Scientific Journey: Bulma's Story:
A.N: Thanks again to all my readers who review! Special thanks to Laina, adbzfan2K03, and Girl Pan who've reviewed every chapter. You rock! Speaking of rock, I'm listening to Trapt-Headstrong. Random comment there :S. Anyway, WOW! I never thought I'd get to chapter 5 even! But this chapter has been HELL to write! It really has! I guess I'm just not in a writing mood today, and the fact that I never plan anything, just type it up, and that's pretty bad I guess. Oh well, on with the story.
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Chapter 9: Just Games?
Vegeta laughed mockingly as Bulma desperately reached yet again for the bottle of wine that he constantly kept out of her reach. ChiChi and Kakarrot had moved their chairs away from the table at the first sign of it starting to wobble as Bulma knocked it with her hips. Vegeta hadn't laughed so much in a long time. He'd decided to start off mildly evil, building up to the point of pure evil. He chuckled at his thoughts; Vegeta especially loved it when his plans evolved into something much better.
"No fair Vegeta! You're taller than me!"
That was the understatement of the year! Bulma and Vegeta were around the same height, but Vegeta's hair made him look taller. Of course, in Bulma's state, she probably couldn't tell tall from short.
"Just gimme the bottle dammit! You're such a big meanie!" Vegeta's sides were aching from laughing so much; his intellectual slave had been reduced to baby talk.
"Stop laughing at me!!!!"
ChiChi watched the pair curiously, wanting to know what was so special about the wine. Why did Bulma want it so bad? She had to know! Vegeta felt a slight tug and looked at his hand to find that he wasn't holding the bottle anymore. Kakarrot jumped to his feet; letting ChiChi get drunk was all he needed!
"GIVE ME BACK THAT BOTTLE!" Vegeta wasn't happy, and he was sounding as desperate as Bulma, who began to giggle, pointing at Vegeta as she did so. ChiChi shook her head and backed off as far away from the angry Saiyan Prince as possible.
"NO! I want to try some!"
The whole kitchen was a riot; Bulma couldn't stop giggling, so much that she was crying, Vegeta was fuming, and Kakarrot, hey, where was Kakarrot? ChiChi froze as she bumped into something hard, and before she had time to reach, someone's hand grabbed the bottle from her firm grip.
"Sorry ChiChi, but drinking this is a bad idea. I mean, look at Bulma."
"I don't care, I want to try some!" They all sounded like a bunch of alcoholics who hadn't had alcohol for a month! It was pretty unsettling.
"I can't let you drink it, I'm sorry." She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to re-claim the bottle, but he was too tall and simple held it above his head beyond her reach. There was only about a quarter of it left, and Kakarrot knew exactly what to do with it. All eyes were on him as he walked over to the sink, and as he began to pour the liquid substance down the drain, Bulma ran over, banging into the table as she did so and yelling "NOOOOOOO!" at the top of her voice. She grabbed his arm and tried to stop him, but he was way too strong. It was like an ant trying to lift chair or something. (C'mon, just picture that! Hahahah.) It was all in vain however, and the last drop of red liquid fell into the sink and disappeared amongst the running tap water. Kakarrot definitely wasn't prepared for what happened next, as Bulma began to strangle his thick neck; not like he felt it or anything.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER MORON!" ChiChi watched from the corner of the room; the whole idea of Bulma strangling Kakarrot was just too much! She couldn't suppress the giggles any longer, and she suddenly burst, her giggles transforming into loud laughter. There was a woman of about 5`6", trying to strangle a 6`1" guy, who was heavily built! That was just too much.
Meanwhile, Vegeta leaned against the kitchen counter, drinking something he knew Bulma would instantly attack him for. "Foolish woman, did you forget that I poured out a glass for everyone?" Bulma froze and turned round; there was Vegeta, looking damn sexy as he leaned casually against the counter, drinking more of the red stuff in a glass! Of course! She'd spilled most of it onto the table in her attempts to claim the bottle, but there was Vegeta, holding two glasses that where just calling to her!
"Dammit Vegeta I love you baby!" He raised an eyebrow at her drunken words and she lunged towards him, annoyed to find that he kept the remaining glasses out of her reach. He chuckled, glancing at the glasses in his hands. 'Such power! All thanks to alcohol. Damn I need more of this stuff!'
"You're going to have to do much better than that woman!" She growled, it was quiet, but definitely there in her throat. Vegeta smirked; he seemed to be rubbing off on her, and her merry state was beginning to show that even more so.
"FINE! OUTSIDE NOW!" He gaped at her; she was willing to fight him just for some petty wine? Of course, he more than obliged. Kakarrot and ChiChi merely watched as the drunken human and sober saiyan walked outside via the kitchen back door, then followed, eager to see the outcome. It was like watching a movie! Besides, they were stuck out in the middle of nowhere, so they were their own entertainment. Vegeta left the glasses of wine on a tree stump as Bulma walked ahead, stumbling every now and then. His initial plan to get everyone drunk but himself was becoming wilder than expected, and he loved it! Saiyans loved fighting the opposite sex after all, they got a kick out of it. The result was always worth it, and Vegeta knew that from experience. But that was another story, and a part of his teenage years that he didn't really want to remember.
