Several weeks passed without notable incident. Trunks and Goten destroyed several objects around Capsule Corp. while they were playing, but that was normal for them.
Exactly one month after Vegeta had become human, Mirai tossed in his bed. He normally didn't have this much trouble going to sleep, most nights.
But it wasn't most nights that he realized he was in love.
Oh yes, he loved Jennifer. He knew it now. He had suspected it since several days before the birthday party, and ever since then that suspicion had grown, until tonight. He'd imagined what a world without the pretty redhead lawyer would be like, and the thought had made him shiver.
Yes, he was in love. But how could he tell her? Should he tell her?
He rolled over. The question that haunted him was, did she feel the same way about him? Sure, she'd kissed him several times, been on quite a few dates, and even referred to herself as his girlfriend…but did she really mean that? What if she had been kidding?
If she had been, and he told her he loved her, he was afraid he might lose a very good friendship. Of course, if she felt the same way, and he didn't tell her, then their relationship may very well never bloom into the special kind his soul so desperately needed. Such was his dilemma.
He turned over again, onto his back, and looked up at the ceiling in despair. He couldn't do this by himself. He needed help.
***
The next afternoon, he was seated at a table with the only two people he felt he could really rely on in matters of the heart. They'd each given him advice before, and so far had steered him right every time.
As Gohan and Yamcha listened, he explained the tight spot he found himself in. When he was done, they thought for a few moments.
"Well," Gohan said eventually, "Your situation certainly isn't unique. I felt the same way when I realized I loved Videl."
"So how'd you resolve that?"
"After about a week, I finally just worked up the courage to tell her. When I told her it had taken me that long, she punched me in the arm, then kissed me." He chuckled.
Yamcha nodded. "Practically every guy in the history of the universe, if not the multiverse, has felt this way at some point. Facing down planet-destroying villains seems trivial by comparison to telling the person of your dreams that you love them." He took a sip of his drink.
"So what do you think I should do?" asked Mirai.
"You should probably try and do this soon. The longer you postpone it, the easier it is to keep postponing it until you never tell her at all."
"Invite her over," Gohan offered. "Treat her to a meal. Somehow these things seem easier when there's food involved."
"He's right," said Yamcha. "I can back him up on this, he's not just saying that as a Saiyan." All three of them laughed.
***
They talked some more for a while, and then Mirai called her house as the other two watched. After fifteen nerve-wracking seconds, she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Jennifer?"
"Mirai? Is that you?"
"Yeah. I was wondering if you could come over for lunch tomorrow." He began to unconsciously drum his fingers.
"Let me check…yeah, I'm free. I don't have to be in court until 5:30. I can make it."
"Thanks. See you tomorrow."
"See ya!" She hung up, and Mirai followed suit. He turned to Yamcha and Gohan. "She can make it." They both grinned.
***
Gohan was able to twist his mother's leg sufficiently to make her agree that Trunks could come over to her house and play with Goten. The last thing Mirai wanted during what he hoped would be a romantic dinner was his counterpart running around.
She arrived at 12:30. The two of them ate at a small table in the garden room that took up most of the first floor; he'd managed to convince everyone else to eat elsewhere.
"Mm, this is nice," she said. His grandmother, Mrs. Briefs, had prepared a succulent meal just for the two of them.
"Not as nice as you," he said, blushing just a bit. To his silent amazement, she followed suit.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, grinning.
"Then in that case, let's try honesty." Suddenly serious, he laid down his fork and clasped her hands in his. "Jennifer…I have something I need to tell you."
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her usual wry demeanor vanishing and being replaced by concern.
"I hope not." He took a deep breath. "Jennifer…I love you. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I love you and I have to know if you feel the same way about me." He gazed into her eyes, his stare pleading for a response.
She was silent for a moment. "Well," she said eventually, "I hate to tell you this, but no. I just thought of you as a good friend that I could kid around with."
It had hurt less when Cell had killed him with an energy beam through his chest. "Oh," he said in a whisper. "I see. Um, well--"
"Mirai?"
"Yes?"
"I was joking."
"What?"
She smiled. "I'm a lawyer. We have to lie, at least at first. The truth is, I do feel the same way about you. I love you too."
Those few sentences had suddenly turned this into the best day of his life. "Do you really mean that?"
"Of course I do. Now kiss me, you fool. Kiss me, my love."
They closed their eyes and leaned their heads together over the able. His old familiar friend, the blush, returned to his cheeks, but he hardly felt it. Their lips met in a kiss. They had kissed before, of course, but only as very good friends, not as lovers as they were now. It contained a passion that neither of them had experienced before.
For one of the very first times in his life, he knew sheer, unbridled joy.
***
Unbeknownst to them, Vegeta and Bulma were watching from a window on the second-floor. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
"He's growing up on me," she said, sniffling.
