Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.
The Popstar
Chapter 6
The next morning, Vegeta got up early. He had some things to do. Bulma had two more days off and he'd had an idea of something fun they could do together. Or at least something he considered fun. He was unsure if she would agree or even go along with it or not, but decided it was a chance he was willing to take.
First, he left Justice behind to guard the suite while he went out to plant a few things for him to sniff out. He had not done any of that while they had been off on injury leave. Justice had not scented out anything since the incident. It was time to get back on that, even though he knew Justice would never again be allowed back on the field.
Watching his dog work his own natural abilities was fun in his book. He strategically hid three items made up of explosive materials around the compound where he decided they would go for a walk. Once he was satisfied, he made a few phone calls to set the other half of his plan in motion. At first he wasn't sure if it would be possible to arrange what he had in mind so last minute, but after a few phone calls and calling in some favours, the right people were able to pull some strings and it was done.
Vegeta only hoped that Bulma would not see this as a date or something ridiculous along those lines; she probably would. However it did not escape his notice that not only it did indeed look that way, but this was also the most effort he had put into trying to entertain a girl. Ever.
He thought on that a moment and then promptly dismissed the thought and headed back to the apartment, hoping that Bulma would not sleep too late.
-0-0-0-
It was around mid morning when Bulma made an appearance in the kitchen.
Vegeta had made eggs, toast and fried up some frozen hash browns he'd found in the freezer.
"You made breakfast?" She asked in surprise.
"Why not?" He shrugged. He was tired of take out and delivery and fast food constantly.
"You could have just ordered something in," she said, trying to stifle a yawn but failing. She grabbed a coffee mug and poured herself a cup.
"I suppose," he shrugged. "However I do not feel I can stomach another fast food delivery meal. Not to mention, this is far healthier than any of the crap you consume on a regular basis. It is a small wonder you are always exhausted."
"I know," she sighed. "I don't have time to cook very often. I mean, I don't mind when I have time or I'm not too tired, but…"
"You need to start taking better care of yourself," he admonished.
"I know, thanks mom," she rolled her eyes. "So what are we doing today?"
"Fun things," he answered vaguely.
"Fun things?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not going to elaborate more than that? That can be misconstrued in a lot of different ways."
"We are going out," he answered after giving her a dirty look. "Eat up and afterwards we are going to go for a walk and then after that on a field trip somewhere."
"Okay," she nodded amicably. "Do I need to dress up?"
"No," he answered. "Just wear something comfortable and casual. Do not bother getting yourself done up."
"Alright," she said, grabbing a plate and began dishing herself out some breakfast.
It didn't take her long to eat and get dressed. She threw her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head, opted for mascara only and chose to wear a pair of jeans, casual t-shirt and hoodie and her comfortable dance sneakers that she loved and wore everywhere even when she wasn't dancing.
"So where are we walking?" She asked.
"Around the compound." He said, leashing up Justice. He wished he'd thought to bring his training harness, but that wasn't a big deal.
Bulma locked up and off they went. She was a little bit confused as to what it was they were doing and how this was considered fun, but she didn't comment. Vegeta must have had something in mind she assumed and so she decided to be patient.
The weather was mild and she was glad she hadn't over dressed. They walked quietly in companionable silence for a while until they reached the parking lot of the compound. Vegeta removed Justice's leash and said something foreign to him that Bulma did not understand.
Justice's demeanour changed as he began sniffing the ground urgently; his tail was straight up like a flag and rather than walking with them, he zig zagged back and forth in front of them, stopping periodically to lift his head to take a deep breath. He'd pause and exhale so forcefully before putting his head down again, she initially thought he'd sneezed.
Clearly, he was looking for something or thought he was looking for something. "What's he looking for?" She asked Vegeta quietly.
"Explosives," he answered, watching him carefully as he worked.
"Oh," she said. "Well he'll be pretty disappointed,"
"Perhaps," Vegeta replied. Justice was sniffing around a parked Capsule Corporation vehicle he had left an article hidden in the wheel well. He resisted the urge to encourage him despite the fact that he had definitely picked up on its scent and was investigating it, trying to pinpoint its exact location. After all, in a real life scenario, he didn't have the advantage of knowing where explosives were and this was a test to see how rusty he was. So far, he seemed to be working as well as he always did and his heart sank. What a waste, he thought.
Bulma watched him in appreciation as he circled around the vehicle twice before he finally zeroed in on the front tire of the vehicle. She resisted the urge to giggle at how loud he was while sniffing and every so often he'd snort. Finally Justice stood up on his hind legs, sniffing along the panel and the side view mirror before dropping to the ground, Sphinx style and his nose up, pointing at the wheel well, staring intensely at it. He didn't move. Not even a muscle; he looked like a statue.
Bulma turned and looked at Vegeta curiously, assuming by this point that he had something to do with this, or rather she sure hoped he did. Never had Capsule Corporation had a bomb threat.
Vegeta walked over to the vehicle and pulled out a small metal object and praised Justice. He took out the Shepherd's favourite ball on a string and tossed it. Of course, Justice bolted after it.
"Ha, so I'm assuming you planted that?" Bulma asked him.
"I did," he admitted.
"Good thing. I was concerned for a moment there that we may have a bomb threat on the premises."
"There are two more I left for him to find on the premises," Vegeta said. "If you are interested."
"Neat! Sure, why not?" She exclaimed as Justice shoved the ball forcefully into Vegeta's hands, essentially forcing him to take it back so that he could throw it again, however Justice didn't relinquish the ball immediately and so an intense game of tug ensued for a few minutes before Vegeta asked him to release it, which he did so, although grudgingly.
Vegeta tossed the ball once again before they continued on. Once again, Justice was in full search mode and it didn't take them long for him to find the other two articles; including one Vegeta had hidden in a tree.
"I'm sufficiently impressed," Bulma said as she watched Vegeta jump down from the tree after retrieving the last article from the tree. "And I'll admit, it was fun watching him work."
Vegeta shrugged. "It is not as exciting as some of the other things we do, but I find it relaxing and it is highly rewarding for him."
"What's the other stuff?" She asked. "Crotch biting and jumping out of helicopters together?"
"Essentially," he nodded. "We need to get going or we will be late for the other plans I made."
"Oh right, you said we'd be leaving," she said, following him back to her place. "Do I need to change?"
Vegeta looked at her. "You might want to wear a sweater underneath your hoodie so you do not get cold, but otherwise, no."
"Alright then," she commented with a slight frown, wondering what he had planned that she needed to dress warmer and that it was okay that her hair was a mess and she had no makeup on. So far, she could tell that this would not be a typical event for her. "So we're not going on a date then, huh?" She teased him.
"No," he rolled his eyes. "However we will perhaps go out for a beer afterwards."
"A beer, huh?" She said, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like date plans to me."
"You are an idiot," he scoffed in a good natured tone. "We shall see how you do,"
"Hmmm, are we going to a shooting range?" She asked, trying to figure out what he'd planned based on what she thought he would find fun.
"No, though that is a good guess," he answered and wondered why he hadn't thought of that. It would have been just as much fun and much easier to arrange and less likely she would back out of going through with it. "Maybe next time."
"Aww, planning our second date already even though we haven't made it through the first one yet?" She teased, loving how uncomfortable she was making him just by simply tossing the date word around. "Wow I must really be making an impression."
"Do not push your luck," he said and they headed out. Bulma tossed him her car keys after grabbing another sweater and they made sure Justice was comfortable.
Bulma tried her best to guess what it was that Vegeta had planned as they drove. He'd punched in an address into the gps on his phone, but it was an address she didn't know and she couldn't think of anything based on the direction they were going.
