The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the modest bedroom. Caulifla stirred, stretching her arms over her head, only to wince as a sharp soreness came from her lower lips, reminding her of the previous night.

She let out a low groan, her legs shifting uncomfortably under the blanket.

'Damn it, he really didn't hold back,' she thought as she lowered a hand down to her pussy lips, her finger grazing them with a gentle touch, a mix of irritation and awe flickering across her face. Her body ached, but it wasn't just pain, there was something else. A heat, a pressure deep inside her core. She flexed her hand, feeling the faint crackle of power coursing through her fingertips, stronger and sharper than before.

She grinned her Saiyan pride swelling. 'Just from that alone, I got stronger. If being with him makes me this powerful, I'm not letting him off the hook that easy.'

Caulifla rolled out of bed, heading for the shower, it didn't take a genius to figure out how to use it. The warm water eased her muscles, and as she washed away the sweat and soreness of the previous night, her grin widened. 'Training, fighting, and fucking, I'll get stronger with him. One way or another.' Her thoughts then turned to her near-dwindling race.

Her scouter was destroyed, and she was a lowly grunt soldier, frankly other than Cabba and Kale, no one would mourn her loss. She wasn't going to stay for long, she assured the voice of Kale in her head, her best friend had a strong hold over her even if she wasn't in the same sector of space. But she found her meal ticket, someone who could turn her into a legend… someone who could bend over the legend and rock her world…

She came to die... to light the fuse and hope those effeminate bastards would die in the implosion, but now she'd get the pleasure of ramming her fist up their asses herself.

She shook off her thoughts and walked into his room. Her top would probably only cover her nipples, and her baggy pants were pretty much a loincloth, it tuns out she wasn't as gentle with her clothing as she thought, and while she was tempted to simply just wear the threads to tease the man, she had a feeling that the man would that against her somehow. Instead with her intact boots, she 'borrowed' some shorts and one of his hooded tops, her tail swinging with joy as she inhaled the musky scent.

Clicking her teeth she glared at the appendage, old tales of her race said they were the key to her race transforming into powerful unstoppable beasts, however, all they proved to be was an indicator of their moods.

She made her way out of the farmhouse. Her sharp eyes immediately locked onto Shiv, standing among the rows of crops, tending to the soil with slow, deliberate movements. His back was to her, the morning sunlight casting a golden glow over his calm figure.

Her fist clenched at her side, a wild urge rising within her. 'If I hit him now, I might actually land a blow before he does that infuriating thing where he dodges without even looking.'

She took a step forward but stopped herself, groaning internally. 'Nope. Bad idea. If I wreck his crops again, he's gonna make me fix them, and there's no way I'm risking him saying no the next time I ask for… well… if I infuriate him enough, will he bend me over or will he simply refuse to touch me as a punishment?'

Caulifla forced herself to relax, crossing her arms and striding toward him instead. "Oi, Shiv," she called, her voice carrying a hint of her usual brashness but tempered with something resembling restraint. "I want you to train me."

Shiv didn't stop working, his hands deftly pulling weeds from between the neat rows of plants. "Good morning to you too," he said evenly, not even glancing up. "I'm busy."

Caulifla scowled, her patience already thinning. "I'm serious. I need to get stronger, and you're the only one who can make that happen."

He straightened slightly, finally turning to look at her. His calm gaze met hers, unshaken by her intensity. "After I'm done here, maybe I'll consider it."

Caulifla grit her teeth, resisting the urge to yell. Instead, she forced her voice into something close to polite. "Fine. Then I'll help. The faster we finish, the faster you train me."

Shiv raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but he didn't argue. "Suit yourself."

The next hour passed in relative quiet, save for the occasional muttered curse from Caulifla as she fumbled with tools or got dirt on her hands. Shiv worked steadily, his movements were efficient and practised, while Caulifla did her best to keep up. By the time they finished, her hair was a mess, and her shirt was streaked with soil, but the field was pristine.

"Finally," she muttered, brushing her hands off her pants. "Now, are we doing this or what?"

Shiv set down his tools and stretched his shoulders. "Alright. Follow me."

They walked away from the farmstead, into the open expanse of a nearby clearing surrounded by trees. The air was still, the sun high overhead as Shiv turned to face her.

"Show me what you've got," he said simply. "Don't hold back."

Caulifla grinned, cracking her knuckles. "You're gonna regret saying that." She flared her ki, the ground trembling slightly as a fiery aura engulfed her. Without hesitation, she launched herself at him, her fist rocketing toward his face.

He sidestepped effortlessly, not even breaking his relaxed stance. Caulifla growled, spinning into a kick aimed at his ribs, but he caught her ankle with one hand, holding her in place as though she weighed nothing.

"That all?" Shiv asked, his tone calm.

"Not even close!" she snarled, wrenching her leg free and darting back. She cupped her hands together, forming a ball of ki that glowed brightly before hurling it toward him. The blast roared through the air, kicking up dust and debris as it collided with Shiv's position.

When the smoke cleared, Shiv was still standing, completely unharmed, his expression as indifferent as ever. A hand up with nary a sign of damage.

