The Capsule Corp backyard was unusually quiet.
The training chamber hummed low in standby mode. No explosions. No ki shockwaves. Just stillness.
Kai sat cross-legged on the grass, shirt off again (of course), arms resting on his knees as he stared up at the sky. His breath fogged gently in the night air, barely audible over the distant buzz of West City lights.
The stars were out in full force tonight — glittering in an endless spread like someone had spilled diamonds across velvet.
He smiled faintly.
"Not bad for a planet that explodes every other Tuesday."
Behind him, the sliding door opened with a soft shhhhkt.
Bulma stepped out, still in her lab clothes but with her hair down, cradling a warm mug in her hands.
"I figured you'd be in the gravity room melting a wall or something."
Kai tilted his head back to glance at her upside-down. "Even monsters need rest sometimes."
She walked closer, raising a brow. "Monster now, huh?"
"I prefer 'aggressively motivated.'"
She smirked and sat down beside him, folding her legs beneath her. "The stars are nice tonight."
He nodded. "Yeah. Like the universe forgot to stress out for five minutes."
They sat in silence for a few moments, the kind that was surprisingly comfortable for two people who probably shouldn't be comfortable around each other at all.
Then she sighed. "Kinda wish I could get a little higher."
Kai turned. "Huh?"
"Up. View's better when you're above all the city light."
"…Say less."
He stood up and held out a hand.
Bulma blinked. "Wait—seriously?"
"Trust me."
"…That's the most suspicious phrase in existence."
"I mean it," he grinned. "I'm very trustworthy. I've only exploded two things this week."
"Three."
He shrugged. "Still a passing grade."
She hesitated, then placed her hand in his.
The lift was smooth. Gentle. And oddly quiet for someone with god-tier strength.
Within seconds, they were high above the city — standing on the very top of the Capsule Corp tower, wind whipping gently around them, the world spread out like a glowing circuit board below.
Kai set her down next to a raised platform and sat beside her.
"…Okay," Bulma whispered. "This is… kinda magical."
Kai grinned. "You're welcome. I charge one date per view."
She rolled her eyes. "Is that how you treat all your landlords?"
"Only the hot ones with mood swings and gravity tech."
Bulma's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again. "That's fair."
They sat for a while, the only sounds being the wind and the occasional hovercar zipping past far below.
Kai leaned back on his elbows. "I used to stargaze all the time. Back when I had no idea the universe was full of planet destroyers, space pirates, and whatever Piccolo is."
Bulma snorted. "A green dad with commitment issues?"
He laughed. "Yeah. That tracks."
She looked over at him, hair brushing lightly in the wind. "So, you're full of surprises, huh?"
Kai glanced sideways. "That so?"
"You train like a maniac, eat like a black hole, and pretend to be all chill when you're clearly hiding something."
"Hey, I'm an open book. Page one: devastatingly handsome. Page two: surprisingly humble."
"Oh yeah?" She leaned a little closer. "What's on page three?"
He smirked. "Deep, mysterious longing. And occasional shirtlessness."
"…Sounds more like a poorly-written romance novel."
"Don't knock it. Those things sell."
They sat in silence again, this time more charged than calm.
Bulma finally spoke. "You ever think about the stars? Like… what's out there?"
Kai's eyes flicked upward. "All the time."
She tilted her head. "You answer that like someone who's seen it."
He glanced at her, then away. "Just got a good imagination, I guess."
"…Hm."
Her lips curled into a small smile.
"I used to think I'd fly off into space one day," she said. "Explore, discover alien worlds, invent crazy stuff. Then I got older and realized how much Earth needs fixing too."
Kai looked at her softly. "You still could."
She laughed. "What, build a rocket and launch myself into orbit next week?"
"Why not?"
She raised a brow. "You offering to carry me there?"
"…I mean, I am a very reliable mode of transportation."
"Oh? What's your seating capacity?"
"One passenger. Premium class. No turbulence. Terrible in-flight snacks, though."
She smiled, warm and a little tired. "You're a dork."
"And yet you're still sitting next to me on a rooftop at midnight."
"Don't remind me."
"I'm counting it as a win."
The stars shimmered overhead.
And for a little while, they didn't talk.
They just were — two people pretending the sky wasn't hiding gods, invaders, or impossible battles waiting just beyond the edge.
Kai glanced at her one more time.
'She's smarter than me. Way smarter. And way more dangerous with a wrench. But I think I might be catching feelings faster than I'm passing Goku.'
Bulma caught him looking.
"…You're thinking something dumb, aren't you?"
"Extremely."
"Should I ask?"
He grinned. "Probably not."
"…Yeah. Thought so."