Last Time:
Ugh, stop it Bulma, you are happy with Yamcha, she scolded herself. She began to walk through the long glass corridor, noticing how dark it was outside. She was stopped short when she saw a glowing light outside. What the hell? She peered through the glass and noticed a figure glowing yellow in the distance, angrily taking down trees with single blows. He looked in her direction and for a moment her heart stopped.
As the figure flew lightning-fast into the forest, she knew for sure who it had been.
Vegeta.
***
It was a rough night, to say the least. After struggling through class the previous night, Vegeta had decided to indulge himself in a few drinks and overload of cigarettes. He felt like a loser drinking by himself up in his clock tower, pacing back and forth trying to figure out what to do with himself, but his only other option was to mull everything over in his room. She'd fucking seen him, that bitch Bulma. No one knew about his secret powers, and she'd seen him transformed and knew it was him. He needed to get drunk, and the only place to be drunk and angry was where there was nothing around he could destroy. Right, like he needed to tear apart his bed yet again. His dad would fucking kill him.
He'll probably kill me anyway, he thought bitterly, finishing his cigarette and tossing the butt into the can he kept beside him. His mind wandered to his father, his tall, foreboding stance and distinguished moustache. Vegeta Senior was the owner of some kind of experimental science laboratory, the inside of which Vegeta had never seen. His dad was rarely around, often off on expeditions as he called them, and when he was around the household turned into a little bit of hell. At least when he was away Vegeta could find some form of solace, working out in the private gym or helping his mom around the house.
His memories were vague at best when dad was around. His mom usually holed herself up in her room with a bottle of bourbon and left Vegeta to fend for himself from his dad's rage. Fuck mom, he thought angrily, fuck her and her vacant, fucked up problems. He didn't know what his dad had done to her to make her so disengaged with reality, but whenever Vegeta returned home to visit her, her eyes were a little more empty, her skin sallower, the gaps under her eyes darker, deeper. It was a full-time job watching the woman, making sure she ate, bathed and didn't fucking kill herself. It was why he never wanted to go home, why he never talked about it around the few people he called friends.
Not even 18 knew all the details, even though she'd seen the scar trailing down his back. Thank god for 18. She never pushed, never questioned why it never healed. She never even questioned his random disappearances, always making sure he was okay without prying into his personal business. That was one reason why they were friends. Maybe the other reason was she was as fucked up as he was.
His head was starting to feel a little woozy from the bottle of rye he'd been sipping on throughout the evening. He giggled a little at his inebriation, forcing his face to drop the silly smile it had on. There was no way he was going to be alone and drunk tonight. That was something his mother did. Instead, he picked up his phone and called 18.
"Vegeta!" she shouted as she answered, "it's fucking two in the morning. You'd better have a good reason for waking me up."
"Get your ass over here. I've still got half a bottle of rye and I need someone to finish it with me," he said. He heard her sigh on the other end of the line.
"Are you okay? Did something happen tonight? I mean, for Christ's sake we just went out the other night!" she complained.
"Nothing happened," he lied, "I just felt like having a drink and I think you could use one too, you uptight bitch," he finished, teasing.
"Whatever. I'll be there in a minute and there had better still be some booze left for me!" she said, then clicked her phone shut.
Vegeta put his phone away and lazily lit another cigarette. He wanted to laugh over his predicament. Of course it would be Bulma to see his secret. The bitch he hated and wanted all at the same time. He contemplated which direction he would take to deal with the situation. He could pretend it never happened, ignore her completely and deny any accusations the woman might bring up. He could secretly kill her, drop her off a bridge or snap her neck. Then again, she was the heir to an enormous fortune, so somebody would likely investigate it and hunt his ass down. Or he could be straight with her. Tell her the whole goddamned story even. He laughed out loud at the thought, imagining her pretty blue eyes widening as he admitted to her that he was a genetic freak. Then maybe running, screaming through the hallways, rallying up the student body with torches and pitchforks to come and hunt him down.