Caulifla stared, her frustration boiling over, even with her recent power-up, he was still playing with her. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

Shiv sighed, taking a single step forward. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, his hand flicking out to tap her forehead. The force sent her stumbling backwards, landing flat on her rear.

"You're trying too hard to overpower me," Shiv said, his voice calm but firm. "All that energy you're throwing around, it's wasted."

She knew he was strong, the way he pounded into her last night… she thought she had glimpsed his strange strength that the scouter hadn't been able to on touchdown, but it still hurt her pride to know even after all of yesterday, she couldn't even touch him.

Caulifla scrambled to her feet, her teeth clenched. "You're saying I'm weak?"

"I'm saying you're undisciplined," Shiv replied, his gaze steady. "Raw power isn't enough. Not against someone who knows how to use it."

Her fists trembled at her sides, but deep down, she knew he was right. She charged at him again, throwing everything she had into her attacks, but no matter what she did, Shiv countered her with minimal effort. By the end of the session, she was panting, bruised, and more frustrated than ever.

Shiv watched her silently for a moment before speaking. "Your potential is endless," he said finally, not able to hint at what her race was capable of. "But if you want to get stronger, you need to let go of your pride and learn to listen."

Caulifla glared up at him, her fiery determination dimmed but far from extinguished. Her chest rose and fell with her laboured breaths, and a bead of sweat trickled down her temple. "Fine," she muttered, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. Despite her frustration, she refused to look defeated.

She grabbed the oversized garment she'd borrowed from him earlier, her fingers tugging at the fabric with deliberate slowness. If she couldn't beat him with raw strength, she'd remind him of the other kind of power she had. Peeling the shirt over her head, she tossed it aside, leaving her toned upper body bare in the golden light of the late afternoon. Her skin gleamed faintly with sweat, her posture oozing confidence despite her earlier loss.

She glanced at Shiv, and sure enough, his eyes momentarily flicked downward, lingering a beat too long on her hardened nipples. She smirked, pleased by the small victory, and bent at the waist to tug the undershorts off. The slow movement was purposeful, calculated to draw his attention.

Fully nude, she straightened, slinging the discarded clothes over her shoulder as though she hadn't a care in the world. Her tail swayed lazily behind her, matching the rhythm of her hips as she sauntered away. Every step was deliberate, her Saiyan pride on full display as she headed toward the glimmer of water she'd spotted earlier when she landed her pod.

The silence behind her was telling, but the faint sound of Shiv audibly gulping made her grin widen. She threw a glance over her shoulder, her smirk playful, teasing.

"Join me," she said, her voice low and dripping with challenge.

Golden light spilling into the small farmhouse. Caulifla stirred awake, the soft fabric of Shiv's oversized hoodie draped over her frame once again. She groaned, sitting up and running a hand through her wild hair. The hoodie smelled faintly of him, earthy, clean and annoyingly calm somehow. Paired with her shorts, it had become her default "uniform" since landing on Earth.

"Stupid hoodie," she muttered, tugging at it. "Why's it gotta be so damn comfortable?" Comfort and Saiyan were not common bedfellows, she was part of a race that thrived from hardships, and yet there were only three of them left...

Her stomach growled, and with a stretch, she hopped off the bed and made her way outside, expecting to find Shiv in his usual place, tending to the crops. Instead, the fields were empty, save for the gentle sway of the plants in the morning breeze.

"What the…?" Caulifla muttered, squinting against the sunlight.

Her eyes scanned the area until they landed on a figure sitting cross-legged on a grassy hill nearby. Shiv sat perfectly still, his hands resting on his knees, his posture relaxed but upright. The faint sound of birds chirping around him only emphasised the tranquil energy he exuded.

Caulifla snorted, placing her hands on her hips. "Meditating? Really? What's that supposed to do?" she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

She marched up the hill, her feet crunching softly against the grass. Shiv's eyes opened just as she approached, and he stretched as he stood, his movements fluid and unhurried.

"You're finally awake," he said, his tone as calm as always.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, brushing off the comment. "Let's skip the small talk and get to the good stuff." After a beat of silence and a slight quirk of his lips, she felt the need to lead his mind in the correct direction, "I'm ready to train!"

Shiv raised an eyebrow. "You're ready, are you?"

"Damn right, I am!" Caulifla said, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. "Let's see if you can keep up this time, old man!"

Shiv chuckled softly. "Today, we're doing something different."

Caulifla frowned, her enthusiasm faltering. "Different? Like what?"

"Meditation," Shiv said simply, gesturing to the spot where he'd been sitting.

Caulifla blinked, then let out a bark of laughter. "You're kidding, right? Meditation? What's that gonna do, help me channel my 'inner peace' or something? Forget it. I'm a fighter, not some, "

Before she could finish, Shiv moved with blinding speed. His hand landed on her rear with a sharp smack, drawing a surprised yelp from the Saiyan. Before she could recover, his other hand shot out, gripping her tail firmly.

Caulifla froze, every muscle in her body locking up as a wave of vulnerability swept over her. Her face flushed, both from shock and anger. "H-Hey! What the hell?!"

