Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Uber Babe ❯ Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, just a little something before I forget. I do believe that, if Trunks is eighteen months old, Goku should be sort of, well, dead right about now, right? Guess what? I am conveniently ignoring that! Goku just has too much awww potential, even if he's not saying anything.

A couple of people mentioned liking this story so far despite not being huge Yamcha fans. I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with you! I never had anything against Yamcha, but he was never one of my favorite characters either. I'm a B/V fan 100% myself, and never figured I'd write a fic that had so much Yamcha in it. So, guess what else? This chapter has no B/V in it, but the next one will. I am having a lot of fun with this, and I hope all of you are too.

And now, on with the show. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I don't want to own DBZ. I just want to fiddle around with the characters now and then.


"Thank you, Ms. Kawai. We'll be in touch." The man rose from his seat and shook Toshie's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Takada. I look forward to hearing from you," Toshie responded cheerfully. She left the expensively decorated office and headed for the elevator, heaving a big sigh as the doors closed. The interview had gone well, remarkably well, in fact. But, there was something about the place that didn't quite sit well with her. She wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was the fact that the ambiance was very, well, proper. She was more laid back. Coming into work in Dockers and a corporate golf shirt was fine with her. Not a single woman she'd seen hadn't been wearing a skirt, and most of them had been wearing what she referred to as "power suits." Although she knew that she wouldn't be working with these individuals should she be offered the position, Toshie had felt decidedly underdressed in her neatly pressed blouse and dress slacks. In addition, she also enjoyed smiling now and then. That hadn't seemed to be a strong corporate concept, either. Everyone had seemed so uptight and serious.

Ah, well. She wasn't going to worry about that at the moment. She flipped open her cell phone and scrolled through her contact list.

"Hello, Toshie."

Toshie smiled. "Hi, Yamcha. You're sounding chipper today."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I've been up and at 'em for a good hour now. Hey, how did it go?"

Toshie felt a blush creep across her cheeks. Had he gotten up early and been waiting to hear from her all this time? "Okay, I guess. This place seems a little stuffy, though." The elevator door opened, and she stepped out.

"I've heard that about there," Yamcha conceded. "We actually got a physical therapist from there once, and she wasn't very cheerful, y'know, all business."

"Oh." Toshie felt her spirits fall a little; this was her best lead by far, and good jobs were scarce nowadays. "Well, Mr. Takada said he'd be in touch. We'll see what happens." She walked through the lobby and toward the revolving glass doors. "So, you're coming to pick me up?"

"Yep. You look nice, by the way."

Toshie blinked. "What?"

Yamcha chuckled again. "Look to your left. Keep looking. See me yet?"

A hand emerged from the driver's window of a vehicle across the street and waved energetically. He'd actually been here waiting for her? She couldn't help but feel flattered. "Yes, I see you. I'll be right over." Toshie waved back and flipped her phone shut, shrugging on her coat before heading outside.

Yamcha got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her as she crossed the street. "Good morning, madam," he droned drolly as she got inside.

She giggled at the stuffy butler impersonation he was skillfully pulling off. "Thank you, sir." Toshie buckled herself in as he shut her door and got back in the car. "Good morning to you, too."

He smiled at her. "So... did you eat?"

"No." Toshie shook her head. "I was too nervous. But it's okay. I have a Trim Quick breakfast bar in my purse."

Yamcha's eyebrow rose. "Trim Quick... you don't seriously think you need that, do you? I mean, uhm..." He buckled quickly and focused his attention on the road. "You don't need that." A small blush crept across his cheeks.

Toshie felt her own cheeks flushing pink. "I just wanted to lose five or ten pounds. I've put a few on while job hunting," she confessed.

"I think you look fine. I mean you're fine. I mean, I wasn't checking you out or anything, but, well... I don't think you need to worry about that," Yamcha blurted. "Aaaugh... that didn't come out right at all." His hands gripped the steering wheel firmly and he stared straight ahead.

The blush remained and she stared down at her hands in her lap. "Thanks," she murmured softly. He was sweet and kind and didn't seem like the type to lie to her. Then again, she hardly knew the man, and wasn't entirely comfortable discussing her bodily concerns with him.

