Hi guys!
So here I am, finally on maternity leave! It was about time, with work, family life and the pregnancy becoming a little more complicated than expected, I hardly had any time to write these previous days :( But now, with this little breaktime before birth, I'll have a bit more time to spend on this fic!
And I reassure you right away, the next chapter will be coming soon :3
xx
Chapter 18 - Vegeta
Vegeta had always been seen as a particularly dedicated Saiyan. Since his birth, the prince wore with pride this label of rigor and assiduity which stuck perfectly to his skin.
This devotion, however, often found itself turning into an obsession.
Whether it was for his training for example, when he was getting up in the early hours of the morning to incessantly repeat the same kick he had not mastered exactly as he wanted. Or for his aspiration to gain power, and to progress again and again, until becoming one of the strongest Saiyan warrior to have ever existed. And let's not forget about this obsession that he had nourished since he was a child, that of transforming into a Super Saiyan, this legendary warrior who was often mentioned in the ancient stories of his people.
Vegeta had always been like this. And he had never considered this personality trait to be problematic. On the contrary, he believed that it was this unhealthy rigor which allowed him to achieve each of his most unrealizable objectives, and which made him the exceptional warrior he had become and of whom he was proud to be.
Until he met Bulma.
This weak, innocent Human. Completely harmless at first glance.
With those beautiful, bright blue eyes, her long hair and her radiant, honest smile.
This woman, who had this bad habit of frowning and openly reprimanding him when she disagreed with him. The very one who did not hesitate to rush into a room full of soldiers much more powerful than her to deliver a memorable sermon to the strongest among them.
This woman, who had initially aroused a curious interest on his part, and who had begun to monopolize all of his attention. This woman who, despite all his rigor, his devotion and his assiduity, he couldn't stop thinking of.
For days and nights, it was this human who occupied all his dreams. Not his training. Not the fighting. Not the legendary Saiyan warrior.
Her. Bulma.
She obsessed him.
And for the first time in his life, Vegeta felt like one of his obsessions wasn't going to get him anywhere.
Objectively, he had always told himself that thinking about a woman would be of no use to him. This was not only futile, but also a distraction keeping him away from his main and real objectives.
The problem was that, when it was about this woman, Vegeta couldn't find reason. He couldn't silence his urges and train properly, or even sleep, rendering him completely non-functional.
And it had all grown out of proportion since they had exchanged that kiss earlier in the day.
Her pale and soft skin under his fingers.
Her heart he had heard racing when he approached her.
The smooth feeling of her mouth on his.
The scent of excitement and desire she had given off when he had started to kiss her, answering to his caress with lust.
All of this was driving him crazy. And the more time passed, the more he could feel his usual discipline being stolen from him. It was so intense that he was completely unable to train after their encounter, and his sleep, recently disturbed by particularly explicit dreams, was also starting to slip through his fingers.
The night was already well underway. Vegeta had been lying under his sheets for several hours. After all this time sleeping in the tiny bed of the medical unit, he would have thought that being back in his own room would have given him a decent rest. He would have thought that the physical fatigue of his training, as well as his injuries which were not yet completely healed, would have allowed him to sleep easily.
But no. This seemingly harmless woman was making him lose his mind and she was transforming him into something he had always considered deplorable. A simple man, weakened, under the influence of his lowest desires.
Furious, Vegeta pushed back his sheets and sat on the edge of his bed. Feet flat on the ground, he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind to focus on what really mattered.
Under his eyelids, a flash of blue pierced his eyes.
A groan escaped him, and he tried to chase away this intrusive vision. He took a deep breath, as he usually did during his meditation sessions.
But his keen sense picked up this feminine and particularly seductive aroma which had clung to his skin.
In the dark, a curse escaped him.
Apparently, the two previous showers had not been enough to erase the perfume this woman had left on his body.
Vegeta, helpless, resigned, clenched his fists and jaw to contain his rage. He was going to have to resort to something more effective to regain some semblance of control.
And what a better way to forget one of his obsessions than to replace it with another.
Without bothering to put on his usual suit, he then got up and left his room to head directly towards the training room. At this time, the place was completely empty when he arrived, which was perfect because he didn't need anyone to witness the madness that was taking upon him. He started working out as soon as he set foot there, and for hours, he trained without even thinking about taking a break.
