Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Price of Passion ❯ The Price of Passion ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: This is my little vignette of Bulma and Vegeta's relationship pre-Androids. It's raw and real, filled to the brim with the unending lust of our favorite couple. No fluff, just pure unadulterated passion. I've done two post-Buu fics, both before GT and I thought I would be nice to give you my perception on the 'missing three years.'


Disclaimer--I don't own DBZ or the song 'Thinking About Tomorrow' by Beth Orton, featured (very soothing song!).


"Bulma?"


She blinked and looked up slowly from the delicious plate of food as her mother's voice travelled softly to her side. A thin, wearied smile stretched her pale ruby lips upwards, "Yes, Momma?"


Her mother's bewildered expression was not lost on her, "Honey, you haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" She accused softly, her honey blonde hair glowing eerily in the gentle light of the dining room chandelier. "I asked you what time Jacob would be here?"


Bulma sighed wearily, her thoughts wavering from her mother's question; it had been a long month, filled with conferences, interviews, magazine photo shoots, press releases and much more.


Everyone wanted to know everything about the new owner of the company; the billion dollar heiress had now become the multi-billion dollar owner of the largest technological company in the world.


To say it was frightening for Bulma, would have been an understatement.


The weight of carrying Capsule Corporation's entire empire on her shoulders was starting to take its toll upon her. How had her father coped? She had barely slept three hours the previous night!


In the past, she had always assumed her father led a relatively easy going life, but all the pre-conceived notions she had formed in her mind, were tossed aside in the whirlwind of flashing cameras, media and public bullshit.


Just last week the security team of the compound had caught four trespassers hiding in the bushes of her mother's garden!


It seemed that the government had also been keeping a close eye on the development of Capsule Corp. much to Bulma's consternation.


The constant questions of the media had also been endless; was she capable enough? Wasn't she too young to manage a corporation as large as theirs? Didn't the Briefs have a son hidden away in their compound who could deal with the company instead? Why, why, why--blah, blah, blah.


It was enough to make her want to scream, kick and sick her Saiyan house-guest on the overbearing, speculative public. To top it all off, she also had the delightful pleasure of upgrading the certain Saiyan's gravity machine; every single week.


Recently, Bulma had barely enough time to breathe and yet every time she encountered the feisty Saiyan, he would always make her stop what she was doing due to the proverbial lash of his quick-witted tongue.


This in turn would infuriate her to no end and she would be at a loss for words... A definite first for her, knowing that she had just as many worded bullets she could shoot him, in hopes of embarrassing him the way he always managed to mortify her.


At the thought of the 'loveable' monkey, her eyes slowly tapered down the long dining table, to the silent Saiyan that sat a few seats down, opposite her.


This had been the first time in a month since she had the chance to sit at the dinner table with her family and Vegeta.


Work had always intervened with her desire to sit and eat with her family, but she had specifically cleared her calendar for this evening.


She watched him quietly as he slowly shovelled spoon, after spoon of delicious gourmet food into his mouth. It looked like he was enjoying his meal of red meat and vegetables, because he wasn't complaining. The chef must have outdone himself this evening. Not that Vegeta ever complained. He was rude and bossy and cold, but he never whined, which Bulma found fascinating, for lack of a better word.


He seemed to ignore everyone at the table, including her, as they spoke of their day and the many twists and turns they had encountered. But she was certain that he listened to every word that was spoken. A warrior was always on his guard and Vegeta was no exception.


"Sweetheart?" Her mother's demanding tone caused her to flinch.


Bulma raised her head sheepishly, aware that she had been caught up in her musings, "Sorry Momma, what was that?"


Mrs. Briefs raised her eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer, "I said, what time is Jacob coming over?"


A chill travelled down her spine as Bulma's mother reiterated the question. She turned her head slightly and found her Saiyan house-guest's dark eyes focused on her; cold and perceptive--piercing through her calm demeanour.


He had stopped eating and it was obvious to anyone in the room that his attention was focused on Bulma and her apparent answer.


Why was he staring at her like that? She thought it would be wiser not to know.


Barely holding back a shiver, Bulma tore her eyes away from the prison of obsidian fire that had momentarily trapped her. She focused on her mother's concerned gaze and smiled, "He should be here at--"


An attendant came into the dining room, coughing to be noticed.


Bulma frowned and turned to him, still uncomfortably aware of the Saiyan Prince's eyes on her form. "Yes?"


"Forgive the intrusion Ms. Briefs, but a Mr. Jacob Washimoto is waiting in the parlor. I told him that you were engaged at present and could not meet with him."


Her eyebrows dipped in displeasure, "He's an hour early," she commented, mostly to herself.


