I do not own anything belonging to the Dragon Ball universes that privilege rests with Akira Toriyama.

AN: Updated! I didn't realize I had so many errors in the first two paragraphs... that's what I get for adding that tiny piece of history their third interaction then posting it at 2 am after I shut down the bar. I will be reviewing my published chapters before I post the next few on Tuesday and i promise to do better with not publishing in the middle of the night as I seem to fuck up. After closing up I'll stick to writing ONLY!

He could remember the moment it had happened. She was standing there rambling on about birds and eggs. Trying to explain how the boy's father and the bald one couldn't be brought back to life because they'd come back in the rubble of the planet Namek. It struck him how differently she saw life, how intelligent, gentle and beautiful she was. He watched as she struggled with her emotions, her ki shuddered and he could almost feel her sadness. It caused a pang of something he pushed away immediately.

Then, without thinking, he offered her the answer she needed. The smile he received in thanks was stunning, he couldn't think straight. Before he knew it he'd taken her offer and stayed at Capsule Corp for a 130 days before taking off into the depths of space

Now, upon his return to earth after failing to find Kakarot. He felt like the lowest of beings, upon his entire return journey to the little backwater planet. Landing that ship and stepping out, there she was - her turquoise hair a ridiculously looking ball of fluff on the top of her head - yelling at him. He was a fool for cutting it so close with the fuel, a jerk for being careless with her spaceship, an asshole for not answering her calls and a heartless bastard for disabling the com-systems. Fisting his hair with both hands, he groaned in frustration at his abundant failures. Opening his mouth, about to comment on her bad hair day, she cut him off and didn't let him get a word in. Informing him how awful he smelled and to follow her and she would see him settled. Stunned at her audacity the prince took the opportunity sniffing at himself when she turned and marched away. He nearly gagged. The woman was right he needed to bath. He smelled as bad as Nappa after an intense battle.

Inside, the dwelling hadn't changed except for the color of the flowers around the house. Bulma led Vegeta to the same room he'd used before. Taking a much more docile tone with him she informed him she had worried and his rudeness forced her to monitor the ship without knowing if he was alive or not, and even though he hadn't stayed a week, his quarters were still how he'd left them. Say for a few additions. Not wanting to know why she cared so much, Vegeta pushed her aside with a gentleness that made her jump when she feared he might use too much force. Ignoring her reaction and the strange pang the smell of her fear cause him, Vegeta shut the door behind him with a slam and headed for the adjacent bathroom. His stomach has furiously empty and he couldn't eat smelling like this. Turning the water on as hot as it could go he stripped out of his clothing, piling it in the corner of the tiled room. A ki ball flew from his palm, incinerating the garments. The prince not wanting them to stink up his home.

Home?

Earth wasn't his home, Vegeta didn't have a home.

He continued to ponder the past year of his life as he showered. What had he accomplished? This was his second chance was he wasting it? Was his stubborn pride worth all the humiliation he was suffering? He was free, for the first time in his life Vegeta was his own man and could do anything! Did he need to be the strongest, the best? Was there more to life than strength and power? Who was he kidding? The only thing he knew was violence and suffering. Why did he deserve anything else? What was so great about things like homes and familial relationships?

Bulma's words replayed through his head she had worried about him. No one had bothered to care about his well-being since his father had tried to save him. Even that he hadn't learned until the day he died. Knowing his father had cared for him, had changed something in Vegeta, and returning to life and here on this mudball of a planet, made him feel that this was his second chance at more than power and pain. Then he remembered her reaction to his touch and he growled as the pang in his gut twisted and he cursed himself. Why did it bother him so much that she was still scared of him? Wasn't the entire point of the power he was chasing to make himself universally feared and respected? He didn't want her to fear him though and that feeling confused him.

