Chapter Text
Somehow or another, Vicki managed to cajole Vegeta into trying more alcohol. He definitively did not care for whiskey or tequila, but he didn’t mind rum so much. There was a mild bit of fuzz in his brain and his face felt heavy, which was a normal reaction to the poison, or so he was told.
Then, Vicki had stripped to nothing but a very brief halter top and skimpy shorts, the indecent woman. He’d looked away, but too late to avoid seeing her taut stomach muscles, and far, far too late to stop the instant desire that surged through his belly. It was even harder to resist, thanks to the alcohol’s effects.
How the hell had the uncouth she-devil convinced him to go swimming?
She'd jumped in headfirst. He followed more carefully, slipping into the water from the pool edge. He’d never been in a swimming pool before, just natural lakes and the like. The water was the perfect temperature, and he could see clear to the bottom, thanks to lights that lined the pool walls.
Vicki darted around him under the water, her skin flickering and glowing in the underwater lights. She was sleek and lithe, and put him to shame with how quick she could move in the water compared to him.
She surfaced in front of him and slicked her hair away from her face. "Isn't this nice?"
It was, but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of being right. Not yet, anyway.
"It's wet."
She flicked water at him. He phased forward a few feet, smirking as the water landed harmlessly behind him.
Her eyes snapped wider. "How did you do that?"
"Do what? Phase?"
She nodded.
"It comes naturally to Saiyans, so long as they train."
"Does the hair come naturally, too?"
Pride puffed up his chest. “Yes.”
She swam forward. "So, what's the deal, spikes? You got some sort of anti-gravity field hidden on your scalp?"
Vegeta laughed. "No, pretty sure I don't."
"It just won't stay down, will it?"
He tried to look up at it, unsuccessfully. "It has a mind of its own, usually."
Her hand reached tentatively toward his head. His chest constricted as she made contact and combed her fingers through his hair.
"It is so much softer than I thought it would be," she whispered, repeating the action, dragging the pads of her fingers over his scalp.
Her touch was like a drug. If he wasn't careful, she'd have him purring in her lap like a housecat.
Which…didn't really seem all that bad.
Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you do here?" She tilted his chin up and smoothed fingers along his jaw. "You're bruised."
Vegeta thought. Probably it was from when his arms failed and the gravity smacked him to the floor face-first. "Nothing serious. Just slipped in training."
"Uh huh." She swam a tight circle around him, touching other marks and making worried noises. "Jesus, V. You need to be more careful."
He shrugged. "Injuries are a part of training."
She made a doubtful sound as she returned in front of him. "Just don't push it too hard, or you won't be able to train at all."
He smirked. "I've never missed a day of training. Not once."
Vicki gave him a wry look. "Okay, Captain Hardcore."
The water drifted them closer together, nearly chest to chest. He should’ve moved back. Hell, he should’ve phased all the way across the whole compound. But damned if he could resist placing a steadying palm against her back, and teasing a wet lock of hair away from her face.
Vicki bit her lip and circled an arm more boldly around his neck. “You know, one of these days you’ll have to take me for a leisurely cruise in the sky, instead of a rollercoaster ride from hell.”
He laughed softly. “Stop pushing my buttons, and maybe I’ll consider it.”
Her eyes danced with mischief. “Oh, come on, Vegeta. Someone has to take the starch out of your uniform. Otherwise you’ll keep taking life far too seriously and give yourself a damn ulcer.”
“Maybe I have things that I need to be serious about.”
She traced a finger along his collarbone. “So? We all have things to be serious about. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, you know.”
“Maybe Jack just needs to focus better.”
She goosed his ribs, very nearly making him squeak in surprise.
“Why you little…” He went to return the favour, but she was gone like a shot, under the water and halfway across the pool. Vegeta chased after her, but she swam literal circles around him until he phased in front of her and caught her in his arms.
Vicki gasped in outrage and pushed against his chest. “Cheater!”
He growled menacingly and held tighter. “Takes one to know one.”
“I didn’t cheat , I performed a classic hit-and-run. Just because you weren’t prepared for it, doesn’t mean I was cheating!”
“Semantics.”
“You’re just mad I swim better than you.”
"Am not."
"Are too."
"This is childish."
"I know you are, but what am I?"
Vegeta blinked. "What?"
She giggled. "Just a very immature retort from, like, kindergarten. Back then it was lethal, man. Kids got stuck in loops for entire recess periods."
The laughter made her eyes dance. He didn't really understand her story, but he wanted her to laugh more.
She returned an arm around his neck. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sounds dangerous."
"Maybe. I'm just being snoopy, so you can tell me to bug off."
Vegeta tried not to notice how he hadn't stopped holding her, or how he could pick out slivers of tawny gold in her irises. "Ask," he whispered, his throat dry.
