Friends Encore

~Acceptance~

Bulma drifted awake as feather soft kisses trailed her throat, cocooned in the safe embrace of big strong arms. A beatific smile grew on her lips. Humming in appreciation, she curled up tighter against Vegeta. Mmm, he smelled so good.

"Mornin'," she mumbled, not opening her eyes, wanting this feeling of half-waking, half-dreaming perfection to last as long as possible.

Vegeta didn't verbally answer. No surprises there. He greeted her with a tight squeeze and more kisses on her neck.

Little by little, he worked his way down. Kissing her collarbone. Kissing the tops of her breasts where her tiny tank top barely kept her decent. Kissing her bellybutton which made her giggle. His lips curled against her belly in a mischievous smile and he tightened his fingers on her squirming hips, pinning her down to better tease her. Bastard.

Thoughts of retribution vanished the moment his fingers slipped under the straps of her panties and tugged them down her thighs. Suddenly Bulma was very awake. She opened her eyes just as her bed-headed boyfriend lifted her ass.

His eyes flicked up to hers. A deliciously evil smile spread across his face. "Give it up for me, Briefs."

Doomed. She was so doomed. If his kisses hadn't fanned her desire, then his smoky look and naughty command did. It spoke to a secret part of her, a submissive need to obey that only Vegeta could inspire in her. Obediently, she spread her legs, heat burning her cheeks and flushing her whole body.

His eyes narrowed with appreciation. "That's my good girl." Leaning in, he stopped at the cusp of her femininity, the warmth of his breath ghosting her exposed skin. "Mine."

Oh god, he was pressing all her favorite buttons while she wasn't even awake enough to put up any defenses. My good girl…Mine. He usually only got this way when feeling especially possessive.

He kissed her inner thighs, taking his sweet time torturing her. Her legs trembled. "What's wrong?" he purred. "Does my Bulma need something? Is that why you're so wet?"

"You j-jerk—Oh!" Her words cut short as he ran a hungry tongue over her. Her fingers fisted the sheets.

She felt like a ship at sea in a storm, coming undone as it was tossed against rocks. Pieces of herself scattered with every wave of pleasure, lost in the relentless wake of Vegeta's mouth. She grabbed onto him for anchor. Her right hand in his hair, her left to his. Dark eyes canted up the length of her body to watch her reactions as he intertwined their fingers together. He squeezed—careful of her ring—and wrecked her over and over on his tongue.

Just as the swell of her storm was ready to topple her, her hips bucking helplessly against him, her phone alarm went off.

"Fuck!" Her heart thundered, the noise startling. Twisting about, she slapped her hand against the bedside table to try to find the stupid distraction.

Vegeta's brow furrowed, tugging her back into place. "Leave it," he snapped.

"I can't focus with it going off."

Her hand connected with the device and she lifted it to her face to turn off the alarm—and saw the date.

Adrenalin surged through her and she sucked in a loud gasp. "Oh my god!" She had almost forgotten.

Vegeta's scowl intensified, his fingers digging into her thighs. Obstinately, he spread her legs apart wider and continued what her alarm had so rudely interrupted.

She was almost swayed, her body begging her to submit, but when Bulma Briefs set her mind on something, nothing—not even fantastic oral—was going to derail her. She pulled up her phone's browser and tapped her information into the tiny keyboard.

"Do you mind?" Vegeta's growl came up sullenly from between her legs. "I'm trying to do a thing here."

"I know, I'm so sorry, you're doing wonderful. Don't mind me, I'm just…" Her voice trailed off as she pulled up her account, her eyes scanning the website for the words she needed to see. And there they were…It couldn't be. Holy shit, it was! Squealing, she slapped a hand over Vegeta's face to push him away and sat bolt-right up. "Vegeta. Vegeta! Oh my GOD! I GOT IN!"

She flashed the phone in his face to show him the acceptance of her early admission from the most prestigious college in the world. He glowered at the phone, unhappy by her rough handling, but she didn't give him time to complain as she threw her arms about his neck for a quick hug. Too excited to stay still or even put her panties back on, Bulma let him go and jumped out of bed, pacing back and forth, her mind racing a thousands miles per hour.

