A/N I have been getting a LOT of requests for more of Evergreen and Presca so...
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Lucy smiled, stretching and reaching out to grasp a beam and angle herself so she could get to a trampoline. She saw Presca, helping Evergreen on the balance beam, the energy mage standing ahead of the wide eyed woman, holding her hand while she stretched a leg up behind her and balanced on the other, Prescas gentle hand on the thigh of the raised leg, easing her to stretch past her usual range a little, just like he Vander and Bickslow had done for her when she'd first started work outs in the warehouse.
She was thrilled Evergreen had decided to join them, and...thrilled her friend was getting closer to Presca, she really liked Presca a lot, he was a good man, and not the sort that would willingly hurt Evergreen, not clumsy in how he dealt with people either, a little shy, but...he was observant, perceptive, and Evergreen needed someone who paid attention to all her little subtle tells toward her mood and mindset day by day, sometimes hour by hour.
She was complex, and guarded, and insecure in a lot of ways, especially with men, but Presca was patient, seemed to know what he wanted, and was sure of himself in that. They had gone from Evergreen doing lots of blushing and haughty ignoring of the energy mage, to her smiling openly at him, and Evergreen had asked Lucy to go shopping with her after lunch, wanting some new dresses because she and Presca were going out a lot, almost every night now.
It was, to Lucy, amazing. Presca was so calm and quiet, he'd developed, with Vander, the ability to blend into the background and let the spotlight find others, but with Evergreen, he wasn't backing off, wasn't letting her pull away and Lucy had seen Evergreen poison her own relationship with Elfman doing those things, setting Elfman up to disappoint her and she really liked the woman, considered her a good friend and her heart ached for all of Evergreens heart aches, but she saw how her friend made it all happen.
Evergreen just...wanted a man to work at the relationship, to go the extra mile, to pay attention to her and acknowledge her needs, treat her like a woman but respect her strength as a mage. It seemed simple, but Lucy knew...it really wasn't, and, watching her ruin her relationship with Elfman, it was clear there was a balance there few men could make work. Elfman sure hadn't been able to.
Presca though...had Evergreen smiling, shuddering...and Lucy reached the floor and winked at Bickslow nodding toward the pair and Bickslow winked back with a grin, watching Evergreen blush as Prescas hand slid over her thigh helping her reach the position she was working on.
Completely innocent, and Prescas face was one of calm concentration, soft words of encouragement coming out low for Evergreen to just breathe, relax and let the stretch pull and burn a little as if he were oblivious to Evergreens blush and how the woman was biting her lower lip. Lucy and Bickslow both knew better of the man, Presca rarely missed much, and had said once teasing Xally…
"Woman I can feel sexual energy charging up in you... .touch my ass or I swear you'll sleep for three days when I rip that energy you're building out of you…" He'd warned when he'd been trying to help Mr. Elan and had his hands in some dough and Xally had come up behind him eyeing his butt.
He could sense the kinds of energy building in people, and Evergreen had to be building plenty judging by the look on her face.
Bickslow knelt down by Lucy, helping her with some stretches, she was still working on her flexibility, and honestly...now that some of the "practice" involved Bickslow naked in bed with her and the rewards for getting it just so included sex better than anything she'd ever dreamed of? Yeah...she was progressing.
Evergreen felt the burn Presca was talkin about, it was just...it wasn't only her thigh and ass that was on fire with his hand pressed against her bare leg.
Nobody, not even her team, had ever just..stopped all they were doing to gently work her into a new style of training, but that's exactly what Presca had done. She'd sat watching Lucy, Bickslow and Presca work out one morning and couldn't deny...she was jealous of Lucy.
The woman had come so far! When she'd left Lucy struggled to keep up with her team, still got left in the dust at times, still had to be "saved" but now? She was flying through that warehouse keeping pace with Bickslow and Presca, and Evergreen had never been able to keep up with Bickslow.
