Well, it's time. Yup, it's finally time to get to the mushy parts. Just remember that I try obsessively hard to keep Vegeta in character and, lucky for him, Usagi happens to be a VERY understanding person. He's just kinda possessive. Not my fault, the characters always kinda do their own things. Oh yeah, I gotta warn you, like I said, from here it gets mushy, and I'm not good at mushy. (Probably b/c I can't draw from experience.) So if this starts going downhill, don't abandon this fic, just give me some suggestions. I need them anyway, cause I'm gonna be a novelist when I "grow up."

Disclaimer: I am a 16 year old girl living in the South and looking forward to getting a cowboy hat for Christmas. Now tell me, does that sound like the creator of either SM or DBZ? I didn't think so.



Bring on the Rain

Chapter 5



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"That's what I thought..." Usagi muttered under her breath as Vegeta carried her downstairs.

"What's that, onna?" The Saiyan prince growled.

Usagi was obviously surprised that he had overheard her, even though she was very close to his ear. She hesitated, then decided to clarify for him. "Well, you try to act all tough, but you're actually a good person on the inside." She explained.

He snorted. "I am not. I just want the damned gravity room fixed so I can get stronger and beat Kakarott's ass into the ground." Wasn't it obvious?

Usagi put her arms around his neck- it was very distracting.

"Oh? So you're saying you're evil then?" She asked in a conversational tone.

"Exactly, onna." Finally the baka was getting it! "Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? How many planets and civilizations I've destroyed?"

"I've seen evil, Vegeta, and you aren't it."

He grunted.

When they got to the kitchen Vegeta dropped Usagi into a chair, although the "drop" was actually much more gentle than what he normally would have done. Then, to Vegeta's utter shock, Usagi actually thanked him. He grunted rudely and sat down across from her, crossing his arms and trying to look as antisocial as possible. Within moments Bulma's mother, who was always happiest when doing something domestic, began serving both of them food. She was used to having Saiyans at the house, so there was a lot to eat.

Lucky thing, too, because Usagi stopped eating only twenty plates before Vegeta did.

"I feel much better." Usagi sighed happily, pushing away her plate. She glanced over out the window. "Vegeta, when you're done, will you take me outside?"

"No." He grunted, still shoveling in food.

"Why not?" She asked, looking back at him.

"I said I would take you up and down the stairs. I never agreed to take you everywhere your heart desired." He spat harshly, glaring at the quiet blonde.

She nodded, glancing again out the window. "I just wanted to feel the sunshine again. Well, I don't need you if you're going to be like that." She decided, slowly standing to her feet.

Vegeta snorted.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, half amused.

"Going outside." She responded with a small, concentrated frown.

"You can barely stand. How do you expect to get outside?" He demanded despite the surprising fact he was worried that she'd hurt herself.

She effectively ignored him and, grasping the counter for support, began making her way to the door. All the color slowly drained from her cheeks, but still she continued. Vegeta recognized the stubborn, determined look on her face-it was the same look he'd gotten while training to become a super Saiyan.

Usagi's head was pounding, and her knees felt like jelly, but she refused to go back to her seat.

She wouldn't let herself.

Gritting her teeth in determination, she continued on her way despite the fact she'd rather just lay back down. Suddenly, two wonderfully strong arms wrapped around her, holding her up.

She looked up, and was immediately lost in a magnificent pair of ebony eyes. For a moment she forgot where she was. She forgot her pain, her weakness, even her own name. (Who wouldn't?)

"Vegeta...?"

He looked away. "I grow tired of watching so much weakness." He growled as he lifted her completely into his arms. Usagi didn't comment, she was too distracted. She realized suddenly that she'd never met anyone so strong, so pridefull. He seemed like such a harsh, hardened warrior, and yet, as he began carrying her outside, he was so unbelievably gentle and careful with her. As if he were afraid of breaking her.

Which he definitely could.

"Thank you." She managed to say, finding her voice.

"Where do you want me to put you?" He asked in his usual growl, although his voice had lost some of it's arrogant inflections.

Usagi had unconsciously laid her head on his shoulder when he had picked her up, and Vegeta couldn't believe how much that little act made him want to embrace her. To kiss her. A fierce protectiveness had welled up inside him when she had done that. He didn't want anyone else even looking at her. She was his.

