Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ
Living with You
Chapter 8
Vegeta hadn't gone very far away from the cave. He didn't want to leave anyway. All he wanted was to have some time to himself to think about everything. Bulma was asking so many questions, bring up so many things that he himself hadn't even thought about yet. It was too much. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to think, he just wanted to be left alone. The bond wouldn't allow him to leave and he knew it. He found that he couldn't go more than a mile away from her. Was it always going to be like this?
He had flown to the mountain opposite of the one Bulma was in and he sat down on one of its cliffs just in line with a view of the cave. His superior eyesight allowed him to see Bulma up close and clearly while she would never be able to see him from that distance. Vegeta watched her as she sat by the fire and ate her oatmeal, then paced around the cave. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly she thought about this situation. Her feelings were reaching him and they were upset, confused and shocked, with a bit of relief and a hint of happiness. The last puzzled him. Wouldn't she be angry at the intrusion into her life? He was. Wouldn't she be angry because she wouldn't be able to choose for herself who she wanted to be with for the rest of her life? Yamcha was a jerk, but she stayed with him for so long. What was she going to do about Yamcha?
What indeed. He sighed and looked down at his legs dangling over the edge of the cliff. He knew that he couldn't stop the process. He would have to wait until they were completely mated before he could back out of it. Soon he would be trying to keep her to himself and he would just go into a primitive sort of state and lose control over the part of his mind that didn't want it all to happen. Sure, he would be sane for the most part and he could go about his business, but soon he wouldn't let Yamcha anywhere near Bulma and any male that came near her would be like an enemy to Vegeta. He rubbed his face dejectedly then let his head rest in his hands.
She would have to give Yamcha up. Maybe that was what she was happy about. She couldn't possibly like Yamcha, and Vegeta often got the feeling that Bulma was only with Yamcha to pass the time. It struck him as odd because she was beautiful for being a human and she could get any male on the planet that she wanted. Why stay so long with Yamcha? Why allow him to stay around after he had cheated on her so many times? Maybe Bulma was ready for a change, and was glad that the change would be to a real man…to Vegeta.
Bulma paced inside the cave. The thoughts in her head were moving too fast for her to really know and understand what she was thinking about at any given moment. She knew that this was a serious issue. This would change her life forever. Her mind kept going to her thought of being run ragged by Vegeta's demands. She thought that he was the hottest male on the planet and when he showed his softer side, he was one of the most interesting people to be around. But she also knew that at any given time, Vegeta could turn into the angriest person in the world, and it would be for no reason. It had happened a few times already and it usually happened when he had been thinking for a long length of time. Something he thought about would get him angry and he turned his anger on anyone that came near him, but especially on himself. At those times, he became violent and retreated into himself. Sometimes it seemed like he wanted to punish himself. Bulma had ideas that what he had originally thought about was either something terrible from his past, or the fact that Goku was still stronger than him. Would he continue to be that way? Mating with her probably wasn't going to stop him from thinking about his past. Nothing would change except that they would be bound together for eternity. Bulma's heart dropped and she became depressed.
He wouldn't change for her. He wouldn't change for anyone unless he decided to change for himself. If they had a child together, he wouldn't be the best father. Would he be worse than what Yamcha would have been? Would his anger get the better of him sometimes? Would he hit their child or even Bulma? She knew that she had to ask these things of him. She had never been hit by a man in her life and she wasn't about to start allowing that to happen. But Vegeta didn't seem to be that way; he had been completely pissed off that she had accused him of rape. He had said that he had more pride than to do that. Did he have more pride than to hit a woman too? She had seen him punching people…he had killed people…where exactly was the line that he drew of what was acceptable and not acceptable to him? Was there some Saiyan custom that said that the females should be kept in line and the males could hit them in order to do so? There was something to think about…would she be held under Saiyan law and custom while she was mated, or would she still be allowed to be human and still be her own person? Would Vegeta feel obligated to treat her the way Saiyan women were treated? Maybe the Saiyan women weren't treated badly at all, maybe they were revered.
"Ugh!" she yelled into the cave. Her cry echoed back to her. "I can't keep thinking about this right now."
