By the Shoreside
The sunset was like one he had seen so many times before during his time on Earth. Puffy, full clouds dyed in red and orange painted the sky. The sea twinkled with the descending sunlight. An even brighter sheen of blue crossed the subdued waves as they crested against the island. Fresh air filled with salt surrounded him as he reclined in his lounge chair, his back propped up against a fluffy pillow. The palm trees above him shook their leaves in the breeze, and coconuts fell off them into the plush sand below.
Beerus kept his eyes closed. He immersed himself in the gentle breeze caressing his face. It was rare for him to have a moment of peace in recent days. Filled with his obligations to destroy unworthy planets and train Vegeta and Goku, Beerus treasured the time he had alone. Without anyone to bother him, including Whis nagging him for his frequent naps, he reached for his wine glass and took a generous sip of freshly squeezed orange juice.
Setting the glass down, Beerus stretched and cracked his back. Rubbing his side, he sighed and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He took in the peaceful sight of the sea stretching across the horizon, the song of seagulls high above him.
He supposed he should've appreciated the time to himself, but he could not ignore the pair of wide eyes following his every moment. Beerus glanced down at his little guest and cocked his head. Bulla continued staring at him, her fingers awkwardly clutching her toes. Her treasured teddy bear, a present from her father that he had won from a carnival in West City, rested against the crook of her neck.
Bulla let go of her toes, allowing her legs fall back against the comfortable linens in her carrier. She smiled, reaching up for Beerus' tail when it flicked above her head. Sighing, Beerus leaned back as Bulla grasped his tail, using it to pull herself up. He felt her tiny, pudgy hands cling to his strong tail, and with a grunt, she pulled herself out of her carrier, flopping against his side.
"You're a tough little runt, aren't you?" Beerus mumbled as Bulla giggled, smacking her hands against his ribs. "You're just like your parents, always trying to piss me off, but since it's your first offense, I'll be generous and pretend it never happened."
Bulla giggled and tugged at the gold band clinging to his right forearm. Beerus offered her his arm, and Bulla beamed, her rather big head bonking into the band. Grimacing, he expected to hear her start crying in a shrill voice like her mother's, but Bulla continued laughing. He assumed that was part of her Saiyan heritage.
Beerus remained silent as Bulla crawled onto his lap. Although she couldn't sit upright, she still tried. She pushed against his lean stomach and wobbled, her arms circling, but Beerus pinched her head with his bony forefinger and thumb. He took her subsequent laughter as a form of gratitude.
When Bulma essentially tossed her baby at him, he really had no say in the matter. Beerus was left dotting on Bulla in his own distant way. He had noticed she never lost her smile in the time that her parents were away. She just kept cooing and wiggling like some kind fat worm similar to the baby aliens on planet Nutts.
Even though he kept an eye on her, Beerus couldn't help but sense the enormous power level from faraway. Some kind of beast ravaged thousands of miles up north, and he bristled, pondering if he should give the monster a visit to show him his true place. While he could sense Goku and Vegeta valiantly fighting, along with the subsequent arrival of Frieza, he wondered if they were still too weak to defeat whatever Saiyan was battling them.
Bulla squealed, dragging him out of his thoughts. She played with the sash around his waist. The fine linen fell between her fingers, and she leaned back against his stomach, draping the sash around her neck. Laughing and kicking, Bulla glanced up to Beerus as if seeking his approval.
"That's nice, kid," he deadpanned, wrapping his arms behind his head.
The war continued to wage. Power levels dramatically increased, and the tension from clashing beam struggles made the muscles in his arms involuntarily flex. The wind changed, blowing a bit harsher from the north. Bulla shivered, curling into Beerus, but he wouldn't coddle her. If she were a Saiyan like her father, then she needed to get used to high power levels.
She sneezed, a cute sound that echoed across Bulma's resort. Beerus opened one eye and peered at the disgruntled baby, her nose scrunching and brow furrowing. He was immediately reminded of Vegeta from her displeased expression, his lips quirking into a grin at the stark resemblance.
Bulla caught his gaze, her expression immediately brightening. She plopped onto his chest and clung to the cloth around his neck. Her legs wriggled against his ribs as she tried pulling herself up. She cooed and giggled, her little feet kicking and small hands pulling herself up even though she only stayed in place.
Beerus lied back, eyes closed with the waves cresting against the shore and Bulla's squeaks filling the silence. Distantly, he sensed the end of the battle, bits of ki drifting in the wind from mighty energy blasts. Peace had returned, and he didn't even need to lift a finger.
Bulla tugged on his cloth, evidently pleased with herself. She smiled and closed her eyes, but he knew she wouldn't fall asleep. Like her parents, she was too energetic for her own good.
"Looks like everything turned out alright," he murmured, and a ghost of a smile played on his lips.
He took Bulla's happy babbling as her agreement and relaxed. He sunk deeper into his chair as Bulla nestled against him. Another gentle breeze gusted by them, and the cool shade from the umbrella provided comfort to them both. Patting Bulla's head, Beerus dropped his arm and drifted off to sleep, the last sound he would hear being Bulla's soft yawn.