Chapter Fifteen

He was cold. He was damp. He was… naked?
      Trapped in a dusky pool, his consciousness struggled to emerge, and even though his eyes were closed, the lids heavy, leaden, his other senses had already awakened.
      He felt the rough scrape of knotty bark against his bare back and the cool whispers of a gentle evening breeze on his front. Twitching delicately, his nose detected the fragrance of wet foliage, rain-washed and earthy, which clung tightly to the sides of his neck and hollow of his cheek.
      He shivered, a swell of goose pimples rippling down his unclothed flesh. There was the rustle of leafy branches, the soft sigh as the wind fondly ruffled the forest canopy, and the chirps and croaks of nature’s smaller inhabitants, voicing their longing in endless serenades. Interrupting the more mellow strands of the continuous jungle nightsong were the occasional snarls and cries of larger beasts from further in the distance.
      He was outdoors, exposed and vulnerable, and lying amongst the trees.
      When his fluttering lids did finally open to the world around him he found that his field of vision scarcely changed. It was almost as dark with his tawny eyes unveiled as it had been with them shuttered. Moving his head from one side to the other, his searching eyes caught the faint flickering lights of luminescent insects to his right and left and a few faraway stars above him, timid sparks floating in a sea of deepest black.
      The movement brought with it a throbbing pain near the base of his skull that radiated upwards to settle painfully in his temples.
      In response to the ache, he released a small moan, wincing slightly. The noise of his discomfort rang harshly, a discordant note blaring against the backdrop of muted sound enveloping the shrouded world around him. Bringing his right hand up to rub soothingly at the back of his head, he encountered a sticky matted area within his loosened braid. His fingers trembled as they were raised to his softly parted lips, his tongue swiping tentatively over the tips of them.

Blood.

What had happened?

Where was he?

Before he could dredge up answers from the murky depths of his memory, there was a whoosh as something landed near his feet. He heard heavy panting and the stealthy, yet discernible, movement of what was certainly a large animal. Fearful now, he tried desperately to remember. The beast was growling and he tensed, preparing to raise his ki to defend himself. But then he recognized his name, uttered distinctly amidst the rumble and roll of animalistic growls. "Zarrrrrbon."

It all came back to him in a rush of jumbled images.

The pelting rainstorm.

Vegeta, appearing before his eyes as if tempest-born, wet and turbulent.

Crashing backwards against the balcony.

It was too dark to see more than the vague outline of the Saiyan prince. Almost as if he had been spawned from the night, coalescing from smoky vapors, the shadowed form of his youthful lover moved forward, approaching him. But not upright. On all fours?

The shivers racking his body now were those of an almost apprehensive and yet delicious anticipation, a rash desire in an all-out battle with his stubborn caution.
      As Vegeta crawled over him, a wave of welcome heat enveloped him. Their bodies were so very close that a sliver of the pitch darkness was the only obstacle between them. It was as if the prince were a torch, blazing hot, his flame flaring outwards to include Zarbon in its searing comfort. It might have been only seconds but it seemed like a cruelly teasing eternity that the body poised above him remained still, tantalizing in its near proximity to his own nude form.
      Their hearts pounded out the passage of time, acting as one with their synchronous beats.
      Then Zarbon felt moist velvet stroking along the plane of his face, the long, slow licks bathing him gently. The prince’s tongue swirled over his forehead in languid exploration, light and liquid, before dipping sharply down his temple and sweeping widely across his cheek. Relaxing, he began to feel drowsy, almost boneless, blue lids closing over eyes that were ineffectual in the heavy sable that cloaked the night. Sinking into warmth and comfort.
      The stinging prick of sharp teeth, knifing deep into his shoulder, awakened him from his pleasant lethargy. He was wary once more, tension tightening his muscles and setting his heart thumping hard against his ribcage. Frowning, he began to rise from his vulnerable position.