His?

He smirked a little, not pushing the idea away immediately. For a moment he contemplated it, turned it over in his head.

"Over there in the grass." Usagi said suddenly, her voice breaking him out of his thoughts. Vegeta set her down as carefully as he could, ignoring the overwhelming urge to claim her lips as his at that very moment. He stood and glared down at her.

"If that baka onna thinks I abandoned you out here, I'll never get that room fixed." He complained.

Usagi laid back and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face. "Just give me an hour, and then you cane take me back in. I'm really sorry to bother you with this, I'll try to get better as soon as I can."

Vegeta grunted and left, picking a spot not too far away to train. He wasn't able to concentrate very well however, and found himself overly relieved when the hour was up. He went quickly back to the spot where he'd left Usagi, only to find her asleep. Carefully, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her back to her room. She didn't even stir when he laid her back on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

She really was perfection.

Of course, so am I. Vegeta thought with only a hint of arrogance. Perfection deserves only perfection. Without realizing what he was doing, Vegeta brushed stray strands of hair out of Usagi's face and brushed his lips across hers.

When he realized exactly what he'd done, he jerked away, angry. What was she doing to him?

Nande kuso?! The Prince of all Saiyans does NOT act like this. The Prince of all Saiyans doesn't feel these things! He stormed out of the room, barely managing not to slam the door on his way out.

In her sleep Usagi smiled to herself.

Even asleep, she knew that for the first time in five years she was completely safe, warm, and loved.

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Usagi gained strength steadily, and within a surprisingly short amount of time, she was completely healed. When Bulma was sure the small girl would feel up to it, she invited everyone they knew to dinner at a very expensive restraunt. Everyone had several questions they were dying to ask Usagi.

Of course, that wasn't the reason for going to dinner.

Really.

Yeah, right.

"Usagi, are you ready yet?" Bulma called up the stairs. "Everyone will be here really soon! Trunks, quit that. Leave that shirt tucked in!"

"But Mom!" Trunks complained.

"I don't want to hear it! We're going to a nice restraunt as soon as the Sons get here and we're going to look nice. Vegeta, couldn't you have done something with your hair? Look how nice Yamcha looks!"

Vegeta scowled at her. Even when they had been together Bulma had always complained about his hair and tried to get him to cut it in the latest style. The woman couldn't seem to understand that a pure Saiyan's hair could never change.

"Usagi!" Bulma called again, impatiently.

"Gomen nasai, Bulma-san." Usagi apologized, suddenly coming into view as she quickly rushed down the stairs.

Vegeta's breath caught in his throat.

Usagi was wearing a scarlet dress with a floor-sweeping skirt. The top half was made to resemble an old-fashioned bodice and was decorated with beaded phoenix's and dragons. Her golden hair was tied up into a complicated array of braids and curls.

"Are you sure I couldn't wear something else?" She asked hopefully as she stepped off the foot of the stairs. The dress was cut so that it left her arms, and half of her back bare, which made her self-conscious.

"Now Usagi, the scars aren't that noticeable, dear. That salve we got from Dende really lightened them up." Bulma told her for the hundredth time. "Quit worrying, you look beautiful. Doesn't she?"

"Yes!" Chibi Trunks piped in happily, reaching up and taking Usagi's hand. Yamcha nodded in agreement, trying to keep from drooling over the blonde int he presence of his fiancee. "Don't you think she looks pretty, dad?" Trunks asked.

Vegeta grunted and forced himself to look away. "When is that baka Kakarott getting here?" He demanded instead of answering his son. "This is such a waste of my time!" Because he was no longer looking, Vegeta completely missed the hurt look that crossed Usagi's face for a moment.

She turned to Bulma. "This must be a pretty fancy place, Bulma-san. Are you sure I should come? I'm not family, and you know how much I eat..."

"I'm one of the richest people on Earth, Usagi. Do you think I care? Besides, Vegeta's coming, and he isn't really family, and you know how much he eats!"

Another knife in the Saiyan prince's heart.

