Heart to Heart

By Chrizzii

Notes:

Another short which doesn't go anywhere, though would happily sit in 'Hormonal Imbalance' if you want it to.

No warnings on this one, my way of making up for the long gaps between updates.

Let me know what you think, always read comments and feedback

Thank you for reading xx

Bulma blinked rapidly as the pain of another contraction gripped her body and silenced her. Her mind went blank and her breathing stopped for a few seconds, eyes bulging, grabbing onto the side of the chair.

Vegeta sighed and looked at the clock as her breathing returned.

"You were telling me about your laser defence system…" He reminded, reclining back on the pillows of the bed.

Bulma started to breathe again as the agony dropped back down.

She took a deep breath and stared at him.

"I don't want to talk about that anymore," she said quietly, trying and failing to keep her voice steady.

The Saiyan sighed irritably and glared at her.

"Why are we sitting here? Should you not be getting medical attention?"

"Because, as I've told you already, they don't need me in the hospital until the contractions are five minutes apart! We could have hours- days even!"

"Days?" The man snapped, sitting up quickly and glaring at her.

Bulma shifted on the chair and looked at the floor.

Vegeta leaned towards her baring his teeth.

"Why the hell am I sitting here then, Woman? I did not consent to delaying my training for DAYS. I have to get stronger than Kararot, become a Super Saiyan, defeat the androids…"

"Fine," Bulma said dismissively, "you can go, I'm sure I can handle this on my own!"

To her horror, the man stood, only to turn to look at her with an unfathomable expression.

Slowly, he sat back on the edge of the bed and folded his arms.

"You said you wanted me here," He said quietly, "I gave you my word I would stay."

Bulma had taken to pacing around the room. It annoyed Vegeta no end but the looks of anger she shot him when he said so were enough to make him reconsider sharing this opinion.

She was puffing and sweating: clearly in discomfort and he felt useless. The Saiyan was happiest when he was in control of the situation, or at the very least, could gain the upper hand eventually. In this, he was helpless.

"Bulma, what am I meant to be doing here? I'm just watching you walk around!"

Bulma's bloodshot eyes fell on him wearily and she shook her head.

"Take my find off things, I guess…"

"How?"

"Talk to me…"

"About what?"

Bulma got to her hands and knees on the floor, rocking from side to side.

"Let me ask you about yourself. Let's bond while I'm giving birth to your child."

The request sounded ostensibly reasonable, but to the warrior, it wasn't. The woman wanted to pry and Vegeta did not like it.

He turned away and sniffed, refusing to dignify the request with an answer.

Bulma, who was staring at the carpet, did not notice the gesture.

"How old were you when the Saiyan home world was destroyed? Do you remember?"

"No,"

"Are you lying to me?"

The Prince did not have to reply since she started crying out again, gripping the side of the bed and gasping in pain. They were getting stronger and the woman was getting scared.

"Please…" She puffed, "Please tell me about yourself, I don't know anything and I'm… This hurts!"

Vegeta found himself grabbing her to prevent her from falling to the floor and eased her onto the bed.

"I was five. Happy?" He snapped.

She looked at him with sad eyes. He had never been looked at like that before and was unsure how to feel.

The contraction passed and she was left staring next to him.

"Did you join Freeza straight away? Or were you a prisoner then?"

Bulma had heard some of the things Vegeta had confessed before he had died. She had cried for him but kept it hidden, knowing the warrior would see it as an assault on his pride.

"I was always a prisoner…"

Bulma stared even harder. The look on his face had changed to one of pensive thoughtfulness, as if he hadn't been aware of what he had said.

Bulma assessed her situation and realised she had nothing to lose.

"Go on…" She encouraged.

He glanced at her and rolled his eyes, his arms folding defensively.

"Well, you're a genius, right? Use your brain!" He snapped, "I was born a prince, the heir to a long established royal bloodline…do you really think I had a choice what to grow up to do? Who to be? Of course not…" He looked off into the middle distance angrily.

