There was a void in his life that could not be filled, it wasn't the craving for battle, Vegeta had already tried that and it wasn't boredom either.
Then what was it?!
Vegeta once again searched his mind for an answer and once again came up blank, still no closer to a solution.
Vegeta frowned, an expression familiar to his face. What was the problem!? He had felt drained and.....depressed? Hmmm, perhaps that was it. But depressed, why? What had transpired in his life that would cause him such a weakness?
The frown deepened and he looked up at the moon again, it wasn't full tonight so there was no chance of becoming a giant Sayian monkey. Not that he wanted to become one anyway, he felt too stressed.
The Sayian Elite Warrior leapt off of the large rock he had been sitting on and began to pace back and forth in front of it.
"Think, think, THINK! There MUST be an answer!" Vegeta hissed to himself as he continued to pace. His alert Sayian senses suddenly 'binged' and he froze, someone was coming up behind him.
Vegeta spin around and scanned the tall grass around him for the intruder but he saw no one, he tapped the scouter over his eye and it scrolled down as it went through the power sources in the area.
There! The scouter had locked in on a high-energy source nearby.....and it was coming closer.
Vegeta fell back into a battle stance automatically, he did not wish to give his position away by powering up, not yet. Suddenly a head popped up out of the grass and Vegeta exhaled sharply.
"Kakarot! You idiot, don't sneak up on me like that!" He relaxed slightly.
Goku's head snapped around. "Oh sorry, Vegeta. How are you?"
Vegeta narrowed his thin eyes slightly; there was something odd about Goku's behavior. "What are you hiding from me, Kakarot?" Vegeta sneered.
Goku looked at him blankly.
"Don't you understand English?!" Vegeta snapped.
"Of course I do, Vegeta." Goku said.
That did it, in a blur Vegeta rushed forward and grabbed Goku by the throat in a tight grip, though Vegeta was smaller in height he was still able to choke Goku as he rose himself and Goku into the air.
"DON'T LIE TO ME, KAKAROT!!!" Vegeta screamed at the struggling Goku. He abruptly loosened his grip, letting Goku fall.
Goku flipped in the air and landed hard, he let out a small cry of pain as his ankle twisted but showed no other signs of harm save coughing.
Vegeta slowly came down and landed nearby. "Now Kakarot, what are you hiding from me?" Vegeta said evenly, barely controlling his frustration.
Goku stood up. "I'm not hiding anything, Vegeta. But you seem to be." Goku replied, Vegeta stiffened visibly.
"What are you talking about?!" He snapped.
Goku dared a step closer. "You're agitated, but you're trying to hide it. What's bothering you, Vegeta?"
Vegeta gritted his teeth, Kakarot sure had a knack for getting the topic off himself. "Nothing is bothering me, Kakarot. Nothing but YOU!" He hissed.
"Somehow I doubt that." Goku said. "I've seen that look before, on Yamcha perhaps."
Vegeta snorted. "So now you compare me to that weakling human! I'm not going to stand here and be insulted." He turned to go.
Suddenly Goku was in front of him. "I didn't mean it as an insult Vegeta, but you can't hide whatever is bothering you....not even from yourself, not for long in any event".
The look of surprise on Vegeta's face was priceless, how had Kakarot known what he was thinking?!
"When did you become the boss of ME, Kakarot?!" Vegeta snarled.
Goku shook his head. "I'm not the boss of you, Vegeta, and I'm not King Vejita either so you can quit giving me that look."
Vegeta blinked, he was becoming very confused. "What has THIS got to do with my father?!" He snapped.
Goku allowed himself a small smile. "Nothing, that's just the look Gohan always gives me." He said, then the smile vanished. "We're not enemies anymore."
"That fact doesn't mean you don't annoy me." Vegeta replied.
"True, but I know it's more then me that's bothering you." Goku said.
"Oh? Then why don't YOU figure it out?!" Vegeta snapped.
"Because I'm not the one with the problem." Goku said evenly.
"Well, no duh!" Vegeta growled.
Goku rolled his eyes. "Do you even know what's bothering you?" He asked.
"YOU are bothering me!" Vegeta replied.
Goku gave him a look. "Before I busted your thinking session, what was bothering you?"
Vegeta sighed. "I.....don't know." He admitted.
"Do you have any guesses?"
"Not a one, so get lost!"
Goku sighed. "Could it be a liking for someone? A girl perhaps?" He said.
Vegeta looked at him like he was stupid. "You have a funny way of sounding almost smart, Kakarot. Then you blow it totally."
Goku looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Could it be a liking for someone? A girl perhaps?" Vegeta mocked Goku's earlier sentence. "You make it sound like I'm freaking gay!"
"Well, I suppose that answers my question." Goku muttered.
"What was that?!" Vegeta snapped.
"Do you like a girl, Vegeta?" Goku said calmly, crossing his arms. "Have you fallen in love?"
Vegeta was growing agitated from all the questions and yet he still felt compelled to answer them, as if it might somehow solve his dilemma.
"Perhaps...." He said slowly, then his eyebrows knitted. By Frieza, why had he admitted that?!
