Last chapter and this one were all one huge chapter, but I cut it down to more normal lengths. Wouldn't want to give y'all false hope for a LONG chapter. ;)

    I had fun with this one. It was just, fun. ^_^

~

       Having awakened late in the day, Bulma was already gone before Vegeta awoke. He ate quickly and headed out to the gravity room which was, much to his frustration, now passcode locked with an aggrivating note on the front from the only person who could have coded the lock. Burning the note to assuage his anger, he trained lightly outside for a few hours, again growing weary long before he should have, all things considered. Still, he felt increasingly better since the day before.

       He wandered aimlessly about the house, never having felt so bored in his life. He cursed having only one thing that occupied his time…he had never considered what he would do with himself if not able to train. He searched through random drawers in the kitchen, coming across a deck of cards… 'playing cards' he read. Inside the small box was a set of instructions for a seemingly simple game.

       Settling himself at the table with the cards, he carefully read the instructions, painstakingly laying out the cards to play 'solitaire'. He played according to the instructions…and lost. He tried again, and lost. He was quickly becoming frustrated, how could one lose when they were playing alone, against themselves?

       But no, it was the cards beating him. If not in the correct order, it was virtually impossible to win. Having hours of time on hand with nothing to do, he set about figuring several ways to order the cards to ensure a win. He shuffled them face down, mentally remembering which card was which. With his 'shuffled' deck he played again.

       Lost again.

       He threw the cards across the room in agitation, watching with no small pleasure as they scattered about the kitchen.

       "Oh, 52 pick-up, my favorite," came a voice from the doorway, decidedly feminine with heavy overtones of sarcasm. He glared briefly at Bulma, and then back at the cards on the floor.

       "52 pick-up?"

       "It's a game that no one plays, where you throw the cards everywhere, and then pick them up. There's fifty-two cards in the deck, which you may have noticed. What were you doing with the cards anyway?"

       "This." He shoved the instruction booklet into her hand.

       "Solitaire's fun." She remarked handing the instructions back to him.

       "If by fun you mean frustrating and impossible to win, then yes, it is 'fun'." She coughed into her hand, trying not to laugh. "I know you're laughing, might as well get it out." She chuckled softly, and began picking the cards up.

       "You help me pick these up, since you made the mess, and I'll show you how to win Solitaire, it won't work every time, but I've found that my way increases the odds a bit." Bending over in the chair, he picked up one card, set it on the table, and settled back to wait.

       "Bastard." She muttered, causing him to smirk.

       "It isn't adviseable to treat your mate in such a way…" He noted, she looked back at him, one eyebrow arched questioningly.

       "Don't push your luck pal, I've got worse. Yamcha would have kissed my feet had I only called him a bastard."

       "Now there's a sight I wouldn't mind witnessing…" She snorted and stood, having finished cleaning up the deck. She laid out the cards before him for the game, leaning over his shoulder. "Now play until you get stuck."

       He glowered up at her, and she seated herself beside him. He played again, and got stuck.

       "I don't know about you, but I only like a game when I win once in a while. And since this is one you play alone, I figure it's okay to alter the rules a bit. When I get stuck, I just turn over the cards one by one, instead of in three's. You can still lose that way, but it's a lot easier to win too."

       Following her advice, he won, but looked less than satisfied afterwards.

       "That was like cheating," he remarked.

       "Well I never said I was going to give you a super strategy…"

       "I never thought that you would be the cheating type…"

       "I never cheat when it really matters." She replied slyly. Placing the cards back in a stack, she shuffled them, and dealt them each five cards.

       "You interested in learning poker?"

~

       A pair of ebony eyes stared challengingly into a set of clear blue over five cards.

       "You go."

       "You go."

       "You assume that since I'm the woman in this relationship that I should submit and lay down first."

       "Where do you get this stuff? What relationship?"

       "Psychology class in high school. We're friends, I'm assuming. I mean, we've been playing poker since this afternoon, stopping only for food and bathroom. And really we barely stopped for food. We've gone that long without killing one another, and to some degree enjoying each other's company. I call that friendship. I mean, you haven't insulted me once since I got home--"

       "Bitch."

       "Bastard."

       "Just lay down the damn cards already! Good gods…" She stuck her tongue out, and kept her hand in front of her face.

       "We do it together, on three."

       "Fine."

       "One, two, three…" Silence.

       "You didn't lay it down!"

       "Neither did you!"

       "This isn't working."

       "Mistress of the obvious…"

       "Shut up."

       "After you."

       "Ladies first…" A growl from the darker of the pair.

       "I'm not a woman."

       "Yeah? A little insecure are we? Prove it."

       "I'm not undressing for you. You'd like it far too much. Besides, I think I've already proved that, oh pregnant one."

       "I'd like it far too much, he says. What a comedian. I'd probably throw up, damn that morning sickness!" Large hands reached across the table, cupping her face, pulling their lips together. He pulled away after a moment.

       "Still think I'm a woman?"

       "Possibly."

       "Then you're a lesbian."

       "No I'm not!"

       "Prove it…" This time it was she that leaned across the table, kissing him more deeply than she'd first intended.

       She pulled back, sat down again.

       "This is getting us nowhere, you know that."

       "Yes."

       "I'm tired."

       "I know, and you're making me tired. Quit it. I've had my share of being tired these past few days."

       "Join the club."

       "What?"

       "Nevermind. Let's go to bed."

       "Let's?" A suggestive smirk drifted across his face. She rolled her eyes.

       "You go to your bed, I go to mine. We will go to bed seperately, at the same time."

       "Are you sure we don't go to the same bed at different times?"

       "Quite sure. Why, you horny?"

       "Possibly."

       "Possibly? You're not sure?"

       "Possibly as in I'm horny, but not necessarily for you. Though I'm having my doubts about now…"

       "Quit undressing me with your eyes."

       "You don't know that I'm doing that."

       "Except that I know you're getting somewhat aroused over there. Go to bed before you get any ideas."

       "Funny, all my ideas involving going to bed have something to do with you…"

       "How very flattering, but it ain't happening bud."

       "No?"

       "No."

       "I'm going to bed."

       "Is there an echo in here?"

       "Perhaps." He laid his cards on the table, standing to leave.

       "Hah! I win!" She laid down a full house, thoroughly beating his pair of eights.

       "Dammit."

       "Oh yeah, who beat you Vegeta? I did. Yep, me, the weak human woman beat the strong Saiyajin man. Ha!"

       "For once. You forget, I won every other hand, hence the reason we're still playing this damn game in the middle of the night. Go to bed." She yawned.

       "I think I will. It was fun." Pecking him on the cheek she disappeared upstairs. Frowning, he rubbed his cheek.

       "Odd creatures, these humans."

~

See? Wasn't that fun? ^_^ I thought it was. Can anyone say awwwwwww? I can't.

So anyhow…

I think I'm tired. Review please!!!!