Diane tossed her pigtail over her shoulder, smirking half-lidded in the direction of where Elizabeth was sitting between Hawk and King. "Captain, really, you're too much!" She laughed loudly as Meliodas sat beside her eyeing her curiously with a sandwich in his hands. "Diane, really? What is up with you lately? All I said is I'm eating a sandwich. Nothing funny about that, is there?" Sandwich in hand and without moving his head he caught a glimpse of a very angry looking fairy, a very happy, apparently hungry Hawk, and… he couldn't see the expression on Elizabeth's face as her long silver hair covered everything as she faced away from he and Diane. Diane just harrumphed in response and crossed her now human-sized arms, turning her face from him as well.
Ah, great. Why does this always happen to me? Meliodas thought as he sighed and then shoved the last of the turkey sandwich in his mouth and got up, brushing crumbs off of his pants and shirt. He grabbed his pack and swung it around his shoulder next to his dragon hilt.
Well, no time to pout I guess… "Alright guys, let's move out!"
"Finally, cap'n. You and the master always take sooo damn looooong to finish a meal, it's amazing that we ever get anywhere with all the sitting on our asses we do." Ban heaved himself up off of the ground where he was lying in the dirt all sprawled out in a fit of boredom. They all headed back into the Boar's Hat. "Hey, I'm a growing pig, you know! Just look at my momma!" Hawk retorted. "You don't think she got to be the incredible size she is now by watching her figure, do you?" Momma Hawk snorted happily, not taking offense but rather compliment. "Gahh… I'm just really bored, master, now come on momma pig and let's mooove already" Ban drawled.
Ban and Hawk continued their banter while the rest of the team just moved into their usual positions silently. Diane had stayed outside as the pill she had taken to make herself small was wearing off little by little. Even if she got left behind she'd still be able to catch up in no time, and besides that she was miffed and wanted the captain to know it, too. There had been an obvious tension between Diane, Elizabeth and King over the past two days and Meliodas had already had quite enough of it. It was so very bizarre, and he just wanted to ignore it like he was able to with just about everything else, but it was getting to be increasingly difficult.
King had been sulking in his Chastiefol every time Meliodas turned around, and spending an awful lot of time with Elizabeth, to his annoyance. Diane had been only interested in Meliodas for the past day and a half, relentlessly flirting and throwing herself at him, obviously vying for his attention, also to his annoyance. But the thing that was really getting on Meliodas' nerves… What is really grinding his gears lately is the fact that Elizabeth, his usual reprieve from the antics of the rest of those crazy sins, had been avoiding him lately, and he had just about had the last straw. She wasn't looking at him straight in the eye, she'd barely spoken to him over the past two days, and it was all he could do not to just grab her shoulders and shake her to get her to tell him what on God's green planet was the matter.
Meliodas took his usual place behind the bar and started cleaning the glasses to prepare for that night's business. He turned around, looking for Elizabeth, to see her (of course) sitting beside a moping King, who had his head down on the table, resting on his arms. She was looking at him full of pity, reaching out her hand to place it on his shoulder. At that Meliodas turned back around suddenly and started cleaning the ever-loving shit out of those glasses.
"Yo, cap'n," Ban said after watching the uneventful event. "So… I don't really care what's going on between you guys but just a suggestion here." Meliodas grinned a seemingly carefree grin at Ban, though Ban could detect a glint in his eyes that said otherwise. Ban flinched, just a little, and went on. "Cap'n, why don't you just talk to her if she won't talk to you? Tell her you need her to run an errand with you or something." Ban took a swig of his nearly empty ale and reclined more in his seat when he realized that Meliodas wasn't going to jump the counter to eat his soul right at that moment. "Could you? Soon, please? It's getting to be a bit much, even for me and porky here," he thumbed toward Hawk but Hawk just looked up from his scraps and kept munching. Meliodas set down his glass and dish rag, a sudden frown donning his face as he opened his mouth to speak-
"I don't hear Diane anymore."
Everyone looked over at King as he suddenly sat up straight and looked out the window with a serious expression on his face. He looked over at Meliodas and worriedly said "I just realized I haven't heard her footsteps for a little while now, maybe 10 minutes?" Elizabeth stood and comfortingly placed her hands on King's back and shoulder. "I'm sure she must be catching up still. She was still growing when we took off." "No, you're right, King, I'm sure I haven't heard her walking for a while now. Hawk Momma, take a break!" Meliodas jumped the bar and rushed outside with King hot on his tail. Ban leisurely stood up and gulped the last of his drink before wandering outside as well.
"Oi, she's not here, and look! There's not even a single giant footprint for miles, it seems!" "This is not good…" Elizabeth heard Meliodas reply. She sat sadly in her seat at the table still, remembering her last conversation with the giantess.
Diane was so angry with King and me, and… it's just not alright, keeping secrets from your friends like this. Especially… Elizabeth glanced out the window at Meliodas and closed her eyes in shame. ...especially when it's someone you love.
Elizabeth could count on her own fingers how many secrets she has ever had and kept. She knows she's horrible at keeping them and that they tend to hurt the ones you love, which is why she begged King to just tell Diane when she accidentally found out about his secret history with her. Several hundred years he had spent with the little giantess, becoming increasingly fond of her to the point of love. He thought they'd be able to stay together, but alas all good things must come to an end, or so King had told Elizabeth. She just wanted her two friends to be able to have the happy ending that they were apparently so very close to having a long time ago. There was never any need to keep his feelings a secret from Diane, although she really didn't have any room to talk, considering her own dilemma with Sir Meliodas.
The truth of it is, Elizabeth knows in her heart that she does in fact love Sir Meliodas, no matter how much she ignores and denies it. However, all of the touchy-feely things he does to her prove that he doesn't see her as someone who is important to him. When she was shrunken with Diane at the fight festival at Vaizel, she heard Meliodas explain his feelings for Diane this way. He doesn't grope Diane or make lewd comments toward her because she is a valued comrade in arms. Applying this logic to her own relationship with Sir Meliodas, it can be safely assumed then, that he does not value Elizabeth as an important friend.
So much drama and heartache within only two days, and now Diane was missing… she must have been so upset after finding Elizabeth and King in a friendly embrace, talking quietly outside the festival tents, slowly coming to her own twisted conclusion as to the true nature of their relationship. Elizabeth could only make things worse if she went after Diane, and she was certainly doing a great job of driving the invisible wedge between herself and her hero. She was certain that Sir Meliodas knows her better than anyone else by now, with the exception of her sisters. He would be able to divulge her secret without the least bit of effort, if she didn't keep her guard up and actively avoid him.
I suck.
Elizabeth sighed and gathered herself and her courage before heading out the door to follow the others. It doesn't really matter if I do make things any worse than they are, if we can't bring Diane back… Elizabeth's mind trailed off as she didn't want to think about that possibility.