Hours later they were all seated at a rather large picnic table, various meats set before them.
"Are your friends in a custom of preparing so much?" Vejita asked, wiping at a bit of blood that had leaked from his mouth when speaking.
"Well, we had to cook more since Goku's here." Bulma said, giving her close friend an I-wish-you-didn't-eat-the-way-you-do look.
Goku chuckled, "Hey, I can't help it." He said as he began filling his plate.
"Man, that was pretty impressive. I guess it's true then, you're a Saiyajin." Yamcha said, still finding it hard to believe.
Goku simply smiled through a mouthful, shoving food into his face, swallowing it nearly whole.
They came to find that it was a Saiyajin trait to eat so much and so quickly, however, they all noticed that their newest addition to the group ate with a little more manners, keeping perfect posture at all times, like royalty or something.
Not fifteen minutes later, everyone had their plates full and were beginning their meal, chatting between bites, while Goku sat back, finished. His stomach was full and he'd untied the blue sash around his waist to allow for more room. Vejita was also finished, but still had his dignity.
"Wow, that was really good." Goku said after burping rather impressively, receiving a grin from Krillin and Yamcha and a look of utter disgust from Bulma and Chi-Chi.
"Pig." Bulma muttered.
"Are you still bleeding?" Chi-Chi asked, noticing that a dribble of blood had escaped the refined Saiyajin's lips yet again.
"Hn." Was Vejita's only answer as he wiped it away with the back of his hand, only adding to the red stains on his gloves.
Goku turned his attention to the announced wound, noticing a bit of swelling on his new friend's right cheek, "Lemme see." Was all he said as he took hold of the older man's chin, urging him to open his mouth. Vejita's eyes went wide, but he allowed the contact for the gods know why. It was strange, the warmth of the boy's flesh against his own. Now that he thought about it, This was their first skin to skin connection.
"Ah, looks like I knocked a tooth out in tha back. The one next to it looks cracked." Goku said after his inspection, noticing the way Vejita leaned forward as if he missed his touch instantly, wanting more, but, this being Goku, thought nothing of it. Instead, he went to work retying his sash.
"I guess Goku really got the better of you, huh?" Yamcha boasted, unable to resist bragging, even if it wasn't his victory. Vejita smirked.
"Nah, he wasn't powered up all the way yet. Well, I wasn't either, but he's still stronger than I am." Goku said, keeping his eyes focused on the knot he'd just made at his waist. Reminding himself that he was just going to have to train harder.
Vejita nearly let his mouth drop open. Nearly. What a surprise it was to hear that the boy hadn't been fully powered up! For his age, he was amazing!
"Man, you stink." Krillin said, catching a whiff of his best buddy's odor as he raised his arms in the air, stretching.
Vejita unnoticeably sniffed the air, catching the scent easily. It was a bit strong, but held that same earthy, sugary smell that made it so unbelievably tantalizing.
Goku sniffed at himself, finding that he did kinda smell. Then, he proceeded to glance from the beach back to the others.
"You guys wanna go for a swim?" Everyone quickly shook their heads, nearly all of them still eating. Goku looked to Vejita.
"Common, Jita! Let's go for a swim, cool off." Goku said, grinning like a goof as he rose from his seat.
Vejita couldn't help but smirk, rising from his seat as well as they proceeded to the beach. He watched as the boy suddenly began peeling away his clothing, not stopping until he was nude. Vejita forced back the heat that was trying its best to sneak to the surface of his cheeks as well as other places.
"Oh, Goku!" Bulma called through a mouthful of chicken.
The group ignored Goku's yips of glee as he hurried into the cool water, diving in, "He does this often?" Vejita questioned.
Bulma turned again, surprised at being addressed by the newcomer, "Uh, yeah. He's Goku, child forever, totally unashamed. Training doesn't work, so, don't try it." With that she turned back around.
Vejita simply turned his attention back to the Earth-Saiyajin, beckoning him to join him. Smirking, the proud Saiyajin kicked off his boots, pulled off his gloves, and removed his sleeveless spandex shirt, remaining in his navy spandex pants. Feeling a bit playful for some very odd reason, he jumped high into the air, diving into the salty water, coming up beside his new-found friend. Goku just grinned, certainly not bashful of his birthday suit.
"Feels great, huh? I used ta live near a river, always went swimmin' on hot days. Fished there a lot too."
Vejita found it almost charming the way the boy took on a thoughtful expression, remembering the past, "When I was a child on our home planet, I'd often go out at night for the sensation of a cool night. I was punished severely every time I was caught, but it was worth it." Receiving an almost puzzled look, Vejita elaborated.
"On Planet Vejita there were two suns and they were rather close. We never had seasons. It was always as it is during the summer here on Earth, but during the night, much like the deserts here, it got cool, sometimes cold."
"But why'd ya get in trouble for goin' outside?" Goku questioned, finding himself more than interested in a past that could have been his.
"Ah, well, my family was of the prosperous and it was dangerous for such a child to wander alone at night There were many criminals and rebels as well as desperate homeless. It just wasn't safe." Vejita explained, leaving out a tiny detail that would explain it all much more simply.
"So, you were a tough, carefree kid too?" Bulma said, having returned to her nearby lawn chair.
"Hn." Vejita answered, not seeing the point in speaking with the woman. He didn't exactly give her the cold shoulder either though, perhaps because Kakarotto cared so much about his friends, and she was, in fact, a close friend of his.
"Hey, I think it might rain." Yamcha said, looking up from his extremely late book report, staring up at the gray sky.
