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“Is that a Saiyan thing?” Goku poked at the back of Vegeta’s neck, where sat a tiny birthmark. Vegeta growled and slapped his hand over his neck, flying from Goku in contempt.
“Yes, as it happens. Now would you kindly keep your hands the fuck off of me?” Vegeta glared at Goku from his spot in the sky before turning to face him, hand releasing his neck.
“Well, tell me what it is! You’re always upset that I don’t embrace our heritage.” Goku planted his fists on his hips playfully.
Vegeta scoffed, “Don’t pretend like you care. Besides, that part of our heritage doesn’t even matter anymore. It died along with everyone else.”
Goku shuffled his feet as if he was pretending to kick at the dirt, “Well, what’s the harm in telling me, then? Does it have something to do with clans or troops? Cause mine looks the same,”
Vegeta twitched, and seemed tenser, “I was just thinkin’, ‘cause I thought that since they’re the same that meant somethin’. But nevermind, I can see you don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just finish this spar.”
Vegeta shook his head, “I’m done today, Kakarot, you have a wife and kids to tend to at home.” And he flew off. Goku found that strange, Vegeta had never expressed a concern or even a thought for his family, save for Gohan a few choice times. What was so important about a birthmark that had Vegeta all riled up?
He knew the only way to find out for sure was from Vegeta. He would have to do some investigating on his own.
He did go home, just as Vegeta had advised, and greeted his wife and sons as normal. Chichi gave him a quick peck on the cheek before ushering him to sit down for dinner.
Eating in the Son house always went the same. Chichi would go around the table and ask the boys how their days had gone. She had always started with Goten, moving up in age until she rounded on Goku,
“And how was your day, dear?”
He pounded a fist on his chest to dislodge something and swallowed before nodding, “It was good today, me and ‘Geta really beat the bejesus out of each other. I’m sore all over! He also said something about another Saiyan thingy, but he didn’t really feel like talking about it, so he left.”
Chichi nodded with a hum and gathered the plates that had emptied to fill them once more. After a few more minutes she excused herself for a shower, promising to come back downstairs later to clean up after them.
They ate the rest of their meal in silence, as per what usually happened. After Goten finished up, being the smallest of them all and with the smallest appetite, he did his mother a favor by clearing the table and dumping the dishes in the sink. He waved his brother and father goodnight as he dragged on to his bedroom.
“So, Gohan,” Goku poked at his food, something he rarely did without good reason.
“What is it, dad?” Gohan looked at his father with concern, what could have him so distracted during dinner, of all things?
“Do you, uh, have a birthmark? On the back of your neck?”
Gohan felt the spot, confused, “Not that I know of… Dad, what’s wrong?”
Goku shook his head, talking mostly to himself, “Then what does it mean? What would make him so reluctant to tell me..?”
Gohan tapped on the table with his knuckles, “Earth to dad! What are you on about?”
Goku shook his head and looked through the window to the already dark fields surrounding the house, “We have the same mark, Vegeta and I. He refused to tell me what it means but I don’t even have the first clue as to what it is.”
Gohan shrugged at his father, “It may be nothing, just a coincidence or something.”
Goku shook his head again, harder this time, “No, he said specifically that it was a Saiyan thing. It’s not a coincidence. But I thought he’d be happy to tell me something about our history, but he just got mad and flew off.”
Gohan looked at his dad in concern, “I think you’re thinking too hard about it. Vegeta doesn’t want to talk to anyone, especially you, and I don’t think you bringing up something like that would change anything.”
Goku scratched at his chin, “I guess you’re right. Thanks, Gohan. I think I’m gonna get some early sleep. I’m all tuckered out.”
“Night, dad.” Gohan watched as his father left the table and made his way upstairs. He sighed and started to wash the dishes for his mother.
Vegeta was unable to sleep.
How in the world could we have the same mark? It makes no sense. Maybe he was just saying he had one in the same spot, not that they’re exactly the same… How would he even know what his looks like anyway?
His mind was racing as he laid in bed, staring at the ceiling for the third hour in a row.
He pressed the heels of his hands hard against his eyes, willing himself to sleep, but it was no use. With a sigh, he slipped out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. Maybe some food would help clear his mind.
As it happened, food only made him think of Goku, and if anything, it made his condition worse. He knew the issue would have to be addressed eventually, Goku never just stopped asking questions when told to.
