Work Text:
Private Invitation:
It had been a long day.
Bulma had spent the last four hours on the phone with a very unreasonable client. Before that, her computer crashed, causing her to fall further behind on an unrelated project. By the end of the day all she wanted to do was hit the showers and go to bed, but she had her family to attend to.
She entered the house and was surprised to find it empty. Her folks must have taken the kids somewhere and Vegeta was probably training.
When she reached her bedroom, she found a note on the bed:
Be ready in two hours. Dress formally.
Host:
It was unsigned but direct enough to have Vegeta written all over it. Still, Bulma found it perplexing that he would be willing to take her somewhere formal, given how much he hated parties or wearing formal wear of any kind.
Still, it was a rare gesture, so why not indulge him.
Bulma showered quickly and pulled out her favorite blue formal gown. She had already spent an hour on her makeup and another thirty minutes on her hair. She dressed as quickly as she could so she’d be ready before her private host arrived.
Gala:
Bulma was gala-ready by the time Vegeta arrived, dressed in a tuxedo.
He had never worn a tuxedo before.
Not even for their wedding.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” Bulma commented as they met on the terrace. “So, what’s the occasion?”
Vegeta’s face reddened as he shifted his gaze to the side. “No questions. Just…” He paused for a moment before removing a capsule from his pocket and tossing it to the ground, revealing a shiny black Sedan.
“Nice,” she said. “So, who’s driving?”
“I said no questions!” he snapped as he scooped her up into his arms and flew her down to the waiting car.
Mask:
“Get in,” Vegeta ordered as he held the door open. “And, to answer your question, it’s driverless.”
Bulma climbed into the Sedan. Her driverless cars had an excellent track record for safety, so she wasn’t worried.
She was, however, still perplexed over Vegeta’s sudden romantic gesture, and one he was clearly uncomfortable with. He never could hide his feelings well no matter how hard he tried to mask them.
Had someone put him up to this?
“So, what’s going on here anyway?” Bulma asked as they proceeded down the street. “Are you dying or something?”
“For the last time, woman, no questions!”
Costumes:
Thirty minutes out of town their surroundings became more rural as they went. They were headed for the desert.
As if this evening wasn’t odd enough.
Dressed formally for the desert? That was like wearing a bunny costume to a formal get-together. Why would he insist they dress formal if they were going to be way out here?
She wanted an explanation. Wanted to ask him. But every time she tried he would just shut her up.
Whatever he had in mind, it would no doubt be a surprise for sure, so she decided it was best not to ruin it.
Scavenger Hunt:
By the time their car finally came to a stop they were on a flat, barren plane surrounded by high mountains. The air was dry but cool, and her formal wear did little to accommodate.
Vegeta pulled something out of the pocket in the back of the front seat.
“Put this on,” he ordered as he held a blindfold out to her.
Nervous, she inhaled, folding her arms. “Not until you tell me what’s going on,” she spat. “And stop forcing me to hunt for clues just to figure you out.”
Prizes:
“There is nothing to ‘figure out,’” her husband stressed. “Just put this thing on and you’ll find out.”
Bulma took slow, deep breaths as she eyed the blindfold still gripped in his hand. She trusted him. He wouldn’t hurt her for the world. She just wasn’t used to him going the extra mile to surprise her.
After a moment, Bulma took the blindfold and proceeded to put it on. If she was going to get her prize any time soon she needed to follow his lead.
“Okay,” she said when she had finished. “I’m ready.”
Dancing:
Vegeta opened the door and led her outside. Bulma stood waiting for his next move.
A gentle breeze was blowing as he took her into his arms and flew. Moments later, they landed on top of one of the mountains. Bulma brushed wisps of hair from her face as she reaserted herself.
“Ready?” Vegeta asked.
Relieved they weren’t dancing around this any more, Bulma exhaled as she nodded.
He removed the blindfold slowly, making sure not to pull her hair.
Bulma opened her eyes, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she looked around her.
Silent Auction:
Stars. Bright, burning stars. Everywhere her eyes drifted she could see them.
It was a spectacular sight, and it left her completely speechless.
“Ve… Vegeta, this is amazing!” She looked at him, the starlight reflecting in her eyes.
“Thought you’d like it,” he whispered. “You haven’t seen it here at night before. At least, not from this vantage point.
“When I’m out here training, I don’t always notice them at night. But, when I do, I wonder if you would enjoy them. Same when I’m at Beerus’.”
“So… why the formal dress?”
He looked at her with soft eyes.
Murder Mystery:
“Well,” Vegeta began, “I’ve learned that you humans like to dress up for special occasions. And… I’ve been wanting to bring you here and I thought it counted as one. I mean, I wanted to make this moment special.”
Bulma stared at him for a moment. Of course he would misunderstand human customs like this. She practically died laughing when it hit her.
Mystery solved.
“What’s so funny, woman?”
“Sorry, honey.” She took a moment to compose herself. “I’ll explain later, but I’m glad you brought me here.” She kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you. I won’t forget this.”