Common Bonds
By ArizonaRed
(Warning: Short lemony goodness)

A sudden light flashed across a mountain range as an energy blast pierced through solid granite. Landing in the rumble, a body dressed in orange stood up and dusted himself off. He then peered up at the hole in the rock just as another slightly smaller body emerged under his own power.

"Woohoo Vegeta! Wow...I didn't even see that attack coming!" The orange-clad figure lifted himself up into the air to meet his opponent.

"What do you expect Kakkarrot? You weren't paying attention at all," smirked Vegeta, panting heavily. The two continued to brush themselves off from their daily sparring session while the sun silently sunk down beyond the horizon.

"Well, I think it's time to go home...Chichi is probably waiting for me." Vegeta grunted in slight agreement.

"I suppose you are right...I'm not feeling up to continually pounding you into the dirt." Goku simply smiled at the half-insulting and half-complementing way of Vegeta. Eventually the word's meaning came to Goku.

"Are you feeling all right? Did I hit you too hard? Do you have a fever?" He stepped forward to diagnose his Saiyan sparring partner, but Vegeta simply batted him away.

"Get away from me! I'm fine! I'm just a little tired that's all! I haven't been sleeping well lately!" Vegeta yelled in a panic trying to jump back from Goku.

"All right then, go home and get some sleep tonight." Vegeta frowned.

"You my mother now? I do not need anyone to take care of me!" Ignoring his comments, Goku just smiled and turned to fly home.

"And no fighting with Bulma tonight! Get some rest!" With that said, he disappeared into a blue and white streak across the evening sky.

"Did you want seconds, Vegeta? There's plenty for everyone to have more." Bulma scooped up his dinner plate to give him another slice of meatloaf, something he never turned down.

"No...no more." All eyes at the dinner table were instantly on him.

"You feeling all right Dad?" Trunks asked quietly.

"Why does everyone think they have to kept asking me that?" Vegeta stood up from the table. "I can take care of myself."

"Well...it's just that you've never said no more food...especially Momma's meatloaf and gravy." Bra reasoned.

"I just don't feel very hungry lately that's all. I'll be in the gravity room if anyone wants to know." He abruptly strode from the dining room and left everyone in silence.

"What was that all about?" Trunks asked.

"I don't know...your father's been acting strangely for the last couple of days."

"Maybe dad's coming down with the flu or something." Bra added between bites.

"Nope, Saiyans have excellent immune systems...we don't get sick." Trunks said matter-of-factly. Bra rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Trunks you are only half Saiyan...and you've had the Flu three times!" Trunks scratched his head.

"Well yeah...but...I meant...Dad's full Saiyan and he doesn't get sick." Bra stuck her tongue out at her older brother when he excused himself from the table.

"What is wrong with Dad?" he mumbled to himself. Trunks snuck outside to watched his father train, if there was something wrong it would be evident in there. He floated up to watch through the window. Trunks breath caught in his throat when he saw Vegeta lying on the floor panting hard. He looked at the gravity indicator...only 100g?! "That level is child's play for him!" he whispered. Trunks dropped from the window down to the door. Before he could open it, Vegeta got up with a struggle and turned off the machine. As Trunks ran in to help his father, Vegeta whirled around, very surprised to see his son in the room. Panting, Trunks supported his father and sat him in the grass. "What happened in there? I saw you laying on the floor and..."

"What?! I can't even train with some privacy? Why are you spying on me?!"

"I'm not spying...I'm just worried about you...I know something is wrong."

"For the last time...nothing is..." Vegeta's face twisted into agony before he could finish. His hand gripped his chest and a cry of pain burst from his throat. Trunk's hands shook out of terror...then as suddenly as the mysterious pain came it was gone. Vegeta collapsed onto his side panting heavily.

"Dad!! Are you all right? What happened?" the boy screamed.

"I...I don't know." He stood up under his own power like nothing just happened. "Trunks, you have to promise me that you won't tell your mother...or anyone about this."

"What?! Dad, we have to get you to the doctor...do you know what happened?"

"No I really don't know...but I'm fine now." A stern look fell over Vegeta's face. "Promise me, Trunks." His teen-age son nodded in agreement. "Good, now go back inside and I'll be in shortly." He then turned back to the gravity room to shut everything down. Walking back into the house, he stopped and looked up at the brightly shining stars. "Oh God...what is happening to me?"

