In Your Dreams: Chapter 32

Goku knew almost immediately upon waking from his deep slumber that he wasn't comfortably tucked away in his warm bed. A cool breeze caressed his bare skin and blades of grass tickled his body as they swayed back and forth. He could feel the warmth of the sun's rays beating down on him and he could hear birds chirping all around.

Goku shifted as he drew a deep breath of fresh air into his lungs, and his brow furrowed when he became aware of the various sore spots that plagued his body. His back was aching and the skin on his chest and knees felt raw.

After cracking open his eyes, the Saiyajin squinted against the sun and slowly sat up on his knees. He stretched his arms above his head and arched his back as he yawned, and he flinched slightly when a few vertebra popped.

Goku's nose twitched as the wind suddenly shifted, bringing with it the smell of a campfire. His sensitive sense of smell detected not only the aroma of cooking flesh, but also the spicy scent that was uniquely Vegeta. A smile spread over his face as he finally pulled himself to his feet; however, the movement also made it apparent that his discomfort spread to more intimant places of his anatomy.

He really needed to be more careful about drinking.

He took a few stumbly steps forward before catching his stride, and Goku slowly made his way toward the smell of the fire. With each step he took he became more aware of the scent of flowing water, so he was more than pleased when he finally pushed aside some shrubs and spotted a large flowing river in front of him. A large fire was burning close to its' banks and several wild boar were roasting over the flames. Better yet, Vegeta was currently sitting by that fire in nothing more than his black pants from the night before.

With as much grace as a hung-over Saiyajin could hope to possess, Goku silently approached his mate, whose back was currently facing him. He knew the prince was already aware of his presence based on the way he shifted his body, but the older man was being nice enough to allow Goku to 'sneak' up on him anyway.

The younger Saiyajin chuckled as he finally closed the gap and wrapped his arms around Vegeta's shoulders, pressing himself against the elder's back.

''You heard me.''

Sharp black eyes turned to look at Goku with a smirk. ''Baka. I sensed the moment you woke up. Feeling a little sore, are we?''

The younger Saiyajin couldn't fight the blush that spread across his nose, and he snorted as he pushed away from the other man and got back to his feet. His tail swayed behind him as he moved to the river's edge and tested the water with his toes before wading into the gently flowing stream. When the water was deep enough to reach his chest Goku scooped up a handful of sand from the bottom and began to scrub at his skin with it. As much as he enjoyed being covered in Vegeta's scent, the grimy feeling of dried sweat and... other fluids wasn't quite so enjoyable.

Though his bath was brief, Goku was aware of the eyes on him the entire time, following his movements. The younger Saiyajin didn't tend to show off much, but he couldn't help but provide more of a show for his mate. Simple scrubbing motions became more deliberate and drawn out. His back arched more than was necessary, and his tail caressed his body more than a few times.

The rumbling growl that came from shore brought a mischievous smile to his face.

''Kakarotto! You'd better knock that off if you have any intention of eating your breakfast while it's still hot!''

Goku chuckled and dunked himself underwater to wash off any remaining sand before wading to shore. A small burst of ki quickly dried his body, and the younger Saiyajin caught the pants that were thrown at him a moment later. He looked at Vegeta in confusion.

''Put them on. I can't eat with your naked ass distracting me.''

The younger Saiyajin shrugged and slid into the black slacks before padding over to his mate and settling down beside him. A finely cooked thigh was thrust at him only moments later, and Goku blinked before taking the offered meat. His eyes moved to Vegeta, who had already begun to eat his own portion, and he had the feeling that something was bothering the older man. His brow was furrowed and his jaw was tense, and from what Goku could remember from the night before, there was no reason for him to be that way.

''Vegeta? Is something wrong?''

The younger Saiyajin startled for a moment when hard black eyes turned in his direction. The intensity in the other man's gaze caught him off guard and left him speechless.

A long stretch of silence passed before Vegeta snorted and turned back to him meal. ''Eat.''

Goku frowned at the obvious dismissal and he angrily took a bite of the cooked boar. He stared at the gravely ground in front of him as he reviewed last night's events in his mind, trying to recall what might have upset the prince. He remembered their coupling and how rough it had been. Had he been sober Goku probably wouldn't have been comfortable with the forcefulness his mate had shown, but in that moment, he hadn't cared. He also recalled Vegeta's insistence that he admit he was... owned? No, that couldn't have been it.

~Say it!

I'M YOURS!~

Goku frowned when the memory became clearer to him. He didn't belong to anyone! For years he'd been called a pet; hell, until the last couple of weeks he hadn't even had a name, and he refused to fall back into that category.

''Kakarotto.''

The younger Saiyajin's eyes darted over to Vegeta, who he was surprised to find was watching him with a strange expression; one he couldn't quite read.

''You told me something last night... something I don't think you would have mentioned sober.''

Goku could feel the color drain from his face, and he was suddenly torn between wanting to tune the prince's words out and morbid curiosity of what he'd said. There were so many things he'd never planned to tell anyone about his years in the lab, and he didn't have a clue as to what he'd revealed.

