Part 1
Bulma put down the phone sobbing, even though she would never let the one on the other end hear the voice of her sorrow. Never had she and Yamcha had such a big blowup. She couldn't even remember now what it was that they had been fighting over, her rage had grown so fast that she was deaf to everything he said, only hearing her own voice screaming everything and anything at him.
Bulma realised in angry surprise that he'd probably hung up ages ago.
Trying hard to contain her sobs, she got up shakely and suddenly realised that she didn't have anywhere to go, or anyone to talk to. Her mom was shopping, and her dad was at some big inventor's convention for the weekend. She wandered, seeking something to make her feel better. She went up and down the stairs a couple of times, and walked into her bedroom. She saw the huge white teddy bear that Goku had won for her at the Fair only a couple months ago. She picked it up and sat on her bed, hugging her arms and legs around it, and sobbing into it. Somehow, this only made her feel more alone.
A sharp knock sounded at the door. "Woman?! Are you in there?! There's no more food!"
Oh great, Bulma though, her anger flaring temporarely before going out again. "Vegeta.. You'll have to wait until my mom gets back with the groceries."
"How long will that be??" came his angry growl from behind the door.
Bulma almost started to cry again from frustration at how insensitive this guy could be. She closed her eyes tight and said "I don't know, Vegeta." in a wobbly voice that wavered dangerously on the verge of tears.
A soft creak from the door made her open her eyes in surprise. Vegeta had opened the door, and was looking at her not with anger, but in surprise. Bulma thought he looked funny when he wasn't frowning, which was ninety percent of the time. He was wearing his training outfit, minus the shirt. He looked like her had just gotten out of the shower, because his hair didn't stick up quite as much.
Bulma suddenly realised how awful she must look. She wiped at the mixture of mascara and tears staining her cheeks, and let go of the bear, which fell back on the bed. Vegeta shook his head. "Another fight with that baka, woman?" His voice had lost a little of it's edge.
Bulma nodded, sniffling. "I'll never be able to understand how you humans go through with this thing you call love, woman. Why be with someone whom you hate, and with whom you fight all the time?" Bulma was surprised by this. She shook her head. "I.. Well, its.. Its give and take, Vegeta.. I have fun with Yamcha, just.. Not lately."
"I've noticed." he said with a slight, uncondescending smile. Her face fell, and for some reason, Vegeta felt something stirring in his heart for this girl.. He felt sorry for her, and something told him he should make an effort to comfort her. "I was just about to watch a movie on that box.. What was it called again?"
"A television." said Bulma, smiling a little.
"Yes, that's it. Would you like to come watch with me? Otherwise, you're going to kill that bear." Bulma's smile widened, and she got up off the bed. "Sure, Vegeta. I've just got to wash my face. I'll be down in a minute."
Vegeta nodded, then went back down the stairs. He sat on the couch and turned on the TV, pulling a stack of movies from the stack beside the VCR. He chose one that looked interesting - Meet the Parents. He read the back. It was supposed to be comedy. He'd like to see what humans considered comedy. It made him smirk to remember Saiyan comedy, but that would scare Bulma.
He was just sticking the tape into the player when Bulma came down the stairs. She was wearing a light pink t-shirt with a bunny on it, and baby blue pajama bottoms with more of the bunnies on them. Her slippers were pink with big yellow flowers on them. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders, and she had no make-up on.
She plopped down on the couch next to Vegeta. Then, she jumped up and said "Oh, I almost forgot! You can't have a movie night without popcorn!"
"Popcorn...?" asked Vegeta, looking suspicious, as if he thought that popcorn was some sort of torture device.
"Oh, you'll like it. It's a snack. You said you were hungry, anyways." Bulma went into the kitchen, and popping sounds were heard. Vegeta sneaked in to see what she was doing. He stood about five feet behind her, but she didn't even notice he'd come in. She was too busy holding the bowl for the little white things to fall into. He noticed how pretty she was, how shapely her body was. How had he never noticed this before? Vegeta had a sudden, intense urge to put his arms around her, but he suddenly realised what he was thinking. What am I doing? I am a Saiyan Prince!
Bulma turned around, the bowl full of buttery popcorn. "Ready?"
Vegeta gulped, and could only nodd. He followed Bulma back through the kitchen door into the living room, and sat down on the couch next to her. She handed him a Coke, and opened one for herself. The bubbly liquid felt good on his tongue, and he pressed play.
The movie was pretty good, Vegeta thought. He didn't understand some of the jokes, but that was to be expected. This was human humor, after all.
It didn't irritate Bulma that she had to explain things to Vegeta, as it usually did. She thought it was extremely funny that Vegeta didn't undestand why Greg's name was so funny. After the movie had ended, they turned on the TV. Not much was on, but for some reason, Bulma didn't care. She couldn't believe that Vegeta was being this nice. He had never acted like this, even in his good moods. Her last thought before she fell asleep was that she hoped that Vegeta was like this more often.
Vegeta stared down at Bulma. She had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Her breathing was even and soft against his side. His face burned. He looked around, as if to make sure no one was watching them. Then, he put his arm around the girl's shoulders, and drew her closer to him. His movements were awkward, and unsure. She sighed in her sleep. He almost jumped off the sofa, but she was still asleep.
Vegeta wasn't sure just how long he sat there with Bulma. He felt warm inside, something he had never felt before. She could kill me right now, he thought. And I don't believe I would care. This was the first time he'd felt at peace for... For as long as he could remember. He allowed himself a smile.