"Do you wish me to send him away?" The attendant asked, trying his best to ignore the silent man sitting at the far end of the dining room table. Everyone had heard rumours of his bleak background and if they were true, he didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.


Bulma shook her head, contemplating on the early arrival of her friend. "No," she said finally.


Mrs. Briefs squealed in delight at her daughter's decision, and turned to her husband, "Are you finished dear? Would you like dessert?"


"I'm finished," he said, chuckling as he leaned in towards his wife, planting a small kiss on her cheek, "And I would love dessert," he said, winking merrily as his wife giggled.


Bulma's father smiled at his daughter and nodded at his empty plate. His smile turned into a brief frown as he caught the untouched food that remained in his only child's plate.


A snort of disdain could be heard from the far end of the large table, and Bulma couldn't help but roll her eyes at her parents. As much as she loved them, she despised public displays of affection.


Her train of thought was halted as her father's eyes fixed upon her, "Aren't you going to eat anything dear? You've hardly touched your plate," he motioned towards the half-eaten salmon steak and untouched portion of juicy vegetables that sat temptingly in the china-bone plate.


Bulma smiled tightly at her father's lack of discretion, cursing internally as the Saiyan Prince continued to stare at her profile. "I'm not that hungry," replied and before her father could comment any more on the matter, she gestured toward the attendant.


"Send someone in for our plates please Dante and get them to bring us this evening's dessert as well," she paused before turning to the silent Prince at the far end of the table. She raised her voice slightly so that he could hear, "Would you like some dessert, Vegeta?"


Vegeta raised an eyebrow, once again capturing her in the prison of his gaze. She shifted uncomfortably under the heavy gaze, but was relieved when he simply nodded to her question.


She sent him a small smile, secretly pleased at the small inclination of surprise that crossed his face momentarily, before it vanished in the cold mask she was used to seeing. It seemed that he had not been expecting the smile.


Turning back to Dante, she desperately tried to smother the smug smile on her lips, "Make sure they bring the entire dessert cart Dante?"


The attendant nodded, "And what of Mr. Washimoto?"


She smiled with renewed vigour, "Send him in, I'm sure he would love to sample one our dessert plates, right Momma?" She asked her mother, a sparkle entering her electric blue eyes.


"Of course, dear!" Her mother chimed in, smiling at the upcoming event that was to be brought with Jacob.


Dante nodded to the requests and briskly left the dining room.


A beep resounded in the room and Bulma looked up to see her father already out of his seat. She scowled at the beeper in his hand. "What is it now Dad?"


Her father sighed and shook his head, "Nothing for you to worry about sweetheart," he leaned down to whisper a loving parting in his wife's ear before walking over to his daughter's side and planting a gentle kiss on top of her head.


Bulma crossed her arms, "You'd think people would leave you alone now that you're retired!" She huffed, shaking her head.


Dr. Briefs smiled in amusement and patted her shoulder, "Just another wall we've come up against in my private lab."


Bulma stood then and turned to embrace her father, "You should slow down Papa," she whispered softly in his ear as she hugged him.


They pulled away, their identical blue eyes communicating an unspoken agreement.


"Will you be back soon, or should we not keep our hopes up?" Mrs. Briefs asked, also standing as a minor pout formed on her youthful lips.


"Afraid not, dear. But I'll try to be back as soon as I can." He smiled, waving to them as he shuffled out of the room through the private doorway at the opposite end of the room.


"Bulma darling!!" A dashing, deep voice cried out from the main doorway. Bulma turned and plastered a large smile on her face as the tall, brown haired man walked quickly towards her. She held back a laugh as his green eyes twinkled in hidden mirth.


"Jacob!" She cried with equal enthusiasm, trying not to choke as the over zealous man flung his arms around her and hugged her tightly.


A moment of silent ensued in which Bulma swore she could have heard the Saiyan Prince grunt quietly with disapproval.


She patted Jacob's back in a friendly gesture and pulled herself from the death grip so that he could endorse her mother with the same enthusiastic hug.


As her mother and friend spoke to one another, Bulma looked over at the servant standing in the doorway with the dessert cart. She smiled and motioned for her to wheel the cart towards Vegeta's side of the table, whispering a few choice words in her ear as she passed, "Let him have as much as he wants."


The servant nodded, a brief moment of abject terror flitting across her face as her eyes took in the Saiyan Prince's regal form. Bulma stifled a chuckle that threatened to spill from her lips. She knew Vegeta had a remarkable sweet tooth, and couldn't help but adore that certain quality in the normally rough and rugged man.


Once the fanfare of Jacob's arrival had dissipated and the table had been cleared of all food and plates except for the desserts, she gestured towards the empty seats between her mother and Vegeta, beckoning him to sit across from her so that they could talk easily to one another.