Vegeta, who could clearly see his mate's skin visibly pale, almost decided against pursuing the issue further, but he felt it was important to discuss it.

''Last night I wanted to pleasure you... orally. You resisted. You said you'd been forced to 'perform' for men before... and that you were a bitch for doing so.''

A wave of nausea suddenly overtook Goku as he listened to his mate's words, and he clamped his hand over his mouth before jumping up and stumbling to the tree line. He dropped to his knees as the few bites he'd eaten for breakfast came back up. The Sayajin's body trembled as he retched and struggled to draw air back into his suddenly starved lungs.

He couldn't believe he'd told Vegeta about that . What did his mate think now? Was he disgusted? Ashamed? He felt so humiliated!

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Vegeta watched as Kakarotto's face lost all color before he darted away. He sighed when the younger man dropped to his knees a little ways off and threw up what little breakfast he'd eaten. He'd hoped his reaction would be a little better, but he couldn't really expect anything less than this. Now he'd just have to work with it.

The prince waited until the painful sound of retching finally ebbed before he stood and approached the younger man. He frowned at the shivering body before kneeling down and wrapping his arms around Goku's chest, swiftly pulling him back against him before any protest could be made. Kakarotto tensed noticeably in his grip before attempting to pull away.

''Don't touch me.''

''Stop it, Kakarotto! I don't think any less of you.''

A muffled sob escaped the younger man's lips, and Vegeta tightened his embrace in response.

''How can you not?! You know... YOU KNOW! They made me... I'm disgusting, Vegeta! You shouldn't touch me!''

The prince growled and gave Goku a small shake when he tried to claw his way out of the older man's arms again. Vegeta rested his chin on the smaller Saiyajin's shoulder and wrapped his tail around a slender waist, gently stroking the exposed flesh with the soft fur. His growl melted into a low rumble, and its' soothing qualities took effect on Kakarotto almost instantly.

The younger Saiyajin's struggled lessened and his gasping sobs soon evened out into a more normal breathing pattern. His tense muscles relaxed and he soon leaned into the prince's embrace rather than fight to get out of it.

''I'm disappointed, Kakarotto.''

Goku flinched at that.

''I'm disappointed that you would think so little of my love and devotion to you. Do you honestly think I'd abandon you because of abuse you suffered? Do you think I'd leave you for something that was beyond your control?''

A small hiccup. ''I don't know...''

Vegeta drew in a deep breath and nuzzled his nose into the other man's neck. ''Then I haven't been a very good mate up until now.''

Wide black eyes turned on the older man. ''Don't say that! You've been perfect!''

The prince grinned and shook his head. ''If that was the case you never would have doubted me.''

Vegeta caught Goku's chin when he tried to turn away, and he moved forward to place a kiss on those pouting lips. He paused, however, when the younger Saiyajin jerked away from him and raised his own fingers to his mouth.

He still thought he was dirty.

With a growl Vegeta grasped the other's chin again and crushed their lips together before any protest could be made. He ignored Goku's muffled response and pushed his tongue forward, urging the other to let him inside. For a moment he thought he might be denied, but a second later the younger Saiyajin's lips parted, granting him access to the sweet cavern. Their tongues intertwined and Vegeta did his best to convey all the passion and love he held for his mate with that one kiss, and when he felt Goku melting against him, he knew he'd succeeded.

When they broke apart Vegeta was surprised to find tears in Kakarotto's eyes, but a smile on his lips.

''I'm so stupid...''

''Baka...''

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''Well, it's about time you two showed up!''

When Goku and Vegeta had finally returned to Capsule Corp later that morning, Bulma had been waiting, hands on her hips and hair in disarray.

''Woman, you look like shit.''

The blue haired woman snarled at the prince and stood in his path when he tried to move past her.

''Care to explain to me why I woke up with Yamcha in my bed?!''

Vegeta rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ''You're a big girl; I didn't think it was my job to deny you a bed partner. You seemed more than willing to fuck him last night, after all.''

Bulma's face turned beat red, but neither Saiyajin could determine if it was from anger or embarrassment. She seemed to fumble around for words until her eyes rested on Goku. She scanned him over only once before gasping and moving forward to fawn over him like a mother would her child.

''Goku, what happened?! You've got bruises all over and your eyes are red! Have you been crying? Did something happen at the club last night?! Did Vegeta get too rough?!''

The older Saiyajin frowned and pulled Bulma away from his now blushing mate. ''Knock it off, woman! You're embarrassing him!''

Bulma huffed and pulled her arm out of his grasp. ''Well excuse me for being concerned! He looks like he's been in a fight!''

A sinister and evil smile spread over Vegeta's lips, and Goku knew before the words even left his mate's mouth that he'd be mortified by them.

''Saiyajin sex isn't about being gentle, and if his screams were anything to go by, Kakarotto more than enjoyed being roughed up a little.''

After Bulma's jaw dropped Goku took that opportunity to slip out of the room. He knew the next time he came across the woman, she'd had a lot of questions... and for that, Vegeta would pay dearly.

To be continue...