"I can't believe this planet has rainstorms like Vegeta," Gine shouted, following behind Bardock as the droplets fell down harder and harder with every inch they took. Their armor was soaked along with their skin, and Gine was surprised to see that her leader's hair was still remaining in its same messy style. "You know, Bardock, you really do have some interesting hair. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."

The male glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, only to see that the woman had a look of sincerity in her large orbs that should be illegal. He noticed that the downfall had caused her spiked down hair to appear much longer; and the droplets on her face were giving it a softer look than it already was. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No," Gine smiled and caught a glimpse of the male smirking before he turned his attention back to the front. "Where are you taking us, anyway? It's not like you know Stratreon like the back of your hand." She watched his shoulders shake slightly in curiosity, realizing that he was laughing.

"You'd be surprised by how many things I can remember," Bardock simple said and came to a halt. Gine crashed into his back, not prepared for it. "I saw a cave near the village we encountered earlier. It's right up there."

Gine followed his finger and frowned. Through the rain, she could see an open space on top of a mountain. "So, are we flying up there or what?" When Bardock gave her a look, she huffed. "Can you take me?"

"What!?" the male snapped, looking at his little annoyance before taking flight. "Don't you know how to fly?"

The woman rubbed her arms, beginning to become cold from the storm. Not even Bardock's glare could warm her up. "Yes, but..." her frown deepened. "I'm too scared to go up there. What if lightening strikes me down?"

"Are you made of metal?"

"Maybe."

Bardock rubbed the bridge of his nose, muttering profanities under his breath that Gine couldn't understand. The sound of thunder crackling was becoming louder, muffling out his voice and causing the poor woman to become even more terrified. She had always been fearful of the storms on Planet Vegeta, but Stratreon's seemed much worse and much more violent.

Gine sighed, fiddling with her thumbs and trying to find something to say when she realized Bardock wasn't speaking. "Listen, I- OOF!" Her croak was cut off when she felt gravity sweep her off her feet and sling her over a Herculean shoulder. Her orbs widened in shock as the muddy ground beneath them was disappearing. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you," he grunted. "What else could I possibly be doing!?"

Gine huffed; her breasts not feeling too great being squished against his hard shoulder. "If you wanted to carry me, why couldn't you do it in a charming way like a knight and hold me bridal style?"

"What!?" she heard his husky voice snap back. "Why in the hell would I do that!?" Bardock waited for her answer, but shook his head and focused on the approaching cave when she remained silent. She certainly was something else. Unable to explain exactly happened next, the something-else-of-a-woman had her legs wrapped around his torso and was giggling uncontrollable. She leaned her head a bit forward so that her wet locks slapped him in the face.

"Ooh!" she cheered with more laughter. "I like this so much better!"

Slicking the wet strands of Gine's off his face with the back of his thumb, Bardock began to mutter. "Why are you cackling like a hyena now?"

"I'm sorry," Gine tried to control herself, taking a deep breath as they landed on the surface before the cave's entrance. "It's just been forever since I've gotten a piggyback ride! My dad use to give them to me all the time!" She crawled off the Saiyan male's back and smiled warmly at him when he turned around to face her with inquisitive eyes and furrowed brows.

"... Piggyback ride?"

Gine blinked, and asked innocently, "You don't know what that means, Bardock?"

"No," the scar-faced one scoffed. "But judging by that idiotic name, it sounds like you've come up with it." Ignoring her pout, Bardock scanned the cave for any signs of life. When detecting nothing, he entered and was expecting to hear the squishing sound of tiny boots following him. When he didn't, he groaned and turned around to Gine still stuck in a pout.

"Get in the cave," he called. "Or you're going to die."

"Not until you apologize." Gine crossed her arms over her chest and looked away; the droplets at the end of her wet strands flinging to the ground.

"For what!?" the male snapped and only grew angrier when he didn't respond. "If you think I have something to apologize for after everything I've done for you today, you're sadly mistaken. Now, get in the cave!"