His tactic worked... partially. It was easy for him to stay focused on his different sequences of kicks and punches. But the slightest distraction caused him to lose his concentration. The arrival of a few other soldiers, for example, quickly reminded him of the curious looks that had landed on him when he had crossed that very same training room, dragging Bulma with him. Vegeta, determined to regain his concentration, rapidly left the main training room to isolate himself in one of the annexes reserved for elite fighters. Raditz and Nappa, who used to join him for training, were also quickly considered as a nuisance. He chased them away irreverently, his two compatriots not even complaining a little when they noticed their prince's foul mood.
It was only towards the end of the afternoon that Vegeta stopped. Exhausted, his body bruised by the effort, he collapsed to the ground after completing a final series of kicks. He was almost alone again in the training unit, the other soldiers being already gone to eat their evening ration while he was still deprived of it. Lying down on the cold floor, completely done, he almost slipped into unconsciousness. But as he absentmindedly ran his hand over his bare chest, he sensed something was wrong. One of his wounds, the largest one crossing his chest, had not withstood the intensity of his training and had reopened. His skin, covered in sweat, was reddened by the blood flooding from it.
Vegeta struggled to get on his feet. He painfully headed to the showers of the training unit to wash and take a better look at the damage. He had removed his bandages earlier in the day and for obvious reasons, had not asked for them to be replaced. But he was paying the price now. Training so hard and for so long put a strain on his still injured body. If most of his wounds were well consolidated, others still remained fragile. And now that he lingered there, it was obvious that he could not return to his room in this state.
He required care, and a visit to the medical unit was inevitable.
Vegeta quickly finished his shower. He came out grumbling, anticipating his visit since he risked crossing path with Bulma. He knew that if he saw the woman, he would be deprived of sleep for a second night in a row. With any luck, she would have already returned to her room to eat, like everyone else. He could then steal some bandages and do the work himself without being bothered.
He dried off quickly, put on some clean shorts, and decided it was best to remain shirtless to avoid staining his clothes with blood. He headed towards the medical unit, trying to ignore the little voice telling him that she might have decided to eat later, as he knew she often did...
Once there, it was Idris who welcomed him. She was sitting at the unit's main station, filling out paperwork. Her yellow eyes immediately landed on the Saiyan when he entered. Seeing his bloody chest, she quickly understood the reason of his visit. But, strangely, she didn't get up to help him. She just casually pointed towards one of the beds behind the regeneration chambers and without even speaking to him, she went back to fill documents as if he wasn't there.
Vegeta gritted his teeth, thinking that she could have easily take care of his wound. She did it many times before. But it was obvious she knew exactly what he was internally hoping for. He had always been a little wary of this old harpy, whom he suspected of having telepathic skills. And by automatically directing him towards what his subconscious really wanted, she confirmed his suspicions.
Telling himself that it would be better to stay away from this shrew, Vegeta crossed the medical unit. Once arrived at the place designated by Idris, the Saiyan opened the curtain hiding the bed without bothering to announce himself.
And he saw her.
Bulma.
And just like a junkie craving for what made him lose his mind, he took a split second to soak in what he was seeing.
She was turned the other way, not seeing him yet. Her turquoise hair was neatly tied into a long braid falling in the middle of her back. The red scarf was tied around her neck, replacing the hand that had, just the day before, caressed the skin beneath. Her nape, thin, delicate, seemed so fragile to him that he wondered if he hadn't hurt her when he allowed himself to ferociously dig his fingers into it. He lingered longingly looking at the white skin behind her ear and imagined sticking his nose to smell the perfume emanating from it. He even had to grit his teeth to avoid inhaling deeply in the hope of catching a whiff.
From this angle, he couldn't see her face. Leaning over the leg of a Gultirian soldier, she was focused on placing a splint to stabilize the fracture he suffered. Both of them had not yet noticed his arrival, and Vegeta couldn't help but feel rage boiling in his gut when he saw that the vile creature was ogling the curves the tight blue dress highlighted.
Fucking pervert... if he could, he would have gouged out his eyes right away.
"You know you should go to the Quarters for this kind of thing." he said loudly to the soldier.
He couldn't contain himself. It had been stronger than him. Really.
