Guardian Demon (A Nanatsu No Taizai Fanfic)

Can I Join You?

Meliodas POV

"Can I join you?"

Of course I couldn't say no. I mean look at her, in that fluffy pink blouse and hair tied back in a bun. She stood by the window of her castle as I stood on the patio of the tavern. 

 I couldn't simply wave goodbye and hope she doesn't lose her mind stuck in a castle. If I knew anything about Elizabeth, it's that she's not fit for any castle. It cages her. 

"That's gonna be a hard no from me, Princess." I shook my head. Although I understood the castle would cage  her, at least I knew in there she would be safe from any evil out there, especially myself. 

"You know better than anyone I'll go insane here. Please, I want to come with you." She pleaded. She had already started to lean out the window for me to catch her. 

She was falling. Danafall, she was falling. 

I grabbed her gentle fingertips and tugged her up the side of a ladder on the giant boar to sit her down on the chair outside. 

I opened my mouth to speak but I was silenced by the mouthful of hair I was given when she hugged me. 

"Thank goodness! I genuinely thought you were going to leave me there." She smiles, brushing rope piece off of her blouse. 

I am an idiot, I thought upon seeing her up close. Sure, this woman has some unknown power I'm not even close to understanding yet... but I couldn't look past the innocent Elizabeth I had once known before the fighting started. She had stumbled into my bar suffering of god knows what and I, of all people, had brought her into a life where I could only see the hope in her eyes begin to diminish. 

"Where are we headed to?" She sat down on a rocking chair on the porch, crossed her legs, and looked around excitedly. 

"Not sure yet." I cleared my throat and took a deep breath in. The boar started to walk forward, going into a patch of green field. Within the blink of an eye, I couldn't see much of the kingdom anymore besides the small country houses outside the walls. 

Elizabeth gazed back to her kingdom, but without a single air of regret. She was so obviously excited to continue spending time properly instead of looking pretty. 

I couldn't stop wrestling with my feelings, like a scorpion stinging itself even though nothing was happening. One moment, I wanted to take her with me, have her all to myself. But how could I possibly be worthy of loving her if all I can do for her is give her adventure and loads of sex appeal. 

Sounding like Ban now, aren't I. 

Another moment, however, I felt a sense of nostalgia when everyone around me welcomed Elizabeth back on board. It was far too familiar. 

There was Liz, created by the fragments of her smile I still kept lock in the back of my mind. She walked by me and messed up my hair. And then, she was gone. That was the day the Commandments attacked. 

Snapping me out of my daydream, Elizabeth clapped her hands in front of my face. Slowly, I started hearing her calls. "Meliodas! Meliodas?"

"Sorry about that." I threw the facade of joy and being carefree on my face. 

Elizabeth noticed, but ignored it completely when a dove flew feet above her head and disappeared into the distance. "I get to travel with you all again!"

Diane cheered from inside the tavern, visibly raising a glass raising a glass of beer into the air, a motion  copied by everyone except me.

"Come on!" Ban shouted, turning me around from my sulking corner and stuffing a keg in my arms. "To Elizabeth!"

Everyone happily responded, "To Elizabeth!" and chugged down a swig. Except me.

"Man, you never passed up a drink ever since I've known you, are you alright?" Ban coughed, almost choking on his beer. He slapped me on the back a few times.

"I'm going into my room." I stated as I sharply stood up from my stool and walked up the stairs. Thoughts buzzed around my head like fireflies. I stomped up the stairs, leaving behind one tear stain on the second step. 

"Meliodas!" Elizabeth called after me.

I didn't turn around.

I'm not going to let that happen again. 

How stupid of me.

Sin of Wrath? More like Sin of Greed.