Couples Retreat
Chapter 12
Sleeping in was not a common occurrence for neither Bulma or Vegeta, both hardcore workaholics. Vegeta mostly was getting up early in the morning for training or other physical activity, however, Bulma was never far behind him thanks to her endless list of tasks with Capsule Corporation.
Even on a rare morning of sleeping in, Bulma found herself waking up first again as the clear morning light, enhanced by he snow surrounding the cabin peaked through the sky window of their bedroom.
Bulma's eyelids got less heavy as she stirred, Vegeta's firm, muscular arms draped over her still.
Hold on to me, please...Don't you let go of me...
She needed to just enjoy this a little longer as she turned over closer to him and inched up so she could push her nose into his dark hair and traced her fingers gently across his jaw. To think, the last time they slept this soundly they were in a much more perilous situation, without clothes, a ship and in a cave with moss for a bed. Amazing how much things have changed over the last few days. Deep conversations not to mention some passionate sex had really brought the couple closer. Eventually Bulma moved Vegeta's arms to get up out of the warmth of their bed to use the bathroom and get more cleaned up.
"Brr...too chilly out here..." Bulma thought as she shivered slightly and quickly scurried into the bathroom. She decided to not put anything on, eagerly looking to run back to bed. The warmth from the shared body heat in there would be more satisfying.
She was just as quick to return to heat and comfort under the covers with her husband who was still snoozing when she came back. Bulma didn't want the cozy intimacy to end as she snuggled back with him, her eyes began to feel heavy again.
Just a few minutes longer...
Come on over, roll on over...I just need to feel you breathe...
Bulma rested her head on Vegeta's chest and listened to his deep, rhythmic breathing. Surprisingly for a Saiyan, he seldom snored. His breathing made her drowsier. Maybe she should've stayed out of bed. But it was too late now as she began to drift back to sleep.
After about another half an hour of lying together, Vegeta finally began to stir. His first sight was his wife curled on his chest, her head resting right over his heart. Vegeta pulled his left hand over her soft, bare back and ran his fingers through her teal hair as gently as he could, not wanting to wake her. Unable and unwilling to fall back asleep, he began to reflect on everything that had led up to this moment. Being stuck out in the elements, protecting Bulma, the painful yet healing conversations, and coming to the planet in the first place. He felt leaving his comfort zone to be here and all of the struggle was worth it, even just for this moment. Bulma was the possibly the first person to show him unconditional kindness in his entire life. She gave him a peace that he never thought he could experience. It was at this moment Vegeta realized how blessed he was to have her in his life.
He attempted to plant a soft kiss on her forehead, but it seemed to jar her out of her slumber. Bulma turned abruptly, slipping out of his arms and slowly opened her eyes again.
"Good morning..." she whispered. With his hands now free, Vegeta rubbed his eyes, feeling the effects of all the fun last night. Bulma remembered Vegeta wasn't used to drinking all that wine and he didn't have the tolerance she did, he was probably feeling a little hung over. She got up to get him a glass of water to ease whatever he was feeling. Bulma came back with the water and handed her husband the glass.
"Boy, you may be a strong fighter but you're a bit of a lightweight when it comes to drinking, huh?" she teased, her voice a bit hoarse as she woke up as he sipped on the water.
"Don't you think it's too early to annoy me by saying such things?" he responded dryly after finishing the glass. Bulma smiled; she enjoyed teasing him. She found it humorous all of the extreme things Vegeta could survive but random things like wine could knock him out for the night.
"Bulma... we're returning to Earth tomorrow, aren't we?" he suddenly asked.
"Yeah, why?" she presented a question of her own, tracing his chest. "Oh, let me guess, you don't think there's anything else we can do here, and nothing can top our night of passion, so you want to leave on a high note, right?"
"No... " he started. "I could easily top my performance last night any time I wanted. You know it as well as I do. I was thinking about the boy... I thought we could return early and surprise him."
"Awww, Vegeta... that's so sweet of you. I am having a wonderful time, but it would be nice to do something for Trunks. I do miss him..."
"Perhaps take him to that amusement park he loves so much..." Vegeta suggested.
