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Atavism	By : ctsama Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 9193 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball Super, Resurrection 'F', or Battle of Gods or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Shadow of the King

“Rampa! I know Dad’s in there, I can sense him you know!”

“Persistent bugger, aren’t you? Damn,” Rampa cursed his guest’s firstborn under his breath, wrapping his soft, deep blue robe a little tighter around him. “Quit banging on my door and go away, Gohan. It’s late, you’ll wake the whole compound! Now is not the time,” he said, just loud enough to be heard through the thick door.

“Yes it is! Dad’s been avoiding me for two days… even Yasai won’t tell me what’s going on. Keeping me out of things is dangerous!”

“Goku just… isn’t feeling very well. I’m sure he’ll send for you in a day or two-”

“Vegeta’s in trouble,” Gohan said flatly. “He’s hurting, and that means Dad isn’t thinking straight. Let me in, Rampa.”

Gohan swallowed around a lump in his throat, waiting through a long silence. Finally the door cracked open and Rampa’s tired, narrowed eyes glared up at him.

“Pretty please?” Gohan begged with a lopsided smile, using the same puppy-dog eyes he used to get out of trouble with Videl.

“Gods, you’re as cute as your father,” Rampa sighed, stepping aside and letting the door swing open for Gohan to enter. “You could have just popped in here with that Transmission of yours.”

“That would have been really rude! Who told you about that anyway? I thought Yasai was the only one Vegeta cleared to know about it.”

Rampa snorted, motioning for Gohan to have a seat while he went into the kitchen to pour them some tea. “If Yasai knows, I know. Cabba’s father may be the only love in my life, but Yasai knows he can’t properly rule without my help. Now tell me how you know what’s going on with Vegeta.” Rampa pressed a mug of warm tea into his hand with a mischievous smile, waiting for Gohan to take a sip before speaking again. “Does it have anything to do with the fact that you’re in love with him?”

Gohan choked on the sip of tea he’d dutifully taken, trying to get a denial out as he hacked and spluttered but Rampa chuckled, patting him hard a few times on the back.

“My, my! I didn’t realize it was such a dangerous secret! Come now, calm yourself. It’s quite obvious, you know.” Gohan’s jaw dropped.

“I don’t- I mean, I… uh…”

“Don’t worry. It’s only obvious to me, and I won’t tell anyone, of course.”

It was a bombshell Gohan hadn’t in any way expected. He took a gulp of tea, trying to think of something to say while Rampa grinned knowingly at him.

“The three of us have a… kind of a complicated relationship. There are no secrets between us but I can’t discuss it without Vegeta’s say-so. I’m nothing if not loyal,” he said apologetically.

Rampa sighed his disappointment. “I hate missing out on a good tale but I wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble. But you haven’t answered my question. How do you know about Vegeta? Goku was quite adamant about keeping his situation from you.”

“Keeping it from me?” Gohan’s expression darkened, and that odd sense of danger Rampa got off the young man fairly blasted him now. “I love my father and I’d do anything for him, but I am here for Vegeta and I answer only to him. If something’s going on, I need to know.”

Rampa’s confusion drove him to ask. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

Gohan paused to think of a way to simplify what would be a strange concept to Rampa. “Yasai and all the kings before him had guards, right?”

“The Royal Guard, yes. They serve as a policing force on the palace grounds, ensure the safety of everyone within, but the King’s safety comes first. They all take an oath to that effect.”

“Saiyan Kings in our Universe did things a little differently. Vegeta doesn’t have a Royal Guard. What he has is me. The closest translation is ‘King’s Shadow.’ My life and death belong to him. I do whatever he needs, whether it’s enforcing his will, executing his enemies or bringing him a glass of water. But foremost is my responsibility to safeguard his well-being, no matter what.”

Rampa whistled. Such a thing required an absolute trust on both their parts. “I… see. That’s a big sacrifice, and a lot to take on. You were born into this position?”

