Updated 05/05/2018

Bulma was now 26 weeks pregnant. It had been about a week since her dispute with Vegeta, and for a week he'd been staying at the Briefs residence. He'd lock himself away in the ship during the day to train, and at night he'd indulge himself to Mrs. Briefs cooking and generally act like... well, himself.

For the most part things were civil between Bulma and Vegeta. They weren't inseparable by any means, but they weren't really fighting either. The Bluehead simply wanted to stay as positive as she could during her third trimester, and though she found herself overwhelmed by his presence at times, having Vegeta around was becoming easier to adjust to with each passing day. She had no desire to be rude towards him, and there wasn't anything that felt worth fighting about. They'd already agreed that it didn't make sense for them to try having a relationship, but he was still the only man she'd ever loved in such a strong way. He was still the father of her unborn child, and it was hard to be cruel to someone when she felt that way.

On the other hand, Bulma did take note of Vegeta's attitude. He'd been moody before he'd left in the first place, so his temper couldn't come to much of a surprise. But things were different now. In same way that Bulma had noticed that something had changed in the way he spoke and held himself, she could tell with the way he behaved after a training session. Something was different. In this way, his attitude had gotten much worse. When Vegeta would come back inside the house after a long day of training, he'd seem especially irritated by everyone and everything that he encountered. Bulma knew Vegeta, and although he'd snap at her or speak in an incredibly irritated tone during these times, she knew he didn't mean it.

He was just being himself.

That being said, it didn't mean Bulma simply took his behavior submissively. When he would act rash towards her, she would simply throw her hands in the air and make a snippy comment back. She would say something along the lines of "Yeah, when you learn how to behave maybe I'll pass you the dessert!" or "Wow Vegeta, do you not know how to talk? It's like you've been training in a freaking cave!"

It would take about an hour after finishing his training before the saiyan would calm down and speak to her with less harsh tone, but eventually his twitching emotions would settle.

What was it that happened during Vegeta's training to put him in such moods? Bulma figured that it was the determination he worked with. She understood that he trained single-mindedly, with one goal - and one goal only. His only aspiration was to become stronger. Whatever it was he was working for, she knew that he put all of his mental capacity and energy towards it. She believed that his behavior coming out of the ship was simply the process of his brain adapting to a different environment. It was like when a person tries to cool off after a long, stressful day at work. Bulma knew it. She understood it, but that didn't mean she didn't find his conduct exasperating at times.

It was on a certain night during her 26th week of pregnancy that Bulma was relaxing in the living room, flipping through a magazine. She was in a happy state despite how hostile Vegeta had been during dinner. Blissful from eating a warm meal, and relaxed as she was mentally preparing herself for bed, the Bluehead was tracing soft fingernails across her stomach. She heard the sounds of footsteps entering the room, and she looked up from her seat to see Vegeta walking through the door. He appeared to be heading for the stairs, and she smiled.

"Hey." She called.

Vegeta turned, almost as if he were surprised to be addressed by her. He was still feeling a little irritable from the stress induced by training, and he eyed her without a verbal response.

Bulma adjusted her position to make room for the saiyan, and she patted the couch cushion beside her. "Come here..." Her soft voice soothed.

He was looking into her eyes questioningly, but the saiyan made his way to the woman. "Sit down." She said.

Vegeta obliged, and finally he spoke. "What is it?"

Bulma ignored the curt tone in Vegeta's voice and pulled her shirt up, revealing her round stomach. She took the saiyan's hand and placed it over her bump. "Shh..." She breathed. "Just feel..."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, looking down at the woman's stomach. Waiting. Her skin felt so soft and warm under his fingers, and it was a touch he hadn't experienced in quite some time. Bulma had closed her eyes and was firmly holding him in place, almost appearing as if she were lost in meditation. Vegeta, who had been on his way to take a shower, felt impatient. He had things to do, and he felt like she was just teasing him now. He was about to pull his hand away and demand an explanation, when suddenly something happened. It was a small nudge that came from within, hitting him right in the palm. It was soft and quick, and he might not have noticed it if Bulma hadn't told him to feel for it.

Vegeta's eyes widened.

Bulma opened her own eyes, her smile growing wider. "Did you feel that?" She breathed. She didn't need to inquire, though. His expression said it all. Seeing his face cheered Bulma from her very core. She looked back down at her stomach, her grip on Vegeta's hand growing tighter. "I think he's doing some training of his own in there." She giggled. "He's been kicking like crazy tonight."

Vegeta placed his other palm over Bulma's stomach in an attempt to get more of a feel. Sure enough, there was another soft jab after a few seconds.