"Sure," Yamcha responded just as softly. They drove in silence for a few seconds before he spoke again. "Seriously, I know it's none of my business, but... I think you look perfect just the way you are. You'd be too skinny if you lost much weight."

Toshie looked up at him. "Really?"

Yamcha almost frowned. Was she really so insecure about her weight? Then again, most women were. "Really. In fact..." He turned into a parking lot and pulled up next to the building there. "We are going to get breakfast."

"No, we don't have to. I'm not that hungry," Toshie objected, but her stomach's growl of objection betrayed her.

"Not hungry, hmm?" Yamcha smirked at her. "C'mon, Toshie. Let me treat you to a big greasy omelet or whatever. They're really good here."

Toshie sighed. An omelet did sound good. "All right," she conceded. She smiled. "Thanks."

Yamcha felt a little flutter in the pit of his belly. "No problem."

***

"Wow... this place is cool."

Yamcha chuckled at the star-struck little kid expression on Toshie's face. "Yeah, it's one of the best stadiums in the league. I really enjoy playing here."

Toshie nodded as she looked down at the field. "You said you had batting practice today, but it's November. Isn't the season long over?"

Yamcha nodded. "Yeah, but if the weather cooperates, sometimes those of us who aren't doing off-season training like to get together and hit a few balls around." He pointed to one of the dugouts. "See? There's a good group here today." He waved down to the dugout. "Come on, let's go on down there and I'll introduce you to the guys."

"Are you sure this is okay?" Toshie asked as they made their way over to the dugout.

"Of course, don't worry about it. Some of the guys even bring their kids," Yamcha assured her, knowing full well that in their shoes he wouldn't hesitate to do the very same thing. "Hey guys, I brought a friend to see the stadium. This is Toshie," he called out, leading her over as he named his fellow players off one by one.

"Hello there, Toshie," one of the players said smoothly. "So, she's your friend, huh? That's a shame, Yamcha."

"Shut it, Tabito," Yamcha snapped. "Leave her alone."

"Yam, is this the girl you told me about after your wedding luncheon thing yesterday?" another player asked. "She's cute."

"Shut up, Fukashi," Yamcha growled, embarrassed.

"You called Fukashi about her?"

"It must be serious."

"C'mon, guys. She's visiting Bulma and didn't have anything to do today, so when Fukashi called me to confirm for today, I told him I was bringing a friend to show her the ball park. Quit hassling her, okay?" Yamcha objected. "Don't act like idiots."

"Yamcha, maybe I shouldn't be here," Toshie spoke up uncomfortably.

"Hey guys, leave her alone," another player who had yet to say anything interjected. "If Yamcha says she's cool, that's good enough for me." He smiled. "Say, want to hit a few balls with us?"

Toshie immediately brightened. "Really?"

"You're here. Why not?" The man eyed the bats they'd brought with them, selected one, and handed it to her. "How's that feel?"

"Ayato, she doesn't play sports. Don't pressure her," Yamcha told his fellow player.

Toshie's chin rose slightly. "Yamcha, I told you I wasn't a sports enthusiast," she informed him. "I never said I didn't know how to swing a bat."

Yamcha's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh. I guess I assumed that you didn't play the sport if you don't follow it," he admitted.

She shrugged. "I grew up with five older brothers and a bunch of neighborhood boys. There was nothing else to do unless I wanted to stay indoors and play with dolls."

Yamcha's teammates laughed at his astonishment. "Okay, Toshie. Let's see what you can do," Ayato said, gesturing toward the field.

"All right, but you have to promise not to laugh at me," Toshie told him seriously. "It's been a while since I swung a bat, and I'm wearing my good clothes."

The next thing Toshie knew, she found herself dressed in the smallest uniform the men could scrounge up. "There you go, girlie. Don't break a nail," one of them teased.

Toshie gave him A Look. "Just don't expect me to run in these shoes and I'll be fine," she told him dryly, swinging the bat around a few times to loosen up.

