Chapter 21: Confusion and Confession
Author's Note: I've been psychotically busy, and I apologize for the delay in my update. I've not abandoned the story, and I'll not get into all the stuff that's been going on with me. However, due to some recent harassment by a few reviewers I was forced to post this next you don't like my story, don't read it, and most certainly don't review it. I'll write it the way I see fit because it is my story. I'm becoming a little irritated, and the continuance of this story is hanging by a thread. This isn't a threat or anything, I'm just being honest. All the stuff going on right now has me not wanting to write. I have crazy writer's block that I don't think I'll be able to shake for a while, but I know you all have been waiting for this chapter, and I hope Its not a disappointment. So, I'll tentatively say, read and review.
The situation would have been funny had Vegeta not been slightly panic stricken, and angry. Sure the face he was making was priceless, but then again, she couldn't bring herself to laugh at such a possibly serious situation considering the man in question. Instead she concentrated on not over reacting to keep him from freaking out any more than he already was.
"What do you mean you can't feel your tail?" She asked, trying to clarify his meaning. She'd been in this situation before, but she wanted to make sure that things weren't any worse than they'd been before.
Vegeta scrunched up his nose, and growled at her. "What the hell do you mean, what do I mean? I FUCKING CAN'T FEEL THE DAMN THING!" He roared as his teeth chattered. Panic was starting to seep into his conscious, and he fought to not completely lose his sense of calm.
Bulma reached forward in an attempt to gently move his tail out of the water for inspection, but was intercepted by a large hand on her forearm. She cast Vegeta a reassuring look, but it soon faded to one of uncertainty and fear. He was glaring at her, and despite the chattering in his teeth, she could still tell he was baring them at her. Sure enough, a low rumble of a growl rose into his throat, and he tossed her away from him in one swift motion.
"OW! VEGETA, CALM DOWN! There has to be a rational explanation for this." Bulma said as she barely kept herself from completely toppling over by catching herself on a towel rack. "Just let me see." Bulma yelled out as she clutched her abused ribs, and staggered to stand in front of the irate male. She couldn't blame his reaction. She'd probably be freaking out too, but in his panicked state he was already starting to hurt her, and what little fear of him still had baring in her mind, started to surface again.
Vegeta stood from the icy water, his tail hanging limp between his legs. He tried to move it, but a burning, tingling sensation shot from its base all the way up to his head causing him to grit his teeth against the pain. He glared at the little Blue haired woman standing in front of the only exit, and roared at her to move out of the way.
"Vegeta please, you're okay! Just calm down for a minute, and let me see your tail." Bulma urged as she slowly made her way closer to the dripping wet, and agitated male, arm outstretched as if to ward off any attack. This had happened one time with Goku, but he was hands down the easier of the two to handle. The poor boy had nearly cried at the thought of losing his tail, but they'd quickly figured out that all they needed to do was keep his tail out of the icy water to keep him from seizing up. She just couldn't believe she'd forgotten to warn Vegeta about the possible loss of feeling. She was such an air-head sometimes.
Vegeta bristled at her approach, and took a step back, his heel hitting the side of the tub, and he narrowed his eyes at her as she came to a halt directly in front of him. He didn't want to hurt her, but for some reason he was wondering if she hadn't planned this whole charade all along. He growled at her, but made no move to stop her when her delicate hand touched his side before trailing down, and around to the base of his tail. She gently allowed it to pass through her hands as she brought it up and around to his front for examination, and he growled instinctively when he couldn't even feel the gentle sensation. Normally her tiny hands on his tail would have sent him into a near fit, but at the moment, all he felt like doing was ripping her head off for the whole situation. It was all her fault. He should have never agreed to this in the first place, what was wrong with him?
"You better find out what's wrong and fix it woman before something bad happens." He raged as his breathing increased with his anger, and he fixed his murderous gaze on her tiny head.
Bulma shivered in fear at the tone of his voice. There was a promise laced into his words, and she didn't doubt that she would be on the receiving end of some pretty terrible treatment if his tail was damaged permanently because of her. All she'd been trying to do was help him, but as it was, all she'd done was make things worse. Why was it that everything involving Vegeta turned sour.
"You Saiyans are acclimated to a warmer climate, your tail is just shocked that's all. Here, come with me. You'll be fine. The same thing happened to Goku the first time." Bu;ma said as she watched his features morph from extreme rage to extreme annoyance.
"Oh come on, Please don't look at me like that. I'm sorry I didn't think to warn you. I guess I thought you'd know what would happen to your own tail." Bulma said meekly as she released his limp tail, and tried to take his hand. He looked as if he was going to kill her, and she shuddered. Her instincts were telling her to run and hide, but logic won out, and she knew better than to leave Vegeta alone while in the state he was in.
Vegeat swatted her hand away before crossing his arms, and turning his head away from her. He wasn't doing anything else for her. She'd already caused enough damage.
Bulma made an ow sound as she shook her abused appendage. She then glared at him, and released an irritated huff before turning toward the door, and opening it with more force than was necessary.
"You stay there. I'll be right back." She said as she made her way to the linen closet. She scrounged around on the top shelf blindly, hoping to come across the cord to her heating pad. She was just about to give up and grab a chair due to her burning ribs, but at long last, her fingers wrapped around the cord, and she was able to yank the blasted thing off the shelf. She smiled triumphantly to herself, and turned only to run into a brick wall.
"OH, Kami, don't do that, Vegeta." Bulma gasped when she raised her eyes toward the angry Saiyan standing right behind her. Apparently he'd been glaring daggers at her back. She rolled her eyes in irritation before grabbing his hand, and pulling him as hard as she could. She knew she couldn't move him, but she hoped he'd follow her.
"What is that, and what the hell do you think you're doing?" Vegeta growled as he watched her turn a few flaps of the little mat over in her hand, uncovering a dial on the cord which she turned. He wasn't sure what the woman had planned, but he was torn between allowing her to "fix" the problem she herself caused or just cutting her off entirely.
"It's my heating pad. You just have to give me a chance. Here, when this warms up I'll wrap your tail in it, and we'll warm it up all nice and tosty." She beamed as she continued to pull.
