Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Friend in Need ❯ Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter contains a little bit of citrus, so if you're underage, don't read it. Incidentally, this is probably the most citrusy that you'll ever see me get. Sorry to disappoint you. ;p

Enjoy!

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


Bulma went back to work, but she still made time every evening to spend time with Vegeta, talking or playing games, or even just sitting in companionable silence. He really was a surprise, as he'd been so moody and irritable before his accident. Maybe all he really needed was a friend, someone to care about him and show an interest in him.

She'd discovered that she didn't mind filling that need. She wasn't quite certain what to think about that. Was it because she actually found herself enjoying his company, or was it because she found him attractive? She'd even dreamt about him a few times.

Bulma felt a blush come over her cheeks at the thought as she raised her hand and knocked on Vegeta's door. She had to stop thinking about that. "Vegeta?" she called through the door when he didn't answer.

She poked her head inside the room. To her surprise, he wasn't in his bed. She frowned. Maybe he was in the bathroom, or maybe her father had brought him back to the medical lab for more x-rays.

Not finding him upstairs, Bulma headed for the kitchen, where her mother was cooking dinner. Maybe she knew where he was. "Hey Mom. Have you seen Vegeta? He's not in his room."

"I forgot to tell you that your father took off the cast on his leg today," Mrs. Briefs responded. "He went right outside to train in the new GR."

"Oh, thanks." Bulma hadn't realized how much she was looking forward to visiting with Vegeta until he wasn't bedridden anymore.

She was actually disappointed.

***

Life slowly began to go back to normal at Capsule Corp. Bulma worked and Vegeta trained. But Bulma came home on time and Vegeta quit training so that they could still spend some time together in the evenings. Neither knew that both were privately glad that they made the concessions to do so.

Bulma came home one evening to find a note from her mother reminding her that she and her father were going to a benefit dinner that evening and that they wouldn't be home until late. She sighed. Now she needed to cook, great. She didn't really feel like cooking.

Bulma trudged up the stairs. Maybe Vegeta would have some input about what to eat. She knocked on his door. "Vegeta?"

"Come in," came his response.

Bulma opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey, how's it going?" she asked.

Vegeta was freshly showered and dressed, so she knew he was done training for the day. He shrugged. "Okay, I guess." He sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh and twisted his neck in an attempt to crack it.

"Just okay?" Bulma walked over and stood next to the bed. "Let me guess, you trained too hard again today, didn't you?"

He stood back up. "I'm fine."

"Vegeta, anyone could see that you're exhausted," Bulma contradicted him. "Why don't you rest for a bit while I make us some dinner? What would you like?"

Vegeta scowled a little, not wanting to admit that she was right. "I don't know. Whatever."

Bulma stepped behind him and reached up to rub his shoulders. "Kami, Vegeta, you're so tense," she commented, frowning. "Sit down for a minute and let me rub your shoulders for you."

"I don't need my shoulders rubbed," he objected. If she touched him like that, oh Kami... He didn't know if he could take it.

"You're so stressed, Veg. Just let me do something nice for you, okay?" Bulma insisted, pushing him down to sit on the edge of his bed. "Letting me rub your shoulders doesn't make you soft, got it?"

Vegeta sighed but did as he was told. What made him weak was trying not to imagine those soft warm hands rubbing all over his body, which was proving to be a difficult task.

She climbed up and knelt behind him and began to rub his shoulders, gently at first, then gradually harder, working out the knots in the muscles. A particularly stubborn knot in one of his shoulders gave out with an audible pop and he grunted.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. Did you want me to stop?"

"No... it feels good," Vegeta responded, leaning his head down as her fingers began to rub at the back of his neck.

~It hurts, even if he'd never admit it. Not a very good way to feel better and relax. I wonder...~ Bulma held back a giggle at the idea that came to mind. She'd been thinking about doing it for a while now- it was one of the things she'd actually dreamed about- but had never had an opportunity to try and see what he'd do until now. "Okay," she agreed softly, leaning over him to work on the top of his chest near the collarbones.

Her breath was warm, her hands so soft... He suppressed a shiver as her silky hair brushed against the bare skin of his shoulders. Gods, she smelled so good. He caught himself wondering for not the first time what it would be like to have her for his own, to feel the soft hands rubbing his sore muscles touching him intimately, feel her soft body pressed close against his as she moaned and writhed beneath him... He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to banish the thoughts from his mind. Of course, she was no longer with that worthless human she'd been dating, and they were getting along pretty well. Maybe...

