Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Friend in Need ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left a review for chapter 1! I appreciate each and everyone one of them and I love hearing your thoughts. Hattiakourri, this chapter is especially for you.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it, not making even half a cent on it. You get the drill.


"Hey, you're awake." Bulma entered the infirmary and took a seat beside Vegeta's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," came the Saiyan's immediate response.

She chuckled. "I'm not surprised, seeing as you've been asleep since yesterday."

Vegeta's eyes widened. He'd truly been asleep for the better part of a day? Valuable training time was being wasted. He shifted in the bed, only to be restrained by his leg, which was set in a cast and suspended in the air. "What the hell is this?" he asked irritably.

Bulma crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell me, Vegeta. Would you still be in this bed if I had just propped your leg on a pillow?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she dared him to contradict her accusation.

Vegeta sighed. Did this woman know him that well? "Doubtful," he conceded, a little irritated when she smiled in triumph.

"Your leg is broken in two places, including your thigh bone, and your arm is broken too," she informed him, "so you'll be in bed for a while. Ah-ah! No arguments from you, mister," she added, seeing he was about to object. "You have to heal before you can train."

Her voice and the look in her eyes told him that she would tolerate no opposition from him and he sighed. "Fine. But what am I supposed to do while I heal?"

"How about I get you some breakfast first?" Bulma offered. Taking care of Vegeta was helping her keep her mind off that creep Yamcha and what he'd done to her.

It was then that he noticed how tired she looked. He nodded. "I'm hungry," he repeated.

"All right. I'll be right back." To his surprise, she kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

He reached up with his good hand to touch the spot where the feeling of her lips still burned. She'd kissed him. He couldn't keep from imagining her clinging to him as they kissed, their bodies crushed together as he lowered her onto his bed.

He growled. The last thing he needed was to get all worked up.

***

"Had enough yet?" Bulma indicated the food cart next to her. He'd eaten even more than he usually did, which didn't surprise her since he'd slept right through dinner the night before.

Vegeta's sights fell upon an omelet still on the cart. It was Bulma's, but she hadn't touched it. "Aren't you going to eat that?" All she had eaten was some fruit and part of a muffin, the other half of which he'd unhesitatingly devoured.

"No, I haven't had that much of an appetite lately," Bulma told him quietly. She was looking down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. "It's yours if you want it."

Vegeta frowned. He knew why she was upset- because of the moron. "No, you should eat the egg thing."

Amused by his description of the omelet, Bulma gave him a little smile but shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"You need something with more sustenance than a grapefruit," Vegeta commented.

Bulma sighed. "What does it matter?" she asked sourly.

"It matters to me," Vegeta told her softly. She looked at him in surprise. "I mean, who will look after me if you become malnourished?" he added quickly when he realized what he'd just said.

"I..." Bulma didn't quite know what to say.

"I will eat half if you eat the remainder," Vegeta offered, trying to get past the awkward feel in the room.

She brightened somewhat. "Okay."

Maybe he actually did care.

***

"Hey, Vegeta?"

"Hm?"

"Will you tell me about planet Vegeta?"

Vegeta found himself surprised by her request. "You want to know about my planet? Why?"

"I'm just curious. I'd like to know a little more about Saiyans, that's all," she told him. Truth be told, she wanted to know more about him. He intrigued her, and he'd defended her when Yamcha had shown up rather than criticizing her for being weak enough to give in to him the way she obviously had.

She was looking at him fondly with those large blue eyes of hers. Perhaps if he told her, he could help her forget about the moron. "Very well," he told her, noting her pleased expression when he'd agreed.

"Cool. Hold on, I'll get us something else to drink," she offered, hopping up from her chair to get the beverages.

Vegeta sighed. Why was she being nice to him? Perhaps it was because he'd offered to rid her of the worm who had upset her. A smirk crept over his face. He just might do that anyway.

"Here you go." Bulma's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Is Coke okay?"

"Fine, thanks," he managed. She had sat on the bed beside him, and he could feel the warmth of her body so near his.

"Okay." She set her own drink down and waited expectantly.

Vegeta began a detailed descriptive narrative of planet Vegeta- what it looked like, what the weather was like, the varieties of plant and animal life, the different classes of people who lived there, the palace where he'd lived, what life was like as a young prince, his parents. She'd wanted to know more about his parents, especially his mother. Why, he didn't know, but he indulged her.

Before either of them realized it, several hours had passed. "Oh, Kami. I'm sorry," Bulma apologized. "I didn't mean to bother you for so long when you should be resting."

