ElfEver week!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail Mashima does.

Secrets

Elfman stood by the job board, his fists clenched around a piece of paper, glaring dangerously at the man flirting with his Evergreen by the bar. Wait his Evergreen?! When did she ever become his!? Anyway, a new guy had joined the Guild and Elfman was not happy about it. Now, usually, he would welcome a new member with open arms, but, as soon as he stepped through the door he had latched himself onto Evergreen and began to flirt outwardly with her.

As he watched them he became even angrier as Ever began to blush, then leaned forwards, whispering to the new guy. 'Secrets,' he thought bitterly, 'She's telling him secrets.' Takashi, the offending boy, glanced over at Elfman, then turned back to Ever, nodding. That was it, Elfman had had enough. He stalked up to the bar, grabbed Ever's hand and yanked her towards Mira.

"We're going on a job." He growled, showing his sister the request and marching out of the Guild.

"What did I say about ordering me around!?" She thwacked him with her fan and ripped her wrist from his strong hold, "What's with you? I was talking with Takashi and then you just drag me out, mumbling something about a job."

"I'm sorry to crash your flirting match, but we were supposed to be Manly and do a job today!" He shot, glaring slightly at the brunette. She raised an eyebrow, matching his glare with a stone-like one of her own.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing haughtily, "So, what kind of job is this anyway?"

"A few dark wizards are causing trouble in Calaous." Evergreen nodded, this was the kind of job she enjoyed going on, exiting and rewarding. If you were wandering, Calaous is a small port town a few hours away from Hargeon but still closer to Magnolia, "General theft and a few girls have gone missing."

"You'd better help me get them back." She flicked her hair and gave him a pointed look.

"It wouldn't be Manly to do otherwise." Elfman pouted and looked down at her, allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

"Would. You. Stop. That!" Ever yelled, hitting him with her fan repeatedly, but unable to stop the grin rising to her mouth.

"That would be un-Manly!" The white-haired mage proclaimed, raising a fist in the air and posing, ignoring the constant thumping on his back, "Hurry up, Ever, we aren't going fast enough!"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO-," She was cut off as the take-over mage hauled her up and threw her over his shoulder, sprinting towards the small port town, "What the hell Elfman!? PUT ME DOWN!"

Elfman just grinned, glad to have his Ever back... although, that was a secret.

After a few hours of kicking and screaming, Ever had realized that it was no use, and no matter how loud she shrieked he wouldn't put her down. She was now glaring at the floor, her left elbow resting on Elfman's back and propping up her head, her left hanging and drumming against the small of his back.

Elfman's heart was thumping against his rib-cadge, his cheeks were slightly flushed and he was so relieved Ever couldn't see his face. Every time her delicate fingers thrummed on his back they sent shivers up his spine, it took every inch of his very existence not to groan. Although he was still annoyed about Ever sharing secrets with this Takashi guy, he still couldn't help the feelings that he held for her. What did that stupid Romeo have that he didn't have, anyway?

They were just entering the town when they began to get strange stares and mutterings, that's when Evergreen realized it, she was over the shoulder of an extremely tall, fully grown, well built man, like it was an everyday thing.

"Elfman!" She hissed, turning her head, "Elfman!"

"What is it Ever?" He sighed, glancing at her through the corner of his eye.

"Put me down." The brunette shot venomously, "Now."

"What? Why? It wouldn't be Manly to make you walk... especially not in those heals ." He gazed briefly at her feet and shook his head at the seven inch stilettos.

"I'm serious, Elfman, put me down!" Elfman chuckled and hoisted her further up his shoulder.

"Nah. As I said, it would be un-Manly to do so." She glowered intently at the onlookers, almost turning them to stone through her glasses (which were magically still on her face, defying the laws of physics), when suddenly she began to kick off again.

"GOD DAMN IT, ELFMAN STRAUSS! YOU PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW YOU STUPID JERK-FACE!" She roared, kicking her legs violently and thumping her clenched fists on his back. The Strauss brother froze in his tracks, eyes wide and sweating profusely, due to all the attention they were now getting.

"Er... Evergreen? Please don't scream..." She did exactly that, she thrashed and she screeched and she pounded on his back, attracting all the more viewers to their little scene.

"FOR GODS SAKE! JUST PUT ME DOWN YOU MUSCLE-BRAINED IDIOT!"

