Tarble stood over the hospital cot, staring with disbelief at someone who looked exactly like himself, except covered in bandages. His eyes were glued to this stranger, suddenly filled with a million questions like who he was, where he came from, and why they looked so similar. The doctors told him they didn't know much about him, other than the fact that he arrived like this with a single communication that had only his name.

Just then, a flick of the stranger's eyelids caused Tarble to flinch. He stared in fascination as the other slowly awoke, his vision gradually adjusting until he was staring into the wide curious eyes of his little brother. Vegeta held back when his reflexes screamed at him to strike the other who was way too close to his face, and instead he gave the younger a weird expression which he seemed to get the intended message across.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" The boy announced, taking a step back. His stupid smile immediately returned to his face. "My name's Tarble! But, I, uh… I guess you already knew that." The boy stated nervously. Vegeta just stared and blinked, taking a moment to process what he heard and realizing the doctors must have hooked him up with some pretty good drugs.

"Oh! Right! I nearly forgot!" Tarble announced, reaching for the night stand, picking up a notepad and pen. He held the objects out to Vegeta who hesitantly took them. "The doctors said you won't be able to speak for a while, so I brought you one of my school notebooks!" He stated proudly.

Vegeta looked down at the simple book with a green paper cover and opened it to the first page, finding a journal entry in fairly neat handwriting. He flipped to the next page and was met with two more journal entries. Tarble chuckled.

"Sorry, new school year so the first few pages are from my journaling." He said with a bashful expression. Vegeta flipped a few more pages until he found a blank one then uncapped the pen. Tarble ran to the far corner of the room for the little armchair seated there, bringing it over. As he sat down, he looked up expectantly to see Vegeta had finished what he was writing, with not the greatest penmanship.

I am your brother. My name is Vegeta.

Tarble stared, dumbstruck. He sat like that for quite a while and Vegeta was beginning to get annoyed when the younger swiftly sprang up.

"I have a brother? ?" He shouted in disbelief. Vegeta scowled, turning back to the notebook.

You are a Saiyan, a race of warriors. Our planet was destroyed by an asteroid. There are only a handful of survivors.

Tarble slumped back into his chair in utter shock.

"Gosh, that's a lot to take in." He mused. Vegeta wrote some more.

You were sent here as a baby. Many Saiyans were sent to far planets as babies. I haven't met many. Those I did have died. I serve under the tyrant Frieza in his empire.

Tarble didn't think he could be anymore shocked, and yet his mouth kept dropping farther.

"Frieza? As in THE Lord Frieza? ?" He asked incredulously. Vegeta nodded. Tarble stammered for a minute before finding his voice. "Did he do this to you?" His younger brother asked, indicating his injuries. Vegeta shook his head and wrote some more.

On a mission. Cowardly partner cut leg and stabbed throat. Monster child bit arm.

Tarble fell back in his chair. "He STABBED you in the THROAT?" He asked, astonished. Vegeta nodded, then mimicked the knife going straight into his throat. Tarble grimaced.

"But wait, why was I sent to this planet as a baby?" He asked. Vegeta scrawled some more.

Weak babies were sent away. Meant to destroy life on planets by turning into the mighty Ozaru.

Tarble had to read that twice. "Weak? What do you mean weak?" He asked indignantly. Vegeta glanced around until he found something suitable. A basket of fruit was on his bedside table. He searched through it until he found one that was considerably dense and held it out. In one motion he reduced it to nothing more than pulp and juice, causing Tarble's eyes to nearly pop out of his head. The younger picked up a piece that looked the same, but when he tried to squish it, he couldn't manage. Vegeta sneered. Tarble wanted to retort something, but couldn't manage to think of anything, and ultimately started tearing up. Vegeta rolled his eyes, wrote something down, then smacked Tarble over the head with the notebook.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He demanded, holding his head. When he glanced up, Vegeta was displaying it so he could read what he wrote.

Stop crying.

Tarble scowled, drying his eyes. He then looked down, his expression sullen and gloomy.

"What about mom and dad?" He asked, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer. Vegeta shook his head and wrote something else.

Died when asteroid struck.

After he read the words, Tarble immediately teared up again much to Vegeta's displeasure. Tears and snot ran down his face as he tried his best to choke back the sobs. Vegeta used the notebook to smack him even harder and held it up once more, tapping his finger impatiently at the previous thing he'd written.

Stop crying.

