The sun had begun to fall behind the horizon. Beautiful shades of amber, magenta, and gold streaked across the sky, casting a glow across everything below. A few clouds joined in the scene, an indigo frame against the watercolor backdrop. Though it was beginning to get cooler, she remained in her station on top of the domed house. She hadn't escaped up to the rooftop since she was probably a teenager. When she was overwhelmed or emotional in her youth, she would climb to the roof to be away from everything else. The view from the top was spectacular. From her vantage point, the bustle of the city was behind her and the grandeur of nature was before her. She pulled her shawl in a little closer to conserve her body heat. She needed time by herself to think. Everything inside the house was off; no one knew how to react to each other after the tragedy of Buu.
The wind was slight, but was enough to affect her hearing. The whooshing of the air stung her ears and chilled her skin. Suddenly, a hand fell on her shoulder. She wasn't surprised. Her eyes remained straight ahead. Now that she had time to digest everything, her emotions were all over the place. The images from the stadium replayed in her mind as she felt his hand on her. She felt the drop of her heart when she heard of his passing. She felt her own death.
"Bulma." His voice was quiet and raw. She felt the tears well up, clouding her vision. She kept her eyes forward. She didn't want to be reminded of it all again. She wanted to go back to before everything happened, to where he was beginning to really open up to her and be the man she knew he really was. She wanted to see him train with his son and to hear Trunks laugh. She wanted the tension to be gone from their home.
He withdrew his hand and sat with his back against hers. She felt his heat radiate into her and even though she didn't know what to say or if she even wanted to talk at all, she welcomed it.
He cleared his throat. "I never meant to hurt you."
Silence. The tears spilled over onto her cheeks, hot and unwelcomed. She wiped them away with a hand. She could feel how uncomfortable her husband was talking about the whole incident. He had been possessed. He had allowed it. He had almost killed her. He had nearly destroyed their family. She had heard of his sacrifice, but the sting of his thirst for power was raw and unexplained.
"I thought that I was stronger on my own. I thought I could go back to how I used to be and be stronger," he said, barely above a whisper. His voice was uneven and shame filled his words. "I was wrong, Bulma."
The tears were steady now. Bitterness filled her. How could someone she had given the most intimate part of her heart to feel so inclined to leave her so easily? So much of her wanted to tell him to leave and never come back. Her heart had already been broken and trampled on; she had to look out for herself and the best interest of her son. How could she trust him now that he had thrown her love for him aside?
As her thoughts ran about, she was pulled into her husband's arms. Vegeta held her now with more conviction than she had ever felt from him before. His breathing was slow and pained. He held her head close to his heart, his ungloved hand running across her cerulean hair. He kissed the top of her head before pressing his cheek to the top of her head. Reluctant at first, and then desperately she wrapped her arms around his strong core. She wept openly into him. After a moment, he pulled her to face him. His eyes were glassy with emotion.
"Never," he began, "Never think this was about you. I was selfish to downplay what you have done for me and what you mean to me. I hurt you and I hurt our son, I will never forgive myself for that."
"How could you, Vegeta?" she pled, only sheer sadness remaining. "How could you forget everything that we have shared? How could you forget the vows we took? How could you cast aside your son? He looks up to you!"
She trailed off, whimpering and crying into her hands. This time, he didn't reach out to her. Instead, still quieter than he had been before, he said, "I understand if you want me to leave."
"Are you stupid?" she cried in exasperation. "I never want you to leave. I just don't know how I can be sure you won't do something to jeopardize our family again. You jerk, can't you see that I love you?"
Though his eyes were still filled with regret, he couldn't avoid the tiny hint of a smirk that met his lips. He reached out, ever so gently, and offered her his hand. The moment she took it, he swept her off her feet and into his embrace. In the flashest of flashes, they were airbound. Never in all the time they had been together had Vegeta taken her flying just for the sake of it. Sure, he had flown her from point A to point B on one occasion or another, but never in a romantic setting. He readjusted her in his arms so that she could see what he was seeing, his arms firmly wrapped around her. Below them trees led way to more trees and the remainder of the city made way to the countryside. She laughed from the pleasure of it all; never before had she felt safer than she did flying in her husband's arms.
A few moments passed as they traversed the countryside just below the speed of sound. With little warning, Vegeta brought them down into a small meadow, vacant except for the grasses and the amber light of evening. At the edge of the clearing, she could see the faint hint of fireflies beginning to appear for the night. They must have traveled very far from West City; this scenery was all very foreign and new.
"What is this place?" she asked, looking around the area. It was one of the more peaceful and serene places she had ever seen. If she wasn't mistaken, there had to be lavender growing somewhere nearby and she could swear she heard a small brook playing in the trees.
"I found this place shortly after arriving on Earth," he stated simply. "It's a nice place to be alone."
She felt the heaviness in his words. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around him, inhaling his scent deeply. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, trailing kisses across the skin above his neckline. Her hands ran across his back, feeling the outline, the curve of every muscle. She said soothingly, "As long as I am around you never have to be alone."
His lips found hers immediately. It was as if something ignited between them, something electrifying and warm all at the same time. Butterflies danced in her stomach as if this was their very first kiss. One of his hands explored her body and the other tangled in her soft blue locks. Her hands traveled down from his shoulders, settling teasingly at the curve of his lower back. He pulled back and kissed her chastely on the forehead before gently guiding her onto the ground.
"Vegeta," she said breathlessly, initially worried about laying on dirt. The grasses cushioned her surprisingly well and the thought was lost. He brought his lips back down to hers as he positioned himself carefully above her. She entangled her fingers in his thick flame-like hair as he poured his passion into her through his kisses. His hips began to gently rock against hers and she responded, slowly matching his rhythm. Though she had closed her eyes in the heat of the kiss, she opened them lazily and met his. His gaze was intense and focused on the task at hand, but full of fire for her. She deepened the rhythm, deftly pressing against his body with her own.
The twilight was settling in on them now. Less of the sunlight was streaking through the trees and was being replaced by the twinkling of the cosmos above. The temperature around them was dropping, though they were beginning to smolder from their own collective heat. Pulling back for a moment, Vegeta removed his shirt in one fluid motion. Underneath, Bulma squirmed, trying to free herself from the confines of her own tee. Vegeta's hands slid underneath her shirt and slid it off with ease. His hands returned to expertly massage her still-covered breasts.
He stopped for a moment and looked down at her. His face softened as he looked at the woman, the first person who had given him a chance in the known universe. With a new tenderness, he leaned in and kissed her, regaining the synchronicity they had found before. Her hands found his face and she stopped the kiss to look at him full on.
"I meant it when I told you I was in this forever, Vegeta," she sweetly said, referring to the vows they took in private years ago. "I really meant it."
"I meant it as well," he affirmed. "Will you ever believe me is the question."
She bit her lip in fake indecision, "I'm not so sure, buddy. You may have to work to convince me."
He sighed, mockingly annoyed. She giggled and pulled him back into the moment. Although her heart knew that he would never stray again, the gods would be damned if they didn't think she would make him prove it.