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Vegeta had never met a Saiyan that lived this long. It was usually only a matter of time before the throes of battle, an intergalactic illness, or Freiza, himself, had struck them down. So to not only outlive his father, but a majority of his entire race, was something he didn’t know how to feel about. On one hand, he was glad to not make it this far alone, but…He looked at Kakarot lying in bed, the blanket pulled up to his chest, and a heart monitor attached to his wrist. They’d lived long enough to become grandparents, great great grandparents and have more thrice great grandchildren on the way. Bulma only lived to see her first few grandchildren graduate high school, and Chichi a little longer than that before both left the two saiyans alone with grief. He looked at Kakarot’s face, noting the wrinkles and the gray hair sprinkled with white strands, knowing he didn’t look much better. Lifting his hand from the bed, Vegeta kissed each of his gnarled, scarred knuckles and smiled. Time on this mud ball had softened him to where if he’d gone back to when he’d first landed, he’d probably shake his cane at his younger self. So angry. So stupid.A small groan came from Kakarot as he opened his eyes, “ Hm, ‘Geta?”“Yes?”“Time isit?”“It’s 3:30. You slept the morning away again you lazy buffoon,” His words lacked any bite, his lips pressing against the matching silver band on Kakarot’s hand.“Aw man, I hate missin’ breakfast,” Kakarot pouted.“I know you do.”When he landed on this rock, so many years ago, he expected to blow it up and go die in a different battle, his race vanishing to nothing with him, but then Kakarot happened. After that it was Bulma, and his kids. He became exhausted when so many other threats came along trying to destroy what little home he was able to carve out with bleeding fingers, the biggest threat being himself. He felt Kakarot squeeze his hand, his strength not nearly what it'd been years ago and returned the gesture. They’d been lucky to find a small planet with a group of surviving saiyans that’d escaped Frieza before the destruction or after his death. Ridiculously lucky. Vegeta always thought he’d be forced to watch anything left of his culture be bred out with human dna, but he felt good that his heritage would live on for a little while longer.“Yer broodin’ again,” Kakarot turned his head on the pillow, his bangs falling in his face.Vegeta fixed them, “No I’m not. Do you need anything?”“Just you.”The first time he’d heard that reply was a year or two after Chichi passed away. Kakarot had been lost, floating off to who knows where with no one to ground him. Vegeta wasn’t sure if he could take the responsibility, or even if he deserved having the responsibility. Crawling into bed beside his husband, he placed a hand on Kakarot’s chest measuring his breathing.“How long do ya think it’ll be till I see ya again?”Vegeta bit his lip, his and Kakarot’s hands pressed between his chest and the other’s bicep, “I’ve got a few more years on you.”It didn’t make sense for Kakarot to die first from old age, but at the same time it did. Vegeta was older, but Kakarot was stronger. He was always pushing himself past his limits and even further, leaving Vegeta to catch up and try to close the gap. The kind of stress that could put on someone’s body, Saiyan or not, would have side effects.What hurt most about this wasn’t death itself. No, both of them had died enough times to not fear what was on the other side. Instead, it was the inevitable separation that would happen when Kakarot passed. Vegeta knew no amount of repenting on earth would get him away from the lake fires of hel. These would be his last moments with Kakarot.He scooted up so he could rest his head next to Kakarot’s hearing the other man sigh.Vegeta snorted, “Now look who’s brooding.”“Not my fault ya rubbed off on me.”“I’d do more than that if it weren’t for the heart monitor.”“Shush ya old pervert,” Kakarot laughed, the smile lines around his mouth deepening.“Weren’t you the one begging me to crawl into this bed with you earlier?”“Yeah, I was.”Vegeta watched Kakarot close his eyes, the smile still on his face. His own heart thudded in his chest, his ears perked listening to the steady beeping for any abnormalities as he said, “I could always gather the dragon balls. Get us some more time.”“Don’t you dare. I’m tired,” Kakarot’s brow furrowed at the comment.“Earth’s last hope can’t handle another galaxy destroyer?”He huffed, Vegeta pressed a kiss against his lips, and his features relaxed. Being reduced to a child once was enough for Kakarot. Vegeta wouldn’t do that to them, although the idea had been tempting around the time of their fourth great grandchild being born. He pulled away, moving his hand from Kakarot’s chest to his cheek.“Open your eyes.”Kakarot did, the smile back on his face, “Need somethin’?”“….I love you.”“I love you too, Vegeta,” Kakarot’s breathing began to slow down.Vegeta had uttered those words maybe five or six times since they’d gotten together. Only when it was important. Only when he felt the other needed to hear it, since Kakarot said it enough for them both about anything and everything else.“Hey, ‘Geta.”“Hm?”“Could ya take off the lil censor? It’s real annoyin’.”“Of course,” Vegeta pushed himself up onto a shaky arm and brought Kakarot’s wrist over. The sensor for his heart monitor stuck to his wrist with medical tape, so it was easy to remove.The long flat-lining sound became annoying, and since Vegeta was too lazy to unplug it, he blasted a hole through the screen.“Bulma’s gonna kill ya.”It was weird hearing the names of his dead loved ones being used for his grandchildren, and he was named after a dead planet.“That means she’ll send me to you faster,” Vegeta got back down on his side, one hand on Kakarot’s chest, the other holding his hand.Kakarot squeezed his fingers, his eyes closing a second time. Vegeta listened to his heart beat under his palm, as Kakarot’s breathing began to even out.“I love you,” Vegeta said again.“Love you too, ‘Geta” Kakarot’s voice was a whisper.Vegeta closed his eyes, feeling Kakarot’s heartbeat under his palm stutter, “I love you.”The next response was a small grunt, his breathing continue to slow as his heartbeat sped up.“Kakarot.”One more breath, maybe two, before a long puff of air rolled against Vegeta’s face.“Kakarot.”Nothing.“Goku.”Nothing.Vegeta looked at Kakarot’s face, his eyes closed, and the smile on his lips starting to relax, “Open your eyes.”He’d like to think he wasn’t surprised or hurt at the lack of a response. It wasn’t the first time Kakarot didn’t listen to him.