Our First Fall (Melizabeth)

9. My Panties

Elizabeth POV:

I felt sweaty. Slowly, with heavy limbs. I rose to find the scented water bowl. Oh, thank you Lady Graelle. With shaking hands, I peeled my dress off and shimmied my underwear down to kick off with my toes. The cool water felt amazing and I roamed the rag over my body a second time for the sensation of trickling water over my heated flesh.

Outside it was dark. Had I slept all day or was I up really early? I dipped to check for the lit beacons around the temple and as they were snuffed out, that meant early morning. The fires only burned for so long.

I look over my body for any changes, frowning when I see my wings have grown an inch longer. My energy would be zapped today and I hoped my fever didn't return as occasionally they hit in a duo.

I felt something... something dark and deep heading my way and I watched out the window. Was that a shadow? Had the vampire returned? I put the rag down, into my bowl, trying to stand but finding my legs too wobbling to hold myself up. A soft thump sounded and I grabbed my blankets, pulling it over myself. It didn't feel evil and my heart raced as I watched my doorknob turn ever so slowly.

Instinctively I grabbed my hairbrush from beside the water bowl and as the dark figure ducked into my room I threw it. It made contact, a solid thump as a rich string of quiet curses escaped the man. Silently he closed my door.

"Meliodas?" I whispered, appalled that he was in my room... alone with me. I clutched at my blankets to pull them closer around me as I realized. I'm naked! In my room with a man!

"I see you're feeling better." He says, picking up my hairbrush and setting it on top of my dresser. I feel guilty as he rubs the side of his head with a grimace.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was you. Are you okay?" I ask in disbelief he was even here but keeping my voice low as to not wake anyone else on the floor.

"I should be asking you that." He quips, "Nice aim, though." He continues, looking me over. With a sly smile I can make out in the dark, I know his thoughts have turned naughty and I frown. How did he know how to get to my room? My spine shoots straight as I remember holding hands with him in public! He'd asked if I was interested in coupling and I had agreed! I had asked what else he could show me with my body! How indecent! Would he ever look at me the same way?

"Oh... Oh no!" I groan as I use my elbows to hold my blanket up under my arms and cover my face in my hands. "You... put your face..." I mutter, remembering the tingles that erupted from my most secret of places. Like a mini firework at my core. His heady voice echoed from my memory "I could worship at your core hourly if you allowed it."

"You are feeling better." Meliodas states, I chance a glace through my fingers and I'm alarmed at how at-home he looks among my things. Meliodas is so calm. He steps forward toward the bed and I hold my hands out as a barrier, panicked and thankfully he stops mid-stride. "Elizabeth." He says, sounding lost. "Why do you resist us so fiercely?"

"I... I'm... what?" I ask, my arms wrapping around the blanket at my torso to hold myself together better.

"Yesterday, you admitted to having desires and yet you fight it?" It's such a sincere question I can tell he wanted to understand me. I flush, trying to find the words.

"If I'm... like that... a lady with those urges, then I won't be suitable." I flush, hearing the own fallacies in my logic. I'd been told so often to ignore my own body, to act a certain way so others would see me in a specific manner. This is what Jelamet had been explaining to me, my own attempt to explain it helping me. Understanding flooded me and I made a note to talk to her later.