Chapter 11

"Get up you lazy bastard" Bulma shouts as she yanks open my curtains letting the light stream in to my darkened bedroom and hurting my eyes. I wouldn't mind if that's all that hurt but the second I become conscious the pain hits my chest as I remember that Kakarot has gone.

"Fuck off and leave me to die" I groan at her as I roll onto my other side and close my eyes, willing myself to drift back into the pain free void if sleep.

"No way mister, I am not having a repeat of last week. We are going out to have some fun"

"I hate fun, I'm not leaving my bed, go away".

"You get up and get dressed right now or so help me I will call Goku myself and tell him just how much of a pussy you are being"

"Ok ok, for god's sake I'm up" god this woman is pure evil. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and sit there scowling at her.

"Perfect, see that wasn't so hard was it? Now get ready ill meet you downstairs is 15 mins"

Eventually I drag my sorry ass downstairs where Bulma is waiting with a big grin on her face. I can see straight through her, I know it's a front, she is hurting just as much as I. I decide its best that I put some effort in and go along with her silly plans to cheer me up, it's the least I can do. She needs this as much as me

"So what fun is on the agenda today?" I ask trying to sound enthusiastic but it just comes out sarcastic.

"Well…..when you piss me off there are a few thing that always make me feel better, so we are gonna do them together"

"What things?" I ask warily

"First, we shop. Then we eat a shitload of cake. And finally we get a little drunk and slag Goku off"

I sigh

"Bulma, I'm sorry but I really don't want to do any of them things. I hate shopping. I never want to drink alcohol again in my life. I can't slag….him off, I love him. Cake I can do though"

"Oh honey I know you love him but that doesn't mean you can't slag him off. I love you and I slag you off ALL the time"

"Really? Why?"

"Why? Where do I start? You're a total jerk, all you ever do is train, you're rude, you're arrogant, you're ignorant, you're big headed, and you think you are the best thing since sliced bread"

"Ok, I get it" I cut her short

"None of them things stopped me loving you though, you're my total jerk….or at least you were. I suppose you're Goku's jerk now" she looks at the ground then smiles up at me. And just for a fraction of a second her mask slips, I see what she is hiding inside her eyes, and I wonder if I will ever truly understand how much pain I have caused her. I smile back, but it's just a facial expression the smile doesn't go any deeper than that.

"Come on then, let's get this nightmare going shall we" I incline my head towards the door and she leads the way to her car.

Bulma always insists on driving, even though she is a maniac on the roads. Hurling abuse and flipping off anyone who dares to drive anywhere near her.

"What is this wanker doing?" she screeches in my ear

"I believe it's called driving Bulma"

"Hah, my nan drives faster than that". She swerves to the wrong side if the road to overtake the poor guy

"Learn to drive asshole" she yells as she passes him at 110 miles per hour. I shrug and smile apologetically at the stunned man in the other car.

Finally we arrive at the mall, I realise I've been holding onto the handle so tight that my fingers have left dents, oops. Never mind, no need to mention it to Bulma. She can afford to get it fixed anyway.

We head into the centre, I really hate these places, the lights, the noise, and the crowds of people. I'm ok in most crowds they don't bother me. But these are crowds of stupid people, and I can't abide stupidity. Posh women and teenage kids hanging around the place, spending money on unnecessary crap, it annoys me. We enter a swanky looking clothes store, the women who work here know Bulma by first name and show her a few sparkly dresses they have kept aside for her.

"Thanks I'll take them all, but actually today I'm shopping for him" she turns and points at me standing uncomfortably in the corner. The three sales assistants smile at me.

An hour later I wish I were dead, I can't understand the female species at all. Why on earth would I need sixteen shirts? I only have one body. They just keep coming with more and more clothes and telling me to try them on then either shaking or nodding their heads. I have no idea what any of it means. Why is the light blue shirt a definite yes but the dark blue shirt a unanimous no, they are exactly the same fuckung shirt just in a different shade. My mind boggles, I rub my temples, I can feel a migraine coming on. I assume they must be nearly finished when one of them happily calls out

"Ok, time for pants".

