Here's a short chapter for the end of the week! I hope this sets the table well for future chapters as well.

I promise, the first interaction between our two lovers is coming very soon ;)

Thanks for the reviews! xx

Chapter 3 - Bulma

Black hair standing like a rebellious, indomitable flame. A thin and pointy nose, slightly wrinkled by a scowl. High cheekbones that towered over a strong jawline with defined contours. A wide neck, where multiple tendons forced under a coppery, smooth skin. And muscles. Beneath the armor and skin-tight suit that left little to the imagination, there was lots and lots of muscles.

Bulma unconsciously bit her lower lip.

Oh…

Kami.

He was hot.

He was not that type of man whose appearance could be described as handsome. There was no convention in his traits. No carefully groomed hair, no precisely trimmed beard, and above all, no devastating smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial. With him, it was rather his unusual features that caught the eye, giving the whole thing something particularly captivating to watch. That, as well as that fearsome feeling of menace that seemed to stick to his skin. Anyone looking at him could easily see this small blinking sign with the word "DANGER" written in big red letters.

Unfortunately for her, Bulma suffered from what Chi-Chi called a "bad boy syndrome." And she was completely blinded by it.

His dark eyes fixed on her, she scrutinized his face with attention. For a very long time. Just to make this unique moment last. This moment, shared with a beautiful stranger who was watching her with intensity. She was sure of it, his gaze on her could have set any woman on fire right now. Except that it was her, and her alone, who found herself under the blazing fire of his spotlight.

Bulma had often exchanged glances with men who lusted after her. But never, oh never! the magnetism that had been created when they had become aware of the presence of the other had been so powerful. A fire burned in her chest, where she felt her heart racing. Every muscle fiber in her body seemed to be consumed, the oxygen her suspended breath wouldn't allow to replenish suddenly being consumed. Every neuron in her brain was now devoted to this man watching her. The sound of music pounding, the lights of cars speeding down the street, the bustle of revelers waiting to go dancing and get drunk. No other stimulus existed now, except for this connection, this invisible thread that had suddenly woven itself and electrified the air between them.

And God! The connection was. Really. Strong.

Bulma knew it. The attraction had been instantaneous, unexpected. And above all, it was reciprocal.

She gave the stranger a small smile. And completely impassive, his eyes still locked on hers, he didn't answer her.

Then, a force outside the magnetism that had just been created tugged on her arm. A few cells of her nervous system became aware of this new stimulus, and Bulma absentmindedly reminded herself that there was more to this world than this handsome, somber guy who had just stripped her of her sanity.

Chi-Chi. The night they were supposed to spend together. Her friends who were waiting for her inside the nightclub to go dancing.

"Oh hey! Earth to Bulma! What's happening? Are you back to reality?"

Chi-Chi redoubled her efforts to drag her friend to the club's private front door, and Bulma was forced to follow her. Eye contact broke and she staggered towards the security guards, disoriented at having been so forced to put an end to the unexpected encounter.

"What was that?" Chi-Chi asked after announcing their arrivals to the bodyguard so they could enter the club, Bulma still unable to remember her own name.

"Did you see it too?"

"See what? That you just eye-fucked with a stranger? Yes, don't worry, it was hard to miss."

Bulma nudged her friend lightly in the ribs, who laughed.

"No! I mean… oh my! He was awfully handsome! Damn, I still feel hot just thinking about his dark eyes on me!"

"He was not bad", conceded Chi-Chi. "I agree, the way he was looking at you... it was… I don't know… it gave me chills, I can't even imagine what it's like to be you right now. But honestly, I mostly noticed the one who greeted us, the one with the long hair... it's funny, I really feel like I've seen him somewhere before. His face was really reminding me of someone I know."

Chi-Chi scratched her chin thoughtfully before continuing.

"But still, Bulma! He was a Frieza soldier! When did you start flirting with aliens?"

"You think they might not come from Earth? I had never seen soldiers like them before. They look awfully like Humans, don't you think?"

"You're right… They don't look like traditional soldiers at all. But… Humans working for Frieza? What next? Freaking traitors!" Chi-Chi added, shaking her tiny fist in their direction.

Their conversation was cut short, the sound of their voices quickly drowned out by the music drumming loudly now that they had entered the nightclub. Bulma turned her head one last time, hoping to see this Human-who-was-probably-not-one, but in vain, they were already too far inside the building. The bodyguard who initially greeted the two women was now escorting them down a small private hallway that ran along the first dance floor. The subdued lights brushed their skin, tinting it with all possible colors. With all these people dancing, Bulma couldn't resist doing a few steps with Chi-Chi before arriving in the private space that she had reserved. The place offered an outstanding view of the hundreds of people who swayed to the rhythm of a remix of the song Summer of love.

"Bulma!" said a familiar voice to the right.

