Broken

Don't Tell

Meliodas paced the confines of his room again and again. He had a meltdown. He hadn't had a meltdown, hell, he hadn't even expressed emotions like that in several years. He trusted Ban more than almost anyone, but he still wasn't sure if he could depend on him to keep his word.

He hadn't planned to reveal that much. However he had grown so worn and tired in his time awake.

He had not only been put in a time unfamiliar to him, he had discovered humans full of kindness he didn't know possible of them, been slowly forced to feel again, and then found his brother whom he previously thought dead.

The hardest part was that because of his brother's arrival, he was torn between the person he used to be and the one he was now. He desperately wanted to be the big brother he used to be for Zeldris, but he was finding that their roles were switched now and Meliodas hated that.

Zeldris was trying to help his brother through things he didn't know the extent of, even though Meliodas felt that he was too far gone to be helped. That was when the thoughts started.

"If I hadn't been taken, I wouldn't be like this."

"If I hadn't been beaten so much, I wouldn't be so afraid of things."

"If I didn't get screamed at so often, I wouldn't be so timid and terrified towards loud noises."

"If I hadn't been through all of the torture, I wouldn't have the nightmares and all of the scars in my mind."

And the one that did the most damage to him:

"If someone had answered my pleas for help... I wouldn't be so broken."

These thoughts all compiled and led to anger. A deep deep fury he had been suppressing for so long and didn't even know it. It reached it's peak when Zeldris and him had the fight a few days ago. He hadn't even realized he started crying until after Zeldris spoke. The way his brother had asked if he was used to being treated like that chipped at something in him, he didn't realize was there until after it had been damaged.

Ever since he had been stirring in anger, staying awake at night in agony, crying and sobbing for hours in pain, and feeling emotions and pain he didn't think he still had.

However the one thing he refused to allow was for anyone else to see this slow breakdown. Especially Zeldris.

He just hoped Ban would keep his promise so he could at least hold onto the memory of who they used to be in another life..
_________________________________________

Ban was in a very hard place now. He promised he wouldn't say anything, and he was nothing if not a man of his word. Therefore he intended to keep his mouth shut. However, he said nothing about not telling Zeldris how Meliodas wasn't upset with him. So that's what he was doing now.

"He really isn't upset? Are you sure?"

"Yep. He's not upset with you Zeldris. Just tired, he's been pushing himself pretty hard at the tavern. I suggested he take a few days off to rest."

The ravenette seemed to catch on to the subtle remark of "not upset with you" instead of not upset at all. However, he decided to let that go to focus on other matters.

"Is he alright? I've noticed he's been doing a lot at the bar and I was starting to worry that he would strain himself. Does he have any wounds? Or is he not eating right? I haven't seen him grab anything for a while."