She prided herself on holding her own in the Raijinshuu, stood tall, but...Erza had shown her she needed work, and she'd tried, but she wasn't great at motivating herself through workouts, and Laxus, Bickslow and Freed? They supported her, but none of them were any good when it came to daily sometimes minute by minute...support and pushing her while she would, because it was how she coped...bitch.
"Damnit, this fucking hurts!" She hissed and Presca smiled, his fingers massaging but not letting the pressure go, not letting her bring the leg down.
"You look like a ballerina…" He said softly and she blushed and tried harder, it was exactly the right thing to say to her in that moment because she felt like a bloated water buffalo, not picturing herself as anything beautiful in that moment, but that he saw her that way? Well….it couldn't be as bad as she thought…
"A sweaty clumsy one." She scoffed and he smiled again, that little half smile...Gods when men did that…
"Sweaty is not a bad thing to be and you are far from clumsy Ever. Ok, let's do the other leg." He said gently and helped her switch, she gripped his shoulders this time while he steadied her waist with one hand and helped her stretch her other leg back and up with the other.
"Some of Lucys best looks happen when she's sweaty." Bickslow said, grunting when Lucy punched him in the gut.
"Thank you Lucy." Evergreen sniffed and Lucy, straining too hard in her stretch just nodded but glared at Bickslow who stuck his tongue out and chuckled.
Her leg was trembling a little, she could still feel the burn of the stretch from before through it and now it was holding her up, she drew a breath when Presca reminded her to breathe.
They had been out several times now, had a date scheduled for that evening too, he was taking her dancing, and so far? She was just a damned goner. She was falling, head over her gorgeous high priced heels. She didn't want to, she didn't want another heartbreak, didn't want to go through what she had with Elfman, never again, but...Presca wasn't like Elfman, he wasn't like any man she'd ever known.
When she got bitchy, his smiles got soft, his voice deepened and his words got silky and reassuring. He'd noticed when she'd caught her nail during a workout and split it and their date that day had been a trip to a salon where she was treated to a mani/pedi while he got a pedicure and read reports and she soaked up gossip and got pampered, even got compliments from more than one of the women there "Your man is is as sweet as he is fine."
Her man. She glanced up from staring pointedly at his chest. His eyes were moving over her calmly, keeping an eye on how she was doing, making sure she was ok to keep it up.
"Ready for the showers babe?" Bickslow asked Lucy lightly as he helped her relax out of her stretch. Catching the look on Evergreens face she smiled.
"Yeah, we could maybe soak in the hot tub huh? You can give me a massage? You guys hammered me today." She smiled and Bickslow tipped his chin up so she could kiss him before he let her tug him to his feet.
"My hands all over your body? Move it woman. Presca, Ever, we'll be in the hot tub...stay the fuck out." He called and Presca rolled his eyes as Evergreen glared after her teammate.
"Ok, let the leg down." Presca guided her and she wobbled precariously, gripping him hard and he pulled her in when her leg gave out, just too tired to hold her up anymore.
"Hmm, worked those legs pretty hard, here, sit down, I'll get down and help you, you try a dismount now you'll crash." He said, easing her down so she sat on the beam before he jumped down then reached up for her.
Smiling she slid down into his arms and, on impulse, she just...kissed him. She hadn't initiated anything to this point, had just deeply enjoyed being pursued but she'd been looking between that broad chest encased in a compression shirt and his soft lips all through her stretches and finally, just wanted it, needed to feel his lips.
Presca reacted swiftly, parting for her, eagerly sliding his tongue along hers, one hand pressing her into his chest the other sliding down to her perfect ass and gripping it to pull her all the way in against him this time because he was in some snug shorts and could feel her turning him right the hell on. Rather than hide that? He prefered she feel it, know how much he wanted her, how strongly his body reacted to her now.
All their dates, all the time spent talking, hearing all about her team, her guild, her home back in Magnolia...he loved her little quirks, loved how she got upset when her dress got wrinkled, how she fussed over hair products and nail polish and worried about smelling nice and having her eye shadow right. She was such a woman, a beautiful quirky touchy fiery woman, strong and capable but also fragile and lovely and she was perfect.
