Yamcha took a deep breath. It had to be tonight. He had to say it.
Why did it have to hurt like this? Why did she have to look so beautiful? And why in the name of all that is good did her smile look so forced?
No matter. He had to say it.
"Bulma?"
She turned her eyes on him. Those eyes that once made his knees turn to jelly and tied his tongue in knots. Now they held warmth, but not the intense, sensual feelings he remembered. "Yes, Yamcha?" Her voice was quiet.. almost as if she knew.
Did she know?
"Bulma... I.. I have to tell you something." The scarred warrior closed his eyes momentarily to regain his voice. It was trying to get away from him. "Its important. Please.. come here."
To his surprise, Bulma obeyed. She walked around the darkwood table and sat in the seat beside him, turned so that she was looking at him in the eyes.
Oh, those eyes. Why did this have to be so cursed hard?
Yamcha took one of her hands in his, closing his larger, callused fingers over hers. She watched him, a faint sense of sadness welling up in her eyes, but also a look of resignation.
By the stars above.. did she know?
"Bulma... I.." He looked down at the floor, willing himself not to cry. He had to say this.. he had to get it out, but it was like he was tearing his heart out and giving it to the wolves. He was still trying to regain control when he felt her squeeze his hand. He looked at her when she began to speak.
"Yamcha... I know. I understand.." Her voice wavered on the words. "I know what you're trying to say."
He swallowed. She had never looked so beautiful. He had never felt so rotten. He could see the tears brimming on her eyes, but the tears never fell.
"Bulma, I am so sorry. I loved you.. I still do. Its just.. it just.."
"I know. Yamcha, I know. Its not the same... I dont know if it ever will be." She rested her free hand against his cheek and rubbed her thumb over the tears he did not realize he had cried. "Maybe its for the best. Maybe in time... in time... we can try again. But... until that time..."
"I will always be your friend, Bulma. Always." More tears streamed down his face.
"Thank you Yamcha." She threw her arms around him for one last hug, her tears finally spilling over. "Thank you," she whispered.
Yamcha held her like that as the minutes past. He savored the feel of her against him, wished this moment would never pass. But pass, it did. As Bulma pulled gently away from him, she managed a shaky smile. As he stood, she dried her tears. And as she walked him to the door, Bulma's eyes were puffy and red, but no longer weeping. And as she watched him walk away, the tears fell faster and more heavily than before.
Yamcha didnt look over his shoulder as he left the house, much as he desperately wanted to. He kept telling himself that it was for the best. Bulma needed space, he felt it when she touched him.. when she hugged him... oh, he felt it when she kissed him. Yes... it was for the best. But his heart was broken, laying in shards on the floor of his soul. But he clung to the thought that it was for the best.. it was what Bulma needed, and his heart was a paltry price to pay for the well being of the woman who stole his heart.
But... was it really worth it?
...Was it?
***
Vegeta snarled slightly at the flare of emotions he could almost feel. Wretched humans. He'd never get the scent of their insignificant sadness off of him, not for days at least.
Stupid humans and their weak emotions.
Vegeta stole back into the kitchen as Bulma walked back, her face a rather unbecoming shade of red. The prince sneered. "So, woman, are you going to make me my food, or will you be sparing me your horrid cooking tonight?"
For a moment, Bulma looked at him with such intense loss in her eyes that he almost lost his sneer. The only time he had ever seen anything resembling that loss is when his planet was destroyed.
Bah, a lover couldnt be THAT important.
"Woman, you're starting to annoy me."
Bulma blinked ponderously at Vegeta... then turned, and walked up the stairs. Soon afterwards, the heavy thunk of a lock sliding into place was heard.
And that left Vegeta to fend for himself in the kitchen.
Why did it have to hurt like this? Why did she have to look so beautiful? And why in the name of all that is good did her smile look so forced?
No matter. He had to say it.
"Bulma?"
She turned her eyes on him. Those eyes that once made his knees turn to jelly and tied his tongue in knots. Now they held warmth, but not the intense, sensual feelings he remembered. "Yes, Yamcha?" Her voice was quiet.. almost as if she knew.
Did she know?
"Bulma... I.. I have to tell you something." The scarred warrior closed his eyes momentarily to regain his voice. It was trying to get away from him. "Its important. Please.. come here."
To his surprise, Bulma obeyed. She walked around the darkwood table and sat in the seat beside him, turned so that she was looking at him in the eyes.
Oh, those eyes. Why did this have to be so cursed hard?
Yamcha took one of her hands in his, closing his larger, callused fingers over hers. She watched him, a faint sense of sadness welling up in her eyes, but also a look of resignation.
By the stars above.. did she know?
"Bulma... I.." He looked down at the floor, willing himself not to cry. He had to say this.. he had to get it out, but it was like he was tearing his heart out and giving it to the wolves. He was still trying to regain control when he felt her squeeze his hand. He looked at her when she began to speak.
"Yamcha... I know. I understand.." Her voice wavered on the words. "I know what you're trying to say."
He swallowed. She had never looked so beautiful. He had never felt so rotten. He could see the tears brimming on her eyes, but the tears never fell.
"Bulma, I am so sorry. I loved you.. I still do. Its just.. it just.."
"I know. Yamcha, I know. Its not the same... I dont know if it ever will be." She rested her free hand against his cheek and rubbed her thumb over the tears he did not realize he had cried. "Maybe its for the best. Maybe in time... in time... we can try again. But... until that time..."
"I will always be your friend, Bulma. Always." More tears streamed down his face.
"Thank you Yamcha." She threw her arms around him for one last hug, her tears finally spilling over. "Thank you," she whispered.
Yamcha held her like that as the minutes past. He savored the feel of her against him, wished this moment would never pass. But pass, it did. As Bulma pulled gently away from him, she managed a shaky smile. As he stood, she dried her tears. And as she walked him to the door, Bulma's eyes were puffy and red, but no longer weeping. And as she watched him walk away, the tears fell faster and more heavily than before.
Yamcha didnt look over his shoulder as he left the house, much as he desperately wanted to. He kept telling himself that it was for the best. Bulma needed space, he felt it when she touched him.. when she hugged him... oh, he felt it when she kissed him. Yes... it was for the best. But his heart was broken, laying in shards on the floor of his soul. But he clung to the thought that it was for the best.. it was what Bulma needed, and his heart was a paltry price to pay for the well being of the woman who stole his heart.
But... was it really worth it?
...Was it?
***
Vegeta snarled slightly at the flare of emotions he could almost feel. Wretched humans. He'd never get the scent of their insignificant sadness off of him, not for days at least.
Stupid humans and their weak emotions.
Vegeta stole back into the kitchen as Bulma walked back, her face a rather unbecoming shade of red. The prince sneered. "So, woman, are you going to make me my food, or will you be sparing me your horrid cooking tonight?"
For a moment, Bulma looked at him with such intense loss in her eyes that he almost lost his sneer. The only time he had ever seen anything resembling that loss is when his planet was destroyed.
Bah, a lover couldnt be THAT important.
"Woman, you're starting to annoy me."
Bulma blinked ponderously at Vegeta... then turned, and walked up the stairs. Soon afterwards, the heavy thunk of a lock sliding into place was heard.
And that left Vegeta to fend for himself in the kitchen.