ended up staying longer than he intended, and about an hour into his visit his phone was buzzing with multiple texts from Goku. 

From Kakarot: Heyyyyy

From Kakarot: Hows it goin

From Kakarot: Everything good?

From Kakarot: Getaaaaaaa

“You should answer that,” Bulma said over the top of her cup, and Vegeta swiped out a quick reply about being back soon. “Come on, your medication is in the lab.”

She led him to the lab, which was still just as messy and dangerous as he remembered. She rummaged through a pile of papers on her desk and pulled out a bottle of pills.

“Okay, so a couple of things,” she started, holding the bottle away from his outstretched hand. “This is the regular stuff you were already taking, but I upped the dose. Only a little bit.”

Vegeta rolled his eyes. “Unnecessary. What else?”

She hesitated. “I… am also giving you birth control now.”

“Excuse me?” Vegeta balked, retracting his hand. “Why- I don’t-”

“Yes, you do,” she replied, shoving the bottle into his hands. “Look, I know you and Goku well enough, okay? Genuinely, have you been using anything?"

His faced flushed, answering her question without a verbal confirmation.

She huffed, rubbing her temple. "Honestly, I was hoping you two would be more careful, considering your whole situation-”

Vegeta froze, memories tugging at the back of his mind. A hand drifted absentmindedly to his stomach.

Bulma stopped talking, seeing his eyes glaze over. “Sorry, sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

He still looked far away, and she placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality. 

“Right,” Vegeta mumbled, looking down at the bottle. His thumb brushed against the label. “How long does this last?”

“It’s enough for a month. I, uh, hope the upped dosage works.”

Vegeta nodded, pocketing the bottle and tried to shake the remaining memories out of his head. “Thanks, Bulma. This… This was nice.”

He didn’t stay much longer after getting the medicine. 

Vegeta took the medicine before he got back to Goku’s apartment, swallowing the pill dry and shoving the bottle deep in his pocket, hoping the rattling wouldn’t be heard. He raised a hand to knock on the door, and Goku opened it before his knuckles could make contact. 

“Geta! You’re back!” Goku was ecstatic, his tail wagging happily behind him. The sight cheered Vegeta up slightly, and he let himself be swept into a hug that lifted him a foot off the ground. “How was it? Didya get what ya needed?”

Vegeta chuckled, pushing the door shut behind him with his foot. “Yeah, I did. Sorry I was gone for so long.”

Goku didn’t seem to mind, rubbing his chin over the top of Vegeta’s hair, getting his scent all over him. Vegeta let him do this as well, secretly enjoying his partner’s comforting smell. It cleared out the remainder of his brain fog, settling into a soft purr that emanated from his throat.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and Goku turned around, still holding the smaller man, to meet Gohan’s stare. The young man looked amused, the smirk he’d had on when Vegeta left still present. 

“Dad, I just wanted to let you know I’m going out to meet Videl. Also,” he emphasized, “Goten really wants to play video games with someone.”

Goku laughed, kissing the top of Vegeta's head before letting go of him, letting the man hover beside him. “Yeah, I get it. I’ll play with him.”

Gohan winked at Vegeta on his way out the door, brushing his shoulder lightly. “By the way, Trunks is gonna love it here when he comes to visit. You should invite him over sometime. Y’all have fun, yeah?”

Vegeta watched the door shut behind him, thinking over the idea of his son coming into the place he barely started considering his new home. It wasn’t a bad idea, but it still itched in his chest and made his eye twitch.

The sounds of a video game filled the apartment, and Vegeta looked down the hall, catching a glimpse of the two on the couch. They looked excited and carefree, and Vegeta found himself smiling.

He’d put some thought towards Trunks coming over.

After all, this was his home, too.

Chapter Text

Things were looking up in Vegeta's life.

He was steadily growing more comfortable around the Son children, taking his medication on a regular basis (only thanks to the millions of alarms he had set on his phone), and was very, very happy with how his relationship with a certain saiyan was going. The tightness in his chest had loosened for the first time since he could remember, and he actually– shock of all shocks– found himself pleasant to be around. He had told Trunks about his newest life updates and had invited him over for a weekend sleepover with Goten– which had resulted in the adult men in the apartment getting no peace for a solid 36 hours. Bulma's pregnancy was also going much better now that he was visiting her almost as often as he and Goku went off planet to train. For once, it really felt like Vegeta had finally gotten a moment of peace.

It was only inevitable that the other foot would drop soon, and it came in the form of an announcement from Whis.

"A tournament?" Goku asked through a mouthful of food. Vegeta side-eyed him, and the man swallowed before continuing. "Didn't we just do that?"

Whis smiled faintly. "Yes, indeed. However, Zeno enjoyed it so much that he's hoping to hold another one. Although, the rules are a bit different this time."

The angel began to explain the horrific rules of the tournament, and Vegeta felt his stomach sink.

Eight universes. One winner. 

Vegeta was gripping Goku's leg under the table so tightly that he knew his knuckles were turning white under his gloves. Goku himself was pale, his breathing ragged.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" He asked, and Vegeta forced himself to loosen his grip. "Because– shit, he was goin' to erase them all anyway! I had to say somethin'."

Whis looked as sympathetic as he could, nodding along to his words. "Yes, if it weren't for you, Son, you all would be gone by now without warning."

Vegeta moved his hand from the younger man's thigh to his hand, trying to hold it tightly enough that his unspoken words could get across. Not your fault. Not mad at you. Not your fault.

Goku squeezed his hand back, so Vegeta assumed he had understood part of it.

"So what do we do?" Vegeta asked, turning his attention back to the angel. "We need a plan."

Whis had been quite pleasantly surprised with the change in the prince's attitude over the course of the last few months. He was calmer, easier to approach, and most of all, he and Goku had actually been able to fight together for the first time. Whis wasn't blind; he knew about the details of the newest chapters in their lives, knew how only one bed in their shared chambers was being used, but it really was astonishing to him just how much of an impact the new romance was having on the two saiyans. Goku alone had matured exponentially in the span of the last few months. Whis was greatful for the cooperation right now, at the very least, since Goku looked near inconsolable at the idea that the tournament was somehow his doing. He would need the other man's help in getting the earth's strongest fighter to focus on the battle.

Whis carefully went over the rules again, being sure to emphasize the need for strong fighters. He didn't fail to notice the slightly faraway look in Vegeta's eyes while he talked, but the men did follow what he was saying and promised to heed his instructions. He watched them for a moment, observing their tiny mannerisms; how Vegeta leaned slightly into Goku, who was drumming his fingers against the other's waist. It looked like they were communicating telepathically, the angel mused.

"You two better not be distracted by each other in that ring," Beerus growled from the head of the table. The saiyans jumped, snapping their attention to the god. "We need all hands on deck for this, otherwise we won't have a world for you to canoodle in."

Vegeta turned red and Goku huffed out a surprised laugh. "C'mon, Lord Beerus, we've been in, like, so many fights."

"Not while you've been in each other's throats, you haven't," the god snarked back, causing Goku to turn pink this time. The brief moment of levity didn't last long, and the table grew somber again as the reality of their situation settled in. Whis saw the concerned look Vegeta sent Goku, and cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him.

"Perhaps the two of you would be more comfortable in your own home," he said. "You still have two days to gather everyone. You should rest on the situation before making a decision."

Immediately after being transported back, Vegeta threw his hands in the air.

"What the fuck are we supposed to do?!"

"I don't know!" Goku wailed. "Zeno said somethin' about gettin' rid of the unimportant universes but I wasn't really payin' attention! I just said somethin' offhanded about fightin' those other guys again. I didn't know, I swear!"

Vegeta had never seen the other man so stressed in his entire life. He was sweating, his forehead creasing with wrinkles and his hands buried in his hair. He was breathing heavily, eyes wide in panic. He looked a million miles away, rambling off explanations and apologies. Vegeta wondered if that's what he was like when he had his attacks. It made his heart ache watching Goku panic, and he focused on calming his own heartbeat before floating up to Goku's eye level and placing his hands on his shoulders. He leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together and slowing his breathing. Goku let go of his hair to grab Vegeta's wrists, closing his eyes and trying to breath in tandem with him.

For several long minutes, they stayed like that, with Goku holding onto Vegeta. His hands moved from his wrists to his waist, pulling him closer and nestling his head into Vegeta's neck, exhaling deeply into his hair. Vegeta rubbed a hand up and down his back, murmuring soft affirmations in Sadalain. 

"I wish I could understand you," Goku whispered after a long stretch of silence, finally calming down slightly. "All I know is GC."

"I didn't know Galactic Common until I came to Earth," Vegeta mused outloud. Goku pulled back, surprised. "Oh, right. You weren't here the first year. Bulma and Yamcha taught me after my translator broke."

Goke frowned. "Translator?"

"Have I seriously never told you?" Vegeta snorted, scratching the other man's hairline on his neck. "Freeza didn't let the saiyans learn GC. He figured it was another way to separate us from other species. I had to use a translator the entire time, even when we first met."

Goku strained his memory, faintly remembering a small circle of technology on the front of Vegeta's old armor, but the memory was so fuzzy he couldn't focus on it in his mind's eye. "I never knew. You're really fluent."

"Thanks, Kakarot." Vegeta hummed, kissing his cheek. "Maybe I can teach you Sadalain after..."

He grew quiet, and Goku nudged his face with his own. "I know."

"This is just..." Vegeta huffed angrily, annoyed with how petulant he sounded. "I just got you, and this might take you away. I just want you. But apparently that's too much to ask."

Goku stayed silent, studying Vegeta's face. It didn't feel right to say that he felt different about him now, because his feelings for Vegeta had always been there, and had only been amplified from their first night together, but even now he felt...

Well, maybe it was right to say different.

Ever since they exchanged those shoulder bites that one morning, Goku felt different about Vegeta. More protective and doting, for sure, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what else he had been feeling.

He kissed him, soft and slow, before answering him. "I just got you, too. You've been feeling it too, right?"

Their eyes met.

"I can't lose you," Goku said slowly. "You get it, right?"

Vegeta nodded, looking down while he thought something over. He opened his mouth once, then twice, before speaking. "In saiyan culture, when you and another exchange bites in the napes of your neck, it bonds you together. It's a sort of... ritual. My parents had matching bites; I'm sure yours did, too. However, the connection only happens if both participants are wholly devoted to the idea of being mates."

Mates. That was what Goku had felt that day, too. "So, since we're both feelin' something... different...?"

Vegeta met his gaze again, and his eyes sparkled with an emotion Goku couldn't name but felt all the same. "We're mates. The connection took."

Goku kissed him again. He didn't quite understand the traditions of their homeworld, and he doubted he ever would, but Vegeta was clearly pleased about this connection they had now, and Goku was just as thrilled that Vegeta had been feeling that different sort of tug lately. He kissed his way down Vegeta's neck, holding him tighter than he had before, and lowered him to the couch, desperate to keep him close.

He wouldn't let anything come between him and his mate, even if it meant fighting for their lives in a tournament of power.

That much, he was certain of.

Chapter Text

The next two days went by like nothing. 

It was entirely unfair how Vegeta's new life had come crashing down around him in the last 48 hours, but he couldn't dwell on it now, not when Whis was actively transporting the fighters to the Null Realm.

His hands itched under his gloves, and he kept picking at the seams until Kakarot took his fingers away, squeezing them tightly. No one was looking directly at them, but Vegeta still felt the stares against his back. One of the caveats of being the two strongest fighters on the team: everyone was looking to you for guidance.

Gohan was talking to Videl, who had very graciously accepted the invitation to battle. Vegeta had personally asked her, remembering her from the World's Strongest tournament a few years back. She was incredibly strong for a human, but more importantly, she had stamina and could take a hit. Gohan had been a no-brainer, and had been appointed pseudo-leader by everyone participating, not only for his strength, but his ability to strategize.

The old master of the Turtle Hermit School was there, with two of his students as well. Krillin and Yamcha were cracking jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood, and their laughs irritated Vegeta's sensitive hearing. Kakarot had told him about Roshi's power, and how all three of them had trained under his wing, and Vegeta had reluctantly agreed, figuring if this was the man who had trained his partner, then he and his other students would make for decent team members.

