Archive of Our Own ^beta

You Are What You Are,
From Vegeta to his daughter, Bulla.

By Tarvok

Part of the “You Can Be No Other” series

Rated PG, M/M, queer-identified and intersex Bulla, fucking AWESOME Vegeta.

Bulla.

You are family, my family. You mean so much to me. I do not possess the right words to tell you so.

Though I try.

~*~

When you were born, you were different. I was told that your mother took one look at you and cried. Knowing what I know now, I am forever grateful to Kakarot and his strange sense for taking you from the doctor and giving you to me. You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. My little Saiyan with the spiky indigo hair. I left with you straight away. The Namek would care for your birth needs better than any human would.

When you took your first steps that warm Spring day, I was the only one to see. You smiled and giggled and reached out for me, then you fell. Hard. You were so young then. I picked you up and dried your tears and spent the rest of the afternoon showing you how to do it right, my training left for another day.

When you ate your first spicy pepper, tricked into it by your brother, you choked on it. Your mother didn't notice what had happened, so she tried to soothe you in her way. When your face turned red and you stopped breathing, I induced the vomit that saved your life. I never looked at Trunks the same way again.

The day you fell, I felt like my whole world had ended. You were so little, and the distance too far, too dangerous. You were too young to show any Saiyan gifts, and I admit that I was scared. Terrified. Then I heard that beautiful giggle and saw you, my darling little surprise Super Saiyan, holding your feet and rocking back and forth like it was all just some fun game you were playing. I'd never been more proud or more relieved.

When you baked a tiny cake for me on my birthday using your tiny oven, I was utterly charmed. It was strawberry, and had little heart-shaped candies on it that were left over from Valentine's Day. Your mother was nervous, and your brother was laughing, but I kissed you on the cheek and said strawberry was my favorite. You didn't know it was the very first birthday gift I'd ever received.

When you got your ears pierced, you were so brave. I knew it hurt, but you would not give in to tears. We all went out for ice cream afterward. You didn't feel well enough to eat, so I told you I would take you to see the “pretty pond” I'd told you about the day before. Just to see you smile.

The first time someone said you couldn't play with him and his friends, you went to your mother. She said some things I didn't understand about how you dressed, and I knew none of it would help you. The next afternoon she came home with several bags of gentle-colored clothing and sweet-smelling things. Things that weren't like you at all, my sweater-wearing, sneakered offspring.

The second time, it was a girl who said it to you, and you threw a most glorious fit over it. Your mother grounded you, but I snuck you out and we went for pizza. We had a talk, and it turned out that you had no friends and had decided to give up on it. I told you about my own childhood, and how Kakarot was really my only friend. You didn't laugh, but you breathed lighter. I was glad I told you.

The day you asked me to train you, I was so proud. There you were, standing in the shade next to the gravity room, with your mascara smudged down your face, all red-faced and angry. It was so much something I would do. So... I guess it was more of a demand than a request. You made amazing progress, my little Saiyan. Surpassed the other half-bloods by a decent margin at barely half their ages.

When you later told me you hated the makeup and the dresses and the “soft” things, I just nodded and filled your closet with whatever I had that didn't fit me anymore. The next morning, you came to breakfast and shocked your mother right out of her chair. I hid my smile behind my juice. Your brother just stared.

When you walked in on Kakarot and myself one afternoon in the gravity room, and all you did was tell us that lunch was ready before walking back out, I didn't think I could love you more, for you'd actually managed to embarrass the fool. Once I'd realised I needn't have asked you to keep it from your mother, I found I was wrong. I could.

When you told your mother you didn't want to go to college, and instead train as a fighter like me, I wasn't surprised. Neither was Kakarot, who had somehow become a part of nearly every important moment in your life since the moment he truly walked into mine. Without my support, your mother eventually got used to it and let it go.

The day you brought home that girlfriend of yours you'd been failing to hide from me, I accepted her without too many questions. Maybe Kakarot had something to do with that, but you'll never hear it from me.

It was your wedding day, and everything was perfect enough. The weather was good and there was lots of food. You were handsome in your tux with the beautiful love of your life on your arm... Then your brother said something I missed about your “strength” as compared to hers, and she proceeded to smack him. When that day ended, and I saw you off to your honeymoon, I was so proud of now having two daughters, one strong like a woman, and one strong like me. A true Saiyan. You are what you are, after all. You can be no other, daughter-mine. I did outdo Kakarot in this, at least.