Thinking of You

Part 7

The two weeks went by as slow as a snail. Each day made it harder and harder to wait. Goku was impatient for the fair, and once he had told Krillin that him and Vegeta would be going, Krillin, too, was eager. It was a chance for them to take a break from protecting the Earth and relax. The Z Fighters rarely had chances to kick back, so when an opportunity produced itself, they all jumped on it. Even Bulma said she'd go, putting a pause on her scientific work for a day to eat junk food and go on wild rides and win large stuffed animals. Goku had asked question after question about human fairs and what they were like, curious to hear what kind of fun he'd have. It was even better now that Vegeta had agreed to go with him. Goku knew it wasn't a date or anything that serious, but if Vegeta spent some time with him, Goku just knew he'd eventually grow to share his same feelings.

At least, he hoped.

...

Vegeta had a lot of thinking to do. To say he was confused would be a large understatement. He hadn't even bothered to get dressed once he woke up the morning after Goku's confession. He stayed in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, wondering how the hell everything had become so complicated. The changes taking place were flying by too fast for him to keep up with. First, Goku suddenly says he likes him. Second, he invites him to a human event, one of which Vegeta was certain he'd hate. And lastly, Vegeta wasn't as angry as he wanted to be.

It confused him. He wanted to be angry at Goku for butchering their training and blatantly saying he had had a crush on him since they had fought Majin Buu, which was a great many years ago. He wanted to punch him, to yell at him. It was absurd. There was no way Vegeta would allow himself to be held by a low-class Saiyan, especially one as stupid as Goku. But, the more he lay there staring at the ceiling, the more he lost his anger. He didn't know why he wasn't mad. He hadn't slept for more than a minute that night, his mind too busy to lay at rest. Goku was a strange one. Him and Vegeta had been rivals since Vegeta had tried to kill him and destroy the Earth. How could Goku suddenly have strong, mind-corrupting feelings for the person who had once tried to murder him?

Vegeta let out a sigh. Much like Goku, he was never one to study feelings and know their every effect. All he knew was anger, which he had become something of an expert on. He was always irritated by something, mostly at Goku. Flimsy emotions like love or happiness were foreign to him. He had never put much thought into liking someone more than a friend. He didn't have very many friends, anyway. His entire purpose, since birth, was to claim and destroy. Parade his power around like the true Prince that he was. Make those less than him his slaves. He was raised to believe that those with power would survive all onslaughts, while those without were the ones to fall once things became tough. His father had been very proud of how strong Vegeta was, even at a young age. Vegeta, as young as he was before he had started working directly for Frieza, had loved the attention he won from his father whenever he showcased his power. It was at that time of his life that he realized that the only way to truly be loved was to conquer.

Nobody loves someone who is weak, Vegeta thought, replaying what his father had told him many times.

Growing up as a Prince, all the pressures of perfection and strength were hammered into him. Vegeta was expected to be practically indestructible. Before he could even speak, his father was boasting about his power level and promising him to be the strongest Saiyan in the universe. Vegeta had done all he could to bring his fathers' promises to life, but he wasn't invincible. Many times during his rigorous training, he had failed. His father would get angry and berate him for his weakness, saying how he had no intention of raising a child who could not fight. He wanted his son to be feared and respected. He had known that Vegeta would eventually end up working for Frieza, which was another reason why he pushed him to be the best. To be an elite. To be better than everyone else. All his life, he was promised victory and strength and triumph. Vegeta, since being a small child barely able to walk, was certain he'd be the ultimate ruler of the universe, based upon what his father had promised him.