18, 17, and Piccolo had also been easy picks for their team, even if 18 had insisted on getting paid for her time in the fight. Bulma had personally promised her the money if she helped save the universe, so there was that, at least. Vegeta wasn't feeling bad about the team they had, per se. He was mostly on edge, worried that the other universes would manage to have something even greater up their sleeves.

Goku squeezed his hand again. "I can hear your brain movin' a mile a minute."

Vegeta sighed, looking up at him. "I'm worried."

Goku looked surprised for a second before it was replaced with a reassuring smile. He wrapped an arm around Vegeta's waist, pulling him against his side. Vegeta strained his ears for a second, listening for the man's heartbeat.

It was racing with hidden adrenaline, and Vegeta felt his chest tighten.

They arrived and were ushered through the rules before being sent into the arena. There were a lot of people, most with fairly low power as far as Vegeta could read, but the amount certainly left a gnawing feeling in his stomach. Their team formed a small circle, keeping their backs to each other, and waited for the clock to start.

There was a loud chime, and chaos ensued.

Half the team blasted into different directions and half stayed in the circle, following Gohan's strategy of sending the tougher fighters out alone and keeping the weaker ones in a group formation. Vegeta was somewhere on the far edge of the area now, right next to some wolf-like creatures, who immediately engaged him. It wasn't like he couldn't hold his own, not by a long shot, but he was so focused on keeping the ki signatures of everyone in his mind that his opponents managed to land a few hits on him.

He powered up to Super Saiyan, forcing himself to focus on the fight at hand. Everyone here is a competent fighter. They can take care of themselves. He plowed through people, punching and kicking, slipping out of the grasp of a larger fighter when he was grabbed from behind. He kept reminding himself that his teammates were capable, even if he was having trouble finding their energies.

He just had to keep fighting.

Goku felt like he was on fire, his aura burning hotter than he had ever felt it. Blue has never felt so fierce around him, whipping his hair with pure energy.

His opponent, a large, burly man with a nametag labeled Jiren, had been exchanging blows with him for the last few minutes, and Goku was starting to feel the anxiety Vegeta had been talking about on the way there. He looked entirely unfazed with each hit Goku landed on him, but his own punches were dizzyingly painful each time they connected with Goku's head, ribs, or arms. It didn't help that every few seconds, the Grand Priest would announce that someone else had been eliminated. Goku strained his ears, swiveling around and listening for any mention of his teammates, but he hadn't heard any so far. 

"You're getting distracted," Jiren commented, one of his fists in Goku's side now. He cried out in pain, grabbing the hand and flinging him away.

"Y'ain't concerned at all 'bout your friends?" Goku sneered, buying himself a couple seconds to refocus his ki. He wasn't enjoying this stoic, immovable force of a man. 

"I'm concerned with myself," Jiren replied, lowering himself back into a fighting stance, "and with our battle. I suggest you do the same."

Goku braced himself for the next flurry of punches that would land. This was going to be a long 45 minutes.

Vegeta wasn't even registering who he was punching anymore, just blowing through the bodies around him, when a large fist connected with him, square in his back. He was thrown several feet, gasping as he stood up, his golden hair flickering slightly. A very large man with an equally large mustache was in front of him now, flexing his muscles through his spandex suit. Vegeta vaguely wondering if he looked that gross whenever he flexed, and stood up, fists at the ready.

"I see your strongest fighter is up against our strongest, but you yourself have a great deal of energy still in reserve," the man spoke very formally. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, feeling a familiar dark power.

"You have Destruction powers?" 

The man huffed, a smile peeking out from his bushy facial hair. "Very smart, too. After all, I can expect that much from the Prince of Saiyans."

Vegeta bared his teeth, a low growl emanating from his throat, and ascended to his God form, reveling in the shock on the man's face. "You aren't the only one here with God powers, fool. I don't go down easy."

The man guffawed, his surprise still present, before rushing forward, almost landing a hit before Vegeta flipped into the air, landing behind him. He turned to face him. "Neither do I, Prince."

Vegeta was unprepared for the amount of power that Toppo, the nametag on his uniform spelled out, was putting out. Each hit that landed sent him staggering backwards, but at least his hits were also causing a substantial amount of damage. Through the chaos, two names were called out in the arena, causing both of them to pause.

"Zoire of Universe 11 has been eliminated by Videl Satan of Universe 7. Yamcha of Universe 7 has been eliminated by Caulifla of Universe 6."

Toppo looked infuriated, and Vegeta silently thanked his gut for trusting Videl while mourning the loss of his teammate. If they could just outlast the other teams with the most survivors left, then they would win by default. He flicked his eyes up to the stand, where Yamcha was sitting, dejected. Vegeta flashed him a quick thumbs-up, which he returned, and turned back to see Toppo was not the only one in front of him now. A tall, slender rabbit– Dyspo, his nametag said– was standing before him now.

"Two against one? Isn't that a little unfair?" Vegeta taunted, trying to hide how out of breath he was. Dyspo grinned.

"You 7 folks sure are surprising. We're, what, fifteen minutes through this and you've just now lost your first person? Definitely some underdogs, y'all are." He was behind Vegeta before the smaller man knew he had even moved, locking his arms in place and exposing his torso to Toppo, who was slowing approaching. "It's making us have to resort to techniques we don't usually like to resort to. Right, Toppo?"

Vegeta did his best to tense for the impact, but it still knocked the wind out of him. Dyspo held him over two feet off the ground, and Toppo proceeded to treat him like a personal punching bag. Vegeta felt two of his ribs crack after the fourth punch, and particularly nasty jab to the old scar on his stomach had him gnashing his teeth. The God of Destruction candidate noticed his pain, and doubled down on his attacks on that particular part of his body. He grabbed Vegeta's waist, an action that felt so wrong and perverse when done by anyone other than Kakarot. His thumb dug into the scar, forcing the old wound to reopen. Hot blood seeped out, staining the dark blue of his shirt.

Vegeta gasped, the God form around his body fading as Toppo's hand dug into his side, forcing the wound wider. Memories started to creep up into his mind, clouding his brain and making it impossible to differentiate the figure in front of him from the shadows in his mind.

He was nineteen, screaming in the medbay as doctors cut into him, performing emergency surgery. They were harsh and unforgiving, refusing to give him any sort of pain medication, rummaging through his organs to remove whatever was causing him such intense pain. 

He had begun to scream in the present day as well, so loud and intensely that it was causing attention to be turned in his direction. He had powered up beyond God to Blue, burning Dyspo's arms, who dropped him with a hiss. Dyspo jabbed him one last time in the stomach before Vegeta raised his hands, eyes unfocused with pain and confusion.

In his mind's eye, he was aiming at the doctors brandishing scalpels, at Freeza at the foot of his bed looking disgusted, hoping to incinerate the entire room.

He blasted Toppo and Dyspo off the edge of the arena with a wail, collapsing onto the rocks below him, his pain catching up with him.

"Toppo and Dyspo of Universe 11 have been eliminated by Vegeta of Universe 7..."

He huffed into the dirt, wheezing in pain, absentmindedly placing a hand against his stomach, which was bleeding profusely. 

"...and Vegeta is slow to recover."

He was dizzy.

Where was he? He could feel the doctors' hands in him. On him? Someone was jostling his body, and he gasped and groaned in pain. Everything hurt. 

He couldn't see. It was so cold.

He closed his eyes.

"Vegeta!"

Chapter Text

Goku reeled away from a punch Jiren aimed at his face as a sharp spike in ki exploded in his chest. It stung, making it feel like someone was splitting his ribs apart, and then the screams hit his senses.

"No!" Goku moved on instinct, dodging the next series of blows Jiren threw at him, then jumped over him and started running towards Vegeta, unable to see him but feeling the falling ki of his mate. Jiren grabbed his arm, pulling him back to the fight.

"You say you're a warrior, yet leave in the middle of a battle?" Jiren said, staring at him with those wide, blank eyes. 

"Please!" Goku wrenched his arm away from the man, turning his head wildly in the direction of Vegeta's dwindling energy. "Please, he's dying, I can feel him dying–"

For the first time that day, emotion flashed across Jiren's face. Goku thought he saw surprise, or sympathy, something that reflected what he was feeling. He opened his mouth to reply, when all of a sudden, a bright energy blast shone from the other side of the arena, and the feeling of Goku's ribs being pulled apart suddenly became the feeling of his heart bursting. 

"Toppo and Dyspo of Universe 11 have been eliminated by Vegeta of Universe 7..."

Goku took Jiren's moment of relfection to dart past him, placing two fingers against his forehead and searching. He felt Vegeta's energy, but it was too small to lock onto.

"...and Vegeta is slow to recover."

No, no, nonono–

He saw Vegeta, slumped in the dirt, blood pooling around him, and slid to a stop next to him, holes ripping in the knees of his gi. Carefully, he slipped an arm under him, lifting him gently and trying not to vomit at the open wound in his stomach. Vegeta groaned, his eyes open but hazy, and Goku felt the air rush out of him.

"Vegeta!" He pressed his hand against the wound, applying pressure and wincing when Vegeta wailed in pain, curling into him. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here."

Vegeta coughed, and this time blood bubbled past his lips. Goku was vaguely aware of other familiar kis surrounding him, but couldn't pull his eyes away from the small man in his arms. Goku had never thought of Vegeta as weak, but here in his arms, he looked so fragile. Goku felt hot tears roll down his cheeks.

"Baby, baby, please," he murmured, and in the corner of his eyes, saw his other teammates had formed a protective circle around the two of them. Roshi and Krillin were no longer in the game, watching anxiously from the sidelines with Yamcha. Goku looked down at Vegeta before looking back up to meet Gohan's eyes. His son had knelt down beside him, watching his father cry.

"You need to get him somewhere safe and hide," Gohan told him, emphasizing his words slowly. "Please, Dad."

Goku took a deep breath, nodding. He wrapped his arms around his mate, placed two fingers to his forehead, and locked onto a low-level ki on the other side of the arena. They transmitted to a few feet away from the fighter, who luckily hadn't noticed or didn't care, and Goku crouched behind rubble. Vegeta was staring up at him, his eyes less hazy but still unfocused.

"Vegeta! Vegeta, baby, can you hear me?"

A trembling gloved hand reached up to trace his face, and Goku let him, gripping it with his own. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to Vegeta's.

Vegeta was in agony, and the pain flowed through Goku when their skin connected, but he forced himself to remain that way, listening to Vegeta whimper. 

"Ka...ka...rot..." Vegeta groaned, shifting. Goku felt more blood slip between his fingers and out of the wound.

"Shh, shh," Goku murmured. Vegeta coughed, teeth stained red.

"Ka... Kakarot," Vegeta began again. "M'he."

Goku didn't speak their native language, but he understood what he was saying. 

M'he. Mate.

Goku repeated the word, expecting the guttural language to feel unfamiliar in his mouth, but it flowed easily. Vegeta smiled. 

Gods, his smile was so pretty. 

Goku held him tight, listening as the Grand Priest announced that 25 minutes had already passed. He knew that his mate wouldn't survive another 20 minutes of bleeding out, even if Goku stayed to protect him the entire time. 

It was unfair. Gods, it was unfair.

He weeped into Vegeta, willing his energy into him, praying to the gods in the stands that it would work, and to his relief, Vegeta's ki began to rise. Goku continued to pray silently, knowing that whatever strength Vegeta had would be needed for what he was about to do next. 

"I'm sorry, baby, m'he, this is going to hurt," he winced, and concentrated ki into his hand pressing into Vegeta's wound, and began to cauterize it.

To his credit, Vegeta didn't scream, but he did clench his teeth, hissing through them as Goku shushed him. Goku kept their faces close, flowing ki into him so he wouldn't pass out, at least so he wouldn't bleed out in the next... what was it now? 17 minutes? Names kept ringing out above him, but all of his attention was on Vegeta.

When he finished, Vegeta looked groggy, but his eyes were clearer and he was no longer bleeding. Goku blinked tears out of his own eyes and kissed him, throwing caution to the wind. He didn't give a damn who saw them. Vegeta was going to live, and he would still be in the fight. 

"Can you stand?" Goku asked, pulling away and breathing heavily. Vegeta nodded shakily, and Goku rummaged in his sash, fishing something out.

"Vegeta, do you remember our fight against Buu?" He nodded again. "Beerus gave me these earlier. He said they might help."

Two glittering Potara earrings sat in Goku's outstretched palm. 

