Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Prince and Princess Diaries ❯ Sasayaku...Ai Shiteru ( Chapter 24 )

Chapter Twenty Four: Sasayaku...Ai Shiteru (Whisper...I Love You)

He had the virus. Vegeta had the plague.

She had to admit that whenever the words slipped from her father's lips that she had almost dropped to the floor in a dead faint. All the blood in her head had rushed to her feet, and she had weaved for a few seconds before she had contained herself and stood straight again.

How could this happen? She asked herself this repeatedly throughout the day. The doctors had practically dissected her husband, trying to find out what part of his body the plague was attacking.

The scientists explained to her that the plague worked in a very complicated manner. Once acquired, which could be done through bodily contact or even through the air, the plague began attacking the weakest part of the victim's body. That was why every person had something different wrong with him or her. It could attack any of your organs, including your flesh, your nerves, whatever was the most vulnerable. Hokora had died from the virus striking her heart, which was why it had taken so long for her to die. They told her that the heart was a very strong muscle, and since it had taken so long for her to die from it, the plague had started to attack other parts of her body at the same time.

King Vegeta had died from the plague attacking his brain. That was why he had gone insane. At least, that was what Bulma thought. It just made so much more sense that way.

The thing that hurt the most was that once the plague began working on the weakest part of your body, it began attacking the next weakest, and then the next, and then the next. It was a series of pain that usually left the victim dead in a few days. However, it always depended on how strong the person was. Hokora had been very strong, and because of this, she had suffered enormously for a long time.

And now Vegeta had the plague as well. The doctors had concluded that the virus was attacking his lungs. This was very, very bad. The lungs were very delicate, and now that they were being targeted, Vegeta's lungs could collapse at any time. At the point where they did collapse, he would not be able to breathe, and he would die a horrible death, struggling to get air into his lungs.

This horrified Bulma. She knew she was pale, withdrawn, uncaring of anything except her husband. She could not believe this was happening. They had been doing so well; everything had been going perfect, but now this....

After Vegeta had collapsed during their swordfight, she had hurried and gotten help. Doctors, scientists, nurses, anyone you could possibly think of had run outside with her to help. There had been yells, cries, and screams. No one knew what to do. What if their prince died, and the royal bloodline of over one thousand years died out? They were worried about the chaos that would ensue.

The doctors and scientists had taken good care of Vegeta, and for that Bulma was grateful. They had pumped him full of all kinds of medicine, done things to his person that Bulma had never seen before. She supposed that they were new developments in the cure for the plague.

All she knew was that the doctors were frantic. It was absolutely vital that they save him. They might have been more soothed if the princess was showing signs of being in the "motherly way", but no such signs were appearing. Of course they had no clue that the prince and princess had never even committed the act that produced children, and she thought it funny how they were looking for signs even though Vegeta had only been home a short while. She had blushed a dark red when they had inquired in the gentlest way, if it were possible that she just might be carrying the heir, and she had just stared at them like they were stupid. They had taken that as a no.

After the doctors had taken care of her husband, he had been brought to his room, where he would be under constant surveillance. A nurse came in every hour, just to check his vital signs and then leave.

During this time, Bulma never left his side. She was extremely tired, hungry, dirty, and in need of severe movement. She was probably getting chair sores, she thought with dry humor. Vegeta had not once moved, not made one sound since he had fallen unconscious in the walled arena. This just made Bulma all the more panicked.

There was so much that she wanted to do. So much she wanted to say. She had no clue what to do, and now she was so scared that he would die and that she would never be able to say these things.

She remembered a long time ago when she had pictured children, a happy family, a loving husband. All that lovely stuff seemed to be disappearing. Now her husband was dying, and the chances of her having a family now were nil. This almost broke her heart.

But what did break her heart was the fact that she knew she was falling in love with Vegeta. Just watching his prone form, breathing, only breathing, she realized this. She thought of the dinner they'd had the other day and how wonderful it had been. They had talked and talked, about anything and everything. He had made her laugh and smile. She had been so happy. And then afterward....

She stared down at the beautiful blue stone encrusted in diamonds. She felt tears spring to her eyes at how shy Vegeta had been in presenting it to her. She knew she would cherish this ring forever, for her husband had taken the time to have it personally made for her. She knew deep down that he had seen the blue stones on her sword and had found the same type of jewel to put into her ring. It was so romantic when one thought about it.

She remembered how Chichi and Kakarott had stopped in earlier, but they had only gotten a few words out of her. They had stayed for a while, both sitting next to Vegeta's bed, where the pale prince was lying prone, completely unmoving. Bulma wondered if they noticed how her eyes never left his chest. She was so worried he would stop breathing at any moment.

