Twists And Turns

Chapter 19

My sense of smell woke up before I did. Sweet, warm, heady scents trickled into my nostrils; of sweat and closeness... of Vegeta, and sex... Half-asleep, the unique brand of perfume seeping past my senses elicited a deep, satisfied purr, and I shifted comfortably only to realize that I was not alone in my bed. A steadfast, warm body that I could have identified solely by touch was pressed close to my own, curled up against me and fast asleep. Something between surprise and euphoria twitched in my mind. Oh my gods, it wasn't a dream this time...!

Better yet, I could sense Vegeta's calm emotions touching my mind; and the memory of being so alone and unable to feel him was all but forgotten. The monster was silent, placid, as though patiently waiting to see what would happen now. I didn't mind that it was still there so long as it was quiet; the respite was refreshing, it had been a long time since I was this relaxed.

Vegeta's deep breathing faltered after a while, and I sensed him waking groggily; confusion and then amazement filtering through the bond that I could feel sealing us together. I wondered if he could feel my emotions as sharply as I could feel his now; I had to make conscious effort not to mix up his feelings with my own at first... it was a little disorienting, but not unpleasant.

I couldn't help but tighten my embrace around his shoulders, loosening it after a moment and lifting my head to look at his face. The gentle arch of an elegant eyebrow shadowing a half-mast dark eye, the perfect curve of his high cheekbone; barely parted lips marked with fading darker spots that looked like shallow teeth marks, recalling a memory of fierce kissing and frantic thrusting. I swallowed and averted my gaze as I felt heat pooling down south, not wanting to arouse myself just yet.

"Sleep well?" I asked the prince as I lay my head back against the pillows. I knew I had. I hadn't slept that well in months. It had been far too long since I'd dropped every single bit of my guard in favor of shutting down completely.

"Mhm," Vegeta murmured; he sounded pleased, the kind of simple emotion that barely needed a source.

I suppressed a groan as I heard the monster making itself known, a tiny whisper that was strangely quieter than I remembered.

And now he's had his way... let you fuck him into next week, and now he can ask for it whenever he wants. The sly voice sounded supercilious and arrogant, and I tried to shove it away halfheartedly, loathing it for upsetting the pleasant glow that had settled on me upon waking.

It was not just fucking, I retorted in the sanctity of my mind, It was more than that.

Does he know that? The monster purred silkily, Does he even want more than that? That's all he was trying to get from you anyway. Now that you've given him what he wanted, he's sure to lose interest.

I fought back a growl, furious at the monster's ability to tear down my defenses and show the tiny niggling fears that were all too real to be ignored. What if Vegeta had only wanted me in one way; and now that he'd gotten it, he would stop pursuing me – obviously – and think he could lord it over me all the time? What if he was just using me? What if I had lain myself bare to him only to be stepped on yet again?

Part of me sneered. They were stupid, naïve worries, and I wanted to label them impossible... but I couldn't just yet.

"Was it..." I began, wondering how to phrase the question to get the answer I needed to hear, "...good enough for you?"

There was one way to test what he expected of me. What he truly wanted from me. A guardian, a protector; that I could be. But just a bedmate... that I couldn't do. I should have laughed and reminded myself that he'd claimed me and thereby made me his mate – not an easy or possible bond to break once it was consensual... But, I had to insist, he had bitten to manipulate before. Was there a chance I was just another Gohan to be used and then tossed aside? – bearing no ill will to my eldest son, of course; at least not anymore... I didn't know how I'd be able to swallow it if that were true. It was unlikely, given all the trauma we'd both been through to get this far... but not impossible just yet.

"Why do you ask?" Vegeta asked carefully, looking at me with perplexed, if wary eyes.

I decided to test the water. Would Vegeta only be happy if I obliged him this way again? I knew it would make me happy... but only if it actually meant something.

"Because," I said slowly, laying the proverbial cards on the table, "That's one of the last ones you're likely to get."

He blinked at me, bemused.

"What do you mean?"

And there was the tiny edge of panic I'd been afraid to see.

He only wants you for the sex, the monster snickered, After all, what good are you otherwise? He has Bulma to handle everything else, and you wouldn't be much use in a medical sense anyway. What he needed was a fuck-buddy, not a mate.

SHUT UP! I snarled mentally at the monster's words taunting me. Beneath my indignant denial, there was a faint creeping of dread... what if it was right? What if I'd just taken a bare-butt leap into another of Vegeta's traps?

I wouldn't know unless...

"Well…. It's going to be harder as this pregnancy progresses," I muttered, careful to keep my voice emotionless to keep the twinge of fear out of it, "...and whether the baby or you survive or not, we don't want you to get pregnant again, right?"

Minor concerns; there were ways around those complications... but it was a good enough reason to put a temporary wall between the prince and me to see how he reacted. Words were just words, after all.

Vegeta looked at me calculatingly, "Why not?"

Oh, dear... the monster simpered sarcastically.

Shut up. I repeated, dismayed that I was arguing with myself... the retort lost a lot of its fire.

Then Vegeta's reply caught up to me.

"'Why not'?" I echoed the prince, wondering if he wanted me to get him pregnant again.