"I know you don't like it, but until we get you a senzu–"

Vegeta took it out of his palm before Goku could continue and put it on, looking at Goku expectantly. He took the other one from his hand and leaned in to kiss him again, clicking the earring onto Goku's ear himself. 

"I love you," he murmured, and their bodies merged.

Vegito felt air fill his lungs.

Chapter Text

Being alive again was almost painful, his lungs shaking with the effort to fill after years of non-existence. Vegito pat his hands down his body, feeling the spot on his stomach where Vegeta's wound still stung. His gloves were stained with blood, and his gi was torn, but he was finally alive again.

It was exhilarating. 

The fusion had brought the attention of everyone left in the arena, and murmurs were heard from the stands. The Grand Priest announced that the fusion would be allowed, but Vegito wasn't listening. No shit he wouldn't unfuse, when Vegeta was practically on death's door and Goku was so high-strung he would blast anyone around him. He would stay intertwined, fighting on their behalf.

Gods, being fused felt so different now. Last time, both participants had been reluctant to fuse, being forced to do so purely because the world would literally end if they didn't. He was anger and hatred, sloppily smushed together in hopes that he could withstand it. 

This time... oh, this time there was love. There was so much love thrumming through him, pouring out of him in waves of energy. He felt whole for the first time, complete in a way he had never experienced. He ascended to Blue easily, far too easily, just by channeling the intense affection into his power. 

The fight didn't last long after that.

Vegito wasn't even focusing on who he was around, he simply let the love flow out of him, using the energy to knock his opponents out. It was almost a disappointment when he stood face to face with Jiren for the last time, and, out of pity, he let the man land a couple blows before kicking him hard and sending him flying out of the ring.

Vegito felt dizzy as the Grand Priest announced the end of the tournament. He felt like he was going to burst, maintaining Blue just to keep his energy from building up in his body and burning him from the inside out. He looked around, faintly surprised to see that he was the only one left. 

When had that happened?

His side was hurting a lot more now, but he ignored it, looking up as the Grand Priest asked what his wish was. 

What a joke. 

He wished for the other universes back, because of course, that was the only real option here. There were so many people just... gone. How could he just ignore them?

Others were around him now, praising him and thanking him for the win, people from other universes coming forward to give thanks, and Vegito felt like he would explode. Mortals weren't supposed to fuse this way, even if they were so deeply intertwined, and the only warning Vegito recieved was pain shooting up his spine and into the base of his skull.

He split apart, throwing the two men in opposite directions. Goku fell into Gohan's arms, and Vegeta was caught by Piccolo. Vegeta looked like he was falling unconscious, and Goku was scrambling to his feet, disoriented, as he stumbled over to the namekian. 

"Shit, shit. Hey, Piccolo, d'ya hav–"

"Already got it," he answered, pushing a senzu into the small man's mouth. Goku tried to take Vegeta into his own arms, swaying from the after-effects of fusion, but Piccolo didn't hand him over until the prince blinked his eyes open. "Be careful with him."

Goku picked Vegeta up, spinning him around on his shaking legs. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am," Vegeta replied, but he was laughing, face burning red, and Goku was laughing with him, coming to a stop and pressing their foreheads together. Vegeta could feel his pulse, hammering with adrenaline and relief. "Idiot. You didn't think I was actually going to die, right?"

Goku's laughs started to turn into tears, and Vegeta huffed, letting the younger saiyan bury his face into his neck and cry. He caught the stares of their teammates and was suddenly aware of the fact that Goku was still holding him, hands under his ass and his legs wrapped around Goku's waist. He glared at them, although it lost it's heat as Goku let out a loud sob. 

"Kakarot, I'm alive," he murmured. "M'he, it's okay."

"But you did almost die," Goku whined, his throat choked up and voice thick with tears. "I saw– oh, Gods, I saw your organs."

Okay, Vegeta didn't know it had been that bad. People were looking away now; Gohan had shooed them off to give the men more privacy. He pulled the man's face out of the crook of his neck, looking into his eyes.

"I'm not dead, m'he," he said firmly, "and I'm here. With you. I'm not going anywhere."

For some reason, Goku started crying harder, but he looked less upset now, and he started laughing again. He kissed Vegeta with a smile on his face. There were a couple gasps that were promptly shushed by Gohan again. Vegeta kissed him back, ignoring the people around him. 

"You're still an idiot," Vegeta murmured, rubbing the back of Goku's head, right on the scar where his skull was broken as a baby.

"Yeah, I know," Goku answered, gazing at him with so much adoration it felt like the room was suddenly brighter. He pressed a series of new kisses all over Vegeta's face and neck until the older man patted his shoulder, red in the face. Goku smiled unabashedly, and kissed him on the lips one last time before setting him down. Vegeta cupped his face, then something caught his eye.

"Is that...?" He fingered a loc of Goku's hair, hanging to the side by his ear. Sure enough, standing out against the raven locs, was a chunk of dark brown hair. It didn't feel any different from the rest. It was like it had always been there.

"Huh?" Goku asked, pulling it in front of his eyes. "Oh, weird. Actually, wait a minute–"

He suddenly ruffled Vegeta's hair, knocking his bangs loose.

"Kakarot–!" 

"No, look, you've got it, too!"

He was right. A streak of black hair was tangled in with Vegeta's bangs, prominent against the dark brown of the rest of his hair.

"Oh," was all Vegeta could say. "That's... different."

Goku grinned. "Yeah. I like it, though. There's a little piece of you with me now."

Vegeta flushed red again. His side still hurt, but he could feel that his body was no longer damaged, having been neatly stitched together by the senzu. People were milling about around them, other universes talking to each other like it was some kind of after party. Vegeta looked to his right and almost jumped out his skin to see Jiren nearby, staring at them with his wide, unblinking eyes.

"I look forward to fighting with you again," he said, voice low and sincere. He disappeared into the crowd shortly after, leaving the two men perplexed before the young saiyans from Universe 6 ran up to them and began bombarding them with questions about fusion. Vegeta shrugged, holding his hands up and stepping back slightly to let Goku take the reigns on the explanation. He backed directly into Yamcha, who helped steady him. He looked Vegeta over once before nodding, seemingly pleased with how much better he was looking after the senzu. A sly smile split across his face. 

"So... You and Goku, huh?"

Vegeta groaned but smiled anyway as he heard the other saiyan excitedly explaining the fusion dance to the young saiyans. He wouldn't let himself be embarassed by his love for the man, not when he had almost lost it. 

"Yes, earthling. Me and Kakarot."

Yamcha smiled widely, clapping him on the back. "I'm happy for you, man."

He walked away and Vegeta watched Goku from a distance, feeling his face heat up. His ki was warm and fuzzy, burning in tandem with Vegeta's. 

He loved that man. He wasn't going to hide it anymore.

Chapter Text

Goku didn't leave Vegeta's side for the next week.

No matter where the older saiyan went, Goku was glued to his hip, constantly emitting barely disguised worry over the injury he had sustained during the tournament. Vegeta had tried explaining that the residual pain was just chronic, had already been there for years, nothing that senzu would have been able to help with anyway, but the younger saiyan was still insistently running his hand over the scar whenever he started to worry more.

Bra was born two days after the tournament. Vegeta woke up to a phone call at 3 in the morning and immediately bolted out of bed upon hearing the news about Bulma going into labor, slapping Goku awake and offering a loud, incoherent explanation until he IT'd them to Capsule Corp. Bulma was surprisingly calm if slightly out of it, out of her mind on pain killers and with an epidural in her spine. 

"Vegeta, honey! Goku! You're here!" She was wearing a hospital gown, propped up in a bed with nurses around her. There were too many machines blinking around the room, and Vegeta's eye twitched as he forced memories to the back of his mind, but they both settled by her side and prepared for a very long day.

It unexpectedly went well, with Bulma only being in labor for five hours and Bra being born without complications. She looked just like her mother, pale blue hair and a miniscule tail of the same color curled around her tiny body. Vegeta's eyes welled up when he held her for the first time, but Goku was the one who started sobbing when Bulma asked him to be Bra's godfather. 

"You're my best friend," she said, exhaustion all over her face. "Of course it was going to be you. Besides, you're going to be a second father to her anyway."

By the end of the month, things were settling back to normal. Goku was still worrying about Vegeta's injuries, but he was holding back on his over-protective tendencies enough for Vegeta to do things on his own. He frequently visited Bulma and Bra, the boys still came over every two weeks, and, slowly, life was returning to how things had been before the tournament.

Time began to pass. He trained with Whis, he played with his children, and he loved his partner. Earth was entering a time of peace, with no impending battles or villains on the horizon. Weeks turned into months as Vegeta began to accept his life the way it was currently. 

He was happy.

Goku was certainly happy that Vegeta was doing noticably better, both physically and mentally. Everyone knew about them now, so seeing Goku hold Vegeta's waist or drop kisses onto the top of his head didn't turn heads anymore. Goku had taken advantage of this and had become openly affectionate in public. Vegeta pretended to be embarrassed about it, even if he secretly enjoyed all the attention his mate had been lavishing on him. At any rate, the way Goku kissed him public was nothing compared to how he kissed him in the privacy of their own bedroom.

His mouth traveled from the tip of his widow's peak, right on the spot of his hairline where there was a streak of black instead of brown, down to the dip of his collarbones, leaving bites and bruises along the way. His fingers dug into the curve of Vegeta's waist, carefully petting the transition between skin and fur above Vegeta's tail, and he swallowed every moan the smaller man let out. He laid him down on the bed, running his fingers down the prince's sides so lightly it felt like he was tickling him. Vegeta's moans turned into giggles as Goku repeated the movement.

"Kakarot, st-stop it!" He chuckled out breathlessly. His laugh became a low whine as Kakarot lined up and pushed into him slowly. "Oh, fuck..."

Goku was still kissing bruises into his neck as he folded his knees up to his shoulders. Silently, Vegeta was thankful that Kakarot wasn't being so delicate about his chronic pain anymore. Even if they did go a little rough sometimes, Vegeta was content to not say anything if it meant Kakarot wasn't treating him like glass. 

"I missed you," Goku breathed into his ear. They hadn't had sex in over a week, training keeping them busy while their sons were at school. They hadn't had energy for anything when the days came to an end, but tonight they had nothing but time. The boys were already asleep, and they kept their voices as low as they could while Goku continued fucking him. "You look so good."

Vegeta's quiet moan didn't go unheard, and Goku could tell he was close. He doubled his efforts, wincing when the bedframe creaked loudly. Vegeta looked unbothered though, and Goku grinned down at him. Vegeta met his eyes and felt his heart stutter in his chest.

Kakarot was looking at him with so much love and adoration it was almost painful. His open-mouthed smile showed his fangs peaking out from behind his lips, short pants huffing onto his face. 

Vegeta thought he'd never been so beautiful.

He could barely handle when Goku's hips stalled as Vegeta climaxed before continuing to thrust. Faintly, through their mate connection, he knew he was looking at Kakarot with the same love-drunk expression painted across his face. Vegeta felt safe, fully willing to close his eyes and bare his throat in blind trust to the man above him. Goku sealed their lips together and grunted as he came, spilling into the smaller man and holding their bodies still as they both came down from their highs. 

Usually, they would be quick to get up and clean themselves, checking the other kis in the apartment to see if their sons had awoken, but tonight, they just held each other until Goku softened inside Vegeta. He pulled out slowly, kissing Vegeta again, rubbing a hand along the scar on Vegeta's stomach. The prince held his tongue, knowing that his mate was still struggling with seeing him almost die just a few months earlier.

"I'm okay," he murmured into Goku's mouth. "I promise."

Goku bit his lip before nodding. Something told Vegeta he wasn't saying what was really on his mind, but Goku rarely held back anything of importance, so he let him settle onto the bed next to him, holding him close. They would clean up in the morning, then.

Vegeta pressed his face into Goku's chest, letting the beat of his heart lull him to sleep.

Chapter Text

They were three months shy of a year together when Vegeta woke up before dawn with the worst nausea he had experienced in a long time. 

He tore down the hall, barely making it to the bathroom in time to hunch over the toilet. He gagged loudly, spilling his guts into the bowl and gripping the sides of it so hard he felt the porcelain chip under his fingertips. He was thankful that none of the kids were currently staying with them, because he was positive he would have woken them all up with his violent retching.

