A/N: Disclaimer…disclaimer…disclaimer…do not own DBZ or The Cure

Chapter Twelve: The Hot Tub

As it turned out, Bulma needn't have worried about any more ensuing chaos. Things had settled down quite nicely, of course she and Vegeta had managed to effortlessly elude each other for the next few days.

This did not surprise Bulma in the least, as Vegeta would be the type of man to with draw, rather than confront his feelings. He had holed himself up in his Gravity Room, and she in her lab. They saw each other briefly in passing, giving the one another a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Bulma was satisfied with the results of their solitude, though. She had her laboratory organized and running efficiently. She was now to the point of reviewing tapes of the Saiyan Prince's fighting techniques and assembling a data- base in which to write a sparring program. She viewed the films in breathless wonderment, as he was so magnificent to watch. Either he had forgotten the spying cameras existed or he just didn't care. He held nothing back; and she found herself wincing each time he collapsed to the floor in exhaustion or kicked the mirrors in frustration.

She found this secret look at Vegeta to be very revealing. She saw first hand how important his pride and strength were to him and she marveled at the number of times he had verbal arguments with himself. She was glimpsing one now and she felt a tug on her heart as he berated himself for being such a weakling.

"I thought I was the only nut that talked to herself," she said aloud as the listened to Vegeta scream curses at Kakarott. She forced herself to return to the boring job of entering data. It wasn't nearly as exciting as watching Vegeta's sweaty body twist and turn into impossible positions. "Hmmm…I'll bet he is as just as ferocious in bed," she murmured. "Back to the computer, Bulma!" she chided to herself.

The day in the GR had left her even more lustful towards the nonchalant Saiyan. And although he had hinted he felt the same towards her, he had thus far resisted any temptation to show her as much.

A growl from her stomach told her it was long past dinnertime and she wrapped up her last few in-puts to go and prepare some food.

Vegeta's self-imposed isolation proved to be constructive as well. He had quickly resumed the intensity of his training regime, thanks in part to the superior technology of his new training facility.

As pleased as he was with upgrades, after two days he was becoming restless from the lack of challenge. He missed the training bots and wondered when the woman would finally produce her new program.

Of course to find this out, he would need to speak to her and Vegeta was not quite ready for this. He had managed to avoid any confrontation with Bulma, thus far and he would not chance an encounter with the woman until he had full comprehension of his feelings for both her and their potential relationship.

He fully understood that a sexual union with Bulma would mean a committed relationship. This was acceptable; she had won him over these last few days with her ambivalence towards him. He had been expecting an emotional outburst from her that first evening, but was pleased to find the house dark and silent upon emerging from his training room.

He found her door closed and a short note on the table instructing him to help himself to some prepared sandwiches in the refrigerator. The next morning found her locked away in her lab as he arose for his daily warm-ups.

He was intrigued by her distance and wondered if she was as confused as he or just clairvoyant enough to allow him some space. Whatever her reasons, he found that if a relationship with Bulma could consist of them living independently by day and coupled at night; then this would be the perfect existence for him.

He had but one obstacle and that was his vanity. He could still hear the words of the Weakling echoing in his mind…"You don't deserve her pity, her friendship or her love."

Was it true? Did Bulma pity him? No, he didn't believe this. She may have at first, felt sorry for him because he had nowhere else to go and no one to care for him. But he fully understood that they had made a wary alliance that had amazingly enough turned to friendship.

Did he deserve her friendship? Probably not, but her feelings were hers alone to give and she had made it perfectly clear that the Z Warriors had no claims in her personal life.

No, the one hurdle remaining was if he was truly worthy of her love. He had already witnessed the pain his infidelity had caused her, could he risk exposing his true self to her? Would unveiling his demon -plagued soul cause her to turn away and despise his inner monster?

Taunts from his upbringing with Frieza haunted him and chanted wickedly inside his head. 'stupid, dirty monkey' and 'second-rate Saiyan' the memory of Freiza's effeminate voice scratching through his brain like nails on a chalkboard, still causing him to choke on feelings of inadequacy.

