Maintaining: Protector

Maintaining
By Pixelgoddess

Chapter 9 - Protector

Vegeta struggled to maintain the peace he had awoken with, but it slipped away. The sight and scent of the sleeping Kakarott had triggered memories of Radditz.

He had learned as a child that he had no value to his family, his people, his planet - he had a title that entitled him to nothing but the right to be used as a hostage and a victim. Radditz was the only one who had stayed loyal to him. He was his friend - not because of his title but because of who he was. Radditz genuinely liked him.

But their friendship had to remain secret, because if Frieza found out it would be taken away. It was even more difficult to conceal because of Nappa. Frieza had planted that traitor in their midst, but Radditz had been immediately suspicious and warned Vegeta not to trust him. Like that would happen - the prince trusted no one else.

They both wanted to kill him, but the punishment would have been severe, and possibly fatal. That was why Vegeta had been relieved when Kakarott had injured the giant so severely - here was a legitimate explanation for his death. It was really revenge for the change that Nappa had arranged to be made to the roster - he should have been the one to die at the Namek's hand, not his Radditz.

"Radditz..." he whispered, wrapping his arms around himself. The truth was he hardly missed his family or planet - he had known them for such a short time. But the loss of Radditz nearly destroyed him...if Frieza had gotten a hold of him then he would have been lost - defenseless.

Radditz had been with him since he was a child, following him into the lizard's service - asking for the duty to remain close to his prince. In public, he was the stereotypical Saiyan warrior - cold, vicious, bloodthirsty. Vegeta, however, got to see his kinder side, dropping his own "arrogant prince" mask.

Radditz was the one who had nursed him back to health the first time Frieza had beaten him nearly to death. He had only been - what - 7? When he had cried from the fear and pain the man did not laugh or belittle him - he had spoken to him calmly, soothingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why?" the boy sobbed, sitting on Radditz' lap, clutching tightly at the man's hair as his wounds were cleaned.

Radditz scowled as examined the injuries. His dislike of common Saiyan practices had been shifting into hatred. First his brother was casually discarded, and now the prince.

"It's not your fault, Vegeta," he murmured, affectionately brushing his tail over the boy's face. "Tell me what happened."

"I didn't do anything. I was training..." Vegeta took a hiccupping breath, trying to get his sobs under control. "Jeice came and said Lord Freiza..."

Radditz growled. "Do NOT call him that here. Use that disgusting lizard's title when you have to, but we know better."

Vegeta looked up to see if Radditz was mad at him, and was relieved to see him flash a grin at him. "Red came and said lizard-breath..." he started again, grinning back.

"Better," Radditz said, encouraging this tiny rebellion.

"...Wanted to see me. I just changed my uniform, and then when I got there..." he whimpered as Radditz worked on a particularly bad wound.

The older Saiyan purred, the rumbling soothing the distraught boy, cradling him closer. He wasn't surprised Vegeta was so upset - it was one thing to get injured in sparring or battle - it was expected, and the adrenaline rush would slow the pain. He hadn't been prepared for this, making the beating even harder to bear.

"I went and kneeled like I was supposed to...and he just ignored me..."

Radditz' tail twitched in anger at the white freak. He wouldn't even let Vegeta use a regen tank to recover. The red shrimp had deposited the beaten boy in his quarters with the instructions that lizard wanted him to 'learn from the experience'.

"...I stayed...and then he started getting mad at me...said I made him wait...and I took too long to get there...and then he started hitting me with his tail...and when I tried to protect myself he...he..." The boy erupted into sobs again, burying his face into Radditz' chest.

Radditz had a good idea what had happened. He recognized the deep ki burns that would leave permanent scars, as well as the broken bones, cuts and bruises that would come from the lizard's feet and tail. He was glad that Saiyans healed quickly, but worried about the lasting damage that the freak would cause in one so young. And if he was willing to hurt Vegeta this much as a child, what would he do when he got older?

"Vegeta - listen to me," he said calmly, lifting the boy's chin up to look into his eyes. "It doesn't matter what you did. If you had gone there without changing, he would have said he was beating you because you appeared in front of him in sweaty clothes. He was going to do it no matter what."

"But why?" the boy pleaded.

"Because he is a sick, twisted bastard. Because we are Saiyans. Because Saiyans value their children so little. And if we don't care about our own, then why should he?"

"It's not right."

Radditz wrapped his arms and tail around the prince, holding him close. "No, it's not right. It's not fair. And when you are king you can change it. Until then, you must be strong and brave, and not let Frieza or any of his people break you."

