Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Under Pressure ❯ Ch. 4: The Shower ( Chapter 4 )

Sadly, I do not own the characters of Cowboy Bebop. They are the property of Sunrise, Bones, and Bandai Visual (2001). They make the money, not me. Nor can I take credit my chapter headings- they are the product of their authors.

 

Chapter 4: The Shower (Jed Davis)

 

This was the fifth night she'd heard him working out in his room. She frowned, I wonder if… deciding that was dangerous territory she prepared for a bath. The soft taps and groans increasing pace. She shrugged, happily gathering the necessary essentials and drifting towards the steaming tub, from the sound of things Spike would be a while. With a tiny happy dance she scurried back, snagged her earphones and scampered off. She had a nice bath to take.

 

----------

Jet watched her several trips from his bonsai door, worry slowly burrowing into his thoughts. He caught her creeping down the hall, filling it with the whoosh of a filling tub. She then slunk back, to grab bubbles and returned adding them to the water. Worry was replaced by a snicker when she popped back out of her room with clothes, towel and lotions. He stepped further into shadow when she dropped half the pile. After half a dozen trips the hallway cleared, the door clicked shut. He waited for the soft splash, absently wondering why she hadn't bothered to lock the door. Deciding to keep an ear out for the impending explosion he disappeared into his greenhouse, the door cracked to catch every sound.

 

----------

Faye was in girly bliss. The tub was warm enough she could camp out for quite a while. Spike's previous rearrangement of her things had pushed her favorite soap to the front- she'd thought she'd lost it. She hummed to her music happily as she filled the poof and began scrubbing her leg. She draped it comfortably over the ledge and sunk deeper, the heat melting all her stress into a molten puddle of goo. She filled the sponge and allowed the water to run down her exposed skin. With a sigh she let her mind wander. Instantly it supplied her favorite topic. She slipped lower, her second leg popping out the other side of the bath. Her eyes closed slowly, as the music removed her from the clicks and bangs of the ship. Another languid breath as she recalled the day before. Spike had popped from the bath, half dressed and still wet. He hadn't seen her near the hangar hatch as he absently toweled his hair. A small smile tugged her lips as she blushed and sunk lower. She'd watched the few stray drops closely. Her mouth dry, afraid to move she remained rooted long after he'd sauntered off to his room.

She splashed another handful of water across her shoulders. Smiled, he always appeared so relaxed after a shower, the same way she pictured he would appear when… she giggled and sunk lower, her chin touching the water as she continued to daydream.

 

----------

Spike frowned and tossed the jump rope on the bed. He stretched, his back popping. Catching a whiff he decided a shower was an absolute necessity. He was well past the bothering Faye stage and into the realm of assaulting his own nasal passages. He skulked out of his room, shampoo, towel and clean clothes in hand. Still grumping over the strange turn of events he missed the sigh and soft splashing on the other side of the door. His hand tapped the switch. Still mulling as the door whooshed open and froze at the sight of a dripping wet foot. His gaze drifted up to the slender ankle and shapely leg attached. Survival instincts on high he back pedaled out of the room. The door hissing closed.

“Mmm… Spike.”

He froze. Swallowed and nudged the door open a fraction. The leg shifted, the foot pressing against the wall for leverage. He blinked. He must have heard wrong. Another breathy moan, proved his hearing was in fact, intact. He leaned closer to the crack of light, spellbound. Shower supplies forgotten his hand drifted to the door frame. The water sloshed softly as the tub's occupant's breathing hitched. He followed the leg to the bath's edge. Brown following the silver ledge around to the pile of plum colored hair and soft curve of a shoulder. Faye's head was tipped sideways. Her hand slipped from the water, ran across her collarbone and slowly dipped back into the steaming liquid. Small beads of water slowly creeping back to the softly churning froth. Her back arched as a soft, needy moan slipped from her lips. He focused on the side of her face, her features relaxed, soft smile pulling on her lips. He grinned, when another wanton groan escaped before her bottom lip was pinched between her teeth as she concentrated.

 

----------

Ein curious why the cowboy was hovering in the threshold waddled towards the shaft of light and settled at Spike's feet. Soft brown eyes studied the cowboy's stiff posture, his head tipping sideways. Following the man's line of sight, Ein glanced in the room, his tongue lulling out in the process- nothing interesting as far as he could tell, just a foot.

