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Heavy footsteps could be heard thundering up and down the hallway. Vegeta was barefoot and disheveled. The time was 4:27 in the morning and Goku was still in bed, sleeping like a rock.
In the middle of the night, Vegeta began to stir, feeling a distant but apparent presence floating nearby in Earth's atmosphere. Familiar and foreboding. Disgusting and slimy. Vegeta wished he couldn't sense ki and he REALLY wishes he wouldn't have gotten out of bed.
In the span of about an hour Vegeta moved the living room furniture several different times into several different configurations. He'd made himself 2 different cups of coffee. His body wouldn't stop moving but he was so, so, so very tired. His legs propelled him but his eyes threatened to close on him.
Thump thump thump thump thump. Vegeta was having hot flashes and his breathing was hard to control. Only a few times in his life had he felt this way. Oh. Oh yeah. There's that.
Acrid liquid flooded the prince's mouth as he collapsed onto the kitchen floor. At least it wasn't the carpet. Lips separated and Vegeta lurched forward, expelling bile onto his polished kitchen tile. Everything is so much all the time but especially right now.
Dizzily, Vegeta manages to scramble and clamber his way back to the bedroom. When he arrives, he attempts to wake his partner the best way he can. He taps Goku frantically and repeatedly. He can't really see through the tears and sweat drenching his face and speaking was out of the question. He searched for his voice and found nothing at all.
Goku stirs and his eyes open, lashes fluttering. It only takes a few seconds of consciousness for Goku to be alerted to whatever issue is present. He, however, cannot sense any strange ki other than his partner's.
“Hey Vegeta. What's wrong?”
Silence. The prince is trembling.
“Okay,” Goku sits up and tosses the covers onto the floor before crawling across the bed and ushering for Vegeta to sit rather than lean across. “I'mma touch ya'.” It was just a simple warning before Goku's warm hand pressed against Veg's back.
“You are very much having an attack. Panic or anxiety or both of em'. You know that probably.” This has happened before. Not in this exact way but Goku knows Vegeta is okay with physical contact. “We'll sit here. I'll wake up a bit but I just want you to try and breathe.”
Goku offers his empty hand and Vegeta gladly takes it and squeezes him sort of harshly. Kakarot can take it.
Shaking with every intake of breath, Vegeta leans on his housemate. It's about as close of a thank you as you could expect.
They sat and waited for a good long while. Almost in silence but occasionally Goku would offer words of comfort. “If you'd like we can take you to the bathroom an' get you a cool cloth for your face. Some water too.”
Vegeta nods.
“You wanna walk or have me take ya?”
Vegeta clears his throat. “Walk.”
“You didn't have to say anything.”
“I know,” Vegeta mouths but his words make no sound.
They make their way across the hall and Goku follows through with what he promised. He cleans Vegeta's face of his sweat and tears and continues to dab and wipe at his skin long after Vegeta was clean. It was cooling and a distraction; Vegeta hasn't pushed him away yet.
Wearing a solemn smile, Kakarot asked the following: “Would you like to tell me what's wrong?”
“It's him.” Vegeta states so matter-of-factly as if Goku was supposed to read his mind.
I'm situations like this, Goku really tries to keep a neutral expression to avoid conveying the wrong emotion. “Go on.”
“Can't you feel it? Feel him? He's back for me. He's coming here!! Right now!”
Ah. Goku understands. In situations like this he really doesn't know what he should do. Should he agree despite the differences in Vegeta's observation and reality or should he break the news to him? Neither are correct.
“You feel unsafe?”
“Yes!! YES YES YES!”
“What should we do about it?”
“Send him straight back to hell!”