Reunited

Proposing

- Meliodas's Pov - 2 weeks later -

Ban had called me to the Boar hat's Office to discuss an upcoming project between the town council and The Boar Hat. Something to do with a possible revival of The Riverside festival. We sipped ale as we talked shop. As we finished the second bottle between us, Ban suddenly took the conversation in a new direction.
"So, when are you going to propose to my Sister?" I asked plainly. I nearly choked on my drink.
"I beg your pardon" I sputtered out. Ban looked at me knowingly, somewhat exasperated by my feigned ignorance.
"You've had that ring for how long now? I thought you would have done it at the New Year's party. So what is stopping you?" I was unable to think of anything other than why I hadn't proposed to Ellie yet. She was everything I wanted.
"The thought of being Ellie's fiancee, and then her husband, Is exhilarating and fills me with a new kind of hope. I am impatient for it, but also paralyzed by it" I dropped my pen on the desk and raked my fingers through my hair. I leaned over and opened the bottom left drawer of the desk and pressed the small lever in the corner. A secret compartment popped open. There was only one item inside. The velvet box that housed the engagement ring I had bought for Ellie weeks beforehand. It had been taunting me from its concealed place in the hidden compartment of the drawer. I picked it up and opened the box "I couldn't count the number of nights I have spent staring at this ring"
"Just do it" Ban scrunched his nose up as he leaned back in his chair.
"Great idea that. The proposal has to be perfect. She deserves nothing less and I will give her no less" My heart jumped to my throat at the thought. The thought of disappointing her petrified me, especially on what I hoped to be one of the happiest nights of her life.
"The proposal didn't just have to be perfect. It just has to be perfect for Ellie" Ban lent back in his chair. One foot on the desk "Ellie has and always will be, A woman of simple tastes" Ban was right. Living the lifestyle of the girlfriend of a Prince had done little to change that. (Granted I didn't live like a Prince) When deciding where to go for dinner, Ellie would always prefer to order pizza over a 4-star restaurant. She wanted to spend her weekends watching movies with me, ordering food in, and snuggling on the couch. If I suggested a weekend getaway to London, she would decline, pull me back down on the couch, and insist I was the only getaway she needed.
"I am perfectly content to adapt to her lifestyle" Lately, Rather than spending my spare time working, burying myself in reports and contracts, stressing over the happenings of the world. I found myself rushing home at the end of each workday. My world lit up the moment I would walk into our home. Where Ellie would rush into my arms to welcome me home with a kiss "I am going to propose, I just need to think about how I will do it"
"Do you have any ideas?" Ban pulled out a notebook "We can write down all of the ideas and go from there"
"Paris was my first idea. I wanted to go to that bridge with all the locks and do it there. Saying that the more I think about it, Whisking her away to Paris for a surprise proposal isn't really Ellie" Ban crossed Paris off the list.
"You also have to consider a number of other grand gestures and romantic cliches" Ban pointed at me with his pen. Her idea of romance was snuggling on the couch, frantic kisses transforming into screams of ecstasy, and falling asleep in my arms. My love for Ellie was profound and intimate, as was her love for me. This proposal was not for the world, but only for us. And for her. I held the ring box tight in my fist, my frustration building.
"I am so ready to begin this new life with her, As her husband and partner in life and in everything" The confidence of my feelings towards Ellie had never wavered. From the day I found her, I was never uncertain of the presence she had made in my life. And then it hit me. I suddenly sat up straight in the chair, an epiphany striking him like lightning.
"I take it you have an idea?" Ban raised an eyebrow at me. I shoved the ring box into the pocket of my jacket "And how can I be of help?"

- 16th January -

I drummed my fingers anxiously on the wood of my desk. I haven't been able to take my eyes off the clock for at least an hour and it still wasn't 6 o'clock. My nervousness from the night before had faded and was replaced with anticipation that made me want to jump out of my skin. I couldn't stand being engaged to Ellie. After an agonizing 20 minutes, there was a soft knock on my door. My heart was pounding in my chest, my stomach fluttering as I called to her to come in. I was trying to play it cool, acting nonchalant at her arrival. But my jaw dropped when she stepped into my office. Her long hair was pulled up elegantly, with soft, loose tendrils framing her face. She was wearing her favourite jeggings, a Grey vest and a blue checkered shirt. White high tops on her feet.
"Time's up, Mr Blackwood" Ellie said with a smirk as she strode into my office "You are no longer allowed to work" I stood up, smiling broadly, as she stepped into my open arms.
"Oh, no?"
"No, it's Ellie time now," she said, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of my jaw "And Ellie time means absolutely no work"
"So we can play?" I replied with a mischievous gleam in my eye. She pulled away and swatted my arm.
"Not while we are here"
"I guess you are right," I said with a bland tone, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand "Now, how about some dinner?" Ellie nodded enthusiastically, and I took her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together tightly.
"Where to?" she asked, her eyes bright and loving. All seven of my hearts swelled at the sight.
"Well I'm sick of takeaway and I really don't want to wash up so I thought we could go somewhere we haven't been in a while," I said as they stepped out onto the street. Ellie's eyes lit up with realization as I reached for the car door. Within a few moments, We had reached the hillside where we used to hang out all the time as kids. The same hillside where we confessed our feelings to each other. I walked to the back of the car and grabbed a picnic basket (Yes, I had Ban make it. Wasn't about to give Ellie and my baby food poisoning) and we walked hand in hand to the top.

