A/N: Hey guys! Since I don't say it enough - thanks for reading this! I'm glad you like my writing enough to get this far into the story.
Smalsa was asking me about TB and Gohan. TB is Future Trunks ("FT" sounded sooo not cool). I just used them because they are canon characters, and I didn't want to introduce new ones. They are not from the future. They're just there since they were very active characters in the Cell Saga - sorta replacing characters like Krillin and Yamcha.
FYI - I'm fixing typos in all the chapters, so if you've noticed anything that should be fixed - please tell me! KTnxBye
It was complete luck that Vegeta saw Kakarot's phone and the text message conversation about meeting up after the assembly. Vegeta knew he could not avoid her for very long, but he did not want to see her for the first time in front of Kakarot and his critical eyes.
Vegeta sat by himself in the last row of the hall at the assembly. He entered late to give his classmates time to sit without anyone spotting him.
As he sat there ignoring the boring speeches, his eyes immediately searched for her. It took him a few minutes, but he finally found her. She was also looking around, probably trying to find that buffoon, Kakarot.
Rage caused his stomach to tighten at the thought. Of course she would be looking for holier-than-thou Kakarot. Saint Kakarot. Kakarot the Savior.
Vegeta's fingernails bit into his palms as his fists clenched. He really hated Kakarot. He always put his nose—
Bulma turned to talk to the girls next to her. Vegeta figured they must have been her newfound friends. Whatever she said to them upset them and ended the conversation.
Bulma went back to looking around the crowd absentmindedly. He noticed a group of boys behind her nodding their heads toward her and whispering. They looked especially excited when she tucked her hair behind her ear.
Vegeta was getting really annoyed with this whole assembly thing, but he did not want to miss anything. Fortunately, they called assembly an end to the assembly soon after. Vegeta was the first to leave.
There was no practice that weekend, but Vegeta hit the gym early Saturday morning. He was halfway through his push-ups when he heard Kakarot's voice carry into the gym.
"Hope you have a nice morning!" he said to somebody. Vegeta did not look up or call his attention, but that did not hinder Kakarot from seeking him. "Hey, Vegeta! We missed you at the assembly."
Vegeta ignored him.
"It was kind of boring, and I didn't listen to half of what was said," he continued without encouragement. "Plus, I was really hungry, so…"
Vegeta stood up from the ground and walked to the pull-up bar on the wall. He jumped up to grasp it and began his set.
"We are meeting for dinner after practice on Monday. Are you in?"
Vegeta lowered himself so his arms were straight. "Fine," he grunted.
"Okay, good. It's going to be TB, Gohan, and us. Maybe a couple of other guys," Kakarot explained.
Vegeta lifted himself as Kakarot spoke. "I don't care who is coming to dinner. It isn't a freaking date, Kakarot," he spat and lowered himself.
"Okay, I got it," Kakarot said, sounding only slightly offended. "I'll see you Monday." He turned and began walking out.
"Aren't you working out?" Vegeta asked, confused, when he realized Kakarot was leaving.
Kakarot smirked over his shoulder and threw Vegeta a two-fingered wave.
The rest of the weekend was uneventful. Vegeta did not see his teammates or her. He spent Monday morning in class. Most of his nerves were alleviated from spending the summer on campus, so he felt confident walking around.
It was not until he was walking to practice that he felt like he was being hit in the stomach with a ton of bricks.
He saw Bulma walking down the street with a guy that looked vaguely familiar. It took him a few beats, but Vegeta finally placed where he had seen him. He was one of the guys who was sitting behind her at the assembly - one of the ones who was watching her and talking about her.
Before he knew what he was doing, he looped to a side street and came around a building until he was walking toward them.
He stopped the pair in their tracks. The sight of him shocked Bulma. She was clearly not ready because she was speechless.
Vegeta insulted the guy with her, and he puffed his feathers like the cock that he was. In ten seconds, Vegeta had him running away.
Bulma seemed hurt, but Vegeta knew he did her a huge favor. She should be groveling at his feet. He did a quick scan of the area to make sure none of the other creeps were around and left her. He could not be late to practice.
