A/N: I don't know why but ideas for these stories just come to me at the most random times! I have like ten other prompts written up (some from the courtesy of a reviewer) that I have to turn into stories. But then I get more ideas and...You see the issue? I have a bunch of chapters for this story just sitting in my files. It's a damn good thing there's 2,997 more slots to fill or I'd run out of space!

In this story I took inspiration from a lot of coming of age movies and stuff. As a result this is just a collection of mucking about and having pure, adolescent fun. You know like riding shopping carts/trolleys down a steep hill in a park or playing knock down ginger?

After this though I have to focus more on prompts that are already on the waiting list. (Plus the chapters just sitting in my files). I have a habit of getting sidetracked...

So till next time,

D.L.D

Responses to Reviews:

CaramelPenguin - Thanks and I'll definitely use your suggestions! :)

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Guest - Thanks :)

Hanging Out

The unusual sound of humming and the occasional clattering filled the kitchen of the Liones household on a Saturday morning. The splatter of sizzling oil accompanied the humming and clattering, an aroma of strawberries, sugar and cooking pancake batter filling the air. Along with these unusual sounds and smells, was the sight of Elizabeth Liones at the stove. Silver hair was tied into a ponytail, a few tendrils escaping to frame her rounded face, as blue eyes focused intently on the frying batter.

It wasn't normal for Elizabeth to be awake so early, especially on a Saturday, but today she was. The teen was there in the kitchen, using the large range cooker, and cutely sticking her tongue out as she tried to flip the pancakes without breaking or wasting them. As a result loud clattering followed, Elizabeth's clumsy nature allowing her mishaps with oil and cooking to occur. Leading to pancakes being stuck to the ceiling and floor.

"You're up early for a Saturday," Margaret, one of Elizabeth's older sisters, raised a brow as she grabbed her usual coffee mug from the cupboard. Long indigo hair spilled from her head, warm chocolate eyes focusing cautiously on the sizzling frying pan. The sizzling frying pan that her naturally clumsy sister was operating.

"Meliodas and I made plans," Elizabeth answered simply, attention still focused on the pan as she shrugged. "It's what we do every summer."

"Oh yes, those great 'adventures' you always speak of," Margaret nodded, a teasing lilt to her voice as she started the coffeemaker.

As expected for the summer break, Elizabeth and Meliodas had come up with a way to spend to every day. It was an odd tradition of theirs, the pair often spending majority of their summer mucking and loitering about the city. There had been multiple occasions when Margaret had stumbled across the pair, the older sister noting how their 'adventures' gradually grew more and more adventurous. In fact there were times they'd disappear for a whole day. But for the first and last days of every summer, the duo always did the same thing.

They always had for as long as they'd known each other.

Veronica, the middle Liones sister, then entered the kitchen next. She still looked rather tired, her eyes bleary and hooded as she shuffled towards the cupboards and collected herself a mug. Unlike the other Liones sisters, Veronica was more spunky and feisty. That meant she could be extremely headstrong, causing grumpy mornings and frumpy period mood swings. As a result it wasn't surprising when she rolled her eyes at the sound of the doorbell.

Only one person would dare to ring it so early on a Saturday.

"Looks like your boyfriend's here," Veronica snickered, amusement filling her features as Elizabeth's face erupted into pink.

It was always entertaining to watch Elizabeth react to certain things, especially when it involves her being flustered or bashful. Well that and mentioning her 'oh-so-dear' Meliodas. The youngest Liones sister always doted upon her friend. Therefore the middle sister gave an amused smirk despite it being so early and before her daily cup of Joe.

"He's here already?" Elizabeth raised a brow as she turned off the stove, carefully packaging her pancakes. She moved extremely delicately with those, knowing that she needed them for later on in the day - even though she wasn't the best cook.

"Well you did get up early," Margaret answered with a simple smile, brown eyes filled with amusement as she poured herself some freshly made coffee. She then grabbed a pastry from the lidded plate, noting that they were left over from yesterday. "Plus you wait all year just for this six week period."

"True," Elizabeth nodded, packing away the breakfast she had so carefully crafted.

She then snuck in a quick finger-dip into the sugar bowl she'd left out, quickly eating the evidence before her sisters could scold her. Elizabeth was then out the front door, practically laughing as she predicted the face Meliodas would make this time from her cooking.

"On three ok?"

The pair sat in a car park, anxiously awaiting the torture they were about to put themselves through. Meliodas had a container of what looked like pancakes, while Elizabeth had what looked like eggs and toast. Both breakfast foods looked highly edible, the appearance alone making the thought of eating them enticing; but both teens knew otherwise. They knew that appearances often deceived with their cooking skills, both Meliodas and Elizabeth being legendary for their cooking skills.

