Sphinx, or blackshucksighted, wrote yet another wonderful side-fic for this story!

blackshucksighted . tumblr post / 141230759262 / shes-a-brick-house-12

Chapter

"Laundry Day"

Bulma was attempting to bribe Vegeta further with pizza. It was an absolute favorite of the Saiyan's, and he actually seemed to be marginally at peace whenever she ordered him seven whole boxes worth. They were seated in the living room, actively indulging in the ridiculous amount of food, when Bulma was surprised to hear the doorbell ring.

It was weird for someone to actually come up to the house—friends didn't come to the front door, and people that had business contacted ahead of time. They were in for a sad bit of news if they were looking for Dr. Briefs, as he and Bunny had left for a conference in another city.

Dusting her fingers off, she stood up and headed towards the door. She furrowed her brow as she looked through the peep hole. The distorted image still presented her with a recognizable form… but where had she seen that…?

"Freeza!" she suddenly gasped, hands clapping to her mouth. As soon as she said that name, Vegeta was on his feet, eyes wild as he darted away. Bulma turned, but couldn't see where he'd gone to.

The doorbell rang again.

And again.

Bulma bit her lip. She smoothed out her blouse, and fixed the fringe of her hair. Her face straightened itself out, shifting into her 'Business Mode'.

She breathed out, and opened the door.

"Hello?" Bulma greeted, glancing at the repulsive thing on her doorstep. She'd only ever seen him in pictures online—but in reality, he was disgusting. His entire body was pink and ridged, with white plating covering his chest, legs, and arms. The face had weird ridges all around, with dark black lipstick smeared across him. Atop his head sat horns protruding out, that looked particularly dangerous to come into close contact with.

The alien gave her a wide smile, and his voice sent shudders down her spine.

"Ah, hello—Ms. Bulma Briefs, is it?" Freeza's voice was saccharine soaked, and made Bulma want to run for the hills. She maintained her composure, though, taking up as much space in the door way as she could.

"Yes, it is. And I'm afraid if you're here to talk to my father, then he's absent." Bulma's voice was calm, and solid. Freeza flashed her another one of those smirks, before stepping into her house. She bit the inside of her cheek—hard. It was move, or have the thing touch her.

So, she slid to the side, just an inch.

"Oh, no. I'm here to pay a friendly visit. I'm sure you know all about your family's business with me?" Freeza laughed, and it was a horrid ohohoho that echoed off the walls. His long pink tail slithered in after him, swiping across her carpet. He was coming further into the house.

Bulma stepped behind him, trying to assert herself once more.

"Yes, I do. But typically business partners don't just stroll into one another's homes." Her smile was tight lipped.

Freeza ignored her, gaze sliding to the side, where the mound of pizzas were present.

"My, my!" his voice rang out, as he lifted his hand daintily to his mouth. "What a large amount of pizza that is! Eight whole boxes?"

"Seven," Bulma gritted out, suspicion radiating through her. What the hell was he playing at? "But, I'm a growing girl. You don't get the body of a shit brick house if all you do is eat a couple of slices."

Freeza peeled out more of his laughter. "Indeed? Though it is curious. It almost looks like—well," he chuckled, "almost like a Saiyan were here! They have quite the… voracious appetite. Little monkeys that they are."

Bulma didn't freeze. At least not physically. She had to keep this up.

"I'm afraid I don't know much about Saiyans." Bulma gave a polite giggle, but it was terribly strained. "The only one I've ever heard of is Son Goku!"

Freeza's face tightened at that, but it passed quickly.

"Indeed. Well, I know quite a bit about Saiyans." Freeza moved further in, gaze sweeping across her living room. "In fact, I'm quite the connoisseur regarding them, I must say. They are a fascinating species…"

Bulma felt sick to her stomach.

"But never mind all that." Freeza turned abruptly, face to face with her. His tail rose up, making languid loops behind him. "You see, I'm actually here to talk to you about something important! Now, as business partners, I feel I ought to warn you."

"About what?" Bulma asked, resisting a cringe at another ohohoho.

"Well—one of my workers, Sorbet… now, he is the little darling. But he seems to think," Freeza was schmoozing, keeping up his best grin as he spoke, "that someone has been messing around, trying to find out about my family!"

Bulma's blood turned to ice. "Oh?" she forced out.

Freeza's smile grew into a smirk. "I know, I know! Quite atrocious. It's such horrible manners that people possess, mucking about in things that don't concern them." He lifted a hand, then, and made as if to touch Bulma's cheek. On reflex, she pushed her hand against his, deflecting him, vomit rising at the clammy feeling.