It didn't take long for Goku to appear in the doorway, bleary-eyed and yawning as he looked down at his mate. Vegeta's stomach was more sensitive to Earth food, so it wasn't uncommon for him to be sick after a particularly large meal, but they hadn't eaten anything new or even a lot the night before. Vegeta also never threw up this intensely unless he was hungover, and he hadn't had a drink in over a month. 

"Geta, what's wrong?" He knelt down beside him, his knees popping loudly in protest. Vegeta didn't answer, continuing to throw up beside him. Goku rubbed a hand up and down his partner's back like he'd done several times before, waiting for the sound of liquid splashing to subside.

Vegeta continued to dry-heave for a few minutes after he finished throwing up, and when he was done he rested his cheek against the toilet seat, eyes closed. 

Gods, he must be really out of it if he's putting his face there, Goku thought, standing up to fill the cup beside the sink with water. 

He held it close to Vegeta's face, silently urging him to clean his mouth out. The smaller saiyan accepted the cup, swishing the water around his mouth and spitting the leftover bile into the toilet. Goku helped him stand back up, choosing not to comment on how Vegeta was putting all his weight on him, not that he minded. 

"What was all that? Too much to eat?" He asked tiredly, leading them back to their bed after refilling the cup and bringing it with them. Vegeta shrugged, curling up under the blanket.

"I don't know," he rasped out. "Just woke up feeling like shit."

"Well, I'm glad you made it to the bathroom," Goku said, crawling in next to him. "Let me know if you need anything?"

Vegeta nodded, already drifting back to sleep. The younger saiyan sighed, hoping that would be the only time Vegeta woke up like this.

It wasn't.

Not even close.

In fact, Vegeta woke up three more times over the course of the next week, all at ungodly hours of the morning, to empty his guts into the toilet, and on one mortifying occasion, the bedroom floor. Goku's patience was waning thin by the fourth time he felt Vegeta scramble out from under the covers and sprint down the hallway. He had been dropping hints about going to the doctor, or at least stopping by to talk to Bulma, but Vegeta had pointedly refused. 

At first, Goku was prepared to settle in and just wait for whatever stomach bug was bothering Vegeta to pass, but watching his partner relentlessly scrub at his own vomit while holding back more gags tipped him over the edge. 

He sighed, getting up to go meet Vegeta in the bathroom again.

"Vegeta."

"No, Kakarot," the smaller man bemoaned. "No doctors."

"Yes, Vegeta. Either the clinic in West City or Bulma. Your choice."

Vegeta glared up at him through wet eyelashes and then promptly threw up again. Goku knelt beside him.

"I don't go to the doctor."

"Bulma, then," Goku said with finality. Vegeta opened his mouth to answer and Goku cut him off. "I've been watchin' you suffer for over a week, baby." His voice softened. "And I just want to make sure you're okay. Please."

They held each other's gaze for a long, long minute. Vegeta finally relented with a small nod, exhaustion seeping out of his body. His shoulders sagged and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he had been put through the wringer.

"Come on, baby. Let's get you to bed. We'll call Bulma in the mornin'."

Getting Vegeta to Capsule Corp had been like coaxing a frightened animal. He had delayed getting out of bed, taken longer in the shower, and took forever with breakfast until Goku just IT-d them directly into Bulma's lab, holding the small man firmly in his grip.

"Oh, my gods!" Bulma exclaimed, backing away from the pair. "I'll never get used to that, I swear."

Vegeta groaned, looking slightly green as he slumped against Goku.

"Ah, shit," Goku said, dropping Vegeta and letting him run to the trashcan in the corner where he threw up again. Goku glanced at his friend, raising his eyebrows as if to say, See? I told you.

Bulma sighed, walking over to Vegeta and cringing at the sight of her trashcan. She pressed a button on the side of the wall, alerting the cleaning department, and helped Vegeta to a chair.

"So..." She said, carefully choosing her words, "Goku called earlier. You've been throwing up, like, every other day?"

"Yes," Vegeta bit out. "My body is actively revolting against me."

She rolled her eyes. "I think you're being a bit dramatic. Talk to me about your symptoms."

Vegeta blew out a breath, glancing anxiously at his mate before continuing. "Severe nausea, uh... Dehydration?"

"Okay," Bulma coaxed, waving her hand. "Anything else?"

"Didn't you say you've been feelin' kinda dizzy?" Goku chimed in, tilting his head.

"I guess," Vegeta muttered. "I think I... I've also lost a bit of weight, if that means anything."

Goku's head snapped in his direction. "You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't think it was important."

"Wha– Of course it is!"

Bulma shushed him, writing something down on a loose piece of paper. She paused. "Would you mind if I... Hm. I'd like a blood and a urine sample."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

She glanced at Goku for a moment. "Goku, hon, could you step out for moment?"

He looked hesitant, but nodded, closing the door behind him. Bulma turned back to her ex, looking at his slightly thinner frame. He was shaking almost imperceptibly, and she vaguely remembered him talking about doctors in the Freeza Force and how unprofessional they were, so she did her best to say what she needed to delicately. 

"Vegeta, I'm going to ask you some... personal questions. Just answer them as best you can." She took a deep breath, bracing herself for his reaction. "Have you and Goku been using... protection?"

Vegeta eyebrows pinched. "Protection?"

"Uh," she cleared her throat. "Birth control? Condoms?"

"You gave me birth control," Vegeta ground out through gritted teeth.

"Right, but that was just an oral contraceptive. Nothing is foolproof," she explained. "I mean, when was your last period?" 

Vegeta growled, low and rumbling from the back of his throat.

"Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you get one," she offhandedly muttered to herself. "Do saiyans even get them? They must, though, because–"

"I haven't had my cycle since I was a teenager," Vegeta bit out, desperate to change the subject. He bit the inside of his cheek and felt the taste of copper creeping into his mouth. "So your line of questioning is unnecessary."

Bulma sighed, tapping her pen against her desk. "Okay, okay. But..."

Vegeta looked away, fighting back the bubbling anxiety inside him. There was no way, no fucking way this was happening. What Bulma didn't understand was just how wrong the circumstances were— what she was implying was impossible.

Or, at the very least, should have been.

"Vegeta, I know you're smart enough to know what I'm saying. Please, just let me do a urine test at least. Just to be sure."

He met her eyes, his vision slightly blurry. It couldn't be true, so there shouldn't be any harm in letting Bulma run the test, right? His fingers were drumming on his thigh while she looked at him expectantly. After a tense moment, he gave a tiny nod.

Bulma let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. Here, I have a cup somewhere..."

Vegeta forced his body to go through the motions of going to the bathroom and relieving himself into the little plastic jar. He stared at the pitiful amount of liquid, bright yellow from his severely dehydrated body. Just one test, that's it, and then Bulma would wave him away with some antibiotics for whatever was actually wrong with him. Just a formality. 

Bulma took the cup, looking at it a second before handing him a bottle of water she had procured. "I'll be right back."

The next few minutes passed by agonizingly slow. He was restless, anxiously tapping his fingers and digging his nails into his jiggling leg. 

It was just to rule out all the possibilities. That was all.

It was taking a long time for Bulma to come back, and it didn't help that he could feel Kakarot's nervous energy pacing around outside the lab. 

She came back inside, her face pale. There was a tepid smile on her face, and Vegeta noticed the new paper in her hand. She handed it to him.

"Vegeta, I... Congratulations, I guess." Her voice was light, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. 

Vegeta felt his stomach turn as he read the paper. He may not have understood the vast majority of medical jargon, but he knew what the all-caps POSITIVE next to "Results" meant.

He couldn't get his mind to form a coherent thought, much less voice it. He stood silently, the paper still in his hand getting wrinkled as he tried to keep his vision from blurring. He left the room, ignoring both Bulma and Goku calling his name, and flew away.

He didn't know where he was going. He just needed to get away.

Chapter Text

He was in the canyon.

He had gone there on instinct, his body taking him to the first place he and Kakarot had fought. The ground was still marred with cracks from decades ago, though there was now lush grass and trees where there had been dirt and dry rivers. 

A lot of time had passed since he last came here.

A lot had changed.

Vegeta sat down on one of the towering rock spires, forcing himself to suck in a deep breath. He shakily smoothed out the now crumpled paper in his fist, rereading it to make sure he didn't miss anything. Maybe he had read it wrong to begin with. Maybe... maybe POSITIVE meant the opposite of what he thought.

He knew what it actually meant; he was just deep in denial as he read over the diagnosis again.

Things were adding up in his mind. The nausea, the weight loss, the dehydration... He hadn't been able to keep most food down and the smell of alcohol had begun to grate on his senses. Vegeta knew that the results weren't wrong, and it terrified him. 

He had been through... something similar before, when he was much younger and under Freeza's rule. He hated thinking about it, and it haunted his nightmares to think about how bad it had gone. 

Fuck, how the hell was he going to tell Kakarot?

Speaking of, his energy was getting steadily closer to where Vegeta was sitting, hands still methodically smoothing the paper. Judging by how fast he was going, Vegeta figured he had maybe five minutes to collect his thoughts and find a good way to tell his partner. Even if Vegeta had a lifetime, he doubted he could come up with an easy way to explain the situation. Briefly, he considered fleeing to the lookout and hiding in the Room of Spirit and Time. What a cowardly idea. He huffed out a bitter laugh at the thought.

No, he had to face Kakarot and tell him the truth.

What would he do? Would he be angry? Blame Vegeta? Threaten him? Dump him, leave him in this canyon with his conflicted feelings? How was he going to explain his past to him? How could he look at Kakarot– sweet, kind, impossibly gentle and annoyingly overprotective Kakarot– and tell him that he didn't know what to do? He was so certain that the man he loved like the sun would look at him with disgust or disdain, or worse, hesitance.

If he hesitated when Vegeta told him, how was he supposed to go forward? Kakarot didn't hesitate on anything. He was always quick to adapt and provide a response– that was one of the things Vegeta loved about him. Vegeta loved Kakarot's ability to go with the flow. If this was the thing that tripped him up, if Vegeta was the cause of Kakarot hesitating, he had no idea how he would live with himself.

Kakarot was next to him now, sitting down beside him. Vegeta reflexively squeezed the paper back into a ball, hiding the results from his lover. 

"Vegeta? Talk to me, baby," Goku said gently. "Bulma didn't tell me anythin'. Is it somethin' bad?"

Vegeta didn't know how to answer. He shrugged. 

"Baby, hey," he wrapped an arm around Vegeta's shoulders, pulling the smaller man into him. "Nothin' you tell me will make me love you less. I won't be mad, I promise."

Vegeta considered his words. Kakarot wasn't a liar. Well, he was sometimes, but he was very bad at it, and Vegeta could tell when he was telling the truth or lying. Kakarot was telling the truth when he said he wouldn't be mad, but Vegeta couldn't help but think that his partner only believed this because he didn't know the full extent of the truth. 

Vegeta shifted around on the rock until he was facing Kakarot. He didn't say anything, sighing deeply as he forced himself to look up into his eyes. Kakarot was looking at him expectantly, but his expression was gentle. Vegeta's hands shook as he set the balled up paper down next to him and let his partner take his hands. When he spoke, his voice sounded shaky and breathless.

"I'm pregnant."

Vegeta forced himself not to break eye contact, searching Kakarot's gaze for any sort of change in expression. 

He saw what he had been dreading: eyes flickering with the slightest hint of hesitance, his mouth opening a fraction, words unable to form as he took in what Vegeta was saying.

Vegeta's heart clenched as the silence lasted three, five, then ten seconds as Kakarot floundered for a response. Vegeta ripped his hands away, fear and resentment threatening to make tears spill down his cheeks. Kakarot finally spoke, reaching back out to grab onto the smaller man again.

"Vegeta, wait! You just– I'm suprised, that's all!"

Vegeta shook his head, feeling sick. Fuck, this was the worst thing that could happen. Goku didn't need to think about what he said, he just said it. Goku pulled Vegeta close to him again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said, wiping Vegeta's face where he was now vaguely aware of his tears. "I shouldn't– You needed me to say somethin', right? I'm sorry, baby. I'm not mad." He kissed Vegeta's forehead, holding him tight. "You must be so scared and I just froze up."

