Chapter Text
Vegeta has already unbuckled and started to shift, eager to get out of this dented, yellow deathtrap of a vehicle lovingly nicknamed The Flying Nimbus that could only be started by Goku jiggling the key in the ignition a certain way. Vegeta waits for him to get out of the car, but Goku's hands remain glued to the worn steering wheel.
Vegeta looks out the window at the house, then back at Goku’s solemn expression. “Well? Is this the right place?”
“Wha-? Yeah, yeah.” He regathers his thoughts. “It’s—yeah.”
“Are we… going inside?” Vegeta prods carefully.
“Yeah. I just… need a minute. I gotta… think about what I’m gonna say.”
Vegeta chooses not to point out that he’s had plenty of time already to do that and instead lets a few more quiet minutes pass, watching Goku’s knuckles tense and whiten as his grip continues to stress the steering wheel.
Goku’s voice is quiet and dejected when he finally speaks. “I, uh, I decided… I don’t wanna do this anymore.”
“What?” Vegeta tries not to let his immediate disappointment show. “We’re already here, Kakarot. They are expecting us.”
Goku’s mouth opens and he starts to say something, but puts the car into reverse instead and looks in the rear view mirror as he prepares to back out of the driveway.
Vegeta places his hand on Goku’s and puts the car back into park. He inhales deeply and tries to sound patient and understanding instead of like he was seconds from tearing Goku’s head off. “Kakarot.” Vegeta closes his eyes with an annoyed exhale. “You said you wanted me to meet your parents. Properly.”
Goku nods.
“And after I reassured you several times, ” he emphasizes. “That you can introduce me anyway you see fit—they’re your parents, so of course I will follow your lead—this is what you told me you wanted to do.”
Goku nods again.
“We have planned this trip for the last three months. Three months , Kakarot.” Vegeta tries to hold Goku in his glare but Goku avoids it. “You even said your mother, who’s met me before, was excited to see me again. And you told me you explained to them my criminal history and the incredible story of how our ‘friendship’ illuminated my moral compass and helped me begin my ‘journey of reform’ so that I wouldn’t be ambushed by your father background-checking me at the door. That was our agreed upon alibi, wasn’t it? That is what you told them?”
Goku nods a little reluctantly.
Vegeta closes his eyes and exhales as he finally realizes, “You didn’t tell them, did you?”
Goku starts to nod, then shakes his head.
“Did you at least tell them you were bringing someone?”
“...No.” Goku sulks, guilty now that the truth is out and starts to apologize until Vegeta cuts him off.
“Okay.” Vegeta inhales and exhales slowly as he feels his temper rising. “So, not only have you had months to decide whether or not you wanted to do this and at the VERY LEAST prepare them—your family of cops— for the fact that you are bringing a convicted criminal into their house , but you also had three hundred and thirty-six miles to tell me you didn’t do that so I could tell you to turn the fuck around before I walked in there and got myself fucking arrested!”
“Yer not gonna get arr—”
“Do they even know about the fucking case?! Did you tell them that?! Please, Kakarot, tell me you at least told them about—”
“I—I mean, I told them a little ‘cause of Raditz but...” Goku chews his cheek and avoids Vegeta’s judging scowl as he starts to shift back into reverse. “But that was more like, West City news, an’ they really only watch, like, local news, so I jus’ thought maybe it’d be better to tell them in person, but now I’m not sure an’ I don’t—”
“AHHH! Are you fucking SERIOUS right now?!” Vegeta shouts in frustration before pressing the knob back into park. “I don’t care what you thought! We are here regardless of whatever the fuck has been going through your head for the last three fucking months, Kakarot! For months you lied to me!”
Goku puts it back into reverse. “You’ve lied to me for longe—”
“Don’t you fucking dare try to use that right now!” His glare hardens and Goku looks away already regretting having said it. “I withstood your awful country music, your even worse singing, and your twenty-two almost-collisions—I counted!—without complaint for six hours even after you dragged your feet all morning and we left later than we were supposed to and got stuck in traffic and—”
“I’m sorryy,” he starts to whine as he shifts the vehicle to reverse again.
“And I withstood this ‘road trip!’ not because I enjoy road trips!” He smacks Goku’s hand away from the gear shift and slams it back into park. “I do not! But because I know this is important to you.” He grinds his teeth. “So goddamn it, Kakarot!” Vegeta grabs his shoulders and shakes him. “You are going to get out of this fucking car and you are going to knock on that door and you are going to say something ! At this point I don’t give a fuck what you tell them! And if I have to eat at some shitty diner and stay in a disgusting motel so I’m not imposing, that’s fine, but I am not going siiix fuckkinnggg hhooouuurs, Kakarot,” he draws out with exaggerated annoyance as he tightens his grip on Goku’s shirt. “Six hours! Back to the city tonight. In fact—and this is me being reasonable—if you try to put this car in reverse again”—he pulls Goku closer—“I will kill us both.”
“Aww.” Goku smiles. “Can’t live without me, huh?”
“I SWEAR to—” Vegeta cuts himself off and lets go of Goku. He exhales slowly in an attempt to compose himself, but he is still shaking with rage.
