Distraction

by Darkrinoa18

Bulma is distracting Vegeta from his goal. A 3 year fic. Just a few moments leading up to them getting together.

A/N Hey guys! Yes, another 3 year gap story! But in my opinion, we can't have enough of those. It's just a series of moments leading up to Vegeta and Bulma getting together. Rated M for a reason. Hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think.

…...

Sometimes she regretted not having made more friends when she was younger. But she was an adventurer and a genius. So, most people were either too boring or too stupid to keep her interested. And once you befriended someone like Goku, there was no going back. When they had asked her to fly to Namek and find the dragonballs, she did. She wanted to be part of it. She didn't have any superpowers, couldn't fly, no superspeed or anything like that. But they still needed her. Which she loved. This time however, Bulma felt utterly useless. And some normal friends would be nice. To take her mind off things. Or maybe she wouldn't even know about the devastating future for the people of earth if she had made other choices in friends. And she'd just live her life not knowing. Which sounded pretty good right now. During the day her mind would drift. The little kids she saw playing in the park on her daily run, or the sweet old couple that would always sit on the same bench under the trees. Would they all die at the hands of the androids? Bulma had always been a glass half full kinda girl. Saw the upside to things and never gave up. But she had to admit that lately she didn't feel like her positive self. If someone had to come from the future to warn them, things were probably really devastating. Not to mention, even when she was sleeping, her worried mind would not leave her alone. Terrible nightmares plagued her at night. She'd wake up feeling incredibly helpless and useless. Now all her friends were training to make a difference. And she found herself jealous of their powers for the first time. What she wouldn't give to be able to take those androids on. To feel that powerful. To be able to protect those you love. She wouldn't cave under the pressure. She'd be awesome.

But here she was, bored out of her mind on a Friday night. Her parents were out having fun at a party. It was a little weird how the news of impending doom didn't seem to have any effect on them. But Bulma was quite thankful for that. In the background she could hear the humming of the gravity room. It was almost soothing.

She had barely seen her Saiyan guest since she invited him. He kept to himself. Only coming out of the Gravity Room for food or sleep. Bulma was usually in the lab during the day so it was mostly her mother who dealt with him. According to her he wasn't much of a talker, had a healthy appetite, was always grumpy and very handsome. Bulma knew all of that already.

She realised she was cold and grabbed a blanket that hung over the back of the couch and snuggled under it. Winter was right around the corner and the evenings were getting colder. Her hair was still a little damp from the shower she took. Since she didn't have any plans anyway, she put on the most comfortable things she could find. Old grey sweatpants and a white tanktop. It's not like she had anyone to look pretty for. She and Yamcha had called it quits some time ago. They had grown apart. Back in the day they had been really smitten with each other but that was all in the past now. At the end she felt like she couldn't trust him anymore. She suspected she was not the only woman in his life. He always denied it and Bulma had no proof but either way, it was clear her feelings towards him had changed. So, she ended it with him. She gave herself one night to cry about it. They were together for many years after all. The next day she went to the hairsalon, exchanged her crazy afro for wavy curls to her shoulders and moved on. They were still on good terms though.

Her stomach growled loudly interrupting her thoughts. It was getting late. Usually, her mother would have cooked something up by now. She took a sip of her beer and begrudgingly left her warm spot on the couch and tippytoed to the kitchen, the hardwood floor feeling cold against her bare feet. What to make? It occurred to her that Vegeta must also be hungry. She took a couple of pizzas out of the freezer and put them in the oven. "That's a start."

Suddenly she felt the brisk air from outside make its way into the house. She turned around to see Vegeta walking in and closing the door behind him. He was quite the sight to behold. His training shorts and sneakers leaving little to the imagination. His black eyes locked with her blue ones and Bulma felt a shiver run up her spine. She wasn't afraid of him really, but he was quite intimidating.

"Ah hey, there you are. I figured you must be hungry. I got some pizzas in the oven for you and I'll just make us some spaghetti, ok?"

"hn"

Vegeta sat down at the table, head in his hand, covering his eyes. Bulma was reluctant to say something. He wasn't one for chit chat. While she prepared dinner, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder every now and then. It was almost funny seeing Vegeta sitting in her kitchen. He seemed so out of place. She supposed he was. He was a Saiyan prince after all. An alien with powers no human could compare to. A merciless warrior with a thirst for blood. And here she was having dinner with him. She saw him sigh deeply as he ran a hand through his hair. He seemed annoyed at something. Well, more so than usual. As she leaned over to set the table, they made eye contact.

" What, woman"

Bulma gave him a small smile. " You seem even more grumpy than usual. Everything ok?"

" Fine."

" Ok, good talk." She said rolling her eyes.

When all the food was ready and set on the table, Bulma sat down across from Vegeta and made herself a plate. Vegeta did the same and they ate in silence.

He noticed how different she looked tonight. She changed her hair some time ago. A big improvement, he thought. But he had only ever seen her when she made an effort to look good. Probably for that idiot mate of hers. Now she had clearly just come from the shower, considering the smell of shampoo in the air. Her face was clear of that gunk she often wore. Slightly rosy cheeks. And her clothes were clearly chosen for comfort. She was more appealing now than ever before. He had also noticed that she was not wearing a bra and that she was probably cold because he could see her nipples harden under the white fabric of her top. He berated himself for even noticing these things. It wasn't all that surprising though. It had been a long time since Vegeta had been around a species where the females were attractive and compatible with himself. And even though male Saiyans were mostly driven by their thirst for battle, even for them, other urges came to the surface every now and then. For Vegeta that was a very rare occasion though. He lived a hard life and his mind and body were completely focused on becoming stronger and one day being able to defeat Frieza. His hate for the filthy lizard consumed him and for so many years he was determent to end his reign and make him pay for destroying planet Vegeta. Of course, his sights had now been set on Kakarot and obtaining the power of the Legendary Super Saiyan.

