Pride & Prejudice D.B.Z
Chapter Thirty Eight
Bulma could feel her heart furiously reverberate menacingly within her, a thousand uncounted beats a millisecond, banging her chest painfully, rising to a full height up her tightened throat, gasping for much needed air that wasn't coming to her as Vegeta's hand came around her neck, edging up to her face, holding her close, gazing down at her with something new and unseen reflected back in his black eyes that were magnetizing Bulma towards him with some invisible potential pull that seemed to go beyond all scientific comprehension, an occurrence the logical female scientist found utterly frustrating and at the same time romantically erotic.
It seemed all surroundings had simultaneously frozen, as if they were completely alone forever, that nothing else but the two of them existed and it really wasn't meant to be any other way, serene and timeless, an undisturbed aura pacing itself, engulfing the both of them as they sat together as close as ever upon the patch of designated dry grass, a soft carrying breeze blowing their hair around soothingly, giving them a purpose to provide so much warmth for each other, him opened up to hold her tight in his arms as she curled up in a scrunched yet comforted ball close up to him.
Basking in the hot sunshine glory of the sun setting moment, as the twilight moment came, Bulma couldn't resist, being the perfectionist she was, the urge to tilt her face sideways to admire him and bring her hand up and push back a strand of Vegeta's hair that had gone loose and fallen in between his eyes and tuck it tentatively behind his ear while his eyes widened at her strange yet perfectly welcomed gesture and she smiled back up at him, indicating all she needed to with that familiar facial expression.
'He's Vegeta. Even if he has become a better person he's still Vegeta and the Vegeta we all know doesn't appreciate falling in love, especially with someone of a different race. It would be too much of a nightmare for him…'
Had she really, once upon a time not to long ago considering it was barely a few hours ago, said that? The utmost unbelievable truth was that that had been her exact words to quote that very single day, earlier though it had been, about Vegeta, a grave miscalculation on her part considering what was happening between the two of them now, clearly not a pass on hatred as she assumed in the beginning it would turn out to be when she had stomped out of the car blindly, mumbling nonsensical thoughts to herself.
'Vegeta doesn't love me…he loves no one…he is incapable of love…'
That statement had been another of hers not to long back, this one having been thoughtlessly cursed merely a few minutes back in her moment of malicious anger and rapture and she really had to stifle a bubbling giggle when she thought back to it, wondering how she could have possibly thought such a far off hypothesis. Yet, even with her own misgivings concerning her thoughts in the misunderstanding she felt that she was every bit as prejudiced as he was hypocritical in the situation. he had, after all, been the one to accuse love of being a 'death trap of sentimental rubbish', Bulma recited to herself playfully, finding it now quite comical as opposed to what she had felt of it on the first try. Bringing her groping arms around his neck to hang off she also reminded herself that he had also accused humans of having 'the seemingly ridiculous habit of falling for emotional traumas'and had also pointed out rather nastily that 'Such foolish relationships always seem to end in disaster…and yet people such as yourself continue to suggest how magnificent its attributes are, blinded to the colossal damage it actually causes upon its worthless victims-' and even though it had slowly and painfully broken her heart when he had yelled this at her she couldn't help but wonder what he would say if she repeated these words to him in perfect recitation since they had somehow forever recorded themselves in her mind, indicating the cruel irony of it all.
He was ever so close now and Bulma just wished he would penetrate her personal bubble, not as an intruder but as a visitor to her graciously open arms but something about him, despite the vast openness seemed slightly reluctant to sink any deeper than the two of them already had and this was tearing away at her with fiery clawed anticipation.
"Vegeta…are you scared?" she whispered with more concern than necessary but this just caused him to smile as she pushed his head down from the back with her hand, fiddling with the spikes of his fiery hair, a very different unrecognizable smile she knew she could easily get used to and adjust, as compared to his regular smirk which she'd easily softened towards as well, though she was now at a tilting point where just about anything he did would suit to her acceptance.
"No…are you?" he asked and the challenge dictated in his tone could not have been missed by even the slowest person so that Bulma was quicker than he expected on the uptake.
"You wish" was all she managed to utter, the closeness between the two of them was so unbearable yet meaningfully desirable, she didn't want to spoil it by speaking, knowing she wouldn't be able to say anything anymore even if she tried, breathing was apparently becoming a hasty task.
'Just a little closer' her mind squeaked with happiness and she wished somehow that Vegeta could read her mind and yet was strangely glad he couldn't. 'Just a bit more…' it urged, the voice from the back of her head growing louder. 'Nearly touching' it screamed and Bulma couldn't manage to make it silence from the singing angels harmony it had begun to produce and for sometime she couldn't have cared less, was already to take the risk, the chance, the ultimate plunge and leap across to Vegeta and would probably have let herself forget everything, would have done it that second and allow no more doubts to arouse if she could just push him closer to her, bring him a tinier bit nearer…
A shrill tune had started playing loudly somewhere outside of her suddenly 'little' existence and she felt a cold burst of air as Vegeta suddenly withdrew from her, leaving her most desolate than ever.