Tarble nodded, grabbing some napkins that were on the table and using them to blow his nose. He decided it would be best to change the topic so he didn't have to think of something so gloomy.

"So, how old are you?" He asked, wadding up the napkin, throwing it in the trash. Vegeta turned to his paper.

14.

Tarble nodded. "Well I'm nine years old and I just started my fourth year of school. What year are you in?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow then drew a question mark on the paper. Tarble was at a loss.

"School? Don't you go to school?"

Vegeta frowned, wondering what would make this kid think he went to school full time.

No. But I have studies. Since planet Vegeta was destroyed nine years ago they haven't been as formal.

Tarble gasped. "Nine years ago? You mean right after I was born?" He asked in amazement. Vegeta nodded and Tarble tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Wait, I thought your name was Vegeta?" He asked, confused. Vegeta nodded and turned back to the notebook.

As is our father's. Father was king, we are the Princes of all Saiyans.

Tarble's jaw dropped. "I'm a PRINCE?" He shouted, climbing up ridiculously in his chair. Vegeta scowled at the behavior, making the younger feel foolish as he composed himself and climbed down. He cleared his throat.

"So, um, what do you do?" He asked casually. Vegeta glanced away, his expression thoughtful before he started writing again.

Eradicate life on planets in preparation to be sold by Frieza.

Tarble felt faint.

"W-what?"

Vegeta lowered the notebook into his lap, his expression morose. He glanced at his brother out of the corner of the eye, seeing fear and disbelief written all over his face. Vegeta scrawled again on the page.

If I don't, I die. And I need to live to kill Frieza.

Tarble blinked, feeling no less sick than before. He wanted to ask how he could do such a thing, but his answer was right in front of him. Vegeta was nearly dead, beaten and broken laying in a hospital bed not even able to talk. He'd heard stories of Lord Frieza, none of which were pleasant. In fact, this planet even had defense plans in place should Frieza or his men ever visit them. The townspeople always talked about it, entirely sure they were due for a visit any day.

"Is Frieza coming here?" Tarble asked quietly.

No. I changed records in the database when Planet Vegeta was destroyed. Couldn't trust him. Indicated this was a methane gas planet.

Tarble looked at the words incredulously. "Really, why?" He asked in disbelief. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

You, dumbass.

Tarble blinked then lit up with the brightest smile he'd had in a very long time. He squealed in glee and jumped out of his chair, wrapping his arms around Vegeta in a tight hug.

"A brother! I can't believe I have a brother!" He called out, not realizing Vegeta was in a great amount of pain. He thought about shoving the other away, but instead just sat there accepting his fate.

~0~

The next day Tarble dashed out of school like a madman, not bothering to stay for his afterschool programs and instead running down the street to the hospital. He'd waited for this moment ever since visitor hours had ended yesterday and rushed up the front steps of the hospital, tore past the reception desk, and whizzed down the hall to the room Vegeta was in. When he got there though, his expression of pure excitement dropped into one of confused dismay. The room was empty, like the older had just gotten up and left. Maybe he was in the bathroom? Just then Tarble noticed the window was open and a familiar shape was outside. He rushed over to see Vegeta hovering over the courtyard, practicing punches.

"Oi! Nii-san!" He called out, waving to his brother. Vegeta interrupted his practice, turning at the sound then flew back to his window. "Nii-san, shouldn't you be in bed?" Tarble asked, worry causing his eyebrows to knit together. Vegeta scowled and folded his arms as if saying 'try and make me'. Tarble just shook his head exasperatedly and took off his backpack.

"Nii-san! I made you something in school today!" He announced, pulling out a piece of cardboard paper with string attached to it like a necklace. Vegeta took it and read it. In the center it said 'Yes / Maybe / No', on the edges it said 'Never / Stop / Always / What', and in the corners it said 'Hungry / Thirsty / Tired / I love Nii-san'.

Vegeta grimaced at the last one and began ripping the corner. Tarble's expression fell into one of horror as he watched his brother tuck the scrap into his pocket.

"Nii-san, that's so mean!" He exclaimed. Vegeta just rolled his eyes as he draped the sign over his neck. He edged away from the window and waited expectantly, then glowered when his brother didn't seem to understand. When he motioned for him to follow though, Tarble balked at the implication.

"I can't fly!" He announced incredulously. Vegeta frowned, flying back over to the window and grabbing a fistful of his little brother's shirt.

