Disclaimer: I don't Dragon Ball Z, if I did, do you honestly think I'd be doing this?

-enjoy

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ai shite iru kara...

Chapter One: An Act of Kindness…

-Bulma's POV She'd just got back from Yamcha's and had been deeply hurt, walking in on him…he'd been cheating again

I had always thought he'd change…I guess I was wrong. And it hurt me even more when I'd actually catch him the act. At the thought of him asking me for another chance I insanely grew a bitter anger.

"NOPE! Not again!" I'd say that him, yep, without hesitation or second thoughts about it. Silence suddenly fell and then I experienced a blush of embarrassment, and I felt as if I couldn't breathe without him…

"Who am I kidding?" I burst into a rush of tears. Clutching my pillow, I rolled over in the sheet of my bed, and tried to catch some sleep.

-MORNING: 3rd Persons Vegeta was downstairs eating while Bulma was waking up

Bulma woke up, surprisingly late this morning. Her face was flushed, and the congestion from the crying last night had stopped up her nose. Her eyes were watery and swollen and above all she could still sleep for another good five to six hours more.

Reluctantly, she got up and decided to take a shower…

Meanwhile…

Vegeta was seated in the breakfast area in the kitchen.

"Do you want anything else to eat, Vegeta?" Mrs. Briefs asked, cheery as usual. Vegeta as politely as possible, trying to hide his scowl, he shook his head 'no'.

"Ok dear, well please do tell Bulma that her Father and I will be back in a day or two…more than likely two…" She grabbed her purse. Vegeta, couldn't wait to eat in peace, without her staring at him.

"Thanks, bye-bye Vegeta." She smiled. Vegeta merely looked her, with the same dull expression and already annoyed, he waved absently his 'good-bye'. When he heard them finally leave he muttered, "THANK-GOD"

Afterwhile he wondered where that woman was at anyway 'Where's Bulma?' Then he remembered her leaving to go to Yamcha's place and he figure she must have spent the night there. He sighed, Yamcha and that was one person he could just about say he hated. The way he degraded women and such. He knew he was cheating on Bulma but he'd leave her to find out on her own, besides she's never believe him. Just then Bulma entered, silently and sluggishly dragging her feet.

She was still in her PJs…Her hair was wet, apparently from the shower and her eyes were a watery tired. Vegeta stared only a few more moments, almost wishing she'd misstep and fall, then he'd have some humor to laugh at. Though he had admire the curves her body drew and her eyes were a sapphire dream. Then he paid no more attention to her as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. It wasn't until a sudden the deed she took, in ripping a picture off the fridge of her and Yamcha, kissing. She threw it in the trash.

Vegeta smirked, 'Here we go'. He laughed under his breath and he sat up and she just as he was about to give his smart remark, she gave him an evil grimace.

"Not…a WORD!" She snapped. Vegeta looked at her and just laughed.

"Why, finally realize how much of an man-whore your boyfriend was?"

"You know what, just shut-the-hell-up, cause I'm certainly not in the mood to put up with your shit this morning, ok!" She yelled sitting down. He began mumbling about how much Yamcha was a sleeze ball and an asshole. She merely started to ignore him.

"Who fixed this?" She asked, looking at all the food there was on the table. There was bacon, eggs, sausage, pan-cakes, hash-browns and sliced oranges. It smelled heavenly. Bulma took in all the aromas, instantly.

"I did." Vegeta, grinned and his eye-brows cocked a mockingly gaze.

"HAH! Right, as if." Bulma snorted, snickering and pointing at him. Vegeta's grin disappeared and it showed a bit of an annoyance.

"Where's mom and dad?"

"Gone." He replied, eating a piece of bacon.

"Duh, where?"

"I don't know! They said they'd be back in a couple days…two days, I think." Vegeta answered, spraying pieces of bacon on Bulma's face. She looked disgusted. Vegeta, chuckled at her gesture.

"Oh…" She closed her eyes, wiping her face. Vegeta stood after while they'd been eating and he put his plate in the sink. Glancing at her, he had noticed she was tired. Her eyes held bags and she was constantly sniffling.

"Maybe you should go back to bed, you look tired." He stated, flatly.

"Why do you care?" She replied, rubbing her eyes.

"I don't, but I'm trying to be a gentleman by giving you some advice and"—

"Please you a gentleman? Haha, TRYING, is the keyword in that sentence." Bulma snapped, interrupting his sentence.

"What's wrong with you, even I'm not in that much of a bad mood." He asked, leveling his patience. She wouldn't answer, and Vegeta had had it, and he walked toward the door to leave.

"Vegeta," She asked. He flipped his head back in the doorway.

"I caught him again."

"Again? You walked in on him…again?" He asked, verifying. He'd grown sick of hearing her crying and above all for Yamcha to treat her this way, and for that matter any other women. 'What an idiot' he thought, he knew if he had Bulma he'd treat her right…what the fuck…shaking his head clearing thoughts he looked back at Bulma…

Frustrated and anger sensations crawled through her stomach. As she rose from her chair she all of a sudden in a swift movement, flung the glass of orange juice at the wall. It shattered in shared pieces and the juice spilled everywhere.

Vegeta fell silent as he watched her break down in tears. She covered her face and stood back up, trying to control herself but she couldn't, no the tears were too strong. Vegeta, in awe watched her struggle trying to direct her power over her emotions…she couldn't.