"Interesting..." He muttered. He pressed his hands deeper into the skin, as if this would grant him with a harder kick. Vegeta couldn't believe what he was experiencing at that moment. He felt much more connected to the creature that was attacking him through Bulma's skin, than he had felt looking at a smudge that was printed on a piece of paper. This was a living, moving creature. And it seemed to be putting up a real fight inside. 'Of course he's begun his training while still in the womb!' Vegeta thought smugly. 'He is MY son, after all!'

Feeling nothing but joy in that moment, Bulma was watching Vegeta's face with a wide smile across her cheeks. When several seconds passed without feeling any more jabs, he carefully pulled his hands away. "I thought you'd want to experience that." She explained. "I could feel him moving around when you were still in space. But I didn't realize it was him then, it only felt like a small flutter - it was so subtle." She pulled her shirt back over her belly. "Sometimes he kicks and punches so hard that it hurts, and it feels like my body's going to crush from the blows. He's definitely your son..."

Vegeta smirked. His ego was so overwhelmed in that moment. His son was so active and full of spirit, and it hadn't even been born yet. His son was going to grow to be a strong warrior, to carry on his royal line of blood. He looked at Bulma, seeing the genuine look of adoration on her face, her eyes glistening as she looked at him. Whether she was angry, happy, or sad, she always appeared beautiful to him. Her face was fuller than it had been when he'd first laid eyes on her, and so was her body. Yet despite any physical changes she had undergone, she was still Bulma. She was creating this child, she was his son's mother...

… She was his beautiful Bulma…

As he analyzed the woman in front of him, he considered grabbing her face and kissing her. 'Yes.' He thought. 'I could start with a kiss... Then I could rip that shirt right off with one hand, and...'

He caught himself as his mind raced, and he forced the images from his head. The two had made an agreement, hadn't they? Things were relatively calm between them now, and indulging in a moment of pleasure would surely just cause many nights of fighting to come. It took everything in him to fight back the heat that was rising within as he looked her over. It wouldn't do to go about complicating things once again. He had enough respect for Bulma to not pressure her into doing something that she had already clearly told him she didn't want to do. Not when she hadn't indicated that her mind was changed in the slightest.

'I shouldn't even want to do this!' Vegeta thought. 'We both agreed not to, but here I am thinking about her like that again! How can she have so much power over me! This damned woman!'

With that, he stood up abruptly. He needed to add distance between them before he started professing his feelings for her - not when he hadn't been able to accept them himself. His ego wouldn't let him have it.

Although he felt it, and he acknowledged its presence within, he had disguised it in his mind. It wasn't love! No! It was lust – desire! There was no way he was feeling anything as vulnerable as love!

At least, that's how Vegeta preferred to think about it...

He didn't have time for love. Not when love required some type of commitment! He was much happier being on Bulma's good side, yet not feeling forced to stay by her side at all times. He didn't need the responsibility. He had his woman, and he had his space. It'd be perfect if he could have the closeness with her that he desired nearly every time he looked at her for too long, but it was better this way! He told himself this, and he needed to be the one in control of the situation. He was the strong one, wasn't he?!

"Well, woman. I do have to say that was quite interesting." Vegeta suddenly said, the words coming out as a choke. "But I've got things I need to address. Try not to let him beat you up too hard."

Bulma watched the saiyan leave. She had seen the look on his face – how it dropped from eager curiosity to anger in such a sudden moment. "Gosh, what's with him?!" She muttered bitterly. "Can't he ever lighten up?! Just for once?!"

..

Upstairs Vegeta stepped into the hot water that was falling from the shower head. As steam filled the room, he closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of the drops hitting his back. Sexual frustration had soured his night once again.

The sensation of those tiny little taps could still be felt in his palms, and the saiyan squeezed his hands shut to block it out. Vegeta was experiencing knots in his stomach upon thinking of those little kicks. The initial elation from the incident downstairs had subsided, and he was now feeling far from excited.

He was going to be a father.

HE was going to have a son.

Vegeta didn't feel like a father at all.

It felt much more real in that moment than it had during any other time of Bulma's pregnancy. Soon Bulma would be cradling some baby, and it would expect Vegeta's affection. It would expect his time. He just wanted to focus on his training... How time-consuming and distracting would it be for him when a baby was in the picture? Not to mention that babies were... well, people. It would be there for a very, very long time. Vegeta had been wanting to avoid any long-term commitments, and now this?

"Shit."

The seriousness of the situation was beginning to set in, and it was honestly scaring the hell out of him.