She noticed that Vegeta had momentarily given pause to the evil glare he was sending Jacob, as he slowly made his way through the many plates of sweet dishes.


He was obviously intrigued and suspicious by Jacob's arrival, never having seen him before and therefore taking his time in devouring the delicious treats that were available.


Jacob cleared his throat and sat, smiling at the beautiful woman that sat across from him.


As she sat down, suddenly nearer to Vegeta than she would have liked, Bulma felt a strange sense of relief as Jacob made no attempt to engage Vegeta in a greeting. It seemed as if almost every single acquaintance of the Briefs' family knew about the rash behavior of the Saiyan.


Her mother tittered around for a moment before coming to a conclusion, "I'll be right back, I'm sure Vegeta needs more of a variety that that," she said airily, pointing in dejection at the various plates laid out on his side of the table. She breezed out of the room without a second thought to retrieve a larger variety of desserts.


Shaking her head at her mother's lack of perception, Bulma rubbed her hands together and looked towards their family friend, a knowing glint flaring up her eyes. "Let's see what you've got for us tonight, Jacob! Time is money and I don't have a lot of free time!"


She smiled as he laughed at her enthusiasm.


Jacob was their private jeweller and family friend. He never made house calls to his clients, especially so late in the evening but for the Briefs family, everything was a possibility.


And with the amount of free time she was lacking and the upcoming birthdays of her closest friends, she needed the best that was available with short term notice.


"You wound me dear," he said in a mocking voice of hurt and rejection, clutching his chest, "And here I was thinking we were more than just business associates."


Another snort from Vegeta made her cast a warning glare in his direction. Just because he was a guest in their house, didn't mean he had the right to belittle other guests. After nearly seven months of living at the compound, she shouldn't have been surprised when he looked at her lecherously, before resuming his saccharine feast.


She looked at Jacob bashfully as he caught her staring at the Saiyan Prince. "Ok Jacob, enough games, show me the goods!"


"Here?" He raised his eyebrow sceptically.


She nodded eagerly, wanting to see what treasures he had brought with him.


Jacob chuckled and produced an encrypted capsule, created especially for him by Bulma herself. He threw the capsule carefully into the centre of the empty, large rectangular dining table. Bulma marvelled at her own genius as a thick, aluminium briefcase appeared miraculously out of the small puff of smoke.


She grinned, ignoring the deadly look she was receiving from Vegeta as he waved away the smoke that billowed onto his desserts. She leaned forward and pressed the round, black button at the corner of the briefcase, sitting back as the lid slide backwards to reveal and assortment of antiquated jewels and diamonds, fashioned into brooches, rings, chains, earrings and necklaces.


From the corner of her eye, she could see the Saiyan Prince freeze as his own eyes caught sight of the ridiculously priced items in the case.


Feeling some degree of satisfaction, she watched him lower his fork slowly and take stock of everything that was being offered to the wealthy woman.


It was amazing how many times Vegeta would forget about Bulma's status in the world and she frequently enjoyed reminding him.


Bulma knew she was trying to find the right gifts for her friends, but a sapphire piece in the corner of the case caught her eye.


She pointed to the sparkling jewel and watched with reverence as Jacob lifted the sapphire jewel from the confines of the case.


The hefty tear drop jewel glittered dangerously, embedded in the contour of finely cut diamonds, as the sapphire and diamonds were fashioned into a ring of platinum.


Jacob smiled, "You have excellent taste dear," he remarked, extending the ring towards her.


She smiled as she turned the ring over in her hand, examining the quality and cut of the stone. "What carat are the diamonds?" She mumbled, sliding the ring onto her ring finger.


"The diamonds are eighteen carats and the sapphire is twenty-four carats,"


She nodded silently.


"The ring is actually an antique piece, fashioned in the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria's army invaded Africa in the name of the British Empire."


"Oh, Bulma!" Mrs. Briefs' voice breathed from the doorway, "It's perfect!" She cried out as she walked towards the centrepiece of jewels on the table, admiring the ring that was wrapped around her daughter's finger.


She walked into the room, trailed by two servants, both pushing dessert carts. Without any instruction, the servants rolled the cart towards the silent Saiyan that had momentarily forgotten about the food in front of him, in favor of watching the Bulma dote upon the frivolous piece of jewellery.


Bulma smiled. She and her mother had very similar taste, "You like it?" She questioned, noticing the familiar gleam in the other woman's eyes.


"It's beautiful," Mrs. Briefs admitted, hesitating before she turned towards Jacob, "What is the asking price?"


"$900,000 but I assure you it is a one piece original."


Her mother's face paled slightly as Jacob relayed the price. She laughed in an attempt to comfort herself before flying out of the room to 'attend' to kitchen business.


"Is she all right?" Jacob asked in concern, noting the gray pallor of the woman that had left the room.