Goku nodded, not seeming surprised in the slightest. "Bulma, right?"
Vegeta felt the color rise to his face and glared at Goku like it was his fault.
"Ahhh, just as I thought." Goku said.
"F*** off, Kakarot!" Vegeta snarled.
Goku held his hands up. "Hey don't worry, she won't hear it from me."
"She'd better not." Vegeta grumbled.
"She won't." Goku assured him.
'Well,' Vegeta thought to himself. 'At least I've solved that mystery.'
It was later and Vegeta had returned to the Capsule Corps. He yawned and headed down towards the kitchen. He was hungry and being a Sayian, he generally ate a lot.
"--Yeah mother, I've noticed." It was Bulma's voice! Vegeta froze.
"Well maybe he likes you, Bulma." Replied Bulma's mother, Mrs. Briefs.
"That jerkoff? No, I really doubt it." Bulma replied. "He thinks of no one but himself!" Who in the great universe were they talking about?!
"Oh I don't know Bulma, he seems to have taken a liking to you." Mrs. Briefs giggled.
"Vegeta, our so called Prince of the Sayians cares nothing for anyone else! He's a self-centered, arrogant bastard!" Bulma replied with a snarl.
Vegeta jerked upon hearing his name. Aaah, so it was about him.
"Well how do you feel about him, Bulma?" Mrs. Briefs asked her daughter.
There was a slight pause. "I like him.....a lot but he can't even admit that I'm attractive!" Bulma's voice choked up.
'Oh but you are, dear Bulma,' Vegeta thought to himself. 'You are beautiful indeed.' Vegeta heard a chair scraping back.
"I'll go to bed now, dear." Mrs. Briefs said. "O-ok mom." Bulma said.
Vegeta quickly fled to the top of the stairs then began to casually walk down them as Mrs. Briefs exited the kitchen; she nodded to him then vanished down another hallway. Vegeta entered the kitchen; Bulma had her face buried in the newspaper.
Vegeta gave a snort and walked over to the fridge where he proceeded to look over its contents, he finally settled on a sandwich and some beer. If there was anything he liked about Earth, beer was one of them.
Vegeta considered leaving to eat in his room or in front of the TV but instead he sat down at the table.
"What do you want?!" Bulma snapped at him. "You got your food--"
"And now I'm going to eat it." Vegeta cut in, taking a chomp out of his sandwich. "Is there something wrong with wanting to eat in here?" "Well....no." Bulma said.
"Good." Vegeta took another bite.
Bulma got up to leave.
"Do I intimidate you, Bulma?" Vegeta asked with a grin, noting at the same time that her eyes were red from crying.
"No, of course not!" Bulma snapped. "I was just....getting a drink."
Vegeta smirked the half smirk he was famous for. "Of course you were."
He said, his voice coming out softer then intended. He coughed and cleared his throat for an excuse and drank some of the beer.
Bulma came back to the table shortly and sat down as huffily as she could manage. Vegeta suppressed a laugh; she was so beautiful when flustered. He then finished off his sandwich and sat there twirling his glass and watching the beer slosh around inside.
"Still dating that simpering boyfriend of yours?" Vegeta sneered at length.
"No, Yamcha and I broke up like two days ago, thanks for noticing." Bulma replied snidely.
"Your welcome." Vegeta replied with a bit of a grin.
Bulma snorted and got up to leave again, Vegeta grabbed her wrist.
"Bulma," He whispered, slowly standing up, still firmly grasping her wrist despite her attempts to get away.
Bulma lashed out with her free hand, slapping Vegeta across the face.
Vegeta touched his cheek and winced slightly, she might be weak by Sayian standards but that still smarted. He slowly loosened his grip on her wrist, still holding tight enough however so she couldn't escape.
"Don't do that again." Vegeta said in a low voice, Bulma shrunk away slightly and tugged at her wrist futilely.
"Let me go." She begged. Vegeta gave her a look that softened quickly at the helpless look on her face and he had the sudden urge to protect her, he released her wrist.
Bulma backed away from him, the fear apparent on her face.
'She said she liked me earlier and yet she is afraid,' Vegeta thought. 'How odd.'
Vegeta regarded her coldly and crossed his arms. "Silly woman." He chided almost gently despite his look. "Do you really think I meant to harm you?"
Bulma gulped and nodded.
Vegeta sighed and a hurt look crossed his face briefly. "Foolish female, your kind are so fragile, so fear is dominant. I can....understand that."
Bulma looked at him warily.
Vegeta sighed again and spun on his heel to leave.
Bulma watched him go and shivered a little. "Vegeta, do you think I'm pretty?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly.
Vegeta half-turned to face her. "Yes." He said simply then left the kitchen.
The second day went much like the first; Vegeta practicing in the gravity room all day, only stopping for lunch and bathroom breaks. He didn't see Bulma at all, which didn't surprise him in the slightest.
'Blast, I love her!' Vegeta thought as he finished in the gravity room for the day and was toweling down his sweaty chest. 'I love her so much that I would go to impossible lengths to prove it to her.' Vegeta smirked slightly. 'My father would have had none of that.'