How would Vegeta even say it? He could hardly bring himself to think such a thing. Frankly, he was only keeping himself out of blind panic and rage from the thick wall of denial he had enveloped himself in. Once that dropped, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
He decided to take a cold shower. Maybe it would help him calm down and maybe get some shut-eye.
Really, the cold only woke him up more. He gave up on trying to sleep, and flew off in the dark of night to train the stress off by himself.
He came to his and Goku’s usual sparring grounds, and began a few kata, moving his body this way and that to ease his tense muscles.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to get his mind off of what Goku had said,
I thought that since they’re the same that meant somethin’.
Little did he know that, oh yes, of course it meant something. Something neither of them, especially Vegeta, were ready to deal with.
Goku woke up refreshed, nearly forgetting about his conversation with Vegeta the previous day until he spotted the mark in the mirror while getting undressed to shower.
He gave it a cockeyed look and ran his hand over it, wondering what in the world about it made Vegeta so upset.
Goku figured he might be up to talk about it today, yesterday had been long and tiring, a fresh start is probably just what Vegeta needed.
With rekindled hope, Goku made his way out of the house, following his friends’ ki to their normal battlegrounds. He was surprised to find Vegeta all torn up, like they had been fighting Buu all over again.
“Hey, what happened?” Goku zoomed up to Vegeta, concerned.
“Training happened, idiot.”
Vegeta looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His eyes were bloodshot with dark bags underneath them, his skin much paler than usual. The sight concerned Goku at the least.
“Just training, Vegeta? You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”
Vegeta took a deep breath, “Turn around.”
“Wuh?”
“I said turn the fuck around, Kakarot,” He obeyed, turning on the spot. Vegeta came up to inspect the nape of his neck and sighed in defeat.
“Of fucking course. Of course this would happen to me.” He was talking to himself, slowly falling into hysterics.
“What happened to you?”
Goku was ignored, “Why does the universe to this shit to me? I’ve been forgiven for my wrongdoings, have I not? Why? Why the fuck?”
“Vegeta…?”
Vegeta threw his hands in the air, completely losing his sense of control, “Of course the universe would make you my soulmate! Of course! What else could I expect! Tie me to the idiot forever, why don’t you?! Kill my pride more, please!!”
Goku paused, “Soulmate? What are you talking about?”
Vegeta stopped screaming. He had said that out loud? Oh, fuck.
“N-nothing, Kakarot, just shut up and fight me.” He fell into a stance, hoping to distract Goku long enough to make him forget all about what he had said. No such luck.
“No! Vegeta, stop trying to hide things from me! What are you talking about ‘soulmate’?” Goku crossed his arms, refusing to fight until he got answers.
This angered Vegeta beyond what he thought was possible. Couldn’t the idiot just take no for an answer once?
Of course he couldn’t.
Vegeta gave up, rushing forward to give Goku everything he had in one punch to the face. Goku didn’t even move to block it, let alone dodge it, and he flew a few hundred feet away until meeting the side of a mountain with his back.
Arms still crossed and face bleeding, Goku rose from the rubble around him, not even moving to nurse his broken face.
“Fight me!” Vegeta flew at him again, but was stopped halfway by Goku’s spoken word.
“No,”
Vegeta huffed. There was no pride in a one-sided victory. He dropped out of the sky, angrily kicking at the dirt like a child before sitting cross-legged and hanging his head in defeat.
Goku flew to him, only then wiping the blood from his mouth. “Ready to talk now?”
Vegeta growled, “Don’t patronize me. I don’t have to tell you shit.”
Goku shrugged, “Have it your way. I’ll just go spar with Piccolo.” He started to go away, but Vegeta made an unintelligible angry noise again, beckoning him back.
He mumbled, not willing himself to say the words again.
“What was that?”
Vegeta groaned and whispered, “We’re fucking soulmates.”
Goku sat in front of him, waiting for an explanation. It never came.
“Uh… Thank you?”
Vegeta sighed to himself, “It’s not a good thing! And it’s not the same soulmates as you’re thinking of.”
Goku cocked his head, “I’m so confused.”
Vegeta rubbed his face, willing some energy to come forth, “Saiyan soulmates aren’t the same mushy, romantic, disgusting soulmates that humans have. It’s not something that can just be tossed around and regifted.”
“I still don’t know what it means. You’re not really explaining what it is, you’re just explaining what it’s not.” Goku crossed his arms again, but not in malice, only complete befuddlement.