Goku leans back into the seat and blows air up into his bangs. “Ok. Ok.” He turns the car off and finally gets out.
They stand at the door for several more painfully uncomfortable minutes as Goku waits and adjusts his clothes, and waits, and casts nervous glances at Vegeta and waits, and frets over imaginary wrinkles on his shirt that he never seemed to care about when they were real.
“Just fucking knock, Kakarot! You’re driving me crazy. It’s going to be okay!”
“H-how do you know?” Goku says as he glances at the door.
“Because—fine, fine! How about a back up plan: if it goes badly, I’ll call Raditz.”
“What? Why? What could he do? He’s still on house arrest.”
“If he can find a way to fuck his girlfriend, then I’m sure he can find a way to show up and distract your parents with emotional trauma so we can escape or—I don’t know, but I’m sure he’ll think of something.”
Goku considers this as a legitimate option for a moment before asking, “You think he’d do that for me?”
“No, but”—Vegeta shrugs—“I know he’d do it for me.”
Goku pouts and opens his mouth to protest, but is interrupted by the door opening.
“Kakarot!” His mother beams. “I thought I heard yer car pull up!” She pulls him into a tight hug and kisses his cheek before letting him go and turning her attention. “Oh! And Vegeta!” She says with surprise before quickly pulling him into a hug too that he very awkwardly returns because he did not expect it. “I didn’t know you were comin’!” She pulls back and frowns at her son. “Why didn’t ya say somethin’?”
He rubs the back of his neck and catches Vegeta’s eye twitching as he mumbles, “Kinda… spur of the moment… Is it ok if he—”
She scoffs. “Well ya shoulda told me before ya got on the road at least! I gotta get another place all set an’—oh gosh, we might have to set up that other table after all—Ma!” she shouts behind herself. “Can you pull the extra ham outta the freezer?! I gotta find another chair for the table!” There is another shout in the affirmative from someone else. “Sorry!” She lets out a soft genuine laugh. “It’s so nice to see you again! Please come in! Come in! Get outta this cold!” She hurries them through the door and quickly takes their coats. “Do you boys want anything? Anything to drink or eat or—I got some stuff set up already but I can always make ya somethin’ else too if ya—”
“I’m fine.” Vegeta waves off the offer.
Goku shakes his head. “Where’s dad?” he asks quietly.
“He’s still at work,” she replies just as quietly with a hand on his shoulder. “But he should be here before dinner.”
Goku sighs half-relieved, half-disappointed.
“Well, I hope ya brought a big appetite, Vegeta! That’s the one thing we ain’t never short on in this house is food. So I jus’—” She is interrupted by another shout from the kitchen. “Be right there!” she calls back. “Goodness, I’m sorry, ya caught me in the middle of cookin’, so—I said I’ll be right there!” She shakes her head, “Ka, can ya show him around? An’ get him—” Her attention is pulled by something clattering in the kitchen and she quickly darts away with their coats still in her hand.
“Kakarot…” Vegeta mutters out of the corner of his mouth. “You did not tell me your entire extended family was going to be here too.”
Goku bares his teeth in a forced awkward smile and he shrugs apologetically at him.
The tour of the house is a blur of rooms and old rugs and bookshelves and ancient knick-knacks that must be worth a fortune if Vegeta were to guess, and it is constantly interrupted by introductions to Kakarot’s enormous family, half of whom all smile warmly, excited to meet someone new and the other half, who acknowledge him but eye him warily as an obvious out-of-towner.
Vegeta tries to act casual through it all, like he isn’t insanely stressed out. He tries to look and walk ‘straight’ and make good impressions and not-too-obviously follow Kakarot wherever he goes. He doesn’t remember anyone’s name, but he does remember all of the possible exits Thank god for my skillset , so when Goku is finally pulled away from him permanently because he is required in the kitchen, Vegeta quickly evades what would have been a long one-sided conversation with a friendly relative about the arduous process of distilling their own alcohol in a bathtub and escapes to the empty back porch where it will be impossible for him to royally fuck everything up.
“Jesusfuckingchrist. This was a terrible idea. How did I let him talk me into this?” He sighs to himself and leans against the railing and looks out at the beautiful snowy yard he’d only seen in pictures before putting down half his glass. He rubs the creases in his forehead and prays that he won’t commit any crimes by the end of the night. And also— where the hell am I sleeping? Here? His room? A different room? A hotel? The car? …Please not the fucking car. He frowns. He should have clarified that before they stepped foot in here. He takes out his phone to message Kakarot discreetly about his concerns.
“Not much of a party guy, eh?”
Vegeta is startled by the voice and whips around, shocked to find that not only is he not alone, but that he has managed to inadvertently land himself in the worst case scenario. “Uh, no, not—” he stammers.
“Ah tha’s a’right. Me either,” he says as he takes out a cigar and lights it. He sits with his feet up on the small coffee table and his arms stretched across the back of the wicker couch. “You must be… Vegeta, right? Ka’s... roommate?” Vegeta nods and forces a weak smile. “Bardock, his dad.” He extends his hand.
