Work Text:
It was getting late, but as usual, Bulma had lost track of time. She had been working on schematics for a new gravity machine, but housed inside Capsule Corp rather than in the ship. She had upgraded not only the machine, but the size of the room as well, so that Vegeta could really spread out to train.
If he ever decided to fight again.
For the past several weeks, he had been moping around the building, spending a good deal of his time lurking, discovering more about what was on TV, and passing time in the library reading. He hadn't stopped working out, but he hadn't made use of the Gravity Machine in the ship at all, instead opting for meditation and katas outside for a few hours, before skulking around the place. Bulma had tried to get him involved with Trunks, but only turned her down with excuses each time. Though it wasn't flat out rejection, she noted. More like fear, perhaps?
Since the Cell Games and the departure of the future version of their son, Vegeta had vowed never to fight again. Between his defeat and losing his rival, the whole reason for pushing forward and getting stronger, the Prince had lost his whole purpose. Yet, another thing taken away from him. It broke her heart to watch him like this.
Sure, he was arrogant and self centered, full of pride, but she saw past that. He was born to the the ruler of a planet of warriors, and not only had that been taken away from him-forced to do another's bidding, but now he was the last of his people.
She glanced to the playpen next to her where Trunks slept peacefully. No, not the last she remembered.
Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans. He threw his title around, not merely because of his pride, but because that was all he had left of the life promised to him as a boy. She admired his determination, loyalty, ambition, even his stubbornness. All of these qualities were why she had fallen in love with him. But now the man she saw was lost, hurting, and alone. It pained her to watch.
A few days ago she was struck with the idea to create the Gravity Room, to help encourage him. Even if he didn't use it right away, it would be there when he was ready to return to fighting again.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and with a few final strokes and a couple of mouse clicks, she sat back in her chair. That was a good stopping point for the night. She sent the finished schematics to the 3D printers for the parts to be created while she slept. It would take a few days to put together and install, and she would have to get the workmen to start on the room in the morning. She had already spoken with her father and while this would take over three of the spare bedrooms, they had plenty of space, and it wasn't a terrible sacrifice.
She felt a hand touch her shoulder and jumped. "Woman, what are you doing up so late?"
"Geeze, Vegeta, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She swung around in her chair to glare at him. The smug Saiyan grinned at her. She slugged him playfully in the shoulder.
"I haven't seen that look in a while." She beamed up at him.
The smile was replaced by confusion. "What look?"
Sitting back down in her chair, she resumed leaning back once more, "Your smile, I missed it."
Scoffing, he deflected as usual, and paced over to the playpen. For several long moments, he watched their son sleep peacefully. She gazed at him intently, wondering what he was thinking about. He had wanted little to do with their son since his birth, and even the future version of his son struggled to get Vegeta to open up to him. Since his departure though, she knew things had changed. If she brought up Future Trunks in conversation, his eyes softened a bit, a hint of regret in them. He had been so callous towards the young man, and in the end, it only got him killed by Cell. Thank goodness for the Dragon Balls.
"Do you think the boy will grow up to be like him?" Vegeta broke the silence, his question hanging heavily in the air. He didn't break his gaze at the sleeping child.
The scientist paced over to the father of their child, placing a hand gently on his back. "No, he has you this time."
The prince's eyes flashed at her. "That is what I am afraid of. The future boy was raised by you, and he is a fine man."
Turning her gaze towards the ceiling, she bit her lip. "I have often wondered about that, to be honest. I feel like the me of that timeline was different. In fact, I wonder if you were different."
Vegeta turned to fully look at the woman. "What do you mean?"
Bulma drew a deep breath. "Once Goku came back to Earth, there would really be no reason for you to stay other than to become a Super Saiyan and fight him. My guess is that things happened similarly, except you and I actually developed a relationship, instead of whatever this," she pointed back and forth between the two of them, "is." Face going red, the Saiyan looked away. "What?" She pushed at his shoulder to get him to look back at her. "You know something, don't you?"
"The boy just wouldn't shut up sometimes when we were in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. It was like he was forcing something to happen that he couldn't control."
"Like?" She glared at him intently.
He straightened. "Not that it could change anything, but yes, he told me things were a little different. Because I didn't know about the androids, I never left for space. In fact I never reached Super Saiyan. Kakarot died, and I had nothing to keep me going. I got comfortable here, trained every day still, trying to reach my goal, but it never was the same. You and I...we got close, but by that time, it was too late, the androids had arrived and I..." He drifted off.
Died. She finished the thought in her head.
Stepping forward, she wrapped her arm around his waist and placed her head on his shoulder. He froze a moment, unsure of what to do, then eased into it and placed his own arm around her her waist. "I'm not asking for anything, I hope you know that."
He chuckled a little, "So you have told me time and again."
Looking into his eyes, she saw something else. "Unless, you want me to."
Holding her at arms length, he frowned. "Since this ended, not once have you asked me not to leave. I could have, I should. I hate this mud ball."
