Our First Fall
A Meliodas and Elizabeth story
Chapter Ten: A little Defiance
I couldn't go back to sleep. I missed him. It had been less than twenty minutes and even though my body was tired I didn't want to skip a moment of our time. We were from different clans, both a hair's breadth away from another hundred years of death, battles, and hatred. It had been going on my entire life and this truce is the first taste of peace, of happiness, I've ever had.
The blankets were warm but I slipped out of them, grabbing my shoes from under the bed and I step from my room. If I was quiet and quick, I may be able to leave here without anyone's notice, so I could wait at the gate for Meliodas.
I knew my body was not fully recovered when I reached the doors to leave and hadn't spotted Lady Graelle until it was too late. I had been too involved in my thoughts, going over what Meliodas had done to my body not hours before.
"Oh, dear girl, do you still have a fever?" Lady Graelle's concerned, coming forward to touch my forehead. "Oh, hot as a boiling pot." The kind old lady wraps her arm around my shoulders but I resist her guidance.
"I'll lay down after I walk with Meliodas," I tell her, smiling at her in an attempt at reassurance.
"Oh, he can get on without you." She insists, perhaps trying to reassure me. Again, she tries to guide me back toward the way I came. Her long floor length dress hung from her shoulders loosely and her slippers poked out when she walked.
"No." I put my foot down, turning from Lady Graelle's embrace with a speed I didn't know I had. She huffed, her eyes wide in shock before a little smile graced her lips, as if proud.
"I'll blame that on the fever, young lady." She chides, miffed but I wave bye to her and head down the street to the main gate. I had to hurry if I wanted to be there when he arrived. I hadn't brought a companion with me so I did get a few long confused looks. Since Meliodas and I had our first lunch together on the steps of the compound I've gotten plenty of strange expressions directed at me.
The sun had risen. Above, the sky is clear and I wanted to fly up but I hadn't put on pants as I hadn't been the one to dress myself today. I grew warm, thinking of it but stayed low to the ground to keep my panties from being shown off. When I reached the flower-lined path, I turned, heading toward the gates.
Up ahead, they were still closed and I dropped to the walkway. The wind blew through the bars. I breathed in, closing my eyes and turning to the sun to soak it in. I felt tired but, good, better. My wings stretched out and I fluttered them as if shaking the rain from them. I felt him, his aura and I grinned in anticipation as he and his companions dropped to the platform. With joy swelling in my bosom I opened my eyes and turned to my special friend, away from the sun to something better.
"What a beautiful sight, Elizabeth." He admires, just on the other side of the gold bars. I gave him a once-over, thinking he looked pretty good himself while flushing, pleased at his words. He'd buttoned his shirt but his cloak was gone, having kept the same clothes on from before but a pale blue cloth was in his breast pocket. The little bow familiar to me.
Oh. Ooooh! "You give that back right this instant!" I demand, jumping to the gate's bars and reaching forward to grab at my dirty undergarment. He must have found them on my floor! I'd kicked them off before I'd given myself that scented bath and it wasn't like I had time to clean them before his arrival.
He laughs, laughs! Skidding back just out of reach and I glare.
"Meliodas!" I scold, weaving my arm back through the gate and crossing them under my breasts with a huff. "When this gate opens..." I warn and it's like my wish was heard and granted as the gates separate.
"Oh, don't be angry with me." He soothes, still chuckling so any sympathy I may have had didn't rise.
"How can I not be!" I explain but realize Zeldris is looking between us in confusion. "Hello again, Zeldris." I say, giving him a wave and then greeting Chandler and Cusack. The two elders barely gave me a head nod but Zeldris was polite today. Walking with Meliodas each morning meant I also walked with them.
"I've never seen you angry before," Zeldris says and I shrug.
"Well, your brother is an idiot," I explain as if talking about the weather. They step forward as the gate parts and Meliodas had a hand over his heart in a dramatic fashion.