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. “He tried to let me out of my oath once, so I could live my life without any complications, divided loyalties… and I turned him down flat. No, I offered myself for this, and he took a monumental chance with me by accepting when he did. And I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

Rampa was forced into a little smile, wondering how both Goku and Gohan’s human wife felt about that. These new allies were as fascinating as they were troublesome. “‘Complicated relationship,’ eh? I’ll tell you what I know but someday I want to hear a little more about it.”

Gohan nodded his agreement, knowing he’d have to enlist Rampa’s aid soon anyway if he was going to figure out what was happening between him and Vegeta.

“Goku has been holed up in his room for the past two days. He eats what I bring him, uses the restroom when he needs it but that’s all. His mind doesn’t leave Vegeta’s. A couple of hours ago though… I don’t know.”

Rampa hesitated before moving to sit down beside Gohan. He clutched his tea in two hands, staring into it with haunted eyes. “Something happened, something that upset your father. Whatever he saw must have caused him a great deal of pain. I’ve never seen anything like it. I heard him yell, and by the time I ran in there he was… glowing. He’d changed. Like that Super Saiyan of yours, but… darker somehow. Things were flying around the room… It was terrible. He calmed down, but I still don’t know what happened to cause such a thing.”

‘That must have been what I felt,’ Gohan thought grimly.

“I’m really, really sorry, Rampa. I didn’t mean to scare you,” came an apologetic voice from behind them.

Gohan turned, seeing his father for the first time in days. While he and Rampa spoke, Gohan took the moment to turn his over-eager thoughts to patience. The child-bearer hadn’t exaggerated; Goku’s eyes still looked haunted by whatever he’d seen.

“It’s all right, Goku. I just wish there was something more I could do for you!”

“Go on to bed, I promise to keep the noise down so get your beauty sleep - not that you need it. Gohan and I should talk.”

“He’s getting to be such a charmer,” Rampa whispered to Gohan, patting him on the shoulder before leaving them to it.

Goku knew he wasn’t that great at hiding his emotions, but he put on a smile anyway. Gohan had come to see him for a reason, the sooner he found out what that reason was, the sooner he could get back to the torturous task of bearing witness to his mate’s deteriorating thoughts.

“I thought I heard your voice. I know I’ve been kind of distracted… was I supposed to help with training? Or did Yasai send you? I hope I didn’t forget some important meeting or something!”

Gohan couldn’t help a small smile. It was clear that Goku was putting on a show for him, but the worry about his duties was a real one. Even with Vegeta’s help, all the politics and maneuvering of Yasai’s court made still made Goku uncomfortable. And yet he had done a great job of making allies while simultaneously avoiding making enemies. It really was sweet; as concerned as Goku was with not letting Vegeta down, he didn’t realize how far he’d exceeded Vegeta’s every expectation.

“No Dad, you didn’t forget anything. You’ve been kicking ass, as usual. I came because I know that something’s happened with Vegeta. Why have you been hiding from me?”

Goku hesitated, his tenuous smile fading as he realized that he was doing exactly that. “Who told you?”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Gohan just went on, more softly. “Vegeta brought me along for both your sakes, not just his. I’m here for you too, so tell me what’s happening, okay? Let me help if I can.”

That broke through to Goku. Being bonded so tightly to Vegeta meant always having someone to confide in. Between the two of them they could take on any enemy, solve any problem. Being kept apart like this was affecting both of them badly. Maybe it was past time he confided in someone else who cared about their king as much as he did.

With a nod and a brief but heartfelt smile Goku hopped over the back of the couch, thumping into the thick cushion next to his son. Gohan grinned, bumping his shoulder with his own and for a brief moment they were back in their old house on Mt. Paozu, jostling and playing on the couch.

But time was short, and there was much to tell.

“After we saved those little girls, Vegeta sent Whis with them, to make sure they got home safely. But right after that Frost took over with Vegeta. Frost isn’t just going after him hard, he’s drugging Vegeta with something that’s messing with his telepathy. He can’t hear me, and he thinks I can’t hear him either.”

