Winning the Love of the Handsome Skater

Chapter Twenty: Fireworks!

The puffy coldness of the moist snow embraced lovingly the adjacent buildings that composed the Capsule Corporation compound, hiding the faint yellowish-orange paint of the structures behind the mist of whiteness, dulling the senses of anyone who stepped out of the comfortable warm confines of the enormous edifice because of the brightness of the scenery. The streets were deserted; no one dared step out in the cold wintry air that made your nostrils sticky with its icy temperatures. Even though the majestic view the ice house that Capsule Corps looked like made, if you walked down the street you'd notice a humble cozy mansion right next door, its eaves and roof also heavy with the Christmas snow, that could make your eyes squint by the winter sun's weak rays, amplified several times by the smooth surface of the covering whiteness.

Bulma Briefs was no exception, as she closed her eyes immediately after the bright light had stirred her out of her peaceful slumber. Groaning slightly, her lavender haired head buried in the soft pillow that still carried the sweet mix of her and her boyfriend's scents from the previous night. She smiled deliriously, still half asleep, as she attempted to open her sapphire orbs to the world again, only to notice with unmasked vexation that the curtains were pulled to the side, letting the whiteness filter through the window and into the otherwise usually dark room.

The female released another incoherent moan, a sure sign of lingering sleep in her system, as she tried to sit up, only to find a familiar muscled arm draped over her waist in a protective little embrace. The girl blinked a few times, finally fully awake, now staring at her lover, as if seeing him for the first time in her entire life. And, this morning was a first, truly.

It was the first time that he slept in through the morning with her. Usually he awoke quite earlier than her and, careful not to wake her, just took off for the morning work out, for some breakfast, or just dallying in front of the TV. But not this morning. His relaxed expression was facing her, his whole being peaceful with slumber, and the only movements he made the gentle rise and fall of his broad chest.

Bulma was no fool. She knew that this sudden change about him was something that couldn't possibly be good. However, she couldn't pass such a great opportunity. Trying to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her head that something was wrong, she rested her soft cheek against his chest, her hand snaking around him, clutching closer to him in a gentle embrace.

Even though he had made it perfectly clear to her he wouldn't buy any presents for any of her family members, or her, for this particular celebration, the lavender haired girl couldn't think of a better present he could give her than his presence right there, right then…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

As Vegeta came to himself, he was greeted by the impassive expression of his girlfriend staring at him, chin comfortably placed on her crisscrossed arms over his chest. He observed her too for a long moment before there was no trance of sleep in his eyes. Groaning, he whipped his head away from her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded with a slight hoarse voice from lack of usage for the twelve or so hours that he slept. She shrugged at that.

"Watching you sleep?" It was truly more of a question as it was indeed what she had been doing for some time but she wasn't even sure why she was doing it. Whether it was because he was usually not as off-guard as he had been seconds ago or maybe because she just liked observing him? Then again, when had she turned into a creepy stalker? On the other hand, since when marveling what is yours is labeled stalking?

"While you continued staring me, did you see me as some cheap museum exhibit?"

"No, nothing of the sort, why?" She smiled widely at him as she offered the retort kindly.

"Wonderful," he muttered with a taut smile. "Then until I become one, you'll pay a staring fee." He informed her as he attempted to get up but was halted by Bulma's leg thrown over his waist and soon her body, still naked from yesterday's activities, straddled his lap. He glared at her. "What now?"

"You know, I was just wondering, how is it that all of a sudden you sleep as much as a pre-teenager?" He cocked an eye brow at the statement. "And how is it that I could touch your face freely when you usually react very sharply to that even if you're asleep?" He rolled his eyes at her. "And just what the hell am I feeling against my thigh?" Vegeta smiled devilishly up at her.

"Morning erection," he informed, his smirk never faltering as he watched the woman fidget. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that you're really out of it and I'm getting worried about you and—this happens every morning when you wake up?" He barely contained his laughter. She had no idea how enticing it was when she was caught off-guard over such an issue.

"Yes, it does." His smirk never faltered still. "Don't worry about me, woman; I'm just recharging for a whole year's worth, is all." His mock smile contained the degree of enjoyment he was getting from her puzzled expression and complete ignorance of how to act.

