the way she licked her lips and how her hands froze on the keys made his pulse quickened. Not because of anger or embarrassment, but because he wished he could hug her on the spot, feel her on his bare skin, her hands, her silky hair and her lips ... Maybe he should repeat his plan rethink .... no, it was too late for that and the fight against the cyborgs had absolute priority. Ironically, he fought his impulse down and walked over to the cube, where he positioned himself as she would have shown him. His voice was hoarse when he called out to her that he was ready.
<br />
<br />
Bulma pulled herself together, too, but even if her fingers were again scurrying over the keys, her gaze was still fixed on the corner of the screen where Vegeta was reflected.She hated this need to hold him close, this desire to feel if his skin was still as warm as she remembered, this impulse to ask him to stay here. Determined, she hit enter. No, she had decided to keep her distance and since he was leaving anyway, what is the point of just indulging in his feelings?
<br />
<br />
The cube closed. Vegeta was trapped in it, the head poking out of the top hole and each hand facing a hole in the side. It looked ridiculous and he knew it.
<br />
"Is it going to go on soon? I don't want to spend the whole day like this!"
<br />
"Just be patient. Now tense your muscles, but don't break the cube in the process."
<br />
"Weird way of measuring," Vegeta growled, concentrating. The muscles swelled and Bulma, who read the values ​​of the sensors on the screen, nodded with satisfaction. Yes, she hadn't made a mistake in the calculation. His muscles had grown almost as much as she had calculated.Another click of the mouse, then she could take the next step. She got up and walked over to the tank with the resin mixture, took the prepared hose and inserted it into the last opening on the back of the cube. "Then you have to stand very still, it will feel strange but not hurt, I promise." Vegeta just raised both eyebrows. Bulma opened the tap and the special resin flowed into the cube.
<br />
"Yuck! What's that?"
<br />
<br />
"Just a mass for the shape, nothing more. Don't let it go, otherwise the suit will be too tight."
<br />
Vegeta grudgingly endured being cast in resin here, so to speak. The mass was sticky, but warm and kind of gross. It took about three minutes to lock him in from the neck down. "Is that it?" He asked when Bulma turned off the tap.
<br />
"Not quite yet. It takes about a minute now, then it's hard. Take a deep breath and hold your breath."<br />
<br />
The minute seemed like an eternity to him. Had he not been a Saiyan he would surely have suffocated in the resin, but Bulma had gathered enough data to be sure that she was not asking for the impossible.
<br />
"Okay, you can breathe out. It should be hard enough."
<br />
Vegeta didn't have to be asked twice. He had got a little dizzy and he was glad that he could at least gasp for breath again. "How long do I have to stay in here. You can get that stuff off me, right?
<br />
<br />
"Absolutely. I tested the resin myself. Just a second." She reached over to the button that would open the cube. "However, I only tested it on the skin, not on fabrics ..." She pressed and the cube opened. The resin adhered to the inner surfaces. By moving the cube, it broke cleanly in the middle where Vegeta was standing, as calculated, so that the imprints of its front and back were neatly printed in a resin block each.The shorts, however, did not survive ... and so a stark naked Vegeta emerged. Bulma had suspected this and pretended not to notice when he scurried past her with a flushed head and hurriedly slipped into his pants.
<br />
<br />
She had got the can with the hardener and fixed the two blocks with it so that there could be no further cracks and splintering.
<br />
"That's all Vegeta," she said without looking at him. "You can continue training, I'll be ready in eight days so that you can try the suit and I still have one day for any repairs."
<br />
<br />
Vegeta cleared his throat. He wouldn't have expected so much consideration from her, or had he misinterpreted the reflection and she wasn't interested in his muscles and um ... the rest. That wasn't a problem, he told himself, but a feeling of disappointment remained. As irrelevant as he could, her admiration (if he hadn't imagined it ...) strangely gave him strength and he felt bigger and stronger when she looked at him like that .... Whether it was the same for Kakerott with his chichi ?I'm not Kakerott, he told himself, I don't need anything like that and I'll prove it to myself out there. I'll get stronger, a lot stronger, and then I'll cut the cyborgs and Kakerott
<br />
<br />
"Do you want to put down roots here?" Asked Bulma aloud. She finished hardening and went back to the computer to use the prints to do the final calculations before she could start casting the first of the thousand-plus layers. She had eight tough days ahead of her and knowing that he was around, even when she wasn't looking at him, was by no means helpful ...