"Sorry," Bulma said cheerily, "but I'm very particular about my foundation not being messed up. I'm sure you know all about that."

Freeza narrowed his eyes, amusement written across his face. "Of course." He folded his arms behind his back, and took a few steps forward. "That was all, though. I just wanted to make sure your family knew, so that you could watch your back." His nice façade dropped for just a moment, as his tail lashed against her carpet. "I don't take kindly to meddling in my affairs. I'm sure you feel much the same way."

"Of course," Bulma replied. Freeza headed back towards the door, throwing a flouncing wave over his shoulder.

"Ta-ta, now."

"It was a pleasure." Bulma shut the door and locked it, heart racing in her chest. The moment the door had shut, Vegeta reappeared, grasping her by the shoulders. His eyes were hectic, darting across her face.

"I told you! I told you, you fucking moron, to leave the Colds alone!" his voice was an animalistic hiss, but he seemed to calm momentarily as he helped Bulma sink slowly to the floor. She didn't have it in him to argue.

Bulma had never been so unnerved in her life. Her knees touched carpet, and she almost took relief in the strength of Vegeta's grasp. She needed to collect herself after this—this fear tactic. Because that's what it had been.

Freeza had known her father was out of town. He'd known it was her that was messing around in files.

She bit her lip, as Vegeta continued to hold onto her awkwardly, making sure she didn't fall completely.

Junior was a little pissed at himself, if he were being entirely honest. Of course, he'd put off going to the laundry mat, which was inevitably his fault. But he still wanted to blame the universe for the fact that he was now having to dig into the very back of his closet to find clothes that he hadn't worn in years.

It was a bit embarrassing. And by a bit—of course, it was a lot.

He stared angrily at the black jeans he'd managed to find, along with a ripped band t-shirt. It was particularly humbling to notice the plaid pattern, and metal studs that lined his pants. And honestly, now that he was looking at them, he was a little worried that he'd even be able to feasibly fit into them anymore.

A lot of time had passed since his younger days, and he'd definitely bulked out more with age.

He gave one last, forlorn look to the pile of clothes that he couldn't possibly push one more day on. The only other option was his Namekian garb and—no. He'd rather embarrass himself this way than to ever play into whatever the fuck his family wanted from him.

Especially with his jackass father currently M.I.A., it really bothered him to even think of it. So, even though his father wouldn't physically see him in this get up, it gave him some weird sort of vengeance.

The only problem was actually getting it on.

His first couple of tries were complete and utter failures. At one point he ended up flat on his ass, head banged up against the wall as he attempted to drag the pants up over his thighs. It took almost ripping one of the belt loops from yanking to get them firmly positioned at least sort of on his hips.

Next came the shirt, which due to his broadened shoulders, shredded a bit on the seam. Junior grimaced, staring pitifully at the mess he was in. He'd only have to wear it for about an hour, until his first load was done, then he could snag the first clean thing to change into.

Junior grabbed his laundry basket, heading tentatively down the stairs. Fear hovered over him as he thought about the possibility of his pants ripping. He could practically hear himself creak with each step, and his shirt kept riding up, revealing his pink underbelly.

He was almost to the door, when he saw that Bulma and Chi Chi were sitting outside, talking in hushed tones about something.

Junior cursed inwardly. Milk was no problem—she'd probably make fun of him and move on. But Bulma… she knew who he was, and seemed to like it. That, and he still hadn't forgiven her for her forwardness all those years ago…

His cheeks turned purple just from the memory.

Their conversation seemed all encompassing, however, and he just had to hope that neither turned to look at him. Hurriedly, he kicked open the door, cursing the little bell that Dende had installed. It of course immediately drew the attention of the two women.

Bulma made a spluttering noise, while Chi Chi simply stared at him. Neither spoke for a whole moment, leaving Junior maintaining awkward eye contact as he bent, disheveled, over his overflowing basket of purple.

"You uh… wait too long to do your laundry?" Chi Chi finally choked out, and Junior gripped the plastic so hard he heard it crack. She was staring at him, and it made him want to hurt someone. What the hell was she thinking?!

"I—yes," Junior grunted, shoulders shifting as he moved in a crap step towards his car. "This was all I had left."

"Doesn't look like it fits," Bulma purred, leaning forward. Her index finger prodded at her lips as she smirked at him. "But—in a good way. Right, Chi?"

Chi Chi jumped, eyes widening as her cheeks reddened. "I—what? No, I mean." She turned her head sharply, black ponytail bobbing behind her. "You look ridiculous. A grown man w-walking around like that!"

