Chapter 9: Victory of a Prince
"Woman, you're not dragging me along to some stupid party! Besides, Kakkarot will be there with all of his idiotic friends and family, which would just make it even more stupid. No, I refuse! I'm of royal blood, and I say I don't want to go, so I won't!" Vegita raged in the manner of a five year-old temper-tantrum.
"Whoa, what's going on down here?" Kari asked Trunks as she stepped into the kitchen. It had been five months since she had moved in, and she had gotten used to the constant screaming, but this was more intense than usual. She had just come down from her room, and had heard nothing but yelling, mostly from Vegita, the whole time.
"Okasan is trying to get Otousan to go to some party for Capsule Corp., but he's putting up a pretty good fight," Trunks explained as best he could. Kari's entrance had made him temporarily forget about his parents' bickering, so he hadn't really been listening to them. Kari was getting more and more beautiful by the day, it seemed. He had caught himself staring at her more and more as the months flew by, and his emotions were beginning to grow to an uncontrollable level. He didn't know how long he could keep his feelings behind his mask of friendship; he could only hope that it was long enough for him to discover the way she felt about him.
"Well, I'm not sticking around here. Okasan, you can count me in, but I'm going to the mall with my friends so I can get a dress. Ja ne!" Bra said quickly, heading for the door before her mom could stop her. She wasn't one to stick around long when the storm clouds gathered around her parents.
"Vegita, you're coming whether you like it or not. You can sit in the corner of the room for the whole night if you want, but you're coming and that's final! " Bulma screamed back at him. "And if you don't come, I'll kick you out of the house. You can learn how to cook and feed yourself!" She knew this last comment of hers would make him concur to her request. He would rather be seen at a party than be caught cooking. His pride simply wouldn't allow it.
"Fine, woman! But if you ever make me humiliate myself like this again, it'll be your last mistake!" Vegita threatened. Bulma knew all too well that he was bluffing, so she just congratulated herself once again for taming the Prince of Saiyans.
Trunks and Kari both stared at each other in utter amazement: Vegita was actually going to go! They had to summon every ounce of energy they had to prevent them from bursting out laughing at the thought of Vegita all dressed up at a party. As they both began to prepare their breakfast, Bulma strolled over to talk to them. She knew she wouldn't have to twist any arms with those two.
"Sometimes, I just want to throttle that man so badly...but anyway, here are the details. Capsule Corp. is going to be having its first Annual Ball in a week and I was wondering if you two wanted to attend. It's a classy thing, but it will be loads of fun. What do you say?" Bulma urged, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Hai, I'd love to, Bulma. It sounds like a great time. But...I think I will need a new dress to wear. I don't think pants and a tee-shirt would be suitable for this party," Kari admitted.
"Of course you will! Which is why you and I are going on a shopping spree today," Bulma happily informed her. "We'll leave in a few minutes."
"You can count me in, too. It just better not be boring," Trunks said with a smile. "Did you invite the Sons? A party wouldn't be a party without Goten there to make a complete idiot of himself," Trunks said, now smirking.
"Of course I did! Why wouldn't I?" Bulma assured him. She then turned to Kari. "We'd better get going if we want to avoid the lines. We'll be back in a few hours, Trunks. Try not to break anything if Goten comes over, please!" Bulma pleaded, remembering the last time the two had tried sparring in the house while she was gone.
"Hai, Okasan. Have fun, you two. And Kari, I'm expecting only the best choice from you! " Trunks laughed.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down, sir, " Kari returned, saluting him while grinning. "Ja ne."
As she left the house with Bulma, Kari vowed she would find the most stunning dress out there. She let out a sigh as she realized her feelings for him hadn't changed since she moved in. The only problem was that they had become much stronger, and she didn't know how long she could keep them contained. Maybe the party would present the perfect opportunity to tell him how she really felt.
I guess my heart hasn't learned its lesson after all, she thought ruefully. In spite of her past experiences with Yamora, however, she found she had no control of her heart and emotions. Damn the Fates! Despite all her efforts, she couldn't reduce the intensity of her feelings for him. All she could do was allow love to takes its course, and hope it didn't lead her to heartbreak and loneliness once again.
