Another chapter down and I'm feeling really good about where this is headed.

Enjoy

-CF

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Chapter 10

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Vegeta growled at himself as he realized he was back at square one. It was the same position as 2 weeks previous. He had been avoiding his mate for that long. This bond was happening faster than he thought. The implication of that was not lost on him. All of this seemed impossible to fathom. Vegeta had no one to ask about this.

As he aimlessly floated in the training pool he felt his mate cautiously approach the arena. It was high time he stopped running and just faced it head on. In truth, he had been spooked, but now he wanted to embrace everything that was being offered to him. A strong bond meant strong offspring, it meant that the bond was true, it meant that she must have some mer in her background however diluted.

"You're not avoiding me now?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"No." He responded and swam towards her. "I needed to think."

"Look, whatever I said or did..."

"It was not you." Vegeta lifted himself out of the pool and sat next to her, his tail swishing in the clear water next to her sloshing legs. "I wasn't prepared for the strength of our union. Usually, when a mer takes a human mate the bond takes years to form. It's not as quick as this."

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't supposed to see my memories or feel my emotions yet." He looked at her in the light provided by the setting sun. The orange glow combined with the reflected ripples from the water. Vegeta gently ran his fingers across her face before clasping her chin and lifting her gaze to his.

"When a mer and a human bond, it's a process of slowly opening connections. Humans don't have the same neural pathways open as we do. In the water, language is fleeting and mer is a complicated tongue to learn. We usually communicate through thoughts and bonds forged with our fellow warriors or family members. Bonding is instant, a necessity."

"What does this mean for us then?" Bulma swallowed hard and he heard the gulp of air, felt her nervousness.

"It means that eons ago, somewhere in your family tree, a mer came on land and was a part of your lineage." He explained softly. "It wasn't recent or you would've known the moment you first felt the oceans kiss. You would've felt an overwhelming need to always be around the water."

"Like Goku?"

"Yes."

"Well, is this a bad thing?"

"No. Just unexpected." He pinched the bridge of his nose and eased back into the pool. "I want you to swim with me."

"Well, you'll have to wait a second. I'm not dressed for it."

"No one is here, now come." He held out his hand and waited for her.

"Vegeta, I can't swim in my clothes." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "And I certainly don't feel comfortable skinny dipping in front of you."

"We're mated, Bulma. I'm going to see you naked soon enough." He shrugged. "I'm naked right now. You've seen me naked several times in my human form as well."

"Not intentionally!" She squeaked incredulously.

"It matters neither here no there. The fact is why delay the inevitable?" Vegeta began floating on his back again while he waited. "Now, come here."

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Bulma rubbed her arm nervously before deciding to take the plunge. He was right, it was inevitable. She just was hoping for a little bit more time before she was naked around him. The only other person that had seen her was Yamcha, but they didn't get very far. She pulled her top over her head and then unlatched her bra. She heard a small splash of water and looked up to see Vegeta watching her curiously.

"Don't stop on my account." He smirked before swimming back up to the edge and looking up at her.

"Vegeta!"

"What?" He leaned back again and put his arms behind his head. "Continue, I still wish to swim with you."

She sighed and unzipped her shorts and pushed both her shorts and underwear down to the floor leaving her naked before him. Bulma turned her face away and felt her cheeks heat with what she figured was a bright red blush.

"You are certainly a sight to behold. Now, get in the water."

"I'm ..."

"Now's not the time to be nervous, woman. Come." He leaned forward as she sat on the edge of the pool and he pulled her into the water. She was sure if it wasn't heated her teeth would be chattering. Vegeta wrapped his arms around her and started floating on his back again pulling her atop him.

It was still a bit strange, but the touch of his mer body opened the bond again. She saw more of his past. Memories of his childhood, his father, his mother. They were interesting, to say the least, and she finally heard his native language. It was strange, yet beautiful.

"Enough swimming around in my head." He sighed and brought her lips to his. The rest of the night they floated along the water until she was too pruned up to stay in anymore.

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Vegeta watched as she stood under the shower spray in their bathroom. She washed the salt from her body, her hair, and then stepped out. He wanted to spend more time in the pool but he understood that she couldn't do that. Her skin wasn't the same, she couldn't feel the need as he did.

However, as she stood in front of him naked, wet, and drying her hair with a fluffy pink towel, another hunger started to take its place. He wondered how it would feel to have her.