"What the hell is that racket?" he demanded in a murderous voice as he sat up with his hair furiously messed up from the wind, looking particularly put off and Bulma could easily compare, realizing as she herself rose that the perfect mood had been ruined and even the humorous tune of 'Pop Goes The Weasel' playing off in the air couldn't do much to brighten up her spirits.
"It's the ice cream truck coming round the corner" she muttered of casually as she shook her hair free of grass strands, sitting up erect and stretching her legs awake and alive, not realizing that her companion was probably not used to random vehicles playing nursery rhymes shrilly to sell frozen dairy products and couldn't help laughing over it when she noticed Vegeta's look of utter horror and thought to herself what he had probably assumed of the sentence.
"See" she began after controlling her giggles and pointing at the truck that had come round and parked itself somewhere near the fencing, "the ice cream truck goes around from park to park at certain stops to sell ice cream to all the children around the area since the park is the best place for them. To alert all the kids they play some type of music that only the younger population would enjoy. Be thankful you haven't heard the 'It's A Small World' version just yet or you would probably have blown yourself up! At least 'Pop Goes the Weasel' has a decent beat!"
Vegeta was eying the white truck with venomous loathing and Bulma could only hope to wonder what was coming up next when the sound of many tiny voices speaking all at once began to rise above the ice cream truck's song and Bulma only just grabbed Vegeta hands and stood him up, taking him off to one side without explanation, suddenly finding herself pressed up against a bark surface, leaning against that tree that had been her aim from the beginning, that was how far the irony had risen.
"You don't want to be sitting there when the children come…you haven't exactly tried to deny a mob of hungry children their rights to ice cream, have you? It would be like denying Goku… it could be the last thing you do, even if you are the big macho Saiyan Prince!" she warned in a teasing voice as Vegeta glared over his shoulder at the approaching mass of stampeding children that had magically appeared out of no where at the sound of the ridiculous music that seemed to be getting to Vegeta who had begun to wince as the eleventh round began.
"Does that blasted thing shut up??" he demanded roughly as his hands clenched into fists within Bulma's own palms and she couldn't help but smile at his display of anger.
"Maybe you should have a cone?" she suggested calmly, massaging one of his hands gently with her thumb so that suddenly all the tension seemed to leave him and he looked down at what she was doing with much alarm before speaking up.
"A what??" he managed to mutter cluelessly, not knowing in the least what Bulma was talking about, he was too busy looking at their held together hands entwined within each other.
"A cone Vegeta…an ice cream cone…you know…from the 'blasted thing' over there…"
The look of confusion and quizzical puzzlement actually made Bulma feel pity for the unacknowledged Vegeta who was finding it much to difficult to concentrate, more interested by their closeness and the soothing movement of Bulma fingers against the skin of his hands.
"Oh for Kami's sake Vegeta!" Bulma interrupted his blissful absence by snatching her hand away, much to Vegeta's hidden dismay, and burying it under her sweater and in one of her jean pockets, rummaging around for something before brandishing her black leather wallet with the silver emblazed letters 'C.C' printed in slanting calligraphy.
"I'm going to go by us some ice cream so you just stay here" she addressed him in a maternal tone as she opened her wallet and began flipping through the notes, feeling as if she were ordering about a mere four year old child, not an adultery Saiyan Prince who had the energy power and abilities to blow her away out of existence in a positively clean yet brutal manner within seconds as well as make her heart speed up tremendously when he got too close in distance. Like he was at that moment, literally pressing his body against hers so she felt like she was being swallowed in by the tree but somehow, the pressure that was pushing her back and the seemingly forceful feeling around her just made the position and moment so much more better and she hated to part from it. But the mothers and fathers of the oncoming children had sent her and Vegeta rather dirty warning looks, obviously demanding they not perform any stunts that would involve a bit too much closeness in front of their young even though both their 'thick' sweater were fully intact and she had seen the look in Vegeta's eyes when she'd pulled him towards her when they'd first headed for the tree, a look that had basically stated that at this point of closeness he was ready to do anything, anywhere, anytime and so the brief break might be the perfect alternative for him to calm down a bit and save whatever he had planned for later, when the youth of tomorrow weren't in their surrounding environment to disturb them.
Giving him a light pat on his cheeks with her hand she slipped past him with much graceful ease and began strolling with bubbling excitement in each and every footstep towards the children's ice cream truck, though her joy could never be compared to that of a child's at that moment.
