Vegeta didn't sleep. He remained in the barren wasteland, watching the constellations shift as the Earth slowly revolved.
His mind was plagued with stormy thoughts of his home planet, what should have been, his life under Frieza, and how much misery this shithole of a planet would bring him.
As the sun began to climb in the sky, he flew back to Capsule Corp., unable to stand ruminating on his own cancerous thoughts any longer.
He flew in through his balcony as usual, taking a quick shower in an attempt to wash away his useless thoughts and emotions. He would get some nourishment then it was back to training.
Making his way down the hall, he sensed the woman and her mother were in the kitchen. Great. He would have to come back later.
He turned to make his way back to his room when he heard Bulma practically shout, "No, Mom!" His curiosity was piqued…
Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, was reduced to eavesdropping by an open kitchen door, floating gently in the air so that the floorboards wouldn't creak.
He remained completely still and focused on keeping his breathing and his ki low. Not that anyone nearby could sense him, but simply out of some insinticutal habit that had helped keep him alive most of the time.
Bulma's voice was high-pitched and frustrated. "So you know how I get sometimes when I'm nervous…I threw back some drinks." Her mother encouraged her to continue…Vegeta scowled at the door.
"I made my move, okay?! I decided, screw it, he's hot as hell and I wanted to know if he was into me! So I sat on his lap and I kissed him!" His heart skipped a beat.
She didn't know he was listening in; this was a private conversation.
"He thinks I- I tricked him, or something!" Panchy assured her that she could show him the truth.
Vegeta felt that unfamiliar warmth spread through him once more, listening to the conversation between the woman and her mother. So she did want to…
This changed things.
A grin erupted across his face.
This really changed things.
His ears perked up again at the sound of Panchy's voice: "I'm proud of him for doing what he did."
For reasons unknown to him, his smile melted off of his face and the pinkest flush danced across his cheeks. "I think he's a true gentleman for not taking advantage of my beautiful daughter…"
When was the last time, if ever, that he had heard someone say they were proud of him?
His pride was everything to him, but it was his own: no one could award it and no one could steal it away.
But hearing the older Earthling woman say she was proud of him…
Her footsteps approached the door, and he rushed back down the hall to his room.
—
Fine. She'd listen to her mother and try to repair things before they got worse with Vegeta. Maybe she could convince him to at least stay at Capsule Corp. to train for the androids. Knowing Vegeta, he was already packing a bag for space.
She stopped at his door, searching for the words to say to him.
It probably didn't matter, anyway. Even if he was there, it's not like he was going to want to talk to her.
She raised her closed fist to knock on the door when it suddenly whooshed open, swinging inward. Vegeta's eyes locked onto hers immediately. "What?"
She dropped her arm and stammered, "I, um, wanted to talk to you about last night."
He made a non-committal sound, and she took that to mean she could continue.
"I'm really sorry if I-" maybe she shouldn't say the words hurt your feelings, "-confused you last night. I didn't mean to piss you off."
He stared at her blankly.
"I…" she looked down, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I wanted to get to know you better."
She waited, confidence shaken for the first time in a long time. She stared at the floor until his fingers lifted her chin, beckoning her to meet his gaze again.
"You really want to get to know me?" he asked. His voice was incredulous but his face was unreadable.
Her stomach fluttered at his touch. He was so close to her. His dark eyes were smoldering. She nodded, unsure of what else to say.
"You are aware that your best friend is my mortal enemy, that I kill for fun, and that your last boyfriend ended up dead because of me?" He was smirking. Gods damn his stupid little smirk.
She smiled smugly back at him, leaning in a little closer. "I'm aware."
His fingertips were still delicately cradling her chin. "And you're aware that I could end your life at any second?"
Her heart thumped in her chest. She could feel the blood pumping through her veins. Her smile didn't waver. "Very aware."
Vegeta gazed into her eyes like he was reading her soul. She met his stare with a determined defiance. He couldn't get her to back off that easily.
He inched closer, finally removing his fingers from her face. They were a breath apart now. "Do you remember what I said last night?"
She watched him, waiting for him to continue.
The saiyan moved faster than her eyes could conceive, his hand suddenly gripping the hair at the back of her head. She let out a surprised little squeal at the sudden move. He slowly and calmly tilted her head back very slightly, so she was just looking up at him.
A wolfish grin spread across his face. "You're playing with fire."
She felt a throb down below. She resisted slightly, testing his grip. Her hair pulled, but she wasn't going anywhere. "I remember."
She met his eye and licked her lips. His fingernails scratched lightly into her scalp. "I told you…" Bulma reached out, placing her hand on his back and pushing to encourage him even closer. "I can take the heat."
