Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Saiyan For All Seasons ❯ I Love You ( Chapter 3 )

A Saiyan For All Seasons

Chapter Three

I Love You

Disclaimer: Fun, fun, fun… but not mine! >_<

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Sleep held Bulma captive by the thinnest of threads. Her feminine limbs sprawled lazily under the cotton-covered duvet as she tried to cling to that precious commodity. The morning was hers. She had the day off, the first for what seemed like months. It was a harbinger of things to come as the chaos of the transfer tamed. This morning she wouldn't wake to the piercing tone of an alarm clock as she had on far too many consecutive days to remember. This morning she could lay in bed to whatever time suited her and she was going to make damn sure to take full advantage of it.

The air was spiced with a mix of musk and vanilla, and she found comfort in the familiar smell. Stretching her arms, and breaking free from the covers, her eyes eventually fluttered open.

The light was soft. It defied the time of year and gave warmth as it drifted beautifully around the room. Everything it touched glowed a wonderful gold and seemed to hold an innocent and spiritual sense of calm. Rolling over she peered over the side of the mattress to check the clock, only for an arm to snake lazily around her waist, and pull her back into the covers, securing her against a solid wall of chest.

Surprised, but only for a moment, Bulma snuggled into the embrace, breathing the man up and relaxing in his warm grip.

"Mmmmm, Vegeta!" she murmured. "Good morning."

His eyes glowed an unnatural white in the strange light as he held her gaze. Keeping it there, he flipped onto his front and rolled them both over.

She grinned as he landed on top of her. It didn't take a genius to know what was on his mind.

"Don't you ever get tired?" she asked, dragging a finger along his neck and dipping it down the cleft of his chiselled chest. She followed the lines of his perfect abdominal muscles, exploring and caressing them in one fluid movement.

He growled, snatching her hand away and pinning it against the headboard. The other tried to instantly replace it, but that too was secured in the same vice grip.

Silently affirming his authority, Vegeta managed to trap her hips with his thighs, and lowered his head to nibble hungrily along her jaw.

She pushed up, his intense presence burning away all her inhibitions. Rocking in mini-circles against his crotch, she challenged his claim on her senses and was pleased to feel his desire grow against her.

"Make me stop!" she breathed through a wicked grin.

Vegeta didn't reply. He never did. His only answer was in the power he held over her limbs. Letting his free hand slide down to stroke along the rounded edge of a breast he reaffirmed that power.

His lips caught hers, his tongue slipping through to taste her mouth, all the time her body surrendering more to his whim. Strong fingers grabbed at her flesh, and they unmercifully flicked and twisted a nipple to attention. His touch was dominant as those arrogant lips travelled lower, lightly nipping the skin on her neck, and then biting and licking their way to tease her other breast.

She arched her back to meet him as a moan panted urgently on her lips. His mouth was tipped with molten desire; it set her flesh on fire and made her body tingle with expectation. He seemed to automatically know what areas sent her wild: the top of her stomach as his lips moved down, the aching of near ticklishness as his hand moved roughly over her waist, and the dip into her navel as his tongue swirled sensually into it.

Dear Kami! How could any man do this? Give her so much pleasure?

Just looking over that sculpted body, over those powerful limbs, and into his hypnotizing ebony eyes made her want to give herself to him entirely. There was so much pride, so much power, so much beauty and so much poise. His body was the epitome of male perfection, and his foreplay held her captive like nothing else.

He continued to edge lower, playfully flicking at the elastic of her white lace panties, spreading the creamy expanse of her thighs with his free hand. He teased it around her most sensitive area, refusing her demand as she pushed her hips up in a silent plea.

The heat, the need for him to satisfy her - it was unbearable.

"Vegeta," she whispered. "Please."

He let her wrists go, sitting up as though he were about to stop.

"I want y… you Vegeta, please… oh Kami, I want you. Don't stop!"

He chuckled, dangerously licking along his lips and then slowly lowering them towards her heated entrance.

She waited, holding her breath, expecting to feel him intimately invade her, and send her toppling over the edge into a sea of pleasure….