Goku’s hands clenched in his lap. Vegeta’s entire plan hinged on quick and easy communication between them; that was supposed to be unshakable. This wasn’t just a hitch in the plan, it was a dangerous attack on his mind as much as Vegeta’s.

“Frost has been with Vegeta almost nonstop since he took over from those other guys. He does things to Vegeta, sometimes he makes Vegeta do things… At first he tried to think about me, the kids, you and Whis, anything to keep his mind off what was happening to him but… Frost won’t let him stay disconnected. It’s like he’s in Vegeta’s head, digging up all his worst feelings and making him live in them.”

Goku stopped, shaking his head and Gohan frowned at the vague explanation. He knew full well that Goku wasn’t going to stand idly by while his mate was violated or his children were harmed. So what did that leave? “You need to tell me more. You don’t have to paint me the whole picture but you’ve got to give me something. Maybe you could just give me an example?”

Goku hesitated, wanting to protect both his mate and his son from all the shitty details of last two days, but he knew Gohan was right. ‘How is he supposed to help if I don’t tell him what’s happening?’ In the end he took Gohan’s suggestion, while still skipping as many painful details as possible.

“Frost keeps Vegeta ch- chained up in bed most of the time. When it’s time to sleep he calls for those… prep team guys, the last two of them, anyway. Frost doesn’t let Vegeta wear much, but he leaves the room for a few minutes and lets those guys take whatever clothes he’s been allowed to wear. They’re… not gentle about it. They hate Vegeta. Since he got there he’s killed more than half their team and they want to take it out on him, but Frost won’t hand Vegeta over to them while he’s ‘behaving.’ Once they’re done beating up on him and humiliating him Frost sends them away again and goes to bed with him.”

Gohan’s eyes narrowed, fists clenching but Goku quickly shook his head. “No, not that! It’s weird, but even though Frost keeps him naked and does… other stuff, it’s like it’s not personal with him. No, he gets in bed with Vegeta and just… holds him, like- like I would… and sleeps with him like that, all night.”

It all sounded so painfully familiar Gohan felt nauseous for a moment. “Gods, it’s… it’s obedience training, getting Vegeta ready for his new ‘owner.’ You were right about him getting into Vegeta’s head… that’s exactly what Frost is doing. He’s pushing Vegeta, trying to get him to fight back, just to show him how hopeless his situation really is.”

A wry smile touched his father’s lips. “I really should have brought you in sooner. Well, a few hours ago it finally happened, Vegeta snapped and attacked him. He fought hard but something kept him from powering up, it was strange… but there was no way he was going to win in any case, he’s in too bad a shape.

“Frost had Vegeta taken back to that same cell he was in before. They shackled his hands together, threw him in and told him to think about all the things they were going to do to him when they came back, and that’s pretty much all he’s been able to do. Without me in his head and Whis there with him there’s nothing to keep him from drowning in all this and he’s… he’s slipping back into survival mode, like he was with Freeza.”

Gohan swallowed hard, forcing himself to be optimistic. “It’s only two more days. As tough as Vegeta is, I’m sure-”

“There’s a limit to his ‘tough,’ and we both know it. He hasn’t slept at all since the day Whis left,” Goku admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose. “When he realized that he couldn’t hear my voice anymore he started panicking, calling me over and over like he couldn’t hear me answering. Nothing can completely stop our ability to feel each other, but that’s just not enough right now. He was okay at first, once he calmed down. And no one made a move on him even though the threat was there but now… things are a lot worse. Those prep guys aren’t like Frost, they’ve made that just… just disgustingly clear. And short of killing him or the children, Frost is letting them have at him in the morning. As far as Vegeta knows, he’s on his own to figure a way out of it.”

Gohan’s jaw clenched, both in worry and anger. “What else don’t I know?” he asked quietly.

“A lot,” Goku admitted. “But I’ve told you enough. As far as Vegeta knows, he’s alone… and he can’t be alone in his own head anymore, you know that as well as I do. The things Frost is doing… He’s put Vegeta in too dark a place for him handle alone right now.”

“Then why the hell are you still here?!”

