When You Need Me: Vegeta x Reader
Vegeta x gn!reader - 3,640 Words - No Use of y/n
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After a rough day, you find yourself struggling to do anything besides sit in silence and become lost in thought. However, you don't realize how many hours have passed since you've gotten home, and Vegeta becomes increasingly worried.
TW: General sadness/ themes of Depression, Nudity (SFW, nothing explicit)
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“I knew I’d find you down here.” That gruff voice jolted you from your thoughts and your head turned to the bottom of the staircase where Vegeta was currently standing; he was shirtless with his arms crossed in front of him, looking at you with an expression that was hard to read. He was in nothing but his sweatpants, a deep blue cotton that hugged his ass enough to make you giggle whenever he wore them. This time, however, a smile didn’t even flick across your face.
He knew something was wrong with you; you should have been in bed hours ago. He had been laying in bed, awake, wondering where the hell you were and was upset with himself over how worried he was becoming. 12 am turned to one, then two, and now it was three and there was still no sign of you. Perhaps you had fallen asleep on the couch? He had shook his head at himself and rolled over, staring at the photo of the two of you with the rest of the z fighters that you had insisted on putting on his nightstand. He frowned, knowing you hated sleeping on the couch because it hurt your back and you would have woken up by now to come upstairs. He sighed, hopping out of bed and making his way through the house until he reached you. He was going to scold you for staying up so late but the moment he saw you, sitting there, alone, he found he couldn’t.
“I’m sorry,” you said, rubbing your eyes and staring at him, trying to smile a bit to help calm his nerves. It didn’t work, however, as he could tell it was forced. He stared at you, sitting at the kitchen counter with your favorite blanket tightly wrapped around your shoulders. You weren’t even in your pajamas yet, your shoes still on as they dangled right above the floor. Your phone was nowhere in sight and the television was off, the only light coming from the dim glow of the time on the microwave and its small bulb casting over the stove-top.
“Have you been sitting down here this whole time?” He asked, making his way over to you.
“Yeah,” you replied quietly, once again staring at the granite countertop in front of you. “I’ll be up to bed soon, I promise. Go get some sleep, you’ll be up early for training w-“
“Oh hush,” he grunted, rolling his eyes, annoyed that you were worrying about him of all things when it was clear you were nowhere near okay. “That's not important right now.” Vegeta’s wording should have struck something in you, as training was never not important to him. Right now though, your brain was too foggy to register it. He brushed past you and made his way around the counter, opening the cupboard and pulling out your favorite cup. He filled it with water and brought it over to you, holding it out to you carefully. You brought both hands out and cupped it hesitantly, and when he was sure you had it in your grasp and wouldn’t drop it, he removed his hands to instead gently press his to the tops of yours.
“Thanks,” was all you could say before he ran his thumb over top of your right hand and let go.
He nodded, pulling out the seat beside your own and sitting in it. “Do you… need to talk about it?”
You shook your head slowly and stared down at the cup, not moving to take a sip. Vegeta cleared his throat as he glanced around the room, eyes flicking to the dim microwave light across from you both.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Again you shook your head. The prince remained silent, tail flicking about anxiously before wrapping around his waist. It was clear something was bothering you, but he wouldn’t push you to find out what. He was never good with things like this; he didn’t know how to help others in a way that wasn’t beating their enemies senseless. You were the one that was good at all the talking stuff, not him.
“You’re not hurt, are you? Or sick?” He asked, breaking the silence quickly as the worst of his imagination began to take a hold of him.
“N-no,” your voice cracked, hands beginning to shake slightly as your eyes welled up with tears. The water began to ripple in the cup, and you lifted it to your mouth and took a drink, the cool liquid quenching your dry mouth. You did your best to blink away the tears, not wanting Vegeta to see you like this.
You set the cup down after that, pulling your blanket tighter around yourself as if to hide in it. Your nails dug into the fabric in your grasp and you could almost feel them push into the skin of your palm.
Vegeta pulled your hands away quickly when he saw how tense you had become, running his fingers carefully over your skin. Your touch was cold, and he frowned at how you trembled in his hands. He stood up suddenly, eyes fixed on you as he scooped you up bridal-style. “Come on, I’m carrying you up to our room.”
