Human Hospitality

by scoutergreen

Chapter 35

Second Thoughts and Awkward Questions

A/N: This chapter will either disgust you, or it'll have you laughing.

The morning after Bulma's unexpectedly sexual conversation with Vegeta, she arrived in the kitchen at quarter to eight to find Yamcha at the table, digging into a plate loaded up with pancakes, bacon, and hash browns. The warrior was dressed down in loose-fitting running shorts and a light t-shirt, feet bare and propped up on the table's base.

"Morning, Bulma!" Yamcha sounded cheerful but he didn't look at the woman, "your mom left lots of everything in the oven. Help yer'self!"

Bulma went for the pancakes and bacon, her stomach rumbling. "Do you know where she went?"

"Something called an "animal shelter"," Vegeta strode into the kitchen, down to his running shoes and shorts, towel draped over one broad shoulder, "said she'll be back in the early afternoon."

Vegeta stopped in the middle of the room, inhaled deeply through his nose, and furrowed his brow. Again, he sniffed the air, slowly exhaled through his mouth, and shook his head after a few moments. He fetched two plates and served himself after Bulma was finished, filling one plate with pancakes and the other with hash browns and bacon. Carelessly he slid both plates in the general area of what he considered "his seat" at the breakfast table before pouring two mugs of coffee; one for himself and one for Bulma. Vegeta knew to add cream and a spoonful of sugar to Bulma's mug, and when the Saiyan brought Bulma a mug of coffee, Yamcha's eyes narrowed and he looked at Bulma. "What the hell?" He mouthed silently, gaze locking onto his plate when Vegeta finally took his seat.

"Thanks, Vegeta," Bulma clasped her mug of coffee and took a slow sip, humming with approval when she noticed that the Saiyan had added just enough cream and sugar to her liking, "that was very nice of you."

"Huh," Yamcha tore a strip of bacon in half, "you never let me get your coffee..."

"Maybe I know what she wants," Vegeta sneered over the rim of his mug.

Bulma's face went very red. She fetched her tablet from the messenger bag slung over the back of her chair, and she spent several minutes looking over her progress on the new simulator. "Hey, Vegeta... come by the lab this evening, around seven o'clock. I want to show you the new computer I installed in the simulator."

Yamcha's face fell. "But Bulma, you said that you'd come to the game tonight! It starts at six!"

"Oh geez, was that tonight? I totally forgot! Yamcha, I'm so sorry, but I'm working under a few deadlines and have to prepare for a meeting at the office tomorrow morning. It's just not possible for me to make it. I'll come next week, alright?"

"Fine," the warrior grumbled and he finished his breakfast in record time, set his plates in the sink, and stormed off to his bedroom. Minutes later, he stomped down the staircase with a full gym bag slung over his shoulder and he slammed the front door on his way out.

When the silence settled, Bulma heaved a huge sigh and lit her first cigarette of the day. "Ugh! We are so done."

"Hmm," Vegeta dragged a strip of bacon through a pool of maple syrup, "this topic again..."

"Okay, okay," Bulma conceded, "another topic then. Choose one, Vegeta!"

The Saiyan placed a few strips of bacon in the centre of a pancake, rolled it up, and took a large bite, eyes looking up in thought. Finally: "why does your mother volunteer so frequently? What is she trying to get out of it?"

Bulma smiled, but her eyes were sad. "Vegeta, my mother likes to help others, especially those who are facing difficult circumstances, or, in the case of the animals... have been abused and abandoned. She doesn't expect anything in return."

Vegeta responded by taking a sip of coffee. "Uh huh. Sure she doesn't."

Awkward silence. Vegeta's eyes seemed to harden again, and Bulma knew he was reliving a painful moment.

"So... I've been thinking about what you said last night," the engineer smiled at Vegeta and casually undid another button on her shirt.

"Not now," Vegeta didn't look up from his food, "I must train."

"Ooh, aren't we disciplined..." Bulma straightened her posture and did the button back up, "and besides, I have to work until five thirty. I'll be honest with you, Vegeta, I'm interested in getting to know you even better, but we have some things to discuss before we consider getting intimate."

"Such as?"

"Well," Bulma blushed, "our respective sexual histories, our limits... what turns you on and what turns you off, you know?"

"Hm. Fine. We might discuss this tonight," Vegeta made a final pancake and bacon roll and rose from his seat, "I must resume training now."

"Oh, Vegeta, one more thing!"

The Saiyan looked back at Bulma, eyes narrowed. "What now?"

The engineer ran a finger from her collarbone down to her cleavage, "I wanna see you shirtless more often," she purred, "you've got an amazing body."

After a quiet dinner (Vegeta demanded that he be served outside and then be left alone) the Saiyan headed down to the lab to discover Bulma seated at her desk, face buried in her hands and sobs loud enough to make Vegeta pause in the doorway before approaching.

He cleared his throat and looked back at the entrance one more time, wondering if he should run away before she could turn her head. If she started to unload her relationship problems onto him again, he'd lose it.

"Oh, Vegeta," Bulma shook her head and wiped away tears rolling down her cheeks, "sorry... I'm just really stressed out... work was hell, and I feel awful on top of everything else!"

"I want to see the simulator now," Vegeta's voice was completely cold and Bulma sensed he was on the edge of slipping into one of his very authoritative moods.

"Sure," the engineer rose from her seat and clutched her lower abdomen, groaning under her breath, "let's check it out. Then I'm gonna lay down for a while."

The simulator was nearing completion; the interior and exterior were almost completely finished, the reinforced floors, electrical wiring, and plumbing installed, and the small living area and bathroom outfitted. Vegeta looked through the space, rather impressed with the progress, and when he saw the new computer he took a few minutes to acquaint himself with it before giving Bulma his opinion: "it looks like the computer on the other ship."