She could have sworn she could feel his breath falling against her as the material of her panties was pushed to the side… unfortunately it was then that everything went wrong and her world exploded.

Literally.

A deafening noise permeated the soft light and serenity of her vision. The bedroom shook under an unseen force and rudely catapulted her into consciousness. It echoed around the compound and shattered her windows. A cascade of broken glass was sent hurtling across the room, and missed her by less than a metre.

She sat bolt upright in her bed, gasping for breath. She didn't know what alarmed her the most -- the shock of waking up to an explosion or being interrupted from such a wonderful dream to realize that it was just that - a dream. She sighed, brushing back the covers and a little debris in the process, as she got up to take a look at the damage.

It wasn't unheard of, (in the time Vegeta had been a resident) for the family to be woken up in this way. It was usually when he wanted a change of pace and felt stifled and restricted by training in the confines of a gravity room. In such a case he would take to training around her father's grounds, not always bothering to restrain his ki as her friends were so accustomed to doing.

Carefully tiptoeing over the broken glass she managed to make it to her wardrobe without slicing her feet. Once there she pulled on a pair of thick-soled shoes, and feeling the icy breeze chasing up her exposed legs, decided on the extra protection of a long winter coat. Buttoning it closed and snuggling into the fur-lined collar, she ventured out onto the balcony.

She surveyed the damage. There was no major harm done, at least not structurally. The gravity room was still in one piece (which was always a bonus) and other than a few broken windows nothing else seemed out of place. She looked around the enclosure and spotted a figure on the grass, just inside the main gates.

To her surprise, however, it wasn't the man she had expected to see.

"Yamcha?" she whispered, her breath misting against the cold air.

She was stunned. What was wrong with her friend? For as long as she'd known him he'd never lost awareness of his power or surroundings, and if first impressions were to be believed, it appeared he'd just done both.

"Yamcha!" she called, "What the hell happened?"

He didn't respond and Bulma was forced to call him again.

"Yamcha!"

This time he did acknowledge her, turning slowly on the shingled drive. His expression was a mixture of shock and bemusement as he looked up to the balcony. He walked forward, and as he drew closer, he lifted from the ground, flying up to meet her.

"Yamcha?" she said as he landed in front of her.

He kept his dark eyes turned away, and she reached out a hand and caressed it down his cheek, hoping to coax him to look up at her. "What happened?"

"I didn't mean… that is… it was an accident."

"Well, I didn't think you did it on purpose." She smiled. "Tell me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he said.

"Don't lie to me, Yamcha. You blew out half the windows. It had to be something!"

"I know but I… I can't…. not now. I need to calm down first," he said. "Let me get my head together while you get dressed, and then I'll…" He sucked in a deep breath. "Then I'll tell you everything."

Directing his gaze at her for the first time, Bulma noticed how his eyes were sparkling in the winter sunshine, holding back tears. His handsome features were etched into a frown, and his shoulders slumped into uncharacteristic despondency.

"Yamcha?"

"I'll be fine," he said, looking passed her. "I just need to be alone for a bit okay?"

Bulma wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and force him to let her in, but they weren't a couple any more. It wasn't her place to make the first move. He said he wanted to be left alone, and as a friend, it was her duty to give him the space he needed.

"Okay," she sighed. "I'm not going to force you. But don't you dare leave while I'm gone, got it?"

He wordlessly nodded his agreement.

"Alright," she said, walking back into her room and picking up a Capsule from the dressing table. "I'll just set my housebots to clean the room and then carry on to do the rest of the house."

She let the Capsule explode, and typed in a series of commands into two waiting robots.

"Thankfully my parents are on holiday so you won't have anything to answer to them. I'll call Michelle when I'm dressed and get a couple of my people over to measure up for repairs."

"Thank you, Bulma," he said. "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble."

"It's no big deal," she replied. "We'll talk about it when you're feeling better, okay?"

He nodded and left the room. Bulma opened the wardrobe and pulled out some warm clothes before disappearing into the bathroom to get showered and changed. Dealing with the unexpected was something she had learnt to live with since meeting Goku, and she might have been able to dwell on the explosion less if Yamcha hadn't looked so desolate. What was wrong with her friend?

