Uncle
By: Pearl3
March 11, 2007
A/N: Yes, even the Son clan has nicknames for our loveable Prince :D
Disclaimer: So sad!
The shadow that towered over the young child was enough to send any his age running in the opposite direction, tears flowing, mouth screaming. And though he had known the man his entire life, young Son Goten still couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up and down his spine every time he stood in the overpowering shadow of Vegeta Briefs-Ouji.
Trunks, his best friend, and one year his senior, had assured him many times, and nearly every visit, that his father was harmless…when left alone. Thus, whenever the young Goku-like clone had ever encountered the male counterpart of Capsule Corp, Goten would continue on his way, make an about-face and run, or hide behind a well-placed plant. There was no deceiving the older Saiya-jin, of course. Vegeta most likely could tell that the third-class child was there, but he never let on, as far as Goten could tell. And each time Trunks' dad continued on his path without glaring at him, the kid would breathe out a deep sigh of relief.
When Mrs. Bulma had been approached about the whole thing, she had merely waved off his fears. "Vegeta is scary on the outside, but don't worry Kiddo! He'd sooner shoot off his own foot than chase down a helpless child." It had not totally eased his fears that crossing paths with the surly Saiya-jin could result in any sort of danger. Instead, he turned to his older brother.
"Vegeta?" Gohan mused one day, setting aside his calculus book. "He's pretty quiet, unless you push a button of his. Uhm, well, he's really temperamental, and used to hate dad…but I think he got used to him once he and Bulma settled down together."
"Does he hate us?" he pushed, remembering a particularly dark stare he had been given the one night he had stayed over.
The young warrior smiled, ruffling Goten's hair as he reclined in his study chair. "No, definitely not. He's the one that flew here like a bat outta hell when you were about to be born, taking mom to the hospital. Vegeta's kinda like Piccolo actually." Goten had blinked, and nearly opened his mouth to pester on with more questions when he snapped it back shut. His older brother had already resumed his lessons, and was likely giving a hint that the matter was closed.
So, he went to his mother.
Chichi had appeared surprised at the question that Goten had raised, and offered a small smile at his innocent expression of fear. "Huh, that alien was a monster. Still is," she mumbled, scrubbing away at a dish after lunch. "But he's Bulma's husband, and a good one…I guess. I have yet to hear of him being cruel or unfaithful to her. Naturally, he's not a family man like your father. But…he's always there…" She trailed off, getting a sad, distant look in her eyes. Goten glanced down, shuffling his feet, then excusing himself to fly back to Capsule Corp to play with Trunks.
And here he found himself, giving another shiver in the presence of the most powerful man in the world…the universe even!
His bawling had ceased immediately, as soon as Vegeta had towered high above him in the main lawns of the compound. Trunks had delivered a particularly nasty blow in their sparring session, sending him crashing to the earth from the canopies of some nearby trees. He wiped absently at a few tears as his gaze went from the Prince's slightly abused sneakers, to his sweats, to his tank, and finally to his tanned face, shiny with sweat. A few hiccups escaped from his tiny mouth as he struggled to find a way back to the safety of his second home. His dark eyes scanned the area behind the tall man, finding any loopholes that could save his pathetically short life.
"Well," a ruff voice shook him back to the situation at hand. "What's all your whining about?"
Goten blinked slowly, unsure of any time where Vegeta had actually taken time to address him about anything. "Uhm…" he squeaked, digging the toe of his boot in the grass. "Uhh—"
"Stop beating around the bush and spit it out already!" The flame-haired man crossed his arms in front of him, glaring down at the source of the noise that had effectively drug him out of his training.
The child felt another round of sniffles hit him harder than any misdirected punch could. He bit his bottom lip in an effort to hold it all in, succeeding slightly in the small battle. Vegeta, however, felt himself sputter at the reaction. Expecting the Kaka-clone to be just as strong willed as his own brat, he had been thrown a curveball at his teary-eyed reaction. Glancing around while stretching out his senses, he realized, with much misfortune, that he was the only adult on the entire compound. "Oh damn," he muttered, sensing his son somewhere in the living quarters, probably showering or napping.
Meanwhile, Goten had upgraded from sniffling to full-blown tears. His mini-battled had ended as soon as Vegeta's aura switched from annoyed to just-plain-pissed. Various mind-scarring scenarios flashed through his mind of different torture devices that would surely await him for being such a pest. None helped the situation.