He eyed her skeptically, but despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to bite her and run, he allowed her tiny hand that had somehow managed to encircle his larger one to guide him toward the kitchen. He wasn't sure why she was bringing him to the kitchen, but he was just too tired and irritated to really care. He growled and grumbled the entire way, and Bulma had to stifle a few giggles when she heard her nick name "woman" being thrown into his foreign rants.
"This is your last chance female." He warned as he allowed her to push him down into one of the chairs. He watched as she pulled a second chair right beside him and slightly behind. She then took the pad and set it on the chair before gently wrapping his tail inside it. He could feel the warmth seeping into his tail, and the sensation was not at all unpleasant.
"There, all snug as a bug in a rug." She giggled, trying to lighten the mood. However, one look at the stony features of the man sitting at the table told her that there would be no lightening of anyone's mood. She frowned, and without thinking of the repercussions, bent forward, and placed a chaste kiss against his temple before ruffling his upswept locks.
Vegeta's eyes widened considerably, but his face betrayed no other emotion to the little woman. He watched as she took a seat across the table from him. He notices how she was eying the clock on the oven ever so often.
The two sat in awkward silence for over thirty minutes before Bulma rose from her chair, and tentatively reached under the heating blanket. She unwrapped the heating pad enough to see his tail. The fur was slightly damp with perspiration, and she could feel the warmth radiating off it like a miniature heater. She gently poked the appendage before looking at the back of Vegeta's head to see if he felt it.
Vegeta's body stiffened, and he growled as he turned his head to glare at her, his tail slithering out from the confines of the pad to wrap securely around his waist.
"OH LOOK!" Bulma squealed as she watched him move the limb subconsciously.
Vegeta jumped a little at her sudden exclamation, but as he felt the familiar pressure and sensations begin to flood his tail, he purred in delight and relief. The little female had been right, and he was beginning to feel slightly foolish for believing her to have plotted against him. However, he'd have to remember this little incident for future reference if he ever found himself in a similar situation. Cold water equals frozen tail.
"You're lucky your little plan worked female. Never do anything like that again." He scolded as he stretched out the stiff muscles in his tail before examining it himself, and preening the discheveled fur to a pristine shimmer. The cold had done him some good, he'd have to give her that, but going from one extreme to the other left him feeling somewhat fatigued.
"You hungry?" Bulma asked, trying desperately to ignore the comment. The threat laced into those words sinking in completely, his tail was not something to be messed with. She doubted even he was aware of it, but she knew damn good and well how important his tail was to him. The fact that he didn't seem to care how silly he looked licking his hands and fur as he groomed himself proof of that. She wouldn't be given a second chance, and she didn't even want one.
Vegeta stared at her for a few moments, trying to make out the change in her voice. She seemed unsure of herself, and upon further inspection he could tell that she was indeed unsure, in fact, she seemed rather skittish. He couldn't place her change of demeanor, and frankly he didn't really want to. So he just rolled his eyes, and ignored it giving his tail one final lick before letting it fall to sway behind him.
"Yes woman. Has there ever been a time where I didn't want food?" He growled sarcastically as he scanned the room with his eyes, for what, he wasn't sure. He knew he was a little paranoid, but it never dawned on him just how bad he'd been. He had a gut feeling that something was not quite right, but he brushed it aside as he watched the woman work intently on his lunch.
Bulma furrowed her brow as she noticed Vegeta scan the kitchen. He seemed suddenly deep in thought, and she wasn't sure if she should disturb him. However, she had set out to help him, and despite the minor set-back with his tail she planned to make good on her word.
"Alright then, let's get some food in your stomach. I've got some different foods, a protein smoothy, and some supplements I want you to take." Bulma said as she went about preparing his meal.
Vegeta paid her no mind as he sat back in his chair, allowing his eyes to drift shut. A little nap couldn't hurt, and it would take the woman quite a while to finish up his meal. His mind had just shuffled all of the tumultuous thoughts back into place, and was fading into oblivion when a loud grinding and whirring sound nearly toppled him from his chair.
Bulma peered over her shoulder as she held the blender's lid in place, and laughed before awing at Vegeta's startled expression. He was sprawled in an awkward position. The back of the chair was saved from toppling by the wall, and his legs were splayed on either side if the seat, heels flat to the floor. His arms were out slightly akimbo, as if prepared to grab hold of something, anything to steady himself, and his face betrayed him for just a moment before he righted himself, and humphed in clear embarrassment.
"OH! I'm sorry Vegeta. I didn't think you were going to take a nap, If I'd known I would have warned you about the blender." Bulma laughed as she turned off the ear drum splitting contraption, poured two glasses of the bluish mixture, and returned to the table. She sipped hers as she held out the other glass to Vegeta, and made a mmm sound from behind her glass.
Vegeta smirked at the quirky female as he accepted the offered glass. He sniffed its contents, and after finding it quite pleasant, followed the females lead, and took a generous sip.
"Well, ya like?" She asked as she set her glass down on the table before turning back to the counter to finish preparing her special meal. He had succeeded in malnourishing himself through his crazy training regime. He was wearing his body thin by not replenishing his body's resources enough through what he was eating. Human food was prepared, and made specifically with humans and their nutritional need in mind. A Saiyan however, required more from their food than what was standard on Earth. Chi Chi was an amazing cook, and able to cater to Goku's nutritional needs. She wasn't a great cook, but she was able to supplement the necessary nutrients into already prepared meals, compliments of her mother. Therefore, it didn't take her long to prepare his meal.
Vegeta watched her curiously as she removed already made meals, and began adding odd things to them. His old paranoia set in, and despite her kindness and affections toward him in the past, he couldn't sit idly by as she tampered with food she intended to feed him. He finished off his glass, and slammed it down on the table before stalking up behind her.
Bulma read the label on the supplement she was about to use before unscrewing the cap. She was just about to pour it in, but a strong grip on her wrist startled her, and caused her to drop the bottle onto the counter, spilling the pills. She whirled her head around, wide eyed, and struggled to find words as she stared at a rather confused and annoyed Saiyan.