Vegeta purred as he slipped into sleep, mumbling, "Never let lizard win..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That had been the last time he had cried like that. Radditz had never commented on it, but Vegeta could see the sorrow in his eyes as he became hard and angry. Every time he destroyed a planet, he pictured Frieza. The prince had discovered there was truth behind the rumor - Saiyans did get stronger each time they recovered from serious injuries. He began deliberately inciting the lizard's wrath, hoping each beating he received would be the one to make him strong enough to stop him.

Radditz knew what he was doing, and why, but he hated to see the prince in such pain. He begged him to stop antagonizing Zarbon and the Ginyus, but Vegeta just stared at him with glittering black eyes. There was an entire year that he had spent more time in the tanks than out.

He had been a fool - he was a still a child and thought he already knew what pain was. The stories he had heard from older victims of Frieza sounded like exaggerations and lies...no one would do that... Radditz knew better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Radditz worked the ki-warmed oil into the prince's aching muscles, trying to knead away the knots that never seemed to go away. His fears of years ago had been realized - his prince had been permanently injured. He would never attain his full height, and his back caused him constant pain. Vegeta would never admit to it, but that time Zarbon had taken advantage his mistaken trust - there was real concern of whether he would even be able to walk again. The tanks could heal a lot, but the cure was never 100%. Vegeta never let on - Radditz was the only one who knew.

And now...Radditz swallowed a curse as he counted and re-counted the years. The damage had bought Vegeta some time, but his stay was nearly over. He wanted to be wrong. He wanted to believe that Nappa hadn't told the lizard. He knew his hopes were fruitless. He could smell the scent emanating from Vegeta's tail as he unconsciously dragged it over his arms.

In certain things Vegeta was still a naïve child...especially this. His status on the lizard's ship kept him separated from almost everyone. There was no barrack's banter for him - his entire life was purging and training. Radditz knew he wasn't aware of the message his scent was giving - he probably didn't even know he was doing it. If they had been home - if there still was a home - he would have had the chance to discover and explore these changes in his body in his own time. He would have been around others of his age, allowed and even encouraged to screw each other until they dropped.

The situation here was more precarious. The only good thing he could say about Frieza was that he didn't molest children. Vegeta was in more danger now than he ever had been. Zarbon and Dodoria had been a constant presence lately, Nappa had been throwing off his own scent, and Frieza... Radditz had been with Vegeta last time he had to appear before the lizard, and he didn't like the way those red eyes had crawled over the prince, making his tail twitch with dread.

He listened to Vegeta purr as he relaxed and came to a decision. He gently captured the tail that had wrapped around his arm and brushed his fingers through the fur.

Vegeta shifted so he could look up at him in confusion. "Radditz?"

He stared down at the bewildered prince and marveled again at the trust this amazing person had given him. "Vegeta," he said softly, "I need to tell you something..."

Vegeta sat up, remaining silent, but shuddering in fear as Radditz told him of Frieza's intentions.

"Th-th-that's..." The prince had been nearly speechless, a solitary tear, the first he had shed in years, running down his face. ::Oh GodS, how can I survive here?::

Radditz reached out and brushed the moisture away with his thumb, gently cupping the distraught teen's cheek. Vegeta had been finding it difficult lately to keep control of his emotions, falling victim to his confused hormones.

"Vegeta...what he is planning on doing...is sick and disgusting. I- I want to show you what it is supposed to be like - it should be a wonderful experience. I want you to have something good to remember..." Radditz wanted to cry himself. This wasn't fair. He loved Vegeta, but under these circumstances...

Vegeta stared unblinkingly into his friend's dark eyes. He was bewildered. This was too much to take in. He didn't know how to respond. "What, what - Radditz?" he begged him to resolve this confusion.

"Please, Vegeta - let me make love to you. You'll enjoy it. I won't... I would never hurt..." Radditz closed his eyes, willing himself to stop babbling. He wanted to do this, but he would NOT force him. He mentally restrained his tail, refusing to emit a scent that would interfere with Vegeta's hormones.

Vegeta remained silent, thinking, feeling. Radditz' fingers had never ceased dragging through the fur in his tail. It was a pleasant sensation. His hand had remained cupped on his cheek, his thumb gently stroking his face. Vegeta was sure Radditz wasn't even aware of what he was doing.

Did he want this? He still wasn't sure. But he could tell Radditz did. Radditz was his friend - he trusted him with his life. And he seemed to think this was important... He'd never willingly hurt him...

"Yes."

Radditz' eyes snapped open, not sure he had heard correctly, "Vegeta?"