*********************

Fortunately the en-suite to her bedroom was windowless and the shower was relaxing as Bulma stood under the powerful spray. It pelted and massaged her skin and seemed to cleanse her mind of the explosion, clearing the confusion and Yamcha's distress to make way for the lingering memory of her erotic dream.

Bulma sighed as the water pelted her skin. They'd been coming more frequently recently and she knew why. Her attraction to Vegeta had grown considerably over the last few months and showed no signs of slowing down. It was always there, clawing away at her subconscious, even though (much to her disappointment) it still remained unfulfilled in reality. His seeming indifference didn't tame her inexplicable lust for him either. If anything it encouraged her imagination, grabbed her attention and made her even more determined to gain the unattainable. It was driving her insane!

The majority of the time she ignored him, and he seemed to be perfectly happy with that arrangement. Their conversations had all but dried up, but it didn't seem to matter, not as it had before. Perhaps it was because she had gained and conquered that ground, and now that she knew he'd talk to her if he felt compelled to, she could suffer the silence a little more easily. Of course, it didn't help that she couldn't even look him in the face without imagining those lips kissing her body over and over again. There'd actually been times she couldn't bear it anymore and had to leave the room.

The fascination with him had to end one way or another; she knew that now, and she felt sure having wild, passionate sex with him, even if it was just once, would be her surest way of success. After all, what man ever lived up to the heat and passion of a fantasy? No man she had ever met, that was for sure. That was her plan. They just had to share one night with each other, and then she could go happily on with the rest of her life, and not have to worry about weird conversations, awkward silences, and burning erotic desires.

Bulma felt the heat reappear, and knowing there was absolutely no need to rush, padded out to lock the bathroom door, grinning wickedly at the thought of finishing what her Vegeta fantasy had started.

*************************

By the time she eventually emerged her room was cleared of glass and despite the cold air rushing in from the empty window frames, it looked normal enough. She calmly put away her dressing gown, turned from the room and ventured downstairs in search of breakfast.

The windows had gone in this portion of the house as well, but it appeared Yamcha had been doing more than just getting his head straight. Bin bags had been hastily stuck to the frames in an attempt to keep out the cold.

He was in the kitchen, laying a bowl of cereal on the table when she entered. He still looked sad, but less aloof and shut off. He even managed to smile awkwardly as she walked over to him.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said, pulling out a chair and offering her a seat.

"I am," she said and sat down. "Fancy talking now?"

He nodded, sitting down in the chair next to her.

"I don't understand," she said, digging into her breakfast. "You've never done anything like this before, not since I've known you. What got you so angry?"

"Well," he began, "I bumped into Vegeta when I arrived this morning."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "And you let Mr. Spandex get to you? Yamcha! You know better than that!"

He almost choked. "Jeez Bulma! Don't make me laugh when I'm trying to be serious."

"Why not?" She winked. "It's a gift."

Yamcha smiled, shaking his head. "Same old, B-chan," he said affectionately. "But it isn't what you think. I mean, yes, Vegeta was a prick, but you kind of get used to it after a while. The thing is he noticed something that it would be almost impossible for someone with normal senses to pick up on. It was a scent, a second one on me. I doubt it's the first time he's noticed it either"

Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"I presume he either guessed, or you told him about our history at some point and he completely misread the situation, but that's not to the point. Bulma," he said. "There's something you really need to know, and I'm not sure how you're going to take it."

She stopped mid-bite.

"I'm seeing someone else."

The statement was left at that. There was no elaboration, even though Bulma waited patiently for something more obvious to come to light.

"And that's it?" she said. "Yamcha, we've been separated for almost a year. Do you honestly think I'd expect you to stay celibate just because things didn't work out between us?"

"Well that's what I thought, but I… I wasn't sure, and with having kept it from you for so long and all..."

"So long?"

He nodded, looking to the floor. "Kiko and I have been going out on and off for about six months now."

Bulma had to admit she was surprised by this confession. Yamcha had been coming to see her, talking so openly about all the troubles he was having keeping up with his training and pulling his life into order, and yet he never mentioned it. She thought he felt comfortable telling her anything. Why had he kept it a secret?

