-After learning about the dark future associated with the Androids, every single member of the Z fighters, including Vegeta had been training non-stop. The said evil saiyan had surprised Bulma's old man by asking him to upgrade his capsule into 300 times gravity. Indeed; since the past few weeks; this had been his routine almost everyday. He would only go back into the Briefs' house for breakfast, lunch and dinner; the rest of his days was spent in the gravity room. Yamcha as well seemed to be doing his own training. A training that was light enough for him to work at his own pace. Although he was trying to concentrate on his improvements, his mind kept wandering to the Saiyan who had locked himself up in his capsule. Probably; the reason be that he'd been jealous of the guy the whole time. Pausing in his training, curiosity getting the best of him, he sighed.
"Puar! I'd like to see what Vegeta's doing in that capsule!" He declared calmly. The flying pet acquiesced and they approached the said capsule so as to sneakily peep at one of the windows.
From what the bad boy could distinguish, the gravity was set at 300 and there were small drones, concocted especially for the prince, to facilitate his training. The bots were supposed to shot blast at the prince while he tries to dodge it and formulate his attacks.
They watch in bewilderment as he struggled to avoid a ki-blast he'd shot at one bots, landing harshly onto the ground afterward. The gravity pull was making thing tough for him. Yamcha and Puar were impressed. Standing up to his feet; the saiyan floated at the center of the drones, trying to avoid his own ki-blast which was bouncing from bots to bots. He dodged most of the attack skillfully.
He couldn't rejoice just yet since the ki hit him in the face causing him to fall flat on his back again, the blast was being shot at his body. A dramatic explosion occurred, but not terrible enough for the machine to be destroyed. The saiyan was however terribly injured and lying on the ground, totally beat.
"Talk about incredible training!" Yamcha conveyed to Puar quite impressed. He needed to improve and show Vegeta that he too was capable of exploits.
- At night; Bulma's dad was assigned to repair the broken machines. Not that he was frustrated or anything since it was his most favored hobby. Bulma, in her bedroom, was sleeping like a baby, not worrying about whatever was happening in her surroundings.
The next day, Bulma was sitting on her couch, quite relaxed as she went through the pages of a fashion magazine.
"Everyone else is working so hard so as to get rid of these androids while I'm sitting around the house doing nothing!" She heaved a sigh. "I wish there was something I could do!"
"Bulma!" Her mother had interrupted her soliloquy. "I stopped by the bakery today and look what I bought for us! Nice huh?"
"Now! Which one do you want?" The mother offered sweetly after resting the trait on the small coffee table.
"They're all yours mom! I'm not very hungry!" Bulma uttered quite bored.
"What? But Bulma what's wrong with you? Are you feeling lonely because all the boys are spending all their time training and not spending time with you? That's it, isn't it dear?"
"Oh mom please! I'm just not very hungry!" Bulma screeched in annoyance, while her father walked in, stretching himself lazily.
"You know I'm starting to think that Vegeta is a guy full of deck! It wasn't enough to have the gravity simulator created at 300 times gravity for him! Now he's demanding that I make small equipment for him to train with and all he is going to do is break it!" Her father announced.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all!" Bulma confessed.
"Well! I think its great he works so hard!" Bulma's mother stated with a sweet chuckle.
"Oh sure! He's training but don't you think he's overdoing it a bit?" Her husband questioned.
"Oh no! In my days if a man showed that much dedication to anything, a girl would've been crazy to let him go away I tell you!" Bulma's mom took a sip at her coffee, and then placed a hand on her cheek in realization. "Oh my! What am I saying? I'm a married woman!"
Both Bulma and her dad gave the blonde female a puzzling scrutiny. Just as the youngest Brief was about to utter something, they heard a deafening explosion, accompanied with the dangerous quivering of the ground. Knowing all too well who was the source of this commotion, Bulma rushed out of her living room and hurried into her back garden.
"Vegeta?" She called worriedly running toward the ruins of the capsule that was now partly destroyed. Yamcha had followed at her track.
"I knew this would happened! He's been trying to do the impossible!" Yamcha announced in a matter of fact tone.
"Where is he?" Bulma's heart pounded furiously in her bust. She didn't want to think about the worst.
"Vegeta?" She called again desperately, proceeding to remove some of the debris. Hopefully, she would find him. A hand shot out just where she'd been digging, taken aback by it, she jerked back startled, landing on Yamcha and toppling the poor guy onto the ground. Without help, Vegeta managed to get out of the debris.
"You okay?" She questioned deeply concerned.
"Of course I am!" He breathed the words out with considerate difficulties as he tried to stand up. She grieved in relief, elated about the fact that he was alive. Then realization hits her, a sudden surge of anger seared through her body.
