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Description
Chapter 2: Acclimation

Vegeta slouched upon a boulder in the enormous greenhouse, face in his hands, as he morosely watched the saiyajin familiarize himself with every inch of his new surroundings.

What the hell was I thinking? he despaired silently. I'll have to keep the groundskeeper out of here, so I suppose now upkeep of this place is my problem, and Father will burst a blood vessel if he finds out I spent four million on "birds." Hggh... Well, Vegeta, you've got your very own Wookie– now what are you going to do with him?

The trip back to the estate had been quite an experience. Kakarot had been cramped into the very narrow backseat along with a cage of terrified, shrieking finches, and unfortunately the shopkeeper had neglected to mention that he'd never been in a car before. Vegeta had tried to impress the creature on the expressway (and perhaps intimidate him a bit, too) by showing off the fast moves and powerful engine of his newest Lamborghini. However, the only result was Kakarot turning green and white and very nearly decorating the backseat of a $300,000 car with saiyan technicolor yawn.

Fortunately he recovered from his car sickness quickly and was thrilled with the place Vegeta declared to be his new home. As they entered the greenhouse, the saiyajin managed to grab his wrist before he could pull away.

:: Friend Vegeta, this is amazing! A little jungle inside a house, a jungle in the city– how beautiful, how perfect! ::

Vegeta gasped and jerked his hand out of his grip; the mental speech unnerved him to no end. "Hey, now! Look, how about you do that only when I offer you my hand, or when you have something really important to tell me."

The saiyan looked at him wistfully, but finally nodded with a small smile and strolled off to tour the area. Vegeta sat on his rock and observed the creature for a time before drifting off, constructing strategies on how to take care of him and hide his presence from his father and the rest of the staff.

Preoccupied with his own concerns, Vegeta lost track of the creature until he landed with a solid thud directly in front of him, making him jump nearly a foot in the air. Having memorized every nook and cranny of his new domain, the saiyajin turned his full attention back to his companion. Kakarot landed only for a moment, grinned at his owner's surprise and then leapt over Vegeta to land again at his back. Vegeta spun in his seat to keep an eye on what he was doing but the saiyajin gripped his shoulders firmly and turned him back.

"Hey! Hold it, what do you think you're–"

Vegeta stopped as he felt long fingers thread through his hair. Slowly, almost ritualistically, the creature continued to comb his hair with his fingers, separating tangled strands and smoothing rumpled areas. Unsure what to think, Vegeta tilted his head just slightly enough to be able to look into his face. Kakarot only smiled genially, almost proudly at him.

Well, I suppose he's not hurting anything, Vegeta surmised, with still some unease as to the creature's intentions. Why in the world would he want to play with my hair?

Then it struck him and he almost laughed at the realization. Grooming. He thinks he's grooming me! He seems to be part monkey, and monkeys pick at each other's fur for cleanliness and as a social behavior.

Satisfied with this answer, Vegeta closed his eyes, sat back against the saiyajin's knees and allowed himself to enjoy the unexpected hair treatment and scalp massage. I suppose I should be offended that he thinks of me as a fellow monkey, he thought, amused. Ah well, I'll let it pass for now; his behavior is interesting. This actually feels nice.

Vegeta sighed, and let his mind wander as he pondered the mystery of the saiyajin.

Sometimes I think Man's biggest mistake was coming down from the trees, he mused. Are we even evolving anymore? Does humanity still maintain "survival of the fittest?" Everything we do seems to go against the natural order. We work ourselves to death, we can't seem to live anywhere without destroying the world around us– we just have to make everything so damn difficult ...

This guy lived in the jungle. I wonder if he was captured, or left– and why? Wonder if he misses it? Maybe he got sick of living like an animal, heh. Hollywood and the tree huggers like to depict the jungle as this beautiful pristine paradise full of animals and flowers, but early explorers called the rainforests 'the green hell' for a reason. They're infested with insects by the billions, the oppressive heat and humidity never ends, there's scores of diseases and those parasites that swim up your urethra, roundworms and tapeworms waiting to infest your gut and your blood, those awful guinea worms that chew their way out of your skin...

The dream of the jungle is just a remnant of man's primitive psyche. A large part of us still wishes we had tails, still wishes we were monkeys, still wishes we could go back to the jungle and a simpler life, no matter how impossible the dream. And yet this animal– well, animal-man– made his home in the jungle and seemed to thrive. You only have to look at him to see he's in peak condition, flawless health; he has to be a matchless specimen, though I don't have others to compare him with. He must have lived well.

