Hey there readers!
Just letting you know that this will be the last chapter of 'Hate Me, Love Me' that I'll be submitting for a while. But don't worry, it doesn't mean that I've stopped writing, only that I have limited access to the internet and have no idea how long it will be until I'll be online again.
However, I promise that I will be writing away in my absence, and I am determined to finish all of my incomplete stories. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think of the story so far!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Bulma hunched over again, clasping a hand over her mouth. Her throat burned and tears sprang to her eyes before she quickly crawled over to her nearby paper bin and threw up nosily into it. Once everything had come out, she sat back on her calves, looking to the ceiling. She hated feeling so lousy, and had felt like this for a few days now. It was on and off, and as smart as Bulma was she just couldn't think of what was causing her to feel so ill.
The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts, and Bulma quickly wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her lab-coat before running to the door. Throwing it open, she was surprised to see a familiar face looking sheepishly back at her. "...Yamcha?" she exclaimed, stepping back. It had been a while since she had seen her former love, and in all that time she had to admit that she missed him greatly.
"Hey Bulma." he said softly, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Bulma indicated for him to come inside, which he did quickly before she shut the door. "Do you want a drink? Coffee?" Bulma asked, shuffling her feet slightly. "Sure. Sounds great." Yamcha replied, his face breaking into the smile she had loved so much.
They made their way into the kitchen, Bulma thankful that her mother was not currently at home. Her father was also out, attending a convention, and Vegeta was preoccupied with his training. Not that he would even care about Yamcha being there. Bulma shook her head slightly. This wasn't about Vegeta. This was about her and Yamcha.
Bulma slipped out of her lab-coat, revealing a black sun-dress, with spaghetti straps that ended just above her knees. It was perfect for warm days, and Bulma felt comfortable, which was needed when she was feeling so sick. Dropping the coat on the nearby chair, she ventured into the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine, turning to Yamcha as he sat behind the counter.
"You look good." he commented, looking Bulma over and making her cheeks flush pink. Yamcha did always know how to make a girl feel good about themselves. He was so different to the girl-fearing bandit she had met so many years ago. "You're not looking too bad yourself. I like the hair, the last cut you had made you look horrible." Bulma scrunched up her nose, remembering the bowl cut Yamcha had sported before they had broken up.
Yamcha raised a hand subconsciously to his newly-cut hair. "I've had long hair for so long, it's certainly taking a while to get used to it." he replied, watching as Bulma began to rummage through the kitchen cabinets, pulling out two mugs as well as a sugar tin. "I always did like you with the longer hair." she admitted as she opened the fridge, taking out the milk and setting it beside the mugs. "It may not have been in style, but it certainly made you look sexy."
Now it was Yamcha's turn to blush. "Maybe I shouldn't have cut it after all." he said softly, but Bulma didn't seem to hear him as she prepared the drinks, the coffee machine let out a shrill whistle to let her know that it was ready. "You still take two sugars and milk, right?" Bulma asked her guest, who merely nodded in return.
Once the coffees had been made, Bulma and Yamcha took their mugs out to the balcony, sitting down opposite each other at the table. Bulma took a sip, eyeing Yamcha carefully. There had to be a reason for him to be visiting her, surely. She was determined to get to the bottom of it, no matter how hard she had to push.
Luckily, she needn't have bothered.
"Bulma, there's a reason why I came here today." Yamcha admitted, setting down his mug on the table. Bulma's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He was certainly being open and honest, something that caught her off-guard. "Yes?" she prompted him, setting down her drink as well, watching him carefully.
"Take THAT!"
The droid crumpled from the energy blast and fell hard to the floor with a loud thud. Vegeta smirked. He was certainly getting the hang of this altitude of gravity. It was definitely time to turn it up a notch, but after he had something to eat. His stomach agreed with him, rumbling loudly as Vegeta made his way over to the control panel, making sure to return the gravity to zero. The red light faded, signalling that the gravity chamber was back to normal. He took one step towards the door, almost jumping as he did so. It always took him a while to get used to the normal gravity, but he was adapting quicker than usual.
The door opened and Vegeta made his way out onto the lawn of Capsule Corporation, squinting as the sun's natural light hit his eyes. It was much to bright outside, and he didn't like it. He raised a hand to his forehead, shading his eyes as they tried to adjust. Standing still, he tried to locate the energy sources within the building. The doctor and his wife were both out of the compound, leaving only the aqua-haired woman, much to his dismay.
He had been avoiding her again since their last encounter, Vegeta was determined to not have another lapse of control. The woman did strange things to him, things he couldn't explain. She had some sort of power over him, and she was very well aware of it. Vegeta hated being weak, and therefore he did everything in his power not to see her until he had come up with some way of defending himself against her.
