Last time:
"You're perfect," she whispered, leaning into him.
Neither noticed the two figures standing five feet away from them, watching in stunned silence as the secret couple embraced each other in unmistakened love. Love that no one knew could be shared between Vegeta and another person. And such a strong love it almost brought tears to the eyes of the unnoticed onlookers.
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"18 is waiting for me," Bulma whispered, dropping her arms to her sides, her entire frame giving a great sigh. Vegeta's hands stayed cupped on her face, his forehead pressed tenderly against hers. Neither wanted to move, and, for a moment, they simply stayed that way, unwillingly, just for that moment, to believe that they had to separate again. "She's probably going to come down any second. I've been down here for a while."
"Spying on Romeo and Romeo?" he asked, a cruel laughter behind his voice. It was the same situation they were in, though more people knew about 17 and Azumamaro, all respecting their secrecy…for now. For now, just like him and Bulma. Sooner or later their secret would be out, though he wondered if it was all that bad.
"You never told me 17 was gay," she said, almost angrily, leaning back. "I think that's kind of big."
"And personal," Vegeta shot back, rolling his eyes. "He can tell you himself."
"I'm gay, Bulma."
The couple stiffened, still as statues, only their eyes moving in the direction of the voice. And when they saw it was 17, his arm slung loose around Azumamaro's shoulder, they turned, but had no words for their captors. But then slowly, unexpectedly, Vegeta's lips curled into a smile. 17 was, of course, quite stunned by this, but kept his observation to himself.
"I—" Bulma began, but the words fell like an anvil and she dropped her eyes, as if surveying the gigantic hole her words had left in the floor.
"Briefs," came Azumamaro's deep, sultry voice. How many times in the past had she admired him across the ballroom? In those moments, confided in the silk clothes required of her for such functions, she felt like Juliet seeing her Romeo, the enemy of her family, a man she should hate but could never bring herself to feel such things for someone so beautiful. Of course these feelings were nothing, mere games she played out in her mind in boredom, using him as her co-star for his looks and kindness. "It's only fitting that you would be the one to tame Vegeta's heart." He let out a low, friendly laugh, and extended his arms to her.
She glanced back at Vegeta who, having excluded himself from them, gave a short almost unseen nod.
As she melted into his arms, she felt the past come flooding back to her. Years ago, at her home, she'd danced with this boy who was now a man. He'd been so much better than her those first few times, gently making fun of her and offering her dancing lessons. Being stubborn and offended, she refused and learned on her own. When they danced together again it was he who had trouble keeping up.
Their friendship never went beyond those nights, but, as she stood pressed to him, knew theirs had been a special and eternal bond.
"A boy that can dance as good as you," she laughed, stepping back. "I should have known."
"The signs were there," Baba said, giving a slight gesture. "So, how long have you and Vegeta been sneaking around? I would have read about this in a magazine by now."
"About a month," she confessed, keeping her eyes from looking at 17; she could feel his eyes on her.
"And you love him?" he asked boldly.
"Yes." That she could confess a hundred times over with no hesitation. And then, as if she could stand it no longer, she reached for 17 and pulled him to her, whispering over and over that she was sorry. "It's my fault," she all but whimpered. "I made Vegeta keep it a secret. Please, be mad at me if you're going to be mad. It's not Vegeta's fault."
"Bulma," he sighed, holding her at arm's length so he could look into her eyes. "Why would I be mad? I saw you with Vegeta years ago. I'm just a little shocked, but I'm so happy that you both finally figured it out for yourselves." And then he leaned in again, kissing her cheek tenderly. "I take it that we're the first to know."
She nodded shyly, about to take a few steps back and stand beside her love, when she heard the creak of the steps and turned sharply to see 18 coming down. She glanced at Vegeta out of the corner of her eye, but there was only an empty space where he had been, the light of the refrigerator visible in the distance. And she thought, Clever. Now we can keep our secret sealed between the four of us for now. For now…
"Well, well, well," 18 said, grinning from ear to ear, none the wiser of the situation she'd stepped into. She walked right up to the three of them, stopping just beside her brother. "I had a feeling you two were here."
"Yup," 17 answered. "And the cat's out of the bag."
"Cat?" she laughed. "Right. More like a fucking lion."
