Warning: Language! Adult Themes

A/N: The POV will change a few times in this chapter, so watch for that! This is mostly a filler chapter, and I wanted to give insight to the characters.

Song Prompt: "Breathing" by Prime Circle

Facing the Future

Chapter 23

It's amazing how some things can be put into perspective.

Athea glanced down, watching as Raditz' tail gently caressed her thigh. She bit her lip, glancing up through her lashes at his face, wondering if he was aware of his actions. Nope. He was still asleep, as far as she could tell. She glanced back down as the active appendage stopped at her shorts, tapping against the back of her thigh for a moment before squeezing gently and settling down. Athea let out a small sigh, wiggling a little closer to the large Saiyan laying beside her.

They'd been on the ship for about a week now, and Athea was starting to question why she was waiting to tell Raditz how she felt. Of course, there was still her desire to wait until marriage to do anything intimate, but she didn't see why she was waiting to tell him that she thought she was falling for him.

Athea bit her lip, staring at the massive chest in front of her, her hand absently moving over Raditz' arm. She thought of their first meeting, her lips twitching a little, thinking that the long-haired Saiyan had come a long way from wanting to kill her. Athea's brows furrowed slightly. Well, maybe not kill me, but hurt me because of Goku. She thought about everything that they'd gone through, from their first meeting, to Namek…. Athea winced slightly at this…. To where they were now.

She glanced back up at his face, relaxed in sleep. She studied the shape of his jaw, the defined cheekbones, the sharp nose, the arch of his brows. Her gaze moved to his widows' peak, realizing that all saiyans' had that, not just the ones she knew. Some had a more prominent one, like the Prince. Raditz' had a gentler slope, moving up to that massive expanse of hair. Athea reached up and slid her fingers through a lock of hair, still amazed at how soft it was.

Athea studied his face, not realizing she was staring at Raditz as she stayed lost in her thoughts. Her eyes roamed his face, settling on the corded neck in front of her, thinking about her feelings towards this Saiyan laying next to her.

"What's wrong brat?"

Athea gasped, so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized Raditz had woken up. Her gaze shot up to meet the lidded gaze of the large Saiyan, both staring at each other for a moment before Athea responded.

"Nothing".

She watched as Raditz furrowed his brows, his hand moving to her forehead, gently rubbing at the worry lines she didn't realize she was making. Their eyes met again, neither saying anything for several minutes.

"Hn," Raditz grunted softly, his hand settling on her arm for a moment before he sat up.

Athea bit her lip, the urge to just blurt out her feelings overcoming her. It felt like it was going to burst out of her, and she had to bite her tongue. She didn't think it was the right time, even though everything inside her was telling her to just tell the large Saiyan. Raditz got up, lifting his arms above his head as he stretched. And the moment was lost. Athea watched his tail wave lazily in the air for a moment before wrapping around his waist.

She watched as he walked to the dresser, pulling his black spandex out of the drawer. Athea studied his tail, suddenly realizing that he really didn't let it down from his waist unless he was with her. Athea blinked, wondering at the significance of that realization. She watched him pull on the spandex, the material stretching to accommodate his frame, his muscles bunching and contracting.

Athea swallowed gently, laying her head back down. She still didn't understand why he wanted her and didn't know if this so-called attraction he had for her would last beyond them getting to Vegetasei, or would he actually stay with her despite her belief that his family would hate the fact that he was with a human.

She didn't have an answer for that and hoped that her worries were for nothing. Raditz stopped beside the bed, gazing down at her.

"Time to get up woman," he stated softly, his tail lightly caressing her cheek before he left.

Athea reached up and felt the spot his tail touched, letting a long sigh out. His actions were telling her that he cared, and his declaration before they left coincided with them.

Athea sat up, quickly changing as she stayed deep in thought, thinking about their relationship and what it would mean if they stayed together.

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The quiet of the greenhouse was cut by a sob, soft crying that mixed with the sound of chirping birds and the gurgling of a stream. The disturbance continued softly, small intakes of breath followed by weeping. The person in question sat on the rocky rim of a pond, ignoring the beauty around them as they kept their face buried in their hands. The methodical sounds were suddenly disturbed by the sound of a door slamming. The person's head shot up.