"How's training going?" Bulma asked. She started feeling awkward by the long silence and decided to give it another go.

" I need more of a challenge."

" What do you mean? The GR goes up to 100 times earth's gravity, right? What number have you been training at?"

"100."

"What!? You just came from training at 100 times earth's gravity!?"

"Yes." Vegeta said.

"Oh, well I see what you're saying about the lack of challenge. You seem like you just had a warm up."

"Hn."

Bulma saw Vegeta glancing at her beer with interest and grabbed one from the fridge and handed it to him.

"You know, I can upgrade the GR for you. I think I can manage to make it go up to 400."

Vegeta nearly choked on his beer. "What!? Your father said it cannot be done."

"Well, why didn't you ask me? I'm capable of much more than him you know." Bulma said. A little hurt at his presumption that her father was more intelligent than her.

"Is that so?"

"Yes! I'll do some calculations tonight and get started tomorrow. It'll probably take a few days because I have to order some parts. But I'll get it done."

She started to put the dishes in the dishwasher whilst Vegeta was still eating. Suddenly excited to have a project to keep herself busy.

"I'll be in the lab." She said, putting on her lab coat and shoes, leaving Vegeta to finish his meal.

…...

He had to admit he was quite impressed with the woman. She was working on the GR for 2 days straight and he saw the math and formulas that went into it and it was far beyond his own knowledge. She had taken one break to take a shower and have a quick meal before going back at it. He was kind of pissed at the old man for not telling him his daughter was the real genius around here, but then it dawned on him that he probably wanted to keep her safe. Vegeta had nearly blown the man to kingdom come when he told him there was no way to upgrade the GR.

It was the middle of the night. He was outside leaning against the house, his eyes set on the GR. His hot breath creating misty clouds in the brisk air. He realised it had gone quiet. No tinkering of tools or the woman screaming profanities at certain parts of the machines she was installing. When he went to have a look, he saw she had fallen asleep. Sitting against the generator her body was limp and her face peaceful. Unlike the focused expression he'd seen plastered on her face ever since she started her work. Her hair was in a messy bun and she wore a simple jeans and warm, black sweater with the CC logo on it.

"Dammit woman, wake up!"

Bulma's eyes flew open and she sat up straight, hitting her head against the overhanging part of the generator.

Vegeta couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ouch! Ah Vegeta! You scared the shit outta me!"

"I am no longer wasting my fucking time waiting for you to finish this thing! Now get moving! I have training to do!"

"Ugh Vegeta, I did all I can for now. One last piece of equipment is on its way as we speak and should be here early in the morning. It won't take more than an hour to install it. Then you can start your precious training."

Vegeta felt his patience dwindling. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. Killing the woman out of pure frustration would be stupid. He needed her to finish the GR. It was the only way for him to really push himself without actually being in battle.

"There's actually something else I've been working on. But I need your help to see if it can withstand your energy blast."

"Woman, I can blow up this planet with ease, nothing you make can withstand my energy blasts."

Bulma chuckled. "Hehe, obviously not. They are robots that deflect small ki blasts. That might not sound like much but imagine you have several of those in the GR, deflecting ki blasts at 250 times earth's gravity. It could really help you with your speed."

That did sound interesting. Vegeta nodded and Bulma gestured to follow her. The lab was cold and dark. Any other scientists working for Capsule Corp had long gone. Bulma yawned and rubbed her eyes as she turned on the lights and activated four bots. She glanced a look at Vegeta who seemed unimpressed. He was wearing his battered uniform from Namek. She made a mental note to see if she could recreate the material.

"Allright, now just fire a small ki blast at bot number one. It should deflect it to one of the other bots and so on. Emphasis on small, Vegeta."

Vegeta smirked as he raised his arm and pointed a finger towards bot number one. A small light sphere appearing at the tip of it. Then he sent it flying at the aimed bot. In a split second the blast made its way from the bot to Bulma. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. It never did though, as Vegeta stood in front of her and took the hit. Bulma opened her eyes and was face to face with a smirking Saiyan.

"It seems your invention needs some tweaking, woman."

Bulma blushed, embarrassed at her failed attempt to impress Vegeta.

"I...I don't get it. There must've been something wrong with the settings. Let's see..." She turned around and sat at her desk to have a look at the bot software on her computer. She was quick to realise her mistake. It was in attack mode. "I'm an idiot. Can't believe I forgot to check if it was in deflect mode. I could have died."

"Hahaha, don't beat yourself up woman. Sleep deprivation leads to lower alertness and concentration."

"Hmmpff, I guess. Ok, let's try it again. The bot seems to have handled your ki blast just fine according to the analysis the computer ran. So, you can make it a bit stronger. I'll just stand behind you this time to be safe."

Once again Vegeta fired a ki blast, only this time bot number one deflected it to another one and so the ball of energy moved back and forth between the devices as Bulma had planned.

"Well, what do you think!? Pretty cool, right?"

"Not bad." Vegeta turned around to see a look of pride on Bulma's face. It was clear that she was on the brink of collapsing with fatigue. Her pathetic powerlevel down to almost nothing. "Now sleep, woman. Your weak human body is about to give out and I need you to install that last piece of equipment in a few hours."

"Pfff, I'm fine. Might as well keep going." She sat down at the desk again but as soon as she did, consciousness slipped away from her and her body gave into the sleep it so desperately needed.

…...

A few weeks passed since Bulma upgraded the GR. Vegeta was getting some vigorous training done. Pushing himself to his limits every day. The image of Kakarot and the kid from the future etched in his brain. Never once leaving him alone. "The prince of all Saiyans, outpaced by a lowborn nobody, who grew up on Earth! This simply cannot stand!" He powered up once more and continued fighting an invisible opponent. He had been going at it, nonstop. Yet he felt like he wasn't really making much progress. Before, if he had been injured in a fight, he'd gain so much strength once he recovered. Now, nothing like that. It was like he had hit a brick wall and there was no way through it. He couldn't tear it down, he couldn't climb over it. No matter how hard he pushed himself, it wouldn't budge. It drove him mad.