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"So," 17 said, leaning against the counter, orange juice in hand. He'd been at Vegeta's for an hour now, but nothing of the night before had been mentioned, yet.
"What?" Vegeta snapped, knowing what that tone meant. He plopped into a chair at the table, his plate piled high with eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns, all courtesy of 17, who was just beginning to cook for himself. Ever since he'd told his father about his sexual preferences, he'd taken to skipping meals with him and 18, later coming downstairs and cooking and eating by himself. Though, more and more, his father was not around for meals, something new in the Gero household—they were used to him not being around all day, but when dinner came around, he was always there, with the table set and the food laid out for the little family time he could stand. Now, he came home and cooked dinner for himself and 18 only twice a week. Other than that the twins basically lived alone, and so 17 did the cooking for them. 18 couldn't make toast if her life depended on it.
"Come on, Vegeta," he sighed, taking a seat beside him. "How can you expect me to just forget what happened last night? No one is home, no one will know. I swear I won't say a word to anyone."
"And Baba?" He kept his eyes on his food, feigning calm.
"Baba wouldn't say a word even if I didn't make him promise not to. He understands about sneaking around, Vegeta. He wouldn't ruin it for someone else."
"What the hell do you want to know?" Vegeta sighed, leaning back, suddenly not feeling so hungry. The conversation was inevitable. He was just glad that Azumamaro wasn't there to goad him too. In the short time they'd hung out last night, the man had become a part of his life. He'd always despised football players and everything associated with them. Last night he learned that maybe his views on them were wrong, though he still regarded Azumamaro with caution. If he hurt 17 in any way he'd be answering to Vegeta's fist.
"How about telling me how it happened. Last I knew you two were avoiding each other like the plague. Now you're…in love." He waited for his friend to cringe, to make some face or gesture at his last words, but none came, and he eased back.
"I went to see her," he said flatly, and leaned forward, resuming his meal. 17 watched him for a moment, waiting for him to continue, to elaborate, but he was silent.
"Vegeta."
"What?"
"Stop being stubborn! You didn't just start being together just because you went to see her. I know for a fact that Bulma was against seeing you. She wasn't faking in the beginning…How did she react when you showed up?"
"She yelled at me," he laughed, scooping a forkful of eggs and ketchup onto a piece of toast and cramming it into his mouth. 17 cringed slightly. He was not an eggs and ketchup person.
"And?"
"What?" Vegeta huffed. "You want a play by play?"
"Something like that."
"Fine," he sighed. "I knocked on the door, she answered. I kissed her, she kissed me back. She wondered why I wasn't mad, I told her, she said she didn't deserve to be forgiven…Want more?"
"You just kissed her?" He didn't believe it. Nor did he believe that Bulma would just kiss him back after four years of not seeing him.
"Yes, 17. I just kissed her. Why is that so hard to believe? Why is my being with her so hard to believe? Are you the only one allowed to shock people? To be happy?" His voice was steadily rising. "After the life I've had I think I deserve her, just as much as you deserve Baba!"
"Please don't yell," 17 said, reaching out to touch Vegeta's shoulder. He recoiled instantly, and stood to clear his plate into the garbage disposal. "Its just strange is all…I guess you two never really stopped thinking about each other."
"Not for a second," Vegeta hissed, slamming his plate into the sink. 17 flinched, expecting the thick glass to break. "And when I graduate, I'm moving to Capsule Corp. and going to college in Watanabe City. And there'll be no more of this sneaking around shit."
"And Bulma? How does she feel about all this?"
"You think it was my idea to hide from everyone? She doesn't want to piss anyone off, so as far as you're all concerned we're enemies. Romeo and fucking Juliet. I wouldn't be surprised if we did end up like them in the end. Kakarot's wench needs to calm down."
"Chi-Chi still won't talk to her?"
"Bulma wants to be on good terms with everyone before they know about us. Kakarot, his wench, and cueball still aren't there."
"Krillin too? I thought they hardly knew each other."
"Everyone is everyone. Thank Kami you and 18 have sense."
He turned on the garbage disposal, waited a moment for it to chew up the unwanted food, then turned it off and walked out of the room. The conversation was over.
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Vegeta dropped the milk carton, ignoring the mess it made, and slowly crept to the doorway of the kitchen. He could have sworn he heard something, like footsteps, in the foyer. He braced himself for anything, and stepped out of the kitchen, his breath immediately coming out of him.
