Crossroads

Chapter 18

Vegeta walks past him, into the kitchen and over to the counter, and then he looked around briefly, as though surveying his surroundings. Goku's eyes follow his movements while taking in the whole picture of him and trying to calm his own mind down as he wondered what he's doing here, and so unexpectedly. It's one in the morning and Vegeta's still wearing his armor. He looks remarkable, but out of place. Not nervous, really, but pensive, even more so than usual. Goku can't help but feel a little disdained by his presence, but he can't deny that he wants him to stay, nevertheless. Everything in his mind is telling him to demand that he leaves, but he just can't, because... What if he stays?

Goku tries speaking to him again, opening his mouth and then closing it, finding himself at a loss for words. Finally, he asks, thinking of nothing else, "Do you want a drink?"

"Yes," Vegeta nods, turning to face him. He presses his back to the counter and braces himself against the ledge, almost casually. His stance says that he wants to talk, but his face reveals nothing. Those dark eyes of his hold his passion in them, and although he's not looking at him, they portray it boldly, with a mystique Goku was sure he'll never get over. His thoughts are masked with a shielding, though, like his armor, thick and well-forged, the likes of which Goku believes he'll never learn the making of, no matter how desperately he wants to shed it from the other man.

"Okay..." Goku answers, still trying to get a grip. He sets his glass down as he began to move to the cupboard beside Vegeta to make him something to drink, all the while wondering what in the fucking universe is going on. His hands shake a little bit as he moves to the freezer to fill the glass with ice, and a surreal feeling came over him because how could this moment be actually happening?

He finishes his task, making the same drink he made for himself as he heard the seconds ticking by in their silence, or maybe that's his heart beating too loud, and he turns to the Prince and hands Vegeta the cup, before picking up his own. They each take a large drink, Vegeta nearly finishing the entire contents of his in one go.

Finally, the Prince asks, his voice uncommonly soft, and his concentration is on the cup in his hand, "What happened today?"

Goku answers, still stuck on disbelief mode, "... Um..."

"Don't play games with me!" Vegeta snaps and glares at him, but he doesn't seem angry. He says firm, but in a low voice, "I'm asking you, up front, about the disaster back in the training room that you destroyed earlier today: What happened?"

Goku lets out a breath of annoyance and says, batting his lashes away from him and turning his chin dejectedly, "I told Hanes and Jero, already. They attacked me."

"Yes, I know," Vegeta replies, equally annoyed, but he reaches up and pulls Goku's face back to look at him with gloved fingertips, as he asks, "Why?"

Goku looks at him strangely, still unable to reply, especially after that gesture, but Vegeta's hand leaves his cheek as quickly as it had come. He watches as Vegeta grips the countertop again. Goku wonders about the fact that he isn't questioning that they attacked him, only why they did. As his eyes move back up to look at him, he wonders about Vegeta's intentions in being here, more than a little suspicious. His fingers itch to grab a hold of him; to lift his face to his and kiss him boldly; to press their bodies together and forget the conversation Vegeta supposedly came here for.

Shaking his head but squaring his shoulders as he tried to understand what this is really about, he tells him, "I refused to leave so they could train alone." His emotions were bristling at the natural challenging aura Vegeta's oozing with, even if he does look so open and inviting in his body language. A moment ago, he had touched his face so gently, something he would never do unless they were alone, meanwhile, something in his eyes is demanding an explanation and he seems intent on getting answers, but Goku just can't believe that's all he came here for. He wants to believe otherwise, of course, that he came here because he couldn't stay away and he needed an excuse, but internally Goku's lesser desires were all but begging him to just go, and he wondered if Vegeta could tell how much he's arguing with himself. How much he's struggling to just stay the short distance away that he is. It's easier to say less when he's feeling so much.