What rain feels like

What raindrops feel like

Elizabeth had never really liked the rain. She liked the sun and the warmth and all the happy adventures that came with it. But rainy days were usually just depressing, in her opinion. And while sitting next to the fireplace, a book in hand and drinking hot chocolate was fun and all, she really preferred literally everything else over rain. 

Likewise, another thing she didn't like was waking up without Meliodas next to her. The bed always felt cold without him. 

And currently, both of those things had been combined. 

Careful to not wake up the other inhabitants of the boar hat (for once, everyone was sleeping. That didn't happen often, and you sure as hell didn't want to be the person to disturb that), she went downstairs. No Meliodas. 

Pouring herself a cup of cocoa, she pondered over where he could be. If he was nowhere in the house, he must have gone outside, but with this kind of blizzard, why would he-

Oh.

Elizabeth walked up to the door, opened it, and she was quite sure she was drenched because of that action alone. She hadn't even stepped outside, gods dammit!

Sure enough, she heard Meliodas laughing outside. It was quiet, but she was sure that was only because the thunder and the rain drowned out his voice. Elizabeth could see him jumping in mud puddles like a toddler and laughing like he never had before ("he had" Elizabeth would think later, bitterly "3000 years ago, before their personal hell started.")

"Meliodas?" 

He didn't hear her.

"MELIODAS?"

He turned around, and she swore she could still see the smile on his face from the distance. Meliodas stayed where he was.

"What is it, Eli?"

The voice was faint, and she could barely hear it. 

"Come inside, you'll catch a cold." She screamed, and her throat was already getting sore. Elizabeth, while knowing it was true, also felt a tiny twinge of guilt after saying that. How long, exactly, had he gone without seeing rain, or feeling the sensation of raindrops hitting his skin? Of taking his drenched clothes off and taking a long, warm shower after he was back inside the house. Of coming home, sitting down and enjoying the calmness of being untouchable by the storm outside? 

This, after all, how could she have forgotten, was the first night of rain, since he had gotten back from purgatory. Where winds that burned your skin, air that poisoned your lungs and ice cold "nights" (there was no night and day in purgatory, there was just a time when deadly animals weren't as active) ruled the entire dimension.

The blizzard outside must feel like a holiday. 

"What?" Her lover screamed back. And he had to be kidding her. Even if, could she blame him?

Taking a deep breath, and saying one last good bye to her white ballet flats that would never be white again thanks to that mut, she stepped outside. And oh god, she hated thunderstorms. She walked over to him, careful not to slip and fall face-first into the mut, and hugged him. 

"Hi Meliodas!" 

"Hi Eli!"

"Don't you think we should get back inside, you'll get sick you know?"

"For one, I think this is wonderful. I've almost forgotten what raindrops feel like . And two, come on! You know I won't get sick."

I've almost forgotten what raindrops feel like. The way he said that, (it was casual in a way a sentence like that should never be) chilled her to the bone. But it was probably true , wasn't it? Centuries upon centuries without it, how could he remember?

( It's a wonder he even remembered your face. You should be happy he didn't go insane like all the ones before him. )

Face falling a little (there, that twinge of guilt in her gut, for the second time. She never wanted to be the reason for his disappointment again. Or better yet, never see him disappointed again. That'd be the least her Meliodas deserved. This man deserved the world.), he took a step back. 

"It's okay if you want to go inside, I know how much you despise blizzards. But, uhm-I'll stay outside. Thank you for worrying."

He looked like a kicked puppy, to think he was the first demon prince, the most feared man of his time, was...slightly unbelievable. But, nonetheless, Elizabeth couldn't have that. 

"Meliodas?"

"What?"

"Dance with me?"

"What?"

"You heard me! Come on, dance with me- don't give me that look."

She took his hands, and slowly started to move her body, growing a little more enthusiastic when he began moving in sync with her. A few minutes later, they were dancing like the idiots that drank too much at a folk festival. They really didn't mind. 

Soon enough, Elizabeth and Meliodas slipped and fell into the mud. And again, they couldn't find it in themselves to care about the dirt on their clothes. They just laughed it off. But Meliodas didn't stop. When her breath had run out, he didn't stop, he just...laughed. And it didn't sound like a happy one anymore. 

"Meliodas, are you alright?"

And just like that, it looked like someone pressed a button, and he began to cry. Still half laughing, and with all the dirt in his hair, her lover bawled his eyes out. He leaned into her embrace. 

"

Shh, it's alright. You're here, with me, and Ban and King, and Diane and Merlin and Escanor and Gowther and Elaine and all the other people who care about you. I promise, when all of this is over, it'll be alright. And you'll never ever need to go through that horror again. I promise."

__________________

"I told you so."

Meliodas' coughing fit hadn't stopped for a while now, and while Elizabeth was worried sick, Ban was (rather unhelpfully) standing in the corner, cackling.

"How did you even get into this situation, Cap?"

"I, uh-kinda, fell into the lake nearby."

"Yeah, like I'm going to believe that."

"Oh shut up and leave my poor unfortunate soul be!"

And the banter went on and on, and Elizabeth asked herself how Elaine could survive these two. But hey, some things never change, right?

"Elizabeth?"

"Ugh yeah- what is it?"

"You zoned out for a second. What are you thinking about?"

"The fact that I told you so."

"It was totally worth it."

The coughing fit he got 3 seconds later disproved that.