"You wound me." He mock-cried but I step to the right, just to dive with a great push of my wings to take him off guard. Meliodas is surprised, getting out of my direct path but grabbing my hand to spin us in place so I didn't fly off the platform. I had wings, but I used his instinct to save me to my advantage and reached for the panties. "You've gotten faster." He admires, closing the distance between our bodies. "Are you growing into all that power?"
"Don't change the subject!" I dip out from his arm and he looks impressed again. Was I really that much faster? "I want them back." I hold my hand out, refusing to move but Meliodas grins, some of his darkness even fades as if his emotions are too overpowering for it to stay. His laugh echoes off the stone.
"I can promise you, Elizabeth," He starts walking, following his fellow demons who had resolved not to pay us any mind already ahead of us. He ignored my outstretched hand. "These are mine now, I took them fair and square and I won't return them." He tsks, looking over his shoulder with that same wide smile. "You could say I've earned them." As soon as he faces toward the compound I use my new speed to launch onto his back.
With arms over his shoulder, I go for the panties. He keeps walking as if he didn't notice my sudden assault to his person. His hands were so quick, he moved the pair from his breast pocket to his pants pocket, opposite the shoulder I was draped over. I stretched, ass in the air to follow the little bit of fabric. I wiggled my fingers inside his pants pocket and his head tilted back in laughter as I found... nothing.
"Oh, sweet Elizabeth, are you searching my pants for something in particular?" I flush, but switch sides, thinking it must be in the other pocket. One hand pressed against his torso to arch far enough away to get a deeper feel and... this one was empty too. His face turned toward my behind, over his shoulder and he gave it a kiss. I was surprised he hadn't groped it yet but just then, he tossed my panties in the air and snagged them with his other hand before I could react.
"Meliodas!" I yell, wrapping my one calf around his stomach so I wouldn't fall as I captured his fist between my palms outstretched before us. I tried to pry them open, feeling the fabric there just enough to stroke my frustration. "Open up!" I tell him, paying no attention to our surroundings as Meliodas continued his pace forward, but jumping slightly so I jostled. He moved easily as if my weight was so inconsequential I could have been a scarf over his shoulder.
"Okay." He shakes his fist and I let go, expecting his fist to unfold but it blurs before uncurling and it's his empty palm before my face. "I opened it, as you asked." Wryly he chuckles and I slap his chest. My own laugh burst forth, happy but not giving up.
"Just give them back!" I plead, checking both his pockets at once as I let my leg go from his midsection to drape over his shoulder once more. We stop.
"Although I hate to cut our play short, my duties call." Meliodas quips, humor-laced in his every word. Slowly, I look up. We were in the Archangel compound. The four Archangels were in the room, no longer talking to one another. The fairies and the three other demons were already seated at the roundtable. All eyes were on us, or, me in particular.
"Oh," I say, flushing as I turned from them to look up at Meliodas. Slowly I removed my hands from his pants pockets and took to the air. It was the quickest way off him.
"What a refreshing change," Meliodas says, watching my flight up and descent to put my feet on the ground. "You groping me, in public no less." He says it just to embarrass me and it works, my face flushing but I look at all the shocked faced from the other clans and angry, scandalized faces of my own clan.
"If you'll excuse me," I say, bowing to those in the room and turning, walking past Meliodas. I noticed there wasn't a hint of his darkness, his eyes glowing such a warm green but I didn't think about it. Why hadn't I watched where we were going? I gripped my own elbows, holding myself together as I tap across the tile toward the exit.
I hadn't made it far, down the steps but still on the flowered path when a rough hand touches my elbow and I turn, dazed to find my warm-faced demon looking concerned at me.
"I-" He starts, brow furrowing. "I'm sorry if I-" He fumbles, looking so lost. "You're distressed." He stated, so much more comfortable with statements rather than apologies, apparently.