You are probably wondering at the time too what is wrong with our favourite genius… It was a fact that she had been just mutely staring at him for an hour or so with all sorts of thoughts crossing her mind, though the evil ones domineered (if you get where she's heading), and now she had this very interesting knowledge about male anatomy on her platter… However, before she could take any action, the door burst open revealing a very happy Mrs. Briefs.

"Come on, kiddies, you're going to miss the pancakes! With the tempo this handsome boy down there eats we'll have to make another dozen!" She stared at the couple, without any clothes to shield their bodies from the blonde's shameless stare. "Oh, goodness, I didn't want to intrude; I didn't know intrusions could make you miss, dear, awww… You're both so cute!" And with that she slammed the door and the pair to themselves, an eerie silence stretching over them.

Bulma got up from the bed and dragged the gaping very quiet Vegeta who was looking incredulously at the spot the elder woman had been moments ago, his mind not even registering the "Come on, big guy. Let's go have a shower before we go join them," with which his girlfriend took him towards the adjourning bathroom.

If you were in the corridor leading to their room the next moment, even through the thick walls you would be able to hear the infernal cry the boy released, "WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY ABOUT ME?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Even after the quickie in the shower, and the refreshing shower itself, Vegeta glared venomous daggers at the blond mother of his girlfriend and stubbornly refused to eat any of her food, settling just for a sandwich (or rather a pile of sandwiches), not even paying attention to Goku who was devouring the newly made pancakes that were meant for Vegeta with a speed that couldn't be one of an eating person. Bulma was trying fruitlessly to assure him that the woman wasn't sane and that she always said such things in the least appropriate times, but the flame-haired boy refused to hear any of it. She had crossed the line was the only thing he had commented before slamming the door to his room upstairs once he was done with breakfast.

Of course, the encounter was soon forgotten, as Bulma just had her ways to persuade him, which we won't turn too much attention to.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

It was a mutual agreement that had prevailed for the whole time the clique had existed and those five (as Vegeta was quite a new member, so to say) teenagers have been befriended that they made no official gifts for each other. Gift giving was a pain the ass, with coming up for something you can give to someone as a gift, wrapping it and all of that… Besides, all of them could get whatever they needed and giving each other useless things they'd never even touch was something none of them wanted.

And so, the following Christmas day they spent in the nearest open café, laughing and sharing experiences of the previous night together. After all, wasn't that what Christmas was about at first – love, friendship and togetherness?

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

31st December…

"Alright, people, listen up!" Bulma ordered with a copy of the shopping list in hand. Her five friends stared impassively at her, Juu and Vegeta wondering subtly how was it that they had themselves involved in this… "We're going to have to cover the entire list for the following hour. Try to work as fast as you can. When you're done, take the things you buy with you towards Capsule Corporation and start working on the second stage of our plan. This is not a joke!"

"We should've bought her some of those camouflage pants and a proper jacket to go with them, given her a helmet and she'd look like the major she liked to pretend to be." Vegeta mocked, a taut smile on his features as his girlfriend slowly turned her head toward him. She mimicked her same expressed and came closer to him.

"This is going to be fun." Goku snickered as he said to Krillin who could only nod at the information. He didn't dare say anything that Vegeta could strangle him later for.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" She sneered making him smirk again.

"I don't need to think that – I know it's true." His smug expression ticked her off even further, but then she just smirked as well, crossing her hands over her chest.

"And I know someone who's not going to be kissed at midnight." His expression faltered. "What, you don't believe it? I could always kiss Goku after ChiChi does. Just a friendly kiss, you know. After all, what a friend will I be if I don't insert a friendly tongue?" Goku grinned at that and Krillin laughed.

"What did you say?" ChiChi screeched soon, ready to pounce on the elder girl.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch, Goku." Krillin snickered too, making his friend nod goofily.

"You wouldn't dare…" Vegeta growled while glaring at her firmly. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Try me."

