SEQ CHAPTER h r 1 A Woman's Duty
Part 5- The Final Chapter
Bulma and Vegeta walked into the little diner on the corner of Tokyo Avenue, near the grocery store. They little bell above the door jingled as they opened the door and walked toward their booth. The waitress walks over, hands them a couple of laminated menus, and receives their drink orders. As they glanced around the menu, Bulma glances to Vegeta, and stares back down at her own menu. A faint country song plays in the background as the ceiling fans swirl around the muggy air of the summer. It's dusk outside; the sky a color array of purples, pinks, and oranges.
The two didn't come to the diner to discuss her and Yamucha, nor was it a little treat from Bulma to Vegeta. They needed to discuss what happened the other night. This included what 18 and Chi-Chi saw, why they were in a trance, and what had happened to Vegeta. Vegeta didn't talk much about it, except that he felt an evil spirit of some sort, but not anyone he or the other Z warriors had met up with before. It, whatever it was, may it be a vampire, demon, ghost, or whatever, just had beady, glowing, purple eyes that floated in the dark. Vegeta commented on how he wasn't able to get a good look at it, because it was dark, but the eyes were visible. That is probably what 18 and Chi-Chi spotted, and the fact that they were staring into space could have been a reaction from the eyes putting them into a trance. Otherwise then that, not much else was known about the night.
The two sat in silence for awhile, that is, until the food came. Bulma ordered a veggie burger with everything on it, a bowl of noodles with teriyaki sauce, a cherry soda pop, and a fruit bowl. Vegeta ordered 3 times that amount, including 2 baskets of hot wings, 3 bowls of noodles with sauce, 2 baskets of biscuits, some sushi and wasabi, and spaghetti (this is an international food diner.) During dinner, which was silent most of the time, Bulma glanced back up at Vegeta. Suddenly, as if it hit her from no where, he seemed oddly attractive. Maybe this feeling resulted from the traumatic event that occurred the other night, or maybe it was due to those noodles. Any how, she stared at Vegeta's outline as the sunset reflected colorful light onto his cheekbones, chin, ears, lips, eyes... Vegeta felt a strange feeling in his stomach, so he glanced up real fast and caught Bulma red-handed gazing at his face. Suddenly, she snapped back into reality and caught his gaze as well. They stayed still in that stare for a good 15 seconds before Vegeta looked away. Something had come over him. He felt uncomfortable, confused, and his stomach twisted into knots.
"Hey, eating machine, what's up with you now?" Bulma asked, trying to add a touch of joking in her tone.
"Woman, why don't you shut your mouth. I'm fine. I've ate 5 times this much before, so I don't know what your problem is..." Vegeta shot back. Bulma continued to stare. "Stop staring at me, woman!"
When Bulma refused to take were attention away from his face, Vegeta lifted his hand and almost tapped her face harshly to get her to receive a reality check, but not before Bulma caught it in mid-air. Vegeta was shocked. Bulma just smirked.
"Come on, let's get out of here," she said, the smirk still plastered on her face.
As she stood up, she noticed it was a cerulean blue outside, darkness had approached. She laid down enough Yen to pay off the meal, and they both left. Approaching the car, the street lamps in the city were turning on, and some citizens were taking their dogs for night walks. Hopping into the red, 1998 Mustang (with upgrades), the lights in the car glowed neon green and the red lights under the car turned on.
The city was beautiful at night; neon lights flashing in the window's reflection, sparkling stars draped over the city like a lit-up canopy, and the city lights lit up the environment like Las Vegas. The citizens were out for a night on the town: prostitutes in boas, business men heading to bars with their buddies, women in the latest fashions lining the streets behind velvet ropes waiting their turn to get into a hot spot nightclub, etc. On the other hand, many were heading home after a long day of work.
As Bulma pulled into the driveway, gravel was heard crunching under the tires, lightening bugs were darting in and out of the orchid bushes, and the garden lamps were turned on. One thing did appear most different from the past few days: Mr. And Mrs. Briefs were home. Seeing how they always disappear quite often, it was a joyous gift to have the whole family home at one time, including Vegeta. Stepping out of the car, Vegeta immediately flew into his open balcony window. Locking the car with a "bleep bleep," Bulma strolled up the stone-paved walkway up to her porch.
After being welcomed home by her parents, she headed upstairs, then threw her belongings on her bed. Bulma had an odd urge to see Vegeta again. I must be getting sick she told herself, trying to give herself an excuse for wanting to see him. As she crept up to his door, knocked a couple of time, and got no response, worry overcame her again as she slung open the door... to find a revealed Vegeta!
"Oh my Kami!" she screamed as she shut the door as fast as she could. Vegeta caught her. He wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to his bedroom door.
As he silently crept open the door, a smirk crossed his face; Kami knows why. He peered out into the hallway, then right beside him. He spotted Bulma leaning against the wall, stricken with shock, face beet red from embarrassment, and hair messed up from her quick movements. Her blue eyes were about popping out of her head as she repeatedly replayed in her head what she had seen just now. What a sight!
"Like what you saw, woman?" Vegeta asked mockingly.
"You pervert! Why would I like what I saw?!! It was you... naked!" she shot back defensively.
"Glad you caught me while I was in the dark. Did it turn you on?" he asked jokingly.
"UGH! You baka!" she screamed at him as her palm came flying toward his left cheek. Yet, like usual, Vegeta caught the hand and pinned her against the wall.
"Woman... I want to ask you one question..." Vegeta whispered, fading into the distance.
"What is it, you creep?"
"Why did you help me after the concussion and when that thing possessed me. You got something going I don't know about?!"
"Vegeta... if you would take your grubby paws off of me, then maybe I'd consider conversing with you about that subject," she replied.
Getting frustrated, but desperate for knowledge, he reluctantly released her. "Ok."
Bulma lead the prince onto a balcony. The wind and air signaled a storm was approaching quickly. She had to make this short.
"Listen, I don't want you to get the wrong impression. I was just taking care of you. I offered you a place to stay and I am obligated to take care of you," she said, starting off her explanation.
"No, you aren't. No one is," he replied.
"Then I wanted to be...," she muttered. She turned her eyes away from him.
Vegeta stared at her for awhile before she looked back up at him. "What do you call that: doing what you want to me without my consent?"
Bulma remained silent. She was embarrassed and wanted to hide for slipping her little secret feeling to the one it portrayed to.
Thunder boomed in the distance and thick clouds covered the twinkling stars and moon, casting a purplish hue on the two. Bulma felt drizzle falling, then a light rain. She crooked her head upwards into the sky and closed her eyes. Then the real rain started pouring heavily, beating them with heavy raindrops.
"Well?!" Vegeta called over the weather.
Bulma opened her eyes, lowered her chin, and stared into his eyes.
"I call it a woman's duty, Vegeta. A woman's duty," she said back.
After a few minutes, Vegeta put his arms around Bulma's shivering, fragile body, and led her inside. That night, the two spent the night together... through the storm and all.
Fin