Pride & Prejudice D.B.Z
Chapter Eleven
Vegeta scowled menacingly as he picked at the uncomfortably itchy collar of the shirt he was wearing, the only one he had had on hand that Bulma would allow him to wear with the exception of the yellow Californian sunset t-shirt that Goku had bought for him a month back when he and ChiChi went on a one week holiday and that had been something he planned on blasting into oblivion just as soon as he had Bulma off his case. His current attire wasn't so bad, even if the words 'BAD MAN' were printed on the back in bold red. The only real problem he had with it was truly its colour, something Bulma was now overlooking entirely.
"It's just PINK Vegeta!" she told him off as she drummed the coffee table with her perfectly manicured fingers, which was surprising considering the amount of biting she did to them daily, reducing their size. They were both alone in the lounge, Vegeta in the single sofa chair he always occupied since day one and Bulma in the double seat sofa, leaning forward, impatient for Yamcha's arrival. Her parents were still upstairs taking forever to get ready so Vegeta remained in his awkward position, not finding the silent atmosphere to his liking.
Ever since that future version of him had high jacked a time capsule by some unknown means and came back to see him to fix the issue he, Vegeta, had been a wreck. His future self had basically asked him to break Bulma and Yamcha up because Bulma was supposedly meant to be his wife.
'For something as pitiful as love' Vegeta thought snidely when he suddenly remembered why else he had to break them up. The reason was bizarre and foul play, yet he knew Bulma would never believe him.
'She can take care of herself! She doesn't need me to protect her…'
Unclasping his hands he began to observe her intently, trying to make sense of their destined connection. She had brushed and combed her afro fairly and was in a black dress collared at the top, coming down to just above her knees with a silver belt around her waist.
Vegeta noticed how her eyes blinked very rapidly, taking in the surrounding scenery, how her eyebrows formed her unique expressions, anger, shock, humor, surprise, confusion, sadness, every emotion he suddenly remembered. The way she moved herself gracefully the way she walked, the way she talked, it didn't attract him or appeal to him in anyway but her presence was significant somehow.
Tearing away his gaze to escape the mix of emotions he began to sub-consciously pull at his collar once again to Bulma's unfailing irritation.
"IT'S JUST PINK VEGETA! GET OVER IT!" she shouted as his eyes widened for he hadn't been paying much attention and hadn't suspected such uproar. Nevertheless, he was completely prepared for an ensuing argument.
"Why can't I wear my uniform?" he demanded once again.
"You mean your blue spandex outfit? No way! I want you to look at least remotely normal for dinner tonight!"
"And so I'm wearing pink?"
"You didn't want me to iron out the shirt Goku got you! Is that my fault?"
"You're feminizing me woman!"
Vegeta growled as Bulma tried to stifle back an escaping giggle in response to his final comment. Ignoring this tormenting factor he pulled his gaze over to the front door in dread just as a deep knocking came.
"Yamcha's here!" Bulma screamed, abandoning the sofa and bolting towards the door while Vegeta merely leaned back, preparing himself for the oncoming nightmarish events he had by some strange trance agreed to submit to.
Bulma swept the door open and before Yamcha could even breathe planted a passionate kiss on his lips while Vegeta pretended to puke in the background.
'Hey Bulma" he managed to utter when she pulled apart, dazed as he handed her the bouquet of roses he'd brought.
"They're beautiful!" Bulma exclaimed in euphoric hysteria as she sniffed them deeply with delight. "Look Vegeta! Aren't they just beautiful?" she asked, completely unaware of who Vegeta was at that moment, something he disapproved of immediately but his displeasures were already fulfilled to extremes as Yamcha entered the lounge and upon seeing Vegeta his eyes flickered dangerously and Vegeta saw all the evil harbored in himself reflected in those eyes.
Bulma gracefully entered behind him, oblivious to any sinister eye contact, carrying a curved glass vase in which she had delicately arranged the roses in, which she placed gently on the coffee table.
"I'll go upstairs and call my parents down!" she informed the both of them, turning to climb the stairs and as she did she mouthed a few simple words behind Yamcha's back for Vegeta sake: PLAY NICE…
As soon as she had disappeared Yamcha came over to sit across from Vegeta, smiling a weak grin, trying to start over from their rocky episode the other day.
"Ugh…nice shirt" he voiced, ignoring the cruel irony that had settled about. Vegeta simply growled under his breath, unbelievably tense.
"You like pink?" Yamcha continued and Vegeta looked up so quickly at this that Yamcha felt his throat tighten up, disgusted by his failing effort to make small talk. Just then Bulma came skipping down, dragging a disgruntled Dr. Briefs behind her and out of no where an ecstatic Bunny swooped on Yamcha, wrapping her arms chokingly around his neck, planting a kiss on each of his scarred cheeks while Vegeta smirked over at him from his far away position, glad that for once he wasn't Mrs. Brief's focused squeeze, rather, at that moment she might even have been his favorite person. Bulma watched a bit anxiously as Bunny refused to withdraw her captive from her embrace and finally Dr. Briefs had to step in.
"Bunny…let the boy go. You already have enough restraining orders against you" he muttered as Bulma placed her hands on her mothers shoulders to lead her to the dining room and with not much option, Vegeta followed, desperate to get something to eat and then make a quick escape.
It was of poor co-ordination that had him seated opposite Yamcha and next to Bunny who was so thoroughly pleased with the arrangement and made a point of expressing her pleasure openly.
"Oh Vegeta, I never thought I'd be seated with royalty someday-more mashed potatoes?-You are such a darling! One girl out there will be very lucky one day-gravy?-Too bad I'm married dear" she giggled while Vegeta steamed over his boiled chicken, sure his cheeks were now a delicate crimson, avoiding all eye contact, especially with Dr. Briefs.
'Despite all the crimes, the murders, the wrong-doings, the evil, do I really deserve THIS?' he thought to himself as he pushed away his vegetables to one side, wanting to hide away in his bedroom for the rest of the night but he knew very well that Bulma would blow a fuse right there and then if he even thought about attempting to creep out.
Bending over for a while he finally raised his head because his neck was aching so badly and his eyes met with Bulma's as she mischievously grinned.
"You know Mom" Bulma began, attracting everyone's attention. "Vegeta already has a lucky girl!"
Vegeta dropped his fork with a loud clatter, eyes widened with fury but Bulma continued.
"Remember your injury from Tuesday Vegeta? Well, Vegeta was lying in the gravity room and I could hear him talking to someone. I heard some mention of a woman…definitely a woman and unless I'm mistaken…love?"
What she was gaining from this form of torture towards him he could not understand, only that she was enjoying herself and she wasn't about to stop.
"And then…I went in and Vegeta just happened to be alone!"
Yamcha looked up abruptly, his own face fuming for another reason he did not hope to analyze. His own anger was showing from the light shaking he was causing as the table began to vibrate slightly and miniature cracks began to design the walls. The Briefs were used to this as Vegeta's anger was a common household jeopardy and continued with their dinner but Yamcha continued to pierce Vegeta with his glare.
"Who?" he mouthed smugly, irritating Vegeta so much that he pushed out of his chair violently, stood up thunderstruck and charged out of the room at the fastest pace he could gather, giving Yamcha all he needed to know.
Soon enough the shaking stopped…