Bulma knew that her mother had loved the ring, but the price had sent her running in the other direction. She also knew her mother had no assets or finances of her own, since she didn't work and when it came to expensive spending, the bubbly blonde generally tended to shy away from overly expensive treasures.


Before marrying her father, her mother literally had been living with no money at all in her pockets. She always refused to take more money than was needed, much to the pain of her daughter and husband, and never indulged completely in their rich lifestyle.


It was at times like these that Bulma truly realized how modest her mother was, and she felt a certain sense of pride encompass her at the thought.


Her mother may have been modest, but Bulma certainly wasn't.


"She's fine, she just gets overwhelmed at the use of big numbers," she replied.


At her comment, Vegeta coughed slightly, in what Bulma could only decipher as, cold amusement.


She grinned to herself. He may be death and destruction wrapped in a Greek Adonis's body, but she had to admit that he had a wicked sense of humor. Bulma herself had just realized the underlying meaning behind her comment and had to chuckle.


Jacob simply smiled at the woman, uncertain of the situation.


Bulma had returned to admiring the glinting sapphire as she took it off from her finger. "It is a gorgeous antiquated piece," she said to herself, slowly depositing the ring in Jacob's hand.


"How much is it again?" She asked, just to be sure.


"$900,000. Give or take a few thousand," he answered.


The blue-haired genius sank back in the comfortable dining room chair. She lightly fingered a lock of cerulean hair that hung over her forehead.


"I'll give you $500, 000 for it," she said easily. From a young age, Bulma had always enjoyed bartering. Whether it was dealing with only a few dollars or thousands of dollars.


A malicious smile played on her lips as she saw Jacob's face drop down in dismay. "$800,000." He sighed, "You know, I hate bartering with you!" He added, narrowing his eyes at the precious sapphire ring in his hand.


Bulma shook her head, "$600,000." She countered promptly, refusing to fall into the trap of familiarity she held with her jeweller.


Jacob shook his head with resentment, "£750,000!" He exclaimed. Surely, she wouldn't argue with him on that price.


But his expectations were to be disappointed as the hard-headed woman shook her head, "$670,000 and that's my final offer Jacob, take or leave it," she said with finality. She would not pay any more for the ring, after all, a ring is a ring.


She watched the various emotions flit across his face as he stared at her and mulled over her offer.


With a shrug, she plucked the ring from his hand and placed it back into the aluminium briefcase, watching through hooded eyes as he hastily took it out and nodded, "Done."


Bulma beamed at him as he glared at her.


"But only because you are my best customer!" He added, knowing that the woman would not only buy the ring from him, but much more if she had taken a fancy to the item. He had once had the pleasure of selling an entire case full of colored, diamond jewellery; all were rare pieces and very expensive.


"Is this ring for yourself?" He asked curiously, printing out a receipt from the mini, circular hand held computer pod he carried with him; another fabulous invention by the woman sitting across from him.


It was so much easier to handle his sales when they had been recorded into the pod's memory and had a built in printer.


Bulma shook her head, "It's for my mother," she replied quietly, casting her gaze towards the empty doorway where her mother had left. She knew the older woman would not be coming back, having been scared away by the price uttered by their jeweller.


Her gaze was once again drawn to the Saiyan Prince as he continued to eat his way slowly through the second dessert cart.


"For her birthday; it's only three months away, I might as well get it for her now," she added, desperately trying to pry her eyes from the brooding man to her far left.


It was startling to realize just how much she enjoyed watching him and the manner in which he conducted himself. His features were so hard... Like they were cut from marble stone.


As she continued to watch his movements, she found herself wondering when his birthday was... He never spoke to her on a personal level and Bulma found the aura of mysticism surrounding him--appealing.


Jacob smiled at the woman's generosity, "Well then, I will have it cleaned, wrapped and boxed in the finest velvet and send it over on the day of your mother's birthday, how does that sound?"


Bulma blinked and shifted her gaze, "That would be perfect."


"How will you be paying?"


She had barely caught Jacob's question as her eyes decided to travel over to the Saiyan house guest once more. She didn't know why, but she found his appearance rather appealing that evening...


"By cheque," she replied half-heartedly, unconsciously reaching for her multi-purpose capsule that sat snugly in jacket pocket of the Armani suit she was wearing.


She quickly wrote out a cheque for the ring, paying for it separately from the account she shared with her father.


She didn't want to include the purchase with the other gifts she had to by for Krillin and Chi Chi's birthdays, which were only a matter of weeks away.


She was paying for their gifts from her own account as she was sure her father would have wanted to be included in the gift she had bought for her mother.


As Bulma handed over the cheque absentmindedly, her gaze drifted over to the Saiyan Prince. She felt slightly awkward buying expensive gifts for her friends in front of him.