Bulma drew in a breath, shakily swiping the tears off her face. She stood and crossed her arms as Yamcha slowly walked up to her. He glanced around before stopping in front of her, his brows furrowed.

"Are you okay, Bulma?" he asked softly, reaching towards her arms.

Bulma scoffed as she took a step back. Yamcha's hands fell to his sides. "Why do you care Yamcha?" she asked, her tone bitter.

He seemed surprised by her question. "I care about you," he stated, his brows raising.

Bulma let out a short laugh. "Yeah, right," she muttered, turning her head away from her ex-boyfriend.

She abruptly pulled away when he laid a hand on her arm. "Don't touch me," Bulma hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits. "I don't know what you think you are going to accomplish by coming in here and bothering me, but it's not going to work."

There was silence for a moment. Yamcha let out a sigh, slightly shaking his head. "Bulma," he said softly, "I don't have an ulterior motive. I do care about you, we're friends. Or used to be anyways." He waited for her to look at him before continuing. "I just want you to be okay."

Bulma let out a snort before sitting back down, ignoring the rocks digging into her behind. Yamcha hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her, staying quiet and letting her stew in her own thoughts for a while. The silence lengthened as the shadows in the greenhouse darkened slowly. Both shifted every now and then, not willing to break the silence just yet.

"I thought…"

Yamcha waited as Bulma stopped speaking, pressing her lips together. He knew it had something to do with that bastard prince, the one who took this beautiful woman away from him. He felt anger stir in his chest, trying to keep his contentment for the Saiyan off his face as he waited for Bulma to continue. He was honestly glad the asshole was gone. Maybe now he could repair his relationship with Bulma.

The woman in question sighed beside him, giving a small shake of her head.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter," Bulma whispered, standing and dusting her clothes off. She turned to walk away.

"Bulma," Yamcha said softly, standing as well. "Bulma," he said a second time, thankful that she stopped to listen to him. "Look, I don't know what happened between you and Vegeta, but," he paused to gather his words, letting out a short breath, "I'm here for you if you ever need anyone."

Bulma stood still for a moment before finally giving a nod of acknowledgement, not looking at him again as she left the warm environment.

Yamcha's lips twitched. He kept the smile off his face, not wanting anyone to see how happy he was to finally have the heiress all to himself again. Fuck that bastard! His thoughts led to fantasies of beating the shit out of the prince, and flaunting his and Bulma's relationship in his face, if he ever came back. Yamcha left the greenhouse, a small skip in his step as he made his way to his car, whistling softly as he started the engine. The ride back to his apartment went quickly, his thoughts on the woman he just left and how gratifying it will be once he gets his hands on everything he deserves. Yamcha was still smiling when he climbed into bed, imagining just what he could accomplish with those sort of finances and connections at his fingertips.

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Bulma swallowed hard as she made her way to her room, thankful she didn't run into anyone else. Being confronted by Yamcha was bad enough, she didn't want anyone else questioning her about how she felt. The bed was calling her as she slipped off her shoes, but refrained from throwing herself onto it. She needed a bath, a good soak to take her mind off the few days. She rubbed her neck, trying to relieve some of the stress. She paused at the indention on her collarbone. Her fingertips hovered over the spot, not really knowing how to feel about the mark.

Bulma felt tears well up once more, trying hard to fight them back. A few ended up trailing down her face, a sniffle escaping her. She stared at her reflection as the bath filled, steam soon clouding the mirror. That's how she felt. Unsure of what to do, where to turn, who to talk to. Had this happened to anyone she knew? If so, none of the women ever mentioned it. How many others regretted their first time, especially when it was someone they liked. Granted, she didn't know Vegeta very well, and he was pig-headed, gruff, and surly. But…. there was something about him that drew her, and it wasn't his title. Yes, at first, she had been enamored with meeting a real prince, one from another world. But that had fallen to the wayside, became unimportant. She had started to see him as just another "person", despite the short time they'd known each other. He had morals and goals, something you didn't find very often these days. Especially in men; at least the one's she had met.

Bulma slid into the steaming hot water, laying her head back and closing her eyes. The past week was the worst of her life, though she couldn't put all the blame on Vegeta's shoulders, despite her doing that for several days. She wanted to blame him for everything, and take none of the blame for herself. But she realized she couldn't do that. He had told her to leave. Had told her to stay off his ship. If she had listened to him, the events leading up to now wouldn't have happened. Bulma slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. But…. Was it worth it? Was her virginity worth experiencing a night with him?