After a very uncomfortable silence during which Goku tried to keep ChiChi away from her best friend Vegeta snatched the paper from her hands and took off toward the area where the groceries she had underlined with red were, as they were the ones the two of them had to take care of. Grinning after him, she shouted a, "I knew you'd see it my way," receiving a satisfying long string of choice curses while he moved on. Turning on her heel to look at her friends, she informed them, "Okay, guys; both your groups have to buy the things that are underlined in your list. After that, drop the things off at my place and when we're all gathered together again, we'll start cooking, cleaning and getting ready for tonight, okay?"

ChiChi grumbled something, but dragged Goku toward their aisle anyway while Juuhachigou and Krillin paired up together to go buy the alcohol. That is if you count beer and a bottle of champagne for alcohol… Nodding as she watched her people separate and do as they were told, Bulma caught up with Vegeta who still looked rather pissed.

"You get a rise out of ordering me around, don't you?" He snapped at her, not even looking at her as he reached for the flour on the neighbouring shelf. She grinned at his profile.

"Don't ask questions the answer to which you know, Veg." She sniggered, leaning on his shoulder making him shrug her off rather rudely.

"I can't believe you blackmailed me with frenching Kakarot. Do you have no dignity?" He glared at her maliciously.

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Now you're pushing your luck." The chicken for the New Year's table landed in their cart as they slowly continued down the huge market.

"You know, I still haven't tried that night gown I bought at Victoria's… Capsule Corp is quite a spacious place… I can give the guys rooms on the opposite side of the dome…" She feigned thoughtfulness as she observed his reaction or concealing of such, as his eye brows narrowed and he sent her a last lingering glare.

"Manipulative bitch…" he hissed under his breath making her laugh and give him a brief peck on the lips before she marched on toward their next grocery.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Four hours later, the girls were still in the kitchen, baking a cake, making the chicken and, due to ChiChi's strict prohibition of Bulma's hands touching any of the food for anything else, decorating the cookies. The heiress had been extremely hurt by ChiChi's bossiness and had taken the initiative to actually bake the cookies herself, but when no one in the kitchen could chew them as they were harder than rocks she had retreated, defeated, until her best friend's were done and she could finally make herself useful with something.

"I met Yamcha and Marron in the mall, by the way…" Juu said as she glanced at the chicken through the glass of the oven. Bulma's sapphire eyes fixed on her in an unreadable expression.

"And?" She urged her friend.

"And nothing – he asked me what I'm doing, I told him about the party and dissed him when he tried to bribe his way with us on New Year's since Marron is "too busy" at that time." Bulma looked out the window at that. "What, you can't possibly think you can have Yamcha and Vegeta in the same room without an ambulance nearby?" The lavender haired girl glared at her sardonically.

"I was just… Well, let's face it, Marron's a bitch and Yamcha likes her a lot. It's just… not fair…"

"Oh, so it was fair when he cheated on you and nearly hurt you physically afterwards?" ChiChi jumped in the conversation, making Juu nod at her statement. Sighing in exasperation, Bulma rolled her eyes and got up from her seat at the table.

"Look guys, it may be a con of mine, but I'm always willing to forgive someone who's truly sorry for what they did, no matter what it is… And Yamcha's not that bad of a person at all… He was just frustrated at the time and all…"

"Yeah, whatever; I don't even care about the guy. All I know is that you shouldn't be so gullible."

"I'm not gullible!" Bulma argued, her facial muscles fixing in a tight frown. "The fact I believe more in people doesn't make me gullible!"

"Please!" ChiChi whirled around on her heel, the spatula she held now at her hip. "You're so easily fooled it is dejecting!"

"Now you're calling me easy too?" The heiress took a menacing step toward her best friend.

"What ChiChi wants to say, Bulma," Juuhachigou interfered before they could get in a worse hassle, "is that we won't always be there to stop you from doing something stupid or protecting you."

"I never said I need your guidance!"

"Let's not get offensive…" ChiChi began, trying to soothe Juu's rising temper.

"Just understand that not everyone wishes you everything best, Bulma! Is that so hard to believe?"

"Juu, I know that! Okay? You're talking to someone that has been fending off annoying paparazzi since they started walking. I've read such filth about me and my family in papers, heard preposterous accusations on TV and a whole load of other shit. Do you think I'm so damn stupid not to figure how jealous of my family's fortune those people are? But I've been with Yamcha forever, and I had shared some of my most special of moments with him. Why can't you understand why I'm willing to forgive him? I mean, I have known you for less time than I have known him and he was a close friend too! You know my history together with him and – by God – you didn't mind him a year ago!"

