"I should turn around and walk out of this room." Her voice was nearly whisper soft as she stared at the nude, and waiting, Saiyan.

Vegeta's mouth turned downward as he looked at her. He wanted to interrupt. To order. To simply take. But something in the way she was looking at him held him back. Barely. "You are my mate." It wasn't a question in his mind.

"Am I?" Bulma wondered, tilting her head to one side. "It's almost as if we are half-way married. Joined by one set of customs, but not by the second."

Vegeta scowled at that. "You refused to answer the man properly, woman!" He started to take a step toward her, then stopped as she held up one hand, palm out. "Then you made me go on that ridiculous date!"

Miffed, the turquoise-haired woman let his words slide over her. She let her temper fade though, this wasn't the time for anger. Bulma looked at her Saiyan lover. Really, really looked.

He was gorgeous. Muscular and cute and too hot for mere words. And he was impatient. She smiled as if she could see the contained energy in those delicious muscles, as if she could see the potential for movement before it even happened. He fairly thrummed with the need to move.

And he was hers. If she wanted him.

Bulma gave a soft smile that had Vegeta's gaze narrowing on her mouth. All of that! All that the Saiyan was and could be was hers ...if she accepted him. It was a heady thought. A Prince of a warrior race, this proud and arrogant male ...all hers.

But. But. But.

Could she handle him? Another soft smile. Like her lover, she didn't lack for arrogance either. If anyone could handle him, it would be her. Bulma reached one hand around to her side and under her arm to the hidden zipper. She could feel Vegeta's eyes follow her every move as she slowly, slowly slid the fastener down to her hip. The released cloth draped loosely now, but did not yet reveal anything.

"Woman!" Vegeta's voice had gone very husky. "You move too slow!" He was suddenly across the room and his hands were reaching for her dress.

Without forethought, Bulma slapped his hands. Vegeta stilled and stared at her, as if shocked she would do such a thing.

"My way." She whispered.

Vegeta shook his head, his eyebrows coming together in irritation. "You are not dominant, woman!"

Bulma backed off, she didn't want to challenge his dominance. Wait. No, his perceived dominance. Not tonight. Tomorrow, maybe. Not tonight though. Tonight was for something else. Something she needed and that Vegeta had no clue even existed.

"You promised me a date." She batted her eyelashes at him, trying a different approach.

Bulma could almost see the confusion in his expression, before he went still. His head moved back slightly as he looked at her. "We ate." He pointed out.

"You ate my dinner too." Bulma couldn't resist, then did a shimmy move that had the dress sliding down to catch on her hips. "But a date is more than food, and it's not over yet."

Vegeta's hands rose to cup her bra-covered bosom even as he frowned. "Earth dates are a pain."

Bulma stepped away from his touch and shook her head at him when he made as if to follow her retreat. "Vegeta, please. Earth customs tonight."

He frowned sharply. This was new territory for him, he'd never even thought of mating outside of his culture before. Fate had taken that choice from him, and put this gorgeous, but confusing, creature right in front of him.

She gave him a sensual smile. "Man? My man?"

Something hot and possessive shone out of his dark-eyed gaze. He frowned, even as he gave her an imperious nod.

"I'm not trying to take dominance. And I promise not to bite ...unless you ask." She teased him.

Vegeta reached for her, but she shook her head at him and he dropped his hands, scowling. She smiled and his frown faded as he watched her push the dress down over her hips.

Bulma watched as his body showed her his reaction to seeing her in her lingerie and high heels. Some things didn't need to be translated after all. Need was need.

"Don't touch." She gave the order in the softest tone possible, even as she stepped in close to him.

Vegeta scowled. "Woman? I don't understand what ...omph!" He looked down at where she was tracing lines around one of his male nipples. Her face looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Dating you." She lied blatantly. "Earth custom."

He shook his head slightly, not being quite that gullible. "More like 'Bulma custom'."

She smiled wickedly at him and then pressed a kiss to his chest, making him suck in a deep breath. "I need this Vegeta ...Man. My Saiyan. My warrior."