"Oh my god, I have to tell everyone! Mom is gonna cry for sure." This was everything she had been hoping for. It was her dream college; the school's science and engineering departments were unrivaled, as was its space program. They only accepted 1 out of every 100 applications. "Wow, I'm so glad I took those AP classes now. And they must have liked my essay on how I subverted the closed circuit of the Capsule Corporation cameras, and my ideas on upgrading the training suit. I can't believe I got in!"

"Tch. As if there was any doubt."

Bulma glanced up to find Vegeta sitting on the bed in his boxer briefs, watching her with a guarded expression. He had one knee raised, probably to accommodate any side-effects their previous activities had caused. The moment their eyes met he looked away, his brow furrowing. It wasn't exactly the joyful congratulations she was looking for, but then again Vegeta was never very good at that.

Bulma clasped her hands behind her back and approached the bed, leaning over it in a manner she hoped was cute. "Hey handsome, aren't you going to check your results too?"

His scowl intensified. He darted a look at her from the corner of his eyes, then away again, his mouth thinning. "You should put on some damn pants."

She pouted and climbed onto the bed, crawling up to hug him from behind. The heat of his broad back flushed her own. "Later. I'm too excited for pants," she teased, kissing his shoulder cutely. "First I wake up to the best boyfriend in the world, and then to good news from the best school. This day couldn't get any better."

Vegeta grimaced. His hands fisted at his sides. "Bulma—"

"We should do something to celebrate!" she steam-rolled over him, bursting with ideas. "Let's go on a trip somewhere. Somewhere tropical."

"Bulma."

"I know you don't really like traveling that much but we can find some place you'll like, I promise. Some where with a cool gym maybe."

"Bulma!"

"It'll be a good chance for us to blow off some steam before we have to pack for college and—"

"Fucking hell, Bulma, could you stop making this so goddamn difficult?"

Bulma snapped her mouth shut, stunned. She pulled away, a seed of concern taking root. "Make what difficult?"

He glanced at her, clearly frustrated, but the moment their eyes met his expression melted into shame. His mouth thinned and he looked down. "Nothing. Forget it." Gritting his teeth, he came to a decision and pushed off the bed, making for the wardrobe.

Bulma watched him open the door to dig through his clothes. "Hey." What the heck was going on? Getting over her shock, Bulma climbed off the bed to approach him. "Vegeta, is something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Well, obviously it was something. She watched with rising worry as he pulled out his sweats. "Are you going to train?" Today was supposed to be his rest day. Bulma was no idiot, she knew Vegeta liked to use the gym as a way to burn off nervous energy or bury feelings he wasn't ready to face. Something was definitely wrong.

He went still, hunched over the shelf. His expression pained. His hands fisted his sweats so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Vegeta?"

"…I didn't get in."

His words sat heavily between them, filling the room with ballooning tension. Bulma struggled to wrap her mind around them. "…What?"

He glanced at her over his braced arm, his eyes swimming angrily. "I didn't get in."

No…no way. Impossible. "Of course you did." He must have. She had helped him apply and write his application essays. He'd been exhausting himself so they could attend the same college, studying to get the best grades in the school next to her own. When he didn't have his nose in a book he was practicing MMA and winning all his tournaments, even his international meets. And what school didn't love a good underdog story of a kid rising above his broken home to achieve academic success and help capture one of the worst crime bosses in the country? He was a shoo-in.

His face grew stormy. Pushing off from the shelf he went to his bedside table and picked up his phone. He brought it to her, placing it in her hand, the college's website glowing on the screen along with his results. Vegeta must have checked before she had even woken up.

She read the letter and her stomach bottomed out. "There must be some mistake…" He hadn't gotten in. All their dreams, all their plans came crashing down around them.

How many nights had they stayed awake, nose-to-nose in bed while his hand played with the ring on her finger, talking about the classes they would take in college and how they'd share their own room? Chi Chi rolled her eyes when Bulma told her. "What's the big deal," she'd asked, "you guys already do that." But there was something different, something more grown up about the idea of having their own place away from home, even if it was just in student housing.

It almost felt like being newlyweds.