"I'm okay," I tell him, softening into a smile. He'd left his meeting. Not everyone had arrived yet, but still.
"You're walking." He tells me, and I frown, looking down at my feet. "You told me a goddess only walks when they are mourning. That they... forget to fly in their sadness." He explains, taking my hand. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, I just wanted our time to last as long as it could." He explains and I smile, nodding.
"I'm not upset," I tell him, meaning it now, as I wanted to be with him for every second I could spare too. "I just..." I look around, whispering as I lean towards him. "I still have a bit of fever." My face grows hot but it's happening so often I'm surprised I'm not a heat lamp at this point. The fever would explain my lack of self-awareness.
Concern tints his deep emerald eyes and I smile. "Am I really faster?" I ask, hopeful and he smiles back, slowly.
"Yeah." He says. "Do you always get something more when you..." He trails off and I'm grateful.
"My wings grew," I tell him, shy about this fact but for him, I unfurrowed them. "Last time... afterward I could manage two goddess ark-blades. Although, I'll never use that skill." I tell him. "Don't tell the Archangels, they'll just... Well, it doesn't matter anyway." I shake my head, touching my forehead as a dull ache blooms there.
"Go rest." He tells me but I reach out, touching his arm one last time.
"I hope my bed still smells like you," I whisper, relishing his softened expression as I turn, flying off toward the temple. When I laid down I laughed to myself, realizing that devious asshat had kept my panties, after all that.
My bed did indeed smell like him.
I'd woken mid-morning, with plenty of time to gather some food to bring Meliodas but I had things to do before then. Jelamet had already told me yesterday that if my fever continued she would meet the council on her own today. I was glad she wouldn't have too. Those old geezers could be dismissive and with my parentage, they never discounted me, no matter how outlandish my ideas.
In a bit of a rush I put together a cucumber, tomato sandwich and while I picked one of each in the garden, I gathered the best berries from the vines. Strawberries today. I bet his face will light up at those. I folded them up in wax paper, tucking them into a sack. Jelamet was in Lady Graelle's chambers and I apologized quickly for falling ill at such a bad time for us.
Her chambers opened to an office. There were two full bookshelves, an elaborate desk with her sitting behind it and two chairs opposite her. I'd been scolded many a time in that wooden backed chair, but on that same side of the coin, I'd been comforted on the red cushioned couch positioned to the right twice that much. On the left was the door to her bedroom.
"We're just glad you're well enough to be up and about." Lady Graelle says and Jelamet gives me a sad smile, nodding.
"Do you want me to do the talking, you didn't get to prepare much yesterday." Jelamet holds up the 'points of interest' paper she must have been reviewing. I smile and shrug, coming to stand before Lady Graelle's heavy wooden desk.
"I know you hate public speaking," I tell her and her shoulders sag in relief as she basically flings the papers away from herself and into my hands. Lady Graelle had her bag packed and after some last minute overviews of the most important points, the three of us head to the council chambers.
Usually, we would meet in the Archangels conference room but as it was already in use, we were going to the much smaller town hall. I read and reread what I had written a few weeks ago, hoping my fever didn't influence anything. "You'll step in, if I get... weird, right?" I ask, looking to my beautiful friend.
"Of course. We all know how the fevers affect you." She squeezes my forearm and I feel better. "After this, we'll see if you can do anything new." Lady Graelle and Jelamet knew my full capabilities but I knew from my long gone siblings that all of the supreme diety's children grew stronger and better with age and fever. Anyone with that knowledge would know.
We crossed the flower-lined road and I couldn't help but look in the compounds direction. I could feel Meliodas there. Like a beacon.
Goddesses were staring at me. I met some eyes, wondering why until I heard a whisper, from across the fly-way. 'Yes, a Demon!' The blonde cropped lady said to her stout friend as they pass. I looked and they were both looking back to me, wide-eyed. With purpose, I smiled, hoping they understood- I wasn't ashamed. Hate isn't erased that easily. This war had been going on for over a hundred years. A few weeks wouldn't change things but I had hope they will eventually.