Yamcha stood back and watched with not a little trepidation. This wasn't what he'd had in mind when he'd invited Toshie along. He didn't want her to get hurt, either physically or emotionally.

He especially didn't want her to be hurt because of him.

Toshie gasped and stepped back as the first ball whizzed by closer to her than she liked, skimming the loose fabric of her too-big shirt. "Oh!"

"That's okay, Toshie," Yamcha called out. "Makio, hit her and I promise you'll be eating my fist for lunch."

"Don't worry, Yam. I'm not going to hit your friend," the pitcher called back.

The others laughed. Friend. Yeah, riiight... Yamcha was sweet for this one, that much was evident.

An old memory flooded back into Toshie's brain upon hearing their chortling.

"Ow! Youji, you hit me, you big jerk!"

"Hit it or be hit by it, Tosh. You wanna play with the boys, you gotta play like us! Or else, you could take your shrimpy wuss self back inside and bake us some cookies."

"Yeah, go bake us some chocolate chip ones, you prissy girl! That's all you're good for, anyway!"

"You suck, Toshie! Why do you even bother?"

"Yeah, you suck!"

"No cookies today," Toshie muttered, resuming her stance.

"Try standing with your feet a little farther apart," one of the guys suggested.

"Thanks," Toshie told him, but didn't budge an inch.

Maiko pitched the ball. Toshie swung at it, her bat sailing right over it.

"Strike!"

"Damn breaking ball," she muttered. This guy was pulling no punches with her. Well, that was all fine and good, because neither would she.

A couple of the guys snickered, and one poked Yamcha in the ribs as she kicked off her dress shoes, opting to bat in her stockings. He glared at them.

"I'm telling you, guys, if you don't cut it out, I'm going to-"

The glorious telltale crack of a bat colliding with a ball split the air, drowning out Toshie's little grunt of effort as she connected. Everyone jumped up and ran out onto the field.

"That's going pretty deep," Fukashi muttered. "Holy cow, that's..."

Toshie frowned as the ball sailed into the stands just outside of the left field foul line, bouncing up a couple times before coming to rest on a seat. "I knew my swing was off." She stretched with the bat held over her head.

"The ball girl's shoes! Where are her extra shoes?"

"They're in her locker."

"Who cares? Break it open, I'll pay for it!"

***

"Oh Yamcha, that was so much fun! Thanks for inviting me." Toshie's eyes shone with excitement. Although the practice hadn't lasted very long, as some of Yamcha's teammates had things they needed to do that afternoon, they had let her hit a few balls and even catch some pop-ups (after they'd found her some suitable footwear). It was actually fun when you weren't being beat up on at the same time.

"I'm glad you had fun," Yamcha told her sincerely. "I was a little worried there for a while, but you showed them. Quite impressive back there, young lady." He grinned lazily at her as he opened the car door for her.

She looked up at him, an almost shy smile on her face.

He hurriedly closed the door and headed back to the driver's side. The way she'd looked at him, with those soft brown eyes, had made his stomach flutter again. As much as he denied it, he realized that he was rapidly becoming attracted to her. It wasn't just the fact that he hadn't had a steady girlfriend in quite a while, as he hadn't gone out with a woman with whom he wanted to form a lasting relationship, not since Bulma. It wasn't the fact that she had a nice smile. It wasn't the fact that she could hit a baseball. It wasn't even the fact that she was normal, refreshingly so.

But it was too soon. He'd just met her, for heaven's sake! And he was a lonely man who'd met a nice girl, and he was attracted to the fact that she was nice to him because he was being kind to her and not because of his money. Yeah, that was it.

It was a barefaced lie, and he knew it.

Yamcha got into the vehicle, trying to maintain his composure as he did so. Every time he looked into her eyes, he got that same nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't even gotten that feeling with Bulma, and he'd loved Bulma, no doubt about that. What made Toshie so different? What was he feeling for her, if he'd loved Bulma, and this felt different? Gods have mercy, but he just wanted to pound his head into the steering wheel in frustration.

"Yamcha?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Toshie, who seemed a little concerned. "Sorry... I just kind of got lost in thought for a minute there."