"That's a great idea." Bulma said, happy that Vegeta was thinking about their son. "Before we leave, I'd like to just see the first campsite one more time. I want to get one last breath of that lake air."
"I suppose we can do that." Vegeta replied as he sat up to go to the bathroom to wash up.
Bulma began to get dressed while he was away, throwing on an oversized grey t shirt and emerald green yoga pants. Bulma remotely fired up the ship from the cabin so at least when they left the cabin, it'd be warm in the ship by the time they got inside. Vegeta soon emerged from the bathroom, clad in a black t shirt with blue sweatpants.
"Ready?" Bulma asked him, to which he nodded, and they made their way to the entrance of the cabin. Bulma threw on a coat on her way out and headed over to the side of the cabin, to retract it back into its' capsule. While she was busy, Vegeta stared off, trying to avoid gusts of snow blowing into his face.
"I can see why you don't want to depart here, woman." he started. "I'd rather my last glimpse of this planet be of anything but this snowy hellscape..."
"Oh, come on, quit being a baby! This is pretty too!" Bulma protested after picking up the capsule that was their cabin. "Well, prettier when you're indoors anyway. Come on, let's get out of here!"
She took his hand and rushed up the platform to the ship. Thankfully, the engine was already running so it was warm inside. Bulma sat down on the captain's chair and entered coordinates back to the campsite. The ship's rockets activated, and it soon began its' journey back to where the vacation had begun. It would take about two hours to get back there, so Bulma set the ship into auto pilot. She got up to stretch her arms, holding her sore neck once she was done. She was still reeling from the all the activity of the previous night.
She headed down to the area beneath the main floor and crossed the purple tiles of the bottom floor to the crew quarters where Vegeta was sitting cross legged and arms folded on the bed in the small room.
"It's going to be a couple hours until we get to the campsite... can I sit with you?" she asked.
"Sure..." he said as she sat next to him.
"I don't know about you, but I still could use a little more rest after last night. Let's just watch a movie or something until we get to the campsite." Bulma suggested as she began to lie back on the bed.
"Heh heh, I really wore you out, didn't I, woman?" Vegeta said with a grin as he handed Bulma the TV remote. "And to think, I could've kept going...Well, I'm indifferent to whatever programming is on that stupid television. So, watch whatever you please."
Vegeta would come to regret this particular act of kindness, because after flipping through the various channels they were able to receive on a different planet Bulma settled on daytime talk shows and various reality TV reruns for the next couple hours.
This is UNBELIEVABLE, he thought to himself, unable to distract himself from the reality TV rerun his wife was enjoying.
How could anyone possibly WANT to waste their time watching this utter drivel? This must end soon; I can't take much more of this...
Luckily for Vegeta, his prayers were soon answered.
"ATTENTION; DESTINATION ALERT; NOW ON FINAL APPROACH TO COORDINATES; ETA; FIVE MINUTES" they heard over the ship's intercom.
"Aw, that was fast!" Bulma exclaimed. "I liked watching these shows with you, we'll have to do this again!"
Vegeta forced a smile and sighed a breath of relief as Bulma got up excitedly to head outside. The ship had begun its slow descent for a landing. He went back to crossing his arms and stared ahead.
I will not be able to avoid watching these idiotic shows forever... Vegeta soon realized. I suppose for her, I will endure viewing such dreck once again...I have suffered worse fates...
Vegeta got up and followed his wife to the main entrance of the ship. By the time he got up to the main floor, she had already activated the door to the grounds, thrilled to be outside one last time. Vegeta slowly stepped down and took in the sights himself. The lake looked the same as before, weatherwise it was sunny and clear like it was when they had been there days before. Trees and branches laid strewn over the beachfront, a reminder of the powerful storms from before.
"Let's get this over with, get your view and let's go home." Vegeta said as he caught up with Bulma.
"Uh, I don't think so!" Bulma protested. "I don't know when or if we'll ever come back here, so I really want to take everything in one last time. "
"Well, do it quickly!" Vegeta responded sharply.
