Author's Note; I'm alive! And incredibly apologetic to all my amazing readers and reviewers. I know it's been over a year since I last posted, things have just been so hectic on my end. My computer decided to die on me, so I had lost all my writing stuff – including my plots (yes, I plot out my stories before I begin to write, then add new things as I continue) but then I managed to save my hard-drive and turn in into an external hard-drive. So I got it all back, yay! Then I moved, had some personal things to deal with and had a case of writer's block which I thought might be eternal, but now here I am, with a brand-spanking-new chapter!
So the next two chapters will be time-jumps. This is set about six months on from the last chapter, and chapter thirteen (which shall also be out shortly, in about a week if you're all good :P) is set another six months on, on the morning of the arrival of the androids. I know this might upset some of you, but when we reach what happened in the show, that's when this story really gets started. This will be going all the way through into the Buu saga. So prepare to be in it for the long haul!
All I ask is that you bear with me, and I promise to deliver all the Goku/Bulma-ness you deserve! Also found the funniest review on Chapter Six by Korrin - 'Looks like Goku can't ride the Nimbus no moar.' I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard.
This chapter is dedicated to my Poppy, who I lost to cancer in March. RIP.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bulma stared intently at her reflection, her bright blue orbs assessing every small detail at the mirrored image before her. A sigh escaped her lips, and she made her way over to her make-up desk, grabbing remover towelettes on the way.
This had been her routine every day for the past six months. Her sexiest outfit, her best make-up, her hair down sometimes, up on other days, only for it all to be removed moments later.
He liked her better when she was all natural anyway.
He'd asked for time. Bulma had gladly given it to him. But it had been a year, and nothing had happened. Had he changed his mind? Had it all been in her head? Bulma stood up, her face now free of product and moved over to her wardrobe, undressing on her way. She pulled on a comfy summer dress, pink with purple flowers outlined on the material, and slipped a matching purple headband onto her head.
Goku had been so busy training, it felt like she'd hardly seen him. He was determined to defeat the androids and save everyone, to change the predictions of the strange young man who had come from the future. Bulma's curiosity about the boy still lingered, who was he? With a Capsule Corporation logo on his jacket, he must have been someone she knew. But seeming as he had come from the future, he would only be a baby in this time.
Pondering for a moment, Bulma tried to recollect if any of her father's employees had announced they were expecting or had recently given birth, but nothing rang a bell. And then there was his Saiyan heritage, he had been able to transform like Goku.
Her eyes widened.
Maybe...maybe Goku was the strange boy's father.
And his the logo on his jacket could mean that...
...she was his mother?
He had looked at her peculiarly.
Bulma could feel her cheeks rapidly growing warmer. Could he really have been the future son of she and Goku? She was determined to find out. A growing smile on her face, she made her way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen were she found her mother rummaging through the copious amounts of cans that were strewn across the benches.
"Morning Mom! You haven't seen Goku anywhere have you? I have something important to discuss with him."
Bunny looked up and threw her daughter a beaming grin. "I believe he's out training in the yard. Such a strong man, with all those muscles...if I wasn't a married woman..." she trailed off, giggling to herself.
Bulma blocked the mental image of her mother fawning over Goku like a teenage school-girl as she went to leave the kitchen and head outside. "Thanks Mom!"
"Actually, Bulma?" Bunny called out, halting Bulma dead in her tracks. "Yeah?" the younger woman replied, turning around. "Could you help me sort out these cans? There's so many and I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all day!" Bunny sighed, holding a hand to her forehead for dramatic effect.
Bulma sighed. Her questions for Goku would simply have to wait. "Sure thing. How are we sorting them?" she asked, dreading the answer. "Well, first by product, and then alphabetical, and then by calorie content." Bunny answered, staring intently at one of the cans. "I have to watch my weight you know!"
Three hours later, all the cans were stacked neatly in the cupboard, organised to Bunny's specifications. Bulma took a seat at the counter, knowing she would be content with never having to see a can ever again. "Thank you so much for your help sweetie!" her mother chirped, handing Bulma a tall cold glass of lemonade. "It's fine Mom." she replied, taking a sip and revelling in the taste.
Bunny leaned over the counter, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Didn't you want to go and see Goku?" she inquired, mixing her own drink with a bright pink straw. Bulma lifted her head up slightly. She'd completely forgotten, she'd been meaning to go and talk to Goku about the purple-haired boy.
Downing her drink quickly, the fizziness tickling the back of her throat, she stood up and took her glass over to the sink, giving it a rinse. "Thanks Mom!" she exclaimed, before rushing out the door.
Bulma made her way through the hallway and down a flight of stairs that led to her and her father's personal laboratories. As soon as her foot hit the bottom step, she heard the phone ring in her lab, and rushed quickly to answer it.