Vegeta was staring at her with unmasked irritation. He hated being paranoid, but old habits died hard. He held her wrist up, and forced her body to turn, effectively pinning her between his body and the counter. He could smell her fear, but it was mixed with confusion. He let a low rumble escape his lips as he stared at her, his way of demanding an answer to his unspoken question.
Bulma struggled to breathe through her aching ribs. Her fear and confusion only intensified, and she pressed her back further into the counter trying to get away from him. He was acting more aggressively toward her since the tail incident, and she could only assume he was more paranoid than ever. The look on his face was one she had only seen when he'd first come to stay with her. The day he was staring at the food her mother had laid out. It didn't take her long to figure out what his deal was, and she struggled to get her voice, but the pressure he was applying on her damaged ribs took her breath away.
Vegeta studied her expression, and his eyes widened slightly through his glare before he released his hold on her wrist, and lightened up his stance, allowing her the room she needed. He hadn't intended to harm her, and had he not paid close attention to her, he would have never guessed her silence was caused by his pressure on her damaged ribs. Guilt suddenly swept through his chest as he stared at her. She was rubbing her wrist, and looking at him like he'd just told her he liked to take it up the ass.
"Vegeta, you act as if I'm intentionally trying to hurt you! I know that I messed up, but I honestly didn't intend for that to happen to your beautiful tail." Bulma said on a ragged breath as she clutched her wrist to her chest and used her arm to rub her ribs. She had a hunch that her wrist was going to be bruised after his bout of grabbiness. She knew he must have had a reason for cornering her against the counter, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what she'd done this time.
"What did I do this time? I honestly don't know what you're so worked up about." Bulma said as she stared up at him.
Vegeta's countenance softened against the bewilderment, and accusation in her voice. He glanced around the room, unwilling to meet her gaze as a faint blush tinted his cheeks at her backhanded compliment to his tail. He clenched his jaw, unwilling to offer her an explanation. He wasn't willing to embarrass himself, not in front of her, not again. His eyes settled on the bottle lying upended on the counter, and he glanced at her before reaching behind her.
Bulma watched his expressions change so rapidly she couldn't even follow, but when he refused to meet her gaze, she knew one thing for sure, he hadn't meant to hurt her. Vegeta wasn't a man of words, he was a man of action, but despite his silence he had his tells. He couldn't lie to her with those eyes. She watched as he reached behind her and picked up the bottle he'd made her drop. There were still plenty of tablets still inside as he handed it to her without making eye contact.
'What is going on in that head of yours?' She thought quietly as she accepted the bottle that he offered, and set it back on the counter, and stared at him expectantly.
Vegeta shifted slightly, and looked down before staring at her. He opened his mouth, then shut it again before growling at himself, mentally chastising his sudden lack of a back bone.
Bulma was just about to pry when a loud pounding on the door attracted both their attentions. Vegeta's hackles raised and he let out a low growl as he turned to glare over his shoulder at the door as if it had offended him, while Bulma took advantage of his momentary distraction to slip past him, and slowly make her way across the living room. She didn't even bother to glance through the viewer she was so thankful for the escape, and immediately regretted that decision when the door swung open, and her eyes settled on the tiny and obviously cowed Yaumcha. She frowned at him as she crossed her arms protectively around her ribs, and cleared her throat, urging him to speak his peace so she could slam the door in his face. She was in no mood to deal with his excuses and petty attempts at half assed apologies.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled out as he scratched the back of his head, shuffled his foot, and refused to meet her gaze.
Bulma's eyes widened considerably, and she let out an indignant huff as she squared her stance in the doorway. The audacity of that man had her nearly speechless, nearly.
"You're sorry. That's all you have to say to me? I think I deserve more of an apology than that Yaumcha. I've never done anything to even remotely deserve that kind of treatment." Bulma growled at him her pearly white teeth clenched together as the words barely made it past her lips.
'Idiot.' She thought as she glared daggers at him.
She could hear stifled laughter from the living room archway, and her eye ticked in annoyance. His royal pain must have found the whole situation rather comical. Had she not been the recipient of his most recent tantrum, she may have found it funny as well, but things being as they were, she was more than a little pissed.
Vegeta's perch within the house allowed him a clear view of both the woman and her ex. Judging by the black eye and insane amount of scratches and bruises that littered the weaklings entire body, he could safely say that the tiny, hell cat of a woman gave as good as she got in a fight. However, it was apparent that she still stood no chance against even the weakest of men if death was what they were intending. He frowned, and moved closer toward the couple, wishing that intervention would not be necessary. He was too drained physically, and all he wanted was a good meal, and a long nap.
"Bulma, please, will you just talk to me? I'm not trying to get back together with you or anything, but I really want to talk to you." Yaumcha said, feeling extremely uncomfortable airing their personal business out on her front lawn. He felt so white trash. His eyes hardened in determination as he reached out and took a firm, but gentle hold on her wrist as she started to back away from the door.
"Yaumcha, let go. I'm not going to talk to you right now. I'm busy. When I have a free moment, and I actually want to talk, I'll give you a call. Right now, I want you to leave." Bulma said as she stared pointedly at him, not even bothering to pull away, he wasn't hurting her.
Yaumcha shifted nervously, and opened his mouth to speak, but immediately snapped his jaw shut, and turned a sickly shade of white. His eyes were wide, and he released his hold on her wrist immediately before he took a hesitant step back on her stoop. He stared past her, into the living room, and tried to swallow the rather large lump that was forming in his throat.
"What the hell…" Bulma started to rage until she heard, and felt it. That growl, that low, deep, guttural, I'm going to tear your heart out and eat it while you watch growl. She felt it vibrating through her chest, and knew all too well who it belonged to. Her gaze slowly drifted to where Yaumcha's terrified gaze was fixed, and she had to suppress a shudder when she realized just how close Vegeta was to her. She could feel his hot breath fanning against her neck. It was coming out in snorted huffs, and she was instantly reminded of his promise the night before. A cold chill ran down her spine as she thought of being forced to watch Vegeta shred her ex-boyfriend like paper, the same way he'd done those villagers. Her stomach lurched, and she knew she had to do something, and fast. Despite his ill treatment of her, Bulma wasn't about to have Yaumcha's blood on her conscience, nor on Vegeta's hands.