She took the sigh as a good sign and stopped briefly to get up and stand in front of him, continuing on from there. He didn't think anything of it until she stopped suddenly and pushed him back to lie on the mattress. Her fingertips trailed down his chest, and he was unable to hold in a shiver this time. Oh gods, this was just like his fantasies of her!

His eyes snapped open as her hands kept going lower and lower, and he could feel his body react to her even more than it already had. From her current position, not to mention his, he could hide it no longer. "Bulma..."

"Shhh." She cut him off and continued trailing her fingers down and over his hips to his thighs, massaging down them until she was just below the leg holes of his shorts. She noticed his fingers were clutching the blankets in a stranglehold and he trembled ever so slightly, his eyes tightly shut. It was obvious that he was embarrassed by his physical reaction to her touch and close proximity to him, but still he did nothing to stop her.

Green light.

She smiled to herself and ran her hand lightly over the bulge in his shorts, making him suck in his breath and jerk reflexively.

"B-Bulma," he groaned. "What..." He felt her thumbs hook underneath the waist of his shorts and pull them off. "Bul-" He gasped when her warm hands grasped him and stroked him gently. His fists tightened even more in the blankets and he let out a strangled moan when he felt her soft lips touch him. Was she really going to...?

His eyes shot open and his body tensed when she did exactly what he'd only fantasized she would ever do. It was hot and wet and felt so good. He couldn't hold in his gasps and moans of pleasure as her hands fondled him gently. He reached down with one trembling hand to caress her hair. He'd never experienced such sweet torture in his life. Finally he could hold back no longer, crying out her name as his release came.

Bulma sat next to him on the bed. "Feeling any better?" she asked, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair.

Vegeta chuckled weakly and laid the back of his hand over his forehead. Why must she torment him this way? Did she have any concept of what she was doing to his sanity? "Good Kami, Woman," he managed, reaching over to her with his free hand. "Perhaps I should be tense and stressed more often."

She giggled at this. "I'll take that as a yes."

He rested his hand on her arm. "I'm certainly not objecting, but why did you do that?" He turned his head to look at her.

She smiled at him fondly. "You're my friend, Veg. Good friends are there for each other, to help each other when they need it. You seemed to need it, and I wanted to be there for you."

"Even to the point of pleasuring me like that?" Vegeta pushed himself upright to sit next to her. "You didn't have to do that to please me."

"I wanted to make you feel better. It didn't bother me to do it. Not for you, anyway," she finished in a barely audible voice.

He didn't miss her last comment. "I don't know what to say," he admitted, "other than thank you for being my friend." He grinned at her.

Bulma giggled again. "No problem." She got up from the bed and leaned down to give him a quick peck on the lips.

He saw what just might be a once in a lifetime chance coming and kissed her back. It wasn't a quick kiss; although he hadn't meant to kiss her back quite the way he did, he had the strong urge to press her down onto the mattress and confess without words the way he was forced to admit that he really felt about her, and it showed in his kiss.

When they separated, she stood up to look at him with wide, startled eyes, her fingertips over her mouth. Despite her growing attraction to him, she had not expected that at all. "Vegeta... I..." She blushed. "That was nice. Unexpected, but nice."

"I know the feeling," he murmured softly.

Bulma blushed darker. "I'll get dinner ready," she told him. "You should rest until then." Her mind was racing; did he like her as more than a friend? Could he have feelings for her the way she found herself feeling for him more and more every day?

"Rest," Vegeta grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I'm not a little boy who needs a nap."

"No, you're a big boy, all right," Bulma teased, grinning when he smirked at her compliment. "If you don't want to rest, come downstairs and keep me company while I make dinner."

"Who needs dinner?" Vegeta asked in a husky voice.

The way those deep black eyes were looking at her made Bulma's body feel warm and sensitive all over. She couldn't keep from blushing even more. "Vegeta," she whispered, not knowing what to say.

"Maybe you're right," he continued in the same deep voice. "I probably should get a little rest."

Bulma nodded and swallowed. She shook her head when she realized that her eyes were travelling along his naked body and averted them. "I- I'll get dinner," she mumbled stupidly before rushing from the room.

Vegeta felt both a sense of elation and trepidation as she fled the room. Elation, because his fondest fantasy had all but come true. The only thing he hadn't done was claim her. Trepidation, because he feared his assertiveness had scared her off. He let out a long sigh. He'd come on too strong too quickly. He could only pray that he hadn't ruined his chances with her.

