"Time is
Too slow for those who Wait,
Too swift for those who Fear,
Too long for those who Grieve,
Too short for those who Rejoice,
But for those who Love
Time is not."
-Henry Vandyke
V. Time.
Lost and Fondness
Shades of Crimson
As hard as he scrubbed himself, he could not seem to rid his skin of the feeling of having her beside him. Stepping from the steaming shower, he allowed a low growl to escape from his lips. He didn't even bother to tie the towel around his body. He had cleaned himself of the sweat his excruciating workout had caused, despite feeling contaminated by the woman's presence, he fell against his bed and allowed the sleep he had dreamed about earlier to overcome him.
When he awoke, the smell of breakfast filled his nostrils.
It was a slightly pleasant change and he was almost appreciative that the dark haired harpy was on board.
After slipping on a pair of training pants, he entered the kitchen and greeted the three already present with a short grunt.
ChiChi smiled at him, but went back to the appliance she was currently standing over. He knew that she didn't like him much but that didn't phase him. No one really liked him much.
He frowned, except for that idiot.
"Morning Vegeta!" Kakerott called giddily from his seat at the table, "ChiChi's making us breakfast this morning, isn't she the best?"
Vegeta shot him a jaded look and took a seat beside Radtiz, who frowned at his prince.
"Well, it's nice to find one wench around here who can do something useful."
Entering the room, Bulma feigned a hurt expression, "Aw, Raditz … I'm sorry I'm completely useless. You'll have to forgive me."
She jumped into the seat beside him and smiled teasingly, "However, if I recall correctly I did manage to fix the ship's controls so we could go and …" She looked up as if she were in deep thought, "I was the one who invited ChiChi to join. Plus," she batted her eyelids at him, "you must admit that I'm rather easy on the eyes and great means of conversation if you ever come around to wanting some."
His expression remained gruff and ChiChi laughed.
"Also!" Bulma exclaimed as if she were just remembering something rather important, "I spent this morning tracking out coordinates and we're closing in on our target."
Vegeta watched her talk halfheartedly. She seemed so poised and confidante. Her annoying manner caused a vein on his forehead to throb slightly.
However, it was the fact that when she talked excitedly her chest panted beneath her thin top, and he watched as she got up to help ChiChi begin to serve breakfast one of the thin straps slid down her arm.
It was an innocent accident, which she quickly and nonchalantly fixed by swiftly grabbing the strap and pulling it back over her shoulder as she placed a plateful of food before him.
He chewed politely, unlike his low class Saiyan shipmates, and watched as she sat down across from him.
Kakerott complimented the chef between mouthfuls of meat and ChiChi smiled sheepishly at him.
Bulma chewed quietly as well. Her bites were small and she chomped gently, as if she would hurt the dead creature if she were to bite too hard.
He placed another forkful in his mouth, realizing how he wanted her. He frowned, and how stupidly he had acted last night.
Between his obvious approval of her touching him and his awkward lingering hand on her cheek - and then abruptly leaving her alone without a word - he wondered what she thought of him.
Probably not much.
However, as he watched her strap begin to slide down her shoulder again, he couldn't help but want to help pull down the other one. Her shoulders were rounded and feminine, revealing her soft, pallid skin and the lean muscles that had been formed there.
He angrily brought his gaze to his food, realizing that he had to get her out of his mind.
He smirked.
Or out of her clothes.
"Wow Tien." She exclaimed from the doorway of their private palace in the beautiful planet of Leavia, a lush, garden planet located nearly in the precise center of the Northern coordinate.
He came behind her, placing his hands on the curve of her small waist and smiled against her hair. She was right. This was possibly the best view in the universe, and for the weeklong honeymoon it was all theirs.
Tien continued to hold her. He knew that when their week in paradise was over they would have to return to his father and planet Cold and to politics and such. He knew that his father would begin making arrangements for him to become a councilman and would begin to brainwash him into seeing things his way. He knew that Launch would be restless - she would be forced to sit through conversations with royals and smile and pretend to enjoy the gladiator games. He knew that they would have rough spots because their lifestyle would be far from normal.
However, for now, they were allowed to escape.
When he got back he would discuss politics and retrieve his sister so Zarbon could become royalty as well. He would sit through meetings and gladiator fights all for the sake of strengthening his father's empire. He would help continue to rope defenseless planet's in his father's evil brigade.
But that was next week.
