Chapter 8

Vegeta sat with his eyes closed, his back to the wall in the gravity room, one leg kicked out while the other was bent upwards with his arm resting on his knee.

He just trained for six hours at three hundred and fifty times gravity. His body showed it was less than impressed with him for that, sporting numerous bruises and cuts from his ki blasts. Well his body could shove it for all he cared but since he needed it to become a Super Saiyan, he had no choice but to rest for a bit.

The Prince's face contorted into a slight grimace after that thought passed. He was beginning to think that he was going backwards in his training instead of forwards. Everytime he thought he'd finally reached his goal it would constantly slip through his fingers, taunting him with his inability to transform. It was aggravating to say the least. Just what in the world was he supposed to do?! He was getting really sick of lingering in between almost reaching his goal and falling flat on his ass when he couldn't.

Vegeta was running out of ideas. He needed to figure out what he had to do and fast. Time was not on his side. Then again, when had anything in his life ever been on his side?

Unlike his only remaining subordinate, nothing in the Prince's life had come easily to him. He'd had to work to get everything he needed to survive. But he never bowed his head in submission when life decided to add more difficulty to his already crappy existence. He may have been beaten until he shed unholy amounts of blood but he did it with pride. Even when that disgusting lizard forced him to kneel down before him, he never bowed his head, always looking him straight in his eyes with his Saiyan pride showing itself in all its stubborn glory. It was his defiance against the lizard lord, showing him that he was the true ruler among them.

Vegeta felt a small smirk cross his visage. That little display never ended well for him everytime he did it but damn did it feel good to see the anger in Frieza's eyes when he crossed him. Granted he always ended up in the infirmary or in the isolation chamber if the punishment was really severe but he would always do it again.

He chuckled at the memories running through his mind, only to stop abruptly when he felt a sharp pain in his side. He felt the area around his ribs and pressed slightly, scowling at the increase in pain that he felt.

He'd bruised his ribs. Wonderful.

If the woman were here, she would've been going on and on about how she should be taking regular breaks and how his 'insane monkey ass' was going to end up dead if he didn't. Speaking of the woman….

After their spat two weeks ago he noticed a small change where she was concerned. Ever since he'd brought her a senzu bean from the third class warrior (he still couldn't get over the stupid grin that came over the idiot's face when he paid him a 'visit'), he had become more subtle in his approach to her. That wasn't to say he was a complete pansy, showering her with flowers and useless declarations, he refused to stop to her former mates level. He did, however, give her the "space to think" she always whined about. The Prince decided to turn things around and do what he never thought he would never, ever do.

He was giving Bulma the power to decide. Vegeta knew that the woman was as stubborn as he was. Just as proud too. She preferred to be in control of her surroundings. His approach had shook her world on its axis, throwing her off her game. So he decided to be generous (his version of generous anyway), just this once, and wait for her to come to him. If she doesn't, which he knew wasn't possible, then he'd leave her be and put all his focus on his training again. If she does….well…

It was going to be night to remember, that's for sure. The first of many.

The nonverbal cues didn't stop though. He still looked at her with lust burning in his obsidian eyes.

But he wasn't the only one that had changed a small bit.

For the past few days, the woman had started looking at him with a new softness in her sapphire gaze. It was an entirely new emotion that he hadn't seen before, never mind having directed at him. That foreign emotion in her eyes did something to him. Whenever she directed that gaze at him, he would feel something in him respond, like a magnet looking for its opposite so they could come together. He wasn't sure he liked that feeling. It was dangerous.

For a warrior like Vegeta, having warm and fuzzy emotions is considered careless and quite foolish. Those kinds of feelings could be used against you by your enemies. They didn't even have to be stronger than you. They just needed some sort of leverage to get what they wanted from the people they were threatening.

Even then there was no guarantee that the person they used against you would live afterwards. He would know, he's used that method of extracting information multiple times. His hostages never lived to see the light of day afterwards, no matter how much he swore he'd let them live.