He always seemed to watch her in disdain whenever she flitted money away. Especially for her closest friends.


A pang of guilt tore through her as she realized that on this planet, Vegeta would have had no wealth or comfort, if it hadn't been for Bulma.


It was a good thing she invited him to stay at their house... Kami only knows what he might have done to survive on the planet; probably kill a few people, if they got in his way.


She shuddered at the thought.


Sighing, she continued to browse the expensive jewellery in hopes of finding appropriate gifts for her friends.


But the nagging sensation in the back of her mind would not fade, as the Saiyan Prince sent her a dark glare before finishing of the remaining desserts and leaving the room in a gust of cold, malicious arrogance.



~*~



He had watched her from the corner of his eye. A hunter stalking its prey.


She was insufferable!

Damn bitch.

The woman had no clue as to how lucky she really was.

How dare she flaunt her wealth and status in his face; as if he needed reminding that were it not for her 'generosity' he would have been sleeping in a cave!

He growled unconsciously, excess electric energy crackling from the blue aura that surrounded his sleek body as he stormed his way towards the gravity machine... The machine she had built with her father.

Even his training equipment was provided by her! She was more than generous. That much was proven as she thoughtlessly purchased expensive, useless, gifts for her so-called friends.

He frowned upon her generosity. It was a stain on his pride that she offered him everything, without expecting anything in return for her kindness.

And so, if it hadn't been for the fact that he needed to become stronger at a faster rate than a certain third-class twit, he would have thrown the machine back in her face--literally.

It was humiliating using a machine to aid your training! As if your own physical strength was too weak to gain more power and skill.

And--there was something about her... Something about her that made him stop and think about everything and everyone; especially her.

Those were new feelings to him; in the past he couldn't have cared less about the people and the environment around him. Survival was his only goal and now... Now she had somehow crept up on him, instilling her views upon him, secretly and quietly--one fucking day at a time.

She made him think. She made him feel things; things that he thought were dead and decayed inside of him. And those were two things that Vegeta despised her for.


He hated her.


She was the bane of his existence; the perfect example of purity--a pure human with no true cruelty or malice in her faultless, fragile heart.

He sneered.

But she was not so faultless when it came to making a fool out of him.

She sickened him; with her immaculate lifestyle and picture perfect family. Her loyal, annoying friends that snapped at her heels and an empire she could call her own--built by her genius, sharp mind and intelligence. Not through the aid of treachery or immorality.

He knew--knew that it was more than he could ever grasp at. The respect she had, the power, the wealth.

She knew nothing about hardship, nothing of the hot, piercing guilt of blood-stained hands he had to live with, as the sun slowly awoke from its routine slumber and rose over the tall structured buildings of her perfect world--a world in which he knew he didn't belong to; didn't want to belong to.

As the door to the gravity machine slid open, he looked up briefly at the starry night sky and scowled.

He would show her.

Smirking coldly into the dark night, he entered the room without a backward glance; ready for another night of self-inflicted pain and torture.


A little humbling would be good for the blue-haired vixen.



He stared out of his window silently, looking up at the various stars dotted in the cloudless night sky.


He was restless.


He knew this; he knew that he was a traveller, born and bred. He could not stay in one place for a long amount of time and yet he had been on the same planet for nine months... Nine long, tiresome months of training day in and day out.


It had been two months since his imposed promise and Vegeta still hadn't found the opportune moment in which to force humility upon the blue-haired creature. To be honest, he couldn't be bothered to seek her out. He was simply waiting for her to come to him.


She traipsed around, coming and going as she pleased and much to his annoyance, he found that he didn't like it. Not one bit.


Every time his eyes fell upon her, every time he managed to catch a small glimpse of the woman, the energy seemed to wane and seep from her body. She remotely reminded him of a wilted flower, deprived of the essence of life; so thirsty for a small drop of energy to keep her body moving, keep her body working.


She was never in one place for long; always on the move to the next meeting or conference, or whatever other idiotic tasks she performed in her role for the world renowned company.


He supposed in many aspects they were alike. They were both fanatical, compulsive and terribly arrogant. How many times had he listened to her repeat the phrase, 'Well, I am a genius!' It was too many times to count and yet... She amused him.


She was like no other woman he had encountered. Beautiful of course, but beauty was highly overrated. Anyone could be classed as beautiful. But she... This strange colored woman had what many were lacking, in his eyes, and that was fire and spirit. And a sharp tongue.


Her tongue was so sharp, he was certain she filed it.


But all of those things aside, she would always be taunting him with her 'perfection' and he would not find peace until he showed her that not everything was built around that painful word.


A soft tap caused him to glance away from the window to the closed door of his room.