"ENGARD!" Vegeta raised an eyebrow; there was Bulma, holding a stick! 'Damn! She really knows how to pick a weapon!' He chuckled and picked up a thick stick from the ground, knowing a thin one like Bulma's wouldn't last very long. Bulma began to attack, her attacks not even hitting Vegeta's stick, but rather, the air. But he played along with her little game, hitting her stick back as she attempted to attack.
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Kakarrot and ChiChi watched the pair play fight from the doorway. It was another magnificent sunset, and Kakarrot was beginning to enjoy being able to stand so close to ChiChi without her throwing a fit. The sun made her normally dark hair a little lighter, showing the brown tints amongst the normal blackness. Her eyes were a lighter brown, reminding Kakarrot of chocolate. His stomach grumbled at the thought of food, and ChiChi smiled to herself. She'd never had friends before, and she was beginning to get used to the company of others, and like it all the same. His eyes watched her as she walked over to the tree stomp and picked up the two glasses of wine, where Vegeta had stupidly left them. Kakarrot frowned with concern.
"ChiChi, I really don't think that-"
"But I only want a sip!" She silenced him, and handed him the other glass. She then held up her own to arms length, an actual smile on her face, small, but definitely there.
"To new friendships. Cheers." Kakarrot gently knocked the rim of his glass with hers, and then they both took a sip of the wine in unison, unlike Bulma, who'd downed more than she could handle without thinking. ChiChi, however, pulled a face of disgust; she discovered as the liquid hit her taste buds that she didn't really approve of the strong taste. "You know, after all that, it's not even that nice."
Kakarrot nodded, even though he actually liked the taste. But he knew he couldn't handle his drink, and didn't want to become unaware of his own actions, that would be very foolish. He therefore took her glass; the crystal chiming as the rims hit each other, and held out his arm like a gentleman.
"Shall we?" ChiChi smiled, daintily placing her hand with a giggle into the fold of his arm. It was late, and she was tired, and cold.
"We shall." He led her back through the kitchen where he tipped the wine down the sink; he didn't want to be the cause of anything happening between the prince and his slave. Then he led ChiChi over to the spaceship at the front of the house, since Vegeta's lodgings only had one bedroom, and ChiChi and Kakarrot retired to their separate rooms.
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Bulma panted heavily as she became out of breath. Her efforts were useless, as Vegeta was always ready to block her attempts to attack. She put all of her remaining energy into a final attack, which Vegeta parried. Before she knew, he'd somehow managed to circle her after spinning the attack around, and now, she was pinned against him; her back to his front. Her 'sword' landed on the ground, and his was under her neck in a death attack position. He chuckled against her ear, his hot breath tickling her as it connected with her cold skin.
"Very, very bad move woman. Now, what are you going to do?" She tried to catch her breath; her arms aching from the tight grip he had on them behind her back. He was so close to her that his undeniably familiar musky and masculine scent filled her nose, and she breathed in to inhale more. His scent was so damn addictive! But Bulma didn't know if it was her brains or the alcohol that was telling her that, but right now, she couldn't care less. Well, that, and the simple fact that she didn't have the brain power to care anyway.
"Remain here for ALL eternity." He grinned; she was so much more fun under the influence of alcohol.
"Eternity is a long, long time." She giggled, leaning back against Vegeta since she couldn't really support her own weight anymore.
"That's alright." He noticed her already slurred voice become quieter, and her breathing became slower. Her head suddenly dropped onto her chest, and Vegeta raised his eyebrows in total shock.
'Now what!?' He let go of her arms to see them just fall limply. 'Fuckin hell! I can't believe this!' He moved her blue locks away to find that her eyes were sealed shut.
"Fuck! I can't believe she fell asleep on me!" he didn't care that he'd stated the obvious out loud. The fact was, even though she didn't know it, Bulma had won! She'd ruined his plans from the word go, and had ended with a bang. Just when Vegeta was starting to enjoy himself, she'd fallen asleep! Of course, don't get me wrong, his intentions hadn't of been bad! He just wanted to make an absolute fool out of her, and then use it as a weapon the next day. That was the part he was mostly looking forward to! But noooo! She'd once again ruined everything. He scowled as he heard a quiet snore and rolled his eyes. 'Damn her! Damn her for once again beating me! But I WILL win the next round!' Bulma 1-Vegeta0. It was a score that he could easily beat, or so he thought. He lifted her limp and sleeping body into his arms, cursing himself for caring so much to not leave her outside for the many wild beasts to devour. However, tonight, she was sleeping on the couch!
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The first thing that hit her as she opened her eyes was the buzzing in her head and the dizziness. Bulma opened one eye first, the room focusing before she dared to open the other. She was in the lounge, and she found that she had a cramp in her neck where she'd been lying on one of the cushions as she lifted herself up, letting her arms take her weight. She let her head rest in her palm, trying to wake up. 'What the hell did I get up to last night?' She knew it couldn't of been that bad; she only had the slightest of hang-overs after all. A headache was NOTHING compared to her usual hang-overs. And it was only the slightest of headaches too, probably more from stress than alcohol. Her ears pricked at the sound of voices in the kitchen, and her eyebrows twitched together as she suddenly recognised who they belonged to. Slowly and carefully, Bulma got up, her legs still a little numb from sleeping. But she had to make sure her suspicions were right! She had to be certain that it wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her! Very quietly, she made her way into the kitchen, a smile lighting her face at what she saw. There, sat Kakarrot munching on some, well, lots of toast. Opposite him, sat ChiChi munching on her small portion of toast. Best of all, they were both smiling! 'Wow, talk about your love bugs!' Bulma grinned to herself and coughed, interrupting the two whose eyes had been connected. They both looked at Bulma, and ChiChi smiled.