~Wha…?~

Placing deceptively soft, small hands on Zarbon’s shoulders, Vegeta easily restrained him. Soothing him once again with tender licks, he purred contentedly as he lapped at the gushing wound. The Megalian was confused now, this action seeming incongruous with the prior. Was that painful bite a sign of affection or domination? Or perhaps both? Saiyans were a very aggressive race. They were bred to be fighters… killers. The taunting words of Raditz came to mind, daring him to embrace the wild nature of his Saiyan prince.
      Was Zarbon at the mercy of a rough and demanding lover?
      He smiled perversely, determined to see this through. Laying his aching head back to rest within its spongy pillow of moss and leaves, the trim nails on his long fingers dug trenches in the scaly bark as he braced himself.

~I can deal with that.~

Just because aggression was not his first resort did not mean he was incapable of it or incapable of handling it when it came his way.
      Though he had never considered himself a passionate person, he found with Vegeta he could be. No. More than could be. He simply was.
      The longing he felt for the Saiyan prince was so intense it frightened him, consumed him, and dulled his interest in other pursuits. It had eaten at him to bring Vegeta here to be with Raditz, the jealousy and bitterness churning inside him, the poisonous agitation seeping out from every pore until it was all he was able to feel or smell or taste.
      He had wanted to scream but remained silent, his throat aching under the strain, clenched teeth damming back his anguished cries. A large part of him feared losing the prince now that he had glimpsed and tasted what might be. Of course, they would remain lovers, there was really no choice in that regard, but he feared losing any honest feelings, any true intimacy, they might hope to share. But as much as it hurt for him to throw his lover into the arms of another, he did not regret his actions. He hated that the actions had been necessary, but he still stood by his decision.
      Obviously the young prince had needed the exposure to Raditz to complete his transition from juvenile to adult, to be fully awakened to Saiyan manhood in all its complexities. The evidence for that was now nuzzling along his throat and caressing down his sides. Lips and teeth interspersed small nips with teasing licks and open-mouthed kisses, joining palms, fingers and nails that smoothed, traced, and tweaked to play a subtle harmony of lust on his trembling body.
      Vegeta had most definitely initiated this encounter and seemed hell-bent on controlling it.
      And Zarbon wanted this.
      One touch from Vegeta and he lost all reason, knew only a voracious need. A need to savor each layer of rich candied flavor as he ravaged the prince’s luscious mouth. A hunger to breathe in the aromatic spice as he buried his face in silken skin. A yearning to taste his passion-wrought perspiration, stringing the saline beads on his tongue as he licked and sampled.
      The prince had come to him, desiring, if not to make love, to at least have sex. For this particular moment, in this exotic world, freed from the confines of their service and the walls of their ship, it was enough for the Megalian.
      However, he intended to participate fully rather than just lie back limply like some abandoned rag doll or to respond only at the other’s prompting; he was no puppet, no toy… not in this relationship, not with Vegeta.
      Reaching up blindly he combed the long fingers of his right hand through the downy upsweep of hair tickling his nose. ~So soft.~ Twisting the thick, furry strands, he tugged back harshly, regretting the loss of warmth and moistness even as he pulled the suckling lips away from his skin. Keeping a firm hold on the other’s locks, he raised his own head while pushing down on Vegeta’s, their mouths meeting instinctively, lips coming together, brushing softly in warmth and hunger.
      The kisses were light touches at first, a tender exchange, but soon became more urgent, tongues twining as they clashed in a frenzied search for pleasure, sipping and teasing. Zarbon groaned, the sound swallowed by the Saiyan’s plundering mouth, enraptured as he felt the prince’s body sliding over his own. Chest over chest, groin over groin, so very hot and smooth it was like being smothered with melted butter. He brought his other hand up to Vegeta’s back; silk caressed satin. The tip of his fingers skimmed the curvature of the prince’s spine, tracing from the nape of his neck to the end of his tail and back upwards again.
      The Saiyan arched beneath the airy touch, breaking the kiss with a snarl and tearing his hair from the hold of his lover. Zarbon was killing him in the most devious and delectable fashion. With those teasing fingers barely touching his tail, quick jolts of pleasure were sent spiraling through him, and then, when they glided away, he was left on the very precipice of a gently promised satisfaction, painfully aroused and desperately wanting. With a threatening growl, he reached for the older man’s hands, grasping the wrists firmly and holding them fast above Zarbon’s head, tangling their hands in a nest of crisp leaves and the long silky strands of his unraveling braid. He placed his mouth on the chest below him, flicking his tongue at a pert nipple and grinding his pelvis against the one beneath him, the contact electric.
      Vegeta smirked against the damp skin of the Megalian, his heated breath causing the Megalian to quiver, a moan escaping to broadcast his helpless pleasure. Zarbon’s soft skin after his exposure to the elements of nature was rather cool to the touch. The cerulean hue of the Megalian’s skin had always given Vegeta the impression of iciness, a refreshing chill like a dip in a mountain stream or a morning flight amongst damp, cottony clouds. When they had first coupled, the Saiyan had been very pleasantly surprised to find that he was actually wonderfully warm. It was toasty and uplifting like finding the haven of a crackling fire while cold winter winds wailed their frustration.
      Vegeta’s feverish mouth continued to play with the hardened nipple, switching from sucking it gently to grazing it with the edge of fine, sharp teeth, their erections rubbing together slowly, the unhurried motion agonizing. This twofold attack on his senses sent Zarbon thrashing against his restraints. He tore one arm free and moved quickly to capture the sinuously waving tail of the prince with sure, dexterous fingers. Firmly, he wrapped his hand around it, stroking boldly down the furry length, his touch sending shocks whirling throughout the prince’s body, causing him to stiffen. Elegant fingers ruffled the lush pelt, moving up nimbly towards its base.
      With a soft cry, Vegeta lost his grip on Zarbon’s other wrist, head tossing wantonly as his back arched. Snarling loudly, he regained just enough control to lower his head and clamp his teeth hard and deep into the Megalian once again, scraping his collarbone with long razor canines. He was not as overwhelmingly influenced by pheromones as he had been earlier with Raditz. He knew exactly what he was doing here, no misty corridors in his mind.