"So impatient!" Bulma huffed. She looked over and noticed something she hadn't noticed from their first stay at the location. A large, dark gray rock that sat a short distance off from the shore. It looked like it could be accessed by some careful skipping over smaller rocks. As Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, attempting to enjoy the view of the lake, Bulma decided it was time to get a different view of the lake. This presented an opportunity to get immersed inside the lake without swimming.
She carefully tip toed over the small rocks leading up to the larger one, being cautious to not step on the more slippery rocks and potentially fall into the water. A few steps later and Bulma had finally reached the rock she wanted to sit on. She mounted the top of it and sat cross legged at the top, breathing in the cold, pine-tinged air.
Just a little bit longer up here, then we can leave... she thought, savoring the moment. Bulma closed her eyes and exhaled, hoping time would stand still. A few minutes later however, her peace would be broken.
"Just what the hell are you doing over here?" Vegeta asked, likely flying over to the rock where Bulma was sitting.
"I don't feel like swimming, but I wanted to get deeper in the lake if that makes sense." she explained as she opened her eyes, jarred out of her short trance.
"It doesn't make sense, but I'll take your word for it." Vegeta said gruffly as he sat down next to her.
"I'm glad you came over though, I wanted to talk to you about something." Bulma said as she turned to him.
Fuck... what could this possibly be? Vegeta thought, somewhat alarmed.
"You've really impressed me on this vacation, Vegeta." Bulma began. "I can tell you've gone out of your way to not be so selfish and put me first. I really appreciate that. I think things between us will be better going forward, a lot better actually. But there's one more thing you can do for me to make me feel 100% comfortable about us."
"And what might that be?" Vegeta asked.
"Well three things actually... let me explain, I know how you and Goku agreed to your training pact, and I'd like for you to make a pact with me for our future together."
"...Continue..."
"So, all I want from you is to swear to three things you'll promise to do for me. The first thing is that I want you to promise to never want to go back to the darkness in your life. That's not who you are anymore, we both know this. The second thing, I want you to never to never grow distant from me and hide anything. Remember, I want to know everything that's in your head, good or bad. I'll try to do the same for you. And last, I want you to protect me. I know you have, but I never want you to be careless about me or Trunks like you were in the Android days... so what do you think? Can you commit to these?"
"Bulma..." Vegeta started, looking down at the waves beneath him. "I sacrificed my life to protect you and to protect Trunks. I would do it again a thousand times if it meant keeping you both safe. I know I fucked up to put us all in that predicament in the first place... but I have changed. I could never do any of that again. As for the other two points, I am more than capable of doing both of those. But... I cannot do it alone..."
She looked on as he tensed up trying to continue.
"At this point in my life, I... truly do not wish to return to the blackness and the wickedness of my past." Vegeta finally got out. "There are more important things to live for beyond my original beliefs, what I thought was important. You have taught me this, Trunks has taught me this...fuck, Kakarot has taught me this as well."
"So yes..." Vegeta continued after a pause. "I do pledge to the three things you ask of me. But I need you to help me too, you must have me looking forward and never back to...back to what I was...I need you; I need the peace you have always given me as long as I have known you."
"Of course, honey..." Bulma said as she wrapped her arms around Vegeta's abdomen and softly pulled him close to her. "I don't know exactly how I give you peace...but I'll try to keep doing it I suppose!"
"Just... don't leave..." Vegeta muttered, his pride straining for him to even utter those three words.
"I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I've put up with you this long, haven't I?" Bulma joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Say, I think it's time you learn another Earthly tradition." she added quickly as she pulled out a pocketknife. "This can be how we seal our pact."
Bulma began to slowly carve into the rock they were sitting on as Vegeta looked on confused.
"There!" Bulma exclaimed as she put her knife away, finished with her engraving.
"Just what exactly is this?" Vegeta asked, looking down at what Bulma had drawn in the rock.
"It's the initials of our names, silly!" she answered, pointing the small letters "V" and "B" carved on the stone mass. "It's just a cute tradition that couples do. Maybe someday we can come back to this planet and find this rock. We'll remember this exact moment once we find this carving."
"Ha! That's very amusing but allow me to do better..." Vegeta said, standing up and flew over to the water.
