Her brain told her to wake up, tugging at her consciousness. Why? She was not ready to wake up. She wanted to sleep more. Yet she felt she should wake up. Something had happened. Something important. Her brain forced her to remember, she was not alone. Oh god, she was not alone. Vegeta! Her eyes were still closed. But her body told her brain, that it hadn't been a dream. For she was sleeping on top of a warm, hard body. A small smile crept on her lips, as she recalled the pleasure she had felt. Her hand stroked his chest. She let out a content moan and stretched her muscles. Pain shot through her body when she did so. "Ow."Her eyes opened. Her muscles ached. She recalled the day she had, to identify the reason for her sore body.

"Have I hurt you?" He asked.

"No." She sighed deeply, her fingers tracing circles around his stomach."Why?"

"You're fragile, I could have hurt you."

"I'm not quite that breakable." She said.

"You have no idea." Vegeta said, a smirk on his face.

She raised her head and gave him a playfully angry look. Then she pulled herself closer to him again. His warm skin felt nice against hers.

"You made me feel many things, pain wasn't one of them. My muscles are just stiff from everything that happened yesterday." Was it yesterday? She hadn't a clue what time it was, what day it was...

"How long have I been asleep?"

"10 hours."

"Oh, and how many of those hours have you been awake?"

"8."

She smiled. That must've been hard for him. But it was a kind gesture, she thought. He could've left.

"Figured I should let you rest." He said.

"So I can work on the GR, right?" She smiled against his skin.

"Yes." He smirked.

The first rays of sunlight lit up the room. Bulma admired how the light made Vegeta look. So inhumanly handsome.

Bulma noticed they were under a blanket. Vegeta had no doubt thrown it over them when she was sleeping. They had never made it under the comforter of her bed. She felt very uncomfortable when she moved her legs. Her skin scraped by the sand and dirt that their bodies brought home. She pulled the blanket up to have a look at herself. They were both dirty. Bulma's legs were a mess. The bandages were still on her knees.

"We're gross. Couldn't we have bothered to shower first?" She said.

"I would've, but you jumped me the second I got back."

She'd argue with him, but it was true.

Bulma sat up and arched her back, popping out the kinks in her spine. She was parched and desperate for the shower. She awkwardly made her way to the side of the bed, carefully making sure she stayed under the blanket. Waking up inthe broad daylight, next to someone who makes Greek gods look like they're in bad shape, didn't do much for her self-confidence. She leaned forward to grab a vest that was laying on the floor and wrapped it around herself. It was just long enough to cover her butt. She tiptoed to the bathroom, feeling Vegeta's eyes on her.

"Now you're embarrassed?" He said.

"Yes." Was all she said as she closed the door to the bathroom.

"You do know what we did last night, right?"

"Yes." Her voice giddy.

The woman in the mirror looked, wide awake. Messy but bright. She still had a hard time believing last night really happened. She drank a glass of water in one go and started the shower. She left the door unlocked. She had conflicted feelings. She wanted Vegeta to join her, but she was a little unsure of herself. Next to him she felt...plain. Normal. Deep down she knew she wasn't. Men had always gawked at her, wanting to get her attention. It had been flattering at times, sure. Butit actually made her work harder, wanting people to see her for her achievements in science, not her looks. And after being objectified by Frieza, she felt a resistance when looking at herself. Blaming her blue hair for being too notable, her body for being too inviting, her eyes for being too captivating. If she looked like a simple wallflower, Frieza would not have taken any interest in her. And she hated that, that piece of shit made her feel that way about herself. She knew it was in no way her fault. But she couldn't help how she felt.

When she stepped into the shower she was met with hot steam. The warm water felt soothing against her aching body. She saw the water turn brown from the dirt and sand that flushed out of her hair and off her body.