Right now he could just hold his beautiful wife. Maybe they would get dressed soon and eat dinner at a restaurant and have a dessert that cost as much as an average beings weekly salary. Maybe they would take a walk through one of the lush gardens and Launch would tell him what her favorite flower was. Maybe they would hold hands throughout their walk back to their room. Maybe they would make love and fall asleep into each other's arms.
He smiled against her hair.
He knew he wasn't able to love her - they hadn't known each other long enough or well enough to talk like that. However, he knew that he could.
She was an easy person to care about, to be fond of, and soon enough he would feel so strongly about her.
He smiled again, he just knew it.
The spaceship landed against the rocky terrene of Kanassa with a small thud.
It was like something off of a bad scifi movie. The quintet exited shakily, turning their heads simultaneously to the right and then to the left and then deeming their landing spot safe.
Bulma capsulated the ship and placed it inside her tool belt and rushed forward to meet with the others.
ChiChi, opting to fill the space between Kakerot and Raditz, seemed to lean closer into the formers shoulders.
The blue haired princess suspected that she had felt safer with Kakerot and Raditz, but she knew that she herself would feel more comfortable between the Saiyan prince and Kakerot; so she nestled herself between them.
Vegeta was unmoved by the woman's small frame being shoved between him and the rather naïve Saiyan. He simply brushed it off as her weak and frightful spirit not wanting to be on the end.
As the five continued to walk in silence, they passed a few villages in such a state of poverty that was forign to Bulma.
Her eyes grew wide as she watched barefoot children run around in grimy water and starving elderly people leaning against broken shacks in a feeble attempt to soak up what little shade the planet had to offer.
She had never seen such a display of poverty and it brought a pain to her chest. She noticed how the other's seemed unphased. Even ChiChi, who looked saddned by the people before them, didn't look in the least bit surprised.
This was her father's doing. The thought echoed in Bulma's mind. He had enough money and enough power to put a stop to this. But he chose not to. Purposely.
The thought again sickened her. She hated him more than she had ever thought possible. She knew that blood ran thicker than water … but the water collecting on the streets they walked across was dirty and so unclean, but yet her father had made it this way. He knew that poverty was wealth and ignorance was strength.
Vegeta cast the grief-stricken woman at his side a glance.
It was just as he suspected. She was sheltered on planet Cold. She was some nobleman's daughter probably engaged to someone equally as powerful and she had no idea that the universe was in such a state.
He was perversely excided to give her the details of the mention. It would be guaranteeing another member in the army against Lord Freeza.
"Vegeta."
Her voice was low.
He simply shot her a glance to indicate that he was listening.
"Where are we going?"
"To the palace."
"Can't we just fly there?" She questioned, uneasiness filling her cerulean eyes.
"No." He stated simply, purposefully trying to keep some of the usual gruffness from his voice, "The people of this planet are quite weak and they can't fly. If we take to the air we'll more than likely be detected. Freeza wants this to be a surprise." The corners of his mouth curled into a displeased frown, which she curiously noticed, "And a warning."
She was silent in thought for a moment, but her mouth soon opened again.
"Vegeta if …" she paused for a moment, choosing her words, "If the people here are so weak then they are obviously not a threat to Freeza or his army. Why …" she frowned, "Why eliminate them if they are defenseless?"
"Because your pathetic emperor has a policy and this planet has failed him."
"What?" Her lips squished together in a look of confusion. She was curious and she was happy that Vegeta was willing to answer her questions.
He clarified, "This planet is under the protection of that lizard bastard and has been for sometime. However, the cost of protecting this planet and it's people has exceeded the profit they have made from their resources and goods so Freeza wants this rock eliminated from his empire."
She froze. Right there, in the middle of the grimy, broke road. She didn't have the strength nor the will to continue. The others carried on, only Vegeta took the time to turn from his place and study the look of horror that crossed her perfect featuers.
He frowned, "It's not glorious what we do - I know."
"It's … the most inhumane thing I have ever heard of." She frowned, "Freeza's rich enough … he doesn't need the profit from a planet such as this. They can't even have the chance to rebuild with his demands."
She shook her head, aqua locks falling around he shoulders, "I … I can't do this."
"You signed yourself up woman." He frowned, "I told you, not all of us had the option."
"Freeza's evil then, hm?"
It was not a question that she needed an answer to, so he remained silent.
"How can you give such inhumane orders of extinction to a planet simply because they have become to expensive? They cost more than they produce? That's insane! He's a heartless bastard he's …"
Vegeta stepped closer to her. The gesture was his way of comforting her. Bulma smiled weakly at him. She knew he had been forced into this his entire life … no wonder he was so cold.