"I thought you weren't coming 'til tomorrow," he said, still standing a few feet away from her.
"I couldn't wait that long," she admitted. Her small duffel bag hung loose on her shoulder, her lopsided smile giving her an overall radiance. And for the hundredth time, he swore she'd never looked more beautiful than she did now. "It took my best convincing to keep 18 from dropping me off at the bus station. Luckily, Krillin came by—and he's such a great guy, by the way. I'd forgotten so much about him—Well, he occupied 18, so 17 and Azzie gave me a ride here."
"Azzie?" Vegeta laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Best friends already?" he sighed.
"Don't tell me you're jealous," she teased, approaching him, her bag slipping from her shoulder onto the floor as he enveloped her in his embrace, unable to stay mad. "I missed you." He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the sweet smell of her shampoo. "Are you terribly tired?"
"What do I need sleep for? I'm not going to school."
"True," she laughed, gathering up her bag as they headed up to his room.
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"Please don't pester me about it," Bulma sighed, leaning back into his arms, her head resting comfortably on his chest. He instinctively tightened his grasp on her, as if she weren't already as close to him as she could be. "Telling 18 will be hard enough, and we're friends again. I still need to talk to Chi-Chi and Goku. I honestly didn't think THEY would be the ones to be this angry…I always figured you and 18 would be the coldest."
"Ever wonder why?" he murmured into the back of her aqua locks.
"Always." She turned partially around, but, when his eyes wouldn't meet her gaze, she settled back down and waited for an answer.
"Kakarot and his baka never suspected they'd be hurt. Especially by you…Me and 18, however, are…" He paused for a moment, trying to come up with the best word to get the point across. "…pessimistic."
"So you expected to be hurt?"
"You should always expect to be hurt," he stated, as if it were common knowledge, as if everyone believed it and were just waiting to be hurt.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone," she sighed, turned to her side and curling into a ball, her hands resting under her cheek, palms pressed flat against his warm, muscular chest. "I wish I could just pull everyone aside and tell them how sorry I am…But maybe its better this way. Maybe they deserve their anger and I deserve to be without them."
"Do you want me to knock some sense into them or something?" he said angrily. She turned sharply towards him, knowing his eyes would be icy, but they never failed to frightened her a little. "You've done nothing but talk about them. Clearly you don't believe what you're saying. You want them to forgive you, but I can't think of a thing you need to be forgiven for. Bulma—" He grabbed her face gently, forcing her to meet his eyes. "—you did nothing wrong. If you just told them—"
"Are you insane?" she snapped, backing away. "You think I want their pity? Why do you think I never told you? It broke my heart to see that anger in you when I saw you; that first day, at the soccer game. And no matter how badly I wanted to grab you and hold you and beg for your forgiveness, tell you what had happened, I didn't. I wanted you to want to come back to me. I would have forced myself to stay in Watanabe City for the rest of my life had you not come to me…"
"You'd rather have everyone hurt than be pitied for a few minutes?" he retorted.
"The only reason they'd come back to me is because they pitied me! Not because they wanted to! Why don't you understand that!"
"Bulma!" he whispered, pulling her roughly to him. "Do you want the rest of my family to know you're here? Do you want to upset Taisho? Do you want the whole world to know about us!"
"Yes!" she whispered, almost desperately. "I don't want to hide from everyone, but what else can I do?"
"Then ask them to forgive you," he sighed, defeated. Her first night with him and already they were fighting.
"Vegeta, I—"
"Vegeta, who's in there with you?" came Mr. Ouji's tired and annoyed voice. "If you can't sneak your flings in here quietly then don't bring them here!" The doorknob jiggled violently; their eyes never moved from the door. "Open the door right now!"
"Shove off!" Vegeta shot back, playing it cool. If Bulma was discovered, it would mean the end of so many things. He didn't even want to think of her reaction.
"Vegeta Ouji! Open this door right now or—" But he cut himself short, and from his throat came that sinister laughter Bulma had heard so many times in the past with Takao. The laughter that meant she would regret standing up to him.
She tumbled backwards off the bed and slammed her back into the wall as the door flung open, and the shadowed figure of Vegeta's uncle came stomping in. Seconds later the room illuminated with light. Bulma looked up from the floor, only half-aware of Vegeta at her side, holding her to his chest, as Mr. Ouji's face came into focus. And, try as she might, she couldn't stop her body from trembling or her eyes from watering.