"Okay," she said, putting her spoon down and wiping a hand over her forehead. "Now I'm confused. I'm sorry you didn't feel comfortable enough to share something like this with me, but that doesn't explain why you had to power up and smash all my windows!"

"No!" he protested. "That's not why it happened. Let me explain! I didn't want to keep Kiko from you, not at all. I tried to tell you on several occasions - Kami, I tried, but other things kept coming up, you know - your work, my training, so I kept putting it off. I knew you'd be cool with it, but knowing was one thing, and telling you was another. It was harder than I thought."

"Is that why you stayed away?" she asked.

He nodded. "It was easier than not being able to tell you the truth, and the longer I left it the harder it got, because then I knew I'd been lying to you as well."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Oh Yamcha!"

He looked out of sorts, more so than his explanation warranted. She watched him as he played with a loose thread on his jumper.

"There's something else isn't there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Yamcha. I know you better than anyone. You're still hiding something from me aren't you?"

He stared at her, the same expression he had displayed earlier, creeping back onto his features. "You're right," he admitted. "I came over today with every intention to set things straight once and for all, never mind Vegeta's interference, but he managed to hit one big home run truth. He said that 'lying to you was dishonourable' and you know what? He was right! It was then, as he was walking away that I finally understood why I was finding it so hard to tell you, and that's what made me angry."

He smiled painfully through shining eyes.

"I think you might already know, after all you were always good at picking up on these things. I… I didn't want to tell you because I knew it would be the end of you and I if I did."

Bulma frowned. "What on earth are you talking about? There is no us, at least not in that sense."

"I know, but don't you see? Something like this takes our friendship to a whole new level. For all those months I never even noticed it, and when I realized it scared me. I saw all the years we'd been together. I saw all the fun we'd had, all the moments we'd shared as a couple and I felt angry that we weren't going to be able to do that anymore. Being a secret from you had almost made the sex with Kiko exempt. I didn't see that she signalled the last line of our relationship, Bulma. But then - when Vegeta told me so openly that I was being dishonourable - I knew the true reason I'd been lying to you. It wasn't because I was scared of telling you; it was because I was scared of what I might feel if I did. I thought I was enjoying my new life; I thought I was happy with Kiko and that I loved her, but I was wrong. I can see that now. She's different, Bulma…but she's… she's not you."

Bulma closed her eyes willing him not to say it.

"I still love you - I still love you, B."

She put a hand to her mouth, standing abruptly and turning away. "Don't say that Yamcha," she snapped, feeling sick to the stomach. "Please, not now."

God! After everything they had been through, after all the conversations, all the congratulations on making a clean break, here he was telling her that maybe they had been wrong. Didn't he realize what he was doing? What she had been through without him. How she'd spent weeks wondering if she'd made the biggest mistake of her life, of wanting him back and wanting to find security in his arms even though she knew it was a lie to both of them.

My god hadn't he heard a word she'd said? She'd told him the truth. She didn't love him, not that way; that she never had, and hadn't he said the same? That their relationship had all been about having fun, of being together and sharing a roller coaster ride for two through adolescence? Wasn't he the one who had called it off? Wasn't it him who had said they'd reached a stage where they had to grow up and look at the bigger picture? Wasn't he the one who had drawn the line on Kame island's sandy beach and shown her that they only had two options left - separation or marriage?

Did he realize how many sleepless nights she'd spent agonizing over it, of leaving that life behind, and then all the black days after, of learning to be content and happy with her own life, rather than bouncing and flinging her emotions off his. How dare he! How dare he turn around and say this to her now… now when her life was her own, her heart free, how dare he!

"Don't say it," she whispered.

"I don't want to Bulma," he snapped. "I don't want to. I'm so angry with myself!"

He walked away, bracing both hands on the work surface and looking intensely at the laminated top.

"You know it's strange. I thought it would be good for both of us to settle down. I had all these great plans. I'd find a girl, get married, and start a family. I'd quit baseball, find a proper nine to five job and live out this comfortable, happy little understated life with them - finding comfort in my family like Goku and Chi Chi do. But I understand now. I'm not like them. I don't want commitment - I want fun. I want fun like you and I once had! I can see that you're changed Bulma, and I'm happy for you - I am. I'm glad that one of us can find happiness in this mess. That's why I blew out the windows. I was angry. I saw for the first time that there's absolutely nothing I can do to change the way I feel about you, and my anger - I let it get out of control."

