"What the hell is it?"

"Humans call it... a radio!"

Bardock was leaning against the corner of his former comrade's living quarters with his large biceps covering his chest. They'd been back from Strateon for a good five months now. The crew had successfully completed two missions since then with another one coming up in a week. Gine, although still considered a member of the crew, had taken a break to live out her dreams of being a butcher.

The blood that got on her apron from cutting up already dead creatures was better than that of innocent, live ones.

Gine was admiring an object she had purchased at the monthly flea market, where the scavenger members of different crews collected goods from conquered planets. This particular item, this fabulous radio, was found on a crashed spaceship!

"...You know Planet Vegeta has radios too, dumbass."

She stuck her tongue out at the moody visitor and shook her head. "Mm-mm, nope. Not like this. Check it out."

Bardock rolled his eyes. This is what the scrawny brat was doing with her life. Playing with meat and spending money on trash. Her entire home looked like it belonged to a hoarder. The leader removed himself from his corner and decided to humor her. After all, it's the first time in a month seeing her. He knocked the random stack of papers off the chair next to her and blinked.

"What am I looking at?"

"It's called a cassette!"

"Looks like a piece of junk to me."

Gine put a finger to his lips to silence him, causing the muscular murderer's eye to twitch. It always had to do at least once every time he was with her. She pressed a button that opened up a slot for the cassette to go inside of. After closing it, she pressed another button and held her hands together in excitement. Bardock's ears picked up the sound of a woman's voice singing with no instrumentals in the background.

"So it plays shitty music?"

Bardock hooded his eyes when Gine began to sway in her seat. She was mouthing along to the words, which had now picked up some soft instrumentals.

"And I-I-I-I-I-I-I will always love youuuuuuuuuuu!"

When the jazzy instruments began to play, she stood up and offered her grumpy ex boss her hand. He slapped it away like he did the first time they met, but Gine refused to accept defeat. The messy haired warrior turned as red as the apples on her table.

The broad had the nerve to sit on his lap!

His had to avert his eyes to the radio releasing the music that was making her act stranger than usual. He closed his eyes in hopes that he could somehow feel the musical vibrations instead of the dancer on his lap.

Thou snake shalt stay in Strateon!

"You need to learn how to lighten up, grumpy pants! You always look like this!" Gine gave her best evil scowl and put her arms over her chest. She stood up much to Bardock's relief and began stomping around the kitchen. "Uhhh, I hate my life. I have to put up with someone who actually knows how to smile and laugh and love. Uhhhhhhh. I'd rather kill things and look like this until the end of time."

Bardock arched a dark brow at her poor attempt to mock someone. Even when she was doing something considered "mean", she just looked like a cute idiot. During their time apart, he trained himself to not like the cute idiot. She was making him soft and putting thoughts in his head that needed to die. Still, she did make him laugh.

Only a little.

"Can you sit down for a minute and be serious with me, or will I need to destroy your shitty new toy?"

Knowing he meant it, Gine growled under her breath and paused the tape before sitting back down. He did say that he wanted to talk to her about something important.

"I'm ready."

Bardock rubbed the scar on his face with the back of his thumb before looking at his ex teammate. She didn't look ready for anything. She always had those big doe eyes looking like she was seeing something for the first time and it was always overwhelming. "Remember how Fasha and Tora went on a rescue mission for us? We need to do the same for them."

Gine placed a hand on top of Bardock's and leaned in closer. Her lips were parted and her eyes, of course, were large. "Oh my gosh, no! What happened!? Are they alright?"

"Yeah. Just left them there as revenge for fucking with me that time they left us."

"Oh. That's...actually very like you."

"I know. I don't give a shit if I have to go alone," Bardock lied as he placed his arms behind his head and relaxed into the chair. "But I just wanted to know if you'd like to take a look at another planet since you wouldn't shut up about space travel last time. The planet is already conquered so I won't have to worry about saving your weak ass."

Gine began to bat her long eyelashes at him, making the leader shift in his seat. She already had been touching his hand earlier, now she was inching closer to him with those stupid eyes. "Oh, just admit you missed me."

"HA."

Bardock's burning face had increased in temperature when Gine cupped it with her cold hands. His fiery orbs glared into her kind ones, wondering what the hell was going to come out of her mouth.

Or what she was going to do with that mouth.

Shut the fuck up!

"I'm just messing with you, boss!" Her voice was full of milk and honey. "Of course I'd help bring our friends home. Would you like to stay for dinner? I don't think you've ever tried any of my specialties besides crow on the cob!"

Regaining his cool, Bardock retained eye contact with the butcher while removing her hands from his face. "Sure, whatever. From what I hear, you're not that bad. Plus you promised me a chunk of deer meat."

Gine dramatically placed her hands on her cheeks and opened her mouth in a wide 'O'. "Bardock, are you complimenting me!?"

"Only one you're ever going to get. Don't forget you're still an annoying twig woman that can't sing."

Gine still couldn't put her finger on it. Bardock, this same Bardock who had been laughing with her all night, was the same one who murdered for the thrill of it. He was the same Bardock that said love is nonexistent and idiotic. He was the same Saiyan who constantly belittled and berated her!

She wondered if it was all for show.

It had to be. Bardock may still treat her like crap outside of her doors, out in the public eye of Planet Vegeta. But every time he had come to visit after the debacle on Planet Strateon, he was showing more and more of his sweet side. He truly was becoming her friend.

Her only friend.

Maybe he had to act like a jerk everywhere besides here because it was part of his image or something. He had a reputation of killing you the instant you looked at him funny, and he wouldn't give a second thought about doing it. She witnessed this part of him on their first mission together. A Saiyan who showed any sign of having a heart wound up, well...

