.::FIVE::.
An hour later, after an exhilarating meet-and-greet at the DJ booth, Yamcha's excitement soared as he returned to Bulma, hoping she had calmed down since their earlier argument. He was eager to spend the rest of the night drinking and dancing together. But as he stepped onto the landing of the VIP section, his heart sank at the sight that unfolded before him. Bulma sat at the small bar, her intoxication evident in her unsteady movements, absorbed in conversation with two unfamiliar men as they sat on either side of her at the bar. They seemed to captivate her attention completely as she leaned in and touched their shoulders, and laughter filled the air from all three of them.
Immediately, anger and frustration surged through him as he watched their conversation continue as he went unnoticed. Yamcha couldn't fathom how Bulma, the woman he loved, the woman he knew he'd eventually marry, could be so carefree and engaged with total strangers, even more so than she had been with him all night. That was the clincher: she hadn't smiled so wide or laughed so loud at anything he'd said tonight when they'd been at the restaurant. But with these two strange men...
The scene pierced his heart, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions Yamcha struggled to contain. It was as if a fire had been ignited within him, fueled by betrayal and jealousy. His protective instincts for Bulma collided with his feelings of inadequacy, creating a storm within him.
It finally reached a boiling point when he continued watching her interact with the two men. When she placed a hand on one of their forearms, Yamcha could no longer contain his fury, and he stormed over to the bar.
Once behind Bulma, he stood there momentarily, expecting them all to turn around in his direction, but when they did not, Yamcha's eyes filled with rage. Not one of them even noticed he was there! It wasn't until the damned bartender asked Yamcha what he'd like to drink that the three before him turned and looked in his direction.
Bulma blinked in surprise, then smiled brightly. "Oh, hey, Yamcha. I'd like you to meet-"
Yamcha grabbed her wrist, jerking her hand off the man's arm.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Bulma questioned, frowning as she yanked her hand out of his grip.
The man that she'd had a hand on turned around and stood. He was a foot taller than Yamcha, but Yamcha wasn't afraid. He knew this average human didn't have a clue as to what he could do to him.
"Hey now, that's no way to treat a lady," he told Yamcha.
The atmosphere grew even more tense when the other man stood as well.
"What are you gonna do about it?" Yamcha asked, looking between the two men.
"Yamcha, stop it!" Bulma begged as she slid off the bar stool and came forward to stand by Yamcha's side.
"I think you two need to mind your own damned business," Yamcha spat, his voice acid.
He grabbed hold of Bulma's arm. "Come on, Bulma, let's go back to the booth."
Bulma jerked her arm out from his grasp.
"Yamcha, they're just old friends from college," she insisted, trying to diffuse the situation. She pointed to the man on her left. "This is-"
"Bulma, I don't give a fuck, who Tweedledee and Tweedledum are. Let's go!"
Bulma's eyes widened, and she sucked in a shocked breath. Without another word, she slipped her hand in his, and Yamcha was pulled away from the two towering men toward their booth in the back of the VIP section. Once seated, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, staring at Bulma.
"Friends, Bulma?" he scoffed, bitterness polluting his words as his mind clouded by jealousy. "Don't play dumb. I saw what was going on with them two."
She rolled her eyes. "My Kami, they're just friends, Yamcha! I haven't seen them in years."
He huffed. "Yeah, just like you're only 'friends' with him."
"With who?" she asked. "Vegeta?"
"Yes! With Vegeta!" Yamcha spat out, his arms going up in the air.
"What are you talking about?" Bulma retorted, a frown on her face. "I'm not friends with him!"
"I saw the two of you in the kitchen tonight when I got there!" Yamcha told her. "It looked like you two were enjoying yourselves a little too much."
The image of Vegeta's hand gripping his girlfriend's neck, their bodies close, flashed within Yamcha's mind. It was the slight smirk he'd seen on Vegeta's face that had caused a surge of hurt to course through Yamcha's heart. The scene he'd walked in on appeared far too comfortable, too intimate, igniting the flames of jealousy he felt even higher. Rage pumped through his veins.