"Hey, man, don't be a dick and put the girl down." A random guy interjected, stepping out of the circle around the Fairy Tail mages. Elfman rolled his eyes and roughly set Ever on the ground, running one brawny hand through his hair before looking up at the surrounding crowd. Ever huffed haughtily and fixed her hair, brushing the dust off her dress and adjusted her glasses. Then from nowhere, her trusty fan in hand, she began to beat Elfman senseless, with no remorse.

"Ugh! I can't believe you!" She shrieked, "You carried me like that for three whole hours you damned knuckle-head!"

"Hey! I was being a Man and being nice! So you, wearing those stupid death traps, wouldn't twist your damn ankle!" Elfman yelled back, balling his fists and holding himself back from strangling the brunette.

"What is up with you!? You've been moody since this morning, glaring at me from across the Guild, then forcing me to go on this stupid mission with you!" Her brows were furrowed and more people had come to witness the argument, "Ever since Takashi walked in this morning you-," Her eyes widened and then a smirk came to her lips, "Wait one tiny, tiney second here... Elfman Strauss are you jealous?"

Hushed whispers and giggles flowed through the crowd, all eyes on the white haired man. Ever raised one of her furrowed eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning forwards as if to push her question towards him. He avoided her chocolate irises like the plague, his own navy blue eyes holding secrets untold.

"No! Why would a Manly Man like me be jealous of some prized dolt!?" Still avoiding her piercing gaze he huffed loudly, "Now, come on let's get this mission over with!"

"You're the one that chose the mission!" Ever yelled, throwing her arms up in exasperation, then turning to grin in an almost cat-like manor, "You are so jealous." Elfman shot her a look, pushing through the crowds and rolling his eyes.

"Go on!" A guy shouted, "Kiss her already!" Both of their eyes widened and they stopped, almost like statues.

"WHAT!?" They screamed in unison, "YOU WANT ME TO KISS-

HER!?

HIM!?" They both glanced at each other, horrified looks pasted on their faces, not due to being asked to kiss one another. No, but due to the fact that if they had complied it would've been their first kiss together.

"Not in a million years!" Elfman yelped, eyes like saucers and mouth agape.

"I wouldn't kiss that twerp even if my life depended on it!" The fairy mage turned to leave but was stopped when the guy spoke up again.

"What about you, big guy, what do you have to say to that?" The guy raised an eyebrow at Elfman's blank expression.

"Maybe if we were the last two people alive... and there were no goats... are there goats?" Not so much as a mutter rippled through the crowed as they gave the take-over mage strange looks.

"Really?" Ever stepped up, more than pissed, "Am I that repulsive to you?" Now Elfman was thoroughly confused, one minute she didn't want him to want to kiss her and now she does? What's up with him? What's up with her? He gave her a perplexed gawp and raised his hands in a questioning motion.

"You... just- But... I... Do you want me to want to kiss you or not!?" He spluttered, "Ugh! Women!"

"Well... I never said that! It's just that you... Oh never mind! You're such an moron!" She stalked off, smoke almost spilling from her reddened ears. Elfman turned to the towns people and huffed.

"Do any of you know what she wants from me?" Then he turned and jogged after her, taking her arm and dragging her in the opposite direction, "The town hall is this way, Ever."

"Shut up! I knew that."

They had finished the job, captured the troublemakers and now on their way home. Evergreen's feet where aching painfully, blisters had started along her heels and the joints connecting her toes felt as if they were about to snap. Then it happened, in one fowl swoop she was tumbling to the ground, allowing a yelp of pain as she went over on her ankle.

Crack! Something did not sound right about that noise.

"Ow!" She whimpered, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Ever! Are you alright?" He spun round and knelt next to the sniffling brunette, resting his hand on her vastly swelling ankle, "I think you've sprained it."

"Well done, Sherlock." She growled, sarcasm dripping over her venomous tone, "Thanks for staring the obvious!"

"Well I'm sorry, I was just saying!" With an aggravated sigh he scooped Evergreen into his arms and stood up, "We're taking the train."

"Wait ... put me down Elfman! I can walk ya'know!" Elfman gave her a blank looked and carried on back towards the port station, holding her bridal style. Ever's face was slightly flushed- from anger! Totally not because she liked Elfman or anything- as they began to gain attention again. People where whispering and talking, pointing at them someone even awww-ed. Then she noticed two girls around her age, pointing and giggling, and she lost it.

"WHAT ARE YOU TO POINTING AT!?" She thundered, glowering demonically at the two, who just giggled.

"We where just thinking what a sweet guy your boyfriend is!" Elfman almost dropped Evergreen, "I really wish my boyfriend would carry me!"