You didn’t argue, your body seemingly numb as he held you close to his chest and made his way up the stairs. You shut your eyes, breathing in his scent and feeling the warmth of his body even with the blanket separating the two of you. He was like a heater to you, helping to pull your thoughts from the dark recesses of your mind to instead focus on him and his warmth.
He set you down on the edge of the bed carefully before he squatted down, helping to remove your shoes. You watched as he fumbled with them for a moment, grumbling under his breath at how ridiculous they could be. You felt awful he was having to do this and attempted to stop him.
He wasn’t having any of it, however, and quickly cut you off. For once his tone wasn’t berating or anywhere close to seeming annoyed. “No, I’ve got it. Just stay there.” He walked over to the closet quickly, opening the door to stick them with the rest of your shoes before once again shutting the door. Then he made his way to the bathroom, and you could hear the sound of rushing water as he began to fill the tub. You were finely tuned in to the little squeaks as he opened and closed the cabinets, moved bottles around on top of the counter, and gathered up whatever else he was looking for. Whenever he would walk past the door, you would make eye-contact with him before he disappeared out of your view again.
He came back out a few minutes later and made his way over to you. You waited for him to tell you to get cleaned up, possibly because you smelled or something similar, but were instead surprised to watch as he once again lifted you up. His caress was gentle as you were carried into the bathroom this time, with him setting you on the rim of the tub. You could feel the steam on your skin coming from the warm waters behind you as he stared at you.
“Arms up.” His tone was stern and yet soft, and you did as you were told, albeit a bit sluggishly. He shimmied your shirt off, making sure it didn’t get stuck around your face or caught in your hair. Then he made his way to your pants, pulling them down your legs one by one before folding your articles of clothing and setting them on top of the toilet.
He placed one hand against your back and the other beneath your knees, lifting you with ease as he set you down into the bath. The water was warm and lapped against your chest as you displaced it; you watched as it splashed against the sides of the tub, splashing the prince’s nose with droplets of water. He hardly reacted to it, too focused on making sure you were comfortable. Vegeta removed his arms from the water and dried them off carefully before turning the faucet to shut the water off. The white-noise of the running water came to a sudden halt, replaced with the slow and quiet dripping as the last of it ran off the spout.
He turned, grabbing a blue cup from on top of the vanity before facing you once more, dipping it beneath the warm water to fill it. You watched with lidded eyes as the cup scooped up the water and he brought it above your head. With one hand he cupped your forehead, keeping the water out of your eyes as he slowly poured it over your hair and shoulders. He said nothing to you during this, his eyes saying everything for him; they were gentle and concerned as he cared for you, meeting yours every so often before he would shift and move them elsewhere.
The prince of all saiyans was not known for his kindness; on planet Vegeta this is how he would have been taken care of daily. On Earth, however, he was no longer respected royalty to anyone but yourself. You were always so kind to him, so sweet when he was anything but. You had a bright personality, a great sense of humor, and more importantly you cared for the prince. You were one of the strongest people he knew, perhaps not in body as Kakarot had everyone beat in that regard, but in spirit. Nothing ever got to you. At least, that you let them see. Today was different.
Whatever you were struggling with, he wanted to help ease the pain of it as much as he could. He hated seeing you so upset, so dull and quiet when you were usually talkative. He grabbed your shampoo, lathering up his hands with it before rubbing it into your scalp and through your hair. You shut your eyes, sighing pleasantly as a small smile graced your lips. It was small, but warmed his heart as your shoulders relaxed and you made satisfied noises. His tail wagged ever so slightly, perhaps in relief that your mood was shifting.
“Thank you,” you mumbled softly as he rinsed your hair out and grabbed the conditioner.
“Nonsense, don’t thank me for this,” he replied quietly. Once again he ran his sudsy hands through your hair, letting it soak as he grabbed your bar of soap and a wash cloth. “You’ve done much more for me more often. This is hardly anything in comparison. Lift your arms.”