"Nn… Yeah, it's gonna rain." Goku said, sighing before smiling to the others, then diving down beneath the water. Yamcha muttered, "How does he know?"
"Saiyajin senses are so sensitive. You can't even begin to imagine." Vejita answered simply before diving down as well.
"He can be such an asshole." Yamcha said through an exasperated sigh, looking to his girlfriend for her opinion.
"I agree. There's something fishy about him." She said, narrowing her eyes at the ripples, the only current proof of their presence.
"I can't believe he's stronger than Goku. He's so short." Chi-Chi said, remembering back in the day when Goku was defeating the seemingly undefeatable opponent.
"Height has nothing to do with strength." Krillin muttered.
"They're both so handsome." Maron said, chiming up for the gods know why. Krillin looked to her, his eyes large, but he knew better than to be upset. Maron thought anything breathing was appealing.
Bulma watched as the ripples slowly faded, the waves erasing them rather quickly. However, several small splashes began appearing on the calm waters. Soon, thousands of tiny droplets were unleashed upon them, the water's smooth surface obliterated into a frenzy of tiny splashes.
Screaming, the three girls hurried inside with Meijin Roshi in tow, "I guess he was right." Yamcha said as he and Krillin slowly rose from their seats, making their way inside without hurrying. The cold rain was a welcome from the heat of the merciless sun.
"What about them?" Rio questioned, gesturing to the water.
"Oh, Goku could always hold his breath for the longest time. It'll be a while before they come up. I don't think they mind the rain anyway." Krillin said, the three boys stepping inside.
Rio closed the door behind him; this was getting more and more interesting.
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Goku swam out a ways where the ocean floor was at least twenty feet from the surface; he then proceeded to swim to the coral-littered floor, knowing full well that Vejita was right behind him. The sharp sounds from above, almost resembling a pitter-patter told him simply that it was raining. No matter how appealing a fly in the rain was, however, he and Vejita seemed to be playing some kind of game, a contest. They were waiting to see who could hold their breath the longest.
It must have been ten minutes while they tread water above the peach-colored coral, watching as various species of fish swam about. Goku was impressed, his lungs were already beginning to burn and he'd released all the air he held in them minutes ago, but he wasn't going to give up. He wondered if his expression was as cool looking as Vejita's.
The older Saiyajin was just sitting there, arms crossed, nearly half the air from his lungs fighting to get to the surface as fast as possible not long ago as well. It seemed he'd amazed the boy when he'd released the glass like bubbles slowly from his mouth, both of them watching as they swooshed back and forth on their journey upward.
Goku couldn't give up, in point off fact, he didn't, but that didn't stop his body from reacting on instinct, suddenly gasping in a lung-full of salt water. Vejita smirked before shaking his head disapprovingly, the boy shouldn't be so foolish as to risk his life over a game, however, if the situation were reversed, he was positive he'd have done the same. Pride kept their kind from giving up, although it didn't do much for their survival.
Swimming forward, trying his best to ignore the fact that the boy was nude, he took hold of broad shoulders, shaking gently and then roughly. It seemed Kakarotto was unconscious. If this continued, the boy could suffer from brain damage. Vejita forced back a smirk, thinking it wouldn't make much difference.
The trip to the surface was a long one and the weak human friends of his wouldn't be of much help. Deciding he had no other choice, he leaned forward, centimeters separating their faces. With only a hint of hesitation, Vejita pressed his lips to the boy's, pushing the last of the air in his lungs into the limp body before him.
Goku's eyes flashed open and he began gasping, quickly realizing he was underwater. Without much thought he began propelling himself upwards, toward the surface, toward the much needed oxygen. In the back of his mind, however, was the faint memory of a warm kiss that was the only explanation for the tingle he felt on his lips, like electricity.
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"There they are!" Krillin exclaimed. They were all crowded around the kitchen window, watching as their long time friend and the practical stranger surfaced. It seemed Goku was coughing, out of breath perhaps.
"Wow, that was nearly twenty-five minutes. Not counting when we weren't timing them." Bulma said, looking down at her digital Capsule Corp. watch.
--------------
"Wanna go for a fly?" Goku said, climbing to his feet as he neared the shore, stepping over to his sopping wet clothes lying strewn out on the sand.
Vejita remained silent for a long moment, trying to figure out why he couldn't take his eyes off the fool, then it occurred to him that he'd been asked a question, "Hn, why not?" He said, more a statement than a question, stepping over to his own clothes, pulling them on with some effort.
"Great, I love the rain." Goku said, repeating himself until Vejita told him to shut up about it.
The older Saiyajin flew at a normal distance, close enough to talk, but nothing more. It seemed out of the question to speak, however.
Goku's eyes were closed as he reveled in the power of his senses. The thunder crashing overhead echoed in his ears like some giant string instrument being played by a god. The lightning's electricity surged, making the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up, sending shivers down his spine until it snapped and cracked before repeating the process. He knew exactly where he was, knowing the area like the palm of his hands, but it felt so blissfully different at the same time. The cold rain was gently massaging his entire body, making the air smell of a freshness completely opposite of the artificial freshness advertised on many cleaning products. There was another smell there too though, something familiar, addicting. It was like a candle he'd smelled at Bulma's once. He racked his brain trying to remember the name of the scent, but it didn't come to him. Nothing would. His mind was in sensory overload as it was.
"Perhaps we should head back."
Goku opened his eyes, realizing that they weren't where he thought they were. They were nearing the city, not far from the island, but it was still surprising. Before long they were nearing the large pink house again, large red letters stenciled across it at an angle, reading: KAME HOUSE
