Welcome to DBZ Love Garden
~ Where Saiyan Hearts Thrive ~
The Odd Couple
by Dharma Serenity
More by this Writer
Can two Saiyans share a space capsule without driving each other crazy? Come along with Goku and Vegeta on their wild adventure as they search for the meaning of life!
Spoilers: Everything up to the last episode of DBZ. This takes place before, and thus, negates DBGT.
Spoilers: Everything up to the last episode of DBZ. This takes place before, and thus, negates DBGT.
Graphic Violence
Chapter 01 : Saiyan Mid-Life Crisis
Goku smiled at Vegeta at the tail end of everyone's laughter. Vegeta just gave him his customary dirty look in response. Goku shook his head at Vegeta's hostility, then continued to chuckle at Yamcha's story."Yeah, well, I pull up and see this woman standing outside of the restaurant. But I think she looks a little strange. I walk up to her, and when I get to within a foot of her I see she has a five o'clock shadow." Yamcha exclaimed. "This online dating is really just pitiful!" Yamcha laughed at his own story.
'But Yamcha, it's your only chance. No one that already knows you would date you," Bulma teased.
Yamcha just crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her.
Goku started to look antsy as he listened to them banter. ChiChi had already gone home early with a headache. He had lingered at the barbecue, not really knowing what else to do, home not offering much in the way of distraction now that both of his boys were grown and on their own. Gohan was married with a family and Goten had just left for college the week before. Goku's house felt incredibly empty.
Goku found himself staring at Vegeta, who eyed him back. Goku felt something connect in the look from Vegeta, some kind of silent communication that seemed to ease him. He didn't understand it, but it comforted him. Anything warm from Vegeta, even after these many years that they were no longer considered "enemies," still felt strange, so when it happened, it seemed extra special.
Vegeta got up and walked off on his own. Bulma was cracking up so hard at Yamcha's description of his date's outfit that she didn't notice. Goku smiled at Krillen briefly and nodded at the rest politely as he got up to see if Vegeta was ok.
He followed Vegeta to the wooded area behind the Capsule Corp building and stared at Vegeta's back as Vegeta stared at the sky.
Vegeta never turned as he said, "What do you want?"
"Nothing." Goku shrugged, looking puzzled. The sound of innocence in his voice annoyed Vegeta.
Vegeta turned to look at Goku. "They why are you following me, you idiot?"
Goku looked annoyed at the flippant insult. "You just... seemed..."
Vegeta stared at Goku, and Goku gave up trying to form the sentence. Vegeta looked fed up. Goku felt himself squirm under the withering glance.
"Look Kakarot, I don't need you to worry about me. Just go home." Vegeta looked away.
Goku didn't move. He just stared at Vegeta's back, not wanting to listen to Vegeta insult him further, but not wanting to leave either.
Vegeta could hear Goku breathing behind him, and feeling defeated, or at least as if he didn't have the strength to go on arguing, Vegeta's shoulders slumped. He said, sounding tired, "I'm leaving, Kakarot."
Goku blinked at him. "Oh."
Vegeta chuckled and turned around to stare at Goku's confusion. "I'm not talking about the party."
Goku blinked again, not comprehending. Then the realization struck him and his eyes widened. "Where? Why!?"
Vegeta shrugged in answer, looking angry.
"But... I thought you loved Bulma."
Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance at the familiar tone Goku was taking with him. "What the HFIL do you know about my relationship with my wife?"
When Goku attempted to stammer an apology for taking the liberty, Vegeta just interrupted him, "Look Kakarot, fine, yes, I do love Bulma. And Trunks. And Bra. But... what am I doing here?"
Vegeta looked up at the sky, wistfully.
Goku understood immediately, and felt, on some deep level, the relief one feels knowing that someone else understands him.
Quietly, Vegeta said, "You've got it too."
Goku stared at Vegeta as Vegeta continued to look at the sky. Goku was not surprised that Vegeta knew that he was also going through his own version of the Saiyan mid-life crisis.
"And of course," Vegeta turned to finish his sentence, "when your wife got sick and you had to stop training with Uub to nurse her back to health, that didn't help, did it?"
Goku stared at Vegeta for a moment before he shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But, I figured something would happen soon. It's been so quiet." Goku sounded innocent again, and blinked openly.