"Morning sleepy-head! I took the liberty of giving your workers the morning off."
"WHAT!?" ChiChi giggled, chewing on some dry toast. "I can't afford to give them a day off! I've got too much to complete and not enough time!"
"Calm down and eat something, I was only kidding! Here, have some toast." Bulma shook her head, the thought of food didn't really appeal to her. "EAT!" On second thought.
Kakarrot just loved that powerful side of ChiChi; she could keep just about anyone in line, probably even Vegeta! Now that was saying something. He glanced at her, watching her every move as she picked up a second helping of toast and took a tiny bite, being as dainty as ever. That was another thing he loved; she managed to contrast herself by being powerful AND delicate. She truly was beautiful to him.
Bulma swallowed the dry toast, wincing as it painfully dragged down her throat. She needed coffee, lots of it. But it seemed the stupid Saiyans hadn't even heard of the stuff, so she had to settle with water.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Bulma glanced at ChiChi; was she actually making conversation? Wow, that was a turning point. Though her voice had been meek and hesitant, she was definitely making an effort.
"Good. I dread to think why I'm suffering from a headache though." Kakarrot chuckled, putting his hand behind his head in that same goofy way that he always did. ChiChi nearly sighed out loud; she loved it when he was reduced to being all goofy and quirky, it made him appear younger. Though she was only seventeen going on eighteen, Kakarrot seemed a little older, probably because of his muscular build. Although, his face was youthful, as was his attitude. She guessed that he wasn't older than twenty, and no younger than her own age, so somewhere in-between.
"I can't believe you drunk all that wine Bulma! From a bottle too!" Bulma pulled a face like she'd been hurt, if you get what I mean. She remembered drinking the wine, but for some reason, she also recalled attacking Vegeta with a stick. She hoped that that had been real! It was just too damn funny. She also hoped that she'd managed to hit him, several times. If only she knew.
"I've drunk much more than that Kakarrot! I am the alcohol Queen, the mother of all drinking!" She'd tried to be funny, but the blank faces told her that she hadn't succeeded. "Ah forget it! I'm going outside. Where's his Royal pain in the ass this morning?" She was a little puzzled as to why she'd slept on the sofa. He'd previously put up such a fight just to have her sleep in the same bed as him! 'Stupid asshole. His goal in life really is to annoy me. Dammit!'
"I haven't seen him, I reckon he won't be happy though." For once, Kakarrot was right.
"Speak of the devil."
Vegeta sauntered into the room dressed in his usual blue training attire, ignoring Bulma's mutter as he entered the room. Bulma's grin dropped, 'how does he always remain so damn flawless! Jerk! And here I am, looking like I've been dragged to hell and back. Life just isn't fair.'
"Well, well, aren't we all cosy?" He made eye contact with the three companions, his eyes lingering on Bulma's. 'Damn she looks good!' While she was complaining about her sleep-tousled hair, he was gawping at it. He never thought waking up alone would bother him so much. He missed her warmth and companionship and that annoyed him more than ever. Now, there she was, looking like an exotic Goddess as she leaned against the counter just like he had. Vegeta suddenly looked away as Bulma looked up at him, still munching on her toast. 'Damn her for being.her!' He shook his head and searched the cupboards for food, finding that there was none. 'And damn that Kakarrot for cleaning out my kitchen!' Oh boy, a bad start to the day always ended up even worse for Vegeta, and he could tell that today would be no exception.
"Where the fuck is all the fucking food around here?"
It annoyed him even more that no one chose to respond to his grand entrance or his question. He was a Prince dammit! He deserved respect, and that was something he wasn't even getting from a Saiyan anymore! Were things really that bad?
"What, am I invisible now? I want food dammit!" He slammed he cupboard, making Bulma and ChiChi wince at the loud bang. Kakarrot sunk further into his chair; he knew he was the culprit, everyone knew he was the culprit even, and Vegeta would therefore show no mercy to him in their daily spar as punishment.
"If you haven't already noticed, there is no food."
It HAD to be Bulma who stood up to him, and Vegeta clenched his fists tightly. 'If only my plans had worked last night! Dammit! I could've been laughing with victory! She wouldn't have had a damn leg to even stand on. Now I have nothing!' He banged his fist on the work surface, and watched as Bulma licked the crumbs off her fingers, becoming even more agitated. Why, he didn't exactly know, but he knew mostly it was because of lust. Simple, primal, lust.
"Kakarrot!" His yell frightened the poor Saiyan, but Vegeta had averted his attention to the dim Saiyan to try to keep his eyes off the woman in the corner. So far, it was working. "You're coming with my to the palace. We're, no YOU'RE going to carry so many supplies back, that you'll wish you'd never even LOOKED at MY food!"
"Yessir!" He sprung to his feet almost instantly, and Vegeta grinned. 'That's better! Respect and authority at last. Aaah, music to my ears.'