"You have ten secon—Bulma?" His voice softened immediately and he eased himself on the bed, leaning forward as if to better see her. She shrunk back, clinging to Vegeta as if he were her life-force. "What…" But he didn't need to ask. Why was more appropriate for the situation.
"Do you have to be such a lumbering buffoon?" Vegeta snapped, glaring heatedly at his uncle.
"I scared her?" Mr. Ouji asked, his voice showing nothing but concern. He'd always liked Bulma, though he never understood why she would be friends with his nephew and the Gero twins. And now she and Vegeta were dating? It was all too bizarre to comprehend at once.
"Yes, you moron."
"And you and her?"
"Who are you? Einstein? Yes, we're together and you're damn lucky you're stronger than me."
"I didn't mean to scare her!" he hissed quietly, his eyes on Bulma all the while.
"Kami," Vegeta groaned, rolling his eyes. He leaned close to her ear, whispered something his uncle couldn't hear, then lifted her off the floor and set her on the bed. "Come on. In the hall."
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"And Taisho doesn't know about this?" Mr. Ouji asked, lifting a mug of steaming tea to his lips. They'd long since retreated to the kitchen for more privacy. And, surprisingly, the conversation never reached heated words, though neither acknowledged it.
"17 and his boyfriend are the only one's who know," Vegeta sighed. He stood some eight feet from his uncle, his back leaning against the fridge. "They found out. We haven't told anyone."
"And her past? You're the only one who knows about that?"
"Besides her parents, yes." He pushed himself off the fridge and took deliberate steps forward. He stopped inches from his uncle, and leaned in, their noses nearly touching. "And if you say ONE word about this to ANYONE, I'll make you wish you never started shit with me."
He walked out without another word. Bulma was the only thing on his mind, and she needed him.
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---Chapter 9!! :) I know, I know. Not a lot happened in this chapter. There'll be more later, I swear :D I won't disappoint you. I have some great stuff lined up if you're patient :P
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (ReviewsMore Chapters)
Next time: How long can they keep their secret? The strings are coming loose…the secret's almost out…
"You're perfect," she whispered, leaning into him.
Neither noticed the two figures standing five feet away from them, watching in stunned silence as the secret couple embraced each other in unmistakened love. Love that no one knew could be shared between Vegeta and another person. And such a strong love it almost brought tears to the eyes of the unnoticed onlookers.
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"18 is waiting for me," Bulma whispered, dropping her arms to her sides, her entire frame giving a great sigh. Vegeta's hands stayed cupped on her face, his forehead pressed tenderly against hers. Neither wanted to move, and, for a moment, they simply stayed that way, unwillingly, just for that moment, to believe that they had to separate again. "She's probably going to come down any second. I've been down here for a while."
"Spying on Romeo and Romeo?" he asked, a cruel laughter behind his voice. It was the same situation they were in, though more people knew about 17 and Azumamaro, all respecting their secrecy…for now. For now, just like him and Bulma. Sooner or later their secret would be out, though he wondered if it was all that bad.
"You never told me 17 was gay," she said, almost angrily, leaning back. "I think that's kind of big."
"And personal," Vegeta shot back, rolling his eyes. "He can tell you himself."
"I'm gay, Bulma."
The couple stiffened, still as statues, only their eyes moving in the direction of the voice. And when they saw it was 17, his arm slung loose around Azumamaro's shoulder, they turned, but had no words for their captors. But then slowly, unexpectedly, Vegeta's lips curled into a smile. 17 was, of course, quite stunned by this, but kept his observation to himself.
"I—" Bulma began, but the words fell like an anvil and she dropped her eyes, as if surveying the gigantic hole her words had left in the floor.
"Briefs," came Azumamaro's deep, sultry voice. How many times in the past had she admired him across the ballroom? In those moments, confided in the silk clothes required of her for such functions, she felt like Juliet seeing her Romeo, the enemy of her family, a man she should hate but could never bring herself to feel such things for someone so beautiful. Of course these feelings were nothing, mere games she played out in her mind in boredom, using him as her co-star for his looks and kindness. "It's only fitting that you would be the one to tame Vegeta's heart." He let out a low, friendly laugh, and extended his arms to her.