Her hands were sliding over his sides, finally gripping his ass and he smirked into the kiss as they pulled apart, took heaving breaths and dove back into each other again. Must have been one of his better features...his ass...because Gods knew Vander, his sisters, lots of people in the guild, had grabbed it enough. He wasn't a good judge, didn't really care, if she liked it? Well...all hers along with the rest of him.
"Presca…" She breathed finally, their lips parting but Prescas trailed along her jaw, seeking her pale neck and her hands moved up to push into his hair.
"Ever...tell me what you want...I want to make you happy." He breathed against her kin and she shuddered.
Did he mean that? Elfman had claimed he wanted her happy, but then...he hadn't done much to make her that way...Presca though, he made efforts, and she knew their relationship was new and that everyone tried hardest at the start but...something about how he smiled, the way the light steel colored eyes got warm when he did things for her, he seemed to enjoy doing them.
Elfman had always been so...nervous, forgot doors as often as not, always forgot to hold chairs, never looked at her nails, never noticed her dresses or anything she did new or different to try to look good for him, but Presca...he never missed a detail, caught every little thing and...mentioned it, complimented her...made her feel...wonderful, like she wasn't crazy or vain or shallow, some of the many things she'd been called because she felt the need to work at her appearance so much, to be ladylike. Not only did Presca not ignore it all...he appreciated it...and that, was different...and she just, loved it.
"I..I need a...I need a shower...I'm all sweaty and gross.." She whimpered, just unable to say "Take me to your place and make love to me for the rest of the day and all night." she felt gross...and that really just...killed her ability to think right.
Presca smiled and pulled back.
"Alright, lets get you into the bath, you want me to help?" He offered and Evergreen shook her head. She wasn't against the idea, but just...not yet..
He took her to the bath area and she sank onto the bench alongside the water, Presca dropping to a knee and undoing her shoes. She smiled, watching him and reached up, brushing back his soft still slightly sweaty chocolate colored hair.
He looked up and smiled at her "Sure you don't want my help? I've got training, pretty good at bathing someone and working out tired muscle in a bath...I can change our date tonight, instead of dancing we could go for a hovercraft ride out over the Grass Sea, there's a diner cruise I could get us on." He said quietly, watching her. With her legs this tired he doubted dancing would be much fun for her.
The work out and stretching routines they did...they were rough, designed to make someone seriously strong in combat, agile and fast and to build endurance and response times, develop reflexes. Lucy had come a long way, he was positive Evergreen could do at least as well as Lucy.
Evergreens eyes lit up "I...you'd change the whole evening around?" She asked and he shrugged.
"Of course, your legs are worn out, they'll be sore, dancing wouldn't be comfortable, so...we'll do something else. You like the idea?" He asked and she smiled.
It was sweet, he was thoughtful...but after over a month of dating? She was ready for more and...wanted a more private evening.
"How about we stop at the market and buy some things and I cook us dinner at your place, we can watch a movie, I can rest my legs and show you I meant it when I said I was a great cook." She smiled and this time Prescas eyes lit up.
"I've eaten Mr. Elans cooking for years you know." He pointed out and she laughed, then smirked at him.
"I'll be happy to prove I can compete." She said and he grinned, oh he knew she could more than compete...
"I'll buy the food since you're doing the cooking. Enjoy the bath, I'll be in the shower area so call if you need anything." He said and she nodded.
All of that, the laughing at the store as they debated about what she would cook, him calling them a cab refusing to walk the 3 blocks to his house because her legs were sore.
She'd protested, but secretly...she'd loved he was that attentive, that concerned and determined she be comfortable.
She'd made spaghetti, her own recipe, Presca had pitched in and Evergreen had been delighted to find he knew how to cook himself and was helpful in the kitchen and he made garlic bread and put a salad together while Evergreen made the rest and then they went to the living room and sat on the floor, putting all the food on the coffee table and starting up a movie after a few minutes of scanning through what was available.
"Ok...you were not exaggerating." Presca moaned when he took his first forkful and Evergreen smirked, she knew she could cook, and she'd been impressing Bickslow long enough she was certain she could at least in some dishes compete with Mr. Elan.