"We better get more wine for the woman too. I don't want her crawling all over me again just to quench her cravings!" He laughed wickedly, and Bulma blushed. Ok, so Vegeta had a little material to use as a comeback, but he could've had so much more, and that was what angered him.
"I was drunk Vegeta, D-R-U-N-K!"
"No need to hide your embarrassment with lies. No one get's drunk on just one swig baka!" Of course, Bulma was living proof that one could!
"Whatever Vegeta, I have work to do." She walked out to the back of the house via the back door, and Vegeta frowned. He really hated it when she'd just block one of their arguments, just as it was heating up too! He admitted to himself that he actually enjoyed seeing her get all flustered and feisty. Her words didn't affect him anymore, they simple encouraged, not provoked, but encouraged him to come back with something better. He found that he could argue at nearly any time of day, so long as it was with Bulma. He hated arguing with anyone else, it just wasn't as. Fun.
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Bulma busied herself with her ongoing project, scowling as she saw Kakarrot and Vegeta fly above her in the clouds. She still had to confide in ChiChi, hoping that through that she could gain the woman's trust and friendship. But she was too angry right now; mainly at herself. She was beginning to remember the previous evenings event more clearly, and scolded herself with attempting to flirt with Vegeta. Of course, it had only been one sentence, but that was enough, even in her drunken state. But the cherry on the cake was the fact that she'd enjoyed herself. 'How could I betray my own feelings and actually enjoy his company! Argh! It just goes right against my own morals!' She shook her head as she began to screw a silver screw into place; sealing her completed mainframe circuit board at long last. 'Do I even know my own feelings anymore? One minute I can't stand the ground he even walks on, and the next minute, I can't stop staring at him! Besides, they always say you're true feelings show when you're drunk. Oh Kame, I hope that's just another stupid myth!' She had so much that she wanted to do, and trying to decipher her feelings was simply getting in her way. So deciding to 'think about it later,' Bulma decided to get to work. The top priority on her list you ask? Why, showering and prying in other people's business of course!
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ChiChi relaxed in the lounge, her nose now used to the constant smell of pine. She gazed at the fireplace; everything reminded her of home. Her father had built a log home very similar to this one once he'd married her mother. ChiChi sighed; she wished she knew her mother. All she had left now were just memories in her head of the photos she'd seen. She resembled her mother very much, so much that as she grew older, it hurt for her father to even look at her. He wouldn't even dare look her in the eye, and that really did hurt. She drifted away from her memories however, as she caught sight of Bulma sink into the other couch, a loud thud noise as she landed heavily onto the cushioned sofa. ChiChi remained silent; not really knowing how to start the conversation. She's already boldly asked her if she was okay earlier, so now, she had nothing else to ask really.
"So," Bulma began, obviously hating the silence too. "What shall we talk about, hmm?" ChiChi shrugged, and Bulma sighed; this would be harder than she thought. "Well ok then, I'll start. How are you feeling?"
ChiChi hadn't expected to be asked that, and frowned slightly. She didn't really know how she was feeling is she was honest with herself. Was she actually happy? Or was it slight contentment? It was too hard a question!
"I don't really know."
"Me neither. I'm so pissed off though! One day I'm fine, then that asshole just decides that'll he'll ruin the next day!" ChiChi's frown deepened. She'd noticed that Bulma and Vegeta shared a very strange relationship. One minute, they seemed like they shared a happy friendship. The next minute, they were at each other's throats. It really was confusing, but she couldn't tell Bulma that, not yet anyway.
"Erm, yeah, I agree."
"Thankyou! At least someone does. He's so selfish and arrogant!"
"He can be." ChiChi hardly knew the guy, and here she was slagging him off! But anything to keep Bulma in a good mood, she didn't like the idea of having to argue with her after seeing her bite Vegeta's head off on several occasions, and especially after trying to strangle Kakarrot last night. The thought of that brought a grin to her face.
"Yep. You see, great minds think alike Chi."
Chi? Since when was her name Chi? Had she actually been given a nickname? ChiChi smiled, she'd never had a friend before nevermind a nickname!
Silence, once again, it was almost killing Bulma! She examined her nails, trying to pick all the dirt out. He hated being so messy, it was just against all her morals, and thanks to the project; she was constantly unorganised, dirty, and just messy full stop. It was then that a thought suddenly hit her. WHAM! Straight in the face like she'd been punched. She loved it when ideas just sprung to mind like that.
"ChiChi! I just had the bestest idea in the world! Stay right there!" She disappeared upstairs, her feet banging on the floorboards as she ran. ChiChi's face was puzzled, 'what is she planning now?' Just minutes later, Bulma returned and placed a mirror, a hairbrush, and a small bag on the small coffee table.
"It's make-over time!"
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Vegeta and Kakarrot finally landed outside the palace after the long flight. Vegeta scowled as the foul air hit his nose, though he loved being at home, the air was contaminated by rats such as Frieza and his father. His objectives were simple; train a little, steal some supplies, then leave. His main goal was to spend as little time possible; take the cheese, then leave the mousetrap without being caught. Simple.
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A.N. I'll try to get the next chapter out today, but I can't promise anything since I've gotta busy schedule argh! Sorry for the shortness, hopefully the next one will be longer. And sorry to leave on yet another cliffhanger. Heheh, nah I'm not really! I love em! So until next time my fellow readers!