"Nii-san!" Tarble exclaimed, but it was too late. He was pulled through the window with a yelp and immediately wrapped his arms tightly around the other's shoulders before he could fall. When he realized he wasn't going to die he relaxed a bit, sitting up and looking into the unamused eyes of his brother. He chuckled nervously, then slung the backpack he realized he was holding onto with a death grip over his shoulders.

"Where are we going?" He asked, to which Vegeta pointed towards the mountains.

"There?" He asked, thinking hard. "I guess. There's a nice waterfall with a big lake." He offered. Vegeta nodded and took off. They reached the mountains soon enough and Tarble had to look around a bit before he saw it, indicating to Vegeta to descend. They landed in a large clearing and Vegeta gently set his little brother down, scowling as he shook out his injured arm when Tarble was standing.

"Oh no! Did I hurt you, Nii-san?" He asked, worried. Vegeta glanced down at the card tied to his neck, pointing to one of the words.

No

Tarble smiled brightly, glad his brother liked his present. Vegeta glanced down again and indicated another word.

Hungry

Tarble frowned. "Okay, but there aren't any restaurants close by." He said, hesitantly. Vegeta just pointed at the lake. "Fishing?" His little brother asked. "But we don't have any poles. Or bait."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead. This kid was living such a ridiculously sheltered life. He took off his hospital shirt but before he could take off the matching pants his brother had stopped him.

"Wait, you can't get your bandages wet! Your injuries could get worse!" He declared, grabbing onto Vegeta's arm and staring at him with big pleading eyes. The elder glowered, ultimately agreeing with the logic and decided he'd have to be a little more creative. Tarble couldn't help catching a glimpse of his brother's chest now that he wasn't wearing a shirt and gasped.

"Holy cow! Your muscles are huge!" He announced. Vegeta glanced down at himself in suprise, watching as Tarble began counting his scars. The bruise from where Cui kicked him had turned into an ugly mix of purple and yellow. However, the worst of his injuries were bandaged up. The side of his chest Cui had nicked him with a ki-blast, the cut in his leg, the stab wound in his throat… Tarble walked around him with a thoughtful expression.

"Sixteen? You have sixteen scars? ?" Tarble asked hysterically. Vegeta just shrugged, not wanting to remind him there were more on his legs. Tarble's eyes began to mist over. "It's not fair for you to be out there. Forced to do that kind of stuff." He said miserably. "I should be out there too, protecting my brother."

Vegeta glared bitterly and bopped the other on the head with his fist. Tarble yelped, his hands flying to his scalp.

"Nii-san! That wasn't very nice!"

Vegeta folded his arms with a smug and condescending expression. Tarble understood the implication but continued to pout. The older brother rolled his eyes and decided to try something. He took a fighting stance, feet placed wide apart with one a bit more forward than the other, one arm held up to block and the other held in reserve at his waist. Tarble's immediate reaction was to flinch until he saw his brother was just holding the stance. He looked confused for a moment until he realized he was meant to mimic him.

Tarble did his best, switching his feet a few times before holding the pose. Vegeta shook his head lightly.

The older prince pointed down at his feet, indicating their positions. He held up his card and pointed to the 'Yes', then brought his feet closer together and pointed to the 'No', then spread them again pointing to the 'Yes'.

"Ohh." Tarble mused, spreading his legs a little wider. Next Vegeta indicated his knees. He bounced up and down a bit pointing to 'Yes', then stood straight and pointed to 'No', then bent his knees and pointed to 'Yes'. Tarble took the instruction and Vegeta stood straight, walking over to the younger. He tapped at his elbow, indicating to raise it, then tapped at his shoulders indicating to lower them. He poked him to straighten his back, poked him to square his shoulders, and then tipped his chin a little lower. He then bent at the waist to look Tarble in the eye, pointing at his features which had turned dark and serious. Tarble did his best to recreate his brother's expression but didn't think he'd ever be able to reach that level of intensity.

Vegeta slapped him on the shoulder, causing him to stumble, and signifying a job well done. Tarble giggled happily at the praise, watching as his brother went over to a tree. Vegeta squared up, setting his expression, and with one punch the trunk was split across causing the whole tree to come toppling down.

"Wow, that's so amazing!" He exclaimed. Vegeta smirked at the praise and then grabbed him by the forearm, dragging him over to a smaller tree. Tarble stared at it and then his brother.

