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"No."
Blue eyes stare pleadingly into his own pair of onyx.
"What? Please?" She all but begs. Elizabeth - this damned goddess - had begged numerous times by now for Meliodas to take part in some silly and ridiculous human tradition. He wouldn't even bother to partake in his own when he was still siding with the demons; what makes her think he would do it for humans?
A meager scoff leaves his lips as he crosses his arms. "I already said no. Why won't you give it up, goddess?"
She pouts, he tries to not crack a smile at the sight, and her hands clench into little yet tight fists at her sides. "Just this once? For me? It seems like so much fun - and I've never tried it before! We could-"
"Goddess," he interrupts her, his tone more dark than he intended but it got her to snap her lips shut, so what should it matter? "I'm not going to. End of discussion."
Elizabeth frowns so deeply it nearly makes Meliodas - of all people, want to close the gap between them and hug her until all she can do is smile like there's no tomorrow. He would never admit it out loud, but he cares for the Deity's daughter deeply and had they met under different circumstances (say, had they not been a demon and a goddess), he'd shout his definite love for her out to the skies, making sure both of their respected parents could hear.
But it's far too risky to even have the thought, let alone having the temptation to do it every other second of every passing day.
Meliodas hates - absolutely loathes - upsetting Elizabeth, but he has his reasons. She wants to celebrate a "holiday" that humans tend to participate in every once a year. Christmas, he believes it's called? No matter, because he refuses to take action in whatever it is humans do this time of year.
They'd only be attracting attention to themselves, and they can't afford being caught. Not a single soul from either their realms have caught onto them forming a... friendship, and it's going to stay that way. There would be absolute hell to pay if either or both of them get compromised. It's unfortunately frowned upon to bed with, let alone have a partnership with someone of a different clan.
"Meliodas," she says his name in a manner she should not say his name, "won't you think about it at least? We can be very careful about it! We don't have to go out into the wild if that's what you're worried about!"
With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, he gives in. "Okay, fine. But only this once, alright?"
A smile is bestowed upon her lips and for once, he smiles back. The mere presence and excitement she radiates has his hearts beating a bit faster than they normally do. This goddess really is something, isn't she?
"Yes!" Elizabeth exclaims, throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He isn't quick to return the embrace (and he certainly does with pinched brows) but he enjoys the warmth that radiates from her body. "Thank you, Meliodas!" She then says as she leans back, keeping her hands intertwined on the nape of his neck.
His nearly black eyes stare back at her, the smile on her face never wavering. His lips part with a blush breaking out on his face - he hopes to the Gods and Goddesses that she doesn't notice. The demon pulls away from the embrace with an unsure and awkward chuckle though he wishes he could've kept holding her close. He loves her - that is for certain - but he can't risk telling her. For his own morality and her own sake; if anyone found out that the first demon prince and the daughter of the Supreme Deity had been meeting in secret for who knows how long at this point, it'll all be over.
He wouldn't even want to think about what purgatory hell the Demon King would bring upon him - and even less about the consequences Elizabeth could face with her mother. Unbeknownst to Elizabeth - Meliodas knows how cruel goddesses can be. The Supreme Deity is no exception.
For now though, he'll enjoy seeing her smile for as long as he's allowed to.
-|-
Snow fell onto the ground, the white drops coating the cabin.
Elizabeth had found an abandoned cabin a while ago and decided to bunk here whenever she hadn't felt the need to stay in the celestial realm. Since he had nowhere to go (he'd long since left the demon realm and hasn't returned), he'd stay here and keep the place all nice and tidy. Or, at least as tidy as he can make it. He's not a very clean person.
Nonetheless, Elizabeth finds it endearing, or so she tells him.
Currently, he sits in the dining room of their shared house, waiting for her to return like a lost puppy waiting for its owner. He'd been bored for quite awhile and Elizabeth had left him in suspense - "I'm stepping out for a moment; I'll come back with a surprise!" she'd told him before she vanished from his vision. Meliodas wasn't one to care - and he doesn't - but he was curious to say the least.
It's been far too long since she's left (or maybe his interpretation of time is failing him) and he can't help but worry. What if she's being attacked and he has no idea? He can't protect her and he has no way of knowing if she's safe - hell! He has no damn clue where she's run off to!
But all his worries melt away as he senses her aura, and watches her enter the house with a smile.
