Finally the day was here, the campers were arriving! In the afternoon, all the counselors met in the center of camp where the parents would be parking to drop off their kids. Bulma passed out clipboards to each of the counselors with a list of all the cabin assignments.
"We're going to be greeting everyone and escorting them to their assigned cabins. I want everyone to feel welcome, so put on your best smiles!" Bulma instructed, "I'm looking at you, Vegeta."
The use of his name made him look up from the list he was perusing and scowl. "I'm great with kids," he declared and Bulma just rolled her eyes to express her disbelief. He grumbled what she guessed was an insult.
The afternoon flew by as cars filed in and out of camp, dropping off their kids. The counselors all took turns escorting the campers to their cabins, helping with luggage, and reassuring parents that their 'precious angels' were safe. The campers ages ranged from eight to twelve years old.
It was apparent that many of the tween girls were boy crazy by their reactions to the handsome male counselors. Bulma didn't really know how to approach such a thing, when she was that age she was more interested in hanging out in her dad's lab than boys. She decided to ignore it, there's nothing wrong with harmless crushes.
After everyone was settled the campers made their way to the mess hall for dinner. Once the campers had their food and were seated at the tables, Bulma came to the front of the room to greet everyone and introduce her team.
"Hey everybody! Who's excited for camp to start?" Bulma asked excitedly into her microphone, and all the kids clapped. "I SAID, who's excited for camp to start!?" she repeated and the kids screamed and cheered louder.
"Whoa! Looks like we have a great group this year, huh guys?" she play asked her counselors who were lining up next to her. "Are you guys ready to meet your amazing team of camp counselors?" Bulma asked the room and the campers hollered with enthusiasm.
She went down the line introducing each of the counselors and their roles at camp. Bulma noticed Goku and Yamcha got especially loud cheers from a group of giggly older girls seated in the center of the room.
"This is Vegeta, he's our lifeguard on staff and will be administering any first aid," Bulma announced and Vegeta gave a lackadaisical wave. The kids all clapped but then one girl from the group of boy crazy tweens stood up with her hand raised.
"Are you trained in mouth to mouth? Because I think I'm going to need it!" she asked and all her friends laughed hysterically.
"We're not taking any questions at this time!" Bulma almost shouted. Vegeta looked over at her and smirked, clearly amused by the speed and aggressiveness in her response to a little girl's joke.
"Anyway!" she continued, "I'm Bulma, your camp director, so if you have any questions while you're going about your activities, don't hesitate to ask! I want to make sure you all have an awesome time! After dinner tonight, we're going to kick off camp with a big bonfire and s'mores!" All the campers clapped and cheered.
Dinner ended and Bulma urged everyone to wear a jacket to the bonfire, the nights had been chilly since they arrived at camp. She headed back to her cabin to follow her own instructions. The blue haired girl dug through her belongs as she tried to decide what to wear to tonight's festivities, then she came across a sweatshirt that proudly boasted their school's colors.
She threw the sweatshirt over her head and smiled to herself wondering the kind of reaction her choice in wardrobe will elicit.
Bulma walked up to fire pit to find that most of the counselors were already there. Goku, Chi Chi, and Eighteen were setting out the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers in an easy buffet-like station. Vegeta and Seventeen were working on getting the fire started while Krillin and Yamcha collected more fire wood. After discarding an armful of wood into the pile, Yamcha approached Bulma.
"I didn't know you were on the swim team," Yamcha commented while pointing to her sweatshirt. Bulma looked down at what she was wearing and blushed slightly, she didn't think anyone but Vegeta would notice.
"Oh I'm not," she explained, "I'm just a fan." Vegeta looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't hide his smile as he lined up the wood in the fire pit. Bulma wondered if he's just some pyromanic or he was actually happy she wore his sweatshirt again. She hoped for the latter.
The campers began to shuffle in and Bulma was glad to find most everyone listened to her advice. The kids claimed their seats and talked amongst themselves as the fire started blazing. Once the bonfire was a reasonable size the kids grew more eager to make their s'mores.
Goku and Chi Chi stood by the station they set up and helped passed out marshmallows. For every two marshmallows Goku gave away, he ate one. For some unknown reason, Chi Chi found his appetite endearing. The campers all happily buzzed around the fire, roasting their treats.
The sun retired for the day and dark sky was splattered with more stars than you could every see in the city. Seventeen began pointing out constellations to the campers near him. Everyone settled in their seats and snacked on their gooey s'mores.