Your destination will be on the left in 500 meters.
The female monotone GPS told them. Bulma frowned at what looked to be a field with tarmac, hangars and a building beside a very small control tower and she frowned. We're they going to fly a small plane, she wondered.
"Are we going flying?" She asked.
"You could say that," he smirked. "Though you may back out if you wish."
"No, I'm good," she shook her head. "I didn't know you were a pilot too,"
"Hmmn," he grunted with a smirk. "I'm not,"
"Okay," she said with a frown as she tried to think of what they could be doing.
Vegeta was surprised she hadn't figured it out yet. "You will see," he said as he parked the car near the hangar.
"Are you Vegeta?" Someone outside asked as they got out.
"I am," he nodded. "This is Bulma,"
"Cool. I'll be your instructor," the other man nodded, walking up to them and extending a hand out to Bulma. "Um, I'm a huge fan and so is my daughter. I took her to one of your concerts a few years back."
"Aww, thank you," Bulma smiled.
"I know I'm not supposed to ask, but do you think I could get an autograph for her afterwards?" he asked nervously. "I mean, if it isn't too much trouble."
"Sure thing!" Bulma nodded, not bothered by his request. She was used to it by this point and when it was for younger ones, she definitely didn't mind. "Just remind me before we leave."
"I will!" he smiled, clearly star struck by Bulma's presence, despite the fact that she was not done up at all. "Let's go! I'll do a quick rundown of procedures before we head up!"
Bulma looked at Vegeta suspiciously. "Are we doing what I think we're doing?"
"That depends," Vegeta shrugged elusively. "What do you think we're doing?"
"Are we going skydiving?" she guessed, her heart thumping so heard she could feel it and she felt a rush of adrenaline course through her as she said it.
"If you're up for it," he answered. He did not want to take her up there if she wasn't keen on it. He realized when he'd went through the effort of organizing this particular excursion that she may not want to go through with it.
Bulma thought for a moment. "Sure, I'm game," she nodded.
"Do you trust me?" Vegeta asked.
"I do," she said, hesitating a moment. She could almost hear Yamcha having a brain aneurism over this. However when was the last time she had done anything fun, adventurous or for herself? Not to mention she didn't want Vegeta to think she was afraid or didn't trust him. She did, but she was worried about what Yamcha would say if he found out. "Fuck it. Let do it!"
"Are you certain?" He asked, mistaking her hesitation for fear. "If you do not want to, you do not have to."
"I am," she nodded. "Let's do this!"
Vegeta smirked at her. He'd been fairly confident she wouldn't back down from a challenge.
"Just take it easy on me, please," she said. "I've never done anything like this before."
"It will be fun and you will wonder why you haven't," he said.
"You'll be tandem skydiving, so you really just need to enjoy the ride," the instructor said.
They went inside the hangar and their instructor had them suit up and went through all the necessary protocols for almost an hour before they boarded the plane and they were in the air.
Bulma had not said much; the mixture of fear and excitement washing through her had made her exhausted already. Though she was determined not to chicken out.
Their instructor meticulously fastened Bulma to the front of Vegeta's gear.
"Make sure it's tight," she said nervously, beginning to second guess her decision in doing this despite being determined to follow through. "I guess if I come undone, I wouldn't be in distress for very long, huh?"
"You won't come undone, I promise." The instructor reassured her. "I've been doing this for fifteen years and not once has someone come undone, nor was there a parachute malfunction. Plus, Vegeta is a good friend of a really good friend of mine. You're in good hands."
"It will not happen, but even so, I will make sure you do not go anywhere," Vegeta said, placing his hands on her hips confidently to reassure her.
"Alright," she said shakily after taking a deep breath; her stomach flipping from excitement and the reassuring gesture from Vegeta. Never had he touched her on purpose.
"You're still down with doing this?" Vegeta asked. "If you are unsure, now is the chance to speak up because in about a minute or so, we will be getting ready to jump."
Bulma nodded. "I'm sure! Let's just do it before I lose my nerve!"
"Fair enough,"
Vegeta stood at the entrance of the plane a moment, surveilling the ground beneath them, looking for the place they were supposed to aim for a landing. The majority of the ground seemed to be farmland. It was ideal.
"Are you ready?" He asked calmly into her right ear, making her shiver and feel warm despite the fact that she was absolutely terrified. Having him so close to her and his arms around her securely seemed to only add to the excitement and distract her from what she was about to do rather than dwelling on everything that could go wrong.
"No," she said and a moment later Vegeta leaned forward and she realized a second later that they were no longer in the plane, but were plummeting down towards the ground. She screamed in terror and panic. She barely noticed that Vegeta's arms were wrapped snugly around her waist, keeping her close even though it was not necessary. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" She screamed and placed a hand on his, desperately trying to hold onto something, despite her brain telling her how futile that would be anyway, should something go wrong. He loosened his fingers somewhat so she could lace her fingers with his rather than clawing at them.
After about a minute, she began to relax and loosened her grip on his hands, but did not let them go. They weren't falling as fast as she thought they would. It was windy, but not unpleasantly so. It was surprisingly peaceful and quiet up there. Now that the original shock of being in a free fall had worn off, she decided she felt weightless and free, despite being attached to Vegeta.
"Are you alright?" Vegeta asked her as she'd gone from screaming her head off to completely silent within a few minutes. He was wondering if she'd fainted.
"Yes!" She called back to him, patting his hand with hers for reassurance. "I can't believe how peaceful it is from up here!"
Bulma felt him grunt in agreement.
She assumed it must have only been a few minutes since the jump, but it felt like forever.
He forcefully detangled his fingers from hers and pointed to the right. "There is your parent's compound!"
Bulma turned her head and smiled. "That's Capsule Corporation!" It looked so small from how high up they were. However, she was surprised at how much ground it took up.
They were quiet for most of the rest of the fall until Vegeta warned her that they were ready to pull the parachute cord.
"Brace yourself," he said. "We will be thrown back."
Bulma nodded and held her breath, hoping that the chute would would work properly. She knew they had an emergency one, but the anxiety of the thought that it might not work was still creeping up into her mind.
Suddenly she felt like she was being yanked backwards, just like Vegeta had warned her they would be. It nearly knocked the wind right out of her lungs and in a moment, they were gliding again, slowly, smoothly and she instantly relaxed. They were no longer in the middle of a free fall and the parachute had deployed properly as it was supposed to. She could now relax and enjoy the rest of the experience. She wasn't going to die, everything was fine.
She hasn't even noticed that Vegeta's arms weren't around her waist anymore. He had needed his hands free to steer the parachute and make their landing at the designated area.
"We will be hitting the ground in a moment," he told her when they were close. "Do not lock your knees, just like the instructor said,"
"I remember," she nodded, thankful for the reminder. While she was flooded with relief that it had all gone according to plan, a part of her was sad that they were done.
They landed and uncoupled from one another without incident.
"Oh my god that's like the coolest thing I think I've ever done!" Bulma exclaimed, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck in excitement before he could avoid her or protest. The adrenaline had not completely worn off.
"I assumed as much," he said, briefly hugging her back before pushing her away.
"Alright, I take back what I said, you can be fun," she said, allowing him to put some distance between them. She was still on a high from this stunt that she was too excited and wound up to take offence. "So what now?"
Vegeta shrugged. He was hungry. "We could grab a meal and some beers?"
"I'm down," Bulma agreed. "Where should we go where we won't attract a lot of attention?"
Vegeta shrugged. "You are more familiar with this area than I would be,"
"I guess," she shrugged. "Alright, I know of a small pub not far from here I haven't been to in ages. Let's go there and hopefully no one will tip off the paparazzi."