"Growing up on you?" he said, amused. "He was grown up when you first met him."
Exactly one month after Vegeta had become human, Mirai tossed in his bed. He normally didn't have this much trouble going to sleep, most nights.
But it wasn't most nights that he realized he was in love.
Oh yes, he loved Jennifer. He knew it now. He had suspected it since several days before the birthday party, and ever since then that suspicion had grown, until tonight. He'd imagined what a world without the pretty redhead lawyer would be like, and the thought had made him shiver.
Yes, he was in love. But how could he tell her? Should he tell her?
He rolled over. The question that haunted him was, did she feel the same way about him? Sure, she'd kissed him several times, been on quite a few dates, and even referred to herself as his girlfriend…but did she really mean that? What if she had been kidding?
If she had been, and he told her he loved her, he was afraid he might lose a very good friendship. Of course, if she felt the same way, and he didn't tell her, then their relationship may very well never bloom into the special kind his soul so desperately needed. Such was his dilemma.
He turned over again, onto his back, and looked up at the ceiling in despair. He couldn't do this by himself. He needed help.
***
The next afternoon, he was seated at a table with the only two people he felt he could really rely on in matters of the heart. They'd each given him advice before, and so far had steered him right every time.
As Gohan and Yamcha listened, he explained the tight spot he found himself in. When he was done, they thought for a few moments.
"Well," Gohan said eventually, "Your situation certainly isn't unique. I felt the same way when I realized I loved Videl."
"So how'd you resolve that?"
"After about a week, I finally just worked up the courage to tell her. When I told her it had taken me that long, she punched me in the arm, then kissed me." He chuckled.
Yamcha nodded. "Practically every guy in the history of the universe, if not the multiverse, has felt this way at some point. Facing down planet-destroying villains seems trivial by comparison to telling the person of your dreams that you love them." He took a sip of his drink.
"So what do you think I should do?" asked Mirai.
"You should probably try and do this soon. The longer you postpone it, the easier it is to keep postponing it until you never tell her at all."
"Invite her over," Gohan offered. "Treat her to a meal. Somehow these things seem easier when there's food involved."
"He's right," said Yamcha. "I can back him up on this, he's not just saying that as a Saiyan." All three of them laughed.
***
They talked some more for a while, and then Mirai called her house as the other two watched. After fifteen nerve-wracking seconds, she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Jennifer?"
"Mirai? Is that you?"
"Yeah. I was wondering if you could come over for lunch tomorrow." He began to unconsciously drum his fingers.
"Let me check…yeah, I'm free. I don't have to be in court until 5:30. I can make it."
"Thanks. See you tomorrow."
"See ya!" She hung up, and Mirai followed suit. He turned to Yamcha and Gohan. "She can make it." They both grinned.
***
Gohan was able to twist his mother's leg sufficiently to make her agree that Trunks could come over to her house and play with Goten. The last thing Mirai wanted during what he hoped would be a romantic dinner was his counterpart running around.
She arrived at 12:30. The two of them ate at a small table in the garden room that took up most of the first floor; he'd managed to convince everyone else to eat elsewhere.
"Mm, this is nice," she said. His grandmother, Mrs. Briefs, had prepared a succulent meal just for the two of them.
"Not as nice as you," he said, blushing just a bit. To his silent amazement, she followed suit.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, grinning.
"Then in that case, let's try honesty." Suddenly serious, he laid down his fork and clasped her hands in his. "Jennifer…I have something I need to tell you."
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her usual wry demeanor vanishing and being replaced by concern.
"I hope not." He took a deep breath. "Jennifer…I love you. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I love you and I have to know if you feel the same way about me." He gazed into her eyes, his stare pleading for a response.
She was silent for a moment. "Well," she said eventually, "I hate to tell you this, but no. I just thought of you as a good friend that I could kid around with."
It had hurt less when Cell had killed him with an energy beam through his chest. "Oh," he said in a whisper. "I see. Um, well--"
"Mirai?"
"Yes?"
"I was joking."
"What?"
She smiled. "I'm a lawyer. We have to lie, at least at first. The truth is, I do feel the same way about you. I love you too."
Those few sentences had suddenly turned this into the best day of his life. "Do you really mean that?"
"Of course I do. Now kiss me, you fool. Kiss me, my love."
They closed their eyes and leaned their heads together over the able. His old familiar friend, the blush, returned to his cheeks, but he hardly felt it. Their lips met in a kiss. They had kissed before, of course, but only as very good friends, not as lovers as they were now. It contained a passion that neither of them had experienced before.
For one of the very first times in his life, he knew sheer, unbridled joy.
***
Unbeknownst to them, Vegeta and Bulma were watching from a window on the second-floor. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
"He's growing up on me," she said, sniffling.
"Growing up on you?" he said, amused. "He was grown up when you first met him."