Princess

Written by Musachan

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The streets were paved a bright white, and were currently being trampled by busy shoppers on the cold December morning. With Christmas near, and parties to worry about, people were enjoying the sales and bustle of the city.

A green-haired woman strolled down the streets, humming a bright and cheery tune. Just behind her, carrying an arm's load of packages, was a short, bald man wearing a hat and grunting under the weight.

"Bu-buruma-san, couldn't you have invited Goku for this?", he whined, trying to look at her through the packages. "I mean, he's a whole lot stronger than I am."

She stopped her humming and turned at him with a full-force, sapphire colored glare. "Kuririn! I told you that I couldn't take anyone but you because you're the only one I'm done shopping for!"

"You did that because I spilled wine on Yamucha's suit, aren't you? You're just getting back at me, even after I told you it was an accident", he complained.

She grinned evilly. "So what if I am? That suit was expensive, and you ruined it. It's the least you could do to repay me. Now come on, I need to buy a dress for the Christmas party."

He sighed. "Hai hai."

They entered to what seemed to Kuririn the thousandth store that day. It was a cute boutique, decked in pale reds and greens for the upcoming holiday.

A chipper woman with unattainable blonde hair smiled at them with green lips. "Ohayou gozuarimas!"

"Ohayou", Buruma answered. "I'm just looking around for a Christmas dress. One that's elegant, graceful and beautiful--"

"Like you", the woman replied. Buruma brought her hands to her cheeks, which had gone a rosy pink. "Hai hai. Like me."

Kuririn let out a sigh. He had a feeling they'd be shopping all day.

"I have a few dresses left that are completely unique", the woman told Buruma. She snapped her fingers and another young woman appeared, with short black hair and bright green eyes. "Hai, Shimizu-san?"

"Bring me the three dresses that just got in this morning", the woman told the younger one. The black haired girl nodded. "Hai~!" She scurried into the back and emerged with three dresses over her arms, which Kuririn noted all to be dark shades of green and red.

"That's just so tacky", he thought, attempting to restrain some laughter. Buruma would pretend interest and grow disgusted by the sheer ridiculousness of the colors.

Buruma smiled weakly. "Ano... Green and red ... cute."

The two women smiled.

"But not what I'm looking for", Buruma told them, waving her hand away. The two women face-faulted.

Shimizu smiled weakly. "W-well, then I guess you could browse our other dresses. There's a sale -- 70% off most marked dresses."

"Sugoi desu!", Buruma shouted with joy.

"Most likely more gross green and red dresses", Kuririn thought to himself.

Buruma looked over at him. "Kuririn! Leave the bags and presents here and come with me!"

"What, to pick a dress?!", he squeaked, dropping the bags on some pastel colored benches. "Can't you do that on your own?!"

She began to looked annoyed. "Get over here, you little --!"

"Com-ing", Kuririn said quickly, following her lead into an aisle.

Buruma stopped in the center of the aisle and began to look at a few of the gowns and dresses. "Kuririn, if you see anything that would look nice, point it out to me", she told him as she was preoccupied with looking over a black gown.

"Hai", he replied, going down another aisle. He sighed loudly.

"Why should I even bother", he mumbled. "She just wants to look nice for Yamucha. She doesn't really care what I think." He frowned.

He glanced over a few pink dresses and a purple gown that he thought Buruma might like if it came in a paler shade. Behind a few of the fancier dresses, he saw a spot of white.

Pushing the dresses aside, he let his eyes fall upon a white gown, strapless with a glittering white skirt that resembled the appearance of freshly fallen snow. He remember mentally where the dress was as he tore down an aisle to get Buruma. As he walked by he found a pair of long, white gloves with the same fantastic shimmer in the a discount box and picked them up.

He found Buruma inspecting a purple gown. "Buruma-san!", he said excitedly. She jumped from shock, and glared at him. "What?!"

"I-I found a dress you might like", he stated. Buruma's angry frown turned into a smile. "Hontou des ka?!"

"Hai hai! And these gloves-", he held them up for Buruma's inspection. "Match perfectly."