He took another step forward, before realising that there was someone else in the building with her. An energy signal that felt familiar, but not one he was used to. His eyes darkened. The pathetic weakling. The woman's ex. A new strange feeling pulsated through his body, bubbling under his skin as his brows furrowed together. What the hell was that scum doing here, and what was he doing with the woman?
He closed his eyes, attempting to pinpoint their exact location. They were close, on the second level, and just outside the building... his eyes shot open, focusing on the large balcony before him. Quietly he flew up, making sure to keep out of sight. He could hear them talking, his skin shivering at the sound of the woman's voice. He shook his head. No, he wasn't allowed to think like that. Vegeta found a good spot underneath the balcony, where he could not be seen but was able to hear everything perfectly.
Bulma watched Yamcha carefully as he took in a deep breath. He was certainly nervous, and it made her even more curious as to what he was going to say to her. She took another sip of her coffee, surprised to find that it had cooled down considerably. "Bulma." Yamcha began, and she turned her blue eyes onto his scared face.
"The reason I came here today, to see you, is because... well, I, uh..." Yamcha cleared his throat before continuing. "I miss you. A lot. I want you to give me – us – another chance. I know I can make you happy if you let me. And if you want to get married, then let's do it. After all these years of being together, and going through so much, it's about time that I made a proper commitment to you."
Underneath the balcony, Vegeta let out a low snarl. How dare the weakling come here and make such a proposition to his woman! He froze. No, she was not his woman, he had no desire to enter in such a relationship with her. And yet, Vegeta refused to let someone else have her. He gripped his forehead. What the hell was going on?
Bulma could only blink. Had she just imagined all of those words coming out of Yamcha's mouth. Part of her wanted to sing out, to accept and smother him with love, but her brain knew better. Sure, it would be easy to accept Yamcha back into her life and become his wife, but she had to admit with a pang of guilt that she had moved on.
"Yamcha. I-" Bulma looked down at her hands, unable to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry." she said softly, lifting her eyes carefully, in time to see his face fall. "To be honest, I'm kind of... seeing someone." As much as she wanted to deny it, there was certainly something going on between her and Vegeta, even if it was only sex. The more she denied her feelings for the Saiyan Prince, the more she realised how fast she was falling for him, no matter how hard she tried not to.
"Oh really, you've moved on rather quickly." Yamcha muttered, his voice thick with jealousy before he slapped a hand over his mouth. Bulma looked at him, hurt crossing her face. But he was right. Things had happened quickly, and no matter how much she tried to justify that, it was still true. "So what's the deal? What's his name?" Yamcha asked, trying to tone down his curiosity.
"If I were her, I'd have kicked you halfway across the earth already."
Bulma and Yamcha looked up in unison to meet the cold stare of Vegeta, who hovered over the railing momentarily before landing beside Bulma. "You're still here?" Yamcha exclaimed, standing up from his chair and crouching into a defensive stance before the Saiyan warrior. "Great observation." Vegeta retorted, a smirk crossing his lips.
Bulma watched as her ex sized up Vegeta, before her eyes turned to the prince, looking him up and down. He was in fine form, looking better than she remembered. His olive skin glistened with sweat, defining his muscles as he flexed slightly before preparing to fight Yamcha, signalling for her to interrupt their little tiff.
"Both of you, knock it off!" she yelled, standing in between the two men. Vegeta scoffed and crossed his arms, Yamcha stood up straight and also folded his arms. Bulma turned to Vegeta. "What do you want?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow at him. "I require food, and since you are the only person home, I had to come here." he answered simply, meeting her gaze with dark eyes. "You know Vegeta, you could have just waited. Or asked nicely, like a normal person." Vegeta just continued to stare at her.
"Fine. Go inside, I'll be in there shortly. It might give you a chance to learn some patience." To her surprise, and Yamcha's, Vegeta complied, turning around and making his way inside the house. Sighing, Bulma turned to her guest, who's mouth gaped open. "What?" she asked, looking confused. "Just...you... if anyone else had spoken to Vegeta like that, I'm pretty sure that he would have ripped their heads off."
Bulma laughed. "I've just trained him well. It's possible, if you just keep trying." she explained, looking out at the sky in time to see the sun disappear behind the trees. The day was almost over, the sun almost gone. Her mother would be due home soon, and then Bulma could have a good rest. "Well, I have to admit, I'm certainly in awe of you."
Yamcha moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her slender body in a warm hug. "I guess I'll be seeing you around." A sad smile appeared on Bulma's face. "Sounds good."she replied, both of the unaware of the furious dark eyes that watched them from inside. Yamcha let go, taking one last good look at her before standing up on the railing. "See ya." he raised a hand in goodbye, before flying off into the horizon. Bulma stood on the balcony, watching him until he disappeared from her sight.
