Welcome to DBZ Love Garden

Goku was tired of this. They had been living in the same house for years, ever since Bulma and Chichi had died, and Vegeta still managed to avoid him except when they sparred. That was going to stop. He had made his decision and he had resolved that nothing would dissuade him; going the whole hog would probably be best, get everything out in the open and clear from the word go. He made his plans and waited till their next sparring session, knowing that if he went hunting for the Saiyajin-no-Ouji he would get nowhere – the Prince's ability to disappear was almost uncanny. So he bided his time, knowing that his small target would turn up eventually, the pent-up aggression in him driving him to seek out a fight.

The day was bright, but a bit chilly; there had been a frost on the ground in the morning, the grass crisp and lined with a sharp, white highlight. The blue sky promised no rain and the wind was light, barely stirring the leaves; autumn had just arrived and the trees were slowly turning a multitude of colours. That brisk, clean smell, which you only seem to get on bright, autumn and winter days, permeated the air. Goku was polishing off his breakfast, savouring the taste – in truth that was the whole reason he ate so much. A noise, out-of-place and unusual, interrupted him; he turned towards it, knowing already what he would find.

Vegeta stood in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the side with his arms folded in his normal, defensive posture, his scent screaming aggression. He stared at Goku, his now habitual silence a challenge in and of itself; this was how their sessions always began, the Prince's sudden appearance marking the beginning of a fight that could last all day and all night. Goku stepped past Vegeta, igniting his ki and flying towards their usual sparring ground, not that far from the house, knowing that the Saiyajin-no-Ouji was close behind. They started to fight, their kis flaring in a tremendous upsurge of power.

Goku had determined that he would make this fight quick, not wanting to damage the man before him too much and not wanting to delay the commencement of his plans. Forcing the Prince into communicating was going to be easy compared to what else he had in mind for the slighter Saiyajin. Still he intended the talking to come later; by the time the fight was finished Vegeta wouldn't be conscious enough to talk anyway.

If Vegeta was surprised at Goku's greater aggression he didn't show it, giving as good as he got and displaying an equal tension to his rival's – something was bothering the Prince just as much as what was getting to the other Saiyajin. He was surprised when the taller man started using dirty tricks; Goku had always played fair before and the sudden change threw Vegeta off-balance, allowing the usually happy-go-lucky Saiyajin to get the upper hand. He played it for all he was worth; throwing enough force into the fight that he beat Vegeta semi-conscious with several well-placed blows. Instead of waiting for the Prince to recover and resume sparring, Goku picked him up and returned to the house, walking in through the rarely used front door and going upstairs to his room.

He nudged the door open with his hip, his arms occupied by the slightly battered form of his Prince, and laid him down carefully on the bed, in contrast to the way they had fought just moments previously. Had Vegeta been aware enough, and had he been familiar enough with the layout of the room, he would have seen that the arrangement had changed from how it was normally, the furniture altered and the room the tidiest it had been in a long while. There were several items within easy reach of the bed, some intended to be used only if required, and others with a more definite purpose.

Goku disappeared for a second, returning with a steaming bowl of water, which smelt slightly of camomile, and a soft cloth. Vegeta was still struggling with the miasma of his own thoughts, returning to consciousness only slowly, so it didn't really register when the other Saiyajin removed all his clothes and all he noticed when Goku began cleaning him was the loosening of sore muscles and the blessed warmth of the cloth on his skin.

He did notice when the taller Saiyajin's touch became more than professional, when he followed the warmth of the cloth with softness of his lips and eventually discarded the material altogether in favour of hands, fingers, lips and teeth. As the grey blur around the edges of his mind slowly faded away Vegeta became more and more aware of the electric touches but by the time he fully came back to himself he was too aroused to protest.

Goku was pleased with how this was going -at least the tall Saiyajin was pleased in the small part of his mind that was not completely enamoured of the Vegeta's silken skin, his intoxicating scent and the aroused mews of pleasure he was unable to stifle. He buried his head in the crook of Vegeta's neck, trailing his tongue along his lustrous skin and blowing softly on the moistness. At the same time he gently slipped his oil-coated finger into the Prince's entrance, stretching the slighter man carefully. He was rewarded for his gentleness with a soft moan as Vegeta parted his legs, granting him easier access, and clutched his shoulders with lean, elegant hands, the Prince's soft, panting breaths echoing in Goku's ears.

After a time of gentle touches and soft, almost shy kisses, Goku raised himself up and slipped into Vegeta softly, watching the Prince's face for any sign of discomfort. It was not pain he saw, however, but fear, and the slighter man tightened convulsively, his eyes widening in panic. Goku paused, surprised and worried; he whispered softly, poised above the Saiyajin-no-Ouji,
"Vegeta?"
"I… I'm sorry, I… just continue Kakkarrot."

Knowing that to stop now would leave them both unsatisfied he gently finished, then rolled to the side, taking Vegeta with him, not wanting to crush the slender figure of his Prince beneath his own larger body.

"Care to tell me what that was about?"

For a second it seemed as though that whispered plea before had been an aberration and that Vegeta's mute refusal to communicate would be reinstated, but then the Prince blinked, looking down towards his feet.

"We had sex."
"Made love. And you know that wasn't what I was talking about Vegeta. Tell me. Now."

He tightened his hold on the small Ouji, adjusting his grip and brushing his fingers apologetically down bruised skin when he saw the slighter man wince; his gaze never wavered. Vegeta lowered his eyes once again, turning his head away.

"It… reminded me of…. something."
"Reminded you of what, Vegeta?"

Goku's tone was gentle but firm as was his hand, which he placed under Vegeta's chin, tugging the small, closed face back to rest on his chest. Vegeta licked his smooth lips, taking a deep breath and shifting in discomfort, his muscles undulating beneath his bronze skin. He did not know what it was that compelled him to reply, nor why he was so honest, but something inside him pushed him into doing so.

"… Frieza… Frieza often took me to his bed. He… he wasn't as gentle as you."
"He raped you."

Vegeta flinched, shaking his head emphatically. His skin paled slightly and he shifted once again, swallowing hard.

"No… no it wasn't, not really. I never fought him, not after…"
"Not after the first time? Or the second? It doesn't matter whether you fought him or not, whether you stopped doing so after the first or the fifth time, it's still rape. He didn't let you say no."

Once again the smaller Saiyajin shook his head,
"No. It was my fault anyway. It wasn't…"

Goku placed a finger over Vegeta's lips, effectively silencing him. He bent his head down till his mouth was by the Prince's ear and said firmly, "It wasn't your fault."
He echoed it through the mind-link, imprinting it as firmly as possible into the Ouji's mind.

Vegeta looked at him, wide-eyed, and then reached his hand up, trailing his fingers down Goku's cheek. He swallowed again, blushing slightly, the blood rushing to his cheeks, tinting his skin a delightful pink.

"I didn't know it could be so… painless."

Goku wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling him close and tucking his head under his chin. He rocked gently, cradling Vegeta possessively, his sympathy and love for his small counterpart almost overwhelming him.

"You are mine and no one is ever going to hurt you again. I love you, and I'm not letting you go. Ever."

Vegeta blushed again, resting his hand against the broad chest in front of him. He wanted to reply to Kakkarrot's statement but his fear, and his lack of practice at speaking, almost prevented it. Finally he whispered faintly, almost too low for anyone but himself to hear,
"I love you too."

Goku smiled into Vegeta's soft hair and rubbed his hand along the Prince's spine, eliciting a shiver and making the smaller man cuddle closer
"Good. Now sleep my Prince, I will be here."

They lay there, wrapped around each other, and eventually fell asleep, the larger man protectively hugging the smaller.