"We'll fix this," she blurted out, in damage-control mode. Hell, they had taken out a mob boss, surely they could handle this. "I bet my dad knows someone in the Board of Admissions we could talk to, make sure there wasn't some mix up with your application and…" her voice trailed off as she glanced up at him. He was staring down at the phone but his eyes were looking past it, his jaw working so hard she feared for his dental work. "Hey," she said softly, reaching for his arm. It was as taut as steel. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, he dragged his gaze up to meet hers. His eyes were a black sea of emotions he could barely hold back. And just as wet. His throat bobbed.

Bulma's heart broke. "Vegeta, it's going to be okay."

"How?" he gritted out, his words choked and low. "I failed. I told you I'm not good enough for y—" He looked away abruptly before he could shame himself.

She thought they were past this, this self-doubt he harbored about not being worthy of her. Vegeta's self-confidence had skyrocketed ever since Frieza's arrest, both at school and at home. He laughed more, relaxed more, even began talking more about the future—a future he never used to dare hope for—and had warmed to the idea of college. He was, in a word, optimistic. Bulma suspected he was drawn to the notion of a fresh start, of a place where he could define himself on his own merits and not be judged on his past misdeeds. He'd no longer be some little half-orphaned gang cast-off getting by on some wealthy family's dime. He could be her equal in the eyes of society (and not just her own). Maybe then he could finally believe it himself.

It wasn't fair. He had worked so hard for this. He deserved this win. He needed it.

"Vegeta—"

"Don't. It doesn't fucking matter," he croaked, even as his shoulders hunched and he pressed his fingers over his eyes. She couldn't stand seeing him so dejected. She pulled on his arm and though stiff, he allowed her to draw him in. He buried his face against her collarbone and she stroked the back of his head and neck, resting her cheek on his temple. The silence expanded and drifted around them. Calming.

"Just so you know?" she whispered softly against his skin, "Your worth is not defined by an acceptance letter." He didn't reply but she knew he had heard. "It's not the end of the world," she added, trying to look on the bright side for both their sakes. "After all, you were only deferred. There's still a chance they'll accept you in a few months."

"Yeah gee, great. Another opportunity to be rejected," he grumbled, his voice muffled against her.

She had to hide a smile in his hair. It was hard to take him seriously when he was being petulant. "Well, at least you tried. It's only really failing if you give up, and since when have you ever done that?"

He huffed but had no comeback. He soaked up as much of her petting as he could get before pulling back, wearing a rather sheepish expression. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight, not sure how to get over the awkwardness of the moment.

She made it easy on him. "We'll get through this, Vegeta. We have other options."

"You mean you have other options," he grumbled. "Like who you're going to replace me with, the next President-in-waiting or the next NASA boy-wonder."

She looped her arms around his neck. "Oh, definitely NASA boy-wonder."

He scowled. "Cute." His tone meant he thought it was anything but. The tension had returned to his spine, the lines around his eyes and mouth tightening. He wasn't amused.

She had hit a sore point. She tried to pull him in but he wouldn't budge, so she rose up on her tiptoes to press her brow to his. "Hey. You know all this doesn't change anything between us, right?"

A myriad of emotions passed across his eyes before he could hide them by looking down. He clammed up, mouth thinning and brow furrowing, clearly worried.

For someone so smart, Vegeta could really be dense, especially if he thought this was going to break them up. "Let's sit back down," she suggested and took his hand before his stubbornness got in the way. She led them back to bed, sitting by the pillows and pulling his hand into her lap to play with the blue leather band on his wrist. "So, worst case scenario: you don't get in. That doesn't mean we can't be together," she said thinking aloud, her analytical mind already working at fixing the problem. "I don't have to stay on campus. We could rent a place together."

He stared at her fingers as they played with his band. "Who says I want to live with you? You're a pain in the ass and always getting into trouble."

"I get into trouble?" she repeated, incredulous.

"Constantly."

"Well then, maybe I'll just ask NASA boy-wonder to live with me."

He bristled. "No."

"No? You don't get to tell who I live with."

"The hell I don't," he snapped back. "See if you can keep a roommate without my permission. I know how to hide a body."