“Because he’ll never forgive himself if he can’t see this through! And me going there means this whole operation is over. Without his help I can’t control all this power well enough to stay with him, hidden the way Whis did.”

Goku stopped and took a deep breath to get his frustration under control, before meeting his son’s justifiably angry gaze. Vegeta took Gohan’s oath to him seriously, seriously enough to bring him on this excursion, and to set him up to wield substantial power and authority in the future. But Goku realized that he had taken too much on himself, not allowing Gohan to fulfill the role they all needed him to play.

‘Vegeta and I both need his help right now… It’s time for me to stop holding him back.’ “Vegeta needs someone with him and it can’t be me. But you… you can move around almost as well as Whis, can’t you?”

“Yeah,” Gohan answered, mouth going dry. Knowing the role Vegeta wanted him to play on Sadla, Whis had taught him the basics of hiding inside his virtually undetectable god ki and he’d improved on his own from there. Transmission while remaining obscured had been a difficult thing to master, but he’d done it. “What are you telling me, Dad?”

“He can’t be alone, and I can’t go to him. I’m telling you to go. Help him. He’s getting lost in all this and he… he needs you.”

That admission had to hurt. And as good as it felt to have Goku finally admitting that he had something to offer that he himself couldn’t, Gohan couldn’t bring himself to be smug about it.

Well, not totally smug, anyway. “There, now. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Goku scowled at his grinning son.

“All that ‘mean’ comes from your mother, you know. Well, if you’re going to be able to help him, you need to know more about those shots, not that I know much. The last injection was about an hour ago. When you get there Vegeta’s going to be… confused. He’ll either think he’s hallucinating you up or he’ll think- He might think you’re… me.”

Goku stopped there, hoping he’d said enough but Gohan’s expression alone asked for more answers than he wanted to give. “Don’t ask me,” he said quietly. “Ask him. It just isn’t mine to tell.”

“Okay,” Gohan sighed. “But while I’m gone you have to rest up. When was the last time you slept? You look terrible!”

“Gee, thanks,” Goku chuckled. “I dozed off a few times, but that’s about all.”

“Well, that’s over now. Go to bed or you won’t be any good to him when it’s time. Shoo. I’ll take care of him.”

“Fine, I will. But… he’s worried about me. At some point he’s going to tell you he’s fine and dandy, fuck you very much. And then he’s going to tell you to come back here to take care of me. You’re going to have to be ready to tell him ‘hell no.’ You don’t leave his side until this is all over with, I don’t care what it costs.”

As concerned as he was that Gohan would balk at doing anything that would take him out of Vegeta’s good graces, Gohan’s confident smile told Goku that he shouldn’t have worried.

“Not a problem, he’s not getting rid of me. Didn’t you know? I’m just as stubborn as my Dad.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chasing down Vegeta’s flagging ki brought Gohan into the middle of a nightmare. Chains hung from stations on the ceiling, the walls, a table with wrist and ankle lashings… Frost revealed himself to be an unsubtle creature. Obey or be punished, the manner of punishment made horrifically clear.

Gohan scanned the room, almost missing what he came to find. “Vegeta,” he breathed, heart clenching.

The room couldn’t have been more than five degrees. Gohan could see the goosebumps dotting Vegeta’s nude body as he shivered against a wall, sitting uncomfortably with his wrist cuffs secured together in front of him.

Vegeta’s tanned skin told the story of beatings and rough handling. He was bloodied and bruised almost all over; only the skin stretched over his valuable cargo remained unmarked.

Gohan’s eyes widened in surprise. He knew Vegeta’s children achieved most of their growth in the last month of the pregnancy, but seeing it was remarkable. When Vegeta had left Sadla the small bump of his stomach could be hidden by his tail and armor. Now only a couple of weeks later the gentle curve had easily doubled in size.

Vegeta looked incredulously to where he stood for a second, mouthing Goku’s name before looking away, doing a good job of maintaining his demeanor as he questioned his own sanity. He’d dreamed up Goku once before, and when reality had reasserted itself the shock had been more than he could take.