"Yes, Bulma, all of that is true, but a year ago he hadn't cheated on you." ChiChi explained. The lavender haired girl sat on her chair and crossed her hands over her chest.

"Whatever, guys; I don't want to consider this topic anymore with you. Why am I even saying all those things? I have the most wonderful boyfriend in city and possibly the whole world." She grinned at the remembrance of Vegeta. ChiChi resumed her cooking while Juu took out the chicken which released a teasing delicious smell that filled the entire kitchen.

"Now I can argue over that," ChiChi said as she moved to stirring some suspiciously-looking fluid.

"Don't start that one!" Bulma threatened. The rest of their girl-time the females spent joking, picking on their absent boyfriends and making Juuhachi promise to tell Krillin of her feelings tonight…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Four hours after the "mall disaster" – as Vegeta had kindly labeled it; – the three boys were busy moving the flame haired teen's powerful stereo in the spacious luxurious living room where their New Year's party would be held. Each speaker almost reached up to Vegeta's waist and that stereo had quite a past, what with the parties it had been present on and everything…

"I bet this baby costs a fortune." Krillin huffed a breath once he had put down the second speaker on a solid thick wooden table.

"More than a fortune actually," Goku corrected him as he sat down on the comfortable couch.

"I can't believe Vegeta let me touch it then, not to mention carrying it."

"He's too busy right now anyway." Goku shrugged, grabbing the remote to the huge plasma TV. Krillin cocked an eye brow at that as he sat himself too next to his friend.

"Where is he anyway? I haven't seen him since we got back from the mall."

"I don't know, but he said he has something to do before he comes over."

"Any idea what he meant?"

"Nope…" And that was about the whole of their conversation before they got too engulfed in a boxing match on Eurosport to talk…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The faint sound of the free line ringed once, then twice… If he had to wait too long, he would hang up soon; even though he wasn't doing this for himself his patience was still very limited.

"Hello?" he finally heard on the other line after the third ring.

"Yo, Tien, I need you to do something for me." He began, sitting down on the couch in his living room, flipping his cell phone to his left ear.

"I'm kinda busy right now man… Launch's over and you know how persistent she can be… But I'm listening anyway. What can I do for you, boss?" Now that was how he liked his people to act.

"Are you still into those pyrotechnical toys of yours?" He smirked evilly. If this went smooth enough, he'd surely get laid tonight again.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

It was already passing eight thirty pm and the table, the sweets and the drinks as well as the whole living room was ready for the party to begin. The whole gang was there and – even though he wouldn't admit it even if tortured in the worst ways you can imagine – Vegeta was truly thankful Bulma's parents have gone off for a second honeymoon so the gang had the whole compound to themselves, free of nosy Mrs. Briefs-es and such…

"Oh, man; everything looks so delicious!" Krillin all but squealed as he dug into the chicken, making Juu boast with pride visibly.

"The chicken is my doing!" She gloated, making Goku laugh.

"All of them?"

"No, just this one…" she muttered. Having two guys with inhumane appetite and four ordinary people was quite hard work to fill the stomachs of. But ChiChi seemed not to mind the hard labour as she had three chickens ready, as well as a whole mount of other delicious treats pilled on the wide table they were residing in front of the TV where some of their favourite shows were now running.

"You've really outdone yourselves this time, girls." Goku complimented with a fish bone striking out of his mouth as he did so. ChiChi got ready to hit him over the head with a frying pan in Bulma's kitchen she had grown quite devoted to.

"And you're sure you didn't have anything to do with cooking all of this?" Vegeta made sure before biting on a french fry. Bulma flushed and dug into her salad.

"Yes, I am sure. All I did was chopping products."

"No wonder these don't really look alike…" He muttered when comparing two of the french fries in front himself. She elbowed him for that, making him chuckle and resume eating as everything was quite delicious…

"Christmas wasn't too bad, but I think tonight is going to be a lot better." ChiChi stated her opinion while slowly devouring her own salad.