"A-are you sure?" He asked tentatively. Vegeta nodded once with complete confidence. Tarble sincerely doubted it would be possible but decided to trust the other and squared up. He took a deep breath, remembering what to raise and lower, setting his expression to confident determination and then striking out with his fist, hitting the trunk dead center.

Then immediately crumpling to the floor.

Tarble shrieked from the pain, clutching the knuckles he was sure he had broken while Vegeta used his first finger and thumb to pinch the bridge of his nose, letting out a long breath.

Vegeta had ripped scraps from his hospital shirt, using them to wrap Tarble's hand. The younger hadn't appreciated his brother's method of looking for broken bones by digging his thumb between his knuckles and watching for whatever moved funny. The older prince had motioned to only two being broken, but Tarble sincerely felt like it was all of them. He flinched when Vegeta tied off the rest of the strips rather tightly. However, the pressure certainly helped the pain. He suddenly flinched as he saw Vegeta's hand coming for him, then relaxed when his brother just used it to ruffle his hair.

"It's ok, Nii-san. I forgive you." He stated, smiling brightly. Vegeta frowned and glanced away just before both their stomachs announced their hunger. The two glanced between each other and grinned.

Vegeta stood, looking around before walking over to a tree and pulling off a fuzzy piece of moss, then breaking off a small twig. He came back and held them up to Tarble.

"Do you want me to get more?" He asked, earning a nod from his brother. He jumped to his feet and nodded back before dashing off for the trees.

While he did that, Vegeta cut the tree he'd chopped down into suitable firewood pieces, setting a particularly good piece aside along with a thick twig. Next, he flew over the lake, watching patiently until a large fish swam a little too close to the surface and he was able to use a ki-blast from his finger, waiting as it eventually surfaced dead. He scooped it up by the gill, bringing it to camp just as Tarble made it back with an armful of moss and twigs.

They sat down to a roaring fire and fresh grilled fish, eating their fill until they could eat no more.

"Nii-san?" Tarble asked, earning his brother's attention. "Do you have to leave this planet?"

Vegeta closed his eyes and sighed, then lifted his card.

Yes

Tarble frowned pathetically. "Can I come with you?" He asked, knowing the answer but still naively hopeful.

Never

Tarble drew his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees, sniffling.

"I'm gonna miss you." He stated sadly. Vegeta sighed and plopped a hand down on top on his head, scrubbing his fingers through his little brother's hair.

"Do you think I could be as strong as you one day?"

Vegeta snorted.

Maybe

Tarble made a face at his older brother and Vegeta tweaked his nose in response.

"Ouch! No fair!" He yelled. Vegeta chuckled until he was coughing. The coughing soon turned into hacking and Tarble watching in horror as blood splattered in his brother's hand.

"Nii-san, are you ok?" He asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Vegeta swatted it away though and pointed to his card.

Stop

Tarble frowned but obeyed, sighing loudly as he looked up at the darkened sky.

Wait a minute…

"Crap!" Tarble shouted, springing up. "Crap, crap! I'm dead! They're going to kill me!" He called out hysterically, collapsing to his knees and shoveling dirt onto the fire. Vegeta raised an eyebrow and tapped him on the shoulder. Tarble turned to see his sign in his face.

What

"My parents! It's so late! I've never been out this late without telling them before!" He called out. Vegeta gave him an incredibly odd look.

"Just… trust me, ok!"

Vegeta shrugged and did his best to help snuff the fire. When that was done, Tarble made sure to grab his backpack before they took to the sky.

"Um, I don't think I can point you to my house up here. But if you take me to the hospital, I can definitely make it back on my own." He offered. Vegeta accepted and tried to remember where the building was. They eventually made it, with a few odd twists and turns, and Vegeta set his brother down on the sidewalk.

"Well, um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Tarble stated, waving awkwardly. Vegeta didn't look amused. He swung his brother around and opened the little backpack, reaching in and finding the notebook and a pen. He opened it to the next clean page and began to write.

No hospital. I'll stay with you?

Tarble lit up when he read the words. He tried hard but could no longer suppress the jump for joy or the bear hug. Vegeta groaned at the physical contact, wondering if he was going to regret this choice. When Tarble finally released him, he took hold of Vegeta's hand and began leading him away.

"Mom and dad should be ok with it. After all, they were as excited as I was to hear I have a brother!" He announced, dragging his older brother along who still had to walk with a limp. He managed to tuck the notebook and pen into the other's pack as he was pulled along.