"I suggest you leave Yaumcha. Don't tempt me to let Vegeta have his way. I'll not intervene for you the way I did your little slut." Bulma said in a deadpan voice. She was trying her hardest not to add to the tension that was already hanging thick in the air. She didn't know how easily Vegeta would be set off after the day's earlier events. He was ready to pounce any minute, and she briefly wondered why he hadn't already. He was just standing there, glaring and gnashing his teeth while growling angrily at the man standing at the threshold of her home. He must have been a lot more tired than she thought.
When the man didn't move or even bat an eye, Bulma's anger skyrocketed. "GET THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY!" She screamed at him, taking a step closer, and huffing in his face.
Yaumcha was momentarily struck by her outburst. Yes she was extremely volatile, but even she had never shown that much malice toward him in the past. He stammered, and tried to come up with some sort of comeback in order to smooth things over, but shut his mouth when he realized it was impossible.
Vegeta's tail lashed out, and wrapped around Bulma's upper thigh. The blood was rushing to his eyes, and he needed to ground himself somehow. He knew the little female would be extremely distraught over the scarred weakling's death, but at the moment his instincts were raging at him to end the sorry excuse for a fighter's pathetic life for raising a hand against her.
"Did you not hear her? Scat you insignificant little insect before I crush you under my boot." Vegeta raged in a voice that was edged on a growl.
Bulma shivered at the sound. He sounded like a wild animal, and part of her was afraid to be standing so close to him in that moment, but she dared not move for fear of bringing his unholy fury upon her ex. She cast her eyes back toward Yaumcha in one final attempt to convince him that leaving was in his best interest.
"Yaumcha. Just go." She finally pleaded bordering on exhaustion.
Sensing her inner turmoil, Vegeta's patience finally started to grow thin, but he was quite surprised when the weakling made another grab for her wrist, and she effectively blocked his hand, and landed a solid right hook to his jaw.
Yaumcha stumbled back a few steps, but caught his balance before he fell on his ass. He glared at Bulma, and hardened his gaze before taking a step forward, ready to strike back if necessary. He'd had enough of her attitude; who was she trying to fool. She might have been able to hold her own against a regular human, but she knew damn good and well that she didn't have what it took to back up her threats when it came to him. He wasn't a man who'd been raised that hitting girls wasn't acceptable behavior.
Bulma saw the look in her ex's eyes, and the tightening in her chest became painfully stifling. That look had once caused her to fear for her own well being, but at that moment, she feared for his life instead. Vegeta had been more than clear what would happen if he stepped foot on the compound again, but apparently her repeated demands for his swift retreat had fallen on deaf ears.
"Ya know what Yaumcha, fine. I'm done, have things your way." Bulma said as she leaned against the doorframe more than ready to go with the flow of things.
That one step the weakling had taken forward after the females very clear physical display had sent a message, a message that the earthling warrior hadn't gotten her warning. Vegeta's tail bristled, and he squared his stance. The way she'd effectively backed off also send a message, one that he read loud and clear. He snorted in disgust, his nose wrinkled as he bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl. Either the worm was deaf, dumb or had a death wish, either way, the instinct to kill the insignificant little fuck was thrumming in his head, but the tiny female's fluctuating ki kept him grounded, just barely. Despite her blatant consent for him to rid her of the weakling's presence, he hesitated. He didn't want her to change her mind half way through the ass kicking.
Yaumcha pointed his finger at his ex girlfriend with force. "Bulma, come on, enough of this. Let's just talk this over like adults. Call off your hound!" He growled as he gestured toward the man standing directly behind her. He was losing patience. Sure, he'd over reacted, but who wouldn't when dealing with such a stubborn woman. Why couldn't she just be like every other girl, and go with the flow, let him do whatever he wanted?
Bulma wasn't sure what happened, but one minute Yaumcha's hand had shot out and coiled painfully around her upper arm, yanked her forward, and rocked her off balance, the next, she was steady on her feet and Vegeta had Yaumcha suspended in the air by his throat.
Her eyes widened exponentially, but she made no sound of protest. She watched as Vegeta drew the now terrified male mere inches from his own face, teeth gnashing in his rage. Yaumcha had effectively wet his pants, and the putrid stench of urine hit her nose like a ton of bricks. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, but kept her eyes glued to the scene unfolding on her snow covered front lawn. It wasn't like she and Vegeta hadn't given him ample opportunities to leave. He'd brought it upon himself.
Vegeta was slowly choking the life out of the weaker warrior, Yaumcha's hands clawing at his attacker. He was leaving light half moon indentations all over the stronger man's hands, arms, and chest as he flailed about, clawing, and struggling to maintain consciousness. Just as the darkness threatened to take over Yaumcha heard a hollow and sickening snap, and felt the air rush from his lungs only to be filled by an overwhelming pain, and the uncontrollable urge to cough.
Bulma flinched and grimaced as she watched Vegeta's forearm slam into Yaumcha's chest, snapping his ribs, and sending blood gushing out his mouth and onto Vegeta's face and chest. She knew that Vegeta was either going to kill her ex, or beat him badly enough that he would think long and hard before setting foot on his territory again.
Vegeta squinted one eye, and batted it a few times to clear his vision of the blood that splattered in it. He growled low before bringing his mouth to the man's ear. He intended to make his point in the simplest way he knew how.
"If I catch your sorry ass sniffing around here again, I'll soak the Earth with your guts. You can thank the woman for my sparing your life. I've killed you once. I've tasted human flesh, and I've no remorse for the blood that I've spilt, least of all yours. Now, get your pathetic excuse of a worthless life out of my sight before I disregard the oath I made to the woman, and end your life here and now." He bit out in a harsh growling whisper as he sliced the man's ear with his canines for emphasis, relishing in the squeal and jerk of terror he received. "Now get lost." He snarled before tossing the battered and beaten man to the snow covered ground, and watched him writhe around in the white and yellow powder for a few seconds before struggling to his feet and staggering out the front gate, too injured to fly the twelve or so blocks back to his apartment. Vegeta's eyes followed the weaklings retreating form till it was out of sight, before turning back to the woman he left standing in the doorway.