Vegeta felt himself lose control of his emotions. He let out an ugly sob, focusing on the way Kakarot's arm curled around his waist and his voice murmuring into his hairline.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted in a wavering voice, and his heart broke slightly when Kakarot responded.

"I don't know either, baby," he said, keeping an iron grip like he was scared the smaller man would run away at a moment's notice. "We're gonna have to talk about it. I... I know you don't want to, but we have to. You know that, right?"

Vegeta nodded, crying harder into Kakarot's shirt. "I– I can't do this al-alone."

"You won't," Kakarot said, voice firm. "I promise, whatever we... whatever you decide, you won't be alone."

Vegeta could tell when he was lying, and Kakarot had never been more honest than he was in this moment. "I want to go home."

Kakarot nodded, shifting his weight to touch two fingers to his forehead. "Let's go home."

Chapter Text

They were sitting at the kitchen table. The ceiling fan above them was clicking softly every three seconds, making Vegeta's sensitive ears twitch each time. Goku was holding his hands in a gentle but firm grip. The overhead light was on, and where the light usually felt soft and put Vegeta at ease, today it felt harsh and like he was being interrogated. Goku was waiting for Vegeta to talk first, which he appreciated, but he also didn't know what he wanted to say. He kept opening and closing his mouth, attempting to force his brain to put his thoughts into words. He eventually decided to just restate what he said earlier.

"I don't know what to do," he said honestly, his leg beginning to bounce. "I don't know what the right thing to do is."

Goku rubbed his thumb over Vegeta's knuckles. "There isn't a right thing to do. I mean, there is, but it'll be whatever you decide."

Vegeta groaned loudly, throwing his head back and glaring at the clicking blades of the fan. 

There was a lot he hadn't been... entirely transparent about concerning his past, but Vegeta had honestly thought a lot of it didn't need to be brought up, and if it was necessary to discuss, that it would be much further down the line. It was stuff he never wanted to think about again, but he could tell by the look in Kakarot's eyes that he knew something deeper was bothering him. 

He took a deep breath, looking back down at the table. "This isn't the first time."

"Oh?" Goku said, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion before they shot up in understanding. "Oh."

The older saiyan grimaced. "It was a long time ago and... it... didn't exactly go well."

Goku was looking at him with unmasked concern, keeping their hands interlocked on the table in front of them. "You don't have to tell me about it," he said earnestly, despite the clear curiousity in his eyes. "We– we don't have to talk about anythin' if you don't want to."

Vegeta shook his head. "I do, though. I need to." His partner opened his mouth to reply but shut it at the determined look on Vegeta's face. "You... I've told you a little about my time in the Freeza Force, right?"

Goku nodded, rubbing his thumb over Vegeta's knuckles again.

"Well, Freeza liked to... experiment? Especially on the saiyans. It was just an excuse to torture us. I know that now. A lot of my scars are from it." He pointedly ignored how Goku's eyes flickered over his various exposed scars. "And one day, uh, just after my birthday, he decided that he wanted to experiment with, uh... cross-species breeding."

He squeezed his eyes shut, deciding to draw a veil over how much he was going to tell the other man. Kakarot did not need to know about how Vegeta was held down with a shock collar around his throat, or how they cut off part of his tail and used ki to sear a permanent handprint into his inner thigh to make him more compliant. He didn't need to know about how Vegeta was left to walk on his own back to his room after it happened, blood dripping down his thighs as he tried with all his might not to cry. He didn't need to know how sickeningly sweet Freeza was during the developing pregnancy and how cruel he became when it failed. He didn't need to know the gory details of the surgery where doctors cut into him without anesthesia and stitched him up so poorly that he got the worst infection of his life. 

He didn't think he'd ever be able to fully verbalize those experiences, nor did he really want to. Maybe one day, when the thought of it didn't immediately fog his brain and make his hands fill with static, he'd tell his mate. 

Kakarot's thumb rubbed against his minutely.

Vegeta settled on getting the basics across as best he could while he fought against the feeling of his throat closing up. His voice wavered and he spoke haltingly. "He... he forced me to carry his... experiment. I didn't... I didn't want to, but that didn't matter. It took, but a couple months in, something... something just went wrong. Woke up and my bed was soaked with blood. I had emergency surgery that didn't go well. Really bad infection, fever, left that scar on my stomach." He swallowed, mentally applauding himself for managing to get all the words out. He opened his eyes and was greeted with Kakarot staring at him, eyes wide in horror as Vegeta's words sunk in. His brows pinched together and his mouth opened slightly as if he was trying to speak past his shock, an expression of insurmountable grief plaguing his face. Vegeta forced himself to look away. "I don't... I try not to think about it."

"Vegeta..." Their eyes met again and Vegeta was horrified to see that tears were welling up his lover's eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Wha–" Vegeta floundered for a moment. "Why are you sorry?"

"How... how old were you?" Goku asked voice wavering, squeezing his hand tighter. Vegeta bit his lip, shame curling in his stomach.

"Nineteen."

"Ninete– you were just a kid," Goku breathed out, seeming more like he was speaking to himself. He immediately moved to the floor and knelt down in front of Vegeta, and Vegeta allowed himself to feel a flicker of annoyance about how Goku, on his knees, was only slightly below eye level for Vegeta while sitting in his chair. The younger man was crying while gently pulling the other in closer, holding him in a hug that should have been bone-crushing for a human, but for a saiyan, was just pleasantly tight. Vegeta steadied his breathing, impressed with how he was personally handling stuff. It took him a couple attempts to find his voice again.

"I... It's not that I don't want a kid with you," Vegeta admitted. Goku let out a tiny gasp. "I just don't think..." I would survive it. "...my body could handle it."

Goku pulled back. "You want a kid with me?"

"Well..." Vegeta's face flushed red. "Look, the bad thing– it's not– ugh." Kakarot was staring at him with hope-filled eyes, tail wagging behind him. Vegeta felt warm. "It's that my body probably won't be able to carry it. When the surgery happened, they removed part of my uterus." 

Goku's face fell. "What?"

Ugh, right, Vegeta thought. He hadn't meant to bring that up. He couldn't exactly shove that back into it's box now that Kakarot was gripping his wrists tightly again, watching his face closely.

"When the pregnancy... failed, Freeza decided that he would give me the worst punishment he could think of." Vegeta's voice shook as he prepared himself to say something Freeza had cruelly whispered into his ear as he laid on the blood-soaked operating table, something he had never spoken of out loud since. "He decided that if I couldn't have a child when he wanted, then I would never have one. He... he took the choice away from me."

The air between them was thick as Vegeta swallowed down the taste of bile, and, oh, Kakarot looked so horrified all over again, and angry, and vengeful as his tail bristled behind him. A million different emotions flickered across his face before he closed his eyes. He gently placed a trembling hand over the scar on Vegeta's stomach, exhaling shakily.

"You were just a kid," he repeated, opening his eyes, his touch featherlight. He looked... defeated. 

Vegeta cleared his throat, desperate to move on from this particular subject. He'd agonized over it for years, and it still stung to think about, even on his best days.

"My point is," he said, brushing a loc of hair behind Goku's ear, "is that this shouldn't be possible. But... it happened. I don't know how. And I... I don't know what to do."

Goku bit his lip, running his hands down his partner's body until they settled on his hips. He sighed deeply. "Vegeta... If I'm bein' honest, I'd love for us to be able to do this." Vegeta felt his heart stop. "And... It sounds like you would, too. But if it's goin' to come at the expense of your health, of your life... I don't want to risk it."

Vegeta groaned, wiping a hand down his face, covering his mouth as he thought everything over. Kakarot was right; the more he thought about it, the more a small voice in the back of his mind wanted to keep it. There was just the glaring issue of his disabled, aging body. He was fifty, for the gods' sakes. This would probably cause permanent damage to his body. Well, more permanent damage– he wasn't exactly in perfect condition to begin with.

But... Bulma was fifty, and she had a perfectly healthy baby. She had access to medical care that she would definitely share with Vegeta if he asked, and Vegeta was the prince of a warrior race. He didn't just give up when faced with adversity. 

Gods, he really had gotten soft. When he was younger, he would've snapped someone's neck if they even tried to insinuate they knew better about his health than he did. He set his jaw and grit his teeth in determination. He had a near perfect life right now, and he wasn't going to let fear get in the way of the shit he wanted. Not anymore.

Not when he finally had the choice.

"I'm going to keep it."

Goku blinked up at him. "Wait, really?"

Vegeta nodded minutely. "Why not?" The younger saiyan looked at him pointedly. Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Other than the obvious. Obviously."

Kakarot gave a small smile, barely contained excitement causing his tail to thump against the floor. "You know it won't be easy, right? I'll do my best to help, but–"

"It'll be hard, I know." Vegeta leveled his expression, a challenging look flashing in his eyes. "But when have I ever backed down from a fight?"

For the first time that day, Goku's face split into a wide, genuine smile. He leaned in and kissed him, smile lingering when he pulled back. "Never."

Vegeta exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding as Goku suddenly leaned back.

"Holy shit, we're gonna have a baby," he laughed breathlessly. "We're gonna be dads."

"We're already fathers, m'he," Vegeta reminded him, standing up as an arm was slipped around his waist.

"Yeah, but we're gonna be parents together," he said, smiling goofily. "We're gonna be dads together."

Vegeta's heart squeezed in his chest as he was pulled in for another kiss, arms grappling each other's bodies as he was lifted onto the table by his mate. Something scarily similar to excitement was buzzing beneath his skin now, burning as Kakarot leaned over him, suckling on the weak spot under his earlobe. 

Together. How beautifully frightening.

Chapter Text

A week had passed, and Goku was becoming a problem as the days went on.

Vegeta had an increasing awareness that his mate was suddenly much more protective than he used to be. He couldn't lift anything heavy, walk down the stairs, or stand in the shower without Kakarot rushing to his side or barging into whatever room he was in. Vegeta understood the concern on a certain level, especially after talking about his previous pregnancy, but it wasn't like he was going to shatter from washing the dishes, and as much as he usually appreciated the attention and care Goku gave him, he was very quickly getting annoyed with how he couldn't do anything without interference. 

It wasn't like Vegeta didn't understand, either. He knew that saiyans tended to get fiercely protective of their mates and cubs; that's not why he was annoyed. It seemed like since they had made the decision to carry out the pregnancy, Kakarot thought he had to do everything now. He wouldn't let Vegeta stand for too long, so most chores were out, but he also wouldn't let Vegeta do anything low maintenance, either. Vegeta felt restless all the time, unable to distract himself with the usual mundane tasks he relied on to fill out his days.

It all came to a very unfortunate head when Kakarot insisted Vegeta couldn't go to Beerus' planet to train, and it was too much for Vegeta to put up with anymore.

"What is your problem?" Vegeta snapped at him, baring his teeth, a low growl curling in the back of his throat.

Kakarot frowned at him, taken aback by the ubrupt outburst. "It isn't safe! It's, you know, too much strain on your body!"

"Kakarot," he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck raise and his tail bristle, "I am not a child. You do not have to keep babysitting me."

"I'm not babysittin'! I'm just..." he searched for the right word. "I'm just makin' sure things go right!"

"It's barely started; I'm not even showing yet! I don't need you telling me what I can and can't do; this isn't like the first time."

Kakarot paused, stunned hurt on his face. "I didn't say it was."

"You're acting like it." Vegeta said coldly. He knew it was petty, but he was so goddamned annoyed with being treated like some fragile thing. If he wasn't as blunt as possible, he wasn't sure his mate would understand. "I don't need you monitoring everything I do, especially not at this point. I know my limits, and I'm not going to fuck this up like you think I am."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Kakarot looked upset, but Vegeta could see the words sinking in as he thought about how he had been acting. His face softened when Kakarot stepped forward, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. It seemed like he was apologizing for a lot recently. "It's not... it wasn't your fault what happened before. I'm sorry that I... I'm not tryin' to make it seem like it is. I don't think you're gonna fuck it up." Vegeta was trying not to hold his actions against him, knowing that this was a weird situation for both of them. New, even though they had gone through their own separate similar experiences.

Different.

"It's okay," Vegeta sighed, frustration draining out of his body as it was replaced with exhaustion. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have snapped. I just– I need to do something. I'm going to go insane if I can't do anything."

