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She was right next to him, sleeping peacefully. The moon illuminated her hair, making it glisten over the pillow and her tranquil face put him at ease. Meliodas hadn't seen her in 10 years and she'd matured well. As always, she was beautiful. Not just in the way she looked, but the little things she did and her quirks which he adored. Meliodas would willingly fall as one of her victims if it meant she'd live.
He desperately wanted to caress her hair, he was yearning to cup her face to feel her skin under his hands, to have her smile aimed at him. Even though he was wrapped in rigid ropes, both him, Hawk and Elizabeth knew he could break free if he wished to. Yet, he didn't, and he wouldn't, to not scare her.
Glancing one last time at his princess, lying on her side and curled into a small ball, Meliodas allowed his eyes to rest and to hopefully pull him into a deep slumber.
It looked the same.
Meliodas slowly spun around, swallowing everything in sight. He took in the withered seats, the two statues, the lengthy pathway. Meliodas glanced to his right and everything hit him like a tidal wave.
All the memories this place contained-those times when war was brewing and their clans were fighting and they were in the midst of it, trying to stay together without flying apart. He reminisced the first time Elizabeth laughed, the first time she smiled at him and the first time he felt her atmosphere surround him. Meliodas recalled the games they played and the conversations they had, the light ones that ended with obvious flirting and the deep ones about their future, about what they would do once they got older. What their hopes were for the war and what they wanted to accomplish. He remembered chasing Elizabeth across the abandoned theatre, attempting to catch her while she laughed and swooped off each time. It was infuriating, but every time she giggled at his antics or glided back to tackle them both to the floor, it was worth everything in the entire universe.
Powered by visions of Elizabeth swimming through his mind, a lonesome, fat tear dropped haphazardly from his face. Why couldn't he save her? Why couldn't he do anything to protect the person he loved? Why had he failed her 106 times? It wasn't the first time he'd cried over Elizabeth, and he knew it wouldn't be the last.
Meliodas sauntered to one of the seats in Heaven's Theater, a place where they would simply sit and be content in each other's company. His fingers brushed over the cobbled stone. 3000 years ago, they would've been here.
"Meliodas."
He jumped.
"Hey, turn around." The soft voice continued with a giggle, "I won't bite."
That...that was definitely Elizabeth's voice. It had to be, only she could make him shiver like this and only she would be the cause of heat rushing through all his veins. But Elizabeth was asleep, she was supposed to be right next to him. Closing his eyes, Meliodas turned around to confront whoever it was that had imitated her voice impeccably.
He heard a few steps and the atmosphere surrounding him developed into a sweet warmth that he'd missed. "You can open your eyes," Meliodas heard the imitator as one gentle hand worked its way onto his left shoulder, "it's me."
He slowly cracked one of his eyelids open before opening the other. His emerald orbs tried to adjust to the blinding light in front of him. Whatever it was, the radiance and luminosity of it made him feel at home, as if he was welcome somewhere, as if he had a purpose to live. The sheer brilliance of the glow made his knees feel weak, at the same time it gave him energy. Meliodas tried to catch a glimpse of what was through the glimmering haze, of what made him feel so complete.
There was no light.
There was something brighter.
Elizabeth.
Without hesitation or a second glance, he launched himself at her open arms, enveloping himself in...in her. In the feeling of loving and being loved back.
His eyes immediately shut in Elizabeth's warmth and he allowed himself to relax, to permit his aching muscles to finally unwind but also tightening his grip around her waist as if she'd disappear any minute. It could happen, he'd seen it 106 times.
The hug was like a cocoon, a safe place where his worries disappeared like rain on a summer's day. He felt her soft skin press closer to him, her arms stroking his hair and the world around Meliodas stopped still on its axis. He squeezed back, not allowing the moment to end.
"I don't wanna move," he whined, knowing he sounded like a little boy. He'd never had a dream like this before, where Elizabeth could communicate with him. Normally, he'd only be able to re-watch events or have nightmares about death. Meliodas certainly wasn't going to waste this opportunity.
"I don't want to either," Elizabeth's response made him feel light in his head, it made his hearts thump wildly in his chest. 3000 years and she still has the same effect on him.
Gently rubbing circles in her side, Meliodas felt her silver hair tickling him, something so simple but he'd never grow tired of it. It was the opposite, he'd never get enough of it..."Elliizabeeth."
"Hmmm."
He reluctantly pulled away, the warmth leaving him like a shockwave. She seemed to be clinging too, her arms lightly brushing against his. Meliodas held her waist as he regarded her clothes...
the tavern uniform?!