The Saiyan Prince stopped his hands before they could grab the enticing creature so close in his reach. Claiming words. Not really necessary for the Saiyan mating rituals, but soothing to his senses. He hadn't even realized that he needed to hear those types of endearments until she said them.

Fighting every base instinct he had, Vegeta let his hands drop down to cup her hips. But he didn't take, grab, or pounce as would be his wont. His woman seemed to need this, and he needed her. "Just tonight." He ordered hoarsely. "And then you're mine."

Bulma heard the words, and knew they would be problematic for her in the morning. But unless the Red Ribbon Army attacked tonight, she wasn't stopping. After tonight, they would be truly mated, even if she hadn't made it official with Earth customs. After tonight? She'd not be able to give him back.

Drawing in a deep breath, smelling his skin as she licked his collarbone, she nearly purred. As if she'd want to give him back!

Bulma arched her back to look up into his face. He looked arrogant, and pleased. She winked at him before reaching behind her to loosen his grip. She watched as he started to frown. Bulma reached up with one hand and smoothed one side of his mouth before drawing him closer for a long, drawn out kiss.

Vegeta's natural instincts tried to take over, but every time his kiss started to get too possessive, she pulled back. After the fourth time, he growled at her, baring his teeth.

"My night." She reminded him, and Vegeta drew back, though repressed temper fairly roiled off his skin.

"Get on with your night, woman!"

"No." She teased and pushed him. He didn't move, his balance not even challenged. She sighed. "Sit down ...Man." It felt so awkward calling him like that. But there was no denying the effects it had on her Saiyan.

Vegeta gave her a long, disbelieving look. "Tonight." He informed her, letting her know that she wouldn't be able to order him around after their 'date'.

"Tonight." She vowed and pushed him again. He didn't fall, but he did look around and smiled darkly as he let go of her to go sit on the edge of the bed.

He beckoned to her. Bulma shook her head and reached behind her back to unhook her bra. It wasn't exactly a strip-tease, but she did move tantalizingly slow.

Vegeta groaned as she revealed herself at a snail's pace. He was wanting to grab her, his palms fairly itched with the need to move. To possess. "Woman." It was a plea.

Melting a bit at the vulnerability he was allowing her to see, she tossed the bra aside and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her matching panties.

He stopped breathing. It wasn't as if he'd not seen her nude before. But this type of display was certainly not a Saiyan custom. Displays of fighting prowess was more the cultural norm. More battlefield pairings happened than any other place.

Slowly. Too slowly, his woman dragged that last scrap of clothing down her hips, revealing her most intimate self to him. And yet she was still wearing those ridiculous shoes. No Saiyan female would be caught dead in something so useless on the fighting fields.

Yet. They made her legs seem to go on forever. Vegeta eyed his mate with pleasure, and even with some pride. She wasn't a warrior, but she was beyond gorgeous to him. And she was his. And look at the way she'd managed to bully a night of playing dominant from him ...he had to admit, she was clever his woman.

"Now?" It wasn't begging, but it was uncomfortably close. Vegeta cleared his throat. "Now!"

Bulma shook her head and licked her lips. Vegeta stilled. What was she planning?

"Lay down, please." Her voice was a siren's song and it took a moment for the words to actually register.

She could almost see the moment he realized she'd ordered him around, again. His brows snapped together and she smiled. "I already promised, no biting. In fact? Lay down on your stomach. Pretty please?"

Vegeta scowled at her, but he had promised her the evening. Not that he always kept to his word. A lot of races out there thought Saiyans had no honor, because they didn't keep to what they promised. What those other races didn't realize? That to Saiyans, they only needed to keep their word ...to each other. No other race really counted. It wasn't a question of honor, but of respect. If the Saiyan's didn't respect you? You could forget it.

But this was different. And she was his mate. His wife.

Scowling harshly, Vegeta rolled over to lie on the bed, reaching down to adjust himself more comfortably. He turned his head to carefully watch his mate. Just what was she up to?

