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


AN: A bit of citrus in paragraph two here. I hope everyone out there can stay safe and healthy. I feel really lucky that I have basically been isolated from my very isolated community for the past week with my sprained ankle, I had someone go shopping and buy me weeks worth of food before stuff started getting crazy. Last week, before I sprained my ankle, I replenished my first-aid and cleaning supplies. I ventured out on Saturday to get more lunch foods for my son because my governor has suspended school until sometime in April or later depending on how bad it gets. The USA is vastly underprepared for this and the president refused test kits from the WHO that were $20 a kit now we have a free moving population of infected that haven't been tested because we simply don't have the tests available. Yes, I know my profile says I live in Canada. I don't, I'm in a remote part of Wisconsin as far north as one can get in this state and according to my location my account kept switching back to Canada, my son's Lego VIP account does the same thing every time I try to order anything for him. Also, cellular providers T-mobile and Sprint have considered my home to be in Canada for over a decade now so I figured I'd go with the flow, no point in fighting with technology...usually results in broken tech anyway. I will be relocating to a friend's mini-farm this week to help her with her child and dogs so she doesn't lose her mind. We will be living in total isolation for a month or however long this takes. If it gets bad enough I might just move out there we have been joking about it for weeks. I won't stop writing no matter what. My love to you all!


The next morning Bulma was laying in bed suddenly awake. Opening her eyes to the pillow she was hugging she shut them again immediately fighting away the light of early morning. The bluenette had slept like shit, it felt like she'd only her eyes shut for a minute. Something felt off but she just couldn't place it, what was missing? She shivered and on instinct, she shifted to snuggle into Vegeta. It hit her all at once, Vegeta wasn't with her, swallowing the lump in her throat. Bulma opened her eyes and rolled over to look at the empty half of her bed. She hadn't realized how fond of the prince she had become and she craved the man in every way.

Grabbing the other pillow, his pillow, Bulma buried her face into it breathing deeply groaned. It still smelled like Vegeta. The heady scent wrapped around her mind dragging her back to the mornings they had shared together. The first, Tuesday - the day her parents left - had been unbelievable. That was when she had first seen the usually stand-offish prince be playful, and gods he was fun. The other three had been heaven as well, his playfulness and care of her weren't any less it just shifted towards more amorous activities as his confidence and familiarity with her body grew.

Wednesday, she had woken to the feeling of his hands gently massaging her thighs and hips. Vegeta had been holding her back to his chest and felt warm all over. The feeling of his strong calloused hands manipulating her muscles made her moan and back her ass into his insanely hard member, and you can guess where that led.

Thursday she woke up first and was using his back as a pillow. When she pulled back worried he might get embarrassed or angry that she was sleeping on him he made the most adorable whimpering sound and followed her in her retreat, snuggling back into her warmth. She kissed his neck and rubbed his back and shoulders marveling at the definition of every cord in the muscles of his back for several minutes. Once awake he spun around and pinned her to the mattress.

Friday, she woke cradled to his side him stroking her hair. much like the first day, they showed together but her father wasn't around to interrupt them.

Saturday, yesterday, she woke to him chortling again but this time he was caressing her stomach and hips. She moaned his name in a half-awake state and he woke her fully when his tongue plundered her core. After the surprise wore off Bulma decided it was her favorite way to wake up.

Today the heiress had planned to return the favor. She had been looking forward to it, he hadn't allowed her to do much more than the occasional palming of him. Almost as if he was uncomfortable with having it touched but she knew he didn't. Wednesday Afternoon she had come home to retrieve a few things from the home lab and had caught him jerking off in the ship. When she approached him and wrapped her hand around him he'd bent her over the pilot's seat he'd been in half a second before. Now she was alone, confused and aching for his touch.

How had it gone so wrong?