"I can tell you've been worrying," she laughs, holding something behind her back.
"I was not," Meliodas quips. Expressing his feelings is not his forté. "What took so long?" He asks the goddess, standing from the chair he sat on to inch closer to her. Elizabeth smiles so warmly at him he has to stop himself in his tracks. This woman has absolutely no right being this gorgeous.
She takes a step back but the blonde prince makes no move to advance towards her. "You have been worrying," she states matter-of-factually. Meliodas scoffs before she continues. "I was in the village; there's no need to lose your head. I-I wasn't aware of how long it would take because I wanted to get you something and I had it custom tailored for you, and it took much longer than I expected."
Elizabeth looks down shyly, a faint blush adorning her cheeks. Meliodas's eyes go wide - because why in the world would she want to get him something? He hadn't even given the time or care to get her something so why would she go through all the effort?
"Why would you get me a gift?" He asks her, confusion lacing his words.
She looks back up with a small grin, walking up to him and revealing what she had been hiding behind her back. It's a nice white jacket with light blue buttons and linings- it reminds him of her eyes - and honestly, he's baffled. He truly does not understand why she would want to even give him anything, let alone take time out of her day to have something made specifically for him of all people.
Taking the fabric from her, he notes how soft it feels against his calloused hands. His eyes dart and flicker from the jacket to her and back. The words thank you want to leave his lips, but they die on his tongue. He isn't great at expressing gratitude, either.
A sigh escapes her lips, "Because I care for you, Meliodas. We're in this together."
He smiles at her words. With the excited look on her face, he knows his eyes aren't as black as night anymore. This would always happen when he's in a sense of vulnerability; his eyes would return to the color that could make him pass as human had he not had such difficulty concealing his power.
"But I didn't get you anything in return," he says, his tone something along the sides of sounding guilty.
The silver haired goddess pulls him into an embrace and before he could register his own movements, he returns it. "It's fine, just you accepting to celebrate this holiday with me is already a gift in itself,” she whispers. His hearts beat a little faster at her softly spoken words. Then she’s pulling back with a smile on her face, her hand tugging on the soft fabric in his grasp. “Now, how about you try this on, Meliodas?”
She’d left the room so he could try it on. Not that he would have cared if she watched him undress and dress himself - but maybe that’s a bit too forward, even for him. Onyx eyes stared back at him through his reflection, the white cloth fitting him rather well. It’s as soft as he imagined it being against his torso. He really wants to thank the goddess, but he is just simply not good with words.
Let alone emotions.
A sigh escapes his lips as he tears his gaze from the mirror, his steps soft and low as he exits the room. He’d decided that he’d spent far too long looking at himself in the mirror. His golden locks whip with his sudden movements as he scans the cabin in search of Elizabeth. He can sense her aura - he knows she hasn’t left the area.
But then there’s a loud clang and immediately, and the demon follows the noise. Meliodas enters the kitchen area of the cabin, a loud giggle filling his ears. His brow pinches at the bridge of his nose, the silver haired goddess entering his vision. Her silky hair is a mess, her cheeks are flushed with a light pink saturation, and the entire kitchen is in shambles.
“Goddess,” Meliodas groans in annoyance. “What have you done?”
A hiccup leaves her throat as she grasps onto the table for support. “I was thirsty-”
That’s all he needed to hear.
“You went through my ale, Goddess?” He hisses out, reaching out to help her steady herself. Elizabeth’s skin is hot and flushed against his. He’s holding her by her tense shoulders and she falls a bit, giving him physical leverage over her. It’s… odd, to say the least. Normally she’s the one that’s taller than him. The irony is quite formidable in this terribly off-putting situation. However, with the dumbfounded look she gives him through innocent sapphire eyes that slowly darken the more she stares at him with her parted lips, he can’t help but stare back, his body stilling against hers.
And it’s just his luck she had to accidentally drink his heaviest booze! By no means was the booze actually enough to do much to him - being of demon heritage comes with its perks - but for Elizabeth? It’s fatal.
“Mm hmm,” she hums, grinning, taking a hold of his biceps but not in an effort to get herself up. “It suits you quite well, Meliodas,” Elizabeth purrs, referring to the garment she had tailored for him.
He rolls his eyes, his arms maneuvering to pick her up. His arms hook under both of her legs, a squeal leaving her lips all the while. “This is why you shouldn’t butt your nose where it doesn’t belong,” he scolds her.