"Agreed," they quickly folded up their parachutes as they waited for the driver to take them back to the hangars. Bulma gave the instructor an autograph and they thanked him before they drove to a small, dumpy but cozy-looking pub and ordered wings and a beer each. It was mostly empty and either the bartender on shift had no clue who Bulma was or didn't care.
After enjoying a quick meal, they returned to Capsule Corporation, showered and before Vegeta made a reappearance or had a chance to protest, Bulma placed an order of Chinese delivery and was ready to settle in for a relaxing evening of tv on the couch and wine.
"I ordered food," she said to him, lounging on the couch in an oversized sweatshirt, short shorts and her still wet hair piled high on top of her head with a full glass of wine in her hand.
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Do you ever cook?"
"Not if I don't have to or don't feel like it," she shrugged. "I'm off. That includes culinary duties,"
"Whatever," he grunted, grabbing a beer from the fridge and coming to join her. If there was food on the way, he wasn't going to waste his time making a meal. "What are you watching?"
"Nothing yet," she answered and tossed him the remote. "You can find something if you want."
They settled on a station that was binging a tv series and watched that for the rest of the night, eating Chinese delivery, drinking and casually visiting before turning in for the evening.
The next morning, Bulma was up at a decent hour and before Vegeta for once, scrolling through her phone while she was waiting for the coffee machine to brew. Her phone rang.
It was Yamcha.
She rolled her eyes to herself as she deliberated over whether or not she wanted to answer his call. Deciding it was too early to deal with him, she hit the ignore button and put her phone on the counter top. A moment later, it rang again. Figuring it must be important that he called her back immediately rather than leaving her a message, she begrudgingly answered it. "Hello, Yamcha,"
"Are you insane?!" Yamcha's voice exclaimed over the phone instead of a greeting.
"Good day to you too," Bulma replied, rolling her eyes again.
"Good day? Bulma, you're on the front page of the news paper skydiving!" He said almost frantically.
"It's in the news?" She asked with a frown.
"Of course it is! What were you thinking?!" He ranted. "Do you know how upset the label is going to be when they see this? It's against your contract to be out and about doing thrill seeking nonsense! You could be sued!"
"Sued over what?" She scoffed. "Having fun?"
"If the label's insurance company drops you over this before you complete that final album, they will sue you!" Yamcha said through a heavy sigh and she could tell he was trying not to have an aneurysm.
"I'm sure they won't," she rolled her eyes. "It was one time and Vegeta's like a professional. I didn't do it on my own, I did it while hooked up to him so there was like no risk anyway."
"Still!" Yamcha said. "You need to think before doing these things!"
"I did!"
"Then what the hell were you thinking?"
Bulma shrugged, despite the fact that they were having a phone conversation and he couldn't see her. "I don't know, I just wanted to have some fun for once, I was off and feeling really good."
"Bulma, I can always make sure you're booked in for a day spa thing if you don't know what to do on your time off, you just need-"
"Who said I wanted a day at the spa?" She snapped at him. "And jumping out of a plane is only one of the things I did yesterday."
"Great, I don't even want to know what else you did. If it isn't in the papers, no one needs to know, it didn't happen," Yamcha said quickly and she could hear him turning pages of a newspaper. "Is this your way of punishing me?"
"Punishing you? No. Punishing you for what?"
Vegeta walked into the kitchen amidst her conversation and he could tell immediately from the tone of her voice and the nature of her side of the conversation that she was speaking with Yamcha. He rolled his eyes and went to the coffee maker.
"Punishing me for keeping you busy and pushing you right now."
"Alright, I'm not happy about that, but my actions have nothing to do with you." She said.
"Well it doesn't seem that way," he said accusingly. "Do you know how hard I work?"
"Yes, Yamcha, I know and I appreciate everything you do," Bulma rolled her eyes and mouthed Yamcha's name to Vegeta.
Vegeta nodded once. He'd already figured that out on his own.
"No, I'm not having a breakdown," she sighed. "Not yet anyway."
"That's not funny,"
"No, I know it isn't. Neither is you accusing me of having a mental breakdown all because I went out, had some fun and did something for myself for once," she said irritably. "But if this is what it took for you to actually notice that I'm exhausted and need to go on hiatus for a while, then great!"
"So this was you getting back at me, I knew it!"
"No! Why do you always have to make everything about yourself?" Bulma asked in annoyance. "I didn't give you a second thought!" Alright, that wasn't necessarily true. She had, except it had been acknowledging and accepting that he would be angry with her when he found out about this. However he didn't need to know that.
"Clearly not!" Yamcha replied. "Yet I'm the one who makes everything about themselves. You're going out and doing stupid things, risking your life and your career all to impress some guy. Come on, Bulma. You're smarter than that."
"That has nothing to do with it!"
"Doesn't it?" He challenged her. "I know you, Bulma. You're not a crazy thrill seeker. Suddenly this guy shows up and starts living with you and you are? Come on,"
"I've had just about enough," Bulma sighed.
"You've had enough? Bulma, I'm going to have to do some major damage control here!"
"Has anyone even called you and said anything about it?" She asked.
"It's probably still too early." He replied.
"Alright, we'll worry about it if and when someone calls. Otherwise, so what?" She said. "Just let me enjoy my last day off before I have to go back to the grind again. If something happens, call me. If not, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Yamcha sighed in frustration. "Alright, fine. Don't forget, you have a video shoot tomorrow in the middle of the afternoon, so be prepared for a late night."
"Great, I can't wait," she said sarcastically.
"And no more stunts!" He added. "Or at least call me first, please, should the urge to do something stupid cross your mind."
"Bye, Yamcha." She said and hung up her phone. "Ugh," She grunted, shutting it off and tossing it on the couch.
"What is the issue?" Vegeta asked, though he already had a pretty good idea. He mentally made a note to be more cautious in the future. The fact that he had obviously not noticed photographers or that they had been followed was an inexcusable error on his part.
Bulma went to her door, looking for a news paper. "Apparently," she started as she came in with a few things that had been left outside her door. "We made the front page of the news paper while skydiving yesterday,"
Bulma snickered as she looked at it. Wearing goggles and a helmet, the only way to really identify her was the small bits of blue hair peeking out from beneath her helmet. "You can barely tell that's me! And you can barely see your face."
Vegeta frowned to take a look and nodded in agreement. Though he wanted to keep the picture. He'd never made front page news before. Even if his face was mostly unrecognizable because of his goggles and helmet and the angle of which it had been taken, Bulma's head was in the way. The photo was also grainy and of low quality.
"You can keep that if you want," she said nonchalantly, going through the rest of her mail.
"You do not want it?" He asked.
"I'll take the one my parents have," she shrugged. "Ohhh! My Vogue magazine cover came too!" She exclaimed in excitement, opening the plastic. "Oh shit," her face dropped as she looked at it.
"What?" Vegeta asked, noticing the change in her demeanour.
"It's nothing," she smiled, clutching the magazine close to her chest so he couldn't see it. "I just… I was hoping they would use a different photo, you know… one that was a bit more… flattering."
Vegeta glared at her. "Let me see,"
"Nah," she shook her head. "It's not that big of a deal."
"Is Justice on the cover?" He deadpanned.
Bulma screwed up her face somewhat as she thought of some way to cover that up. He'd been adamant that Justice not be featured in the magazine at all. She had also explicitly told the editor, the photographer and the person doing the interview that those photos could not be used. Yet, somehow this had still happened. "I mean, it could be Justice or it could be just some other Belgian Shepherd that was used as a prop," she said innocently. "They're not… that uncommon, are they?"