Bulma couldn't figure out what had gone wrong, it was as if a switch had flipped in Vegeta's brain after he'd finished. He couldn't get away from her fast enough when normally he didn't want to break their contact. The foreign words that had fallen from his lips were such a sweet caress, warming her heart to the point she was seriously questioning if she was in love with Vegeta. Then he'd been so cold, and the icy look he'd given her before leaving the room reminded her of the way he'd looked at Krillin on Namek. Some invisible wall had dropped down around him and it hurt, more than when she thought he'd rejected her after their first kiss. She struggled to deduce exactly what made him shut down towards her and Bulma could only hope it wouldn't spell the end for her tryst with the alien prince.

Downstairs there wasn't any sign Vegeta had come back inside last night it this morning. Bulma purred herself a cup of coffee and looked out the glass doors to the shop that was sitting in the yard. The windows all glowed red, the Saiyan was inside with the gravity turned on, probably up to 500 - it's new maximum. She wanted to storm in there and yell at him demand he explains himself and for things to go back to the way things were yesterday.

Who was she kidding? Bulma knew whatever it was they had over the past couple of days wasn't going to last. It was just a fling, nothing more. Vegeta was always going to place his training over her, he was always going to be a selfish jerk. She was only supposed to take what he had to give and move on with a better sense of what she deserved from a partner. The prince had given her a taste of how a woman should be treated and that was that. It was time for Bulma to get back out there and meet a normal guy that treated her like a queen. Really, how hard could it be?

Shaking her head, Bulma went to the living room and turned on the news. Most of it was the same old stuff until it got to entertainment news. Image after image flashed across her screen all showing a larger than life Yamcha with none other than Marion on his arm. Apparently they had gone clubbing last night, Yamcha had gotten drunk and made a fool of himself, as usual. Clicking the TV off Bulma leaned forward and groaned. Deciding she wasn't going to be doing any good feeling in the past she finished her coffee and went upstairs to shower. Maybe if she wanted herself she could wash away all her negative feelings.

When her parents returned, Vegeta still had not exited the ship. Her father was exhausted from driving all morning and took a nap. That left Bulma and her mother alone. Panchy set up tea on the balcony, she could tell something was bothering her daughter and figured she would corner the girl to get her to take about it. For a moment they sat in silence that Bulma felt to be increasingly awkward. Bulma knew what her mom was doing and knew it was inevitable that she would come out with her troubles.

"Mom," the bluenette started timidly.

"Yes, dear?" Panchy smiled into her tea as she took a sip.

"I…" Bulma wasn't sure where to start. How did she tell her mom that she was lusting after their house guest? She had all but fallen for him and then he turned away from her? Now, she wanted to move on and meet men, normal earthling men?

"I hope you and Vegeta had fun while we were gone. I must say I'm very happy the two of came together," Panchy said off-handedly.

"What? H-how did you know?" Bulma asked.

"Bulma? That man followed you home like a lost puppy and has hung off your words ever since," Panchy said hoping her daughter would see how it looked from the outside. "Not to mention the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. I bet he is terribly romantic."

"Ha, yeah right," Bulma wasn't comfortable thinking about what her mother had said about how Vegeta's feeling for her had been obvious to the older woman since the day he came home with the bluenette.

"Did you and V have a fight, baby?" Panchy asked.

"Ha!" indignant Bulma opened up about her affair with the prince. "There would have to be some form of communication for a fight. He just shut down and left me to sleep alone last night."

"Oh my," Panchy knew the two would find their way to each other but she wasn't expecting quite that much information.

"He's a selfish jerk, he wouldn't even tell me what was bothering him. One moment he was sweet and gentle, saying… I don't even know what he was saying, he was speaking in Saiyan. Then he completely changed, it was like we were back on Namek and I was nothing to him." Bulma took a sip of her tea trying to gather her thoughts and not say too much about the softer side of the prince.

"Did you ask him what the words meant?" Panchy asked.

"No, I… I didn't ask. I was afraid he'd shut down, just like he did, I didn't want to embarrass him," Bulma now felt a little strange. Had she messed up somehow? here she is with her mother thinking Vegeta was no good at communicating when he had said a lot to her in that language. There were probably all kinds of hints about why he had pulled away.

"Well, he is very sensitive," Panchy added when her daughter paused.

"Vegeta!? Mom, are you feeling okay?"

"Oh yes, I feel fine."