Once they enter one of the bedrooms, he sets her down on the bed, but her arms stay locked around his neck. He doesn’t necessarily mind her hold on him, but it certainly makes it inconvenient. So, he sits on the bed and places her on his lap in favor of being comfortable. Elizabeth lays her head on his chest, the slow rise and fall of her chest oddly soothing to him.
It’s pathetic, isn’t it? He finds comfort and kindness in his supposed enemy. Hell - the woman in his arms was meant to be his life-long nemesis, but here he is! Cradling her, scolding her like she doesn’t know right from wrong - and that in itself is already rich! She’s so damn pure. She’s normally the one telling him to make the right decision - telling him to not act a fool no matter the circumstances.
And worst of all…
He’d fallen in love with her. He’d committed a heinous crime against his own clan for the opposing side. He fell in love with a goddess, the daughter of the great Deity no less. And to make matters worse? Meliodas wasn’t hypnotised or forced to feel like this. Meliodas fell for her on his own free will. And he can’t even tell her. He’s too much of a damn coward to admit how he feels.
But admitted feelings or no, he enjoys his time with her. Nevertheless, even if he were to tell her how he feels, Meliodas knows he would fuck up whatever relationship they have.
Better to play it safe than sorry.
“Goddess,” the demon murmurs into her soft hair, “why did you drink yourself to this state?”
She softly whines, clutching at his sleeve rather tightly. “I wanted to know what it felt like…”
“To be drunk?” Meliodas finishes her sentence. It perplexes him; why would she want to know what it feels to be drunk? It’s not very fun - at least, from the very few times that Meliodas had been able to drink himself to that state. You can’t remember much the next day, your head pounds with unbearable pain, and overall just is not a good experience.
The silver haired beauty merely groans, which does not help his patience.
“Heal yourself, would you?” Meliodas pleads unwillingly. “It’s going to be a pain to look after you while you’re like this.”
“Fine,” Elizabeth mumbles. A faint light illuminates the room - he knows it’s coming from Elizabeth - and when he looks down as she slightly pulls herself from him, she no longer has that alcohol-influenced flush on her cheeks. She blinks up (a little too guiltless) at the blonde demon. And then she’s smiling at him, her dainty fingers brushing against the fabric he wears on his body. “I was right,” she whispers, “it does look good on you.”
His lips part - and by the Gods, he can feel his skin grow warmer under her stare and her praise. So in response, he simply smiles back.
This woman will never fail to amaze him for as long as he’ll live.
-|-
It’s so terribly cold as he tries to pry his eyes open. Soft droplets of rain hit his exposed chest, a groan escaping his lips in the meantime. As his senses come back to him, he takes note of a soft, cold hand loosely embracing his own.
His breathing quickens as he racks his brain for plausible answers for any reasoning behind the circumstances that led him to this situation, tiny pebbles sticking to the skin of his vulnerable back. Meliodas looks over as he gets himself off the ground - and he’s mortified.
Next to him lies the love of his (suddenly worthless) life, not breathing and motionless on the ground. He lets a shaky breath escape him as he gets on his knees to lay in her in his lap, in hopes she’ll still be alive - he prays she’s still with him because if she isn’t, he doesn’t know what the fuck he’ll do.
But it’s all for naught as her eyes remain closed, her chest not rising as it should when she takes a breath. A choked sob leaves his lips as he hugs her tightly against his body. His tears are warm, the liquid rolling down his slowly flushing cheeks. Her wings don’t flutter like they would when he would suddenly hug her, a short, surprised gasp didn’t leave her lips.
She’s gone.
But he doesn’t want to believe it.
Thus, he cradles her head in the palm of his rough hand and cries like his life depended on it. He’s never known such excruciating pain, and it only hits him now. Her own mother did this to her. His father played a part in it as well. But why in the hell is he alive? Why hadn’t Elizabeth gotten out alive like he had?
The rain falls harder and harsher, his screams rivaling the sounds of the heavy water hitting the ground.
“I never got to say thank you,” he says through watery hiccups. “I-I never got to say I love you, Elizabeth…”
As expected, there was no response. Deep down, however, he wished - he hoped she would have responded. His cries only continue. She’s probably watching him from above, thinking about how pathetic he must seem right now. Crying over her body and not letting go, especially after what he is known to be; a ruthless, bloodthirsty demon? It’s absolutely pitiful and insubstantial.