Hhhhmm... Wouldn't it be nice to live that way, if just for a while... master of your own little world... to have only the simple concerns of food and territory and mate... no hectic city or bloodsucking business world, no demanding, critical father or disloyal whore of a wife... no media, no boardroom, no social elite... just... basic... needs... to meet...

The subtle stimulation of the grooming and the deft, light brushes of the saiyajin's fingers across his scalp had almost lulled Vegeta to sleep. So off-guard and lost in reverie, it took him nearly a minute to realize Kakarot had stopped. He cracked his eyes open only to find his groomer staring wide-eyed up into his face in wonder. Kakarot had swung around unnoticed to crouch at Vegeta's feet. Upon seeing Vegeta's look of surprise and slight embarrassment at being caught unawares, he grinned and let out a breathy, almost soundless laugh.

"So you can't talk but you can laugh, eh?" Heh! That's what I get for waxing philosophical like some dreamy college hippy, Vegeta thought, chuckling at himself. Did I really just almost doze off in front of him? It's insane, but I have to admit, I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed...

The saiyajin, still grinning, reached up and ran his pinched fingers lightly up one last strand, in an almost reverential fashion. Then he abruptly settled himself into a cross-legged position before Vegeta and looked over his shoulder expectantly.

"Uh..."

The creature, amused by his hesitance, took Vegeta's hand and placed it on his hair.

"Oh, I get it, you want me to do yours now... Er... well... I suppose. But just for a minute; I doubt I'd be very good at this sort of thing anyway, I'm not a monkey you know." And if you've got any ticks or lice don't expect me to pick them off and eat them either! Vegeta fumed, his brow furrowing in disgust at the thought. To his relief, the saiyajin was insect- and odor-free– actually almost pleasant-smelling, like a forest after the rain .

Vegeta pulled awkwardly at a few strands of Kakarot's thick hair, feeling too out-of-place to do more than a superficial job. He paused as he noticed a rumbling noise. What is that, the humidifier kicking on? It sounds funny, he wondered. Vegeta slowly realized that the soft rumbling was, in fact, coming from the person below him. He stopped combing his hair completely to listen in wonder.

"Is that you doing that?" he asked the saiyajin, who turned and grinned at him. Vegeta held his head down to listen, his ear next to the creature's warm bare chest.

"Hh, amazing! Almost like a cat's purr."

What motivated him next, Vegeta had no clue, but Kakarot suddenly threw his arms around his smaller companion and embraced him in a crushing bear hug.

Vegeta froze in shock, then began to squirm. "Uh, hey... aren't you the friendly sort." He must be a "pack type" animal and was lonely being the last of his kind in the forest, and then with only that freaky store owner for company– that must be it, Vegeta reasoned. "All right, come on, let go now," he insisted, extricating himself from the saiyajin's burly arms.

"Look, that guy said you eat a lot so you're probably hungry right? How about I go get you a meal." The creature nodded vigorously.

Fifteen minutes later Vegeta came back with a bundled tablecloth full of a large variety of foods and leftovers from the mansion's kitchens. The saiyajin sniffed over everything he had brought, then began to devour the spread as though ravenous thieves lurked behind every bush, waiting to snatch what they could.

Ugh, so much for graceful and restrained, Vegeta thought with a curl of his lip. Well, you look like a wild man, so I suppose it's only logical that you eat like one too.

Vegeta saw this as his chance to exit. Christ, it's after 3:00 a.m., he thought. "Well, you enjoy your food now, I'm going on to bed. See you tomorrow, then," he declared, giving him a stiff half-wave. Kakarot's head snapped up and he stopped fressing altogether to stare. Vegeta felt that piercing yellow gaze on him once again and felt obliged to dismiss him a second time.

"Have a good night."

The saiyajin's searching eyes followed him to the exit and remained fixed on the door long after he had gone.

Exhausted, Vegeta crawled into his oversized bed, mentally berating himself for making such a reckless and impulsive purchase. Taking care of this "missing link" was going to be a huge responsibility and a strain on his already overtaxed schedule.

But no matter how many times he reviewed all the potential problems in his head, Vegeta couldn't make himself sorry for his actions. If given another chance to leave or take the saiyajin, he knew he'd do exactly the same thing.

Vegeta drifted off at last, and later would barely remember the wet dream that consumed him that night, of making love in a thick fog, being pulled and sucked to orgasm again and again by a faceless, bodiless lover who was not his wife.