At some point Vegeta sensed a higher powerlevel outside. He recognized it immediately. It belonged to that moron the woman was with. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen him around in a long time. Not that he was complaining. He despised that lowlife. And he couldn't for the life of him understand why that woman was interested in him.

In the short time he had spent on earth, he had seen her talent and willpower. Her sharp mind capable of things this world wasn't even ready for. Several inventions were kept in a secret facility because they could be weaponized and cause a lot of trouble in the wrong hands. CC could rule this planet with humans being weak as they were. At one point, he had even seen journalists at the front gate, asking Bulma questions. Later he had seen her on the device they call a television. Apparently certain countries were at the brink of war and they wanted to know if CC would provide weapons for an army in order to stop things from escalating. They also manufactured various medical equipment.

Also, it was clear to Vegeta that the blue haired scientist was not the only woman the weakling was interested in. He often carried the scent of different women with him. It was Vegeta's understanding that it was customary for humans to have one mate for life. Much like Saiyans. Yet that did not seem to be the case with them. Did the woman know? "Whatever, it's none of my concern."

His muscles burned under the pressure of his own weight at 250 times earth's gravity. It really did take doing push ups to a whole other level. He rolled over on his back, his body aching all over and his stomach telling him to replenish his energy. Also, he was in a foul mood. And beating the weakling to a pulp might just be the therapy he needed.

He made his way from the GR to the house in the cold weather. Wet snow was falling and an icy wind blew across his face. He was only wearing training shorts but the cold actually felt nice against his overheated skin and swelling from the many blows his body took that day. Halfway there, his sensitive ears already picked up on the voices coming from inside the house.

"C'mon Bulma, we were great together."

"Yes, we WERE. But things have changed Yamcha. We are not the same people as we were back then. It just doesn't work anymore."

"I haven't changed all that much. But yeah, you sure did." Yamcha said in a sneering tone.

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"You never made time for me Bulma! Always working on something important! Lately everything has been more important than me."

"My inventions save lives! Yes, that is more important than going on a date with you! People count on me to do my job, Yamcha. It's easy for you, living your life, playing baseball. Nobody relying on you to bring home a paycheck or invent a better x-ray machine or whatever!" Bulma sighed deeply. She was so done with him. "Just leave."

" Not everyone is a genius! Don't be so condescending! I'm just a normal guy. Guess that is not enough for you anymore."

"Well, I guess not. But just for the record, I never thought of you as a normal guy. Compared to other people you are crazy strong. You have a gift. And you should use it to keep this planet safe. Yet you barely train and rather spend your precious time hanging out at bars and handing out autographs to baseball fans. Vegeta and Goku are giving it their all to make a difference. And here you are, asking me to take you back. Well, it's not gonna happen. Now please, leave!"

"You are such a bitch! I gave you the best years of my life. I worshipped you! These last couple of years you barely looked at me, never mind being intimate! And you even invited Vegeta into your home. He killed me!"

That's when the door flew open.

"And I'll gladly do it again weakling." Vegeta was standing in the doorway. Steam emitting from his body into the cold air. His dark, obsidian eyes taking in his target. "I believe the woman asked you to leave. I suggest you listen to her, because blasting you into the next dimension might just be what I need to turn this day around."

Yamcha's mouth went dry instantly at the sight of the Saiyan warrior. He had always been afraid of him. He remembered the first time he saw him when he came to earth with Nappa. Nappa was strong in an obvious way. Huge and clearly a heartless bastard, but it was Vegeta he really feared. His cold, calculating eyes tainted with death. There would be no mercy from him. Yamcha had wondered if maybe Vegeta had changed after all that he went through on Namek. After Bulma showed him kindness by offering him a place to stay. But the look in Vegeta's eyes was no different than the one he gave him all that time ago. He wanted to get the hell out of there but he did not want to lose face in front of Bulma.

"This is none of your business Vegeta." He said, missing any kind of confidence in his voice.

Vegeta's eyes met Bulma's for a second before going back to Yamcha. He was unsure of how to proceed. The woman clearly did not want the weakling here but there was no way she wanted him dead. He however, felt differently. A familiar feeling building up inside him. The need to feel powerful, to see the fear in an opponent's eyes." Who cares what she thinks. That clown is meeting his maker tonight." An evil smirk appeared on his face. He had not been feeling like himself lately. Nothing seemed to be going his way. This would be just what he needed to go back to the cold-blooded Saiyan he really was.

Yamcha stood up from his chair, knowing all too well what that smirk meant. He took a defensive stand and gave Bulma a pleading look.

Bulma was quick to forget her anger with Yamcha and was now fearing for his life. It had actually been nice to have Vegeta around. It gave her a sense of purpose to help him with his training. It was a way for her to help defeat the androids. She almost forgot who she was dealing with. But it all became painfully clear when she looked at his face now.

"Uhm, Vegeta, Yamcha was just leaving so don't worry about it, ok?" Bulma said nervously.

"Let's step outside weakling." Vegeta said in an icy tone, ignoring Bulma's words.

Yamcha definitely did not want to fight Vegeta but he didn't want to seem like a coward either. Especially not in front of Bulma. "Look man, this is none of your concern. Bulma and I are just talking. So why don't you get back to your training. You're going to need it if you're ever gonna be stronger than Goku."

"Yamcha, shut up!" Bulma said.

"OUTSIDE NOW!" Vegeta screamed whilst powering up. The burst of energy causing plates, food and other items to go flying through the room.

Bulma used her arms to protect her head from the flying objects, cursing herself for letting things escalate.

When it became clear to Vegeta that Yamcha had no intention of moving he walked towards him and grabbed him by the back of his neck, throwing him out the door.

