Re-written as of 10/09/17

Bulma had laid awake all night, thinking about Vegeta's words when he had left the kitchen. His statement seemed stuck on replay in her mind and no matter how hard she had tried she could not shake them.

Maybe she was not giving him enough credit? He trained incredibly hard for a fight he had no real investment in showing up.

Earth was not his home. She kept forgetting that and she had to remind herself, he was not human. The ways of his culture and life likely differed dramatically from what she expected of him, and if she wanted to forge a good relationship with her temperamental guest maybe she needed to change her behavior a little. So many thoughts were suddenly cluttering her head, and she wasn't sure anymore if his investment in the Android-threat this was a sign that Vegeta actually might care or a matter of Saiyan pride.

Deep down Bulma wanted Vegeta to care. No matter how strange this seemed to herself. For some unfathomable reason, she was drawn to him like a mote to the flame, well aware that she would eventually get burned. Over the years she had come to terms with the fact that she liked bad boys. Guys that she shouldn't like, that would hurt her, but nonetheless, she wanted Vegeta to care. If not about this planet than maybe about shaking her head in an attempt to ban these thoughts from her mind Bulma got up on began her morning routine.

After a nice long shower, she stopped in the kitchen for a quick morning snack and a large pot of coffee, before making her way down the stairs into her lab. As she switched on the lights of the lab she froze in the door-frame - to her surprise, there were no new bots - just the one she had worked on the night before. An ominous feeling spread in her chest, Vegeta was usually an earlier riser. Stubborn and determined as he was at this time he usually had demolished some part of his equipment and dragged it in here. Often leaving it on her workbench or the floor with the silent command for her to fix it.

Bulma placed her coffee mug on a desk and scanned the Lab carefully, it didn't look like Vegeta had been here at all today. Which meant that so far no bots had been destroyed. For a very brief moment, Bulma had the urge to run outside and take a peek inside the GR, something wasn't right. Vegeta always had at least one bot down before breakfast. And after last's night debacle she was prepared for him to take revenge and drive her insane by destroying everything she had ever created for him - not just let her win like that. She inwardly winced at that thought, last night did not feel like a wine at all. Guilt? Yes. Feelings of victory? Negative.

"Vegeta growled as the new gravity setting kicked in, sweat was starting to spread across his forehead and his muscles were aching. Closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing he pressed on. Ignoring the stinging protest of his muscles and bones. He was going to transform and show Kakarot what it meant to be a Prince.

After last night's run-in with the crazy banshee, he had made a decision, before even leaving the shower, that he was done with humans and all their distracting little games. Done. Nothing would take his focus of his training. He was going to ignore Bulma in order to reach his goal, to finally claim his birthright. All these silly human interactions and fights were making him weak and he needed to return to his icy and isolated self. There had been a time when he could spend months alone tucked away in the dark solitude of his space pod. Content with being by himself, content with being submerged in darkness.

As he continued his rigorous set or warm-up push-ups he found himself thinking about Bulma. Stupid earthling female. He would get stronger even without her stupid bots. He would show her that he did not need her help! Matter of fact he didn't need anyone's help! His body was aching and most of all he was already annoyed with himself for being back to square one.

It was after Lunch and Vegeta still had not shown up in Bulma's Lab with a broken bot in tow, so Bulma decided that she would allow herself to take some quality time. It had been a while since she had pampered herself, or even indulged in things that made her happy. She wasn't a young teenager anymore but that did not mean that she couldn't enjoy herself.

Lounging by the pool in her new cute bathing suit she laid back and soaked up the sun. The sensation of the rays hitting her milky skin and warming her through and through was something she had deeply missed the past few weeks she had been tucked away in her Lab, slaving over inventions for Vegeta while trying to keep up with her regular Capsule Corp. workload.

She plugged in her headphones and relaxed. Letting her thoughts roam freely as she enjoyed this peaceful moment. Her and Vegeta had gotten closer, or at least Bulma had thought so after he blew himself up in the GR. She had taken care of him and he had actually listened to her. She chuckled at the thought, Vegeta had listened, to her. What a foreign concept, nobody would believe her that the mighty Prince had yielded her request to let himself heal - not that she had anyone to tell.

The scientist was sure that there was more to Vegeta than arrogant remarks, lips curls, and coldness. He hid so well behind a practiced wall of hate and indifference, mixed with arrogance and - on occasion - a pretty foul mouth. They had come close to another after the Gravity Room at exploded and he had been seriously wounded. There had been a few morphine-induced moments when she had caught a glimpse behind his iron walls, and she had been intrigued ever since. She frowned just thinking about it, her eyes still closed, it wouldn't do to pine away over Vegeta on her day off. She had promised herself she wouldn't think about him.