She went to the dresser that Vegeta had gotten her new clothes out of and she drew out a clump of clothes and piled them onto the floor. She then laid her head down on top of them and tried her best to go to sleep, only succeeding after a few silent hours.
"Are you ready?" a deep voice asked her.
Bulma opened her eyes and saw two black ones right in front of her face. Vegeta was very close to her. If he lowered himself down any farther, he would be kissing her…
"For what?" The question came out softly, barely audible.
"To go."
He pulled away from her and stood up, only to look back down at her over his crossed arms.
She turned to the side, cursing the hard ground and saw that it was day again. She had spent an entire night away from Capsule Corp. Yamcha had probably called every official government agency to look for her by now. Bulma sighed and sat up.
Vegeta, satisfied that she was finally going to get up, moved around the cave putting things away and preparing himself for the flight back.
All of her thoughts came back to her. "Wait…I want to talk some more. I have a lot of questions for you."
Vegeta's face grew grim and he turned away from her, muttering curses under his breath. Then he turned back and grated, "Haven't you asked enough questions already? That's all you did yesterday."
Bulma's worries returned as well. He was getting into one of those moods.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't understand this thing that going to happen and I'd like to know a little more about it before it happens."
"There's nothing you can do about it." He glared daggers at her. He really didn't want to talk about it now. Ever.
"Well, maybe not, but I'd still like to know more about it."
He sat himself heavily on the floor and crossed his arms, all while still glaring at her for asking him anything more about the subject.
"How are you going to treat me? Like shit? Like Yamcha does? Will I be worth anything to you other than being 'yours?' I want to be treated with respect from now on. I've been wanting to break things off with Yamcha for a long time now. And if I'm going to be forced to do that now, and be forced into a relationship with you, I want you to treat me better than Yamcha has treated me. How is it going to be?"
He stared at her a few moments before answering. It was pointless to answer really. If he said that he would hit her, she still wouldn't have a choice. Their bodies were making the decision for them. "Nothing will change. I'm not going to change for you. I'll treat you the same way as I always have. Perhaps better since I promised that I would be kinder to all of you if you told the truth, which you did. I'm bound to my promise. I gave my word."
"You're not going to start hitting me if I don't do exactly what you say all the time?"
Vegeta looked sharply at her. "Has Yamcha done that to you?" His blood boiled in anger at the worthless human.
"No. But I don't know what Saiyan customs are. Maybe you guys want your women kept in line. You know that no one keeps me in line. Maybe you would feel you have to. I don't want that."
"We do not do that."
This was like a spar between the two of them. Both were talking in cold tones. Vegeta was mad that she had started with her questions all over again and mad that he felt that he had to answer them. She in turn was mad because he seemed so stubborn and unfeeling about her ignorance of his mating rituals. How could she possibly know all about it?
"Are you going to let me be myself?"
"If you allow me to be myself as well. I'm not going to change." He refused to do so.
"Kids?" She swallowed. This wasn't the best time for her to be thinking of another child, so soon after she had lost this first one. Would she even be able to have another?
"Perhaps. I'm not thrilled about it. It's inevitable, however." He knew what her next question would be. "And yes, I will raise it as a Saiyan. It will train. I will make it spar with me. I will not have it be a weakling and a disgrace to my family, dead though they may be. Even though I will not subject you to Saiyan customs, my child will know of his or her people. They will know the history. They will speak the language. They will become strong and be a credit to our race."
Bulma sucked her teeth. "In other words, you are going to be brutal."
"If need be."
She could feel her anger rising already, as if their child was already born and she was fighting for its safety. "You will not hurt it. Our kid, no matter what sort of blood is in its veins, will not be subjected to any kind of abuse by you. I forbid it." Her eyes flashed at him. "He or she will be able to be human. They don't have to be Saiyan, and they don't have to be human. They can be what they want to be, or what their blood makes them."
Vegeta bared his teeth at her before she found herself moving quickly over the desert. He had moved so fast and had taken her out of the cave back towards her home without her being immediately aware. Obviously it was the end of the discussion.