"Are you all right?" she asked, laying a hand atop one of his.

Her touch seemed to burn his skin. "Yeah, fine." He gave her a quick little smile and started the car. "Where would you like to go now?"

She blinked in surprise. "Oh... I... I wasn't expecting you to hang out with me all day," she stammered. "You've been more than kind to me already, and I appreciate it so much."

Yamcha digested this as he pulled out of the parking structure. "Okay, no problem. So, where would you like to go now?"

Toshie blushed deeply, flattered by the implication. "I don't know," she murmured.

"Well then I'll just lead the way," Yamcha told her cheerfully. He was pleased by her reaction and that he'd been correct in his interpretation of what she'd said; she'd enjoyed spending time with him but didn't want to impose. As far as he was concerned, she was no imposition. In fact, had he known her a little longer... ~No, Yamcha. You can't go thinking things like that and get yourself all riled up. I hardly know her, and she's a sweet girl. I can't hurt her.~ "Are you hungry yet?"

Toshie shook her head. "Good heavens no, I'm still stuffed from breakfast," she told him. "You're seriously hungry, after all you ate?" He'd eaten half of her omelet as well as one of his own and a stack of pancakes.

"I'm always hungry," Yamcha admitted. "Using ki burns a lot of calories."

"Using ki?" Toshie echoed, not understanding his meaning.

"I thought Bulma told you about us," Yamcha responded in confusion, remembering what Krillin had said to him.

Toshie perked up. "Oh! not you're not a Saiyan, too, are you?"

"Nooo... No, not me," Yamcha told her, a little chuckle escaping. "No, I'm human, but I have some abilities that your average human doesn't. So do Krillin, Tien and Roshi that you met at Bulma's. Vegeta, Goku, and their sons are the only ones who are Saiyan."

"Oh." Toshie had really wanted to see what Vegeta could do. Maybe Yamcha could do some of those things too. "Could you show me something cool?"

"Not in the car, but sure," Yamcha replied, laughing when she rolled her eyes.

"Duh." Toshie shook her head. "Of course not in a moving vehicle." She noticed Yamcha eyeing a local restaurant with interest but driving by. "Hey... I guess I could go for some onion rings if you're hungry."

Yamcha gave her a huge smile. "A woman after my own heart," he crooned playfully, turning down the next block to go back to the diner they'd just passed.

It was then that Toshie realized with sudden clarity that Yamcha's statement carried far more weight than he knew. Yes, he was sweet, fun, and entertaining to spend time with. He was also quite handsome. She was sure he had tons of stories to tell, including one she'd been dying to ask about, namely, how he'd gotten the scars on his face. It didn't detract from his looks; if anything, she found it- dare she say it- sexy. But she'd just met him! It was too soon to ask such personal questions. Besides, she didn't want him to think that she was interested in him for his celebrity status or because of the things he could do. She looked over at him out of the corner of her eye, not sure how to respond to that. "Yeah," she heard herself saying.

Yamcha pulled into the parking lot and snuck a peek her way as he parked the car. She was nibbling at her lip and her cheeks were faintly pink. She looked over at him, and her soft eyes bade no opposition. Could she really mean...? "Uhm, here we are," he murmured, cutting the engine and getting out of the car. "Wait, wait," he called out as she began to open her door, hurrying around to open it for her. "Let me get that for you."

"Yamcha, you don't have to do that," Toshie told him as he helped her out of the car.

"I know. What's your point?" Yamcha asked as he gestured toward the building. "After you."

***

"One more. You want it?"

"No, you eat it."

"You're bigger than me, and you've already snatched the check. Take the onion ring, and at least let me leave the tip."

"No, I couldn't let a lady pay for her meal when I asked her to lunch." Yamcha's lips curled up in a smile as he dipped the last onion ring in some ketchup. "Tell you what, we'll split it." He held it out to her. "Have a bite, and I'll finish it."

~Oh my God, it sounds like he asked me out! Is that what he meant? Is that what this is?~ "Okay." Toshie bit a piece off of the ring, her eyes raising to meet his as she chewed slowly.