The council building was white, a garden of flowers and pillars spanning the front. The entrance wasn't on the ground floor, it's positioned in the center of the windowed three-storied building, with doors already open. We met the five council members along with the priest from our temple- who isn't a council member but acted with all the same rights as one.
I gave my speech. How women should be able to choose a path without being coupled. That being tested for purity before being granted a life at the temple was barbaric. That all women should be free to choose any life they want, whether it be in battle, or on the council or to be a sister-in-waiting.
Lady Graelle gave her support, once I was finished addressing the group and I flushed at her praise of my character. "She's the Supreme Diety's daughter, so strong in her convictions that even still enduring her fever over the last few days, she's here fighting for her people."
The council had looked shocked and I flushed hot again. Did she have to mention my fever?
While they discussed, which was estimated to take some time, I went to deliver Meliodas his lunch. I was flying up the main path to the compound when I saw the lot of them start trickling from the doors. His whole face changed when he saw me and I stalled in my flying for an embarrassing second but I recovered, dropping down too soon and walking the rest of the distance. He met me halfway, leaving his conversation he was having with Gloxinia, whom I waved too.
"How'd the council meeting go?" He asked, and I smiled, hopeful.
When I gave him his lunch sack and when he pulled out a strawberry his face shines with glee. Just as I was explaining my speech and the wonderful things Lady Graelle had said about me, Locudiel walked over to the two of us.
"Lady Elizabeth." He acknowledged warmly "Lord Meliodas," he blankly said, dismissing him without a glance as he focused on me. "I've just been summoned to the Council. It seems I'm needed to sway the final members for a majority vote." His words send my heart racing in fear.
"Ludociel, please! I know you are frustrated with me, but this policy, it's bigger than us." I adjust my stance firmly as if I were about to fight. I was, but not physically. Meliodas though, adjusted his own stance, in tune with me to a... subconscious level? I barely gave him a startled look before addressing the Archangel again. "Regardless of how you feel about me, think of all the grown women who are stuck- who-"
"Stop." He commands and I glare up at him. "It seems you are under the impression I'm against this proposal. That is an incorrect assumption. Most of our views are in alignment." Ludociel looks me up, then down, a little too lingeringly and I frown. "Open your eyes, Elizabeth. Cut your ties with Meliodas, there are plenty more suitable, and better fitting partners for you. For example, anyone else."
A strange combination of shock and defiance coursed through me. My wings unfurrowed and I glared up at Ludociels narrow angular face with a new found anger towards this man that had never been there before. With itching palms I clenched my fists, ready to do something to knock that smirk off his face until... someone grabbed my behind.
Woah
I turn, dropping my wings and meet eyes with Meliodas. Any anger fizzled as I yelped and hopped away from his squeezing hands. Ludociel sighed wearily, looking at me as if I should see what he was talking about so clearly and thought I was an idiot for not getting it. He walked on, and I stared at his retreating back, a little concerned that he did support woman's expanding rights. He must have a reason for it.
Everything Ludociel did was for his own interest.
Meliodas is in front of me and I refocus, letting go of my worry as I look at him. He pops an entire strawberry, greens and all in his mouth. "He was trying to get a rise out of you," Meliodas explains, his messy hair looked more so today, his disarray a little charming. "Although, he is right. It would be a lot easier if you choose anyone else in your own clan."
"Yeah, probably." I admit, scoffing, "but I wouldn't be happy. The precious moments I have with you are worth the struggles."
"It would have been easier if you didn't flaunt us to everyone," Meliodas advised, a steady calm in his voice and when I stare at him, he's looking into his lunch sack, his chaotic hair covering his face. Unreadable, and it hurt.
