Next chapter because I'm so dang eager. Next must probably be the last, so look forward to it!

"But Captain, I saw them!" Diane cried, her arms waving about whenever she was flustered. They were waving so vigorously right now she must have been ten times as flustered. "They were sitting on a bench together, and talking deep… that stuff that can only be exchanged personally!" When she saw the captain's poker face she threw her hands up in frustration. "King, tell him!"

"Captain," King began, obviously not as affected as Diane was, since Elizabeth really was her best friend, but he carried on for her, carefully treading when talking to Meliodas. "We saw them—" he blushed at the mention of 'we' referring to him and Diane—"they were sitting together, pretty close if you ask me—" he and Diane had definitely been closer before "—and they were talking really closely too, though we couldn't hear in on them—" as the fairy king eavesdropping was the lowest he could stoop; how would Diane look at him then? "—but they seemed really close for Arthur being with her for only one day so far. And then we had to run—"

"… Because they heard me gasp and King had to whisk me away quickly!" Diane blurted, and when she said 'whisk me away' King blushed harder.

Having the thought of her invade every word he said was probably not a good sign. He was falling in love with her, and was in love; but he didn't want to become infatuated. Though he knew he could never really become infatuated with Diane…

Anyway, this was not about him, nor Diane. This was about Captain, and as much as he didn't want to care he had to care for Diane's sake.

"Oh, really?" It had been the third time Meliodas had heard this story and this had been his exact reply through and through. Diane looked as if she wanted to tear out her pigtails, and with her giant strength King couldn't see why not.

"…urgh, Captain!" King knew that Diane's rage was not a pretty sight, so he did his best to calm her down. "Diane, if he's going to be like this we can't change that. Let him solve his own problems for once."

At this Meliodas had taken a sip of his beer, and he quirkily raised an eyebrow in King's direction. King squinted, as if sizing him up, though he himself was not much different.

"If Arthur takes her as his wife, she'll be claimed forever!" Diane tried, but no matter how urgent and desperate she made Elizabeth's engagement sound, Meliodas just wouldn't get it. He'd look at the both of them indifferently and shrug. "I'm fine with that. Arthur's a good man." It was tiny and all, but King noticed the 'man' was said with a tad bit force than the captain probably intended to. At this he knew.

"But Captain…" he was going to test this crazy theory and make it work. Maybe he was risking it all, but hey, he wouldn't mind seeing the captain, once mighty and rock-hard, finally break. "You like… the princess, don't you?"

Even Ban who had been drinking non-stop and slurring broken words had suddenly become sober. A deadly silence fell upon the bar. No one dared to as much breathe, let alone speak. It was as if everyone's thoughts had been voiced aloud, including Diane's. If the captain confessed his feelings for Elizabeth right there in the tiny room, she knew how happy her friend would be—and she would call off whatever cock-and-bull wedding she was about to have.

"…hmm, no." Meliodas dumped his mug into the sink. "King, I think we've run out of Bernia Ale, you could really go get some instead of spewing some useless talk."

This Captain was the captain ten years ago—playful, relaxed, but nonetheless stern. He would not tolerate anything that didn't make sense to him. The fairy king heard the slight edge in his tone and took a step back (well, floated back—he was in the air after all). "H-Hai." With that last stutter, King was eliminated from this minefield of a conversation-turned-death mission.

Even Diane was put out. The once bubbly and feisty giantess felt like she had shrunken into her shoes. She'd really hoped she could get him to say it so her friend would stop crying and finally smile—and she'd seen the way Meliodas treated Elizabeth. There must have been something going on there. Her pigtails swaying sadly, she exited out the back door, following after King.

Only Ban and Gowther were left in the room. Ban was obviously too wasted to say anything, but even he knew there was something up with the captain when King had mentioned Elizabeth. It wasn't in his tone, or his face, but Ban could just feel it. It was a hunch, and Ban knew his hunches were nearly all the time correct. So he swung around to face the bar owner and Meliodas sighed, but nonetheless ready to face his next opponent.

"Hey, captain, you aren't affected? At all?" That was a weak starter. All of them were affected in different way, as Elizabeth had different relationships with each of them—the most important being Meliodas. It was plain to see, actually. The princess always had a thing for Meliodas ever since she got here.

"Nope, not really." The blonde captain began to wash up the remaining mugs that filled the sink. Ban tried again. "Hey, captain, at least you don't have to wait for a 'someday' like me. You could still get her, you know." The effects of the beer began to set in, and Ban saw his vision swim and hear voices lulling him to sleep. Elaine's voice, mostly.

"And why would I want to do that?" Meliodas turned to face him now, and there was a smile on his face. Ban knew it was because the captain was merely not taking him seriously, and he allowed his crimson eyes to stare into his spring green ones; trying to find something out, though he wasn't sure what, while trying to look menacing. But Meliodas' gaze was strong, and he didn't let Ban in for a second. Ban pursed his lips in confusion and frustration.

"Is there something you'd throw your life away for, then?" His eyelids were becoming heavy, but he knew he needed to stay awake for this one. Meliodas was going to think he was going to sleep and wouldn't remember whatever he said, so he had to remember. He just had to.

"I guess." Those two words swum in his head like two fish in murky waters before Ban was 'knocked out' of the ring. All that was left was Gowther.

Now Gowther had been standing to the side, watching the scene unfold. Being a doll, he had yet to process this entire situation through his small doll-brain. Watching the captain shake his head lightly at Ban and turn back to the sink, he pondered his next move.

"Oh, yeah." The Goat's Sin looked up to see the blonde bar owner staring at his palms. They were scratched red and raw, covered in blisters. It was a sore sight to see. Meliodas reached over for some hand soap and pumped some into his hands. He winced at the smarting. "Better disinfect this while it's fresh."

He probably didn't know Gowther was standing there. "Does it hurt?" Meliodas turned to him, smiling, his palms still covered in soap suds. "Hmm? I didn't hear you."

He turned back to his hands in the sink again. His sleeves had been rolled up so they wouldn't be stained with soap, but as Gowther looked on he saw the captain's smile fade from his face. His yellow strands hung over his eyes, shielding them from his gaze.

"I said, does it hurt?" Gowther repeated in the exact same tone. No special Gowther. He just had to act normal, and maybe he could access the captain.

Pause. "Yeah." Meliodas nodded a little as he rinsed his hands, all pink and still slightly raw. He dried them on a hand towel and rolled down his sleeves. Gowther waited.

"The hands?" he asked. And he waited some more.

"No." And Gowther knew that out of all the Sins he was the most victorious.

Mysterious much? Want more like this? Review!

-Mint-chan.