"What kind of tail did you have?"
He frowned, which made her flinch, which made him wince. "No, it's okay. I'm just surprised you don't know."
"How would I know?"
He shrugged. "Bulma."
"Oh. Nah. I like getting my intel straight from the horse's mouth."
Vegeta tilted his head. "Why would a horse know anything about Saiyans?"
She threw her head back and laughed before pulling him into a hug. He might've been offended if the sound of her laughter and the tight contact with most of her upper body wasn't doing things to his already shaky willpower.
"Oh, God, Vegeta, sometimes you are so cute."
He gave her a sour look. "I am not cute."
"Sorry dude, 'fraid you're wrong on this one. That was completely adorable."
"Perhaps you could let me in on the joke?" he said tightly.
Vicki nodded. "Back in the day, people bought and sold horses. You can tell how old a horse is by looking at their teeth. So when you bought a horse, you didn't listen to the seller, you got the age--"
"Straight from the horse's mouth," he finished.
"Knew you were a smart cookie."
He gave her an exasperated look. "How many strange earth sayings are there?"
"Aww, don't be mad." Her dark eyes danced. "Anyway. Your tail?"
"You would compare it to a...monkey's tail, I suppose." He hated that name 'monkey'. It was Frieza's favorite pet name for him, reserved for when he'd been particularly good, or especially defiant. A repetitive cruelty he swallowed, refusing to let that asshole see it get under his skin.
"So it was long and furry?"
"Yes. Long enough to wrap entirely around my waist."
"Wow. Now I wish I could've seen it."
The fascination in her voice was genuine. And addictive. There was nothing Vegeta loved more than talking about his Saiyan heritage, but most of the time his audience was completely uninterested. Even Kakarot didn't show interest, and it was his fucking culture.
"Can you tell me more?"
He lifted a brow. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Why?"
"Because you're fascinating." Her fingers combed through the hair on the nape of his neck, sending tingles down his back. It was the most pleasant sensation he had ever known.
He knew he should show propriety. Should back off, stop touching her. But he could feel her heartbeat beneath his palm on her back and against his chest, and that was an incredible novelty.
They floated in unison, their legs and feet occasionally brushing together as they treaded slowly.
He should let go.
Should pull away.
"Vegeta?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Hm?"
Her eyes were pointed skyward. "What's it like up there?"
He followed her gaze to the stars above. "Lonely."
It took a breath to realize what he'd said. The dark confession he'd made so casually. Vegeta stiffened and started to pull away, but her arms tightened.
"It's okay," she said softly. "You don't have to run."
His eyes fluttered closed. "I'm not."
"Aren't you?"
He met her eyes, and saw nothing but warmth. "Haven't we had this argument before?"
Vicki pulled him into another hug. "And we'll keep having it until you feel safe to tell me anything."
Safe. There was no such thing. But she felt so soft and sweet wrapped all around him that he allowed himself to sink into the embrace. Just for a moment.
***
Lonely.
Vicki knew Vegeta wouldn't accept pity. Would fiercely resent it. But she couldn't help feeling it. How tragic that he'd seen the wonders of the universe, and could only describe it as lonely.
She stroked the nape of his neck, and Vegeta arched into the contact. Not only was he lonely, he was touch starved beyond all reason. Most likely it was the few shots of booze burning away the outer layers of his emotional walls, and he was probably going to hate having been even the slightest bit vulnerable in the morning.
Vicki knew she should pull back. The man could barely stand to see her in a tank top when he wasn't drunk. 'Indecent', she'd heard him mutter. And now they were tangled together, their hearts thumping in near unison. Vegeta was practically purring from the simple pleasure of being held. Vicki couldn't bring herself to stop. To leave him feeling alone again.
The waves pushed them apart slightly, and their eyes met. It was a perfect movie-kiss moment, complete with his hand curving gently over her jaw. They stood at the precipice, poised for the best possible ending to the worst possible day.
And Vicki whispered, "Stop," hating herself for saying anything at all.
His face twisted with fury and humiliation. She caught his shoulders before he could pull away. "It isn't that I don't want to," she said. "I very, very much want to."
"Then what?" he said through clenched teeth. Every muscle that had been softened a breath ago was hard as granite again.
"We've been drinking."
"And?"
She rubbed her forehead. "Twenty minutes ago you were blushing over seeing me in shorts and a bra."
He looked away. Vicki reached over tentatively and, when he didn't rebuff her, guided him to face her again.
"Alcohol strips away inhibitions. Current Vegeta might think everything is cool, but Morning Vegeta might not agree. I value your friendship far too much to risk wrecking it by pushing too far while you're under the influence."
Vegeta frowned and pulled away, emotional walls fully reinstated. "Fine."
Her stomach twisted. Why did she always have to ruin things between them before they even got started?