"Okay... Anyway, if he felt comfortable saying things in his native tongue I wanted him to continue to feel comfortable with me until he could come out and say them in English. But it doesn't matter anymore he shut down anyway," Bulma said bitterly.

"Was it romantic? What he said, did it feel romantic?" Panchy asked.

"Yeah, it did… it felt like he was professing his love to me or something, but that's insane he doesn't care about anyone but himself," Bulma said in an attempt to convince herself Vegeta didn't care.

"You know dear, that man has been through so much. He's not going to be comfortable telling you how he feels, he will only show you. He's not as selfish as everyone says, V watered my roses like a asked, he cooked for you, he even got rid of that freeloader Yamcha-"

"Mom! I thought you liked Yamcha?" Bulma yelled.

"Yamcha means well but he was never good enough for you. You haven't been happy with him since you went to college. Vegeta on the other hand... Now, there is a real man. After all the awful things that were done to him, he still holds his head high and isn't too proud to show my baby girl she deserves to be treated like a queen." Bulma blanched and gasped at her mother, how could she know all this? "Bulma, don't think I didn't notice the glow coming off you at breakfast before we left. That was the glow of a woman that spent the night being worshipped."

"Mom!?" Bulma buried her face in her hands.

"I was surprised, Vegeta managed to make you feel so good the first night. But, I shouldn't be surprised he didn't give up, that man is so dedicated," Panchy said off the cuff.

"What?"

"Bulma, wasn't it obvious he was a virgin?" Panchy questioned her daughter.

"Yeah, kinda... I guess…" she didn't realize her mom had been paying that much attention to Vegeta. She had thought him a virgin during their first time having sex, and it had been hard to shake. Bulma just assumed he wasn't because she was uncomfortable with the idea of such a powerful and feared man being innocent of anything. Now that another person was confirming it Bulma couldn't deny the facts any longer. She didn't like this feeling of guilt building in her gut, he gave himself up to her and she treated him like he was just another guy. He had never really been direct about whether or not he had ever been with another woman. He spoke of mates and undying loyalty, but if he saw her that way why did he turn so cold last night. Subconsciously she touched the bruise on her neck where Vegeta had tried to bite her. The romantic pleading words after she'd denied the bite… had this meant more than just a kink? If it was a kink why hasn't he tried it earlier than last night?

"He has been treated horribly before coming here Bulma. Be patient with him, this is all very new to the poor guy," Panchy said, pulling Bulma out of her thoughts.

"I'll try mom," Bulma said, not sure if she was being honest or not. Too much was going on inside her head at the moment, she would try, but whether or not she would put in a good effort had yet to be determined. As she had thought before, it would feel amazing to be with Vegeta, but he seemed to have a lot of baggage and wasn't the best at communicating. Was he really worth the headaches, did she want another man child that couldn't tell her how he was feeling?

Her mom had valid points about Vegeta's past. Thinking about what might have happened to Vegeta made her stomach twist into knots. She already knew he'd been half-starved when he was in his early teens, was that when he was raped? He had said he wouldn't force himself inside of another and that was for scum like Frieza. Was it Frieza that had raped him? If it was that explained why he froze up when faced with the awfulness of that lizard in Namek. And if that was true he hadn't rushed into bed with her, how could he have? He had to struggle with that trauma it's not something one can simply pretend away. This supported her mother's notion that Vegeta had been infatuated with Bulma since he came home with her years ago.

Touching the place where he'd bitten her Bulma wondered again if it had meant more to Vegeta if biting one's partner was something sacred to the Saiyan. He hadn't shown any desire to inflict pain on her before, his every action spoke to the contrary. Then there were his words, they saturated her every thought playing on a loop in her head.

"Ak-fene tu, tu-ak Navete ve? Ak-fene tu-watare hassine ah twayla habite narr. Ak-habite narr no tuwarre. Tu-ak Navete ve?"

'Navete', he'd said it a few days ago too, what did that mean?


Notes: One more chapter before the epilogue, I will do my usual double post tonight. I'm very busy tomorrow cleaning what I can and packing for my move into isolation. Tonight I'm climbing the stairs I need my own bed.