Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters
Yay! It's time for another chapter. I decided not to proofread this time because I have to rush to leave tonight and won't be able to post updates on the IPad…it's so weird, but computers for the win! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. You will be happy to know I'm almost finished with Chapter 14, so you can expect very timely updates with this one. Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing!
Vegeta had gotten to the bowling alley first and gone straight for the bar. This rage he was feeling, he didn't think he'd ever feel like that again. His mother reaching out to him, trying to take responsibility for the past just got to him. She wasn't wrong. Both his parents had let him down in such a big way. He scoffed and ordered a beer. He didn't want to think on it anymore. It just wouldn't leave him alone.
He finished off the glass and then demanded another in such a gruff way that the bartender jumped. The man asked Vegeta if he wanted anything to eat, but Vegeta had no appetite.
As he sipped his second drink, Vegeta turned to the restaurant entrance and saw Bulma already there, earlier than he thought she'd be there. She spotted him and flashed him an understanding smile as she made her way to the bar. When she reached him, she took a seat beside him and ordered a fruity drink, a Malibu Bay Breeze. The bartender got busy as the woman glanced at the menu and ordered a few appetizers.
Her attention then fell on Vegeta who was just staring at her, his expression a bit softer than when she first entered the restaurant. When she had gotten there and saw him, it looked like he wanted to wring someone's neck. "So, what's going on?" she asked lightly but cautiously. "You seemed upset when you texted me."
"I am," he remarked. There was no sense in denying it. After all, he had sought her out. Still, he didn't wish to talk about it right away. "Why did you order appetizers?"
Bulma laughed airily. "Well, if you're anything like me, then you won't eat anything when you're upset, so I got some small stuff so you get something but you don't have to force a meal into your system."
Vegeta looked at her dumbfounded. He had to admit, she was good. Part of him wondered if it was really, truly because he shared similar mannerisms to her, which he didn't doubt he did, or if it was because she was used to looking out for her son and knowing when he needed her. Either way, Vegeta was thankful that she decided to come. Like her, he was never intent on letting anyone close enough to him to know his life's problems. Bulma was like a magnet, and somehow her presence alone made him want to unload. She seemed to feel the same way the previous night with him.
"Fair enough," he remarked as he drank some more of his beer.
Bulma waited for her drink to come, the two of them sipping in silence, but after a while, Bulma tried to ask what was wrong once again. This time Vegeta sighed, not wanting to avoid answering as he had before. "I ran into my mother today."
A heaviness appeared over them, so Bulma did the only thing she could do. It was what Vegeta had done for her the night before, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. His eyes flashed down to their joined hands, his eyes shining with something Bulma couldn't understand. He let go of his cup, taking his other hand and placing it over their entwined appendages. Bulma flashed him a sad smile, assuring him that if he wanted he could talk about it, but if he didn't they could just sit together in silence for a little while.
The bartender interrupted their silent moment, placing the few appetizers she ordered in front of them. She motioned for Vegeta to eat, and began taking some food her herself. Vegeta simply watched her movements as they both ate.
He was amazed at her patience. She was probably curious and would listen to everything he had to say, but she didn't pry waiting for him to talk. His appetite returned slightly though he still felt very apprehensive and didn't want to eat. It was a horrible habit of his that he had had since high school. Apparently the woman had those types of problems too. That alone worried Vegeta. He knew how little he ate when he lost his high school girlfriend. He couldn't imagine what she went through dealing with her father and then handling his death.
"I know what you're thinking," Bulma stated. She could feel Vegeta's eyes on her, and truthfully she knew the question would come up. "It was harder in college when mom was working, Goku was back home, and I was living alone. When my father died, they checked on me all the time when I wasn't with them. I lived with mom the first semester of grad school, and so she made sure I ate and talked about stuff. We had a few late night movie nights with lots of wine, and she made sure we went a lot of new places. We visited my hometown a lot and spent time with my family and Goku and his family. When I lived alone the second semester, it was worse, but I went to visit Goku and Mom a lot. I wasn't too far from them. When I couldn't go anywhere for a weekend, mom came and visited and made sure I got out."