A.N: Thanks again to all my readers who review! Special thanks to Laina, adbzfan2K03, and Girl Pan who've reviewed every chapter. You rock! Speaking of rock, I'm listening to Trapt-Headstrong. Random comment there :S. Anyway, WOW! I never thought I'd get to chapter 5 even! But this chapter has been HELL to write! It really has! I guess I'm just not in a writing mood today, and the fact that I never plan anything, just type it up, and that's pretty bad I guess. Oh well, on with the story.
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Chapter 9: Just Games?
Vegeta laughed mockingly as Bulma desperately reached yet again for the bottle of wine that he constantly kept out of her reach. ChiChi and Kakarrot had moved their chairs away from the table at the first sign of it starting to wobble as Bulma knocked it with her hips. Vegeta hadn't laughed so much in a long time. He'd decided to start off mildly evil, building up to the point of pure evil. He chuckled at his thoughts; Vegeta especially loved it when his plans evolved into something much better.
"No fair Vegeta! You're taller than me!"
That was the understatement of the year! Bulma and Vegeta were around the same height, but Vegeta's hair made him look taller. Of course, in Bulma's state, she probably couldn't tell tall from short.
"Just gimme the bottle dammit! You're such a big meanie!" Vegeta's sides were aching from laughing so much; his intellectual slave had been reduced to baby talk.
"Stop laughing at me!!!!"
ChiChi watched the pair curiously, wanting to know what was so special about the wine. Why did Bulma want it so bad? She had to know! Vegeta felt a slight tug and looked at his hand to find that he wasn't holding the bottle anymore. Kakarrot jumped to his feet; letting ChiChi get drunk was all he needed!
"GIVE ME BACK THAT BOTTLE!" Vegeta wasn't happy, and he was sounding as desperate as Bulma, who began to giggle, pointing at Vegeta as she did so. ChiChi shook her head and backed off as far away from the angry Saiyan Prince as possible.
"NO! I want to try some!"
The whole kitchen was a riot; Bulma couldn't stop giggling, so much that she was crying, Vegeta was fuming, and Kakarrot, hey, where was Kakarrot? ChiChi froze as she bumped into something hard, and before she had time to reach, someone's hand grabbed the bottle from her firm grip.
"Sorry ChiChi, but drinking this is a bad idea. I mean, look at Bulma."
"I don't care, I want to try some!" They all sounded like a bunch of alcoholics who hadn't had alcohol for a month! It was pretty unsettling.
"I can't let you drink it, I'm sorry." She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to re-claim the bottle, but he was too tall and simple held it above his head beyond her reach. There was only about a quarter of it left, and Kakarrot knew exactly what to do with it. All eyes were on him as he walked over to the sink, and as he began to pour the liquid substance down the drain, Bulma ran over, banging into the table as she did so and yelling "NOOOOOOO!" at the top of her voice. She grabbed his arm and tried to stop him, but he was way too strong. It was like an ant trying to lift chair or something. (C'mon, just picture that! Hahahah.) It was all in vain however, and the last drop of red liquid fell into the sink and disappeared amongst the running tap water. Kakarrot definitely wasn't prepared for what happened next, as Bulma began to strangle his thick neck; not like he felt it or anything.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER MORON!" ChiChi watched from the corner of the room; the whole idea of Bulma strangling Kakarrot was just too much! She couldn't suppress the giggles any longer, and she suddenly burst, her giggles transforming into loud laughter. There was a woman of about 5`6", trying to strangle a 6`1" guy, who was heavily built! That was just too much.
Meanwhile, Vegeta leaned against the kitchen counter, drinking something he knew Bulma would instantly attack him for. "Foolish woman, did you forget that I poured out a glass for everyone?" Bulma froze and turned round; there was Vegeta, looking damn sexy as he leaned casually against the counter, drinking more of the red stuff in a glass! Of course! She'd spilled most of it onto the table in her attempts to claim the bottle, but there was Vegeta, holding two glasses that where just calling to her!
"Dammit Vegeta I love you baby!" He raised an eyebrow at her drunken words and she lunged towards him, annoyed to find that he kept the remaining glasses out of her reach. He chuckled, glancing at the glasses in his hands. 'Such power! All thanks to alcohol. Damn I need more of this stuff!'
"You're going to have to do much better than that woman!" She growled, it was quiet, but definitely there in her throat. Vegeta smirked; he seemed to be rubbing off on her, and her merry state was beginning to show that even more so.
"FINE! OUTSIDE NOW!" He gaped at her; she was willing to fight him just for some petty wine? Of course, he more than obliged. Kakarrot and ChiChi merely watched as the drunken human and sober saiyan walked outside via the kitchen back door, then followed, eager to see the outcome. It was like watching a movie! Besides, they were stuck out in the middle of nowhere, so they were their own entertainment. Vegeta left the glasses of wine on a tree stump as Bulma walked ahead, stumbling every now and then. His initial plan to get everyone drunk but himself was becoming wilder than expected, and he loved it! Saiyans loved fighting the opposite sex after all, they got a kick out of it. The result was always worth it, and Vegeta knew that from experience. But that was another story, and a part of his teenage years that he didn't really want to remember.