There isn’t really a need for introductions; Vegeta was already sure as soon as he saw him that he was Goku’s father, Bardock, because he is the spitting image of Kakarot except… thirty years older and… that scar is very unsettling. And Bardock was clearly already sure that he was the ‘friend from the city’ Kakarot dragged in, but they go through the formalities anyway.
Vegeta takes a half-second to make sure he overthinks the situation. Because his handshake has to be firm, not easily crushed, but also not firmer than Bardock’s, and he shouldn’t hold it too long either, but if he’s too quick to snap it away it shows weakness and are my palms sweaty? Do I look nervous? What if— The handshake is over.
Vegeta must have passed though because Bardock leans back and gestures for him to sit down. Vegeta reluctantly sits in the chair across from him. “Relax… Jeez… Catch yer breath. I ain’t gonna bite. My wife can be a bit overbearin’ sometimes, I know. She’s jus’ excited her littlest is back.” There is an easy reassurance about him that reminds Vegeta of Raditz, if Raditz ever managed to clean his life up. “Whole family’s a bit much. But whatdya gonna do? Can’t say no to the in-laws, can ya?”
Vegeta nods and shifts, obviously not relaxed. He tries to pretend, but he isn’t very good at being relaxed even when he genuinely is. It is hard to uncoil when he’s spent so much of his life wound tightly. He never had much time for relaxing when he was young. He doesn't make time for it now that he’s older. He’s starting to regret that as he sits here stiffly, looking extremely out of place while making a conscious effort to, hopefully, not be sitting too ‘gay’ and wishing Kakarot told him literally anything about his father other than that he is the ‘Chief Deputy Sheriff.’ Whatever the fuck that means!
He offers a cigar to Vegeta. “You smoke?”
“Oh, no.” Vegeta waves off the offer. “...Thanks,” he remembers to add because he is trying to make a good impression.
“Mm. That’s good. You drink though.” He motions to the tumbler in Vegeta’s hand and Vegeta nods as he grips it a little tighter.
“Also good.” Bardock smiles genuinely and lets a long silence linger, like he expects Vegeta to fill it, but Vegeta never does.
“So!” he says suddenly, interrupting the quiet as he crosses his ankles causing the table to creak. “Tell me ‘bout yerself, Vegeta.”
“...What?”
Bardock waves some of the smoke around him away as he speaks. “Yeah, whadya do? Where’re ya from? Whadya do for fun? That kinda stuff, Iunno.” He grins. “Icebreakers.”
Vegeta takes a second to process the questions and realize that Goku really hasn’t told them anything and that actually might work out in his favor for once. “I’m... I work as a private security consultant.”
“Oh yeah?”
Vegeta nods almost imperceptibly.
“For…?” Bardock gestures with his cigar. “Who? Freelance? Defense contractor? What?”
“Oh, uh, no. I work for Capsule Corporation.”
“Ohh okay… Capsule Corporation, eh? That’s a big name, I think I got one of their phones.” He sucks in a long plume of smoke as he squints a little, giving Vegeta the very distinct impression that he is being studied. “Must be a good gig.”
“Pays well.” Vegeta chuckles awkwardly under Bardock’s gaze. “Good hours.”
"Ya like it?"
Vegeta half-nods, half-shrugs.
“How’d ya get into that line of work? Security? If ya don’t mind me askin’.”
Vegeta hesitates because he does sort of mind that question and doesn’t know how he should answer. He doesn’t want to out himself as a criminal if Bardock doesn’t already know, but he doesn’t want to get caught in a lie either, so he tries to choose a soft middle ground that isn’t quite either. “It… found me, I guess.”
“It… found you?”
Vegeta nods and Bardock lifts his chin and waits to see if Vegeta will elaborate and exhales with obvious disappointment when he doesn’t. “Oohkay.” He sits up a little. “So where ya from, Vegeta?”
“West City.”
“Born an’ raised, huh?”
Vegeta nods.
“You ever been outta West City before?”
“No.”
“I can tell.” Bardock chuffs. “Ain’t a bad thing. I’m sure Ka was a bit underprepared for the city when he first got there. He ain’t never left home either. ‘Fore that anyway.”
He smiles weakly. “I figured.”
“Oh yeah?”
“He got lost. A lot.”
“‘Course he did.” Bardock laughs. “Made some friends along the way though, eh?”
“I guess so,” Vegeta says quietly as he struggles to keep his rarely used smile on his face.
“So whadya think of it out here?”
“Of—of Mount Paozu?”
He shrugs. “Sure.”
“It’s”—he hesitates—“nice. I’ve never seen mountains before… except in pictures, so that’s…” he laughs weakly. “They’re really something.”
“Oh yeah?” Bardock grins. “These’re jus’ the foothills too. Get another hour further north, now those are real mountains. If you boys got time this week you should definitely go, great skiin’ out there.”
Vegeta nods with reluctant interest and holds his tongue about the fact that he has never touched a set of skis and had no plans whatsoever to start this week. Although he supposes he wouldn’t mind watching Kakarot on the slopes from the comfort of a lodge.
Bardock frowns at Vegeta’s apparent lack of conversational skills. "So… Yer family live back in West City too?”
Vegeta squirms in his seat. "No."
“Oh?” Bardock pauses and waits again for more explanation that will never come. He ashes the cigar before giving up and asking, “Where they at?”