But oh how he wanted Zarbon!

Zealously.

Recklessly.

He was going to explode, the need inside him building in force and determination, pressing out against his fragile control.
      That scent! Zarbon smelled of the rain and yet was far sweeter. His blood. The taste still lingered… different from Raditz… Saiyan blood burst on his tongue, rich and full. Zarbon’s blood danced across his palate, lightly honeyed. He had never thought he would crave sugar, but he found he had developed a sweet tooth, and he wished to drink of the confection again.

But, at the moment, he had another rather more pressing need to be sated.

~Can’t hold back… want him… want to be in him...~

"Zzzarbon… sor… sorry… can’t wait… can’t prepare you."

The words were little more than groans, his voice husky, strained by lust. As soon as they left his lips, he cupped the smooth buttocks of the Megalian, kneading them possessively before lifting them as he nestled between muscular thighs. A split second of hesitation, before he pushed forward through the puckered ring, encasing his aching member tightly in moist, charring heat.
      Moist? Surprise and exhilaration battled for dominance of his senses. Vegeta had somewhat expected the burn… Raditz had been so hot… scalding, really. But he was overwhelmed by the wetness of the passage, his hard cock sliding in slick and easy.
      The tingle of euphoric pleasure as every nerve in his body awakened chased any questions to the furthest corners of his mind. This was heaven in its carnal manifestation. His hand reached to caress the face he knew so well, every dip and curve embedded in his memory, every tint of glorious color bright and clear in his mind. One finger longingly trailed the slope of a high-boned cheek before tracing over full, parted lips.
      And then he began to rock his hips, building a steady rhythm. Slow, deep thrusts into that fiery tunnel which both held and moved him. Each moist stroke rubbed him to delirium, floating, sinking, swimming in an overload of tactile bliss, robbing him of restraint. He began to increase his pace, hammering into that beautiful, welcoming body in a manic quest for completion.