Continuing on into his Earthly home, he decided that a hot shower would help relax his body. While he could deny that anything was wrong to everyone else, he couldn't deny it to himself...and now the boy. "I've just been training extra hard lately and my body is not reacting the way I want...that's got to be it..." The Saiyan prince stepped into the bathroom he and his mate shared, closed the door and leaned against. "But that doesn't explain why my heart feels like its gonna explode...only my muscles should hurt." A worried expression fell over Vegeta's face as he closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Something was seriously wrong. What was worse, he knew that he couldn't tell anyone. The last thing he needed was for Kakkarrot to think him weak and sickly. "I am not weak! I am a royal warrior and as such I will not be stopped by any kind of illness!!" With his heart still set on the relaxing shower, Vegeta smirked with determination and stripped down to bare skin. He let the water stream over his compact frame, easing the tightness in his chest. Being so caught up in the scorching liquid, he didn't sense Bulma come in to join him in the shower. Wrapping her thinner arms around his waist, she kissed the thick neck, then licked off a droplet of water.

"Hey sexy, thought you might want some company in here..." Bulma purred.

"Humph...are you sure you weren't thinking of you wanting to be in here?" She grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face her.

"Oopps, I got caught...but can you blame me with that body of yours?" A slender finger ran down the middle of his chest and down to his stomach.

"No I guess I can't blame you for not being able to resist having me." Her supple lips met his in an enticing wrestling match. Gradually, wet little kisses began to travel down his throat and chest as a soft hand began caressing his hardening member. Sinking down to her knees, Bulma's tongue licked off the water drops teasingly. A slightly impatient growl came from her lover so she suddenly impaled her mouth onto him. His hands attached themselves to the sides of her head, a breathy moan replaced the earlier growl. Painfully slow, she slid him in and out of her lithe mouth. The instinctual impulse to thrust began to overtake his control. Struggling to keep a gentle touch on her, his hands tightened in her dripping hair, each stroke pulling him closer to release. Bulma opened her throat and let her Saiyan thrust down it. As Vegeta's breath rapidly sped up, a couple of fingers reached around and found his tail spot. In a heated massage, the sensation hurled him over the edge, crying out his climax. Bulma pulled back a little to taste his seed in her mouth. Vegeta was the only one that she actually liked his taste, sometimes even craving it. Surprisingly, he lost his balance and fell backwards clumsily to sit on a ledge in the shower. A wide-eyed grasp for air scratched at his throat, his hand clutching at his chest. Bulma swished the wet, clinging hair out of her face, crawling over to her mate. Looking up into his pain-soaked face, she slid her hands up his thighs as she pulled herself up between his legs. As the seconds passed, so did the ache and Vegeta's breathing began to return to normal. His eyes opened and starred into a worried blue set.

"You can not tell me I wore you out that much..." Bulma bit her bottom lip and anxiously awaited his explanation. A weak yet familiar smirk spread across his face.

"I just wanted you to think you have power over me..." he whispered while knowing it was a very poor excuse. Her face took on a irritated look while keeping worried one.

"Vegeta, that's extremely ridiculous! Don't you think I can tell when something is wrong with you? I always can sense when you and Goku have had a fight or anything else that could be wrong! Now stop this stupid level of pride and please tell me. I love you...and if I can help I want to." Feeling the enormous guilt trip she laid on him, he slowly stood up to finish his shower, using a wall to steady him. Turning off the water, Bulma stepped out and began drying off. Watching her, Vegeta stood there with his mind miles away from were he was. "Fine Vegeta, I guess I still haven't gained your trust after all these years. I don't know what else to do... I took you into my home, I trusted you, I love you, I've made love to you and I've given birth to your 'heirs.'" Her voice was heavily laced with pain and detachment. "Whatever is wrong, just try not to kill yourself...Trunks and Bra need a father." The prince's eyes closed briefly. The woman did love to over-dramatize situations, but she did have a point. The door flew open just as Bulma was about to storm out when Vegeta caught her hand in his and pulled her back.