She heard Vegeta enter the bathroom. Butterflies in her stomach. She was standing with her back to him. She was too nervous to turn around and face him. Then his hands found her hips, and slid around her, stroking her belly. He kissed her shoulder. His hands slowly moving upwards, now under her breasts. Bulma placed her hands on his. Moving her head to the side, exposing her neck to him. He greedily kissed her skin there, causing Bulma to shiver. She moved his hands onto her breasts, her sensitive nipples hardening at the touch. One hand made its way down. Her back arched when it found her, pushing her bottom against his front. He groaned. It made Bulma forget all about her insecurities. His fingers worked magic on her, it drove her wild with lust. She wanted all of him, but Vegeta made no move to do so just yet. She tried to turn around but she was held tightly in his grasp. His fingers did all the right things. His name escaped her lips when she finally came hard. He turned her around. He seemed pleased with himself. She gave him a cheeky grin and crushed her lips against his. Their tongues exploring each other. He moved his hands under her ass and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt him push inside of her, and groan against her mouth. She hissed when her back hit the cold tiles of the bathroom wall. Then they moved together in delicious unison...forgetting the world around them.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Later that day Vegeta was finally where he needed to be, in a fully functioning GR, training. The woman had kept her word and finished installing the last part in a matter of hours. He had been pleasantly surprised that he noticed how much easier it was to train at 100 times Earth's gravity. Of course, he had been training at that level back when he was looking for Kakarot in outer space. But he picked it up swiftly, and that was a good thing. But it also left him wondering if it would be enough. And if it were possible to go even higher. For him it would be. But could the woman make a GR that could go up to two or three hundred times Earth's gravity? His mind wandered to her while he was fighting an invisible opponent. She was quickly becoming irresistible to him. He had fantasized about her before, imagined what it would be like to touch her, but he assumed it would always be just that. A fantasy. Because he didn't think such carnal activities had any place in his life. And he never thought the woman would have him, honestly. But she did want him. In fact, she had flat out jumped his bones without any hesitation. That was completely new to him. For someone to want him like that. Of course, he didn't actually have much experience with sex. When he was working for Frieza, there were places where soldiers could go for that. Females of different species, would be available to him. But he never felt the need to go there. The thought of forcing himself on someone was not appealing to him. Nappa and Raditz would always say the females were willing, but there was no way they were there by choice. They just feared for their life. The few females he had been with, were also working for Frieza. Trapped in the same way he was. Just looking for a way to escape their life for a moment. That was all it was. With Bulma, it was much more. Perhaps because he knew her. He spent time with her, talked to her, watched her work. She had been so vulnerable in front of him. He had helped her out on numerous occasions. He still was not sure what had moved him to do so. But with all that happened, he did know her more than he knew anyone. So, the sex, was more than just sex. They had connected on another level. Which made the sex so much better, but also it was dangerous. Because he was Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans. He did not 'connect'.

But he also felt very strongly that he was not done with the woman. He had a taste, and wanted more. Much more. He was not ready to give it up. But he was very aware of the fact that at some point, he would have to. The woman would eventually get sick of him, get mad at him, whatever. Then it would be done. Or he would get bored with her. He didn't see that happening any time now, he really had the ideal environment to thrive. He could train at a high level, replenish his energy with all the food he could possibly need, sleep and...relax...with the woman.

It did occur to him that it all might be a bit too easy. Too nice. But he could choose to go to space if he needed a different vibe.

Not having to worry about all of that gave him more room to focus completely on his goal. Become a Super Saiyan. He would push himself to the max every day for the next three years. He had to be a Super Saiyan by the time those androids showed up. It would be the perfect practice round to showcase his power. Before he could finally seek his revenge on Kakarot.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Bulma was sitting at her desk, sipping coffee. She was catching up on some paperwork. It wasn't her favorite part of the job, but she let her dad do it on his own for far too long. She felt pretty bad about it. Actually, she felt she had not done her part for the company for a long time. She had been so depressed and at war with herself after Namek, she hadn't been able to do her work properly. She had worked hard to keep busy, but not on the stuff that kept the company afloat.

On top of that, she had noticed that her father did not look all that well. She had been so self-involved that it had completely passed her by how much her father had changed. He was losing weight, looking very tired and run down. She had asked him about it, of course. But he just said he had been a little too busy lately. Making Bulma feel all the more guilty. So, she would have to step up. It was fine really, she could use the distraction from the whole 'end of the world' prophecy that kid from the future had given them. Besides, she did have the perfect way to...wind down, after a long day's work. If Vegeta would come back for more, that is. He would, right?

"Bulma, you in here?"

"Goku?" Bulma turned around in her desk chair, seeing Goku standing in her office.

"Yeah, hi!"

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I can't visit my friend?"

"You can, but you don't." She said matter of factly.

"I just wanted to check on you. Make sure we're ok...You seemed a little angry with me the other day."

