The Prince’s body tingled with awareness. He felt
his skin prickle, his face grow hot, his mouth go suddenly dry, his heart rate
increased. He couldn’t stand it anymore. The intensity of that gaze was enough
to make him go mad. He was going to scream. He was going to…
“All right, Kakkarrot! Spit it out!” he growled,
slanting a wary glance at his companion.
“Huh?”
“You heard me! You have been staring at me all
afternoon and it is beginning to irritate me. So just ask me the damn
question!”
“Oh…okay…just promise me you won’t get mad okay,
Vegeta?” the taller man pleaded.
“Just ask…” Vegeta began saying, getting annoyed
by the minute.
“Right…” Goku mumbled.
Staring across the lake that they had stopped for
a little rest, after another marathon round of sparring, he dared to ask the
question that had been plaguing his mind.
“Are we friends, Vegeta?” he finally blurted out,
noticing the slight flinch from the smaller man.
Thinking that he was never going to be given an
answer, Goku let out a weary sigh, before the rough voice replied,
“Friends…”
“Hai, Vegeta,” Goku said. “Are we friends?”
The prince of the Saiyan race frowned slightly as
his gaze lifted up to the heavens in a sort of silent plea. Crossing his legs
and folding his arms across his chest, he closed his eyes and concentrated for
a minute or so…
“What is your definition of friend,
Kakkarrot?” he asked in a calm voice.
“Well…” Goku began, not really sure of what he was
planning to say. “I guess it would be someone that sort of means a lot to you
or something…”
“So… do I mean a lot to you, Kakkarrot?”
“Of course, you do,” Goku blurted out, his cheeks
flushing red, although the prince’s eyes were still shut.
“Interesting. So I presume the way you feel about
the onna and the others, applies to me as well, ne?” Vegeta said, his voice
beginning to sound cold.
“Well, I…”
“Why would you consider me a friend,
Kakkarrot?” the prince bit out sharply, his eyes now squeezed even tighter.
“Vegeta…” Goku whispered softly, wondering what
can of worms he had opened up now.
“If I became more like the others, would that make
me more of a friend to you?”
“I…”
“If I became more ‘normal’, with your stupid human
emotions and your ‘caring’ and your annoying antics, would that make me more of
a friend, Kakkarrot?”
Goku bowed his head in misery and confusion. He
hadn’t really meant to annoy Vegeta, not this much at least.
“I am sorry, Vegeta. I shouldn’t have asked…”
“Well, you did Kakkarrot and you are going to
receive your answer!” the prince snapped, opening his eyes to pin their inky
black depths upon the pale visage before him. “I do not know what you consider
as a friend, Kakkarrot, but I refuse to become one of those beings that
you surround yourself with. If you think that being more ‘together’ with the
others, come to your stupid parties with that old geezer, celebrate your
useless earth celebrations, be nicer, smile a little bit more, flash a grin
here and there…if you think I will do all those things, just to
become a proper friend to you…then you are sadly mistaken!”
“You don’t have to change…”
“I will not stoop to their level, Kakkarrot. Not
for you! Not for anybody! I might mean nothing more to you than just another
one to ‘take-care’ of, but I still have my pride and my dignity!”
“I never said you had to change completely,
Vegeta!” Goku yelled back. “All I ask is just for a little respect…once in a
while…”
“Respect, huh?” Vegeta snorted, getting to his
feet.
“Respect…” he mumbled in a softer tone, as his
gaze fell over the horizon.
“Yes, Vegeta…” Goku answered, staring at the stiff
stature of his prince. “I only…”
“I have always respected you, Kakkarrot,” Vegeta
whispered, so softly that Goku could barely believe he had heard that. “Much as
I hate to admit it…”
An awkward silence fell for several minutes as
each Saiyan pondered on the reluctant admission. Finally, Goku spoke out.
“So…so…” he began, clasping his hands in a tight
grip. “Does…does… that mean we are friends then?” he asked, holding his
breath for the answer.
Vegeta turned his head slightly to stare at the
only Saiyan left in the universe and giving a small smile, he answered,
“Hai, Kakkarrot,” he replied, before turning his
gaze back out to the horizon. “If it means that much to you…then I guess…we are
friends.”
THE END