Taking in a deep breath, she collected the two mugs from the table, taking them into the kitchen and placing them into the sink. A wave of nausea came over here, causing her to hunch over the countertop, gripping the sides tightly so she wouldn't collapse. Finally it left her, and she regained her stance, putting the mugs under the running tap to rinse them out.
"So woman, when will my meal be ready?"
Bulma dropped the mugs with a loud bang, clutching her chest as her heart began to race wildly. She had forgotten sending Vegeta inside, her mind had been preoccupied with other things. She turned around to face him, catching sight of him leaning against the far wall, half hidden in the afternoon's shadows. "Just give me a moment." she scolded him, turning back to the mugs, placing them on a drying rack.
She turned back towards Vegeta, and quickly moved over to him, trying to keep cool and collected. She was determined that this meeting would not turn intimate like their last two encounters, and yet as she looked at him, all she wanted to do was to feel his body pressed up against hers, his lips on hers in a passionate, desperate kiss...
The female was staring, making Vegeta uncomfortable. He knew that revealing himself to her and the weakling was a big mistake, but for some reason he felt compelled to interrupt their conversation. The pathetic excuse for a man wanted the woman to be his, but there was no way Vegeta would have allowed it. He didn't want the female either, but the thought of her with another man irked him in way he had never dreamed possible.
"Any requests?" Bulma asked him, trying to ignore the sick feeling that began again. "For what?" "For-" Bulma clasped her hand over her mouth again, dashing into the nearby bathroom and throwing up in the toilet, much to the horror of Vegeta who had witnessed the whole thing. She threw up again, coughing as her throat began to burn. This was getting ridiculous, she couldn't even keep down a coffee.
Bulma sat back and moaned. Something was definitely not right. "Woman, what on earth is wrong with you?" rasped a familiar voice, and Bulma looked up, surprised to see Vegeta looking over her with something that almost resembled concern across his face. "Nothing. I'm fine." she lied, attempting to stand up on her own, stumbling suddenly before a pair of hands gripped her arm tightly. "You are a very poor liar." Vegeta pointed out, watching her carefully, his grip not loosening.
"It's just a stomach bug." Bulma quickly flushed the toilet, embarrassed that Vegeta of all people had to see her like this. But his presence was strangely comforting, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had noticed his own concern for her. It was less than likely, otherwise he would have already scowled at her and walked away.
"Yoo-hoo! I'm home!" cried out a voice, before Bunny suddenly appeared in the doorway, her hands flying to her face. "Oh Bulma dear, what's wrong?" she cried out, looking at her sickly-looking daughter. Vegeta moved towards Bunny before thrusting Bulma to her, letting go of her arm. "I suggest you take her to a doctor." he informed the blond woman sternly, before walking past them and moving back to his favourite position against the wall.
"But Vegeta, what about your dinner?" Bulma protested weakly, as her mother took her arm. Vegeta looked out the window. "You can't possibly make anything in your condition. I can wait." Bulma opened her mouth to argue but Bunny was already pulling her away. Vegeta took one last glance as the two women disappeared, trying to justify his actions. He had never cared about anyone else, the only person that was important to him was himself. And yet, he found himself hoping that the female would get better, and not just so she could do his bidding.
As Bulma got into her mother's car, she felt the need to be sick again and ran over to the nearby bushes, Bunny watching after her. Bulma finally made her way back to the car, looking at her mother. "Sorry." she apologised, sitting in the front seat and closing the door behind her, Bunny following. Once on the road, Bulma turned her blue eyes to the window, watching as cars and houses went past.
"Bulma..." "Yeah?" Bulma murmured, turning her head to look at her mother. "Do...do you think you could be pregnant?" Bulma snorted in reply. "Oh please Mom, I'm not an idiot. I've been taking birth control for years now, remember?" "Yes, but still, you've been sick for a few days now. When was your last period?" Bulma's face froze in horror as she tried to remember.
"Miss Briefs, congratulations! You're pregnant!"
Bulma had no words, her mouth gaped open as she tried to comprehend the doctor's words. Pregnant. Her blue eyes trailed down to her still-flat stomach, trying to imagine a baby growing in there. She was horrified. Her mother, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier. She clapped her hands together, a beaming smile on her face. "Oh, how wonderful! I'll finally have a grandchild!"
Now Bulma had only one question left. Who was the father? The question made her feel dirty, but the truth was that she had been intimate with two different men within one month or so of each other. She looked up at the doctor. "Do you know how far along I am?" The doctor turned to his desks and ruffled through some papers. "From the scans and tests, I'd say the foetus is only a few weeks old."
Bulma held her head in her hands. Vegeta. Of course, only Saiyan sperm would be able to get through the birth control and get her pregnant. Now that she was aware of the situation, there was only one thing left to do.
But how the hell was she going to tell Vegeta?