Vegeta put on his top again and headed down to the kitchen where he almost stopped short, Bulma was there!
Vegeta had done a double step before he recovered and he quickly went over to the fridge, grabbing his usual sandwich and beer. This time he headed out on the porch to eat. To his immense surprise Bulma joined him. Bulma sat down nearby and leaned back to look at the stars. "It's a nice night." She commented.
"Hmmm." Was Vegeta's reply as he munched his sandwich, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, by Kami she was beautiful in the moon's glow!
"So, do you really think I'm pretty?" Bulma asked.
"No, I think you're the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Vegeta couldn't help replying sarcastically.
He regretted it immediately and looked at Bulma to see her reaction, to his surprise she was laughing.
"I know you don't mean that." She said. Vegeta crammed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth to keep from saying something rude and almost choked.
"Are you alright?" Bulma asked, noticing Vegeta having some trouble with his food, he gave her the ok sign because it was all he could do at the moment.
He then managed to down his sandwich and chugged the beer.
"Iee, I'm not doing that again." Vegeta muttered to himself in the Sayian language. The two sat in silence for a while.
Vegeta looked at Bulma from the corner of his eye, she had her head tilted back and her eyes closed, her hair shone in the moonlight and made her seem, to him anyway, not quite there.
Vegeta sighed and looked up at the sky, so beautiful to look at, just like Bulma.
As Bulma sat there an old song she had heard began to run through her head.
Is it the way he acts?
Oh no, that's not the way!
Is it his warm embrace?
Oh no, that's just his arms!
If you wanna know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss...
Bulma looked over at Vegeta, he was staring straight ahead with his arms around his knees, and Bulma wondered what he was thinking.
"Vegeta?"
Vegeta turned to look at her. "Hmmm?"
"Um," Bulma traced a pattern on the wood. "Do you love me?"
There, she'd said it.
Bulma looked at Vegeta again to see his reaction. His thin eyes had widened and his jaw had dropped, he was facing her now, looking at her with surprise.
"W-well, you get right to the point, don't you woman?" Vegeta stammered.
"Well do you?" Bulma asked, a little bolder now.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed abruptly. "Yes." He whispered. "Very much." Bulma blushed, Vegeta turned away.
Bulma drew a little closer to him, almost unconsciously. "Vegeta?"
"What now?!" Vegeta asked a little peevishly, turning to face her and his eyes widening slightly.
Bulma's shirt had slipped down over one shoulder, exposing her bra strap and her pale skin, she was looking at him with those intense eyes of hers and Vegeta wondered if she was purposely trying to seduce him. If she was, it was working.
Vegeta licked his lips and tried very hard not to stare at her, she was so beautiful though!
Vegeta slowly turned away from her and looked at the sky, she crawled closer to him and put her hand over his. Vegeta looked at her again; her face was so close! Before he could think, Vegeta had put his arm around her and was drawing her close, his tail coming to wrap around her waist....
Tail?!
Vegeta snapped out of his stupor and looked down, his tail wrapped snugly around Bulma's waist, then he looked up at the moon. It was full!
Vegeta hissed and removed his tail from her waist. "Bulma," He said through clenched teeth as his canines grew. "The moon...."
Bulma snapped her head up and looked at the sky, she tore away from him abruptly. "Your tail grew back!" She almost shrieked.
"Why, so it did." Vegeta said snidely, he shut his eyes as they began to glow so as not to frighten her more.
"I'll....I'll get a knife!" Bulma said. "There's no need for that." Vegeta said more calmly as he felt his teeth go back to normal dimensions. "I can control the transformation."
"You.....you can?" Bulma stuttered.
Vegeta opened his eyes. "Quite easily, all Sayian's that were properly trained could." "Oh." Bulma came and sat next to him and he promptly wrapped his tail around her again, drawing her close.
"Now, where were we?" He whispered, putting his arm around her gently. "Mmmm." Bulma replied as his lips covered hers and he pulled her against him.
Vegeta stroked her hair. "Bulma," He whispered as his hands traveled down to her shoulders and then her arms. "You are so....." He was at a loss of words so he simply kissed her again, more forcefully this time.
"Oh my...." Bulma gasped as her hands did some traveling of their own.
Vegeta began to kiss her eyelids, then her neck. His kisses traveled down to her shoulders as he held her gently but firmly against him, Bulma ran her fingers through his hair and snuggled up to him.
Vegeta's hands felt warm on her skin and left a tingling sensation wherever they traveled; Bulma sighed and let him run his magic. She was letting a Sayian make love to her and she felt no fear, only pleasure.
She had no doubts now that he loved her, he was being too gentle, too sensitive to her needs and her weaker body structure to be playing a sick game.
Vegeta scooped her up and carried her into the house and upstairs to her room, laying her gently on the bed he drew back and a smile touched his lips. 'So beautiful. So very beautiful...like a goddess.' Vegeta thought to himself.
Bulma reached up to him, wanting him, NEEDING him and Vegeta found himself unable to resist. He lay down beside her on the bed and taught her what it was like to have a Sayian as a lover.
Forever fated to be together, never to be apart. Not so long as their love lasted.