"Wha- what are you doing Vegeta?!" Bulma asked, slightly concerned as Vegeta ignited a bright ki orb in his hand causing Bulma to tuck her head under her arm to avoid the light. He hovered next to the side of the rock. The glowing orb in his hand wasn't strong enough to destroy the rock but that was not his intention. The ball of light however was hot enough for him to melt into the side so Vegeta could make a carving of his own.
"Now, how about this?" Vegeta boasted as he finished his work. Bulma opened her eyes to see large initials burned into the side of the rock. She was too pleased by his commitment to feel outdone by him.
After a few more minutes of sitting on the lake, the two began to head back to the ship to depart the planet. Vegeta was more eager and as such, boarded the ship first. Bulma took her time on her stroll back to the ship. She was two steps onto boarding when she noticed a flash of magenta in the brush out of the corner of her eye.
She stepped off the boarding platform and headed towards the brush to see what this unique color was doing amongst a sea of green plants. Afer crouching down, she pushed some of the tall grass in the brush aside and found a deep purple wildflower in the middle of the rows of plants. This was unlike every wildflower Buma had noticed on the planet, this flower had a very distinct shade of purple to its petals with gold-colored filaments protruding from the middle and cyan anthers at the ends. Bulma's moment with the flower was cut short though as Vegeta came out to see what she was fussing over.
"Damn it woman, are we leaving or not?" Vegeta shouted as he looked over to see what she was doing.
"Just one second..." Bulma replied as she cupped the flower in her hands and admired it some more. She was not sure how she even got a glimpse of it, it was the size of an ordinary color, but the distinct color stood out.
Vegeta stepped down and saw her squatted over looking at the flower. Vegeta stood next to her, puzzled why she was so fascinated.
"This is what's holding us up? Some plant?" he asked with some disdain.
"I'm sorry, it's just so pretty and I haven't seen anything like it during our time here. It must be rare." Bulma said as she took her hands off the petals. "I wish we could bring it home with us."
"Who is to say we can't?" Vegeta said, not understanding Bulma's fascinating. He reached down and grabbed the plant by the stem, pulling it out, roots and all to Bulma's horror."
"VEGETA!" she cried angrily. "You just killed it! That might be the only flower like that on the entire planet and you killed it!"
Unfazed, Vegeta stood up and looked at the flower in his hand. He looked over at Bulma, shaking with anger at him. To her surprise, he put the flower between her hair and upper ear.
"Well, you are a genius after all, aren't you?" he said as he made sure the flower wouldn't fall out of her hair. "Surely there must be some way you can revive it back at home in your lab...besides I think it looks much better up here than it did in the dirt."
Vegeta grinned as he admired the flower peeking out of his wife's teal hair and headed back into the ship. Bulma's anger faded as she looked at her reflection in the window of the ship.
That man drives me crazy... but he's right, I probably can keep it alive if I get in in the lab as soon as we get home...
That was a really sweet thing of him to do...
There was a stark contrast to Bulma and Vegeta's positions on the ship from when they were in transit to Cascadia Terra and when the departed. While on the way to the forest planet the two stayed separate areas on the ship. On the way back on the multi hour trip home, they enjoyed each other's company lying together on the bed in the crew quarters. The two tried to take a nap to kill time but both struggled to fall asleep in the middle of the day, so they went back to flipping through various interstellar TV channels. Vegeta pulled Bulma closer gently as she hopped through the channels.
Well, I guess he IS capable of pulling me closer when he's conscious... big change...
Bulma was growing tired of trying to find something to watch so she looked for a reality TV exclusive channel. Mindless entertainment would at least make the hours fly by and she could not complain about lying with her husband watching these shows. However, Vegeta was more than capable of complaining and he was not so thrilled as soon as he realized what programming she was choosing. He had tried to initiate some closer intimacy earlier, but Bulma was too worn out from last night. Still, he needed to think of something to avoid being subjected to these programs.
No... not this shit again, he thought. There are more things I want to discuss with her... perhaps now is the time... these conversations beat watching this absolutely brainless nonsense... I will do anything to avoid viewing this idiocy...
