Chapter 10 - The morning after
The glare of the sun hurt her eyes as Bulma woke up. She reached her hand looking for familiar warmth of Vegeta's body, but she found none. She was alone.
Bulma stood up, stretching her stiff body. She scowled slightly at the pain in her neck, pulling her bathrobe on. She headed to the bathroom, she desperately needed a hot shower.
After ten minutes in hot, steaming water she was like a new born. She brushed her teeth, put on some subtle makeup and decided to go to the kitchen for a breakfast. Her stomach was rumbling, she had a nice workout last night - she smiled to herself at the thought.
As she left her room she smelled something she couldn't give a name. The smell was pleasant and she could tell it was her mother cooking, but what it was? She picked up the pace, curious and even hungrier than before, smell of the food hitting her nose.
Bulma opened kitchen door and halted dead in her tracks. In the kitchen, beside the stove, Vegeta was cooking. Vegeta, not her mother. VEGETA. She cleared her throat.
"Good morning. What are you doing?"
"Breakfast" - he answered with raspy voice, without looking at her.
"What is it going to be? It smells nice" - she came closer, looking over his arms on a frying pan. Vegeta shrugged his shoulders.
"How am I supposed to know? I'm a warrior, not a cook. It's going to be… something. Eatable, hopefully."
Bulma smirked. Now that was making more sense, Vegeta making breakfast for her just like that would be simply too much to be real. She took a seat by the table, awaiting. After a while he turned around, giving her a plate and a fork.
"You look awfully" - he commented, looking at her bruised neck with a red scab in the place of his bite.
"Still better than you, smart ass" - she answered, shoving a piece of something hopefully eatable into her mouth - "You know, it's quite good. You should make breakfasts more often" - she sent him a sweet smile. For the first time a man made breakfast for her, she was disposed to overlook his remark about her look.
"You're not eating?" - Bulma asked, seeing that Vegeta just took a seat in front of her, not having even a plate for himself.
"I'm waiting. I have to be sure it's not toxic. I told you, I'm not a cook" - he almost smiled, stroking lock of her hair with his fingers. He was shirtless, the way Bulma liked him the most. She reached her fork in his direction, which he accepted with his eyes fixated on hers.
Suddenly they heard knocking on the door and Yamucha entered the kitchen. Bulma moved away from Vegeta quickly, trying to act casually.
"Hey, Yamucha. Nice to see you" - she kissed him on the cheek as he leaned over her, then he nodded his head to Vegeta in greeting.
Vegeta felt a sudden sting in his chest - why did she move away from him? Why did it look as if she didn't want to admit there was something between them? She and the weakling were not a couple anymore, then why did she act like this? It was like she was caught on something bad and tried to pretend she didn't do anything. Vegeta took a deep breath.
"I have something to talk to you, I was talking to Kuririn lately and… Oh, Kami! What happened to your neck, Bulma?" - Yamucha squeaked, reaching his hand to her neck, inspecting the wound. Bulma covered it with her hand quickly.
"Oh, it's nothing. Something bit me, that's all" - this was a good answer, she didn't tell the whole truth and didn't lie at the same time. She smiled to Yamucha slightly - "There's no need to worry, Yamucha, really".
He glared at her suspiciously, his eyes switching from her to Vegeta and back.
Vegeta chuckled under his breath as he stood up from the chair. He turned around and walked out of the kitchen slowly, ostentatiously, making sure Yamucha could see long, bloody fingernails' marks on his back clearly.