His eyebrows dipped in surprise, then annoyance at the fact he had had allowed himself to be momentarily unguarded.


It was her.


"Vegeta?"


Her soft, muffled voice filtered through the door, trepidation lacing the sombre tone of her voice.


So, the little vixen had finally sought him out.


He had wondered how long it would take her.


In his time on Earth, he had seen how she sent curious glances his way, staring openly at him and he had wondered--wondered how long her curiosity would get the better of her.


He strode silently towards the door, not bothering to switch on the lights of his darkened room. He preferred the dark. So many things could be hidden in the dark.


As he pulled the door open, he schooled his face into a customary scowl. "What?" He snapped, glancing down at the small woman that was dressed in a long fluffy white robe. Her blue locks hung in wet curls down to her shoulders and he could see small damp patches forming as the robe absorbed the water from her hair.


It was then that he realized just what time it was. It was four in the morning! What in the name of hell was the woman doing up so late?


She looked at him sheepishly and at that moment he thought she was going to run from him in fear. He smirked inwardly. Good. At least she knew her place.


"What?" He repeated again, coldly.


The weariness that emanated from her eyes caused a painful tug of acute guilt to bubble in his chest. No emotions were given away by his face, his angled features remaining motionless from years of practise. He pushed away the odd feeling, even as he took in the milky pallor of her smooth skin. She was unnaturally pale; even for her standards.


The moment of hesitation that flickered briefly in her eyes melted away and she sent him a small, furtive smile, causing the warning bells in his mind to blare at him loudly. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, standing in the doorway and blocking the entrance to his room.


"Can I come in?" She asked slowly, looking over shoulder to catch a glimpse of his room. No one had ever been allowed to enter Vegeta's room since the day it was given to him; he kept it firmly locked.


"No," he replied, amused by the look of irritation that entered her blue eyes.


The light from the hallway spilled into his room, creating a soft halo around her body. It would have been wiser for her to remain in the light, than to step into the darkness that shadowed him from behind.


But she spoke nonetheless, "Please?" She persisted in what could only be described as, the worst whinging voice he had ever heard. Yet the decibel of her voice remained soft, for fear of alerting anyone to her current location.


His temper flared at her demanding voice, "Fucking hell, it's fucking four in the morning!" He hissed, "Go to bed." It was more than he had ever said to her in his entire stay on the dismal planet. Wasn't she lucky...


An equal match of his anger brightened her eyes, "Stop being such an ass," she hissed back, "I just want to give you something, so let me in! I'm not going to hurt you or anything," she added in teasing, challenging manner.


He snorted. As if she could.


Noting the challenging tone in her voice and having his curiosity piqued, he moved from the doorway to let her in.


She smiled triumphantly at him and he scowled. She was going to regret this little trip by the time he was through with her!


Slamming the door shut behind him, he turned around just in time to catch her glancing thoughtfully at the bare room. Almost as if she was deducing his character from the bare white walls that were drowned in darkness.


With his Saiyan vision, he could see her begin to wring her hands, her eyes darting nervously to the shadowed light switch beyond his shoulder. Interesting...


"Couldn't you turn the light on?" She asked gently, nervousness dripping from every word she spoke.


A smirk twitched at his lips. "No," he replied coolly.


Her heard her sigh in defeat, "Fine, but you won't be able to see what I've got for you!"


Vegeta snarled and with a blink of an eye, he had flipped the switch on, flooding the room with a blinding white light that was glowing from the light bulb over their heads.


He forced himself not to wince as the light pierced his sensitive pupils, adjusting to the brightness of the room. Crossing his arms, he glared openly at her, causing a small shudder to wrack her small frame.


Bulma fidgeted for a moment, her fingers playing with the small capsule in the pocket of her robe. Without further delay, she pulled the capsule from her pocket and threw it to the ground.


He watched her warily as she knelt beside the box that had appeared from the puff of smoke. Her delicate hands opened the two flaps of the box and he frowned as she pulled a metallic object from it.


She stood up and walked towards him as he stood in the centre of the room, the metal object sitting gently in her fragile hands.


He wanted to back away slightly, unsure of what treachery she was committing towards him, but he saw no sign of betrayal in the open and friendly gaze of her face.


Bulma raised the object to him, offering it to him.


He remained still, glaring at the unfathomable contraption.


Letting the object rest in one hand, she used her free hand to take his.


He froze as a wave of electric current shot up his arms, surprised that she seemed unaffected by the contact.


Vegeta had never been touched to freely... The only touch he knew were the heavy blows he received in battle; he had not felt a soft touch upon his body in many years.


Bulma sensed that he was about to pull away and she lightly placed the metallic object in Vegeta's outstretched hand that she had been holding. Once it was firmly in his grasp, she took a step back and smiled.