"Hello, this is Bulma Briefs speaking."
"Bulma?"
"...Yamcha?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Bulma swallowed a gulp. She hadn't spoken to Yamcha since she had rejected his proposal of marriage.
Then she remembered that he had accused her of sleeping with Vegeta, the reason why she hadn't spoken to him since that day.,
Her eyes narrowed.
"What do you want, Yamcha?"
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said. You have to understand, I was hurt by you saying no. You gotta believe me."
"You still didn't answer my question."
"...I miss you, babe."
Bulma sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers. The last time they had broken up, it had been for good. There would be no on-again for their relationship, it was over. She already had enough issues dealing with her feelings for Goku.
Goku. She remembered that she was heading off to meet him, to ask him about something important. But what? Her mind was not working with her, and her memory was cloudy.
"Babe?"
Yamcha's voice through the phone brought Bulma out of her thoughts.
"Please don't call me that. It's been well over a year Yamcha, I would have thought you'd figured out by now that we are not meant to be together."
"Ba- Bulma, listen to me. I know I haven't been around, I've been focused on training for when the Androids arrive. But I was thinking the other day... I don't want to die alone like that kid said."
The purple-haired boy! That's what she was going to talk to Goku about.
"So it's not that you want to be with me, it''s that you don't want to die alone? Honestly Yamcha, your pick-up lines are getting worse."
"...I'm out of practice. I don't want anyone but you."
"Yamcha... I'm sorry, but we just don't work as well as we used to. You have to understand that there's no going back there. I've moved on, and you so should you."
"...wait, you have boyfriend?"
"I never said that-"
"I bet it's Vegeta, that arrogant son of a bi-"
Bulma slammed down the phone, not wanting to hear the rest of Yamcha's ranting. The idea of her and Vegeta together was simply preposterous. Sure, there had been some fantasies in her head about reforming Vegeta from his bad-boy ways, but that was all it had ever been. Vegeta infuriated her too much for there to be any actual feelings.
Besides, her heart was set on another.
Bulma left her lab, trying to calm herself down. She knew Goku could sense her emotions when she had little or no control over them, something to do with her ki. The last thing she wanted to do was explain Yamcha's phone call to him. Goku had enough to think about as it was, and she didn't want to press the issue of she and him as it were.
Suddenly, her father's head poked out of his lab, scaring her half to death as she let out a surprised squeal, making Dr. Briefs chuckle delightfully. "Dad!" she complained, holding a hand over her heart as she tried to take in deep long breaths and slow it's rhythm.
"Sorry Bulma, but I could hear you approaching and couldn't help myself." her father smiled, stepping out into the hallway with her. " I was hoping I could borrow your brain for a bit. I have a new invention I'm working on, but something seems to be missing and my daft old thinker just isn't helping."
"Actually Dad, I-"
"Don't worry, it won't take too long." Dr. Briefs cut Bulma off, gesturing for her to enter his lab. Bulma sighed. As long as it didn't take too long, she really wanted to see Goku and all these distractions simply weren't helping.
"There, all done!"
Bulma stood up up from the table she'd been leaning over, wiping her greasy hands on her lab-coat. Finally her father's new invention was finished, and it had only taken them-
Bulma glanced at the clock on the wall, her eyes widening.
-four hours.
She glanced at her father, who smiled apologetically. Bulma sighed, somehow she knew this would happen. Once she got stuck into a project, she wouldn't leave it until it was finished. Being a genius was a hindering sometimes, her mind was always working and the time would just slip by unnoticed. Luckily Bunny had brought them both a hearty lunch and they'd had a break to consume their food, but then had returned back to their work.
"Thank you for your help Bulma. Now why don't you relax and have a nice cool dip in the pool?" her father suggested, looking over their work carefully. Bulma's eyebrows raised slightly. That wasn't such a bad idea. "I think I might." she gave him a gracious grin, before leaving the room and heading to the laundry.
Disposing of her oil-stained jacket and quickly washing her hands in the basin, Bulma found one of her swimsuits, an orange two-piece with red horizontal stripes. She quickly slipped out of her clothes and underwear, adding them to the dirty laundry and dressed in her bikini. Her hands moved to her stomach. Was she getting bigger somehow? It seemed to protrude more than usual. Bulma shook her head. It was all in her mind.
She made her way outside, the heat rising as she stepped out of the door. Thankfully, her house was completely air-conditioned, so she hadn't been aware of the humidity outdoors.
Bulma made her way over to the pool, dipping a toe in first to check the water's temperature. "Perfect." she murmured to herself, before taking a step back and then proceeding to dive into the water.