As we finally make our way to the exit, another hour later, I am in a daze, I need water and to sit down. I have never been exhausted from something as menial as shopping, how do these women survive. The exit is 3 feet away from me when Bulma says all chirpily

"Hey Vegeta, look at this shirt, how did we miss this?"
"Please no more shirts" I moan as I turn to face her.

Suddenly my chest tightens, my breathing hitches, and I'm drowning. I'm drowning in an abyss of emotion so deep and I won't breathe again until I have him in my arms. I'm over whelmed by it, I'm lost in it, and I need him to guide me back to sanity. I long for him. Every instinct in my body screams at me to push the pain away, it's too much to bear, but I don't. I embrace it, I suck it in until I feel like every fibre of my soul will explode with agony. I hold onto it, at the moment the pain is the only part of him I can feel. I'm not about to let it go. God all this over an orange shirt.

"Vegeta, are you ok?" Bulma looks concerned

"I'm fine" I lie "it's just…..that shirt is bright orange Bulma"

She looks at the shirt and I can see the second that she realises what the problem is

"Oh shit, sorry Vegeta, I didn't think. Orange is Goku's colour right?" she quickly shoves the offending shirt back on the rail and hurries me out of the store.

We eat at a strange little restaurant called Caspar's, the only serve cakes and ice cream. I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life but the place is full so it must be ok. Bulma orders for me as she seems to know what is good and what isn't. She flirts with the waiter, a tall muscular guy called Dan. I don't feel even a twinge of jealousy, and though I try to give her the stink eye, she pays no attention. Eventually the waiter brings out an array of desserts. Ice cream sundae's, pancakes, waffles and I must admit it all tasted wonderful. We leave and I'm pretty sure Bulma slipped Dan her phone number on the way out, brash woman.

We arrive home and I collapse onto the sofa utterly drained from the trip. Bulma wastes no time in clearing the bags away and pouring us both a tall glass of champagne. She sits next to me and passes me my glass.

"So, how ya feeling?"

"Tired"

"Ha-ha the mighty prince of all Saiyans defeated by a shopping trip, and not even a big one at that, we only hit one shop" she rolls her eyes at me

"Shut it you" I nudge her with my elbow and we both giggle. I miss the times when I and she used to get on well, but it's too late to dwell on that now, I have new problems to deal with. We chat about unimportant things until we have both finished our third and she is pouring another.

"Bulma, how did you know about me and Kakarot?"

"Really? You mean other than you calling his name out during sex, sneaking off with him all the time, acting like a weirdo around him and spending the last week groaning his name out every time you fell asleep?"

"I did not groan his name out as I slept"

"Yeah you did"

"No way"

"How would you know, you were asleep. And anyway I filmed it"

"What? WHY? Why would you film that?"

"Ha-ha because I knew someday you would deny it, you wanna see it" she pulls her phone from her pocket

"No I do not wanna see it, god how embarrassing. Don't ever show that to anyone. If you knew for so long why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm not sure, I suppose I was hoping it was just a faze and you'd eventually come back to me. I see that's not gonna happen now"

"Sorry Bulma, I never intended to hurt you like this, I don't know when it happened I just…..couldn't help myself around him"

"Well, he is a loveable fool. I'm surprised he doesn't get on your nerves though"

"Oh, he does"

"Ha-ha. Can I tell you a secret, I always thought there was something between you two from years ago, I don't know why I could just feel it there"

"Bulma I hated him for years. What made you think that?"

"I don't know just the way you looked at each other, I mean you were practically obsessed with him from the second you laid eyes on him, and he wouldn't kill you when you first showed up, and let's be honest here you were mean back then. You defended each other till death, right from the start"

"That was because we had mutual respect for each other's strength"

"Was it though? Or was that just what you told everyone else?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I remember the first time I saw him. I was amazed at his determination. I should have been able to swat him like a fly, but I couldn't. He impressed me. And yes, he was very attractive, but I wouldn't say I was obsessed with him"

"What did you think when you first saw me?"

"I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and that it would be a shame if I had to kill you"

"Would you have killed me?"

"Back then? Oh yes without a second thought"

"Dickhead" she shoves me and I have to catch myself because all the alcohol has made me unsteady. we chat for a few more hours and I must admit, I do feel a little better. we

stay on the sofa until we fall asleep, one at either end.