"How do you do that?" Vegeta asked, impressed. "I didn't think my unspoken question was that obvious."
"Hm," Bulma hummed with a shrug. "Probably not. I was always just good at reading people's behaviors."
Vegeta took another large sip of his beer and nodded before he ate some nachos. "Well, that took care of my wondering." Then he let out a breathy sigh. "There is a reason I don't want to even be near that woman. She knows it, too. We ran into each other at the store and I attempted to evade her. She brought up my father just to get me to snap at her and engage me. She knows I can never stay quiet about that bastard."
Bulma's hand moved up to his arm, rubbing up and down its length. He chuckled bitterly before he frowned. "Something happened in high school that nearly destroyed me, which is why I don't want to talk about it now, and neither my father nor my mother gave a shit. My father simply bombarded me with more work for his damn company, trying to force me to take an initiative. He didn't care that I couldn't handle it."
He noticed Bulma frown, her brows furrowing, but she didn't interrupt. "Anyway," he huffed, looking back to his beer, "I hoped my mother would take my side. She always did when I was a boy. I needed someone to understand what I was dealing with, but instead she gave me hell, because my father gave her hell. When I tried to defend myself she said a bunch of horrible things. I walked away, and she thought it was over, but I ran away. Packed my important things and some clothes and stayed at a friend's house until the year was over. I had already been accepted into college, and my first year was already paid for. Once I filed for emancipation, I got financial aid. Changing my name helped, also. I wanted nothing to do with either of them."
"I understand," Bulma assured him. "After my father said all those horrible things to me, I always tried and tried to fix the relationship. Once he called me illegitimate, I knew we couldn't get back from that. I stopped talking to him because I just couldn't deal with it anymore, but when he died I felt terribly guilty. It took me years to realize it wasn't my fault. Vegeta, what you did was brave. If it had been me, I would have taken the words to heart and unraveled. I can't even imagine what you must have been going through, but whatever it was…they're your parents. They should have been there for you."
Vegeta didn't need reassurance for his actions, but he was still thankful for her words and gesture. He was already feeling better, talking about it with someone else. He hadn't realized it was something he needed until this exact moment. After all, he was used to keeping himself guarded. He was strong, yet he found it sort of exhilarating to make himself vulnerable even for a moment. That vulnerability didn't last long, however, as he hardened himself.
It was nice to have Bulma beside him, her hand on his shoulder gently rubbing it. Her silent support soothed him in ways he could not describe. They had finished eating and finished their drinks, but Vegeta was not ready to leave. "We can get a couple of games in," Bulma offered earning his undivided attention. "Bowling is a lot of fun. Maybe it'll take your mind off of things."
Vegeta nodded and then asked, "You don't need to get home right away?"
"My brother is with Trunks and his friend," Bulma replied with a sincere smile. "I'm all yours."
Something about her wording stirred something inside Vegeta, but he ignored it as he took out his wallet. Bulma's hands stopped him, though, and he looked back at her in confusion. "It's been a long day for you, so let me this time, okay? If you want, you can pay for the games."
He was stunned by her boldness but smirked and let her do as she wanted. That wasn't the first time something like that had happened. Only one other had ever made such a gesture. He had always loved her for it, the fact that she had seen him as an equal and not just some bank. He had to shake his head free of thoughts. He was not going to think about her, not now. No, he just wanted to focus on Bulma and these feelings she was igniting. If anything, she really had distracted him from what had made him angry.
The next day, Bulma found herself waking up in her bed with a smile on her face. She looked over and saw Vegeta asleep. After they had played a few games, they had decided to return to her place. They had been watching television and fallen asleep at some point. They had fallen asleep in the clothes they had been wearing, though sometime through the night Vegeta had removed his shirt, surprising Bulma with his physique.
The woman rose and started going about her day. She needed to get ready for church, and then get Trunks and Tarble up as well. As always, she'd let them sleep in for a while. Besides, she wasn't planning on waking Vegeta up right away. He had had a long day the previous day, and they had gotten in quite late from their bowling endeavor. They had both been so competitive, each winning a game, but Vegeta taking the third. They had made the agreement that the winner could make one request of the loser, and strangely enough Vegeta asked to spend more time with Bulma. He hadn't wanted to be alone, and so Bulma had allowed him to come over in the late night hours.