Vegeta sighed, figuring that at this point, it was too late to take things back, and it was far too late to prevent something akin to bonding happening, “Saiyan soulmates are literal soulmates. Their souls are one, there is no separating them. Not a chance,”
Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut. He wished everything would just disappear and he’d fall through the floor, “And that’s the two of us. Soulmates.” The thought brought a sick knot to his gut.
“So, basically just best friends for life?”
Vegeta screamed in frustration and fell onto his back, “There’s no point in trying to explain this to you right now. I haven’t slept in forty-two hours and I’ve been out here training for twelve of them. I need to sleep.”
Goku nodded, “That’s fair. Say, Vegeta, you’ll tell me later, right?”
Vegeta nodded halfheartedly and flew off, unwilling to continue the conversation.
Goku watched him as he slowly made his way out of sight, falling behind the silhouette of the mountains. He sighed. Without a sparring partner, Goku was going to have to train alone. He wasn’t too happy with that, but Vegeta needed to sleep if he was going to ever get the truth about these birthmarks.
For once, he found himself too distracted to train. With a huff, he fell to the ground to search for a pond or stream to fish in.
A few miles away he found one, nestled at the base of a greedy willow tree. The pond itself was small, but it was void of fish, so Goku decided to swim instead, and try to take his mind off of his grumpy companion.
If Vegeta was telling the truth, what was the difference between human soulmates and Saiyan ones? Was there really no difference at all and Vegeta was just trying to let him off easy?
The thought of being in a relationship with Vegeta like that made Goku blush. He had never thought about him like that before, but now that it was in his face, he couldn’t deny that Vegeta was not bad to look at.
In fact, he was incredibly handsome. His features were sharp and manly, not a single imperfection in his skin. And it was a beautiful olive color as well, golden and healthy. Goku tried his best to think of anything wrong with Vegeta and had not a single clue where he might fall short.
Goku chuckled. Heh, short.
But to Goku, even that wasn’t an imperfection. If anything, it made the intimidating prince more approachable, even endearing if one looked hard enough.
He found himself overheating even in the chilly spring pond. The prince really was something like art, but until then Goku had been so blind to it, and he genuinely felt stupid for once that he had missed something so glaringly obvious.
He suddenly had a strong urge to go see the prince, to bug him about this ‘soulmate’ business. Goku, at this point, was excited at the least that Vegeta could be something special like that to him. But he decided to wait until the prince would come looking for him. After all, he had a feeling that Vegeta had a thing for ‘hard to get’.
So he stayed in his natural bath, leaning his spiky head against the bank and daydreaming about what would happen soon. If the elder of the two would allow such a connection between them. Goku sighed.
Probably not. Vegeta was too prideful to allow something like that.
That disheartened Goku more than he expected. He had just started to appreciate the prince and he was already ripped from the chance of having him. Only if he was incredibly lucky would Vegeta give him a single second thought.
With the depressing thought on Goku’s mind, he slipped into light sleep, his body firmly braced against one of the underground rocks so he wouldn’t slip.
His sleep was dreamless and restful, and he woke up late to the sound of Vegeta lowering into the water with him. It was nearly dark outside, the last of the sun dipping down below the mountains.
“Vegeta. Did you sleep alright?”
He nodded and responded quietly, “I did. Did you?”
Goku smiled, “Hm,” and leaned his head down against the fluffy grass, “‘Geta?”
When Vegeta didn’t respond, he sighed and continued, “Because we’re soulmates, does that mean we’re gonna be, uh, in a relationship?”
Vegeta sighed and crossed his arms, “Really, it means we’ve been in one this whole time, and we didn’t even know.”
Goku stayed still and looked off into the sky, pinpointing the stars and when they popped into view, “So what does that mean for us? What do we do now?”
“Well,” Vegeta also laid his head down, “Either things stay exactly the same, or we… Give in, I guess is the right way to say it.”
Both of them remained quiet for a minute, thinking. Without thinking about it, they lazily ran their feet along the others, breathing in sync. Goku took a deep breath, “I’m up for whatever you want to do… I did some thinking, and really I wouldn’t mind being with you like that. I figure, really, if we were born soulmates, there’s no way it wouldn’t work, you know?”
He could hear the smile in Vegeta’s response, “That’s the smartest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
Goku chuckled a bit, “Are you just saying that to make me happy?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”