He felt Kakarot nod. "I understand." He had a slight lilt in his voice, one that he always did whenever there was something on his mind that he wasn't sharing. Vegeta pulled back and looked at him pointedly, and it was Kakarot's turn to sigh now. "Okay, okay. I don't exactly want everyone else to know yet, and if you went to Beerus' planet then all it would take is one look and Whis would know exactly what was goin' on."

Vegeta blinked. "Oh." 

That... actually made a lot of sense and wasn't something Vegeta had given a lot of thought to. He had been so preoccupied with the ending of the situation that he hadn't considered now and what it would all entail. Bulma was still the only person who knew, and she had sworn up and down that she wasn't going to break the news without their permission. It was something that Vegeta had simply filed away in the back of his mind. 

Did anyone else even know he was... different? Surely, they'd seen how his body differed from theirs at some point, but it wasn't like Vegeta was a very personable man. He was pretty quiet and private about his life.

"I see your point."

"Can we just talk about this? What's okay and what's not? Some clarification would help." Kakarot looked at him expectantly. Vegeta had to agree. 

They had a lot to talk about.

After a very lengthy discussion, the first person they decided to tell was Chi-Chi. 

Specifically, Vegeta wanted to talk to her about it privately. He called ahead of time to tell her he wanted to talk about something important, and no, it wasn't about the boys, and no, Goku hadn't done anything exceedingly stupid. 

Although, that last one might have been stretching the truth, depending on how she took the news. 

He flew to the little house in the woods, silently going over the script in his head. It wasn't like she didn't know about their relationship; she was the first one to congratulate them when they actually went public, but supporting your ex's new relationship and supporting your ex's new partner who was pregnant were entirely different things.

He landed and knocked on her door, trying to just focus on the impending conversation. Goten answered it– gods, he was fourteen and taller than him by almost half a foot now– and gestured him inside with a bright, if confused, greeting. Chi-Chi was bustling around the living room, doing the hurried shuffle of a mom trying to clean up the house before a guest came over. She tossed a pair of sneakers down an adjacent hallway and turned to see him.

"Vegeta! Glad you came. Goten, sugar, can you go on and head outside for a bit?" 

Goten looked slightly offended, and opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it upon receiving a sharp look from his mother. He left, grumbling slightly as he closed the front door. Chi-Chi sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to her until Vegeta sat down stiffly, wrapping his tail tightly around his waist. He fidgeted with the cuffs of his sweater.

"So, what did you wanna talk about? It sounded important."

Vegeta stared into her wide eyes. His mind went completely blank, script completely forgotten as she smiled at him. His eyes darted around a moment as he clasped his hands together, tightly interlocking his fingers.

"Uh. It's about me. And Kakarot."

"I kinda figured," she said, not condescending but kind. "You sounded pretty stressed. Did somethin' bad happen?"

"No. Yes? No. It's complicated," Vegeta mumbled, then straightened back up. "No, it's not a bad thing. I don't think." 

She waited for him to continue, just staring with those wide eyes and soft smile.

"I'm. Uh, I'm pregnant." He bit the bullet. He thought for a second and then clarified. "It's Kakarot's."

She let out a soft, surprised laugh. "Well, I'd assume."

He studied her face. "You're not... angry? Or confused?"

She shrugged lightly. "Angry? Definitely not. Confused, a little, but you're like Goten, right? So..." She trailed off.

"Oh," Vegeta said awkwardly. "I... I forgot you knew that."

"I just never knew no man who wanted to be pregant," Chi-Chi said, laughing slightly. She frowned suddenly. "You did want this, right?" 

"Yes," Vegeta answered immediately. "I mean, it was an accident, but yes. I'm... We're really excited." He waited for her anger to appear, but instead, she smiled again.

She looked... really happy. Excited, even. She leaned forward and took his hands in hers and then rethought her actions, pulling him into a hug instead. "Congratulations, Vegeta."

"I don't understand," he said honestly, arms limp at his sides. "I thought you'd be mad. Especially after..."

"Vegeta," she pulled back, hands returning to his, "if anything, I understand better than anyone. I never forgot about what you did for me during those seven years. I... Well, I definitely consider you a friend, and I hope you think of me the same way."

He was floored. They had spent a lot of time together during Kakarot's years in the Other World, just... talking to each other. Vegeta had even helped train Goten briefly, when Chi-Chi was too busy. Now that he thought about it, she was the closest he had to a friend outside of his ex and mate.

He was getting a little misty-eyed, but he was going to blame that on his hormones.

"Of course I do," he said, his voice slightly gruff. He knew that even a couple years ago, he never would have said that out loud, but a lot had changed. He steeled himself for question he had to ask next. "Would you be willing to... help me through this? You... You did have two of his kids, after all."

Chi-Chi actually did start crying and pulled him back into another hug. "Oh, Vegeta, of course! Whatever you need, I've got it."

He felt more at ease when he did finally leave. He cut the visit shorter than he actually wanted to, feeling slightly guilty about Goten being booted outside for longer than he needed to be. Chi-Chi, like Bulma, had promised not to mention anything unless given the go-ahead.

He made it back home where Kakarot was waiting expectantly with dinner, some weird human dish that Vegeta had taken a particular liking to. "Well?" 

"Good. It went really good, actually. She's really happy for us."

The relief was clear on Goku's face as he stood up to kiss him. Vegeta let himself get picked up by the other man as the kiss deepened. 

"Mm, the food," he protested half-heartedly as Kakarot's mouth attached to his neck and began to leave hot open-mouthed kisses. "It's going to get cold."

"No, the stove is on low; it's gonna be fine," his voice was muffled against his neck. His hands were wandering, sliding under Vegeta's ass as he held him up. "You don't smell like me anymore. I gotta fix it."

Vegeta rolled his eyes but let Goku lead him to the living room anyway, settling onto his lap when he sat back on the couch. He pulled him back in for another kiss, shifting their hips together. They hadn't had sex since the day they found out that they were expecting, so they were both pent up and slightly frustrated. It was nice to feel each other's hands skirting over each other's bodies again, and Goku let out an embarrassingly loud moan as Vegeta rolled his hips forward. 

It didn't take long for their clothes to be shed and strewn on the floor around them, both grunting as Goku slid into Vegeta, the smaller man gasping when his ass was flush against the other's thighs. He started moving slowly, his legs trembling until Kakarot's hands were back under Vegeta's ass to help the movement.

"Missed you," Kakarot said into his skin, setting a quick pace. "Missed you a lot."

"I missed you, too," Vegeta huffed. He felt full.

"Can't wait to fuck you when you're further along," the younger saiyan admitted. "When you're round with our cub... Fuck, you're gonna be so hot."

Vegeta didn't know how to feel about that, but it did make his heart flutter to think about how Kakarot would find him attractive even when his body was distorted. The position shifted, Vegeta on his back and Goku above him. The pace got quicker, but neither of them expected to last very long, anyway. Kakarot held him close while they both came down from the highs of their orgasms. He pulled out with a grunt, watching his spend leak out before he leaned down to lap at it, sending a jolt of overstimulation through Vegeta.

"Kakarot–!"

"Shh, baby, I've got you," was the muffled response he received as Goku readjusted and settled himself between Vegeta's thighs. He thrust his tongue inside, spreading his own cum along his lower face and Vegeta's entrance. 

"Fuck, m'he, it's too much," Vegeta groaned, eyes rolling back as his partner flattened his tongue against his clit. He teased the small bud, circling the tip of his tongue around it before latching his lips around it and sucking hard. He should have found the actions of his mate obscenely gross, but they only added to his arousal. "Gods!"

"Lemme make ya feel good," Goku mumbled. "Ya done so good; carryin' our cub and tellin' people... so good, Vegeta..."

Vegeta cried out and tensed as he came again, thin liquid squirting out of him and into Goku's waiting mouth, who looked surprised but greedily swallowed it all the same. Vegeta sat there, panting as Goku slowly traced his tongue around Vegeta's folds, cleaning any leftover slick and cum, occasionally flicking it over Vegeta's overstimulated clit to elicit a shiver out of his mate.

"That was new," Goku commented airly when he finally came up again, helping Vegeta slide back into his clothing. "What, uh... what was that?"

Vegeta flushed red. "I don't know, Kakarot. Probably something to do with–" He floundered for a second. "–hormones, or something."

"Hm," Goku hummed, slipping his shirt back on. Vegeta fidgeted with the hem of his sweater.

"Was it... was it bad?"

"Oh, Gods no," Goku said, struggling with the drawstring on his pants momentarily before giving up and meeting Vegeta's eyes. "Honestly, I'm tryin' to figure out how to make it happen again. Dinner?"

He kissed Vegeta's cheek as he walked out of the room, whistling. Vegeta stared at his retreating frame, gobsmacked.

That vulgar–!

He suddenly remembered the man's other remark– about how attractive Vegeta would be when he was further along. It made his skin itch slightly, eye twitching even as he followed his mate into the kitchen.

Vegeta was bothered enough to bring up the statement while they ate.

"Did you mean that?" He asked. "That I'm going to be attractive while pregnant?"

"Yes," Kakarot answered without hesitation, a dark glint in his eye. "Absolutely."

Well, that definitely sent a shiver of excitement down Vegeta's spine. 

They had a lot to look forward to.

Chapter Text

"How much do you actually know about saiyan pregnancies?"

Vegeta's cup stopped halfway to his mouth. He was having lunch with Bulma while Goten played with Bra on a blanket a few feet away from them. They were outside, with a cool spring breeze blowing around them.

Vegeta's eyes flicked to Goten, who seemed blissfully unaware of their conversation. "Enough. Why do you ask?"

"Because, as experienced as I am with human pregnancies, I know very little about saiyan ones, and I'd like to learn before you get too far along."

The prince looked down at his daughter as she babbled. She was starting to talk now, forming half-cohereant words that made him smile.

"They're shorter," he said after Bulma nudged him expectantly. "Yours are, what? Nine months?"

She made a so-so motion with her hands. "Roughly. So what are we looking at? Seven? Eight?"

He took a sip of the decaffinated tea she had made him. "Five, actually. Six at the longest."

She sucked in a fast breath. "And you waited until now to tell me? It's already been about five weeks; you're probably going to start showing soon."

Vegeta thought about his last experience with pregnancy before saying, almost under his breath, "around seven weeks, actually. I'll, uh, have to figure out a way to tell people, otherwise things are going to be very awkward."

Bulma tilted her head in agreement, swallowing a mouthful of her own tea as Trunks came outside, two large picture books in both hands. He knelt down on the blanket next to Goten and his little sister, displaying the colorful literature to her and waiting for her to point a tiny finger at one.

Vegeta watched them, chewing on the inside of his mouth as he made a decision.

"Hey, boys." Both teenagers looked up, waiting for him to continue. "Kakarot and I are having a kid."

There was a single beat of silence in which Bulma hid her surprise well and the boys did not. 

"Wait, what?" Goten asked, confusion written all over his face. Trunks was recovering quicker, schooling his expression into something more polite.

"I'm pregnant, so when I start swelling up, I don't want to hear any shit from either of you," his voice came out harsher than he intended.

"But... what?" Goten asked, still confused, but Trunks elbowed him sharply in the ribs, forcing out a wheeze from the younger boy and effectively quieting him.

"That's great, Papa," Trunks said, smiling at his father. Vegeta nodded appreciately.

"Wait, I am happy about it!" Goten cut in, rubbing painfully at his side. "I'm just surprised, is all."

"Some men can have babies, dummy," Trunks hissed.

"No, I know that," Goten insisted, turning red in the face, looking at Trunks in confusion. "It's just– well, that means... we're one big family now, right? Like, for real."

Vegeta's face softened. He gave a curt nod, turning his attention back to his tea before speaking again.

"You can tell whoever you want," he said before he could think twice about it. He paused before adding, "except Gohan. Let Kakarot and I tell him ourselves."

The boys looked at each other before easily turning back to Bra and continuing her playtime. Bulma glanced sideways at Vegeta.

"You're going to have to tell Gohan soon," she said. "You know those two will have told every breathing person in a 50 mile radius before the day ends."

Vegeta shrugged, ignoring the settling of anxiety in his stomach. "Telling him will be easy."

He wasn't sure how much he believed himself, though.