Bulma took the lotion from her night stand, wishing it was body oil. But then, she'd not planned this night out in advance and you had to make do with what was on hand.

Vegeta felt his woman moving to straddle him, settling down nearly on his butt. He frowned, then caught his breath as he felt her hands ...on his back. A massage? "I'm not injured, woman." He said it more softly than he'd intended.

"Is being injured the only reason for touching like this?" She leaned down and pressed a kiss to one of his shoulder blades.

The Saiyan grunted rather than answering. Yes. Massages were for after battle or when injured. Touching like this wasn't ...well, done. His eyes closed as she found a place on his back and pressed, eliciting a pleasurable feeling deep within him.

"I could like this Earth custom." He muttered in a deep voice. The Saiyan decided he liked his woman touching him. Unlike females from his own species, she wasn't about to attack or to try and wrest dominance from him. He hadn't realized how tiring relationships were for his race ...until now.

Saiyan women were battle companions. They mated for children. Strong children. And they chose their mates accordingly. To show this soft side? Would have been asking for a fight. Softness or caring never entered into it at all. Oh, they could grow fond of their mates. But it was an unsaid thing. Never acknowledged.

A groan escaped him as she found another knot in his back. This was good. He smiled grimly, but it wasn't enough. He wanted more and his body was hurting with the need to roll over and take.

That was when her fingers found his lower back.

Vegeta went very, very still. This was not where he would have ever allowed a female from his species to be. Near his tail. He remembered how even Bulma had used the healed-over spot where his tail had once been to try and get him to let her go.

It was still a sensitive area. He thought about telling her to stop, but ...didn't. For reasons he wasn't even sure of himself, he wanted to know what she would do.

Bulma gently rubbed lotion around the healed over place on her lover. Her fingers were caressing as they traced the circle that had once been a tail that marked him as distinctly 'non-human'.

Beneath her fingers, his body trembled. She paused. "Does that hurt?"

Vegeta clenched his teeth and fought hard not to move. Yes it hurt. But not in the way of a wound, but a sensual pain that he'd never knew existed.

She leaned down and kissed the spot tenderly and he pounced.

Bulma squeaked and squealed as she was unceremoniously dumped to one side and then her Saiyan Prince grabbed her, pushing her under him as he settled himself between her thighs.

"MINE!" It was a statement, an affirmation.

She reached for him, and then drew back as his teeth snapped at her hand. She watched his face as he adjusted his angle, and then slid deeply inside her body, Bulma gasped and arched her back though keeping her eyes on his face.

"Yours." She said it quietly, but his eyes snapped up to meet hers and he growled at her. "Yours." She repeated. Something triumphant looked back at her. This time when she reached up to touch his face, he let her.

He drew back and she took a deep breath. "Slow, Vegeta. Slower."

The Saiyan scowled sharply, disappointed almost.

Bulma settled her hands on his shoulders. "My Saiyan, my man ..."

"Mine!" He groaned and pushed back inside her all the way. Bulma opened herself up to him and held him to her. She could almost feel him trembling even as he took possession of her body. "I need ... I want ..."

He was almost agitated as he rode her body, bringing delicious feelings to her, but it was almost too hard, too fast.

Bulma turned her head to one side, grimacing a bit at the sheer power of his thrusts.

Vegeta, not really thinking, sensed the small movement ...and what it presented.

Bulma yelled out as he bit her neck, and then went still.

Hesitantly, she reached around him and held him, nearly petting his back as he held still. His body was still impaling hers, throbbing deeply inside her ...but not moving.

And he still had his teeth in her as well.

The trembling had stopped though. She held him as he calmed and she realized the biting was like a touchstone for him. It made everything all right in his world.

Bulma began stroking his back and Vegeta let go of her neck to look down into her face. Slowly, while watching her, he began again. This time in control, he drew his hips back slowly and then forged forward once more, eliciting strange noises from his mate as she arched her back to accept him.

This went on for a long time and Bulma, glowing with sweat and gasping for air, wasn't sure if she was going to survive! Every nerve she had was on fire with pleasure and she'd come apart at the seams once already, but he was still going and she was building to a second peak.