"I was not overly concerned when the planet was destroyed. I was too young to realise fully what it meant for me, at the time I simply saw it as an excuse to do whatever I wanted. Freeza offered me a job working for him, I took it. It meant travelling the universe and answering to myself at last… well…that's what I thought…"

Bulma resisted the urge to speak. He seemed to be finally opening up and she did not want to interrupt.

"…I couldn't escape…the universe isn't keen on Saiyans to say the least and Freeza would only pay us in currency we could spend on planets HE controlled, essentially making us work for free. We had to eat, we needed fuel for the ships and armour when ours broke… we had to stay loyal to him because it was that or starve…"

The heiress gasped as a contraction tore through her body, taking her breath away and forcing her eyes closed. She wanted to scream but it was beyond her to do so, crippled by the pain.

She felt Vegeta's hands massaging her back, and glanced at him as the pain faded.

He realised what he had been doing and withdrew quickly.

His demeanour shifted again and his aloof nature returned.

"What about your mother? You mentioned your dad but what about her? What was she like?"

"Why wold you ask me about that? What does it matter?"

Bulma rubbed her stomach and took a few breaths, checking the time.

"Motherhood is on my mind at the moment I guess…"

Vegeta nodded and looked away, a now familiar thoughtfulness crossing onto his face.

"She was absent from my life, I don't remember much about her." He admitted. He tilted his head to the side and sighed, "I think she was a fighter in some form or other. I was a very powerful warrior from a young age…I must have got that off her, though I do not recall her ever training me…"

"Was that normal in Saiyan society? To have a parent so distant?"

Bulma tried to read his face, though he was very guarded. A micro-expression of pain flicked there before vanishing in a blink.

"I don't think so…I think she was just…uninterested…"

Bulma's heart broke. She thought of the tiny person she was about to give birth to- to share her life with- and she could not fathom how any mother could be so heartless to their children.

It was little wonder Vegeta had been so easily corrupted, he had never known love.

She shrieked as pain caught her off guard and ripped through her abdomen. She shook her head as the fear and panic took over.

"I can't do this!" She sobbed, "I'm sorry, I can't!"

"You can."

The pain subsided and Bulma realised her hands were being held in front of her.

Vegeta was clasping both in his own, kneeling on the floor before her, a curious expression on his face.

"Vegeta..?"

He looked away before fixing his eyes on her.

"You know why I haven't told you all that stuff before? Because it doesn't matter. It was all just stuff that happened, it's in the past and now that Freeza is dead, it can stay there. Here and now, that's what matters…"

Bulma blinked tears out of her eyes, trying to focus on him rather than her own worry.

He sighed and continued:

"I don't need to know everything about your past to know you, that's why I don't care. I know who you are now," The prince reached up and tenderly brushed her cheek with his thumb, "and I know you can do this…"

Bulma's heart started fluttering and she gazed at him, her strength renewed by his belief in her.

She realised he was right: it didn't really matter who he had been; a prince, a killer, an enemy; but who he was now: the man she loved and the father of her baby.

She smiled down at him and winked.

"You're right. About everything. Thank you for telling me all that though." She said.

He smiled back and chuckled.

"Like you gave me a choice," he sighed, "Now then, woman…let's get you to hospital- I'm tired of this nonsense and refuse to have my child delivered in our bathroom!"

Bulma rolled her eyes but allowed him to help her up and towards the door.

She stopped at the thresh-hold and turned to face him.

"Vegeta. Whatever happens, I want you to know…well…" She hesitated before chastising herself on being so ridiculous. "Vegeta, I lo-"

He huffed and cut her off.

"Don't say it." He stated.

Bulma felt affronted, tears stinging her eyes.

Why was he still so distant?

"Why not? I'm having your baby! Why can't I say it?"

He stepped towards her and lifted her trembling chin with his finger.

"Because you don't have to. I know…"

He leaned forwards and kissed her lips gently, his warmth comforting her and making her heart pound.

She smiled as they broke apart, looking deep into his obsidian eyes.

"I do too…" She replied.