He smiled as he turned to face her.

"But I'm not sorry. Not now. I'll pay you for the damage if you want but I actually feel better for it, you know, like all this was supposed to happen, and that in the end we'll both be better for knowing it. My life might be a complete screw up because I was stupid and let the most precious thing I ever had slip away, but I'm not going to let it stop me from living my life. And it's not going to stop me from wanting to be your friend. You are still my friend, aren't you?" he asked.

Oh Kami! How could he even doubt it? His words gave her mind the extra reassurance it was looking for. He wasn't trying to destroy their friendship, not at all, just understand his own emotions better. Maybe she had been wrong about their mutual understanding. She'd always thought he'd dealt with his feelings a lot quicker than she had, that it hadn't been as hard for him, but it all made sense now. For all those dark days when she was teetering on the edge of madness because she couldn't place her love for him, he hadn't even thought on it, and it was only now, when he was forced to consider his feelings carefully, that he was starting to deal with the repercussions of the step forward they had both made.

"Of course I am, you knucklehead!" She smiled. "I'll always be your friend."

He smiled back, wiping a tear away that refused to stay unshed. Bulma felt her stomach clench and a dampness invade her own eyes.

"And I'm right, aren't I?" he continued. "It can't ever be the same as it was, can it?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No."

He sighed. "I don't like having regrets. I always promised myself that I never would, but I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner."

There was a content smile on his lips as he looked at her. Like he had just opened up a part of himself he had never seen before and was starting to appreciate it for the first time.

"How about you?" he asked. "Do you have any regrets?"

Bulma laughed lightly. "Well I'm starting to regret saying you could come over today, Yamcha. I mean, holy shit! You don't do things by halves do you?"

He chuckled. "Never have done - never will do." There was a pause. "So?"

"Not for myself," she admitted, "but, yes, I have one."

"What is it?"

"Just that after everything, after all these months, you still haven't found the happiness you were looking for."

"Hey!" he said, grabbing her in a hug. "Don't you dare make yourself unhappy because of me, okay? I'm a survivor. I always have been. I still have Puar, I still have baseball, and I still have my martial arts. I'll get over this eventually. I know I will. I just have to be strong and look to the future."

"Do you think staying away for a while will help?" she asked, happy to let him hold her.

He shook his head. "I doubt it, besides someone needs to keep an eye on you. Are you still courting death by trying to make headway with Vegeta?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really trying as such. Sometimes he'll talk to me, but most of the time he won't. We've had a few good conversations. Do you believe it? Good, proper, sensible conversations!"

"Wonders may never cease," he said, full of sarcasm.

"Alright, it's not much, I know, but he's actually not so bad when he stops with the attitude and the insults."

Yamcha held onto her a fraction tighter. "You like him, don't you?"

"What?"

"Vegeta. You like him."

"Don't be silly! I put up with him, Yamcha. There's a big difference."

"If you say so," he said.

"I do!"

"You know what's really bizarre?"

"What?" she asked.

"I actually think he likes you."

"Yamcha," she chuckled, "are you smoking something? Vegeta doesn't like anyone."

"My point exactly."

Bulma rolled her eyes.

"No seriously. He was pretty weird, you know, about smelling Kiko's scent. If I didn't know any better I'd say he was angry with me for it. Would it be totally off the wall to think that maybe you have made steps forward with him, more so than you think?"

"It's possible, I guess, but how do you mean, 'angry'? What did Vegeta say to you?"

"I already told you most of it. All I was doing was calming my nerves before I came in to see you, and then he walked around the corner, sneering as he passed me. I didn't think anything of it, but when I looked up a few minutes later he was still there. His back was facing me, and I didn't think he was paying me any attention so I moved to walk away. He told me not to move, and then turned to look at me over his shoulder. Those damn eyes of his, they're enough to give grown ups nightmares! They seemed to hold me to the spot, and that's when he said it - the whole 'lying to you' thing. Of course I said I didn't know what he was talking about. I mean it was Vegeta! The last thing I wanted to do was risk my neck by socking our relationship on him. He made it clear very quickly and very abruptly that I needn't lie to him as well, and then he went!"