Junior's temper flared up, basket hitting the concrete as he rose to argue with her.

Bulma intercepted, though, and gave Chi Chi a nudge.

"Don't you have a washer that Junior could borrow?" blue lashes fluttered as the heiress continued to give Junior looks that made him want to take a shower. "I mean, poor baby," he snarled at that remark, "having to go out in public like that… all… exposed."

Chi Chi gulped audibly. "If… if he wants to. You can borrow my laundry room."

Junior shifted. "I guess," he snarked, following Chi Chi as she slowly rose from her seat. Bulma remained seated outside, sipping at her drink. As Junior passed, the woman gave a vulgar whistle, and he hustled faster.

Chi Chi led him up to the apartment, remaining silent. He glanced around the building, though, antennae flicking.

"Where's the kid at?" he finally asked.

"Oh—well, he went to the park with Videl. He'll be home around six."

Junior nodded, lapsing into silence again as Chi Chi directed him to the laundry room.

"There's the detergent, and the dryer sheets," she said, opening up a cabinet for him. He grunted his thanks as she hopped on top of the dryer. "I'll stay to teach you how to operate it."

Junior nodded, following Chi Chi's instruction on getting the machine started. She added the soap for him, chastising him for his rationing. He merely rolled his eyes, bending over his basket as he reached in to grab the clothes.

"Butt!" Chi Chi yelped, before covering her mouth. Junior turned to give her a confused look.

"What?"

"Um—buuuuut you need to… to let the soap sit for a minute… before… adding clothes?" Chi Chi sat there, looking rather stupefied as Junior stared at her.

"Milk… what the fuck?"

"Nothing!" Chi Chi snapped, jumping down from her perch. "Just—hurry up!" then she stormed out of the room, leaving a confused and aggravated Junior.

Who the hell was she, inviting him up, then yelling at him like he did something wrong?!

"Goddamned woman," Junior grumbled, tossing his clothes in with a little extra vigor.

Chi Chi hurried back to Bulma, heart racing as she sat back down. She'd just acted a complete and total ass! If it wasn't that solar incident, then it was seeing him in clothes that actually fit his frame—what the hell was wrong with her? It didn't help that when she glanced to the side, Bulma was giving her the biggest, cheesiest grin.

"Oh my God," Bulma squealed, slapping at Chi Chi's shoulder. "Did you see all of that." Her voice dipped into more dulcet tones on the last bit, eyes half-lidded.

Chi Chi flushed. "Weren't you just talking about that creep Freeza? How can you just shift gears like that?"

"Simple—I'd love to shift his gears, if y'know what I'm—,"

"Yes!" Chi Chi interrupted, holding her hands up. "I know what you're saying! And it's gross! You're talking about the Jolly Green Giant, here!"

"Oh, giant's the word." Bulma jokingly fanned at her face. "Those pants don't hide a single thing."

Chi Chi groaned, and buried her face in her hands. Bulma gave her a conciliatory pat, murmuring soothing words.

"I don't know what you're stressing about!" Bulma sighed.

"I'm a married woman!" Chi Chi squeaked out. Her normal, strong personality had slipped away in this moment. There had been such a violently physical reaction there—one that she'd never had for Goku… that made her guilty.

Bulma groaned, rolling her eyes. "You didn't touch! Just looked!" She continued her soothing circles. "I don't know what you're panicking over!"

Chi Chi opened her mouth, but Junior had appeared then. "I didn't want to sit up in your apartment alone." He grunted, and both women shifted, making room for him. Chi Chi gave him a nervous glance out of the corner of her eye, nibbling on her lip as she saw his thighs flex through the jeans.

Had he always been this huge…?

Junior was staring at her, and she lifted her gaze.

"You're acting weird, Milk." His arms were folded, drawing attention to the busting seams around his shoulder. Chi Chi attempted to reign herself in.

"You didn't notice anything about my behavior!" Bulma pouted, leaning around Chi Chi to simper at Junior. He gave her a strangled look.

Chi Chi decided to save him, and sat up, just slightly.

"I'm fine, Green Bean." She pointedly ignored Bulma muttering something phallic. Her face relaxed into an easy smile that she could maintain as long as she stayed focused on Junior's pointed nose.

Junior snorted, but turned his head, seeming to accept her answer. They sat in silence, before his phone buzzed, and both women turned to watch him glare angrily down at it. He stood, then, pressing it to his ear as he rose from the bench.

Chi Chi pressed her shoulder against Bulma, who was running a consistent dialogue about Junior's ass. But Chi Chi was listening harder, straining her ears as the Namekian wandered farther away from their little group.