"ENGARD!" Vegeta raised an eyebrow; there was Bulma, holding a stick! 'Damn! She really knows how to pick a weapon!' He chuckled and picked up a thick stick from the ground, knowing a thin one like Bulma's wouldn't last very long. Bulma began to attack, her attacks not even hitting Vegeta's stick, but rather, the air. But he played along with her little game, hitting her stick back as she attempted to attack.
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Kakarrot and ChiChi watched the pair play fight from the doorway. It was another magnificent sunset, and Kakarrot was beginning to enjoy being able to stand so close to ChiChi without her throwing a fit. The sun made her normally dark hair a little lighter, showing the brown tints amongst the normal blackness. Her eyes were a lighter brown, reminding Kakarrot of chocolate. His stomach grumbled at the thought of food, and ChiChi smiled to herself. She'd never had friends before, and she was beginning to get used to the company of others, and like it all the same. His eyes watched her as she walked over to the tree stomp and picked up the two glasses of wine, where Vegeta had stupidly left them. Kakarrot frowned with concern.
"ChiChi, I really don't think that-"
"But I only want a sip!" She silenced him, and handed him the other glass. She then held up her own to arms length, an actual smile on her face, small, but definitely there.
"To new friendships. Cheers." Kakarrot gently knocked the rim of his glass with hers, and then they both took a sip of the wine in unison, unlike Bulma, who'd downed more than she could handle without thinking. ChiChi, however, pulled a face of disgust; she discovered as the liquid hit her taste buds that she didn't really approve of the strong taste. "You know, after all that, it's not even that nice."
Kakarrot nodded, even though he actually liked the taste. But he knew he couldn't handle his drink, and didn't want to become unaware of his own actions, that would be very foolish. He therefore took her glass; the crystal chiming as the rims hit each other, and held out his arm like a gentleman.
"Shall we?" ChiChi smiled, daintily placing her hand with a giggle into the fold of his arm. It was late, and she was tired, and cold.
"We shall." He led her back through the kitchen where he tipped the wine down the sink; he didn't want to be the cause of anything happening between the prince and his slave. Then he led ChiChi over to the spaceship at the front of the house, since Vegeta's lodgings only had one bedroom, and ChiChi and Kakarrot retired to their separate rooms.
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Bulma panted heavily as she became out of breath. Her efforts were useless, as Vegeta was always ready to block her attempts to attack. She put all of her remaining energy into a final attack, which Vegeta parried. Before she knew, he'd somehow managed to circle her after spinning the attack around, and now, she was pinned against him; her back to his front. Her 'sword' landed on the ground, and his was under her neck in a death attack position. He chuckled against her ear, his hot breath tickling her as it connected with her cold skin.
"Very, very bad move woman. Now, what are you going to do?" She tried to catch her breath; her arms aching from the tight grip he had on them behind her back. He was so close to her that his undeniably familiar musky and masculine scent filled her nose, and she breathed in to inhale more. His scent was so damn addictive! But Bulma didn't know if it was her brains or the alcohol that was telling her that, but right now, she couldn't care less. Well, that, and the simple fact that she didn't have the brain power to care anyway.
"Remain here for ALL eternity." He grinned; she was so much more fun under the influence of alcohol.
"Eternity is a long, long time." She giggled, leaning back against Vegeta since she couldn't really support her own weight anymore.
"That's alright." He noticed her already slurred voice become quieter, and her breathing became slower. Her head suddenly dropped onto her chest, and Vegeta raised his eyebrows in total shock.
'Now what!?' He let go of her arms to see them just fall limply. 'Fuckin hell! I can't believe this!' He moved her blue locks away to find that her eyes were sealed shut.
"Fuck! I can't believe she fell asleep on me!" he didn't care that he'd stated the obvious out loud. The fact was, even though she didn't know it, Bulma had won! She'd ruined his plans from the word go, and had ended with a bang. Just when Vegeta was starting to enjoy himself, she'd fallen asleep! Of course, don't get me wrong, his intentions hadn't of been bad! He just wanted to make an absolute fool out of her, and then use it as a weapon the next day. That was the part he was mostly looking forward to! But noooo! She'd once again ruined everything. He scowled as he heard a quiet snore and rolled his eyes. 'Damn her! Damn her for once again beating me! But I WILL win the next round!' Bulma 1-Vegeta0. It was a score that he could easily beat, or so he thought. He lifted her limp and sleeping body into his arms, cursing himself for caring so much to not leave her outside for the many wild beasts to devour. However, tonight, she was sleeping on the couch!
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The first thing that hit her as she opened her eyes was the buzzing in her head and the dizziness. Bulma opened one eye first, the room focusing before she dared to open the other. She was in the lounge, and she found that she had a cramp in her neck where she'd been lying on one of the cushions as she lifted herself up, letting her arms take her weight. She let her head rest in her palm, trying to wake up. 'What the hell did I get up to last night?' She knew it couldn't of been that bad; she only had the slightest of hang-overs after all. A headache was NOTHING compared to her usual hang-overs. And it was only the slightest of headaches too, probably more from stress than alcohol. Her ears pricked at the sound of voices in the kitchen, and her eyebrows twitched together as she suddenly recognised who they belonged to. Slowly and carefully, Bulma got up, her legs still a little numb from sleeping. But she had to make sure her suspicions were right! She had to be certain that it wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her! Very quietly, she made her way into the kitchen, a smile lighting her face at what she saw. There, sat Kakarrot munching on some, well, lots of toast. Opposite him, sat ChiChi munching on her small portion of toast. Best of all, they were both smiling! 'Wow, talk about your love bugs!' Bulma grinned to herself and coughed, interrupting the two whose eyes had been connected. They both looked at Bulma, and ChiChi smiled.