Bulma was in complete and total shock. The blunt quality to the conversation, sounded like Vegeta, but the contents? Were they to be believed? Yamcha, of course, had no reason to lie to her, not about something like that. So it had to be real. Without even realizing it, a smile spread across her face. "That bastard!" she sighed.

"He is that," Yamcha chuckled. "But hey, Bulma! Could you do me a favour?"

"Sure, anything."

"Well. Could you let him know that we're not sleeping together anymore?"

Bulma couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he serious?

"Well, as far as I can tell," she began, "he already knows. I remember explaining the principles of marriage to him not so long ago. Man that was weird! You don't forget a conversation like that very quickly."

Yamcha laughed out loud. "I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, but are sure you explained fully. I mean our relationship - it's weird for most people to understand, let alone a Saiyan. Besides, if I'm gonna have fun now instead of settling down, then I plan to have as many different scents on me as possible."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "And people say I have an ego problem."

"What I'm trying to say here is that I don't want Vegeta threatening to send me to the next dimension every time I come round with a girl's scent on me, if you catch my drift?"

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "I doubt you'll have to worry about that Yamcha. The only thing you have to understand about Vegeta is he's always looking for a fight, and that he'll use any excuse to get one. I wouldn't read too much into it. There's no second guessing that man."

They lapsed into silence, and Bulma became a little uncomfortable when she realized Yamcha's arms were still holding her.

"So… can I finish eating my breakfast now?" she asked, pushing gently against his grip.

He blushed, opened his arms and let her go.

"Sure thing."

He left her side and walked across the kitchen. Switching the kettle on and taking a cup from the rack, he set it down on the worktop. "You want a coffee?" he asked.

She replied in the negative, and several minutes of silence ensued. It was interrupted by an all too familiar sensation and Bulma turned, not surprised to see Vegeta standing in the doorway, staring at her. She followed his gaze at it drifted across the room to Yamcha and then back again.

"Where's your father?" he asked.

"He and Mum left last night."

"Left?"

"Yes. Don't you remember? Dad told you the other night to go careful on the GR because he wasn't going to be around to fix it." She raised an eyebrow. "You were listening to him, weren't you?"

"Of course I wasn't. Being 'careful' will not make me Super Saiyajin."

Bulma sighed, wiping her hands across her eyes. "What have you done to it?"

"Nothing," he said. "As far as I can tell there was a power overload."

There was silence as both their gazes turned simultaneously on Yamcha. He gulped, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Uh… sorry?" he ventured, trying not to meet either's glare.

Bulma stifled a laugh. "Of course, it's only insulated from internal power surges."

Vegeta was less able to control himself. "Fucking great!" he snarled.

"Hey, don't sweat it," Bulma interrupted. "Sit down, have some breakfast and I'll get changed into my overalls. I'll have it fixed in no time."

"No."

"No?" Bulma felt a little injured at the way he said it so absolutely. "Wasn't it agreed by both you and Dad that if for some reason he wasn't available, I'd stand in?"

"I was humouring the old coot," Vegeta said matter-of-factly. "You," he said, pointing a gloved finger, "will not touch it."

"Hey! Hold on a minute, Vegeta," Yamcha interjected. "Bulma's just as gifted as her father, perhaps even more so. She knows what she's doing."

"I am very well aware of her capabilities, Human. That is not the problem."

"Then what is?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta's countenance stiffened as he pulled his arms proudly over his chest. "My training is of no concern to you. That is all. Call your father immediately and have him return."

Bulma smiled, slowly shaking her head. "It's not going to happen, Vegeta! He's on holiday. The first one he's had with Mum in over four years. There is absolutely no way I am going to ruin it for them, especially since I can fix the GR just as easily myself - and," she added, standing, squaring her legs and defiantly sticking her chest out. "After everything they've done for you over the last year - you aren't going to ruin it for them either, are you?"

