A/N: Just wanted to say a few things before you start reading. If you don't wanna stick around for this note, go ahead and start reading. I get it, these things are kind of annoying. Just wanna start by saying thanks for checking out my story! The last time I wrote any DBZ was when I was like 14 (I'm 22 now) So I hope my writing has improved somewhat. I went ahead and wrote all of this story before I decided I would post it on here. So please leave a review to let me know what you think and Ill try to get more chapters out as quick as I can. I would consider this a slower burn fic so don't expect romance to happen too fast. You have 19 more chapters to read. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this and hopefully I wrote these characters in-character. I think those who write Vegeta into character are actual magicians. They have some true talent.
Swiping the sweat from her forehead, she stepped away from her current work. Today was such a hot day! Despite the shorts and sports bra she was wearing, she continued feeling like she was overheated. Despite seeing the weather warnings, she had little to no choice but to be out here.
Grabbing her water bottle, she made quick to wash it down. Sucking it dry, she let out a sigh. It was a small relief.
Bulma had been out here for an hour working on the GR. Vegeta had "accidentally" used too much of his power and now she was left to fix what he had damaged.
She wore a scowl as she went back to work. Grabbing her hammer, she took out a few frustration blows against the metal. It made her feel slightly better but not by much. Seeing the small dents she put in, she huffed as she used the hammer to fix them. Great, now she was making more work for herself!
"Bulma dear!"
Blinking the sweat from her eyes, she turned to where her voice came from. A small smile formed when she noticed her mother heading straight her way. Her smile grew when she noticed the glass of ice tea in her hand. Mother definitely knew best.
Bunny stopped next to her, kneeling down. "They announced a heat wave, you must be dying out here." She told her daughter with a light smile. "I figured you might need something to help cool you off." While she thought her daughter was crazy for being out here, she still wanted to show her support.
Bulma eagerly took the glass, taking a sip immediately. "You're the best." She told her. The ice made such a difference. She had to hold back from just chugging it all.
"Try not to stay out here for much too longer, we don't want you all burned up! I'm cooking lunch now so it should be done in a little bit." The blond explained to her before turning around. "Keep up the good work!" She called as she began making her way back to the house.
Bulma took one last drink before setting the cup to the side. This wouldn't take much longer. She knew if she took much longer anyway, the person who caused the damage would be at her throat as well, demanding to know why she wasn't done yet.
Vegeta was always impatient when it came to her fixing what he broke. Maybe if he realized that if he didn't break things in the first place, he wouldn't have to wait to use the equipment again. For whatever reason, that just seemed to fly right over his stupid hair.
Rolling her eyes, she set back to work, determined to finish things quickly. She didn't want to be out here much longer either.
It was less than an hour later that she heard her mother calling her name once more. By the sound of it, the food was ready and waiting for her. Finishing her last twist with her screwdriver, she stood up. Dusting herself off, she grabbed her tools and the now empty glass before making her way back to the house.
The air conditioned room felt pleasant against her sweaty skin. Walking to the kitchen, she noticed her father was already sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in his hands. Giving him a smile, she put her cup in the sink.
"What's for lunch?" She asked as she took a seat right next to the older man.
Bunny was making plates, her soft humming had stopped. "Just some sandwiches, nothing too special." She told them before setting their plates down.
Bulma hadn't realized how hungry she had been until food was sitting in front of her. Picking the sandwich up, she quickly took a bite.
As she was eating, she noticed her mother was continuing her sandwich making. She noticed the plate she was using was already filled with sandwiches.
As if noticing her stare, Bunny smiled. "These are for Vegeta. He works so hard for hours on end, he has to be hungry." She explained as she continued slapping meat on the slice of bread.
Her mother's relationship with Vegeta confused her. Despite the guy acting the way he did, her mother refused to show nothing but kindness towards the prince. Maybe her mother felt bad for him or maybe she just ignored his coarse behavior. Bulma just couldn't understand it.
