Popping The Question

A Dragonball Z Fanfiction by Aoikami Sarah

Chapter Three

Vegeta emerged from the den more confused than ever. After skipping through the scenes which made him especially uncomfortable he gleaned very little USEFUL knowledge regarding the marriage process. Rather, he had come away with a greater dread of having to "pop the question", as one film had referred to asking another to wed. The films taught him that human females were happier when their men went through with this ritual, and that most men were terrified of it. He knew Bulma. He knew that she wanted this. All he had wanted to do for the last thirteen years was to protect her and make her happy. He still had no idea how he would go about it. He scarfed down some leftovers late that night and mulled over his position.

'I'll find a way to wed the woman without completely humiliating myself… somehow... First thing's first, I suppose I have to ask her', he thought as he gnawed on a pork chop. 'This is ridiculous! If she's the one who wants to get married, why doesn't she do the asking?!'

.x.

Bulma sat up in bed, sketching schematics. She erased a mistake vigorously then slammed the pencil down in frustration. "Fuck," she spat at the notebook.

"If you say so."

Bulma let out a short shriek. "Ah! You scared the crap out of me!" Vegeta stood, arms folded, in the doorway. She looked at him, exasperated. He waited for her to calm down. She recovered and pursed her lips to suppress a smile. He raised his eyebrows. She let him suffer for a moment then tossed her head in the direction the right and vacant side of the bed. Vegeta grinned and flicked off the lights.

.x.

After the third go, Vegeta's mind wandered back to the issue which had been plaguing him. He sighed deeply which got Bulma's attention. She had been nodding off, sprawled across his chest, but now stirred slightly. Sighing with a hum, she snuggled her cheek against him.

"Bulma?"

"Mm?"

The prince summoned his courage, which he had previously thought was constant.

"Do you..?" The words caught in his throat.

"Do I what?" Bulma mumbled sleepily.

"Do you... want me to marry you?"

Vegeta held his breath.

Bulma felt this and woke up. "What?" She pushed away from him and, although it was pitch dark in the room, she tried to stare at him. He was silent. "Well, Vegeta... I... I don't know.."

His suddenly realized that he had been afraid, deathly afraid of being rejected. Now his woman said 'I don't know'?! 'What the hell kind of crap is that?'

"I thought that's what you wanted!" he barked at her.

"Well, I didn't say no... it's just..."

"It's just what?" he demanded.

"There's a lot more to getting married than you're probably aware of. It's not just paperwork, you know..." Part of her wanted to scream YES! But part of her hesitated. 'I'm sorry, Vegeta, I can't say yes, not yet...' Her ideas of what marriage meant to her flitted through her head. She searched for the right words.

"It's about trust... and vows... and forever and..." Bulma stuttered as she spoke, but he didn't let her finish. Vegeta rolled out of bed and put his clothes back on in the dark. He went to a window and opened it.

"Where are you going?" She knew he wasn't going to listen to her, but she had to explain.

He didn't answer her. The sky was just beginning to lighten. Vegeta's silhouette lingered for a moment in the tall frame. Bulma's jaw hung open loosely.

"Vegeta... wait!"

He was in the sky before she could finish her call.

.x. .x. .x.

Several days of little sleep wore at Bulma till she was a wreck. Vegeta had not returned. She had no idea where he went or when he was coming back, if he was coming back. She sat at the kitchen table, drank some tea and pushed her scrambled eggs around with a wedge of toast. Trunks stared across the table at the bags under his mother's eyes. He was completely used to his parent's arguing, heck, even Chi-Chi screamed at Goku at least once a day, but this was different. He had a way of knowing the degree to which the fights reached. This must have been a big one, the biggest one, perhaps. He hadn't seen his father for days. The gravity chamber was free for him to use all by himself anytime he wanted. He had liked that until he saw how it affected Bulma. The phone rang and shook him from his thoughts. Bulma continued to push her toast. A total of six rings sounded before Trunks pushed away from the table and answered it himself. As usual, he left the video phone screen off.

"Hello? Oh, hi Grandma. Yeah, uh, hold on a sec?" He put the receiver to his chest. "It's Grandma, Mom. You wanna talk to her?"

Bulma looked up at him slowly, sighed and nodded. She pushed the plate away from her as she stood and took the portable handset with her upstairs.

"Mom...?" her voice wavered. "No..." As Bulma climbed the stairs she began to cry.

Trunks watched her go and cursed Vegeta.

.x.

"What did he do now?" Her mother's usual, bubbly tone disappeared when she heard the despair in Bulma's voice.

"It's not what he did for once!" she wailed. "It's my fault!"

"What's your fault honey?" Mrs. Briefs listened to her daughter pour out the story from the beginning.

"I should have just said yes! I wanted to, god, I wanted to!"

"But you didn't. You must have thought it wasn't right."

"But... but..." she hiccupped.

"Shh... think about it. There must be something lacking in your relationship with Vegeta if you didn't say yes... He doesn't hit you does he?"

"Mom! No! For the umpteen-millionth time! He's never laid a hand on me! It's his mouth he uses as a weapon."

"Oh, well, you're certainly a match for any man in that department."

Bulma couldn't help a chuckle. That was very true.

"That's better. Now, what is it you need from him that he isn't giving you?"

"I don't know..!" Bulma started getting hysterical again.

"Ok, ok, how bout we start with what he DOES give?"

"Well... he protects me..."

"How bout the love life?"

"Oh, that is no problem."

"Really?"

"Mother..."

"All right. Sorry. Continue."

"He gave me Trunks..." Bulma sighed. "I know what it is."

"Already?"

"Yeah. Mom. We've been together for about thirteen years! I fell in love with him a long time ago. I still love him. I will most probably always love him." Bulma sank down into a plush chair and held her head with her free hand. "I have no idea if he actually loves me!!"

"Oh dear."