Chapter Text

Telling Gohan was not nearly as easy as Vegeta had hoped, mostly because the boy was so busy that it was hard to pin down a good time to bring it up. For some reason, he didn't feel like he could spring the news on Gohan like he had with the younger boys. Trunks and Goten were young enough not to question too much or put too many pieces together, but Gohan was an adult; he could figure out the implications of the two men having a child together. He'd be able to understand the full picture of bringing the families together and bringing another baby into it.

It got Vegeta's anxiety flaring up and his stomach rolling every time he talked about it, so he squashed the idea down every time it was brought up, always telling himself he'd figure it out later.

Kakarot was not very happy that Vegeta kept putting the news off, especially since their younger sons had made quick work of spreading the secret. It had been a week and a half since he had told them, and now everyone in the extended family of Z Fighters was aware that they were having a kid.

Everyone except Gohan.

"We have to tell him."

"I know, Kakarot; I know."

"Why don't I just talk to him?" Kakarot offered. They had only woken up an hour ago, warm grey light filtering in through the window. They were standing sleepily in front of the stove, Goku behind Vegeta. His arms were wrapped around his waist and his chin rested on Vegeta's head, flattening his hair.

"I feel like I should be there, though," Vegeta groaned. They had had this conversation a dozen times already, each one ending in an unresolved argument. Vegeta really wanted to avoid that argument today, especially so early.

"It's okay if you can't," Goku repeated for what seemed like the millionth time, "I can handle it."

Vegeta was silent, watching the food in the pan fry.

"We have to tell him. You're going to start showing any day now." For emphasis, Goku spread his palm over Vegeta's belly.

Ugh, he hated it when Kakarot was the voice of reason.

But he was tired, tired of arguing and tired of waiting to tell one of the most important people in their life, so he sighed, tilting his head back into Kakarot's chest.

"Fine."

Goku started, looking down hopefully. "Wait, for real?"

"You're seeing him today, right? That lunch with Chi-Chi." 

Oh, she had not been happy with how long they had put off telling Gohan, so Vegeta was suddenly very glad he wasn't going to be there for the news.

Goku smiled broadly, leaning down to kiss him soundly. Vegeta made a noise of complaint.

"The food is burning, stop that."

Goku let him scoop the meat out of the pan and set it on another plate before pinching his ass, hard.

"Love you," he teased when Vegeta yelped. The shorter man glared at him.

"Go set the table, asshole."

Well. Vegeta certainly hadn't known that he was invited to the lunch until Goku had eyed him up and down before asking if he was going to change.

He would've been offended if Goku hadn't also proceeded to pull his leggings down and finger him until he had no choice but to change from how ruined the bottoms now were. 

He decided on the same jacket and jeans he had worn on that first night– it was the closest he had to a "normal" outfit that most earthlings deemed appropriate. The jacket was still too big on him, but he tugged it closed tight around his waist as they sat down at the table in the restaurant. They were a couple minutes early, and Vegeta found himself anxiously tapping his nails against the table as they waited.

"How are you feelin'?" Goku asked, sliding an arm around his waist. It helped a little bit. "Ya look a little green."

"I feel like I'm about to vomit," Vegeta answered bluntly. "But only in a morning-illness-or-whatever-Bulma-called-it way."

"Mornin' sickness," Goku helpfully supplied. Vegeta just nodded, putting his face in his hands and forcing himself to breathe steadily and will the nausea away.

He felt the ki of their guests before he heard the door of the restaurant open. He pulled his face out of his hands in time to see Chi-Chi and Gohan walking towards their booth. Goku got up, giving both of them a hug.

Vegeta stayed seated, fearing that any sudden movements would cause his breakfast to make an appearance. Chi-Chi smiled at him knowingly as she slid into the booth across from him.

"You doin' okay?" She asked, a touch of concern lacing her tone. 

"Sick to my stomach," he answered, relieved at how easily conversation flowed between them. "Were yours always like this?"

"Were what like what?" Gohan asked, sliding into the booth next to his mom. Goku sat down next to Vegeta again, his arm once again firmly around his waist. 

"Ah, nothin'," Chi-Chi waved her hand. She leaned over the table and cupped her hand up over her mouth. "But no, mine weren't that bad."

Vegeta groaned, but the smile tugging on the corners of his mouth betrayed him. He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Gohan.

"What's that smell?" He asked, sniffing the air. "Like... sweet? But also... bloody?"

The rest of the table stared at him.

"...What?" Goku asked. He paused, smelling the air. "I mean, I don't smell anythin' new. Maybe you're just smellin' the food?"

Gohan looked unconvinced, however, and continued to sniff around him.

"I always forget how strong his sense of smell is," Goku mused outloud. He nudged Vegeta. "Stronger'n mine or yours."

"Prob'ly the ox genes," Chi-Chi shrugged, flipping through her menu. Goku nodded in agreement.

"It smells really familiar," Gohan huffed. I just... I can't put my finger on it."

He stopped long enough for them to order their drinks, although he was still clearly bothered by whatever he was smelling. He kept periodically closing his eyes and sniffing the air around him, determined to find the source.

He was halfway through a conversation telling them about Pan's latest check-up when he stopped talking abruptly. His jaw dropped in shock.

"Oh, my gods. Vegeta, are you pregnant?"

The table filled with a stunned silence as Gohan stared at Vegeta with wide eyes.

Goku let out a breathless chuckle. "Well, that's one way for him to find out."

"Wait, is this– this is what you wanted to talk about?" Gohan asked, gaze flitting back and forth between the two men.

"Yeah, it is," Goku said, still sounding kind of winded. His arm tightened around Vegeta's waist.

"How did you know?" Chi-Chi asked, turning to look at her son.

He flushed slightly pink before answering. "Videl smelled similar when she was pregnant. It didn't click for me until we were talkin' about Pan. Sorry, Mom; are you sayin' you knew?"

Another beat of silence.

"Of course I knew."

"And it doesn't bother you?"

Ice plunged into Vegeta's stomach at his question.

"Why would it?" Chi-Chi responded cooly, raising an eyebrow. Gohan looked at her incredulously.

Goku cleared his throat.

"How... do you feel about it?" He asked, feigning a casual tone. Vegeta could hear his heart hammering, however, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't just as nervous. He felt Goku's hand squeezing at his hip, his grip uncomfortably tight and hard.

"Kakarot," Vegeta mumbled, "you're going to break my hip."

Goku released it immediately, settling his hand on Vegeta's waist instead. Gohan just stared at the two of them, expression somewhere between bewilderment and disbelief until Chi-Chi nudged him with her elbow.

"Don't just sit there; congratulate your father."

Gohan cleared his throat and smiled as he spoke, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Uh, congrats. That's big news."

"Yeah, it is," Goku said, the words dripping with so much hostility and Vegeta turned toward him with shock.

"Kakarot!" He hissed.

"I guess I'm just... confused, is all," Gohan started, watching his father's reaction. "I mean, I didn't know male saiyans could get pregnant, and I guess this means one of my siblings will be younger than my daughter. I mean, you're goin' to have another kid after your granddaughter was born. Is that not– don't you feel–" He closed his mouth with a small click and slowly breathed out.

"Gohan, Geta and I havin' a kid doesn't mean Pan isn't important to me," Goku said, his voice low. "I love Pan– we all do, this is just–"

"It's not all about Pan, Dad," Gohan cut him off. His tone shifted to one of annoyance. "What's this kid gonna do when you decide trainin' is more important? What are they gonna do when you–" Gohan rounded on Vegeta, "–want to pursue another power up? I remember how you were with Trunks! Bra was just born!"

He opened his mouth to speak further when his mother cut him off.

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi snapped. "That's enough."

Vegeta's skin burned hot with humiliation. Absentmindedly, he placed a hand over his lower stomach, balling up the fabric of the shirt in his fist.

"I'll stop training. For awhile. I'll have to, anyway–"

Gohan snorted. "No offense, Vegeta, but you're not exactly known for your ability to commit– This was a really bad decision."

Vegeta stared at him in stunned silence, face slowly turning red and throat closing up.

"Gohan."

Everyone's eyes went to Goku, who looked bitterly angry and disappointed.

"You do not understand what you're talkin' about. This wasn't planned; Geta and I aren't doin' this to spite you. Now, I'm not sure what crawled up your ass and died this mornin', but I know you have no business talkin' to us like this."

Vegeta wiped a hand across his cheek, tears of embarrassment slipping out even as he tried to stop them. Gohan looked at him, guilty regret already present on his face.

"Vegeta–"

"You can feel however you want," Vegeta said, hating how his voice shook, "and that's fine. But this is what I chose. And I'm not going to sit here and listen to someone who doesn't understand why berate me on my choices regarding my own body."

He scooted past Goku to get out of the booth. He swayed slightly as he stood, a new wave of nausea hitting him. He pressed his hand over his mouth and waited for the sensation to subside before speaking again.

"Chi-Chi, it's nice to see you, as always. Gohan." He nodded to both of them and turned to his mate, letting his gaze soften minutely. "Kakarot. You know where I'll be."

"No need," Goku said, surprising him as he also left the booth. "Chi-Chi, I can leave money to cover this–"

"No, I'm afraid I've lost my appetite anyway," she waved him off. She pushed her son out of the way as well and pulled Vegeta into a hug before he knew what was happening. She held him tight for a long moment, finally pulling away and brushing a loc of his bangs out of his eyes. "Please come to me if you need anythin', Vegeta. Don't... don't let any a'this discourage you from comin' over."

He nodded minutely. She released him and gave a hug to Goku before turning to look at her son, still seated in the booth. He, at least, had the decency to look guilty.

"Pay the bill then meet me in the car. I'm not hungry anymore."

She took Vegeta's hand and pulled him along with her outside the door. Goku was close on their heels when the door closed.

Vegeta leaned over immediately, puking into the bushes outside the building. Chi-Chi rubbed his back soothingly as Kakarot kneeled down next to him.

"It's okay," she murmured. "He'll come around."

Vegeta prayed she was right.

Chapter Text

So... Gohan knew now.

Reaction notwithstanding, not having to tiptoe around the subject was a welcome relief. Everyone important now knew, even if... well, some reactions were worse than others.

They hadn't seen Gohan since telling him the news.

Vegeta was trying his best not to stress about it, constant reassurances from Chi-Chi and Bulma that the young man would eventually come around and apologize helping slightly. Kakarot had taken Gohan's rejection fairly well, all things considered, and the week that followed was rocky, if managable. At the very least, they'd been able to slip back into their routine.

It was another early morning, and Vegeta was taking a hot shower, chasing the remnants of his dream.

Kakarot was laying on his back, with Vegeta's thighs bracketed around his head. His lower face was buried in the dark curls between Vegeta's legs, but his eyes held intense, continuous contact with the prince's.

He had jolted awake when the object of his dreamy affections had snored so loudly it felt like the windows were rattling. One cursory glance at the clock showed that it was 6:46am, too late to justify drifting back to sleep, and Vegeta rubbed his thighs together, briefly considering slinging his legs over Kakarot's body and waking him up before deciding against it. So, instead, he slouched out of bed and to the bathroom down the hall, leaving the bathroom door slightly open as an invitation in case his mate woke up.

Now he was standing under the warm spray of water, tracing his fingers up and down his thighs, teasing himself as he strained his memory.

Kakarot had both hands holding Vegeta's thighs in place, preventing the man from moving his hips the way he wanted to. It was frustrating, but Vegeta hadn't felt so turned on in weeks. A long, hard lick pressed against Vegeta's clit had his legs trembling with release. Kakarot hadn't let up on the pressure, his strong arms keeping the prince seated firmly on his face as he worked him over the edge over and over.

Vegeta dragged a single finger over his clit, hissing through his teeth. His other hand was teasing his torso, cupping one breast and pinching his exposed nipple lightly. He trailed it down, tracing the grooves of his abs.

His actions stopped cold, his warm arousal turning icy in an instant. He yanked his hands away from his body, fumbling with the knob to turn the water off and scrambling out in front of the mirror. He stared at his reflection, disbelieving even though he knew it was was supposed to happen eventually.

When he turned, angling his body, he could see a slight curve on his lower belly, confirming what Vegeta had felt beneath his fingers. His hands shook as he pressed the curve gingerly, panic beginning to swell in him. He stumbled away from the mirror and sat down on the toilet lid, hands still touching his stomach.

He had been subconsciously avoiding the sight of his stomach for the last week, knowing that if he looked, there might be a difference. He had worn baggier shirts, had hunched over at tables, anything to avoid drawing attention to his midriff and any changes it might have.