“Why did it have to be you, Goddess?” He chuckles, in spite of this… feeling - this mind bending situation. “Why did it have to be you that I fell in love with? Why couldn’t you have just left me when you had the chance?”
Despite himself, he doesn’t regret spending the time he was able to with the goddess. In fact, he enjoyed it - more than he should have. Without her, he still would have been the terrible and feared leader of the Ten Commandments - someone he absolutely loathes. He’s disgusted with himself; he let himself be manipulated to do his father’s bidding as if he’s a mere pawn in a damned game - and he fucking was.
And of course, his questions go unanswered.
-|-
“That should go up here,” Diane mumbles as she stands on her tippy toes to hang the ornament in her hand on the tree. Meliodas watches from behind his mug of ale, smiling softly to himself as King floats over and helps the shrunken giantess.
He tears his gaze from the Sins to the window he sits by, observing the small dots of white snow fall to the ground. Christmas time came around again - though he couldn’t tell you exactly how many he’d gone through; three thousand years of constant life, death, blood and pain isn’t easy to keep track of. Nonetheless, the majority of the Sins wanted to celebrate. Especially Elizabeth, his one true goddess.
It still baffles him, however - this incarnation of her is so damn much like the actual thing.
The way Elizabeth Liones talks, the way she would interject a conversation that she knows is going south, the way her skin becomes pink when she’s flustered - every damned little thing is so much like Goddess Elizabeth. Truth be told, he wouldn’t want it any other way.
After all, his hearts only beat for her, and solely her.
And speaking of Elizabeth, she’d been the one to convince the others to celebrate this holiday. At first, Meliodas didn’t want to because he thought it would remind him too much of three thousand years ago, but he obliged regardless because he really can’t say no to Elizabeth.
“Hey Cap’n,” another voice says, directed toward him. Meliodas, with a quirked brow, looks over his shoulder only to see Ban with a sly, toothy grin. “How ‘bout you fetch our princess before we finish decorating, huh?”
The blonde doesn’t hide the smile that overtakes his lips as he takes one final swig of his ale. “Sure thing, bud,” he responds, kicking himself off one of the many stools in his tavern. The Dragon Sin tosses his now empty mug to Ban, not looking back to see if the man caught the object or let it fall to the ground. He quickly bids his temporary farewells to King and Diane, as well as Gowther, who stands a few feet from the colorful tree, observing and asking one too many questions.
Setting foot outside of the tavern, he nearly shivers from the cold the world offers at this time of year. Hands behind his head, his heeled boots digging into the snow that litters on the once green and muddying ground. He can feel the little white pellets melt into his wild and unkept tresses, but he doesn’t mind the snow seeping into his blonde locks.
Meliodas hums with each step he takes in search of the silver haired princess. He knew where she’d be - or her general location at the very least - since Ban had requested she buy herbs and other ingredients for him to cook with. But knowing her, she'd get completely sidetracked.
And so, he now whistles as he enters the markets of Liones, eyeing the many, many baked goods in store for the holiday. Their sweet, gingerbread smell alleviates his senses. Small gumdrops are used as decoration on the nicely baked cookies. They look rather tasty, but alas, Meliodas did not think to bring any coins with him. It’s such a shame he isn’t able to feast upon such a delectable treat.
Before he feels the need to turn back to acquire enough funds to buy even one treat, he looks away to not give into the slowly growing temptation.
His legs continue to carry him throughout the market, his hands now snug in the pockets of his loose pants. Whispers and shouts fill the lively marketplace, causing his lips to curl up in a small grin.
“Thank you so much!” He hears an all too familiar voice say. He turns his head a tiny bit, and his smile only widens as Elizabeth walks out of a small shop, a bag in her hands. Instead of the tavern uniform hugging her body, she wears a thin red dress that stops just below her knees, a white belt sitting comfortably at her waist. She smiles down at the bag, her blue and orange eyes peering inside it. Meliodas’ interest is somewhat piqued, wondering what in the world could be inside that bag. Though, it’s none of his business - it could be a gift for one of her sisters or her father - or heck, even Diane.
Nevertheless, he strides up to Elizabeth, the smile still present on his face. “Heya, Elizabeth!” He greets, causing her to look up in surprise.
