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Bulma sighed exasperatedly as she watched her current project fail yet again. She was yet to figure out the root of the problem, but she decided it probably had something to do with the central power core. She was getting frustrated rather quickly as she desperately searched for where she'd gone wrong.
"You're wearing yourself out getting so upset over it," Vegeta commented, and Bulma had half a mind to backhand him right now despite knowing very well that it wouldn't do any harm.
"I'm aware," she muttered, glaring at her husband. Bulma knew she shouldn't take out her frustrations on him, so she set down the screwdriver in her hand and took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm just... exhausted. And frustrated."
"You've made that pretty obvious," Vegeta remarked. Bulma hopped out of her chair and stretched, wincing as she heard her back make a cracking noise. "Jeez. How long have you been hunched over working on that damn thing?"
"Too long," Bulma responded, sighing. "I'm taking a break from it. It's pissing me off to no end."
Vegeta hummed his agreement. He'd been in the lab with Bulma all night, grabbing tools for her when she asked for them and occasionally refilling her coffee mug for her. Admittedly, he'd rather be in the GR training, but Bulma had been working since seven in the evening and it was now three in the morning and he was getting increasingly concerned for her wellbeing. Her human body could only bear so much.
So, Vegeta had spent the past few hours assisting Bulma and watching her work. He occasionally struck up a conversation with her, if only to make sure she was still conscious.
Bulma went to take a sip of her coffee, and stared at her cup bewilderedly when none of the drink came to her lips. After a moment, a look of realization spread over her face.
"Oh. It's empty," she mumbled, mostly to herself. Vegeta was stuck between finding the scene hilarious or somewhat concerning. Bulma sighed, putting the mug down and grabbing her phone. She turned on some music and sat down on a countertop, yawning. Vegeta made his way towards her.
"You've been up all night," he stated, as if it weren't obvious. "You should sleep."
"I'm fine." Bulma yawned. "I just... have to finish the project. It won't take long."
Vegeta sighed. He leaned in to press a kiss to Bulma's lips, lingering for a short moment. When he pulled away, Bulma was looking up at him dazedly, a small smile on her face.
"The core battery is being charged right now. I've got a while until it's done," Bulma said absentmindedly. "Help me pass the time?"
Vegeta smirked, a mischievous look in his eyes, and Bulma rolled her eyes.
"Not like that. The kids are home," she muttered. She wracked her mind for something to do to pass the time, when she remembered the music she had playing. She smiled and grabbed Vegeta's hand. He shot her a questioning look as she dragged him to an open area in the lab. "Have you ever danced with someone?"
"I'm sure you know the answer to that," Vegeta replied, arching an eyebrow at his wife. Bulma shrugged.
"Thought I'd ask anyways." She placed her hand on Vegeta's shoulder. "Your hand goes on my hip."
Vegeta obliged, and Bulma smiled. "Good. Now, follow my lead."
Bulma went through the dance, her practiced feet moving easily to the beat of the song. Vegeta stumbled as he tried to match her steps, occasionally stepping on her feet by accident. After a short while, though, he figured it out and fell into a smooth rhythm with Bulma. The two danced in perfect time with each other, falling into a comfortable silence.
"This is silly," Vegeta muttered as he twirled Bulma around and caught her in his arms again.
"You're pretty good at it, though," Bulma pointed out, smiling at her husband. He couldn't help but smile back.
Vegeta would never admit it aloud, but he lived for moments like these. Things were calm and peaceful, a contented haze surrounding himself and his lover. He thought the dancing and music were kind of silly and pointless, but seeing Bulma smiling at him as she spun around in his arms made it feel so worth it.
Just as Vegeta was about to pull Bulma in for a kiss, the laboratory door opened. He and Bulma stopped their dance, separating themselves from each other to look at the intruder. Trunks stood in the doorway, looking surprised to have seen his parents being so intimate.
"Trunks, what are you doing up?" Bulma glanced at the clock. "It's five in the morning."
"Couldn't sleep," Trunks responded sheepishly. "I... had a nightmare. I came here to give myself something to do while I calmed down."
"Are you okay?" Bulma questioned concernedly as Trunks walked into the laboratory. Trunks shrugged.
"I think so." Bulma could tell he was holding something back, and she guessed it was because Trunks was scared of acting "weak" in front of Vegeta. "What were you two up to?"
"We had to pass some time, so I taught your father how to dance." At that, Trunks doubled over with laughter.
"I can't even picture dad dancing," he said between giggles. Bulma laughed as well, and Vegeta rolled his eyes at the two. "Can you teach me?"
"Really? You wanna learn how to dance?" Bulma cocked an eyebrow at Trunks, and he shrugged sheepishly.
"It'll give me a good distraction," he explained, and Bulma nodded.
"Alright. So first, put your hand on my hip," she explained as she put her hand on her son's shoulder. Trunks did as told. "Now, follow my lead. Move your right foot here, then your left here..."
Trunks figured it out much faster than his father had, and soon he and Bulma were in perfect rhythm. Trunks laughed lightheartedly as he twirled Bulma around and pulled her back, following her lead in moving his feet.
Vegeta watched the two as they danced and laughed, and he smiled. It was silly, he told himself. But seeing his son and his wife happy... Maybe it wasn't so silly. Maybe it wasn't so pointless. Maybe it was okay to have moments like this, laughing and giggling while music played in the background. Spinning around the laboratory at the early hours of the morning, smiling and talking about anything and everything.
And maybe it really was silly and pointless. But maybe silly and pointless didn't have to be a bad thing.