Bulma sighed. "It's fine."

"No, tell me. I let you down, you can say it. I should hear it."

"It's hard to put words to it Goku. And my anger is not completely justified..."

"That's ok."

She sighed, not really knowing that to say.

"I just...felt so lost. On Namek. I cannot tell you, but what Frieza did to me, and no doubt to many others...is..."

Goku squat down in front of her, holding her hand.

"Stop, I can't even think about it. I'm so sorry. I should have finished him off when I had the chance. I messed up."

"You didn't know."

"I should have."

Tears were forming in her eyes.

"I just want you to know, when he came to Earth, I would have been there. I would have stopped him." Goku said.

"You were in space, you would have been too late."

"No, thanks to a new technique, instant transmission, I would have been there in time, I swear. But the fact that you had to experience that fear, of having to go back to Frieza, I...I hate that. I guess Vegeta was right, I am too soft to make a good warrior. Frieza was not someone who should be given a second chance. I hope you can forgive me. But I understand that's a big ask right now. It's ok if you want to stay mad at me for a while longer."

"We'll be fine Goku, I just...changed, everything feels so different now. Not so... innocent."

"You haven't changed. You're still the girl I met all those years ago. Brave and beautiful and smart. Nothing Frieza did to you changes that."

Bulma managed a small smile. But it wasn't very convincing. She felt inherently different after all that happened. She was most definitely not the same person as she once was. A piece of her had been damaged. Maybe Goku just couldn't see it. Or didn't want to see it.

Then he gave her a long hug. A real one. And kissed her cheek. Then he put her hands on either side of her face, and used his thumbs to wipe her tears away.

"So, tell me", he said in a lighter tone, "How's Vegeta?"

"Uhm, fine, I guess." Bulma said, feeling a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"Yeah?"

She nodded.

"That's it?"

She shrugged. "Not much to tell, he trains mostly. We don't speak much."

"I bet you don't." Goku said playfully

Did he know?!

"Yeah, uhm, he's not much of a conversationalist."

Goku nodded knowingly. "But you get along? I mean, do I need to worry about him staying here?"

"Well, he wouldn't hurt me. I fix the GR. But I should tell you Goku, he is very keen on taking you on again. Sooner or later, he will be a Super Saiyan too."

"I'm counting on that."

"But I do have mixed feelings about...helping him get there. What if he kills you?"

"You really do not need to worry about that Bulma, we have the androids to focus on right now. We need him. And if one day he and I were to meet in battle once more, it might not come to that."

Bulma nodded.

"Well, I guess I'll get going. I'll be back to check on you." He winked at her. "You take care of yourself Bulma."

Then he put two fingers on his forehead, and he was gone.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It had been over 48 hours. Vegeta had been training for over 48 hours straight. Surely, he was going to come out soon. Bulma was on the couch, flipping through tv channels. It was pouring with rain, but not cold. She was wearing her plaid pajama shorts with a white t-shirt. Her hair up in a messy bun. She was digging into a plate of stir fry noodles her mother brought her. She had set a massive pot for Vegeta in the fridge. She found a channel where The Shining was just starting on. "Ah, a classic. " She put her legs up on the couch, making herself comfy.

A few minutes later Vegeta entered the room. Soaking wet from the rain. Bulma, who was faced towards him, took in the sight of the Saiyan. Damn, he was even more handsome than she remembered. He was just wearing his training shorts, leaving little to the imagination.

"I thought you were never going to come out of there."

She set her plate on the table and walked towards Vegeta. She watched his eyes roaming her legs and couldn't help but smile. So far for being subtle. Then his eyes darted to the plate of food on the table, and back to her.

"Debating what you want first?"

He smirked. "Yes."

Then his stomach growled, making Bulma laugh. "Sit down." She pointed at the couch and gave him a towel.

She quickly warmed up Vegeta's dinner, feeling his eyes on her. She gave him a hot plate, receiving a questionable look. "There's more." She said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed Vegeta one.

They ate in silence, watching the movie. It felt a little awkward.

"Why was Kakarot here?" He asked out of the blue.

"Uhm, he wanted to..check on me...I guess. Make sure we're still friends. Oh and he wanted to know if he should be worried about you, you know...killing me."

"What did you say?"

