Sluice

He felt like a monster, as he stepped carefully into her bathroom, as not to make any loud noises and awaken her. She was still in the adjoining room, her room, sleeping, as he jumped up to go shower and get out of there. Mirajane and Lisanna had to be worried about him, he was sure, but he couldn't show up to their place smelling as he did in that moment. Evergreen's whole apartment smelled…well to him heavenly, but completely unmanly. No, they'd know he was with a woman and…and he just didn't want that!

Still though, he more than dwarfed most of the bottles of nail polish and cans of hair spray that littered the sink. Then there was all the makeup…he was honestly a little afraid to find out what she really looked like.

Putting that to the side for a moment, Elfman headed through the tiny bathroom and over to the shower stall. It was rather cramped, or so he found out, once he was in there, but it would have to do. He was sure, anyhow, that Evergreen would want him out of there before she woke up.

It was easy for him to fall into a reflection over the previous night as he stood there in the too small shower, trying to get as much spray from the faucet as possible. Not only was he just too big for the shower, he was also too tall. He was practically hunched over, attempting to at least get his hair somewhat wet, if not just damp.

"You could try to be quieter next time, Elfman."

He frowned as the shower door was opened and Evergreen squeezed in there. They were practically chest to chest. Perhaps this tiny shower was not all bad…

"Next time?"

That got him a look from her, though it was ruined as she was actually short enough for the faucet and it was totally drenching her in that moment.

"Anyways," she said then as she moved to reach for something. His breath caught until he saw it was just the soap, resting on a small ledge near his waist. "What made you want a shower at, oh, four in the morning?"

"I was, you know, gonna take off now," he told her while watching her hands move tentatively to his chest to begin lathering it up. He only watched. "Get home. Make sure that Lisanna and Mira-"

"They're big girls, Elfman. And believe me, Mira doesn't need you for anything."

"Of course she doesn't need me," he told her, trying to focus on anything, but the fact that her hand felt divine on his chest. "She's the manliest man around! But she has me and that's all that matters."

"You don't have to make excuses."

"What do you-"

"They all leave anyhow. When it's done. You stuck around the longest."

"Ever-"

"And if you're trying to wash off, like, my scent or something, using my soap was a bad move," she said as she continued to rub the soap gently around his chest. "Idiot."

"What do you mean all?"

"Elfman-"

"How many men… And hey! I ain't making no excuses." He reached out then to touch her cheek. She only turned her head. There wasn't a lot of room for that though. "Evergreen-"

"What? Do you think you're special?"

"I'm still a little fuzzy on this other men thing, so I sort of didn't think I needed to be."

She rolled her eyes. "Like you haven't slept with other people before. Honestly?"

"I only meant-"

"So just go, Elfman. You don't have to explain it to me what-"

"Why are you mad at me? You're psycho. Real men don't have mood swings!"

"Are you kidding? Your mood changes all the time. One minute you're happy, then you're crying-"

"They're called tears of joy, Ever."

"Don't call me that."

"Ever, Ever, Ever!"

"Elfman-"

"Ever."

Then she was huffing and it was probably the fact that her hair was falling over her eyes that saved him from being cast to stone.

"Just leave. Just-"

"How long have we spent, Evergreen, doing all of this? Playing around at all of this? And we finally get here, to where we were before, in that bed, and now we're back to, what? Hating each other? Because I took a dang shower? I mean, I put up with some crazy stuff from Mira and Lisanna, but this is just crazy."

She only looked off then. "Just shower, Elfman. And get out of here, huh? This was…this was a bad mistake."

"I don't get you," he grumbled, taking the soap from her then to continue washing. Then he remembered what she said about it not helping hide her smell any and sat it down, back on it's little ledge. They were so cramped in there that he was hardly getting any water any longer. "If you want me gone so bad, woman, then move so I can rinse off, huh?"

She only folded her hands over her chest then and he had to pause for a moment, to take in the sight. Then she was trying to accommodate him and let him get under the spray of the faucet as well.

"The tub's a little bigger," she said softly as he tried to rinse off as best as he could. "But I still think it wouldn't help you much."

"I'm too big for most things," he told her softly, since she was trying to be nicer too. "I've found."

"I liked you better before."

"Before?"

"You know," she whispered softly, watching as he hunched over some more, trying in vain to get clean. "Before the seven years. Before you went to train that time."

"You liked me less muscular?"

"A little."

"Oh."

"But this…this is nice too."

When he glanced at her, she only shrugged slightly and he smiled.

