Sooner Than Expected

Disclaimer: Duh.

By: Selenity Jade (Jadesama@aol.com)

Chapter Six: A Date

"Buruma, is my room still the same?" Yamucha asked his girlfriend softly from right behind her.

She turned her head and gave him a small nod and a smile. "Yes, Yamucha. It's still the same."

He grinned and wrapped an arm around her, kissing her forehead softly. "Good. I really missed you," he murmured into her hair.

She sighed, snuggling into his side. "I missed you, too."

"I heard Vejiita was staying here. How's that?"

She shrugged uncomfortably, turning her gaze to watch the Nameks disperse. "He wasn't around much."

"He didn't hurt-"

Shaking her head quickly, she pulled away from his embrace. "No, he didn't hurt me," she reassured her boyfriend absently, her eyes landing on Chichi and Gohan who were walking over to them. "He's gone for now anyway."

"I see."

"Buruma," Chichi greeted softly when she reached the blue-haired genius. "I wanted to apologize for the incident months ago with Vejiita. I was wrong and I shouldn't have said what I did, and thank you."

Buruma blinked. "Thank me? For what?"

"For saving me. He would have killed me. I don't know why he cared that he injured you, but he did, and I'm thankful," the younger woman whispered, looking down slightly.

Her eyes widened slightly in understanding, and Buruma suddenly pulled Chichi into a hug. "Hey, Chi. Don't worry, Son-kun will be home."

"He injured you?" Yamucha asked suddenly. "You just said-"

"It's nothing Yamucha," Buruma snapped. "It was an accident and entirely my fault for grabbing his ki blast."

"What?!" Yamucha exclaimed, his mouth falling open. "You know better than to grab concentrated ki, Buruma!"

"I do *now*," she stated. "That *hurt*."

Yamucha snorted. "You think?"

She shot him a glare and released Chichi. Glancing worriedly at her friend, she gave her an encouraging smile. "You okay?"

Chichi nodded, placing a hand on her son's head gently. "Yes. I just..." She glanced down worriedly at Gohan. "Gohan, would you and Yamucha like to go find Mrs. Briefs in the kitchen?"

Gohan nodded, and being the intelligent child that he was, didn't protest, or comment on the fact his mother wanted to speak with Buruma alone. "Yamucha-san?"

"Hey, kid. Let's go," Yamucha said, ruffling Gohan's hair, and both strode towards the large Capsule Corporation buildings.

"Chichi?" Buruma asked, placing a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, her blue eyes riveted on the solemn face of her friend.

"Am I that bad?" Chichi whispered brokenly, a tear falling from her dark eyes.

"Chi?"

"Am I that bad?" she repeated, looking up at Buruma. "Am I that bad of a wife? Am I the reason he doesn't want to come home?"

"Chichi, no!" Buruma exclaimed, hugging the woman again. "Of course not, Chichi."

"Then why doesn't he want to come home?" she cried. "Why doesn't he want to see his wife or his son? I haven't seen him for more than a few days since the first Saiyajin appeared, and he doesn't even want to see me! Is Vejiita right? Am I the reason he always fights? Am I the reason he died?"

"Chichi!" Buruma snapped, pulling away from the dark-haired woman and giving her a good glare. "Stop that. Vejiita's a rude asshole and you know it. He said things that weren't true. Son-kun loves you. He *loves* you, Chichi. He loves Gohan. You both mean the world to him and he'd do anything to protect you. You are not the reason he's not home yet. I promise."

"But..."

"No, Chichi. We all know that he's not that bright sometimes, and he doesn't show what he feels a lot of the time. I don't know if he can. He loves you, even if he doesn't always show it. I swear to you. He loves you, he loves Gohan, and I *know* he misses you."

"Then *why*?!" the dark-haired woman cried out.

Looking at her friend sadly, she said, "Because he has to, Chichi. He is who he is. He *has* to fight. He *has* to protect everyone. He has to fight and protect his family. He's too pure-hearted to do otherwise. Chichi, be *proud* of your husband. Be proud that you are married to such a man. He is what most strive to be. He is powerful, kind-hearted, trusting, and forgiving. He feels the need to protect this world because he is the only one who can. Be proud that you have captured the heart of such a perfect man!"

Looking up finally, Chichi gave her friend a sad, ironic smile. "But I'll never have his whole heart. He loves everyone so very much, and I'm only a part of that."

Buruma sighed. "Chichi, a heart isn't something that has a measurable amount of love. He loves you and Gohan more than anything else in this world. Because of his love for everything else, he *is* able to love you two so much more. Can you find another man that could love so completely?"

Shaking her head, Chichi sighed. "No, I suppose not."

"Good. He loves you, Chichi. Don't doubt that, or his love for Gohan. It'd break his heart. And try not to change who he is. He'll never be the man you fell in love with if you do."

She nodded. "I know..."