Now here he was, experiencing the type of emotions he had no business feeling. They would only weaken him and slow him down. Vegeta dragged his hand down his face before pinching the bridge of his nose.

He was giving himself a headache with all this nonsense flying around unchecked in his head. Saiyan matings didn't deal with things as frivolous as feelings. They were impractical. The mighty Saiyan race didn't need something like feelings to guide them.

'But they're not around anymore. It's just you and that idiot Kakarot. You're the crown Prince, finally free from that slimy lizards clutches. Shouldn't you be allowed to do whatever you want now?'

Damn traitorous thoughts.

Vegeta's internal conflict was interrupted when he felt the reason for his troubles coming towards the chamber. He released a sigh of irritation and stood up, waiting for her to make her intentions known.

"Okay, what's next? Gravity controller. I need to increase the level of gravity in the chamber. That'll require me to check if the panels along the walls of the room are strong enough to withstand the added strain…."

For the past few days, Bulma had been working on projects that needed her attention for the company. There was a high demand in high storage capsules and they had needed to produce more. Now that production had been set in motion, she paid more attention to her smaller personal projects in her lab.

Right now she was busy with the latest upgrades for the gravity room. She was going to increase the gravity from three hundred and fifty to four hundred and fifty. To be honest, she was loathe to add more gravity to the chamber. She worried that Vegeta would end up hurting himself. He was getting angry with his lack of progress and in his volatile state, he would jump straight to the highest setting and injure himself.

One might question why she was so concerned with her sporadic houseguest's wellbeing. In the beginning she would've said it was because he was a vital part in the upcoming fight against the androids and they needed him alive, nothing else. Now though, things were different.

When Bulma had woken up from her drug induced nap after visiting the infirmary, she had frowned in confusion, wondering why there wasn't at least a dull, throbbing pain in her arm. She'd been shocked when she remembered that, of all people, Vegeta had gotten her a senzu bean. That shock turned into pleasant surprise and gratitude. She usually didn't feel grateful for a lot in her life considering her social status, but at that moment it wrapped around her like a warm, fluffy blanket. It may not seem like something big, after all it was just a little bean, but for someone as self-interested as him, it meant the world. It was his way of apologising for what happened. Of course he would never tell her the words. He'd rather chew on his wrist till he got to the bone. It didn't matter though, his actions were enough.

Now that she thought about it, he had been awfully considerate these past couple of weeks. He didn't get all up in her personal space as much as he did before. His domineering attitude wasn't as intense as it was before. One might be tempted to say that he was being nice to her.

Although he still argued with her regularly and they engaged in verbal sparring. That never changed and she had a feeling it never would, no matter what.

Another thing that didn't change was his desire for her. It still burned like a black fire in his eyes. Yet he never acted on it. He just kept his distance from her but still scorched her with his gaze across the room.

Of course she also wanted him, no doubt about it. But there's just one problem.

She feared he wouldn't be able to give her what she needed emotionally.

Bulma instinctively knew that the Prince would have no problem satisfying her physically. Hell, she'd gotten a taste of that and already knew the sex between them would be mind blowing, but that wasn't the issue.

Vegeta was a man whose emotions were about as cold and impenetrable as a wall of ice. He shut himself off from any form of positive emotion, instead relying on negative emotions like anger and hatred to keep him going. She was pretty sure the only positive thing he felt was passion, but even that had its downsides.

It would be impossible to get him to open himself up to her, an outright challenge.

Bulma suddenly sported a very Vegeta-like smirk at the thought. It's a good thing she likes challenges and this would prove to be her biggest one yet. It may take a long time to overcome that challenge, possibly years of heartache and bickering between them, but it was a challenge she was willing to take.

"And….done! That was easy. Now to go and install this bad boy. I just hope that idiot doesn't overdo it."

