A/n: That you read, AND you enjoy, AND that you review, AND that you like it!
Warning(s): AC, AL, MV, SC, Social Criticism. Please, not mature enough, don't read!
Disclaimer: I don't…
Fame
A Little 'Till Morning - Bulma's House
"Hey" Bulma greeted at the first sign of dawn her small form resting on top of Vegeta's muscular body. The breeze outside showed signs of a cold and bad weather surely what was left of the storm from the day before. Raindrops fell on water puddles around the house making a hollow yet soothing noise that indicated the amount of rain that had poured down the previous night. Tree branches blew harshly against one another producing a dissonant noise that brought an end to the couple's delicate sleep. Bulma had forgotten to close the window…
Bulma caressed Vegeta's cheek with the back of her hand watching as he opened his eyes sleepily. She smiled
"How are you feeling?" was the first thing she asked. His brows furrowed in a typical very well-known scowl
"I'm fine" Vegeta answered grouchily. Bulma giggled softly. He was so NOT a morning person
"Good" Bulma cleared her throat "we need to talk" she sat up beside him with her knees pulled up to her chest "I know you wanna go out with your friends and drink, party-"
"Right-"
"Right and I completely understand that I mean we're young and this is probably the only chance we've got in our lives to fuck up and have absolutely nobody giving a shit about it-"
"Right-"
"Right but still Vegeta" Bulma breathed profoundly "I don't want to have a relationship where we go to a party and you get trashed and I get trashed and we lose track of each others and we end up God knows where. We'd just live in this big mess. There's no point for a relationship there. Eventually you'll end up doing something you're gonna have to hide from me or I'll do something I'm gonna have to hide from you and I really want us to trust each other. I want you to count with me whenever you need to talk and I want to know that you'll be there whenever I need you-"
"I told you before I don't-"
"Vegeta" Bulma stopped debating for a minute whether to confess how she truly felt for him. She sighed. The worse that could happen was that he told her he wasn't that serious about their relationship and yes it would hurt; it would literally tear her to pieces; but there was nothing worse he could say. She really had nothing to lose
"Look" Bulma stared into his eyes "I realized a lot of things while we were apart. Things like I really don't have any friends here, not even someone to talk to, but you. I missed you most because of that. This is not the first time I've had a clique of girly girls hating me and a gang of guys on my ass" she shook her head at the absurdity of it all "but it is the first time I've had someone I could talk to about anything but that. It's made the end of my days worth it. Usually I would go home everyday and sink in my books, party out Friday nights, recover all day on Saturday and study on Sundays. But with you everything is so different" she said. Vegeta swallowed his deep gaze fixed purposely on hers as she continued
"Relaying on the fact that you would be here every night was the best part" Bulma said "it was like taking a break from the world. I really did enjoy it" she confessed truthfully. Vegeta's frame became stern and uncomfortable. He knew what he wanted to say…but how to say it?
"I-"
"You don't need to trust me right away you know?" Bulma cut off "I understand there's a lot of things that aren't so easy for you to talk about-"
"Like?" Vegeta asked curious. Bulma held her breath
"Like…Like…I don't know" she stammered
"Yes you do" he pressed his eyes never leaving hers. Bulma tsked surrendering
"Like your father" she said. Vegeta looked away
"That's something you won't understand" he answered in his manly low tone seating up to the edge of the bed with his back facing Bulma. Bulma approached him from behind seating with him in between her legs. Her chest was gently pressed against his now healed and bare back as a deep silence overtook the room. Bulma didn't want this to continue any longer. His silence was holding him hostage of his own prison; a prison built of unspoken scars, of distrust, of insecurities. He was living in hell
"I would if you could just tell me" she said letting her cheek rest against his back. Vegeta stood from the bed annoyed sliding his now dry boxers on
"I can't" he walked away from her. Bulma stood behind him
"Why can't you-"
"Because I don't understand it!" he turned to her angrily "I don't get it" he repeated. Bulma looked to the ground for a second then back into his eyes
"You have to talk to your father-"
"Why should I?" Vegeta interrupted upset
"He needs to stop this-"
"I don't give a shit about him and he doesn't give a shit about me. It's how it works-"
"I don't want you to go through with this again" Bulma said concerned "he's fucking you up and it destroys me-"
"Why? What could this possibly have to do with you?" Vegeta raised his voice. Bulma stared at him as silence once again surrounded the room
"Why do you think?" Bulma asked giving in "I love you" she confessed leaving him at a loss for words. Vegeta opened his mouth to speak…but no words came out
"I thought it was crazy" she scoffed "I've known you for a month and a half, you've got all those other girls you've been involved with, and I'm just another one of them to you. Just another gamble for you to win" she said carelessly. Vegeta listened carefully as she stared into his eyes gloomily
"I must admit" she breathed out "I fell for your stupid little game to win me over. Before I even figured I was losing the battle I had already lost the war. I thought it was unfair you know? I'm not the one who's supposed to be going through this again. You would think I'd learn from past experiences. I don't. I really don't" she shrugged her shoulders. Vegeta stared at her trying to keep his face as emotionless as possible. But he was shocked. Of all the things this woman could say she decides to let out the hard one, the 'talk now or forever hold your peace' one, the last breath before the winning shot
He swallowed. There were really no words. An evening together could've prepared him to hear something like this. She had caught him completely off guard! What could he say? He genuinely cared for her, that was the truth, but he expressing feelings was asking too much. To learn how to write or read someone had to teach him. To develop his ability in football someone had to train him. To differentiate between good and bad someone had to show him. To express feelings there had been no one. How was he supposed to do something he hadn't been taught to do?