The woman had her nose turned up, but she slowly looked away from a soaked boulder in the distance to face him. Her eyes scanned him over; noticing that his chest was heaving up and down as if he was trying hard to control his anger, or he was exhausted. Either way, Gine couldn't help but feel sorry for her leader. As strong as he was, he most certainly wasn't happy and she had no clue as to why when there was so much beauty to life. "Fine."

Bardock blinked as the squishing sound of the tiny boots against the muddy ground became louder as she approached him. "Seriously?"

"Yes," Gine smiled, noticing that his previous throbbing veins had disappeared the instant she joined his side. "You're completely right, Bardock. I've given you a hard time today, and I'm sorry. Let's just try and get some rest now, alright?"

The male watched with a twitching eye as she yawned and used some of her ki as a flashlight to find her way through the dark void. He knew for as long as he lived, he would never understand women. With a deep sigh and rub of his neck, Bardock followed behind her into their temporary home.

Claiming to be afraid of the dark, Bardock had gathered logs to set on fire only to find Gine was fast asleep upon reentry. "She bitches and moans for this and now she's snoring," he muttered, still creating the fire anyway and watching the flames flicker. "I just don't get her."

"I'm still awake, jerk!" she snapped, not opening her eyes but her brows were scrunched up in anger. "I was just trying to trick you!"

"Tell me something," he mused, watching the fire illuminate the features on her face. Her wet bangs were framing her face, but her skin had dried away the previous drops. Bardock was freshly soaked after gathering logs for the princess. "What you mentioned earlier, about that piggyback bull shit. Your father. Was he as weak as you?"

Gine cracked open an eye to smile sadly up at Bardock, only to find him watching her. "No. He was sweet. You can be both, you know. Sweet and strong."

Ignoring her statement, Bardock kept his orbs fixed on her. The light of the fire was dancing across them; and underneath it was the image of the woman he was looking at. "You must have been close to him to have a memory that caused you to laugh like that."

His words caused Gine to sit up straight, wringing out her hair as the excess water dripped to the cold ground. Frowning, she said, "You don't have a memory with your father that makes you happy?"

Bardock shrugged, watching a droplet trickle down her neck and remain on her collar bone. "And why would I ever show an emotion like that? To look like a weakling? Please."

"I feel so sad for you," Gine spoke earnestly, her voice in a soft whisper. "Do you like anything?"

"Deer."

"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean."

Bardock turned his attention way from the inquisitive little female to look at the entrance of the cave. The rain continued to pour down; proving to be a long lasting storm. "I like the rain," he said finally, keeping his eyes on it. "I've actually... come to depend on it."

Shocked by his confession, Gine held her hand to her heart and cleared her voice that was beginning to waver. "What do you mean by that?"

The Saiyan smirked, and then his expression turned serious. "I feel like it drowns my sorrows in ways nothing else can. You think I don't remember a life before Frieza?" he closed his eyes tightly while the woman watching him felt her heart aching. "I wait for the storm to come. It releases its thunder like my rage and its lightening is like my memories that are gone too soon in a flash. I feel...synchronized with the storm. We are the same."

Gine watched breathlessly as droplets of rain began running down his neck, and the rain that was dripping from his fingers. She suddenly felt jealous of the rain; wanting to be the drops that must be lingering on his back. The man who claimed to have no emotions just confessed something he was holding in, and still, he remained a mystery. One that she could never be close enough to. The rainstorm had to be a representation of his unshed tears of pain, ones that would never ever be shown to anyone.

Not even himself.

Bardock opened his mouth to tell the woman it was time to sleep, but felt two cold hands cupping his face and forcing him to look at the owner. He blinked in silence at the proximity of Gine. He watched as her orbs studied the scar on his face, and he could tell she wanted to know how he got it. She wanted to know everything, at least what he could give her, so she could help him realize that life was, in fact, beautiful enough to find a sense of happiness somewhere amidst all the darkness.

Most of all, she wanted to feel his lips on hers.

Just as the longing that Bardock had felt ever since seeing those lips pout became unbearable, the warmth of his mouth had sent a current running through Gine's body. Her hands dropped from his face and her arms wrapped around his neck as she felt herself becoming lost.