“I… don’t really have any. …Family.”
Bardock’s expression twists in confusion. “Ya ain’t got no parents?”
“They passed when I was very young.”
“Oh, sorry to hear that.” His brows furrow with genuine sympathy. “Any siblings?”
Vegeta shakes his head.
“Hope I'm not bein' rude or nothin’ askin’ all this. I’m jus’ thinkin’ there’s gotta be somethin’ more to ya other than that ya make good coffee, eh? I think that might be the only thing Ka's ever said about ya ‘sides yer first name.” He lets out an easy laugh, but there's something annoyed in his expression. “Although, lemme tell ya, my wife said the same thing and she doesn’t give that compliment often, so it really musta been somethin’ special.”
Vegeta lets out a short anxious chuckle. “Th-thanks…?”
“And it’s even less often my boy brings someone over, so you’ll just have to humor my curiosity.”
Vegeta doesn’t say anything to that because it feels like a trap. This whole conversation feels like a trap as Bardock tilts his head with interest. And Vegeta wonders now if Bardock already knows because this is feeling less and less like a conversation and more and more like an interrogation.
“So how’d you meet? You an’ my boy.”
"Rent’s… expensive in the city. So, I put an ad out for a roommate… and I guess he... needed a room.” He laughs nervously.
“Oh yeah? So it was kinda random. See, that I believe. The academy though? I dunno where my wife got that idea.” He smirks. “I jus’ can’t see it now that I’ve met ya. You ever thought ‘bout bein’ a cop?”
“Uh…”
“Mm." He laughs at something he never says and takes another puff of his cigar. "Didn’t think so. So how long you two been… roommates… for again?”
Vegeta carefully leaves out the part about how there was a several month long no-contact period between them at one point and that they weren’t technically living together while he was on house arrest. “About… three years…”
“Three years…” He nods like he knows something Vegeta doesn’t. “Wow, that’s a while, ain’t it?”
Vegeta shrugs with a half-hearted laugh. “Is it? I don’t really think s—”
“It is,” Bardock humorlessly assures him.
“...Oh,” Vegeta utters quietly as he avoids catching his sharp eyes.
“Mm.” He sucks on his cigar. “Yer terrible at this, you know that?” Bardock snorts.
Vegeta tries to keep the panic out of his voice. “At… at what?”
Bardock frowns sympathetically. “I was jus' really hopin’ you’d be chatty is all. I’m usually pretty good at gettin’ people talkin’, but I guess I’ll just have to cut to the chase with you, huh? Ah well.” He tsks. “So. How’s parole goin’? Five years not too bad, eh? That’s a pretty good deal, considerin’. Must be nice to be all done with house arrest.”
Vegeta stutters and his face blanches. “W-what?”
Bardock cracks a wide smug grin that he shares with his eldest son. “What, you thought I wasn’t gonna background check ya as soon as I got yer name?” He shakes his head in amusement. “Not s’posed to do that. Promised my wife I wouldn’t, but—” He shrugs. “I had to. Y’know since you and my son are… livin’ together ‘n all…” He gestures vaguely with his cigar.
Vegeta’s eyes widen and he sucks in a nervous breath. “Uhh…”
"You wanna know what’s funny though?”
“...What?” he asks even though he is sure it isn’t going to be anything funny.
“Nothin’ came up when I ran ya through! Ain’t that the damnedest? So imagine my surprise when I had an old friend of mine in WCPD fax me a copy of the Dragon Ball case file after the court trial wrapped up, y’know, since my other son was involved, an’ I saw yer name all over it!” He chuffs through a smokey exhale. “Sheesh. I bet if I ran ya now you’d light up the system, huh?"
Icy hot sweat forms on the back of Vegeta’s neck and his stomach turns. "Y-you read the… case fi—?"
“I had a feelin’ it wasn’t gonna be yer opener when I met ya.” He shakes his head with a snort. “That’s a’right. I don’t blame ya, honesty by omission ain’t a bad strategy when meetin’ someone’s parents for the first time.” He chuckles. “What a mess of a situation though, eh?" He shakes his head. "I’m impressed ya managed to squeak through unscathed. Mostly. Someone must’ve been lookin’ out for ya. For all of ya, really, cause if ya ask me that entire case reeks of mishandlin’.”
He feels sweat beading along his neck as he starts to panic. Bardock is right, the case does reek of mishandling. Nowhere in it does it ever mention the extent of their relationship, but some things are hard not to imply when they run as deep as that, especially if Bardock had friends in WCPD. "It's not—we’re just—" Ohfuck ohfuck ohf—
Bardock waves him off. “There wasn’t really a question in there, I know. An’ I really only got one I been meanin’ to ask ya; one real one, anyway. I already got all my other questions answered without even askin’.” He smiles mischievously.
Vegeta’s hands squeeze the tumbler nervously in his hands as Bardock takes another long inhale through his cigar. Please don’t ask who tops. Please don’t ask who tops. Please don’t ask who tops. Please don’t ask who— “Kakarot,” he mumbles quickly before he can be prompted. “Usually.”
“It’s about Radi—” Bardock pauses. “What?”