“Vegeta, it’s me.”

That wasn’t Goku’s voice, it was Gohan. The blurry, not-really-there figure was dressed in a black jumpsuit as well, the only thing Gohan kept from his days as Saiyaman. The tall figure moved closer to him and Vegeta ignored it, looking away. His drugged-out, fucked-up brain wasn’t going to hurt him the same way twice. ‘He’s not here, Kakarot isn’t here. No one is here but me and… them.’

Despite Vegeta’s silent denials, not-Gohan knelt in front of him, his movements deliberate and cautious. It was difficult to ignore the apparition so close, and without meaning to his eyes slowly moved to meet the warm, deep black that stared hopefully into him. “I’m here, Vegeta. I’m really here.”

Vegeta frowned. ‘No, this can’t be real, but-’ He couldn’t trust his hazy vision or foggy mind so soon after the last injection they’d given him, but his sense of smell had yet to fail him. His eyes lit up with shock and Gohan let out a puff of relieved laughter.

Gohan felt Vegeta’s recognition, and the mixture of shame and angry embarrassment that accompanied it. But as much as Vegeta loathed being seen in any state that wasn’t one of absolute power, he was clearly relieved as well. “Yeah, I’m really here. I’m just sorry I took so long. Try talking to me,” Gohan said, tapping the side of his head. “I should be able to hear you.”

It felt like it had been an eternity since Vegeta had heard a non-hostile voice… and even longer since he’d spoken to someone who wasn’t trying to fuck with his head. //W- what… are you doing here?//

Gohan smiled a little, relieved to hear Vegeta’s ‘voice’ after so long. “Dad sent me. He figured out that you can’t hear him. He told me that he heard you calling but you couldn’t hear him when he answered.”

//But… he can still hear me?// A look of horror took shape on Vegeta’s face. //Has he seen what’s been happening here?//

Gohan confirmed his greatest fears with a hesitant nod, and with a groan of frustration the fragile hold Vegeta had on his emotions unraveled. Helplessly Gohan watched as his king roared, power building inside him exponentially but… His jaw dropped a little when the bands around Vegeta’s wrists flared to life, absorbing all the power Vegeta had been able to generate. “What the hell was that?” he demanded after Vegeta had regained his breath and calmed a little. “Some kind of power dampener?”

//Best I can figure without taking them apart. Whether I power up fast or slow, they activate once I get to a certain level and suck it all away.//

“Gods, Frost didn’t leave anything to chance… If I can find the controls and turn them off will anyone notice?”

//Frost has the controls and he checks them regularly. …He doesn’t trust me for some reason.//

“Well, we’ll get them off you when it’s time.” He finally reached out, touching Vegeta’s arm. “Damn, you’re freezing!”

//No shit. Between these damned bands and the injections fucking with my head I can’t even control my core temperature properly… And that shitbag Frost knows it.//

“We’ve got to get you warmed up.” Gohan glanced around the room, looking at all the equipment and grimacing in disgust… so many reminders of a past Vegeta had worked so hard to leave behind, and nothing to keep him grounded in the reality of his freedom and power. “Dad said Whis found a blind spot in here. Where is it?”

//Against the wall, over there. I never used it when Whis was here; I wanted to save it in case of an emergency. …I guess this qualifies.//

Gohan nodded and Vegeta moved to it, trying to hide how much the last few days had taken out of him and failing utterly. Gohan resisted the urge to try and help, knowing it would only be a further blow to Vegeta’s pride.

While he waited for Vegeta to subtly make his way to the blind spot Gohan’s heart began thudding in his chest out of sheer nerves. The first thing to take care of would be heat, and he worried that the easiest, least conspicuous way to warm up the prince might not be exactly welcomed.

//This is it. As long as I’m next to the wall, the cameras won’t pick me up.//

Gohan nodded once more, wisely keeping his mouth shut about the benefits of being short. Instead he sat next to Vegeta, moving in a little closer than absolutely necessary. ‘Here goes.’

He held his arms out in an offer with a lopsided smile. “Videl says I make a great space heater on cold nights. Care to try me out?”

