THIS UPDATE IS A DAY LATE SORRY! I worked a like 12 hour shift yesterday and was just so tired when I got home I forgot u.u;;
Pairing: Elfman Strauss x Evergreen
Rating: E for Everyone
AN: This was an extra prompt for this years ElfEver week. Short and sweet. Enjoy.
Help me.
At first, her eyes saw nothing. Only darkness.
I'm lost.
Slowly, she thought she saw figures coming into view, but as she stepped forward, all she found were dried up, dying trees.
Someone, please!
Her breath became unsteady. She was alone, she was lost, and every time she opened her mouth to cry for help…
Is there anyone there?
No words came. Her voice filled her mind, but not her ears. She sucked back her breath and then attempted to shout.
Laxus!
Freed!
Bixlow…
…Elfman…
She couldn't see the ground under her feet, but crumbled to her knees despite herself.
Anyone…
"…ver."
Her head shot up and she looked back and forth, sure she had heard a voice—sure she had heard anything other than the wind blowing through the decrepit trees.
"Ever."
She leapt to her feet. That was her name! Someone was calling for her.
Hello?!
But her voice still didn't come out. She bit her lip.
"Ever!" The voice seemed to be coming from every direction. She didn't know which way to run, but her feet began to move on their own.
She had only taken a few steps, before the ground began to shake underneath her. The blackness under her began to grow white, and then, once the light surrounded her entirely, a great tremor quaked under her feet, and the ground she stood upon opened up and she hurdled down into an unending chasm.
N-No! N—
"Noooo!" Evergreen's shriek filled the guildhall as she leapt back into consciousness. Suddenly, she found all the color rushing back to her, and her eyes were wide open. Elfman stood to her right, with his hands held up in submission, staring at her with wide eyes of his own.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to shake you—I mean, I did, but you were shivering and mumbling. I thought you were having a nightmare." He stammered out, before shutting his eyes tight and bracing himself for her wrath.
"Elfman…" She spoke his name as she finished gathering her thoughts. The giantesque man squinted open his eyes to study her expression.
Evergreen leapt towards Elfman, and threw her arms around his torso—much to his surprise.
"Ever?" The white haired man spoke in confusion, and ran a hand through the brunette's hair. Her breath quivered and her body trembled.
"Are you… crying? Are you okay?" He questioned her.
Evergreen shook her head. Though he didn't know which inquiry she was trying to respond to, he could feel her tears on his skin as she buried her face in his chest.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Laxus's voice growled from behind Elfman's shoulder. "You makin' Ever cry?"
Elfman swallowed audibly, as he didn't have to turn around to know the blond behind him was sparking and jolting.
Ever's arms released Elfman and she threw herself at Laxus. He gave out an "oof!" as her head rammed into the corner of his neck, but then he righted himself and rubbed her back.
Elfman turned to the dragon slayer, but his eyes remained glued to the young woman weeping into his shoulder. "Is she alright?" He mumbled.
"It's fine. She's just prone to nightmares." Laxus told Elfman without a sweat off his brow. "I keep telling ya' not to stay at the guild if yer tired." He scolded the young woman softly.
"I know." She hiccupped. "But Freed and Bixlow are out on a mission and it would have been just me…"
Laxus sighed, and patted her head, before shooting a glare at Elfman. The larger man leapt up in surprise, and had to fight off the urge to not salute Laxus as a reaction.
"This is going to be your responsibility some day." Laxus scoffed. And with that, he turned around and led Evergreen towards the exit of the guild.
"What does…that mean?" Elfman murmured as he watched the pair leave the guild.
"Oh… I think you know~" Lisanna's voice giggled behind him.
"L-Lisanna!" Elfman turned around to his younger sister with red cheeks. She was leaning over the bar, with her hands under her chin, grinning at him wickedly.
"How long have you been there?" He grumbled at her.
Lisanna tilted her head and smiled coyly. "Oh, I guess I started watching around the time you sat down next to Evergreen and stared at her until she started shaking.
Elfman felt his face grow warmer. He opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't think of anything honest, and clamped his jaw shut. The large, tanned man turned his back on his sister and stomped off without another word.
"And big brother Elf is going to be Ever's responsibility someday too~" The white haired vixen sang as her brother trotted away.
End