"It's best when we're all together!" Goku exclaimed, snatching the rice in front himself.

"Well, yeah, it's what makes each day different from the other," Juu retorted sardonically to that, making Bulma crease a fine eye brow.

"You mind our company or something?"

"Nah, I'm already used to being bothered by you." The lavender haired girl hit her friend's shoulder playfully, causing a smirk to emerge on her features. "Besides, isn't this Vegeta's first New Year with all of us? I can recall Goku mentioning that the guys have crashed at his previous apartment last year or something."

"If I wanted to waste my time with people below my intelligence I can always gather my cronies." The skater grinned malignantly earning a glare from ChiChi,

"Of course; after all, you so much enjoy having your ass kissed, don't you?"

"Wouldn't you if you had the chance?" He inquired while reaching for the closest chicken.

"I doubt I would."

"Oh, come on, Chi!" Bulma exclaimed.

"What? What are you implying? I'm not like you guys!" The raven-head crossed her arms.

"Yeah, right you're not!" Juu snorted in laughter. "Need I remind you who was the one ordering me and Bulma around in that kitchen?"

"How does that prove anything?" The brunette defended.

"It proves you're as bossy and prideful as needed to have yourself enjoying being praised and having your ass kissed by people, some of which truly inferior than you are." Vegeta cleared, biting on some bread afterwards. ChiChi huffed and glared at him.

"And now you're going to say I'm as bitchy as you are and I'm going to strangle you." Vegeta laughed at her threat.

"No chance, small fry. Besides, you have no reason to be as cocky as I am." He flashed her the smuggest expression he could muster.

"Oh, and you do?" Juu laughed.

"Of course I do! I'm the state's best skater, I'm befriended to people you can only dream of meeting in the real life, and just what the fuck is so damn funny?" The onyx eyes glared at his girlfriend who was hiding her titter behind her hand.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what again? I do lots of things, woman; clarify."

"You're being bossy and you're giving us the same lecture." She cleared her voice, mocking him as she scoffed, "I'm a big shot, you should bow before me or suffer the wrath of my monstrously huge ego tripping and falling on you! You'll be squished and I'll laugh over your motionless corpse, mwahahahaha!" She burst in laughter immediately after saying that, taking all four other inhabitants of the room with her.

"That's so true!" Krillin said between breaths.

"Yeah, laugh, laugh while you can…" Vegeta muttered, stuffing his mouth with fish.

"I can't believe it! He actually lets me win so easily! Oh my, miracles do happen around the holidays then!" Bulma gasped tautly, making her friends fall into another fit.

"I'll show you a miracle once we're alone in that room of yours." He grinned evilly, making his girlfriend's expression falter completely.

"Alright, change of topic before I gag my guts out!" ChiChi raised a hand to cut between the couple that usually engaged in some conversations that the gang would certainly prefer to skip if possible.

Bulma beamed with her radiant smile as she observed her friends, conversing and laughing with each other. She wasn't sure if it was modest for her to say or even think such a thing, but she couldn't help wondering if it wasn't all her fault they were all able to enjoy their mutual company as once all of them had been extremely anti-social and wished to have nothing to do with other human beings, dejected by how life had treated them up to that point.

ChiChi, her best friend, a temperamental full of enthusiasm and determination girl had once been ignored by most kids in kindergarten, because all of them had their loving mothers and fathers to pick them up and she had only a paternal parental unit who resembled a cask a very uncanny way. Boys and girls her age would mock her, isolate her from their games and have her bitter toward the whole world in general at such a young age. She'd start spewing venom whenever someone even neared her, no matter the age or size. And then Bulma had come into the brunette's life, doing everything with her and showing her that not everyone thought her weird because her mother had died so long ago and that the fact she could protect herself could be used for people she cared for as well…

Juuhachigou, the girl that wouldn't say a word to anyone in the start of high school, closed off to every soul, deep dark secrets eating on her heart. She blamed herself for having her twin brother labeled as juvenile criminal as their father died in a freak accident after he had tried to destroy his own offspring for the second time. But then Bulma had given her the advice to turn to the proper authorities, let the blonde call the best lawyer in the country and paying for his salary on Capsule Corporation expenses, and in no time Juunanagou's name was cleared and he was released from jail.