"Hmm," he hummed in response, suddenly jerking her head back further. She whimpered softly at the abrupt roughness. "I wonder about that."
Her breathing was becoming ragged. Her adrenaline was pumping, and her body wasn't sure if she was about to get fucked or get murdered. "I'll prove it to you."
Before she could register what was happening, his mouth was on her neck, his hand still holding her in place by her hair. She moaned with no regard for their location. His teeth scraped against her skin, causing shivers to run down her spine. His lips sucked as he nipped her up and down the side of her sensitive neck. Sparks flew through her mind. Her legs trembled. She felt her wetness becoming unbearable.
His lips ghosted up toward her ear, where he nibbled gently on her earlobe. She tried to contain the moan that was bursting from her lips.
Then- nothing.
She opened her eyes, wondering what his problem was-
"Your father is looking for you," he informed her, releasing her hair.
She felt dazed, like she was coming to from a dream. "I…what?"
He was staring off at the nearby wall. "You have roughly one minute before your father walks down this hall." He took a step back, eyeing her closely. A truly devilish smile graced his lips. "You may want to cover your neck."
And with that, he stepped back into his room and shut his door.
—
Asshole asshole asshole asshole ASSHOLE! was all Bulma could think as she rushed further down the hall to her room. She quickly shut the door behind her and rushed towards her vanity.
Bulma twisted her neck towards the mirror to assess the damage.
There were some red splotches surrounding a purpling mark right on the side of her neck. It was huge.
She groaned, running to her closet to look for some sort of neck accessory she could wear to cover this thing quickly. She settled for a red scarf and marched out of her room, determined to not let Vegeta ruin her day.
—
"You seem a bit distracted lately. Has everything been alright with you, Bulma?"
Bulma sighed, lowering the schematics to the gravity machine, to survey the real thing being built before her eyes. Her father and Scratch were both watching her closely.
She adjusted her scarf slightly. It was a little too warm to be wearing it outside. "I'm fine, Dad. I have been a little distracted. Sorry."
He shook his head. "No need to be sorry." He approached her, gently taking the papers from her hands and signaling for her to walk with him. They left the workers behind, tinkering away at the outer shell of the improved gravity machine. Once the shell was complete, they'd be transplanting it indoors.
"Is this about your date?"
She sputtered. "What?! How - how do you know about any of that?"
He smiled behind his bushy mustache. "You know how your mother is."
Bulma groaned, smacking her face with the palm of her hand. "I can't tell her anything."
"Well," her father led her to a small outdoor table with some chairs, and gestured for her to have a seat with him. "I want you to know you can talk about these things with me."
She reluctantly sat. "Uh huh. You really want to talk about me going on dates with a murderous alien who lives with us?"
He puffed his cigarette and gave Scratch a gentle pat. "I do."
"Fine." She sat back, folding her arms over her chest. "What do you want to know?"
"Are you having safe sex?"
She wished for death immediately.
"What?! Dad, come on!" she groaned.
"I'm being very serious, Bulma. Your mother may want grandchildren straight away but I want you to be happy first."
"Kami above, help me," she muttered, her face getting flushed.
"I'm not telling you to stay away from Vegeta. Or any man, really. I trust your judgment for the most part." He paused, flicking his cigarette ash into the ashtray on the table. "I just want you to be safe about it, that's all."
"Dad, I am an adult. I can take care of myself!"
"I know that, sweetheart. But I'm still going to be here to look out for you." He smiled, his eyes crinkling shut.
She blew some air out between her lips, exasperated, wondering how much more mortification a human could take before they dropped dead on the spot. "I'm not having sex with anyone. Any more questions?"
"No more questions. Just an observation." She waited. "While I'm not the biggest fan of you dating, how did you put it? Our murderous alien house guest-" she snorted a laugh. "-I will say again that I trust you. While I don't fully trust Vegeta, I know he is a reliable and strong fighter." She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was getting at. He puffed on his cigarette again. "It could be helpful to have an ally like him around."
Bulma grimaced, watching her father. "That's not what this is about-"
"I know, I know," he started, putting his hands up in submission. "What I'm saying is: he could be a powerful ally or a powerful enemy. Tread carefully."
With that, he stood, leaving her to sit with her thoughts. When he was nearly out of earshot, he turned and yelled back: "By the way, I had some bots send you some goodies to your room. Don't tell your mother!"
She grimaced. Someone in this house was going to be the death of her. She just wasn't sure who.
—
Hey everyone! Apologies for the wait. Real life and all that. I hope you enjoyed the update :)