Bulma donned her overalls just in case she needed to get down and dirty, took her toolbox and made for the gravity chamber. She couldn't help but let out a little laugh on the way there. 'Who would've ever thought that I'd end up considering having Vegeta as my boyfriend. Nah that word's too childish for someone like him. How about a partner? Hmmm, maybe. Whatever.'

She shrugged off her thoughts and knocked on the door to the GR. A few seconds later, it slid open to reveal the Prince in all his arrogant glory. She would've commented on his ripped abs glistening with sweat if she hadn't noticed the bruises and cuts covering his body.

"For fucks sake Vegeta, what did you do to yourself?!"

Vegeta scowled in irritation at her question. Wasn't it obvious? "I was training at three hundred and fifty times gravity for six hours. This is the result."

"You call this training?! This is madness, that's what it is. How many times do I have to tell you to take it easy once in a while?!" She couldn't believe his stubbornness. She firmly believed he was on a suicide mission.

He scoffed at her questions. Really she was quite simple at times. "Not that it concerns you but a Saiyan only gets stronger the more he injures himself. I wouldn't expect you to understand when all you do is sit in your lab playing with your toys all day." He never got enough of baiting her. Just watching her skin flush with anger and her eyes spark with blue flames always amused him to no end.

'Deep breaths Bulma. Deep breaths. What a jackass!' She ought to slap that smug look off his face. She exhaled heavily, trying to bring her temper down. "If you're done being an asshole, I have upgrades ready for the gravity room. Although with your attitude, I have a good mind to just turn around and go back." That little threat worked because he stepped to the side with his mouth shut and a nasty scowl directed at her. 'Bulma one, Princey none!'

"How long will these upgrades take before the chamber is ready for use again?" He wanted to get back at it again. His skin was itching, betraying his anxiety to get back to training.

"Well depending on the strength of the skeleton and the panels of the chamber, it could take either half an hour or a whole day." She turned to face him and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. He was suddenly pale with his eyes wide. It seems like the idea of waiting a whole day was less than pleasant to say the least.

She walked to the wall, making sure her back faced the Prince while she laughed silently. She took a screwdriver from her toolbox and opened one panel. While she set about examining the strength of the room, she thought it best to get some answers from Vegeta. "So explain to me in detail what this whole 'mating' business is about."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her inquiry. He certainly wasn't expecting that. But he decided to go along with it, if only to pass the time. "It's quite simple really. A male and a female come together, they fuck and-"

"Vegeta!" Bulma whirled her head around to face him. She was about to say something to reprimand him when she saw the amused smirk on his face. 'Did he just make a joke? I'll be damned. Who knew he had it in him.' She laughed softly and got back to work while responding. "C'mon, be serious. I really wanna know."

He crossed his arms and delved into his knowledge of mating so the woman could finally understand why he was so attracted to her. "Very well. Saiyans do things differently compared to Earthlings. One of them is mating. How it works is each person has a predestined mate for them in their life. It's an unavoidable bond that grows in time. You only need to see the person before your body begins to react."

"Interesting. And how do they react after finding their mates?"

"Maybe if you don't interrupt me I'd tell you." The Prince rolled his eyes. Honestly, she couldn't keep it shut for two minutes before mouthing off. She looked at him with a frown before giving him a 'hmph'. He took that as a sign to continue.

"The first thing is physical attraction. Usually something about the person would catch the others attention. In your case it was your odd colouring that managed to grab mine. The next would be strength. While this isn't really relevant for the bond, it does help when your future mate has some strength to speak of. Of course yours is laughable at best but hey, we can't always have it our way can we?"

Bulma merely rolled her eyes at that quip. Saiyans or Earthlings, it doesn't matter. Men always wanna beat at their chests to show how strong they are. She closed the panel and walked towards the control unit. "Before you carry on your amazing story, the chamber checks out as strong enough to hold the upgrades. I just need to install the programme into the computer. It shouldn't take too long." She slipped the chip in and worked her magic on the keypad. When she was done she turned to face the man behind her. "Okay, what else?"