Vegeta clenched his jaw as he took a slow, deep breath. "Let me see it."
She finally handed it to him and braced herself for his reaction.
Vegeta looked at the magazine cover. On it was Bulma looking absolutely insatiable with an alluring pout, perfect bed head hair and that loose grey sweater with her arms loosely draped around Justice's shoulders. The bold headline: "Knowing Bulma Briefs: 'I'm not an artist, I AM a work of art.' Across the bottom of the cover nicely concealed the fact that Justice was indeed missing a front leg. He supposed she was right, he could be passed off as a random dog that had been used as a prop. A random dog that just happened to be a retired military war dog belonging to her bodyguard. He just hoped his father or no one connected to him would ever see that.
He opened the magazine, looking for the article. The rest of the photos were Justice-free and were all fashion aimed and editorial in style. He briefly skimmed through the article, looking for anything that might bring more heat, but from what he could glean, there was no mention about Justice. Maybe she could just pass it off as a random prop if it came up?
Vegeta grunted and handed her back the magazine. "He is not to be used again for anything like this," was all he said.
"Fair enough," Bulma nodded. "Sorry, I did tell them not to use any pictures with him in them."
"I know,"
He didn't seem angry with her, but she could tell he was still bothered by it. "I'm sorry. I hope you don't get into any trouble over it."
Vegeta was quiet for a while as he looked at Justice with a slight frown of concern. "I will worry about it if and when it comes up. It may never even be seen by anyone who would be able to identify him. Hopefully."
"Hopefully," she agreed. "I'm so sorry. I guess I should have called you that day of the shoot and ask permission first. We were just arguing about wardrobe though and he was laying there so nicely and the photographer got bored while waiting on us and just decided to snap some harmless photos of him and one thing led to another and then we ended up including him. It never occurred to anyone that it would be a bad idea or cause any trouble for you."
Vegeta nodded. In a way he was flattered that his prized friend was intriguing enough to be on the cover of a high end fashion magazine, however it was the possible backlash over it that concerned him. He wasn't a pet he could do whatever he wanted with. He was a weapon. A very expensive weapon that still technically belonged to the government and he still was not sure what would ultimately happen to him once he went back into service. Justice's working career was over. That much was certain. If he was cleared as stable enough to live civilian life he supposed he would be adopted out to live a quiet life in retirement. While Vegeta agreed, no one deserved it more, the thought of him living with someone else and never seeing him again made the pit of his stomach feel very heavy and so he dismissed the thought. Hopefully this would not prematurely bring that about. He was not ready to part with him.
"Do you have anything fun planned for today?" Bulma asked, trying to lighten his mood. She felt terrible that Justice was on the cover and she knew the reason why Vegeta was upset. However nothing could be done about it now. Maybe she could find a way to take his mind off of it. Hopefully nothing would come of it.
"Negative," he grunted.
"Do you wan to just lay low and hang out here for the day?" She asked. "I'm actually totally fine with that. I apparently have a video shoot tomorrow afternoon and I don't even know which song, which means I'll be working into the night. Don't ask me why it was booked that way."
"It does not matter to me," he said, his mind still worrying about Justice.
"Well, what I mean is I'm fine with hanging around here all day. If there's stuff you want to do, take the day off for yourself. I'll be fine here on my own."
Vegeta nodded. A day to himself did sound nice, but he had no idea of what he would do with himself. He could work out here. He could take Justice for a long walk around the compound. "I will likely leave at some point to grab something to make a real meal, but aside from that, I will be around." He said finally.
"Sounds good," she nodded. "It looks nice out. I think I'm going to tan and just relax on the balcony, maybe try to do some writing for my next album just in case they'll let me actually use my own material."
Vegeta nodded. "I don't see why you cannot just go and make your own album if that is what you want to do."
"I have to stick with the label," she said. "If they aren't interested, then I have to wait until my contract is up and find another label that will let me do my own thing or at least give me a little more freedom with what I want to put out there; which is easier said than done."
"So why not write stuff for your album after this one?"
Bulma shrugged. "I don't know if I have it in me to sign another contract with another label and be committed for however many more albums they'll want. I don't mind doing one or two more, but that's about it I think. For a while anyway. I need a break."
"You do," he agreed. "What I meant was write for the one after. Take a break and when you are ready, put out something that makes you happy, not what everyone else wants you to do."
"If only it were as simple as that," she sighed. "You are right though. We'll see. I'm still promoting my last album and have at least two more videos to do for it and then I have another album to do and then I'll be promoting that and doing shows and videos for at least two years, give or take. From the way I see it, I won't be able to have a long break until after all that is done."
Vegeta shook his head, suddenly feeling dumb for stressing over what may happen to his dog when Bulma clearly had no chance of a real break for another two years at least from the sound of it. He wondered how she did not lose her mind. As much as he was actually really enjoying this assignment, he wasn't sure he would want to do this for another two years.
"Anyway, whatever. It is what it is," she shrugged. "Do you want me to come with you to the store to get stuff? I can help you cook."
"I will go on my own," he said. "Less attention. You can help when I return."
"Okay," she nodded. "Well, I'm going to go change, hit the balcony and get my drink and tan on. If you wanna join me, you're more than welcome. If not, you know where to find me."
Vegeta frowned as he noticed her grabbing a wine glass and an unopened bottle of wine. "It is not even ten o'clock yet."
"So?" She shrugged. "Vegeta, it's my last day off to do whatever I want and who knows how long until I'll have that again. I fully intend to get day drunk and do as little as possible."
"You work tomorrow," he pointed out.
"Yea, hence why I'm getting drunk now, while it's early, so I'll be sober again by bedtime and I don't have to be at this shoot until the afternoon, so lots of time to recover."
"Whatever you say," he said, though she could tell he disagreed with her reasoning.
"You could come join me," she suggested, even though she knew he wouldn't.
"I have to work out," he said. "And go out to get something that resembles real food. In a bit."
"Alright," she said, walking to her purse and taking out her wallet and keys. "Take my car and here's my credit card. Go get whatever you want and since you'll be out, maybe get some more wine and get yourself whatever you want."
"I do not need your credit card," he bristled.
"It's fine, my treat. I'm taking Justice with me for company on the balcony. If you change your mind about joining us, you know where to find us."
Vegeta grunted and watched her leave. Justice followed her with next to no prompting from her. He frowned. Maybe a normal home was what would be best for him? He wouldn't be able to keep him once he went back on deployment. Not unless he boarded him somewhere for months on end and how fair would that be?
He shook his head as he cleared his thoughts and internally berated himself for being so ridiculous and sentimental over a dammed dog. He finished his coffee and decided to start his day with a work out before heading out to grab food for later on, taking the car keys and deliberately leaving Bulma's credit card on the counter top.
-0-0-0-
Bulma was pleasantly buzzing as she lay in contentment on her outdoor veranda in the sun. She'd spent the remainder of her morning and the afternoon drinking wine and alternating between napping and doing a little bit of writing and snuggling with Justice when he would seemingly come to check on her. The only thing missing was someone giving her a massage.
As she thought about that, it dawned on her what a shame it was that Vegeta would probably tell her off if she asked him for a massage. He had nice hands, she thought. Nice, strong hands too. She felt herself feeling warm at the memory of the previous afternoon when they'd gone skydiving together. That was the most he'd allowed himself to touch her since he'd started working for her.
She'd hoped that would break that boundary between them, but as soon as they had landed and she'd been detached from him, he'd gone back to business as usual. She wondered what it would take for him to relax around her. Not only that, but she hoped he had taken some time for himself; he worked hard and deserved it.