It would make sense, the monster laughed, more heirs to the Saiyan race, continuing his precious bloodline. Of course, that makes you his -

I cut it off, trying to drown it out, "Vegeta, you're not actually considering...?" I trailed off, unsure and trying to ignore the uncomfortable throbbing of the mark Vegeta had placed on my shoulder. I wondered if it was responding to my emotions... if a mere bite mark could do such a thing...

I sighed, looking at the ceiling.

"We can't bring our race back, Vegeta," I said flatly, "That's not what's happening here. That'll never happen thanks to Frieza; I'm sorry."

Lay it all out to him, the monster muttered grimly, And watch him walk out the door.

If it were a physical entity, I might have strangled it.

Vegeta's eyebrows were gradually drawing together in a frown, which transformed into his trademark scowl.

He snorted, "How come you have to be so damn bitter all the time, Kakarot? It's not like you."

I spoke before the monster could, interrupting whatever snide remark it might have made.

"Bitter times," I said shortly; acerbically, fitting as that was.

He sat up abruptly, and I felt the jolt of irritation as though it was my own, "And here I was in such a good mood," he growled, "Your aura is deleterious, Kakarot, you know that?"

Guilt slashed at me painfully. I had upset him. It was not my place to upset him; it was my duty to keep his emotions calm and happy, for as much his own benefit as that of the unborn infant he carried.

I forced a shrug, not wanting to speak any of what was on my mind. Not wanting to give the waiting monster another chance to command my tongue.

To my surprise, he didn't snarl... in fact a grin that was more grim than amused crossed his face. Still... he was...pleased? Satisfied? I was beyond confused.

"Oh you are not fooling me this time," he said smugly, "I can sense that you feel bad about upsetting me and that you didn't mean any of what you said. Your days of hiding your feelings are over, Kakarot."

That's right... I thought distantly, he can sense my emotions too now...

I sat up, about to reply, but everything I could have said stuck in my throat, and I swallowed against an imaginary knot in my windpipe, dropping my gaze to the sheets around my legs.

"Sorry," I said softly, closing my eyes briefly as the mark on my shoulder gave another angry stab of pain. I rubbed the scar absently, trying to quell it but only managing to scuff my hand with my own dried blood.

I felt Vegeta lean against me after a long moment and I looked at him. His emotions were sincere and apologetic, and I wondered what I'd said to cause the sudden switch in mood. Maybe it was hormones.

His hand laid on top of mine, on top of the scar that was troubling me... and after a quick flash of hesitance I lowered my own hand and let him do what he would.

His fingers traced over the mark slowly, and to my surprise, rather than the ache of any other healing scar that I would expect, a thrum of warm pleasure swept through me. My head tipped back gradually and a soft sound of approval escaped me, my eyes flitting closed.

The touch was light, achingly tentative as his fingertips skimmed over the uneven flesh. Bliss soothed every nerve ending, giving me a chill, "Yessss," I breathed.

The butterfly contact of soft, perfect lips touching the sensitive mark elicited a pleading sound from me, and I felt myself growing hard despite myself. Vegeta's hot, wet tongue slicked over erogenous punctures, stimulating the raw and exposed nerves beneath the skin.

"Fuck, Vegeta, yessss," I groaned; gods, I hadn't known of this sensitivity... I had to wonder how Vegeta had... How he had known what I needed in the moment of doubt and conflict...

He does care about me, I told the monster, unsure if it was even awake right now, he does care... he does love me...

I let go, giving in to the sensations as the prince's amazing tongue explored and danced across the mark he'd created... I was panting for breath; quiet, appreciative sounds slipping between my lips whenever he found a particularly incredible spot.

I felt the prick of a canine tooth pressing into one of the delicate holes, and I gulped a breath, shivering as I was dropped very near the edge of climax, a gentle, but fierce tide of pleasure and anticipation washing over me.

Vegeta's teeth slid into the mark, reopening it entirely, and I felt like my skin would peel off as every muscle jumped, hot ecstasy flooding me as a shout tore from my lips, cut off as I released into the sheets, trembling with aftershocks as the orgasm wrung through me.

Vegeta withdrew and licked my blood from his lips, "You might have to rethink what you said earlier, Kakarot." he muttered.

I couldn't keep my voice steady as I responded, "What's that?"

"You said that last night was 'one of the last ones I'm likely to get';" he said levelly, smirking dangerously in the way that would make even Frieza turn tail and run, "but if what happened just now was any indication, I'm not sure you'll be able to keep your hands… and other things… off of me."

Embarrassment hit me before I could dwell on the monster's warning from before, and how it fit with what Vegeta said. It wasn't important now.

"Well... I just... I think..." I stammered, aware that my cheeks were probably flushed by now.

He raised a curved eyebrow, daring me to contradict him.

Not possible.

I sighed, "I just can't say no to you, Vegeta."

He smirked, "Of course you can't, what kind of mate would you be if you could?"

Relief flowed through me; he did know what it meant to be mates, and he wasn't trying to manipulate me to get what he wanted. Well... at the moment he wasn't trying as hard as he could have, but that was different.

A teasing growl left my throat and I pounced on him, pressing him back against the pillows and attacking his mouth with mine, tasting my own blood still lingering on his lips as well as his own fiery flavor. Vegeta responded eagerly, and my fingers tangled in his silken hair, crushing his lips to mine intensely.

I broke away for breath and to speak one sentence.

"Just remember..." I purred, "You're my mate first."

I let him take that however he would.

TBC