He turned and gazed at himself in the mirrored walls. What was he? Who was he? All his life he had been told he was 'ugly' and 'worthless'. He had been molded into a Saiyan version of Frieza himself. Cast into the life of an effective killing machine, destroyer of planets and civilizations, who up until recently had been accepting of his destiny.

Frieza was dead now, not by his own hands, but by the sword of the brat from the future. With the evil tyrant now gone, did Vegeta now deserve a chance for redemption? Would he feel fulfilled with a life of mediocrity as a citizen on the mud ball of a planet?

"Arrrrrgh!" he threw a fireball of energy into the wall with frustration! Too many unanswered questions.

The blast of powered reflected and bounced back hitting Vegeta and blew him flat on his back. "Second rate Saiyan, indeed!" he thought as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Kakarott had fallen in love and started a family. It hadn't made him any weaker as far as strength was concerned. Kakarott's impotence only was revealed only in his character, both on the battlefield and off. More likely caused by his soft upbringing then his pairing with his Earthling wife.

He sat and stared the image of himself and tried to calm his thoughts. Who was he?

'Vegeta, The Prince of All Saiyans'

Never-mind the fact this his royal lineage ruled over but one pure blooded Saiyan and a half- breed child. Two pathetic fools, the last of his exalted race and a wretched Prince to reign over them.

"No!" he screamed to his piteous reflection. "This is not the end, but the beginning!" he thought as he pulled himself to his feet. "You are here to train. You are on the precipice of the Legendary Super Saiyan. You will be the mightiest being in the Universe. There will be none to equal your strength and cunning. You are the best and deserve the best!"

'And so how does Bulma fit into this tidy little plan?' asked the voice of reason.

"Simple," Vegeta said to himself aloud, "She is the most beautiful and intelligent woman on this planet. I will have her and no one else will."

The Saiyan Prince shot a wicked smirk at his likeness and then exited the Gravity Room to shower for dinner.

Bulma was just sitting down to eat when Vegeta entered the kitchen. She was so surprised to see him; she choked on her bread stick.

Vegeta silently took a plate out of the cupboard and sat down across the table from her. He helped himself to a large helping of lasagna and took a moment to savor its smell.

"This looks delicious, Woman," he stated and took several breadsticks from the basket she was holding out to him and began to inhale his food.

Bulma, still in awe over his abrupt appearance, could only stare. After a few moments she collected herself and resumed eating her dinner.

They ate noiselessly and Bulma stole peeks at the Saiyan as he concentrated in his task. She noted that he was freshly showered and he smelled a magnificent blend of spices and soap. She hadn't been this close to him in days and just watching him eat was causing a warm heat to flare between her legs.

"I will have the first level of my program finished by tomorrow. I've spent the last couple of days compiling data and now all I need to do is write it into the appropriate language. It won't include any of your more advanced moves, but I thought you might be getting bored. It'll be something to challenge you while I figure out more complex fighting styles."

Bulma waited for his verbal retaliation. She expected him to complain about the lack of readily available technology on the 'mud ball' planet he was stuck on or even for him to berate her for her ineptitude, but he answered her with inexpressible scrutiny.

She returned his stare and smiled, "What…no sarcastic comments about my technical skills or my lack there-of? The least you could do is insult my cooking," she challenged.

Vegeta cracked a rare smile and said softly, "Woman, I think you underestimate my gratitude. I am quite pleased with the training room and this meal is the best you've ever made. You're actually learning to cook without burning the food."

Bulma threw her head back and laughed loudly. Vegeta found her amusement incredibly sexy. He leaned back in his chair and smirked wickedly at her.

She returned a devilish smile, "Ah…there's the surly Saiyan I've grown to love!" and before Vegeta could answer she jumped up and began to clear away the table.