She was expecting him to be annoyed that she interrupted him again. Instead a seductive smirk graced his face. She felt her temperature rise at the heated look in his eyes.

"The best for last. Sexual attraction." Vegeta couldn't help that his voice had become husky. It worked to his advantage since he saw the woman's pupils dilate with desire. "It's in the way your blood starts to boil when you think of all the ways you could conquer your mate. The erotic dreams, the fantasizing. It's also in their scent. When they're aroused, you can practically taste it in the air. Just like right now."

He gave her a wolfish grin when she realised he was talking about her. 'Oh yes woman. I can always smell it when you want me to fuck you. You should accept that there'll be no hiding it from me.'

Bulma felt her heart speed up with the look Vegeta was giving her. 'Kami, he looks like he wants to eat me alive.' She blushed prettily when she thought of how he could eat her. 'Oh my…'

In the blink of an eye, he'd gone from standing across the room to right in front of her. There was barely a hair's width of space between them. He lowered his head to her neck, taking in her sweet scent. He exhaled, his hot breath hitting her neck, causing her to shudder with want. He smiled lasciviously against her skin. It never ceases to amaze him how quickly he could turn her into a puddle with his actions and small touches alone.

The Prince raised his head up and looked into her oceanic eyes. The lust in her gaze threatened to send him out of control. "All those factors I mentioned are what happens when a Saiyan finds their mate."

Bulma gulped audibly, trying to clear her fuzzy head. "B-But I'm a human and so is Chi-Chi. So how did it work with us since we're not Saiyan?"

"I'm not too sure. I guess it all boils down to animal attraction. We'll never truly know the answer." Vegeta slowly ran his tongue along his bottom lip and held back a smirk when he saw the woman's lips part at the action. Yes, she certainly felt the pull between them, regardless of the fact that she's human. He started to think that even if Planet Vegeta hadn't been destroyed and he was there ruling his people, he still would've wanted her if she'd managed to find her way there.

"There have been instances where people chose not to acknowledge the bond." She raised her eyebrow at that statement. Her question was clear: what happened to them? "They became more aggressive and volatile. Reckless when it came to battle. It was all to try and ignore the inevitable. Needless to say they always ended up dead, be it by their own hand or someone else's."

Bulma nodded her head. She understood everything a lot better now. Except for one small thing. "So you've accepted that there is a bond between us."

It wasn't a question but he answered anyway. "Yes, of course."

"So why don't you act on it?" That's where her confusion lies. If everything he said was fact then why didn't he do something about it? Kami knew she wouldn't stop him.

Vegeta just smirked deviously and said, "I don't know, why don't you tell me Woman?"

Oh no, they were not doing this again. "Bullshit you don't know! You're not telling me on purpose!"

"You're right." The look on her face was priceless. She looked downright murderous, throwing blue flames at him with her searing gaze. He chuckled a little before carrying on. "I'm not telling you why. You need to figure it out on your own. It's not that difficult. I'm sure even your genius brain can figure it out."

Before she could retaliate, the computer beeped, indicating its completion. She turned to face it, her back brushing against his chest. 'I remember how it felt when he laid on top of me. Solid and warm.' She managed to suppress a shiver at the thought. 'Focus girl! Otherwise he'll call you out! Have you already forgotten that his nose can probably smell you from three miles away?'

She turned to explain the upgrades to him. Her breath hitched when she saw the look he was giving her. This man was bad for her health. "You can now go up to four hundred and fifty times gravity." She raised her hand just as he was about to speak. "Don't abuse it! I'll be monitoring you from my lab. If I find you doing too much too soon, I'll turn it down manually. Got it?"

Always. Managed. To ruin. Everything.

The Prince narrowed his eyes at her before nodding minutely. He wouldn't let her control his training. He'd find a way around her petty threat.

Bulma packed up her toolbox and headed towards the door, leaving Vegeta to his daily torture session. Before she left entirely he called for her attention.

