A sharp pain pierced my heart as I stared into his eyes.

Once hardened by all the years of solitude, consoled only by the thrill of battle, they now shone with an almost gentle light I'd never seen before. They weren't so icy now, and they gazed at me with a truly apologetic stare that seemed to bore right into my soul.

I had to look away. I didn't want to forgive him for what he had done to me. My heart had been broken once, so why should I trust him not to break it again?

He wouldn't say he was sorry aloud. His pride was too great for that. But the look in his eyes was more than enough for me. I knew he was sorry for the moment, but how long would it last before he went back to treating me the way he used to? What was stopping him?

He had run off without even saying goodbye to me. Me, the one who had taken him in and had cared for him like a little lost orphan. Me, who had sheltered him, fed him, clothed him, provided for him for months.

Yet I didn't recieve a "Thank you," or an "I appreciate all you've done for me." I didn't get squat.

Of course, I hadn't really expected him to thank me. I knew that it wasn't his nature to anything of the sort. But something, anything, like a gesture, a look, a smile....Anything could have shown me that he appreciated me, but he gave me nothing.

And then he just...ran away. He said nothing to me. He didn't even let me know he was planning to do it. He just took off.

That hurt me more than anything ever had in my life. I cried the night he left me. I hadn't realized just how lonely I really was until he was gone. I missed him so much that it hurt, and I honestly believed that he would never return.

And now, here he was, standing right in front of me, silently asking me to let him inside my home once more.

Did I want him back? Of course.

Would it be wise to take him back? Certainly not.

But I've always been a glutton for punishment. I've always risked anything and everything to get what I want, and right then, I wanted nothing more than to have him with me. Even if it meant he'd probably leave and hurt me again.

I stepped aside and let him come into the house, dropping my gaze to the floor so I wouldn't have to see him look at me.

He slipped off his shoes and placed them by the door, just like I had fussed at him to do so many times when he hadn't and ended up tracking dirt into the house. I knew he was only being good because he knew he'd really blown it this time.

I shut the door behind him and walked to the kitchen. Some dirty dishes were piled in the sink, so I make up some soapy water and attacked them with a sponge. I scrubbed and scrubbed until I rubbed off the floral design on one of my plates and broke another in half.

I halted and stared at the broken plate in a trance. Broken in half. Just like me.

I didn't even notice that I had cut my hand on a shard of the ceramic until I saw some of the soap suds turn red with my blood. Still in my absent-minded state, I bandaged the wound and threw away the shattered plate into the trash.

Discarded. Just like I had been. Abandoned and irreparable. Exactly how I was.

I felt tears grow hot in the corners of my eyes. Though I tried to stop them, they began to fall down my face, one after another.

While I cried, I swallowed my sobs so he wouldn't hear me from the other room. I cursed myself for being so gullible, for taking him in....

For falling in love with him.

I should have realized a long time ago it wasn't going to work. But I suppose I'm an idiot. What can I say.

I dried my tears then, managing to somehow force them to stop flowing, and finished washing the dishes. After that, I looked for other things to do so I could avoid having to go into the living room and facing him.

That bastard. How could he have done this to me?! And how stupid was I for allowing it to happen??!!

As I stood there mentally scolding myself, I felt his presence enter the room. I turned around to see him, though I really didn't want to.

He looked ashamed of himself, or maybe embarrassed. His face was a slight pink, his eyes uneasily focused upon me.

"You aren't going to say anything to me?" he asked, trying his best to sound normal.

"...."

I shook my head. What I had to say wasn't worth wasting my breath. He wouldn't care. He was only afraid of what would happen if I stayed mad at him. I was his 'meal ticket', as he had put it, after all. He didn't want to upset me and lose the roof over his head and the food in his stomach.

"Nothing at all?" he prompted. "I have to say that is extremely unlike you."

I glared at him in response to that remark. He hadn't made me this mad before. He hadn't upset me like this before, either. Stupid son of a bitch....I'd have loved to punch him in the face right then.

But I didn't waste my breath or my energy and just pushed past him to leave the room.

He caught my arm and held me back.

"Just...say something. Anything," he told me quietly.

I glowered at him, and that's when the words came pouring out. I don't even think it was me screaming them.

"You want me to say something to you? Fine! I will!" I shouted. "You're a selfish, spoiled little BRAT who thinks only of himself! You don't give a damn about me or anyone else!! I took care of you, pampered you, catered to your every goddamn whim and WHAT did I get??!! WHAT DID I GET, HUH??!!"

When he didn't reply, I continued. "A SLAP IN THE FACE, THAT'S WHAT YOU MAY AS WELL HAVE GIVEN ME!!! To think that I did all I did for you just to make you happy here makes me sick! I'm serious, I just want to vomit right now because of how NICE I was to you! YOU, THE ONE PERSON I CAN'T STAND IN THIS WHOLE WIDE UNIVERSE!!!! Well, I'll tell ya what, pal, it ain't happening again. You hear me? It won't happen again! I'm not letting you screw me over a second time, and if you do, I swear I'll...."

That's when I realized what I was saying to him. I realized I was showing him that I really did care about what he had done to me. And now that was just one more thing I could beat myself up over.

"...Forget it," I whispered. "Just...discard all that. I didn't mean it...."

"You wouldn't have said it if you hadn't meant it," he said quietly. "And....I realize what I did was probably very insulting to you...."

"Hah!" I laughed sardonically at him. "As if you really care about me."

"...." His obsidian eyes dropped to the floor. "You're wrong," he murmured. "...I do care about you."

"Bullshit." I scowled at him and tried to break away from the hold he had on me.

"Why would I lie about that?"

"You want to get me rolling again?"

"But I mean it."

"Yeah, sure."

"How can I prove it to you?"

I started to make another sarcastic response, but as soon as I saw how sincere he was, I forgot what I was going to say.

"I'm serious," he whispered. "How can I make you believe me?"

My mouth dropped agape as I stared back at him. "You're...serious...?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he retorted.

"No...."

I shook my head to rid myself of the sudden dizziness I had from the shock.

He brushed a stray tendril of hair from my face and gave me his usual half-smirk, half-frown smile. I'd always loved that smile. It worked for any occasion, be it when he was being his usual cocky self or sweet, like he was now.

"Don't ever leave me again!" I blurted, throwing my arms around him as I sobbed into his shoulder. "Stay here with me. Help me with all that's going to come in the future. Don't run away again....That's how you can prove it to me."

His arms folded around me, hugging me in return. "I think I can manage that," he whispered in my ear. "I won't leave ever again. I want to stay here and protect you....And our child."

He added the last part in the softest whisper, probably in hopes that I wouldn't catch what he had said.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"No problem," he returned before kissing my mouth. Then he put his lips to my ear and whispered, "I love you, Systrana" quietly.

He had never told me that aloud before. It brought tears to my eyes and forced me to cry them out all over again.

"I love you too, Vegeta," I replied in a pathetic whisper.

He only smiled at me then and lifted me into his arms, carrying me to the sofa.

I cuddled against his body and absorbed the heat radiating from it.

I felt the split in my heart heal instantly.

Hello, everybody :D Ayame here. I hope you enjoyed this oneshot! It's my first story on this site featuring an OC. And just so you know (if you didn't already assume this), the baby they speak of is NOT Trunks. It's Trunks' half sister, Rin, whom I plan to write about later. See ya!