"Bulma, you do have my trust, and you know how I feel for you." His voice caught in his throat. "I...I don't know what is wrong...not just yet." Her smile once again graced her lips, appearing relieved.

"Just promise me that when you do find out, you will tell me." The trade-mark smirk once again appeared with a hint of sarcasm.

"You gonna change my diapers for me too?"

Ring-Ring-Ring...Ring-Ring-Ring...
"Hello?"

"Miss Bulma? A young man is on the other line for you...he says it is very urgent."

"Ok thanks. Go ahead and put him through." A second later a voice popped on.

"Hey Bulma! It's Goku..."

"Hiya Hon! How are you doing?"

"Oh fine I guess...err...Well...actually can I ask you a question?"

"Sure I suppose."

"Is Vegeta mad at me? Has he said anything to you?"

"No...He's not acting like he's mad at you...why would you say that?"

"Well...he never showed up for our sparring session today, and he's never late."

"Wow...he didn't come to bed last night either...and he's not eating as much as usual. Goku, has he been acting weird around you at all?"

"Hmmm" Goku thought out loud, "He has been stopping our sparring earlier and earlier each day for the last week. It seems like he's really tired lately. I...I kinda thought you might have had something to do with that..." Bulma could practically hear Goku blush over the phone.

"Nope, sorry Goku but I had nothing to do with this at all...come to think of it, he hasn't come to me for sex for a week...that's never happened...I'm really getting worried."

"Well...don't worry too much. If it is something really serious, I'm sure Vegeta will ask for help some how."

"I'm not too sure, Goku. Anyways...I'll try calling Trunks or Bra to see if they know where Vegeta is...talk to ya later."

"Okay bye Bulma!" She set down the phone and picked it back again to dial home. She let it ring for about 20 times before giving up.

"Hhmmm...no one's home? This is really getting strange." She flew through the rest of her paperwork and rushed home. She looked in every room...their bedroom, Trunk's and Bra's bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, and the gravity room...no Vegeta. An inward voice told her to check the guest room, she stepped slowly towards it, almost afraid of what she might find. Bulma peered into the usually vacant room to see a densely asleep Saiyan, cocooned in blankets. A sigh of relief came from Bulma...Vegeta was safe at home. "But why had he slept all day...especially through sparring?" Sitting down gently on the bed, she nudged his shoulder to wake him up. All she got was no response. Being that he was such a light sleeper, this worried Bulma quite a bit. She stood up and shook his whole body, causing a groan and sleepy eyes to drift open.

"Wh...I'm tired...what...what is it Bulma?"

"Vegeta, you've slept through the whole day. Are you feeling all right?" He winced slightly as he sat up on the bed.

"Yeah-yeah I'm fine," rubbing face while yawning, "Why do you keep asking?"

"Well it is unusual for you to sleep all day and miss sparring with Goku." Vegeta just shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh well...it's not like Kakkarrot actually missed me."

"Are you kidding? He called me and asked if you had gotten mad at him and that's why you didn't show up." Vegeta yawned again.

"Okay so he did notice that I wasn't there...can I go back to sleep now?"

"No Vegeta! What is wrong with you? You're really not acting like yourself." Bulma's "husband" just grunted and turned over, yanking the blankets back up around his shoulders. She left for the kitchen to fix dinner for her two children, and came back every couple of hours to check on him. Vegeta slept long into the night and eventually Bulma gave up waiting for him to wake up, going to bed herself.

The next morning, the golden sun poked it's way into the guest room and landed on Vegeta's eyelids. Soon after, the same eyelids fluttered open with a deep groan. Still trying to wake up, the Saiyan stumbled into the guest restroom and drew a hot bath. Easing his naked and aching body into the steamy water, a slight smile crept to his lips. Letting his head fall back and small content moan slipped from the up-drawn mouth. He was feeling better than he had for a long time now. Younger, invincible, all-powerful, virile and very princely. The smile turned to a smirk at thinking, " If only Bulma were home right now..." Unfortunately, she was at work and didn't like to be disturbed for this little matter. His mind drifted to the next best thing to mating...fighting with a particular person. "With the mood I'm in right now, Kakkarrot better watch his back today!" Vegeta grinned as he dried off quickly and dressed in his training attire.