Can I Keep You?

Chapter 9

How had this happened?

No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't figure out why she would have given in...

Elizabeth walked in stride with the captain of the sins down the streets of the city surrounding Camelot's castle. Mirth played over Sir Meliodas' face as he walked with her side-by-side, hands casually in his pockets. Probably enjoying his victory.

The blush hadn't left her face since they had left the tavern that afternoon, and now she was pondering how she could have ended up alone with the person who made her stomach flutter.

"Y-You want to... take me shopping?" Elizabeth had stuttered out as she gawked at the blonde smiling brightly at her. Surely she had heard wrong?

"Of course! You don't have a formal dress for a Gala, right? The party's in two days." Meliodas leaned back against the table he was seated at, having returned to the Tavern to get it ready to open for the night, it was still early in the day and the sun still wasn't high in the sky yet. "Besides, I need some stuff from the city anyways. Might as well go while the goings good, right?"

"I wouldn't trust this guy's motives, Elizabeth." Hawk snorted, butting into the conversation with a dubious look in the bar owner's direction.

"You know," Meliodas looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, "I hear pork sells pretty well here in Camelot." Hawk squealed, making his retreat from the man, behind Elizabeth's legs.

Elizabeth giggled, but she looked uncertain, her fingers coming to rest on her lips as she thought with a furrowed brow, "But... I couldn't possibly ask you to do that," she mumbled feeling her cheeks burn. It was far too much to ask. And it wasn't the first time he had offered and paid for clothing for her. All of the clothes she had at the tavern hadn't been just laying around, it had to come from somewhere. "You've already done so much, and I can't put you out any more than I already have!"

She was sleeping in the man's bed for goddess's sake! How put out was he going to allow her to make him before the end of all of this?

"Well, if it would make you feel better, I could always come up with a way for you to pay me back." His eyes narrowed on her as his smile dipped into a dark grin. Elizabeth's mouth fell open to answer but the words would not form.

"What I tell ya Elizabeth?!" Hawk shouted, but Elizabeth was still stumbling over herself getting caught up in the look he was giving her. It did weird things to her. Those dark eyes promising of something that made her insides twist. "I-I... um..."

'He cared very deeply for someone...'

Those words rang in her head and immediately sobered her, sending a flush over her cheeks and her eyes to quickly dart away from Meliodas'. Why did that matter? Elizabeth's thumb traced the back of the pearl ring on her ring finger, reminding her that she was most likely engaged. Whether the captain of the sins had feelings for someone was of no consequence to her.

Right?

Wait! What was she saying? Elizabeth's hands came up and slapped her cheeks lightly, receiving curious looks from both Hawk and Meliodas, this man was the leader of a group of rogue criminals! Of course it was of no consequence to her!

"Umm... Elizabeth?"

She 'eeped' twisting back to look at him with her hands still clasping her cheeks and he was giving her an easy grin, the look amused at her fretting. "Only kidding."

Hawk muttered a 'sure' under his breath and he shook his head and retreated to his left-overs bowl.

Meliodas crossed his arms in front of him as he shrugged, "If you don't want to go, I could just pick you up one on the way?"