There had to be at least fifteen sandwiches on there. Shrugging her shoulders, she finished her food. Getting back up, she thanked her mother. Now what she needed the most was a shower. She felt sticky and could only imagine how she smelled. Her parents were beyond kind for not bringing it up at the table.
Heading towards the stairs, she only made it up a few before hearing a door close up ahead. Raising a brow, she noticed Vegeta heading down. A small smile formed, "Oh, hey. The gravity room is ready to go." She told him, expecting some form of gratitude.
He looked at her for less than a second before going down past her. "About time."
Her smile immediately turned to a frown. What a jerk! "You're welcome!" She huffed but he was already gone. Rolling her eyes, she continued up until she had reached her room. Stepping around the clothes on her floor, she headed straight to the bathroom.
She couldn't believe she spent that much time out in the heat just for him to act like that. Was a simple "thanks" that hard to give? She puffed her cheeks in frustration as she stripped. Next time she would make sure to take her time, see if she cares.
It has only been a few weeks since the guy from the future visited them with the warning of the androids. A few weeks and Vegeta had yet to actually have a five minute conversation with her. It always was the same with him. He would train for hours and stay in his room for the rest of his day. The only time he ever appeared in front of her was to demand her to fix something he broke or to insult her intelligence. If she was lucky, she'd get to witness him scarfing down the meal her mother fixed for him.
Starting the water, she was soon standing under the cool stream. Her brow was twisted and her jaw was set. Her being agitated was an understatement. The guy really knew how to tick her off! If he couldn't destroy her house and everyone around her, she would probably give him a word or two. Let him know how she really felt. Not like it would make any difference.
Finally sighing softly, she felt the tension in her body loosen. She had better things to do then just get upset over that arrogant man. She should be enjoying this cool shower instead of getting more heated.
Changing her thinking process, she wondered what she could do later tonight. While she thought she'd be making repairs all day, she realized her schedule was pretty open. Maybe she could hit up Yamcha and they could go out and see a movie.
The thought of seeing her boyfriend again made a smile form on her lips. That would definitely make her feel better. He knew exactly what to say to make her heart swell.
After showering, she decided a tank top and pair of overalls would do the trick. Drying her hair out, she looked at her curls. She had recently decided to go with this hairstyle, she hadn't gotten used to it quite yet.
For whatever reason, she decided to change it up as in response to being traumatized by her visit to Namek. She had almost died and she felt like she needed to do something. After getting it cut, she kind of pushed the memories to the back of her head. She didn't want to remember. Lightly touching her curls, she smiled softly. She looked cute, that's all that mattered.
Leaving her bathroom, she grabbed her phone to see if anyone had messaged her. A small frown formed when she noticed her notifications had yet to exist. She knew with the threat of the androids coming, it had many of her friends preoccupied with training but this was ridiculous. Did none of them ever take breaks?
Shooting out a text to Yamcha, she hoped he would at least come through. If he couldn't come here, hopefully he would at least visit later.
Leaving her room, she made her way back downstairs. She noticed her father was no longer in the kitchen and her mother was finishing cleaning up after the Saiyan. "Need any help?" She asked, knowing the kind of messes he leaves.
Her mother glanced her way before shaking her head. "I'm all done here. Thank you though!"
Bulma groaned, she needed something to do or she'd become so bored she wouldn't know what to do with herself! "Where's dad?"
"He's in his lab working away at something." She explained with a smile. "You know how he is, once he starts something, he stays in there until he's done."
Bulma didn't want to interrupt him. Maybe she should find herself something to work on. That would most definitely distract her for a few hours.
Going straight to the cupboard that held their coffee cups, she grabbed one. Coffee was exactly what she was going to need. "I'll be in my lab if you need anything." She told her as she filled the cup to the brim. Taking a sip, she felt a smile coming. "If I can think of anything, I'll hopefully be in there for a while." She explained before turning away.