"Morning sleepy-head! I took the liberty of giving your workers the morning off."
"WHAT!?" ChiChi giggled, chewing on some dry toast. "I can't afford to give them a day off! I've got too much to complete and not enough time!"
"Calm down and eat something, I was only kidding! Here, have some toast." Bulma shook her head, the thought of food didn't really appeal to her. "EAT!" On second thought.
Kakarrot just loved that powerful side of ChiChi; she could keep just about anyone in line, probably even Vegeta! Now that was saying something. He glanced at her, watching her every move as she picked up a second helping of toast and took a tiny bite, being as dainty as ever. That was another thing he loved; she managed to contrast herself by being powerful AND delicate. She truly was beautiful to him.
Bulma swallowed the dry toast, wincing as it painfully dragged down her throat. She needed coffee, lots of it. But it seemed the stupid Saiyans hadn't even heard of the stuff, so she had to settle with water.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Bulma glanced at ChiChi; was she actually making conversation? Wow, that was a turning point. Though her voice had been meek and hesitant, she was definitely making an effort.
"Good. I dread to think why I'm suffering from a headache though." Kakarrot chuckled, putting his hand behind his head in that same goofy way that he always did. ChiChi nearly sighed out loud; she loved it when he was reduced to being all goofy and quirky, it made him appear younger. Though she was only seventeen going on eighteen, Kakarrot seemed a little older, probably because of his muscular build. Although, his face was youthful, as was his attitude. She guessed that he wasn't older than twenty, and no younger than her own age, so somewhere in-between.
"I can't believe you drunk all that wine Bulma! From a bottle too!" Bulma pulled a face like she'd been hurt, if you get what I mean. She remembered drinking the wine, but for some reason, she also recalled attacking Vegeta with a stick. She hoped that that had been real! It was just too damn funny. She also hoped that she'd managed to hit him, several times. If only she knew.
"I've drunk much more than that Kakarrot! I am the alcohol Queen, the mother of all drinking!" She'd tried to be funny, but the blank faces told her that she hadn't succeeded. "Ah forget it! I'm going outside. Where's his Royal pain in the ass this morning?" She was a little puzzled as to why she'd slept on the sofa. He'd previously put up such a fight just to have her sleep in the same bed as him! 'Stupid asshole. His goal in life really is to annoy me. Dammit!'
"I haven't seen him, I reckon he won't be happy though." For once, Kakarrot was right.
"Speak of the devil."
Vegeta sauntered into the room dressed in his usual blue training attire, ignoring Bulma's mutter as he entered the room. Bulma's grin dropped, 'how does he always remain so damn flawless! Jerk! And here I am, looking like I've been dragged to hell and back. Life just isn't fair.'
"Well, well, aren't we all cosy?" He made eye contact with the three companions, his eyes lingering on Bulma's. 'Damn she looks good!' While she was complaining about her sleep-tousled hair, he was gawping at it. He never thought waking up alone would bother him so much. He missed her warmth and companionship and that annoyed him more than ever. Now, there she was, looking like an exotic Goddess as she leaned against the counter just like he had. Vegeta suddenly looked away as Bulma looked up at him, still munching on her toast. 'Damn her for being.her!' He shook his head and searched the cupboards for food, finding that there was none. 'And damn that Kakarrot for cleaning out my kitchen!' Oh boy, a bad start to the day always ended up even worse for Vegeta, and he could tell that today would be no exception.
"Where the fuck is all the fucking food around here?"
It annoyed him even more that no one chose to respond to his grand entrance or his question. He was a Prince dammit! He deserved respect, and that was something he wasn't even getting from a Saiyan anymore! Were things really that bad?
"What, am I invisible now? I want food dammit!" He slammed he cupboard, making Bulma and ChiChi wince at the loud bang. Kakarrot sunk further into his chair; he knew he was the culprit, everyone knew he was the culprit even, and Vegeta would therefore show no mercy to him in their daily spar as punishment.
"If you haven't already noticed, there is no food."
It HAD to be Bulma who stood up to him, and Vegeta clenched his fists tightly. 'If only my plans had worked last night! Dammit! I could've been laughing with victory! She wouldn't have had a damn leg to even stand on. Now I have nothing!' He banged his fist on the work surface, and watched as Bulma licked the crumbs off her fingers, becoming even more agitated. Why, he didn't exactly know, but he knew mostly it was because of lust. Simple, primal, lust.
"Kakarrot!" His yell frightened the poor Saiyan, but Vegeta had averted his attention to the dim Saiyan to try to keep his eyes off the woman in the corner. So far, it was working. "You're coming with my to the palace. We're, no YOU'RE going to carry so many supplies back, that you'll wish you'd never even LOOKED at MY food!"
"Yessir!" He sprung to his feet almost instantly, and Vegeta grinned. 'That's better! Respect and authority at last. Aaah, music to my ears.'
