I'm back! Just giving a little preview of what's to come...
~Dream sequence: Approximately 2 years prior, on Namek~
"Filthy monkey, you're not leaving this planet alive," Frieza says as he extends a finger to Goku's forehead.
The Saiyan doesn't even flinch.
"Goku – look out!" Krillin shouts as the first blast is shot from the end of Frieza's finger. Goku deflects the shot, a glare still transfixed on his face.
"Insolent fool, " Frieza mutters before releasing a full-on barrage of red-tinted blasts of ki in Goku's direction.
When he was finished, Frieza expressed his amusement with a self-satisfied chuckle. But as the smoke of his attack settled and the battlefield is once again filled with silence, Frieza is greeted with his Saiyan opponent, still glaring at the lizard emperor completely unscathed.
When Frieza's face shifted from satisfaction to a scowl, Vegeta chimed in with his own labored chortle from his place on the ground. This had been where Frieza had at last laid the prince out flat on his back and the mighty Saiyan Prince was succumbing to his injuries – but he wasn't going out without his final scathing sentiments - not while he still had breath in his body and could feel the warmth of Saiyan blood flowing through his veins.
"Who would've thought – a lowly soldier like you, Kakarot…I commend you," Vegeta said to Kakarot, giving him an ounce of admonishment. "Just a little advice, Frieza – you're not gonna want to hold anything back…not from this one. You see, he is what you fear more than anything in the universe – you're dealing with a real Super Saiyan, " Vegeta lamented with a cough.
Frieza's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Yes, you heard me – the legendary warrior, even mightier than you. He stands before you now – just wait, you're finally about to get a taste of true fear…one that you've long deserved."
Frieza quickly extended a finger, intent set on silencing the proud Saiyan Prince once and for all.
This is it, this is the part where I die, Vegeta thought as he saw the bright beam of light flash from behind closed eyelids.
"Bulma, no!" he heard Kakarot shout and before Vegeta could open his eyes again, he felt two arms wrap around his chest, holding him in a firm embrace. Vegeta felt the impact of Frieza's attack but not the pain as the shock and the presence of someone on top of him stole his focus. He heard a small cough above him and when he managed to lift his eyelids, he was greeted with his woman's beautiful but pain-stricken face.
"Bulma?" he stammered, awestruck that she was even here with him in one of his many night terrors.
"Hi," she replied weakly, giving him the saddest smile he had ever seen.
Vegeta was still confused as to how she could join him here in this torturous memory but, in his daze, he strained to reach out and caress her bloody cheek.
She grabbed his hand before he could touch her.
"I-I'm so-sorry…I couldn't stand aside and let him…just kill you – I p-panicked," she stuttered as blood dripped from her lips and pooled on his chest.
"No, no, NO! Bulma!" Vegeta screamed, now frantically trying to sit up, vaguely registering Frieza's laughter and Kakarot's battle cry as the Saiyan charged forward to challenge the scaly emperor's power.
He knew this was a memory, but it all felt so real – so vivid, he couldn't help but feel genuine fear while he witnessed her blood running down her face.
"We know that-that G-Goku's got this, calm down and wake up, Vegeta," she told him as he continued to freak out. She was holding him tightly, but her arms were losing their grip around his body.
"B-Bulma – no, you -you're dying! I-"
"Shh, Vegeta. I love you. I'm right here, just wake up."
"Oh, yes. My favorite monkey pet – do wake up – I am growing impatient as I wait for your triumphant return to this planet…hurry home, dear prince." Frieza set his gaze to Vegeta before refocusing his smirking face on his former Saiyan opponent.
Vegeta froze at those final words and as the implications dawned on his conscious self, his mind was waking, pulling him further into the abyss as his terror and lucidity evaporated into dust.
The nightmare completely faded as he bolted upwards in bed, choking down air as Bulma's physical body remained in place on his chest.
Gone was the previous visage of alluring augmentation in the large chamber; its lush and vibrant green jungle now replaced with somber darkness and began to feel vacuous as Vegeta did his best to not to give in to the crushing feelings of loneliness and fear that he had harbored in the past.