Bulma lifted her tired eyes to see her husband staring at her. She gasped, and then moved forward to grasp his hand, which was reaching out to her. She moved out of the chair that was next to his bed, and then sat next to him. His hand took hold of her right one, and her other went to his face. She smoothed his eyebrows, flicked her fingers through his hair, caressed his cheek. Anything to have contact with him and know that he was alive.

"What-" He looked around, searching for a glass of water. His throat was dry as a desert.

Bulma figured out what he wanted by the sound of his scratchy voice. She took hold of the glass of water that was sitting next to his bed on the stand. She brought it to his mouth, at which he took several healthy swigs. Bulma took it away when it started to pour down his chin, and then smiled when he glared at her for taking it away.

"Sorry," she said softly, wiping the water away with her hand. His expression went blank, and then he unceremoniously opened his mouth for more. She could not help but laugh, and let him have what was left of it. She would have to ask for some more when the nurse came back in.

Once he was done with the water he fell back against his pillows, breathing hard. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them. Bulma stared into his dark eyes for the longest time, wondering what in the world she should say. How could she tell him?

"Bulma," he said, noting quickly that she did not look well. Her face was white, dark circles were forming under her normally bright blue eyes. There was a smudge of dirt on her right cheek. She looked exhausted.

"Yes, Vegeta?" she asked, her hand still caressing his face. He seemed content just to watch her for a while longer, his face leaning into her touch. She felt something warm and loving fill her when he did that, and she choked back a sob. She did not want him to die....

Vegeta closed his eyes, wondering at the pain in his chest when he breathed. It hurt, but it was controllable. He thanked the gods for his control of pain.

He said in a deadpan voice, "I have the virus."

Bulma nodded, looking away. Her husband sighed, and then sat up. Bulma began fussing over him for even moving, but he scolded her and told her that he was not an infant and could do whatever he wished. She shut her mouth and fluffed up the pillows behind him so he could sit better.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked, picking at the blanket he was lying under. She stilled his hands by taking hold of them.

"Not that long. It happened earlier this morning. It is now late afternoon. The doctors told me you would not wake up for a few days." They certainly drugged you enough....

Vegeta snorted disdainfully. "They were wrong, now were they not?" He looked at her carefully at that moment, and noticed the wide-eyed, scared expression on her face. How long had she been with him?

"How long have you been here?" he asked quietly, not wanting to yell at her. He was deeply touched if she had not left his side. Somehow he knew that she had not.

She chewed on her bottom lip, not wanting him to know about how long she had been there. "I um, well, I have not slept, if that is what you are asking."

Vegeta felt the corner of his mouth tip up. "I understand," he said, knowing that she would not flat out say that she had stayed by his side since he had fallen unconscious.

Bulma blinked tiredly, but still kept a smile on her face for his benefit. He was examining everything about her, and even though she was looking at him just as closely, nothing would have prepared her for his next action.

He moved forward, his hands leaving hers to bring her closer. Her face flushed with color as he tugged her onto his lap, wanting her to be with him, or just as close as he could possibly get to her. He somehow managed to push the blankets away, and soon she was snuggled against his chest, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

Vegeta calmly stroked her hair as her head rested against his shoulder. She was still wearing her tan breeches and white shirt from earlier. She had not even taken the time to change into a dress or clean clothes she had been so worried about him.

He realized suddenly when her breathing evened out that she had fallen asleep. He looked down at her nestled contentedly against the wall of his chest, and smiled. An honest, pure smile. She was so breathtaking, so innocent, so unknowing of the wicked ways of the world. She was perfect in every sense of the word, so perfect that it hurt just to think about it.

Now he was dying. He thought of the ridiculousness of it all. He could not help but wonder at the irony of just finding the woman you love and then learning that you were going to die. Only something like that would happen to him.

He slowly moved down the propped up pillows so that they were both lying down on the huge bed. He made a few adjustments to the pillows and the blankets so they were comfortable, and then kissed her lightly on her clean cheek. A small smile appeared on her lips, and she moved in deeper to his warmth. He closed his eyes, sighed, and whispered, "I love you."

And then he fell asleep.

*******************

A while later there was a knock on the door, but no one answered. A dark-haired individual looked around carefully before he opened the door and crept in. He gasped at what he saw.

There was the prince and Bulma, lying together in bed. He growled to himself at the sight, noticing how tightly Vegeta had his arms wrapped around his woman. He was holding her prisoner that was for sure. For surely, no one would hold a person that tightly unless they were afraid they were going to get away. Bulma looked squished, like she could hardly breathe. Her face looked tired, like she had been fighting him too long and had just given up.

He frowned and moved back out of the room. Someday he would find a way to save her, but for now, he would let nature take its course. Hopefully the evil prince would die soon, and Bulma would be all his.