“Nothing.” Vegeta looks away as he realizes his mistaken assumption. “Never mind.”
“I—Okay.” He shakes his head in confusion before regathering himself and trying to figure out the best way to ask his second question. “It’s… Raditz.” He rubs the back of his neck with a slightly guilty look. “You work with him, don’t you? Worked? In the case file, it said… ”
Vegeta hesitates before answering. “Yes. He still works with me. At Capsule Corp.”
“That right?” Bardock leans back with a proud smile. “My boy. Workin’ with the big shots, huh? How’s he been since…?”
“He’s…” Vegeta pauses. “Honestly?”
Bardock nods.
“He’s… a mess.”
“I know that.” Bardock rolls his eyes. “But is he okay ?”
“Yes.” Vegeta nods. “Well, he’s dating a psychotic woman with split personalities who has tried to break into our workplace on multiple occasions now, but other than that…” he shrugs.
Bardock chuckles. “Can’t stay away from trouble, can he? ...He’s really doin’ alright?” He asks like Vegeta hasn’t really told him what he’s hoping to hear, but Vegeta’s not sure what other answer he could be looking for.
“You could… ask him. I have his number,” he says carefully. “Or you could ask Kakarot. They’re—”
“Ah, think dinner’s ‘bouta be served.” Bardock looks away with troubled brows. “Let’s say we go inside and join the party, eh? I’m sure you’ll find Kakarot somewhere around the food.”
Vegeta nods and takes the cue not to bring that up again, or tell anyone he asked. He tries to reassure himself that his conversation with Kakarot’s father was good and he wouldn’t get murdered in his sleep tonight, but he’s not quite sure and quickly makes a beeline to Goku. “Kakarot.” He nudges him with his elbow.
“Vegeta I been lookin’ everywhere for ya, we gotta go get firewood!”
“What?”
“Yeah, come on.”
“Firewood?” He looks at the lit, prospering fireplace. “For what?” But he never gets any clarification. Instead he is pushed into a pair of boots and jacket that don’t belong to him and pulled out the back door into the crisp snow and led into the woods.
He tries to ask where they are going when he is suddenly backed against a tree and kissed passionately by the local hometown hero’s prodigious son. “Ah~”
“Shhh. We’re not that far from the house,” Goku whispers against his neck with a playful laugh. “We do gotta get firewood, but I mostly jus’ wanted to talk. We haven’t even had one second alone this whole time since we got here.”
“Ok.” Vegeta says as he feels Goku’s mouth brush softly against his own before moving down his neck and then suddenly he feels freezing cold air against his skin as his jacket is pushed away and there are teeth sinking in lightly to his shoulder. Vegeta moans softly at the tingle of Goku’s warm mouth on his skin. “I thought you said you, ah, wanted to talk?”
“I do.”
Vegeta can feel the smile on his face just before he pulls away.
“Whadya think so far?”
“Of… of your family?”
“Of everything, I guess.” Goku’s arms snake around Vegeta until they find his back pockets and rest inside them.
“Overwhelming,” he admits as he feels Goku’s hands squeeze against him.
Goku whines quietly in disappointment.
“But nice. And the food is—Raditz wasn’t kidding—incredible.”
“Haven’t even gotten to the main meal yet!” Goku says with excitement.
“I know.” Vegeta sighs with dreamy satisfaction. “Your mother is a phenomenal cook. Even better than you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He laughs quietly. “Give me a few more years an’ I’ll surpass her. Just you wait.”
“I’ll happily be the judge of that.”
Goku rubs his nose into Vegeta’s with a warm hum.
“Also, on the bright side, I don’t know if you noticed, but I haven’t even been kicked out yet.”
“I—yeah, I was kinda worried about that happenin’ ‘cause sometimes yer kinda rud—” Vegeta interrupts him with a nip at his jaw. “Ow!”
“Shh,” Vegeta teases before finding Goku’s face in the darkness and tracing his hand along it’s smooth angles. “By the way… where am I sleeping?”
“Umm…” Vegeta feels Goku’s hands fidgeting in his pockets. “I dunno. I didn’t ask yet,” he confesses quietly.
“Kakarot…” he grumbles in annoyance as Goku starts kissing Vegeta along his neck, then his collarbone, then casually pulling up his shirt so he can get on his knees and let his mouth slide down Vegeta’s abs.
Vegeta rolls his eyes at the obvious attempt at distraction. “What are you doing?”
“Shh, or I won’t keep goin’.” His fingers tug at the waist of Vegeta’s pants until the button and zipper comes undone and his teeth quickly find the crease of Vegeta’s hip through his briefs.
“Stop, that tickles.” Vegeta laughs.
“Shh.” Goku stops and pulls away.
“I’m quiet. I’m quiet.” Vegeta pulls him back and Goku continues. He tugs Vegeta’s pants halfway down his thighs and pulls his briefs down just enough to—
“Unh—Kakarot!”
“Shh!”
Vegeta shivers and stifles a moan as the heat from Goku’s mouth teases his skin, and another as Goku runs warm hands up the backs of his thighs, gripping him tightly as his tongue begins to work its way around him. It is hard to be quiet. Vegeta has to cover his mouth with his hand to keep himself from crying out as Goku finally takes him into his mouth as deep as he can.