Justice got up to shake himself off and check on her. It was cute, but he seemed to feel obligated to check on her and make sure she was alive every forty five minutes or so. She was thankful for it if only as it served as a reminder to apply more sun screen. He'd woken her up a few times.
"Right on schedule," she said, scratching his ears as he placed his head in her lap. How was it Vegeta owned such an affectionate dog, she wondered. As she sat there, she realized how lonely she was and decided to see what Vegeta was up to. It looked like Justice needed water anyway.
Bulma picked up his bowl and headed inside. "Whoa," she said as she placed her hand on the side of her patio door. She was definitely on the borderline of tipsy and drunk. "Maybe some water for myself wouldn't be such a bad idea, hey?" She said to Justice, who was looking as though he was judging her.
"Hey, if you could get drunk off that ball of yours you like so much, you'd have a problem yourself Mr. fluffy judgy pants." She said to him.
She slowly walked through her suite and into the kitchen, noticing her keys were gone, but her card was still there. Bulma frowned and walked to the gym, but the lights were off. Vegeta's bedroom door was open and she noticed as she peered in, that it looked empty.
Concluding that he must have left already to pick up things he deemed as appropriate meal choices, Bulma walked back into the kitchen. It was already four o'clock in the afternoon and she had not realized how late it was. "Definitely time to start drinking some water," she said to herself out loud. She dumped a bunch of ice cubes into a large water bottle and poured herself some water and refilled Justice's water dish.
Once again, she noticed her card on the counter top and took it, tossing it back into her purse. "Asshole. Try to do something nice and he doesn't get it," she complained.
Bulma and Justice made their way back to the balcony where she put Justice's water down near her before she plunked herself back down on her lounging chair and began to reapply sunscreen, ready for another nap since Vegeta wasn't around and she didn't feel like dwelling on the fact that she was lonely. Of course, the fact that she was fairly inebriated only amplified those emotions.
-0-0-0-
Vegeta had gotten a few things to make a roast for dinner. He picked up potatoes, vegetables and a loaf of bread. He also picked up a few healthier options to make a quick breakfast for themselves. He was not sure if Bulma was a fan of breakfast smoothies, but he had bought a variety of fruits and vegetables for that. He also got stuff to make sandwiches and other lunch things so he could start making lunches for himself instead of relying on the food that was always provided at the rehearsals and video shoots.
Satisfied with his selections, he made his way to the check out and frowned as he noticed a tabloid magazine with Bulma on the front. It wasn't a flattering picture of her. She looked tired and distracted. The headline was Saving Bulma. Beneath it was a caption that read Family members urge pop princess to check into rehab facility after she plummets to a disturbing 80 lbs!
He shook his head at the silliness of it. Bulma was petite and he didn't agree with her dietary choices, but she wasn't unhealthy and he doubted she weighed only eighty pounds.
His eyes narrowed as he noticed another tabloid magazine, except that one he had to actually pick up.
Bulma Briefs Hot New Romance With Mystery Man! It read. On the cover was the two of them in her hot tub from the other night. The captions below read in bullet form: How her new man helped her get back on track after the most traumatic event of her life. He's moved in already! His and hers bathroom suites. Who is he really?
"You've got to be shitting me," he mumbled to himself as he began flipping trough it until he found the story.
Bulma Briefs Finds Solace in Hot New Romance
There were a few pictures of the two of them together. There was a picture of them going for a walk with Justice, which did not make him happy. Another of him escorting her somewhere, also accompanied by Justice. All innocent in nature, which didn't surprise him, but what did baffle him was how they assumed they must be romantically linked based on just a few photos of them being seen together.
Vegeta quickly shoved it into his basket as it was his turn to check out. Bulma had warned him that this would happen eventually.
He held his breath as the cashier rang through the magazine, a mixture of hoping she would not recognize him and embarrassment from purchasing it in the first place. Thankfully she didn't comment on the purchase or seem to notice that he was on the cover. He paid for everything and exited the grocery store as quickly as possible. However, as soon as he made it back to Bulma's car, he fished it out of one of the shopping bags to read the article.
There was another blown up picture of them in her hot tub and clinking bottles together. Though he didn't see how that proved anything, he did note how happy she looked and he looked to be in a good mood. Overall they both looked relaxed and like they were having a good time, which they had. It still surprised him how quickly these had made it into a magazine; that had only taken place two nights ago.
He shrugged and went on to read the article.
Castle Corporation's heiress and world famous pop princess, Bulma Briefs has been recently spotted with a new man in tow. Insiders initially believed him to be her new bodyguard, but evidence suggests that he is far more than just a bodyguard. A source close to the popstar, age 28, has revealed exclusively to Tattle, that this new man is definitely a hot new fling.
"She is over the moon over him!" The source confirmed exclusively to Tattle. "She wasn't really looking for anyone after the abduction, but I think after all of that, she realized how much she really needs someone she can trust in her life."
How they initially met and when the hot new romance started is unknown, however the couple have wasted no time going public with their new relationship. They have been spotted spending romantic evenings in the heiress' hot tub at her $4.6 million zeni penthouse suite and have been going everywhere together, including taking frequent walks together on the Capsule Corporation compound with their 3-legged German Shepherd cross rescue. It has been confirmed that they are already living together. A rep for Briefs could not be reached.
It is rumoured that this new man of Bulma's is a European model, however no one knows just yet.
The flirtatious popstar has been previously romantically linked to American actor Zarbon, backup dancer Lapis Gero and on again off again childhood sweetheart and current manager, Yamcha. The two were previously engaged, but Briefs called off their engagement amidst rumours of infidelity. They still remained an item for some time afterwards, but finally split for good when accusations of infidelity by both parties surfaced. They still remain amicable and Briefs kept Yamcha as her manager, however both maintain that they are just friends.
Is a wedding or a baby next for the busy popstar?
"Mrs. Briefs has been pushing for grand children from her daughter for a few years now. Both of her parents would love to see her settle down with a good man and start a family before it's too late." The source confirmed.
Only time will tell.
Vegeta snorted in disgust at the audacity of the article. None of it was true! Well, the fact that they were living together was true and that he was her bodyguard had been true, but the speculation that there was a romance going on cancelled that out. Who was dumb enough to believe this rubbish, he wondered.
He made a quick stop at the liquor store and grabbed a few things before heading back to Bulma's place.
Vegeta was not surprised to not be greeted by Justice when he entered her apartment. He quickly unpacked everything, putting things away and leaving out the things he wanted to cook up for dinner. Finally, he decided he'd better check up on Bulma. He had not seen her since she'd gone outside after breakfast. He hoped she wasn't too drunk. She didn't get drunk often, but when she did, she was usually much more flirtatious with him and while it was somewhat amusing, it did nothing more than make him uncomfortable because he absolutely could not reciprocate.
He grabbed the tabloid magazine, a cooler and a bottle of water and ventured outside onto her balcony where he observed Justice laying next to her and he could not tell if she was asleep or not.
Justice got up to greet him.
"Oh, you're back," she said, turning to face him.
"Look at this shit," he said, holding the tabloid up for her to see.
"Ha! You actually bought one of these?" She laughed in shock, sitting up to look at it.
Vegeta shrugged.
"Aww want me to sign it for you?"
"Do not be an idiot," he scoffed.
"It'll be worth something," she shrugged. "You could sell it along with your in depth tell-all about our steamy whirlwind affair."
"I would never do that," he said with a frown, offended that she would think such a thing.