As he watched Kari speed away in the car, Trunks released a sigh that he had been subconsciously withholding since she left. She was so...incredible. He couldn't find any other word to describe her. He found himself wishing that the ball was tomorrow, and he could see her in a beautiful dress and dance with her all night, maybe even tell her how he felt. A voice inside of his head told him to be cautious with his heart, remembering how she had been hurt the last time by someone claiming love for her. But this time would be different for one important reason: he was never going to allow her to feel pain at his hands. He knew he was truly in love.
"Why are you still staring out the window? She's already left, you know!" Vegita commented snidely five minutes later from across the spacious living room.
"I...uh... I know. I was...uh... thinking about my last spar with Goten, and how I can defeat him faster this time," Trunks said, thinking as fast as he could.
"Ha! You expect me to believe a pitiful lie like that?" his father scowled. "As the son of a Prince, you have the right to just claim her, you know. You have royal blood in you," Vegita said with uncharacteristic understanding. Vegita being understanding?! He was plotting something.
"Kari's just a friend, nothing more. And, besides, if I did love her I wouldn't just claim her," Trunks said, not wanting to share his personal feelings with his conniving father.
"Who said anything about love?" Vegita retorted, raising an eyebrow. He smirked, victorious.
"Uh...you...I...just leave me alone! I don't love her," Trunks tried his best to deny it. How could Vegita, of all people, uncover his true feeling for her?
"I'm not as blind as you think. I know you love her, so why don't you stop being a pansy and just tell her?" Vegita told him, then left the room. That was a side of his father Trunks had never seen before, and it surprised him that Vegita could see so clearly what Trunks was trying so desperately to hide.
"I don't know why. All I know is...I love her," Trunks whispered to the empty room. He stood in front of the window, letting the sunlight bathe his face in warmth as he thought of Kari and all they'd been through in the past months. Ever since that night beside the waterfall, he had been getting this tingling feeling whenever she was around, and it had blossomed into complete feelings of love for her within the past few months. He had never been in love before and it scared him a little, but deep inside he knew this was right. Maybe Fate does have a merciful side after all, he thought happily.
His reverie was soon interrupted by the voice of his father, "You better start your training now, or I'll come down there and start it for you! Get Kakarrot's brat over here, so I can watch how badly you fight against him!" Vegita snapped. Same old Vegita, Trunks thought as he ran off to call Goten.
"Woman, you're not dragging me along to some stupid party! Besides, Kakkarot will be there with all of his idiotic friends and family, which would just make it even more stupid. No, I refuse! I'm of royal blood, and I say I don't want to go, so I won't!" Vegita raged in the manner of a five year-old temper-tantrum.
"Whoa, what's going on down here?" Kari asked Trunks as she stepped into the kitchen. It had been five months since she had moved in, and she had gotten used to the constant screaming, but this was more intense than usual. She had just come down from her room, and had heard nothing but yelling, mostly from Vegita, the whole time.
"Okasan is trying to get Otousan to go to some party for Capsule Corp., but he's putting up a pretty good fight," Trunks explained as best he could. Kari's entrance had made him temporarily forget about his parents' bickering, so he hadn't really been listening to them. Kari was getting more and more beautiful by the day, it seemed. He had caught himself staring at her more and more as the months flew by, and his emotions were beginning to grow to an uncontrollable level. He didn't know how long he could keep his feelings behind his mask of friendship; he could only hope that it was long enough for him to discover the way she felt about him.
"Well, I'm not sticking around here. Okasan, you can count me in, but I'm going to the mall with my friends so I can get a dress. Ja ne!" Bra said quickly, heading for the door before her mom could stop her. She wasn't one to stick around long when the storm clouds gathered around her parents.
"Vegita, you're coming whether you like it or not. You can sit in the corner of the room for the whole night if you want, but you're coming and that's final! " Bulma screamed back at him. "And if you don't come, I'll kick you out of the house. You can learn how to cook and feed yourself!" She knew this last comment of hers would make him concur to her request. He would rather be seen at a party than be caught cooking. His pride simply wouldn't allow it.
"Fine, woman! But if you ever make me humiliate myself like this again, it'll be your last mistake!" Vegita threatened. Bulma knew all too well that he was bluffing, so she just congratulated herself once again for taming the Prince of Saiyans.
Trunks and Kari both stared at each other in utter amazement: Vegita was actually going to go! They had to summon every ounce of energy they had to prevent them from bursting out laughing at the thought of Vegita all dressed up at a party. As they both began to prepare their breakfast, Bulma strolled over to talk to them. She knew she wouldn't have to twist any arms with those two.