Maybe she did need to be a Saiyan female to have the stamina to survive!

Bulma scratched at his back while panting. Finally she slapped his shoulder. "Now, Vegeta! Harder! Faster!"

The Saiyan groaned and smiled down at his needy wife. "Slower, harder, faster? Woman, make up your mind!" Even as he spoke, he increased the pace and knew that he wasn't far from finishing. It only took a few more ragged thrusts before he felt his body begin to tighten.

The woman beneath him screamed out her pleasure as he himself came apart while deep within her body. He roared his approval and the two collapsed together.

.III

Dr. Briefs was down in the basement, oblivious. While he'd not yet soundproofed his daughter's room, his workshop was another story. That had been done years ago when late-night inspiration would strike and he hadn't wanted to wake the entire house with mechanical noises.

A tap at the door had one of the household bots scurrying to answer.

Dr. Briefs put down his tools as his wife carried him a small snack before bed. He smiled at her as she fussed with his food and tea.

"Did you discover something new today, dear?" The pretty blonde smiled adoringly at her husband.

He chuckled. "No, but I'm closing in on that new polymer we've been working on. Won't be much longer now. It'll make a big difference in minimizing medical supplies so they don't lose their effectiveness so quickly."

"How marvelous!" His wife clapped happily. "Will it help flowers not to wilt so fast?"

The good doctor sipped his tea and shook his head. "Sorry, my dear. That's different."

"Oh! Well, I need something to keep tulips from wilting so quickly." She frowned slightly, but it didn't last.

"Not unless you want to minimize them into a capsule." Dr. Briefs smiled at his wife as she offered him a second cup of tea. "No, dear. I'm good."

"Mini-tulips?" The blonde smiled. "You can put them in so many more places if you shrink them down!"

Dr. Briefs shook his head, sure he was going to find tulip-holding capsules everywhere now. "What happened to daisies?" He asked, even as he turned back to his desk and picked up his tools.

"Too plain." The pretty blonde nodded almost thoughtfully. "For someone so alive and vibrant, the daisies could only work a little bit. For someone with such energy there needed to be more color!"

Dr. Briefs nodded, paying attention with only part of his mind. "Good thinking. Vegeta isn't from here. He needs a flower to represent that he is different."

Silence.

He'd soldered three small areas, and had completely rewired a piece of equipment before turning and then he stopped. Dr. Briefs stared at his pretty wife.

She was thinking.

He could tell because she was quiet. Alarm bells went off in the back of his head. This didn't happen often. He'd seen that look only twice. Right before she decided he was going to marry her, and again right before he found himself with a pregnant wife.

Suddenly she smiled brightly and rushed over to cover his face with kisses. "You are so smart! I have the most marvelous husband in all the world!"

Blushing, he let her smother him with praise and kisses. He loved this, actually. Still, he wasn't sure what he'd done this time to get such a reaction.

"I thought the tulips were for Bulma! Now I know I need one for that big, strong husband of hers! No wonder it's not been working right!" The lovely blonde jumped up and ran to the door. Then grinned and ran back for the tray she'd left behind. "Now! What kind of flower do you think? For him?"

Dr. Briefs shook his head and smiled. "I see bigger bills from the florist." But he said it tenderly. "I don't think that Vegeta is a flower type of guy though. Nor will flowers influence their relationship, dear."

But his wife was talking a mile a minute as she headed for the door. "Bird of Paradise? Lilies? Lavender? Orchids? Are Orchids exotic enough? Do they say nursery to you?"

Nursery? Dr. Briefs smiled to himself as his wife left the room in a whirlwind of ideas. Poor Bulma.

Then he thought of the flowers his wife was planning.

Perhaps it wasn't going to be poor Bulma. Maybe he should save his sympathies for a certain Saiyan warrior.

Because, while pretty and naive and sweet, and without a mean bone or thought in her body ...somehow, someway ...she always managed to get what she wanted. And he thanked heaven every day that she'd wanted him.