"Bulma... I must ask you something." Vegeta finally said, breaking the silence as Bulma turned to look at him. "Is there anything else you want to see from me going forward? Besides what has already been discussed, of course..."
"Hmmm...yes." Bulma thought out loud. "Just spend time with me like this instead of training all the time, help out with Trunks obviously, and do some of the jobs I don't want to do around the compound, like mowing the lawn for one. I hate doing that!"
Vegeta's skin went pale as a nightmarish vision of himself mowing the lawn entered his mind.
I am going to go from being a destroyer of worlds... to mowing lawns... I really have become domesticated now... is that so bad?
"Alright... I can do all of those things you ask of me. Is that all?" he asked, somewhat optimistic that was all she would ask.
"Oh! And let's do date night, just once a month!" Bulma added. "We didn't go on nearly enough dates when we first got together. I know we're busy so date night once a month is all we need. We can do something different each month, I love trying new things and going on little adventures with you. This way we don't have to leave the planet."
Blast! This woman asks a lot of me... Vegeta thought.
"Fine! I can do that too." Vegeta strained to get out, clearly not thrilled about trading his training for Earthly activities.
"Wow, you really are committed to me." Bulma remarked.
"I guess now is the time to bring this up," Bulma began after another pause. " I know you like to act tough and act you don't care about me around our friends... I just want to let you know I really don't care if you keep doing that. I know you obviously do care about me. Your actions when it's just us mean more than your actions around other people."
This got the Saiyan Prince flustered again as soon as he heard this sentence. He immediately began to tense up again and turn red.
Act tough? I AM A HARDENED WARRIOR, DAMN IT, THIS IS NO ACT! he thought to himself feeling more anxious.
"Now is there anything you would like for me to do?" Bulma asked.
"No." Vegeta quickly answered as he calmed himself down. "You have done enough for me..."
Bulma smiled and interlocked her hand with his.
"One last thing...and this is serious." Bulma started as Vegeta cringed.
Now what?
"Eventually, not now but eventually... I do want another child."
"WHAT?!" Vegeta blurted out in shock. "Why?"
"Why not? It'd be nice for Trunks to have a sibling." Bulma explained. "Plus, things on Earth are peaceful for now, no fear of Androids or Buu like when we were raising Trunks. I'd prefer we have a girl too, but we'll see what happens."
"I am not opposed to the idea. I suppose you already are pregnant after our..." Vegeta stammered nervously, after thinking for a minute. He had been caught in the heat of the moment during the times they had sex that the idea of Bulma getting pregnant slipped his mind.
"No, not yet. I'm on birth control at the moment." Bulma interrupted.
"You're on what?" Vegeta said in confusion. "Human females can control when they can give birth? Is that what you are telling me? This is some technique one can master? When will you choose to give birth next? We must plan this out."
Bulma burst out laughing hysterically as Vegeta's blushing and confusion worsened.
"Just..." she tried to get out before laughing again. "Just don't worry about it. I'll show you how it all works when we get home."
"ATTENTION; DESTINATION ALERT; NOW ON FINAL APPROACH TO PLANET EARTH; ETA; FIVE MINUTES" the ship's computer recited over the intercom as Bulma and Vegeta both felt the ship enter Earth's atmosphere. The two were now waiting on the main floor, they knew their journey was almost at its end. Bulma realized she hadn't checked her phone during the entire vacation. It had been sitting at the ship's console the entire time. She powered it on and soon was bombarded by notifications from her various apps and messages. Now would be a good time to let Chi Chi know that they were coming back early.
"Hey!" she wrote. "We're coming back early. We're about to get back on Earth."
It wasn't long before she got a reply.
"Is everything ok?! Are you coming back early because the trip went badly?"
"No!" Bulma wrote back. "The opposite really. We had a wonderful time together for the most part and got the answers we both needed. We wanted to come back early and surprise Trunks!"
Once again, she got a swift reply from her friend.
"That's great! We won't tell him. He's fishing with Goku and Goten right now. See u soon!"
Bulma stood up from the pilot's seat and walked over to Vegeta who was standing by the center console with his arms folded.