Forever.

*******************

"No!"

Vegeta frowned at his wife as he crawled out of bed. Who did she think she was, ordering him about like that? He was the one in control here.

"Yes."

Bulma was nearly spitting she was so angry. How dare he get out of bed? Had he lost his brain? He had no clue what he had in store for him if he did not obey her.

"No, Vegeta. Get back in bed now! I will not permit you walking around when you are sick!" She avoided using the word `dying' for a reason. She did want to think about it.

Vegeta glared at her from the corners of his eyes as he searched through his armoire. He wanted some comfortable clothes, since the doctors had deemed fit to let him sleep in the clothes he had been wearing during the swordfight.

He pulled out a dark gray shirt and black pants. He felt a smile pull at the corner of his mouth at the thought of what he was about to do. His poor, innocent wife was in for a show.

Bulma blushed to the roots of her hair when her husband began peeling off his shirt slowly, as if to entice or tease her. The skill in which his fingers moved did not go unnoticed, however shocking his move was.

"What are you doing?!" she cried, covering her flaming face with her suddenly shaking hands. She fought the urge to spread her fingers and peek through them, but she could not help it, and she put up little fight. She might have been embarrassed of seeing so much of him at once, but she openly admired him. He had a beautiful, sculpted...so very male body. The way his muscles flexed and bunched as he shifted or moved, even the way the musky scent of his naked flesh floated to her nose and teased it... Every little thing was noticed and picked apart by her, even the tiniest scars on his chest or back, or even how much more masculine he looked now that he was no longer eighteen. By the gods...he was the most magnificent creature that she had ever seen....

Vegeta chuckled as he tossed his old, dirty white shirt off to the side. His wife was hiding her face in her hands because she was too shocked to look at him when he was unclothed, or so he thought. He wondered if she was looking through her fingers. He knew how much she enjoyed touching him or looking at him, and he had little doubt that she was ogling him. That was the plan, after all.

He began unbuttoning the top of his stained black pants, keeping his eyes on the small golden buttons the whole time. He knew by now that she was looking, because she had become very still and quiet. If she were truly embarrassed she would have left the room, or would have been screaming her loquacious head off.

He was about to push his pants down when there came a small shocked squeak from the bed. He turned to see what it was, all feigned innocence, and saw his wife staring blatantly at him, her white hands now clasped in her lap. He cocked his head to this side in question, trying to keep his humor under control. "I thought you were afraid," he said, walking over to her, completely unashamed. She sputtered and tried to crawl across the bed to get away from him, but he caught her leg and pulled her back. She screeched in outrage, but all he did was laugh.

Bulma sealed her mouth shut once Vegeta had her against his chest, his arms settled around her as if it was the most natural or normal thing in the world to be half-naked with your wife dressed. It was humiliating, that was what it was. She just wished that her humiliation would die a swift death, because the feel of his naked skin was awakening so many new feelings deep inside her. She knew what the warmth gathering between her legs was...and she almost felt awe at the sensation. Only Vegeta had ever managed to evoke sexual, passionate feelings inside her.

"V-Vegeta, w-what are you d-d-doing? This is not p-proper," she stuttered, her hands pushing against his naked chest. Mmm...the muscles were so hard and yet soft and yielding at the same time. Why did he do this to her?

The warmth grew, infusing her body with little excited tingles.

Vegeta chuckled, and Bulma felt the sound vibrate deep in his powerfully built chest. She was fascinated.

"Bulma, there is nothing, nothing that can be improper between a husband and a wife. Especially when we have been married nearly four years."

Bulma looked away nervously at the husky tone of his voice, knowing deep down that he was right and she was wrong. Surprisingly, it was not that hard to admit. She almost wanted to admit it. Admitting it made the fire burst into an inferno, a flame of want and need...and she wanted Vegeta to make that passionate need disappear...and she only knew of one way to do it.

She lifted her eyes to his face, noticing that he had the same expression that he had on his face when he desired her. His eyes were dark, hooded, glazed. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and the ever-present feeling of his arousal pressing against her made her quite aware of how he was feeling.

She just knew that this was the moment. The moment where they would finally consummate their relationship. Years of abstinence and suffering would end, and she would finally no longer be a virgin. She would finally, finally become a true woman.

She nervously traced her fingers across his bare chest, the warmth of her fingertips igniting a small gasp from her bold and shameless husband. His dark eyes gazed deeply into her sparkling blue ones, and the biggest, most happiest smile she had ever seen appeared on his face. She smiled back timidly as he inched closer to her mouth with nervous movements, almost as if he was asking permission. She bit her lip and felt herself blush unconsciously, and then she nodded her approval.

This was it.