.III

Vegeta tried to look at his mate, but her hair was sticking to her face. He reached out to push the fall of turquoise tresses away from the side of her face. Blue eyes blinked sleepily at him.

Satiated, he gave her a long look. "Is the date over?"

Bulma nodded, limp with exhaustion and something deeply satisfying.

"Will you tell the man yes now?"

Staring into his dark eyes, it was very hard not to simply give in. Bulma took a deep breath. "Will you tell me how to get a divorce in your customs?"

He frowned sharply. "You want to end our mating?"

"No."

Vegeta calmed, though he still looked irritated. "Why do you want to know?"

She gave him a weak smile. "It's a way of saying you trust me. Without biting."

Trust? Vegeta stared at her for a long moment, then grunted. What could it hurt? It was a trick question anyway. "There are three ways to end a Saiyan mating."

Bulma blinked. He was giving in? She started to feel like crying. He was trusting her! Maybe this would all work out after all!

"Death by challenge. Find someone stronger to challenge your mate. Have him killed by a traditional Challenge Duel." Vegeta gave her a long look. "Good luck with that one."

Bulma gave him a weak smile. "Strike that one off the list."

He grunted arrogantly.

Bulma suddenly leaned up and stared at him. "Have you ever done that? Or been mated before? Do you have children already with someone?" Then her eyes got really wide. "Did you have children?" Had Frieza destroyed them? She asked without saying his name.

"Be calm, woman." Vegeta yawned. "You are my first and only mate."

Bulma settled back down, though now feeling a little unsettled. As if sensing her change of mood, her Saiyan reached for her and dragged her closer to his warmth. She leaned her head onto his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. It was nice, she decided.

"That's an ancient tradition though. The usual way to end a mating is to appeal to the ruling council of elders. They would hear the reasons and make a decision." Vegeta held his wife and wondered if she realized that no Saiyan woman liked to be held like this. It was nice, he thought.

Bulma shook her head. "I'm sorry, about what Frieza did." But with no more Saiyans, there was of course no more elder council to appeal to.

Vegeta nodded and gave her a small hug to show he'd heard.

"Those are both out of the question." Bulma yawned, completely spent. "Is there a way that IS possible?"

Vegeta grinned up at the ceiling, knowing she couldn't see his expression. He was going to relish this moment forever. He couldn't wait to hear her reaction. "Yes. There is one way you can still divorce me, woman."

Bulma waited, but he didn't continue. She pinched his chest and and laughed. "Well?"

Vegeta rolled his wife onto her back and rose up over her, looking down into her face. He smiled. She blinked, suddenly suspicious. "You could appeal to the royal family. Ask them to grant you a divorce from your mate. A royal decree is all you need."

He watched her face eagerly, and wasn't disappointed.

Shock, disbelief and then she reared up and screamed at him. "I have to ask YOU to grant me a divorce?"

"Begging would help." He teased her, completely without mercy.

Her blue eyes got really big as she gaped at him.

"But it wouldn't work." Vegeta leaned in smugly to give her a hard kiss, before drawing back. "Your request is officially denied."

She sputtered and then threatened him with a fist. He chuckled, incensing her completely! "I haven't even asked!"

Vegeta scooted up to the head of the bed, leaned against the headboard and casually put his hands behind his head. Looking utterly relaxed. "Ask." He gave her an arch look.

"It wouldn't do me a bit of good!" She hissed at him.

"No." He admitted with a grin. "It wouldn't."

Suddenly he reached out with one hand and dragged her to him, so she was draped over his body. "Do you really want to ask?"

Bulma stopped. Did she want to ask? No. It was just the injustice of him being in control that had her upset. "No." She said, then moved to get off the bed.

Vegeta frowned. "Where are you going? You are my mate!"

"I need a shower." She groused, then stopped him as he made as if to get up with her. "Alone." Then she turned to give him a long look. "And stop making divorce option number one look good."

The Saiyan snarled after her.

.III

Lots of lemon in this one! And a lot for Bulma to think about! :D