Once they were both outside, Yamcha took a good look at the condition Vegeta was in. He was more than a little roughed up. Various cuts and bruises decorated his skin. Especially across his ribs there was swelling and bruising. He could also see the Saiyan breathe heavily. Maybe, just maybe, if he focused his attacks in the right place, he would stand a chance. At this point he would rather run, but it was clear to him that Vegeta would not let him go without a fight. He decided to attack him before he lost his nerve. He hurled forward, punching Vegeta in his gut with all the strength he could muster. He heard the Saiyan growl in pain. Then he punched him in his already bruised ribs causing Vegeta to stumble backwards. Vegeta responded with a blow to the chin so hard, Yamcha's body flew into a tree, breaking it.

Bulma gasped at the sight of Yamcha hitting the tree. Relief filling her body when she saw him get up. Battered but alive. She ran outside and took place between the two fighters, holding her hands up. "You two idiots better stop this right now before someone gets seriously hurt!"

Vegeta raised a hand, aiming it at Bulma. A ki blast forming at the tip of it. "Move it woman."

"Please Vegeta, don't do this."

"This is happening whether you move or not." Vegeta said in a calm and cold voice.

"Like hell it is!" She said, refusing to give in.

Vegeta lowered his arm, but leapt into the air before landing right in front of Yamcha. He grabbed him by the throat, Yamcha's feet dangling off the ground. He tightened his grip and saw the z warrior's eyes almost pop out of his head, terror clouding them. Finally, the look of fear the Saiyan so longed to see. He dropped him and Yamcha fell to his knees. That's when Vegeta held his palm right in front of Yamcha's face, ready to end his life with one final ki blast.

Then the woman came into view. Putting a hand on his arm.

"Dammit Vegeta, look at me!"

Bright blue eyes met his own. Panick and tears filling them. "Please, don't kill him." She said in a shaky voice.

Something stirred inside Vegeta. Just moments ago, he threatened to blow her away if she kept standing in the way, and she defied him. Without hesitation. Yet now, when this weakling's life was at stake, she begged Vegeta to spare him. He could not understand why she had so little self-preservation but would do anything to save this lowlife. He felt his rage slipping away. The woman took the fun right out of killing the weakling.

"Fine." Vegeta said, then turned around and walked away. "You have the woman to thank for this. But don't cross me again unless you have a death wish."

Bulma helped Yamcha up and checked if he was seriously injured. He definitely was worse for wear. His head was bleeding and he was cradling his arm but he could probably get himself to the hospital.

"Go. Now." She simply said.

"Wait, you're not coming with me?"

"No, Yamcha. You can take care of yourself."

"Surely you're not staying here with HIM!?"

"I live here. And I invited him. You one the other hand, I did not invite. Yet you show up and make me feel like shit! Now if you want any chance of us staying friends, I suggest you leave. I'll let you know when I am ready to hang out with you again. But that's probably gonna take a while because I can't even stand to look at you right now."

That was it. It was over. Yamcha realised that. Never had she spoken to him this way. With disdain and resentment in her voice. He took to the air and flew away without looking back.

Bulma sighed deeply. Suddenly she was exhausted and cold. Once inside she saw Vegeta sitting at the kitchen table eating the leftovers from last night's dinner, like nothing happened. The room was a complete mess thanks to Vegeta's outburst. Her own jeans and red blouse dirty from the food that flew through the kitchen moments ago. She stood at the opposite end of the dinner table, hands on her hips, looking daggers at Vegeta.

He tried to ignore her but couldn't help and glance up. "The woman's expression could send the likes of Frieza to run, with his tale between his legs." Her hair was damp from the wet snow and he could see food stains on her clothes. His doing of course.

"Why would you do that, Vegeta? I just don't get it! You already know you're way more powerful than Yamcha. Why fight him?"

"For amusement."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

"You were really gonna kill him?"

"Yes."

"Why? I mean, I get wanting to kill Frieza or taking on Goku, but Yamcha? He's nothing to you."

She was right, Vegeta realised. There was no honour in killing someone so much weaker than him. It was something that he had known for a long time. But when he was younger, living under Frieza's rule, he had ended many lives without batting an eye. He supposed, looking back, it was a way for him to feel powerful. Having to serve Frieza for all those years made him feel pathetic and weak. He was disgusted with himself. The only thing keeping him going was the thought of one day becoming stronger than that lizard and destroying him. So, Vegeta was actually happiest when he was sent to a planet to conquer it. He'd be far away from Frieza and could experience the feeling of being the strongest warrior around. Thriving on the fear he saw on the inhabitant's faces, enjoying their pain. The older he got though, the more he started to resent it.

"I don't know why you're so surprised woman. You knew who I was when you invited me here."

Bulma sighed and dropped down in a chair. She ran a hand through her hair and to her shock she found a string of spaghetti in there. She pulled it out and gave Vegeta a deadly stare. He almost smiled. So, she threw it at him, which he easily dodged of course.

"I guess I did know that. But I just thought that ...maybe you did those things because you didn't really have a choice." Bulma said quietly.

Vegeta let her words sink in for a moment. Maybe it was true. There was no telling what he would have been like if Frieza never existed. A prince and eventually king to his race. A warrior of course, fuelled by his thirst for battle, yes. A challenge, a chance to become a better fighter. But annihilating an entire race...just because he could...no, he didn't think he would have. Unfortunately, he would never really know. And the facts still were, Vegeta did make his own discissions. He could have defied Frieza's orders, even if that meant a slow and painful death.

He wasn't sure how to respond to Bulma's comment. He didn't want to talk about his past. He just shrugged.

"Well, I can't believe I have to say this but, no killing as long as you live here. Unless it's the androids of course." She gave him a small smile.

"Fine."

Bulma got up and started cleaning the kitchen while Vegeta ate in silence. At some point she started laughing to herself.