"Did she just say Love?" wondered Vegeta. Could it be true? The Earth woman actually loved him? The thought of her affection for him made his logistical mind quickly calculate how many seconds it would take for them to go from her last remark to his plundering that incredible body of hers.

He watched as she bent over to pile some plates into the dishwasher and marveled at the close proximity of her perfect little ass.

The temptation of her voluptuous posterior mixed with the tantalizing scent of her perfume, proved too much for the strong willed Saiyan as he uncharacteristically reached out to grab a teardrop shaped cheek.

But the Gods of Fate were not cooperating with the Saiyan Prince, for just as he extended his arm to grasp Bulma's butt, the telephone rang. The startling noise caused the Woman to jolt from her position and move towards the phone. Vegeta found himself grasping air and cursing the Gods of Bad Timing, which he felt must truly be laughing at him now.

He also cursed the would-be caller, which turned out to be the hated 'Weakling'. Vegeta innocently pulled his arm back to his body and crossed both arms in front of his chest in disgust.

"Oh, Hi Yamcha," answered Bulma. "No…I'm not mad at you anymore…No, I'm not hungry, we just ate dinner…YES with Vegeta! Yamcha don't start with that crap…I told you that my personal business is none of your concern…"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, he decided that maybe he should fly over and kill the Weakling once and for all, thus prevent any more interruptions. He thought back to the day when the Saiba-men killed Yamcha. That had been amusing. He only wished he had known what a buffoon the Earthling fighter was, because that would have made watching him die much more entertaining.

Bulma had managed to redirect the conversation, "So, what did Krillen have to say about you and Marron? "

Marron. The sound of the little strumpet's name brought back some unpleasant memories. There was another human he would love to blast to bits, she however was not worth the energy it would take to dispatch her, though.

"See. I told you he would be pissed to find out you were dating the 'love of his life'! So, does that mean they're dating again?" Bulma paused and listened to Yamcha's reply. She broke out into a fit of wry giggles; "She dumped you both for a 'trust-fund baby'? That's hilarious…sorry…but think about it. The two of you were arguing and fighting over a stupid girl; risking a really great friendship and she took off with a guy with more money. She isn't worth all this trouble, you know."

Vegeta could hear the defensive whine of the Weaklings answer, even from where he was sitting. He half-smirked. He loved watching Bulma dominate.

Bulma chuckled at his reply, "No I haven't ever slept with her Yamcha, but something tells me if she ever knew how much money I had, she'd be all over me like flies on shit!"

Vegeta snorted and fully smirked at this, her attitude was almost as sexy as the way she had shoved her hand into the back pocket of her cut-off jeans. She had done it without thought, four fingers inside the denim and her thumb extended. Vegeta's mouth dropped in awe as she began to unconsciously massage her still tender tailbone. The weight of her hand tugged her shorts down from her midriff top, revealing a tantalizing peek at the thin waistband of some skimpy maroon panties. This mixed with the slow sensual massage of her finger caused his libido to go into over-drive.

Bulma, unaware of the lusty Saiyan behind her, continued to berate her ex-boyfriend. "Yuck! You're such a pervert Yamcha! Even if I was into women, WHICH I'M NOT, there's no way I'd sleep with a skank like Marron! That's just gross!"

Bulma, embarrassed by the conversation, glanced back at Vegeta. Luckily he was not listening and almost seemed to be in some sort of trance.

She turned her attention back to Yamcha, who was still salivating at the thought of some girl-on-girl action between his two exes. "So Yamcha, did you call for any other reason than to suggest a three-way with you and Marron?"

Bulma removed her hand from her back pocket and jabbed her free hand down the back of her shorts to stroke the aching patch of skin. She heard Vegeta groan loudly and watched curiously as he fled from the room. She briefly wondered what his problem was, but couldn't dwell on his mood swing; as Yamcha was asking her if she still planned on attending the Annual West City Charity Ball. She was to accept an award on behalf of the philanthropic work done by The Capsule Corporation.

This was really her father's award, but since he had planned to be out of town before the event date was set, she agreed to attend his place.