"Don't know why you doubted me." She said primly, raising her chin and sipping her wine.
"Thank you for cooking." He said and leaned over and kissed her temple, rising then to clear their dishes, returning a few minutes later with a chocolate silk pie and two forks and Evergreen just...melted.
By the second bite, watching Presca slide the fork from his lips, his pale steel eyes on the lacrima screen, she was done, no more thinking no more doubting no more waiting.
Reaching up she slid her hand under his chin and his brows shot up as he turned to her, she lunged...hard enough she knocked him right over and was on top of him, hands in his hair, kissing him.
It was like a dam burst, the kiss turned feverish in second and Evergreen grabbed the front of Prescas nice button down and ripped it open, fully aware of what was underneath and in possession of no more patience.
She had denied herself for over a month, for Ever that was an eternity because she rarely denied things she really wanted and she'd never wanted anything as much as she wanted Presca now.
Prescas sharp inhalation of breath when she tore his shirt open made her smile as her hands slid over the sculpted chest, her nails dug into nicely formed pecs and Presca moaned against her lips, his hands shoving her dress up until she finally pulled back long enough to toss it off before diving back down and reclaiming his mouth.
Clothes were either yanked or outright ripped away from that point, Evergreen greedily sucking at his neck as he slid a hand between her legs then she was moaning, writhing but kept her lips working on his skin.
"Fu...fuck...Evergreen...nngh!" His hips bucked as her hand finally wrapped around him and she smiled as she stroked his length, loving the heavy feel, the velvety heated skin.
"Mmm, please, Presca...I'm so done waiting...I want you…" She purred and Prescas eyes rolled up at that silky sexy voice. Gods help him, she was a lady, a mage...and a fucking sex kitten...he'd died and gone to heaven.
"You already own me Ever…: He breathed back, rolling them over, shoving the coffee table out of his way as he did and sealing his lips over one of her breasts, tongue rolling over it while his over hand slid over the other...perfect...she was just right, not too big, not too small, filled his hands and then some and the feel of her thighs sliding along his hips as she ground herself against him…
Evergreen was demure and shy, he wasn't sure she liked that about herself, but once she felt Presca responding with as much fervor as her, when he said she owned him...the aggressive side of her took over completely and she was working her body against his, unwilling to accept his play, his heated exploration of her with that hot mouth, he could do that later…
"Give me what I want Presca...stop...playing…" She snarled, nails raking down his back and hips until she was digging them into his ass. Prescas rounded, flawless, hard muscled ass...she'd always been a bit of an arm woman, loved well muscled arms, and Presca didn't disappoint there, he wasn't bulky like Elfman, but flawlessly toned and defined with all the work he put into his body.
She'd admit though, once Emzadi and Xally and even Vander had made comments about the mans rump she'd started looking, and encased usually his his soft brown leathers it was easy to see the appeal there, Cobra had a similar ass, rounded and just...biteable. It felt pretty damn good in her hands too, but she had to have all of him…
"Yes...anything…" Presca whispered against her skin and his lips were back on hers, he hissed as she tipped herself into him and let her take him, just the head, shifting over her and propping himself on his forearms to look into those bright eyes as he eased into her all the way.
When he started slowly teasing her again she grit her teeth, latching her long legs around him and flipping them over again, Presca almost laughed but couldn't get any air when Evergreen set her hands on his waist and started riding him.
"No...teasing...mmmm, fuck you...you…" she didn't know how to say it, he...fit...filled her just...perfectly. She didn't want to compare lovers...ok...that was a lie, of course she compared them, Evergreen had standards she wanted fucking met and Elfman, he'd been so thick he'd almost hurt, stretched her where she was almost numb when they had sex...Presca wasn't like that...not the massive girth but he had...length and reached into her tickling her cervix when she came down and that just set off all sorts of nerves she had never gotten to feel before.
She'd ridden Elfman, but this was different, Presca didn't just lay there and moan...his hands were on her hips and he was helping her, she felt his abs tighten, thighs go taut as he thrust up into her and he was angling her as she moved, when she mewled he speared into that spot several times before changing the angle again.