To his surprise Vegeta didn’t think about it for more than a couple of seconds, leaning into those arms and letting Gohan help him find a comfortable position for them both. //Fine. I hate being cold. I’ll try anything. Fuck… I already feel like a damned hippo and I’m going to be twice this size before these monsters are born.//

Taking a bit of a chance, Gohan decided to tease back. “Well, as many times as I’ve taken the kids to the zoo I’ve never seen a lovelier hippo.”

//…You’ve been hanging out with Rampa, haven’t you?//

“Guilty,” Gohan snickered. His snicker faded into something else though, as Vegeta settled himself against his side. The contentment he'd felt in finally possessing Vegeta, bending him to his will was the same contentment that he felt now; the beast in his blood was satisfied. His anxiety over the thought of being alone with Vegeta, of wrapping his arms around his King’s flesh and holding him dwindled and died. Why was their rapport so easy, so comfortable for the both of them here, in the middle of this sterile torture chamber?

It took Vegeta a few seconds to get comfortable, but even with his bound wrists it wasn’t as strange as he would have thought. When he glanced up he saw Gohan’s bewildered expression and snorted before pillowing his head on Gohan’s shoulder once more. //Stop thinking so much. If you really need a distraction you can work on that pounding heartbeat of yours; it’s stabbing me in the ear.//

“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m a snuggler and I forgot my stuffed animal. I’m just excited to have a stand-in.”

//Is that so? I’ll just shut up and breathe lightly then. Wouldn’t want to wreck the illusion.//

Gohan smiled, seizing an opportunity. “Actually, I’d rather you talked to me if you don’t mind. Dad says Frost is drugging you?”

//Yeah, but I don’t understand it at all. Saiyan telepathy isn’t like most other capable species; physiologically speaking we just don’t work the same way. So the question is, how are Free- How are Frost’s drugs so good at blocking me?//

“He had to have Saiyan help in developing it… Oh, geez,” Gohan breathed, brushing a hand over his mouth. “I think I might know how he got it. The last child-bearer taken was Yasai’s lover around forty years ago, right?” Vegeta nodded.

//Sava is from an old, powerful family. He was raised in the royal court, friends with Yasai since childhood-//

“And his father was the chief physician to Yasai’s father; he was in the medlab just as often as he was in the training arena,” Gohan interrupted, connecting the dots. At Vegeta’s surprised look he explained, “Dad and Yasai are all buddy-buddy. They tell each other everything.”

//If what you say is true, Sava couldn’t help but see how close Yasai was to his target. If they’d defied the norms and bonded in secret Yasai would have known everything his lover knew. This drug is most likely the end result of Sava - or even his father - covering their asses back then. They’re tweaking the recipe too; its effect has gotten more targeted since that first dose Frost hit me with. The next time they inject me-//

A flare of anger surged through Gohan and his arm tightened around Vegeta. “No. Now that I’m here there won’t be a ‘next time.’” He and Goku were both in pain because of Frost’s eagerness to profit off of suffering. Vegeta had proven more than once that vengeance was a dish best served by his own hand, and Gohan knew that he alone was in a position to place the King’s hand around Frost’s throat.

“If they’re still tweaking the formula there has to be a lab around here somewhere. Once you’re warmed up and resting I’ll put an end to that.”

Vegeta made a sound that might have been a puff of laughter. “What?” Gohan asked, baffled.

//Nothing.//

“Come on! What is it?”

//It’s just… it’s a good thing Kakarot couldn’t come; I’d be screwed otherwise. Can you imagine him getting anywhere near a lab full of needles? He doesn’t love anyone but Húlu that much.//

Gohan couldn’t disagree, chuckling. Vegeta took a deep breath, and Gohan could feel his king’s muscles further relaxing as his own body heat seeped into them. Vegeta’s mental speech was significantly more calm and clear than when he’d arrived as well. ‘Almost there, I think. He just needs a little push.’

It was a trick he’d learned from his father while Vegeta was aboard Hit’s ship, that if he kept Vegeta talking long enough he eventually relaxed enough to get to sleep.