"Good," Buruma stated, giving her friend a grin. "Now, let's all go inside and grab something to eat before you and Gohan go home. Might as well have a group lunch while the whole gang is here, hmm? We won't see each other for another four months or so."

~~~

Sighing, Buruma fell back onto the couch, grunting as she hit the soft surface. She smiled slightly and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the back cushions. It had been a fun afternoon with the gang, and they'd probably do it again when they came back for the next set of wishes. She had to fend off Kame-sennin of course, but she was used to that by now anyway.

Opening her eyes, she frowned suddenly, staring at the ceiling. Vejiita had left after finding out that Goku refused to come home just yet. She was sure Vejiita was going to search for him. The burning look in his eyes whenever his rival's name was mentioned left little doubt. He hated her best friend so very much that it startled her with its intensity. She didn't quite understand the hatred, the absolute obsession he had with Goku, but she knew it had a lot to do with strength, pride, and not a little humiliation.

Vejiita left because he *needed* to. There was no other way around it. She felt an odd sort of sadness and longing for him, now that he was gone. It was completely irrational this feeling. They weren't *close* but they were somewhat less than enemies. After all, they were sleeping together. Then again, with Vejiita, he may still hate her. But she didn't think so.

She sighed again. She hoped he found what he was looking for. 'It's got to be difficult for him,' she mused. He was, after all, suddenly bereft of a purpose. Furiza had been killed, he no longer could pursue the monster's death, for revenge or whatever it was that made him hate that alien so much. He had not achieved Supersaiyajin, whatever that was, and Goku, the low-class Saiyajin that defeated *him* had beat him to it. And he had died. He had died *pleading* with the man he hated only slightly less than the feminine being. He had pleaded for Goku to kill what he could not, and had died trying to defeat. She knew it was an odd sort of contradiction. He hated Goku with more passion that she could believe sometimes, and yet, she suspected a part of him also respected him. And was maybe slightly... pleased that a Saiyajin had killed Furiza. After all, if he died trying to, another Saiyajin was the next best thing, even if he hated him. He had died, crying and pleading with his rival, and although she had a hard time believing that, when Gohan told her about it, she felt pity well up within her. Pity, sympathy, and the strange urge to find a way to heal him.

She shook her head mentally. Then the poor guy was wished back, seemingly by accident, and ends up stuck on the planet his rival called home, where he was defeated and nearly killed trying to destroy them all. She was still angry with him for that, for his men killing her boyfriend, and her friends. But she knew that if he had actually killed any of them himself instead of the big bald one or the green men doing it, Buruma would have never allowed him to stay with her.

He didn't though. He watched, he ordered it, but overall, he never killed a soul. He left the dirty work to his partner and the green things, and only fought against Goku, his son, and Kuririn. And all had survived. She was pissed that he had caused it all, but his hands weren't bloodied with her friend's death, and she could somehow push past the thought he had caused her so much pain. Irrational, but true.

'I must be out of my mind,' she scolded herself. Falling for a murderer, caring about him, and even rationalizing why she had allowed herself to seduce and sleep with him. Someone that had been the cause of such turmoil!

"Buruma?"

She blinked and glanced behind her, smiling as she laid her eyes on the shy smile of her boyfriend. "Yamucha," she murmured, standing up.

"I was wondering if you want to go out tomorrow? It's been a very long time since we had a date."

She smiled at him and nodded. "I'd like that."

~~~

Laughing, Yamucha held the door open for his girlfriend, allowing her to enter Capsule Corporation before him, and then shutting and setting the security system behind them. He turned and looked at her for a long moment before smiling shyly. "I almost forgot how fun dates with you can be."

She smirked at him and slapped his arm, throwing down her purse and capsules on the small table beside the door. "It was fun, wasn't it?"

Nodding, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. "Yes, it was fun. Even when that one guy decided to hit on you."

She laughed out right and pulled away from him to walk into the kitchen, winking over her shoulder. "Yeah, and you seem to have forgotten that I can handle assholes like that without your help, Yamucha."

He put a hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, being dead for so long had that effect on me, I guess. I forgot how loud you could be."

"Hey!"

Holding out his hands in front of himself, he spoke quickly, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

"Sure you are!" She shot him a glare. "So what if I'm loud? I can be loud if I want! And you will *like* it!"

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed backing away from her fury.

"Good!" She swung around to open the refrigerator and grabbed a can of coke. She sighed and smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, Yamucha."

"It's okay, Buruma. I kind of forgot how you were," he said, grinning. He leaned towards her and kissed her softly, his lips lingering on hers. "I'm tired, Buruma. I'm going to sleep, okay?"

She smiled at him and nodded. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

~~~

Piccolo strolled into the kitchen, grunting from behind the preoccupied woman who was staring out the window with a thoughtful frown on her face. She blinked and glanced behind her, cocking her head in a silent question at him.

"It's time."

She nodded and followed him outside. It was time for the second set of wishes.

~~~

AN: Yes, I have Yamucha as a nice guy. ^_^; I DO like him after all.

Lovies!