The street lights illuminated the sidewalks brightly, making it seem to Vegeta as if the sun had never set in the first place. He was just about to take to the sky to give his leg a break when Tarble's face suddenly lit up and he waved a hand over his head.

"My friends!" He called out happily. Vegeta glanced from him to the group of three boys ahead. When they caught sight of him though, they just seemed to shrivel back.

Just then Vegeta was yanked forward as Tarble began running until they eventually caught up. When they stopped, Vegeta was pathetically out of breath and he cursed the swelling in his throat.

"Turnip, Shall, Pea! This is my brother, Vegeta!" He exclaimed proudly, indicating the taller Saiyan behind him. The three looked unamused.

"Look, Pea, another weirdo."

"Yeah, why are they both so weird."

Tarble laughed nervously and turned to his brother.

"We go way back. The four of us used to play all the time when we were really little." He explained, not entirely comfortable with the way Vegeta was looking at the three.

"Not anymore." Turnip said, folding his arms.

"Yeah, we heard you're the reason Lord Frieza is coming here someday." Pea continued. Tarble froze.

"Wait, what?" He asked quietly, his expression hurt.

"Yeah. Everyone in town hates you. Except your parents, they're the only ones saying you haven't done anything. But everyone knows it's only a matter of time." Shall explained before sticking out his tongue at the younger Saiyan.

"But… but I didn't…" He tried, trembling as tears started collecting in his eyes.

"Just leave, weirdo. And tell your brother to back off before he gets even more bandaged." Turnip warned, holding up his fist to back up his claim.

"What's with him anyways? Did he trip down some stairs?" Shall asked in a mocking tone. Tarble wiped his eyes.

"N-no. He was stabbed in the neck and nearly eaten on planet Julius." He explained.

The three boys' jaws dropped.

"In the neck? ?"

"Nearly Eaten? ?"

"Planet Julius! !" The three exclaimed one after another, piecing together the story before shrieking loudly.

"I-I didn't mean it, mister! I'm so sorry!" Shall exclaimed loudly, looking as if he was going to soil himself. Vegeta liked this treatment much better, and Tarble wasn't sure if he was afraid his brother was going to do something more violent now compared to earlier. The boys screamed in unison once again before sprinting off into the night.

Tarble wanted to go after them but figured there wasn't a point. He remembered what Vegeta said, how he'd gone into the main database of Frieza's ship and made it so no one would bother to come. He turned to find his brother giving him an unamused expression. Tarble glanced away sheepishly.

"We're just going through some stuff." He muttered. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

Tarble yelped when Vegeta slipped his hands under his brother's armpits and hoisted him onto his hip then took off into the sky. He hovered there for a moment until Tarble realized he had to lead the way.

They landed at his front porch and as Tarble was reaching out to open the front door, it was swung open dramatically to reveal an angry looking little woman.

"Where in the world have you been!" She shouted, looking him up and down. "You don't tell me where you're going, you don't call, and you're absolutely filthy!"

Tarble chuckled lightly, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, mom. I was with Vegeta and the time got away from me."

He was stopped before he could continue when she reached out and grabbed his hand. "A bandage! What happened to you!" She called out, tugging him inside. Vegeta quietly entered as well, slowly closing the door behind him. He walked over to the kitchen area where Tarble was seated at a table as his mom undid the bandage.

"We were just playing. Vegeta was teaching me how to punch and I got a little carried away." He explained, wincing a bit.

"Oh, he was, was he?" She asked, throwing a deadly glare over her shoulder. Vegeta just scowled.

"It's nothing bad! Honest! Besides, martial arts are good for centering kids!"

His mom got up and headed for a cabinet, opening it to reveal what looked like a second hospital as she continued to scold and lecture the two over her shoulder, telling her son he was irresponsible for breaking two knuckles.

"I guess I should mention she's a nurse." Tarble whispered. Vegeta gave a slight nod.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Tarble?" His mom asked, a large basket in each of her hands filled with all kinds of supplies. "Can't have you running around my house looking like that and can't have you bathing in your bandages." She said motioning for him to follow. "And you're coming too, Vegeta." She announced, not willing to negotiate. Vegeta raised an eyebrow but was curious enough to follow along.

They ended up in a bathroom with a tub in the corner and mom ordering the two boys to get in. Vegeta just folded his arms as Tarble began to get undressed.