"Let's go." She whispered, standing by his side and making their way to the other three ahead of them in a silence that was neither awkward nor comforting.
He thumbed through a file of papers, his right hand man standing, ironically, on his left side.
"And have the Saiyans and that precious daughter of mine," his voice full of sarcasm, "completed the Kanassa mission yet?"
"No sire." Zarbon said, "They landed moments ago and Raditz said he would report when they planet has been exterminated."
"Good."
Freeza smiled at his companion, "It will not be long then."
"What, sire?"
A short laugh, "Until she comes running back. She's far too prestine to want to be trapped in a word of such cruely. She will soon see the evilness of the universe and her eyes will be opened, she'll have no choice but to have them closed again."
Zarbon smiled, "And I will be here to confort her and her brother will be back and everything will be in order."
"Yes." Freeza allowed a cold smirk to cross his inset features, "Everything will be in order."
The orders of planet Kanassa were simply and routine to the Saiyanns - go to the palace, retrieve the seal Freeza had bestowed upon the impresario and kill him in person.
It was an act Bulma had closed her eyes for. She had seen many die in her life, the gladiator games were a constant site in her short life, but never any as defenseless as this.
ChiChi had also shut her eyes and leaned into Kakerott's chest as Vegeta landed the final blow into the King's armored chest.
The quintet exited the castle in silence and once outside under the heat of the Kanassian sun's, Bulma tossed the capsule on the rocky floor and they climbed aboard their ship.
Her cerelean eyes studied the seal in Vegeta's gloved hand, half admiring the meticulous beauty of it, and half just simply trying to ignore Raditz's raised hand, a large red Ki blast forning in his palms.
Vegeta tossed the seal to the side and met eyes with the woman. He knew she was unprepared for this. Really, how could anyone be prepared? A look of pity almost crossed his features. She was so innocent. He hated to see the innocence leave her. He frowned. She would have to leave then.
She swallowed as the sound of the extermination of a defenseless planet filled her eyes.
Yes. Vegeta frowned. She did not deserve this.
He wanted to grab her and comfort her the way Kakerott did the dark haired woman. However, the look of pity in his eyes was all that he had to offer. She smiled weakly at him, accepting it.
Yes. He frowned again. She did not deserve his. First chance they had, she would have to go home.
Her small fist made contact with the simulation before her.
It was a red-skinned creature with yellow, beady eyes. She wished the hologram would have been her father, however, she would have more passion with fighting that beast.
She growled as she dodged a yellow blast, barely, and heard it collide with the wall behind her. The material simply absorbed the blast, for it had been crafted especially for that purpose, and the creature before her pressed on.
Sending a swift kick to it's groin she wiped the sweat above her brow and then used her arm to jab the side of his neck.
Flipping backwards, she steadied herself and began sending an array of blast from her palms. It was such a display she wasn't entirely sure she was capable of and it surprised her. However, she continued, sending the pattern of blasts constantly, each making contact with the dying hologram before her.
When it lay still on the ground, simulating the lifelessness it actually inhibited, she didn't stop her blows.
No, she was furious and rage filled her eyes as she continued to blast at the motionless creature.
She was so blazed with passion and so fixated on her anger that she failed to hear the training doors open, but she didn't fail to hear the gruff laughter from the doorway.
She froze, and turned around, her chest heaving and her flushed cheeks puffing while her neck rose with every exhausted breath her lungs fought for.
"That woman, was unexpected."
She remained unmoved as the Saiyan Prince smirked at her.
"Really, I am impressed."
She frowned. Did he just compliment her?
He took a few steps closer to her, noting the way she glistened with a thin layer of sweat over all the inches of her exposed flesh. His groin tightened slightly. Her many, many inches of exposed flesh. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen such a revealing training garb.
"What are you doing here?"
Her voice was forced, she was out of breath.
He smirked as he watched her take a seat beside the broken hologram.
"I ask you the same."
A thin, blue eyebrow rose in question.
"I'm training so I can kill Freeza." She frowned, rather casually, "I want to see him die and I want it to be with my own bare hands."
He chuckeld, taking a seat beside her.
"I'm afraid woman, that that is simply not possible."
She glared at him, but he chuckled again, "Not that I am not slightly daunted by your rather … interesting display."
His lips were inches from her own. She shivered.
"But I'm afraid you won't be able to kill Freeza."
"No?" She was slightly breathless. Why did he have to be so close?"
He leaned forward a bit.
"No."
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as he continued.
"Because I am going to kill him first."