The cue was easy to get through but she was nevertheless relieved when she got to the front, her parting from Vegeta making her go through some strange inexperienced feelings as if she couldn't stand being so far away from him which didn't quite make sense considering they'd only been arguing barely ten minutes ago. True, within those ten minutes fiery hatred had turned to burning love, a worldwide record Bulma was sure, but that didn't necessarily mean that she should feel empty loneliness by just leaving to get ice cream for the two of them, a feeling that she would never be whole again unless Vegeta held her in his strong well toned muscular arms like he had before…or was that what everybody meant when they said you will know when it happens…
Was this what love felt like? To want to never be away from that one special person that you want to be with for your entire life, that perfect soul that makes your heart beat unnaturally so that you can hear the echo of it's drumming merge with your lovers in an everlasting rhythmic beat that unites the two of you forever more? To feel that even though the entire world is against you, when you're in his strong protective arms nothing can harm you in anyway and you will always be unconditionally loved for endless time to come? Many people made her feel special, grateful, happy, all of them in a long infinite list…her parents, ChiChi, Goku and all the others from the days when they would all party in the Kame House with Krillin and Master Roshi, her trips up to Korin's tower where even Yajirobe provided some friendly consultation, seeing Puar and Oolong, visits from Tien and Chiatzu, Picolo to when he spoke more than two words to her…even, back before all the trauma and drama began, Yamcha would make her feel special…would, though was the key word…however, she had never felt particularly wanted at any point and that she knew was what had been missing this whole time till she had met Vegeta…she had felt loved but in a different way from now…now it was a love she just couldn't describe but it was the love she had been searching for this whole time…the feeling she was wanted by someone no matter what…she was wanted by Vegeta…and it made her feel, she couldn't use any other word for it, good…very good…
'Is this what it's supposed to be like?' she thought to herself, eyes misted over as she attempted to read the ice cream flavors. 'Is love supposed to feel…good…? Is Vegeta really my special person…the one I've always wanted? Does he really love me?"
"DUH!!" Bulma exclaimed like a hyped up teenager, slamming the notes of money down on the counter, giving the ice cream man behind it a heart attack while the woman behind him scooping strawberry flavor simply smiled over at her. "How could I be so STUPID??" Bulma carried on without realizing that the cue behind her had begun to disperse gradually, frightening away a few customers right off the park. "Honestly...how could I NOT HAVE known that he LOVED ME this whole time??"
"Margaret?" the ice cream man called behind his shoulder with anticipation. "Margaret?? I think you can handle this one?" he mumbled uncertainly while Bulma merely laughed over her own stupidity, the lady taking over the shift.
"So?" she asked in a friendly voice, "what will it be?"
"I really don't know" Bulma mused thoughtfully. "I was so excited that he loved me that I didn't ask him which flavor he wanted…that was stupid of me…but then again, what else is new!!"
"Why not go with just vanilla? If he truly loves you I highly doubt he'll care" Margaret suggested as if she found the situation perfectly normal which she did while the man at the back was ogling his eyes there way before turning around and going, "Ladies, there all the same!" which went amiss by both the women.
"Yeah, you're right!" Bulma agreed ecstatically. "It's just…I really only JUST found out he loves me" she carried on, counting out the notes while Margaret retrieved to wafer cones.
"New love" she sung back as she began to scoop vanilla. "Cherish it…this one, by the look on your face, seems to be one for life…that'll be 1.50"
"I hope so…I can just tell he's the one for me" Bulma replied, counting out the notes she'd set before putting them back in the wallet and counting out coins. "He looks pretty…scary to be honest and no one would suspect he even feels emotion but…I know otherwise…here's two!"
"As long as you can feel that you're meant to be no one can say anything against it" Margaret assured her, handing her the two tissue wrapped vanilla cones and taking the coins, popping them into the cash register on her left. "And by the looks of it…you can feel it"
"You're right!" Bulma cried euphorically. "I can feel it within me, deep down and it feels …well…I can't explain…just good…"
"It isn't supposed to feel like anything else…" Margaret explained rationally, as if stray wanderers always questioned her on the meaning and feelings of true love. "Good is the only true word for unconditional love because such love is indescribable…it can only be good…here's your change" she added, handing over the fifty and Bulma slid it into her wallet before flashing Margaret her best smile.
"Thanks…you're really good at this!" she complimented Margaret who merely shrugged and gestured towards the man behind him.
"That's why he's got me…I do ALL the shifts on Valentine's Day" she informed Bulma with a wink and Bulma could only laugh back, unable to express how much Margaret had acted like the perfect Cupid angel for her and began to nearly skip back, though being extra careful with the two vanilla cones in her hand, back to the tree…back to HER Saiyan Prince…