A/N: This chapter is for kijiro56! Hope you like it ◎[▪‿▪]◎

...

Your fingers brushed over the tiny bumps on the paper, feeling the words slowly while attempting to translate them in your mind. It was certainly more difficult than just reading normally you realized, making a sound of annoyance before pushing the pages aside in frustration.

You heard the book fall to the floor with a thud as you let out a breath, sitting there in silence for a moment as you felt a wave of hopelessness wash over you.

I can't believe I'm so useless now... You thought sadly, laying down while feeling the aching in your chest intensifying. Your now useless eyes burned as a few tears escaped, running down your cheeks as you hiccuped, trying your best to keep quiet as you cried.

I'm such an idiot...

Your more destructive thoughts were cut off suddenly by the automated sound of your door opening, revealing a very familiar set of heavy footsteps and a melodic voice that could only belong to one person...

"[Y/n], I found some more of those books and..." Turles stopped mid sentence as he glanced towards the bed, spotting your tiny figure curled up in the middle. He frowned as he took in your depressed demeanor, setting the books he was holding down on a nearby table before walking closer.

"Don't tell me you're still sleeping..." The Saiyan teased, hoping to cheer you up as he climbed onto the mattress gracefully. He peeked over you, noticing that your face was buried in the sheets as he inched forward.

"[Y/n]..."

"..."

"[Y/n], I know you're awake..." He continued, trying to remain calm while hearing the uneven sounds of your breathing as you ignored him.

Turles let out a breath as he sat there next to you, unsure of what to say when you were like this. He couldn't help but blame himself for the situation you were in, knowing that if he'd been quicker in that moment, he might have been able to change things. But instead, he'd let his guard down and you had paid the price...

"I should have just died." You stated into the mattress, honestly meaning those words as you realized your days of being able to protect your captain were over. "I'm worthless to you now..."

You gasped as you felt yourself being picked up and readjusted, the warmth of the bed now gone and replaced with the feeling of the ship's cold air on your face.

"Don't ever let me hear you talking like that..." Turles' harsh yet eloquent voice ordered, giving you a very clear image in your mind of how agitated he probably looked right now. He relaxed his grip on your arms slightly, still holding you upright but calming down a bit as he continued. "You're one of my most talented soldiers..."

"Not anymore..." You whispered, feeling yourself breaking down again as you began to cry. You placed your hands over your eyes, completely and utterly alone in your prison of darkness.

"I can't do anything! I'm just a burden now..."

Turles growled as he held onto you, pulling you closer while remembering how enraged he'd been in that fateful moment. You'd been so close. Close enough for him to see the enemy's attack strike your beautiful face before you fell to the ground screaming. A second too late, the alien who dared to touch you was blasted away as he rushed to your side, watching in horror while you held your hands over the scarred skin surrounding your eyes...

The Saiyan frowned as he shook that image from his mind, knowing that the only thing that mattered now was helping you recover. 

"I've got you..." He said, rubbing your back reassuringly while you sobbed into his armor. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay..." Your captain went on, sounding incredibly confident about that statement as you calmed down slightly. 

"But..."

"Just trust me." Turles ordered, cutting you off before you could argue. He felt you relax as you continued to lean against him, finally uncovering your face and glancing his way.

"I've been hearing some things lately... About a planet called Earth..." He explained, looking down into your clouded orbs as you stared back at him. "It looks to be a very suitable world for the Tree of Might... And..." He paused, moving a hand up to your cheek to wipe away a few stray tears before continuing.

"Their planet is also rumored to possess wish granting items..."

You blinked a few times, wondering how something that sounded like a fairy tale could be true. But then again, the Tree of Might is real enough... You thought, feeling the tiniest amount of hope fill your chest as you grinned.

Turles smirked down at you, pleased to see a spark of your vibrant personality shining through in this trying time. He placed a hand under your chin, tilting your face up gently before placing a simple kiss on your lips. In return you leaned forward, kissing him back as you both enjoyed the peaceful moment...

"I can't give up on you [Y/n]..." The Saiyan admitted, pulling away temporarily before sliding his tail around your waist. He made himself more comfortable on your bed as he laid down, holding your tiny body against his as he began running a hand through your hair. 

"So please... Don't give up on yourself."

"I won't." You promised, feeling a blush creep across your face as you enjoyed the heavenly massage your scalp was currently getting. 

"Good."

...

A/N: Turles being a sweet boi is fun to write... I might even make a second part for this prompt since I really like the idea of him trying to get the dragon balls to help the reader ( ･u･)♡ Let me know if you guys want that! Until then, I'm off to work on the next request...

Yes (~￣▽￣)~