The complete replication of Kakarot's armor's stretchy and durable material takes hours. Bulma is yawning and rubbing away tears by the time she's done, tired yet satisfied with the progress she has made. It went faster than she expected, something she attributes to Durian's help, for which she is grateful.
With Durian on her mind, Bulma's gaze wanders to the girl, amused to find her distracted by a simple toy. The silent room is filled with soft clicks as Durian interacts with the toy. Every time she pushes the switch forward, a tiny creature pops out to push it back—a never-ending game that seems to enthrall Durian. Sometimes she reacts swiftly, other times she takes her time. Each cycle continues as the creature resets the switch.
Bulma calls for Durian's attention, expecting to be ignored given her focus. Surprisingly, Durian responds promptly, blinking inquisitively at Bulma before the creature resets the switch, returning the room to silence.
Durian's hair is a mess atop her head, slightly damp from a recent shower. Now, her attention shifts back to Bulma, idly holding the toy in her hand, head tilted in curiosity.
"Tired?" Durian asks, barely suppressing a chuckle.
"Exhausted, actually," Bulma admits with a sigh, almost slumping in her seat. "All I need is a warm bath and sleep."
Durian hums, her attention returning to the toy. She slowly flips the switch into place, holding it there with squinted eyes.
"There's no point," Bulma giggles, "it'll push it back when you let go."
Durian sighs and releases the switch, watching as the creature pops out of the box to reset it. Bulma notices when Durian loses interest, her expression oddly neutral as she gently sets the toy aside near the edge of her desk.
As a yawn escapes Bulma, she decides she can't linger in the lab any longer. Abruptly standing, she breaks the silence with a low groan, earning raised brows from Durian, who remains seated. After a moment, Bulma walks towards the door, already imagining the soothing warmth of her bath. She can almost smell her soap in the air and feel the softness of her bed and blankets.
Lost in thoughts of soap and sleep, Bulma almost fails to notice Durian at her side. Durian isn't easily ignored; Bulma can't turn a blind eye to her, even when she tries. Durian has recently showered, having complained about needing cool water on her skin just half an hour ago. She smells of fruits, a scent likely from her soap or shampoo, or perhaps from the bowl of fruits she snacks on at times. There's another soft, lingering scent Bulma can't quite place—a perfume of sorts, but she's never asked about it, feeling it would be odd to inquire.
Bulma steals a glance at Durian, but it isn't returned; Durian seems distracted.
"What's on your mind?" Bulma asks.
There's no immediate answer. At first glance, it seems Durian didn't hear her, but Bulma knows better.
Finally, after moments of silence, Durian speaks. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."
Bulma's brows crease. "Another one of those nights, then?"
Durian nods, a smile lingering on her lips. "I may have insomnia."
"That's not something to smile about!" Bulma scolds, giving her a playful smack on the shoulder. Durian laughs quietly in the quiet halls of Capsule Corp. "It's not funny!"
Durian hardly ever sleeps, and it's concerning. At first, Bulma thought it was occasional, not fully aware due to her own irregular sleeping patterns from working in the lab. It's not unusual for Durian to be awake when they're together, but it's worrisome when Bulma realizes it's more persistent than she thought. Durian simply doesn't sleep—not because she doesn't want to, but because she can't. She either falls asleep and wakes up an hour later or doesn't sleep at all.
"I don't get how you're so energetic every day," Bulma admits. "If I had a similar issue, I'd probably look worse than the undead."
"You get used to it," Durian replies easily. "And cocoa helps. Sugar works just as well as caffeine."
"You shouldn't have to get used to it."
"It can't be helped."
When asked about the habit, Durian simply mentioned staying awake at night to ensure bandits didn't steal her belongings when she used to travel. "The moment you let your guard down, you could lose everything to thieves."
For some reason, Bulma doesn't entirely believe this reasoning.
"You're staying with me tonight," Bulma declares firmly, leaving no room for argument. When Durian tries to protest, Bulma simply watches her, waiting. Durian will spend the night with Bulma; all her protests are futile.
"There's really no need for that; I'll only disturb you," Durian insists.