Shiv's grip remained firm but not painful as he leaned down, his voice low and steady. "This tail of yours is a glaring weakness. I didn't need to exploit it before, but someone else will. If you're going to fight serious threats, you need to overcome it."

Caulifla gritted her teeth, trying to pull away, but her body refused to cooperate. "L-Let go, damn it!"

Shiv's grip didn't waver. "You're going to meditate. And whilst you do, you're going to hold your tail. Learn to desensitise yourself to this weakness. If you can't do that, you'll never be ready for what's coming."

She growled as her pride was stinging more than anything. "Fine! Whatever! Just let go already!"

Shiv released her tail, stepping back as she rubbed the sensitive area with a glare that could have melted steel. "Good. Now sit," he said, gesturing to the grassy spot.

Grumbling under her breath, Caulifla plopped down and reluctantly grabbed her tail, holding it in her lap. She closed her eyes, though the annoyed scowl on her face was hard to miss. Internally she was wondering why the idea of Shiv ravaging her as he tugged on her tail, sent a wave of heat in her nether region.

Shiv stood at the edge of the hill, watching Caulifla's begrudging attempt at meditation. Despite her fiery personality, she seemingly was able to follow a command.

"I see you've taken on a student," a smooth, familiar voice said from beside him.

Shiv didn't flinch, nor did he turn. He didn't need to. He recognised the presence instantly. "Heimdall," he said, his tone respectful but measured.

He appeared beside him, his serene expression betraying none of the power he wielded. Wearing a helm and armour, he watched Caulifla in the distance with mild curiosity. "A Saiyan. Interesting company you keep."

Shiv crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering, as he rolled his eyes, he knew she knew full well the circumstance here and yet he felt the need for him to explain it, "She crash-landed here. Didn't give me much of a choice."

"And yet, you're training her," Heimdall said, his tone light, though there was a note of caution beneath it. "You must see something in her."

"She's strong,"

He cut him off, "There are plenty that have a claim to that, and you've turned them all away. And not one of them threatens the peace, and yet she arrives upon your lap and you train her."

Shiv sighed, Asgard was a sleeping bear, and he knew that all too well. Odin was a being that caused monsters to pause and think about their actions, Midgard while low on the terms of Odin's actual care was still a place he held some stake in.

Cauilfla was an agent of the Cold Empire, for her arrival be it accidental or on purpose, Shiv wasn't sure and nor was sure he'd be able to get the Saiyan girl to admit to either, it didn't matter, her crashing landing here could have started a war in the Cosmos'.

Perhaps she saw no end to the 'might' of the Cold family and decided to poke the bear and hoped that in its rampage whatever wanker that led the family would have their eyeballs pecked out by Odin's ravens.

He hopes that wasn't the case, because if that was, he'd bend her bare arse over his knee and spank the martyr complex out of the Saiyan.

"I hope you know what you're doing young Shivendra."

"Of course I don't." Shiv scoffed, "Since when do I give the impression that I know what I'm doing?"

Heimdall chuckled softly, whilst only Odin could truly say what Shivendra's father is like, in the few times their paths have crossed and they interacted, the powerhouse that he was, he always gave off the air-relaxed individual who could coast through their troubles.

Something he clearly passed on to his son.

"Good luck," Heimdall bid to the young demi-god, muttering for effect under his breath about teaching a Saiyan about inner peace.

Shiv annoyed, clicking his teeth, wondered why the Asgardian decided to appear, he already knew that the guardian of the Bifrost was watching over his land more closely than he did for the rest of Midgard, much like the bloody witch and her ilk keep trying to bind him to their whims.

"Meditation isn't a staring contest," Shiv called out, breaking the silence. "Close your eyes. Breathe." He shouted as he spotted his… whatever, gazing at him and the 'God' who left.

"I know how to breathe!" she shot back, her voice a mix of frustration and defiance.

"Do you?" Shiv replied, his tone returning back to his usual maddeningly calm. "Because right now, you sound like you're about to explode. That's not breathing, that's Saiyan pride choking the air out of you."

Caulifla growled low in her throat but reluctantly closed her eyes. She took a breath, and then another, but her hands clenched tighter around her tail.

"Relax your grip," Shiv instructed, his voice carrying across the field like a steady drumbeat. "It's a part of you, not a bomb you're trying to defuse."

Caulifla gritted her teeth, muttering under her breath, but she loosened her hold ever so slightly. Her tail still twitched, betraying her tension, but it was progress.

Shiv allowed a faint smile to cross his lips before walking closer. He did not speak again, letting the quiet settle over them like a blanket. The soft rustling of the wind and the distant hum of the farm filled the air.

Slowly, Caulifla's breathing began to even out. Her chest rose and fell to the beat of her heart.

He wondered if she would attain her race's trump card in her time on earth. From what he could remember she attained it pretty easily, but then again circumstances were wildly different here. Ah well, he wasn't too bothered to care all that much, she'd either get it when need be or he'd step in.

A/N - Published: 2024/12/03

Thoughts and ideas are always appreciated.