A/N.: Sorry for the very short chapter though... inspiration a little lacking these last days, you see?


The letter L is for... the word "Like".


Everything started at a normal morning at the Boar Hat. It was yet the time for the morning shift and customers had yet been invinted to the tavern, thus it was a calm morning. Diane was sleeping outside, King who wanted to watch over her (sleeping face) was send to buy groceries much to his disappointment, Ban was drunk since last night and wouldn't wake up for a while, Gowther was up but still reading books in his 'room' thus leaving only Meliodas, Elizabeth and Hawk awake and talking in the bar.

"Oi, Meliodas! It isn't even noon yet so why the heck are you drinking ale for?!" Yes, the morning would be indeed calm, if it weren't for the cries of the Scraps Captain of the Boar Hat, that is. The reason behind such an anger right at the morning? It would surely be because of the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins who already chugged down a bottle of Bernia ale and was ready to open another to pour in his mug. But the said person didn't seemed to be much fazed compared to Hawk's explosive reaction.

"Isn't it alright? One bottle or two wouldn't make much differences anyway." Meliodas shrugged as he poured all the content of the bottle into his (large-sized) mug and caused the pig to fume further while the princess behind them was panicking slightly on how she could calm them down.

"'One bottle or two' you said...? I'm amazed that you can say that after chugging down I don't even know how many barrels yesterday night!"

"Don't care about such small details."

"Just how small is it in your mind?! What would you do if there is nothing left to serve to the customers?!"

"Then I would have no choice but to serve them some pig dishes as apology." Meliodas answered without missing a beat but then Hawk started to blink in confusion, "Huh? Where are you going to hunt pigs for?"

Meliodas then raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously as if he just said the weirdest thing of the world. "What are you talking about, stupid swine. Why should I lost my time to look for a pig while you are already here in front of me, ready to be cooked in offering?" The way he said it was truly easygoing enough to be mistook for a joke but for some reason it has the opposite effect on Hawk as realization finally strucked his mind and he started to sweat waterfalls in panic, thus he had no choice but to turn to his only salvation as he dived towards her, "Waah~! Elizabeth! Don't let Meliodas cook me to a roasted pork!"

"It's alright, Hawky. I'm sure that Lord Meliodas is just joking!"

"Why are you taking it so well?! Don't you know how many times he threatened me like that?! I can't consider it as a joke anymore―!" And thus Hawk cried over the fact that 'because of Meliodas' influence, Elizabeth had abandoned me too!' while Elizabeth kneeled down to his level and patted his round head in comfort. Meliodas was just watching the two while continuing on drinking his ale nonchalantly as if nothing of what happened was his fault.

"But still Lord Meliodas, I would like to ask you to refrain from making such jokes. Hawky was really scared after all..."

'Elizabeth! My savior! She still hadn't abandoned me after all, what a good girl!' Hawk thought to himself as he was now crying from joy and pride for the princess.

"Mm?" When Elizabeth talked to him Meliodas finally gave his attention to her before gently rubbing the curve of her breast through the uniform's fabric, "Sure, if Elizabeth is asking for it, I would try do it if Hawk stop would stop to be annoying."

"I'm so glad! Isn't that great Hawky?" Elizabeth directed a gentle relieved smile towards Hawk and was totally unreactive towards Meliodas who was still molesting her.

This time, Hawk's tears of joy now turned into tears of blood and sadness. 'Elizabeth... since she was always being gropped by that pig bastard, she finally got used to all this sexual harrassment?!' It was all his fault, because he didn't protected her properly... this time he would use chain to bind Meliodas and not ordinary ropes, yes! Hm...? Wait a second...

"SO IN CLEAR YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO STOP AT ALL?!"

"Shut up swine, you'll disturb everyone with the noise you're making."

"OUCH...!"

"Ah, Hawky!" In the end, the empty bottle of Bernia ale that Meliodas finished earlier, was thrown into a beautiful arc in the air before landing right onto Hawk's forehead as if Meliodas threw a dart right into the middle of a target, thus ending the ruckus that the pig was causing by knocking him unconscious. ...Meliodas only realized the depts of his actions after Elizabeth was crying over this.


"Uuh... uuh... In the end, Elizabeth is the only one I can truly count on...!"

"HHawky, are you truly feeling better now? The bruise on your head is rather big you know?"

"Hm... Maybe I truly went a bit too far there, sorry Hawk."

"At least try to sound like you truly meant it!"

"In the exchange, I'll ask Ban to make more scraps for you tonight."

"Meliodas, I forgive you~!" ...This was the story of the least long that Hawk carried. After 10 years of being acquainted with each other, Meliodas became used to handle Hawk in the way he want right at the time he needs it. It was a good thing that the pig himself didn't noticed it after all this time... or rather unfortunate for him. Thus each of them returned to their occupations, Meliodas to his drinking while Hawk and Elizabeth were talking. It was then that the most surprising thing happened today―

"Say, say, Elizabeth. Do you like me?"

"―" Meliodas immediately paused into his action of bringing his mug to his mouth, but the action was so faint that the two others didn't noticed, though if Gowther or Ban was here, they would immediately and automatically point it out.

"Of course I like you, Hawky." When Elizabeth answered that with a smile, Meliodas' grip onto the handle of his mug unconsciously tighten before he realized the meaning and shook his head, of course Elizabeth liked Hawk, she fawned on the pig as a pet and friend. So there was nothing to panic about it. Hawk was just asking a random question without any meaning behind it while Elizabeth just answered him innocently, that's all.

"Hehehe! Indeed, who could not like someone as great as me~?"

