Chapter 2: Oh my god it's today

"You sure know how to snag a date, Goku! You said Goten punched his kid in the face, and he still said yes?" The voice on the line sounds dumbfounded, and Goku laughs.

"Yeah, crazy, right? I still can't believe it. And now there's only three days until I see him again!" Goku leans back in his chair as his childhood friend squeals over the phone.

"Oh my god, this is adorable! I can watch Goten for you if you want."

"That would be great, thanks Bulma! I also offered for you to watch his kid too, but he didn't pick up on it, so I'm not sure. Would you mind?" Bulma sighs through the line, but she doesn't sound annoyed. Maybe a little exasperated. Goku crosses his fingers as he hears her rustle some papers before answering.

"Of course you offered, but sure, I wouldn't mind. What did you say his kid's name was again?" Goku scratches under his chin as he looks through his closet. For some reason Goku had been hit with the urge to pick out his outfit ahead of time for his date. Should he go casual, or classy? Maybe a mix of both? He shuffles through tops and finds a nice violet button-up, and he wonders if he has a vest stashed somewhere in his dressers.

"I don't even think I told you, actually! He's a tough little guy, that's for sure. His name's Trunks," Goku says. As he finds a pair of dark skinny jeans and turns to look for that vest he's been thinking about there is a long, stretched out silence over the line. Goku checks his phone to see if Bulma hasn't hung up before finding a black vest, but then almost drops his phone in surprise.

"WHAT?" Bulma shrieks. Goku gathers his outfit (it's a surprise he has such nice clothes stashed away in his room) and places it on top of his dresser, shifting his phone between his cheek and shoulder. His eyebrows knit together as he frowns.

"Yeah. Is something wrong?"

"Of course something is wrong, you idiot! That's my kid! You're going to have dinner with Vegeta?!" Goku stops short, eyes widening as a sense of dread washes over him.

"Uh, yes?" He slaps a hand over his forehead, face paling as the final pieces fall into place.

"Shit! Don't tell me I'm going on a date with your ex husband?!" Bulma shrieks again on the other line, and Goku kicks his dresser. How did he end up with such terrible luck, landing a date with the man he barely heard about until Bulma got divorced? She's never really talked about him before; it's all been in passing, and he can vaguely recall hearing Vegeta's name once or twice. Goku runs a hand through his hair as his stomach sinks; the prospect of dinner is laden with guilt, now.

"I'm so sorry, Bulma! I had no idea that Vegeta was your ex husband Vegeta!" Goku sighs and casts a glance at the outfit he's picked out.

"Do you want me to cancel the date?" Goku murmurs in a defeated tone. He wishes he could see Bulma's face right now, to try and gauge her feelings regarding this whole situation. He feels terrible for making such a mistake, even if it was by pure accident. Eventually Bulma hums over the line, and then chuckles a bit.

"No. You don't have to cancel your date for my sake, Goku. This could be just what you need. you haven't been this lively since Chi-Chi died, and Gohan's worried about you. You should tell him about this." Bulma's reply is serious, so serious that Goku shifts in discomfort, avoiding the intense gazes of eyes he can't see.

"I guess I should. No use making my son worry about me when he's got his own things to be worried about! Thank you, Bulma," Goku smiles, even though he knows she can't see it.

"There's no need to thank me, Goku. I can send over some cash for the meal if you need it. Call me the day before so I have time to get it to you, alright?"

"Alright. I'll tell you how it goes afterwards." Bulma says her goodbyes in a rush after Goku hears a small explosion over the line, and he chuckles to himself as he hangs up.

"That woman is going to hurt herself one day if she's not careful in that lab," Goku muses out loud. He takes one last glance at his outfit- a garb that he hopes Vegeta will like- before exiting his room and making a beeline for the kitchen. Maybe a good meal will calm his nerves. He doesn't need them right now, that's for sure. He still has three days for all of that.

-/-/-/-

Goku wakes up Friday morning feeling antsy, and looks over to his nightstand to see that he's woken up a lot earlier than usual. 8:00, his clock reads. What should he do? Goku doesn't really work; he has a childhood friend that is the owner/heir to Capsule Corporation, one of the biggest companies in the world- Bulma. She is extremely rich, and more than happy to support Goku in all of his financial needs. Goku makes a mental note to do something nice for Bulma as thanks; he really doesn't appreciate her enough.

With no work and an empty house (both Gohan and Goten are in school right now), Goku's not sure how to wile away the hours until his date with Vegeta. He called Bulma the night before to affirm his acceptance of money for the meal, so there's no need to worry much about the cost. Goku stretches as he gets out of bed, yawning as he picks up his date outfit to iron it. He doesn't really have much else to do; maybe taking measures to be the best he can be for the date will ease his anxieties.