She took the gloves from his hands with a smile. "They're so elegant. Even if the dress you found is a cheap one, these will make it look great for--" She stopped herself with a blush on her cheeks. Kuririn frowned. Just as he had expected -- For him.

He lead her to the aisle where he found the dress. The shimmering white immediately caught her attention, and her eyes glazed over with adoration. "Kuririn! It's perfect!"

She took it from the rack and ran to the changing room. Kuririn followed, and took a seat at one of the benches. He watched as a little girl whined and complained about wearing a pink dress when she wanted to wear a suit.

He smiled. "I wish I had some kids -- they're so cute and I'm sure ... they could teach me lots of things about life, like what I'm missing out on."

"Kuririn", an excited voice called. Kuririn raised his attention to the door Buruma had just come out from.

Just as he expected, the normally enraged mechanic looked remarkable, despite the fact that, with the gown and gloves, she was wearing a pair of worn out tennis shoes and a bandana the color of blood.

The bright lights of the little nook where the changing rooms were gave the dress and gloves a fantastic sparkle as she spun around, giggling and showing off.

"So, how do I look?", she asked cheerfully. Kuririn felt a blush creep up his cheeks. "Well, ano..."

He thought for a moment before he hung his head to hide his blazing cheeks. "Y-you look like ... like a princess, Buruma-san."

Her smile faded into a far more humble, sheepish one as her cheeks went a rosy shade of pink. "Y-you think so?"

"A-ano", Kuririn murmured. This whole thing was making him rather uncomfortable, especially the fact that the dress would never be worn for him, no matter how many things he called her. He frowned, letting it turn into a devilish grin.

He got down on his knee and bowed his head. "Oh, hime-sama", he began, as Buruma suddenly went from hushed and humbled to enraged and embarrassed. "Your beauty surpasses all others!"

"Ba-baka!!", she growled with gritted teeth. People had begun to stare. Kuririn took off his worn and torn baseball cap that read 'KAME SENNIN', with burn marks and blood stains from numerous training sessions. He tipped it to her dramatically. "Hime-sama, please my dear, let me be your prince so I may whisk you away, right out of your ... tennis shoes."

The little girl who wanted to wear a suit was laughing into her mother's knee as Buruma grew more and more angry.

He looked up at her. "Please let me be your prince."

Buruma froze. It couldn't have been sincerity in his eyes, or was she imagining things? Kuririn began to feel awkward again at her sudden silence and stiffness.

She shook her head and grabbed from him his baseball cap and hit him upside the head with it. "St-stop playing around", she growled quietly. "I still have to buy for Son-kun, Chi-Chi and the old man, as well as a whole lot of other people."

He nodded softly, and got up from his genuflect. She tossed him his hat as she walked back into the changing room to get back into her normal clothes.

Kuririn walked to the main lobby of the boutique and began to pick up the heavy load of clothes, toys and other presents. From the load fell a baseball cap, and on it read 'KAME SENNIN' in English, and beneath it was his name in English letters -- 'KULILLIN'. He put down the packages and picked up the hat, inspecting it. It was hand-done stitching.

"Buruma-san... did this", he thought, feeling immensely guilty. "And I went and embarrassed her all because I don't know how to act right... If I wasn't such a coward I could have just told her I though she was beautiful, but of course not. I'm just not as strong or as willed as..."

He stopped himself and hurriedly put the hat in the topmost bag. Buruma approached him, handing him another bag, this one filled with her dress and gloves.

Kuririn frowned bitterly.

"Buruma-san", he started as they left the store. She looked at him with an annoyed huff.

"I really did think ... you looked like a princess in the dress", he told her quietly. She huffed again, this time in a less annoyed tone.

"Really?", she asked quietly. "You weren't just trying to make fun of me?"

"I mean it", he said quietly. Her frown turned into a soft smile. "Thanks, Kuririn."

He sighed in relief.

"But just for the stunt you pulled in there, you have to help me cook for the party", she stated with a malicious grin.

Kuririn sighed. "Me and my big mouth."