Vegeta's snarl faded only to be replaced by deep frown as his eyes settled on the woman who was leaning against the doorway, staring at the bloodied snow as if mesmerized.
Bulma jumped slightly before raising her blue eyes toward Vegeta's deep chocolate brown almost black ones when she felt a slight tap against her thigh. She stared at him for a moment before taking her longer sleeve and wiping her nose with it. She felt like a child at the moment, but she didn't care. She'd seen more blood, gore, and violence in her life than any other woman her age, and she was sick of it. Her father's profession had been gruesome to say the least, and she'd seen her fair share of mutilations. Years of counseling, some medication, and a few months in a psych. Ward hadn't helped her with a damn thing. The fact that she didn't seem fazed by it had caused alarm within the medical community, spurring all the "treatments" however, once she gave her father the word that she'd had enough of their prodding, he'd allowed her to return to her normal routine, doing his best to not bring work home with him in the future. She knew from past experience that Vegeta hadn't really hurt Yaumcha bad, he'd mostly just roughed him up, but she still hated to see it. It was one thing to watch a complete stranger suffer, but someone she'd known intimately, that was never easy. Her heart was still hammering in her chest from her adrenaline rush, her chest was throbbing, and she could hardly breathe. The cold wasn't helping any as she shivered uncontrollably. How she hated the cold. She glared up at the sky as if it was the source of all her troubles.
He grimaced when a growl of annoyance tore from her throat, and a scowl marred her normally beautiful face. His throat tightened, and he fought to swallow the large lump there. He'd never seen her behave in such a way, he didn't like that she was in pain, and he most certainly didn't like the sudden change in her demeanor. He'd seen that look before on soldiers who'd seen too much, and were ill equipped to deal with their emotional pain. Many of them either died, killed themselves, or went mad. There were the lucky few who simply shut down, and he was starting to think that she was one of those few individuals who shut down. He watched as she struggled internally with her emotions before schooling her face. Oh how intimately familiar he was with that routine. Apparently humans were not entirely incapable of self-control. Despite his musings on the female's inner workings, Vegeta couldn't help but wonder how it seemed that no matter what he did he always found a way to screw things up. He was never meant to play the hero role, of that he was certain. Why else did he suck at it so badly? He didn't know much about the act, but what he'd seen taught him that her reaction was not typical.
"Woman, he'll be fine, once he gets a new pair of shorts, that is." Vegeta said, trying to lighten her mood. The awkwardness he felt not lightening in the least.
Bulma choked on a laugh as she tried to ease the tension she felt inside at the sight of the bloody snow. Despite everything he'd done, she couldn't stay mad at him. He wasn't even remotely good at consoling anyone, but for some reason it was endearing that he was trying. He'd protected her, and exacted his own form of justice against Yaumcha on her behalf, she owed it to him to suck it up. Despite his outburst, he did deserve her thanks.
He watched as she struggled to compose herself, but her emotional outburst had wreaked havoc on her bruised ribs, and he could see the pain etched on her features. He reached out, and brushed some snow from her blue tresses before striding past her into the warmth of the house. He paused momentarily, and extended his tail.
Bulma raised her wrist, and allowed his tail to slink around it before following him back into her house. She kicked the door shut behind them, and eyed the kitchen with a smile.
Vegeta was completely put off his guard. The little female's reaction to his behavior wasn't anything he was familiar with. Hell, he'd killed entire civilizations, and cared not for any of the pissing, moaning, and crying that had happened. However, her stoicism moved him in a way he'd never experienced. He didn't like it one bit, but found himself powerless to respond in any other way. This female was normally energetic and happy. Sure she talked more than he'd like, but she was endearing. Her intuitiveness and at times quirky mentality were contagious. He didn't like how, blank she was at the moment.
Bulma marveled in silence as he ascended the stairs toward her room. He toed open her door, and motioned for her to sit on her bed. She said nothing as she did what he asked. Once settled, she curled her legs under her Indian style, her hands resting gently in her lap as she blinked her eyes and cocked her head curiously as she waited for him to emerge.
Vegeta kicked open the vanity door, and snagged a wash rag from within, kicking it closed once more as he ran it under a warm tap. After wringing out the extra water he re-emerged into his room, and returned to her side. It was as if he was having an out of body experience as he stood at the end of her bed, the rag dripping on the floor as he held it in his left hand.
Bulma's eyes never left his larger form as he returned to stand in front of her. However, she'd expected him to merely hand her the cloth to warm her face. She had to suppress a surprised gasp when he gently cradled her face in one hand as he wiped the snow from her face, and warmed her snow nipped cheeks.
"Either you're more of an idiot than I originally thought or you're a bloody saint." Vegeta said as he withdrew his hand, and the cloth, setting it on his night stand before returning his gaze toward her. She completely confused and shamed him. She was the only creature who had ever made him regret his past transgressions. The thing that angered him more than the weak human's ill treatment of her was his own. He'd been absolutely savage with her from the very beginning, and it angered him how she could make his stomach churn with guilt, and the desire to make amends for his past.
Bulma blushed at his off- hand compliment, and offered him a humble smile. She was most definitely no saint, but considering the kind of life he'd come from, forgiveness was most likely a foreign concept.
"I'm most definitely no angel, but thank you. I do feel like an idiot though. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment, huh? I really should just listen to my gut and get while the gettins good. I stayed with him too long. Hell, even Goku told me to just end it before it got real bad. Sometimes you just gotta learn the hard way. I just don't like to burn my bridges." She laughed humorlessly as she folded her hands inside her sleeves.
Vegeta's eyes stared down at her lap as he watched her fiddle with her sleeves. He could tell she was uncomfortable, but he'd never pegged her to be insecure. He stared at her eyes, and it finally clicked. For all her bravado, she was an extremely timid female. She put on a very convincing front with her bubbly and take charge attitude, and the way she spoke her mind, and wasn't afraid to push her friends around. However, as he truly studied her expression while they talked, he realized how much she was hiding. He briefly wondered if even her close friends were able to see through her charade.