"Bulma." She closed her eyes as his rich baritone voice wove its way through her. Damn, it never fails to get her heart going when he uses her name. She turned to face him. '

Deja vu moment. We've been here before.'

"I trust you got the answers you were seeking."

"I did. Except for the one you won't tell me." His games were getting really old. Really fast.

Vegeta tilted his head to the side, a seemingly innocent look on his face. "I told you, you know the answer. You just need to figure it out. Let me know when you do." He gave her his back, suddenly interested in exploring the work she did.

And so, Bulma sighed and walked out into the afternoon sun. It was a really pretty day despite being a little chilly. Looks like Autumn was on its way. She entered her home and went straight for her room to change into more comfortable clothing. She put on blue jeans and a black t-shirt before going to the living room. She wanted to relax a bit and mindless TV seemed the perfect way to do it.

After dinner with her family, Bulma decided to have an early night. She changed into her silk nightgown and sat at her massive vanity and brushed out her hair. Her thoughts went back to her conversation with Vegeta earlier in the day.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me Woman?"

Why would he say that? He obviously knows why he's keeping his distance but she couldn't see why. It was really beginning to irk her.

"I mean why is this so difficult to figure out? Okay. Let's take a step back and see what's missing."

He'd kept his distance from her for two weeks. But not in a way that showed he was avoiding her. Some days they would have civil, even pleasant conversations about anything and everything. Of course those conversations inevitably ended in argument but it was fun. He challenged her intellectually, keeping her on her toes every step of the way. It was refreshing to finally find someone besides her father who could keep up with her when she spoke.

Sometimes when he found her busy with work for the company, most likely building a machine of some kind, he would ask what she was making and she would explain. He followed along with her interpretations. He even asked questions that showed he understood what she was saying! Yamcha's eyes would always glaze over and he would zone out. Vegeta actually listened. Then, true to his nature, he would demand something from her and ruin the mood. But still, the feeling of being acknowledged lingered.

Bulma felt her heart begin to flutter the more she thought about his behaviour around her lately.

She remembered when she was busy with the projects that needed completing for the corporation, he would walk into the lab, obviously looking for her. She couldn't help but smile remembering a small moment they had.

Bulma was absolutely swamped with half completed projects and the tide just wouldn't stop. How in the hell she let her work pile up to this degree she'll never know. She pushed her personal projects to the side and focused on company issues. Mainly the fault with the large storage capsules designed to hold large objects.

She was busy looking at the blueprint for the capsules, trying to find the fault in the formula, when she heard a voice boom across the lab.

"Woman! Where in the hell are you?!"

She groaned in irritation. Could he not, for one fucking day, just leave her in peace? She had more important things to worry about.

"What do you want from me, your Royal Irritation?! I'm busy!"

Vegeta rounded a corner and found her leaning over a work station presumably looking at…something. Whatever it was, it could take a back seat. He had more pressing issues that needed dealing with.

"The gravity won't go higher than one hundred times gravity. It's impeding my training and I demand you fix it immediately!"

That brat! How dare he come in here demanding things from her like she was his lackey?! She'd give him a piece of her mind. She raised her head and looked at him with indignation written across her face.

"Listen here you big oaf! I'm working on a deadline here and I don't have the time to deal with your childish demands. Why don't you take this time to take a break and leave me alone?!"

Bulma suddenly felt a bit faint and held onto the station before she fell over. Vegeta noticed this and decided to speak up.

"What the hell is your problem? Is your weak body taking too much strain from staring at a piece of paper?"

He didn't get the fiery look or the snide comment he was fishing for. Instead she sighed with exhaustion.

"Not that you'd care but I'm spent. I've been working for 50 hours and I've barely taken a break. I need to get this work done before the deadline."