Bulma couldn't help but smile at him. He was dark, yes, but oh so alluring. She noted the way his lips formed when he smirked, the way his brow furrowed slightly, and the way his onyx eyes teased her as he spoke.
"Well can I at least help?" She smiled lightly, "I want to see him die."
"I know." He whispered.
"You've been through a lot, hm?"
It was not a question that needed answering. He knew that. She knew it already. He had been through so, so much.
"More than you can imagine."
His voice was gruff.
"Oh Vegeta," she sighed, staring him straight in the eyes. He wasn't sure if anyone had looked at him so directly in his entire life, "What have they done to you?"
He frowned, he knew she wasn't expecting an answer, but he, for some reason, wanted her to know. He didn't want he pity, but he did want to add to the anger she felt for the lizard beast.
"They took me from my planet when I was four. They took Kakerott, he was just a baby and doesn't remember a thing, and Radtiz, he was six, too. I'm still not entirely sure why Freeza chose to spare them, it may have been to simply keep me company while I became his purging slave. Either way, they were locked in a cell - Kakerott a babe! Just lying there on the bench - while they took me. Freeza wanted me to know three emotions - submission, anger, and loyalty. He did a rather shitty job though. I was beaten every night until I couldn't move, I remember lying there on the stones of the prison floor wishing he had killed me too.
I remember that I couldn't sleep, no matter how exhausted I was, when I closed my eyes I saw my father watching as they raped my mother, and then Freeza killing him himself. I hear the screams of all my race. My people. They were strong and noble, and yet wiped out as if they were nothing. I will avenge them someday when I am the legendary."
Bulma blinked, "The legendary?"
He looked at her, as if he just realized that he was speaking aloud. She looked so content, as if she wanted to listen to anything he had to say.
"Yes." He spoke, "It is a Saiyan legend that one would ascend to the legendary. He would be inhibit so much power he would be imortal." A smirk grazed his features, "Even Freeza would be powerless against him."
Bulma smiled lightly, "It sounds like a fairytale."
"To some it is," his eyes frowned into hers, "but I know it is the truth, and I know that I will be the one to ascend."
She smiled again, taking his hand in her own, "I hope it's the truth, for if anyone had reason to defeat Freeza it should be you."
Her words were more comforting than anything he could have imagined.
She hated herself for kissing her father when she was young … for smiling and adoring him … the same cruel man that had spent his evening torturing the young prince. She wished she could go back and console the beaten, broken Vegeta. However, she didn't have the chance. She did have it now.
Placing a small kiss on his cheek and resting her head into his chest she smiled, "You have more emotion than submission, anger, and loyalty."
He chuckled, "I know. I have hatred, arrogance, annoyance -"
She laughed as well, "And you're hardly the submissive type."
He smirked against her hair, the scent of it filling his nostrils and torturing him so.
"You also have passion." Bulma spoke, "You may be the most passionate man I have ever met."
"I can't love, woman." He said suddenly, causing her to blink against the warmth of his chest.
He sighed, "They were successful in beating that out of me. However, I feel … something."
She rose, facing him now, "Something?"
"Yes." He suddenly felt brave and open, "I have always been lost but something in you makes me found. I am … strangely fond of you."
She blushed. It was an out of character expression on such a bold woman's features, but it suited her well.
He smired at the crimson stain, "Fondness, however, is possibly the most I have to offer."
She smiled and leaned against his chest again, "Well, from you Vegeta, I think I will take fondness."
They stayed like that for a while. Vegeta felt a strange comfort in the woman's presence and Bulma felt the most secure she had ever felt before in her life. True, she had always wanted to be love … but the degree of Vegeta's emotions were limited, and the fact that he had admitted an attraction towards her was not only surprising, it was extreme.
She felt her eyelids grow heavy as she inhaled his masculine scent. She knew that he had come to the training facilities not to fill her head with girlish thoughts of him but to train. She smiled, to ascend to legendary.
"Vegeta." She whispered softly against the chest plate of his Saiyan armor.
"Hm."
"I'm rather fond of you, too."
Their comfort was secure. It was between the two of them. It was a connection that only they could share and one that neither was easy to admit to.
When she fell asleep he rose, her small body resting in his strong arms.
He walked her to her room and placed her in her bed. He thought about kissing her forehead before he left, but he decided against it. He wasn't weak. He wouldn't grovel nor be devoted to her. He liked her, yes. He wanted to be near her, yes. But he wasn't an entirely different person.
So he exited her room and went back into the training facilities to concentrate on the unmistakably most important part of his life.
His destiny.