My Brother

What happened?

A month had passed since Meliodas's rescue. Liz didn't know a thing. For all she knew, Meliodas was still living with his dad.

Liz sat down in the grass in the flowery field, waiting for Arthur. She had her drawing pad out. She started sketching, little doodles, fruit and vegetables, little scenes of people doing stupid stuff, dinosaurs, whatever popped into her head really.

So what she didn't expect was for someone to shout "Oh ma gawd it's Meliodas!" And there to be a bunch of girls screaming "it's a miracle!" And "I thought he was dead!" And "He is hot!" And Liz shot her head up at the last one.

There, walking in the gate, was a little blonde boy with emerald green eyes. He looked skinny, almost too skinny, and his hair was longer, but not so long that he couldn't see.

Meliodas spotted a gobsmacked Liz and walked over to her, once everyone went away. "L-Liz?" He asked shyly.

"Meli! You're back!!!!!" Liz jumped up, screeching happily. She ran in for a hug, but when Meliodas flinched slightly and sidestepped away from her, his hands in his pockets almost shyly.

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second but quickly returned. "I can't believe it! When did you get back? Are you okay? How's your brothers? What happened? Why didn't you write? Where have you been?"

"Month ago, I'm fine I guess, they're okay, don't want to talk about it, not allowed, here and there." He replied evasively. He smiled. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course!" Liz grinned. "Now, let's go to-"

"Hey Liz!"

"Oh hey Arthur. Guess what!" Liz smirked when Arthur came over, hiding Meliodas behind her back.

"Ummm, your long lost friend is back from his father's and you didn't even know." Arthur joked.

"How did you know?" Arthur almost fell over.

"Wait, really???!"

"Yup! Arthur, meet my long lost best friend, Meliodas!" And Meliodas stepped out from behind a grinning Liz and smiled at Arthur.

"Sup." Meliodas said. "Arthur, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Nice to finally meet you. Liz talks about you nonstop. It gets tiring." Arthur grinned.

"I do not!"

"You do to!"

"Fine," Liz admitted grumpily. "But only because he's my favourite."

"You know, he's smaller than you described him Liz." Arthur mused.

Meliodas pouted. "I'm not that small. Hmph." He crossed his arms huffily.

Liz just poked his forehead, ignoring his flinching. "Shuddup, I'm way taller than you. Even Elaine is taller than you now."

"No way!" Meliodas panicked. "She was the only person my age that I know who's smaller than me! Not fair! Why was I cursed with shortness!?!?!? Why?!?!!!??!" Meliodas sighed dramatically.

"Shuddup. You talk weird. With an accent. You changed." Liz said bluntly. She got bolder as she grew up.

Meliodas paused for about half a second then replied casually "Doesn't everybody? I used to live in a different country before I moved here then moved away then moved back here again."

"I didn't know that." Liz exclaimed. "I barely know anything now! You're what, like 13, almost 14, and I haven't seen you in two years!"

"Sucks." Meliodas teased and Arthur agreed.

"Shuddup! Stop ganging up one me!" She dramatically said, clutching her heart. "You've changed so much that I need to like a whole different person now! Stop making me work harder!"

Just then the bell went for class. They walked to class, they had Sir Escanor as their teacher.

Class went pretty smoothly, no interruptions, though Meliodas noticed Arthur looking at him funny. Meliodas also noticed something unusual about his schoolbag.

During lunch, Meliodas cornered Arthur. "Arthur?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why do you have a cat in your bag?"

"No I don't!"

"I saw it."

"Fine." Arthur surrendered. "His name's Cath. He just kind of appeared in my room one day so I decided to keep him. He follows me to school and gets me in trouble when I leave him at home, so I sneak him around in my schoolbag. Don't tell?"

"Promise." Meliodas said. "Everyone has a secret that needs to be kept hidden right?"

Meliodas and Arthur walked back to the lunch table where Liz watched them sit down and pull out their lunches. "What was all that about?" She asked.

"Cath."

"Oh. He's cute right!?"

"Yup." Meliodas agreed. "Once, I asked my mum for a pet pig, didn't get one though."

"Why a pig?" Arthur wondered.

"I wanted one with different colours on it, because it looked like a jigsaw puzzle." They burst into laughter.

They all went outside and chatted. Arthur and Meliodas seemed to be getting along okay, and Liz looked really happy.

The rest of classes that day went by quickly and the moment the bell went Meliodas ran home.

He walked past the door and attempted to make it up to his room when Estarossa called "Meliodas?"

"Y-Yes?"

"How was your day?"

"Okay!"

"No bullies?"

"Nope!"

"Good. You can go!"

Meliodas rolled his eyes and ran up to his room. Meliodas liked Arthur, and he was happy to see Liz again. Meliodas hoped that she wouldn't ask anymore questions, he hoped Dr Kim wouldn't ask anymore questions, he hoped Estarossa and Zeldris wouldn't ask anymore questions.

He took out one of his dolls and started brushing their hair carefully.

I guess some things never change.