Vegeta smirked, "So you actually want the earth to be in danger? Is that what you're saying?"
Goku blushed, then scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. "It's pretty bad, huh?"
Vegeta turned around, sizing up the younger Saiyan, almost as a father would regard a son he was proud of, and crossed his arms. He smirked further and said, "No, you are just being the Saiyan you truly are."
Goku sobered and looked at Vegeta openly. "Vegeta, we have families here. It isn't right for us to want the earth to be endangered just because we're bored."
The smirk on Vegeta's face disappeared. "I'm not bored Kakarot. I'm dying."
Goku's eyes widened in surprise and concern. "You're dying?!"
"Inside. A little each day." He saw the look on Goku's face – a look of recognition and realization at what Vegeta was saying. "Look, I love Bulma. Yes. Love her like mad and she's the only reason I even stayed this long. Her and the kids. But Trunks is a man now, and look at him, he's not interested in being a Saiyan. Look at your son, Gohan. Gohan, who is stronger than the both of us put together, hasn't the slightest interest in it anymore. And Goten only seemed to fight just to hang out with my son. They're not truly Saiyan. They don't know, they don't feel what we do. And I can't do anything more for my kids. Obviously, you can't either. So why the hell am I here? To wither and die? Or, worse, watch as Bulma withers and dies? I'd rather just go, get it over with, and find a purpose to what's left of my life."
Goku stared at Vegeta, looking angry. "That's a cop out! And you know it!"
Vegeta grunted. "You try to tell yourself that, Kakarot."
Goku's face took on a stubborn look, but the look dissipated on his face in defeat.
Vegeta grunted again and looked away.
"But it's wrong. I can't leave Chi Chi. And even though my boys are men now, they still need me."
"Who the HFIL asked you to go anywhere?" Vegeta glared at Goku.
Goku looked down. When he looked up again, Vegeta felt that connection that was always there between them. It was something that Vegeta hated because if he were the King of Vegeta, on a populated planet Vegeta, Goku would never have been anywhere near Vegeta's inner circle. But they were the last of their race, and if anything, that made their connection very strong, let alone all they had gone through together over the years.
Goku saw the same proud look take over Vegeta's face and his shoulders and hair slumped in response. He knew he was annoying Vegeta, but Vegeta understood him, and he needed to express these feelings he only just voiced for the first time.
"So what are you going to do? Blow up planets like you used to? Meet a green-skinned woman and have 20 green-skinned babies?"
Vegeta didn't even deign to give him an answer.
"Well?"
Vegeta turned around. He looked as if he wanted to puke, his face taking on a green color. He twisted his mouth as if he were sucking on a bitter candy.
Goku knew Vegeta was about to say something that bit at his pride; something Vegeta would rather not do but felt he had no choice but to do it.
Vegeta visibly prepared himself before he spoke, "I've thought this through. Is it so impossible for there to be others? Like us?"
Goku scratched the back of his head, looking like the dumb Baka that he was and Vegeta fought against the urge to scream, inwardly raging at his own fate and misfortune.
"I guess, well, if we are here, it could be possible that there are others like us somewhere else." Goku grinned proudly, remembering his time in the other world tournament. "It's a pretty big universe."
Vegeta smirked, but then his face took on the ill pallor once more.
Goku scratched the top of his head with a finger, again looking a little less on the bright side as he stared back at Vegeta, perplexed.
Vegeta thought, Oh, to hell with this! Vegeta spoke, his voice level, "Do you want to come with me?"
Goku blinked repeatedly. Then he grinned. Goku put his hands on his hips, and as Vegeta clearly saw what Goku was about to do, Vegeta groaned, covering his face with his hand so that he would not have to watch as Goku boasted, laughing, "Ahhaah! You want me to come along! I guess you don't hate me as much as you pretend. Ahh ahha hahha! Admit it Vegeta, we're good friends and you know it!"
"Shut up!" Vegeta looked at him in disgust.
Goku just smirked at him. "Come on Vegeta, admit it!"
"I'LL ADMIT NOTHING! I'm only asking you, CLOWN, because you're the only other true Saiyan. If there were anyone, ANYONE else, I'd ask them instead!"
Goku smirked. Sure you would, he thought, and grinned even more.