Vegeta turned the round object in his hands and found himself looking up at her questioningly.


"For you," she whispered, "It's a present..."


The words weighed heavily on his troubled mind. His throat tightened slightly, his tongue dry and unmoving in his mouth. He had never received a gift before; not even on his home planet.


"For what?" He rasped, barely aware that he had spoken.


She shrugged her shoulders gracefully and shook her head, "Just wanted to give you something," she replied casually, "I didn't know when your birthday was, so I thought I'd pick my own date to give you a birthday present," she spoke mostly to herself, but he heard her mumbling and frowned.


It was then that he knew she wanted something from him. No action was committed without selfish purposes; Vegeta was a prime example of this. And yet, this creature had yet to display the real purpose for offering the gift to him. So what was her purpose?


"What is this thing?" He demanded, uncaring of the hurt that clouded in her eyes.


He didn't even have the decency to say thank you... Bulma shook her head as she spoke, "It's a ki reflector."


Vegeta raised his eyebrow, waiting impatiently for her to continue.


"It reflects your power back to you ten-fold," she said, using her 'business' tone, "I made it for you so it would help you in your training. If you can dodge the ki blasts you shoot at the reflector, which are ten times faster and greater than your own, you'll gain speed and stamina. I--I thought it would help," Bulma muttered with finality, raising her eyes to the depthless obsidian of his own.


Vegeta tilted his head minutely. Was this beautiful human creature an idiot? Didn't she realized that if she kept aiding him in his training, he was eventually going to become the strongest warrior in the universe and annihilate her entire planet, including her?


It made no sense to him.


Why would she help him?


He didn't know what to think. Which was, for a moment, numbingly pleasurable. He liked the emptiness his mind felt, as the metallic ball in weighed his hands down.


If she could offer him such emptiness with a simple gesture, then what was to say she couldn't offer him an entire night of emptiness?.... An entire night of peace from the screaming voices of terror in his mind.


Walking stiffly towards the bare desk in the corner of the room, he placed the ki reflector on the desk before turning once again to face the woman who had given him so much; albeit unknowingly.


He felt no gratitude whatsoever, as he knew what she wanted from him; if her silent stares the past few months were anything to go by.


In her own subtle way, she had been trying to get closer to him, to engage him. Well, if that's what she wanted; then that's what she was going to get.


Apprehension filled her eyes as he continued to walk towards her, not stopping the strong strides until he reached her side.


She looked up at him in confusion, "Don't you like it?" She whispered innocently, making him pause for a moment.


Vegeta drank in her appearance as she stood under the brightly burning bulb of the room. Her tousled, blue hair was now almost dry and a tempting stray strand of hair fell over her right eye.


He moved closer as she batted the piece of hair away from her forehead, standing precariously closer to her heated body. Her blue eyes shifted to his, blazing with unanswered questions in her mind as he stepped even closer.


He decided that her answer would depend on the outcome of this moment.


Bulma shivered as there remained only an inch gap between her and Vegeta's body. She looked up once again with confusion written across her soft features.


"Why?" He murmured quietly, his eyes never leaving her face.


She slowly began to comprehend his question and gulped quietly, "Because--Because I wanted to." The wide expanse of her blue eyes sparkled at his strange behavior.


Her answer was the reason he pushed himself forward; pushed himself towards her warm, seemingly pliant body. She wanted something in return and he would pay her back, with the only thing he possessed; his body.


His lips descended upon hers in a storm of passion that left her breathless.


A blazing inferno of passion erupted from within her stomach as his hands reached for the tie of her robe and in that moment, Bulma felt the world crumble away from her until only she and the dark Prince existed.


She hadn't expected him to kiss her; she had not thought her simple gift would have been the catalyst to send him over the edge of a dangerous precipice and into her arms.


But it was.


She didn't mind though. Who would when they were experiencing such mind-numbing pleasure? And in the moment his hands slipped into her open robe, she knew; knew without a shadow of doubt that things would never be the same for her... Never.


But she didn't stop him.


She had being growing lonely in the long months of work she had endured. Her boyfriend was no longer a concern as he was more interested in his life than hers and she knew what she was about to do would hurt him but... At that moment, she didn't give a shit.


For so many months she had wanted to feel a lovers touch upon her body, but she had been afraid to seek out for the sexual comfort that was being offered to her this night, not knowing if she would be rejected and tossed aside.


And now, now that her body was being brought to life by the wonderfully experienced hands roaming her curved flesh, she didn't want it to end. This was what she had been searching for... What she had been yearning for.


This night was hers.


This night was his; her dark Saiyan Prince...


Vegeta slowly pulled away from her pouted ruby lips, his body trembling slightly at the strange current of passion that had numbed him as he drank and took his fill from her sweet, luscious lips. As he looked down at her face; her eyes remained closed and a rosy hue tinted her cheeks, panting at the exertion of the kiss.