Krillin, who had once been completely unaware of how to treat people as he had lived on an extremely small island with his grandfather for his whole life, a tourist in the big town he had moved in when tutoring his nephew had become impossible for Mr. Roshi once the boy hit his teens. People would call him weird because of his bald head and the monkish eight dots on his forehead… Bulma had been one of the teasers too, but her innocent nature made the words sound… funny and she actually enjoyed the boy's company, bringing him into her little circle of close friends, domesticating him.

Goku on the other hand seemed to have always been a person with strong character, though you couldn't possibly tell at first glance at him. He would always laugh, smile, and encourage everyone in their time of need, though he would often get disappointed because of his naivety and incapability of judging people by their acts. Although he never gave up, he needed to be guided, to concentrate most of his energy on a small circle of people instead of wasting his good natured-ness on ingrates. That's when she introduced ChiChi to him and the two had become inseparable.

She wasn't really sure about Vegeta's place in the picture yet, as ChiChi seemed not to tolerate him much, but all she needed to know that she was slowly but surely making her way to him. The whole day was a perfect example that she was finally getting the idea of how to push his buttons, what made him tick, what made him what he was… Even though he was so protective of his past experiences she would be patient. And maybe with the time, her character would rub off on him as much as he rubbed off on her too…

"Houston, we have a problem here. We have a Bulma in orbit and we receive no response. Earth to Bulma, Earth to Bulma, do you copy me?" Juuhachi waved a hand in front of her friend's pointy nose making the girl snap out of her reverie and glare at her friend.

"What?"

"Come on, B! You can't miss this! The guys are bringing some proper music and we're having a contest!" ChiChi stood up, her and Juu pushing the table a little to the side so they could have room for their 'contest', whatever it was. "And I'm beating all your asses! I and Goku are winning this thing!" She flashed a twenty-four-carat smile, having Juu snort at her.

"Not a chance! There is no better dancer than me in the area."

"Which area do you specialize in? The pylons in pubs?" Bulma sniggered, high-fiving ChiChi.

"Ha-ha-ha, very funny," the blonde said sardonically just as Krillin returned, Goku and Vegeta hot on his trail.

"What is?"

"Juu will be stripping just for us, tonight!" ChiChi announced, barely missing Juu who had pounced on her. "Now, now, dear, I didn't know you had such urges, contain yourself if you please. I am a model woman after all." She smoothed her dress as if straightening unseen wrinkles on it.

"I'll give you a model woman, you sleazy bitch…" The light-haired female tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

"Let's not get offensive, shall we? Thank you very much…" Bulma began and Krillin passed her the disks. That's the first time she noticed the fancy stereo in front of her. "Whoa, would you look at this beast… I think I'm in love." She snickered.

"Its affections are already directed elsewhere, woman." Vegeta announced haughtily.

"Shut up and help me beat those two loud mouths!" She hushed him, grabbing his hand to stand up.

And they did beat their loud mouthed friends because of sheer stubbornness to have themselves beaten…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

11,50 pm…

"It's really such a shame we can't see the fireworks that are on the other end of the city… I love fireworks…" ChiChi muttered as she rested her back against Goku's chest.

"Yeah, me too… I wish we could see them…" Bulma agreed from the floor where she lay with her feet striking in the air behind her and arms holding her chin with her elbows on Vegeta's chest, her 'chair' having a fish bone in his mouth, chewing on it in a bored manner.

"Where's the champagne?" Juu looked around from her armchair.

"I'll go bring it!" Krillin jumped ecstatically.

"I think he drank a few too many beers tonight." Vegeta muttered with closed teeth as not to drop his toy. Bulma glared at him. "What?"

"Spit that out already. It's not funny anymore."

"No one's asking you if you're having fun. What matters is that I need to do something or I'll go nuts…" His head settled back in his hands crossed behind his neck, making his girlfriend glare at him again from her position over him. Grinning impishly, she played innocent and as if she had already dropped the subject, snatching the thing when he least expected and jumping to a salvation behind Goku and ChiChi's couch.

