Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Seven Deadly Sins: Zeldris x OC)

Chapter 9

    "Meli, in the name of the seven hells if you don't stop tugging my ears I'll bury you up to your neck," Andrea sighed as she lightly smacked Meliodas's hand away from her new ears, the bells jingling as she moved.

    "Welcome back, Andrea!" Meliodas chirped, shaking the sting out of his hand with a grin. "I never knew you were a fur-"

    "Complete that sentence, go ahead," Andrea said with a dangerous smile, cracking her knuckles.

    "-ious sleep fighter! You nearly punched me in the face while unconscious!" Meliodas amended quickly with a blank face.

    "I must have sensed you harassing Elizabeth or something," Andrea teased, relaxing. Meliodas stared at her for a few heartbeats, his observant eyes darting all over her face. "What? Do I have something on my face?" she asked, swiping her fingers under her eye... and felt the warmth trickling down her cheek. "Huh...?" she muttered, swiping furiously as the tears fell faster and faster until she couldn't keep up. "Damn it, stop-" she growled before Meliodas reached up and patted her head.

    "Welcome back, Drea," he said with an affectionate grin as Andrea's eyes widened, the sound of her nickname being called out in real life causing her composure to crumble completely.

    "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry, Meli," she sobbed as she crumpled to the floor, her hands gripping the edge of her skirt as her shoulders shook. "I'm sorry for what I said that day... I'm sorry for leaving you alone, I'm sorry for being selfish, I-" she choked out before Meliodas gently drew her head towards his shoulder, not minding the tears soaking it through within seconds.

    "Well, well, well, I have no idea what you're talking about," he chuckled as he patted her head in a comforting rhythm, soothing her just like he did in her vision.

    "Dummy... Of course you do," Andrea chuckled as she lightly butted his shoulder with her head. She drew in a shaky breath, then lifted her head. "Well? Did you get your power back?"

    "Nope! I still gotta rehabilitate my body first," Meliodas replied with a casual shrug.

    "Stupid Meli, then hurry up and do that!" Andrea scolded, swatting his arm. "If you're gonna scare the living hell out of Ellie and me, then- wait. Speaking of, where is she?" she asked, looking around before spotting the princess a short distance away, focusing on a goblet in her hands. As she watched, Elizabeth snuck a worried glance over at the two before flinching as Zaneri glared at her.

    "She's busy with her own test, but we have the a-okay to go out and train in the Training Grotto," Meliodas said, hopping to his feet and helping Andrea up. "But uh... seriously, what's up with the floppy ears? They suddenly appeared right before you woke up," he asked, awkwardly scratching his head.

    "These? Apparently they're a 'sign' that I've assimilated with my powers more and reverted to my 'true form', whatever that is," Andrea answered, absentmindedly tugging at one of them, then directing her attention towards them more fully. "They're really soft!" she marveled as she ran her hand over the full length, which stretched from around her temples down to her chin.

    "Let's see here," Meliodas pondered as he scratched the base of one of her ears, and grinned as they began flapping happily. "This is kinda fun-" he said before Andrea chopped his head with the side of her hand.

    "Stop messing around!" she said with a light blush, embarrassed at gaining such a tell-tale signal of her emotions.

    "You're such a killjoy," Meliodas pouted, crossing her arms behind his head as he walked towards the entrance of the Tower of Tests, Andrea quickly catching up to him.