'Perhaps Kakkarot's former behavior was well founded.' Vegeta thought as he remembered back to the times that Kakkarot had doted upon her, and how gentle he was with her compared to the others, and even his own mate. He suddenly felt foolish for suspecting a deeper attachment to the little female on the third classes part. Kakkarot apparently considered her family, a sister, if he remembered correctly. If he felt such a strong desire to protect her after such a short time, he could only imagine how strong that desire was from a Saiyan who was practically raised by her. He suddenly felt himself envying the third class Saiyan for more than just his super Saiyan status.
"Are you hurt woman?" He suddenly asked as he schooled his features, a tight frown on his face as he gently reached forward to gesture toward where Yaumcha had grabbed at her. He wasn't about to confess that he may have over reacted to the situation, but given the weakling's history he'd not wanted to take a chance. However, the woman's melancholy attitude was starting to rub him the wrong way.
"I'm ok." Bulma offered him a genuine smile as she raised her sleeve to prove she was truly fine, and that there were no marks on her flesh. She may be weaker than the males in her life, but she was far from easily bruised.
"My ribs do hurt though, and I'm tired." She confessed. The events of the day had worn on her frayed nerves, and she'd not slept well considering her pain. She was still unnerved by the whole incident, but what really unnerved her was the complete and utter comfort in Vegeta's gaze as he toyed with Yaumcha. It was hard for him to change, she knew that, but she had been forgetting he wasn't human more and more lately. She wasn't sure when it happened, but she was starting to see him as a man, not some blood thirsty alien who was turning her life upside down.
Vegeta nodded his head as he rose from the bed. Bulma watched him move without making any move herself. She was rather comfortable where she was, and the longer she stayed, the more she wanted to simply crawl under the comforter and sleep, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't be too keen on that. He had to be hungry, and she knew he wasn't about to forgo a meal for her sake. For all his faults, there were many, his virtues were enviable. He was extremely hard working and tenacious, extremely loyal to those he cared about, he was honest and blunt to a fault, he could be kind when he wanted to be, and would more than likely risk his life to protect those he felt worthy of it. He did keep most people at a distance, but he'd been unusually attentive to her. She couldn't help but admire him. There was more to him than he let others see, and even she was beginning to see that she'd just barely begun to scratch the surface of who he truly was.
Vegeta stared down at her for a moment as if debating with himself. He opened his mouth as if to say something before clenching his jaw shut. Instead, he reached forward, took a gentle hold of her, and hoisted her back to her feet, and motioned toward her bureau. He could still see her shivering, and wasn't about to take care of her once she caught what human's called a cold. The daft female's mother had contracted one, and there was nothing more disgusting.
"I suggest you change out of your wet clothes before you catch your death. Standing in the snow like that most certainly isn't doing you any favors. Oh, and I'm still hungry woman." He frowned as his stomach did an angry flop, but remained silent.
"Uhhh." She huffed, but shut her mouth before her indignation could shine through. He had taken care of her, and she had promised him a well prepared meal, in fact , it was still waiting for him down in the kitchen. Sighing, she nodded her head, she was starting to get a little hungry herself. She turned deftly toward her bureau, and opened a few drawers, taking out a pair of older than dirt dark grey sweatpants that were littered with blue, purple, black, and green smears of paint, and two large black hand prints on the ass cheeks. She then selected a black tank top and some purple socks, and her favorite grey hoodie. She tossed the articles on her bed, and without thinking stripped off her wet clothes, dropping them to her floor.
Vegeta's eyes widened, and he allowed them to roam over the tiny female's back side. He could see the angry bruises that littered her ribs, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Her choice in undergarments left little to the imagination. His right hand hung lifelessly in front of his body while his left hand rest around his right wrist, his legs splayed a shoulders width apart, and his back ramrod straight. He cleared his throat slightly, and averted his gaze as best he could. She was most def. not making things easy for him.
Bulma quickly untangled the tiny straps of her tank top, and donned it along with her hoodie before slipping into her sweats and socks. She then picked up a hair tie from the floor, and fixed her hair in a very messy bun on top of her head. She turned toward her companion, and couldn't help but notice how large he really was compared to her. He may not have been very tall, maybe three or four inches taller than her slight 5'3" height, but he was extremely well built, and he was currently filling her doorway. Sometimes she envied the Saiyans and their high metabolism and naturally muscular build. She had to nearly kill herself to keep her body as fit as it was.
Vegeta watched as the woman turned around, thankfully fully clothed. However, he couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at the way she was looking at him. Apparently she liked what she saw, and he subconsciously flexed his muscles in response, squaring his stance.
Bulma hadn't missed the way his muscles seemed to ripple under his skin nor the slight smirk on his face. His tail had unwound from his waist to sway lazily behind him, and she fought hard to raise her eyes to meet his instead of allowing them to go lower. Oh he was messing with her, and she was not in the mood at all.
"Alright, come on fuzz butt. I know your food still needs heating up, but it can still go bad if it sits out too long." Bulma offered as she straightened out her hoody, and purposefully marched toward the door, ignoring the way his tail lashed around in a playful manner behind him.
"Vegeta!" Bulma yelped in both shock and admonition as his arm shot out, and blocked her exit from her room, his hand cracking her doorframe.
Vegeta stared down at her, and he couldn't help the wolfish grin that drew his lips from his teeth, exposing his extremely sharp canines as he leaned in closer to her.
"See something you like woman?" He rumbled as his nose twitched slightly, scenting her. He'd noticed her staring, and wanted nothing more than to get a rise out of her. He'd not seen her usual spark all day, and for some reason wanted, no, needed a light bit of banter. Her gloomy mood was stifling.
Bulma cast him a cheeky smirk of her own, which caused his to falter slightly before taking a step back to get a better look at him. She cocked her head to the side, and pursed her lips in an appraising manner while cupping her chin between her thumb and forefinger before letting her eyes sweep his entire frame. Two could play that game, and she was suddenly in the mood.
