CHAPTER EIGHT:

Trunks whistled lightly as he walked down the hallway towards his friend’s room. Today was visiting day, at least for those who had families or friends that could visit them. Trunks and the other officers were required to oversee that no recruit got out of hand and that everything ran smoothly. Glancing at his watch, he frowned as the hour hand shifted towards seven o’clock.

~ Where the hell is Kakkarrot? He is never this late. ~

He and Gohan had been waiting for him in the main lobby of the visitor’s hall for over an hour and Kakkarrot, who was usually the first to get there, had not been seen anywhere. Gohan had finally asked Trunks to check out his room.

Getting to the door, he hesitated a bit. He knew that Kakkarrot valued his privacy and he would not have appreciated Trunks barging in without any invitation. Snorting, Trunks decided that this was an important emergency. Kakkarrot was on duty and he was late.

Not bothering to knock, since he was used to not doing it anyways, he opened the door softly and walked silently into the tidy room. For a few seconds, he tried to convince his mind that he wasn’t seeing things, but after several more seconds of blinking and then rubbing his eyes, he figured out that it wasn’t his imagination after all. Kakkarrot and Vegeta were cuddled up together within his sheets, both of them still fast asleep.

~ What the hell is going on? Shimatta! Could the rumor really be true then? Kakkarrot and Vegeta…Oh my God! ~

Slapping a hand over his mouth to stop the small whimper that threatened to escape, he slowly backed out of the room and gingerly closed the door shut. Leaning against the solid paneling for a minute, he tried to catch his breath. Disbelief, shock and yes, jealousy flared up in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. After all these years as best friends, the subtle hints he had given to the raven-haired boy, the closeness they had shared, the one time they had finally slept together and now Vegeta was taking over his place?! Growling angrily beneath his breath, he hissed out softly,

“Damn you, Kakkarrot. I thought you had feelings for me…”

Giving a small smile to a greeting officer, Trunks dusted himself off lightly and with a firm resolve, he headed back to the lobby to find Gohan.

~*~*~*~

Kakkarrot opened his eyes slowly and stared at the blinding whiteness of the ceiling. What day was it? Kuso! It was Monday, visiting day and he was supposed to be in the lobby by six!

~ I have to get up. ~

About to move his position, he felt the light tickle of soft dark locks against his chest. Blinking in stunned silence, Kakkarrot realized that the warmth down his body wasn’t his blanket at all, but…but….

~ CHIKUSO! What is he doing on my bed?!! ~

Sure enough, Vegeta was snuggled up tightly against his body. One leg was thrown across his thigh, making Kakkarrot flush a deep crimson as he felt the heat radiate down his nether regions. Vegeta’s head was on his chest, his arms encircling around his waist, effectively pinning him onto the bed. He stared helplessly at the peaceful visage in front of him. Vegeta looked completely different when fast asleep. The usual frowning scowl on his face was gone and he looked much younger and relaxed. Kakkarrot’s eyes roamed the face, unconsciously licking his own lips, as he stared at the lightly parted and moist ones of the sleeping boy. Squeezing his eyes shut at the shot of desire that ran through him, he groaned weakly.

~ I have to get up. Now! ~

Stretching out his hands, he tried to pull Vegeta’s arms from his grip on his waist. Coming in contact with the muscled arms, he found himself unwillingly tracing light, feather-like touches on the bronzed skin. He ran his fingers all the way up to Vegeta’s shoulders, softly kneading the solid flesh. A soft moan escaped his lips as Vegeta pressed himself even tighter against him.

“Kami…Vegeta…I have to….” He began weakly, as Vegeta stirred again, twisting his head around, so that he now faced the ceiling instead. Kakkarrot stilled his kneading movements as Vegeta slowly blinked his eyes open.

For several seconds, Vegeta stared at the white ceiling, willing his brain to function properly. He had had the most restful night since he had come to this hellhole and it was all because of…with a start, he realized that the slightly labored breathing he was hearing wasn’t his after all. He froze as he felt the solid warmth of hands on his shoulders.

~ Oh, no. He is awake. I don’t think he remembers what happened last night. He will be so mad at me. Chikuso! All right, Vegeta, act cool now. ~

Twisting around slowly, he raised his head and stared into hooded, unreadable black eyes. Swallowing tightly, Vegeta felt himself tremble at the look, as he darted his tongue out to lick suddenly parched lips. The two boys stared at each other, no one wanting to break the thick silence and tension that seemed to fill the room.