Then, a voice came from over Yamcha's shoulder that would change the trajectory of his life.
"Can't handle a little competition, little man?"
The small remark was like a match to gasoline. Yamcha turned to find the two men standing nearby, smirking as if they'd been listening to their entire conversation.
"Yamcha, no!" Bulma shouted as Yamcha stood, turning to face them.
"Let's take this outside," Yamcha said, his voice filled with determination as he looked between the two.
"Yamcha, stop!" Bulma exclaimed as she stood and came beside him, tugging on his arm to sit back down.
The two men exchanged a glance, and then they slowly nodded.
"You lead the way," they agreed.
XxX
As they stepped outside, Bulma followed the three men. She was led to the same parking lot where Yamcha had parked his hovercraft earlier, two blocks down. Her old college friends, Haru and Ronin, ignored her protests and completely focused on Yamcha.
Throughout the walk, she couldn't help but be annoyed by her boyfriend's immature behavior. Picking a fight with Vegeta was questionable enough, but now Yamcha was needlessly provoking individuals he didn't even know! What was going on with him? Bulma knew Yamcha tended to be jealous, but this seemed to be taking things to a whole other level.
In all the time she had known Yamcha, he had never been so hot-headed and eager for confrontation as he had been for the past couple of months. Something had changed since he'd been resurrected. Could it be attributed to Vegeta living under the same roof? Was her long-term boyfriend truly so threatened by the Saiyan's presence? That arrogant monkey had constantly annoyed Bulma for the past three months, and Yamcha had known that!
Underneath a burnt-out streetlight in the darkest corner of the parking lot, Yamcha abruptly halted. Bulma's eyes widened with shock as she watched her boyfriend taunt her two old friends—or ex-friends, she should say. Bulma was sure Yamcha's actions had shattered the bridge that had once connected them.
"You think you can take on both of us at once?" Ronin questioned in disbelief.
A sinister undertone seeped into Yamcha's voice as he replied, "Oh yeah."
Bulma stood nearby, desperately pleading with Yamcha to stop this senseless confrontation so they could head home together, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Yamcha was entirely focused on Haru and Ronin, who had once shared the same Organic Chemistry class with Bulma in her last semester of college.
No matter what Bulma said, Haru, Ronin, and Yamcha continued their heated exchange, shouting at one another without restraint. Finally, Bulma reached her breaking point after being ignored by the three. She turned around, caught sight of Yamcha's hovercraft, and decided to wait for him there. Perhaps he would abandon this reckless behavior if he realized she had left. He'd started this whole mess because of her, right?
Once inside, Bulma slumped into the passenger seat, burying her face in her hands. Tears began to cascade down her cheeks, and her emotions spun like a cyclone within her. Was it her fault? Had she unintentionally given Yamcha a reason to believe she was planning to leave him for someone else?
That's where all this mess stemmed from, right? His jealousy?
Bulma was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, a thunderous crash shattered the silence. Startled, she looked up through her tears only to witness Yamcha dusting off his pants after being flung against the side of a large dumpster. Bulma's frown deepened as the situation unfolded, and she watched Yamcha walk toward Haru and Ronin, showing no signs of backing down from the fight. Tears continued streaming down Bulma's face as she realized that Yamcha did not even care that she had left the scene. He was clearly more focused on provoking a brawl than resolving any underlying issues the two had in their relationship.
Bulma's sobs persisted as she caught glimpses of the ongoing altercation now and then. Each glance revealed that things weren't going as well for Yamcha as he'd initially hoped they would. As time ticked by, though, her tears gradually dried up as she sat alone in the car. Fatigue eventually replaced despair, and she grew tired of shedding tears for someone who had forgotten all about her.
Bulma reached for her phone and ordered a taxi, determined to remove herself from the escalating situation. With the order placed, she pulled down the sun visor to assess the damage her tears had caused. Her eyes widened in shock at the disarray on her face. Cursing her lack of tissues in her handbag, Bulma searched the interior of Yamcha's car. She started with the glove compartment only to find the manual for the hovercraft inside. Bulma huffed as she closed it and then shifted her attention to the center console. She lifted its cover and peered inside.
