Ascending | ✔

The flipside

Chi Chi bit her lip, unwilling to speak about what had been happening.

"Chi Chi," Bulma prompted with a hard voice. "You can talk to me. Us girls have to stick together, you know?"

"Of course..." murmured Chi Chi, finally looking up. "Could we please go inside?"

Bulma led her to the living room, where she knew they'd be alone to discuss whatever needed to be discussed. Vegeta had flown off somewhere while Cabba was occupied in the greenhouse, likely ogling at all the different varieties of plants and animals present.

"Well?" coached Bulma.

Chi Chi sighed and sat cross legged on the couch. "It's quite complicated, Bulma. You don't even know the half of it."

"Then tell me!" Bulma said impatiently. "Stop stalling, Chi Chi."

"Alright, alright!" Chi Chi huffed in exasperation. "It's just that..." She groaned, rubbing her temples, as if talking about it drained the rest of her energy away. "Ever since those gods came it's been nothing but trouble with Goku. He just goes off and trains all the time. I would understand if the world was in trouble, but it wasn't! Goku just up and went off to who knows where to train with Beerus and Whis."

"He is a saiyan," Bulma said placatingly. "They live for fighting."

"You think I don't know that?! People may think you drew the short straw in the saiyan husband lottery but it's really the opposite. Goku's simply never here anymore and I..." She growled in frustration. "I can't stand that! We're supposed to be a family. He left us once for seven years with some bullshit excuse and now he's doing it again. That's not what a husband's supposed to do, Bulma. For goodness sake, he didn't even know what marriage was before. And then I practically forced him into it..." She buried her face in her hands, her hair messing up again. "What if he doesn't love me anymore? Is that why he keeps leaving? Did he even love me in the first place?"

Bulma rubbed comforting circles on Chi Chi's back, totally silent. It was now time for Chi Chi to speak, not hers.

"After Majin Boo... just when I thought we could start being a family again... this happens."

"This?" echoed Bulma, unsure of what she was referring to.

"Those meddlesome gods!" Chi Chi snarled, her hands curling around her cheongsam. "They show up and suddenly my world's turned upside down. They took Goku away from me. And then there was that god forsaken tournament. Again I thought things were going to be back to normal once more." She chuckled hollowly. "But apparently, I was wrong. She came and now I'm forced onto the sidelines."

Instantly, Bulma's interest picked up. "Who's she? Don't tell me Goku's cheating on you!"

"He might as well be. Ever since she came, Goku's been spending all his time with her. I try to give him hints. We even stopped being intimate so he could be reminded of me! I thought I was going to have him crack soon. I sent him away two nights ago and I haven't seen him since."

"You think he's sleeping with the other girl," Bulma said plainly.

"Of course!" Chi Chi said irritably. "I'm not blind nor am I stupid. He's falling in love with her, even if the oaf doesn't know it himself. They've probably already done the deed. Two nights, Bulma. How else could he spend his time? You know the essentials of a male saiyan's life are fighting, sex and food. I used to be able to provide for all three but now... Things just aren't working out. I haven't cooked him dinner in the past few days. Don't even get me started on the sex."

"Chi Chi, I think you're going about this the wrong way," Bulma began. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you. You've scared him off."

"Scared him off?" Her voice started rising. "Scared him off?! Is that why he left me to raise a son for seven fucking years?! Because I scared him off?! So he preferred staying dead than facing me?!"