Monster. That's what he was. A goddamned monster. He could crush that little body with his fingertips, turn her skin and bones into pulp. He could fly her up into space and watch as she slowly suffocated and turned blue from lack of oxygen. Fuck, he thought, I have got some issues. It was pretty clear he couldn't kill her. He'd never forgive himself for something of that magnitude. It was obvious that the best thing he could do was sit here and pour himself another drink.
"Jesus, Veg, you look like shit." It was 18 trudging up the clock tower stairs. She was still dressed in her pyjamas- pink with tiny sheep all over them. He resisted the urge to laugh, but she glared as a smirk curled on his face.
"And don't you dare say a word about these. My foster grandma made them herself for me," she warned, giving him a tell-tale eye. He turned his smirk into a knowing smile. 18 was adopted, but her parents were very wholesome people. The girl was fucking lucky. He would kill for normal parents. 18 took a seat beside him on his couch and mixed herself a drink, cringing at the pile of cigarette butts in the can.
"You're in rough shape. Did you sleep last night?" she asked.
"Not much," Vegeta admitted, lighting another smoke for himself and one for 18. She took it gladly, inhaling deeply. He admired the wisps of smoke that came curling out, undulating in front of them. In truth he didn't get much sleep most nights. Either his scar was burning or he was pissed off about something or other. Most nights he spent up here, smoking cigarettes and trying to fight off the demon inside him trying to take hold.
"Well, since you're not going to talk, I'm going to. I have a crush," 18 said giddily. Vegeta groaned.
"Another one? Who is it this time? I swear you've dated just about everyone in the student body," he said, exhasperated.
"Well, this one I haven't dated. I never really talked to him before the other night, but he's really funny and cute, I think he could be the guy!" she exclaimed, her eyes filled with stars. Vegeta did a mental checklist in his head, tallying off who was at the bar the other night until he came up with a match.
"Not Krillin?" he asked, cringing slightly when she let out a forlorn sigh.
"Yeah, Krillin. If only he weren't dating that stupid cunt Maron I'm sure we could fall in love," she said.
"Come on, it's not like that's going to last. Maron isn't the kind of girl who sticks with one guy for a long time," he pointed out.
"Regardless, she's with him now, and that poses a problem for me. Can I really break them up without having a guilty conscience?"
"Are you even asking me that? Do you even have a conscience?" Vegeta retorted. 18 shot him a shocked look, then shook her head and took another swig of her drink.
"Whatever. What about you then? Don't you have your eyes set on someone?"
"Nope," he answered, purposefully keeping his gaze pointed downwards to avoid eye contact.
"Hmm, not even the pretty heiress you were making out with the other night?" she said pointedly.
"Fuck, does everyone know about that? I was drunk, and confused and I don't even know how it happened," he stammered, nearly knocking his drink over in the process.
"I think I was the only one that saw it, but come on Veg. It looked hot! Why don't you just go for it?" 18 asked. She was in a suddenly peppy mood, and Vegeta wouldn't have been surprised if she shot out some pom poms and started cheering.
"For one thing, she has a boyfriend," he said.
"Easily changeable," 18 replied smugly.
"And for another thing, she's an intolerable bitch who thinks she's better than everyone," he continued.
"Which is exactly what you find appealing in women. I mean, come on, that's why you like me!"
"And it'll never work. Case closed. She's not the kind of girl I could just fuck and move on with, you know that, and you know that's all I'm looking for, so there is no reason to push the matter," he said, finishing the conversation.
"Maybe she'll be the one to finally 'get' you," 18 suggested, raising her eyebrows hopefully.
"Fuck, 18! No means no! I don't want any part of this, so stop pushing it! Why are you so insistent on this?" he shouted, pounding his fist on the small table in front of him.
"I just want to see you happy, Veg. I know there's something stirring in that clouded brain of yours, and I don't want you to drive yourself crazy with it. Just think about it, okay?" she asked, softening her voice. Vegeta grunted, deciding not to answer. 18 pushed herself straight up on the couch, looking like she was ready to give a speech.