The flutterings in his belly were now becoming quite regular, and all because of this woman and her chocolate brown eyes, eyes he was certain he'd never grow tired of losing himself in. He popped the rest into his mouth and licked a little ketchup from his finger, noticing that her breath caught slightly when he did so. He felt like he was in a dream, one he wanted to never wake up from.

Toshie's phone rang, startling them both. "I guess I should answer that," she murmured, not moving away.

"I guess so," Yamcha agreed, not moving away either.

"Stupid phone," Toshie muttered, feeling her cheeks go a little pink again. "Oh, it's Bulma. Hold on... Hello? Hey! Yeah, it went well, I think. I don't know... I just have a weird feeling about the place." She paused, and he could hear Bulma's muffled voice coming from the phone. "Really? Now? Okay, I'm having lunch right now but I guess I could." She paused again, and Yamcha watched in fascination as the girl's cheeks went bright pink. "Hold on a second, Bulma... no, don't hang up." She held out the phone wordlessly, her hand over the lower edge to block any sound.

"She asked for me?" Yamcha asked, surprised. "But, I never told her we were going out- I mean, I was taking you... Thanks." He took the phone hastily, his own cheeks going pink. "Bulma, hey. Yeah, what a coincidence, huh? What's up?" He too paused as Bulma spoke. "Okay, we're almost done with lunch, then we'll be right over. Bulma... Bulma... Bulma! Hey! Can we please talk about this later?" he asked a little nervously. "Great, bye." He flipped the phone shut and set it down on the table, then rested his elbows upon the table as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yamcha?"

Yamcha sighed. "She's as excitable as her mother," he grumbled. "Now she thinks we're on a date." He looked up when she did not reply to see Toshie with an unreadable expression on her face. "Toshie, I..." He reached over and grasped her hands without thinking about it. "I'm sorry, please don't be upset."

"I'm not," she whispered. There was a glimmer of something in her eyes, something he was unwilling to try to place at that moment.

"Good." He rose from the table, bringing her up with him. "I guess we should get going." He held her coat open.

"Thanks." She slid her arms into the coat and picked up her purse. "You know, I'm just going to use the ladies' room real quick before we go."

"Sure, no problem." Yamcha fished some money out of his wallet and was about to leave to pay the bill when he saw Toshie's phone still on the table. "Whoops." He looked behind him, thinking he might catch her before she entered the restroom, but she was no where in sight. He decided to give it to her later and stuck it into his pocket, then wandered up to the register.

"Hey, Yamcha. How was your meal?" the cashier asked him.

"Hey, Kiri. Onion rings were awesome as usual," Yamcha responded, handing the woman his money and the bill. He took his change. "Thanks."

"No problem." Kiri leaned against the counter. "So... who's the lovely young lady?" she asked, not saying anything when the young man's cheeks went a little pink.

Yamcha cursed mentally. He'd been doing a disturbing amount of blushing lately and prayed he would get it under control before any of his friends- or, even more disturbingly, Vegeta- noticed and made fun of it in front of Toshie. "Uhm, we're both standing up in a wedding on Saturday," he explained.

It was a lame excuse at best, but seeing how Yamcha had become a little flustered Kiri decided to let it slide. "That's great. I hope the wedding is nice."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be. Bulma Briefs spares no expense," he added with a confidential wink.

Kiri gasped. "You're standing up in Bulma Briefs' wedding?"

He nodded. "Best man."

"Wow, good for you." Kiri smiled just as confidentially. "I've seen pictures of her fiancé." She let out a long wolf-whistle.

"Great. Thanks, Kiri. Leave this for Hibari for me, will you?" Yamcha handed the cashier some money, a little scowl on his face.

Kiri chuckled. He was so cute. If her daughter wasn't already married, she'd be shoving her Yamcha's way, no doubt about it. "I sure will." She made a note on a piece of paper and slipped the money into an envelope. "Have a good afternoon with your friend, okay?"

"Thanks." Yamcha waved to Toshie, who had emerged from the restrooms. "Have a good one."