"What's so funny, woman?"

"I was just thinking of Yamcha's face when you came in here. He was so scared. Serves him right, that jerk."

Vegeta smirked. "Yes, that moron had been terrified."

"Well, we're not together anymore so he probably won't be back." Bulma said.

"Because he was involved with other females?" Vegeta asked, taking a bite of lasagne.

"What?" Bulma stopped wiping down the counters and turned around to face Vegeta.

"Never mind." Vegeta said quickly, regretting his question.

"He was seeing other women?"

"Dammit. She didn't know." Vegeta thought.

"Vegeta, how would you possibly know that!?"

"The scent of several other females were on him."

"Oh." She turned around again and continued her work. "I had my suspicions, but I wasn't sure. I asked him flat out if he had ever been unfaithful, but he swore to me he didn't. He's a good liar."

Vegeta could tell she was hurt. It was ridiculous to him that someone like her would be sad over a maggot like Yamcha. He watched Bulma clean the kitchen while he ate. He was tired. He did a number on himself in the GR and now, with his stomach full, he felt fatigue taking over his body. His torso ached all over and he found it hard to breath. His head leaning on his palm and his eyes drooping.

He felt Bulma's delicate hand on his bare shoulder a moment later.

"Vegeta? Are you ok?"

"Tch, I'm fine." He said, moving his shoulder away from her.

Bulma looked him over. He would show up bruised and battered after training often. But she had never seen anything like this before. He really overdid it this time. There was swelling as well.

"I think you're burning up. You feel like you're on fire."

"Saiyans have a higher temperature than humans." He stated. His voice sluggish.

"Wait here, I have some cooling gel and cream that will help with the inflammation."

Before he could react, Bulma ran out the door. Vegeta rolled his eyes. His body was perfectly capable of healing on its own. He had come back from much worse. No point in fighting her though. He watched her walk back in. He could tell by her expression she was surprised he hadn't left his seat.

"I'll just put some of this on you. Should make you feel better."

Vegeta sighed. "I just told you, I'm fine."

"I know...just humour me."

She put some cream on her fingers and gently put it on the injured skin. It actually felt pretty good. But Vegeta wasn't sure if it was the cream or Bulma's hands he was enjoying.

Bulma smiled to herself when she saw the relaxed look on his face. Eyes closed. Eyebrows not furrowed for a change. She took the opportunity to let her eyes roam his body. It was impressive. It was without a doubt that this man had dedicated himself to his goal of becoming a strong fighter since he was young. Also, looking at the scars he had, it was clear that life had not been easy on him.

"There you go. Now, if you'll excuse me, I desperately need a shower, to wash the spaghetti out of my hair. Goodnight, Vegeta."

…...

Months went by since the incident with Vegeta and Yamcha. Bulma had kept herself busy with running the company and making sure the GR and bots were fixed when need be. It was getting quite difficult to balance everything. Her father was not in good health and had to step back as CEO and owner at Capsule Corp. Which meant that she had to step up. Of course, it had always been the plan. And it's what she wanted, but she was hoping to have a little more time to get the swing of things and make a slower transition. And there still was the whole, end of the world thing hanging over her head of course. Vegeta had been very demanding these past weeks. Every few days he would break something, and wanted Bulma to fix it immediately. She actually didn't mind helping him but it was starting to wear her out. Also, it's not like he asked nicely. The second something broke, she was expected to stop what she was doing and fix the problem. One time she had been in a meeting with some very important employees at CC and Vegeta had just barged in wearing nothing but his training shorts. Now, thinking back she could laugh about it. Everybody had been terrified, except her of course. She supposed maybe it only made the employees respect her more. If she wouldn't take shit from the likes of Vegeta, she wouldn't accept it from them either. And she had to admit, between running the lab and the countless meetings, her interactions with Vegeta were becoming a way for her to escape all that. To vent. Let out her frustration at him. And he did the same thing with her. She used to go running to clear her mind. Now, she could barely find the time for that. So, she yelled and screamed and threw things at Vegeta. Like her own little therapy session.

She let the hot water relax her stiff muscles. She had been stuck at the office all day. At some point she would have to hire someone to take care of that part of the job. Bulma loved to work in the lab, where the action was. Spending her days in a stuffy office would mean a slow and boring death. She just wanted to have a hot meal and then get on the couch with her best buds, Ben & Jerry. She let the water fall till her body was warmed up. She dried herself quickly and put on a long black t-shirt and black boxers. Suddenly very hungry, she hurried to the kitchen, opened the fridge, hoping her dear mom had left her something. The building actually had two separate homes in it. It worked perfectly for Bulma because she had her own space but could easily walk down the corridor and raid her parent's fridge or have dinner with them. When she missed dinner because of work her mother usually put something in her fridge. Vegeta favoured Bulma's kitchen because he would not have to run into anyone. Except occasionally Bulma of course. Her mother knew this so she made sure there was always food in Bulma's kitchen. Containers with stir fry noodles and a plate with sandwiches stood on the top shelf of the fridge. After warming it up in the microwave she snuggled onto the couch and ate the noodles in front of the tv. She flipped through some channels and eventually settled on an old movie she had seen before. Sometime later Vegeta walked in the room.

"Something smells good." He stated.

"Ah well, that could either be me or the food."Bulma said.

Vegeta ignored her comment although he had already noticed on numerous occasions that she indeed smelled good. He continued his way right up the stairs to take a shower before eating.

In the meantime, Bulma had finished her noodles and was now enjoying a big pint of strawberry cheesecake ice cream. She had set the sandwiches on the coffee table and heated a plate of noodles for Vegeta. There was a scary movie on and she was sort of hoping Vegeta would join her. He came down the stairs wearing black sweatpants and a towel around his neck. Bulma had to keep herself from ogling him.

"I put your food over here. There's a pretty good movie on, maybe you'll like it."