"That was some trip, huh?" she said as she got next to him. "I'd like to go back someday. At least we know this is a planet that's relatively safe. That's a rarity in this universe."
"As long as we don't go back during storm season, I will not be opposed to such an idea." Vegeta replied.
"Ha! I will do a better job of planning next time, I promise." Bulma chuckled as she hooked her hand around Vegeta's wrist. "Thank you for not berating me when all that happened. I was scared enough. I feel like the old Vegeta would've given me hell for screwing up like that or handled that catastrophe well as you did. And thank you for protecting me too... you make for a hot protector, especially without clothes on."
Vegeta blushed once more and grumbled. He did what he normally did when uncomfortable and stared off, not making eye contact with Bulma.
"On that note, Vegeta..." Bulma continued. "You really did step up on this trip besides keeping me safe during the storm. You really opened up and were very honest in our conversations. And you cut our trip a day short not for you, but for Trunks. You really seem committed to improving yourself and moving on from who you used to be. I feel like now I can forgive you for what you did at the world tournament."
That took Vegeta by surprise, his eyes widened as he replayed what he had just processed what his wife say in his mind. Despite the progress that had been made, he still was hanging onto the guilt for his actions as a tool for motivation and did not expect to ever be forgiven.
"Thank you..." he muttered.
"I love you, Vegeta. Don't make me regret forgiving you." she said softly, embracing him and resting her head on his chest.
"I love you too..." he said in a low voice.
"I won't make you regret anything; I promise. I won't stop moving forward. I won't desire my past self again." Vegeta said after a delay. " I didn't think I'd receive a second chance to live again... I will make the most out of my new life not just for myself, but for you and for Trunks... I will not fuck this up...
Bulma squeezed him tighter as the ship descended onto Earth's atmosphere to the Capsule Corporation compound. The couple were quick to step outside into the familiar Earth's air. Fortunately, they were greeted with the light of the sun and clear skies as soon as the ship's door opened.
"As much fun as I had away, it sure is good to be home." Bulma said as she stepped down onto the surface with Vegeta not far behind.
"We'll head to Goku's in a sec, I gotta do something real quick in the lab so hang tight." Bulma said as she turned to Vegeta. He nodded and went over to sit in the shade underneath a tree on the compound.
Bulma quickly walked through the corridors on her way to the lab, waving to her father who looked up from his work on a robot before entering her lab. She could see that he was pleasantly surprised to see her back home a day early. After looking through her storage unit, she found what she was looking for. A small clear jar, part of a terrarium set. She poured some water inside the jar and placed the purple flower that Vegeta had placed in her hair into the jar. The flower looked to be in good shape despite being out of its native soil for a few hours now. Surprisingly, it had not yet begun to wither. It could at least serve as a souvenir from the vacation if it was deemed too fragile to be studied.
I should be able to keep it alive now... she thought as she admired the flower, watching it float in its small pool of water.
It had been another lazy, clear summer midafternoon of many during the week near the Mount Paozu region. Lunch was just being finished at the modest wooden dining table as Goku and his wife Chi Chi sat with their son Goten and Trunks who had been staying with them the entire week. Goku and the boys had returned that morning from fishing, where they caught their lunch and Chi Chi had just finished preparing the fish into meals. They had caught enough fish to keep them the family fed for a week, which would be longer for those without Saiyan appetites.
As they were finishing chatting and eating their meals (not so much Goku who was still wolfing down fish sandwiches), a knock was heard at the door.
"Well, I wonder who that could be?" Chi Chi said, feigning ignorance as she got up to answer the door. The boys looked over as Goku kept eating unfazed. She opened the door to the house and was greeted by Bulma and Vegeta, looking visibly much less tense than before.
"Mom! Dad!" Trunks cried out as he ran up and hugged both of his parents. Goku waved as he kept chowing down.
"How ya doing kiddo?" Bulma asked, beaming. "Did you miss us?"
"Yeah!" Trunks answered excitedly as he let go of his hug. "I thought you weren't coming back til tomorrow though."
"Well, we ran out of things to do on the trip and your father suggested we come back early to surprise you." Bulma explained.