And she had forgotten ALL about going! Pining away for Vegeta had consumed her as of late. She frantically began to dig through her purse for her palm planner. Finding it she punched in the words 'Charity Ball" and was horrified to find the Gala was this up-coming Saturday. She made a quick mental note that she had four days to buy a dress, write an acceptance speech and to find a date. "Four days! Arrrgh!" a frenzied voice screamed inside her head. Plus she had to make appointments for a manicure, a pedicure, a wax job, and her hair, not to mention shoe shopping.

She began to scribble some notes on a scrap of paper. "Maybe all is not lost. Yamcha's getting an award for his work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, I'll just go with him," she thought as she jotted down her mental list.

"Bulma…are you still there? Did you hear me? Are you still going to the…"

"Yeah, I'm still here Yamcha. Sorry, I was just writing a note to myself. Yes, I'm going to be there on Saturday, are you?" She hoped his recent break-up with Marron would mean he was 'dateless' and then they could go together. And then she'd have at least one thing crossed off her list.

Yamcha laughed, "I know you and your obsession with making lists Bulma. Yeah, I'm going, but not with Marron as I had originally planned. Good thing I always have a back-up plan. I managed to snag a last minute date with a really hot centerfold model. Who are you bringing? Krillen will go with you if you haven't found a date yet. He's had a crush on you for years."

"Of course I have a date, you stupid jerk! And it's not with Krillen!" Bulma was still haunted by the memories of the last time the pint -sized fighter had escorted her to a social event. It was not something she wished to repeat, ever.

"Oh yeah…who," challenged Yamcha. It didn't really matter to him. No date of Bulma's could ever be as hot as his was.

"Vegeta. Vegeta is my date!" she said triumphantly.

"Veg…Vegeta?" stammered Yamcha. There was no way this could be true. Vegeta was an evil little jerk that wanted to kill all Earthlings, not help raise money for them!

"Yes Vegeta! Who else would take me? Now, if you'll excuse me Yamcha, I've got a million things to do. I'll see you Saturday. Bye!"

She disconnected the call blew out a breath of frustration. "Damn right you've got a million things to do, Bulma. The first and foremost is convincing Vegeta to be your date for the party," she scolded herself.

She hung the phone back into its cradle and pounded her head against the wall in exasperation. "Bulma, when are you ever going to learn?"

One cold shower and two frantic hand jobs later, Vegeta was finally able to exit the bathroom and face The Woman again.

He found the house quiet with the exception of some music playing. He checked Bulma's room and lab and finding them empty he looked in the Gravity Room. She was not in there either. "Where has that Woman disappeared to?" he wondered as he stepped outside.

He found her on the deck adjacent to their home, sitting in a large bathtub contraption. She smiled at him as he approached. "There you are Vegeta. Why did you go stomping out of the kitchen?" she asked as she playfully splashed some water at him.

He sidestepped the spray and peered down at her, "I hate that Weakling and the mere thought of him reminds me of that filthy woman he brought here. What is this thing?" he asked, changing the subject. He really hoped she would not ask why he had taken another shower.

Luckily she didn't notice. She swiped another wave of water at him, "This is a hot tub, Vegeta. Come on in, the water will feel great on your sore muscles."

Vegeta dipped a bare toe into the water. It was warm. He pulled his foot out and removed his tank top. He then proceeded to pull off his sweat pants and underwear.

"Vegeta!" Bulma screeched, "This isn't a bath tub! You can leave you boxers on!" She was staring at him, wide eyed. She was both thrilled and horrified to see her Saiyan Prince stark naked. The oh-so- familiar burning sensation started between her legs, once more.

Vegeta shrugged and put his boxer briefs on again. This done he stepped into the water and took a seat beside her. She was correct; the warm bubbly water did feel wonderful. He felt himself relax as the heat of the hot tub began to soothe his tired and over-worked body.

They sat in silence, listening to the music. It wasn't normally the type of Earth music that Vegeta preferred. He liked his music loud, hard and angry: a lot like him.

