True Love (Meliodas x OC/Reader x Zeldris)

Chapter 12

You woke up the next morning feeling like your head was smashed between two sledgehammers, you didn't want to even open your eyes. You were confused, it was hard to breathe as well until you felt Zel's hair tickling your chin, knowing he was squeezing the shit out of you in his sleep. "If they throw up everywhere I'm not cleaning it up!" you heard Hawk yell. "Master, stop yelling!" you heard Ban mumble next to you. Most of your memories of last night were a blur and you were pretty sure you were still drunk. You ran your fingers through your lover's soft hair, hearing him mumble into your boobs, "5 more minutes.." making you smile.

"How are you feeling, Lilith?" Merlin asked you from above you, smirking. You squinted at her, the light was already hurting your head, "Like I got hit with Meliodas' Revenge Counter," you whined. Zeldris moved one of his hands over your mouth, "Please stop talking so close to my ears..." you heard him grumble, face still planted in your boobs. "Who won?" Ban muttered. "Zeldris won, 92 shots," Merlin answered him, "Lilith, I need to speak with you when you can function again." You give her a thumbs up then hear her walk away.

After you freed yourself from Zel's death grip, you drug yourself upstairs to shower. Why do you insist on playing Centurion with him? He's as stubborn as they come and won't back down from a challenge, even if it's a silly drinking game. You're standing under the stream of hot water with your eyes closed when you hear Zeldris enter the bathroom. Shortly, you feel him snake his arms around you from behind, resting his head on your shoulder. Neither of you speak, your still half drunk hangovers had a strong hold over both of you. You're not really sure how long you stand in this position but it feels so peaceful, like the water was washing away all the years you'd been apart.

"Zel..." you say softly, he hums in acknowledgment, "I'm so sorry I wasn't faithful to you. It's been killing me...I've thought of you every single day since. I've thought about where we'd be if I hadn't left or if there was something more I could do to prevent the seal from happening in the first place..." Tears were streaming down your face when he turned you around to face him. "Shhh, Lily, it's okay," he sighs, "You're one person, you can't do everything on your own. As for the faithfulness..." He paused like he wasn't sure how he wanted to phrase it, "You've known my brother as long as you've known me. He was the only one you knew here..." he was clearly struggling with saying anything positive about his brother, he'd harbored so much hate and rage for him over the millennia. "I'm just happy he was here to protect you when I couldn't," he finished, kissing you gently on your lips.

"I should go see what Merlin wants with me," you tell him. "I'm going with you," he replied. You knew he wouldn't let you go by yourself, but also he probably didn't want to hang around the tavern without you either. After your long shower, you felt a tiny bit better, venturing outside to find Merlin on the balcony. "You wanted to chat?" you asked, walking up behind her. She turned to look at you, she wasn't phased or surprised Zeldris was with you. "How is your Devil Slayer magic coming along?" she questioned. "I've got a good handle on it, why?" She stared at Zeldris when she answered you, "When the Captain wakes up, I want you three to go to purgatory to defeat the Demon King."

She watched Zel to observe his reaction to her wish. You had felt him tense slightly, but wasn't sure if she noticed. "Any particular reason other than he's a giant asshole?" you asked. She continued her staring contest with your lover, trying to calculate how much of a threat he was to keep around. "If the Demon King is defeated, then someone else can take the throne and end the Holy War." Her answer didn't shock you, you just weren't sure whether you three could pull it off. The last time you went against the Demon King, you were cursed. "It's up to Meliodas and Zeldris who would become the next king of the demon realm," she stated, anticipating your question.

"For now though, I want you to try to share some of your Devil Slayer magic with Zeldris." she instructed. "I didn't sign up to be someone's lab rat," Zel sneered at her. You elbow him in the ribs, "Cut it out, Zel," you say to him with a threatening tone you don't use with him often, making him back down, "Merlin, what's your reasoning? How do you know it'll work?" She smirked at how the feared Prince of Darkness backed down so easily from you, "I don't for sure but I have a suspicion it will. Just like the Captain, his body is incredibly resilient to the point you were able to mark them in a vital spot with it without causing severe damage," she looked at your confused and shocked eyes, "Plus if both or even one of them can wield it as well, it'll help more against the Demon King."