You once again followed his instructions, barely opening one eye to study his features. He ran the rag across your body softly, wiping off your neck, chest, and back. He seemed so concentrated, so determined to keep his touches gentle and to take care of you. “You know you do just as much,” you said, closing your eye once more.
He rolled his eyes at that, scoffing slightly and smirking as he brought your arms back down. “Please, I know I’m not the most pleasant to be around when I’m sick. You’re much easier to handle.”
“You’re perfectly pleasant,” you giggled, sighing again as he titled your head back and poured the warm water over your hair. “You’re never grumpy at all.”
“Don’t get smart with me,” he chuckled, running the water once more and rinsing the rag under it. He brought the slightly cooler rag to your face and wiped it off, getting off all the oil and worries of the day. He set the rag on the edge of the tub, eyes lifting to meet yours again. “I’ll be right back, just wait here.” He gripped your head in his hands carefully, rough lips grazing your forehead as he kissed you and stood. He went back into the bedroom, grabbing your favorite pajamas and under garments from your drawers.
He smiled as he walked back to find you running your hands through the now soapy water, messing with the bubbles that had formed. You already appeared much better than before, but not quite back to normal. You were smiling, yes, but it didn’t reach your eyes; your shoulders were still just a bit too tense for his liking and it was clear your mind was still focused on other things.
He pulled the plug to the bath and grabbed your towel, holding out a hand to you to help you up. You took it slowly, standing up and stepping out of the bath to place your feet on the soft mat below.
You took the towel from him and began to dry yourself off as he stepped behind you. He felt his ki begin to bud beneath his fingertips as he concentrated his energy into his hands and started to run them softly through your hair, drying it just a bit so you wouldn’t go to bed with it soaked. The last thing you needed right now was to somehow catch a cold on top of whatever you were already dealing with.
He helped you get dressed this time, letting you hold his shoulder to steady yourself as you stepped into your pants. Once you were ready to go he set your toothbrush on the sink along with your toothpaste and a cup, grabbing your medication from behind the mirror and setting out what you needed to take.
It was odd how delicate he was being with you; how precise his actions were or how he kept grazing his fingers or body against yours. A quick brush of skin on your shoulder as he reached for your medicine, or a gentle kiss on the back of your head as you brushed your teeth. Each little gesture let you know he was there and kept your mind anchored to the present. He left you in the bathroom to finish up, setting up the bed for the two of you instead.
When you were with him you felt so much better; sure, the things that had been plaguing you didn’t go away completely, but he made you feel safer. He took away the ache in your heart and mind and allowed you to get through what you were dealing with. You hated bothering him with your emotions. He had been through so much in his life it felt as though at times your issues were minuscule in comparison. You didn’t want to bother him with things that didn’t affect him and yet here he was, actively caring for you without knowing the cause of your issues because to him, the reason why you were upset didn’t matter, big or small. All that mattered was making you feel better and getting you through this.
You stepped out of the bathroom and your heart nearly melted when you saw him waiting for you. He had pulled back the covers already for you and propped your pillows the way you liked. Your favorite plushie was laying in your spot, and a glass of water sat on your bedside table. He had even left out the book you had been reading for good measure.
He took your hand and led you around the bed, bending down to pick you up for the final time tonight before he set you into the covers. He pulled the blankets over your lap and kissed the top of your head, rubbing his hands over your hair after. “Do you want me to put your movie on?”
You shook your head and he nodded, making his way to his side of the mattress and shimmying off his pants, much too warm to sleep in anything besides his black boxers. He scooted over to you, pulling the blankets up as he set an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him.
“Do you want to read anything?”
“Alright.” He leaned over you to shut off the bedside lamp, laying down and bringing you with him. Your back pressed into his chest as his tail wrapped around your waist, one arm resting below your pillow and the other draped across your side. He laid a barrage of kisses to your neck and shoulders before nuzzling his head to the back of your neck.
“I love you,” he said quietly, a shiver running down your spine as his breath tickled your skin. Vegeta was never one to be very sappy, so the words coming from him and so suddenly surprised you. You felt your face flush, your mind buzzing as you placed your hand over top of his.