'Don't get too arrogant just because of a compliment, damn swine.' Meliodas drank some of his ale to calm his mind down, getting angry again at that stupid pig for that would only degrade him too. Though his internal turmoil didn't stopped Hawk to continue his interrogation, "Then do you like Diane?"

"Of course I do, as a friend though." Elizabeth said to avoid any possible misunderstanding.

"Then what about Ban and King?"

"I respect Lord Ban and Lord King very much, I am also grateful for them that they took of their times to follow my request to help the kingdom from the Holy Knights."

"Then what about that shaddy Gowther?"

"Mm, I just met Lord Gowther yesterday so I don't know him as well than everyone else, but since he is a comrade of Lord Meliodas and everyone, I believe him to be a good person!"

"Elizabeth is too kind..." Thus they reached the end of the list, since Elizabeth answered each of his questions with an unchanged kind smile, Hawk couldn't help but sighs at that. It is a good thing that she is such a good girl devoid of any dark thoughts but wouldn't it be bad too if she is too trusting? Then it came to his mind that he forgot about someone else too, "Ah, that's right. Then what about Meliodas?"

"Eh―?" Elizabeth's expression changed which didn't went unnoticed by Meliodas as he stopped drinking but still hiding behind his mug, acting as if he didn't heard anything when Elizabeth glanced shyly and discreetly towards him (but not so discreetly since he managed to notice it). Hawk didn't seemed to have noticed the faint exchange between them as he continued on speaking, "After all that guy is perverted and keep on doing weird things to you and isn't the least serious at all―"

'Keep on like that you pork bastard, and I'll take back my apology to you along the dinner that I promised to you made by Ban.'

"―But despite all of that do you still like him?"

"..."

"..." Hawk's last sentence put an ultimatum onto the two, Elizabeth's face turned slightly rosy while Meliodas was waiting for her response with his mind going overdrive with anxiousness. It was possible that after all he done, Elizabeth may not like it and just keep it to herself, he wasn't sure of it himself but by groping her was the only thing he could do to feel that they had a kind of 'relationship' between them, besides it felt incredibly soft.

Elizabeth glanced sometimes at the ground before raising her head after taking a deep breath, "I―"

"You...?" Hawk repeated but so did Meliodas silently in his mind though.

Elizabeth put her hands onto her chest as if she was trying to calm down the speeding heartbeat under it, "I still don't understand why Lord Meliodas is doing all those things to me, and I don't know if he truly cares for me." Elizabeth remembered when Meliodas refused to grope Diane like he did with her as he said 'I can't do that to my important comrade.', did that meant that to him, she wasn't important. While on Meliodas' side, his eyes got wide, what did she meant by this? Isn't it obvious that he cares for her more than anything? Still Elizabeth continued as she pushed all her other thoughts away...

"But still, I am grateful for him to help me about the kingdom even though he got called a traitor by it. I am grateful for him to always protect me during dangerous times and listening out to my problems. No matter what sins he may have commited in the past just like Mister Cain said, I just can't hate him. I... just like him." She finished as if she was in trance state with a big flush on her face but feelings was overflowing into her words.

Only later on when she came to herself and blinked upon seeing Hawk and Meliodas staring at her silently and intently, her blush increased tenfolds in realization as she quickly waved her arms around in panic, "II meant that I respected Lord Meliodas as my savior! I am grateful for his help and his kindness to help me out, tthat's all, nothing more and nothing less!" She completely forgot that Meliodas was also listening to her, how embarrassing!

"Iis that so? Thanks goodness..." Hawk didn't knew what he would do if Elizabeth truly fell for Meliodas then wouldn't the latter use this opportunity to feel her up even more?! Hawk swore on his (non-existant) honor of Captain of Scraps Disposal that he would never let such a thing happen! He would protect Elizabeth's innocence from any perverts even if he would turn into roasted pork for that sake!

Hawk then send a smug smirk to Meliodas, "Isn't it too bad Meliodas? Don't get your hopes too up, 'kay?" But Meliodas didn't answered him, look like the teasing that he wanted to do in order to repay for all the suffering he went through, but much to his disappointment it didn't worked. Elizabeth then reprimanded Hawk in an embarrassed manner, she didn't wanted to look like that any longer in front of Meliodas.

But even though she didn't knew about it, Meliodas who still hide his face behind the mug had now slightly flushed cheeks while his eyes were still wide open, the fluttering warm feeling going through his hearts and making him wanting to jump around in joy didn't stopped (though he did restrain himself to do so to keep his dignity). Now all his worries had been cleared away just by her few words... She said that she liked him, she liked him! What else could bring such joy to his hearts?! He couldn't be any less happy than this, trying to keep his face from smiling was so hard!

'But still, "like", huh...?' He wasn't dense enough to not understand the meaning behind her words and expression even if she denied it herself. Yet the only fact that she admitted that she liked him was enough to keep him happy for quite a while. Though if one day, instead of the word 'like', he could hear the word 'love' from her mouth he would be even happier, but it would take a long time for this to happen... and he can't believe that he received Elizabeth indirect love confession thanks to Hawk of all people! ...Just for this once he would let go of all grudges and ask Ban to prepare some extra portion of scraps into the pig's plate.


Preview of the next chapter: A little comparaison between the Meliodas of 3,000 years and his relationship with Elizabeth to the current one!


A/N.: This chapter takes place before Elizabeth got kidnapped by Vivian to the Liones Kingdom thus before the big fight against Hendrickson thus right after Gowther joined the group.

[REVIEW CORNER]

fantasy.92's review at the previous chapter: "i love It ! It was so sweet!"

My answer to your review: I'm glad that you liked it! I hope that you will like the rest of the upcoming chapters too!