She knew it was probably unconventional. After all, they had just started dating, only officially became exclusive two nights prior, and he had already spent the night. At the same time, it felt like the most normal occurrence in the world. It made her feel something she hadn't experienced even when dating her best friend.
Before leaving the comfort of the bed, she kissed his forehead and smiled when he crinkled his forehead and then relaxed his features again. She went to raid her closet, gathering items for her ensemble that day, and then left the room to grab a shower. Once she was gone, Vegeta's eyes opened. He sat up and looked at the slightly open door. A satisfied smirk appeared on his face, though it disappeared when Trunks entered the room.
"Morning ma-om?" Trunks was looked at Vegeta with astonished, wide eyes, but then he too broke out in a grin. "Good morning, Vegeta. I didn't know you were here."
He didn't really know what to say. Vegeta knew exactly what this looked like, and he really didn't want the woman's son to look at her any differently. He got out of bed and moved to retrieve his shirt, mainly so Trunks would see he was still clothed. It didn't change the boy's demeanor. He still had that smile on his face, so he figured that was a good sign.
"Our date ran late last night," he finally said after a momentary silence.
"Did you guys have fun?" Trunks asked moving to sit on his mother's bed. Vegeta felt a little exposed the way the teenager just stared at him with fascination. He supposed he couldn't blame the boy considering all of his mother's relationships occurred before he was born. This boy just wanted his mother to be happy, and for some reason he was mesmerized by the businessman. At least he knew he had her kid's support at least.
"Yes," Vegeta replied curtly to appease the child. The most sincere grin overcame Trunks's features.
"That's great! What did you guys do?"
He wouldn't tell the teen that they went to a bar, or that he had tried to drink his pain away. "We went bowling. Your mother is very good."
"Yeah," Trunks agreed. "She played in a league when she was a kid after school, and she used to play whenever she visited her father."
Vegeta seemed surprised. "I didn't know that."
Trunks frowned which did not go unnoticed by Vegeta. He was reminded of what Bulma said on the balcony, that Trunks knew what her father had put her through and wasn't happy about it. "I guess she had to have told you about him, at least a little," Trunks said doing his best to keep his voice even. When Vegeta nodded, he sighed. "I really do try not to let it bother me, but it does. It wasn't fair."
Vegeta sat down beside the sullen teenager and just watched as the boy's dark expression transitioned to joy again. "Anyway, I'm glad you guys are dating. She's been really happy."
Though he wouldn't admit this to the boy, he had been too. Bulma had this way of making his day more bearable, distracting him when he had to deal with the pain of the past, and centered him during meetings while remained classy and poised even dealing with his father's old employees. When he had pursued Bulma, he had already known she had a child, but at the same time Vegeta didn't know how to interact with the boy. It wasn't like he was a young child. He was a teenager, but still Vegeta didn't know how to hold a conversation with teenagers. It had been too long, and his high school days were a distant memory.
"Are you going to come with us to church?"
Vegeta snapped out of his reverie, stunned by the question. "What?"
"It's Sunday. Mom, my uncle, and I always meet with grandma. Sometimes my uncle's mom joins us. I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm kind of hoping not today."
"Why?" Vegeta questioned, slightly curious.
Trunks frowned and looked very perturbed. "Well, I have a friend staying over this week while her stepfather is out of town, and I really don't want her to question too much. Mai is a little nervous around new people. Also, if she mentions my Grandpa…I'm not ready for Mai to see me like that. She's already going through a lot."
"Like what?"
The boy shrugged. "I don't know, yet. I'm hoping one day she'll trust me enough to tell me."
"I'm sure she will," Vegeta offered. "I won't be joining you for church. I haven't been to one in a long time, and I'm not prepared for it."
"That's okay," Trunks replied energetically. "Mom says it's always there when and if people want to go. Mai was a little nervous about it last night, too, but she said she was open to it."