“When are they due to stick you again?”

//In the… morning? I don’t know, they keep changing the schedule. Best I can figure they do it twice a day now. It should be at least a few hours.//

“You’re not shivering anymore. Are you warm enough yet?”

//Getting there.// After a moment’s thought Vegeta finally asked the only question that had been on his mind since Gohan’s arrival. //Kakarot… you’re sure he’s been with me all this time?//

“I’m sure. Knowing how badly you still want to see this through is all that kept him from coming.”

//…Fuck.//

“He said they threw you back in here to punish you for fighting back against Frost. What happened?”

Vegeta stiffened against him and Gohan cursed to himself. He began absently stroking the tense muscles of his king’s back in the silence that followed, waiting for an answer.

//Frost has been pushing my buttons nonstop, trying to set me off. Between that and those fucking drugs he finally succeeded, that’s all. But… without you around, that idiot father of yours will tie himself into knots or blow this whole thing if he’s left on his own. You need to go back-//

“You can’t fool me, you don’t believe that,” Gohan interrupted.

Vegeta held back a frustrated growl. Gohan was as good at calling his bullshit as Goku was. //…Fine. If Kakarot has seen all, if he knows why I lost my shit he can’t be handling it well. He shouldn’t suffer alone.//

“He’s got Rampa watching over him, Vegeta. I promise I didn’t just leave him all alone, so don’t you dare try to send me back to Sadla. He’ll be better off now that he knows someone is here making sure you don’t stubborn your way into trouble. Getting you back in good shape is what’s best for us all. Dad knows you haven’t been able to sleep since Whis left. I know I’m not him but… I’m ready to do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Here,” he said, focusing for a moment to make sure a shift into his Super Saiyan state wouldn’t be detected. “Better?” It wasn’t just more heat. As Gohan well knew, it was a form that - for all his years under Freeza - represented safety and freedom in power.

Vegeta didn’t answer, but pressed a little closer to Gohan. It was the heat his body craved wrapped inside a form that made him feel safe. It felt good, almost too good. He began to let go of the taxing state of hypervigilance he’d had to maintain since Whis’ departure, trusting Gohan to do the heavy lifting for a while.

“Do you think you can sleep now?”

//I think so, but… the twins. They sleep for most of the last month, but if they wake up and you feel them reaching out, just… They haven’t heard my voice since Frost started drugging me. Tell them they’re not alone, tell them they’re safe.//

“I’ll bet they know that already, but yeah,” Gohan answered softly, reaching down a little to place a hand on Vegeta’s stomach. “I can do that. Sleep.”

//Fine. Just keep your damned hands above the waist.//

“Spoilsport.” Amazingly, he could feel Vegeta relaxing, his exhausted body and mind finally giving in to the rest they so desperately needed. “Thank you. For letting me help you. I know how much this means.”

A deep sigh was his only answer, and it was answer enough. Gohan wrapped his other arm around the pregnant king, holding him as tightly as he dared. Though Vegeta’s muscular physique clashed with his memories of a pregnant Videl’s soft curves, he felt just as right in Gohan’s arms. And despite the strong scents of strangers on his flesh, Vegeta’s unique scent remained and Gohan couldn’t help closing his eyes and breathing it in.

“I love you,” he whispered, taking a chance and brushing his lips across Vegeta’s forehead in a chaste, not-quite kiss. He found it lightened his heart a little to say it out loud.

One of the babies began to stir and Gohan smiled, meeting his mind as he anxiously reached out, trying once more to make contact with his Daddy. Gohan met the tendril of unhappy thought and soothed it gently back to sleep. *He’s still here, and he loves you more than anything. You’re safe, you’re not alone… and neither is your Daddy, not anymore.*

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Next: Gohan is forced to draw on some unpleasant memories to get Vegeta out of trouble. With Sava drawing near it’s a battle of wills to the finish.
I'm uploading this blind because I've been having trouble with it again, I'm crossing my fingers that it worked this time!
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Atavism