That day, the afternoon's sunrays were warmer than usually and the home economics class was filled with a delicious odor of cookies and laughters. Even Yamcha, who usually remained quiet among all those girls, was talking and laughing with them. He wasn't the young man who panicked at the sight of a woman anymore and when Dolby put a hand on his shoulder as complementing his cook's skills, he only smiled gently. The black haired girl emitted a charmed "aww".

- You're just so cute, Yamcha!

Her hand squeezed his shoulder slightly.

- And muscled, she added, her black eyes sparkling.

Something moved in Yamcha's stomach but he didn't pay attention. This Dolby was very pretty... "I like Bulma's eyes better though. Those are too... Dark. Blue eyes are just so beautiful." He barely heard the bell as the other girl stepped closer, a playful light dancing in the obscures eyes.

- You have flour on your cheek, she said softly, rising her hand to his face.

He wondered if she noticed how hot his skin was all of a sudden, but she only smiled while slowly wiping the flour from it.

From here he could smell her perfume. Something fruity... Oranges... No, peaches. He longed for a strawberry one...

Her fingers slipped into his hair. He remembered how Bulma would do it and wished she was there.

Dolby's smile changed a little. Was it... Seducing? Yamcha asked himself when she had gotten that close to him. He was about to say something when a well-known scream was heard.

- YAMCHA!!

Suddenly Dobly's hand vanished, she wasn't so close anymore. But it was too late and Yamcha prepared himself for another squabble with Bulma.

The purple haired girl was hardly breathing, her fists convulsively opening and clenching, visibly trying to control herself.

Yamcha felt guilt growing inside. In the past, he'd been too freaked out to stop girls from hitting on him. But this time, he had let Dolby do and honestly, he didn't know how far it could have gone. Guilt mixed with disgust and shame for himself.

Finally, Bulma exploded. Her words hit Yamcha like sharp wind and even though he didn't really understand every word, he looked down and stayed silent. What else could he do anyway?

After a moment that seemed to never end, Bulma shut up. Dolby was gone, but she didn't care. Something was wrong with Yamcha. He wasn't trying to explain and didn't look unfairly yelled at as usual. He was silent and impassable, and it scared her suddenly.

Something wrung her heart. Fear?

- Don't you say anything? she asked with a shaking voice.

His onyx eyes plunged into hers and she shivered. What was it with him...

- If you don't trust me, just say so, he said calmly.

Neutral voice. Bulma paled. Had she over reacted one too many times? Was he breaking up?! Little drops of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, her throat dried up.

- What do you mean?

Her voice was so faint suddenly! She held onto his past words: I could forgive you anything. It was taking him too much time to answer...

- I trust you...

A shadow fell on his already so dark look, but his face softened. He smiled.

- It's fine, Bulma. I know you can't help it.

She hugged him gladly, but had the feeling it wasn't really fine. Something in the way he hugged back... But willing to have and keep an happy couple, she just kissed him on the cheek, smiling as if she was completely relieved, denying the feeling.

The punching bag loosily turned around, came back toward the young man who gave it another weak punch. An heavy sigh was covered by the sound of the punch.

Puar looked at Yamcha as he waited for the red bag to return to him, visibly lacking in motivation. "What's wrong? Bulma isn't angry... Maybe there's a problem at school or something..." Usually, he'd ask his friend what was going on, but he couldn't dare this time. There was something in his eyes... Something forbidding questions.

The bag balanced slowly until it immobilized. Puar blinked a couple of times. He didn't even have noticed Yamcha's departure...

Having dozens of rooms in a house can be very useful, but also very annoying when you're looking for someone who isn't in his usual places. Bulma was starting to lose patience. She wanted to ask Yamcha about his reaction at school and couldn't find him. She roared as discovering another empty room. Where was he?!

It was the first time Bulma would arrive at school without Yamcha since the beginning of the year. For what she knew, he'd disappeared from Capsule Corporation after having trained a little and hadn't come back at all. She was worry more than upset. Did he really think she didn't trust him? "You're stupid, Bulma, stupid! This is all your fault!" Why had she yelled at him like that anyway? It was always the same mess, always because of her...

No... Not the same mess... This time, it was different. The young girl was even more scared than usual, because she didn't know what to expect from Yamcha now.


