Crossroads

Chapter 22

The women seemed very reluctant to mention that Vegeta had been here, at first, but they knew they couldn't keep the information from him, so they came right out and admitted it the evening of Goku's return, speaking about it as casually as they could, and only mentioning it to one another, as to not involve Goku directly. They watched and waited for his response, gauging his reaction to the news to the best of their ability.

Goku was surprised, among other emotions he couldn't place immediately, but he played it off as though he was distracted and indifferent. He was distracted, but he was not indifferent.

After Vegeta's name was mentioned, in his determination to not show any emotion about him other than a dutiful respect for the man that would one day be his King, he laughed at something someone said, said very little in response to their chat about his visit, and avoided eye contact with nearly all of them. Eventually the women of the guard had ended their discussion of the elder Prince and it turned to other things, and Goku hung around for as long as he could stand it, before he went off to be alone, claiming to be exhausted.

The last thing he wanted was for them to believe that he's still in love with him. He honestly didn't know what he felt anymore, but he believed that there was no way he could possibly still have feelings for him. Maybe he was just still hurt by the way that things had gone down. He wasn't sure.

They treaded lightly on the topic altogether over the next few weeks, no doubt thinking many things, the likes of which Goku didn't want to know anything about. He busied himself by investing his time in training and Chi Chi, but he knew something was off. Even as days passed, if they noticed that Goku was paying attention to any conversation about Vegeta they inadvertently had while in his presence, they either snubbed it out quickly, or turned to him and began to discuss Chi Chi, asking him how things were going.

He wasn't sure if they pitied him, or if they were trying to figure out where his head was, but he was grateful he didn't have to pretend to not be thinking about him for long or try too hard to remain aloof when it came to the topic of the Prince. Instead, they fawned, and they fussed over his new lover, and they insisted that they get to meet the young lady at her earliest convenience.

Goku agreed with that idea, hoping he could convince her to come with him to visit, and he let his thoughts wonder her direction as often as he could, and ignored the plaguing thoughts of missing Vegeta with everything he had.

Chi Chi was helping out with lessening the blow to his heart very much and he couldn't have been more grateful to her in ways she would never understand, and never know. He continued to see her every spare moment he got, and he cared for her more deeply each time he did. Only a little over two months have gone by since they met, but he was happier with her than anything, and at least their relationship was out in the open. Hell, he's already told Raditz and Bardock about her, sending them a picture of the photo that they had taken, and writing that he was doing well during his stay. To say that his family is excited about him being in a relationship, and with a woman, is an understatement. Goku was glad that he didn't have to be there to discuss it with them in person.

Honestly, he was upset to learn that he had missed Vegeta's visit entirely. He would have liked to see him, even if just for a minute, even if just in passing.

He figured, after thinking more about it, that it had probably been planned that way. Someone had enough foresight to consider that if Goku hadn't been away on vacation, then things might not have gone as smoothly as they did, at least, that's how he heard it had been from the rest of the guard.

Was it Vegeta that wanted to keep him at bay? Or Prince Tarble? Or his King? He didn't know that his existence, or lack thereof, meant so much to the Royal Family.