****

Description
Chapter 2: Acclimation

Vegeta slouched upon a boulder in the enormous greenhouse, face in his hands, as he morosely watched the saiyajin familiarize himself with every inch of his new surroundings.

What the hell was I thinking? he despaired silently. I'll have to keep the groundskeeper out of here, so I suppose now upkeep of this place is my problem, and Father will burst a blood vessel if he finds out I spent four million on "birds." Hggh... Well, Vegeta, you've got your very own Wookie– now what are you going to do with him?

The trip back to the estate had been quite an experience. Kakarot had been cramped into the very narrow backseat along with a cage of terrified, shrieking finches, and unfortunately the shopkeeper had neglected to mention that he'd never been in a car before. Vegeta had tried to impress the creature on the expressway (and perhaps intimidate him a bit, too) by showing off the fast moves and powerful engine of his newest Lamborghini. However, the only result was Kakarot turning green and white and very nearly decorating the backseat of a $300,000 car with saiyan technicolor yawn.

Fortunately he recovered from his car sickness quickly and was thrilled with the place Vegeta declared to be his new home. As they entered the greenhouse, the saiyajin managed to grab his wrist before he could pull away.

:: Friend Vegeta, this is amazing! A little jungle inside a house, a jungle in the city– how beautiful, how perfect! ::

Vegeta gasped and jerked his hand out of his grip; the mental speech unnerved him to no end. "Hey, now! Look, how about you do that only when I offer you my hand, or when you have something really important to tell me."

The saiyan looked at him wistfully, but finally nodded with a small smile and strolled off to tour the area. Vegeta sat on his rock and observed the creature for a time before drifting off, constructing strategies on how to take care of him and hide his presence from his father and the rest of the staff.

Preoccupied with his own concerns, Vegeta lost track of the creature until he landed with a solid thud directly in front of him, making him jump nearly a foot in the air. Having memorized every nook and cranny of his new domain, the saiyajin turned his full attention back to his companion. Kakarot landed only for a moment, grinned at his owner's surprise and then leapt over Vegeta to land again at his back. Vegeta spun in his seat to keep an eye on what he was doing but the saiyajin gripped his shoulders firmly and turned him back.

"Hey! Hold it, what do you think you're–"

Vegeta stopped as he felt long fingers thread through his hair. Slowly, almost ritualistically, the creature continued to comb his hair with his fingers, separating tangled strands and smoothing rumpled areas. Unsure what to think, Vegeta tilted his head just slightly enough to be able to look into his face. Kakarot only smiled genially, almost proudly at him.

Well, I suppose he's not hurting anything, Vegeta surmised, with still some unease as to the creature's intentions. Why in the world would he want to play with my hair?

Then it struck him and he almost laughed at the realization. Grooming. He thinks he's grooming me! He seems to be part monkey, and monkeys pick at each other's fur for cleanliness and as a social behavior.

Satisfied with this answer, Vegeta closed his eyes, sat back against the saiyajin's knees and allowed himself to enjoy the unexpected hair treatment and scalp massage. I suppose I should be offended that he thinks of me as a fellow monkey, he thought, amused. Ah well, I'll let it pass for now; his behavior is interesting. This actually feels nice.

Vegeta sighed, and let his mind wander as he pondered the mystery of the saiyajin.

Sometimes I think Man's biggest mistake was coming down from the trees, he mused. Are we even evolving anymore? Does humanity still maintain "survival of the fittest?" Everything we do seems to go against the natural order. We work ourselves to death, we can't seem to live anywhere without destroying the world around us– we just have to make everything so damn difficult ...

This guy lived in the jungle. I wonder if he was captured, or left– and why? Wonder if he misses it? Maybe he got sick of living like an animal, heh. Hollywood and the tree huggers like to depict the jungle as this beautiful pristine paradise full of animals and flowers, but early explorers called the rainforests 'the green hell' for a reason. They're infested with insects by the billions, the oppressive heat and humidity never ends, there's scores of diseases and those parasites that swim up your urethra, roundworms and tapeworms waiting to infest your gut and your blood, those awful guinea worms that chew their way out of your skin...

The dream of the jungle is just a remnant of man's primitive psyche. A large part of us still wishes we had tails, still wishes we were monkeys, still wishes we could go back to the jungle and a simpler life, no matter how impossible the dream. And yet this animal– well, animal-man– made his home in the jungle and seemed to thrive. You only have to look at him to see he's in peak condition, flawless health; he has to be a matchless specimen, though I don't have others to compare him with. He must have lived well.