"Told him to worry about himself. That you were going to be a Super Saiyan soon enough and challenge him again."

Vegeta smirked. She had said the right thing.

"Hundred times earth's gravity isn't going to cut it."

"Are you serious? I just fixed it."

"I need more." He stared at her intently.

"How much more?"

"Four hundred."

"Vegeta! You're crazy."

"Maybe, but I just trained at a hundred for over 48 hours. And I'm fine."

"You're kidding...yeah you do look like you just had a warm up. But that's good. You don't always have to push it too far do you? Till you hurt yourself."

"I do, that's how a Saiyan gains power. Recovering from battle. I boosted my power massively by fighting kakarot and the Ginyu Force."

Bulma nodded. "That's why you let Krillin blast you to near death, back on Namek." She sighed. "I'll make some calculations. It can go higher, but I'm not sure how high. I think four hundred would definitely be pushing it."

They sat together for a while, Vegeta eating everything her mom made. Bulma couldn't help but stare and observe. She noticed the many scars he had. It made her sad to think where he got them. He would probably never tell her. She understood. Some things were better left unsaid. Bulma herself had never really spoken about what happened to her.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Vegeta was sipping his beer when Bulma stepped in front of him, blocking the television. He was about to tell her to move, when he looked up and caught the look she gave him. The movie completely forgotten immediately. She took the beer from him and set it aside. He felt her hands on his shoulders, as she spread her legs and sat down on his lap. Her eyes. Damn those eyes. It was like she was staring straight into his soul. The same look in them as last time. Something he didn't recognize. No one had ever looked at him like that. In the back of his mind, he could hear alarm bells going off. This was exactly what he should not be doing. Connecting with her like this. Letting her in. But he had no way to stop it. He didn't want to. She pushed her full lips against his softly. Her hands in his hair. Kissing. He never cared for it. It felt unnecessarily intimate. But with her, it felt natural and essential. Needed, almost. He pulled her t-shirt off and saw she was wearing a black, lace bra which was much to his liking. Bulma smiled against his lips. "I came prepared this time." She said. Curious to know what she was wearing under her shorts he ripped them apart causing Bulma to black lace panties appeared. "My favorite pajama shorts..." She mumbled against his lips. "Unless you start walking around in your underwear all the time, it won't be the last woman." She leaned back for a moment, smiling at him. Another alarm went off in Vegeta's head, which he chose to ignore again. Their lips locked once more, Bulma's hips grinding seductively against him. Driving him crazy with lust. They soon found their rhythm, keeping it going all night long.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

He was sitting in the chair in the corner of Bulma's bedroom. Watching the woman sleeping in the bed where only two hours ago, their bodies were writhing in pleasure. It was safe to say he had no discipline whatsoever. Not where she was concerned. He sighed. Not only had he once again failed to keep it...casual. He kept coming back for more. Wearing her out in the process. It was nearly morning, and the woman had only gotten two hours of sleep so far. Honestly, if the woman had his stamina, he didn't think they would ever leave the room. Yes, it was good. It was too good. But was it really worth it? He should be training, and she should be working on the upgrades for the GR. And if he were to wake her up now, she would point out it was his fault that she was too tired to get any work done. And she'd be right. He made a deal with himself. No more sex until the GR was updated, and he could train himself to the brink of death. Probably for the best to take some distance from the woman anyway. He was getting concerned that she was starting to...feel something. He couldn't actually imagine that it was really the case. No one had ever felt anything towards him besides fear, loathing and hate. But her eyes told a different story. Her smile was warm, inviting. Her eyes, while mostly clouded with lust, like his, also held something else. And Vegeta didn't want that. He wanted sex. Just sex. No feelings bullshit. Of course he could just disregard her feelings for him. Why did he care? He could just use her for sex, and throw her aside when he was bored with her. But that thought made him sick. He did not want to hurt her. And that, in itself, was a massive red flag.

His eyes roamed her naked form, checking to see if he had hurt her. It was still a challenge to keep a rein on his power, when he was with her. It was easy to lose himself in her. In the pleasure. He noticed some bruising forming on her hips. He could tell where his fingers had been. Damn, he had to be even more careful.

He would let her rest for now. Then she could work in the GR. It occurred to him that it would probably be for the best that he would not be here when she'd wake up. He didn't actually trust himself with her. One wrong look from her and he would be all over her once again.