They were the only ones to fail that cooking class...

Nervous blue met anxious green as the pair were reluctant and yet prepared to try yet another meal the other had made. A meal that would probably go to waste after a tiny first bite. None of them had ever made it past one bite. Such a waste considering the pair did this as a sort of 'challenge' almost every weekend. You'd think they'd at least get used to the taste - but neither had.

"Three."

Both took a bite at the same time, the reactions being anything but pleasant. Food was spat out immediately, neither wanting to actually stomach any of it. Elizabeth had paled slightly, blue eyes watering slightly as she coughed and set the rest aside; Meliodas didn't look much better as he chucked the pancakes away, brows slightly furrowed and nose scrunched.

To Elizabeth, Meliodas' eggs and toast had tasted extremely off, a weird burnt taste as well as way too much cinnamon somehow ending up as the main flavours. She also detected some sort of spice, Meliodas clearly taking inspiration from some sort of cookbook he probably found lying about. Elizabeth's pancakes on the other hand, were quite tough, a crunchy substance that was most likely eggshells being present. As a result Meliodas was now trying to make sure he hadn't actually swallowed an eggshell.

Both were terrible dishes and therefore inedible dishes. So, it wasn't surprising when Meliodas restarted the car, deciding to suggest moving on from the regrettable challenge. The very regrettable challenge.

"You wanna get something else to eat?"

"Yes, definitely," Elizabeth nodded, the taste of Meliodas' breakfast still lingering on her tongue.

After grabbing an actually passable breakfast, the pair decided to head to the first stop of the day. They now sat inside of the car, watching as the staff of a supermarket began to roundup and distribute shopping carts. They always did this early in the morning or late at night, the midday being too busy and pointless for the staff to even attempt to move the shopping carts. Therefore there were only two times when Elizabeth and Meliodas could 'borrow' one.

"Meliodas!"

Elizabeth reddens as the blonde gives a crafty grin, easily dashing towards the carts. He was always the one who was more reckless, always taking the risk for the thrill of it. Being the naturally more reserved one, Elizabeth was often dragged along, the blonde always finding a way to get her to join him. So it wasn't too surprising when Elizabeth found herself within the 'vehicle', Meliodas easily lugging her extra weight as they headed towards the local park.

The local park was a hot spot for the people of Britannia, all of them flocking there during the summer to catch some of the pleasant weather. The park boasted a large area, all sorts of interesting and entertaining facilities attracting the people and their money. Playgrounds; boats; fountains; and even some sort of abseiling and rock climbing-like activities were set up for this year, the park constantly changing as the mayor loved to splurge on the area.

Something Meliodas and Elizabeth exploited annually.

So as always the walk was pleasant, the pair knowing the path as well as the route to their own homes from how frequently they did this. In fact they knew all of the shortcuts, their abundance of conversation making time pass even quicker. Soon they were at the top of the steepest hill in the park, allowing them to see a pretty nice view of the surrounding area.

A blue sky stretched above them, puffy cotton clouds spread as the golden sun beamed down on the green plains of the earth. Groups of people were visible, their forms looking like tiny dots or vague shapes from the height. Houses, streets, trees and lanes were also exposed, the whole structure looking like a vast network of puzzle pieces. However the pair weren't enjoying the view.

Instead Elizabeth was protesting against going down the hill in the shopping cart, while Meliodas continued to try and persuade her.

"There's no way I'm actually doing this!" Elizabeth shook her head vigorously, blue eyes wide as she peered at the drop. Soft hands gripped the sides of the shopping cart, knuckles white from the tight hold. She turned to face her friend, expression pleading as he was the only thing stopping her from racing down the hill. "It's way too dangerous."

"That's what you said the last hundred times," Meliodas chuckled, shaking his head. The words come out light and breezy, teasing, as he pushes the cart forwards ever so slightly.

Elizabeth shrieked at this.

Every time they went to do this Elizabeth would say she wouldn't have a go. It was expected for her to say as much. She always listed out how dangerous it was and how they shouldn't even think of doing it because it was too risky. But despite all her warnings and stories, Elizabeth would always go down the hill. Whether it was because Meliodas 'accidentally' let go of the shopping cart, or that he had to go with her didn't matter. Elizabeth always went down the hill.

So as he always does, Meliodas made sure that the cart didn't begin to roll away, green eyes filled with amusement as Elizabeth squeaked.

"I'm not doing it alone this time," Elizabeth insisted, lips pressed as she went to lift herself out the cart. "With my luck, there's a high chance of something going wrong."

The blonde let out a sigh at that, shaking his head in a very mocking fashion as he only resolved to make her go down in one way or another.

