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Vegeta rolled over, finding the large dent in the mattress empty. His head swiveled side to side. 5:45. He must have gone for a run. The light tapping of a drum kit could be heard through the floor along with the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall. Or he's playing the drums. Vegeta sighed as he threw off the comforter and made his way into the kitchen.
"Where's his- He always- Ah! Here," Vegeta grumbled, pulling a box of earl grey tea from the cabinet. While he prefered black tea, or on a rare occasion chamomile, Raditz had a soft spot for the taste of earl grey. As the water heated up, Vegeta set to making a few slices of toast. Nothing in the kitchen had been disturbed, so he knew the older Saiyan had not eaten or had his tea yet.
He mixed in milk and sugar for Raditz, and hazelnut cream for himself, piling the impromptu breakfast on a serving tray, descending down the stairwell carefully. The drums grew louder, but the beat was not familiar to Vegeta. He heard the soft voice of Raditz from around the corner singing a song Vegeta did not know.
""He loves me now, he loves me not"
I myself was a wilted woman
Drowsy in a dark room
Forgot my roots
Now watch me bloom."
Rather dismal, if you asked me. Vegeta cleared his throat as he turned, finding his husband in nothing but boxers, hair unkempt and eyes lidded. Raditz was still exhausted, but his night terrors and insomnia did not wane with any amount of medications or therapy. He smiled up at his husband, eyeing the cup of steaming tea.
"Earl grey?"
Vegeta nodded, setting the tray down on the side table and passing over the grey mug. He sipped on his own black tea, relaxing into the small love-seat adjacent to the table.
"What's that you're playing? And so early?"
"Oh it's uh," Raditz cleared his throat. "Something my mom wrote when I was a kid. She was big into self-growth and individuality and such. It's why I learned drums."
Vegeta nodded. Raditz was not one to dwell on his mother for too long, and Vegeta respected that. He picked up the plate of crisp toast, passing it over the hi-hat.
"Thanks. Did I wake you?"
"No," Vegeta mumbled as he sipped some more of his warm drink. "I got cold is all. Couldn't feel your tail."
Unlike the other Earth-bound Saiyan, Raditz opted to keep his tail. Another homage to his mother.
"What woke you this morning? Nightmare?"
Raditz shook his head. "Not really. I wasn't scared or upset, I just felt sort of..." He stared as he searched for the word. Once he stared a little too long, Vegeta snapped in front of his eyes.
"You didn't skip out on your seizure medicine this week, did you?"
"It's vile, even compared to the stuff we've eaten on remote planets. I hate it."
Vegeta scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Raditz. You have to take all your medications. Not just the ones that taste good. Go take it now."
Raditz grumbled, and rolled his stool away from the kit. He wandered off to the small bathroom downstairs, returning with a grimace in his face. He downed half his tea before shaking his head and gagging. Vegeta handed him another piece of toast, watching as his stoic husband munched desperately to get the taste out of his mouth.
"I'm not doing this to torture you. You have to take it or the absences will get worse."
"I know, Vegeta. If you had to take it, you'd be on my side."
"No I wouldn't. I want you to get better."
Raditz chuckled, finishing off his toast, and tea. He drummed quietly for a moment, then looked up at Vegeta.
"Can you brush my hair?"
Vegeta smiled, very faintly, but a smile nonetheless, finished his tea and walked over to the same bathroom Raditz had just come from. He grabbed a spray bottle of water and a brush, opting against the hair-tie. He liked it better when Raditz wore his hair down anyways.
Raditz had moved to their favorite spot on the floor, Vegeta relaxing in a different love-seat before spraying down Raditz' mane. The brush struggled at first, but eventually flowed through the thick hair like the creek behind their home.
"You never finished. You didn't feel scared or upset, you just felt...?"
"Empty."
Vegeta knew what Raditz had meant. Losing his father hurt, but it paled in comparison to Raditz' parents simultaneous deaths, and the abandonment of his brother. He'd been through more than Vegeta could imagine. Vegeta hummed, stroking the soft hair of his silent lover, earning a small purr of approval.
"She would be proud of you, you know."
Raditz turned and looked up at Vegeta. "You think so?"
Vegega nodded, brushing more of Raditz' hair as he spoke. "You're taking good care of your brother, you've stayed out of trouble since leaving the Frieza force, you're supporting your husband, and very well I might add."
Raditz leaned his head into Vegeta's lap. The two were not very affectionate outside their own homes, but cherished these small, tender moments every bit as much as they valued their outside interactions.
"I love you."
"Do you?"
"I will hit you with this brush."
"Awh, you do love me."
Vegeta chuckled. "Sometimes."