Vegeta's smirk faded entirely, and he frowned. He lowered his arms to hang at his sides, and he found himself swelling up to his full height out of defense. He'd not intended for her to actually appraise his appearance, and was slightly put off by it. He didn't want to know exactly how disgusted she was by him, his ego had taken enough of a blow for the time being. He didn't normally care about his appearance, but when it came to this particular female, he wasn't quite sure why he found himself wishing to impress her. He'd nearly choked down a hairball earlier while grooming his tail just so it would look soft and fluffy for her. It irritated him to no end how absurd he was being. She was just an Earthling female, a human after all.
Bulma saw that flash of indignation in his eyes as he squared his stance, and apparently readied himself for some sort of snide comment. She had initially planned on taking him down a peg or two for catching her staring, but as she looked at him she realized almost too late that he was either trying to bait her into an argument or actually trying to flirt with her. She rolled her eyes at him, noting how he stiffened even further, and his jaw clenched. Oh she had him, but she wasn't in the mood for a fight. She'd let him be since he'd taken up for her, that would be her way of thanking him. Throw the man a bone, and see if he'd bite the hand.
Vegeta watched as the female took a few steps closer to him, putting mere inches between them. He looked down at her expectantly, not intending to let this little moment turn sour against him.
"Ya know, I'm not gonna lie to ya fuzz butt. I do!" She said as she ran her finger across his left peck, trailing over his kill wound delicately. She didn't know what that scar was from, or any of the other numerous scars that marred his tanned flesh, but she had a sort of fascination with it.
Vegeta shivered under her touch, and was surprised to hear those words coming from her mouth. He blinked his eyes a few times, and quirked an eyebrow at her. He had a hard time believing that she wasn't messing with him somehow. He growled at her before letting out an irritated hump, his way of dismissing her words. Her mood had changed, but he suddenly had a sour taste in his mouth.
Bulma just snorted and rolled her eyes at his reaction. "Right, as if you don't already know you're attractive. Honestly Vegeta, I'm not going to stand here and stroke your ego. Your head's already big enough as it is!" Bulma mused as she smacked his abs with the back of her hand, earning a subtle jerk and a warning growl from him.
"Alright, you and your eight pack abs can follow me. I'm sure you're starving by now." Bulma said, wishing that she could somehow convince him to put a shirt on. Sometime during their day together he'd discarded it on the living room couch, and she couldn't help but feel a stirring in her stomach. He was the perfect specimen of all that was man, and she was most definitely not blind.
Vegeta watched as she moved to exit her room. He frowned in confusion, but he allowed his tail to snake around her wrist none the less as she bid him follow. His confusion only intensified as he noticed the two large, black, hand prints on her ass, and couldn't help but look down at her tiny hands. Those prints most definitely were not from her. He shook his head, he really didn't want to know how those hand prints got there, and he wasn't about to inquire about them either.
On their path to the kitchen Vegeta let out a growl of annoyance as he nearly ran into Bulma's back when she abruptly stopped. He was about to make his protest known when she suddenly turned toward his room, and led him in.
"Hey, before we go down, you may want to clean up too." Bulma said as she leaned against the door jam, and waggled her eyes at him.
Vegeta blushed a bright shade of crimson, and glared at her. However, he could still smell the weaklings blood all over him, and wasn't about to protest. He silently crossed the room, and entered his bathroom, snagged a wash rag, cleaned the blood off, and re-emerged a few minutes later squeaky clean.
Bulma smirked at him, cleared her throat, and pointed to his temple where he'd missed a small streak of the now pale pink blood. Vegeta quirked an eyebrow at her before swiping at the side of his head with his fingers, coming up clean.
"Nope, didn't get it, here." Bulma said as she entered his room, retrieved the discarded cloth, and wiped the blood from his face. She smiled at him before tossing the rag into his hamper, and trotting out the door toward the kitchen, Vegeta hot on her heels.
As the two entered the kitchen again, Vegeta released his tail's hold on her wrist, but didn't sit at the table as he normally did. Instead he watched as she returned to preparing his meal, leaning his back against the counter beside her, still staring at the odd hand prints.
Bulma noticed where he was staring, and chuckled to herself. "So, you like what you see?" She teased as she cast him a coy look over her shoulder.
Vegeta stiffened, and frowned. "Not hardly." He growled. He wasn't about to admit he found her stunningly attractive, despite her admission, he had his pride. It would take a lot more for him to verbally confirm anything.
Bulma frowned at his statement. She should have known he would say something like that, but it still hurt slightly. She didn't let it show as she placed the plate of food in the oven. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion, even if that opinion wasn't exactly what you wanted to hear.
Vegeta's face scrunched again before he schooled his expression. The female was being unusually quiet. He was enjoying the silence, but the fact that this female didn't know the meaning of the word, he was unnerved. He was tempted to speak to her again, but without anything meaningful to say, he simply huffed, and continued to watch her work as she prepped each dish, and shoved it into the already pre-heated oven.
Bulma thought back to how her pants became so trashed. She should have thrown them away, but the comfort they brought her, and the memories made that impossible. She smiled to herself as she remembered. She had agreed to watch one of her relative's kids for the weekend, and she had agreed to let the kid finger paint. She still couldn't remember what sparked it, but somehow they got into a paint fight. Chi Chi and Goku had stopped by on their way into town, and got sucked into the mayhem. Poor Chi Chi's dress was ruined, and everyone was covered from head to toe in paint. Before they left, Goku slapped some black paint on her ass thinking it was funny." Bulma chuckled remembering that day. Her creativity room was still covered in splatter paint, and she never intended to change a thing. Call her nostalgic, but she loved that room, it reminded her of a time when things were simple, when the world wasn't in danger, and she wasn't in danger of losing everyone she held dear to the next big threat. She just hoped that in this timeline, they would be better prepared. She hoped that she wouldn't lose any of her friends again.
"Apparently you're not nearly as big of a pussy as I'd originally thought. No wonder those pitiful earthling warrior friends of yours allow you to cow them the way you do." He mused as he remembered her wailing at the bald headed monk and Kakkarot's whelp upon their initial return to Earth.
" So tell me, when were you going to fill me in?" Vegeta growled from his position beside her, a sudden thought entering his mind, and making him frown in irritation.
Bulma's head snapped up, and she looked at him in confusion. What was he talking about?