Bulma stopped breathing.
Lying at the bottom of the center console was a small black hairbow. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and with a trembling hand, Bulma reached inside to ensure it wasn't a figment of her imagination.
To her horror, it was solid! As it was obviously real, her blood turned ice cold.
Her hand quivered, and she dropped the hairbow back down into the console, forcefully shutting it. Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. Bulma felt the need for fresh air as her breaths began to grow erratic. She swiftly exited Yamcha's hovercraft, her stomach lurching, and she ended up vomiting right beside it. In the background, the sounds of the ongoing fight continued. A crowd had gathered now, but after a few moments, the area was engulfed in flashing red and blue lights. Relief flooded Bulma, knowing that the arrival of the police would halt the altercation. She turned and walked far away from Yamcha toward the corner where she had instructed the taxi service to pick her up.
To her relief, the cab had already arrived, and as Bulma gratefully sank into the backseat, she released a heavy sigh. She conveyed the address of Capsule Corp to the driver, who remained silent despite the messy state of her tear-stained cheeks and smeared mascara. He nodded once, then merged the car into downtown West City traffic with ease.
As Bulma headed home and away from Yamcha, a profound sense of relief washed over her. She was glad she'd been able to escape from Yamcha. This realization saddened her deeply, for Bulma never thought she would yearn to be away from him. But as she thought about it more closely, she had grown more hesitant to reach out. Their conflicts had begun to escalate week after week, and they often revolved around the Saiyan she'd allowed to come stay at her home.
Bulma's thoughts raced as the taxi carried her away from her boyfriend. Though she was sorry to think about it, the distance brought a breather she was glad to have. She gazed out the window, staring as the skyscrapers tapered off into smaller office buildings, which then finally turned into the residential area of West City. Bulma's thoughts were consumed with how awful the state of their relationship was. And the possibility of his infidelity weighed heavy on her mind.
The taxi cab backed into her driveway, and since the driver hadn't dared comment on the state of her messed-up makeup, Bulma tipped him fifty percent. Once outside and the cab gone, a frown creased Bulma's face as she stared up at her home in the moonlight. Hearing the persistent hum of the gravity chamber, she turned and headed around the side of the house towards the back porch. Seeing the crimson light shining through the small rounded windows, Bulma knew Vegeta was still immersed in his training.
Right now, in a small particular way, Bulma envied the Saiyan. He was alone in the world. Vegeta didn't have to grapple with the complex emotions that plagued human beings. Bulma wished she could forget what she'd found within Yamcha's hovercraft, but as she took a seat on the back porch steps, she knew she'd never be able to bury what she had uncovered tonight. The shocking discovery of the hairbow in her boyfriend's new car had rattled her to the core.
How long has his infidelity been happening? Their relationship had been strained as of late, making it difficult for Bulma to pinpoint exactly when he had started to change. But over time, she had begun to realize that their once vibrant connection had started to lose its luster. The newfound fame Yamcha had discovered through the Taitan's baseball team had become a novelty, an exhilarating experience he relished every second of. However, for Bulma, who had been born into fame, being a celebrity didn't hold the same allure, and Yamcha couldn't comprehend her perspective, even when she tried explaining it to him. And now, with the revelation of finding the hairbow... Bulma truly didn't know what to think.
Her gaze shifted to the night sky, drawn to the crystal-clear atmosphere decorated with countless stars. Tonight, though, the stars didn't appear quite as breathtaking as they usually did. Bulma sighed, wanting nothing more than to take one of Capsule Corps' ships and head out into space to see them up close and personal. Right now, Bulma yearned to be away, enveloped in the silent beauty of space.
She became lost in thought for a while, but then, when the hum of the gravity chamber ceased, Bulma pulled her gaze from the night sky over towards the round machine in the backyard.
