Last time:
"Don't bother." I press my hand to his lips. "Your sister already gave me that speech. And I'm working on it, alright? I've been extremely civil with him lately. Even after the stupid kiss thing. Let me take it at my own pace."
"I love you, B." He pulls me into a quick hug, giving me a brotherly kiss on the forehead.
"You too, big guy," I laugh. "Now get the hell away from me."
At 10:30 the main power in the entire complex went out. I called the power company, but it would take them at least an hour to get here and then who knew how long it would take to fix the power. There was enough power in the generators to run all the critical systems and the lights. There was no way we could get any real work done tonight, but we needed to stay for the power company, and to work out some kinks in our plans. It was going to be a long night.
At 10:45 Vegeta suddenly stood from his desk and walked out of the lab. He didn't say a word. For the next twenty minutes I relished in the calm and silence. And then my mind began to wander and I realized that tomorrow morning I would be faced with Yamcha for the first time since the incident with me and Vegeta. After much debate with myself, I decided to offer myself up to fate. I would let what happens happen and deal with things as they came. Obviously this was not the wisest plan, but it was all I had.
At 11:15 I smacked a cheap plastic shot glass on the desk in front of me, nearly missing it, and demanded Vegeta pour me my sixth shot of vodka.
We were falling-on-our-asses drunk by the time the power company arrived. They took one look at us, successful and respected Capsule Corp. technicians, then went about their business, leaving us to ours.
We're lying on the cot in the storage room, his hot tongue making a trail from my neck, around my breasts, and down to my belly button. Now this was a much better excuse than my not having one. I haven't been this drunk since I was in college.
"This is familiar," Vegeta whispers huskily in my ear. I can't control my trembling and wanting body. He's so gorgeous I can't stand it! Hatred really does change how you view a person. But what I don't understand is why I can see him as such a god now when I still hate him.
"Of course it is," I sigh, taking a lusty nibble of his bottom lip. I can feel the tingle that runs through his spine at my little show of attraction. "It happened last night."
"No, I mean with the alcohol induced-lustiness. This has happened before."
Instantly my mood shifts and I sit up, practically tossing him to the floor.
"I know what you're getting at Vegeta, but you're wrong. Nothing happened that night. Nothing!"
"Think hard about it," he whispers, capturing my mouth expertly with his lips. "Your brain is hazy. You're fumbling in a bed. You're anxious and excited, but you're also scared and apprehensive. Starting to sound familiar?"
"But I-I…I know nothing happened. How could it have? I hated you then!"
"You hate me now," he reminds me, and then my mind goes completely blank as he enters me, pushing hard to make me forget about my mental battle and focus solely on him. Well, that's no problem.
When I look at my watch in the dim light of the storage room I don't believe my eyes. It reads 3:24 am, but that can't be right.
I sit up and immediately feel the need to lie down, or run to the bathroom and expel the contents of my stomach into a toilet.
Vegeta is sound asleep beside me, his naked back a map of years of strength training at the gym. His body is perfect. He is perfect. If only it weren't for the little fact that he's a complete ass and I despise the mere thought of him.
I sit in silence for a god ten minutes, until, very suddenly, moments begin to come back to me. Me and Vegeta were talking. He was talking about Goku's party, when we got drunk, way too drunk. We woke up the next morning in the same bed together, but nothing could have happened. I couldn't have been that drunk. But still we swore never to mention it to anyone else as long as we lived. Now I wish I had added that we shouldn't mention it to each other either, but, at the time, I thought I would never see him again after high school. Silly me to think I could have a nice peaceful life.
"Vegeta," I whisper, shoving him in the shoulder.
He groans and rolls over, but doesn't open his eyes.
"Vegeta, wake up."
"What woman?" He's not happy. Well, neither am I.
"Look at me!"
His eyes snap open and he's glaring up at me. Whatever, at least I have his attention.
"How could we have had sex at Goku's party?"
"We were smashed. People do things they don't normally do when they're drunk. Sex is probably at the top of the list. Now, is that all you wanted? I was having a good dream."
"But I don't understand." I pull my legs into my bare chest, only absently aware that we are both still naked. "What could have possibly happened that we would end up in bed together? I hated you then as much as I hate you now."
"Why are we in the same bed now?" he asks, closing his eyes. I slap his chest hard and he opens them again.
"But I was happy with Yamcha then. Things were perfect, not like they are now."
"How are they now?" He's propped on his elbows, eager like a school girl waiting for a juicy piece of gossip.
"Not perfect," I say generally. Like I would tell him a thing about my relationship with Yamcha.
