looked at her expectantly.


"Mom said I should behave properly, bring me toys and please don't bother you ..." he mimicked his mother and brushed some of the cheeky blond hair off his forehead.

"It's nice of her that she thinks of me like that ... come in. I hope you're hungry, because I just cooked ..."


"What?" asked the boy, walking past her into the hallway. While Zoe locked the door behind him, he took off his shoes and dug his slippers out of his backpack.


"Pasta with cream sauce ... and then I made a light soup ..."


"Why that?"


"You will see that in a moment," she replied and walked past the little one into the kitchen, where she took her pots off the stove.


"Do you want to eat on the couch or are you coming to us?" she called into the living room. Tommy followed her gaze but could only see someone who appeared to be lying on the sofa.


"Couch," was the soft, monosyllabic answer.


"Who is visiting there? Is he sick? Why is he here?" Tommy gushed curiously.


“I said you would see that in a minute.” Zoe took a plate and scooped some of the soup into it.If Vegeta hadn't cleared the fridge all day, he couldn't take anything heavier.


Then she put the plate in Tommy's hand.


"There, bring him the ..."


"Is good..."


Slowly, careful not to spill anything, the little one crept into the living room and carefully put the plate down there.


"Good Appetite!" he said politely.


Vegeta, who had struggled to straighten up, just grunted something indefinable back and carefully looked at the contents of the plate.


"My mom always says to say thank you when someone wishes me 'bon appetit' ..." Tommy pointed out to his rudeness.


Vegeta looked up briefly and looked at the blond little guy who stood in front of him with a bitterly serious face. Then he lowered his head again.


"I don't need to. After all, what am I a prince for ..."


Tommy, however, was now staring at him with wide eyes.

"You ... you look like ... Zoe? Who's that?"


Zoe stepped behind the little one and put her hand on his shoulder.


"What was the first thing you thought?


"I ... I thought Vegeta ... but that can't be!"


"It's like that. May I introduce: Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyajins. I found him on the beach yesterday and now he's living here for a while," she explained. Tommy still hadn't taken his eyes off the Saiyan. Suddenly he turned to Zoe with a big grin.


"That's great! Do you think he'll fly a lap with me?"


"I don't know. Ask him. But now I'd like to eat something. Otherwise I'll starve to death and you'll be all alone with Vegeta. And I don't think either of you can cook," she smiled back.


"I'm only five too!"


"And I don't have to cook anything myself. If necessary, I'll eat this little boy ..." Vegeta grumbled on the couch and continued to spoon on his soup.

Zoe rolled her eyes. Charming like a jackhammer ...


"Before I forget: Vegeta, this is Tommy. He will probably play here for the night, because I have a lot to do. I'm sure he has a few videos with him ..." Tommy nodded in confirmation. "... then you can take a look at what I meant by cartoon series. Besides, he's your biggest fan ..."


"Not true! I'm Gohan's biggest fan!" interrupted the little one. Again she rolled her eyes.


"Well, yesterday it was Vegeta. Piccolo last week, Trunks the week before, Tenshinhan before that because he has three eyes, and the week before you said the turtle was the coolest ... can you make up your mind?"


"You will be able to change your mind again."


"That mustn't be the case! Can you shut up? You are even worse than my family!" Vegeta growled in between.

"Zoe, can I eat here at Vegeta's?"


"According to me."


"Zoe? Are you going to the beach with me tomorrow? Maybe more will be washed up ..."


"I don't think so, Tommy ..."


"Can't you even shut your mouth?"




***




Zoe watched the two 'men' on their couch with interest. Actually, she had enough to do with the tome about procedural protocols, but it was about as exciting as watching concrete dry.


Vegeta and Tommy sat with their backs to her, both heads tilted a little and staring at the television. Delia had joined them again and claimed Vegeta's thighs as a pillow. He seemed to have come to terms with the fact that the dog liked him. If she wasn't mistaken, he even had his hand on her head and scratched her lightly.


Sighing, she turned another page without even reading the contents of the previous one.

Actually, it would be better if she put Vegeta in a guest room. He would definitely stay here longer, and she couldn't let him sleep on the couch then.


Somehow she still didn't quite believe that it wasn't a dream after all ... a rather strange one at that. But the bruises on her shoulder spoke against it as well as the fact that Tommy could see him and was absolutely thrilled with his new 'friend'. In addition to some video in which Son-Goku's troops had to save the world again - what else they did extremely rarely - he pestered the Saiyajin with thousands of questions, Vegeta either not at all, with a tight yes or no, or with answered any remark.


Why did he end up with her of all people?


She didn't want to imagine how he would mess up her life with his all-dominating manner ...

On the other hand, she had to agree with Delia ... her dog found him interesting, and somehow the same applied to herself. He could do things she couldn't even dream of, let alone his extraordinary personality.


Was he always so aloof and hostile?


Sighing, Zoe shook his head ... he was already throwing her into chaos ... instead of studying, she rather studied the thoughtful expression on his face with which he was following the video ...




--- TO BE CONTINUED ---


Chapter 3.: Ambivalent feelings.