Being a butcher.

Bardock was a fighter, pure and simple. An intelligent one at that. It was a frightening combination.

"Gine..."

His husky voice snapped her away from her thoughts. She tucked some hair behind her ear and smiled at him meekly. "Yes? Did you enjoy dinner?"

She already knew the answer, but she needed to continue the conversation so it wouldn't take an awkward turn. He was very low in his seat know, rubbing his stomach like he was pregnant with a food baby. Not that she'd ever tell him that or he'd sap her.

"It was delicious... I think I need a nap..."

Gine had never seen him so at peace before, even during the rainstorm on Strateon. It was as if she gave him enough food to keep all ten of his personalities content. His head was all the way back and he was blinking at the surprisingly spider web-less ceiling.

"If you're serious, my bed is right around the corner. I'll be up for awhile cleaning the place up so it's no bother to me..." She was rubbing her arm as if she was offering him something more than a nap on her bed. Bardock rolled his head over and stared hard at her.

Why in the hell is she blushing?

"Aw, are you asking me to spend the night with you Twiggy?"

"NO!"

"Lies."

Before she could whip him with a wet dish rag, Bardock jumped from his seat. He took her by the shoulders to get a good look at the woman who hosted him tonight. Damn her. The awful way she made him feel was returning at a much more fast rate than it took to forget about her.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass. I need to be in a bed that is going to help me sleep comfortably enough that I'm up early for our rescue mission and I don't think yours fits that job description. It's probably full of newspaper clippings and tomorrow's garbage."

Gine couldn't resist her pout, the very same one that drove her ex boss insane. "My bed is probably way more comfortable than yours! You look like the type of person that sleeps on rocks!"

Before Bardock could snap back, Gine was holding him by the wrist and dragging him to where her bedroom was. Deciding to play along only this once, he didn't rip her arm off and allowed to be dragged. They stopped in the door-less doorway. This room was a lot more cleaner compared to the rest of the hoarder's house.

"Go take a test nap! Then you can shut your trap!"

"Don't go stealing my lines."

They exchanged glares with one another before Bardock hesitantly walked over to the queen sized mattress. "Are you sure there are not rats hiding under this thing?"

"Completely sure!"

The Saiyan warrior took a deep sigh before falling onto the mattress. From the distance, the host could see that his facial expression was set to relax mode while he closed his eyes. Within minutes, Gine heard snoring. Giggling to quietly to herself, she tiptoed over to the brute on the bed.

"Ha, what did I tell- AHHHH!"

The phony faker liar reached up and slammed her down next to him. Gine would have been pissed if it weren't for the fact that his chuckling didn't seem dark and evil like it usually does when he does something sneaky. It sounded...

Amused?

Maybe happy?

She looked over at him, catching smiles in between the laughter before he regained his composure. He turned his body so he was facing her. She was blinking her doe eyes as if waiting for an answer to a question she never asked.

"Alright, alright. I'll admit it. Your bed is... decent."

Gine smiled as sweetly as she could. The two both had one of their cheeks on the pillow while observing one another. "It really has been a long time since I lost saw you, boss. Did it take awhile to conquer a planet or something?"

Bardock rolled his eyes. "I know it's hard, but try not to be an idiot. The planet was further away than usual."

Gine mouthed an 'Oh' but still smiled despite being called an idiot. She was always smiling. It never stopped. "Well, I'm happy you made it home safely. It's not a talent of my choice, but you destroy civilizations pretty quick. You should be proud."

"...You cook good."

Gine smiled into her pillow, momentarily forgetting about the destruction in her kitchen. Bardock growled lowly, knowing that the feeling of want was going to rise in his body the more he continued to look at her. What was it about her that did this to him? She wasn't strong. She wasn't bright most of the time - at least not street smart. She had no common sense. She was too bubbly, too smiley, too laughy, too much of everything positive.

And yet...

This dainty, happy female caused him to forget his name the first time he met her. She made him want her, desire her. She was always doing everything she could to help him see light in a world of darkness.

Maybe she was the light.

She was the only place he wanted to return to after a long mission.

What could all of that possibly mean? She was destroying everything the proud Saiyan warrior stood for.

"Well, I have to finish what I started out there. Have a good nap, okay? I'll wake you up if it gets too late."

"Gine."

The sweet girl wasn't going anywhere. She was being held by her wrist before she could walk away from the bed. "What is it, Bardock? Do you need something from the kitchen?"

He shook his head and moved to the edge of the bed. He pulled her in between his knees by holding her lower back and looked up at her in quiet desperation. Desperation - so pathetic but it was all that could describe his eyes. He didn't want her at this moment; he needed her.

Bardock never needed anybody.

Gine never thought she'd be looking down at Bardock. He was in pain, the type of pain that he would always refuse to tell her. She nuzzled his mess of black spikes and rested her hand against the side of his face.

"It doesn't have to be a lasting thing. We can forget about it tomorrow, if you'd like."

To her surprise, he shook his head. He didn't want to forget about anything that had to do with her anymore. Bardock was a strong, strong man who found a weakness. Conquering it would make him feel like himself again. He was sure of it.

"I can't do that anymore. I'm tired of your scrawny ass appearing in my mind when I'm suppose to be doing my job. I'm tired of humming some dumb shit song you wouldn't stop screaming in my ear. I'm tired of you being the only reason I look forward to coming home. You know I could kill you and you continue to screw with me. I-"

"I'm the only reason why you look forward to coming home?"

Bardock didn't have a chance to respond. His back was being lowered onto the bed from the pressure of her kiss.