The more the subject vexed him Vegeta found her fear contradicted itself. She feared his physical touch, but not incurring his wrath with her words. The woman challenged him to act like the royalty he was and not some debased creature. He wanted to show her he had manners and that he respected her for her fearless approach of him, even if she coward from his touch. He frowned, knowing he wanted her to know he'd never harm her, that she did not need to fear his hand. The idea of using his strength against her left the taste of bile in his mouth. At the same time, the thought of her accepting his touch stirred his instincts and a certain part of his anatomy in a way he wasn't comfortable with. Why did he have these reactions to the mere idea of her? She was just a pathetically weak earthling, and he was the prince a great and ancient warrior race! She was just a female. One who had given him shelter and food, showed concern for him, expressed care for him, had given him a home. A place he could come back to when he felt like a failure, and only judged him for how much he smelled. He chuckled at that thought but quickly soured. What made him think he deserved such things? Stamping down the instincts he learned to suppress half his life ago he exited the shower and looked for the "additions" the woman had mentioned.

In his wardrobe, Vegeta found thin and pointless earth clothes and new armor. The top drawer filled with socks, undergarments and tank tops in white and black. The second drawer had flight suits, divided into sleeved and sleeveless styles all in the same dark navy. The third drawer held athletic pants and shorts, the fourth and final was for jeans and slacks. The prince scoffed at all the Earth clothing, even though he chose to wear a pair of tight undergarments and loose-fitting athletic pants with a black tank top. As he stood he saw that on the bookshelf there was a photo of a woman standing beside an air bike. Upon closer inspection, he recognized it as Bulma when she has an adolescent, no doubt. Her hair was in a side ponytail and braided. she wore a pink dress with blue shorts underneath, there was a tiny Kakarot in the lower corner and it looked like she was yelling at him. he couldn't hold back the chuckle and told himself it was only because Kakarot was being scolded by her wicked tongue. The thought of her tongue made him groan as he felt a part of buried deep inside himself stirred again.

Laying the photo down on its face he headed for the door, he still needed food. Stepping out he was hit by a faint scent that seemed to cling to him, it was enticing and alluring. He followed it into the kitchen where he found the blonde woman and her. The smell of the food they were preparing flooded his senses and before he could announce himself his stomach growled angrily. Both women stopped and looked at him, then giggled as they turned back to the task of preparing a meal to hide their flushed faces. Vegeta stood there annoyed but grateful they had turned away not witnessing his embarrassment. Bulma grabbed a plate and filled it with several of the different things that had been heated up and set it down at the table for him. all he could do was watch her as she set it down and walked away.

When he didn't move for the heaping plate Bulma turned back and tipped her head to the side looking at him questioningly. "Eat up there is plenty more," she said.

That was the moment he knew what she was but refused to admit it to himself. Her voice lifting like a song to his ears, and the scent he had followed down the stairs wafted from her made him glade he chose to wear those damn earthling undergarments. Swallowing the lump in his throat he met her gaze for a second before looking away and taking his seat. His instincts howled at him to do something but he squashed them again and began eating the meal she had prepared.

Humming in contemplation over his strange behavior Bulma returned to her mother's side.

Panchy had watched the entire interaction from the corner of her eye. Smiling and humming a song she mused over what her grandchildren might look like. Hoping the two would be able to overcome their stubborn natures and accept how great they actually could be together. If Vegeta could get over his own pride and come to terms with the feelings he was repressing, and her daughter would ditch Yamcha. Panchy liked the z fighter well enough but he wasn't good enough for her Bulma. The prince, on the other hand, he had potential. Yamcha was just a baller, a former bandit, Vegeta was a prince.

As if thinking about the former dessert bandit made him appear. Panchy smiled stupidly at Yamcha as he entered the kitchen from the living room in search of another beer.

Yamcha returned the bright smile from Mrs. Briefs. Sometimes he wondered if anything went on in the head of the blonde bombshell that was his long time girlfriend's mother. Sauntering into the kitchen the Zfighter froze. Sitting at the table stuffing his face with the third plate was the egomaniac, Vegeta. With Bulma, his woman dropping off a fourth.

It really burned him up. This alien, this mass-murdering psychopath didn't deserve Bulma's attention, but she and her mother doted on him regardless. Even though he didn't offer anything, he just hung around and ate enough food to feed a small army. It didn't help matters that Bulma found this nut job attractive.