He has just admitted that he is starting to get close when they are interrupted. The back door opens, flooding half the yard with light and they hear Kakarot’s mother calling for him, wondering where he went.
Goku immediately pulls away with a choked slurping sound that he tries to mask with a cough as he wipes the saliva away from his mouth and chin.
“Fuck. Fuck!” Vegeta quickly yanks his briefs back up. He is careful not to catch himself in his zipper and awkwardly adjusts himself.
“No, no—” Goku tries to pull Vegeta’s pants back down. “She’ll go back in in a sec, lemme finis—”
“Fuck no!” Vegeta whispers harshly. “Are you crazy ?!”
“Vegeta~” he whines quietly.
“No!”
Goku sulks and his mischievous hands don’t leave Vegeta’s waistline, still trying to convince him.
Vegeta grabs his hands and stops him. “Really, Kakarot. I shouldn’t have let you start in the first place. That wasn’t fair, ambushing me out here.”
Goku looks up with a laugh in his eyes that disappears when he sees the troubled look on Vegeta’s face. “Fine, fine. I promise I’ll be good and wait until—”
“No, no. There is no ‘waiting until everyone is asleep.’”
Goku pouts as he stands up.
“I’m not going to play this sneaking around game in front of your family.”
“It’s not a ‘game.’ I jus’ wanna—”
“I know what you want. I want it too. But this is the first time I’m meeting them, really meeting them, and It’s going to make me look like the bad guy if this is how we are found out. And, God, for once, Kakarot, I really don’t want to be the bad guy.”
Goku’s frown deepens and he crosses his arms making Vegeta sigh in irritation. “Fuck, Kakarot. If you’re going to be like this, then I can’t do this again.”
Goku rolls his eyes with a sly smile. “Yeah, wait ‘til we been here four days. You’ll be beggin’ me to ‘go get firewood’ and—”
“Not that. This.” He gestures towards the house.
Goku turns and looks before asking, “What do you mean?”
Vegeta hesitates before admitting, “I mean I can’t come back here and spend another week lying to your parents. To everyone, Kakarot. It’s… stressful.”
Goku’s hurt is deep and immediate. “But… you said—”
“I know. I know what I said, and I’m not going to pressure you to come out if you’re really that worried they won’t accept you, but—Kakarot, it puts me in such an uncomfortable situation when everyone keeps asking me about your personal life because they think I’m more willing to tell them about it than you are or when your mom starts trying to get me in on her schemes to hook you up with Chicha or whatever her name is or when your cousin tries to flirt with me and ask me if she can visit me in the city or—”
Goku narrows his eyes. “Which cousin?”
“It doesn’t matter! The point! Is that I’m doing this for you . And I’m glad I am, I’m glad I met your family, but—” his courage falters for a moment as he watches Goku clutch the firewood tighter to himself. “It is… so fucking hard. To keep up with this. I’m sorry, but I… I can’t do this again—”
“But I like being here… with you,” Goku interjects quietly.
“—until you tell them.”
Goku’s frown hardens and his nostrils flare with irritation. “You… you don’t understand. I can’t ,” he says quietly. “My dad—”
Vegeta scoffs. “He is the only person who didn’t bust my fucking balls about ‘who Kakarot’s dating.’”
“W-what?! You talked to my dad?! He’s here?!” Panic rips in waves across Goku’s face as he looks around the empty yard. “When?! Where? What did he say? …What did you say!?”
“Kakarot!” They hear his mother calling again and they don’t have time for this conversation, but Goku tries to hold him there for a second longer.
“What did you say?”
“I—I don’t know.” Vegeta sighs as he takes a moment to try to figure how to put it.. “He… asked me a bunch of questions?”
“What kinda questions?” Goku frets. “He’s really good at getting information out of people. Like, really good at it.”
“About me, mostly. He asked me what I do. About my family and how we met and… He knew about the case.”
“What?! He—he already knew!? How?!”
“I—I don’t know.” Vegeta’s confidence that it was a friendly conversation starts to falter the hotter Goku’s insecurity radiates. “He had someone in your department send him a copy, or something.” Vegeta tries to save dinner from being uncomfortable with the one highlight he remembers. “I think I made a good impression though. He said we should get out of here for a day and go skiing.” He chuckles softly in an attempt to soften the mood.
Goku’s panic stops dead in its tracks and there is a long quiet pause as it slowly turns to visible confusion. “What?”
“Yeah. He said up North there’s—”
“…My dad said we should go on a ski trip ? … Together? ”
“Yes?” Vegeta’s rare moment of optimism starts to slip away as he watches Goku’s expression shift. “Is there something wrong with that?”
“No.” He shakes his head and furrows his brow as he looks back at the house. “But…”
Vegeta tries to gather his thoughts and ask what he’s so upset about now— He didn’t even kick me out! Best case scenario, Kakarot!— but they hear Bardock’s voice calling for Kakarot and that one Goku doesn’t ignore.