Once he finishes ironing his clothes, Goku goes to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. Five pancakes, some sausage, eggs, and bacon pile onto his plate as he sifts his pan, whistling while he cooks. He tries not to let a pang of nostalgia and pain wrench at his gut; he remembers when Chi-Chi would spend her mornings teaching him how to cook and clean. Countless burnt out pots of rice, blackened slabs of beef, vegetables that looked like lumps of coal...

The immaculate plate of breakfast set at the table is a haunting reminder of his late wife. Chi-Chi's been dead for five years; surely he should be done grieving? She died of a heart disease, but the doctors hadn't told Goku much more than that. Maybe to spare him the ugly details. The one thing Goku is glad for is that Goten remembers his mother. Granted, a seven year old can't remember much, but at least there's something there.

Goku sits alone at the kitchen table eating a breakfast that sinks to his stomach like gravel; he's made good work of his morning. A more appropriate way to phrase it would be to say that he's ruined his morning over memories and sadness. After a silent time is taken to finish the large meal, Goku places his dishes into the sink before stretching, face still crumpled in anguish. He can't bring himself to cheer up right now; not with Chi-Chi swirling in his head. He's loved her for as long as he can remember, and it's been hard letting her go. With a heavy, drawn out sigh, Goku trudges to his bathroom to take a shower.

-/-/-/-

"Augh, I have nothing to wear!"

Bulma rolls her eyes as she passes the hallway, amused by her ex-husband's frustration. Sometimes she wonders why she lets him stay at Capsule Corp. still, but it doesn't take long to remember that their relationship is at its best when it's platonic. She doesn't harbor any bitterness towards it all; Vegeta just didn't seem happy married to her, even if she knew he cared about her. Flicking her aqua hair from her face, Bulma stops at Vegeta's door and raps sharply against it.

"What in earth are you doing in there?" She calls. Bulma hears a dull thud followed by a string of curses before the door opens to reveal a frazzled Vegeta, and he glares at her.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm trying to find appropriate attire for my date tonight," Vegeta huffs, turning his nose up at her. Bulma puts a hand on her hip and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, really, hot stuff? A date? How did you manage to do that?" Bulma teases, and Vegeta growls as he blushes, cheeks and the tips of his ears turning red.

"Don't act so surprised!" He snaps, and Bulma laughs.

"Geez, don't get so upset over it! I think it's kinda cute," she says. Vegeta scowls and turns away from her, cheeks still red. Bulma is about to wish him luck and leave when she catches a glimpse of Vegeta's room. Her eyes widen as she takes in the scene before her.

There are mounds of clothing strewn about the room; shirts jeans, undershirts, socks, and even some ties and armbands.

"Woah, what happened here?" She questions. Vegeta grips at his hair and casts a glance at the mess behind him before turning to her with desperate and frustrated eyes.

"I've looked through my closet four times over, and I can't find anything to wear!" He cries. Bulma tsks, and steps into the room. She kneels down and begins siftinf through the clothes, and Vegeta huffs as he drops his arms.

"You don't have to dress me, woman! I'll find something sooner or later!" He shoots defensively. Bulma smirks at him over her shoulder.

"Obviously not. You're not fooling anyone, sweetheart; you're really nervous about this date of yours, aren't you?" Vegeta flushes again, this time a deep crimson as he avoids Bulma's gaze.

"Hmph, you don't know what you're talking about!" He sneers. Bulma lets out a chuckle as she stands up again, and throws some clothes at him. Vegeta catches the garments with ease, and unfolds them for inspection.

Bulma has picked out a pair of black jeans, a black muscle tee with a skull on the front, and a mahogany armband. Vegeta frowns a bit, and looks back up at Bulma with badly masked worry.

"This hardly seems like proper attire for a dinner date," he says, but Bulma waves a nonchalant hand.

"Don't even worry about it, honey. Anything can be right for a dinner date if you wear it right," she winks at him and steps out of the room, waving as she continues her journey to her lab.

"Good luck!" Vegeta looks back at the outfit Bulma's picked out for him, and takes another glance at the mess of clothes around him.

"That woman better have known what she was talking about," he mutters. "I only have thirty minutes left until I'm rushing."

-/-/-

Goku straightens out his vest as he inspects himself in the mirror. A quick glance at his clock tells him that he has around thirty minutes until the date, and he takes a deep breath to steady himself.

"This is it, Goku. You just have to keep your cool, and be yourself. There's no need to worry," he murmurs. Goku pulls out his phone and hesitates for a moment before opening a new thread.

I'm going to leave in around fifteen minutes. Do you want me to pick you up, or should we meet up at the restaurant?

After around five minutes he receives a reply.

Thank you for the offer, I'll give you the address to where I live.

Goku hopes he doesn't screw this up.

A/N: So, I know nothing really happened this chapter, but I've been letting the story drive itself, and I'm going to essentially post whatever I write. As a result, this became a filler. Sorry if it's a bit choppy, but I'm kind of busy with school and whatnot, so I don't have too much free time for cleaning up and/or profound writing. I'll be sure to get the next chapter up by next Sunday!

Next Chapter: What Could Go Wrong?