I thought back to the first day he had come walking across our city, when I had flown at him while everyone watched, hugging him. Had he not wanted me to do that? The demons he had with him... maybe he had wanted to keep me a secret? I had exposed us and for a horrified moment, I thought of Jelamet with Davian- how he kept her on the side, and as a secret.
"Oh," I say, mortified as I cover my mouth. My eyes fill and I hate it, knowing the tears were going to flow. He had wanted an easy relationship. Touching in secret, but with me having declared us... "I, I must have misunderstood our relationship." I whisper, streams of tears dripping, flowers blooming where they fell.
With wide eyes, Meliodas took in my tears.
"I made the decision for us." I choke out, "I made it harder for you without thinking." My stance loosens, my shoulders sagging. "But if you wanted to keep me a secret, you should have said!" I hiss, glaring at his slightly panicked eyes. My palms itch again. After Ludociel hiked me up to this level of anger I fell into it easily, thinking of him wanting to keep me hidden away. "If you didn't want to fight for this, for us-"
"Elizabeth." Meliodas interrupts, "I think you misunderstood." He pops another whole strawberry in his mouth, smiling so infuriatingly. "But, more pressingly, your hands are glowing. They did that with Ludociel too. Really, I had no choice but to fondle you, a life or death situation gone with one sensational squeeze."
My hands? I look down and the white goddess energy was leaking from them. Oh! Oh no! I shook them and it faded, as I held them close to my chest. Was I a danger to people? Had Meliodas really stopped me from hurting Ludociel like that? My heart raced. The fever had increased my power, was I unstable? Last fever I had I stayed in bed for a few days longer with delirium, maybe that's why this was happening. This fever had been quick. I just needed to get a handle on myself, it would equal out with rest.
Warm hands guided me, as I stared, stuck in my own thoughts. Would I burst, like an ark if I got too emotional about something? I had been all over Meliodas, with a myriad of emotions and hadn't glowed then. Just anger triggered me? Or the call to fight, did that spark it? Could I control myself that much? I felt my body gently maneuvered to a sitting position, hard stone under me.
Had Meliodas and I's night together only been so intense because of my powers awakening? I thought it silly before, that we would be scientifically checking that but now I found myself actually concerned. Ludociel had tipped me into a new level of anger and Meliodas had caught the brunt of it when I didn't have an outlet.
"I'm sorry." I said, looking around to find myself on the steps of the compound.
"Up here." Meliodas said, sitting behind me, a step above with his legs wide and the last bite of his sandwich in his hand.
"I think I'm still a little out of it, power wise and... That's no excuse for my behavior or my anger with you." I grow hot. Fighting my natural reflex to look away. "I didn't realize you wanted to keep us a secret. The thought hadn't crossed my mind. If I've made your life harder, in any way, I'm truly sorry." I tell him, feeling my eyes well again. A breath passes and the drips are cascading down my cheeks, again. One day, I would be strong enough to not cry when I felt too much of any emotion.
"I'm sorry I said it like that. Ludociel affected me more than I let on." He admits and I flush as I watch him give a sad, easy smile, the last bite of sandwich pressed in between his lips. "I'll fight for us, Elizabeth. I swear it." He means it, but with his mouth full it warbles and I laugh.
"I'll fight by your side, Meliodas," I tell him, twisting to lean my back against the leg he had open behind me, my head resting on the inside of his knee. "No matter what stands in our way."
We share a long stare, he looks happy. Green eyes aglow and a satisfied smile on. Being like this, relaxed and forgiven, I didn't feel imbalanced at all.
In the distance, I hear a yell. I recognize the tone and sit up from my relaxed position against Meliodas. "Jelamet?" I asked out loud to myself. She came barreling around a building, flying full speed when she spotted me.
"We got the majority!" She yelled, and I took to the sky, meeting her midway to embrace her with a laugh. "It's like... anything you put your mind to, it happens!" She says, smelling like mint and squeezing me against her. My heart soared and we spun in the air, laughing.