"Ha!" She yelled triumphantly, waving the thing at him as he bolted up as well. "Bet you wished you have this right now, don'tcha?"

"Why you—"

"Hey, guys, help me get this thing open." Krillin called from the kitchen.

"Vegeta?" Goku gave his best friend a toothy pleading grin. He didn't feel like shaking ChiChi off as she had just made herself comfortable and, honestly, he was enjoying himself in that position too. Rolling his onyx eyes, Vegeta threw a menacing gaze at his girlfriend before he departed for Krillin's aid as the countdown till midnight began.

"Hurry up in there, will you?" Juu said as she inched her seat closer to the TV, seeing there were now only two minutes till New Year.

"Shut up, blondie." Vegeta scoffed, passing her a champagne filled glass. "When you get up your ass and actually do something you'll be allowed to boss this guy around." He pointed his chest to motion himself. Juuhachi raised an incredulous eye brow.

"Uh huh," she muttered as she heard a strange sound coming from the pocket of his loose dark jeans and she eyed the vibrating object with a dubious expression. "What the hell is that? Who's calling you now?" By the time Krillin had brought everyone a glassful of champagne and they were eagerly listening to the countdown,

"Ten…" Taking out his cell phone from his pocket, Vegeta opened the new message he had received.

'Go to the balcony,' it read. Waiting for the excited yell of "One!" followed by a "Happy New Year!" exclamation that echoed in the large room, his glass connected with all of his friends' in a mute toast, all of them taking a sip and each couple sharing a brief kiss.

"Do you hear that?" Bulma muttered a few seconds later, decreasing the volume of the TV to hear the suspicious sound.

"Sounds like explosions to me." Krillin responded, all five puzzled residents dashing for the balcony in time to witness the most beautiful fireworks they have ever seen.

"Didn't you say we can't see these things since they're so far?" ChiChi inquired, though the colourful flames of the fireworks reflected in her excited eyes. Bulma lifted her shoulders in nonplus.

"I did and I mean it. I'm never able to see those things from over here… And just why are you grinning like that, Goku? Never seen fireworks before?"

"You managed to convince Tien? Oh, man, I'm so happy! I haven't seen his doing in years!" The teen in question exclaimed toward his best friend who had now sat himself on the couch. Bulma whirled around to look at Vegeta's indifferent expression, his glass in one hand and his head in the other.

"It was really easy actually. All it took was have him do me a little 'favour' and he was really willing to oblige. Can you imagine that saying words I rarely mention have such impact on people?" He grinned devilishly as he observed all three of the girls practically swoon at the sight.

It was true; Tien's work was always a masterpiece that caught your breath in your throat. The multi-coloured explosions, one after another, one created by the other, chain-reactions and beautiful start dust falling over the city made you gawk in awe. However, it was usually a very expensive pleasure for the eyes… Although, for people that knew no boundaries that was not a problem. Not to mention that Vegeta was a close friend with the provider…

As he enjoyed his majestic superior feeling he had in that moment, he was caught completely off-guard by Bulma who practically jumped in his lap, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck with her glass secure between her fingers as she pressed herself close against him, glee glistening on her face.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed. She could recall whining about not being able to see the fireworks a day or two ago, but she thought he hadn't been listening anyway. The surprise was quite touching and hit the right spot…

"Whatever woman; you can show me just how thankful you are tonight." He whispered huskily against her lips before she dissipated the distance between them. She'd show him even several times if he wanted…

And he had just given her another reason to believe that she had, indeed, the most wonderful boyfriend in the whole selfish world…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

A/N: Read my bio for "Chapter Status"! Important matter!

Chapter 18 took a whole month to get written. Chapter 19 only two weeks and this one not even a week. This should mean something to you about just how much your fast response has me jump into action again. ;)

Sorry for any stupid mistakes, they will be edited later.

This chapter was so that you can feel their spirit when they're together, their conversations and all. ;) Next chapter will reveal the Hailie part of Vegeta's past, the whole deal between them and just why I turn so much attention to the fact she coughs all the time.

Please be so nice like you were for the previous chapter… Please, please, please…

(faints from back-pains due to long period of sitting on a chair in front of computer)