Yamcha paced to and fro in the Briefs' kitchen. He had not contacted any government agencies; he had not even raised his energy as a signal to make the other Z Warriors rush to help him. Yamcha was determined to handle this all on his own.
Dr. Briefs did not seem too concerned with the situation. He had decided for himself a long time ago that Vegeta, while in his worst moods was not one to cross, he was relatively harmless otherwise, since he never acted on his threats. Of course, he had to admit that his daughter always seemed to be the one that set off the stubborn prince. Nevertheless, he had a feeling that Vegeta would not harm her. Besides, it would be uncharacteristic for Vegeta to kidnap Bulma. He usually tried to avoid her and her nagging, so why would he do something like kidnap her? Strangely enough, he felt that if there were danger, Bulma would be in good hands with Vegeta.
Bunny, Bulma's mother, meanwhile was completely upset. Her natural charm and need to be a good hostess flew out the window. Yamcha had started on his tangent of how he believed that Vegeta had kidnapped Bulma to have his way with her, to steal the family fortune, to bring Earth to its knees and bow down to him. After Yamcha had been going on with this conversation for so long, he had finally broken through to Bunny and now she was frightened for her only daughter being left alone with Vegeta, the man she once had said she admired for his dedication to training. Until Yamcha's talk, she had always thought the best of Vegeta, no matter how bad a mood he was in, but know she found that she could think of only the worst things. Vegeta had never done anything to harm anyone, though he certainly threatened to, but she had always thought of him as a naughty child, that he was just being a boy and that was all that his temper tantrums were. Yamcha's beliefs certainly scared her, whether they were true or not.
From far off, Yamcha detected Vegeta's energy signal rapidly approaching the compound. He grit his teeth and turned in the direction of the energy.
"Finally."
Dr. Briefs looked up from his chair, and Bunny jumped up from her place on the couch where she had been sobbing into several tissues.
Yamcha was already outside on the lawn and eagerly looking as far as he could into the distance to catch his first glimpse of Vegeta and Bulma. After what felt like an eternity, he could finally make out a small form approaching, though it was still too distant to tell if Bulma was there with Vegeta. A short wait rewarded Yamcha with the sight of Bulma. While she herself did not seem too put out over being held precariously in one of Vegeta's arms, Yamcha became irate over it. "How dare that Saiyan only hold onto her with one arm? She could fall!" Yamcha thought wildly.
In no time, Vegeta landed and put Bulma back on the ground. She chose to ignore him completely and she brushed away imaginary dust from her clothes. Her attire was not lost on Yamcha, who immediately recognized the clothes as men's clothes, specifically clothes that belonged to Vegeta. He stared dumbfounded at the two of them, his concern over Bulma's safety temporarily leaving his mind. Anger quickly flowed through him at the thought that Bulma would submit to Vegeta in any way, allowing Vegeta to do things to her that only he as her boyfriend should have the right to do. Bulma had had an affair with another man? With Vegeta? Yamcha conveniently forgot about his many past affairs. And if it had not happened that way, he was angered over the thought of Vegeta raping her again. Yamcha did not even consider the fact that nothing had happened; her attire told a story of its own. How many women that he had spent a night with had walked out of their hotel room wearing some part of Yamcha's clothes? It was usually his dress shirt.
Yamcha's suspicions were not lost on Vegeta. He smirked in triumph. Not for actually conquering Bulma, but because Yamcha was angry and anytime that Yamcha was upset was a source of amusement for the prince. Yamcha scowled at him in response.
Bulma looked back and forth between the two, practically seeing sparks flashing back and forth between them. When she noticed her parents beaming at her return, she rushed over and gave them both hugs, reassuring them that she was okay and that Vegeta had been very kind to her.
"Kind?" Yamcha asked in derision. "He can't be kind. It's not in him. What happened?"
Yamcha tried to look menacing, but Bulma found it truly comical and it was all she could do to keep herself from laughing out loud at him. She quickly wondered if it was she who really thought so or if she were getting this sense of humor from Vegeta. He was obviously amused. Yamcha trying to be macho was like seeing a Chihuahua trying to be a Great Dane. Bulma felt a little pity for Yamcha. She had never thought things like this before, but she felt that in the past her eyes had not been open. This was the real Yamcha acting tough and intimidating to impress everyone, especially himself. Even with mirth filling her, her sense of pride overrode it all and she became angered at Yamcha.
