Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ You're Just Being Awfully Loud ❯ One-Shot

You're Just Being Awfully Loud

By Elbereth in April

Copyright 2002

Disclaimer: I still don't own DBZ. It still owns me.

This is in that 3 years before the androids period. Bulma/Vegeta get-together.

I landed in a deserted wilderness clearing at the edge of a forest. I was shaking, and furious at myself for it. But I just couldn't believe. . . she had thrown me out. She had thrown me out! I scowled fiercely. That baka onna! How dared she? I was the Prince of all Saiyans and she was a stupid, annoying, weak, human woman. . . I couldn't keep it up.

I had trusted her. I had. . . I had. . . oh, kami. I had started thinking she-she cared about me. Sure, she screamed a lot, but sometimes she was so-nice. No one had ever been nice to me before. I had started thinking Frieza was just a bad thing, that my life wasn't destined to be pure misery and pain forever.

I was the stupid, weak fool. For thinking that I deserved to be happy for once. For thinking that she could make me happy. That she would want to.

Why would she ever like me-that way? I was a murderer, a failure, and I didn't even have a kingdom or a people anymore. I was pitifully, undeniably weak.

I closed my eyes as waves of anguish and emptiness washed over me with overwhelming force. But I wouldn't give in to emotion. I would not.

I clenched my fists. I had survived this long. I vowed to myself I would keep going. I would get stronger. I would be strongest! What else was left? If it was starting to ring a little hollow. . .

< "Um, Vegeta. . . ?" >

I opened my eyes and whipped around, trying to locate the voice. But it was in my head. I felt for the speaker's ki. It was about a mile off in that woods. That stupid Namekian.

< "What?" > I put as much irritation in my tone as possible. I did not want to talk to anybody right now.

< "I know you don't, but you're being awfully loud. I've had my mind wide open meditating, and well, with you so close by and all. . ." >

Tangerine! He'd heard! < "Get out of my head, you lousy, eavesdropping. . ." >

< "It wasn't on purpose! But now that you mention it, what'd you do to get thrown out?" >

< "Hn." > He was as bad as that insufferably curious Kakkarot. < "I beat up Yamcha." >

< "Why?" >

The memory of that encounter flashed through my mind vividly. That was none of his business. < "He insulted me," > was all I said. Now that he knew, maybe he'd leave me alone. < "Go away." >

There was a moment of silence, but before I could breathe a sigh of relief. . . < "He came on to you?" >

< "Get out of my head!" > I yelled again in desperation and something close to panic. I was going to have to kill him if he knew all my secrets!

< "I'm sorry, but my mind has been wide open, and you're just being so loud. . ." >

It's just because it hurts so much. . .

< "I can't believe he'd. . . what about Bulma?" >

I scowled again. < "Apparently it's not the first time he's. . . disregarded her. I don't get it, Piccolo. Why would anyone want more than one mate?" >

He sighed. < "They're not mates yet. They're just trying to figure out who would make a good mate." >

I still found it all very confusing. I thought she had broken up with him several weeks ago, she'd told her mom they just weren't that compatible anymore and she wasn't sure what she'd ever seen in him. . . then today she had announced he was coming over to take her out. That. . . that had made me feel very. . . strange. Then when he'd gotten to Capsule Corp., Bulma had still been getting ready, and he'd come into the kitchen where I was taking a snack break, and. . . propositioned me. Very blatantly, too.

Well, he wouldn't be propositioning anyone for awhile. I smirked fractionally.

< "Actually, with all those nurses around, he'll probably. . ." >

< "Shut up, Piccolo." >

< "Why didn't you tell Bulma what happened?" >

I laughed bitterly. < "You think she'd believe me? Besides. . ." > I sighed. < "How could I tell her that her mate thinks so little of her?" >

< "You didn't want to hurt her. You like her." >

Normally I would deny this bitterly, but since he'd already read my thoughts, there didn't seem much point. It had taken me so long to admit to myself that I. . . liked her. Feelings were so hard to deal with! I wasn't used to having them. I didn't know what to do with them.

< "I understand you there. . ." > Piccolo muttered.

I was back to despair. Maybe I should just leave this planet, battle with Kakkarot or no. I took a deep breath. No. I repeated my determination. I am Prince of all Saiyans. I have my pride. Nothing will defeat me! Not Kakkarot, not some stupid androids, and not some weak, pathetic emotion!