"You like this girl, don't you?" Trunks blushed slightly, but he still looked content. He reminded him of Bulma, but that wasn't a surprise.
"I do," he admitted, "but I don't want to pursue her that way yet. You see, there were rumors about her going around and she accused me of just wanting…well, you know…but honestly I really just want to be her friend, and then see where things go. I don't want to scare her away, you know?"
Vegeta nodded and was surprised that he was talking to the teenager about his crush. Trunks seemed a lot more comfortable around him than Vegeta was around Trunks. He didn't seem to notice the adult's apprehension or rigidity. Instead, he managed to keep the conversation going and confided some things in him, even giving him a little bit more information about Bulma. It wasn't much, but now Vegeta realized more about Bulma that made him empathize with her more.
What he had with his mother, she had with her father. Apparently, she did have good memories of the man, and he destroyed all of that with words that cut so deeply. As he had determined, unlike him, Bulma could never have real closure, yet she was still very positive, warm, and welcoming. Her actions the previous night were not wasted on the man. He was thankful that she had put up with his rage, not even considering how she managed to quell it.
Trunks stole his attention once again. "Uh, thanks. For talking with me, I mean. It helped."
Vegeta was perplexed as Trunks left to go get ready for church. That was around the time Bulma returned to her room wearing a long-sleeved dress. She was also putting on earrings before her eyes landed on her boyfriend. She awarded him one of her soft smiles. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"
"Fine," Vegeta answered. "Your son mentioned something about church. I hope you don't mind if I bow out."
"No, it's fine," Bulma assured him with a wave of her hand. "Besides, I'm not sure if either of us are ready for you to deal with the craziness that is my family."
"He mentioned your stepmother," Vegeta told her and saw her expression sour.
Bulma sighed and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "I love the woman, don't get me wrong," she began, "but decades later and we're still in a weird place. She doesn't believe my mom's version of the story. Where we've come to terms with it, she still has issues with my mother."
"Whatever," Vegeta scoffed sympathetically. "Anyway…"
"Anyway…" Bulma repeated. "Call you tonight?"
Her answer was a curt nod before the two of them left the room. Bulma brought him to the front door and he quickly kissed her before rushing out of the apartment. The woman had been pleased with the progression of their relationship, the fact that they could seek comfort in each other. A sound startled her and she saw her brother walked down the stairs yawning. "Hey," Tarble called out, "what's going on?"
"Not much, little bro," Bulma returned. He eyed her strangely, clearly not convinced, before he shrugged it off and went to start getting ready for their day.
Trunks barreled down the stairs, Mai timidly following after him. Bulma's eyes met the girl's, and the teenager looked away despite Bulma's compassionate gaze.
At least things were going well, Bulma decided, for both her relationship with Vegeta and her son's friendship with Mai. Things could only look up from there. With that thought, Bulma started on breakfast while Tarble finished getting ready for church and Trunks spoke with Mai on the couch. She smiled at how picturesque everything looked, and was even more elated by how things went the previous night. She couldn't wait to see where the relationship went.
On Monday, Vegeta texted Bulma and told her she had the day off. There were no meetings and everything in the lab was fine, so it just wasn't necessary. However, he did ask if there was anything she wanted to do later. They decided on going to a movie. It was not lost on Bulma that she and Vegeta would be seeing each other four days in a row, but she honestly didn't mind it.
Her cell rang while she was out, Goku's name shining on the caller I.D. She realized that she did something he had always done when he had tried dating in the past, even when he started dating Chi Chi. She had been speaking to him less and less.
"Hi, Goku," she greeted lightly.
"Bulma, what's up? How have you been? Is everything okay?"
Bulma chuckled slightly. Of course her friend was worried about her due to her lack of communication. "I'm fine. I've just been busy. Hey, are you free for lunch or are you working and this is your break?"
"I don't go in until later. The usual?"
"Yeah, I can go for some sushi. I'm just at the store right now, so I'll text you when I'm on my way."
"Sounds great!" her friend said energetically. "See you then!"