Goku sighs. “Coming!” He quickly looks for a few fallen branches, picks them up, and walks off. Vegeta almost slips in the snow trying to keep up with him as they make their way towards the back door. Goku knocks the snow off his boots and heads inside with the wood that he quickly dumps next to the dwindling fire. Vegeta tries to follow him but is immediately a hostage to conversation with one of Goku’s cousins about Capsule Corporation conspiracy theories that Vegeta may or may not know to be true and they don't have another chance to talk even though they are seated next to each other at one of three large wooden tables packed to their capacity with food and people.
He tries to message Goku but Gine is quick to gently scold him about how there are no phones at the table in their house, especially not on the holidays. Vegeta apologizes and puts it away.
Goku nudges Vegeta's knee with his own under the table. “What?" he says just above a whisper.
Vegeta looks at him for a moment and he wants to tell him he loves him, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, they’ll still have each other, and he’s pretty sure it’s going to be fine anyway because Goku is obviously the favorite child, but he doesn’t know how to do that while sitting at the dinner table in front of Kakarot’s entire extended family without giving him a heart attack. So he decides to wait until later. “Nothing.” He smiles and simply nudges Goku’s knee back.
And suddenly dinner is easy.
After dinner, Goku resumes his cautious distancing that too often leaves Vegeta stranded, alone to deal with Goku’s family without help which results in him spending nearly two and a half hours trying to learn the rules of a family-specific board game before giving up and just accepting second to last place (because Goku’s flirty cousin let him beat her) as gracefully as he can.
Eventually cousins and uncles and aunts and grandparents and distant relations and neighbors trickle out of the house leaving Vegeta some breathing room to digest his food in peace and quiet and wonder anxiously again about where he is sleeping.
“Hey, Vegeta?”
He is startled by Goku’s soft voice suddenly so close to his ear and sits up, thinking he’d only closed his eyes for two seconds.
“Well, hello.” Vegeta leans back into a stretch and readjusts. He wants to run his fingers through Goku’s hair now that they are alone in a room together, but he doesn’t. Just in case.
“Can you… come to the kitchen with me?”
“Uhg. More food, Kakarot?” Vegeta throws his arm over his face. “I physically can’t . I will explode.”
“No, jus’—jus’ come with me. I, um, want you there. With me.”
“In the kitchen?” Goku nods. “Right now?” He nods again and Vegeta rubs his eyes and stands up. “Okay.”
When they walk in Gine is wiping the last crumbs of food away and Bardock is watching sports on a small tv, grumbling about a bad call. Only his mother looks up at him. “Can you boys help me with—?”
“In a minute,” he interrupts. “I got somethin’ I wanna talk about first.”
Vegeta’s eyes widen with shock and a little panic as he realizes Goku has apparently decided he is coming out right now without giving either of them a moment to prepare. Goku’s father sets down his drink and turns to him with an unreadable expression that makes Goku hesitate.
“Is it about a—” Gine starts with a smile, but Bardock rests his hand on hers, stopping her.
“Honey, how ‘bout ya jus’ let him talk.” He turns his stern face back to his son and gestures for him to continue.
“I, uh. Thanks,” Goku mumbles quietly. His eyes quickly dart to Vegeta before resting hopefully on his parents. Vegeta tries not to clench his jaw as silence stretches and he wonders what made Goku change his mind.
His father clears his throat and cautiously asks, “What did ya wanna talk about, son?”
“I, um.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Vegeta’s not my friend,” he blurts out anxiously.
“What?” Gine sends a warranted look of confusion to him and Vegeta tries his best not to slam his face into his palm.
“Yeah. I—he’s my b—” He exchanges glances with Vegeta and catches a hint of the well-repressed annoyance at the term. “My....” He takes a deep breath and nods slightly at Vegeta who nods back slightly, in the most encouraging gesture he’s ever shown anyone. “...partner.” As they stand there waiting very uncomfortably for the moment of truth, Goku carefully gauges his father’s reaction.
Bardock’s face collapses into his palms. “God, finally!” He lifts his head up with a warm smile. “Took long enough.”
“’ Finally!?’” Goku’s eyes light up with anger. “You knew!?” he accuses.
“No, I didn’t know. I jus’... Well, I kinda knew,” he says, looking at Vegeta.
“Wait, sweetheart, I thought you said he worked security. He works at the police department?”
Goku’s brows pinch. “What? No. …What?”
“His romantic partner, Gine!" Bardock gestures a little frustrated to Goku. “Our son is gay! Ghad."
“Oh!” She covers her mouth. “Oooh.”
Goku frowns. “How long did you know?”
“Few years. I dunno.”
“Years?! YEARS?! And you never said anything?!” Goku shouts, almost on the verge of breaking down because he doesn’t know whether he is relieved or betrayed.
“What was I s’posed to say?” he leans back apologetically. “That I noticed ya always looked at the male cheerleaders during the home game? I—Ka, I dunno what to say about these things."
"Maybe a passing comment about how you think it's ok!? Or something?!"
“Of course I think it’s okay! Yer my son! Ain’t nothin’ gonna change that.”
“Well I didn’t know that!”
"Oh my G—" He rolls his eyes. "Ka, I didn't wanna say somethin' wrong. I kept thinkin’ you’d tell us. Ain’t that how it’s supposed to go? Right?" He looks at Vegeta for backup.