Bulma put down the phone sobbing, even though she would never let the one on the other end hear the voice of her sorrow. Never had she and Yamcha had such a big blowup. She couldn't even remember now what it was that they had been fighting over, her rage had grown so fast that she was deaf to everything he said, only hearing her own voice screaming everything and anything at him.
Bulma realised in angry surprise that he'd probably hung up ages ago.
Trying hard to contain her sobs, she got up shakely and suddenly realised that she didn't have anywhere to go, or anyone to talk to. Her mom was shopping, and her dad was at some big inventor's convention for the weekend. She wandered, seeking something to make her feel better. She went up and down the stairs a couple of times, and walked into her bedroom. She saw the huge white teddy bear that Goku had won for her at the Fair only a couple months ago. She picked it up and sat on her bed, hugging her arms and legs around it, and sobbing into it. Somehow, this only made her feel more alone.
A sharp knock sounded at the door. "Woman?! Are you in there?! There's no more food!"
Oh great, Bulma though, her anger flaring temporarely before going out again. "Vegeta.. You'll have to wait until my mom gets back with the groceries."
"How long will that be??" came his angry growl from behind the door.
Bulma almost started to cry again from frustration at how insensitive this guy could be. She closed her eyes tight and said "I don't know, Vegeta." in a wobbly voice that wavered dangerously on the verge of tears.
A soft creak from the door made her open her eyes in surprise. Vegeta had opened the door, and was looking at her not with anger, but in surprise. Bulma thought he looked funny when he wasn't frowning, which was ninety percent of the time. He was wearing his training outfit, minus the shirt. He looked like her had just gotten out of the shower, because his hair didn't stick up quite as much.
Bulma suddenly realised how awful she must look. She wiped at the mixture of mascara and tears staining her cheeks, and let go of the bear, which fell back on the bed. Vegeta shook his head. "Another fight with that baka, woman?" His voice had lost a little of it's edge.
Bulma nodded, sniffling. "I'll never be able to understand how you humans go through with this thing you call love, woman. Why be with someone whom you hate, and with whom you fight all the time?" Bulma was surprised by this. She shook her head. "I.. Well, its.. Its give and take, Vegeta.. I have fun with Yamcha, just.. Not lately."
"I've noticed." he said with a slight, uncondescending smile. Her face fell, and for some reason, Vegeta felt something stirring in his heart for this girl.. He felt sorry for her, and something told him he should make an effort to comfort her. "I was just about to watch a movie on that box.. What was it called again?"
"A television." said Bulma, smiling a little.
"Yes, that's it. Would you like to come watch with me? Otherwise, you're going to kill that bear." Bulma's smile widened, and she got up off the bed. "Sure, Vegeta. I've just got to wash my face. I'll be down in a minute."
Vegeta nodded, then went back down the stairs. He sat on the couch and turned on the TV, pulling a stack of movies from the stack beside the VCR. He chose one that looked interesting - Meet the Parents. He read the back. It was supposed to be comedy. He'd like to see what humans considered comedy. It made him smirk to remember Saiyan comedy, but that would scare Bulma.
He was just sticking the tape into the player when Bulma came down the stairs. She was wearing a light pink t-shirt with a bunny on it, and baby blue pajama bottoms with more of the bunnies on them. Her slippers were pink with big yellow flowers on them. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders, and she had no make-up on.
She plopped down on the couch next to Vegeta. Then, she jumped up and said "Oh, I almost forgot! You can't have a movie night without popcorn!"
"Popcorn...?" asked Vegeta, looking suspicious, as if he thought that popcorn was some sort of torture device.
"Oh, you'll like it. It's a snack. You said you were hungry, anyways." Bulma went into the kitchen, and popping sounds were heard. Vegeta sneaked in to see what she was doing. He stood about five feet behind her, but she didn't even notice he'd come in. She was too busy holding the bowl for the little white things to fall into. He noticed how pretty she was, how shapely her body was. How had he never noticed this before? Vegeta had a sudden, intense urge to put his arms around her, but he suddenly realised what he was thinking. What am I doing? I am a Saiyan Prince!
Bulma turned around, the bowl full of buttery popcorn. "Ready?"
Vegeta gulped, and could only nodd. He followed Bulma back through the kitchen door into the living room, and sat down on the couch next to her. She handed him a Coke, and opened one for herself. The bubbly liquid felt good on his tongue, and he pressed play.
The movie was pretty good, Vegeta thought. He didn't understand some of the jokes, but that was to be expected. This was human humor, after all.
It didn't irritate Bulma that she had to explain things to Vegeta, as it usually did. She thought it was extremely funny that Vegeta didn't undestand why Greg's name was so funny. After the movie had ended, they turned on the TV. Not much was on, but for some reason, Bulma didn't care. She couldn't believe that Vegeta was being this nice. He had never acted like this, even in his good moods. Her last thought before she fell asleep was that she hoped that Vegeta was like this more often.
Vegeta stared down at Bulma. She had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Her breathing was even and soft against his side. His face burned. He looked around, as if to make sure no one was watching them. Then, he put his arm around the girl's shoulders, and drew her closer to him. His movements were awkward, and unsure. She sighed in her sleep. He almost jumped off the sofa, but she was still asleep.
Vegeta wasn't sure just how long he sat there with Bulma. He felt warm inside, something he had never felt before. She could kill me right now, he thought. And I don't believe I would care. This was the first time he'd felt at peace for... For as long as he could remember. He allowed himself a smile.