Fortunately, Vegeta arrived in the nick of time. He did not receive a scolding because Kakarot showed up later than him. Coach had them do laps before pairing them off. Coach assigned Vegeta to TB as a sparring partner while Kakarot had Gohan. The hour on the practice mats felt like a year when all Vegeta could do was think about Bulma walking with that jerk. Although he was confident she would never talk to that guy again, Vegeta could not help but think that there would be others.
As practice wrapped up, Kakarot reminded him of dinner that Vegeta had promised to attend. Vegeta was thinking he would skip it just to spite the idiot, but then his stomach growled. He thought twice about it and decided to go.
After they all showered and changed, Vegeta, Kakarot, TB, and Gohan headed down campus to the cafeteria. They deposited their bags at a table and went their separate ways to different food stands.
Vegeta found the chicken sandwiches. As he approached the counter, a girl snagged the last sandwich. He glared at her, and the worker told him the next batch would be out shortly. Vegeta waited impatiently until the sandwiches were ready. He grabbed a few and made his way back to the table.
It was not until he placed his tray on the table and was pulling out his chair that Vegeta realized there was an extra person sitting there.
He stared at Bulma, not sure why she was between TB and Gohan.
Nobody saw him standing there watching. Kakarot had his head down, eating and TB and Gohan were competing for Bulma's attention.
Vegeta was furious. Kakarot lied to him and manipulated him into coming to dinner with her. It was bad enough that he could not get her out of his head today, but now, he had to see her while he was eating, too.
After a few moments, Gohan noticed Vegeta.
"Oh, hey Vegeta! Didn't see you there. Bulma, this is Vegeta," Gohan introduced them.
"We've already met," Bulma said, not looking at Vegeta.
"Oh, okay," Gohan said and continued their conversation.
Vegeta had no choice but to take the seat next to Kakarot. He pulled out the chair roughly and shifted the tray over.
He started eating, scowling at her while chewing his food. None of them noticed – not TB or Gohan, and especially not Bulma. His eyes passed between each of them, Vegeta getting angrier by the second. When Bulma finished her drink, she got up to get a refill. TB and Gohan twisted forward in their seats.
"She is awesome," TB said.
"And hot, too," Gohan followed. "When did you meet her, Vegeta?"
Kakarot laughed, and Vegeta turned his head to look at him.
"Why didn't you tell me she was coming?" he asked, annoyed.
Kakarot shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think you cared. Plus, I did say we were eating with a bunch of people."
"What's the big deal?" Gohan asked.
Vegeta ignored him and said, "I will not continue to eat with you if you bring her along, Kakarot!"
"Aw, come on Vegeta. Why do you gotta be like that? Bulma's cool," TB said.
Kakarot turned away and said, "Vegeta's too scared to sit and the same table as his ex-girlfriend."
That hit a nerve. Vegeta was not cowardly in any sense. He just preferred to keep company that was not she.
"That is absolutely ridiculous, Kakarot," Vegeta retorted, but he could see that Kakarot was not going to give up.
"Why else would you say that unless you were uncomfortable?" Kakarot said.
Gohan playfully hit TB's arm and said, "Does that mean she's game to ask—"
Vegeta's snarl would have been enough to cut off Gohan but his fist slamming on the table frightened the people surrounding them.
"You will not," Vegeta said, annunciating every word with a deadly force. The look he gave them could have burned them alive, if it was possible.
Gohan put his hands up defensively. "Whoa, just kidding."
Vegeta's eyes found Bulma as she made her way back to the table. It was the first good look he had of her entire body since the summer. Her loosely fitting top prevented him from seeing her stomach properly, but he examined her face from the distance. She looked healthy and tired at the same time.
As she returned, Vegeta diverted his glance.
They stayed for another ten minutes before leaving. Kakarot insisted that they walk Bulma back before returning to the athletes' dorm. Vegeta did not argue with him, using his silence to passively agree to the gesture.
He watched her enter the building, relieved that she would be sheltered there for the rest of the night.
As the guys talked on the way to their dorm, Vegeta focused on his own thoughts. If this was how his first day of college went, he shuddered to think of how he was going to survive the semester.
A/N: Anyone catch that reference to the hyperbolic time chamber?!