When her eyes opened and she was looking down over him the sight was enough to make her body heat even more, his chocolate hair ripped free from the tie he usually wore...her own doing...falling over the left side of his face and shoulder, pecs bunched, arms flexing as he lifted her and brought her back down on him. The lions of his clan tattoo glistening with sweat, steel eyes hazed over with passion on hers.
She felt the need to own him ease, she had him...she could feel it, and her legs were burning trying to move and he caught it the moment she faltered and rolled them back over, resting her back on the carpet, taking over...kissing her neck, her face. Soft murmurs about how beautiful she was...how he'd never felt anything so wonderful as her had her head spinning even as her body writhed and worked with his.
Their lips were moving over each other when she came, tossed over the edge as much by what he was whispering as how wonderful his body felt and he went with her over that edge, breathing out her name like a soft prayer before his forehead rested on hers, his dark hair falling around them.
They lay still, panting for several moments until their bodies calmed and Evergreen waited...no regrets...she had none, and prayed he didn't either, prayed this wasn't going to be an end, she'd been demanding, greedy even with him…
"That was...so good…" He breathed and she smiled, meeting his eyes, seeing him smiling and relief flooded her as he kissed her, his arms sliding around her.
"I think I'd like to see your hot tub…" She said and he grinned,
"Mmm, rinse off then desert?"
She smirked "I plan to eat it off those abs of yours…" She purred and Prescas eyes flashed.
"I'll take mine off this perfect ass…" He said hand slithering down to squeeze her and she laughed until his kiss silenced her, she'd never been this happy…
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Lucy narrowed her eyes, frowning from the book in front of her to the beautiful peacock key sitting on gray velvet.
"I see you contemplating a rash action...stop it." Hestor said not looking up from his own book and she glowered at him. The man was semi reclined against Kaleb who was sitting straddling the bench on the opposite side of the table from her. They were seated just outside one of the large training rings outside in the grand courtyard of the Pelerno branch of White Sea.
Delicious snacks were on the table, Bickslow was reading the book his father had given him, contentedly munching and working on a tall glass of iced tea. It was early spring and the weather was gorgeous. The trees were blooming, the air was fragrant and fresh, and in the ring Erza was rushing around battling Hestors spirits, Lynx and Abraxis, and Lucys Capricorn and Loke, explosions nicely contained within the powerful containment systems of the training ring, even the noise was muted and Lucy didn't even glance over as Erza slammed against flashing runes and pushed off back into the fray screaming less than 4 feet from Lucys head.
The requip mage had been...close to insufferable when they had finally come back, and she and Lucy had gone through screaming matches...Bickslow standing trying to be invisible behind his mate as Lucy had fended off every one of Erzas typical awkward overprotective nasty comments and then lit into her about being a hypocritical bitch and not much of a friend.
They had then not spoken for two days, Kaleb refusing to allow Erza to book herself on an airship back to Fiore until they had settled things and Lucy cornering Bickslows brother more than once, taking both him and Hestor on shouting about letting her "shitty friend" retreat with her tail between her legs.
Erza had heard that, another screaming match had ended up in the training ring and the two had fought viciously until it suddenly dawned on Erza that she wasn't just...destroying Lucy, that Lucy wasn't only holding her own, she was landing attacks and direct physical hits that...hurt, and managing to dodge and parry better than Erza had ever imagined Lucy in a million years could manage.
Stunned she'd finally dropped to her knees, and stared at Lucy with so much amazement Lucy had stopped the attack she was building and glared at her...then...frowned and blinked and stared warily until Erza had quietly apologized.
Fascinated by the sudden strength she saw in a Celestial Mage she'd challenged Hestor to a spar and Hestor has smirked "All my magic...including the use of my mate because he is part of it all?" He'd asked and Erza had narrowed her eyes.