"Wow. Done that a lot, have you?"

A wicked look passed over his face, darkening his eyes and curling up the corner of his lips. He leaned in, his eyes promising all sorts of danger. "Do you really want to know?"

Her heart flip-flopped. He really shouldn't look so damn sexy when threatening to murder people. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with her? She turned up her nose at him. "You are a brute. It'll be nice to finally keep some civilized company with Mr Boy-wonder as my roommate."

His good humor quickly deteriorated. "That is not happening."

"Too bad for you. You lost your chance already."

He caught her wrist and pulled her forward until she was half in his lap. "I said no. You are mine. I protect you. I keep you safe. I hold you when you cry. You come to me for that and no one else, understand?"

His outburst stunned her into silence. She blushed, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. If anyone else tried talking to her like that she might have slapped them, but Vegeta was the exception. As maddening as it was, she liked when he was protective.

He seemed to realize what he had just admitted to and looked off to the side, his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning red. If Bulma was nicer, she might have changed the topic and let him off the hook.

Bulma wasn't that nice.

She climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms either side of his neck to look down at him with an imperious smile. "Vegeta Prince Saiyan Briefs. Will you do me the honor of being my roommate, as well as my boyfriend and protector?"

He gave her a are-you-fucking-serious death glare.

It only made her grin wider. "This is the part where you say yes."

He grimaced. "Fine." His hands slid up her thighs until they found her hips, curling about them in a possessive grip. "Someone needs to watch over you."

"As long as that someone is you?" she teased.

He grunted and rubbed little circles against her hips bones.

Her smile turned softer. "Well then. That's settled. We'll rent a place together near the campus. We can look for a community college for you, or a job. Or you could take a year off. It doesn't really matter. We'll figure it out, or I will since I'm a genius."

"Hn. If you don't, there's always the military."

The blood drained from her face and she pulled back. "The military?"

He gave a nonchalant shrug. "You know how my dad's been harping on about it."

Her fingers clenched. "Yeah but…I never thought you were taking him seriously."

"I wasn't. But it's not like I have a lot of other options going for me right now."

"Yes you do!" she blurted. "You can't join the military. We'd never see each other. You'd be gone for months! And what if they send you somewhere dangerous? What if you die?"

He gave her a wry smile. "What's wrong. You'd miss me?"

Panic crawled up her throat, her face crumpling. She shoved him, hard. "You jerk! How could you ask that? Of course I would! I just got you back." She looked down as tears burned the backs of her eyes. She still had nightmares about him dying, about him lying in that parking lot unmoving. Some nights she woke up sobbing and needed Vegeta to hold her and whisper reassuring words until she could calm down. "You promised not to leave me again," she croaked, wiping tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"Sorry," he said in a soft voice, reserved only for her on rare occasions. He pulled her against him, his arms holding her, warm and solid. "It was a bad joke. I'm not going to join the military. I just got out from under the Icejins' thumb, I'm not going to crawl under someone else's."

"You'd better not," she mumbled. "There's only room for one thumb over you and it's mine."

He snorted but didn't refute her.

His phone buzzed. Vegeta leaned over to pick it up, keeping one supportive arm around her so she wouldn't fall.

"Who is it?" she asked. Vegeta didn't exactly have a large social circle.

He checked his messages. "Confirmation on your present."

That got her attention. Bulma sat up, giving him a surprised look. "You got me a present? When? What for? What is it?"

He gave a wry smile, amused by her sudden shift in demeanor. "It's to celebrate you getting into college. Carrot-head and his girl are going to meet us for brunch at that bistro you like, the one with the strawberry crepes."

Bulma thought she must have misheard. "…What?"

Vegeta? On a brunch date?

Vegeta.

Her Vegeta?

Her brain was running an error message. DOES NOT COMPUTE. She'd been begging him for months to do something like this, but he rarely agreed to take her anywhere, and certainly not if it meant enduring Goku's presence unless punching would be involved.

"How? When?"

"Planned it a while ago," he admitted, looking suddenly sheepish. "Like I said, no one doubted you'd get accepted."