It was strange to see a creature so willing in his arms, strange but enticing.


As if his hands hand no control, they continued to roam her newly naked body, causing her to breathe heavily and not even notice the absence of his lips. All thoughts of 'humbling' her had been thrown into the wind as soon as he had touched her.


Every curve was like a shot of electricity being burned into his hands and fingers and Vegeta found that he couldn't control them, the alert part of his mind was lost in the hurricane of pleasure that roared in his own body.


He didn't know why he leaned down towards her again, already being pulled towards her inviting, pouted ruby lips as though an invisible magnet was reeling him in.


Closer... Closer... And closer until nothing remained except her body.


No thoughts, no screams of terror, no infuriating emotions coursed through him except for the numbing pleasure that radiated from her body, into his own.


Vegeta knew it was a mistake, but...


He really didn't care.



The morning rays filtered in from the window of his room, painting yellow beams of light upon the royal blue carpet. He had barely slept two hours and already it was time for him to get up and continue his routine... Continue as if the previous night had not existed.


He had never felt content before; his life had not allowed him that luxury.


But unknowingly, in her arms he had found silence and redemption. The haunted, terrified screams that plagued him had been stilled and--and for once, he felt free. Even now, though he was not enfolded in her pliant, willing body, the screams had no presence in his mind. Which was a welcoming change.


All he heard was silence.


Vegeta's eyes roamed over the naked curves of the woman that slept silently by his side. A small smirk fell upon his lips before he could stop himself, as he watched her own lips curve into a satisfied, sleepy smile. She nestled into his side, burrowing her head against his shoulder as she uttered unintelligible and indecipherable words.


He had meant to teach her a lesson in humility, meant to 'humble' her. But he had not and now he was torn with indecision. Should he continue to use her body to silence the screams in his head or should he be rid of her and ignore her from this day?


The answer seemed to be too easy.


He looked at her intently as her eyes fluttered open in satisfaction. She looked up at him before realization dawned in her eyes. The smile that had been forming on her lips stilled as she caught the emotionless gaze of the naked man beside her.


Bulma parted her mouth to speak but no words would leave her swollen ruby lips.


He nodded slowly as understanding crept into her sleepy blue eyes.


They slowly sat up together, each caught up in their own thoughts.


For Bulma, the previous night has been a jolting realization that she would never be satisfied... Never be satisfied until she could dig a hole deep into the unfeeling Prince's heart, and bury herself there.


She wanted to know him but she knew she would send him running from her if she questioned him too much. The actions of the night had shown her what lay beneath his rough exterior and she was determined to get into his mind; no matter what the cost.


They stood from the bed, not glancing at one another as they clothed themselves; Vegeta in his training shorts and Bulma into her robe. Together they silently walked towards to door of his room and Bulma was mildly surprised as he held it open for her.


Of course, he would be leaving through the window.


She knew that Vegeta hated using doors, preferring to sneak into a room rather than announce his presence.


She walked over the threshold and paused for a moment, finally turning to him and whispering what she had wanted to say before, "I'll see you tonight?"


The plea was not lost to his ears.


He froze briefly, staring unashamedly into her eyes. His jaw twitched and clenched and much to Bulma's shock... He nodded.


"Tonight," he replied roughly, although the strange warmth in his voice did not go undetected by Bulma.


"Do not keep me waiting," he added as an after thought, shutting the door in her face.



Bulma stared with an open mouth as he shut the door in her face. She knew Vegeta didn't like to be kept waiting for anything but the way he had said the words! Kami, he had sounded like a pouting child!!


Before she could stop herself, a light chuckle escaped her lips.


To Bulma it looked like she had just found the Saiyan Prince's only weakness... And it was her!! She turned and walked away, with a renewed spring in her step.



Vegeta leaned momentarily against the closed door, shaking his head as he heard the woman chuckle happily and walk away.


He sighed in frustration.


In a moment of weakness, as he answered her plea, he had been unable to deny her another night of his body.


The truth was, he couldn't deny himself the pleasure of having the vixen in his bed for another night.


Raking his hand through the black flame of his hair, he moved towards the desk and picked up the ki reflector. As he walked to the window, he took one final glance at the door from which the enigmatic woman had exited.


He knew he was paying a heavy price for the passion induced journey he was embarking upon with the fiery woman.


Who knew that the price of one night's passion, would cost him his entire life?


He certainly didn't, and so without a second thought, he flew out of the window with the ki reflector tucked under his arm, to resume his daily training routine with the aid of the reflector; which was a welcome change.


Only now--now his nightly routine had been forever changed as well.


And for once, he wasn't complaining.