"You idiot! You almost wreck my house! What are you trying to prove?" She chastised. He tried to take a few step but unfortunately, collapsed backward onto the debris itself.
"What? Oh no, you're hurt!" Bulma exclaimed, hurrying into his direction. Once by his side, she helped him up slightly.
"Go! I don't need help! I've got training to do!" His voice was hoarse and weak.
"You got to stop training for a while! I mean look at you! You're completely wreck!" She made no attempt to hide her anxiety.
"But I feel fine! I'm a saiyan! I must take a little pain! It means nothing to me and I have to get stronger than kakarot!"
"Okay sure! We all know you're a tough guy! But you need to rest now!" Her voice had softened and concerned filled her voice. Vegeta couldn't recollect hearing her speak to him like that before. Even Yamcha was partly stunned by her softness toward the ruthless saiyan.
"I take orders from no one!" He tried to free himself of her grasp but ended up collapsing forward, face falling flat onto the ground. The least of his worries was to look weak before that woman.
"Oh no!" Bulma was as twice as worried as earlier, as she tried to hold onto the unconscious man. She needed to help him with his wounds immediately. Glancing pleadingly at Yamcha for help, the guy seemed adamant on not helping Vegeta. Finally; taking in the sad look on Bulma's face, he gave in and accepted to help the woman.
Vegeta had been unconscious for the whole day. His wounds was terrible and the woman had made no attempt to conceal her anxiety as she'd watched her infirmary doctor tend to Vegeta's wounds. They'd carried him back to his bedroom afterward, leaning forth next to the bed where the limp body of Vegeta laid, she studied the male worriedly.
"Is he going to be alright daddy?" Bulma asked, face twisting in anxiety.
"I hope so! The only thing he hasn't bruised is his eyebrows! If he stays in bed for a week or so, he should be alright! He's dodge a bullet again! It's a miracle he survived such a horrible accident! Though saiyans are practically indestructible!" Bulma's father averred.
"Poor Vegeta!" The mother was crying continuously at the pitiful state of the injured saiyan. It was safe to say that the woman wasn't used to witnessing such casualties. Her husband hugged her reassuringly.
"Come on dear! Lets let him rest!" The husband said, leading his wife toward the exit door. Bulma sighed.
'You knuck-head!' The blue-haired genius thought to herself as she stood up and swirl around so as to leave.
"K-ka-rot! I-I'll g-get stronger! I'll beat you!" The sleepy man stammered with a lot of difficulty. His voice was hoarse and he looked like he was having trouble breathing.
'He's having a bad dream!' She thought to herself, the fingers of her hands entwined together to subconsciously convey her concerned. She studied the handsome man struggling in his slumber, teeth clamped together and he groaned several time. Now that she was close to the man; she couldn't help but noticed how handsome he actually was. He was hotter than the summer season. Bulma stared, barely able to keep her drool under control as the most delectable member of the male species to have ever walked the planet, laid still on his mattress, with a medical breathing-mask on, to help facilitate his breathing. Now that her irises absorbed every single, visible detail of his body, she was quite convinced that he was a god in disguised. His face punctuated by high, deeply defined cheekbones, was edged by a sinfully sharp jawline. His riotous black hair held slightly reddish undertones, making the strands seems like flames rising above his head. His body was narrow but absolutely jacked, and she nearly keened at the thick muscles of his exposed, bandaged arms.
His thick brows were furrowed which was seemingly not unusual at all. Heaving a sigh, she smirked and pulled at the chair behind the desk that was situated just beside the bed on which the handsome godlike saiyan laid in, and sat on it.
Since he seemed agitated, the caring woman decided to stay in order to keep an eye on him. She needed to make sure that he was alright during the night and if ever he was to awakened, she knew she would be there, by his sides to attend to his needs. Everything happened so fast and the next thing that she knew, she'd rested her heavy head on the desk, and drifted into a sweet slumber.
At the end of his nightmare, he woke up, sweating and breathing harshly. With his abrupt awakening, he'd knocked the mask off his face as he parted his mouth slightly to inhale in deeply, eyes wide opened, it took him several time to understand exactly where he was. Resting his head back on the pillow, he sighed, brilliantly succeeding to calm himself down. His nightmares had seemed so real. Suddenly, a figure attracked his attention from his peripheral and his head snapped automatically in its direction.
"What is she doing here?" He asked in a monologue as he studied the beautiful sleeping figure of the woman. Part of him was happy to see her there. To see her care for him through her actions but the other part of him refused to grow soft. He couldn't afford this kind of weakness right now.