Despite it still being winter, It wasn't cold out. The inky black sky hung close above them it seemed they were in a different world. The hill overlooked the town and was one hell of a view. A gentle smile graced Ellie's face as she took the scene in, squeezing my hand tight. I had to bite back a smile as Ellie watched the stars twinkle. I handed a bottle of water to Ellie.
"You know, I will never get over this view" Ellie grinned. A took a chocolate-covered strawberry and handed it to Ellie "You know you don't have to impress me with fancy things anymore?"
"I know but I want to" I smiled softly at my love "Do you remember our first date?"
"You gave the waiter a heart attack when you ordered that really fancy wine" Ellie chuckled.
"I laughed so I split my trousers" I laid on my side "I also happen to remember how much a certain person enjoyed that fancy wine from our first date. And I remember how much I enjoyed watching them enjoy it" My eyes smouldered as I replied. Ellie bit her lip, her cheeks blushing an enticing shade of pink as she tried to hide a bashful smile. I remembered every vivid detail from that night. The rest of the meal passed like a blur. Conversation between me and Ellie had always been easy. I could never explain why but I guess it was because we were best friends before. I was still in some ways unfamiliar with the idea of safety and security after her, but from the day that Ellie came back, I knew that I could place my trust in her and she had never betrayed that.

Minutes passed into hours and it started to get a little chilly. The ground was being slowly coated in frost. But that did stop us, We sat in companionable silence for a moment. Ellie's cheeks were flushed, and she looked radiant as she gazed lovingly into my eyes. She didn't know, but that look was my undoing. Ellie stood up and offered her hand to me. I took it without question and she led him to the little shelter that was overlooking the town's skyline. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She nestled her head against the top of my head, taking in the sparkling lights of the city around them.
"What do you remember about that night?" I asked. Ellie thought for a moment, snaking her arms around my torso.
"I remember falling down that hill and landed bum first in the creek," she said, a pleasant smile spreading across her face as she leaned into me "And I remember feeling so happy that I started laughing. It was like old times when we would play in the creek behind your Dad's house"
"Yeah. I too felt the same way" Ellie pulled back to look at me, her eyes shining. I brought my hand up to gently cradle her face, stroking her cheek tenderly with my thumb "What else do you remember?"
"I kept oversharing with you. I wanted to tell you everything" Ellie replied. She began to chuckle, lowering her eyes to the floor in embarrassment "Think I said that liked your bum"
"I ... am not supposed to say I remember that" I replied, lifting her chin to look up at me, as I broke into adoring a smile. Ellie laughed heartily at my response, her bashfulness vanishing.
"I appreciate that. But tell me, what do you remember about that night? I've told you what I remember, but I'm sure you had a different take on the evening?" I was stunned for a moment. Truly, there wasn't anything I didn't remember about that night. It had been etched into my memory and would remain for the rest of my life.
"There isn't anything I don't remember," I said, at last, feeling emboldened by my mission "I remember everything. The way your hair fell over your shoulders, the colour of your cheeks when you let slip that you liked my bum, the warmth of your body as you leaned in to kiss me" I stepped back from our embrace and took her hands in mine, hoping she couldn't feel them trembling. She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with love "I remember thinking from that moment, My life was going to change" I continued "I felt something that I hadn't felt in... Oh, I couldn't even tell you how long" As I looked into her eyes, I felt unshakable conviction and I inhaled deeply, bracing myself for what would be the beginning of a life I never thought possible.
"Meliodas..." I held my hand up to stop her.
"I remember thinking that my life was beginning anew that day. And I was right, Ellie, you've changed me and my world" I pulled my hand away and reached into my pocket. I could see the realization dawn in her eyes as I slowly lowered myself to one knee before her. I heard her breath quicken "Ellie if you would let me, I'd like to start a new life on this hill again. A life with you and our little one, bound together forever" I presented her with the box and clicked it open, the ring gleaming in the moonlight "Ellie, Will you marry me?"