"I wish I had a boyfriend." The other muttered, rolling her eyes.

"He is not my boyfriend!" Ever screeched, "Elfman. Put. Me. Down."

"You can't walk, you'll end up breaking your ankle." Ever narrowed her eyes, "Think of what Erza will do is she found out I let you break your ankle! She would kill me! Or worse! Punish me!"

"Yeah, and if you don't put me down, I'll kill you." She snarled, jabbing her fan at his chest.

"Deal with it." He brushed past the girls and ignored Ever's protesting. When they got to the station he bought them both a ticket and found a free compartment.

"-I'm serious Elfman, if you don't put me down right now I will turn you to stone!" And with that he dropped her onto one of the red velvet seats, "Hey!"

"You said you wanted me to put you down, so I did." He muttered, rolling his eyes. That's when she saw it, secrets, compressed, bottled up inside of him, untold and untouched. It intrigued her, it made her want to know what he was thinking of. She wished her heart was always on his mind, because he was on hers all day, all the time. She wanted to know, no, she needed to know, "Um... let me look at that."

He knelt down next to her and cautiously slipped off the hazardous shoe. She gritted her teeth as his surprisingly delicate fingers gingerly checked her tender foot. He made quick work of checking over every bone and bruise, suddenly she took a sharp intake of breath as his skilled fingers found a soar part.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow! That hurts! That really hurts!" She squeaked, biting down on her bottom lip and squeezing her eyes shut. Elfman flinched and yanked his hands away.

"Sorry!" He gazed up at her, his eyes latching onto hers. It was as if everything had stopped, it was only them, a force so powerful that nothing could falter it. They were slowly inching towards each other, neither one losing focus, neither one wanted to. Ever took deep, shallow puffs of air, entranced as she watched their breath meld together. But she wanted more than that, she wanted to grab him right there and then and kiss him. But she couldn't, he had to make the first move. They were so close that their noses were practically touching, her heart was pounding a mile a minute, but she had to hold herself down. Their eyes slipped closed and they tilted their heads, their lips were centimeters away and-

With a screech the train jerked forwards. Elfman was lifted off of the ground for a second, then he was falling down to Evergreen. His hands shot out, to stop him from crushing her, and they landed either sides of her head. Breathing heavily. they stared wide eyed at each other, neither moving an inch.

Elfman quickly climbed off of her, sitting down next to her and began to stare at the floor, clutching his head in his hands. Ever started an attempt to calm down her racing heart, once her chest was raising and falling normally again she carefully shifted in her spot, blinking away the painful tears hiding in the corners of her eyes.

"Sorry." Halfway through the word the take-over mage's voice cracked, forcing him to clear his throat before attempting to carry on, "I... I don't know what came over me. Um... I'll get Wendy to look at your ankle when we get back to the Guild."

"Ok." Ever whispered, nodding curtly before turning to glare out of the window. The rest of the journey went without any distractions, allowing the two to brood over the fact that that was their second almost-kiss in three days. When they got to Magnolia station Elfman picked Ever up bridal style again and made his way through the station.

Just like in Calaous, they were whispered about and had people pointing them out, although, they were so deep in thought they just ignored it. As they walked through the Guild doors, again, people went quite, watching curiously as they made their way to where Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Gray and Erza were sitting.

"Wendy, could ya' be Manly and help Ever?" Elfman asked, "She's sprained her ankle wearing those death trap heels."

"One, Wendy isn't a man, and two, they aren't death traps, there was a hole in the ground." Evergreen huffed haughtily, flicking her hair and giving Wendy an exasperated smile. Elfman sat her down on a chair and Wendy started to check her over.

"It's not a major sprain, so if you give me a second, you'll be able to walk again." Wendy put her hands over Ever's ankle and closed her eyes, causing a blue light to spread over the fairy mage. When she was finished, Evergreen stood- her heels in hand- and tested out her now healed foot.

"Thanks Wendy, I feel much better." Wendy giggled and blushed waving her off.

"It's no problem." Ever turned to Elfman, smiling and rolling her eyes. No-one needed to know about the incident on the train.

It was their secret

A/N: Sorry it's a day late, but it's long! I hope you guys like! Another almost-kiss scene, you guys must be so frustrated... I'm not even sorry... I builds up the tension!

Ever: STOP MAKING ME ALMOST KISS THAT OBSESSED FREAK!

Fred- I'm the author, so deal with it! PLEASE REVIEW! LEAVE ME A BEAUTIFUL REVIEW IN THE LITTLE BOX!
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BYE~