Darling in the Dark: A Melizabeth Fanfiction

Chapter 14: "I Wish I Could've Seen Your Smile One Last Time..."

There they'd been, whirling to the sound of heavenly music provided by Merlin with Ellie in a dress of silver and Meliodas a suit of black. A smile adorned her lips, her expression sweet and her laugh full and true. 

'She could light up the world with that smile...' The thought had come unbidden to Meliodas, and a smile of his own took root and grew on his face as a result.

As they swayed together, he was so thankful that he would have her for eternity, that she was his and he was hers, forever. He'd never stop loving her, no matter what happened, his hearts, all seven of them, belonged to her and her alone. They could've danced forever, but Meliodas was selfish; he wanted her all to himself- her smile, her giggle, her voice, her gaze- and so he escorted her to the balcony. 

Only when they were alone did Meliodas speak up, his tone uncharacteristically broken.

"Elizabeth... you're a shockingly good actress." 

The beautiful goddess had flinched at his words, as if the mere thought of her skills burned her. Her blue eyes were guilty and sad, pain resonating from her connection to his, the emotions she was feeling clear to him. Indeed, if it were not for the tether that was held between them- a result of their mating- perhaps he wouldn't have known.

Perhaps he would've been truly happy in this moment with her, in his sweet ignorance while she suffered. That was likely what she wanted; sometimes, Elizabeth was simply too caring, too kind, and too loving for her own good. Maybe that was why he was so selfish around her- for her sake he seemed to have to be. And so, Meliodas made a very, very selfish request.

"Please don't leave."

Meliodas awoke to his hell again, tears staining his pillow as he knew his heaven had left him. He already knew that the likelihood of her coming back was low; as soon as she had said those four Goddess-cursed words he knew that for a fact. The tricky thing about this situation was with Elizabeth's decision came Meliodas' inability to act.

As soon as she spoke those four words that signalled her departure, his demon and vampire had constrained him. A mate's words were absolute to both sides, even more so for a soulmate. If the mate wanted to leave and for him to let her go, it was nigh impossible for Meliodas to fight against the restriction imposed by her.

By Purgatory did he hate yet cadle those words; they'd been the most singularly terrible and yet gospel-like words he'd ever heard utter by his lovely Ellie.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me..."

The 'please' and 'I love you' were implied if her expression of love and misery twisted her face in what had to be the most infuriatingly beautiful picture of pain that had ever existed. Meliodas sighed and ran his hands across his emerald eyes, sitting up when he heard Ban call for him.

He felt that weird feeling again, like he'd known Ban before this all happened- like he knew everyone before everything happened. He'd felt it when they first met, that feeling where something is at the edge of thought and the tip of your tongue, but you can't reach it. It skittered away, and Meliodas got up, pulling on his clothes, wiping his tears.

His eyes showed the resolve of a man willing to do anything and everything.

Restrictions be darned he was getting his wife back, whether she wanted to come or not.

⊰I◆◇◆I⊱

Elizabeth stood outside the gleaming white palace, fear permeating her being and nestling into her bones.

She ha a mission, a purpose, a reason for being here, for facing that woman again. But her legs wouldn't move- no, they couldn't even if she tried. The trauma in her body was erupting, tugging her under and into that old, familiar ocean.