“Oh!” The silverette gasps. “Hello, Sir Meliodas! I was just about to head back to the tavern!”
Meliodas takes one of his warm hands out of his pockets and grabs Elizabeth’s free hand, already walking back to the bar. “Well, we can head back - together! We wanted you there to help with decoration.” He doesn’t need to look over his shoulder to know that she’s blushing a bright pink. That’s one difference between this Elizabeth and the first; Elizabeth Liones was more prone to blushing than the goddess.
The walk back was pleasant; they walked in silence, hand in hand, every few minutes they would point at something out in the wild with a hearty laugh and giggle.
“Elizabeth!” Diane exclaims, throwing herself at the princess once the pair walk in through the door. The silverette drops the bag, but Meliodas swiftly catches it in his clutches. “Help us finish decorating the tree, please?”
Elizabeth softly laughs and nods, allowing herself to be whisked away by Diane.
Meliodas sighs, walking over to the bar and setting the princess’s bag down on the counter. The sound of food sizzling from the kitchen due to Ban’s cooking slowly faded as he climbed up the stairs, seeking the comfort of his bed sheets. His boots clack against the wood of the floors. Upon entering his bedroom - rather, his and Elizabeth’s, it's a bit chilly; he’d forgotten to close the window. Luckily, not a single drop of snow managed to let itself in, so Meliodas is content, even with the cold air in the room.
After closing the door behind him, he kicks off his boots and strides to the window to close it. Once he’s done so, he looks at his bed - the sheets appearing quite comfy - but then his gaze slowly wanders to his wardrobe. A shuddering breath escapes his nose, his feet taking him to the closet. Upon opening it, he stops breathing as he takes in the sight of a white jacket, blue buttons and linings along it.
It’s the same jacket he’s kept all the years. It had somehow survived all the aftermath of the Holy War and he kept it as a token of hope, a token of appreciation from the goddess.
He reaches out to it - it’s just as soft as he remembers it being. A sad smile schools his features because as happy and nostalgic this fabric makes him feel, it also makes him sad because he couldn’t protect the one he loves. It’s a reminder just as much as it is a precious belonging.
“Sir Meliodas?” Elizabeth calls out to him, her knuckles softly rasping on the door. The blonde turns, the jacket still in his hand.
For a moment, he falters, because all he can see right now is Elizabeth - the very first one, wings and all. But he knows he’s just seeing things because he knows for a fact that Elizabeth Liones is standing in front of him, and it only reminds him; his Goddess lives on in the princess. And he knows Elizabeth Liones is her own person - he fell in love with this reincarnation as well. There’s absolutely nothing he loves more than he loves any version of Elizabeth.
“Yeah, Elizabeth?” He answers, closing the wardrobe and turning to the one he loves.
“I, um, I-I wanted to give this to you-” she holds out the very same bag she’d been carrying on the way back to the place she calls home “-you know, before it was too late.” She sounds sheepish and embarrassed to say it but nonetheless, Meliodas grins as he walks up to her and softly takes the bag she offers to him. He reaches his hand out to grab hers and he guides her to the bed for them to sit on.
The bag rests on his thighs, Elizabeth watching him with eagerness. Meliodas smiles as he reaches into the sack, a fabric that feels all too familiar to him as his rough fingers ghost it.
“Elizabeth?” He asks, taking the clothing out of the sack. He stops breathing altogether, his hands gripping a white pair of pants with blue linings - an exact match to his jacket.
“I had help making it - but I’d done it myself! I-I used the techniques Sir King taught me, and I’d seen your jacket in the closet once so I felt like there needed to be another piece to match it-”
He’d cut her off with a hug. She gasped in surprise, but returned the embrace without a second thought. The blonde hugs her tighter, his hand snaking to the back of her head, her silver locks caressing his fingers. The warmth that radiates from the young woman makes him sigh in a pleased manner.
“Thank you,” he says in a soft whisper, and by the Gods does it feel good to finally say it. “Thank you.”
The rest of the night, they drink, every Sin present. Elizabeth laughs and jokes with Diane and Ban in Meliodas’s arms, his hearts overflowing with joy. He’d put on both matching garments, and the pants fit him quite well.
But today, Meliodas decided, anything Elizabeth does, he will make sure that he lets her know that she is appreciated. He will let her know that he loves her more than anything in the world - across any realm imaginable.
Because his goddess deserves all the love in the world.