Heading outside, she made the walk to the building that had her family's logo plastered onto it. The heat hadn't changed, if anything, it felt more hot. But she knew the building would be well air conditioned.
Passing by the GR, she could hear the engine inside whirling. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course he would already be at his training. Did the guy ever take a break? Doubtful. Continuing her walk, it took roughly ten minutes before she finally made it to the large building. Heading inside, she gave a smile at the receptionist.
The woman had abruptly stood, bowing to her.
Walking past her, she stopped at the elevator. Hitting the number of the floor her lab was, she stepped inside. It was moments later that she was standing in front of the door. Typing in the four digit code she had memorized, she headed inside.
Turning on the lamp on her desk, she realized how unorganized her lab was. Papers were spawn across her desk, all of projects she either dropped or had forgotten about. Scooping them up into a pile, she shoved them into one of her drawers. Setting her cup down, she sat down in her chair. Picking up a pencil and grabbing a piece of paper, she paused to think.
What was something she could build? Something that someone could use? Something challenging. Something that could distract her?
Twirling the pencil between her fingers, she thought long and hard.
Nothing was coming to her, she was beginning to feel frustrated. With a frown, she slapped the pencil down as well as her hands onto her desk. Her frown immediately disappeared when she heard a crash follow after. What in the hell was that? Did something fall off her desk? It was a cluttered mess, she wasn't even sure what it could have been. Standing up, she began looking around her desk. Once she noticed the device on the floor, her mouth scrunched up. "Shit." Leaning over, she grabbed the scouter that was now even more broken from the floor.
Sitting back down, she looked at the damage that was done. It was in pieces at this point. When she had first gotten it in her possession, she had hoped she could learn how the alien technology worked. It amazed her how far of a distance that this could be used to communicate. She assumed this could be a new product she could slap Capsule Corporation's name on. But despite her intelligence, she wasn't able to get very far with it. The settings were in a language she didn't understand, she didn't think she had ever heard of anything like it. Vegeta was no help either, refusing to translate when she asked. At this point, the device seemed like junk. Opening another drawer, she sighed as she set the device inside. One day she'd be able to crack it. With or without Vegeta's help.
The thought of the short man infuriated her. Despite her offering him her home and the opportunity to push his limits using the gravity room, he had yet to show any form of appreciation. She wanted to fight him. Looking back at her blank paper, she pondered to herself. An idea popped up but she was unsure about it. Should she? Could she? With her smarts, she knew she could. Grabbing her pencil, she immediately began sketching her idea. If she couldn't hurt Vegeta, she thought she knew something that could.
Though the thought of making a robot was simple enough, she needed to be careful and be strategic. Vegeta was strong, she knew she had to make something that could handle his strength. She needed to learn more about him, more about how he fought. She'd hate to create something that she was proud of just for him to obliterate it. Continuing her sketching, she finally finished three different designs before finishing her cup of coffee. Stretching her arms above her, she pushed away from the desk. Standing up, her joints ached from sitting for such a long time. Grabbing her cup, she figured a small break was well deserved.
Making her was down the elevator, she noticed how quiet it was. Where was everyone? Continuing her walk, when she arrived at the entrance, she got her answer. Looking up at the sky, she was met with darkness. Looking up, she noticed the stars were shining bright tonight. How much time had passed since she was in her lab? Pulling out her phone, her face paled at the three missed calls and few text messages she had from Yamcha. Was she that distracted? It had become late, the male had to be sleeping by now.
She'd apologize to him tomorrow and explain to him what had happened. He'd most likely be understanding, she hoped anyway. Leaving the building, she made her way back to her house. The summer night air felt nice against her skin. Her walk didn't seem as long as it had been coming there, she was soon passing the GR. She noticed it was powered down. Was Vegeta done for the day? Or simply taking a break? Looking away, she headed inside of her home. Seeing the kitchen light on, she rose a brow. Who could be up this late?