Vegeta smirked at the expression on his face, "Yes."

He smiled and began seducing his virgin prince.

Radditz gently laid him on the bed, coiling his tail around Vegeta's, the feeling of fur on fur making him purr. He stretched out next to him, careful not to crush him with his weight. The prince's hair was soft under his fingers, and he resisted the urge to bury his hands in the texture.

Vegeta didn't take his eyes off of Radditz until the man began nuzzling his neck. He closed his eyes and shuddered as his throat was licked and kissed. He nearly trembled as he realized how vulnerable he was until he reminded himself he was safe with Radditz.

Radditz felt the tiny tremor and stopped what he was doing to look at the prince's face. "Vegeta? Are you all right? Do you want...?"

"Fine," he breathed, eyes still closed.

Radditz hesitated a moment, watching the tension in Vegeta's face. He knew Vegeta was afraid because he didn't know what to expect. He returned to his neck, kissing it tenderly, slowly moving up to capture an earlobe. He sucked and nibbled on it, licking the delicate shell of his ear. Vegeta's trembling had stopped, but he still was not responding. Radditz carefully freed his tail and waved it around, spreading his musk.

Vegeta didn't know what to do - how to act. These sensations were like nothing he had felt before. There was hot breath in his ear and long dark hair on his chest. Then Radditz took that gentle caress on his tail away and he made a soft sound of complaint.

There were warm lips brushing on his, gentle and chaste. He felt the heat and musk pouring off Radditz. He pressed up, adding his own pressure to the kiss. He felt, rather than heard the rumble of Radditz' moan. The musk increased, passing straight through his nose and into his groin.

Radditz' tail recaptured his, the frisson making him gasp. The man took advantage of his opened lips and slid his tongue in, exploring Vegeta's mouth.

When he finally broke the kiss, Radditz smirked at the sight of his prince. His eyes were closed, his hair already disheveled, and he was panting for breath through swollen lips. He had loved Vegeta for years, and this chance to pleasure him was a gift from the GodS. There was no way he was going to rush this.

He returned to the study of Vegeta's body with his mouth, starting at his chin, spending considerable time in the hollow at the base of his throat. He began to caress Vegeta, his hands taking advantage of everything they had learned while healing him. Vegeta had made no sound the entire time except for gasping breaths. Radditz considered it a challenge to make his prince give up his tight rein of control.

He brushed his palms across Vegeta's nipples, making him squirm. Radditz exhaled in victory. This sensitivity was something he hadn't known about. He began to put his newfound knowledge to good use, circling a bud with his tongue, evaporating the moisture with his breath. His hand continued its torture of the other nipple, rolling it between his fingers and gently pinching it. Vegeta's breathing became shaky, his fingers clutching at air, his tail wrapping tighter around Radditz'.

Radditz dragged his hair over the damp, sensitive nipple, eliciting a gasp from Vegeta. He wanted to see what kind of sounds his could draw from him.

Vegeta was already feeling like he was suffering from sensory overload. There was so much sensation, so much contact. The taste of Radditz was still in his mouth - his scent was all around him. He never knew a tongue could be used like that - that anyone could touch like that. He just knew Radditz was determined to drive him mad like this - not that he cared. He didn't know what to expect, he just knew he wanted more.

Radditz sucked hard on his nipple and rippled his tail over Vegeta's and was finally rewarded with Vegeta arching up into him and moaning. Radditz gave his own moan in response and returned to capture Vegeta's mouth. The prince buried his hands in Radditz' hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss, demanding more.

Radditz was more than willing to comply; pleased to see the prince's eyes opened when they broke the kiss, glittering with pleasure.

"So, should I stop?" he teased.

"If you do, I'll kill you," Vegeta growled, barely in control of his voice.

Radditz chuckled and bent to worship Vegeta's body, kisses and feather touches tracing the crisscross of scars. Vegeta was no longer silent, making small sounds, writhing when Radditz touched a particularly sensitive area. He nearly pulled Radditz' hair out by the roots when he buried his tongue in his navel.

Their purrs filled the room, Vegeta's softer one a counter-point to the deep rumble of Radditz.

By the time Radditz got to his goal, Vegeta was hard and leaking. The prince wouldn't last much longer. He raised his eyes to smirk at Vegeta who was staring at him with hooded eyes. Not breaking eye contact, he touched the tip of his tongue to the slit dripping pre-cum. Vegeta groaned and threw his head back.