"I highly doubt that." He said but sat down next to her anyway, taking the plate of noodles. He couldn't help himself from noticing her bare legs. His imagination got the better of him for just a second. A vision of those beautiful legs around his waist. He was quick to snap out of it though. He had no time to think about such nonsense. He leaned back and watched the movie. It was rather entertaining. A serial killer invents wicked, deadly games for his victims to play, and sees how far they will go to survive. He noticed Bulma would look away sometimes. They're eyes met when a really gruesome scene caused Bulma to take her eyes off the screen.

"This doesn't scare you at all, does it?" She asked.

"No. What exactly is it that scares you?"

"Uhm, I guess it's not so much that it scares me, but watching those people suffer like that, it's very unpleasant. It also makes me wonder what I would do in that situation." Bulma explained.

"You're pretty tough. I reckon you'd make it out alive."

Bulma gave him a smile. "You think I'm tough?"

Vegeta shrugged. "You survived Namek. That's more than I can say."

"Well, thanks to the dragon balls, everyone survived Namek." Bulma said.

"That's cheating."

He watched Bulma take a bite of something he hadn't tried before. Bulma saw him look and passed the bucket of ice cream to him. He reluctantly took it. He had often seen the womans mother take something out of the freezer but it would have to be heated before it was eatable. This apparently did not. After two bites he decided it was delicious and focused his attention to the screen again.

Bulma on the other hand had a hard time focussing on the movie. She was very aware of the handsome Saiyan next to her. She had her feet up on the couch and they were so close to him that she could feel the heat radiating off him. She noticed his thick black hair and wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through it.

Vegeta glanced a look at her. Bulma stared right back. Vegeta smirked, knowing she was checking him out. He let his eyes roam her legs, knowing she would see him look. It was Bulma's turn to smirk. Any doubt of them being attracted to each other, taken away.

"You gonna eat that all by yourself?" Bulma asked. Vegeta handed her back the ice cream. Bulma rolled her eyes as she looked inside the bucket and saw there were only about two bites left. As she brought the spoon to her lips a drip of ice cream fell and landed on her chest, making its way down between her breasts, disappearing behind the fabric of her shirt. When she looked up, her eyes met Vegeta's, and that was it. He was on top of her within a second and crushed his lips to hers. The spoon and ice cream bucket were thrown to the floor and with her free hands she grabbed Vegeta's hair. Spurred on by this, Vegeta deepened the kiss, his tongue found and tangled with hers. His hand making its way to her back, pushing her hips closer to him. His lips made their way down to her neck, his tongue following the trail of the ice cream. Then he stopped.

"What's wrong?"Bulma asked. Her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"Someone's here."

Before she could blink, Vegeta disappeared and there was a knock at the door.

"Bulma dear, are you there?" The door opened revealing her mother.

"Oh yeah mom, I'm here." She jumped up and quickly grabbed the ice cream bucket and spoon off the floor and made sure her clothes were still in the right place. "What's up?"

"Are you alright dear? You look a little flustered?"

"Uhm yeah, I am fine mom." Her eyes scanned the room, wondering where Vegeta disappeared to, so fast.

"I have some leftovers for you and Vegeta, I will put them in your fridge."

Bulma looked underneath the couch and behind the curtains. "Ok, thanks."

Her mom left and Bulma was quick to call out for the Saiyan who was tracing his tongue down her body just a moment ago.

"Vegeta!?"

She walked upstairs expecting him to be in his bedroom. Nothing. Not in her bedroom either. Then she walked out on her balcony and saw the lights were on in the GR. "That coward." She muttered to herself.

…...

It had been two weeks since their heated exchange and as Bulma expected, things had gotten rather awkward. Vegeta was definitely avoiding her. Just once he had sought her out, only to demand she fix the GR. She was a little hurt. She had enjoyed their brief encounter immensely and had fantasized about taking it much further with him, ever since. Bulma however, was a proud woman. She refused to be the one to make the first move. If he wanted her, he would have to come to her. She would never admit how much she wanted him. She couldn't help but doubt herself though. Maybe he had not enjoyed it so much.

What she didn't know, was that Vegeta had been thinking about her too. She had come to him in his dreams every night. Vivid dreams that left him hot and bothered, and in need of a cold shower. "What the fuck is wrong with you!? You have much more important things to think about." But the fact was that his dreams of Kakarot and the kid from the future, laughing at him whilst transforming into Super Saiyans, were replaced with the woman screaming his name in pleasure beneath him. He tried training even harder, so hard that he would pass out from exhaustion, hoping it would give him a dreamless sleep. It didn't work. He had not been with a female in so long, it was probably just his Saiyan DNA that was spurring him on to mate. Pure biology. Nothing more. But he had never before been a slave to his biological urges. Perhaps he should give into them. Just to be rid of them. So, he could focus, on his goal to become a Super Saiyan.

No, he couldn't do that. The woman probably would not agree to a onetime thing. And even if she did, things might not go back to normal after that. And he still needed her to help him train. Also, when he touched her, it had been very difficult for him to control himself. To rein in his power, so he wouldn't hurt her. She was so fragile. He was not sure she would come out of it unscathed.

He still needed to take his mind off the woman though. And he knew exactly what he could do to make that happen. It was something that he thought about doing for weeks. He just was not making any progress with his training anymore. He was not getting any stronger. No matter how he tortured himself. But there was someone on this stupid planet that might infuriate him enough, to go over the edge. To finally break through the ceiling, and become the legendary. He needed to fight Kakarot.

…...