***

Bulma leaned back against the kitchen cabinets. What had just happened upstairs? Aside from what she'd done, people didn't go around kissing friends the way Vegeta had just kissed her. Her hand rose to touch her lips, where she could still feel his warm mouth against hers. "Oh, Kami help me," she whimpered to herself. She'd been tempted to stay with him, to forego dinner as he'd insinuated.

That had been what he'd meant, hadn't it? But, he was a friend, and she was doing well to get the man to acknowledge simply that much. He wasn't interested in her beyond that, and had never shown any inclination of anything else before today.

"I'm so confused," she whimpered again. He had an incredible body, handsome face, thick, surprisingly soft hair that any woman would kill for, warm lips that just begged to be kissed. She shook her head to clear her brain. She had to get with it and stop acting like a hormonal teenager. Quickly, she grabbed the phone to order out, far too affected by Vegeta's unexpected display of affection to cook right then.

Affected. Not bothered by what had happened, but affected. She was going crazy, that was all. Yamcha had messed her up. Yes, that was it.

~How can I even think about Yamcha after I just...~ Bulma shook her head again and pressed a speed dial button. Vegeta was simply showing her his gratitude for the back rub; that was all that had happened. She'd get over it.

For the back rub. Yeah.

Right.

***

"Bulma? Are you all right, sweetie?" Mrs. Briefs asked with concern. Bulma had been sad since she and Yamcha broke up a month ago, the poor dear. It had gotten better when she'd spent a lot of time with Vegeta, but lately she was acting tired and mopey.

Bulma ran a hand through her hair and leaned on her elbow. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mom. I'm just tired is all." She finished her coffee and got up from the table. "I've got to get ready for work."

She went to her room and started the shower. She'd been fighting some bug lately and was beginning to worry.

What if it wasn't a bug?

***

Bulma leaned against the wall with a sigh, her hand on her forehead. She'd bought the test the night before at a 24-hour pharmacy to avoid being seen by too many people. It was best to do it first thing in the morning, and she'd been awake half the night worrying about it. She looked up at the clock. Three minutes had passed. She picked up the test.

Two lines.

Bulma bit her lip as she struggled to contain her emotions. What was she going to do? She certainly didn't want to tell Yamcha, the bastard. Who was she going to talk to about this? No one would understand why she couldn't tell him. As far as everyone was concerned, they'd simply broken up. She'd been too embarrassed to tell anyone how he'd taken advantage of her, so no one knew how badly he'd treated her.

No one other than Vegeta.

He was her friend. He wouldn't turn her away if she needed his advice. After all, he'd offered to throw Yamcha out, hadn't he?

Bulma smiled at the thought despite the trembling of her lips. Yes, she'd go talk to Vegeta. She headed out to the GR, feeling more anxious than she had in quite a long time.

The GR powered down and the door opened when she knocked on it. "Bulma?" Vegeta asked, a frown on his face. She didn't look good. "What's wrong?"

"I... Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, come in." Vegeta stepped aside. He couldn't help but feel concerned. She was acting rather strangely.

"Thanks." Bulma wrapped her arms around herself, even though it wasn't cold outside.

Vegeta led her to the small living quarters and had her sit down on the bed. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. No. I don't know!" Bulma wiped at a tear that forced its way out onto her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm in trouble, and I don't know what to do."

Vegeta sat down beside her. "What happened?"

"I... I'm..." There was no point in delaying the inevitable, and she didn't want to annoy Vegeta by keeping him waiting. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Vegeta's eyes widened. "What?" he asked, even though he'd heard what she'd said perfectly well.

"I'm pregnant!" Bulma burst out in tears and covered her face with her hands. "Yamcha got me pregnant! I can't tell him and I don't want him to know after how he hurt me," she sobbed. "But how am I going to hide something like this? I don't want to get an abortion, because it's not the baby's fault." She looked up at him. "What am I going to do, Vegeta?"

The tears in her beautiful blue eyes and her grief-stricken face melted his heart, and he pulled her into a hug. He wanted to throttle Yamcha, blast him to the next dimension! But he knew that Bulma wasn't a vindictive person, and wouldn't want that. "It'll be all right, Bulma."

She lifted her face from his chest. "How?"

He wiped a tear from her cheek with his finger. "I'll be here for you. I promise you it'll be all right." He guided her head back down to his chest and stroked her hair soothingly. "I promise."