"Huh?" She asked dumbly as she tried to think of what he was referring to. She completely ignored his insult, trying to understand his true meaning.
"Sigh, don't think me a fool little one. I saw the weakling, and I saw how easily you rounded on him. That was an almost instinctual defensive reflex that's not typical of you humans. I've also toyed around with your father. With the training he put you through, and your little display earlier, I highly doubt a weak human could get the drop on you so easily." Vegeta growled out as his eyes rose to bore holes at her.
Bulma's wide blue eyes gave her away, and she gulped as she looked back at the dish she was preparing.
"Ya know what? It really doesn't matter. I'd appreciate it if we could drop it. Besides, I quit fighting a long time ago because I realized that the business needed me more than the guys did." Bulma said a bit more harshly than she would have liked, bitterness lacing her last few words. Sure, she didn't tell him the truth about how she'd gotten hurt, but she figured that it would only make him laugh at her or go ape shit on Goku for some reason.
"Be that as it may, I still don't appreciate the deception female." Vegeta said as he took hold of her left forearm, and pulled her away from the food, and placed her directly in front of him. Something about those injuries resonated in his head. He just had to know what happened to her.
Bulma didn't know what to say. She knew he deserved to know the truth, but she dreaded his reaction.
"For the record I didn't lie to you, I merely bent the truth." She mumbled, heaving a great sigh of resignation as she side stepped him, turned around, and hopped up to sit on the counter next to him.
"No, woman, that would still be a lie. Any omission of facts that would lead someone to the conclusion you wish constitutes a lie. I don't appreciate being deceived. I want to know how you obtained those scars." Vegeta repeated as he glared at her, waiting for an explanation. His tail swishing against her knee.
"Ah, ok. Goku did it. It was an accident, and really it was my fault. So, go ahead and laugh at my weakness." Bulma said as she stared across the room at the wall. She said nothing more as she waited for his initial response. She figured it would save her some time if she let him get out whatever he had to say before trying to explain the situation to him.
Vegeta stood silently beside the female for what felt like ages, rage building up inside at the thought. However, he knew damn good and well how uncontrollable Kakkarot could be, and without proper training and knowledge of how to fully control his primal mind, the third class clown could be a force to be reckoned with if left unchecked.
"How." Vegeta ground out. That was the only question he had to ask.
"It happened when we were kids. After all the bull shit with the dragonballs was over, Goku came to live with us. I started to notice a change in his behavior, his attitude, and sometimes he was a bit on the cranky side. We finally found out that he didn't even know he'd been the one responsible for his own grandpa's death, and I thought maybe that knowledge had something to do with it. He transformed once when we were fighting emperor pilaf, and he nearly took me out. His tail was cut, and we thought things were over so his odd behavior didn't worry me too much. Unfortunately hind sight is 20/20, and I ignored the now obvious signs. One night he came into my room, crawled into bed with me, and complained of a headache and an upset stomach. It kinda freaked me out because he'd never been sick before that I could think of, and I honestly didn't know what to think. I gave him some meds and let him sleep in my room that night so I could watch him, but a few hours later after I'd fallen asleep, I heard him go outside. I followed him, and it was like he was in a trance. He was staring at the moon, but without his tail he didn't have the ability to transform, well, completely. I called out to him, and when he didn't respond, I tapped him. Not the brightest idea I've ever had…"
"Certainly not. I'm surprised he didn't kill you. An untrained Saiyan during a full moon is like what you humans call a rabid dog. They know nothing but the rage. They have one primal instinct, to kill. Without his tail, he may not have been able to transform physically, but mentally, our instincts still rage. Whether it be the rage to kill as a juvenile or a different rage as an adolescent and adult, Saiyan males who are sent off planet without training like Kakkarot was are only meant to do one thing." Vegeta explained as he shot her a feral look.
"What's that?" Bulma asked, afraid of the answer.
"Destroy anything and anyone that gets in their way, and if need be, die while doing it." He mused as he thought back, trying to remember his home world, and failing.
Bulma swallowed the large lump in her throat as she glanced down at his tail. She knew from his battle with Goku that he was fully capable of controlling himself, but she wondered if he ever felt the desire to just let it all go as well. She didn't doubt that seeing as how he was capable of losing control in his normal form.
"Hm, too bad I hadn't met you sooner. I may have been able to avoid all this. Anyway, I made the worst mistake ever, I turned my back on him to run, and I can safely assume you know what happened next. He would have killed me if my father hadn't knocked him out with a nice blow to the back of the head. Sometimes I wonder if those two hard hits to the head may have knocked a few screws loose." Bulma chuckled as she knocked her own head for emphasis.
Vegeta smirked at her display, but that smirk quickly faded to a frown. If Kakkarot had hurt her before, it would explain his behavior toward her now. It would also explain some of the other things that had left questions stirring in his mind. Regardless, he didn't see the point in her lying to him.
"You were right about one thing, running was a huge mistake. Saiyan males have a very strong chase instinct. Those games you play in the woods aren't necessarily safe to play with Kakkarot, and will become increasingly dangerous to play as his whelp gets older. If you remember anything I tell you, remember this. Never run from a male Saiyan unless you want to get caught." Vegeta explained as his tail swished between them.
Bulma noticed the way his eyes were going distant, and how he tongued his canines as his gaze bore into hers. There was something more to what he was telling her, and she wasn't sure whether he was omitting those things or just trying to remember.
"Why would anyone want to get caught?" Bulma asked quietly; almost afraid of the answer. The way he said it made her think being caught was a bad thing.
Vegeta smirked and offered a short bark of a laugh as he shook his head. Oh, this female was treading on dangerous territory. He leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear.
"It all has to do with Saiyan mating rituals." He whispered, fangs visible as he cast her a devilish grin, his eyes flashing dangerously at her causing the color to drain from the female's face.
Author's Note: Uh oh, I guess if Bulma can't stand the heat she needs to get out of the kitchen…lol. I think its funny how certain reviewers liked to spoil a few things from the story, but eh, it happens…lol. I'm hoping to update on a fairly consistent basis, but please bear with me. Things are not good right now.