The young woman turned and couldn't help but smile when she saw the man who had just called out to her.

"Yamcha," she answered, giving him a small wave.

He approached her, opening his arms to wrap her in it. She hesitated for a few moments before finally hugging him back. Breakup or not, Yamcha was part of her social circle and they both had always taken care of their friendship. He had also been her first love and somehow, she would always carry him in her heart. They had been through too much together to ignore the bond that had grown over the years. And even if Yamcha had a lot to blame himself for, Bulma was famous for her bad temper. She couldn't boast of having been white as snow either.

She was the first one to put an end to the hug. She pulled away to look at him.

"How are you doing?" she asked loud enough so he could hear despite the music.

"I'm great! I just got back from training in the desert. I'm living at Krillin's for a few weeks, with Puar," he replied, pointing to a short, balding man sitting on a bench next to a young blonde woman with oddly sharp teeth, whom Bulma identified as the form Puar had chosen to spend the evening with them.

Krillin greeted her from afar, a glass of beer in his hand. Right behind him, Maron, his girlfriend, was clumsily dancing with friends she was unfamiliar with. Their body language indicated that they had probably arrived long before, and that the glass of champagne they were holding was certainly not their first. Chi-Chi gave Yamcha a brief salute, then hurried over to Puar and Krillin. She ordered a drink from the waiter in their private lounge before sitting down and engaging in a conversation.

Yamcha, meanwhile, stayed by her side, and Bulma felt a small part of her miss Chi-Chi's presence.

"With all these people, it's really great to have this private lounge," he said, putting his hand on her arm. "Thanks for adding our names on your guest list, Bulma."

The young woman pulled away subtly.

"My pleasure! Let's say the owner of the club is a good customer of my dad," she replied with a wink. "Exclusivity was not very expensive, this time."

"Do you know if something in particular might be happening tonight? There are really a lot of people!"

"I haven't heard of anything. I noticed Frieza's men are in much higher number, though. With their armor, it could make the place feel even more crowded."

"I noticed too! Did you see those on the balcony? And those near the stage? They are even armed! How did they managed to get in here with Ki weapons? It's a bit scary, don't you think?"

Yamcha looked around and frowned. He leaned towards her so that what he was about to say would not be heard by others. A rather useless precaution given the racket that reigned around them.

"I was thinking… Do you think we should warn the Resistance?"

Bulma gave him a nudge to indicate him to remain discreet. She hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I think that if something was going on, the Resistance would already know."

Formed a few months ago after altercations between Humans and the new visitors broke out, the Resistance was a group which official objective was to protect Earth's population. Its members were responsible for orchestrating trade between the two parties and facilitating communications. They also made sure to monitor most of the comings and goings of newcomers and issued warnings about some questionable aliens. Frieza's forces had of course deplored the formation of such a group, saying loud and clear that it was useless to protect against them given their peaceful intentions and that it would only create more tension and insecurity within the population.

Bulma was a fervent supporter of the Resistanceé That's why she pulled out her cell phone and opened the group-run app. Apart from the usual warnings inviting the population to avoid interacting with an armed soldier, nothing announced a possible military intervention in the center of West City. She put her cell phone in the pocket of her shorts and turned to Yamcha to reassure him.

"Nothing in sight. It's probably that they all spread the word to come and enjoy the beautiful evening. Come on, I want to celebrate too!" she said, heading for the booth where her friends were laughing as Chi-Chi choked on a shot of tequila.

Bulma hugged her friends one at a time. She let herself be dragged onto the dance floor by Puar and Maron, who seemed particularly excited to see the arrival of the one who had reserved such a prestigious place for them in the most popular club in town. Then, a few moments later, wanting a drink and not seeing the waiter anywhere, the young woman decided to venture into the crowd. She elbowed her way to the nearest bar, but halfway through, her gaze was caught by two towering figures leaning on a counter across the dance floor.

Two burly men sat on suffering stools. One had a smooth head and the other had thick hair that almost touched the ground. Bulma recognized them immediately. Curious, she stopped her progress and stretched her neck to see them better. Next to them sat a third person in armor. She made out without too much effort this more modestly built soldier who was looking at the drink's menu, brows wrinkling.

Bulma ran her hand through her hair, suddenly and inexplicably nervous. She glanced briefly at the private living room behind her. Chi-Chi was dancing with Krillin and Puar. Maron wedged his umpteenth glass of champagne. Next to her, Yamcha was talking with a friend of hers. Under the multicolored lights flying in all directions, she saw him tenderly tuck a lock of her curly hair behind her ear. With the back of his finger, he brushed the skin of her neck.

A pang of jealousy crossed Bulma's chest. She gritted her teeth, hard, and forced herself to look away from the painful spectacle.

Slowly, her eyes fell on the three armored men again.

And, without any more thinking, she rushed straight towards them.