"I know you wouldn't," she said. "But most guys would. I've had guys I merely had a 5 minute conversation with go on the record and sell some made up bs story about us and a wild night of passion. Gimme that. Who else have I fucked this week other than you? Hate to say it, but I'm feeling very unsatisfied. Aren't you?" She asked, wagging her eyebrows at him flirtatiously.
"Why would you bother reading this rubbish?" He asked, handing it to her along with a bottle of water.
"I love to live vicariously through these things," she shrugged nonchalantly, flipping through the tabloid magazine to the cover story about her. "If only my life were as exciting as they say. Aww thanks for the water!"
"There were others," he said. "One claiming that you weigh eighty pounds and your family is urging you to go to rehab,"
"That's every other week," she snorted while waving a hand in dismissal. "Before my abduction, there was one on the stands claiming I was ballooning. One week I'm too fat, the next I'm too thin. Then there's the stories about my addiction to plastic surgery. Those are fun to read considering I've never had any work done. Though not as fun as reading about the revolving door of men who apparently come through here."
"You cannot sue?"
"What's the point?" She shrugged. "Ha! They got a shot of Justice too!"
"They called him a German Shepherd rescue mix," Vegeta growled in disgust. "He is a Purebred working line Belgian Malinois."
"Oh dear," Bulma sighed dramatically. "How dare they. Uhm, you realize they think you've moved in and we're going to have kids ASAP, right?"
"I read it," he nodded once.
"And you're more pissy they got the breed of your dog wrong and that he's been photographed again than the fact that they know we're living together and assuming we're having an affair?"
"You warned me of that and it is unfortunate, but I am more worried about him being on the cover of an international fashion magazine than a local tabloid."
"Alright," she shrugged. "You're cute, you know that?"
Vegeta scowled at her. "I am not cute,"
"Whatever you say, lover,"
Vegeta rolled his eyes at her. Clearly she was inebriated, though he wasn't surprised. "I am going inside to cook a wholesome meal. Should you care to join me, that is where you will find me."
"Ya I'll come in and hang once I'm done reading this, if that's okay. Maybe I can help you?"
"You do not need to help."
"Oh right, I forgot. Independent man who buys his own food doesn't need help cooking it either." She said.
Vegeta scoffed, but said nothing as he left her alone on the balcony. He'd known it would bother her if she knew he hadn't used her card, but he also did not want to feel like he was taking advantage of her either. He knew she would not see it that way, Bulma was very giving and seemed to like treating everyone, but he still felt the need to be cautious. He'd recently made the observation that several of the people he noticed that didn't object to her paying for everything seemed to have come to expect it and that to him was wrong.
Bulma quickly read the article and looked at the pictures. As always, there was much more made of everything than there needed to be. However, she couldn't help but notice what a cute couple they made together. Vegeta wasn't much taller than her and he actually looked like he wasn't pissed off, she observed with a snicker to herself. She would have to make a point of showing him that.
Once again, her mind drifted to how lonely she was and how much she absolutely loved having Vegeta around. She wished the tabloid story was true and that they were an actual couple; kami knew she'd spent more time than she should wondering what Vegeta was like in the sack, but of course, that would likely never happen and she found herself frowning over that. What if he wasn't her bodyguard? What if he was her boyfriend? Would he even give her a chance even though she wasn't some kick ass girl in the military?
Bulma tossed the magazine on the ground and decided she needed a shower before helping Vegeta make dinner. She needed a moment to wash away the feelings of loneliness and disappointment before she saw him. It wasn't the first time she'd read a false tabloid story about herself that had struck a nerve and she was sure it would not be the last.
After her shower, she felt a bit more sober and a lot less emotional as she made her way into the kitchen where Vegeta was preparing a roast.
"Look at us! Playing house like husband and wife!" She chuckled, sitting on the countertop near him. "The tabloid kinda got that right I guess,"
Vegeta scoffed and did not respond further.
"I'm serious!" She said. "We should get married! Even if it's only for a few months."
"Idiot," he snorted, annoyed that she was still inebriated. "Why the hell would we get married for only a few months?"
"Because no one stays married long anyway, aside from my parents and you keep telling me about how you're not marriage material," she said in a matter of fact tone.
"That is because I am not,"
"Well then, we can get married and have some fun. I mean we're already essentially playing house anyway, minus the bedroom privileges, and then we can divorce before we get bored and hate each other," she rambled. In her state, it sounded like a great idea. "I always wanted to get married."
"And become divorced, I presume?" He asked before thinking better of it. This had be the stupidest conversation he'd ever had.
"Well, no… not ideally, anyway." She admitted. "Just who knows? Maybe you'd like being married and we wouldn't have to get divorced. I just assumed you'd not want to stay married. So you wouldn't have to if you didn't want to."
He looked at her. "You are drunk."
"I am!" She giggled with a smile. "Nice try though, trying to change the subject."
Vegeta sighed in annoyance. "No, I do not think it is wise to get married, even temporarily."
"Why not? I won't even make you sign a prenup. You know, that could make you a very rich man."
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her; if she hadn't been inebriated, he would have been deeply offended by that comment. "That is the absolute last reason why I would marry you."
Her stomach flipped at his tone, even though she was aware that he was definitely not flirting with her. "You're a rare man then. I'm impressed, though not surprised."
"I find it disturbing you would be so quick to give up half your fortune so easily," he said.
"Some days, I'd love to give up all of it." She said, pouring herself another glass of wine. "That you're not interested is disappointing, but that's why I asked you."
Vegeta shook his head. "Not happening."
"Why not? We get along and I think you're hot. I feel safe with you. Do you know how alone I feel?"
"Alright, so we get married for a few months, then you will be back to being lonely again once I return to work and am deployed for several months or even a year at a time. Then what? My life is not conducive to having a marriage mate." He said, hardly believing that he was entertaining her with such silliness.
"Well…" she shrugged and despite being inebriated, he could see her mind trying to work that out. "Neither is mine. I mean I travel all the time. Okay maybe not recently, but I know in the next few weeks we will be. I work long hours at rehearsal. I only get a few days off consecutively here and there and only when I throw a tantrum. When I am home, I'm in bed early or just want to stay up and watch tv since I can't sleep much anyway. That isn't conducive to having a marriage mate either, but it would be nice to have someone I can trust. That's why I asked you. You could be away doing your thing while I do my thing and we figure it out when we can. Actually, that may be the key to success. Ha haa! That we would almost never see one another."
Vegeta snorted as he began cutting up vegetables. She did kind of have a point, however he wasn't going to admit that. She was way past the point of thinking sensibly. In the morning they would laugh it off as a bad joke.
"What?! I'm serious!" She whined.
"I know," he said, tossing the vegetables into a roasting pot. "And the answer is still, no."
"You're so not fun," she groaned. "Come on! You're making a fancy dinner! I could call a JP or someone to come. My parents could witness it and that's it! No one would ever have to know until we wanted them to!"
"Why not?" He asked, giving her a suspicious look.
"Right?! It's a great idea!"
"No, I meant why would no one have to know?" He clarified. "You would be ashamed of marrying a nobody?"
Bulma quite literally spit out her wine into the sink as she began to laugh at him. "No! I couldn't give two shits what anyone thought about who I married, you idiot! I just thought it would be more appealing to you if there was no press or publicity attached since you're so protective of your privacy an' all," she explained once she was finished chortling at him. "But if you want, I can probably book us a last minute flight to Las Vegas and we could get drunk, get married by an Elvis impersonator and be back before my video shoot. Holy shit would the press have a field day with that one! What do you say?" She finished, wagging her eyebrows at him.