Nearby, Goku was busy practising a series of punches and kicks when he noticed Bulma stepping outside and heading to the pool. She was dressed in a bikini, causing Goku's cheeks to flush, which was luckily unnoticeable due to the rest of his face being the same shade.
Every time he saw her, he was reminded of just how beautiful she was.
Yes, there were something there, and Bulma had admitted that she had feelings for him. But Goku had to focus on other things. The Androids' arrival was looming, and Goku had to make sure that he was in peak condition in order to defeat them. Once that was done, and his duty to protect the earth had been served, he could focus on personal things.
A splash broke him from his thoughts, and he couldn't help but wander over to the pool.
Bulma arose from the water, wiping her eyes before they settled on a pair of boots before her. She looked up to the owner and grinned. "Hey you." she exclaimed, swimming over to the shallow end so she could sit on one of the pool's steps. Then her mind clicked. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you." she remembered, her face frowning slightly as she tried to recall exactly what she wanted to talk to Goku about.
Goku raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What about?"
Cursing herself for not being able to remember, Bulma ran a hand through her wet hair. "I was just wondering how your training was going." she said instead, hoping Goku would not have noticed. To her luck, he didn't seem to. "Good. I think I'm getting stronger, it's a bit hard to tell when I don't have someone to spar with." he added, his features saddening.
"Why don't you take a break and have a dip in the pool with me?" Bulma changed the subject, trying her best to cheer him up. "The water is perfect." she added, giving him a playful splash. Goku managed a smile, and quickly pulled off his boots and pants, leaving him in just his underwear.
Without warning, he cannon-bombed into the pool, sending water flying everywhere. Bulma sat frozen on her step, amazed that there was still water in the pool. Goku surfaced, and looked around before letting out a laugh. "Oops, guess I am getting stronger then!"
Bulma gave him a smirk before splashing Goku again. He simply grinned at her and moved towards her, causing her to squeal and attempt to stand up and flee. But Goku was too quick and easily picked Bulma up, holding her over his head. Unable to control her giggles, she tried to free herself from his grasp, but to no avail – Goku gently threw her up into the air and then she splashed into the pool.
The night fell around them, but neither Bulma nor Goku seemed to notice, they were too busy enjoying each other's company. They now lay on two fold out sun-beds, each covered in a towel, looking up at the sky.
"I wish I could fly."
Goku turned to Bulma, her sudden words intriguing him. "But you fly in your plane all the time." he replied, confusion appearing in his features. Bulma moved her head to the side to look at him, a smile on her lips. "It's not the same though. You can fly and touch the clouds, feel the wind in your hair. It's a completely different experience." she explained, sighing.
Standing up from his seat, Goku held out a hand to Bulma. "Come with me." he spoke, his dark eyes locking with her blue ones. She said nothing in return, but stood up and took his hand, revelling in the warmth. Without warning, Goku picked Bulma up and moved her so that she stood directly in front of him, her toes resting on his feet, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in even closer.
"Hang on tight." he murmured into her hair, and instinctively Bulma closed her eyes and wrapped her slender arms around his waist. Before she could respond, she felt wind rustling through her hair. She opened her eyes, and gasped, realising they were no longer on the ground. Her hold on Goku tightened, making him chuckle.
She looked down, her orbs widening at the sight below them. The city was now simply a mix of lights, shining up at them. She looked to Goku, who was watching her. "It's beautiful." she breathed, giving him her best smile. "It sure is." he replied, returning her smile with his own. Bulma felt her cheeks flush red, the closeness to him, the musky aroma of his scent, the way his eyes were fixated on her...
She cleared her throat. "Maybe we should head back? I've got an early morning tomorrow, a long day at the office." Bulma shifted uncomfortably in Goku's arms. His smile faltered. "Sure." he replied, and the two dropped lower in the sky until Goku's feet touched the grassy ground.
He let go of Bulma and she moved back from him. "Thanks Goku. That was amazing." she said graciously, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her. The air up higher had been much cooler, and she'd forgotten she was dressed only in her swimsuit. "I'll see you tomorrow." she added, throwing him a quick smile and then making her way back inside the building.
Goku stood on the lawn, silent and confused. What had he done wrong? Maybe it was all too soon. Sighing, he picked up his pants and boots from beside the pool and put them back on. Training would clear his mind.
Back inside, Bulma raced to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Being that close to Goku, it had hurt too much. He would let her know when he was ready, but she knew it wasn't now. She couldn't rush in, it would complicate things between them and the last thing she wanted was another rejection.
Bulma sat on her bed. Things were too confusing at the moment, she needed to give Goku his space. He would come to her when he was ready.
She just hoped it wouldn't be too long.