When Bulma doesn't respond, Durian sighs. "Really, Bulma, I'll be fine on my own."
"You feel much better when you have company," Bulma asserts. "You've said you don't always like to be alone with your thoughts."
"Yes, but—"
"You're spending the night with me," Bulma repeats firmly. "I would've asked you anyway, so you have no reason to say no. And if you do say no, I'll spend the night in your room. So, in the end, we'll spend the night together, and that's that."
This time, Durian doesn't protest. It's indeed futile.
"You're very demanding."
"Am not."
Durian chuckles. "You are. You always tell me what I'm going to do. You could ask me sometimes."
Bulma huffs, disgruntled.
"Don't be mad, Bulma," Durian says lightly. "You can always tell me what to do."
At that, Bulma snorts. "Sure, okay."
Durian huffs out a laugh. "I could have made a perverted joke with that line."
Approaching Bulma's room, Durian holds the door open for her. Bulma stretches as she walks, arms above her head and shirt climbing up her torso. One glance at her bed, and she's forgetting about her bath and the need to be clean. Her room is dark, lit only by the moon shining through her window, casting a spotlight on her bed.
Before she knows it, she's crashing into soft pillows and groaning in satisfaction.
"What about that bath you said you needed?"
Bulma mumbles into her pillow, eyes closed, and decidedly ignores Durian's query. Through her sleep-riddled mind, she hears water running and smells the strawberry soap wafting into her room.
"I'm drawing your bath," Durian says moments later, soft steps padding through the room towards Bulma's bed.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
The bed dips slightly as Durian sits on the edge, close enough that Bulma could feel the warmth of her body. She wants to reach out and pull Durian close, but Bulma knows she's more likely to fall asleep if she does that.
And she needs to take a bath. Cuddles come after soaking in a warm bubble bath.
"You should join me," she says after a few long moments of silence, watching Durian with bleary eyes, tracking every rise and fall of her chest as the other girl leans back slightly.
"Join you in the bath?" Durian wonders.
If she weren't so tired, Bulma would have rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Durian, in the bath."
"Huh," Durian absently scratches her cheek. "Never asked me that before."
"First time for everything."
Onyx eyes narrow, almost as if Durian were suspicious of her behavior, but the expression is quickly gone, replaced by a blank mask as Durian simply looks at Bulma.
"I've never seen you naked," Durian states flatly. Her tone lacks emotion, almost impressive. "Didn't think you'd just randomly decide I'm allowed to see you naked."
"Why wouldn't you be?" Bulma retorts.
"Why would I be?" Durian asks back.
The room descends into silence once more as the two simply stare at each other.
"And I already showered," proof in Durian's still-damp hair.
"You can never be too clean."
Durian doesn't deign to reply. She sits silently for a moment, now staring ahead with furrowed brows as if she were contemplating something.
Exhaustion has a way of making Bulma care less. If she were of sound mind, she likely would not have proposed Durian take a bath with her. Does she regret it? No. Will she regret it? Definitely not.
Imagine her delight when Durian starts undoing the buttons of her pajama top a minute later. She works with one hand, the other running through her hair as she stands and approaches the bathroom.
"I do not like the fact I have to take another bath," she says as she goes. "If it so happens that I've already taken a bath the next time you feel like company for your own, I'll have to turn you down."
Oh, she would try. She'll remind Bulma of this very moment, but Bulma always gets her way. Somehow.
When Durian disappears into the bathroom, Bulma sits up. Blue eyes blink slowly as she stares at the open bathroom door, a grin slowly spreading across her face. Well, she didn't think her night would end this way.
--------------
Bulma sighed happily as she relaxed in the pleasantly warm, scented water. A bath was always relaxing, but even more so now that she had somehow convinced Durian to join her. She had been far too excited and too tired to really pay much attention earlier. If she weren't so eager, she could have enjoyed the sight of a naked Durian a lot more. Of course, she did get a feast for the eyes when she walked into the bathroom in time to watch Durian taking off her underwear. What a wonderful life she led.
Durian, at a glance, looked like all hard muscles, and she did have those muscles. But she was also so soft, and Bulma adored it. Her skin was smooth and warm, contrasting the firmness of her physique.