"Didn't I tell you that I never wanted to see you again?"
"You say that all the time." Yamcha waved his hands and he looked annoyed.
"Yeah, well I meant it this time. Get away from my house."
"Oh, Bulma dear," her mother interjected, "that's not nice to treat poor Yamcha that way! He was here all night worrying about you!"
Bulma turned and looked at her mother over her shoulder in disbelief.
"Mama, he wants to get back at Vegeta for Vegeta being stronger than him. It's the same exact thing as Vegeta being mad at Goku for Goku being stronger than him."
"What!" Yamcha jumped back a few feet. "No way! What is your problem, why are you saying that I have something in common with Vegeta?"
Vegeta didn't like the comparison either by the look on his face.
"Well, it's the truth. Yamcha we're over. Thank you for being worried about me, but Vegeta and I had a talk and-"
"Psh, yeah…talk. Yeah right. Why are you wearing his clothes?"
"Oh my…" Bunny gasped as she finally noticed that her daughter was wearing the clothes that she herself had bought for Vegeta when he had first arrived on Earth.
Bulma found herself blushing slightly and she wished that Vegeta would decide to answer instead of forcing her to talk. Vegeta did not stir however, so Bulma found herself desperately trying to think of an excuse. Finally, a plan formed in her head, a plan that was probably just as hare-brained as her last plan, but she ran with it.
"Vegeta and I went somewhere else so that we could strike a deal." She really hoped that Vegeta would play along. "I really meant it when I told you to leave, and so to insure that, I've made a deal with Vegeta that if he ever sees you around here again, he can drag your sorry butt into the gravity room and make you try to train with him at 400x gravity."
"In exchange for what? Sex? I guess he got an advance on his first payment, huh?"
Bulma's mouth dropped open at the insult. Vegeta'a blood boiled and there was a whistling in his ear. "She did no such thing," he found himself saying. It was in a calm tone, a remarkable feat for the state he was in.
"What about those clothes then? Whores end up wearing their client's clothes at some point."
Years of resentment flooded to the surface and Bulma was about to retort that he would know about those kinds of things when she was interrupted.
"Now see here, young man." It was Dr. Briefs. Usually he was quiet and amiable, but he refused to stand by as someone mocked his daughter and tried to drag her good name through the mud. He himself was reminded of Yamcha's philandering ways and thought that if Bulma had started a relationship with Vegeta to finally get back at Yamcha, good for her. "My daughter is a respectable young woman whom you have always chosen to ignore. You have turned to other women more times than any of us can count. You are a hypocrite, young man. Personally, I think it is a splendid idea. Mr. Vegeta, as the owner of this house, this compound, and this entire vicinity, I fully agree with whatever measures you have to take in order to keep Yamcha off of our property…except for killing, of course. You may proceed with whatever plan you have worked out with our Bulma. Good day, Yamcha."
With that, he turned and ushered his wife back into the house, so that whatever actions Vegeta chose to take would not have to be seen by his wife.
"Good…I'm glad that's settled," Vegeta responded quietly…too quietly. Deathly, was more like the actual tone. Vegeta had just started in a movement to attack Yamcha, but had managed to hold himself in check when Dr. Briefs had interrupted the conversation. This was, however, a bad sign. He was becoming way too protective of Bulma. It must mean the bond is real.
Bulma kept her composure and continued to look back and forth from Vegeta to Yamcha. She could feel the anger emanating from Vegeta and it seemed to fill up the entire compound, suffusing the air with his anger at his intended mate being treated the way she was by Yamcha. She was set on allowing Vegeta to do whatever he wanted, within reason. Yamcha looked frightened; he was back to his old self. All of his bandit instincts told him that a predator was staring him down. Time seemed to stand still. All sounds stopped, as if all the animals in the world knew that Vegeta was near his breaking point, near the edge of allowing himself to tear apart the man in front of him.
Yikes, scary…
Lady Branwen
