'Face to Face'
Chapter Fifteen: Plan of Attack
'They don't know,
They can't see,
Who we are.'
Tatu: All About Us
Weeks had passed since Bulma had first spent the night with Vegeta, and she was delighted that it had become somewhat of a routine. Vegeta came into her room every night after dinner, and stayed until he woke in the morning for his training. Bulma was stunned by the Saiyan's easiness with her. They never spoke of what was happening between them, but Bulma knew that he felt something for her. She knew he desired her, he never tired of her body, and even the thought of sex with him had her shivering. But she knew it was more than that too; he held her in his sleep, and his bickering was more often than not tilted with amusement, and perhaps even affection.
"And he's just so different with me Chi-Chi!" Bulma finished, feeling a bizarre mixture of relief and pride, as she finally told someone about her developing relationship with Vegeta.
Chi-Chi stayed silent for quite a while, and Bulma frowned. The only noise Chi-Chi had made since Bulma first admitted that she fancied Vegeta was a loud, disbelieving squawk, and as Bulma had developed the story, the silence had gotten stonier and stonier.
After a few moments of twirling the phone cord round her fingers, Bulma said, "Chi-Chi…look, don't stress out on me about this ok? I'm happy. Things are good, they're great…"
At last Chi-Chi got her voice back and interrupted, "Well that's all very well Bulma, but for how long will you be happy? We're talking about Vegeta after all. He's a cold-hearted murderer. And by the sounds of it, he's only after you for the sex."
Bulma scowled. "That's not true! And even if it was, so what? I have needs too you know! There is such a thing as female sexuality Chi-Chi. And besides, Vegeta is not a murderer. He's changed. He's training to defeat the androids now! He's on our side!"
"He's not on our side! He's just training to fight them so he can try and beat Goku again! Honestly, Bulma, I can't believe that such a smart girl like you could be so stupid. Vegeta doesn't love you and he never will. He's not capable of love. Not like my Goku." Chi-Chi ended her rant with a smugness that sent Bulma's temper spiralling.
"Right, because Goku is so perfect?! Can you not remember how many times he's left you to go fighting? Or how many times he's left you for an adventure with me, whilst you sat at home?! Maybe you don't want to admit that Vegeta and I could have something special because then you'll have to have a good hard look at your marriage when you get us so wrong." She slammed the phone down with a loud huff and glared at it for a few minutes after, Chi-Chi's words reverberating around her skull.
'He's only after you for the sex'…'He's not capable of love'…'Vegeta doesn't love you and he never will.' With an aggravated scream, Bulma picked up the phone and chucked it at the wall, watching with bitter satisfaction as it smashed with a crash.
Bulma sat at her lab, hours later, still staring gloomily at her laptop screen, her fingers still hovering over the keys, and she realised with a huff of annoyance that she hadn't done any work since she had stormed in after her argument with Chi-Chi.
She winced slightly at the thought. Kami, I was such a bitch! I basically came all out and said Goku didn't love her! She dropped her head on the keyboard and let out a squawk as her laptop beeped angrily in response. Oh heck, I should call and apologize…she sat up and reached for the phone attached to her desk wall, before staring at it contemplatively. Should I really? I mean, she started it. She doesn't even know anything about Vegeta and there she was- making me sound like some silly little slut! Eugh! She put the phone back on the hook and caught sight of a photo of Goku, herself, Yamcha and Krillin and her gut lurched with guilt. I do need to apologize to Chi-Chi, and I should get in contact with the guys really…it's been far too long.
Vegeta powered up with a ferocious roar and spread his arms about him, feeling the power emanating from him, before gathering up his energy and focusing on pushing it again and again. His body began to tingle as he notched it up again, and his muscles contracted painfully, but he continued to strain himself, shouting loudly as it felt as if his organs were on fire, and the flames were about to engulf him entirely.
"AHHHHHH!" he bellowed as his heart seemed to burst in his chest, and his muscles seemed to snap and melt away, and he sunk to the floor, his energy simmering quietly.
His entire body ached, and Vegeta realised he had still not become a Super-Saiyan. For fuck's sake, what more do I need to do?! I'm pushing my body to the limits- I'm training all the time in a Gravity Chamber, I'm doing more than Kakarot could ever handle and I'm still not a Super-Saiyan! He punched the floor with a growl, and clenched his fists angrily. I need a new challenge. I need something bigger, harder, and stronger to test me to my every limit. He pushed himself to his feet, and slung a towel over his sweat covered shoulders, shutting down the machine to go in search of Bulma and find out about her progress with the new Gravity Chamber.
"Yamcha! Come on, that's ridiculous!" Bulma laughed down the phone, twirling the cord around her fingers and leaning back on her chair.
"It is not! She totally digs me!" Yamcha squawked indignantly, and Bulma giggled.
"Oh sure, because you are just so adept at understanding the female mind, huh?"
"Well not every girl is a complicated as you Bulma." Yamcha shot back a little grumpily, and Bulma could picture him pulling the face that resembled a sulking toddler.
"Firstly, I'm a woman, not a girl. And secondly, most women are just as complicated as each other...trust me Yamcha, that's not at all what she meant."
"Ok then Miss Know-It-All, what did she mean?" he was teasing her now, and Bulma grinned widely, stretching in her chair and putting the phone on loud-speaker, before standing up to get a coffee from the machine.
"Well, reading between the lines- she thinks you're cute. But she also thinks you're untrustworthy, arrogant and a bit of a player." Bulma said matter-of-factly, pouring a coffee and adding a little cream and sugar as Yamcha whooped in response. She rolled her eyes and stirred her coffee.