She suddenly felt silly for spending her precious quality time occupied by thoughts of Vegeta. Exhaling deeply in an attempt to let go she wiggled deeper into her lounging chair to enjoy the sun; when suddenly she felt as if she and her chair had been lifted into the air.

Her eyes flew open in utter panic, searching for the cause of this sudden shift in sensation and more importantly gravity. She didn't have to look long, there was Vegeta with an evil smirk on his face, workout towel around his sweat-drenched neck, holding her hostage on her lounging chair - mid-air! There was a confusing moment between fear and arousal as she took him in, all muscles and power with chiseled facial features and sharp pearly teeth. Fear won out.

She screamed.

His smirk grew. He had actually planned on completely ignoring her but stepping out of the GR to make his way to lunch he had noticed her by the pool. Well, he had noticed her almost non- existent tiny bikini first. After all, even he was just a man, hot-blooded and in his prime. The red fabric barely covering her pale ivory skin, leaving very little to his imagination.

For a moment he had just stood there and taken in her curves. He hated to admit it but she had a stunning well-proportioned body. Vegeta's eyes surveyed her lounging form, her tiny waist stood in stark contrast to her large breast, which was scarcely being contained by her small bikini top. Her long legs, combined with the bust and tiny waist made her look like the most fragile and delicate creature he had laid eyes on in a very, very long time. If space would have allowed him the luxury to develop a type - she was it! Her bodily proportions almost otherworldly, yet leaving his muscled self as the undoubted male and superior.

He felt an unfamiliar pull deep down inside of him and forced himself back to reality. Mad at himself for even thinking such stupid thoughts. Mad at her for once again distracting him from his training he had picked up her lounging chair.

He would show her what one got for insulting a Saiyan. Paying no attention to her screams, once she realized the situation, he lifted her and the chair higher, stepping closer to the pool. His dark smirk grew with every desperate noise she made trying to avoid the unavoidable. The small bikini straining to cover her full mounds with all the erratic movements coming from her.

"Vegeta! No! I am warning you!" Bulma's voice was high and shrill. Almost desperate. For a moment he considered holding out, waiting to see if she would beg him. But Vegeta was not the kind of man that waited. On anyone.

"Woman I have been warning you repeatedly" he scowled deeply at her while taking his final step towards the edge of the pool.

"Don't you dare! You Monkey!... No! ...Don't!.My pho…" but the water engulfed her before she could finish her sentence. Vegeta had tossed her of her lounging chair and into the pool. The water felt like icy needles stabbing her hot skin, invading her ears and nose and destroying her phone which had been warmed by the hot sun before callously being submerged without a fair warning.

"Don't threaten me with a good time Woman. I told you not to call me that" Vegeta said calmly while carelessly discarding the now empty chair and walking away towards the kitchen for some well-deserved lunch.

"Put some decent cloth on, you look like a whore" he casually called over his shoulder without turning around. Trying to ignore how her skin glistened when it was wet.

" I hate you" Bulma screamed as she emerged out of the water. Her phone was ruined. Her hair was ruined. Her makeup was ruined! In fact, the Prince of all Jerks had ruined her entire afternoon! She was more than upset at his actions, but what got her blood boiling was that he was already walking away, not even paying attention to her angry screams and with that, claiming this round as his win. Nobody bested Bulma Briefs.

Bulma stumbled out of the pool towards the house, she did not even care to grab her towel in an attempt to dry herself before entering. Dripping wet and angry she marched into the kitchen, in her blind rage she almost slipped a few times on the smooth tiles before reaching the kitchen and throwing her soaked phone into Vegeta's direction the second she saw him. Moving his head in time to avoid the flying piece of technology he fixed his eyes on her, while the phone hit the cabinets behind him. It left a dent before bursting into pieces that noisily fell to the floor. His facial expression was stoic, clearly unimpressed with her antics.

" You ruined my phone" pointing her finger directly at him Bulma was fighting to refrain from slapping him across the face. She knew Vegeta would never let her land a hit on him. Not ever. "And I will have you know that I am no whore!"

"Woman, I don't care about your silly feeling" came his reply, while slapping her hand out of his face like an annoying bug. "Now leave me alone".

"You are such an asshole Vegeta! You only care about yourself!"

Before Vegeta could reply to her angry screams Bulma had ripped open the patio door with surprising strength and was stomping towards the Gravity Room.