She could just barely make out what he was saying.

"You found—? No… What the hell do you mean?! Who told him?! If he comes around here I swear—. Fuck you Kami, I've told you a thousand times I don't want that goddamned bastard near me!" Junior was roaring into his phone at that time, and Chi Chi was no longer having to strain to hear him as he angrily ended the call.

He stormed back over, ignoring Bulma's look. Chi Chi stood, and placed a hand onto his arm. Junior looked, for a moment, as if he were going to shake her off. She pressed insistently, though, leading him into the restaurant. She only paused to make a 'wait' motion at Bulma.

Once they were alone, Junior snarled aloud, and was once again pacing, antennae waving in aggravation.

"What happened?" Chi Chi asked, focusing on his flapping ears.

Junior paused. "My father… they found him," he grunted. "Apparently somewhere in this city. One of the morons in my family told him where I was staying." Junior gnashed his teeth together, fingers flexing. "Now Kami's pushing for me to see him."

"And you won't?"

"No way in hell, Milk, and you're not goddamned convincing me otherwise so don't—,"

"That wasn't even my point," Chi Chi snapped, fists going to her hips. Junior quieted. "I just meant that, well, they call you whenever he's gone missing. If he's going to try and come to you, you'll get a heads up." She turned, and headed over towards the dragon statue, digging deep into its mouth. She stood, the retrieved key held in her fingers.

Junior stared at her, as she pressed a key into his palm.

"Your doors are always unlocked," Chi Chi said, craning her neck to look him in the eye, "and you can always unlock mine."

The Namekian seemed frozen.

"In case you ever need to hide," she explained, cheeks heating up at the constant contact. Her fingers were touching his palm, feeling how cool it was compared to her. "Or if you want to see Gohan… or, if you need to talk."

Junior slowly nodded, as the washer machine gave a loud buzz up above.

"I'd better go get that," he grunted, but stuffed the key into his pocket. This time, Chi Chi watched him go, feeling a little less guilty about staring at his ass.

Chapter

"Fight Me"

Gohan was bouncing on his toes, backpack jiggling against him as he practically hummed with excitement. Tonight was Videl's birthday party, and he was incredibly excited! She had been pumping him up about it; popcorn, staying up late, watching tournament tapes—all of it! They were also going to pretend to be superheroes, and Videl's father had bought her a tent so they could pretend to camp out in her bedroom.

Chi Chi was frantic, rushing around, triple checking his bag. He giggled at his mother as she threw an extra pair of underwear in.

"Mom—you've already packed me three pairs," Gohan pointed out, earning him a harried glance.

"You never know if you have enough!" Chi Chi called from the bedroom, coming back with the fifth t-shirt. "Children get into all kinds of troubles!" She finally ground to a halt, grabbing his shoulders as she smacked a big kiss onto his forehead.

Her phone started buzzing, and she scrabbled to get it out of her pocket.

"Hello? Yes, Junior, I know you're waiting." Chi Chi rolled her eyes, ignoring Gohan's laugh. "Yes, I'm almost done and—no! I wasn't over-packing! Why don't you put your green nose up your—," she stopped, giving Gohan an apprehensive look. "We're on our way down." She stuffed her phone back into her pocket, grabbing Gohan's hand.

They headed down the stairs, Gohan running ahead while his mom locked up. He ran to Junior's car, where the Namekian was impatiently drumming his claws against the steering wheel. Clambering into the car, he shouted his hello to Junior, making sure to throw a big hug around the man's thick neck.

Junior haphazardly patted his head before instructing Gohan to buckle up. Then he smacked the horn.

"Hurry up, Milk!" Junior shouted out the window, and Chi Chi made a very un-motherly gesture. The man quickly shot Gohan an apprehensive look. "You see that?"

"Yes…?" Gohan replied, tilting his head. Junior gave a nod.

"Good. Then you see the abuse I deal with."

Gohan burst into giggles. "I don't think that would hold up in court, Mr. Junior."

"Even if I cried?" the Namek was grinning over his shoulder, leading Gohan to laughing harder as Chi Chi finally got in, buckling her seatbelt. Junior huffed. "It's about damn time. And I know you over-packed. How many pairs of underwear are in that bag?" he demanded.

Chi Chi crossed her arms pointedly as Junior backed out of the parking spot.

"I will not be interrogated this way! Anyways, I only packed four!"

"Four—fuck, is he a toddler?"

"He's never spent the night anywhere else! What if he pees the bed?"

"I won't!" Gohan yelled hotly, face burning as he grabbed at Junior's shirt. "I swear, Mr. Junior I don't—I never have!"