“It’s… supposed to go however they think is best,” he answers evasively, not wanting to pit himself against either of them on such a sensitive topic.
"I have been stressin’ out about tellin’ you for like… my whole life!"
"Ah, jeez now yer makin’ me feel bad for not—I didn’t know . I just had… a hunch. Well, until he walked through the door.” Bardock looks sympathetically at Vegeta. “No offense.”
“None… taken. I guess,” Vegeta says, unsure if he should in fact take a little offense.
“Casefile made me real unsure what to make of ya, trash talkin’ my boy like that. But as soon as I met ya, I knew what that statement was all about.” He chuffs.
“Ok, and you read the case file?! Without tellin’ me?!”
“Oh I gotta get yer permission to do my job now that you’re a cop too?”
“Well, I know you gotta get someone’s permission down at WCPD! Because it ain’t yer job, you don’t have jurisdiction there. You went behind my back!”
“I didn’t go behind yer back!” he snaps. “...I didn’t read it ‘cause of you .” Bardock tilts his head at his son with a frown. “Findin’ out you two were also involved in that shitshow of a case was just a… happy accident,” he mutters.
Goku huffs, still upset that he has been worked up over what was apparently nothing . Vegeta watches, mystified, as Goku and his father exchange some sort of silent conversation with irritated looks on their faces until it is interrupted by a soft sob. All three of them look up at Goku’s mother who is trying very hard not to cry as she wipes tears away from her face.
Goku’s expression immediately softens. “Mom…”
Her mouth quivers with something to say, but it never comes and instead she drops the dish rag in her hands and she pulls her son into a hug without a word. She pulls Vegeta in too.
When she pulls back, she looks just shy of distraught. “I jus’... feel so bad fer always given’ ya such a hard time, an’ always askin’ about Chi-Chi and—I just feel like a mother should know these things. But I never knew. Vegeta’s such a nice young man, too. How—how come ya never said anythin’?” She asks, a little heartbroken. “Is it—is it new?”
Goku blushes and sighs. “No… it’s not new.”
“I—” She looks at Vegeta briefly. “I’m sorry was I not s’posed to ask that? I gotta lotta questions. Can I ask ya?”
“Uhh…” Goku exchanges nervous glaces with Vegeta. “What kinda que—”
“I wanna know how long you two been datin’ and well, since you’re livin’ together, I wanna know…” She sets her hands seriously on each of their shoulders. “If you’re thinkin’ ‘bout marriage.”
Vegeta’s face lights up hotter than a fire and Goku’s matches in shades as he fumbles through an answer. “No! I—I mean, maybe? Er—we haven’t really… talked about it, mom, that’s kinda—”
She eyes her son warily then looks back at her husband before asking Vegeta, “Have you ever skied before?”
“Mom!” Goku whines with embarrassment.
Vegeta shifts, now very unsure if this is a loaded question. “No?”
“Well, Ka’s really quite good. I’m sure he’ll teach ya.”
“That’s it!” Goku breaks away with an annoyed laugh. “This went all great and stuff, an’ I’m glad you guys still love me and think Vegeta’s the nicest guy on the planet, but I need some air.” He quickly makes his way out the kitchen door.
Vegeta stands awkwardly at the mercy of Goku’s parents for a long uncomfortable moment and follows suit before Gine can ask him anything damning.
The freezing air hits his face and he sits next to Goku on the brick steps. “So… is ‘skiing’ some kind of euphemism for something?”
“I—Yeah. I guess. Everyone who ‘goes on a ski trip’ comes back engaged. My parents did it, my grandparents, my neighbors down the street. A bunch of my friends from highschool did it.” He rolls his eyes. “It’s a whole thing. A whole… small mountain town thing.”
Vegeta tilts his head back. “Ah.”
“…Sorry.”
“For what?”
“For them bein’—” he gestures in annoyance. “So old-fashioned I guess.”
Vegeta chuckles. “They mean well,” he reassures Goku who finally starts to relax as Vegeta rests his head on Goku’s shoulder. “I’m sure she won’t ask us about ‘skiing’ again tonight if we mention Eschallotte.”
Goku smiles and lets out a small laugh. “She’s gonna freak out and yell at me for not bringin’ her.”
“We’ll just have to bring her next time.”
“Yeah.” Goku nods against him. “You know, I been thinkin’ though… that we really should go sometime. It’s real fun.”
“Go where?”
There is a long pause before Goku admits with a smile, “Skiin’.” He stands up quickly before Vegeta has time to process what he said.
“What?”
“You ready? I’m ready. Let’s go back in.”
“Wait, you can’t just say that after telling me what it means and—Kakarot!”
But Goku is already opening the door, phone out, ready to distract his mom with adorable pictures of Eschallotte, so he doesn’t have to answer any more awkward questions or allow Vegeta the chance to continue what he was saying. And, of course, it works.
As they lay in bed together that night, in Goku’s old room that was thankfully changed from used bunk-beds into a proper guest room shortly after he moved out, they both come to the conclusion that Bardock was in fact more upset about them not bringing the dog than Gine even though he tried very hard to hide it.
***End***