Letting out another sigh, he slipped out of bed and went on to put his red shoes quickly. To him, he'd had enough rest and he needed to get back to his training. Wearing nothing but his pair of black skinny short that accentuated his muscles legs perfectly, he made his way toward the exit of the bedroom. In no time, he was standing in the back garden. He needed training.
-A few weeks had expired and Bulma's dad had constructed another gravity simulator for Vegeta. This time with a slight upgrade to 400 gravity. He was going to train hard enough and surpass Kakarot so as not to bring shame to his own bloodline. After all, his dad had had faith in him. He was currently making some push-ups under 400 times gravity, not to mention that he was sweating considerably.
Some of his wounds had healed and he needed to get back on track rapidly or else, Kakarot would surpass him. Yamcha had been studying him from outside again. It was the motivation he needed.
"Puar! It's time for us to get back to work!"
"Ya!" The small cat exclaimed to his friend.
Vegeta had been busy riding an infinite loop at 400 gravity when a big screen popped up in front of him and the familiar blue-haired beauty's face, appeared.
"Stop it Vegeta! You are in no condition to be doing this right now!" She wasted no time in chastising the hard-headed saiyan who was adamant on ignoring her demands. "I know you don't want to believe it but you are made of flesh and blood!"
"Stop pestering me woman! Leave me alone!" He growled in exasperation even though part of him seemed affected by the woman's concerned directed toward him. He did not have time to react, he was attracted to the ground like a metal to magnet as a result of the gravity.
"You know I'm right! So why don't you just keep quiet and do as I say?" She scolded and when he didn't respond, she continued. "Nothing to say? Well that's good!
Now go back to bed and get some rest!"
"Not yet! I do have something to say!" He averred with a lot of difficulty and Bulma gasped.
"What? Is something wrong?" Concern clouded her face. "Or maybe you're finally going to apologize to me! If that's the case then lets hear it!"
"Leave me alone!" He shrieked, deeply hurt by his obsession to drive her away, her face warped in indignation. Noticing her offended expression, he softened a bit but when she nodded and complied to his demand, he understood that the woman knew he needed his training. Soon enough, the screen disappeared, leaving him to his own. He was aware that he shouldn't be rude to her but he was Vegeta after all.
He wasn't used to others showering him kindness and care. Vegeta feared that if he let her, she'll one day succeed into getting under his skin and this was something that he knew he might later on regret. So he decided to push the thought of that woman at the back of his head as he stood back up to his feet with a renewed resolution. He had to overcome his limits and cross his boundaries.
Later on that evening, he had to avoid crossing path with Bulma, not wanting to earn himself a few scolding again. Not that he was irritated by the woman's concerned with his regard but he only felt that her care toward him was unnecessary. She needed to stop. Perhaps, avoiding her, was the best way to get her to understand.
His walk toward his bedroom was calm and peaceful. Truthfully, he'd been wondering how in the world hadn't this woman come at him already. Usually; she wouldn't miss an opportunity to assault him with insults. Insults that he never failed to reciprocate. Opening the door of his bedroom, he strode in and started directly for the bed. He'd finished training earlier than usual and unlike any other night where he would eat first and then shower, he decided that it was probably better to shower first, tend to some of his re-opened wounds, find some new bandage and then head down for dinner. If ever he was to cross path with the sinful beauty downstairs, she might not make a fuss about his injuries or even throw tantrums at him again.
Taking a shower with his opened injuries was a pain. He had to tolerate the burning sensation he felt every time water came in contact with his wounds. Fortunately, he was used to being hurt. All his life, working for Frieza as one of his warrior had rendered him tolerant to pain. Of course, there was a degree of physical pain that was way beyond his capacity, even for his body to sustain, but most of them were tolerable.
Closing the tap, he sighed, grabbed onto the clean towel nearby. Wrapping the fabric around his narrow waist with water dripping from his untamable gravity-challenging hair, he strode back to his bedroom where he could find himself a few clean clothes. Of course; beforehand, he had to tend those wounds. Nothing went on the way he'd wished.
The moment he'd stepped out of the bathroom, he fidgeted in place by the doorway. The familiar silhouette of a woman standing by the window came into his line of view. She seemed lost in a trance and hadn't even noticed the piercing onyx eyes that had been burning holes into her back.
"What in the world are you doing here woman? Can't you knock?" He grunted in annoyance. He needed space right now. Knowing all too well that he was going to be a victim of her bickering soon enough, he'd decided to jump into the conversation first so he could get this over with before proceeding to his dinner.
He saw her straightened herself and turned to him slowly. When her eyes met his, he couldn't help but noticed the strange sadness that engulfed her expression, her beautiful sky blue irises wandered his toned body with a mixture of strange emotions he couldn't quite associate a name with.
"I'd thought that you might probably need some help with your wounds Vegeta!" Her words were clear, slow and well articulated. What in the world was wrong with her?