The scientist crossed her arms, feeling angry now. "Then why haven't you?"
Vegeta sighed, and looked back down at their son. "I can't." And there it was. After all this time, he had finally given in and realized that he wanted to be a father. But all these questions...
"You're afraid you won't be a good father. It's why you are so hesitant with him." He nodded, not looking at her. "Vegeta, this little boy has a gift that the other Trunks never had, and that's you. Sure, you have a messed up past and anger issues, but I think being a dad will be good for you." She leaned her head on his shoulder as he looked down at the boy. "I'm not asking for you to change, and I won't beg for you to stay. But, you want to hear my deepest wish?" She took a deep breath. Opening up about her desires wasn't easy. He was like a wild animal, too. If she told him how she really felt, she was frightened that he might just up and leave, instead of dealing with it. "I wish that you would stay here, help me raise Trunks." The words spilled out. He furrowed his brows in response, hating when she did that. A steadying breath and she continued. "Of course, I don't see us being this normal family at all." She chuckled a little, "How could we, with you as the Prince of all Saiyans and me the smartest woman on Earth, that's not exactly normal. I would want you to be hard on him, to train him, to teach him everything you know. And maybe one day, you'll care for me the same way I feel about you."
And there it was. She had borne her soul and laid her heart on the line. She held a breath, waiting for the inevitable crash as he dashed her desires.
But that never came.
"Tch, stupid woman and your feelings." He pulled her closer, startling her. Bulma's heart lept in her chest and she exhaled.
For what seemed like hours, they stood there like that. She wondered what he was thinking. He had lost so much, and she was offering him something: a home, a family, a new start.
When he finally moved to leave, she took his hand. "Wait, I have something for you!" Pulling him back to the computer, she pulled up the 3D plans she had been working on.
Cocking his head to the side, he looked it over. "What's this?"
"It's a Gravity Room. Bigger than the ship, and with an upgraded gravity machine with higher capabilities." She beamed at him in excitement.
The prince frowned, then turned his gaze at her. "Why? I'm not fighting anymore."
Squeezing his hand she looked down at his calloused ones. "Because you need to keep up with your training if you are going to teach our son what it means to be a Saiyan warrior." As always, she had backed up her words with actions.
Straightening up, he nodded. "That will work well." That was as close to a thank you as she was going to get, she knew.
He started for the door once more, then paused to look back. "For the record, Trunks told me that you are exactly the same in both timelines. The fact is we both were. Fate just had a different path for us then than it does now."
Heart pounding harder, she gazed at him, a pleading look in her eyes. "What does that mean for us?"
His own gaze turned back towards to door. "As I told the boy, you can't force something to happen, but I would say that we are not unlike our counterparts in that time." With that he left the lab. Her insides were all jitters, heart racing. Was he saying that he really did care about her, more than his hard facade let on? Sure he had become more affectionate, especially since returning from the Cell Games, but she had figured he was coming on to her to use intimacy as a haphazard bandage to heal his wounds. She had rejected any direct advances, knowing it wasn't right for him, even if it was what she wanted more than anything else. But she wanted him to want her for more than a romp in the hay. Was it possible that he was trying to tell her that he wanted...a real relationship? Was this recent display of affection was more than just a come on?
Darn it, why could he never be straight with her?
Bending down, she gently scooped up the sleeping babe and closed down the lab. After a few moments, Trunks was settled in for the night in his room and she was heading back to her own. But something was off. Was that a light on in her room? She glanced over to Vegeta's door down the hall. The lights were off. Her heart leaped in her throat. Could he be in there, waiting? Time seemed to slow as she approached the door. On the other side, there was the Saiyan, laying in the bed. Her bathroom light had been left on, with the door open a crack, so that she could see to go change. Such thoughtfulness from the seemingly selfish Prince. Slipping into the bathroom, she changed into an old over sized Capsule Corp tee. She hated wearing normal pjs in the summer, opting for large tee and and undies. Face washed, she crept quietly to the bed and slid into under the sheets.
It was oddly comforting to have him there. She knew she had enjoyed his company that one fateful night, but this was different. Almost as if this was perfectly normal for them. She settled in, heart still beating with abandon. Where was this going? At that moment, he could try to take what he wanted, and she would have let him. His mere presence in her bed caused all her logic to fly to the wind. The Saiyan rolled over and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. Electricity shot through her veins and she could hardly breathe. "Goodnight, Bulma." He whispered in her ear.
So that was it. Since the night he returned, he had hinted that he wanted to be with her. But what he had wanted wasn't intimacy, but companionship-comfort, from the one person that chose to look past his stony facade, and see the man in pain behind it. She had told him that they needed to start over when he returned, and this was he way of doing it. This proud prince wanted didn't want to be alone any more.
Slowly, her body relaxed, his musky scent an enveloping comfort. This was everything she could have asked for at that moment.
Soon the morning would come, and that would bring a new beginning for the two of them. And she knew if he made any indication, the time was right to give him everything.