Bulma bit her lip, not wanting to contemplate that question right now. She struggled to clear her mind, pushing away the questions and thoughts currently bombarding her mind. She slid underneath the water, deciding to deal with the aftermath later. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

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Raditz' brows furrowed as he went through the motions of training, not thinking about what he was doing. Instead his thoughts were inward, on a specific person. The woman was acting slightly peculiar the past few days, and he didn't know what to make of it. He had asked her straight out what was wrong, but she would always brush it off, stating that she was fine. His eyes narrowed, staring at the opposite side of the room without really seeing it. Did she regret coming on this voyage? Did the woman want to go back home?

Did she regret him?

Raditz scowled deeply at that thought, his movements increasing in intensity with his thoughts. His thoughts went back to the other day, when it started. He had woken up to her playing with his hair, and had watched the play of emotions on her face, unable to decipher what she was thinking about. The woman said that nothing was wrong, but Raditz didn't believe that. She was too quiet, too…. Contemplative. True she was quiet by nature, but more so than ever before.

Raditz paused his kata, his chest moving as he caught his breath. He lowered to the floor, his brows still creased. He was still for a moment, thinking about their time on this ship, wondering if he'd done anything to distance the woman from him. He couldn't think of anything.

Raditz let out a huff of agitation, deciding to forget about it for now. After all, he thought as he went to the console, increasing the gravity, she knows my stance on our relationship.

….. didn't she?...

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It had been a few weeks since they left, and she was still unsure of how she felt about that night. Bulma bit her lip as she tightened a screw, trying to keep her mind on the project her and her father were currently working on. Sometimes it helped, but other times she would have to lock herself in the bathroom and cry. It wasn't about the fact that she wasn't a virgin, or that she had lost her virginity to a practical stranger. It was…. The coldness he had demonstrated towards her afterwards, as if she was just a thing to use and discard. Bulma swallowed. She didn't think that was his intention, but that's what it came across as. As if she was a dime a dozen, yet… Her thoughts went back to that night, as it often did nowadays. He treated her with such reverence, as if she would break. As if he cared. It was the next day that went to shit.

Bulma sighed as her mind raced with the possibilities. Was he acting that way because it was awkward the next morning? Did he regret giving her that mark? Was it just because it was her? Bulma of course couldn't answer those questions. But her mind kept going back and trying to find something that could give her an answer. One of the major reasons was because she caught a glimpse of the real Vegeta. And that's what made her want to understand Vegeta's animosity and ruthlessness afterwards. Bulma briefly closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't get the idea out of her head that his actions afterwards were because it was her he had given the mark, and not someone else.

"Hey Bulma!"

Bulma's shoulders tensed, and she paused in her actions. That was another thing that she didn't understand. Yamcha. His attention was disconcerting, to tell the truth. She didn't want it, and he didn't seem to be getting the hint. She looked over her shoulder as he sauntered towards her. He appeared to sashay across the room, as if he was a peacock in a room full of pigeons. Bulma narrowed her eyes and turned back to her work, intent on ignoring him.

"Wanna get out of here and go to a movie?"

Bulma paused once more, her eyes narrowing to slits. That was another thing she found disturbing. It seemed that since the saiyans left, Yamcha had it in his head that they were dating again, or something akin to it. It was annoying as hell, disruptive to her piece of mind, and made her opinion of Yamcha slide even further. She slowly sat down her screwdriver, squaring her shoulders before turning towards the man who once owned her heart.

"No," Bulma stated bluntly, watching passively as the smile slid off his face.

"What's the matter?" Yamcha asked, his face immediately morphing into concern, "Are you still sensitive about Vegeta leaving?"

His condescending tone pissed her off, and her hands balled into fists. "No," she practically barked, taking little satisfaction in the surprised look he gave her, "I don't want to go to the movies. I don't want to go have a picnic. I don't want to go to dinner. We are not together, nor will we ever be again Yamcha. Give it a rest and leave me alone!"

There was a deafening silence for several seconds before the man in front of her sighed. "Fine. Fine," he said softly, raising his hands, "I'll come back when you're over your little tantrum."