The Human and the Gultirian jumped. The perversity suddenly faded from the latter's face when he saw the dark and menacing eyes of the Saiyan examining him.
-Ve… Vegeta… General… I… yes you are right. I am really…
"Shut up!" cut the prince implacably.
He really didn't want to hear this idiot speaking another word. He quickly lost interest and fixed his eyes on the woman. She turned to look at him, surprised.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, halfway between anger and astonishment.
"I need you to fix my bandages. Now." he demanded.
She batted her eyelashes a few times. Her blue eyes shifted to the wound on his chest, and frowned.
"I'm busy." she said dryly. "Ask Idris."
And just like that, without another word, she turned away from him and began to put the splint on again. Vegeta, irritated that one of his requests was ignored with such aplomb, frowned in turn. Instinctively, he started to feel angry. But something kept him from lashing out. Seeing her object to what he was begging for gave him a strange feeling of satisfaction, and he had to clench his jaw even harder to keep from smirking.
"She's busy too." he justified.
Theoretically, it wasn't a lie since she was filling out paperwork... right?
"There are other caregivers here. You should go ask them." she added implacably.
The soldier she was treating opened his eyes wide. Aside from Frieza, no one on this ship dared to order anything to the Saiyan prince. Especially not in such a casual way.
"You're the only one here. Everyone went to eat dinner." added Vegeta, who secretly reveled in this opposition that she always threw back in his face.
This time he wasn't sure if it was the truth. He hadn't met anyone on the unit on his way here, so…
Bulma let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"Very well, I'll do it. But you'll have to wait. I'll go see you when I'm done with this splint." she concluded without even looking up at him.
Vegeta felt a blush rise to his cheeks. Even if a part of him appreciated this woman's temper, he was not used to being refused what he asked for. And the prospect of leaving her alone with this pervert made him strangely uncomfortable.
"I'm not waiting. I want it done now." he demanded impetuously.
"Seriously… I… I can wait." added the Gultirian soldier in a slightly trembling voice. "Miss, maybe you don't know it yet, but he has priority over me. This is General Vegeta, the prin…
"Oh hell no!" the woman then said in a loud voice.
She abruptly dropped the splint she was holding, drawing a complaint from the soldier. She turned to Vegeta and approached him with firm steps, her azure eyes tinged with a determination rarely matched.
"Who do you think you are, huh? As far as I know, you're far from your deathbed right now. General or not, I'm the one taking decisions here. So if you really want me to redo your bandages, you will have to wait your turn, like everyone else! I'll see you when I am finished. And you will take this opportunity to practice your patience!" she railed firmly.
And with a sharp blow, she closed the curtain right in his face.
The prince found himself alone in front of this drawn curtain, frozen, disconcerted at having been rejected without finding the necessary means to oppose it. He was tempted to tear down the damn thing and vent his anger on these two imbeciles. But he held back, aware that he would only fuel his fury facing such a stubborn woman.
So, just like she suggested, he went to his designated bed and sat like a nice, docile soldier. He waited for many long minutes for the woman to show up, furious, but also feverish and curious to see how events would unfold.
After a moment, his keen hearing picked up the sound of determined footsteps approaching. Bulma then appeared before him, like a blue storm about to pour out its turbulent torrents. He placed his black orbs on her, and without a word or even a look, she headed towards the medical cart to get her equipment. Arms laden with saline water, clean cloths, and bandages, she turned around and fixed her blue eyes straight into his. He took pleasure in holding that determined look as she approached him. A gap had appeared between her eyebrows and her mouth, naturally plump and pink, now only formed a thin line.
Seeing her like this, he felt the corners of his own lips stretch uncontrollably. She looked as angry as he did. Good.
Without a word, the woman placed her equipment on the mattress and began to pour saline on some clean cloths, which she used to clean the wound on his chest. Vegeta also remained silent, enjoying despite himself this routine they had built over the days he had spent in the medical unit. He then took advantage of this forced intimacy as well as the state of concentration in which Bulma put herself to carefully study her pretty features. Her crystalline eyes, riveted on her diligent hands. Her nose, which wrinkled imperceptibly under the effort of concentration. Her eyelids closing a few millimeters to better see what she was doing. Each time, he quickly found himself absorbed too, his brain consumed by her and nothing else. She was so beautiful, so pleasant to look at, that he inevitably came to forget everything else. Even his anger.