"I think you get prettier every time I see you," he admitted as she was forced against him slightly when he turned, trying to wash off another part of his body then. "Evergreen."

"You're so full of it."

"Am not," he insisted. "I think…I think that you're the prettiest of all the women in Fairy Tail. And the manliest!"

"Elf, I know that was a compliment, but please, don't say it again. At least the second half."

"But you are. None of them hold a flame to you! You're the closest to a fairy there is."

"Now you're just trying to be-"

"No, honestly," he insisted. "And not just 'cause I like you. I never though that… Even if this was only for the night, Ever, this was more than I ever could have… I mean, a woman like you, why, that makes me even more of a man!"

She didn't want to blush, but he was slowly forcing her to do just that.

"Elfman, please."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I can't help it, Evergreen. This is just so… I can't even put into words. Even if you're mad at me now or even forever, well, you'll always be the most beautiful woman that was ever interested me. Even if it was only for-"

"Shut up, stupid." He was giving her a headache. "Just…just hurry up with your shower."

And even though she hadn't done anything remotely close to bathing, she stepped out of the warmth of the shower and back onto the cool tile of her bathroom. Shutting the tiny stall door behind her, she went to grab a towel and dry off. Elfman only quickly got rid of any soap left on his body and gave up on getting clean before turning off the water.

"Wait, Ever." He stepped out of the shower just as quickly, the steam not helping him any at finding traction against the smooth floor. "You gotta at least tell me before you go back to bed if you're really mad at me or not. This is all really confusing and-"

She turned on him then, as he was reaching out to grab a towel off the rack too, and almost knocked him over as she moved to press both hands against his chest, dropping her own towel to the ground once more. Then she leaned up, having to do so to be able to kiss him. And, against his lips, she whispered, "Take me again."

And he did. Easily. Everything about Evergreen had always excited him. She was just so…so…manly!

Somehow, Evergreen found herself when it was over seated atop the counter with Elfman between her legs, just standing there then, as the steam turned to little water droplets all around them. Elfman only rested his head over hers though, as if holding her. She usually hated when men were tall enough to tower over her like he did, but the way he was holding her in that moment made her feel secure. And being able to hide her face in his chest wasn't bad either.

"You don't really have to leave," she whispered eventually, when her breath was back to her. She was sticky and awkward. Not to mention a little foolish. Her hair was sticking to her back and his breath wasn't the best. "Do you?"

Elfman only let out a slow breath. "I guess that Mirajane and Lisanna'll be fine for just one night. Right?"

She didn't care. She liked both women well enough, but whether they'd be safe or not wasn't her problem. And if them not being so took the man before her away, well, no; that just wasn't acceptable. Not at the moment.

He was still tense though, if only slightly. She could tell. He still thought that she might kick him out at any time. Even after they'd finally dried off and cleaned themselves up a bit.

"You're bed's too small too," he told her as they, once more, laid down on it. She had to snuggle close to him to keep from falling off it. "I'm just not fit for this apartment. I saw some of your stuff out there, in the living room? The little trinkets and figurines? I'm afraid I'll break 'em if I get too close to 'em."

"Here's a novel idea," she sighed. "Don't mess with them. Or touch them. In fact, you break it, you buy it applies here."

"Aw man. You don't know how much I hate that rule when Mira drags me into these tiny shops with all these valuables around." Then, after a pause, he grinned. "Does that mean I'll be over here a lot then?"

"Shut up, stupid."

He only glanced down at her. "Real men answer all questions."

"I'm not a man. So stop saying that."

"You're manlier than most real men," he assured her. "And trust me, it's a good thing."

"I'd rather not."

"Think that it's a good thing?"

She closed her eyes. "Trust you."

He laughed then, but she only snuggled closer.

"Real men trust their friends."

"We're not friends, Elf."

"Suppose you're right," he agreed then. "Ain't ever done that with any other friend."

"Oh, shut up. Honestly this time."

"Okay." He was so happy, really, just to be there, that it was no problem for him. "Night, Ever."

But she could tell, just from the…joy that was practically radiating from him that he wouldn't be sleeping any time soon. But she needed to. Now that she'd slept with Elfman Strauss, she had a sinking feeling that she was going to have an even harder time purging herself of him. Especially considering she'd been trying to do that since the beginning and it hadn't worked. She thought, maybe, sleeping with him would get it out of her system, but no such luck. Even laying there then, she still wanted him.

It was madness. Insanity. And extremely stupid. But it wasn't going away any time soon. So she figured she'd better just enjoy the ride.

I've been in the mood for some Elfman and Ever stuff recently it seems. Oh dear.