That made Bulma furious. How dare he talk like that to her!? That bastard!

"Get the fuck out!" She suddenly screamed, pointing to the door. "I don't want to see you around here ever again."

Yamcha rolled his eyes at her. Bulma let out a hiss, reading to grab whatever was on hand and beat the crap out of him. What was wrong with him? Yamcha had not been this way before, he was not condescending and patronizing to her before Namek, before he died. He changed, and it wasn't for the better. She watched him saunter out of the room, not realizing she was shaking until she pushed hair out of her face. She sat heavily in a chair, feeling a sob clog her throat. Things were seriously fucked up.

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Athea sighed as the heat enveloped her, chasing away the chill that was there before she dozed off. She snuggled deeper into the covers, not paying attention to the tail wrapped around her waist or the large dip in the bed behind her. She savored these moments of peace, before her thoughts bombarded her and made her think of the future. Of their relationship and the ramifications Raditz might face from his family and friends.

Athea forced her mind to be quiet, snuggling closer to the Saiyan behind her. Her body practically melted when an arm went around her, pulling her flush against the hard body. She let out a silent sigh, feeling the dredges of sleep pulling her back under. Raditz tail wrapped around her thigh, and a small smile tugged at her lips before she finally slipped into sleep, not noticing the eyes studying her.

Raditz felt Athea's energy level out as she fell back asleep, her hand moving to grasp his. He studied her features, listening to her breathing as she slumbered, her heart beating steadily as she slept. He slowly extracted his hand from hers, reaching up and gently smoothing hair off her face as he studied her profile. His eyes roamed her face, wanting to shake her awake and demand what was going on with her. But he didn't. He allowed her to sleep, noticing the worry lines creasing her brow during her waking hours. He traced a finger along her jaw and down her neck. Athea made a noise in the back of her throat, shifting on the bed. He studied the juncture of her neck, his nostrils flaring. He wanted to claim her, proclaim to all that she was his. But she wasn't ready, and although it was frustrating, he was coming to understand her reluctance to rush into anything. Despite everything, they hadn't known each other very long, and their relationship had progressed quicker as a result of the events that had taken place.

Raditz already knew how he felt, and knew the woman was concerned with his reaction when they got back to his home planet. But Raditz wasn't going to change his mind, no matter what anyone said to him. Not even his family. He found the woman he wanted and was willing to wait for her to be ready for him.

That spoke a lot about how much he'd grown, Raditz mused, when before going to Earth he would have probably just taken what he wanted, and to hell with how it affected anyone else. But along the way he had developed feelings, and at first, he had felt that it inhibited him, kept him from being a true warrior.

Then Namek happened.

And it forced him to realize that he did care for the woman, despite his actions at the time. And the realization that having emotions besides anger was somehow beneficial to the progress of strength. Raditz thought about his brother, and the transformation that had taken place, to Kakkarot… and himself. He was much stronger than before, the power boost he had experienced after Frieza killed Athea, along with his brothers' friends, was astronomical. And he knew he would never have reached those peaks in his strength and energy if tragedy hadn't happened.

He had grown as a result and had become a changed warrior. A different Saiyan then when he had left.

Raditz knew it was the same with Athea and the Prince as well. They had all changed as a result of this voyage, and he wondered how his father would perceive the change, and….. Raditz studied the woman lying in his arms…. How he would receive Raditz' chosen mate.

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Bulma breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the front door, thankful that she hadn't seen or heard from Yamcha in a week. Hoping he finally got the message, she fiddled with her keys as she walked to her car. A hand suddenly grabbed her arm, causing her to let out a small scream.

"Relax," Yamcha stated, a small smile on his face, "It's just me."

Her jaw clenched. You have GOT to be fucking kidding me! Bulma blew out an exasperated breath, yanking her arm out of his hold.

"Leave," she practically snarled, her eyes narrowing.

Yamcha's smirk widened into a smile, causing unease to shiver down her spine. Bulma backed up a step, wondering just what the hell was going on with him. Her eyes widened as he stared at her, his expression hard to read.

"Where are you going?" Yamcha asked, his gaze never leaving her as he took a step towards her.

Bulma backed up, gasping as her back hit the car door. Her heart started racing, unease permitting her thoughts. What the hell has gotten into him?