"You don't need to stand there and say something" Bulma broke through Vegeta's thoughts "I want you to leave. I need you to leave. I've already said too much and there's a lot of things I need to think about by myself" she said walking away and to the opposite side of the spot where Vegeta was standing. Vegeta watched her back then looked to the side at the opened window…
Bulma heard the sound of the wind come to a sudden halt. The window was closed behind her. She breathed out. How could she be so stupid? Why did she admit it? That she had fallen for that ridiculous game of his wasn't as absurd as to actually confess that she loved him. 'Loved'. She had mocked the word for years and had laughed even more at the ones who gullibly believed in it. There were so many things that went into it all of them emotions. And she had to go ahead and tell him that she 'loved' him; him of all people. She wanted to kick herself. It had to be the biggest player in school; the heartbreaker; the one that mocked love sleeping with girls just for fun; the furthest person from love. And she loved him. 'Loved'. What a senseless word! It sounded more like defeat, like a-
"You talk of what you don't know" a voice whispered on her ear followed by warm lips sensually caressing the bare skin of her neck. Bulma gasped then closed her eyes letting herself be taken away by the moment
"Why did you…stay?" she whispered letting her head fall back against Vegeta's chest. His hands went under her slinky top to caress the unclothed skin of her firm stomach. She embraced an arm around his head as his lips now took possession of the skin between her neck and her shoulder with desperate need of her
"I" Vegeta started then breathed out "never mind" he talked on her skin going back to kissing her neck
"You what?" Bulma interrupted his ardent assault turning so they could be face to face
"You what?" she asked again. They locked eyes
"I didn't play any games with you" Vegeta declared. Bulma smirked then embraced her arms around his neck and kissed him gently…the most significant kiss they ever shared…
Morning - Somewhere Out There
"Why don't you just tell me what we're doing?" 18 requested angrily talking to none other than Raditz. The couple walked together down a one way street that gave way to a beautiful serene looking beach. From afar the only thing in view was the deep ocean. Raditz tsked
"Calm down blondie. You're so feisty-"
"I'm sorry are you actually expecting I be more amicable when you drag me out of my house at seven o'clock on Sunday morning without letting me take a shower OR put make up on just so we can WALK down to nowhere land-"
"Come on, 18. It's only a block or two. Haven't you ever felt like being normal for once? Walk somewhere-?"
"NO! Your idiotic little mind would surely come up with something like that" the blonde replied upset. Raditz smirked
"I love it when you're in such a great mood-"
"Can it! You know? It wouldn't kill you to do the following before trying this ingenious idea again: number one: check your clock! Number two: check your clock! Number three: check your-"
"Alright!" Raditz said surrendering "I get the point-"
"Barely" said 18 "now what is it that we're doing?" she asked. Raditz sighed
"Can't you wait until we get there?"
