Strange New World, That Has Such Creatures In It

Performance Fighting Chapter 7

Though there was room to sleep behind Vegeta and enough blanket to cover them both, Goku didn't want to spoil Vegeta's change of heart by sleeping next to him without his permission. The next morning, he woke up curled on the floor beside his mate with an aching back and as tired as he'd been the night before. Sitting up, he noticed that the sky was still dark, although the first rays of dawn were appearing on the horizon. The temperature had dropped during the night and the air was uncomfortably cool. He wrapped his own blanket around his shoulders and stood.

A soft whimper made him turn around. Jalen was still nestled in Vegeta's arms, but he raised his own chubbier arms out to Goku. From his look, he figured Jalen had been whimpering for a few minutes now and was getting impatient. Fat tears gathered in his eyes as he sniffled. Goku recognized that sound from raising Gohan. It was the noise babies made when they were filling their lungs, getting ready for an ear-splitting wail. He bent and gathered Jalen up before he even thought of what Vegeta would say.

"Are you hungry?" he whispered, letting his son grab his fingers. Jalen pulled his hand up to his mouth and tried to bite. Goku's eyes widened. "Wow, I think your teeth are already coming in." He pulled his hand away and looked into Jalen's mouth. Sure enough, tiny white edges were already poking through.

"I wonder why you're not crying," he said. "Gohan cried the whole time he was teething."

Meanwhile, Jalen looked into Goku's eyes. This was his parent, he knew this, so why was his diiratta poking and prodding him and not giving him anything to eat? He whimpered again and grabbed Goku's hand, tugging it to his mouth again. When he didn't find any food, he growled and threw a miniature glare at him.

Goku knew that look all too well from his mate. Vegeta's "wounded prince" look meant that he better figure out exactly what he'd done to offend his mate and figure it out now. Usually Vegeta's mind worked in such complex patterns that Goku was left begging for his mate's forgiveness, soothing his prince as he slipped into his sulky moods, but this time he knew exactly what was wrong. Hunger was one thing he could understand.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Here..." He ripped a tear open in his palm and offered it to Jalen, who seized it and lapped up the spilling blood before clamping onto the wound itself. "It's okay. I can get a little grumpy if I don't eat, too."

When he heard his voice, Jalen glanced up at him but he didn't stop eating. He hadn't even taken a breath yet. This was blood was different from his teza's, a little cooler and more sugary. Teza's blood was thick and rich like hot cream, but Diira's blood was a little thin and sweet. After several minutes, he broke away from his meal and grinned at Goku, blood smeared across his mouth.

"Just as messy as Gohan was," he said and wiped the blood away. "Well, he had oatmeal instead of blood, but still...babies are messy."

Another whimper came from the bed, but this one sounded much different than Jalen. Goku gazed down at his mate, watching Vegeta turn slightly in his sleep. Despite their bond, Goku couldn't tell if Vegeta's usual tossing in bed was from nightmares or from flare-ups of old wounds. The prince never let his guard down entirely, even when he slept. He had a feeling it was a mix of both.

One of Vegeta's hands was trapped, twisted in the blanket, but his free hand moved blindly to where Jalen would've been nestled. When he didn't find him, whatever nightmare he was trapped in seemed to ride him harder. His breathing came faster, his body moved restlessly. Worried his prince might panic or wake up and assume the worst, Goku shifted Jalen's weight to one arm, freeing his other. Gently he slipped his hand into Vegeta's, bringing it to Jalen's.

Their son grasped Vegeta's hand, then looked at Goku. He'd already eaten, he didn't need anymore right now. First the prodding, now this? He was starting to think his diiratta was not all there.