It had been the worst day ever. There had been an accident in the lab. A co-worker had to be taken to the hospital. Within no time the press caught wind of it and she had to explain to multiple journalists what had happened. Then an invention they were working on, had very disappointing results. Her heel broke. Yamcha sent her flowers, which she threw away. Nothing seemed to go her way today. She walked around the kitchen barefoot. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and a green blouse. She grabbed a glass and a bottle of wine and went upstairs. A bath and some wine would help her put this day behind her. When she got to her room, she poured herself a glass and stepped onto her balcony. The GR was dark. That was odd. Vegeta would usually be training at this time. Maybe he had gone to bed already. When she turned around, she was startled by a figure sitting on the roof. As she squinted her eyes, she could make out the shape of Vegeta's hair.

"What are you doing up there?"

He had no answer. He did not know why of all places he came here. He was in bad shape. Physically, but that he could deal with. It was his pride that had taken a real beating tonight. Kakarot had proven himself to be superior to him in every way. Vegeta demanded a fight and the Super Saiyan had reluctantly agreed. It became clear soon that Vegeta wasn't a match for him. So, when he saw Vegeta was getting more than a little roughed up, he downright refused to fight him any longer. It had been an embarrassment of colossal proportion. He had at least hoped to uncover something about Kakarot's transformation. Did he have a secret? How was it that, that idiot had been able to do it, and Vegeta was left clueless. In the legends it was said that only Saiyans with royal blood could make the transformation. Clearly that was bullshit. He jumped off the roof onto the balcony.

He was wearing his battered uniform from Namek again. Bulma had actually taken it to the lab once without Vegeta's knowledge. She wanted to see if she could recreate the material. And of course, she succeeded. She saw a strange expression on his face. Something she had not seen on him before. He seemed almost...defeated maybe. He was injured, but that was nothing new of course. Yet he had always been in fighting spirits. Whether it be a verbal spar with Bulma or a training session in the GR. Always ready to take on a challenge. Something was different tonight though. Then it dawned on her what might be the reason for his depressed state.

"You fought Goku."

He averted his eyes.

"I take it, it did not go so well?"

"I don't want to talk." Vegeta said.

"Why are you here then?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta walked towards her and put his hands on her waist. Bulma blushed. He moved in closer, his breath fanning against her face. Then he crushed his lips to hers. Bulma was stunned just for a second, before she dropped her wine glass and grabbed on to his hair with both her hands. Now knowing Bulma was into this just as much as he was, Vegeta forced his tongue past her lips, tasting her. His hands, still covered by his bloodstained gloves, moved down her back and onto her ass. He noticed a spike in her scent. She wanted him. He felt relieved, he didn't know how he would have handled her rejection after the night he had. There was a need flowing through his body that he never felt before. Her delicious smell consuming him. His hands made their way to her breasts, cupping them through the fabric of her green blouse. He felt Bulma moan against his lips. She gasped when Vegeta ripped it open, revealing her shapely breasts in a black lace bra. He tore off his gloves, wanting to feel her skin.

The hungry look in Vegeta's eyes sent shivers down Bulma's spine. A desire burning in them. No one had ever looked at her like that. This was really happening. She felt his hands all over her. The pressure from his fingers almost hurting her if they weren't causing her so much pleasure. She took off what was left of her blouse. Vegeta's mouth was on her again, making his way down to her breasts. Bulma threw her head back, enjoying the feel of his hot breath on her skin. Her fingers gliding through his dark hair. His warm hands slid up her legs and underneath her skirt, pushing it up. Bulma's breathing started to pick up. Her heart beating wildly in her chest.

This woman was something else. He knew he had made a mistake. There was no way that he could give this up after just one time. He was with her now and he already wanted more. His arousal painfully hard underneath his battle suit. He felt the smooth skin of her inner thighs. When his fingers grazed the fabric of her underwear Bulma stifled a moan. The sounds she was making were driving him crazy. When he pulled her underwear down, the smell of her arousal hit him full force, lust clouding his mind. He needed her now. He threw off his armour and started taking off the battle suit while devouring her lips once again. Bulma's hands were now on his bare shoulders and exploring the muscles on his back. As much as she was enjoying herself, she didn't want to do this out on the balcony.

"Not here...inside..." She said between breaths and moans.

Vegeta lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He stumbled inside her bedroom, immediately dropping them both down on the carpet the second they were inside. His body was on top of hers. He could feel the fabric of her bra and skirt rub against his skin. Annoyed he tore off her skirt, which was still around her waist, and then her bra, setting her breasts free. For just a moment he let his eyes roam her naked body. It was dark but his Saiyan eyesight had no problem seeing everything. Then his eyes settled on her face. She blushed, biting her lip. Her blue eyes sparkled in the dark. He moved in closer again, leaning his body into hers, careful not to crush her under his weight. He undressed the lower half of his body while kissing her. With his knee he spread her legs.

She could feel his hardness pressing against her thigh. Never had she been more turned on. She thought she knew what real passion was, she had no idea. His warm body felt delicious against hers. It was hard and strong. She felt safe, yet there was a hint of danger in the air, only adding to her excitement. She felt his hands on her breasts, his fingers playing with her nipples, which hardened under his touch. His member was rubbing against her arousal, ready to enter her.

He could barely think straight. Her smells and sounds clouding his mind. It was getting more and more difficult to control his power. He took one more look at her face, searching her eyes for any kind of sign he should stop, but her eyes were blurry with desire as well. Then he entered her slowly, not wanting to hurt her. She hissed through her teeth and her body stiffened for a moment. Yet she arched her back, asking for more. Vegeta repeated the action and was pleased to hear Bulma moan. He picked up the pace. Thrusting his member in and out. His face was buried in her neck, taking in her smell. Bulma's hands moved from his hair to his neck. Needing to hold on to him as his thrusts got harder. Soon their breathing started to become frantic and uncontrolled. A delicious build up grew inside her. Then Bulma dug her nails into his back as her walls tightened around his member, sending her over the edge into a pile of tingling ecstasy. Feeling this, Vegeta too, was met with a devastating climax. After a moment he rolled off of her, laying on his back next to her.