Kiri watched the young couple leave. ~Friend. Yeah, right.~

***

"Mr. Yamcha?"

They turned to see a little boy approaching them rather timidly in the parking lot, a man evidently his father following not far behind. Yamcha knew exactly what was going on- the boy had recognized him and wanted an autograph. "Well, hello there," he told the nervous little boy. "Are you a big Titans fan?"

"Yeah," the boy began. "I, uhm, I know you're busy and stuff, but I was at a game a few months ago, and I caught this ball." The boy dug a baseball out of his pocket and held it up. "You hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning and we won."

Yamcha's eyebrows rose. "You caught that?" he asked, impressed. He remembered that home run; he'd really smacked that ball but good.

Behind them, the boy's father nodded. "He caught it on his own," he confirmed proudly.

"Good job," Yamcha commended the boy, who beamed in response. "Would you like me to autograph it for you?"

The formerly timid boy's eyes grew wide and he practically squirmed in his excitement. "That would be so cool! You're my favoritest player ever, Mr. Yamcha!" he exclaimed, handing over the ball.

"Not a problem." Yamcha felt his pockets and frowned. "I don't have a pen."

"Here!" Toshie fished a pen from her purse just as the little boy's face began to fall in disappointment. "Use mine."

"Thanks, Toshie." Yamcha signed his name on the ball and handed it back to the boy. "You haven't really been carrying that ball around all this time, have you?"

The boy nodded solemnly. "Uh-huh, 'cause I never knew if I'd see you for real someday."

Yamcha felt a twinge at his heart and smiled at the boy. "Well, I'm sure glad you found me."

"Me, too! Thanks, Mr. Yamcha!"

Toshie watched as the beaming boy and his father left. "That was very sweet of you, Yamcha," she told him softly.

Yamcha smiled and gave her a tiny shrug. "It's no big deal. I like kids, and he seemed like a good kid."

Toshie returned the smile. She liked children, too. "Yeah, he seemed like a nice little boy."

"Hey..." Yamcha looked around and, not seeing anyone around, figured this would be an opportune time. "I thought now might be a good time to show you something cool, as you say."

Toshie's eyebrow rose. "Aren't we supposed to be going to Bulma's now? The seamstress is there to fit me and do a final check on your tux."

"Yep. This will actually save some time," Yamcha told her. "Honest."

"Okay. What is it?" Toshie asked.

Yamcha pressed a button on his car key, encapsulating the car. He chuckled when she jumped in surprise. "We've got to get you a capsule," he commented, pocketing the vehicle.

"Now what? We walk?" Toshie asked skeptically.

"Nope." Yamcha held out his hand. "We go in style." He levitated from the ground enough to get his point across.

Toshie let out a little gasp. "You mean fly?" Her voice was nothing short of incredulous. "You can fly?"

He nodded. "Would you like to fly with me? I'd never drop you, I promise."

An excited smile slowly spread over her face. "Oh wow, yes!" She took his hand.

"Okay, step a little closer. I'm going to put an arm around your waist, all right?" He put his hand at her waist.

Toshie nodded, letting out a little squeal of excitement as they left the ground. He rose slowly, so as not to startle her. "This is so cool!"

His low laugh vibrated against her. "Just wait 'till we actually start moving," he teased. "Oh, and don't worry about the cold. I'll shield us against it with my ki."

She nodded, unable to wipe the smile off her face as they took off. His smile was just as firmly in place as he found himself enjoying her excited little gasps and giggles, not to mention the way she was so innocently clinging to him.

Before she knew it, it was over. "Aww, I wanna ride again!" Toshie joked, turning to look at him as he set her gently on her feet. "That was awesome, just incredible!"

He chuckled. "How about a rain check? Bulma will have a spaz attack if we go now."

Toshie giggled. "Okay, all right." She smiled, and he felt his breath catch still again. "Yamcha? I knew you wouldn't drop me."

Yamcha pretended to wipe his brow in relief. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." As they headed for the front door, he looked at her in surprise when her hand reached over and took his.

Somehow, she just knew.