Tragedy (Meliodas x OC)

Chapter 12 - Headed For Hammers

I stare at the ceiling, Meli attached to my side, sleeping soundly. His arms are tight around me, holding me to his chest. I look at the bandaged yet fresh marks that cover over my sin, the messy bruising snaking down to my fingers.

Ban and Meli had found me, bringing up three bowls of soup for all of us. There had been tears covering my entire face, my stare blank. Emotions voided. All they had done was set the soup aside, and cleaned my arm up. Ban making promises to not tell anyone and to be a better protector. Meli telling me all the things he liked about me, that Elizabeth was not worth this.

I could hear her words playing over and over again in my mind. All of the hatred weighing me down, crushing my insides and bones supporting me from collasping. As if it was filling up the spaces between my blood and skin, I could feel it snaking between my fingertips, flowing into me from her almost asleep brain and heart.

With my breathing unsteady again, the thoughts almost overtaking me once more. Looking away from my aching arm, I stare at the toned chest of the sleeping man next to me. His mouth is hung open skightly, a small bit of drool landing onto his pillow. I take a moment to trace the bit of abdomen in my view, shivering as the breeze trails its way to my bare legs. With a long sleeve shirt, my top is mostly warm, but I attempt to move even closer to the warmth of the being next to me.

He jerks awake, his eyes widening with every blink. "Rosie? What's wrong?" His breathing accelerates, confusion and concern lacing all of his being. I feel it flow into me, and his arms tighten. I welcome the warmth.

"Im cold." The simple answer has him relax, but he gets out of the bed and fumbles around in the dark. I pout, the words causing the opposite reaction than anticipated.

A small weight is added to our few blankets as he crawls into bed, pulling me closer to him again. Tangling our legs together, he sets his forehead low to mine. "Better?"

"Mmhmm." I say, nice and slow, dragging it out as he kisses my forehead, causing a blush to warm me even more.

With the added heat, my eyes begin to droop, sleep becoming inescapable. But before falling asleep, my ears pick up four words that I will not remember tomorrow.

~Timeskip~

I stand in front of the mirror, staring at the outfit Meli had recommended I wear for today. A pair of black shorts were tight around my butt, the material feeling almost of a set of hose but thicker. Around me top was a button up long sleeve, crimson in color, one of Meli's favorites on me. The cleavage that showed was clearly a plus for his perverted-ness, but i was happy that it covered all of the bandages. Unlike the bruises that still peaked out. Taking another deep sigh and a quick glance at the harm I had done to myself, I head downstairs.

The mid-morning sun creeped through the windows, Hawk's mom settling at the top of a small hill. Joining the others outside, Meli motioned me to his side with a grin. "Why cant I come along?"

Diane pouted as she watched me join the boys. "Because a few years ago, some giants caused some real problems, in a result they banned them." Meli explains, a small yet smug smile lightening his face. "Plus, Elizabeth is staying behind with you. You two can look for stuff for the tavern! Like herbs and things."

After the exchange, the boys and I walk to the village, seeing many people. I could feel an abnormal amount of power coming from a bookshop, but decided it was a trace of some Holy Knight who had just been there. Arriving at the fighting festivals ring, King takes the point on asking where a giant hammer could be as an announcer begins to speaks.

"Come one, come all! This years fighting festival is about to begin! Anyone can enter! This year's main prize is this alleged Seven Deadly Serpent Sin's prized hammer!" The squeaky voice of a smaller-than-Meliosas midget yells. My eyes widen with excitement, Meli looking at me as if hes about to tell me "no", and Ban looks as if hes in heaven. King on the other hand, looks faint.

"Ban, how about you go sign me, King, and yourself up." I begin to protest as he scratches the back of his neck, trying to avoid seeing me small pout.

Ban walks away, a dangerous look in his eyes, as I attempt to make Meli feel bad about not including me, yet I can't help but look around when a familiar power source walks into the area. 'Diane? Are you here? I don't see you.'

"This is so unfair." I grunt, to which Meli wraps his arms around me, muttering something about not wanting me to get hurt. Ban returns with a smile, and gives me a short wink as the announcer calls out that the elimination round will begin shortly.

I smile.

~timeskip~

Much to Meli's disappointment, Ban had included me in the event, and I made it past the first round with ease. Waiting to here who I will be fighting, a holy knight with blonde hair makes his wait to us.

"You guys kind of look like..." I sweat-drop. "Nah. You can't be." I hoped with the change of clothes and different hairstyle he wouldn't recognize me. His eyes go to me, and he blanches.

'Shit.'

"Lady Rosa-" I hold a finger up to my lips, pleading with him silently. He stops mid-sentence.

"Howzer, I know you won't understand, but Eli and I are safe. Its all you need to know, right now. And you can't tell anything to Gil." He fights for words as I give him a small smile and I ease his mind. "Otherwise, ill have to have my friends here, kidnap you." He swallow hard as he shakes my hand, nodding. He trusted me. As the announcer begins to speak.

"Griamore vs Matrona. King vs old Fart. Howzer vs Roxa. Ba-an vs Meliodaf." The four final rounds, then two, then one. This should be fun.

~timskip.~

No one would have guessed for Matrona to be a shrunken Diane holding my shrunken sister. I prayed Howzer wouldn't see her, in fear of him no longer believing me about her being safe with us. They place her with me for Diane's battle, which I spend hoping this could remain a secret.

After, Diane takes my sister back, and I head up to face Howzer. He gives me a short nod, nervous about fighting a girl. It not being his thing.

"Now, Howzer, don't go too easy on me, yeah?" I smile, giving Meli a quick wink. "I got somebody to impress over there."

With a smile from him, he swings into motion, using his tornados to attack me. I quickly side step out of the way, using flood to cause him to drown on his emotions, which he soon gets over. He coughs as he runs at me, to which I jump onto the air, kicking him out of the ring.

I turn, smiling to Meli, and waiting to hear of my next fight.

~timeskip~

I stare head on at Meliodas, and he looks at me with wonder about what I could do. The crowd in filled with static electricity, but the feeling of recognizable power coming this way was even greater. We both shoot forward to each other, and i forget for a moment of the people watching as we moved, like a different kind of dance, before we lock positions. We stare off into each others eyes, and I cant help but no exactly what he is going to do. Diane, King, and Ban joing us, standing in position, before Meli yells out.

I see the shock and confusion on people's faces, and can't help but notice all the children in the area. They need to get out of here.

"We are the eight deadly sins."