Bulma hung up the phone and smiled. It had been a while since she and Goku had hung out just the two of them. All she knew was that things were going so much better between him and Chi Chi and she was so incredibly happy for him. His stress had to have decreased once Gohan and Goten had started doing better themselves. She hadn't spoken to him since she informed him she had gone on a coffee date with a coworker. Her friend had been so stunned, but he had been incredibly happy for her. She just hoped he wouldn't judge her for letting the guy spend the night. Then she remembered it was Goku. He never judged anyone.
They met at their favorite restaurant, one of the many places where Krillin worked. The short man had them seated quickly and got them both their favorite sodas. After taking their orders, he left them alone to catch up. Goku wore a big smile. "So?" he started. "What have you been up to? It's been nearly a week since we talked."
"Sorry about that," Bulma offered. "I had been focused on the kids, and also…something else."
"Oh God, don't pull a me," Goku teased. "No beating around the bush. What's going on?"
"Well," Bulma sighed, "you know that guy I was telling you about?" Goku nodded. "We're actively dating now."
His eyes widened, but his grin got even bigger. "Well look at you!" he exclaimed. "So, tell me. Who is he? I tried to ask Raditz if he knew the coworker you were talking about, but he said to wait for you."
"You're too curious for your own good," Bulma laughed. "But anyway…it's a bit unconventional. He's my boss."
"Your boss?"
Bulma blushed slightly but nodded. "We just clicked, to be honest, and he's been really good about not prying for information. Trunks really likes him, too. It's kind of cute seeing how much he looks up to him. I think he's very emotionally invested in the relationship."
"Well, of course he is. He's your son," he friend countered. "He just wants what's best for you. So, anyway, this guy, are you two official?"
Bulma grinned and nodded. Goku was taken aback before his expression reflected hers. It was the happiest he had seen his best friend in a long time. "Trunks kind of put us on the spot when he introduced Vegeta to a friend of his as my boyfriend. We talked about it, a little of our pasts, and then our exes, and I've basically seen him at least a little bit every day since."
"Uh…he knows about me?" Goku questioned, a little nervous.
Bulma nodded. "Raditz sort of mentioned it to him before, which Vegeta in turn told me after I told him. He accepts the fact that we're still friends. Come on, Goku. We dated like almost thirty years ago."
"I know, but I've been married to Chi Chi for a long time, and she still went nuts that day."
Her eyes narrowed slightly into a deadpanned expression. "We went behind her back, Goku. You have to know how it looked."
He sighed. "I know. Sorry I got you involved in that, but at least Goten is enjoying school, and Gohan is talking to us more about his social anxiety. I can't believe I passed this shit on to both of them."
Bulma smiled sadly and put her hand on his. "It's okay, Goku. They're going to be fine. At least Gohan just had the social issues, but he's been doing better since spending more time with his brother and Trunks. He even went out with a girl the other day. And Goten is doing just fine. Sure he has anxiety and the bipolar aspects, but he's been stable since getting into that other science class with Valese. They'll be okay."
"I know you're right," Goku huffed, "but I can't help but feel…Bulma, it took us forever to get me to a place where I was stable, and I still have to call you in the middle of the night sometimes because it feels like everything is out of control."
"That's life," she assured her friend. "We all get stressed sometimes, and you've learned that it's usually just a fleeting feeling."
"Yeah, but you know he's still in the beginnings of these illnesses," Goku grunted glaring at his empty glass. "It's all trial and error. So far the meds are working, but remember what happened when mine stopped? We had to go through all of that again. Then I felt great and stopped taking them…"
"And I noticed as well as your mother and your neighbor, so you started again, and then you felt great and started acting like your old self," Bulma reminded him. "Trunks is a lot like me, so he'll notice immediately. I'll notice. You'll notice. I'm sure even Valese will notice. He's not stupid, Goku. You've told him all of this before, so for the most part he knows what to expect. We can't worry about anything until it happens."
"Yeah, I know," Goku admitted with another forlorn sigh. "I just worry sometimes."
"I understand. Always have, always will."