"You did, too," Chi Chi muttered, mouth poking into a pout. Junior simply rolled his eyes, following angrily delivered directions from Chi Chi. Gohan slumped back in his seat, picking at his backpack straps.

He wasn't a bed-wetter…

Chi Chi walked him to the door, fighting back the lump in her throat as she kissed him good-bye. The mansion in front of her was ridiculously huge, but he could already see that little Videl had come up to greet her, flipping choppy black bangs as she looked up at Chi Chi. The little girl appeared shyer than Chi Chi would have expected.

Once Gohan was inside and situated with Mr. Satan and Videl, Chi Chi headed back towards the car, walk a little slower. Her shoulders slumped forward a bit as she got back into the car. Beside her, Junior gave her a curious look, antennae wiggling.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked, not even bothering to shift the car just yet. The idle noises soothed her, just slightly.

"I've never been away from Gohan for a whole night," Chi Chi sighed, looking at Junior. "It's always been me and him—us against the world. Now… he won't be there…"

"It's just for one night," Junior grunted, and Chi Chi glared.

"I know that. But that's not the point!" She curled her hands up in frustration. "Ugh, you just don't get it."

"I don't," he replied evenly. "Personally, when I was a kid, there was the rare moment where I was at the house." Chi Chi bit her lip.

"I just—ugh. I miss sparring!" Chi Chi pounded a fist into her thigh, causing Junior to jump slightly. "I used to always have a partner, and now there's no one."

Junior tilted his head, and remained silent for a moment.

"Your friend Bulma—she has a gym, correct?"

Chi Chi blinked. "Yeah?"

"I'll spar with you." Junior's hand rested on the gear shift as he looked Chi Chi in the eye. She fidgeted—his gaze was focused, and something about this told Chi Chi that this wasn't the best idea. But… it had been a while since she'd sparred. Goku had been her partner often enough, yet they'd significantly cut down on it once Gohan had been born.

"You'd…" Chi Chi squared up her shoulders, and attempted to fake confidence. "You think you can last against me?"

His eyes traveled down her figure. She flushed. "I think I can manage."

Then he reversed out, allowing Chi Chi to direct him to Bulma's house. He parked in the garage, giving a quick glance to where Chi Chi's car sat like the broken hunk of metal it was. When he paused, she froze, too.

"What is it?" she asked, and Junior made a face.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how that trash heap is what got me stuck with you two."

"Oh, ha, ha. Come on—are you just stalling?"

"Please, Milk. You're going to throw out a hip before we even get there."

"Whatever you say, beanstalk." Chi Chi led him towards the gym, giving it an appreciative glance. Bulma had given her 24/7 access, with a locker room that held a spare pair of clothes. All of the machines were beautiful and pristine, some of them designed by Capsule Corp themselves. She instructed Junior to stay, and headed into the locker room.

The smell of bleach was strong, meaning that someone had been by to clean recently. She headed over to her designated locker, stripping her clothes off as she went. Inside lay a blue sports bra, along with a slim pair of black yoga pants. Slipping on the clothes, she had a moments worth of regret that she had to dress in such a manner. But—this was to get her stress out. She wanted to take this seriously.

Exiting the locker room, she paused in the doorway.

Junior was at the sparring mat, shirt cast off to the side as he stretched. His arms were pulled across chest, accenting each and every muscle. His sweatpants—typically the bane of Chi Chi's existence—held a new appreciation for her as the band dipped lower. He turned to face her, smirk in place as he regarded her.

As she slowly came closer, she saw his cheeks tint purple and his antennae flutter around his brow.

"I'll take it easy on you," he grunted, and Chi Chi felt her temper rising. He was barely holding a stance as she dropped into her own. She wasn't afraid—but it was unnerving to see how large he actually was in comparison. Vaguely, she wondered if this was how Goku had felt before the Demon King… this man's father…

No.

"Fine, let's go."

He simply sat there, open as could be—what a cocky little shit. Chi Chi lunged forward, fist preceding her as it slammed into Junior's exposed stomach. There was a short moment where he was surprised, and Chi Chi was able to shift her pelvis forward, leg slamming into his thigh.

Junior made a choked sound, but blocked her next swing.

"Fucking—you pack a hell of a punch," his voice was soft, and as he held her fist in place he looked down at her with… awe?

"You mentioned you couldn't imagine someone like me with Son Goku?" Chi Chi grinned, spun, and rammed her elbow into his abdomen. Junior grunted, grabbed the offending limb, and slung her out away from him. Chi Chi blew bangs out of her face as she righted herself. "Well, we were trained together."

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