And this time was no exception, his bad mood quickly vanishing as soon as she started working.
"I thought you wanted me to leave you alone." Bulma suddenly said as she slipped one of the bandages under his arm.
If he hadn't been such a well-trained Saiyan, he would have jumped at being pulled out of the trance she had put him in.
"As if it was by choice I'm being here." he retorted, grumbling.
"Humph!" she said with forced amusement.
She leaned forward to wrap the bandage around his shoulder. A strand of hair escaped from her braid. Vegeta was tempted to gently place it behind her ear, and take the opportunity to touch her skin, which he knew was smooth and soft there.
"If you hadn't trained like an idiot, we wouldn't be here. So yes, it's a choice." she added implacably.
It was Vegeta's turn to feign amusement. But he didn't add any more, knowing full well that he wouldn't win this argument with her. He let her wrap the bandage around his left shoulder, his arm raised in the air to give her a better access. Like a carefully crafted choreography, they had repeated this routine so often over the past few days that the prince could easily anticipate the moves that would make her job easier before she even had to ask him anything.
This time, however, was a much shorter session than usual, and the last bandage was quickly placed over his skin.
"There you go." she said. "I'm done. Your other wounds do not need to be treated. You can leave now."
Vegeta sat up, suddenly alert. The woman turned her back on him and walked to the medical cart without even glancing at him. She had been surprisingly expeditious. She usually took pleasure in taking her time, in prolonging this moment of closeness and tranquility which, he knew, she appreciated as much as he did.
How dare she end this session so abruptly?
"That was quick." he commented flatly.
"Well yes. The General must be very busy." she said without even looking at him. "You must certainly have better things to do than spend time resting or being nursed by a weak Human like me."
Hearing her response and her dry tone, Vegeta blew air through his nose. Clearly, she had decided to make him pay for the little incident that happened the day before. To be fair, he had very explicitly asked her to leave him alone... just after kissing her fiercely against a wall. His attitude and words being rather contradictory, she was probably just carrying out his request to the word, after all.
But, in all honesty, now that she was obeying his demands without complaining, Vegeta realized that he had never really expected her to be so docile. He had expected her to be more combative. He would have thought he heard her contest his request, and question his real desires, as she had done the day before when, her eyes shining with envy, she had asked him if that was really what he wanted.
The answer to this question was obvious. Vegeta could shout in all the languages of the Milky Way that he wanted her to leave him alone, he knew that it was his pride that was really speaking, and that he would have preferred that she not obey so that he doesn't have to justify himself.
His dissatisfaction at the moment was proof of that.
But there she was, ignoring him while she meticulously put away the medical equipment, waiting for him to leave as if nothing happened.
And Vegeta, sitting on the bed, was dealing with this infuriating feeling of disappointment.
He couldn't do anything about it. Even though he told himself over and over again that she was just an insignificant Human, even though he forced himself to get up on his feet to leave and get away from her, Vegeta knew he was completely helpless. His desires were so ingrained, and his obsession so overwhelming, that he knew ignoring his attraction would get him absolutely nowhere.
As with his other obsessions, Vegeta had to take action if he didn't want to find himself in a dead end.
Without further thought, the Saiyan got to his feet. He covered the distance that separated him from the woman at a speed far greater than the Human eye was capable of detecting, and a fraction of a second later, he found himself next to her, his bare chest against her back, his skin brushing against the elastic fabric of her dress.
It took Bulma a split second to notice his presence behind her. Her frail body tensed automatically. She didn't jump, but her breathing stopped for a moment. Immobile, he waited in this position, to let her realise and get used to this sudden proximity.
Then, slowly, when he noticed she had slightly relaxed, he leaned forward a few inches to bring his mouth close to her ear.
"I asked you to leave me alone." he whispered in a low voice.
His lips brushed her earlobe as he spoke. Under the red scarf tied around the woman's neck, he could see that she was shivering. He raised his right arm and began to absentmindedly play with the piece of scarlet fabric.
"But I never said I would." he concluded.