"Aw, thanks Dad!" Trunks said as Vegeta smiled.
"Did you have fun while we were gone?" Bulma asked.
"Yeah, we did some training and played outside and fished a lot." Trunks said recalling the last week there.
"Trunks is really good at fishing. You should join us one of these days so you can see it, Vegeta." Goku chimed in as he polished off another fish sandwich.
"Ha! And embarrass the lot of you by catching more fish than all three of you put together?" Vegeta scoffed. "You really want the humiliation?"
"Good to see you're still acting like yourself, buddy." Goku said smiling after hearing that answer.
"Oh, before we forget, Trunks." Bulma started. "Another reason we came back early is we figured you'd behave and be good during your stay here so we wanted to reward you and take you to that amusement park you love, what's it called again? Dream Land!"
"YES!" Trunks exclaimed. "Can we go now?"
"And can I come too?" Goten chimed in, still sitting with his father at the dining room table.
"Trunks yes, and Goten if your mother is ok with it you are more than welcome to come with us." Bulma answered as Chi-Chi nodded.
"I don't see why not; you've studied a lot this week so I suppose you can have some fun tonight." Chi-Chi said. "Why don't you boys go outside and play until we're ready? Us grown-ups want to chat a bit; we won't be long."
Goten got up and joined Trunks as the two ran outside.
"So..." Goku started. "How did it go? Did you two get closer?"
Vegeta blushed and grinded his teeth. There was no way he was having this talk with Goku.
"That's none of your damn business Kakarot!" he snapped as he turned his back and crossed his arms. Bulma flashed the thumbs up at Goku and Chi-Chi while Vegeta's back was turned and mouthed that she'd fill them in later when Vegeta wasn't around. Goku and Chi-Chi got the hint and backed off the subject. Goku got up and got closer to Vegeta.
"Hey..." he said as he placed his hand on Vegeta's shoulder, his demeanor changing more serious. "I do need to ask you something, man to man...and you have to give me an answer, Vegeta..."
"Oh, what do you want?" Vegeta said, turning around. He had only been there a minute and he was already reaching his limit of annoyance.
"I need to know..." Goku started, urgently. "Can I come with you guys to Dream Land? I haven't been there in ages!"
"Of course! "Bulma answered for Vegeta, much to his chagrin. "Chi, you know you're welcome to come along too."
"I'd love to! Let me put these plates away and we'll get going." she said as she began to pick up the four plates on the table.
"Vegeta... we have to ride the rollercoaster together!" Goku said as he began to imagine the possibilities at the amusement park. "And we can both sit in the front, where it's extra scary and thrilling!"
"That sounds like the most idiotic thing I have heard all day." Vegeta began. "And if you think an amusement park ride is frightening, then you truly have no idea what fear is... Let's get this damned excursion over with!"
Bulma chucked and snaked her arm around Vegeta's waist as he began to head outside to the Capsule Corp. airship parked outside.
"You two take your time getting ready, we'll be outside!" Bulma called out as she stepped outside into the warm, summer air.
She rested her head against Vegeta's shoulder as they walked over to the airship. She felt so much more comfortable and at peace than she had a week before. Not all of their issues could be solved but the two are in a much better place after their trip than they were before. By being forced to be alone together, it was impossible for things to not improve as long as they both wanted things to be better. There was no denying their emotional bond had been significantly strengthened and they now had the tools they needed to move forward together, not to mention expectations had been properly communicated. Their renewed bond and growth was evident to their friends as Goku lingered in the dining room and Chi-Chi joined him after putting the plates in the sink.
"Did you see how they were all over each other Chi?" Goku asked as he put his hands behind his head. "I never seen them that affectionate in front of us before. Whatever they did on that trip must've worked."
"Maybe it's a sign YOU should take me on a long vacation like that." Chi-Chi replied, staring intensely as Goku nervously laughed.
"Yeah, I suppose I owe you a second trip soon huh?" Goku said with some trepidation. "It definitely seems to get results! Now let's go, I wanna go on some rides!"
Chi-Chi smiled and took Goku's hand as the two went outside to join the rest of the group.
THE END