At that moment, Krillin came over with their food and a new drink for Goku. "The usuals," he stated with a wink. "Enjoy guys."
"Thanks, man," Goku said before he turned to his food and started eating.
Bulma was always amused when her friend ate with gusto while she ate very slowly. Of course, her pace was slower than normal considering she was debating how to tell her friend what was plaguing her mind. "Okay, what is it?" Goku voiced. When Bulma's eyes shifted to him, he chuckled. "Come on. You're not usually this quiet. What's on your mind?"
"You're probably not going to like this," Bulma murmured into her glass. "Vegeta sort of spend the night."
Goku probably shouldn't have taken a drink, for when she said what she did, some of the soda spurted and sprayed from his mouth before he started coughing. Bulma quickly moved behind him, patting his back a bit hard like her mother's parents always did to her whenever she coughed. "Ah, w-what?" Goku rasped out as he continued to cough into a napkin.
"Not like that, but well…" She trailed off.
"Bulma?"
She chanced a glance at Goku and saw his wide, soft eyes full of concern. "Not like that," she repeated. "We met up yesterday to talk and then we went bowling. Then we went back to my place and just watched T.V. and fell asleep in my bed. That was it. And I was just a little nervous telling you because, well…I didn't want you to see me differently."
"I don't see you differently," Goku whispered, "but are you sure you're okay with this. It's a bit sudden, isn't it?"
"Maybe," Bulma responded with a sigh before smiling, "but it just feels right, you know?"
Goku did know, and for that he would continue to remain supportive. He didn't know this guy Bulma was dating, so he didn't know what exactly he was after. Bulma was an adult, though, and she wasn't the kind of person to just lose herself in a relationship. He had to trust things would be okay. He wanted to see her happy. Besides, if Trunks liked the guy and the guy was accepting of Trunks, there had to be something about him. "Then I'm happy for you. Just, you know…be careful."
"Hey, that's what I said about Chi Chi when you two started going out," Bulma teased.
"It is," Goku stated. "That's exactly why I said it."
"I will be careful, I promise. Believe me, Goku, I'm not looking to rush things. There's still some things I'm not ready to tell him, like who my father was. He doesn't even know Launch is my step-mother and she works at the company, too, and he hasn't seen Tarble."
Goku's brow raised in confusion. "Is there a reason he shouldn't know?"
Bulma shook her head. "I know how my father looked to the public. I want him to get to know me, so that he won't think I'm lying. My father made himself look perfect."
"For what it's worth, I don't think telling this guy would be a big deal," Goku conveyed. "There had to be some reason you told him anything about your father. If you let him stay over, he had to have responded well."
"I know you're right, just…well, you know how I am. I'm just waiting for something to blow up in my face."
"Heh," Goku chuckled, "that's sort of what I said at the beginning of this."
The two friends laughed and shook their head. They were definitely an odd pair, but they figured it's what made them best friends. When once of them was stressed, the other was usually in a better place, and they could advise each other since they had had similar emotional experiences for very different reasons.
They finished their meal, Krillin bringing them their bill. "How much do I owe you?" Bulma asked her friend.
"You got it last time," Goku answered. "I'll take it this time."
"Thank you," Bulma replied grabbing her belongings.
"No probs," Goku chimed. "I guess I have to get to work soon. What are you doing today?"
"Just relaxing," the woman said. "I'm meeting Vegeta for a movie later. Other than that, Trunks has a friend staying over while her stepfather is out of town."
Goku noticed his friend's darkened expression. "Something wrong, B?"
Bulma sighed and reluctantly shook her head. "I'm not sure yet. Only time will tell."
He was unsure what she meant by that, but he knew his friend. If something was really wrong, she'd confide in him. Deciding not to worry about it, he thought back over their lunch. He was still surprised by her whole dating experience and he hoped this Vegeta person would treat her right. His friend had suffered so much in her life that if she got hurt Goku would not be able to stay quiet. He only hoped this man wouldn't hurt her. Well, Raditz knew him, and he wasn't trying to interfere, so he assumed Vegeta had to be okay.
At least, in this moment, Bulma had this never-ending smile on her face.