"We better get more wine for the woman too. I don't want her crawling all over me again just to quench her cravings!" He laughed wickedly, and Bulma blushed. Ok, so Vegeta had a little material to use as a comeback, but he could've had so much more, and that was what angered him.
"I was drunk Vegeta, D-R-U-N-K!"
"No need to hide your embarrassment with lies. No one get's drunk on just one swig baka!" Of course, Bulma was living proof that one could!
"Whatever Vegeta, I have work to do." She walked out to the back of the house via the back door, and Vegeta frowned. He really hated it when she'd just block one of their arguments, just as it was heating up too! He admitted to himself that he actually enjoyed seeing her get all flustered and feisty. Her words didn't affect him anymore, they simple encouraged, not provoked, but encouraged him to come back with something better. He found that he could argue at nearly any time of day, so long as it was with Bulma. He hated arguing with anyone else, it just wasn't as. Fun.
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Bulma busied herself with her ongoing project, scowling as she saw Kakarrot and Vegeta fly above her in the clouds. She still had to confide in ChiChi, hoping that through that she could gain the woman's trust and friendship. But she was too angry right now; mainly at herself. She was beginning to remember the previous evenings event more clearly, and scolded herself with attempting to flirt with Vegeta. Of course, it had only been one sentence, but that was enough, even in her drunken state. But the cherry on the cake was the fact that she'd enjoyed herself. 'How could I betray my own feelings and actually enjoy his company! Argh! It just goes right against my own morals!' She shook her head as she began to screw a silver screw into place; sealing her completed mainframe circuit board at long last. 'Do I even know my own feelings anymore? One minute I can't stand the ground he even walks on, and the next minute, I can't stop staring at him! Besides, they always say you're true feelings show when you're drunk. Oh Kame, I hope that's just another stupid myth!' She had so much that she wanted to do, and trying to decipher her feelings was simply getting in her way. So deciding to 'think about it later,' Bulma decided to get to work. The top priority on her list you ask? Why, showering and prying in other people's business of course!
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ChiChi relaxed in the lounge, her nose now used to the constant smell of pine. She gazed at the fireplace; everything reminded her of home. Her father had built a log home very similar to this one once he'd married her mother. ChiChi sighed; she wished she knew her mother. All she had left now were just memories in her head of the photos she'd seen. She resembled her mother very much, so much that as she grew older, it hurt for her father to even look at her. He wouldn't even dare look her in the eye, and that really did hurt. She drifted away from her memories however, as she caught sight of Bulma sink into the other couch, a loud thud noise as she landed heavily onto the cushioned sofa. ChiChi remained silent; not really knowing how to start the conversation. She's already boldly asked her if she was okay earlier, so now, she had nothing else to ask really.
"So," Bulma began, obviously hating the silence too. "What shall we talk about, hmm?" ChiChi shrugged, and Bulma sighed; this would be harder than she thought. "Well ok then, I'll start. How are you feeling?"
ChiChi hadn't expected to be asked that, and frowned slightly. She didn't really know how she was feeling is she was honest with herself. Was she actually happy? Or was it slight contentment? It was too hard a question!
"I don't really know."
"Me neither. I'm so pissed off though! One day I'm fine, then that asshole just decides that'll he'll ruin the next day!" ChiChi's frown deepened. She'd noticed that Bulma and Vegeta shared a very strange relationship. One minute, they seemed like they shared a happy friendship. The next minute, they were at each other's throats. It really was confusing, but she couldn't tell Bulma that, not yet anyway.
"Erm, yeah, I agree."
"Thankyou! At least someone does. He's so selfish and arrogant!"
"He can be." ChiChi hardly knew the guy, and here she was slagging him off! But anything to keep Bulma in a good mood, she didn't like the idea of having to argue with her after seeing her bite Vegeta's head off on several occasions, and especially after trying to strangle Kakarrot last night. The thought of that brought a grin to her face.
"Yep. You see, great minds think alike Chi."
Chi? Since when was her name Chi? Had she actually been given a nickname? ChiChi smiled, she'd never had a friend before nevermind a nickname!
Silence, once again, it was almost killing Bulma! She examined her nails, trying to pick all the dirt out. He hated being so messy, it was just against all her morals, and thanks to the project; she was constantly unorganised, dirty, and just messy full stop. It was then that a thought suddenly hit her. WHAM! Straight in the face like she'd been punched. She loved it when ideas just sprung to mind like that.
"ChiChi! I just had the bestest idea in the world! Stay right there!" She disappeared upstairs, her feet banging on the floorboards as she ran. ChiChi's face was puzzled, 'what is she planning now?' Just minutes later, Bulma returned and placed a mirror, a hairbrush, and a small bag on the small coffee table.
"It's make-over time!"
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Vegeta and Kakarrot finally landed outside the palace after the long flight. Vegeta scowled as the foul air hit his nose, though he loved being at home, the air was contaminated by rats such as Frieza and his father. His objectives were simple; train a little, steal some supplies, then leave. His main goal was to spend as little time possible; take the cheese, then leave the mousetrap without being caught. Simple.
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A.N. I'll try to get the next chapter out today, but I can't promise anything since I've gotta busy schedule argh! Sorry for the shortness, hopefully the next one will be longer. And sorry to leave on yet another cliffhanger. Heheh, nah I'm not really! I love em! So until next time my fellow readers!