Her wet hair was a wild mess and her make-up, running down her face was now starting to dry. A rather unpleasant feeling. Upon reaching the machine Bulma ripped open an override-control panel near the door and began punching in a termination sequence with more force than necessary. Vegeta had followed closely behind her, his lunch abandoned on the kitchen counter.

"Woman!" now he was the one screaming. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I am disabling my equipment till you learn to be nice and apologize to me!"

Vegeta growled low in his throat and grabbed her by the shoulder, flinging her around, pinning her between him and the Gravity room. Her back hit the outside of the dome-shaped structure with a loud thud, knocking the air out of her lungs. His hands placed next to her head against the outside of the machine he scowled at her, clearly trying to keep his composure.

"I will do no such thing" he hissed through gritted teeth "Turn. It. Back. On"

His nose was only inches from her, his words pronounced in a way that made an underlying threat clear, and his eyes fixed on her in a way Bulma felt as if he was looking right into the hidden depth of her soul.

She could feel his warm breath against her skin. See were his sweat had been soaked up by his training towel. She could smell this mixture of anger, sweat, and testosterone - making her knees tremble uncontrollably. Realizing how dry her throat suddenly had become she swallowed hard, Vegeta had never been this close to her.

His Body was radiating heat and his eyes were mesmerizingly dark, keeping her pinned right where she was. Now that his nose was almost touching hers she suddenly noticed how long and thick his lashes were. How unfair. And that those dark mesmerizing eyes were actually not black at all, what was that? A deep dark charcoal grey? Just a single shade lighter than his pupils, she could see her reflection in them. Her wild ocean hair and fair skin. Had his skin always been this bronze? And dear Kami his lower lip. It was full and all but beckoned Bulma to lean in and gently suck on it.

"Woman! Are you deaf?! Turn the damn machine back on!" his hiss was almost a whisper ripping her back to the reality of the current situation.

It was driving Vegeta mad that she didn't respond. No quick retorts. No defiance. No fight. Where was her fiery spirit? Even more important why was she not taking any measures according to the very clear orders he had just given her? Never before had he been so close to her, something he had not considered before cornering her - this bodily closeness.

His sensitive nose had immediately picked up her smell, not even that nasty treated pool water could mask her breathtaking smell. Cherry Blossoms. The unfamiliar pull deep down inside of him returned. Every breath he took burning her scent deeper into his mind. He was fighting to stay level-headed and couldn't stay this close to her much longer - he needed an answer in order to back away with his pride still intact. She would not win this fight.

He was a Prince, and apologizing was not something in his DNA. Not even his very actions were of her concern! He would do as he pleased, after all, he was a free man. In the end, she would yield to his orders, like everyone had done before her. He was going to make her bend to his desire if only to prove a point.

The pull inside him got stronger, his stomach was turning at the thought of making Bulma bend to his desires.

"No"

Bulma had finally found her ground again, and her voice. She placed a hand firmly on Vegeta's chest and pushed him away. Correction, he let her push him away. Vegeta was strong and broad, there was no moving him if he did not allow it. Little jolts dancing down the tips of her fingers as her hand touched his broad muscular chest, he was hard. Unforgiving. Chiseled and defined.

She could feel a large scare through the fabric of his shirt and couldn't help but wonder what his skin felt like. To Bulma's surprise Vegeta remained quiet, his scowl deepened and his eyes still fixed on her as she began to walk away. Squaring her shoulders as she stalked back to the house. Bulma held her head high, forcing herself to set one foot in front of the other in a steady line. She had won. And Kami she needed a cold shower.

Upon reaching the patio door she turned around to find him still standing in the same spot she had left him " I will turn it back on if you do as I ask" she said, hoping her voice would carry the sincerity of her offer, "You know where to find me when you are ready" and with that she disappeared inside.

Vegeta stood in front of the Gravity Room alone. His pride berating him about his actions less than a minute ago. His thoughts running wild inside his head.

Bulma had taken him, given him food and a place to stay as well as devoted countless hours to upgrading and fixing his training equipment. None had ever done anything like this for him before. None had ever done anything like this just to help him achieve his goal. None had ever given a damn. In his years with Frieza it had been very simple, obey or die, win a battle or die. That was all his life had ever evolved around and now he was utterly unsure of all the feelings arising inside of him. He was utterly displeased with them. Most of all he was utterly mad at himself for letting her push him away, for bending to her wishes.

Vegeta exhaled deeply, walking a few steps towards the cool pool and then jumping in, not even bothering to remove his clothes or shoes. The cold water stimulated his senses and allowed him to regain full control. He would not apologize, he would not slip again, he thought to himself as he let the quiet wet depth of the water pull him deeper to the ground.

End Chapter II
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