The Nature of Moonlight

Chapter 7

Goku found Vegeta not at breakfast, nor the King. Chikora explained their whereabouts before he could even ask: the King needed to attend a meeting and requested Vegeta's presence, which the prince readily accepted. Goku accepted this, despite a part of him disappointed. He ignored that disappointment for now, not wanting to delve too deep into why he felt that way, and focused his energy into eating and later in sparring and training the twin princes.

After two hours of sparring and a half hour of gorging on piles of food at the cafeteria, Goku searched the palace for Vegeta's ki and found it still next to the King's in a room somewhere. Whatever they were doing was taking forever, which annoyed him. He needed to speak to Vegeta and that wasn't happening. Part of him felt relieved that he could justify putting off the conversation. But he listened more to the other part of him that felt very, very annoyed. He wasn't the kind to hide away from a confrontation. He needed to ask Vegeta what happened when he met with Kohltavi, because something was off about him, and he had to know what.

It was weird that Vegeta acted a little nicer around him. Weird that Vegeta acted a little bit more patient and a little bit more kind. Weird as hell that Vegeta was looking at him differently and acting a little bit differently, even though they was nothing different with his ki, nothing outwardly different about his personality, and all of this was something Goku for the life of him could not figure out. Did Kohltavi give him new powers, or tap into something he already had inside? Did she train Vegeta? Why was he giving off that weird warmth? How was it lingering on Goku this easily? He didn't feel it now that hours had passed, but he still remember how it felt on his body and how it felt coming off of Vegeta and it annoyed him how nice it felt and how nice it was that Vegeta was nice and—

Goku groaned as he felt another blush crossing his cheeks, the heat palpable and burning.

Attractive. Vegeta was very, very attractive.

Nope. None of that. Not the point. He headed to his bedroom, rubbing at his hot face. Not important, not happening, not attractive, nope, nope, nope.

But it was nice. Vegeta, in that outfit, helping him, going to the yokuthensai with him, listening to him, buying those snacks with him—the way he looked last night, in all that white light—and the way Vegeta looked at him—

He smacked himself upside the head. "Stop it." He smacked himself once, twice, then muttered in time with each smack, "Stop it, stop it, stop it."

Goku killed a bit more time once in his bedroom, performing a short, meditative kata, focusing on every inhale and exhale of his breath and nothing else. Unlike before, his energy didn't shoot up and out of his control. He stayed focused with each movement of his body, his mind sharp. Little by little, his previous thoughts melted away, until he could think of only his movements and his breath.

Once finished, he checked the clock—forty minutes gone—and then checked on Vegeta's ki.

A deep sigh slipped out when he noticed no change at all. Still the same room, still with the King, still doing whatever they were doing.

Gentle knocking echoed in his chambers. He turned his attention to the door and noticed Chikora's ki on the other side. "Come in," he said.

She peaked her head in, a small smile on her face. "I could sense your frustration down the hall. Would you like some company until Vegeta finishes with father?"

"Might as well." He motioned her in, taking a seat at the edge of his bed. "How's it going?"

"Good, thank you." Chikora closed the door behind her as she walked over to one of the elaborate chairs in the room, nestled up against an equally elaborate table. "I have a small break in my studies before I am due at Lady Kohltavi's temple later this afternoon."