"Now, are you going to help me break up Maron and Krillin?" she asked, thankfully deviating from the Bulma topic.
"This smells like a disaster," Vegeta commented, but he was willing to do anything to help his friend. Anything but what she was about to suggest.
"I need Maron to cheat on Krillin so he'll break up with her and be single," 18 said quickly, eyeing him to guage his reaction.
"Absolutely not, 18. I know what you're thinking and I am not going to hook up with Maron," he said, crossing his arms firmly. Fuck that. Not only was the girl psychotic, but she was his ex-girlfriend. Definitely not happening.
"Oh, Veggie, please? It won't even matter for you since you've been with her before, and then I might have a chance at real love!" 18 crooned, fluttering her eyelids and frowning like a lost puppy dog.
Vegeta sighed deeply, knowing he couldn't refuse the one request from his best friend.
"Fine. You set the shit up and I'll do it, but you owe me huge, and I'll decide when and how you can pay me back," he replied. Fuck, another cigarette wouldn't hurt.
***
When Bulma woke up the next morning she had to convince herself that what she'd seen last night had been a dream. People couldn't just fly. Nor could they turn glowing yellow and blow things up or do anything that she'd seen Vegeta do the night before. Those things just didn't happen. She slumped in her bed, squinting her eyes closed, trying to make sense of the situation. She was a genius, how could she not figure this out?
She was still applying mathematical formulas in her head when her alarm clock buzzed, signalling that she needed to get up and get ready for class. She groaned inwardly, pulling herself out of bed and making her way to the living room and kitchen she shared with Chi Chi. The room was empty and tidied when she opened the door, meaning Chi Chi was already out the door. Bulma remembered something about an early meeting with the principal regarding her credit card bills. She made herself a coffee and plopped herself onto the couch. She must've had nightmares last night, because she felt exhausted and grumpy. Not at all in the mood to go to class.
By the time she'd mustered up the energy to make it to class, she knew she would be late. She hated being late, but she trudged along the hallways as fast as she could, her uniform skirt swaying around her hips. She hurriedly text messaged Yamcha to see if he wanted to do lunch, and just as she was slipping her phone back into her bag, she heard that familiar, vain drawl.
"Don't you know cellphones are banned once the bell rings?" She spun around and saw Vegeta leaning against a brick wall, his famous smirk on his lips. Don't think about the lips, Bulma. Instead she pursed her own lips, eyeing him down.
"And I suppose you're the new hall monitor?" she taunted. His eyes momentarily flashed what could have been mistaken for mirth, but instantly returned to their dull glare.
"Good one, Briefs. I know you're stressed because you're late and that might tarnish your perfect record, so I'll make this quick. You and I need to have a little chat," he said. Absolutely not, Bulma thought. She was still sure she'd hallucinated last night's freak occurances, so the only logical explanation was that he wanted to tell everybody he'd kissed her and ruin her life forever.
"We have nothing to talk about," she replied. She organized her bag and was about to continue her way down the hall when she felt her body slam against the wall. She opened her eyes and realized Vegeta had her pinned, his body pressing her against the rough brick, his breath mingling with hers. His glare bore into her, the power of it nearly paralyzing her.
"You and I need to have a chat, and that's final. Not here, not now. There is a door at the bottom of the clock tower. Make your way up the stairs at midnight, and I'll be waiting. I trust you know how to sneak out?" he sneered. She nodded, feeling heat rush through her body, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
"Midnight tonight. You keep your cute little mouth shut, and so will I," he finished. He let her go, leaving her to slump against the wall to the floor before strutting away down the hall.
Bulma stayed on the ground for a few minutes, breathing heavily and regaining her strength. His power was incredible, and suddenly she felt unsure if what she'd seen last night was a dream, or not. She decided she would go to see him, tonight, and verify everything for herself. She needed to know if such a thing was possible.
***
Next time: The meeting in the clock tower, Veggie and 18's plan hatches, and we'll see what else I can fit in. Longer chapters to come, promise!
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