"Sometimes, I just want to throttle that man so badly...but anyway, here are the details. Capsule Corp. is going to be having its first Annual Ball in a week and I was wondering if you two wanted to attend. It's a classy thing, but it will be loads of fun. What do you say?" Bulma urged, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Hai, I'd love to, Bulma. It sounds like a great time. But...I think I will need a new dress to wear. I don't think pants and a tee-shirt would be suitable for this party," Kari admitted.
"Of course you will! Which is why you and I are going on a shopping spree today," Bulma happily informed her. "We'll leave in a few minutes."
"You can count me in, too. It just better not be boring," Trunks said with a smile. "Did you invite the Sons? A party wouldn't be a party without Goten there to make a complete idiot of himself," Trunks said, now smirking.
"Of course I did! Why wouldn't I?" Bulma assured him. She then turned to Kari. "We'd better get going if we want to avoid the lines. We'll be back in a few hours, Trunks. Try not to break anything if Goten comes over, please!" Bulma pleaded, remembering the last time the two had tried sparring in the house while she was gone.
"Hai, Okasan. Have fun, you two. And Kari, I'm expecting only the best choice from you! " Trunks laughed.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down, sir, " Kari returned, saluting him while grinning. "Ja ne."
As she left the house with Bulma, Kari vowed she would find the most stunning dress out there. She let out a sigh as she realized her feelings for him hadn't changed since she moved in. The only problem was that they had become much stronger, and she didn't know how long she could keep them contained. Maybe the party would present the perfect opportunity to tell him how she really felt.
I guess my heart hasn't learned its lesson after all, she thought ruefully. In spite of her past experiences with Yamora, however, she found she had no control of her heart and emotions. Damn the Fates! Despite all her efforts, she couldn't reduce the intensity of her feelings for him. All she could do was allow love to takes its course, and hope it didn't lead her to heartbreak and loneliness once again.
As he watched Kari speed away in the car, Trunks released a sigh that he had been subconsciously withholding since she left. She was so...incredible. He couldn't find any other word to describe her. He found himself wishing that the ball was tomorrow, and he could see her in a beautiful dress and dance with her all night, maybe even tell her how he felt. A voice inside of his head told him to be cautious with his heart, remembering how she had been hurt the last time by someone claiming love for her. But this time would be different for one important reason: he was never going to allow her to feel pain at his hands. He knew he was truly in love.
"Why are you still staring out the window? She's already left, you know!" Vegita commented snidely five minutes later from across the spacious living room.
"I...uh... I know. I was...uh... thinking about my last spar with Goten, and how I can defeat him faster this time," Trunks said, thinking as fast as he could.
"Ha! You expect me to believe a pitiful lie like that?" his father scowled. "As the son of a Prince, you have the right to just claim her, you know. You have royal blood in you," Vegita said with uncharacteristic understanding. Vegita being understanding?! He was plotting something.
"Kari's just a friend, nothing more. And, besides, if I did love her I wouldn't just claim her," Trunks said, not wanting to share his personal feelings with his conniving father.
"Who said anything about love?" Vegita retorted, raising an eyebrow. He smirked, victorious.
"Uh...you...I...just leave me alone! I don't love her," Trunks tried his best to deny it. How could Vegita, of all people, uncover his true feeling for her?
"I'm not as blind as you think. I know you love her, so why don't you stop being a pansy and just tell her?" Vegita told him, then left the room. That was a side of his father Trunks had never seen before, and it surprised him that Vegita could see so clearly what Trunks was trying so desperately to hide.
"I don't know why. All I know is...I love her," Trunks whispered to the empty room. He stood in front of the window, letting the sunlight bathe his face in warmth as he thought of Kari and all they'd been through in the past months. Ever since that night beside the waterfall, he had been getting this tingling feeling whenever she was around, and it had blossomed into complete feelings of love for her within the past few months. He had never been in love before and it scared him a little, but deep inside he knew this was right. Maybe Fate does have a merciful side after all, he thought happily.
His reverie was soon interrupted by the voice of his father, "You better start your training now, or I'll come down there and start it for you! Get Kakarrot's brat over here, so I can watch how badly you fight against him!" Vegita snapped. Same old Vegita, Trunks thought as he ran off to call Goten.