Ed repressed a giggle at the strange scene half way down the hall. It was obvious Spike was watching something in the bathroom. Curious, she slithered next to him. His breathing was shallow, the white knuckled grip on the casing suspicious. She glanced in the room, just catching Faye's leg.

Another sigh trickled through the gap, Spike tipped closer. Her head had rolled back, the soft splashing increasing. “Nnn… Sspii…”

Ed blinked and hissed, “What is Spike-person doing?”

The cowboy jumped and slammed the door closed with a bang. The bathtub occupant yelped, the sound of toiletries pelting the water. Jet stuck his head out of the bonsai room to see what the noise was. He chuckled.

“Fuck!” Spike spun to glare at the teen.

She blinked and grinned back, “What was Spike-person doing?”

He twitched, “Eh…”

Blink. She could wait all day.

“Uh…”

Grin, “Yes?”

“Um…”

“Waiting, Spike-person.”

“Er… playing lifeguard.”

Ed's head tilted sideways, her eyes narrowing. “Why?”

“Well…” he shifted, “Can't have her drowning.”

“Oh.” She frowned, mulling over his logic. With a mischievous glint she studied the uncomfortable man. Grinning when his displeased shifting had him trying to pass her, she crowed, “Edward does not believe you, pervert Spike-person.”

He clutched whatever composure he could muster, if he didn't he would never hear the end of it. “Most accidents happen in the bathroom, Ed.”

Snicker, “Edward thinks Spike is full of it.”

“Full of what?”

Blink, “You know.” She grinned, “Spike-pervert is telling tales. Ed can tell!”

Shrug, “And?”

“If Spike-person was doing something legitimate he would not have jumped and looked guilty when Ed asked what he was doing.” She nodded, “In fact, Edward believes that Spike was just being…” Her eyes slit as she jeered, “a dirty boy.” Index finger stabbing at his personal bubble, “Edward was warned about men like you.”

Spike smacked his face, his hand slipping off in an attempt to hold his tongue- composure be damned, the kid was askin' for it.

Jet cleared his throat, “Ed.” He waited for the teen to quit baiting the poor cowboy, “Knock it off.”

Her lip slipped out. “But…”

“Ed, let it go.” She gave a quick nod and scampered off to interrogate the eldest cowboy in his bonsai sanctuary. Jet stepped aside to let her pass.

He chuckled, “Spike can't help it if he's a pathetic peeping tom.”

Ed's voice trickled from the sanctuary, “We must support our despicable friend in his time of need, right?”

Groan, “Right, Ed.” He shot the distraught cowboy a disgruntled glare, “Thanks, Spike.”

Blink, “What did I do?”

Blue eyes shifted to the closed door, “Nothin' I'd want to get caught loitering over.”

Twitch, Spike's gaze drifted back to the sealed hatch.

Ed cackled, “Faye-Faye will not let you peek again if she catches you! You fake lifeguard you!” Her volume increased, “Then you'll be doomed! DOOOOOMMMMED!!” The noise decreased to a mocking sigh, “No practicing rescue breathing with Faye-Faye.” Titter, “He'll have to use…” snort, “the…” simper, “dog!”

Jet snickered, “Or his hand,” and disappeared back into the greenhouse.

 

----------

Faye glared at the softly bobbing bottles. One had bounced off her head before skittering across the floor. She huffed, glancing at the offensive disruption. How did I forget to lock… She blushed, How long?Oh shit! Flicking the lock and snagging her wayward conditioner she quickly rinsed off, threw on some clothes and scurried off to bed. She didn't need to see Spike's smug smirk to know he'd been the disruption- she'd heard him cuss at the door. The blush increased, as she began hoping with every fiber of her being he had simply thought she was relaxing and had banged the door to be his usual vexing self and not because Ed or Jet had caught him… She couldn't finish the thought opting to carefully scan the hallway for crew. Empty except for the dog, she made a hasty retreat.

 

----------

Spike relaxed when he heard Faye's door click closed and her bed shift. She definitely wasn't coming out the rest of the night. Certain he could shower without problems or unnecessary confrontations he hustled to the bath, kicked the door closed and bolted it.

Immensely relieved the water was tepid.