"Anyone know any good ghost stories?" Krillin asked the group. Some of the kids cheered while others pretended not to be frightened by the idea.
"Yeah, I'll tell one," Vegeta replied and Bulma found herself sitting up taller, interested to hear his tale. His face shifted into something conspiratorial as he leaned in like he was telling the campers something secret.
He went on to tell a story about a creepy alien monster, named Freeza, that haunted a camp just like theirs. The monster was described as white as a ghost, but had lizard like features.
"It was said that in the dark of the night, Freeza would sneak into the cabins and SNATCH..." as he said the words he suddenly grabbed the young boy sitting next to him who squealed in fear and surprise, "the campers right out of their beds. His nasty claws where ice cold, but even if the camper woke when he touched them, they couldn't scream or move. It was like their bodies were frozen in sleep, but their minds were awake to witness the horror."
Some of the kids shuttered, while the girl sitting next to Bulma squeezed her arm. Bulma just smiled, amused by how animatedly Vegeta was telling his story. The flickering fire cast shadows on his face that emphasized his high cheekbones and handsome jawline. She was more bewitched by his stunning appearance than his spooky tale.
"Wh-What did Freeza do with the kids he takes?" a small trembling voice implored. Vegeta looked directly into the camper's eyes and said solemnly, "nobody knows." The comment was followed by whimpers and whispers from the campers.
Bulma knew after a story like that some of kids would definitely be sleeping with the lights on. The fire simmered down as the night wore on. Campers started making their way back to their cabins for bed as the counselors picked up all the trash from the s'mores.
"Do you want me to walk you back?" Vegeta offered Bulma, "I can make sure there's no monsters in your cabin," he added playfully. Bulma smiled and walked away, Vegeta followed taking her silence as agreement. They walked beside one another, arms brushed against each other's while they took turns stealing glances.
Bulma was about to open her door when she turned around and leaned back against it. Vegeta, who was standing behind her, paused and looked at her incredulously.
"How do I know that you won't try to steal me out of my bed like Freeza?" she joked. Vegeta seemed amused by her question as he stepped forward and placed his hand flat against the door. They were so close now, Bulma could feel the heat of his body on her skin, the scent of campfire lingered on his clothes. His eyes looked dangerous and hungry as he peered down at her.
"If anything, I'm trying to get you into bed, not steal you from it," he whispered seductively. Instinctually Bulma flushed at such a forward suggestion, but then she frowned at him.
"Pfft," she huffed. "You say stuff like that all the time but you never follow through. I'm starting to think you're all talk and no action," she teased.
"Is that so?" Vegeta asked as he leaned in dangerously close.
"Yeah..." Bulma continued to stare up at him defiantly, but she couldn't deny the butterflies flittering frantically in her stomach as he inched closer.
"Yeah?" The fingers of his free hand slipped into her hair and pulled her closer until their noses touched.
"Ye—" Bulma's eyes fluttered closed as his lips landed on hers. The anticipation had been killer, making the contact a much needed sigh of relief. His kiss was hot and tasted sweet, like toasted marshmallows.
When it almost seemed like he was going to back away, Bulma grabbed him by the front of his hoodie and pulled him down to kiss him harder. She wasn't ready for this moment to end.
Vegeta smiled against her lips at her apparent enthusiasm, her actions signally she wanted more than a little good night peck. His hand slid up so his entire forearm could rest against the door, closing the little space left between them. Vegeta's firm body pinned her possessively against the surface as he continued to kiss her with more fervor.
Bulma let out a small moan, loving the way his muscles pressed into her soft body. His heated presence was overwhelming. He used the opportunity of her parted lips to introduce his tongue. She accepted and reciprocated as their passionate kiss deepened into some more needy, more urgent. Bulma gripped the front of his hoodie tighter to hold him in place, it felt like the only thing she could do to keep herself grounded.
This kiss, his kiss, that she had been yearning for since the second night at camp, was more than she had even hoped for. Bulma knew right away that the way he made her feel as their lips melted together was much too dangerous. She liked being in control, but when he touched her, her body gave in like she was under his spell.
Vegeta pulled away from her lips, and she pouted slightly. Their eyes locked on to one another's as he removed his fingers that were tangled in her hair and brushed the strays behind her ear. He leaned back in but only so his forehead rested on hers, his eyes closed again and he breathed deeply as if he needed a moment to regain his composure.
"Good night, Bulma," he whispered then punctuated his farewell with one last peck. He pushed off the door to return to his own cabin. Bulma watched as he walked away, slumped against her door, attempting to catch her breath.