Bulma giggled happily, her head falling back to rest on Durian's shoulder while Durian curiously ran her hands down Bulma's body. Bulma wouldn't say Durian was groping her, but there was a firmness to the way Durian touched and held her, a mixture of curiosity and reverence.
"Oh wow, you're soft," Durian mumbled in awe, her voice low and hushed.
Bulma didn't reply, merely enjoying the feeling of Durian's hands all over her body paired with the warm water. She closed her eyes and relaxed further, fully savoring the moment as exhaustion lingered. The water was soothing, the scent of strawberries filling the air, and she knew for a fact she'd sleep wonderfully after their shared bath.
Durian's hands continued to explore, her touch gentle yet curious. She traced the curves of Bulma's waist, the dip of her hips, the softness of her thighs. Bulma let out a contented sigh, melting further into Durian's embrace. The water sloshed softly around them, creating gentle ripples that lapped against their skin.
Bulma began to doze off, and Durian noticed quickly. Gently, she nudged their heads together, snickering when Bulma grumbled a jumbled complaint. Humming, Durian leaned forward, coaxing Bulma into a more upright position so she did not slumber off in the tub.
"Time to get out," Durian declared gently, guiding a protesting Bulma to her feet.
"Just a bit longer," Bulma mumbled, her voice slurred with drowsiness, her eyes fluttering open briefly before closing again.
"We need to get out, Bulma," Durian replied softly, helping her out of the bath. She wrapped Bulma in a fluffy towel, its warmth enveloping her, while Bulma leaned into her for support.
Durian dried them both off, her movements tender and efficient. Bulma, exhausted and sluggish, let herself be taken care of, her head resting on Durian's shoulder. Durian's fingers were deft and warm as they patted Bulma's skin dry, the towel soft against her body. She made sure every part of Bulma was dry, taking extra care with her hair, gently patting it with the towel.
"We didn't have to come out," Bulma murmured, barely coherent as she yawned, her voice a sleepy whisper.
"We did," Durian said with a chuckle. Once they were both dry, Durian tried to get Bulma into some clothes. However, Bulma, in her sleepy haze, actively resisted.
"No clothes," she protested weakly, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. "Just bed."
"Come on, Bulma," Durian coaxed, trying to get Bulma to put on a shirt. "You get cold so easily at night. You'll regret it if you don't wear something. Here, you can wear my clothes."
Luckily, Bulma had a little space in her closet for some of Durian's clothes.
She held out one of her own shirts, hoping to sweeten the deal. But Bulma, determined in her sleepy stubbornness, shook her head and swatted the shirt away.
"Don't wanna," Bulma mumbled, her eyes barely open. "Just bed."
Durian sighed softly, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she watched Bulma. Finally giving in, she let Bulma climb into bed naked. Unlike Bulma, Durian does wear some clothes—simple shorts and her pajama top.
As soon as Durian lay down, Bulma instinctively pulled her close, her body seeking warmth and comfort. In her sleep haze, Bulma pressed a gentle kiss to Durian's lips, her eyes already half-closed. The kiss was soft and fleeting, but it sent a warm shiver through Durian.
Durian blinked in surprise and stared at the wall while Bulma nuzzled into her neck, already fast asleep. The room was quiet, save for the soft sound of their breathing and the occasional rustle of the sheets as Bulma shifted closer.
"Okay," she said to herself, resting her chin on Bulma's head. "I guess... okay."
Unexpected, but not at all unwelcome, though Durian did wonder what sort of reaction she'd get from Bulma in the morning. She couldn't imagine Bulma would remember everything immediately, not with how exhausted she had been.
Durian snorted, she could already picture Bulma's tomato-red face when she wakes up.
__________
Waking up to birds singing outside your window would be the picture-perfect start to someone's day. Not Bulma. She was way too tired to be awake as early as the birds, far too sleepy to even open her eyes, and uncomfortably cold.
Grumbling, she nuzzled closer to her source of warmth, hands slipping under Durian's shirt to feel the heat of her skin. She sighed and inhaled the familiar scent of her bubble soap. Sleep clung to the edges of her mind, but of course, something else had to make matters worse.