He snorted again, though this time because he was trying to hold back a laugh at her complete and utter silliness. There was a part of him that was relieved and touched that should they embark on something so ludicrous that she wanted something private and not a circus like most celebrities. He absolutely did not want to do the Vegas thing she just suggested, though it would be fun and a good story to tell whether they divorced or remained together. "I say you are drunk or completely insane."
Bulma sighed petulantly. "I say you're chicken!"
"I am a chicken?" He scoffed, pulling out a pan and began searing the roast he had gotten. "Ha! You haven't the slightest idea of the things I have done. Being a chicken isn't in my genetic makeup."
"Yet getting married to someone you obviously like with nothing to lose and everything to gain is terrifying to you," she said. "Why else would you be so adamant against it?"
He was quiet a moment because he didn't have an answer for her. He was attracted to her, very much so. However their lifestyles were just too different. It would never work. Not to mention she was drunk and he wanted to bang his head on the counter top for actually considering this ridiculous proposal of hers for even a moment. "Because I am not the marrying kind of man. That's why. And we've only known one another for a month or so."
"So?" She shrugged. "Lots of people get married a few weeks after knowing each other."
"Well if I was the marrying kind of man, I would not be that kind of person. Especially in our line of work."
"Well, I think it's a shame," she shrugged. "I think we would be great together."
Vegeta opened the fridge to grab something and also grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her. "You'd better drink a lot of water," he said with a frown.
"Hmm, thanks!" she said, taking it cheerfully. "You know how to really take care of a girl, I think you're wrong. You should meet some of the assholes I've dated and we're not even dating!"
Vegeta felt his ears and neck getting warm and he was glad he was turned away from her so she would hopefully not notice. "No, we are not, nor will we be,"
"Aww," she pouted and hopped off the counter top and making her way to the living room to turn on the tv where she promptly fell asleep and did not wake until long after Vegeta had finished making and eating dinner and had gone to bed himself.
Bulma awoke early the next morning with a headache and feeling dizzy, but that was about the worst of her symptoms, considering how much she'd drank the previous day. She showered, shaved her legs and moisturized her skin. Washed, dried and straightened her hair in preparation for her video shoot later on before venturing out to the kitchen, hoping that Vegeta had not quit and left over night while she'd been passed out drunk on the couch.
She sighed and shook her head herself, wondering what on earth she had been thinking yesterday. She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed Justice still sleeping in his bed. Though she wouldn't feel better until she spoke with Vegeta.
He was in the kitchen again, making something and she smiled. "Making a real breakfast?" she greeted.
Vegeta turned and looked at her. "You're functional this morning, I see,"
"Ha, more or less. I'll be fine in an hour or so," she said, sitting at the island.
He didn't say anything to her, unsure if she even remembered her silliness from the previous evening.
"I was an idiot last night," she said, reaching for a piece of toast to nibble on. "I'm sorry,"
"It is fine," he said. "Though are you certain you are retracting your proposal?" He asked teasingly. If she remembered, then he was absolutely going to tease her about it.
Bulma looked at him and felt her face grow warm. "I wouldn't say I'm retracting it entirely or would rule it out, but thank you for not taking advantage of that while I was in that state. I don't know what I was thinking."
"But we could be married right now," he said mockingly, his tone teasing as he poured her a coffee and slid it towards her on the counter top. "Just think."
"You're an asshole," she laughed somewhat at him, despite herself. The fact that he was still here and hadn't quit and left over night, nor did it seem like he was going to, was a relief to her.
"If I actually was an asshole, we would be married and I would be looking for a way to divorce you so I could own half your fortune."
"True," she nodded in agreement. "Thank you for not being an asshole then. I'm sorry, I just get really lonely sometimes. When I drink, sometimes that really hits me hard."
"You do not need to explain yourself to me," he said awkwardly. "If anything, I am flattered you even offered me the opportunity, even though I still think it is a terrible idea."
"Maybe, but you can't blame a girl for trying." She said, trying to brush it off. If he wasn't going to be weird about it, then the least she could do was joke about it and have a good laugh at her own expense. Though she was extremely embarrassed by her behaviour.
"That was my first marriage proposal." He told her. "Should anyone else feel the need to persuade me into tying myself down, they will have large shoes to fill."
"Ha," she said. "I would expect so. You know how many marriage proposals I get? Quite a few. I've never seriously considered a single one of them, with the exception of Yamcha at one time, of course. You're the first I ever proposed to and believe me, I probably won't be proposing to anyone else any time soon because I'll likely die from embarrassment."
"Well should you feel the need again, whether I am working with you or not, call me first and I will talk you out of it. Especially if it is to some clown."
Bulma chuckled at him. "You're so dead set against marriage completely, aren't you?"
He shrugged. "I do not know anyone it has worked out for."
"That's a bit unfair," she said. "What about your parents? You said your mother passed, so that's not really a fair experience to go on."
"They were in the midst of divorce before she passed," he deadpanned.
"Oh," she said, looking at her hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Anyone I know in the military is divorced unless they are like Kakarott and got married after they left."
"Well, you could just not go back." Bulma suggested and knew it was strictly because of selfish reasons on her part. Yes, they were continuing on a silly conversation that would likely never amount to anything and that was fine with her. Deep down she was relieved that Vegeta had not taken her seriously last night. Sure she was crushing on him, but getting married on impulse was a far stretch. However even if nothing romantic ever transpired between them, she did not want him to leave and go back into service. The last month having him around had been great. They got along, enjoyed each other's company. They liked a lot of the same things and most importantly, she felt safe with him.
She knew she was being silly and eventually even if he didn't go back to work, this living arrangement would likely have to change. However while he was here, she was happy. It was crazy to her how quickly she had come to not only trust him but enjoy his company. Before her abduction, she had been very independent and loved living alone; but that ordeal had changed everything.
"You could just… stay doing this?" She said with a hopeful tone in her voice.
Vegeta grunted uncommitted.
"Look, all the silliness aside, I like having you around and I know you're all super professional and about taking this seriously and not wanting any lines to be crossed between us. I get that and I appreciate that and I have a feeling that's why Goku chose you to be his replacement; he knew you would actually do the job and could be trusted to not be caught up in the fact that you're living with a famous person or trying to make a name for yourself or trying to get into my pants on the side. He knows you're all business and I like that, I think that's why we get along so well. I'm not worried about you creeping on me—"
Vegeta snorted. "No, you certainly are not."
"I'm serious!" She frowned. "What I'm trying to say is, I know you want to get back out there, but please don't be in too much of a rush. I like having you here, even though I know you probably don't want to hear that, but I do."
"Hmmm," he grunted. "I do not know yet when I will be returning."
"Good!" She smiled. "I'll make it worth your while to stick around."
Vegeta frowned at her.
"I actually wasn't flirting with you just now, nor was that a suggestive comment, though I see how you could interpret it that way. I mean it. I'll give you a raise, whatever you want." She said.
"You know and understand better than anyone else would that it is not about the money," he said honestly.
"I know," she nodded. "I just want you to know how much I like having you here."
Vegeta nodded awkwardly. "Well I am not cleared to return just yet and I do not know when that will be, so do not trouble yourself about it right now."
"Hmmm, so I have a chance at convincing you to stick around for good then," she smiled at him.
"I suppose," he agreed. "However getting married is not a viable option."
"Really? Even if you decide to work for me for good?" Although she was over the notion of getting married, she was having fun pestering him about it. It was rare he talked about himself or about what he thought of things. She was surprisingly learning a lot about him over this. If she dropped it, she was afraid he'd clam up again.
"I can assure you," he said confidently. "That is one thing that is not on my bucket list. I would rather walk through a minefield blindfolded and on crutches."
