Now and Forever

Chapter 9

The warm afternoon sun was streaming through the bedroom window by the time Meliodas opened his eyes. In his sleepy state, the only things he knew were that he was warm, relaxed, and happy. He smiled as he looked down to see Elizabeth curled up next to him with her head on his chest and he began to think about the previous night.

His mind immediately went to their kiss. It had just been a simple kiss but how strongly he reacted to it surprised him. If felt like fireworks going off in his stomach and even now as he thought about it, he couldn't help curling his toes in pleasure. However, stronger than anything else was the fact that it just felt right. As though a piece he didn't even realize was missing had been returned to him.

They had spent the rest of the night talking until the sky began to lighten. He told her about his family and the visits from his father, though he made sure to leave out the threats against her or even that her name had come up. He told her about Liz and Danafall and how 10 years ago Merlin took his power. She had listened so patiently as he told her about the destruction of her birthplace. After he finished, he had looked up to see a mixture of sorrow and love in her eyes as she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. She then took his hand in hers and asked in a whisper "so, you really are from the demon race?"

"Yes" he softly replied before looking at her, his eyes guarded but filled with genuine curiosity. "Do I scare you?"

She stared at him in surprise "why would you ask me something like that? I love and trust you more than anyone and nothing will ever change that. So no, of course you don't scare me" she finished with a smile.

Though neither of them said anything for a while afterwards, it was a comfortably relaxed silence. It had felt so freeing to finally be able to tell another person some of the things he kept hidden without worrying about them running away in fear or disgust.

He was stroking her hair absentmindedly while lost in thought and enjoying the sunshine, until he looked down and found himself staring into her beautiful blue eyes. "I'm sorry" he exclaimed, "did I wake you?" The Princess smiled and assured him that he hadn't.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"Early afternoon, I think."

"What! Why didn't anyone come to wake us up?" she said as she sat up.

"Well, I was kind of a jerk to them yesterday so they're probably still upset with me."

He took her hand, guiding her back down on to the bed and pulled her back to his chest. She put her head down with a smile and they lay in bed talking a bit longer until both of them finally agreed that they should probably get up.

"I have to go to the castle with Diane anyway and you should apologize."

"The castle?"

"We have our final dress fitting"

"I should probably go with you to make sure no one's hiding in the change room or, you know, breaks into it while you're in there with no clothes on" he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Sir Meliodas, I don't think so!" she exclaimed as she flushed a dark pink.

"I'm not sure why you still insist on doing it but you really don't have to keep addressing me so formally, especially after everything we've been through!"

"I-I'll try" she replied as her face went a shade darker.

He flashed her favorite smile and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before finally getting out of bed.

...

The shock of finally seeing their Captain in such a good mood was so complete that the Sins didn't even seem to notice that he and Elizabeth had come down the stairs together. Or, if they did notice, no one dared to comment.