"It's a very similar model, but I've simplified the controls and made the system more accessible for you to use in general. When this computer is up and running, you'll be able to tell it to turn on the air conditioner while you're in the washroom if you wanted! Oh, and that reminds me, my dad and I upgraded the climate controls too. We're gonna move this baby outside once it's finished, and you'll be able to use it comfortably year-round."

"Hmm," the Saiyan ran his fingers over the keyboard, still covered in plastic, "quite impressive."

"You think so?" Her face brightened and she stood beside him, "I'm glad you like it. I need to finish programming the computer, but everything's coming together now."

Vegeta sniffed the air, catching something he knew all too well, and tried to place the source of this new scent, "I smell blood."

"Oh, my God..." Bulma went very red and ran out of the simulator, making a bee-line for the lab's washroom. Several minutes later she emerged, still red-faced and avoiding Vegeta's gaze.

"You are bleeding," he stated, voice flat and arms crossed over his chest, "why didn't you tell me you are wounded?"

"I am not!" The engineer crossed her arms and continued to avoid Vegeta's questioning eyes, "um, well, I'm not hurt..."

"Then what is that I'm smelling on you?"

Bulma picked at her thumbnail for a minute before looking up. "I'm on my period," she muttered, gaze snapping back to her fingernails.

"Your period? Isn't that what you people call a menstrual cycle?" The Saiyan didn't look particularly surprised.

Bulma was completely mortified. "Yes, Vegeta..."

"Never mind then. That's your domain."

"Walk me to the living room, Vegeta..." she wrapped an arm around his and prompted him to start walking, "the more I learn about you, the more unusual you become... so you can really smell... that?"

"For the last time, yes," Vegeta sighed, exasperated, "I pick up your scent and, at least right now, your blood too. Both are distinctive to me. I caught the smell of blood this morning but thought I was simply starting to go crazy."

"Starting to go crazy? Heh," Bulma eased herself onto the sofa and put her feet up, "if you're baseline right now, I don't wanna see your brand of crazy."

"Likewise. I want to go train now. Good bye," Vegeta left very quickly, flustered by Bulma getting so close and that smell capturing his attention with such intensity that it left him unable to concentrate. She already left him feeling flustered and hot and tingly all over when she got very close, and sometimes she came to him in dreams that always ended just a little too soon.

As much as I want to fuck her, I have to keep my distance, Vegeta warned himself. For her own good as well as mine. I was an idiot to speak to her the way I did last night. Control yourself, Vegeta! You're getting too close and too comfortable around these humans yet again!

For four days, Vegeta was avoided everybody at the Capsule compound. He took his meals alone, ignored anybody who attempted to make conversation, trained constantly, kept his bedroom door locked whenever he was there and did not respond to any knocking. He watched television and he thought about Bulma often, and for the first time in his life, Vegeta wondered if he'd done the wrong thing by being so forward with the woman.

On the morning of the fifth day, Vegeta decided it was time to start talking to the humans again. He went downstairs in time to enjoy coffee in relative silence while Mrs. Briefs prepared breakfast. When he asked her for the cream, Mrs. Briefs let out a soft laugh. "Glad to hear your voice again, Vegeta. Not like you to go radio silent for so long! At least not on Earth, anyway..."

"Just thinking," Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"About?"

A long sip of coffee and Vegeta flicked through a grocery flier he could not understand. Finally: "humans. And how I'm living among them, with no real means of escape from this weird place."

Mrs. Briefs laughed again, soft and sweet. "I'm sure we seem strange to you because you are a... ah, ah... um... please remind me, sweethea-"

"Saiyan," Vegeta's voice was firm and proud, "not many of us left these days," he let out his signature dark, dry laugh, "but I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I am the superior representative of my people."

"A royal "Saiyan"," Mrs. Briefs repeated, sounding out the name of her guest's race, "how exotic! Well, as I said before, I'm sure humans seem strange to Saiyans, but if you ever have any questions about humans, you can ask me. Anything."

The Saiyan started to laugh again, and his dark laugh morphed into a bright, loud laugh; he threw his head back and all his teeth were showing, abdomen flexing and contracting and cheeks starting to glow. Finally, he settled down and sighed, wiping the corner of his eye. "Okay, then I have a question: how frequently do human females menstruate, and for how long? I heard it was called a "period" here."

Unfazed, Mrs. Briefs answered without missing a beat: "I'd say the average menstrual cycle is about 28 to 32 days, but the "period" can last for 3 to 6 days. Of course, every woman is different. Why do you ask, sweetie?"

"Because there's always advertisements on the television for these things called "pads" and "tampons" and they seem to push the idea that this "period" thing is awful and socially unacceptable, but it doesn't have to be. Stupid advertisements. You know what? All of your advertisements are strange."

"Do you have advertisements where you're from?" Mrs. Briefs started to brush egg whites on croissants that had been left to proof overnight on the counter.

"Of course. But most of them aren't as stupid as Earthling commercials."

The Briefs matriarch set the first pan of croissants into the oven. "I'll suppose I'll just have to take your word for it. Oh, before I forget, Bulma and I are going shopping today, is there anything you'd like?"

The Saiyan laughed, and without missing a beat, he replied: "something fit for royalty."

Now that I know a bit more about the female reproductive system, maybe I can resume speaking to the woman. In spite of everything, in spite of her... humanity, I want her, thought Vegeta, and until I satisfy this curiosity she's going to be creeping through my every waking thought and invading my dreams. Consumed in his thoughts, Vegeta wandered over to the percolator for more coffee and barely flinched when he slammed his bare toe into the leg of a chair as he returned to his seat.

To Be Continued