Bulma felt her chest tighten until she feared her heart would burst. She threw herself at him, burrowing her face into his neck. "Thank you!"

"Tch. Don't make a big deal about it or I'll change my mind," he grouched.

She laughed and hugged him tighter. "I love you."

He froze. After getting over the shock, he squeezed her back. It was the best feeling in the world to be held by him.

When they parted, he brushed back her hair from her face. Though nothing dramatically changed, something in his expression did. Her heart quickened in response. She knew that look. That was the look he gave her before pushing her against a wall and kissing her, before tucking her hair behind the shell of her ear to whisper naughty things against it, before he'd tell her that he loved her—not in words but in the way he worshiped every inch of her body. Her suspicions were confirmed when a moment later Vegeta leaned in and pressed a burning kiss to her lips.

Oh…She turned to liquid goo in an instant. His kisses always made her lose all sense of gravity, like the ground fell away and all she could do was hold on. She slipped her hands up to his neck to keep him there, encouraging him to deepen the kiss.

He smirked and obliged, cradling the back of her head as he delved into her mouth, making her shudder as he demanded every bit of her surrender.

A needy coo escaped her. He pulled away, leaving her gasping and lip-bruised. His eyes glinted with a cruel light. "You need to get ready for brunch."

"Fuck brunch," she gasped and leaned in for more kisses.

He chuckled. Rough hands slipped up her sides, pushing up her tank top. She raised her arms accommodatingly for him to pull it all the way off. "Does your new fancy college know what a vulgar mouth you have?" he asked against her lips, dropping the last of her clothing to the side. His gaze fell to eat up the sight of her naked.

"Fuck college too." She bit her lip as he cupped her breasts, teasing his thumbs over pebbled nipples. "Who knows if I'll even go there anymore."

His eyes snapped back to hers, narrowing severely. "You'd better be fucking joking."

Oh, she was. But she didn't have to let him know that yet. Lowering her eyes demurely, she shrugged dainty shoulders. "Who's to say? I expect the best, and if the Board of Admission didn't take you then I have my doubts over their quality control."

His hands dropped and his jaw worked, the vein in his temple starting to throb. "You are not giving up your dream college because of me. You're going to that school, Bulma, even if I have to drag you there each day myself."

Bingo. A victorious cheshire smile curled her lips. She pressed her breasts against his chest, melting all over him. "Promise?"

His expression soured. "You are a goddamn brat."

"Mm-hmm," she agreed, unapologetic. Slowly, shamelessly, she rocked her hips back and forth against his. Her body flushed with heat, warming to the wanton act, and if the swelling of his boxer briefs were any indication, so was he.

Vegeta let out a soft hiss, his hands tightening. "You little minx. You're still not wearing any goddamn pants."

"Whose fault is that? I didn't take them off." She put more pressure into her grinding. They still had unfinished business from earlier she was keen to get back to.

A shudder ran through him. "Hng… Don't remind me of my second failure this morning."

She let out a breathless laugh, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. He was fully erect now, eager as a lovesick puppy. "It's only failing if you give up, remember?"

That sparked a fire in his eyes. Forceful hands lifted her and laid her back against their bed. He braced himself over her, the look he pinned her with filled with dark desire. "We're going to be very late."

Her feet dragged up his legs to wrap around his waist. Eyes lidded, cheeks flushed, drunk on her love for him and the burning promises in his eyes, Bulma ran her hand down his stomach. Her fingers slid into his boxer briefs. This was far more important than brunch. She needed Vegeta to know the depths of her adoration for him, that nothing could ever sway her opinion of him. College might not accept him, but she did, just the way he was. Together, they could overcome anything.

She found him hard and needy. The moment she touched him he leaked helplessly all over her fingers. A choked whimper followed. God, he was cute.

"Bulma," he groaned, his arms trembling.

"Shh… They'll forgive us," she crooned sweetly. "After all, what are friends for?"

~xoXox~

AN: It's been a couple years, but I've missed my babies and I just want them to be happy. 3

Beta-read by my friend, MarcellaDuchamp, who never fails to tell me like it is, and who loves Friends almost as much as I do ^_^

Dedicated to all friends of the series, past, present, and future.