In truth, Meliodas actually found her reluctance rather adorable, noting how Elizabeth would always break into a slight blush or protest by pleading profusely. However his stubborn will would not let Elizabeth skip out of this annual activity, the blonde having extra resolve today as they couldn't do this next year. As a result he easily got into the cart with her, only supplying a smile as her features seemed to blanch.

Elizabeth did say she didn't want to go alone after all.

"Problem solved."

"Wait! Meliodas!"

But Elizabeth's cries were too late, the shopping cart already heading down the steep hill due to a law called gravity. Elizabeth clutched onto the metal frame of the thing as tightly as humanly possible, while her friend only cheered with delight as they picked up speed. Air rushed past, causing hair to rush backwards as the wheels of the cart squeaked desperately, the staff clearly not oiling them, as it bounced and jostled slightly from the uneven path of the hill.

Sheer terror filled Elizabeth's body, the girl unsure of whether she would actually survive this. But like always Meliodas was there, encouraging her to let-loose and actually enjoy the adrenaline rush instead of crunch the numbers of how dangerous this was. So it wasn't surprising when he turned to her with a wide grin, a knowing look on his features as the cart came to a stop.

"So, how was it Liz?"

"Terrible," She answered, "But I'd probably end up doing it again."

Crystal water caught the golden light, droplets landing everywhere as the fountain spurted its reserve. Unlike most others in the park, this fountain was all flat. No intricate decorations, nor any of the usual stone or metal carvings were there to show the bravado or wealth of Britannia. In fact it was all just flat squares, circles carved into the metal squares in a mesmerizing pattern of ornate flowers and leaves.

However that wasn't why everyone flocked towards The Fountain of Youth when visiting Britannia's central park. Oh no, it was for the giant water displays that they did.

Only on select days could people see the water be turned on, those days often being during the summer. This was due to the fountain being one dedicated to keeping people cool during the more warm days of the year, the flat surface and circles serving the purpose of sending water upwards.

So since the weather had reached record heights today, the city council decided to turn on the large square titled 'The Fountain of Youth' for the public. As a result Elizabeth and Meliodas had headed there next, reducing the two to a sopping mess. The pair had made quick work of beating the other in a battle of water, both sides already prepped from years of experience and practice.

Another splash of water hits Elizabeth, this time soaking all of her shirt. It clings to her like a second skin, the outline of her bra as evident as ever as the darker colour stands out against her white shirt.

Just the perfect timing.

"Of course I chose white today..." Elizabeth inwardly facepalms as she can't help but overthink about her bra showing through. As always the innocent girl hadn't thought much of what she was putting on, the rule about black bras and white shirts evading her. As a result she was now pondering what to do, dismayed that she had let something like this slip through her mind. Especially with the ever so forward Meliodas around...

"Lace today..." A cheeky blonde appeared beside her, sneaking a hearty squeeze to her chest. "I approve."

He then placed a kiss onto her lips, laughing as her face grew crimson. Elizabeth tensed slightly, mind likely panicking as she could only react in what first came to her mind; the options of which were very limited.

"Meliodas!"

Elizabeth chased after the blonde, about ready to get him back for that. The shirt fiasco was forgotten and so the war continued, well into the afternoon and until both parties had no dry clothes left. Yes, they had none. Nothing was left unscathed, everything they wore, even down to the hair on their heads, had been doused in the sacred water of the fountain. The war had truly been brutal, albeit not full of hatred, as the pair knew they had time for their things to dry in the summer heat.

However that brought matters back to the shirt.

"It's gonna take ages to dry..." Elizabeth frowned slightly, pulling the wet fabric away from her chest area.

Normally she wouldn't mind having a wet shirt on such a hot day, knowing that it would dry, however the outline of her bra was unmistakable. In fact it was evident, many people giving her chest a stare and one person even covering their child's eyes. Ok, that one was pretty funny.

Nevertheless she felt slightly dismayed, knowing that this shirt problem had thrown a wrench in their plans.

"Good thing I have this then," Meliodas beamed as he produced one of the many t-shirts Elizabeth had left in his room.

He didn't know how but the girl somehow managed to always leave at least one of her shirts whenever she came over. As a result the blonde resulted to just keeping them instead of returning them, knowing that one day Elizabeth would eventually get it back. Plus it always proved useful on days like these where she managed to forget the t-shirt rule. It had to have happened too many times to count now...

"You know you need to stop leaving these if you don't want to get caught," The blonde joked.

The girl only flushed in response as she stripped off her wet shirt and put on the dry one. Meliodas knew her all too well.