He didn't show up in physical education. Many students gave Bulma wondering, if not mean, looks. She tried to not care, worrying a little more at every minute passed. Finally, she left before the end, returned to Capsule Corporation, hoping he'd be there.

Of course, he wasn't.

After wandering in the city for hours, Yamcha had slept freely in a motel after defeating the place's champion. He'd slept in and arrived at school quite late. In fact, right after the physical education class, which was good because he wasn't too sure if he wanted to see Bulma.

He couldn't just do as if nothing had happened. Not only he had let that girl hit on him, but he knew he'd hurt Bulma... As much as she had hurt him in the past with her mistrust, he hoped.

He'd said he could forgive her anything, but not for an infinite among of times. Somewhen she had to really trust him... He was starting to be sick of her jealousy, of her angers for nothing...

This time, he'd give her a reason to scream. He smiled as heading toward a beautiful black haired girl.

- Hi Dolby. Feel like skipping maths?

"I wonder what Bulma's doing..."

- ...and then they looked at me and said "Really?!" so I replied "Of course, duh!" and Bob...

Yamcha sighed. Dobly was cute (ok, gorgeous), but so boring and self-centred. He couldn't even remember who Bob was.

- ...Amazing, no? Anyway, I told him to...

How long could she talk without breathing? Her perpetually moving lips were hypnotizing him...

- ...in red! Right? I mean, green is so... So green!

Red? Green? Confused, he just gave up. Going out with Dolby just to anger Bulma was the dumbest thing he'd ever done, especially that she didn't even know about it.

She didn't even notice when he left.

When he was pretending to listen at Dolby, Yamcha had realised he couldn't stop thinking about Bulma and feeling bad. He was cheating on her, in a way... How could it have sounded right, just an hour ago?! It was so dumb...

Not feeling like going to school, he walked back home.

That part of the huge building was amazingly quiet for once, the heavy silence only broken by Yamcha softly, almost shily, knocking at a closed door.

- Bulma? You there? Can I enter... Please... We have to talk.

The purple haired teenager shivered at her boyfriend's voice, wiped small tears from her eyes.

- Sure... Come in.

He opened the door, closed it silently behind him. He was wearing his last day's clothes and seemed a little desperate. One hand held a small box. She recognized it as a strawberries one and held back a smile.

- Where were you? she asked, a little too rudely.
- With Dolby.

The two words fell on her and it took a few seconds for her to react. With. Dolby. As in, with another girl?! She felt her eyes watering again.

- But I was wrong, he finally added, slightly shaking with nervosity. I don't love her, she's... She's not the one. You are.

He held out the small box, daring a sorry, hopeful smile. In vain. She shook her head, as if horrified by him.

- I'm really sorry, he said quickly, nervous. That was very stupid, I know... I'll leave the strawberries there and go, then...
- I don't care about strawberries! I don't need them, I need you, Yamcha! You know I can't control myself when an idea jumps into my mind, now what if I can't even trust you?!
- You can...
- You were with someone else!
- But I'm back! It's all clear now, Bulma. You're the one I love. Please, believe me...

And he stayed there, begging and sorry eyes, lost face and scared heart, as she stared at him in silence.

- You thought you could buy me that... she whispered, her extinct eyes on the strawberries box. A little too easy, no?
- I didn't mean it like that... I just wanted to please you...

She sighed. She could feel his sorrow and wanted to forgive him... But the terrible feeling that she couldn't trust him anymore was haunting her still, trying to rip her heart.

He was sorry... Wouldn't do it again...

He had been with Dolby...

He regretted it... So much...

Finally, she smiled softly.

- You lucky bastard.

He walked up to her, hugged her tightly, relief obvious on his face, in his eyes, in his kiss... She was the one he loved, the only one... He had to remember it from now on. It would be so easy... He suddenly felt a new sort of love filling him: a confident, strong love...

- I love you, she whispered in his ear.

Yamcha breathed her perfume as replying:

- I love you too...

It sounded new, even more true and real than before. They smiled to each other.

- So... Do we eat those strawberries or not?


Eh eh...The End!! E-mail me your comments about it, and I might write a sequel one day.


Birdee's Note: I WANT A SEQUEL! So EMAIL HER! Please? ^_^



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