"Being friends for nine years hasn't helped you at all I see" 18 said with irony. Raditz stared at her as they walked down the street staring at the still dark blue skies through which a bright sun would shine any second now
"What do you mean? This is going to be the biggest surprise ever!" exclaimed Raditz. 18 rolled her eyes
"Exactly my point. All my life, I have never, ever liked surprises" she stopped dead on her tracks. Raditz stopped a few steps ahead of her once he noticed that her presence was no longer by his side
"What are you doing?" he looked back "come on-"
"This is ridiculous! We're walking down an unknown street at sunrise!" 18 said infuriated. Raditz walked up to where she stood then turned and looked at the same thing she happened to presence. The sun was arising in all its grace and glory. From there it looked like it was just a few feet above the sea. The youngsters held their silence paying reverence to such a beautiful moment. Once the sun reached it's height on the sky for the day the couple began to breathe
"That was amazing" 18 said startled. Raditz turned to her
"Yeah it was" he smirked then grabbed her hand "come on. We still have a block down the street before we make it-"
"WHAT?" 18 pulled her hand from his "a block? You told me it was two blocks before we got out of my house and we've already gone down five! And where is 'there' anyway-"
"I'll show you when we get there" Raditz said convincingly. 18 scoffed
"Ok, do you have any idea of how improper not to mention disrespectful THIS is? I don't think you do so I'm going to explain it to you-"
"Yeah, yeah..." and so on the twosome walked alongside one another down the street feeling the warmth of the sun with the coolness of the breeze refresh their skins as they did so…
Goku's House – 8:45AM
"Goku?" a sweet voice tried to disrupt Goku's deep sleep. Goku didn't budge. The black haired female tried shaking him a little
"Goku?" she called again but no such luck. Goku didn't even acknowledge a presence. Chichi frowned. The house could be on fire and the guy wouldn't even notice. Yep, that was Goku alright
"GOKU!" Chichi screamed loudly. Goku opened his eyes groggily blinking a couple of times while setting his eyesight on Chichi who stood close before him. He smiled
"Hi honey" he greeted lifelessly seating up on bed with his back against the bedpan while the bed sheets covered the lower naked part of his body
"What have you been doing?" asked Chichi "I called all night yesterday and you didn't pick up! Did you go out-?"
"No" Goku replied quickly "I stayed home and watched 'Thundercats'" he said with excitement in his tone. Chichi couldn't help but to smile. He was the sweetest guy in the world
"Goku honey" she leaned in and kissed him "you are so adorable. I told you I wasn't gonna go out but that didn't mean you couldn't go out with your friends and have fun" she kissed him again then sat on top of him "have I ever told you" she talked between kisses "that you're the most perfect boyfriend in the world?" she went on kissing him. Goku cupped her face in his strong hands making the kiss deeper. He massaged her tongue with his own in slow continuous movements. Chichi broke the kiss slightly
"I'm gonna talk to Bulma" she said quickly going back to his lips. Goku stopped the kiss dropping his hands
"Bulma?" he asked with a puzzled expression. Chichi nodded
"Yes, Bulma" she stared at him then tried kissing him but he pulled back
"Didn't you hate her a week ago-?"
"Two weeks ago" Chichi rectified "I hated her two weeks ago"
"Why are you gonna talk to her?" Goku asked with a raised brow. Chichi kissed his lips but he cut the kiss short
"Why?" he repeated. Chichi rolled her eyes
"I guess you were right. You know how you said I wouldn't like Bulma calling all her friends every time we had a fight to let them know what it had been about. I guess I became aware of all the stuff that I've been doing wrong and needed to make up for. I owe her an apology" she explained deliberately. Goku smiled
"She's a good person once you get to know her. Funny and smart I'll tell you that" he said. Chichi shrugged
"I guess. I was thinking we've all been having problems lately"
"What do you mean?" Goku asked guilelessly. Not to blame him. Goku never took part in the everyday gossip even when his girlfriend was seriously involved
"Well take a look at our group right now. 18 and Krillin broke up for good. Vegeta broke up with probably the only woman he has ever cared about. We've had a couple of problems of our own. I had an argument with both 18 and Bulma. Raditz is nowhere to be found. Everything is kinda messed up. I think all of us should take a break away from school, just the six of us, renew our friendship vows. Bulma can come if she wants to. You think that's a good idea?" she asked. Goku's stomach growled loudly. He raised his brows smiling
"Boy! Eating sure sounds like the best idea right now-"
"Oooh! Goku! You big ape!" Chichi's blood boiled in a second "I'm talking to you about something imperative and you think food is more important?" she screamed. Goku raised a brow
"Imperative?" he scratched the side of his head
"IMPORTANT you bum!" Chichi covered her face with her hands faking a few sobs, again, the tantrum that won her the drama queen crown
"Why can't I talk to you about stuff like this? Why is it so hard for you to listen?" she cried. Goku looked at her with a gloomy expression
"Aw but Chichi I didn't mean…say why don't we talk about it while we eat?" he suggested. Chichi squealed in 'agony'
"That's all that matters to you. Food" she faked even more sobs "you don't even care about my idea"
"Yes I do-"
"No you don't!" she exclaimed on his face then covered her face with her hands again "you didn't say it was a good idea" she spread her index and middle fingers on both her hands so she could see Goku's expression clearly. Goku stared at her
"It was" he said as if he was choosing the only option that would make her happy. Chichi spread her arms wide and hugged him
"Great! I knew you'd like it!" she squealed
"Can we eat now?"