Zarbon was being fucked senseless. And he loved it. Never before had he enjoyed being taken. Vegeta’s stammered apology had inflamed both his heart and his passion, the fervent words softening his defenses and hardening his erection. He had been so stunned, so overwhelmed… He was unable to respond, to reassure his lover. ~Time enough for talk and explanations later.~
      His hips rose to meet Vegeta’s thrusts, taking the prince deeper within him. The Saiyan had begun a litany of pants and murmurs, rising in volume as his desire was stoked with relentless skill. It was Saiyango; Zarbon trembled as the meanings became clear to him. Cursed and praised in an expression of ardent admiration, a breathless impassioned chant that stirred his senses and sentiments like nothing else ever had.
      Serpentine fire lay coiled in his gut, slowly unwinding as flesh impacted on flesh, the friction between silken rod and bundled prostate disseminating the rising heat. He gasped, his arousal clasped and stroked within the furry embrace of Vegeta’s tail, which had curved a path around the prince’s waist. He was damp once again, sweat slickening the points of grinding contact.
      Whereas before he had been blinded by darkness, he was now blinded by light. This sensual, writhing dance, this primal motion came to a roaring climax, his seed ejected in long, liquid ribbons. And with a few final thrusts, Vegeta erupted as well, sheathed in hot, quivering flesh and the sticky pool of his pleasured release.
      Sighing in sublime satisfaction, the Saiyan prince collapsed onto his lover, too exhausted to withdraw from their corporal union. Zarbon smiled, wrapping his arms around Vegeta to keep him close, to remain connected, entwined, for as long as time permitted.

Yawning, he stretched sore muscles, his eyes blinking against the vexing glare of the coarsely-filtered sunlight. He had rolled off of Zarbon sometime in the early morning hours when the sky was shaded gray. Seeking that peculiar comfort of another warm body, Vegeta had snuggled against his lover’s side, drifting back into the arms of sleep.

But now he was alone.

A prickly feeling, an additional sense, warned him of possible trouble. Leaping down from his bough, he landed in a watchful crouch, black eyes scanning his surroundings. His tree was close to the edge of the forest and he caught a flicker of blue through the cover of green and brown.
      The stream…He was at the stream.
      Not bothering to disguise his approach, he practically crashed through the undergrowth. It was no surprise that Zarbon and Raditz turned in his direction as he stumbled into the clearing.