She must've noticed his alarmed expression, "I'm not surprised you chose this for me to wear." Elizabeth laughed at his gaping mouth, "Honestly, what else should I have expected?" she brought her index finger to the bottom of his chin and swiftly shut it against his mouth, a 'click' vibrated through Heaven's Theater.
Meliodas lifted his stare back to her eyes, her gleaming blue eyes filled with the knowledge of memories. A gaze he missed because after 3 days it was stolen from them until another lifetime, leading to her untimely death. "Is this real?" he said, hesitating, "...i-is this really you?"
"Yep," she said, popping the p while her index finger lightly stroked the curve of his right cheek. "I'm sorta communicating with you through your dream, but it's me, not a made-up me from one of your dreams," Elizabeth winked at him, his cheeks flushing a bit under her hand. "I'm also a princess of Liones as it's my current reincarnation...which is why I'm wearing the tavern uniform." She poked fun at Meliodas' version of a uniform while glancing down at her skirt, sighing, and then peered up with an extra sparkle in her cerulean eyes-somehow making them more lively. Elizabeth's side-bang had vanished, replaced with her original fringe that covered her forehead. She looked exactly the same.
"How is this possible?"
"Beats me." She shrugged.
Meliodas stayed silent for a few seconds. He would surely wake up soon, he would be pulled away from his heaven, from his safe place. "Could we..." he rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he shouldn't feel embarrassed, but the emotion crept into him anyway. Elizabeth gestured for him to continue, her lips still formed into a beautiful smile. "Well-uhh..." Gulping, Meliodas shuffled his feet, he only craved one thing at the moment.
He finally held his arms out,"...hug?"
Elizabeth dove into his arms without hesitation, immediately fitting into his hold like a jigsaw puzzle.
Gathering everything in his head, he realised that the Elizabeth he was holding was Elizabeth Liones with all her memories-basically, it was his goddess.
And that fact made him warm.
"Meliodas..."
He hummed in response.
"I'm so sorry."
"....what?" Meliodas tilted his head to the side.
Even though her voice was muffled against his chest, he could hear Elizabeth clearly, "...3000 years? That's...that's a long time."
He gripped her a bit tighter, a serene smile on his face, "yeah...yeah it is."
"You-you deserve a lot better than this."
He furrowed his eyebrows and cast his eyes downward to her hair, "what's 'this'?"
She was mumbling now, he could feel her voice vibrate into his chest, "this...suffering. Meliodas, how the hell do you put up with it? Its-it's torture and you're on the 107th reincarnation?! How-just-how..."
Meliodas shushed Elizabeth by tugging her closer to him, her arms immediately tightened, her head nuzzling into his chest. She could feel the solid muscle on his back, exactly how it always was. He gave off the same aura, the same safe feeling that she could always count on. Elizabeth had never been more content in somebody's arms.
"Every moment I spend with you," he whispered soothingly, " no matter who you're reincarnated as, it's worth it. You are always worth it."
Elizabeth wanted to retort something back, anything that would make him understand how much he'd been through; how much she loved him; how much he'd done for her.
But she was too comfortable to argue.
This was all she wanted. For Meliodas to be at peace and to be happy, for the smile that currently played on his face to constantly remain there. Nevertheless, he rarely complained about anything.
"One day, I'll destroy this curse. I promise." Meliodas said into Elizabeth's hair, "And then we can spend the rest of our lives together...and.. and we'll be happy."
"If you break the curse-"
"When I break the curse."
She breamed and Meliodas felt her presence glow, "Yeah, when you break the curse...will you still...still...love me?"
"Wh-"
"I mean, you've met so many versions of me-you could easily get bored-you know?" Elizabeth continued speaking as if she'd told herself these statements numerous times and had persuaded herself that they were the raw truth.
"Eliz-"
"I wouldn't blame you, so if-"
"Elli-"
"I'd still love you, I've never stopped...but you probably know that," she chuckled weakly, "I just want-"
Meliodas shut her up with a kiss.
This current feeling, her hands gripping his hair softly, lovingly, his arms curled around her back, reassuring her, her lips roaming over his own, both craving for more time. Time to explore and to be free and to love without consequences.
In essence, time was such a cruel concept.
Or maybe it was just their parents.
Her eyes fluttered open, adapting to the rays of the morning sun glowing in the room. A strand of silver hair fell from her shoulder to her back, settling on the white sheets of the bed. Meliodas watched her with a tender smile and assured himself. This, the 107th, she would be the last one.
Of course, that phrase had been recited like a chant over 100 times in his head. He never lost hope, he never would. And, this reincarnation...well, unlike those other times, she'd walked right up to him.
Well, good morning, Elizabeth!" He grinned, "You feeling better today?"