"Vegeta is Trunks' dad, Bulma. That counts as family." Usagi said, perhaps sensing that the comment had hurt Vegeta. "Besides, you've known everyone who's coming forever and I-"

"Nonsense! You are completely welcome. That Supreme Kai guy and his friend Kibito are coming, too, and I've never really talked to either of them. And Gohan's bringing his little girlfriend and her father. Now I don't want to hear any more excuses."

Usagi sighed, but didn't say anything else.

The all jumped a little when the doorbell rang.

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Bulma had conveniatly remembered, after the entire group was in one of Capsuel Corp's planes, and once the plane was off the ground, that all the adults needed escorts. Not too much was wrong with that. Bulma had Yamcha, Goku had Chi-Chi, Gohan had Videl. Both Trunks and Goten were too young to care either way. Neither Shin nor Kibito wanted a date, because they were only on Earth to hear Usagi's story and then they would be leaving again. Piccolo was asexual.

This left Usagi, Hercule, and Vegeta.

"Well, that doesn't work out as well as I'd thought it would!" Bulma laughed nervously under Vegeta's death glare. "One of you will just have to go dateless."

"Oh, well," Usagi stepped away. "Vegeta, Mr. Satan, have fun at dinner."

Bulma fell down.

"Um, that's not what I meant." The blue-haired woman mumbled, picking herself off the floor. "Usagi, one of them has to go dateless. You can't because you're the girl." Bulma mentally kicked herself for even mentioning the whole thing. Of course Vegeta didn't care if he had a date or not, he didn't care about anyone but himself.

And power.

Hercule cleared his throat. "Well, ah, now...Miss Usagi..."

With a scowl, Vegeta grabbed Usagi's arm and pulled her over next to him. "Stay away, amateur." The prince demanded with a glare.

Oh well. Bulma thought, turning back to her seat. I guess Vegeta's competitive streak got the better of him. She paused as she saw Chibi Trunks watching his father and Usagi with a huge smile on his face.

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"Yes!" Trunks cheered, "I knew dad would come through! Look, Goten, Usagi and my Dad are on a date!"

"So? So'd Gohan and Videl."

"Yeah, but I want Usagi to be my stepmom."

Goten's face went pale. "Trunks, don't you know that stepmothers are bad? They're mean, mean ladies who make their kids do things like clean and don't ever let them have fun!"

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Don't be an infant, Goten."

"It's true! Haven't you ever heard of Cinderella?"

"N-no..."

"How about Snow White? OR Hansel and Gretal? I'm telling you, Trunks, Usagi might be nice now, but something happens when people become stepmoms. Something bad!"

Trunks' eyes were as wide as saucers."You know all those kids, Goten?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"Gohan told me about them one night while he was babysitting me..."

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Usagi cast a glance at Vegeta, sitting next to her on the plane. Oh yeah, he looked good. Real good. He and Bulma had had a huge fight over what he was going wear to dinner. She had wanted him to dress up. He had wanted to wear his Saiyan armor.

Finally there was a compromise.

Vegeta was now wearing a pair of black, non-spandex pants, and a white dress shirt. (Mmmmm)

And he looked good.

Of course, Usagi reminded herself as she forced herself to look away, he always looks good. Within a few moments her mind drifted back to a few moments ago when he had saved her from being Hercule's date. For a moment the Saiyan prince had seemed so...possessive and protective. Usagi hadn't thought she was the type to go for that, but it turned out she liked it.

Mamoru had only acted that way during a battle. Sometimes he'd be like that when a gut paid attention to her, but it was rare, and never as fierce as Vegeta had been.

Usagi stopped her thoughts there.

She knew as well as anyone else the degree to which Vegeta's competitive streak went. He would never let someone else have something and go without himself.

Chill girl, you don't want to fall in love with another guy who doesn't care about you except to make sure no one else touched you. She firmly told herself. Suddenly, she saw Trunks and Goten look at her from around their seats in the front. She smiled brightly at the adorable boys, but they quickly ducked away.

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To be continued.

That's it for today, more later. I was just thinking, for those of you who like spoils, if you want to know some of the plans I have for this, feel free to write me an e-mail and I'll tell you. I'm horrible about spilling things like that.

=)