Vegeta gave her a little shrug. "It's no bother," he told her in a quiet voice. Bulma had listened raptly, hanging on his every word and asking thought provoking questions, and he'd found that he hadn't minded telling her about his people and his planet. She'd seemed genuinely interested.

"Okay. But you get some sleep now," Bulma ordered mock sternly. "You need to keep up your strength. I'll bring you some dinner when it's ready."

He had nothing else to do and he was rather tired from the medicines her father had administered, so he nodded in agreement.

Bulma was about to say something else but hesitated, then quickly patted his good arm and left the infirmary.

Vegeta sank back against his pillow, not enjoying the silence of the room save the occasional noise from one of the pieces of machinery monitoring his vitals. She'd been so beautiful, so full of life before that imbecile Yamcha had hurt her. She was still beautiful, that much was certain. He enjoyed her company. He would pay her special attention when she came back again. Perhaps then he would see the sparkle return that had been in her eyes, the smile she had that showed off her straight, white teeth so nicely. Perhaps one day he could help her forget about the moron.

Perhaps one day she would smile at him.

***

"Vegeta, guess what?" Bulma asked excitedly. "Daddy said we should be able to take you off all this equipment and move you back to your own room," she informed him. "You can sleep in your own bed tonight."

"Good. This place smells funny," Vegeta responded, pleased when she reacted with a giggle.

"You're funny." Bulma took his plate and put it on the food cart with the others, then perched herself back on the edge of his bed. "Vegeta?"

"Hm?"

"Will you tell me about your life before you came to Earth?"

Vegeta stiffened a little. "I... I don't know. My past isn't exactly nice, Bulma. You might not find me to be very funny after all."

"I know that," Bulma responded softly. "I'd just like to get to know you better." She reached over to take his hand in hers.

His eyes met hers, and she could see the surprise in them. "Why?" He hadn't thought that she liked him much.

"I don't know. I just do, that's all." Bulma couldn't help but blush a little. "You can be really sweet when you want to be."

Vegeta huffed in annoyance and turned his head. "Sweet. Hmph."

She giggled again. "Maybe we should work on getting you back in your own room for now," she suggested. "I'll get you a wheelchair."

Vegeta looked properly horrified. "A wheelchair! I am perfectly capable of making it to my room myself," he objected.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "You have a broken leg, remember?" she reminded him. "And you aren't flying anywhere either, mister." She stood up, her hands at her hips stubbornly.

Vegeta scowled. "You'll just be all over my back if I try, won't you?"

"You bet I will," Bulma responded, waggling a finger at him.

"Hmm... that just might be fun," Vegeta commented, smirking when her eyes widened slightly and she blushed.

"Vegeta," she whispered. "I..." ~What exactly does he mean by that?~

"Wanted to hear about before I came here," he finished, changing the topic of conversation.

***

Bulma yawned as she staggered toward her bedroom. Vegeta had told her a lot of things, many of them quite disturbing, but she wasn't about to judge him for it. It had taken a lot of courage for him to tell her the things he had, and she could tell that while he might not have cared about the consequences of his actions at the time, he was no longer proud of them, of what he had done.

She stopped mid-stride as she passed his room, having heard a noise from inside. She crept up to the door and opened it a crack. "Vegeta?" she whispered.

There it was again- a noise partway between a growl and a groan. He twitched beneath the sheets, which no doubt hurt his injured arm and leg, his teeth bared and eyes squeezed tightly shut.

~He's having a nightmare,~ Bulma thought, feeling guilty about having asked him about his past. No doubt it was what he was dreaming about, all the bad things he'd done. She went into the room and sat down at a chair beside the bed. "Vegeta?"

He twitched again and another growl emerged from his throat. She hesitated for a moment before reaching over and stroking his hair ever so gently. She continued the motion and gradually his growling and thrashing stopped. His face lost the snarl at his lips and actually relaxed. She blushed when she realized what she was thinking- he was actually quite handsome when he wasn't scowling. "Sleep tight," she whispered, getting up and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

He twitched again as she stepped away from the bed. "No... don't," he murmured.

~Is it the dream, or could he mean me?~ She sat back down and reached over again to take his hand. To her surprise, his closed over hers and he settled back down into a restful sleep.

Not knowing what else to do, Bulma scooted a little closer to the table they'd set up by his bed and rested her head atop her other arm on the table and watched him sleep, eventually drifting off herself.