< "Leave me alone, Namek. I'll try to be. . . quieter," > I said.

< "I'm done meditating now anyway," > he replied. I felt his ki go as he flew away. Good. And I-I'd just train here for awhile.

__________ ___________ ___________

About 9:00 the next morning, I felt Piccolo coming back. I'd spent the night by a lake at the far edge of the woods and I'd been awake and training for about four hours. I still didn't feel ready to talk to anyone. Especially him. I was seriously contemplating killing him. I didn't think he'd tell anybody, though-he wasn't much of a conversationalist.

I was wrong about that, I discovered when he got even closer and I picked up Bulma's ki along with his. Now I really wanted to kill him. How much had he given away? This couldn't be happening! I considered running-no. A prince never ran from anything. I'd just deny everything.

They landed a few feet away. OK, Piccolo is asexual-but I still got a nasty twinge at the thought that he'd been carrying her.

She came over and stood in front of me, hands on hips. Piccolo looked at me, smirked, and took off.

He was definitely going down.

< "I heard that!" > he called over his shoulder, and disappeared.

"Piccolo came over this morning, told me I was a baka, that if I didn't talk to you I'd regret it the rest of my life, picked me up, and brought me here. Care to explain?"

Hmmm-maybe I wouldn't kill him after all. I'd decide later. Right now I needed all my faculties to deal with this.

My mind was a blank. "I don't know what he's up to," I stalled.

"He said I judged you too hastily and I should ask you why you hospitalized Yamcha."

I just stared at her. "Did he," I said finally.

She stared back a moment, then suddenly sighed, her expression softening until she was looking at me as if-as if she might actually listen. She was beautiful.

Tangerine, what did I do now?

"I should have asked before, Vegeta," she admitted softly, sweetly. "It was wrong of me to just kick you out. Go ahead. Tell me."

"He insulted me," I heard myself respond. "He insulted you."

She frowned. "He wouldn't tell me what happened. That's what made me start thinking yesterday that you probably had a good reason." She sighed again. "I'm glad I never got back together with that baka."

My heart sped up. "You didn't?"

"No. He's still a friend. . . so-gosh, I did think about it briefly, I was feeling, well-lonely-but-ugh! He's just not the man I've been looking for. I have to accept it and move on. Besides. . ." she stopped abruptly and blushed.

"Anyway. . . what did he say?" she finished.

"Um. . . so, did he think you were getting back together?" Maybe he hadn't cheated on her after all.

"That baka!" she exploded again. "Yes! He begged me for awhile, after he regained consciousness. And after I refused and left, I heard him asking out the doctor!" She scowled darkly. "I'm pretty sure now that he cheated on me several times while we were dating. I don't need a man like that!"

"No, you don't," I agreed whole-heartedly, glad to see her realize she deserved better. "You need someone loyal, who appreciates you, and would always be faithful." Now I was sorry I hadn't done the moron worse damage. He had hurt her. She knew he'd cheated on her.

"I'll kill him if you want," I offered.

She had been looking at me with a very odd expression. At that offer, her eyes went wide, then she grinned and shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I'll just replace him. That'll drive him crazy."

I smirked. "If you can find anyone else who wants you, woman."

She snorted. "Oh please! As if anyone wouldn't!" Then she gave me another serious look. "So what did he say?"

I had been hoping to sidetrack her. No such luck. But I couldn't believe how much better I felt at knowing she had no further interest in that hypocritical human.

"I don't understand why anyone would want more than one mate," I said to her as I had said to Piccolo. "Saiyans mate for life, you know."

She gave me another unreadable look. "Some humans do. I would."

If I let myself, I would end up lost in her blue eyes. I looked away quickly.

"Quit stalling and tell me," she insisted.

She would just nag at me until I told her. At least, that's why I told myself I was giving in. "All right! If you must know he-told me I looked hot, and-and asked me to share a bed."

Her mouth fell open. "You can't be serious!"

"I don't lie, woman."

Her eyes were huge and round and her chest was heaving with deep, incredulous breaths. I found my own breathing quickening.

Finally she nodded once. "I believe you. I just can't-that slimy, no-good, worthless. . ." She stopped herself. "Vegeta, I'm sorry! I'm glad you hit him! But why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "I didn't think you'd believe me."

She stepped very, very close. My pulse was hammering wildly. "Vegeta. . ."