Entering the room, she immediately noticed the fridge door was open with a familiar Saiyan digging around. So he was just taking a break. Figures as much. Going to the coffee pot, she began making herself a new pot. Glancing over, she noticed Vegeta had yet to even acknowledge her. She wasn't a threat to him. Finally she decided to break the silence. "Did she leave anything in there for you?" She asked, referring to her mother.
Vegeta lifted up, cursing when he hit his head on the roof of the fridge. A scowl covered his expression, if he wasn't in a bad mood before, she was sure he was now. "What?"
Bulma turned towards him as the coffee pot brewed away, "Did my mom leave you any leftovers? You probably missed dinner, I did too. Guess we were both busy..." She trailed on, still in disbelief by how much time had passed.
The Saiyan brought his attention back to inside the fridge, "Does it look like she left me anything?" He asked roughly as he continued his digging.
She rose a brow, did Vegeta even know how to cook? Assuming his nature, she could see him pulling something out and just eating it out of frustration whether it was cooked or not. "I can make you something, I'm not as good of a cook as my mom but I can make something." She told him with a shrug. She was trying to be nice, but knowing him...
Vegeta popped up once more, his eyes meeting hers. In his hands was a pack of uncooked chicken. He thought about her offer for a moment before looking back down at the raw meat before he tossed it back inside. Shutting the door, he grunted before taking a seat at the table. His eyes stayed on her, when she hadn't moved, he found himself growing frustrated. "Well, Woman?" He asked, his brow raised.
She couldn't help the surprised look come to her face, he actually wanted her to cook? "Yeah, sure." She nodded before going to raid the cabinets. While she could cook, she wasn't very good at it. She was a scientist, not a culinary expert. Thinking about it now, her mother always made Vegeta a meal made for five. She could barely feed herself, how was she supposed to cook enough to make him full? Looking around, her brows rose at a pack of ramen. She could totally cook that. Biting her lip, she brought out her phone to look up how to cook it. She understood the basics, throw it in a pot and let it boil. As she scrolled, she was amazed at the different types of ramen. Pushing her phone back in her pocket, she got straight to work. Her number one goal was not to wake her parents up because the smoke detectors decided to go off. While she was digging around for ingredients, she was too distracted to notice the eyes following her every movement.
Vegeta watched her silently, hearing her curse every now and then. He was starving, his stomach threatened to growl any moment. He had decided to find something to eat, he had figured with the time that he would thankfully get to avoid everyone. The house was only silent at night, the only time he felt slightly comfortable. But the damned woman decided to interrupt that. He should have assumed she was still awake. His brows furrowed as he continued watching her. He could have found something to eat by this time, he was ignorant for agreeing to her offer. He was wasting time just sitting around like this. While he could simply just go back to training while she cooked for him, he didn't want to leave his seat. The woman was still a mystery to him. He was nowhere near ready to trust her. If he left, would she poison his meal? He snorted at the idea, being brought down by this human. He wouldn't blame her however. Nappa had killed her friends, on his order of course. She had to have hated him for that much.
He noticed how many times she brought out her communicator. Was she struggling that much? Wasn't she supposed to be one of the intelligent ones? The kitchen was beginning to smell like something that brought a layer of drool to his mouth. Damn it he was hungry. He didn't care how it tasted, he just wanted to eat!
Bulma was currently chopping up some vegetables she planned to throw in. "Hopefully it'll be done soon. It'll take a little longer since I had to make so much." She explained, turning towards him for just a moment. She noticed that his angered expression still remained on his face. The guy just couldn't be thankful for anything, could he? She just wanted to have some sort of appreciation for her hard work. Turning back, she chopped a little harder. "You're going to get wrinkles years earlier if you keep scowling like that." She explained to him. "Keep it up and your face will be stuck like that forever." She wasn't sure if it wasn't stuck already. The guy always wore the same expression.