Somewhere Out There
"…and that's why everything I've ever done to you it's not considered improper as opposed to everything you've ever done to me-"
"We're here" Raditz said the couple stopping in front of an old rusty and badly taken care of box that laid on the sandy surface of the beach. 18 crossed her arms on her chest
"I am going to literally kill you if you made me walk all the way down here for this" she frowned. Raditz let out a breath
"Why don't you save the words and take a look at what's inside" he suggested. 18 rolled her eyes
"Raditz, would you mind telling me what this is about? I mean, seriously-"
"Open the box-"
"Last time I did something like that a frog jumped on my hair! I had to wash it every single day for three weeks straight!" she recalled. Raditz laughed at the memory
"You still remember that?" he asked. 18 faked a smile narrowing her eyes at him
"How could I forget? You promised you had brought flowers for me" she kept remembering. Raditz sighed
"I guess I was a bit harsh to you-"
"You were a troublemaker. Teachers had had enough of you by the time you were in fourth grade" she said. Raditz chuckled
"That's a good reputation. My dad had to come to school almost every day. I remember he would always give me that furious look before he walked inside the principal's office" he chuckled some more. 18 smiled then stared as he seemed to have gone to a thoughtful trance
"How long has it been?"
"Eight years" Raditz said sadly. 18 breathed in. It seemed like such a long time since Raditz had lost his parents…
18 had met both Raditz and Goku on third grade. The little guys always hung out together, everywhere they went to, where there was one, there was the other. It was to be expected them being cousins and all. Having Goku lose both his parents in the same car accident Raditz had lost his parents left both kids at the time living with their grandparents at their old big and expensive mansion. It was more like a castle. Big hallways made of antiques and gold, paintings that were at least a hundred years old, fancy rugs decorating the marble made floor and so on. But it didn't matter where they got to live after everything had passed. Their parents were gone and there was nothing they could do to bring them back.
The Son grandparents were good people. Together they went through the hard stages of realization with the kids. It had been hard to help them understand that their parents were not coming back anymore. Goku was a carefree child and it had been easier for him to take it. To him his parents were still alive and they were watching over him from the stars; he would never forget their faces or their memories together. He walked on the positive side of the situation even when it hurt deeply not seeing his mom around for Christmas, or Valentines, Easter, Fourth of July, his Birthday. It hurt that his father wasn't around anymore to play football at the beach on the summer.
Raditz was a hard case. He became a reckless kid with a careless attitude; ignoring rules everywhere he went, cutting classes for the sake of it and running away from home to go someplace he felt was where he wanted to be. Including Goku and his caretakers there were only a few people he was fine to have in his life though the number didn't exceed a handful. Teachers were always trying to help him, out of pity, of course. He knew but didn't give shit about it. When his parents died everything within him had died along with them; his humble and idealist vision of the world, his good-hearted nature, his care for the people that were important to him, his young and vivid imagination.