"Jesus," she exclaimed. "Tell me how you really feel about it."
"Tell me why in your industry you are not as jaded?" He countered. "You must be and obviously do not consider it as a serious commitment since the terms of your proposal yesterday were that we would only be married for a few months."
"Oh my god, I was drunk and just joking around," she rolled her eyes. "No, I take it seriously. It was more of a joke because most people I know get married and divorced so quickly. Actually the notion scares me."
"Obviously not, seeing as we are continuing this ridiculous conversation."
"I told you, I get lonely and when I drink too much, sometimes it feels unbearable. The tabloids linking us up as a couple kind of rubbed that in and made me get ahead of my thoughts and I started thinking about how well we get along and how much I like having you around and since you're living here anyway, is it really such a huge stretch? Today I'm not drunk and ya, I realize how stupid I was yesterday and I'm thankful that you didn't jump on an opportunity to take advantage of me in that state because you're absolutely right, getting married after only knowing each other a short time is stupid and irresponsible and truthfully the only reason I'm even still bugging you about it is because I think it's so funny how adamantly against marriage you are."
Vegeta visibly relaxed at her admission that she was not serious about this whole marriage thing. "Fair enough," he grunted. "I will admit the thought is not completely asinine, however my father would likely have a coronary if we had done something stupid yesterday."
"Ohhh so that's why," she chuckled. "Is your dad like super scary?"
"If you are on his bad side, yes," he answered and immediately wished he had not mentioned his father at all even though it was true.
"So you just do what he says?" She asked.
"No," he scowled, though the answer was yes, essentially. "He just would not be impressed if I ran off and randomly got married the same as your parents would likely not be impressed either."
"Hmmm, I disagree. My mother would be thrilled. The only reason she would be sad would be because she didn't get to plan a party."
Vegeta shook his head. "What time do we need to be at your shoot?" he asked, wanting to change the subject entirely.
"I haven't checked my phone yet to see if Yamcha sent me an itinerary," she said. "He said mid or late afternoon though, I can't remember. So you probably have time to work out or do something with Justice if you want,"
"I will likely go for a walk once I am finished breakfast," he said.
Bulma got up to look at her phone. "We have to be there at four," she said a moment later.
Vegeta grunted and began piling up his plate. "What are your plans?"
"Not much. I'm just going to relax, wait for this headache to go away and take it easy since we'll likely not be home till two or three in the morning if we're lucky," she said. "I hate late shoots."
They finished breakfast and went about the rest of their morning before heading out to the video shoot, where which they arrived early. Thankfully the hair and makeup team had already been preparing and so Bulma was able to start getting ready almost immediately.
Vegeta took the time to send his therapist his required weekly email; he'd nearly forgotten.
About an hour later, they began filming the video and Vegeta went to observe.
It surprised him that despite Bulma's petite stature, how she commanded the room at these things. She was a completely different person when she was working. She was confident, self-assured and a tad on the cocky side, which he found amusing. He wouldn't say she wasn't confident when she was relaxed and at home, but she didn't throw it out there. She was much more laid back and didn't have the whole diva thing going on, he supposed.
She was wearing what Vegeta could only describe as what might have been a black one piece swimsuit, had there not been cut outs all over it, with thigh high fishnet stockings and giant stiletto heels.
There was a large fan in front of her that seemed like nothing more than a pain in the ass because they kept having to stop because her hair would end up tangled or stuck in her face. But when he glanced at the tv screen as it was being filmed and they had adjusted the background, combined with the halo lights, it gave a really neat affect.
He couldn't quite figure out the premise of the video, but it dawned on him that it didn't really matter. The point seemed to be that Bulma was on exhibition, looking as alluring as possible; and alluring did she look. She was essentially lap dancing solo with an empty chair and a thick lush bed in the background as a backdrop. As she moved slowly and sensually in front of the camera the way the choreographer had shown her to with her legs provocatively spread wide, she made eye contact with him as she lip synced to the song.
You want me, oh.
Don't be so shy,
You wanna try?
Undress me… slow.
Feeling just a little uncomfortable with the prolonged eye contact especially along with the suggestive lyrics of the song, he smirked back at her, not really knowing what else to do.
I don't wanna know, know your name,
You look amazing.
I don't wanna talk,
Don't wanna talk.
Just let me fuck you, baby.
Instead of looking away from him, however, Bulma cocked an eyebrow at him and smiled. Fuck, Vegeta thought to himself as he realized she was flirting with him from up there. Who the hell wrote and produced this shit, he wondered.
Instead of being mortified as he normally would be, he found himself becoming turned on by it. He'd told her to not taunt him and the last few days she'd been on fairly good behaviour, with the exception of last night. However she knew he couldn't openly get mad at her here in front of everyone.
I'm the coolest bitch in this city,
Uh uh, I'm so damned pretty.
Show me what you got got.
I don't wanna talk,
Just wanna fuck you, baby.
Rather than ignoring her blatant flirting and walking away like he knew he should, he crossed his arms defiantly and looked intently right back at her. It felt as though she was performing for him and only him. How often did that happen? Not to mention, he knew she'd get a rise out of not getting one up on him like she thought she was. He knew this was a dangerous game she was instigating, however he knew he could remain professional and have a little fun at the same time, within reason of course.
I caught ya lookin' at my ass,
'Cause damn, I'm pretty,
Wanna have some fun,
Dontcha sweetie?
Just lemme fuck you, baby.
She was standing now, leaning against a wall, running her hands along her body sensually.
For the first time since he'd been working with her, he allowed himself to really look at her and take her in, since she obviously wanted him to. She truly was a work of art, he admitted, recalling the magazine headline cover. Beneath all of the multiple layers of ridiculous makeup and extra ten pounds of hair added to her own natural hair and eyelashes that could have doubled as wings, she was still beautiful without all of that and he somehow felt privileged to be one of the few people who were privy to that. Her legs were fantastic. Of course the fact that she was wearing six inch stilettos only amplified them and made them appear longer than they really were, though if he was honest with himself, he found himself wondering how it would feel to have them wrapped around his waist. Her arms were femininely toned and her ass couldn't be more perfectly in proportion to the rest of her. She was the perfect balance of curvy and fit. He could understand how someone would be drawn to her. Obsessed, perhaps. Though what he could not understand was not being able to admire from afar.
Look but do not touch, he reminded himself.
Vegeta only allowed himself to admire her for a very short few moments. There was no point in openly ogling her. He was not a simple ape. Not to mention he knew it annoyed her to no end that he didn't openly gawk at her. So he made the point of sticking around, keeping an eye on everything, but refraining from obviously staring at her.
It was difficult, seeing as after a half hour break and makeup touch up, the video shoot seemed to be on schedule. "Looks like we might be able to get this whole thing done today," she said with a yawn. "Did you get something to eat?"
"I brought my own," he said.
"Good," she nodded as she stood up. "Ha! I'm way taller than you in these shoes,"
Vegeta looked up at her. She truly did tower over him in those ridiculous shoes. "Be sure to not injure yourself wearing those ridiculous contraptions," was all he said.
"I won't," she shrugged, heading back to where they were shooting. "The rest of the shoot is in that bed, I think."
Vegeta sighed. "Wonderful," he answered. It was apparently going to be a long rest of the shoot pretending he was not in fact interested or turned on by suggestive lyrics, Bulms subtly flirting with him every so often, heavy breathing and touching herself sensually as everyone else looked on and filmed it.
Truthfully they couldn't be done son enough and he decided that the first order of business when they returned to her home would be to have a long, cold shower.