"Yamcha," Bulma started, swallowing hard, "Where I go is none of your business. We are not together, nor will we be again. Please leave the premises or I will have to call security."

Yamcha didn't move for a few seconds, before his face contorted into a snarl and he suddenly moved. Bulma screamed as he grabbed her arms and pushed her up against the car. He got nose to nose with her, his breath fanning her face.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a piece of trash," Yamcha's eyes hardened, his mouth twisting in an ugly expression, "I don't know what the fuck you did with that piece of shit prince, but I am—"

Yamcha was suddenly yanked away, a cry coming out of him as he was thrown across the yard.

Bulma let out a sob as her gaze met Goku's, her knees giving out as she collapsed onto the pavement. Her whole body was shaking, and she couldn't believe that Yamcha would be that physical. Goku squatted, laying a hand on her arm, his face hardening at the sight of the forming bruises.

"Why would Yamcha…" Goku trailed off, his gaze going back to Bulma. She shook her head, indicating she had no clue what was wrong with their friend.

"Please," she sobbed, closing her eyes as tears fell, "take him away from here."

Goku nodded, though she didn't see him. "Are you going to be okay, Bulma?" Goku asked softly, holding onto her gently as she struggled to stand. Bulma was still shaking, giving a small nod.

"Yeah," she stated brokenly, shakily brushing the hair out of her face.

Goku studied her for another moment before stepping away, going to where Yamcha landed and grabbing him by his shirt. He studied the scarred man's face, wondering what was causing this change in his old friend. Goku threw Yamcha over his shoulder, glancing back at Bulma once more before taking off.

Bulma fell back against her car, a hand coming to her chest. What was going on? Why was Yamcha being like this? She had no clue and didn't want to get close enough to the man now to find out. Maybe Goku could find out. She practically stumbled towards the front door, her hand shaking so bad that it took her two tries to open the door. Bulma fell through the threshold, slamming the door closed behind her. She hurriedly made her way to her lab, locking the thick doors and sitting heavily at her desk.

She felt disjointed, not knowing what to do and who to talk to. Goku was there, but he couldn't be by her side twenty-four seven. He had a family to take care of. She would have to do this on her own. Bulma sucked in a steadying breath before turning to her monitor, taking another breath before rapidly moving her fingers over the keyboard. If she could create something to keep him away, she would. Hopefully she could do it by the time he showed up again.

There's no telling what he would do a second time.

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Vegeta felt their energies moving around the ship, Raditz in the training room and the woman in the kitchen. He scowled at the ceiling, staring up at it with his hands behind his head. He isolated himself in his rooms as soon as the ship left the planet Earth, not intending to look back and feel any remorse for leaving that woman on the planet.

He closed his eyes, thinking about the blue haired scientist that was now connected to him on a much deeper level than he ever wanted to give anyone, let alone a human.

Vegeta never planned on having a mate, instead running his kingdom by himself, procuring a son along the way with one of the Saiyan females available. There would be no relationship, just the process of gaining an heir, then he would go on his way, ruling his kingdom with no interference.

He never planned on the blue haired woman.

The Prince still didn't remember everything from that night they were together, but some had come back to him. How she had clung to him, her cries as they came together, her nails scratching down his back.

Her innocence.

Vegeta winced, a scowl forming. He hadn't realized that she was untouched, hadn't got close enough to smell the woman and find out. He had kept his distance, not wanting to encourage her obvious infatuation with him. He was used to that aspect of female attention, having endured it since birth. But her attention has seemed different, after Namek. She had asked him questions, and had seemed genuinely interested in his answers, if he gave one. Unlike those Saiyan females on his planet, who pretended to be interested in what he said if he interacted with any on them, practically drooling over his title and the "bonuses" that came with it.

But the woman was an heir herself, financially well off and one of the most powerful families on that planet. So she had no need for his title or his riches. She had wanted to know him.

Vegeta scowled at his thoughts. Wondering why he was spending so much time contemplating the blue-haired woman and not on his training. If Namek was any indication, then Raditz was much more powerful.

Vegeta grunted, absently noticing the larger saiyans' energy still in the training area. He sat up and quickly left his domain, intent on training until he couldn't think anymore.

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A/N: Please review and let me know what you think!