Yamcha had been so mad when he'd learned that Vegeta had been living at Capsule Corp while he had still been in the afterlife, and right down the hall from Bulma's room! They'd had a huge fight and broke up less than a month after he'd been bright back to life. In the end, Yamcha had forgiven Bulma and thinking they had seen the last of Vegeta put the entire event behind them. Then she had to tell him about her dream where Vegeta returned to Earth and she had kissed the egomaniac. Yamcha couldn't stand it that the Saiyan had actually returned.

Now, Vegeta was just sitting there rubbing Yamcha's face in his own jealously, and it drove the Zfighter crazy. Bulma should be doting on him not that sorry excuse for a prince.

Vegeta could feel the eyes on the back of his head. Ignoring it until he finished his plate, Vegeta peered over his shoulder and sneered at the weak and pathetic earthling. He remembered this one, a Saibaman had self-destructed and killed this weakling when he and Nappa had first landed.

"You should take a picture, it'll last you longer," Vegeta smirked and turned back to his food.

"Your right," Yamcha said, "your looks are fading fast old man." Feeling triumphant the Zfighter preened at his quick-witted comeback.

Vegeta didn't care what this earthlings problem had been, he was going to make a whole host of new ones for the weakling. Standing up so fast his chair flew into the wall and splintered, the prince was in front of the taller man in the blink of an eye.

"What the fuck did you just say!? I dare you to say it again you pathetic excuse for a warrior. Go on say it so I can rip your-"

"VEGETA!"

Bulma knew this wasn't going to end well as soon as Vegeta stopped eating to look over his shoulder at Yamcha, and of course, Yamcha just had to be giving a death stare to the back of Vegeta's head at that moment. Really, did Yamcha have a death wish? The only thing Bulma hadn't expected was the chair to shatter like glass when Vegeta got up. The mini explosion had scared both Bulma and her mother into immobility for a hot second. Recovering quicker than her mom Bulma panicked and yelled hoping she could prevent bloodshed in front of her mom, the woman might already faint from Vegeta's choice of words. Calling Vegeta down was the only chance her boyfriend had of surviving.

Yamcha was smug at first when Bulma screamed at the alien warrior. That quickly faded when he saw the softness flash in Vegeta's eyes as the Saiyan peered back at his Bulma. The Z-fighter had been suspicious of how Vegeta submitted to Bulma almost instantly upon his arrival. It caused Yamcha to wonder what had really gone on between his girl and the prince while he was dead.

Freezing in place, his fist raised prepared to knock the idiotic earthling through the wall, Vegeta looked slowly over his shoulder at the source of his screamed name. Those big scared eyes chewed him up and spit him out. The fight in him gone with her desperate plea, the prince huffed in annoyance and marched out of the house, he hadn't even gotten to finish his meal.

Thoughts: As I mentioned I added the first two paragraphs after watching their first... less confrontational interaction...? Now, I watched that scene again for the first time in two decades mind you. I had forgotten that Vegeta tells the group how to get Goku and Krillin back to life without wishing them into the emptiness of space. Vegeta then admits that he hadn't told Bulma about wishing Goku to the earth check-in station, to bring Goku back to life for them or the earth. If he didn't want to help them or the earth why did he give Bulma the answer she needed just as she was beginning to break down with Gohan? Could it be that her hurt spurred something locked inside that hard exterior? Vegeta is the strong silent type, but with a short fuse, making him seem less so with characters like Piccolo and Tien hanging around. Vegeta while egotistical, he isn't a true narcissist. He has feelings, empathy, loyalty, and craves interactions that aren't violent. He was conditioned to repress all of those things, which makes sense why no Saiyan had reached Super Saiyan in over one thousand years. They stopped feeling, and Frieza didn't help any in Vegeta's case. Saiyans are monkeys, cuddling and social interactions are extremely important. Those things rival needs for monkeys, they need their troop. Vegeta is no exception, he's placed it under lock and key out of a need to survive. He needs to be close to someone. He needs to be able to show physical affection towards someone. And Bulma was the first to receive his unincumbered compassion, even though he tried to cover it up. I like to think, that as a Scorpio, I understand from my own life that the hardest of shells hide nothing but puddles of goo.

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