Kakkarrot’s mind was now split into two very divided voices. One screamed for his rationale to speak up and to tell the smaller boy to get the hell off him and probably give him an early morning wake up call in the worst way. The second voice, however, screamed for something else. Something that he didn’t want to recognize or want to do.

His indecisiveness was answered for him as the sun filtered softly through the closed blinds casting its golden rays across Vegeta’s face, which in turn caused Kakkarrot to gasp softly at how beautiful his roommate really was. Powerless to stop his actions, he reached up and gently caressed the strong features, running fingers down the side of his face to his jaw, and then sucked in a breath as Vegeta suddenly darted out his tongue to capture the wandering fingers into his mouth. Feeling his breath getting strained, Kakkarrot moaned as he felt the wet, warmth of the other boy’s tongue on his fingers.

Vegeta closed his eyes, sucking with increasing passion as he let the warm glow flow through his body. This was what he needed. He wanted to feel Kakkarrot, to touch and taste him, to be with him, no matter what it took. The pain Kakkarrot had displayed last night was enough to convince him that he could never let the taller boy go without a fight. He was in…in…

“Vegeta…” Kakkarrot muttered huskily.

Vegeta felt the shivers run down his spine as his name was called. Kakkarrot rarely called him by his name and whenever he did, it always made him feel deliciously good and warm. Releasing the now saliva-coated fingers, he clasped the hand to his chest and leaning forward, he brought his face within inches of the other boy’s, slowly inhaling the scent of him.

“Kakkarrot…” Vegeta replied thickly, nipping gently at the square jaw, before stopping at the corners of the full, sensual lips in front of him. Raising his eyes, he saw the blatant look of want on Kakkarrot’s face and with a light whimper, he traced the outline of the full lower lip with his tongue, licking lightly as he felt Kakkarrot dart his own tongue out to capture the teasing one before him.

“Kiss me…Kakkarrot…”came the husky whisper filled with lust and need, his mind refusing to function now, as he let the tremors wrack through his body.

Readily complying, Kakkarrot sunk his fingers into the upturned spiky locks and with a loud groan; he captured the other boy’s lips, leaning upward to increase the pressure. Vegeta gasped at the intensity of it, as he wrapped his arms tightly around the now sitting Kakkarrot. He was now straddled across his hips and he moaned softly, as he shifted, feeling the electric jolts that flew through their bodies at the erotic movement. He had dreamed of this moment. Had had sleepness nights, wondering, imagining what Kakkarrot would be like.

~ Kami…he tastes like…..oh, God… ~

~ Yes…. please….don’t stop….. ~

Finally releasing each other for air, Kakkarrot began trailing feverish lips down the muscled neck, kissing and nipping gently as he muttered incoherently.

“Oh….Vegeta…I….”

“Yes….Kakkarrot…I ….”

“LIEUTENANT KAKKARROT! GET OUT OF THERE, NOW!!”

Both boys nearly fell out of the bed as the loud voice of Major Flint bellowed through the door. Kakkarrot jumped out of the sheets in a panic, all traces of his lust and wanton behavior with Vegeta already out the window. Dancing around the room, he quickly threw on his dress uniform, not noticing the pained look on his roommate’s face.

“Lieutenant Kakkarrot….”

“I am on my way out, sir!!” Kakkarrot yelled out, slipping into his boots and stuffing his essential items into his pockets. Straightening himself, he looked into the mirror to see if he was dressed properly. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned to leave when his eyes fell on the silent Vegeta, who had been staring at him the whole time. Kakkarrot felt a dull ache in his chest as he saw the look of pain on his face. Feeling like a complete and total jerk, he tried to say something and was dismayed to find the words that flew out of his mouth.

“You had better get dressed, Ve…Private. Your parents should be here anytime now.”

He winced inwardly at the miserable look that flashed through Vegeta’s face before it was replaced with a blank, neutral stare. Vegeta got off the bed and with an abrupt salute, he replied in a toneless voice.