She received a grunt in response. She didn't expect much of a response anyway. Continuing to cook, it took around ten or so minutes before she was finally done. Making their bowls, she felt insanely proud of her work. The bowls were beautiful, she didn't want to ruin them by eating them. Carefully bringing one of the bowls over to the table, she set it in front of Vegeta. "It is totally going to be worth the wait." She promised him as she did the same for her bowl. "There's enough for maybe three more bowls," She explained as she took a seat across from him.
Picking up her fork, she stirred her food before realizing that Vegeta was staring at her. She raised a brow, "Why aren't you eating?" She asked with confusion, "I thought you were hungry?" She didn't get a response , Vegeta had just looked down at his bowl. She soon realized why. With a frown, she reached over with her fork, digging into his bowl. Stabbing an egg, she pulled it towards her and shoved it in her mouth. "You seriously think I poisoned your food?" She asked angered.
Her question was answered when he began eating the ramen. This guy was going to drive her up the wall! "Give me some credit Vegeta, if I wanted to kill you, I would be a little more creative about it." She huffed as she began eating her own food. She was too annoyed to speak any more. The two were surrounded by silence except for the occasional slurp every now and then. It wasn't long before her temper had cooled. Vegeta was eating her food like he would her mothers. That meant it had to be somewhat good, right? "What do you think?" She asked, hopeful for some kind of response.
Vegeta tilted the bowl up, drinking the remaining juice that was left. Once the bowl was empty, he set it down. "Bland." He answered shortly before sliding the bowl towards her. "More," He demanded.
Bland? Was he kidding? Every time she cooled down, the moment he opened his mouth, she felt herself getting angry all over again. "Of course, your highness! Anything else I can get you? Something to drink? A comfier seat?" She asked sarcastically as she stood up.
Vegeta smirked at her, watching her scowl. "How about some salt so I can add some flavor?" He asked her.
If looks could kill, Vegeta would be a pile of ash. "You're such a dick..." She grumbled under her breath as she made the bowl up. Maybe she should have poisoned it... Setting it down in front of him not too carefully, she refused to grab the salt shaker. It was fine the way it was. She ignored the look he gave her. If he wanted it, he could get up and grab it himself. As she finished her bowl, she thought back to what she was working on. With Vegeta here, this would be the best time to ask him. With him being in the GR all of the time, she wasn't sure she'd get another chance. "By the way..." She started, not too sure how she should even ask. She wanted to watch him train, would he think strange of her? Why would she care?
"Out with it, I don't have all day." He demanded, his next bowl disappearing as quick as his first.
She bit at her lip, "Do you think I could watch you during one of your training sessions?" She asked. As expected, she received a confused look from the other. "Hear me out, I'm working on something and I need to know how you fight."
He didn't look convinced. "I'm not sure your weak human body could handle 200 times Earth gravity." He told her, snorting at the thought of her being in his gravity room.
She nodded, "I wouldn't want to find out either." She'd be flattened immediately, the thought making her shudder slightly. "I was thinking maybe we could go to the wastelands and you could do what you are good at. You know? Blowing stuff up?"
He scoffed, "And why should I waste my time on you?"
Did she want to tell him that she was creating robots that she hoped could beat him up? "I want to help with your training," She tried to explain. "It's got to be boring just exercising with a different level of gravity. I figured maybe you would like a challenge?" She noticed she had caught his attention at that. "But I mean, you don't have to wast-"
"You think you can create something to challenge me?" He laughed at the thought.
Bulma shrugged, "If you don't think you can handle it, I totally get it." She was baiting him and he was going right for it.
Vegeta glared at her, "Tomorrow. You get one hour." He told her, his voice blunt.
She didn't care, she was celebrating inside. "It won't be a waste, I promise!"
"Your word means nothing to me," He told her before finishing his second bowl.
Grabbing it, she quickly made use of what was left for his third bowl. "Tomorrow, alright." She nodded as she slid it in front of him. She had more work to do, she needed to get back to her lab. She needed to prepare. Pouring another cup of coffee for herself, she shot him a grin before heading out. She didn't have any more time to waste!