Hhhhmm... Wouldn't it be nice to live that way, if just for a while... master of your own little world... to have only the simple concerns of food and territory and mate... no hectic city or bloodsucking business world, no demanding, critical father or disloyal whore of a wife... no media, no boardroom, no social elite... just... basic... needs... to meet...

The subtle stimulation of the grooming and the deft, light brushes of the saiyajin's fingers across his scalp had almost lulled Vegeta to sleep. So off-guard and lost in reverie, it took him nearly a minute to realize Kakarot had stopped. He cracked his eyes open only to find his groomer staring wide-eyed up into his face in wonder. Kakarot had swung around unnoticed to crouch at Vegeta's feet. Upon seeing Vegeta's look of surprise and slight embarrassment at being caught unawares, he grinned and let out a breathy, almost soundless laugh.

"So you can't talk but you can laugh, eh?" Heh! That's what I get for waxing philosophical like some dreamy college hippy, Vegeta thought, chuckling at himself. Did I really just almost doze off in front of him? It's insane, but I have to admit, I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed...

The saiyajin, still grinning, reached up and ran his pinched fingers lightly up one last strand, in an almost reverential fashion. Then he abruptly settled himself into a cross-legged position before Vegeta and looked over his shoulder expectantly.

"Uh..."

The creature, amused by his hesitance, took Vegeta's hand and placed it on his hair.

"Oh, I get it, you want me to do yours now... Er... well... I suppose. But just for a minute; I doubt I'd be very good at this sort of thing anyway, I'm not a monkey you know." And if you've got any ticks or lice don't expect me to pick them off and eat them either! Vegeta fumed, his brow furrowing in disgust at the thought. To his relief, the saiyajin was insect- and odor-free– actually almost pleasant-smelling, like a forest after the rain .

Vegeta pulled awkwardly at a few strands of Kakarot's thick hair, feeling too out-of-place to do more than a superficial job. He paused as he noticed a rumbling noise. What is that, the humidifier kicking on? It sounds funny, he wondered. Vegeta slowly realized that the soft rumbling was, in fact, coming from the person below him. He stopped combing his hair completely to listen in wonder.

"Is that you doing that?" he asked the saiyajin, who turned and grinned at him. Vegeta held his head down to listen, his ear next to the creature's warm bare chest.

"Hh, amazing! Almost like a cat's purr."

What motivated him next, Vegeta had no clue, but Kakarot suddenly threw his arms around his smaller companion and embraced him in a crushing bear hug.

Vegeta froze in shock, then began to squirm. "Uh, hey... aren't you the friendly sort." He must be a "pack type" animal and was lonely being the last of his kind in the forest, and then with only that freaky store owner for company– that must be it, Vegeta reasoned. "All right, come on, let go now," he insisted, extricating himself from the saiyajin's burly arms.

"Look, that guy said you eat a lot so you're probably hungry right? How about I go get you a meal." The creature nodded vigorously.

Fifteen minutes later Vegeta came back with a bundled tablecloth full of a large variety of foods and leftovers from the mansion's kitchens. The saiyajin sniffed over everything he had brought, then began to devour the spread as though ravenous thieves lurked behind every bush, waiting to snatch what they could.

Ugh, so much for graceful and restrained, Vegeta thought with a curl of his lip. Well, you look like a wild man, so I suppose it's only logical that you eat like one too.

Vegeta saw this as his chance to exit. Christ, it's after 3:00 a.m., he thought. "Well, you enjoy your food now, I'm going on to bed. See you tomorrow, then," he declared, giving him a stiff half-wave. Kakarot's head snapped up and he stopped fressing altogether to stare. Vegeta felt that piercing yellow gaze on him once again and felt obliged to dismiss him a second time.

"Have a good night."

The saiyajin's searching eyes followed him to the exit and remained fixed on the door long after he had gone.

Exhausted, Vegeta crawled into his oversized bed, mentally berating himself for making such a reckless and impulsive purchase. Taking care of this "missing link" was going to be a huge responsibility and a strain on his already overtaxed schedule.

But no matter how many times he reviewed all the potential problems in his head, Vegeta couldn't make himself sorry for his actions. If given another chance to leave or take the saiyajin, he knew he'd do exactly the same thing.

Vegeta drifted off at last, and later would barely remember the wet dream that consumed him that night, of making love in a thick fog, being pulled and sucked to orgasm again and again by a faceless, bodiless lover who was not his wife.

****