The chamber door slid open, revealing the Saiyan, and though he'd only been in the gravity chamber for a little more than four hours, he looked like he'd been there for days. His breathing was labored, and Bulma could even make out the sheen of sweat that coated his entire body. It was then that he cut his eyes over in her direction. Feeling too drained to get up and go inside, she gave him a small wave, then leaned her head against the railing as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She then continued to stare into the night sky and began quietly naming constellations to herself.
When he was about ten feet away from her, Vegeta stopped walking. Bulma pulled her gaze from Cassiopea and looked over at the exhausted Saiyan. Managing a weak half-smile, she knew he was taking in the disarray that she'd become. The frown was displayed on his face.
"You look like shit," he stated bluntly.
Bulma couldn't help but smile wider at him. Despite all the craziness that had happened to her tonight, Bulma could not care less how she looked at the moment or what he thought about her. Vegeta's brow twitched.
"Thanks," Bulma retorted flatly while still keeping the smile on her face.
Under ordinary circumstances, embarrassment would have flooded her, and she'd have already been up in her room to hide her face, but after the night she'd had, Bulma found herself uncaring about her disheveled appearance.
"Got two bots down," Vegeta told her.
Bulma yawned and gave him a nod. "Drop them off at my office."
The Saiyan grunted his nonverbal agreement and then retreated into the house, leaving Bulma outside alone with her churning thoughts.
XxX
Vegeta stood in the kitchen's darkness, quietly filling a glass of water from the fridge tap, when a glare of headlights pierced through Capsule Corp's front windows, casting an unwelcome intrusion into the first floor of the house. As he finished gulping down the last remnants of water, a racket of raised voices from outside reached his ears.
"Why the hell did you leave?"
Surprise, surprise. It was that troublesome human he'd beaten earlier. He refilled his glass and went over to the window across the kitchen, staying hidden in the shadows while having a clear view of the two outside as he observed their exchange.
"You expected me to stay?" she questioned the male, seeming baffled. "After everything tonight?"
Vegeta's brow arched, his curiosity piqued, wondering what the idiotic male had done after they'd flown away in his hovercraft.
"Come on, Bulma," the male crooned while stepping closer toward her, his arms outstretched. "It was only a small fight, and no one got hurt too badly. Everyone lived and walked away."
"The police were called!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"I got away unnoticed!" The human male's lips curled into a smug smirk. "Your two college friends, on the other hand..."
She frowned. "How can you be so callous?"
"Me? Callous?" He laughed and pointed towards the window Vegeta was standing near. "That monkey in there is the one who's heartless, Bulma, not me!"
Vegeta was sure the human couldn't see him, but just in case, he took a step away from the window while still hiding in the shadows. The male continued.
"Or did you just so happen to forget what he did to me only a few hours ago?"
"Only because you attacked him first!" she yelled back.
The male physically recoiled. "I cannot believe you're actually taking up for that worthless monkey!"
"Yamcha, just stop." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Turn around and go home."
The male took a deep breath and then said in a sweeter tone, "Look, I'm sorry. Just come back home with me. We can talk about everything there."
"I'm not going anywhere with you. Especially after tonight," she retorted, her words laced with disappointment that even Vegeta couldn't miss.
The male took another step towards the porch while she took a step back.
"Please, Bulma! I'm sorry! It won't happen again, I promise!" he remarked desperately, his hands outstretched.
The woman's gaze lingered on the weak male, her expression a look of defeat and sadness.
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "Just go home, Yamcha. We can talk about this after we've both had some sleep."
"Bulma...Please..."
The human male's desperate pleas did not affect the woman. She kept denying him, and eventually, Vegeta could see frustration creep into the male's expression, quickly transforming his face into a sharp scowl.
With determination, the male declared, "I'm your boyfriend, Bulma, and I'm not budging an inch until you come back home with me!"
In response, the woman rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Yamcha. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
With those final words, she turned her back on the human male and headed toward the double doors that led inside. Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, Vegeta swiftly turned around, sat his empty cup on the table, and headed toward the stairs.