She glanced back at Vegeta who, having excluded himself from them, gave a short almost unseen nod.
As she melted into his arms, she felt the past come flooding back to her. Years ago, at her home, she'd danced with this boy who was now a man. He'd been so much better than her those first few times, gently making fun of her and offering her dancing lessons. Being stubborn and offended, she refused and learned on her own. When they danced together again it was he who had trouble keeping up.
Their friendship never went beyond those nights, but, as she stood pressed to him, knew theirs had been a special and eternal bond.
"A boy that can dance as good as you," she laughed, stepping back. "I should have known."
"The signs were there," Baba said, giving a slight gesture. "So, how long have you and Vegeta been sneaking around? I would have read about this in a magazine by now."
"About a month," she confessed, keeping her eyes from looking at 17; she could feel his eyes on her.
"And you love him?" he asked boldly.
"Yes." That she could confess a hundred times over with no hesitation. And then, as if she could stand it no longer, she reached for 17 and pulled him to her, whispering over and over that she was sorry. "It's my fault," she all but whimpered. "I made Vegeta keep it a secret. Please, be mad at me if you're going to be mad. It's not Vegeta's fault."
"Bulma," he sighed, holding her at arm's length so he could look into her eyes. "Why would I be mad? I saw you with Vegeta years ago. I'm just a little shocked, but I'm so happy that you both finally figured it out for yourselves." And then he leaned in again, kissing her cheek tenderly. "I take it that we're the first to know."
She nodded shyly, about to take a few steps back and stand beside her love, when she heard the creak of the steps and turned sharply to see 18 coming down. She glanced at Vegeta out of the corner of her eye, but there was only an empty space where he had been, the light of the refrigerator visible in the distance. And she thought, Clever. Now we can keep our secret sealed between the four of us for now. For now…
"Well, well, well," 18 said, grinning from ear to ear, none the wiser of the situation she'd stepped into. She walked right up to the three of them, stopping just beside her brother. "I had a feeling you two were here."
"Yup," 17 answered. "And the cat's out of the bag."
"Cat?" she laughed. "Right. More like a fucking lion."
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"So," 17 said, leaning against the counter, orange juice in hand. He'd been at Vegeta's for an hour now, but nothing of the night before had been mentioned, yet.
"What?" Vegeta snapped, knowing what that tone meant. He plopped into a chair at the table, his plate piled high with eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns, all courtesy of 17, who was just beginning to cook for himself. Ever since he'd told his father about his sexual preferences, he'd taken to skipping meals with him and 18, later coming downstairs and cooking and eating by himself. Though, more and more, his father was not around for meals, something new in the Gero household—they were used to him not being around all day, but when dinner came around, he was always there, with the table set and the food laid out for the little family time he could stand. Now, he came home and cooked dinner for himself and 18 only twice a week. Other than that the twins basically lived alone, and so 17 did the cooking for them. 18 couldn't make toast if her life depended on it.
"Come on, Vegeta," he sighed, taking a seat beside him. "How can you expect me to just forget what happened last night? No one is home, no one will know. I swear I won't say a word to anyone."
"And Baba?" He kept his eyes on his food, feigning calm.
"Baba wouldn't say a word even if I didn't make him promise not to. He understands about sneaking around, Vegeta. He wouldn't ruin it for someone else."
"What the hell do you want to know?" Vegeta sighed, leaning back, suddenly not feeling so hungry. The conversation was inevitable. He was just glad that Azumamaro wasn't there to goad him too. In the short time they'd hung out last night, the man had become a part of his life. He'd always despised football players and everything associated with them. Last night he learned that maybe his views on them were wrong, though he still regarded Azumamaro with caution. If he hurt 17 in any way he'd be answering to Vegeta's fist.
"How about telling me how it happened. Last I knew you two were avoiding each other like the plague. Now you're…in love." He waited for his friend to cringe, to make some face or gesture at his last words, but none came, and he eased back.
"I went to see her," he said flatly, and leaned forward, resuming his meal. 17 watched him for a moment, waiting for him to continue, to elaborate, but he was silent.
"Vegeta."
"What?"
"Stop being stubborn! You didn't just start being together just because you went to see her. I know for a fact that Bulma was against seeing you. She wasn't faking in the beginning…How did she react when you showed up?"