<br />
Vegeta winced. Getting kicked out was the last thing he expected. Well, he really had better things to do than brood over Bulma. Two more days, then he had to give up the spaceship again. Without saying goodbye, he marched out the door into his room to get some new shorts.
<br />
<br />
..............................................<br />
<br />
Three days later....
<br />
<br />
Bulma helped her father drag the large power cells to the spaceship. "Does he really need eight of them?" She groaned.
<br />
"No, he wants ten," her father gasped. "He must be really scared that he'll run out of juice out there."
<br />
<br />
"He could at least help us carry it," Bulma huffed and lifted the cell further so that it didn't get stuck in the hatch.
<br />
"As far as I know, he's out there training again," replied Mr. Briefs, setting down his cell to dry his sweat with a towel.
<br />
"Then mom is back on the videophone?" Asked Bulma dryly.
<br />
"She can talk best to Major Espe," grinned the professor and folded the handkerchief again.
<br />
<br />
"How much will it cost us this time?"
<br />
"Certainly more than the last four times," sighed the professor. "How good that someone has finally shown interest in the aura generator."<br />
"We should let Vegeta prospect for gold out there," growled Bulma. "So that he pays at least part of the damage he does to the landscape every time."
<br />
"Why do you think he wants to go into space? I think he knows quite well what it costs us."
<br />
Bulma was less convinced of that. He always takes bentos with him and comes home so early that he doesn't even sit across from me at dinner. I haven't seen him since the day the print was made. What if he really comes back to the battle of the cyborgs and then maybe gets killed there? Then I have far too few wonderful memories of him ... of us ...
<br />
At that moment the earth trembled and the spaceship swayed slightly. Cars stopped in the streets and the windows of the skyscrapers rattled.
<br />
<br />
"He's back on the road," said Bulma's father with a sigh.
<br />
"No doubt about it," Bulma nodded. "I just hope Major Espe is in a good mood.I really don't envy mom for making it clear to the military that someone is playing war out there and nobody has invited her to play ...
<br />
<br />
"It's much safer for her. Major Espe knows that too. Come on, otherwise we won't be able to finish today. How far are you with the suit?"
<br />
"There are still a hundred shifts missing and then I'll have to think of something with the closures."
<br />
<br />
"Did you install the intermediate layers as I suggested?"
<br />
"I have. You are right, this makes the suit flexible and also a lot lighter. Vegeta will be pleasantly surprised ...."
<br />
<br />
.............................................
<br />
<br />
He was when he put on the suit the day before he left.
<br />
"Good job, Bulma. He's gotten even better than I thought." Vegeta made a few jumps, kicked in the air and lashed out. "It's amazing how you managed to make it so easy."<br />
<br />
Bulma blushed. His obvious compliment was enough for eight days of hard labor.
<br />
“So you're really leaving tomorrow.” It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
<br />
Vegeta hadn't missed the sadness in her gaze and his heart jumped irrationally for joy. She would miss him ... strange how good that certainty was.
<br />
"Well, it's not forever. As soon as the cyborgs are done, I'll move back in with you."
<br />
Bulma didn't dare look at him. He shouldn't see the concern and doubt in her look.
<br />
"Then it's fine," she said, emphasizing cheerfully. "At least I'll have some rest for a while and can finally test out a few new inventions."
<br />
<br />
Vegeta was not deterred by that. In high spirits, he set about making his final preparations. He immediately took the suit to the spaceship, the storage rooms of which were crammed with spare parts and provisions.<br />
<br />
The very next morning he officially said goodbye to Bulma's parents, ate a large breakfast and made his way to the ship.
<br />
He managed all the preparations for the start without any problems. Bulma's parents had withdrawn into the house to do their daily chores. Bulma herself stood outside and fought back tears. No, she wouldn't cry, most definitely not.
<br />
<br />
Suddenly the hatch opened and Vegeta stuck his head out. "Bulma, I forgot to ask if I would need any special tools to fix the suit in case something breaks on it."
<br />
<br />
"That comes to your mind early!" Bulma hissed. She ran into the workshop and hurriedly tossed the tools and some spare compound that she had set aside for repairs into an empty box. Without noticing it in