"Well obviously. Look where you are. Naked on a cot in a storage room at work with me. Clearly this was not part of your long-term goals in your relationship with scarface."
I slap him again at his nickname for Yamcha.
"How do you feel about me, Vegeta?"
"Is this one of those 'Do you love me?' speeches girls give guys who are only looking for sex?" What a pig.
"No, it's a question. I'm still trying to grasp why you wanted me."
"Want," he corrects. "Present tense. And the answer is simple. You're ungodly gorgeous, sexy, the perfect specimen of a woman. What man wouldn't what you? You have an attitude problem, but I can look past that because the sex is phenomenal."
I blush uncontrollably at the compliment. It is great, I can't argue there.
"I can't keep doing this, you know. My guilt is going to eat away at me. And you can't tell anyone. I told 17 that you kissed me and I pushed you away. That's what you tell him if he asks. He'll want to know why and you tell him something like you were horny or something guys tell their friends, whatever, it doesn't matter as long as no one suspects this." I motion between us for emphasis.
"You really think I'm going to go along with all of this?"
I stare at him, horrified.
"But—"
"And where do you get off pegging guys like that? How do you know how I talk to 17 or anyone else?"
"Vegeta, you can't do this to me. You can't ruin my relationship with Yamcha."
"I think you did a perfect job of that yourself," he laughs. "But, don't worry, I won't tell our secret, so long as there's a secret to keep."
"What's the supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about woman."
"Are you blackmailing me into sex!" Not even Vegeta would stoop that low.
"It appears so," he says offhandedly and climbs off the cot to get dressed. "I know you'll think that either way, and I'm not about to tell you why I want you and made a move on you. Not yet anyway."
"So there is a reason?" My anger is miraculously gone.
"Of course there's a reason," he laughs, tugging on his khaki pants. "And I might tell you someday. Right now just enjoy the good sex you're getting."
"But Vegeta—"
"Trust me on this one, woman. If you cut me out then you'll regret it."
"You think very highly of yourself."
"As you should." He pulls on his shirt and is out the door before I can even form a comeback.
And now I can no longer put it off. I have to face Yamcha.
I laid back in Vegeta's strong arms, curling into him as if for protection, my eyes marveling at the stars overhead. We'd come out onto the Capsule Corp's housing complex roof. It was such a clear and warm and sweet-smelling night. It was so un-Vegeta-like to suggest coming up here. Usually it was sitting in front of the TV all night, then he would go home around midnight or so to get some sleep before school the next day.
Idly I thought about what today meant. It was our one-year anniversary, but Vegeta wasn't one for such things. So I celebrated it in the fact that he was being sweet and caring and letting us do some actually boyfriend-girlfriend things.
"It's so nice out here," I said, looking up at him and giving him a kiss under his chin.
He grunted his response, his eyes fixed on the night sky above.
"Why did you want to come out here?"
"I wanted to talk to you, in private."
My body tensed at his seriousness. What was this about? Was he—No, that couldn't be.
"A-About what?" I stuttered, groaning inwardly at my apprehension.
"I think," he said, then paused, lifting his head higher so I couldn't see him at all. "I think we should think about getting married."
I was about to pounce on him, when I realized what exactly he said. In an instant my arms were around his neck, kissing his cheek a million times over.
"Oh! Vegeta! I love you!"
He accepted the kisses as he always does, then reached into his pocket and handed me a small velvet box. Not the Hollywood proposal I always wanted, but with Vegeta a proposal of any kind was phenomenal. Slowly, I opened the box, my eyes widening to saucers. It was the most gorgeous ring I'd ever seen or could think of. A silver band held a circular-cut emerald, caged with prongs on four sides that twisted up to capture the wonderfully shining green stone. It was simple and beautiful and I loved him so much in that moment that I almost didn't give him an answer.
"Yes Vegeta," I sighed, kissing him deeply. "I love you and I want to marry you."
"Good," was all he said on the subject, then stood and stretched, offering me his hand. "I need to get going.
It's already 12:30 and I have a chemistry exam tomorrow."
I walked him down to the driveway, snuggled close and giving him kisses all the way. He soaked up the attention like a pet store puppy, the tiniest hint of a smirk on his lips. For ten minutes I didn't allow him to get into his car, something small and cheap that he bought with money from his after-school job. I couldn't help but wonder where he got the money to buy my ring, but I wasn't about to insult him by asking. Clearly he wanted me to have it so I would accept it. It didn't really matter. I bought him so much stuff it probably evened out. Besides, once we were married we would both be totally well off. He was almost as smart as I was and would probably get a job at Capsule Corp. My father was so fond of him, though I don't really know why.