Bulma was trying to catch her breath and slow down her heartbeat. She had never felt so satisfied. She smiled to herself. "Well, we almost made it to the bed." She looked at Vegeta and noticed his breathing was ragged and labored. She totally forgot about his injuries. "Oh shit Vegeta, are you ok?" It was quite dark in the room so Bulma clapped her hands and the lights were turned on.

"Did that feel like I wasn't ok?"

"I guess not." Bulma snickered. The sudden bright light in the room making her self-conscious, she leaned over and grabbed a blanket that hung over the chair to cover herself. She looked over at Vegeta. He raised an eyebrow.

"Now you're embarrassed?"

She didn't respond. She was shocked to see the state he was in. It didn't seem so bad in the dark. But he was in bad shape. Especially his shoulder.

"Dammit Vegeta, you're bleeding all over my carpet."

Bulma was sitting up, the blanket covering her front, but her back was still bare. Vegeta reached out and traced his fingers down her spine, caressing the skin gently. She was surprised at the gesture. His face was expressionless and his eyes were cloudy. Heavy eyelids. He seemed almost drunk. Drunk from exhaustion.

"You need a shower and then sleep. C'mon, you can use mine." Bulma stood up, still wrapped in the blanket, and offered Vegeta her hand. To her surprise he took it. She guided him into her bathroom and started the shower for him. Vegeta stepped in, the warm water soothing against his aching body. Bulma felt a little awkward, not sure if she should join him.

"You're not coming in, woman?"

"Uhm, yeah ok." She dropped the blanket, blushing as Vegeta's eyes roamed her body. She walked in, unsure of herself. But Vegeta pulled her close, so they were both under the warm water. Bulma put her hands on his shoulders, checking out the injured one. She took a washing cloth and gently started rubbing the dried blood off. His hands sliding over her wet body.

"Vegeta, I think you're going about this Super Saiyan thing all wrong."

She felt his body stiffen immediately.

"Don't speak of things you know nothing of woman."

"O c'mon, you should know by now I have useful things to say."

His silence told Bulma to carry on.

"You are much stronger now than Goku was on Namek. He had been training at 100 times earth's gravity. You're at 400. The reason you are simply not getting any stronger, is because that's impossible. The next step is Super Saiyan. But when Goku transformed, it was because there was no other way to save his son. Frieza had just killed his best friend, and Gohan would have been next. It was pure necessity. He had no power left. He was down for the count. Yet he managed to transform. He just, snapped."

Vegeta considered her words. It did make sense. Maybe Kakarot's transformation happened because his emotions drove him over the edge. The love for his son. Not his powerlevel.

"If that is true, I might never transform. I will never care for anyone like that."

Bulma shrugged. "I don't think it's the only way to transform. I'm just saying, the problem isn't that your body isn't ready, it's your mind."

The woman really did have useful things to say. There was no big secret that Kakarot was keeping from him. It wasn't that he himself was too weak. But it was clear that he needed to challenge himself mentally. Truth was, he had been distracted lately. The reason for that standing right before him. And what a distraction she was. How stupid he was for thinking he could give into his needs one time, to get rid of them. Now he knew what he'd been missing out on, he only wanted her more. He sunk his head in her neck, smelling her. He closed his eyes, enjoying how her wet body felt against his. Her breasts pressing against his chest. Her nipples hardening at the touch of his skin. He shouldn't have come to her tonight, but he found he couldn't give a damn at the moment. His body and mind so heavy with fatigue. He could fall asleep standing here.

Bulma turned the water off and took Vegeta's hands, guiding him out of the shower. She went to grab a towel to dry them off but Vegeta yanked her arm, pulling her in close. He smirked at her before he powered up, drying them both withing seconds. Bulma yelped, marvelling at the feeling of his power. She gave him a big grin. Then Vegeta winced in pain and almost fell to his knees. How she hated seeing him in pain. She helped him up and quickly grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants and gave it to him. She wrapped herself in a robe.

"C'mon, let's go to bed."

Vegeta followed Bulma to her bed. He laid down under the covers immediately and closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow. Bulma joined him, pushing her body against his, feeling pretty confident he wouldn't scold her for showing affection.

"Don't get used to this woman." Vegeta said in a sleepy voice.

"I wouldn't dare." She smiled to herself. She found it hard to believe this was a onetime thing. It was too good.

"I'm leaving for space in the morning."

"Oh. Why?"

"I can't focus here. Too many distractions." Vegeta said while his hand was making his way under Bulma's robe. Caressing her skin.

"Am I one of them?"

"You are." His voice sluggish.

Bulma smiled. Vegeta considering her a distraction was a compliment.

"Also, all of this is just too easy. Food whenever I'm hungry, a comfortable bed, a shower. It's too...nice. It's making me soft."

"I understand." Bulma whispered, her fingers tracing the lines on his chest. "I'll help you get the ship ready. Just make sure you wake me up before you go."

"I'm waking you up alright." He said, his hand gently squeezing her ass.

Bulma felt butterflies in her stomach. She was already looking forward to that. She was sad to see him go. But she felt Vegeta would not appreciate her saying so. And she most definitely did not want to be part of the reason for his lack of focus. They needed Vegeta. They needed another Super Saiyan. If that meant he had to leave CC to achieve the transformation then so be it.

Bulma could hear by his breathing that Vegeta had fallen asleep. She gently pressed her lips against his skin. She fiercely hoped that this would not be her last and only night with the Saiyan prince. Just moments ago, she figured he would surely come back for more. The physical connection between them was undeniable. She doubted Vegeta had ever experienced anything close to it. But there was no telling what he would be like once he was a Super Saiyan. Blinded by power perhaps. And he was not subtle about his feelings towards Goku. Would he really kill him if it came to it?

Bulma sighed deeply, feeling her body and mind slipping into a blissfully, unaware sleep. She realised it might be the last one for a long time.

A/N Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

Darkrinoa18