Having to move in with his grandparents could only make things worse. He didn't understand such a ridiculous lifestyle. He was used to not having it all and he was fine with it but his grandparents made it impossible for him to keep it that way. They flooded him with gifts and toys. Everything he lacked, he lacked for just a minute. His grandparents would get it to arrive at the house on special delivery just for him
18 embraced an arm around Raditz
"I'm sorry" she said. Raditz shrugged
"Nah don't be" he walked near the box then locked eyes with her
"Let's see what's in here" he said. 18 approached the box
"Open it" he said. She raised a brow
"Open it? You open it! I'm not touching that old thing-"
"Fine we'll both open it" Raditz suggested. 18 raised her nose high in the air
"Fine" she agreed placing her hands on the lid of the box. Raditz placed his hands on the lid as well and the couple opened the box effortlessly. The contents of the box were amazing…
Bulma's House
"…where's the rest of it?" Vegeta asked referring to Bulma's hair. The couple was taking a break from a hot make out session, Bulma beneath Vegeta with her hands tangled in his hair. Bulma shrugged her shoulders
"I cut it off. Summer's here after all. I wanted a change" she said. Vegeta kept examining her hair suspiciously. Bulma rolled her eyes her hands now holding his beautiful face
"It's still my hair Vegeta. It's just shorter" she smiled at his ignorance as they stared at each other
"Doesn't matter" Bulma continued "I still look as beautiful as ever" she said conceitedly. Vegeta smirked maliciously
"Sure" was all he said. Bulma raised a brow
"No sarcastic remark or overstated comeback? Hello! Arrogance to Vegeta, come in Vegeta" she mocked. Vegeta shook his head apparently in one of his trances again. Bulma stared at him doubtful
"What's wrong?" she asked. He locked eyes with her
"Go out with me tonight" he requested lifting his body up in a pushup form to settle his face above Bulma's. Bulma stared insecure as she caressed the little hairs on the lower part of the back of his head
"Go out with you…tonight. What do you have in mind?"
"That you'll say yes" Vegeta replied cleverly. Bulma smiled at his prudence then arched a brow
"Really? You know I wouldn't know what to expect even if you do tell me where we're going" she said. Vegeta leaned in to kiss her
"I know"
"So? What's the point of not telling me?" she asked very much curious. He smirked wider
"Mess with your head" he declared proudly. Bulma rolled her eyes
"I would but I gotta study for the PSAT's-"
"You can do that tomorrow"
"Haven't you ever heard you should never leave for tomorrow what you can do today?" Bulma asked. Vegeta stared at her puzzled. She sighed
"Look the thing is I have to study for the PSAT's and YOU mister should be doing the same" she insisted. Vegeta tsked with a tired expression. This was an everyday topic with his mother. He was tired of it
"I can take the test right now and pass it" Vegeta smirked confidently. Bulma narrowed her eyes at him
"You are amazingly self-assured" the blue eyed female reached to the side finding her big broad PSAT review book "alright" she brought it in between them "let's just see what you can do" she opened it blocking her face from Vegeta's view. He let out a breath
"Ok, synonym for the word: garrulous would be-"
"Talkative"
"Antonym would be?"
"Taciturn?" he said uncertain. Bulma nodded moving the book to the side so she could see Vegeta fully
"Not bad I'm impressed" she nodded going back to the book "synonym for the word: anomaly would be…"
"Irregularity"
"Antonym would be..."
"Consistency" he replied after a second. Bulma switched pages
"Ok let's see this one. Synonym for the word: Me"
"What? That's not-"
"Synonym" Bulma requested in a singsong tone closing the book to see Vegeta's hard frame
"I?" he asked annoyed. Bulma nodded
"And the word determination?" she asked again. Vegeta furrowed his brows
"Will?" he said dubiously. Bulma nodded again
"And the words: go out with you?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes at her
"You're a bad woman. Evil" he smirked. Bulma giggled
"Just sly" she agreed embracing her hands around his neck. Vegeta lowered his body capturing her lips in a smooth and soft kiss. Bulma caressed his soft skin her hands roaming through his back. He made the kiss deeper making slow movements with his tongue inside her mouth then capturing her upper lip softly sucking on it slowly. Bulma ran her ardent yet delicate hands through the gentle skin of his back reaching the body part she had been aiming for ever since the kiss started. That would be his rear
"Uhn" Vegeta groaned in complaint breaking the kiss as she squeezed his tight buns "too low" he whispered on her lips both their eyes still closed. Bulma smiled as he kissed her again
"I love your ass" she confessed involving him in a kiss before he could say another word. Her hands remained perfectly still where they were…
End of Ch. 17. How'd you like it! I need to remind you, chapter 18 will be the last chapter updated before going back to US which means that, yes! I'm moving again! The internet setup is not going to take half as long as the one here did so no need to panic. Not yet. If I have problems again, which I really hope I don't, then I should be updating three to four weeks from the first of July. Wish me luck! I need votes! Lemon or no Lemon? Please let me know, ok? Hope you guys are ok and that you enjoyed this chapter, AND of course that you stay tuned for the next chappie which will be coming out soon! Take Care
Love
PL