Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Branded ❯ Chapter 3

The next two weeks, neither Bulma nor Trunks brought up the subject of Vegeta's nightmares. They both hoped each night that it wouldn't happen again, and were relieved in the morning when it hadn't.

Trunks trained with his father as usual, but Vegeta began to treat his son differently. Trunks' threat to kill him only seemed to raise the Saiyan's opinion of his son. There was more respect in the way they sparred than before, and Trunks had even been able to suggest a few new techniques to try.

Even Bulma noticed the subtle change in Vegeta. He was more relaxed than she had ever seen him, and he spent more time with his son outside of the training room. She was getting a little jealous of all the attention Trunks was receiving, even though the attention he lavished on her at night more than made up for it.

Trunks used the extra time with Vegeta to ask the Saiyan Prince about the many battles he had been in and about his home planet. Bulma cringed at the gory details he insisted on embellishing in his tales to Trunks, but didn't want to say anything to break the bond the two had formed.

With all the stories Vegeta shared with Trunks, Bulma noticed that none of them were very happy ones. Victorious, but not happy. No pleasant childhood memories of playing games or going on family outings with his parents. Not even a mention of any friends. She knew his life as a prince had been hard, but hadn't realized how sad it also must have been.

"So what was King Vegeta's palace like before Frieza showed up?" Trunks asked at supper one night. Vegeta paused in mid chew and swallowed hard, forcing the food down his throat.

"I don't remember," he said vaguely. Suddenly, he pushed himself from the table and strode from the room.

Vegeta's sudden withdrawal confused Trunks, but a warning look from Bulma told him to let it go. She understood her husband’s moods enough by now to know when he wanted to be alone. The sound of the back door closing confirmed her suspicions. He was either going to spend some time in the gravity chamber or fly off to a mountaintop somewhere.

It was late when Vegeta returned. Trunks was already asleep, but Bulma was sitting up in their bed reading a technology magazine. She peered at Vegeta over the top of her magazine as he undressed. She loved watching the way his muscles undulated as he moved; fluid yet hard as a rock. Even the many scars that marked his skin couldn't mask the sheer beauty of his perfect physique.

Vegeta caught her watching him before she disappeared behind the magazine once more. He smiled wickedly as he climbed into bed next to her, but Bulma seemed to be engrossed in her reading. He sidled as close to her as he could without actually touching her. When she still ignored him, Vegeta began to play with the ties at the shoulder of her nightgown.

Slowly, still without touching her skin, he pulled the tail of the ribbon until the bow came loose. He then tugged until the ribbons were free from each other and the front of Bulma's nightgown sagged dangerously low on that side.

Bulma could feel Vegeta's body heat all along her one side, which made the other feel ice cold. His warm breath danced over her, now bare, shoulder and she broke out in goosebumps. It was delicious torture, and she wondered how long she could hold out, pretending to be interested in her magazine instead of the man beside her.

Vegeta leaned in close as he reached around Bulma's magazine to untie the ribbons on her other shoulder. His musky scent filled her nostrils and she closed her eyes as the desire for his touch engulfed her.

His breath was now on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. As the tie on her far shoulder was worked free and the front of her nightgown fell, exposing her sensitive skin to the cool air, her fingers went numb. The magazine slipped from her grasp and fell, forgotten, to the floor.