Once he reached the second-floor landing, Vegeta expected to hear the opening and closing of the back door, but when the sound never came, his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned around.
With slow and deliberate steps, he ventured back down the stairs. While hidden within the hallway's shadows, he noticed what had kept the woman from coming inside.
The stupid human male now stood on the porch and had positioned himself between the double doors, barring the blue-haired woman from entering. Vegeta's brows furrowed at the sight before him, and without thought, he found himself drawn forward out of the shadows of the hallway and towards the scene outside.
XxX
Bulma stood frozen, her mind racing with disbelief. Throughout her years with Yamcha, he had never used his abilities on her. Yet, tonight, in the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of her as she'd turned to head inside.
His expression sent a shiver down her spine. Her heart pounded as Yamcha commanded her to turn around and get inside his car. Confusion and defiance furrowed her brows, and Bulma placed her hands on her hips.
"No!" she retorted, meeting his scowl with determination, though her legs felt like they were about to collapse out from underneath her.
Yamcha, clearly exasperated with her defiance, let out a frustrated sigh. "Come on, Bulma. Stop being like this!"
"You stop being like this and let me go inside so I can sleep! You can call me in the morning," she stated matter-of-factly, standing her ground. She was glad she managed to hide the nervousness in her voice, refusing to show him any vulnerability.
"Please, Bulma! We can sleep when we get there, and then we can talk about it in the morning," Yamcha explained, desperation creeping into his voice.
"No!" Bulma repeated firmly, unwavering in her decision. She was going nowhere with him!
She could tell by the look in his eye that Yamcha was on the verge of yelling again, but her next words stopped him and shook him to his core.
"I saw what was in your car's center console," she exclaimed, hoping that revealing this would finally make him leave.
Uncertainty filled his features.
"The hairbow!" she stated.
Silence hung in the air between them. Bulma watched as a multitude of emotions flickered across Yamcha's face. Traitorous tears welled up in her eyes as she stared into the eyes of the stranger before her. This was not the young man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago.
"Bulma... I-I can explain. It's not what you think," he stammered, his voice strained.
Raising a hand, she interrupted him. Tears streamed down her cheeks now. "Don't even bother, Yamcha."
She gazed up at him and struggled to recognize the person standing before her. This guy was starkly different from the charming one she had once known. Memories of the Yamcha who had captivated her heart and soul flooded her mind, highlighting the contrast to the stranger standing before her. The Yamcha she had loved would never pick useless fights with strangers for no reason. The Yamcha she had loved would never have resorted to cheating.
As Bulma took a deep breath, a profound sense of loss engulfed her heart. She yearned for the old Yamcha she had once known. The stranger standing before her shattered her heart to pieces, leaving Bulma utterly devastated.
"Just come on, Bulma," Yamcha continued to beg, his voice filled with frustration and anger instead of love.
"No!" she stated, her voice rising. "I want to go to bed! In my own house! Now, please move."
Unable to take it any longer, she attempted to step around him, but Yamcha moved, blocking her path. Bulma frowned as she stared up into his hardened face.
He had never acted like this toward her before, and a strike of fear shot through her spine. Without warning, Yamcha grabbed Bulma's wrist tightly, causing her to jump and yelp in fright. She stepped back from him and tried to free her arm but to no avail.
"What are you doing? Let go of me, Yamcha!" Bulma's voice quivered.
As it became clear that Yamcha had no intention of releasing her, a flicker of terror pierced through Bulma's body. She stopped moving, becoming immobilized, as his grip tightened on her wrist. She was frightened of what Yamcha would do next.
Without saying another word, he stepped around her and began pulling her over to the porch steps, heading towards his hovercraft. Her heart pounded in her chest, and panic threatened to consume her.
"No, Yamcha!" she yelled at him as she attempted to pull her wrist free from his grasp, her panic escalating with each step as he continued to pull her off the back porch.
