"Vegeta, quit!" Bulma screamed, grabbing his right shoulder, Chi-Chi his left. "Stop it!"
"What's going on out here?" Their buddy Piccolo came out from the dining hall and grabbed Vegeta around his stomach, pulling him off Goku.
"Let me go!" Vegeta said, thrashing in Piccolo's arms. Instead of getting his request, he was thrown to the side.
Bulma walked over to him, clearly very irritated. "What the hell was that all about, Vegeta?"
He sat with his back against the dining hall wall, chin in knees, and arms around his legs. "Look, just leave me by myself, okay?" He turned his face away from her.
"No!" She said, whipping his face back around. "Tell me. Why the hell did you do that?"
There was a look of both fury and lament on his face and Bulma suddenly realized that he hadn't really intended to beat up Goku. "He just brought up my dad… that's all."
Bulma rolled her eyes and scooted nearer. Vegeta laid his legs down and she sat on his lap, giving him a big hug. "I'm sorry, Vegeta."
Just then, Piccolo, Chi-Chi, and Goku all walked over. Vegeta stood up and looked at the ground. "Listen, Goku…"
Goku rested his hand on Vegeta's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry about it, no one needs to find out about this, okay?"
"Thanks…"
"Now… about that whole being hungry thing…" Goku laughed.
Vegeta smirked and looked back to Goku's face. "Is that all you think about?"
"What? Food?"
"Yeah…" Vegeta laughed.
"Well, mostly." Goku joked, jabbing Vegeta in the ribs with his elbow. "I get in line first!"
"You little shit!" Vegeta yelled, running into the dining hall with him. Bulma and Chi-Chi watched and laughed as the boys wrestled their way to the front of the line, Goku winning, but only because of his love of food.
After they all got their food, except Bulma, they sat at a long picnic table. Chi-Chi next to Goku, Goku next to Vegeta, Vegeta next to Bulma. Bulma laughed as Vegeta turned to her with a piece of cake in his hand and tried to shove it into her mouth. "No, Vegeta…"
"Eat, Bulma… don't make me do the choo-choo bit on you." He laughed. She giggled and took a bite off of the cake. "No… go up and get food. Now."
"Vegeta, no, I'm not hungry."
"Well, then I'm not eating either."
Goku leaned over Vegeta's shoulder. "Can I have your food, then?"
"No!" Goku was given a smack to the face. "I'm trying to use persuasion.
"Vegeta, you aren't going to persuade me to eat."
He smirked and quickly grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. "Why won't you eat?" He asked, looking up at her.
"Because I'm not hungry." She rested her forehead on his and kissed him.
"Well I am." He laughed. "And if you don't eat I'm not going to either and then we'll both starve."
"Vegeta…"
"Bulma…"
"Ugh! You are impossible!"
"Calm down… fine, you don't need to eat, but you're going to later, okay?"
"Alright… I guess so."
"Why don't you want to eat?"
"Well… I… I don't know." Bulma said quietly, looking at the floor. Vegeta moved his head in her line of vision and looked at her concernedly.
"No… tell me."
"Because… I… I think I'm…"
"Fat?" She pursed her lips and nodded. "Oh… Bulma… come on, now… you're beautiful. I've never seen anyone as pretty as you." He hugged her tight and kissed her neck.
"Yeah, but… look at all the models and… all the popular girls… and… all the girls you've gone out with…"
"They're sick, they're always sick. Always. They make themselves that thin by giving themselves laxatives and making themselves throw up and not eating. Do you really want to be like that?"
"Well… obviously you like it…"
"Wait… you're doing this to impress me?"
"Well… kinda…"
"Bulma, I don't want to be impressed, I want to be loved, okay?" He cupped her face with his hand and kissed her lightly. "I love you, okay?"
"I know, I love you too…"
"Just the way you are." She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Now… do you want something to eat, or not?"
"Kinda."
"Well, let me up and I'll go get you something." He smiled. She got up off his lap and he walked up to the line.
Chi-Chi came and sat down next to Bulma. "Girl, you are really lucky, you know that?"
Bulma smiled. "Yeah, I know."
"You gonna give him anything?"
"This early?"
"Well… I mean… it's nothing too bad, just… a hand-job or something."
Bulma blushed and looked away. "You really think I should?"
"Oh yeah! I gave Goku one the day he asked me out."
"How long have you two been together now?"
"Oh God… umm… 8 years."
"Wow! Really?!"
"Really, really."
"So it doesn't ruin relationships, obviously."
Chi-Chi nodded. "18 gave Krillen one too. They've been together for 6 years. Marron gave one to Piccolo, 7 years. My mom gave one to my dad, they got together in 6th grade, and they're married now… so… 22 years for them…"
"Wow… maybe I should…"
Chi-Chi shrugged and got up as she saw Vegeta walking back. "Maybe you should." She winked.
Vegeta sat down and looked back at Chi-Chi. "And what were you two talking about while I was gone? Obviously something I can't know about…"
Bulma giggled and started eating her food. "Maybe…"
Bulma was turned toward him, one leg on either side of the bench. He smiled and walked behind her, sat down and wrapped his arms around her. "Tell me." He said quietly, resting his head on her shoulder.
"Nope. It's a secret."
"Fine… I guess I'll play along…"
Should I do this? What if it doesn't work? Well… it worked pretty damn well for four other couples… why wouldn't it work for me? Yeah… I'll do it. Maybe tonight I'll just climb up into his bunk and help him out…