~Shit! Shit! Shit!... Raditz is here too.~

Well, he could guess the potential problem his sixth sense had alerted him to. Raditz and Zarbon were both washing in the sparkling waters, but he scented the agitation of his guard, tail whipping aggressively behind him. If he had been thinking clearly, or thinking at all, he would have remembered that Raditz was in the vicinity and certain to react in a hostile manner to finding Zarbon here, reeking with the proof of their nocturnal activity.
      A Saiyan’s instinct was to fight a rival; the only thing keeping that from happening immediately was the strong antithetical instinct for self-preservation. Raditz was no fool; He knew Zarbon was the stronger of the two. Still, the battle of conflicting impulses was liable to end badly.
      Stepping closer to the older men, Vegeta flushed, bright crimson stinging his cheeks. He was suddenly struck with the realization of why they all were naked. In a week’s time he had gone from virgin prince to lover of two. And two men at that. It was a lot to wrap his mind around.
      Both men began to approach him, wading through the swift, shallow waters, scattering small schools of fish dining on waving strands of olive algae. They each stopped as they noted the other’s movement, Raditz baring white teeth threateningly as he growled and postured. Zarbon narrowed his eyes as he met this challenge with a defiant stance of his own, fists clenched, his back rigid.
      Raditz’ scent spiked from agitation to fury, the acrid smell filling Vegeta’s nostrils and tickling the back of his throat.
      Could there be a situation more awkward or humiliating for all three? Two warriors stood ready to fight over him. Perhaps if he were a woman, he might find this exciting, rather than ridiculous, but he was not. Zarbon and Raditz stood prepared to do battle, the winner earning the right to have Vegeta fuck him.
      Allowing his glittering eyes to wander over the naked attributes of the other men, a thrilling tremor ran rampant down his spine. He was forced to take a deep, steadying breath. Ok. So maybe he could concede that there was a certain titillation to this circumstance, but it was still an embarrassment. He needed to defuse this potentially lethal predicament.
      Smiling a quick reassurance to Zarbon, he moved towards his warrior, intent upon dismissing the man. A whisk of bushy caramel and he dizzied under the assault of musk and pheromones once again.
      Zarbon’s mood fell from resistance to resignation as he watched Vegeta succumb to the black magic of Saiyan biology. The prince was unsteady on his feet, his eyes glinting with the dawn of unthinking lust, auburn tail swishing back and forth in an enticing display of availability.
      "We have three more days on this planet. I’ll be at the resort."
      Not bothering to wait for a response from either Saiyan, he took to the skies, blending seamlessly into the blue of day.

Vegeta looked at Raditz, truly looked at him. He had never really noticed him as anything other than a being to command, a responsibility. But now, could he just go back to the way things were? He was handsome and he was Saiyan and his scent was divine. Their couplings had been violent, exciting, and he felt both the discomfort of guilt and the disquiet of gratitude. Thanks to this man, this member of his race, he had completed his awakening. He was an adult.

~I should show him my gratitude.~

Closing the short distance between them, he sealed Raditz’ startled lips with a kiss.


  Zarbon landed silently on the balcony, the heavy wooden doors wide open as they had been left the night before. Striding determinedly into the living area of the suite, he glanced around warily. The dishes were still on the table, bugs already attracted by the wafting aromas.
      ~Good. No one here.~
      He had not allowed himself the luxury of feeling as he had flown away from Vegeta, leaving the prince in the hands and sure to be libidinous embrace of his fellow Saiyan.
      But now, a torrent of emotion swept through him. Was he unable to endure sharing the prince? Was he that possessive?
      Yes. He admitted he was. If he had been confident of his standing with the prince, if Vegeta loved him as he loved Vegeta, he might feel differently. The passion of their night together seemed so surreal in the light of day, fading into the realm of doubt and insecurity.
      "I am in love with Vegeta." The words were forced from his lips, and dismay was the predominant reaction to the statement.
      Love. He had used the word loosely, exchanging it for the act of sex. But this was the emotion, the depth, the dreams, the despair. Even though he had suspected as much for quite some time and even allowed his mind to echo with the truth, he had never confessed it out loud. And now that he had, he was terrified and more vulnerable than he had ever been. There was a sense of finality to the declaration as if he had chosen some path from which he would be unable to turn.
      He stood in the middle of his suite somewhat dazedly, several minutes elapsing in silence.
      "I don’t know about you, but I intend to take a nice hot shower."
      "Vegeta?" The name was uttered in a disbelieving whisper, Zarbon whirling about to convince himself that he was not hallucinating, the voice a figment of a desperate imagination.
      The prince was on the balcony, eyeing Zarbon expectantly.
      Stuttering slightly, Zarbon asked, "Wha… what about Raditz?"
      "I’ve sent him back to the ship."
      Almost shyly, he continued, "You did promise me a feast the likes of which I have never seen….or eaten as the case may be."
      Coal met amber as they gazed into each other’s eyes, a silent communication of things that were not yet ready to be spoken between them.

"You won’t be disappointed."






© 2003 March Saiyan Lullaby




© 2003 WordWrights

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