Right when her foot touched the first step, the back door opened, and Vegeta emerged onto the porch. The Saiyan's presence was enough to finally stop Yamcha in his tracks.
"I think the woman wants to go to bed," he remarked, his hoarse voice cutting through the early morning silence.
As Yamcha stared at Vegeta, his eyes filled with a force that could ignite a fire.
"Mind your own damned business, Vegeta!" Yamcha growled, his hold on Bulma's wrist tightening even more.
Bulma protested his grip, but Yamcha ignored her as he stared at Vegeta.
"What are you going to do about it?" Vegeta questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice.
With slow and deliberate steps, Vegeta came over and stood next to Bulma, his gaze never leaving Yamcha's. It was only then that Yamcha released the hold he had on her. She hugged her arms close to her chest and rubbed her sore wrist.
Yamcha had never grabbed her like that before, and at the moment, Bulma didn't know what hurt worse, her wrist or her heart. The energy in the air crackled as Yamcha yelled, powering up, his aura intensifying with his anger.
"Fuck you, Vegeta," Yamcha yelled at the Saiyan.
Bulma's heart raced, her desperation reaching its peak as she watched Yamcha form balls of energy in his hands as he prepared to attack Vegeta yet again. In defense, Vegeta began powering up too. So, before the situation could escalate further, Bulma took it within herself and stepped in between the two men.
She faced the Saiyan and pleaded, her hand on his chest. "Stop it! Please... Just stop it! I just want to go to fucking bed!"
Bulma urged Vegeta to stand down, and to her utter and complete surprise, the Saiyan listened. He straightened his posture, no longer in attack mode.
Bulma sighed in relief, then glanced over her shoulder at Yamcha, who still looked as if he were still ready to leap on the Saiyan.
"Go home, Yamcha. We'll talk later," she said to him, her voice filled with sadness.
She hoped he would make the right choice.
Yamcha scoffed at her words. "Of course, you'd choose him over me."
As soon as he finished his sentence, anger surged through Bulma's veins faster than she thought possible. Fueled by the pain and betrayal she had endured this entire night, she turned around quickly to face him.
"You know what?" Bulma asked him. "Fuck you, Yamcha! Go home, and don't ever come back here! Don't bother calling tomorrow, either!"
She was officially done with his bullshit. Especially after that last statement that came out of his mouth! It was too late to deal with this. All she wanted was to go to bed and sleep till Kami knew when.
For Bulma, this was the end of their relationship; finding the hairbow in the center console of his brand-new hovercraft was the catalyst for her breaking feelings. Bulma could no longer keep bending her knee to every fight they had. And especially after she'd found out that he had been entertaining other women, how could she be with him?
The finality in her words hung between the two. Then, finally, the balls of ki he held within his hands dissipated quickly.
"Bulma..." Yamcha whispered with urgency.
He reached a hand out towards her and took a step forward, but before Bulma could even blink, Vegeta swiftly positioned himself in front of Bulma, blocking Yamcha entirely from her line of sight. Bulma's eyes widened.
"Get the hell out of the way, Vegeta!" Yamcha bellowed at the Saiyan. "This is between me and her!"
"Leave now!" Vegeta shouted, his threatening voice cutting through the tension in the air. "Or I will make you!"
Vegeta stepped off the porch, and Bulma watched as Yamcha stepped back from the Saiyan. And after a moment's hesitation, Yamcha shifted his gaze to her over Vegeta's shoulder.
"I'll call you in the morning," Yamcha muttered to Bulma. "Hope you answer."
With that, Yamcha finally turned away and headed toward his hovercraft. Vegeta and Bulma stood still, watching as the vehicle cranked to life and rose into the air. Once the sound of the departing craft faded away into the distance, Vegeta pivoted around and headed towards the double doors, never once looking in Bulma's direction. She turned around and mumbled a thanks of gratitude.
Vegeta stopped walking and did not turn around to face her when he answered. "I didn't do it for you."
Before Bulma could fumble over a retort to his statement, Vegeta entered the house a second later, leaving her outside alone.