"I did not fight Lucy with Bickslow at her side...I shall...but yes...I want to see. Lucy says you have the education, the training she wishes to achieve here...I need to know what that might look like…" Erza had aid and Hestor had nodded, put his book down and mentally let Kaleb know they had been challenged to a spar and he meant to show ERza just what an educated, trained Celestial Mage could do. He wouldn't tell her he had an advantage over Lucy, that Kalebs magic augmented his own far more than Bickslows helped Lucy. Lucy and Bickslow were just started to spar with him and Kaleb, he wasn't sure what could be developed there yet, so...he'd lay it on hard for this woman who had scoffed at Lucys ability, at her magic…
"I won't hold back...I heard you, heard you belittle our magic, call it weak, say our kind needed people to protect them...I'm going to show you how wrong you are...how only her lack of education and training made her seem that way…" He warned and Erza had smiled, narrowing her eyes.
"I hope you can." She'd replied and Hestor had then...dug into the battle with a vengeance.
Bickslow had watched, Lucy beside him, her hand tight on his, her eyes eager...she knew what fighting Erza was like...knew how incredible strong her friend was, Natsu still could not beat her and Lucy hadn't either, their fight had ended in a draw. She NEEDED to see a Celestial mage like herself...beat Erza Scarlet, needed it like air.
Hestor was teaching her, Vander, Presca and Bickslow had trained her body now Hestor was honing her magic...what she was watching, was what she could be….no...she would be better...Hestor did work his body, she'd watched him and Kaleb spar, watched him swim, something he did every single morning just like she herself hit the gym or warehouse with Bickslow, while Kaleb went for a run, Hestor swam, then he'd meet Kaleb in the gym, had a routine in there while Kaleb did work with weights, then ether martial arts practice, tai chi...or a spar.
Hestor was true to his word too, he held nothing back. Erza was confronted with Lynx and Abraxis, as well as Hestor in his Starblade armor and weapons set, and she struggled for any advantage, when she got it and was hurtling at Hestor, her body collided with black and gold armor and a glowing white wing before a long sword sent her flying back, Kaleb standing between her and Hestor.
From that point, she only lasted a few minutes before Hestor had a boot on her back pressing her into the ground. And she was smiling, dropping her sword and shaking her head in amazement and Bickslow watched his mate grinning, eyes wet with unshed tears she was so happy, so ready...eager to work like Hestor did, to have her spirits move so fluidly, to control her Stardress like Hestor held Starblade, to have Bickslow become like Kaleb was, so well tuned to her and her to him they fought as one like she'd just seen Hestor and Kaleb do with Hestors spirits…
Now she was studying keys, pouring over everything about keys she already held because Hestor insisted she try and come up with a strategy to safely contract Pavo. He'd admitted he already knew how it needed to be done, but he refused to give her any hints beyond pushing a stack of three books at her and saying
"Figure out two possible strategies and then we'll go over them. If you haven't figured it out, I'll tell you, but I want you to work at this as if I'm not here because once you go back to Fiore...I won't be."
"But I can still call you."
"Not too often...I expect you to be self sufficient, it's what you want isn't it?"
She'd glared at him, of course it was, but she liked the idea of being able to call him if she got stumped. Kaleb had reassured her that she could, and that Hestor would help no matter what he said now, but she was still frustrated reading over the books, looking for what Hestor knew.
Erza was screaming around the ring as they worked...well, Lucy worked, Hestor was reading through the rules for this years Wizard games. It was an off year, the Guildmaster games was last year, so this year was the Wizard games, where wizards entered as individuals, guild not mattering, and competed in a vast variety of competitions to determine the top Wizards of each magic field of the games who would receive jewel, a new wardrobe from Elluris, prestige, a two week vacation anywhere they chose, an article about them in sorcerer's weekly, and...job requests galore. Wizards from all over Ishgar came to compete.
Kaleb was going over reports, thumbing through his L-tablet with one hand while the other idly played with Hestors hair. Bickslow was reading, his hand on her thigh occasionally rubbing the smooth skin and making her smile.
She sighed, closing the book and reaching for one of the others, glaring at Hestor who ignored her. She was GOING to figure this out...then hit Hestor with a book….