Soaked to the skin under the cold shower, Eva began shivering but made no move to remove herself from the frigid water. After a few minutes she became aware of someone next to her, and at the same time the chill of the water vanished and was replaced by a comfortable warm flow over her body that penetrated her wet clothes down to her cold skin, warming her. 

 

She opened her eyes and looked sideways to find Dizzie leaning against the wall with one shoulder, a towel, shirt and shorts slung over the other. She had her hand on the shower tap and was slowly turning up the temperature. 

 

“So….” Dizzie began speaking, “Who is he?” 

 

“Dizzie what are you talking about?” Eva said in an exhausted voice, turning to face Dizzie. 

 

“Only a guy could be responsible for that miserable face. If it was Rabbit I’m going to tear his……” Dizzie stopped mid-sentence as Eva turned and her bruised cheekbone and split lip came into view. Her face quickly shifted into a look of fury, “Eva what the hell?!” 

 

Eva sighed and rubbed the bruised side of her face gently, “It wasn’t Rabbit. I was sparring with Blinkie and we got a little carried away.” Eva reached out and grabbed Dizzie’s elbow as the other woman turned to leave with a murderous look on her face, “Diz! Don’t. He got as well as he gave. I think he’ll be limping for a few days.” 

 

Dizzie glared at Eva for a moment but then her face softened and she smiled, “Well, as long as he’s in pain.” she finally said, and hung the clothes and towels nearby. Eva smiled and stepped out of her saturated sweatpants and underwear before pulling her top over her head. She stood there for a moment letting the warm water flow over her skin before turning off the water and towelling herself down. 

 

“Thanks, Diz.” Eva said to her as she pulled the fresh shorts up her legs and reached for the top. She slipped her arms into the shirt and pulled it over her head, and as she pulled it over her body and glanced up just in time to see Aiden limp in through the door to the showers. She froze in place, unsure how to react. Part of her wanted to run and hide, part of her wanted to walk up and slap him as hard as she could, but another part of her was happy he was here. 

 

Dizzie followed Eva’s gaze and saw Aiden, and then looked back between the two a couple of times before moving to leave the room. She paused for a moment in front of Aiden and pointed an accusing finger at his face, whispering something harshly at him that Eva couldn’t make out. 

 

Aiden raised his hands defensively in a surrendering gesture and Dizzie shouldered past him and left the room. Eva heard her in the stateroom telling someone that something was “none of their fucking business” and then she turned her eyes back to Aiden. She stared at him silently, trying to will her mind to wake up and come up with something to say to get rid of this horrible awkwardness, but came up with nothing. 

 

“Eva…” Aiden finally spoke, taking a couple of limping steps closer. Eva instinctively flinched back without knowing why. She knew he hadn’t meant to hurt her and she figured that he had been as clueless to their audience as she was when he tried to kiss her. She knew logically that the humiliation she felt because of the scene they had created and her own childish reaction to it was not his fault, but logic didn’t seem to be winning any arguments in her mind right now. She also knew that had they not been interrupted she would have let him kiss her. 

 

“I…..” she began, but paused having absolutely no idea what she wanted to say but knowing she should say something. “I’m tired.” she finally muttered, bending to grab her wet clothes and tossing them carelessly over a hangar to drip dry before making her way out of the shower room. As she moved past Aiden he reached out and took her elbow in his hand. The grip wasn’t rough, but it was firm. 

 

Instinctively she spun and struck out with her free hand, aiming a hard slap at Aiden’s face. He blocked it easily and before she could react with anything else his hand cupped the back of her neck and his lips were against her’s. Eva’s eyes flared open wide in surprise at the sudden intimate contact, but after only a few seconds she relaxed returned the kiss a little clumsily. She became aware of him releasing her elbow and moving that hand to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him and she responded immediately, slipping her hands around his waist. 

 

Her split lip stung but she didn’t care anymore. She parted her lips slightly and pressed her mouth hard against his, feeling the tip of his tongue glance across her bottom lip. Eva stood up on her toes and was about to move her hand up to run her fingers through his hair when she heard the sound of Dizzie clearing her throat in the doorway. The two of them turned to look at the intrusion with confused scowls but were brought back to their senses when Dizzie drew her thumb across her own throat and jerked her head back into the stateroom in a silent message to ‘cut it out and get back in here right now’. 

 

Eva gave Aiden a shy smile and reluctantly pulled free of his arms, moving quickly back into the stateroom to find Commander Wulf standing just inside of the main door of room, his keen eyes running over the bunks and footlockers. Eva hurried back to her bunk with Dizzie and the two stood at attention at either side of it. 

 

As the Commander moved past them she looked down the room to Aiden, who glanced at her when the Commander’s attention wasn’t on him. He winked at her and smiled before turning his attention back to the Commander. Eva felt a flush fill her again, but this time it felt different. For the first time in her life she felt a blush that wasn’t the product of embarrassment. It was something new, comforting and warm, something she found herself desperately wanted more of.

 

NEXT ENTRY: Stolen Moments