Daytime was now ending, golden rays of light dissipating as its burning source sank below the horizon. Pure blues had now bled into darker purples, pinks and oranges, the late hours not at all reflecting the light sunset as people only just began to leave or set up for nighttime events. A group of students were already on the green, fairy lights, booze and tents all set up for what looked like a mini carnival between themselves; while a large family were packing up from what looked like a game of rounders. A few dog walkers were present, although they were always out whether rain or shine, and the food trucks were also still about.

But apart from that everyone was winding down for the night, most groups heading for the park's exits. It was only the few who wanted to extend the day, or watch the stunning sunset, who remained.

"Here's your order, Cap," A red-eyed man passed Meliodas two of his 'specials', grinning as he regarded the girl sitting not too far away. "Just as you two always get it."

This man, Ban, had known the blonde for a long time. Ban was only a year older than Meliodas, but despite that he still was rather indebted to the blonde. In fact it was Meliodas who got him back on track, the blonde inspiring him to pursue his gift in culinary arts and leading to Ban studying to be a world-class chef. As a result the man worked at this truck during his summers and spare time, trying to work up the experience and pay while studying.

"Thanks Ban," Meliodas nodded in appreciation, paying up and ready to actually eat something edible.

In all, the day had been the same as it was every year, nothing really standing out except that Elizabeth and himself had grown in age. But despite that it was all pretty normal, not a hint of gloominess or sadness shown despite this being the last year they'd ever be able to do this. However Meliodas hadn't really dwelled on that, rather thinking about the present instead of the future and its rickety details. He'd rather appreciate the time he had left than the time he could have.

That was the honest truth.

But as he plonked down beside her on the bench, the blonde couldn't help but notice how quite Elizabeth was. Or more so how her silence spoke for her thought.

"Thanks," Elizabeth gave Meliodas a warm smile, happily accepting the final task to complete their annual 'tradition'.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence once more, thoughts and words put aside for the sight and taste of the first edible thing they'd seen all day. The food they had for breakfast wasn't the most appetizing thing after all, plus Ban's cooking had some sort of magic in it. Everything Ban made tasted as if heaven itself had been added to the ingredient list. As a result the annual burritos from the truck came first, both teens having skipped lunch.

"So...what are we doing next year?"

The words leave quietly, blue eyes seeming thoughtful as she looked at him. Teeth played slightly with her bottom lip, uncertainty painted on Elizabeth's features as she regarded her friend.

Meliodas never liked when she did that: bite her lip. He found it extremely taunting and it was something Elizabeth did when she was either upset or distressed. Both of those things were what Meliodas didn't like. Distress and upset. It was always a combination bound for chaos and disaster, the blonde never liking the reactions people gave when they were in that sort of condition.

But the blonde also avoided those things because they indicated that he could no longer ignore the issue of what would happen next year. The year when the two would live way too far apart to even attempt to do this, but even so he'd try.

For Elizabeth Meliodas would always try.

"Next year?" The blonde raised a brow, his voice attempting to come out sheepish but sounding more dismayed. This only caused Elizabeth to frown a little more. "Isn't that kinda far away?"

"Yeah, but next year is college," Elizabeth gently reminded.

"Oh yeah..." Meliodas sank into thought, brain working slowly before he took a decisive bite. "Then I guess I'll go to you."

Elizabeth froze here, mind unbelieving of what she was hearing. In fact she couldn't believe it at all, the sincerity in his tone and expression a rare but very important thing with Meliodas. After all, he only ever did this when he was dedicated towards something; and if this stubborn pain in the ass was actually dedicated towards her of all people then Elizabeth counted herself rather lucky. No, she wasn't just lucky, she was undeserving of it. Someone who was worrisome, clumsy and sometimes even way too awkward, shouldn't have someone like Meliodas in their life. They shouldn't have someone who was as funny, caring and charming despite his sometimes imposing qualities.

Elizabeth would've never imagined that the same person who shoved her face first into a sandpit would actually be her best friend. Let alone that she'd willingly follow him anywhere as he would she. It was rather funny actually, considering that the two didn't get along much when they were younger.

Now they were as thick as thieves.

"What?" Meliodas blinked, concerned from Elizabeth's sudden zoning out.

"Nothing," Instead of reddening as usual, a soft smile escapes. "I love you Meliodas."

Before he could respond, a russet furred dog then snatched both teen's 'traditions' from them, a muffled bark escaping as he happily scampered off. Every year that dog did that. Hawk was his name and his owner was a sweet old lady many called Hawk's Mama. Hawk's Mama was the picture of a sweet old thing, always gifting the kids a slice of apple pie in return for her dog's antics. However that still didn't mean Meliodas was happy about Hawk stealing his burrito.

"And there goes the first decent meal of the day."

"Yep."

Elizabeth only giggled as Meliodas then went to chase Hawk about, prepared to get back his burrito through one way or another. She was definitely lucky to have him in her life.