He didn't reply, only looked haughtily down his nose at her.

"Are you?" she persisted, trying not to let those charcoal eyes affect her. They seemed to pin her, initiating an invisible battle of wills.

For longer than either was aware, the battle raged on.

Yamcha had been blinking in confusion between the pair for almost five minutes, when Vegeta finally relented. The first Bulma knew of it was when the faintest hint of a smirk graced his features. Then the stalemate was ended and Vegeta's smirk transformed into the usual frown.

"No," he snarled, with obvious displeasure. "I will not."

"And you'll let me fix it in his place?" she demanded, holding her glare.

"It appears I have little choice in the matter," he snapped, pushing away from the wall and walking towards her.

Bulma tried to tear herself away from those impenetrable eyes as he advanced but it was one of the few things she consistently failed at. The fire instantly rushed through her body as he took a break from his stride. Through peripheral vision only, she caught a glimpse of his mouth as it curled, and he whispered the word, "impressive" so quietly she was sure it was meant for only her to hear.

Then in a breath he was gone, brushing passed her as though she wasn't even there, and walking inconspicuously towards the fridge.

"I expect all work to be done swiftly and accurately," he said. "The intensity of my training requires absolute perfection."

She turned to face his direction, a smirk pursed on her lips. She ruffled a hand casually through her hair and said, "Would you expect anything less than perfection from me?"

He stared at her as he put a carton of orange juice to his mouth and drank. "It is usually best to expect nothing, Woman," he said, wiping a gloved hand across his lips. "There are no grounds for disappointment that way."

Bulma tried to block his image out of her thoughts. It had to be the damn lips, the ones she had fantasized about for the last four months, the ones that she had imagined covering every inch of her body with desire and heat.

"Well," she replied, as her cheeks crimsoned, "there really is nothing to get worried about. It's probably nothing more serious than a few burned out fuses. It's not rocket science. I'll be in and out of your hair in no time."

Vegeta simply sneered and turned away, and Bulma took it for her cue to leave. Any more of that and she was sure she'd give herself away. If Vegeta could pick up scents on Yamcha, then she was sure he could pick up on variations in hers as well, and that was too embarrassing to think on.

"Are you sticking around, Yamcha?" she asked, putting her breakfast bowl in the sink.

"I can't," he said, sipping on his coffee. "I'm supposed to meet Kiko this afternoon, and I think we have a few extra things to talk about now. I'm gonna go home and try to figure out what I'm going to say to her."

Bulma smiled. "The truth will do," she said. "No need for anything less."

He nodded. "You're right."

She turned to leave but a hand caught her shoulder. Yamcha had walked swiftly across the room, and having laid his half drunk coffee on the side, was ready to walk out with her.

"Thanks for listening," he said, as they left Vegeta behind and ventured into the hall.

"You're welcome. Just don't lie to me again," she chided.

"No worries and I meant it you know. I'll pay for the windows."

"Yamcha, you know I don't want your money."

"I know," he agreed, "but I'd feel better if you took it."

They were at the front door now. "Well," she said, "I'm not going to argue with you about it."

"Good, then it's settled." He leaned over and gave her a parting hug. "See you, Bulma, and wish me luck."

"You won't need it," she said, turning out of his hold and starting up the stairs. "Take care of yourself."

"Will do."

She turned briefly to see him staring wistfully up at her. She felt the same sadness and regret that she had confessed to earlier. She forced out a smile and waved him goodbye, and she disappeared up the stairs and to her bedroom for yet another change of clothes. It wasn't even midday and she'd already had her share of weird. Now she was about to go to work on a gravity room she had never even touched before. With the regular occupant demanding nothing less than perfection from her, was her day about to get even weirder?

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A/N - Gyah! I'm having so much trouble, getting over my writers block for the next chapter of 'Feeding Genius.' To anyone who might be awaiting an update on it then I apologise profusely. This fanficcy seems to be the only one I have inspiration for at the moment. Any way - that aside - writing this chapter was a blast! Let me know what you think of it.

*hugs*

Ember

Mega thanks go to LisaB for beta-ing. Isn't she awesome!