"I can do it myself! Don't need your help!" He voiced out coldly, striding to his bed where he sat his sexy ass on the mattress.
"I had a feeling you'd say that! Don't use the dirty bandage Vegeta! I brought you some new one!"
"I have eyes! I can see for myself woman! Now leave!" He chided.
"Urgh! You could atleast be polite! All I'm trying to do is help!" She was pissed off to her turn now.
"I didn't ask you for anything woman!" He groaned, struggling a bit to put on his bandages. Not an easy task to do with only one hand anyway. Rolling her eyes, she approached him and forcefully took the piece of cloth away from his grips.
"You can't even do a bandage right!" She reproached sourly.
"I said I can..."
"I'm doing it for you! Now shut up!" She rebuked and he was partly taken aback at the sight of angst burning through her blue orbs. He should probably be angry too since he wasn't one who loved to be defied. It was easier for him to coop with others hatred and fear but being cared for was something beyond his league.
She was gentle as she applied some medicine on the injuries and works the bandage skillfully. He studied her every move and noted how she went through the trouble of not hurting him even more. Why did she even care when he hadn't complained in the first place?
'Why in the world am I thinking about this woman?! Fine she wants to help! She can do just that!' He mentally tried to convince himself, pushing aside the strange feeling he felt deep within his gut.
"There you go Vegeta! It should be good enough now!" Her touches were soft and gentle. Enough to elicit strange delectable spark across his flesh. It was like electric shocks travelling his body every time her fragile fingers came into contact with his bruised skin.
So soft, so fragile and delicate. He admired such a beauty. Unfortunately, he was too ugly for her. He was tainted and sullied, and his demons, would keeps on haunting him for the rest of his existence. He knew it.
"Now go! Get my food ready! I'm starving woman!" He ordered.
"Your wish is my command your highness!" She teased and made her way gracefully to the door, chuckling softly.
"Persistent woman!" He muttered to himself once she was gone. His teeth clenched and unclenched, deeply annoyed by her teasing. She never failed to surprise him. No wonder she was such an enigma. Drying the rest of his body, he put on a pair of clean undergarment the Brief had bought for him, a pair of skinny jean and a black tank top, along with his usual pair of shoes. Now; it was time for the prince's luxurious dinner. He was starving after all.
The table had been set with a variety of delicious dish. Dishes prepared by Bulma just for him. At least this was what Panchy; Bulma's mother had averred to him when her daughter was too busy decorating the table with dishes. He wondered; why would this woman go through this kind of trouble, making this whole lot of food for him when she had chefs to do the job at her expense?
He was back to square one since the more he tried to understand her, he couldn't really figure her out. It was all too normal for him to get angry at her, considering the fact that he didn't really know whether she was truly caring for him or if it was just pretense. Once his food was served, he wasted no time into digging in. They spent the rest of their dinner within the comfort of silence. Apparently; she'd completed her share even before he was done with his. It wasn't surprising though. She ate very little compared to a saiyan's appetite.
"Woman! Listen!" His voice was as usual; cold, rough and harsh as he spoke each word with an alarming confidence. His onyx eyes pierced through her and she felt uncomfortable. It looked like he could read her soul with his pair of hypnotizing eyes. It wasn't making things easier for her either, since she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. She was aware of the fact that he'd done a lot of horrendous deed in his life.
In fact; even Yamcha had argued with her on the matter this morning. But she was also aware that there was something else; something that ran deeper than just the facade he was putting on. She wasn't denying that he was cold and harsh, but admittedly, she knew he was a man full of mystery.
"What is it Vegeta? You want some more foods?" It was the same look of concern again, grazing her beautifully once bright blue irises.
"Tch!" He was irritated. "It's not about food! You don't have to wait for me to finish! When you're done! Just leave me be!"
"Ohh!" Her expression softened. "Is it your way of telling me to not wait for you? How considerate of you Vegeta!"
"N-no! T-that's not what I meant...tch! Anyway!" He stammered quite embarrassed, cheeks scarlet red and suddenly stood up from his chair so as to walk away. Talking to that woman was pointless. It didn't seemed that he could ever win a war of words with her. She watched with a sigh as he left her alone in the kitchen to pick up the dishes.
"I'll have to do something with that guy! Perhaps I could ask Yamcha for some suggestion tomorrow!" She whispered to herself, clearing the table from the used dishes.
This saiyan sure eats a lot. As if Goku only wasn't enough. Strangely; unlike any other days, she had a happy genuine smile on her lips. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the stringent Saiyan had showed proof of some emotions and had accepted her help with the bandage earlier or perhaps it was due to the fact that he'd slowly started to warm up to her.