Vegeta gently shut the window behind him. She had left it open for him. He knew it was for him because of the many arguments that had occurred over him leaving the window open at night. A Saiyan's body retained heat much better than a human's, and he was almost always hot. He smirked as he thought of her rolling her eyes after telling her if she was so cold, he could keep her warm...He knew her opinion on the subject had not changed. And yet, she had left it open, should he decide to come home. He wondered if she had done so for the past three nights. He suspected she had.

Quietly, he walked over to her, standing above her sleeping figure. She looked so serene lying there like that. Her body was tangled in their sheets, all except for one of her small feet. Vegeta's heart ached for her, his body now demanding he lay down with her as much as his exhausted body did. Sighing, he pulled of his clothes off and lay down in his underwear next to her. He laid there for a long time, staring at the beautiful creature lying next to him. He wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, to finally shed the tears he had held back from Kakarot earlier. But something held him back, something always held him back. Sighing, he sat up and made his way to their bathroom.

Bulma slowly opened her eyes. She was still exhausted, but she could only seem to sleep a few hours at a time without Vegeta there. His absence was hard, but even worse was her worry for him. He hadn't even tried to return home with them.

He had left the lookout alone, and she hadn't seen him since. He had been through so much...being possessed by Babidi, sacrificing himself and dying, coming back to life and fighting with Goku...She had expected him to be reluctant, but she really didn't think he would just leave. She shut her eyes, trying to will herself to go back to sleep and forget all of it for a few more hours, when she heard a noise. She gasped. She could hear the muffled sound of the shower coming from the bathroom…

Vegeta let the hot water beat against his swollen body. It slowly began to relax his tense muscles and his exhausted mind. For the first time in three days, he realized just how tired he truly was. An exhaustion like he had never felt before came over him. He let a long sigh escape his lips as he close his eyes. He faced the stream of water and let it beat against his chest and he felt himself relax even more in its rhythm. He finished washing up quickly, fatigue finally setting in to his bones. Climbing out of the shower, he quickly dried himself with his ki and the little bit of energy he had left. Pulling a towel around his waist, he opened the bathroom door to his room.

She was sitting straight up on the middle of their bed, legs crossed, with a sheet loosely wrapped around her shoulders. He froze the moment he saw her, taking in her unspeakable beauty. Her blue hair was messy from where she had been sleeping on it, and her face slightly flushed. Her body was small and thin, and yet she was so strong. She held herself proudly, something he'd always admired about her. But it was her eyes that struck him the most. The deepest shade of blue one could possibly imagine shone back at his dark onyx ones. They held a mixture of emotions; fear, exhaustion, sorrow, joy…His heart pounded in his chest and he wondered how he had ever thought being away from her was the right choice. Her eyes consumed him and he felt like he stood there for an entire lifetime, losing himself in them.

Bulma took in a deep breath as soon as Vegeta walked into their room. She was always taken by how…beautiful he was. She always thought her mind remembered him clearly, until she saw him in the flesh. He was even more perfect than her mind could seem to understand. Vegeta's body was smooth and brilliantly sculpted, though he was currently tense in anticipation, his fists tightly clenched by his side. His body was so strong and muscular, and yet he was so delicate. He had endured so much in his life, something she had always admired about him. But of course, it was his eyes that captivated her. They were as dark as the night that surrounded them, a deep contrast to her simple blue. They seemed to scream all the words he hadn't said. They told her of his fear, of his shame…of his anger, and of his sorrow. They whispered his lifetime of pain and solitude to her, and she understood. She sat in silence, drinking him in, committing him to her memory, before she finally spoke.

"Vegeta…"she whispered. With speed she couldn't detect, he was suddenly in bed with her. He sat on his knees facing her and with trembling hands, slowly reached up and touched her cheek. He caressed it gently, thinking of all the times he had wanted to do so and pushed it away. Bulma stared at him. He looked so sad stroking her face like that, almost as if he was…afraid. Her eyes softened in realization. That was it. That was what it had always been. He had been afraid of getting close to her, scared of what that might mean. He had been afraid of making attachments, because the first ones he had ever made in his life had been ripped away. And now he had run away this time as well, because he had been afraid. She titled her head slightly to the side and looked into his eyes. She knew better than to ask him things head on, but she couldn't help it. The words left her mouth before she could stop them. "You were afraid."

How this woman could always manage to read him, he would never understand. It usually irritated him. But in this moment, he was thankful for it. It was easier for to hear it than to have to admit it. Dropping his eyes in shame, he nodded silently. He could suddenly feel his heart speed up and his body began to tremble. Emotions seemed to bang on his insides, demanding to be let out. Just tell her, they whispered. Tell her the truth. Forcing himself to look back at her, he took in a deep breath.

"I still am."

Everything came rising to the surface, and this time he didn't stop it. He wasn't sure if he could have anyway. His body was so tired and his heart was aching. Vegeta let his head fall onto Bulma's shoulder, and the Prince of all Saiyans, finally let it go. The tears fell so easily and his entire body shook as sobs escaped his mouth. Every fear, every disappointment, every moment of despair came rising to the surface. His resentment towards his Father, his anger towards Frieza, his frustration towards Kakarot, his fear towards Trunks, his desperation towards Babidi, and sorrow for it all spilled out of him. Bulma wrapped her arms around him and cradled him in her arms. She held him for a while before she gently pulled him down onto the bed. She wrapped her entire body around him and held him for hours as he cried, silent tears sliding down her own cheeks at her Prince's despair.

He fell asleep like that, in her arms. After three days of relentless training and no rest, his body finally gave way to the exhaustion plaguing him and fell into a deep sleep. No nightmares haunted him that night, for the first time in years. He felt safe, lying there in her arms. Bulma watched him drift into slumber, as a small smile spread across her face. She lay awake for a long time, never letting him go.