Bulma was humming along to a song. "This band, The Cure, I used to listen to them when I was in college. This CD got me through many a long night studying."

"Only studying?' Vegeta asked, giving her a sexy smile.

She pretended to be offended and stood, giving him the 'peace sign'. She waded over to the deck and plucked the remote off of the bench. "This next song is my favorite. 'Just Like Heaven', I've always loved it. I'm not really sure why." She pumped up the volume as the next track started to play.

Vegeta watched her as she danced to the music. Well, she wasn't really dancing, more like swaying, but he watched her with ardent appreciation. She was wearing an incredibly tiny pink bikini and the cool night air, mixed with the wetness of her top, caused Bulma's nipples to harden. Vegeta quickly hardened too.

"Blast it!" he thought, "I'm going to have to jack off again! " Man…was he ever hot for this woman! But how was he to initiate sex? She had made the move during their last close encounter.

Should he just grab her and smother her with hot kisses? Or should he verbalize his feelings first and if so, how?

He toyed with a few phrases, 'Bulma, you and I are obviously the two most superior beings on this planet. We should be together.'

No, too egotistical.

'Bulma, I want to screw you all night and ignore you all day.'

No, too honest.

"Arrrgh! This is impossible!" he thought angrily. How did Nappa get women to come into his room? He supposed he must have said something like, "The Prince requests a private audience with you in his chambers".

Well, now that would sound stupid if he said it, wouldn't it?

Yes it would.

He was just contemplating asking her if she ever fucked a monkey, when he noticed her leaning down in front of him. She looked worried.

"Vegeta, are you all right? This is the second time you've zoned out on me tonight. Are you sick?" She felt his forehead. He seemed normal, what was wrong with him?

Vegeta blinked back to present time and mumbled something about being 'very tired'.

Satisfied with his answer, Bulma returned to her seat beside him. He was sure acting strange, this made her even more anxious about the question she was about to ask him.

"Vegeta, I have a favor to ask you," she said softly.

He turned to her, his face impassive. 'Please say you want to have sex. Please say you want to have sex," he begged silently. He nodded for her to continue.

Encouraged, Bulma asked, "I'm supposed to accept an award at a Charity Ball this Saturday and I'd really like it you would be my date." She braced herself for the rejection.

"Charity Ball! You want me to go with you to a Charity Ball? Absolutely not!" growled Vegeta. He crossed his arm in front of his chest in protest, he wanted to fuck her, not DATE her!

Disappointment shrouded Bulma's eyes and she tried to keep her voice calm. She knew this would be his response, but still a small part of her hoped he would at least be a gentleman about the whole thing. She stood to leave the hot tub.

Vegeta took the opportunity to admire her exquisite body once more. He knew she was upset with him, and she probably had every right to be. She had after-all provided with food and shelter, not to mention friendship. He was behaving like an ass, a Royal Pain in the Ass.

He followed her out of the hot tub and watched as she wrapped a huge terry cloth robe around her slim frame. She avoided eye contact as she tried to slip around him to go into the house. He halted her progress and placed a finger under her chin. Raising her face to look at him he asked, "Woman, why is this event so important to you?"

Bulma stared into his coal-black eyes. She saw softness and caring in their depths.

"Because my Dad asked me to accept the award in his place and because Yamcha will be there with some pin-up girl with fake tits. He told me I could go with Krillen, but the last time he took me to a shindig like this, he ended up getting wasted and spent the whole night hitting on me and grabbing my ass.

"So Yamcha is bringing this sexy centerfold and I decided I would bring the most beautiful man that I know, and that's you Vegeta." She had spilled out her guts, without meaning to and she was surprised when the Saiyan gave her a sweet smile.

"I'll squire you to this party," he said simply. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead and turned to scoop up his clothes. He left the deck and disappeared into the night within seconds. Still dazed by his sudden change of heart, Bulma placed her hand where his lips had touched and murmured, "Thank you, Vegeta."