"She yelled at me," he laughed, scooping a forkful of eggs and ketchup onto a piece of toast and cramming it into his mouth. 17 cringed slightly. He was not an eggs and ketchup person.
"And?"
"What?" Vegeta huffed. "You want a play by play?"
"Something like that."
"Fine," he sighed. "I knocked on the door, she answered. I kissed her, she kissed me back. She wondered why I wasn't mad, I told her, she said she didn't deserve to be forgiven…Want more?"
"You just kissed her?" He didn't believe it. Nor did he believe that Bulma would just kiss him back after four years of not seeing him.
"Yes, 17. I just kissed her. Why is that so hard to believe? Why is my being with her so hard to believe? Are you the only one allowed to shock people? To be happy?" His voice was steadily rising. "After the life I've had I think I deserve her, just as much as you deserve Baba!"
"Please don't yell," 17 said, reaching out to touch Vegeta's shoulder. He recoiled instantly, and stood to clear his plate into the garbage disposal. "Its just strange is all…I guess you two never really stopped thinking about each other."
"Not for a second," Vegeta hissed, slamming his plate into the sink. 17 flinched, expecting the thick glass to break. "And when I graduate, I'm moving to Capsule Corp. and going to college in Watanabe City. And there'll be no more of this sneaking around shit."
"And Bulma? How does she feel about all this?"
"You think it was my idea to hide from everyone? She doesn't want to piss anyone off, so as far as you're all concerned we're enemies. Romeo and fucking Juliet. I wouldn't be surprised if we did end up like them in the end. Kakarot's wench needs to calm down."
"Chi-Chi still won't talk to her?"
"Bulma wants to be on good terms with everyone before they know about us. Kakarot, his wench, and cueball still aren't there."
"Krillin too? I thought they hardly knew each other."
"Everyone is everyone. Thank Kami you and 18 have sense."
He turned on the garbage disposal, waited a moment for it to chew up the unwanted food, then turned it off and walked out of the room. The conversation was over.
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Vegeta dropped the milk carton, ignoring the mess it made, and slowly crept to the doorway of the kitchen. He could have sworn he heard something, like footsteps, in the foyer. He braced himself for anything, and stepped out of the kitchen, his breath immediately coming out of him.
"I thought you weren't coming 'til tomorrow," he said, still standing a few feet away from her.
"I couldn't wait that long," she admitted. Her small duffel bag hung loose on her shoulder, her lopsided smile giving her an overall radiance. And for the hundredth time, he swore she'd never looked more beautiful than she did now. "It took my best convincing to keep 18 from dropping me off at the bus station. Luckily, Krillin came by—and he's such a great guy, by the way. I'd forgotten so much about him—Well, he occupied 18, so 17 and Azzie gave me a ride here."
"Azzie?" Vegeta laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Best friends already?" he sighed.
"Don't tell me you're jealous," she teased, approaching him, her bag slipping from her shoulder onto the floor as he enveloped her in his embrace, unable to stay mad. "I missed you." He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the sweet smell of her shampoo. "Are you terribly tired?"
"What do I need sleep for? I'm not going to school."
"True," she laughed, gathering up her bag as they headed up to his room.
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"Please don't pester me about it," Bulma sighed, leaning back into his arms, her head resting comfortably on his chest. He instinctively tightened his grasp on her, as if she weren't already as close to him as she could be. "Telling 18 will be hard enough, and we're friends again. I still need to talk to Chi-Chi and Goku. I honestly didn't think THEY would be the ones to be this angry…I always figured you and 18 would be the coldest."
"Ever wonder why?" he murmured into the back of her aqua locks.
"Always." She turned partially around, but, when his eyes wouldn't meet her gaze, she settled back down and waited for an answer.
"Kakarot and his baka never suspected they'd be hurt. Especially by you…Me and 18, however, are…" He paused for a moment, trying to come up with the best word to get the point across. "…pessimistic."
"So you expected to be hurt?"
"You should always expect to be hurt," he stated, as if it were common knowledge, as if everyone believed it and were just waiting to be hurt.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone," she sighed, turned to her side and curling into a ball, her hands resting under her cheek, palms pressed flat against his warm, muscular chest. "I wish I could just pull everyone aside and tell them how sorry I am…But maybe its better this way. Maybe they deserve their anger and I deserve to be without them."