Trying to walk away, Vegeta found that he couldn't do it and he began to wrestle over thoughts… 'Don't, she'll think you're soft' and then the fact of 'what could it hurt'…. for once, the bitter prince let his pride fall. 'What hurt could it do,' he repeated in his mind… 'But just this once' he stated again…

He re-entered the room, and with open arms, took her in his strong grasp and rocked her back and fourth, stroking her back. The next few moments were full of emotion, but somehow they were content holding each other. Vegeta felt the flashbacks of his own…

Bulma, finally subsided and looked up at him, uncovering her faces from her fist and with the kindest act he's ever done, with his thumb he wiped every tear from her face, away. She trembling uncontrollably, even though her tears were settled and he tried to comfort her a little more.

"I'm a stupid, stupid person."

"Why?" He looked confused.

"Because I'm crying over him and he's not crying, not one tear over me!"

"I want to know one thing…" Vegeta said.

"What?"

"Why is it that he matters so much?" Vegeta asked.

"Because…he's…because…he's…" Bulma's, voice trailed off and she shook even more knowing that, she hadn't a reason why he mattered so much. She began to hiccup.

"Breathe…." Vegeta gestured a slight, hand motion and sort of a spontaneous bounce. Bulma laughed a little at his motion and all of a sudden, he smiled… Not a smirk, or a grin that cocked a mockingly laugh in it but a real smile. Bulma was in awe! It was the most beautiful smile she'd seen on his face, because for once, he meant it.

Realizing what he'd done, he wiped it back into a frown and hid in the embarrassment.

"Haven't you ever felt…betrayed or somewhat in the situation I'm in, Vegeta?" She asked, she expected him to shake his head. Or reply in a deep 'No'

"Yea, back on Freezia's ship, we'd get to choose a mate…" Bulma instantly became interested, she hadn't known that Vegeta had ever been in a relationship…

"Hah, never thought I'd be a victim did you?" He asked, smirking.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought I knew what was love…nope, she was just another pretty face with a hole for a heart. Xela, respected me, treated me with dignity and she was prideful. But, there was a price to pay, she gave me the allusion of that she loved me back, and of course she didn't, she was a dirty lair!" He slammed his fist in the table. Bulma jumped…she felt a sadness settle in her heart, and she'd pity for Vegeta in the split of the moment.

"Then what?"

"Well, gave up my virginity because it felt, right. I came to find out later that she'd slept with Raditz and Nappa and few others of my crew. It churned me a bitter man within. It hurt to know that'd the lies were all-ridiculous and I believed everyone of them. I tried blocking them out until I did walk in on her and one of my buddies." Vegeta stopped and for a long moment, Bulma thought he'd actually cry.

"What happened?" Bulma asked.

"She cried…"

"She deserved it"—

"NO! She didn't…I killed my best friend out of anger and hit her…and I hit her so hard…" Vegeta exhaled deeply.

"My anger was out of control and the moment I hit her, I would've rather wanted to die a thousand times than to see her cry…" Vegeta sighed.

"Then"—

"Then the next day, she left…I was to blame…" He merely grimaced. Bulma was contemplating the whole story piece by piece. Then she hooked it on with all his other hardships. He lost his planet, his family, his friends, fought in Freezia's war, suffered a great emotional loss and on top of that, his heart was ripped out…no wonder he was such a cold, bitter person.

"I'm sorry." That's all that Bulma could say, and then she stroked his back, until she pushed her hand away.

"Don't matter now." He grunted, walking away. He didn't want her pity or her tears…it wouldn't ease the pain of him hitting her. Vegeta finally let the memory go after a minute or two and then he looked back….

Somehow she held a hopeful gaze to him. He originally approached to hug her again and leave, but she touched him just right and this time, he allowed her hand to grace his cheek, and she pulled him in at an angle…they kissed, softly. He couldn't put it simple, but it happened and it felt…right. She seemed perfect, in a way for him…the way she was built, her body was gorgeous and her stubbornness was awesome. He liked the fights because she'd fight back just as hard as he did…. Yea she wasn't the spoiled girl he first met on Namek, she changed…a lot and in fact he grown to like her, like her there and like her there to talk to.

Bulma was in wonder. She couldn't believe how good it felt to finally kiss him. Even though they'd fuss and fight, she seemed to be drawn to him like a moth to a light. Admired everything about him, except two things, his pride and his stubbornness. But everything else about him, his voice, his touch, his body, and above all the sort of compassion he had developed living with her. And certainly wasn't the boy he used to be when they met on Namek, hateful, and spoiled to the bone, he changed to a better, caring guy and he was always there for her to talk to…

The kiss was good, but it ended all to soon.

"I've gotta go train." He scurried off from her and Bulma, felt…really good.

"YOU idiot…how dare yourself to become soft around her!" He scolded himself, walking to GR room. He felt slightly weird, he liked the kiss but then he felt mixed up in an array of emotions, feeling low and stupid and like a push-over, sharing his hardship with a woman.

Despite how much they both wanted to forget the whole kiss…they couldn't, simple and true, the fondness of each other was finally shining through for the first time.

-butterflykisses

REVIEWS I hope Vegeta wasn't out of character… sorry if he was, but I tried