"Grr, listen kid!" Vegeta hollered, finally catching on to the scene he must be making for the employees that were possibly getting out for their own lunch breaks. "Could my day get any worse?" He whined, slapping one powerful hand against his forehead. "Kid! KID!" Goten's wails calmed down to hiccups and sniffles again. "What happened?" He asked again, this time softer than before. One thing he had learned about this infernal planet was the screeching would get you nowhere in the long run (unless you were his harpy mate).
His obvious efforts to be civil must have affected the child, for he grasped a handful of the baggy sweatpants in his chubby right hand, staring up at the man who seemed to be at least ten feet tall. "Trunks and I were playing," a sniffle interrupted, "and we tried to knock each other out of the trees, and he-he, uhm, and he punched me down and cuz I can't fly I couldn't slow down so I fell on my heeaaaaaad!" Had the whines been a decibel higher, the Prince was sure he would've put the child out of his misery. Still, he was the only acting adult in the situation, and it did require a remedy.
Letting out a long sigh, Vegeta mulled over the possible things he could do. Scolding Trunks always worked, but the child was just as spoiled as Kako-spawn, and would probably run to his mother as soon as she returned from work. Punishment, as in the physical kind, was completely out of the question. Not only would his woman squawk at him for weeks, but he'd have Kakarot's harpy banshee on his tail as well.
Damn!
By now, Goten, still attached to Vegeta's sweats, had relatively calmed down. Finally able to tell someone with some authority that Trunks had pushed him out of his spot eased the warring emotions that many young children face when tings go wry. He glanced up at the statuesque man, half expecting a cold chill to burn his fingertips and run up his arms.
None came.
The little half-human alien would never be able to explain just what had happened to make him trust the oh-so-scary being he clung to, and nor would he ever really want to examine this reason. Life had dealt him too many critical blows in his short lifespan to ever make him question the good things in life. He could've mistaken the warrior for his father at that moment, rubbing his chin, the other free hand aimlessly scratching at his bicep, as he mumbled things in a language that sounded too soothing to be naughty words. If Goten could sum it up in a word, it would be trust. Little Son Goten finally trusted Vegeta.
After all, the angry man hadn't blown him to the next dimension!
"Mr. Vegeta," he prodded, soon growing bored with words he could not understand. The addressed adult immediately shifted his attention to him, exchanging his weight to the uncoddeled leg. "I'm hungry," Goten whined, giving a few tugs on the material of the Prince's pants for emphasis.
"So?" All civility vanished for a brief moment as he returned to a world of interrupted training sessions.
Goten's face squished up, readying for yet another emotional release, making Vegeta hop from foot to foot to still the child. Of all the idiotic methods of power!..."Grahh, you're just as bad as Trunks!" The chibi offered a small smile, extending his arms to be hefted up from the ground. The flame-haired man looked as though he was about to object, but complied anyway, grounding out a few choice words in a language that the kid could most definitely wrap his pea-sized brain around.
"OOOOOO! Mr. Vegeta, you said some naughties!" The Saiya-jin did an about-face and began the long journey back to the main compound.
"Tch. I've heard worse from your baka of a father. And don't call me Mister! I'm sure you can think of something more suitable."
The child mulled it over, watching as tree after tree grew smaller and smaller as they walked back towards the living quarters. He had recently started calling Bulma "Obachan" and only on her insistence. And since Bulma was married to Vegeta, and Vegeta was Trunks' dad, then he could call him…
"Ojisan!"
Vegeta immediately stilled mid-stride, turning his head to face the mischievous brat in his arms. "Nanda?"
"Bulma is Obasan, you are Ojisan!" Being the cute four-year-old that he was, Goten was content to sing that same line over and over again, clapping his little hands after each adoptive term.
The Saiya-jin Prince, on the other hand, wondered what sorts of cruel humor Dende had to bestow so many people with so many nicknames for him in his life.
:D Hehe…I watched a few Japanese episodes of DBZ a while ago from the Buu Arc, and I had totally forgotten that Goten called Vegeta "Ojisan"!!! Shame on me! So I had to do this to make up for it :3
H'ok, shoooo….I'm still looking for a Beta, and I'm hoping to get out my Mirai fic when I get one. If not, then I'll just work on it on the side and only post whatever hits me until I get a Beta. This is gonna be by-far the most important fic I've done, so I need someone's help!!!
Anywho, Review! Lemme know if it was too cute, too OOC, and enjoyable D
Ja Ne!
Pearl3
Obasan/chan: Aunt/Auntie.
Ojisan (not to be confused with Ojiisan): Uncle.
Nanda: What was that?