"I gotta pee," she muttered, the discomfort in her bladder too annoying to ignore.
"Go pee," Durian's words were muffled in Bulma's hair as she gently urged Bulma's hands out of her shirt. "Not good for your bladder."
"Shut up."
"Go pee."
Groaning and already missing the sleep she wouldn't get back, Bulma struggled to climb over Durian and almost fell flat on her face.
"I'm naked," she realized once she was on the floor, not as bothered by the fact as Durian had hoped she would be.
Bulma disappeared into the bathroom, and Durian buried her face in her pillow. It had taken a bit, but Durian eventually fell asleep last night, and it was wonderful. She understood Bulma's unwillingness to leave the bed this morning, but things needed to be done.
When the toilet flushed, Durian sat up, hair falling into her face. She looked to the side, blinking sleep away, and watched Bulma walk through the room as if she weren't butt naked in front of Durian. She was grumbling something Durian didn't try to understand.
"You have a really nice body," Durian uttered, rubbing her face. "Really pretty."
Bulma blushed, the color spreading from the tips of her ears down to her shoulders.
"Yes, well..." Bulma huffed as her sentence trailed off into nothingness. Then she sighed. "I kissed you last night. Or was I dreaming? I was so tired I swear."
"You kissed me, yeah," Durian shrugged. As she had pictured, there was a blooming redness on Bulma's face. Either from the realization or simply because Durian had refused to take her eyes off her. "And fell asleep immediately after."
Bulma snorted. "I was sleepy."
"I know, you're fine."
With that said, Durian finally climbed out of bed and performed a big stretch to start her day.
"Won't see me complaining," she breathed out at the end of her stretch, grinning brightly. "Were you cold this morning?"
"I was."
"Hmm, should have put on some clothes. If only someone tried to get some clothes on you last night," she said in the most innocent tone of voice, but the noticeable glint of amusement in Durian's eyes had Bulma turning away from her with a huff.
"Nice butt too."
"Would you stop?"
"Fine," Durian held her hands up, surrendering. "The perverted act is definitely not me."
"Obviously not, you couldn't even say ass."
Durian shrugged again and shuffled around while Bulma found clothes.
"I can say ass. Didn't wanna say ass. I don't like the way it sounds," she explained. "Ass. What a dumb word. And like, why do people call donkeys ass? And then why are we calling butts ass if it's meant to represent a donkey? Which came first? The donkey term or the butt term?"
Durian clearly had a lot of thoughts on the matter, and Bulma listened absently while she went through her closet and planned her outfit for the day. She and Durian could go get breakfast at the restaurant she promised she'd take the martial artist to and then head to Kami's place to see Piccolo.
And try to get coordinates to his home planet.
"Ass," Durian scoffed, and Bulma turned to face her.
"You done? Got it off your chest?"
Durian nodded.
"Okay, get dressed so we can go," Bulma gestured to the closet. "You have enough stuff here to make a good outfit."
"My gi—"
"We're going to a restaurant, remember, the restaurant I said I'd take you to?"
Durian made a face and shrugged once more before setting her attention on the little section in the closet with her clothes.
Bulma picked out a light blue sundress, a decision she was happy about once a glance out the window revealed a bright blue sky.
"Wear something baby blue," Bulma suggested as she tried to do her hair. "You have those blue shorts and that long-sleeved shirt. They look really nice."
Knowing better than to argue with Bulma's sense of fashion, Durian was quick to don the suggested outfit. The shorts were the exact color of Bulma's flowy sundress, and the shirt's peach color matched the shoulder bag Bulma was inspecting. She held it up towards Durian, grinning when the colors lined up perfectly.
"If you wanted to match you could have just said so," Durian laughed.
"I wanted to match," was Bulma's blunt response. "Only thought of it when I saw the shirt."
"One of my few non-blue or white articles of clothing," Durian said a bit proudly. "Panchy bought it."
Bulma could only smile with fondness at the cheery look on Durian's face. "I know. It looks good on you."
Durian gave a final satisfied nod, adjusting her clothes. "Alright, let's get going. Breakfast awaits."