"Don't even think about being defiant." She warned, dropping her stuff on the ground and placing her hands on her hips. "You're telling me you're going to wash and bandage those wounds yourself?"

Vegeta glared testily. Tarble's mom didn't back down though and instead glared back with equal intensity until the older prince finally gave in and unfolded his arms. The woman smiled and pulled out a step ladder from behind the door, climbing it and undressing his bandages. She was careful and diligent in the task while Tarble got to work turning on the shower and setting the water to a pleasant temperature.

"Don't forget to shampoo your tail." She told her son, earning a grumble in response as he began washing the dirt away. Vegeta stood still as she picked the gauze from his throat, examining it for debris.

"Nii-san, that looks like it really hurts." Tarble said solemnly, his expression pitying. Vegeta turned to his brother with a thoughtful expression, promptly covered his nose and mouth, then rapidly forced air in and out of his lungs, causing the hole in his throat to wheeze and bubble. Tarble shrieked, quickly pulling the shower curtain closed.

"That's not funny, nii-san!" He shouted. His mom couldn't help laughing though.

When Tarble was finished with his shower, Vegeta's bandages had been completely removed and the small woman instructed him to sit in the tub. She set to work scrubbing his hair, trying her best to get all the dirt which turned out to be more daunting of a task than she'd expected. Tarble giggled at his brother's ridiculous expressions as she pulled and scraped, instructing her son to hand her the scissors from one of her baskets. Vegeta scowled, not liking it when anyone touched his hair. He allowed it though and glared when Tarble laughed even harder as his hair was drench and sat plastered against his scalp.

"Tarble, why don't you pull out some extra blankets and a pillow?" His mom instructed, not yet ready to see what an angry Saiyan was capable of. "And bring your brother a change of clothes!" She called after him.

"Yes, mom!"

The two sat in silence as she meticulously cleaned each of his injuries and scrubbed more dirt than she thought was possible.

"I'm going to have to have a talk with the folks down at the hospital. It doesn't look like they got you terribly cleaned up at all!" She stated. Vegeta didn't respond. It wasn't often he bathed in the first place, he didn't feel like baths were terribly necessary. Especially since more times than not he ended up in a healing tank which took care of that for him. He was also greatly distracted in that moment when the woman started scrubbing his back and he felt like he'd died and gone to heaven. He arched his spine from the pleasure, earning a chuckle from the other as she carved her fingers even deeper into his skin, making the prince shiver. She dug her thumbs into his shoulder blades and massaged his shoulders, eventually letting go which brought Vegeta back to reality. He wiped a line of drool from his chin as a light blush lit up his cheeks.

Tarble was suddenly back, carrying a change of clothes. He set them down on the counter, glancing at the tub to see the water draining away was mostly pink.

"Thank you, son." She said. "Boy, you two really are brothers. Vegeta here likes back rubs just as much as you, maybe even a little more."

Tarble chuckled a moment until his face fell, figuring it wasn't often his older brother had any kind of affection. He was broken from his stupor though by a few drops of water hitting him in the face.

"Hey!" He shouted, finding Vegeta sneering back at him.

"Alright boys, that's enough." She said, turning off the water. "Tarble, help me get your brother up."

Vegeta braced one arm against the edge of the tub while his younger brother held onto the other one and lifted. Tarble hardly did anything since his older brother was so heavy, but Vegeta didn't seem to fault him for that. When he was standing he was handed a towel and gladly took it.

"Now then, Tarble, let's get a look at your hand."

After their injuries were taken care of and they were dressed, the boys headed to Tarble's room and Vegeta collapsed on his bed. Tarble's mom had agreed he could stay home from school the next day to spend time with his brother and he began searching through his bookshelf for things to do.

"Oh! Or we could go to the aquarium! Or the zoo! Or there's a park with a really fun playground, or the beach! But wait, you shouldn't go swimming… hmm…" He flipped a few more pages in his local travel guide, rattling ideas off, until he heard his brother inhale deeply. Tarble climbed onto his knees and crawled over, peering across the bed.

"Nii-san, are you sleeping?" He whispered. When he wasn't given a response he stood and began putting his books in a stack, then closed his door and turned off the light, crawling into bed beside the other and pulling the blankets over them.

"Goodnight, nii-san."

~0~

A/N: idk what's gotten into me, but dang I just couldn't stop writing. next chapter will be the revival of the plot, but for now have some fluff. I figured I'd done enough terrible things to poor Vegeta, he deserves some love. and back scratches.