Vegeta had long since stopped thinking, the intensity of contact driving all thoughts of control out of his mind. He was just an animal, hungry for sensation. He had never imagined being touched like this. And Radditz was..."Oh GodS" he groaned as he was swallowed whole. He felt...ohhh...those were lips...wrapped around...tongue...

Radditz buried his nose in the dark curls of his prince, savoring the scent, the taste. Vegeta was nearly incoherent, sometimes calling for long dead GodS, but mostly making meaningless sounds. Radditz was glad his hair had been released as the prince's fingers dug in and buried themselves, ripping the bedding to shreds. He chuckled and sucked hard on Vegeta, triggering a screaming climax. Vegeta collapsed, exhausted and panting as Radditz swallowed the prince's seed, licking him clean.

"Catch your breath, brat. We haven't even started yet," Radditz chuckled, sitting back on his heels, his tail wafting through the air.

Vegeta struggled to open his eyes to stare at him in disbelief. "You mean there's more?"

Radditz nearly fell off the bed laughing.

Vegeta's tail snapped in annoyance as he glared at him - he hated being laughed at!

"I'm sorry," Radditz murmured crawling up the sprawled prince's body, nuzzling his neck. His hair was falling over them, tangling both of them in his mane. He continued to purr his apology, kissing his way up Vegeta's neck until he brushed his tongue over his lips.

Vegeta instantly opened in welcome, wrapping his arms around the larger Saiyan's neck, drawing him closer. He could feel the weight of Radditz hovering over him, pressing him to the bed. He was amazed to think he was tasting himself... He felt Radditz' tail feathering over his face, marking him with his scent. And then Radditz broke away and shifted down, making him whimper at the loss of his heat.

Radditz smiled at his eager prince. "Patience Vegeta, there's more...," he purred, dragging his tail over his hyper-sensitive nipples. He was rewarded with his shudder of pleasure.

Radditz was achingly hard, but he refused to rush. He had been taken before with little preparation and knew how painful it could be - even if he had been willing. He did not want Vegeta to associate any of this with pain - he did not believe in pleasure/pain - it had never felt right to him. He could take his time for his prince.

He began to nibble and kiss his way over Vegeta's inner thighs, causing him to emit tiny sounds. Radditz continued his gentle torture, softly stroking him, making his cock jump at each light touch.

Vegeta was drowning - Radditz was driving him mad...he wanted..."More," he moaned. He was only dimly aware of his legs being arranged, an arm reaching beneath him to raise his hips... There was moist heat, steaming breath, - were those sounds coming from him? He felt Radditz' tongue circle and slowly work into his entrance. "Raaa..."

Radditz continued loosening the tight ring of muscle as he reached for the oil he had been using earlier. He coated his fingers and cock with it and carefully inserted the first one. Vegeta made a tiny sound of protest, silenced as Radditz coiled his tail around his erection.

He was soon able to add a second finger, then a third, stretching him further, slowly stroking Vegeta as he searched for that...

Vegeta drove himself onto Radditz' fingers when he touched something deep inside him, nearly screaming from the pleasure. He felt it over and over and over.... He lost all control of his thrashing tail. And then they were removed, leaving him empty and wanting - did he do something wrong? "Nooo," he protested.

Radditz captured the errant tail, sucking on it as he slowly pressed into Vegeta's entrance. He struggled to restrain himself, fighting the urge to slam himself home. He moaned with the feeling of being surrounded by the heat and pressure of his prince.

Vegeta gasped as he felt himself being slowly filled. He was overloading on contact. Radditz' tail was wrapped around his erection, the rippling coils of fur teasing him. His tail was being sucked and licked, and his hair was trailing across his chest, torturing his nipples. He gradually became aware that Radditz had stopped moving, just panting and staring at his face. What was he waiting for? "Move," he growled.

Radditz growled in return, slowly drawing out of Vegeta's heat, then driving back in, hitting that spot again and again. He set a slow rhythm, increasing the pace as the prince became incoherent.

Vegeta clutched at Radditz' back and hair, matching each thrust, driving him as deep inside as possible. He never knew there was anything like this, and he never wanted it to end. Something inside him was building...his world was flashing white every time Radditz slammed into him. Just as he thought he couldn't take anymore he came shuddering and screaming, Radditz following a few strokes later.

Radditz wanted to collapse, but held himself up with shaking arms. He carefully withdrew from the exhausted prince, lying beside him and drawing him close.
Vegeta shifted to lay over Radditz' rumbling chest, held safely in his strong arms. His tail brushed affectionately over Radditz' cheek as he listened to his purr.

"That was more," Radditz breathed into Vegeta's ear.

TBC