"I really have to go," he said, his forehead pressed to mine.
"I don't want you to. Can't you just stay here?"
"You know I can't," he sighed. And I knew that. I shouldn't have asked. I always ask and he always gives me the same answer. But it's just so hard to watch him leave every night, knowing that my parents would let him stay over and sleep on the couch. They knew how his family was, how much he hated it there and loved it here. If only they could see that. Assholes…
"I love you Vegeta," I said, giving him one last kiss before he slipped into the car, turning the key to start the engine. It spurted once, twice, then died. With a heavy groan, he smacked the wheel, swore, then climbed out of the car to check under the hood. He knew about cars, how to fix them and everything, but not his car. It was foreign and the parts were awkward and hard to find.
"This is bullshit," he snapped, slamming the hood back down. "I just got it fixed last month."
"I could take a look at it," I offered. But he only glared up at me. He wouldn't ever let me help him with financial issues. Even when I gave him gifts he wrinkled his nose and would only accept them after I whined about it for a good fifteen minutes. I was so good at that—sucker!
"No," he said stiffly. "But I need a ride," he added under his breath. Even something as small as that was difficult for him to agree to.
"Sure." I ran into the garage and pulled out my car, and ungodly expensive and large thing that my father bought for my sixteenth birthday. I hated it, but I would never hurt his feelings by telling him that. Oh well, in a few years I'll get a new one and everyone wins. "Hop in hot stuff." He climbed into the passage-side, rolling his eyes.
As we pulled out of the driveway I heard a low rumbling in the distance. Thunder. The weather report did say something about a storm. But it shouldn't get here under after I'm home and in bed, sound asleep.
It's nearly one o'clock in the morning by the time we reach his house. There's a light sprinkle coming done, but nothing to worry about.
"Weather channel said a storm's coming," Vegeta said offhandedly when we reach the protection of his porch roof.
"It'll take forever to reach us," I said, and give him a great big kiss, the kind you see in movie and always want to do to random strangers in the mall. Lucky for me I already have one of those sexy drool-over guys that I can kiss whenever I want. "Vegeta, I can't believe you. Why did you propose? How long have you planned it?"
He shrugged and kissed my forehead. "I got the ring last night," he said. "I figured I should get rid of it before you stumbled on it."
"You're amazing, you know that?"
"I know," he chuckled, glancing at his front door. He was dreading going inside.
"I love you." For some reason I thought tonight would be different. I thought if I said it enough times then he would say it back and I would know absolutely for sure that he did love me like Goku and everyone else always says. Easy for them to say, but I need proof, I need the words for his lips. "I love you so much…" I hugged him tight, wishing that this moment would never end.
The sky crackled and opened up just before I stepped off the porch. Buckets of rain came crashing down and I cringed, stepping back. I hated driving in the rain. I was so shitty at it.
"Damn it," I said under my breath. "Stupid lying weather man. It's not three o'clock yet!"
"You want to stay?"
"You know I can't."
He frowned and reached for the door. "Whatever," he sighed, then slipped inside and shut the door.
I was so angry with his little outburst by the time I reached the car that I almost forgot about the engagement. My hands on the steering wheel, I looked down at the ring, sighed, then pulled out onto the calm night road.
I had such a dreadful feeling. And the rain was not helping.
My eyes snap open and I'm lying in bed in my apartment, alone. My forehead is covered in a cold sweat and I'm panting uncontrollably.
It was so real, so clear, so…right.
"But it was just a stupid dream," I mumble, glancing at the clock on my nightstand. There's a small note folded on it. Yamcha must have left early and decided to let me sleep. And my heart sinks at the thought. How can I accept him doing nice things for me when I'm being so awful behind his back?
I reach over and grab the note, reading it through thoroughly before getting up to take a shower and get ready for work. It's nothing big, nothing important. He doesn't know or even suspect a thing.
The note reads: Sleep well my dear. I'll see you at work. Love, Yamcha.
I want to crumple it into a tight little ball and set it on fire. For some reason it makes me angry, very angry. Too angry, in fact, to keep my head on straight. I'm on the floor in a heap of blankets, my ankles tangled and a bruise most likely forming on the hip I fell on.
What a great way to start the day.
Chapter 6! Well there's a bunch of good stuff in that. Let's see where this goes:)
REVIEW!
Next time: Bulma is beginning to think that she might need help to deal with her Vegeta/Yamcha problem.