"So I've definitely got a chance?"
"It's going to be a lot of work, and knowing you, you'll only do it if you think she's definitely worth it…so is she?" Bulma sat back down at her desk, but left the phone on speaker so she could sip at her coffee still.
There was a long pause until Yamcha finally said, "I don't know…." There was another pause, and then he added, "I'm not over you," quietly and with a sad finality that pulled at Bulma's heartstrings.
"I'm not totally over you either." Bulma said, gazing at the picture on her desk fondly, and she was just about to carry on her sentence when a low growl broke into the silence.
"Pathetic."
Bulma spun around in her chair and saw Vegeta glowering in the doorway, and with a bubble of guilt she started up towards him.
"Get back to your ridiculous nostalgia woman." He snarled at her, his eyes glinting dangerously, and Bulma fell back into her chair as he stormed away.
"Was that Vegeta pissing you around as usual?" Yamcha asked testily, the Saiyan Prince still being somewhat of a sore spot to him.
Bulma nodded, and then shook her head, "No. I think it was bit of the other way around actually." She bit her lip and knew he must have heard what she had said bout not being over Yamcha. Oh, you idiot Bulma. It's not even true. You are over Yamcha, you just miss him as a friend. And now Vegeta thinks you're a total cow.
"What's going on Bulma?" Yamcha asked.
Bulma turned to stare at the phone thoughtfully, before picking it up, switching off speaker-phone and said, "I've got a lot to fill you in on…"
Yamcha had just put his phone down when it rung loudly again, and he picked it up, still slightly dazed and said "Hello?"
"Yamcha! Finally! Who the hell have you been talking to for so long?!" Chi-Chi squawked down the phone and he winced a little.
"Bulma…"
"Oh you two are speaking again? Great! That means you will definitely be up for this! You will not believe what she's gone and done…"
"Vegeta." Yamcha interrupted shortly.
"Huh?"
"Are you talking about Vegeta?"
"She told you too?! Isn't it crazy?!"
"Crazy?" Yamcha snorted dryly, "It's absolutely insane Chi-Chi. You know what she even said to me? She said that she wasn't over me, and then blabbered on about how much she likes Vegeta and how he needs her, and all that sort of shit!"
Chi-Chi tutted, "She doesn't have a clue what she's talking about Yamcha. That's why we need to step in. We can't tell the others- they will just make things more complicated- but we need to get Bulma away from that jerk…"
"So we're staging an intervention?" Yamcha asked thoughtfully, his mind already whirling with ideas to make Bulma see how wrong for her Vegeta was.
"Exactly. So, you're in?" Chi-Chi lowered her voice slyly.
Yamcha paused for a moment, before Bulma's words 'I'm not totally over you' echoed in his head, "I'm in." he said firmly.
"Vegeta! Open the damn door!" Bulma pummelled her fists on the Gravity Chamber door, and stomped her foot when the only response she got was another stubborn silence. "Oh for Kami's sake! Stop being such a stubborn git and open the damn door, before I lock the whole machine down!" There was another silence, "Fine! I'm locking it down!" she begun to type in the lock-down code on the door panel, and she could hear the machine's beeps from the inside, and she leant on the door with satisfaction as she ended the code, before the door slid open so suddenly, she lost her balance and tumbled in a heap at Vegeta's feet.
"Get up woman. You're not fit to even kiss my boots." He sneered immediately, stepping away from her with a disgust etched across his face.
Bulma sat up and glared at him, "Just because you're jealous you don't have to be a complete ass."
"Jealous? Why would I be jealous? If you're not over your pathetic weakling then that's your own problem. You don't mean anything to me." Vegeta growled, a cruel sneer still plastered across his face as Bulma pushed herself to her feet.
"Yes I do." She said simply, brushing down her knees and staring up at him defiantly.
"Don't fool yourself woman. You're nothing but a whore." Vegeta shoved past her and out of the Gravity Chamber.
Bulma glared after him, before spotting a spare pair of boots at the doorway, and she picked one up and hurled it at him, watching with satisfaction as it bounced off his shoulders and he stumbled slightly, before spinning around.
He looked murderous. Bulma stepped back slightly as he advanced back into the Gravity Chamber, his eyes darkening with every step closer he got. Bulma back-pedalled warily, before her bum hit the control panel and she froze on the spot.
Vegeta smirked cruelly and pinned his arms on either side of her head, "You're nothing." he pushed himself closer to her, and sneered again.
Bulma wasn't afraid of him, so she pushed back and smirked when he let out a little hiss as her hips and breasts grinded against him, "Nope." She whispered, leaning up to him and locking her eyes on his, "I'm definitely one hell of a something." She paused again and let her lips brush over his, "And I'm definitely all yours."
She stayed lingering against his lips, not touching him with any part of her body but letting her breasts, hands and lips hover just above his. C'mon Vegeta. She mentally willed him to give in, forgive her. And she was just about to pull dejectedly away when he snaked his hands to her hips and spun her around, pressing her between himself and the table. Both of their minds flashed back to the first time they kissed, and Bulma dropped her head and wriggled her hips into Vegeta's groin, and he smirked, before dropping his head and sinking his teeth into her bare shoulder again.
Wow I'm so sorry I'm taking so long, I really am being snowed under with work, and I'm finding it hard to spare this a moment. But thank you for your patience and loyalty...all of your reviews are so great :D And I am looking forward to the Xmas hols when I have time to start spewing out chapters quickly again! Thanks for all your support...please continue to review and let me know what you think :D thanks! xxxxx