Bulma remained silent. Vegeta pinched one end of her scarf and pulled on it. The knot came undone and the material fell to the ground with a slight rustle. The prince observed the skin thus exposed with envy. He touched her with his fingertips, and began to caress the woman's delicate neck, leaving behind a trail of small bumps that he could easily see appear as he moved his hand. Under her skin, he could also feel her heartbeat increasing in frequency.
"I can hear your pulse racing." he growled in her ear, deliberately using a threatening tone. "Are you scared?"
The warrior was accustomed to feel fear creep into everyone he approached. And the increasing heart rate was inevitably part of the reactions he elicited, before they began to beg him to spare their life.
Bulma laughed softly.
"I'm not scared of you, Vegeta." she replied simply.
The Saiyan smiled. A strange feeling of satisfaction took possession of him. It was the first time he was happy with such a response. Not only was this woman not afraid of him, but it also meant that a very different feeling was causing her heart to beat faster.
"Good. But you should know that fear is a much more reasonable feeling in circumstances like this."
Bulma laughed again, unimpressed by his words. The warrior stopped caressing her neck, but only to grab the back of it with his palm. He squeezed a little and slowly, he planted his fingers up through her braided blue hair to grip it. With measured force, he made the woman tilt her head back, just a little, to expose her neck. With his nose just behind her ear, he began to smell the perfume that emanated from there. The fragrance, exquisite, indescribable, made him salivate. He had never smelled something so good.
He groaned, unable to control his urges, and his satisfied smile disappeared.
"Do Humans have seduction powers?" he asked, frowning.
Vegeta knew that some species possessed such abilities. He had already been confronted to it in the past, with female creatures he encountered on the planet Misk. They relied on their special powers to court and mate with males of all possible species. Unlike Raditz and Nappa, who had both been bewitched, he had been able to resist. Fortunately for these two fools, there were very few creatures worthy enough to bear the offspring of a Saiyan, and the fornication session had not borne fruit.
"Seduction… powers?" stammered the woman. "No, Humans don't know how to do that."
Just by her honest confusion, Vegeta knew she wasn't lying. And he was lucid enough to realize that this attraction was very much real, and that this unjustifiable temptation was not the result of some spell she had cast on him.
However, this also meant that this time, it would be completely impossible to resist it.
"Could you explain to me why I'm so drawn to you, woman?" he asked in a muffled voice.
The Saiyan took a deep breath. He pressed his chest firmly against Bulma's back, certain that she could feel the effect she caused on him forcing against her plump ass. She laughed softly, and the sound of her voice teased him even more. He slid his mouth down her neck, barely touching her, and stuck his tongue out a little to taste her. Her laugh turned into a sigh, and Bulma started moving too. Her hands, until then motionless, moved back to reach Vegeta's thighs, and she began to absently play with his training shorts.
Vegeta growled. He grabbed her wrists with his free hand to keep them trapped behind her back. The woman, surprised, gave a little cry.
"I told you to leave me alone." the Saiyan reiterated sternly.
He pulled on Bulma's hair a little to force her to turn the head towards him. She looked into his eyes, her turquoise irises glowing, bright, alert. Her pink lips parted when she saw how close his face was.
"I want you, woman. Since the day I saw you for the first time on Earth. But you probably know that already, hum? Because I know you feel the same way. But if you want me to continue, you will have to let me do it the way I want." the Saiyan whispered seriously. "Am I clear?"
She batted her eyelashes a few times, understanding that he wouldn't let her touch him as she pleased and that she was going to have to let him take control if her desires were reciprocated. Seeing that she did not object, but did not consent either, Vegeta loosened his tail from his waist and slid it gently over the bare skin of her leg. The woman flinched as soon as she felt the fur brushing against her and he took pleasure seeing surprise painting on her face when it began to undulate skillfully up her thigh. Vegeta heard her hold her breath, and he felt her instinctively arch her back when the tip of his tail discreetly ventured under her dress.
He wanted her to understand his intentions, and to let her know that she could trust him even if he placed her in a vulnerable state.
"Crystal clear." she finally whispered, her eyes lost in his.
Satisfied, Vegeta couldn't help but smirk. He gently removed his tail from under her dress and wrapped it possessively around her leg to hold her a little closer to him.
She had just given him the green light he desperately needed to finally put an end to these irrational desires and regain some control over what had been obsessing for days.
And she was not going to regret it.