All my emotions were overloading. My mind was screaming at me, "Weak! Weak!" and my body was shouting, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" and my heart-whatever excuse for a heart I suppose I have-it was just sort of listing all the reasons she was such an incredible woman. "She is intelligent, and unafraid, and exciting, and kind, and you know you're in love with her," which if I would admit it is true, which would lead, on Vegeta-sei, to a mating and a bond, which was almost instinctual once you were in love with someone, but I couldn't, because it was weak, but then my father was mated or I couldn't have been born, and Kakkarot was mated and stronger than me, if I'd admit it, and I almost had to-but he probably didn't count; but if they could do it, couldn't I? Years of living under Frieza made it hard to accept. My thoughts were so conflicting and chaotic I couldn't make any sense of them. And for the life of me, I couldn't speak.

"Vegeta. . . telling you this is probably the biggest mistake of my life, but. . ." She stepped even closer, til our bodies were touching, and put one hand on my shoulder. "I regretted telling you to leave. Especially over that! I wouldn't have if I'd thought you'd really go! I didn't expect you to. I've been so worried. Because. . . because. . ." Her eyes filled up with tears. "I think I'm in love with you, Vegeta." Her other hand came up to my other shoulder, and then her arms were wrapped around me behind my neck.

I swallowed hard. "You just want to make Yamcha mad," I accused her, looking for excuses to run away.

She stomped her foot, narrowly missing my toes. "You know that's not true! Now quit fighting it and kiss me!"

Princes don't run, I reminded myself again. "I can't kiss you, woman. I just told you, Saiyans mate for life. I don't think you'll want me that long. You just think I'm exotic and dangerous, but that'll wear off. You're not really in love."

Why was I trying to argue her out of it? Did I really not want to deal with it that much?

"I told you. I intend to mate for life. And how dare you accuse me of not really being in love! Don't you respect me enough to think I know my own mind? I am a genius, after all." Her face was only inches from mine now. I could feel her words breathing against my lips.

She was going to drive me crazy. "So you're saying you want to mate with me?"

"Yes!" Then a couple of the tears slipped out of her eyes and down her cheeks in a glistening trail. Her voice became soft and warm again. "I love you. I'm not going to leave you, Vegeta. I'm not going to hurt you. You can trust me. I know it's hard for you, but I swear that you can."

Something in me clenched in fear at her words, with either pleasure or pain. It was too intense, and I couldn't tell the difference. All I knew was, I couldn't be the cause of her tears.

"Bulma. . ." I whispered. "I. . . I. . ."

"Just say yes," she whispered back. "I know what you mean."

Even that was hard to say. ". . . Yes. . ."

"Now," she said with a glorious laugh, "kiss me."

How was I supposed to resist that? I decided I'd worry about it all later. Now was for the moment. I would have this now.

I leaned in and kissed her soft, beautiful lips. Then I kissed her throat, and her neck, and instinct took over and I bit her where her neck met her shoulder.

She gave a rapturous sort of moan. I lapped up the blood, almost moaning myself, then licked her ear and whispered, "I just marked you as mine. Now bite me back."

She did, with a smirk worthy of my own. The feel of her tongue licking at the blood from the bite almost made me lose all control.

But I contained myself. "Now we're mated," I explained. Then her look of joy sent me over the edge and I shoved her down to the grass and started kissing her lips, her face, her neck, her shoulders. . .

"Um, Vegeta. . ."

I stopped instantly, afraid again. "What?"

"I can feel your thoughts! I can feel what you're feeling!"

I smiled in relief and satisfaction. < "That's because we're bonded now. We're mates." >

< "You just talked in my head!" >

She was all delight and wonder. She was magnificent. < "So did you!" >

She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck again, pulling me closer. < "How erotic." >

I was all set to start the kissing again when I heard another voice. < "Um, Vegeta? Do you mind waiting until I'm a few miles away?" >

< "Piccolo!" > we shouted simultaneously.

< "I'm sorry! You're just awfully loud..." > I felt his ki moving rapidly farther away. < "My favorite meditation spot, too. . ." > he muttered.

< "I heard tht!" > I yelled after him.

Silence.

< "So. . . where were we?" > She started running her hands through my hair and over my back.

I'd kill Piccolo later. Or maybe thank him. I turned all my attention back to Bulma. My new mate. Then I shuddered. < "Do you think we could wait just a couple more minutes to be sure he's gone. . .?" >