"Do you want me to knock some sense into them or something?" he said angrily. She turned sharply towards him, knowing his eyes would be icy, but they never failed to frightened her a little. "You've done nothing but talk about them. Clearly you don't believe what you're saying. You want them to forgive you, but I can't think of a thing you need to be forgiven for. Bulma—" He grabbed her face gently, forcing her to meet his eyes. "—you did nothing wrong. If you just told them—"
"Are you insane?" she snapped, backing away. "You think I want their pity? Why do you think I never told you? It broke my heart to see that anger in you when I saw you; that first day, at the soccer game. And no matter how badly I wanted to grab you and hold you and beg for your forgiveness, tell you what had happened, I didn't. I wanted you to want to come back to me. I would have forced myself to stay in Watanabe City for the rest of my life had you not come to me…"
"You'd rather have everyone hurt than be pitied for a few minutes?" he retorted.
"The only reason they'd come back to me is because they pitied me! Not because they wanted to! Why don't you understand that!"
"Bulma!" he whispered, pulling her roughly to him. "Do you want the rest of my family to know you're here? Do you want to upset Taisho? Do you want the whole world to know about us!"
"Yes!" she whispered, almost desperately. "I don't want to hide from everyone, but what else can I do?"
"Then ask them to forgive you," he sighed, defeated. Her first night with him and already they were fighting.
"Vegeta, I—"
"Vegeta, who's in there with you?" came Mr. Ouji's tired and annoyed voice. "If you can't sneak your flings in here quietly then don't bring them here!" The doorknob jiggled violently; their eyes never moved from the door. "Open the door right now!"
"Shove off!" Vegeta shot back, playing it cool. If Bulma was discovered, it would mean the end of so many things. He didn't even want to think of her reaction.
"Vegeta Ouji! Open this door right now or—" But he cut himself short, and from his throat came that sinister laughter Bulma had heard so many times in the past with Takao. The laughter that meant she would regret standing up to him.
She tumbled backwards off the bed and slammed her back into the wall as the door flung open, and the shadowed figure of Vegeta's uncle came stomping in. Seconds later the room illuminated with light. Bulma looked up from the floor, only half-aware of Vegeta at her side, holding her to his chest, as Mr. Ouji's face came into focus. And, try as she might, she couldn't stop her body from trembling or her eyes from watering.
"You have ten secon—Bulma?" His voice softened immediately and he eased himself on the bed, leaning forward as if to better see her. She shrunk back, clinging to Vegeta as if he were her life-force. "What…" But he didn't need to ask. Why was more appropriate for the situation.
"Do you have to be such a lumbering buffoon?" Vegeta snapped, glaring heatedly at his uncle.
"I scared her?" Mr. Ouji asked, his voice showing nothing but concern. He'd always liked Bulma, though he never understood why she would be friends with his nephew and the Gero twins. And now she and Vegeta were dating? It was all too bizarre to comprehend at once.
"Yes, you moron."
"And you and her?"
"Who are you? Einstein? Yes, we're together and you're damn lucky you're stronger than me."
"I didn't mean to scare her!" he hissed quietly, his eyes on Bulma all the while.
"Kami," Vegeta groaned, rolling his eyes. He leaned close to her ear, whispered something his uncle couldn't hear, then lifted her off the floor and set her on the bed. "Come on. In the hall."
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"And Taisho doesn't know about this?" Mr. Ouji asked, lifting a mug of steaming tea to his lips. They'd long since retreated to the kitchen for more privacy. And, surprisingly, the conversation never reached heated words, though neither acknowledged it.
"17 and his boyfriend are the only one's who know," Vegeta sighed. He stood some eight feet from his uncle, his back leaning against the fridge. "They found out. We haven't told anyone."
"And her past? You're the only one who knows about that?"
"Besides her parents, yes." He pushed himself off the fridge and took deliberate steps forward. He stopped inches from his uncle, and leaned in, their noses nearly touching. "And if you say ONE word about this to ANYONE, I'll make you wish you never started shit with me."
He walked out without another word. Bulma was the only thing on his mind, and she needed him.
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---Chapter 9!! :) I know, I know. Not a lot happened in this chapter. There'll be more later, I swear :D I won't disappoint you. I have some great stuff lined up if you're patient :P
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Next time: How long can they keep their secret? The strings are coming loose…the secret's almost out…