He had made the choice to keep it, he knew this had been coming, so why now was he freaking out? The physical proof of what his body was harboring was here, and it was scaring the hell out of him. 

He kept thinking one thing, over and over.

No one is taking this one.

Vegeta didn't know how long he sat there, but he eventually stood up, walking slowly to their shared bedroom. Kakarot was awake now, scrolling sleepily on his phone. He smiled at Vegeta before his face fell.

"Geta? What's wrong?"

He sat down lightly on the bed, straightening his back out as best he could. He took Kakarot's hand and placed it on his stomach. 

He watched his expression change in real time as his mate's hand suddenly started moving, feeling every angle of the small swell. His eyes were wide with excitement as he placed his other hand on Vegeta's face.

"Holy shit, Vegeta," he breathed, his eyes unable to stop flitting between his stomach and face. Vegeta's own eyes suddenly stung, slightly overwhelmed. "You're beautiful."

And, oh, Kakarot's mouth was on his, and he was pulling Vegeta's naked body onto his lap, hands caressing the curve where it melted into his hips. He kept murmuring tiny words of praise, calling him beautiful and lovely and darling, which was a new one that made Vegeta moan in his ear.

He did end up sitting on Goku's face, looking down into his eyes, his breath hitching at how the angle made the bump look bigger than it currently was. 

He was sobbing by the time Goku wrung a third orgasm out of him, unable to keep from slumping forward, hips twitching in the tight grip of his mate's strong arms.

"Love lookin' at you like this," Kakarot's voice was muffled and the air tickled Vegeta, making him hiss in oversensitivity. "Fuckin' sexy, can't wait until you're bigger."

He emphasized his point by nibbling on Vegeta's clit, forcing a cry out of the man astride him as he squirted into his mouth. His eyes glittered, dancing across the expanse of his torso, always lingering on the new curve in front of his eyes.

Vegeta felt drunk on love.

Chapter Text

As it turns out, Vegeta's knowledge on saiyan pregnancies was woefully limited. No one could really blame him for this; after all, his one source had been an adult who'd had a completely different body. That's not to say Vegeta wasn't greatful for what he was taught, just that, maybe...

Nappa could have paid more attention to the palace midwives.

Vegeta was hunched over the toilet yet again, throat raw and painful as bile burned it's way up his throat. Goku was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, hand in his chin as he watched with pity.

"Stop looking at me like that," Vegeta said, sitting up to look at his mate before immediately leaning back over.

"Ain't the mornin' sickness supposed to stop after ya start showin'?" Goku asked, yawning. It was almost four in the morning at this point, and they'd been posted like this for nearly an hour. 

Vegeta wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well... that's when it stopped last time." He coughed and spit one more mouthful into the toilet.

It was bright red.

"Are... Is that normal?" Goku asked, peering at the blood.

"...Probably?" Vegeta decided, too tired to argue against it. He rubbed his throat. It felt so sore these days. 

Goku looked unconvinced but helped Vegeta stand up on shaky legs anyway. 

"Are ya still up for goin' to Beerus' planet today?" He asked as he stooped to pick Vegeta up in a bridal carry. 

"Kakarot, you don't have to–"

"Ah, shut up. I want to," he grinned. "Now: Beerus today? Yes or no?"

Vegeta rested his head in the crook of Goku's neck, inhaling his scent. "Yes. If we put off an explanation any longer, he might kill us."

"Ha, good point," his mate mused, kissing his temple. He brought them into their bedroom nestling them both under the covers. "Still, it's gonna be weird to stop trainin' for a while."

Vegeta said nothing, curling tighter into himself.

"Uh, n-not that this is bad," Goku stressed, wrapping both arms around the small man. "I think it'll be good for us to take a break, actually. It's a time of peace, after all."

"Yeah," Vegeta murmured. "It'll be good.

They were both exhausted when they woke up to get ready for the day. Thankfully, Vegeta's nausea hadn't reappeared yet, which helped improve both their moods. They dressed in normal clothing, setting aside their fighting gis for the time being. Vegeta picked a slightly baggy sweater that hid the small bump well enough. Not that it mattered; Whis would be able to tell as soon as he saw him, but Vegeta was finding form-fitting attire more and more uncomfortable as the bump got bigger.

He tried not to think about how his clothing wouldn't fit him soon.

"It's nice seein' you outside'a that jumpsuit," Goku mused, buttoning his own shirt up. Still in that bright obnoxious orange, Vegeta noted, but a welcome change nonetheless. "I think I've seen you in more casual outfits in the last year than ever before."

Vegeta shrugged. "You weren't here for the last period of peace. Besides, these aren't going to fit me for much longer."

"Hm," Goku hummed noncommitally, picking him up from behind and kissing his cheek. "Guess we'll have to go shoppin'."

"Eugh– one thing at a time." He let his mate continue to nuzzle at his neck. His own hands smoothed his sweater over his slightly rounded stomach for a brief moment. It was growing far faster than he had anticipated, no longer the tiny curve he'd noticed a week and a half ago. There was a visible swell, especially when wearing anything tight. "We've got enough going on today."

"That's true," Goku said, pressing more kisses down his neck. "You're so tense; calm down."

"That's easier said than done," Vegeta huffed, but he forced himself to breathe slower. "Come on, it's time to go. They'll be expecting us any minute."

"Right!" Goku pressed one last kiss behind his ear, right on the sensitive scent gland hidden under a loc of hair. Vegeta squirmed slightly, face warm. "Are you good to IT?"

Vegeta nodded, and within a second they were standing on the blue grass of Beerus' planet. He slumped against Goku, the world spinning around him as he slid down to the ground and vomited once again. Goku placed a hand on his back.

"Yeah, kinda expected that one," he said, looking a little green himself. He rubbed Vegeta's back in circles as more blood splattered past his lips and stained the grass.

"You've not even been here a minute and you're already defiling my planet? There better be a damn good explanation for this."

Vegeta groaned and was cut off by his own body once again.

"Just let it out," Goku murmurred, then looked up to the god. "Hi, Lord Beerus."

"Don't hi me, Son. Your little prince is making a mess of things, and neither of you have come by for your training in over two months."

"My Lord, perhaps we should show some concern for Vegeta? I believe that is blood, after all."

"Hello, Whis," Goku said. "Yeah, it is. We think it's normal, though."

Vegeta wiped the blood away from his mouth and was taken back when a glass of water entered his vision.

"Thank you, Whis," he bowed his head slightly and turned to Beerus. "Hello, Lord Beerus."

"You're oddly non-abrasive today," Beerus snorted.

"Vegeta, dear, I hope you realize this is not a normal symptom," the angel said, kneeling down next to the prince. "Perhaps I can do a... physical, of sorts?"

Vegeta's grip on the glass tightened slightly.

"Enough! Will one of you tell me what in the blazes is going on?" Beerus demanded. Vegeta flinched back at his raised voice. Beerus paused in his outburst and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Is it not obvious, my Lord?" Whis asked, offering Vegeta a hand. "Our students are expecting."

Vegeta stared at the glass in his hands.

Not normal, Whis was saying. Something was wrong. 

Whis brushed Vegeta's hair out of his eyes. More and more, he was forgetting to style his bangs back and out of view. It was an unnecessary effort that slipped his mind everytime he dressed for the day, too focused on the curve of his belly and how his clothing fit him.

Vegeta continued staring blankly at the glass until Whis tapped the rim. 

"Drink," and Vegeta felt compelled to comply. The glass vanished when he was done, and Whis offered him a hand once again.

"Expecting what? A punishment for testing my patience?"

Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut, the god's loud voice grating intensly in his head. Whis took his hand and gently helped him stand back up. He leaned most of his weight on Goku, subconsciously slipping a hand under the swell of his stomach. 

"My apologies," he murmured, bowing to Beerus. "I think the Instant Transmission affected me."

"Oh," was all Beerus could say. He coughed, and to the saiyans' surprise, he turned his head away in embarrassment.

"Vegeta, dear," Whis said, squeezing his hand. "Let's get you inside and to a chair."

Chapter Text

Once Vegeta was seated, Goku immediately knelt down beside the chair. He kept touching little parts of his mate– brushing his bangs back, running a thumb over his cheekbone, tapping on his wrist and knuckles. Vegeta let him, oddly subdued at the moment.

"Whis?" He asked, rubbing his hand along his stomach. "Can you..."

"You'd like me to check for any anomalies, yes?"

"Please."

"My, my; these hormones have you all out of sorts," Whis mused, tapping his staff against the ground. "I don't think I've ever heard you genuinely say please."

Goku huffed out a laugh and Vegeta smiled slightly, but Whis suddenly frowned, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he stared at Vegeta's stomach. He tapped his staff against the floor once again.

"Oh, my!" He said, intrigued. "Vegeta, 48% of your uterus is new tissue."

The air in the room suddenly felt too thin.

"What?" Goku asked, grip tightening on his mate's waist. "What– what does that mean?"

"That's... not possible," Vegeta spoke up, eyes darting to Goku and then Whis. "When my body... when I had surgery, they removed part of the organ."

"Vegeta," Whis said patiently, "it appears that your uterus has regrown. It is completely intact, albeit with some light scarring."

"Oh." Vegeta blinked, surprised to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat, voice shaking as he spoke again. "I... How is that possible?"

Goku gasped softly. "The senzu!"

"I believe that to be the reason as well," Whis said as he knelt down in front of the prince, "though it is hard to definitively say."

"I don't understand," Vegeta admitted, looking between the angel and his mate.

"When you got hurt, durin' the tournament," Goku said earnestly. "It reopened the wound, and then you ate the senzu, so–"

"So it healed the organ," Vegeta finished, looking down at his stomach. "It... it's back."

"And," Whis emphasized, "you are healthy and your little one is growing just fine. Your body has healed and adjusted. The blood is simply from a lesion on your throat from too much vomiting. All you need to do is be sure you're taking it easy on your digestive system." One pale blue hand rested on Vegeta's shoulder. "Breathe, Vegeta. You are fine."

The dam finally broke as Vegeta hunched over, head in his hands as he sobbed. The angel rubbed his thumb soothingly on his shoulder. He shushed Vegeta softly.

"This is as far as I made it last time," Vegeta admitted quietly, body shaking. "I miscarried at two and a half months. I– I didn't think I'd ever–"

Whis shushed him as the prince doubled over once again, renewed sobs echoing through the room.

"Now, I am not saying there won't be challenges," the angel continued. "You will still need to be mindful about what you eat, how much strain you put on your muscles, and you must seek help if you begin to notice any unusual pain."

Vegeta nodded, hiccupping slightly as he wiped his eyes. Goku leaned down, placing a kiss on his temple. He whispered something in his ear, and Vegeta nodded again.

"We won't be able to train for a while," Goku said, one of his hands gently brushing Vegeta's hair. "Like you said, Vegeta needs to be careful, and... well, I need to be there for him. I can't be off planet training while my mate is pregnant."

Whis smiled. "You've become so mature, Son. Of course, neither I nor Lord Beerus expect the two of you to be training during this period of your life."

Goku gave a small smile. "We also... uh, well..." 

"We don't know much about... us. Our culture, our traditions," Vegeta spoke up, voice still shaky. "What I do remember is fuzzy at best, and I was... I was just a child, when I left. I want to be able to teach this one about their home. If there's anything you remember, please–"

His voiced cracked as he broke off, looking back down. Whis placed a hand under his chin, tilting his head back up.

"Of course, my dear. Between Lord Beerus and myself, we have a near-encyclopedic knowledge of most species. Even those that have been erased."

Vegeta looked relieved and Goku squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. 

"But there's one more thing, isn't there?" Whis prodded gently. Vegeta hesitated, biting his lip before nodding. 

"One of the things I do remember..." Vegeta began, but Whis hushed him again. 

"That's alright, my dear," he said. "There's no need to explain. Would you like help standing?"

Vegeta shook his head as Goku helped him anyway. 

"You got this?" Goku asked, leaning down to look his mate in the eyes. 

"Yes, I do." 

Goku nodded and looked up at Whis. 

"Then let's go see Lord Beerus," the angel said, holding his hand out for Vegeta. He took it and let himself be led out of the room. 

Goku exhaled, placing his hands on his hips. 

"And now, we wait," he murmured to himself.