“I love you too, Vegeta.”
“I’d do anything for you, you know.” He said, his tone soft and his deep voice rumbling his chest against your back. “And I’m here to listen if you need me.”
“For the last time, you don’t need to thank me,” he scoffed, rubbing his hand slowly over your hip. “I should be the one thanking you.”
You rolled over at that, shifting in his grasp to turn and face him. His eyes somehow still sparkled in the darkness, deep pools of black wide and searching yours carefully. “Why? Why do you need to thank me?”
“Well,” he grunted, smirk tugging on his lips. “You stick by my side even on my worst days. Not many people can… handle my personality.” His words were deliberate, almost boasting. “You know how to tend to my wounds and you’re quite battlesmart as well.”
He chuckled, lifting a finger to your lips to quiet you. “I’m not done yet.” He pulled his finger away to tap at his chin, “now where was I? Oh, of course! You’re incredibly attractive, more so than anyone else I’ve ever met in my life.” You blushed at that, gaze breaking from his finally before he pressed his forehead to yours. “And most importantly you understand me; you respect me. You treat me as if I’m the most important thing to you.”
Now it was your turn to chuckle, “well you are, Vegeta.”
He shook his head carefully, “you balance so many things and still manage to make time for me.”
“You do the same thing!” You teased. “You’ve saved the Earth hundreds of times and you’ve got the scars to prove it! That’s much more important and yet you still find time to see me.”
“You’re the reason why I do it.” He replied softly, thumb tucking an unruly hair behind your ear. “Without you, I would have left this damned rock ages ago. Hell, I might have even blown it up. But you changed me; you changed how I viewed the world. If someone as perfect as you can exist here, perhaps it’s worth protecting.”
Your eyes began to water, “Vegeta I’m not anywhere near perfect. I-“
“You’re perfect to me, and that’s all that matters.” He placed a soft kiss to your lips before pulling away and shoving your head to his chest. He held you tightly, hand scratching up and down your back in a soothing manner as you began to cry. “I promise you nothing would ever change that.”
You gripped his back tightly, nails digging into his skin as you sobbed. He didn’t mind it at all, happy to be your rock when you needed him. “It’s all going to be okay,” he whispered, continuing to rub up and down your back like you always did to him on his worst nights. “I’ll call Kakarot in the morning and cancel training. You can sleep in and I’ll take you out for breakfast.”
You giggled between sobs, hiccups rising in the back of your throat as you wiped snot from your nose with your arm, “yeah, you can’t cook to save your life.”
“Hey, watch it or I won’t do anything for you,” he teased, poking your sides a bit and making you laugh more. “We can go shopping. We’ll go to your favorite stores; even the ones I don’t like. Tomorrow will be all about you. Whatever you want, name it and it’s yours.”
“All I need is you, Veggie,” you sniffled, pressing your head to his chest once more.
“Then that’s an easy wish to grant.” He placed one more kiss to the top of your head for good measure. “I’m yours, from now until the end of time.”
“Vegeta?” You croaked, inhaling sharply through your nose and looking up at him.
“Mm?” He replied, scratching at your head softly. You could feel your eyes growing heavy, the bath, his warmth, the crying, and the gentle care all lulling you to rest.
“Can you sing that song I like?”
He chuckled, sarcasm lacing his voice, “Gods you’re already putting me to the test.”
“You can even hum it,” you added, not wanting him to feel obligated. “Or you can just pretend I didn’t say anything at all.”
He shifted a bit, careful not to squish you at any point in time before he cleared his throat. Then, in that deep, husky tone of his, he began to hum, bringing you into a peaceful, much-needed sleep. He kissed your head a final time as your body fully relaxed and the song ended, watching the rise and fall of your chest and feeling your puffs of breath graze against his skin.
“Goodnight,” he whispered, his pet name for you leaving his lips with a sigh. “I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you. I promise.” He paused, letting out one last chuckle as he pulled you close, “maybe just don’t tell the others I have such a soft side, okay?”
If he was being honest, he wouldn't have cared, even if you told the others about this. He just wanted you to feel better again, and that would be enough.