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

~*~*~*~

Kakkarrot walked briskly towards the main lobby, greeting and smiling at the mingling visitors absentmindedly. His mind whirled with the thoughts of Vegeta and the kiss they had shared. He felt another unwelcome heat to his loins as the feel and taste of the smaller boy lingered stubbornly in his head. How could he have lost control like that? What he had done was inexcusable. It wasn’t that he didn’t find Vegeta attractive; it was just that…he was…Kuso! Afraid?!

~ Afraid of what, Kakkarrot? ~

He was afraid of getting too attached to someone, to anyone…. to Vegeta. The boy would be leaving in two months and he didn’t want to start something that was never going to come to fruition. He figured that all this was a new experience for Vegeta and once this was over and he was back to the ‘real’ world, he would just be another snippet in his memory. He would be forgotten and probably never thought about again. So, he was just going to have to stop with the touching and kissing, before it got out of hand.

~ Oh, God, but he felt so….good…so….so…right. ~

Gritting his teeth, he shook his head angrily and stalked up to his waiting friends, forcefully shoving Vegeta to the back of his mind. At the moment, he had work to do.

“About time you showed up.” Gohan said, smiling at the approaching officer.

“Hey, Gohan, Trunks.” Kakkarrot said, responding to Gohan’s grin and then frowning slightly at the cold stare he received from Trunks.

“What’s the matter, Trunks?” Kakkarrot asked, genuinely puzzled. Trunks had never really looked at him in such a way before.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just had this attitude ever since I sent him to look for you.” Gohan said jovially, as he began leading them towards the large hall reserved for the visiting families.

Kakkarrot felt his heart sink into his stomach. If Trunks had been sent to call him, that meant that….

He glanced at Trunks again and this time he was graced with a look which clearly meant that he had seen both he and Vegeta in bed.

“Hey, Gohan…why don’t you go ahead. Trunks and I will meet you there in a sec.”

Gohan looked at his two friends with a slight frown. “Umm…okay. Just hurry. We are way late already.” Saluting smartly, he spun around on his heels and headed off, leaving the two boys alone.

“We need to talk, Trunks.” Kakkarrot said hurriedly, pulling the boy into a nearby empty office. Closing the door behind them, he began in a worried tone.

“What did you see in my room?”

“What do you think I saw?” Trunks snapped back angrily.

“Look, whatever you saw, was not what you thought you saw.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“We didn’t do anything, Trunks. We were just…”

“Sleeping on the same bed together. Gee, Ka-Chan. I never knew that roommates were supposed to share the same bed. Or let me guess, Vegeta probably sleepwalked over to your bed and you knew nothing about it. Right?” Trunks finished off in a sneer.

“To be honest, Trunks, I don’t really know how he got into my bed.”

Trunks let out a bitter laugh and then smirked humorlessly, “That’s a good one, Kakkarrot. So I guess the rumors are true, then.”

Kakkarrot snapped his head up and asked sharply, “What rumors?!”

“The rumor that you and Vegeta are more than just roommates.”

“What…Where…What the hell gave anyone that idea?!!”

Trunks grinned smugly at the shocked look on his friend’s face. “Well, Ka-Chan, it seems like Vegeta spilled the beans himself.”

“HE WHAT?!”

“He went and told all his fellow recruits that you were quote, unquote, unbelievable in bed. And now, everyone probably figures that you two are…well…a couple.”

Kakkarrot stared numbly at the lavender-haired boy in horror. This just wasn’t happening! How could Vegeta have done that?! If this rumor got to the chief or head officers, he could be suspended and his ranking removed. Fraternizing with fellow officers or even worse, recruits, was a grave offense at the Robert Smith Home, thanks to the reports of the series of rapes and molestations that had reached the ears of the chief officers and administration. Sure, most of the boys still did it, but at least they did it in private and without the whole facility knowing. How could Vegeta have done that to him? A well of disappointment filled his heart, before it was slowly replaced with fury at the other boy. He had to find a way to squash the rumor, but how?!!

“Tell me it isn’t true, Ka-Chan.” Trunks said softly, jerking him out of his reverie.

Kakkarrot stared into the pleading blue eyes in front of him and with a nod, he whispered softly,

“It’s all a lie, Trunks. Vegeta and I have nothing going on.”

~ Really? What about the kiss? ~

Releasing a huge sigh of relief, Trunks asked, “So, what are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry, I will think of something.” Kakkarrot said grimly. “Right now, we have a lot of work to do.”