He pushed her off him as gently as he could, still trying to calm himself down from the powerlessness he felt in his memory. She remained close by, watching him recover.
"Why did you do that?" he finally asked after catching his breath.
"I-I heard you, it sounded like you were in trouble. You were yelling, and - you've done it before… so, I'm used to it, but this time I wanted to help, so I willed it."
"You willed yourself into my dream? And you could do…that? He said, recalling how real she felt when she was on top of him.
"Surprise, I guess?" Bulma offered lamely.
"Frieza – that's never happened before…" Vegeta uttered, recalling the last moments of the dream.
"Oh please. Let that lizard spook us and try to get inside your head. I get it – he's powerful. But we'll be ready, honey. I'm not afraid of him, and neither should you be. Right?" Bulma offered with a small smile.
He grunted and looked away, not sure what to think about her sentiment for the time being, since she had never actually met Frieza and seen what he was capable of. But…they weren't on Vegetasei yet, the fear could wait until the final encounter would take place and he would once again meet his old adversary face to face.
"How do you feel?" he asked her, checking her body for anything that could have carried over from the dream. This was all still new to him, so he had no idea how the bond would affect them.
He was relieved when he saw no physical damage on her skin. Where there was once a hole in her chest, there was now clean, naked flesh as the couple had slept unobstructed with nothing but the sheets to cover them, which now resided on the floor by the bed.
"I feel…slightly nauseous," she admitted, and when she did, she put her hand to her mouth, features filling once again with distress. She quickly rose from the bed and ran for the GR bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Vegeta sighed as he heard sounds of retching from inside and made himself get up so he could be useful to her when she stopped vomiting.
He listened for her to pause and made his way inside the smaller room to comfort her. He fished in one of the cabinets for a cloth and wet it in the sink then strode over to lay it across the back of her neck.
She managed to find a stopping point, taking the washcloth from her neck and unfolding it to set it on her face. She coughed a few times before rising to put the cloth in the sink. She pulled out some mouthwash and swished it around in her mouth a couple times before spitting out the liquid.
"Ugh. Lovely way to wake up, isn't it?" she said wryly to Vegeta as he rested himself patiently against the towel cabinet.
"It will be worth it in the end," he reassured her uncomfortably.
She snorted. "Easy for you to say. Your body isn't equipped for this so you're on emotional support duty," she said tapping her small but swollen belly.
He smirked. "As if you'd let me try to 'emotionally support' you."
"Ha -You're right," she laughed.
He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. "That usually does the trick though," Bulma added, smiling at his outward affection for her.
"Hn, does it?" he asked with a husky tone in his voice, kissing from her cheek down to her neck.
"It does," she whispered playfully. "I know we said this escapade would continue until we were ready to come up for air, but we have work to do before we can enjoy a solid honeymoon," she told Vegeta, grabbing his growing erection from behind.
"Yes, duty calls, I suppose," he growled, and Bulma didn't miss the arousal in his tone or his touch.
He stood behind her at the mirror and, while making deliberate and lustful eye contact with her reflection, entered her from behind, as casual as their conversation.
She cried out in pleasure, uttering his name into her shoulder as she pushed her hips back to meet his thrusts. After several languid pumps, they heard the intercom chime, signaling a message was coming to them from the front desk, and that their fun time was now over.
The couple sighed in unison. Vegeta pulled out, knowing that the moment was now spoiled and he would have to let his woman answer the waiting secretary.
"There are some gentleman here at the front desk waiting to see Mrs. Briefs, I told them you were indisposed, but they insisted on seeing you as soon as possible."
"Whatever, Maria! I'll be there soon!" Bulma yelled.
"I mean it, Vegeta. I'll be getting my honeymoon – properly - when we leave Earth. Got it?" she mentioned to her husband and smirked at him as they made their way out of the small washroom.
He shrugged and matched her attitude with a smirk of his own.
"Be ready, woman."