Now that he really paid attention, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. He felt for her ki. It was as he suspected. Her ki was lower than usual, signaling her exhaustion. If she keeps this up she'll collapse. He mentally rolled his eyes. Humans were so weak. But he did silently commend her for her commitment to her work.

"Woman, take a break." He snickered at the look she gave him at those words. You'd swear he just told her that black ball of fur that was always riding on her father's shoulder had just died. "This deadline of yours can wait. You obviously need sustenance and rest now. Your frail human body can't take the strain, no matter how stubborn your mind is. You won't be able to work if you fall over and I need you alive. Go and take care of yourself. I can always ask your father for assistance."

She could only stare at his back as he walked out. "Well I'll be. Was that concern he just showed?" Bulma felt a smile come across her face. Vegeta actually showed concern for her health. He may have masked it to suit his needs but she saw right through it. She felt her heart flutter with an emotion she'd rather not put a name to right now.

The heiress put her blueprints down and stretched her sore arms above her head. Some food and sleep did sound appealing right now. On her way to her room she passed by her father.

"Bulma dear, why didn't you tell me you were starting to get tired? I know you want to do things by yourself but I am here to help you. I'm just going to fix the glitch in the GR then I'll take care of the work while you rest. You've certainly earned it darling." With that, the good doctor walked to the lab to get his tools. He was honestly very proud of his daughter and her stellar work ethic but she needed to slow down.

Normally a move like that would infuriate Bulma. Instead she felt touched. That oaf tried to hide it with gruff words but it seemed he was worried about her. Let it never be known that Vegeta was worried about someone other than himself.

"You never fail to amaze me Vegeta." She continued the trek to her room. A bubble bath suddenly sounded amazing right about now.

Bulma shook her head at the memory, her smile still in place. That man sure was something.

So what did it all mean?

He still threw her lustful looks whenever he was around but that's where it ended. You'd swear she had told him to stay away from her.

Wait.

Her eyes widened in realisation. She had told him to stay away from her that day after the accident. And he has been all this time. But not in the way that she'd think. So he's been making his interest known but he hasn't acted on it like before. All of his actions these past two weeks have had genuine intentions behind them that had her falling for him more with each passing day. So-

"Oh my Kami. I don't believe it." How could she have been so blind? He made sure she knew he still wanted her but he kept to himself.

He was giving her a choice.

She put her brush down and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled softly, her heart warming at her epiphany.

Prince Vegeta, the most arrogant, domineering, self centered and prideful man she had ever known, was giving her the power to decide what she wanted. For someone as controlling as him, this was a BIG deal.

If this didn't help her cement her decision then she didn't know what would.

Bulma heard Vegeta's bedroom door close and the shower turn on a few moments later. She took one last look into the mirror, winked at her reflection with a smile and left her room, heading to the Prince's with confidence.

She's denied them both for long enough. Bulma bit her lip, her body alight with salacious excitement. She added an extra swing to her hips, feeling feminine and powerful at that moment.

Tonight, Bulma Briefs was going to claim her mate.

I'm ready, Vegeta.

Author's Note: Hmmmm. It's safe to say that my brain is mush right now. That was a lot to jot. Ha, that rhymes. It's getting hot between our favourite couple. Are they really about to take that big step in their relationship? Or will I cock block them yet again? Decisions, decisions. I'm having way too much fun with this.

So because we've officially been on lockdown for about 4 days where I live, I'm not gonna be at work or varsity for a while now so I have all the free time in the world. Yay!

Anyway, I hope everyone is keeping safe and staying at home. Please stay home guys! Pray for our doctors and nurses who are literally doing the most right now. They're putting their lives on the line for us and I salute every last one of them all across the world. If you're one of them, all I can say is thank you so much for your service. The world will never forget your bravery and courage for doing what the rest of us can't. I will never forget it. Thank you.

As always, a big thank you to RoyalBlueRoses and Becky L Sly for your reviews. Peace, love and pixie dust to you guys! Please R and R. I love you my dudes. Stay safe! Until next time! RR18