Here it is, the 4th chapter! :D

It was fun to write and I hope you'll like it! ^^

Please, follow me on twitter if you like! I'll appreciate it ^^

( /RoryWild4)

And Bertaz too! (She draws Escalin sooooo well! She's an inspiration and a huge help every time!)

( /BertazHead)

CHAPTER 4: Bonds

After their very satisfying rumble between the sheets, they had rested for some time more, until they began hearing loud rumors from below, suddenly remembering that earlier the Captain had told them that this evening he wanted to celebrate with everyone at the Boar Hat.

A little reluctantly they both redressed themselves and went downstairs together, Escanor was escorting Merlin with an arm around her waist, his other hand holding hers in front of them, to help her descend the stairs. She was still tired from the last battle, and their actions in bed had tired her in another way.

Arriving at the last flight of stairs, before they could be seen by all the people in the bar, they stopped, she sighed deeply, putting one hand on the handrail, trying to stay up and walk under her own strength. He understood her need to not be seen as weak, so he changed his hold on her, taking her arm and locking it with his own, like this he could still support her in a more subtle way and his gesture could be mistaken as gentlemanly only. He was gifted by a warm grateful smile from her part, and then restarted walking down the stairs.

As soon as Meliodas and Ban spotted them they began whistling and clapping, mimicked by some of the presents, while the most part looked as confused as the couple stopping at the end of the stairs.

The Lion was only able to help her sit at the bar before being grabbed by the other two enthusiastic Sins, putting their arms around his shoulders.

"Well, well, well! Who knew you had that in you old man!"

"Hahaha! Well done Escanor!"

The Boar was looking at them suspiciously, until she was approached by Elizabeth, Diane and Elaine.

"So?!"

They were looking embarrassed but eagerly curious and were also giggling between them.

She just looked at them confused, lifting an elegant brow.

"What?"

The giant and the fairy giggled more, while her Big-Sis was sporting a knowing, teasing smile that had her suspicions only growing.

At that moment Meliodas and Ban came near them, dragging a very confused Lion.

"We could hear your screams even down here!"

Bursted out the Fox, making the others laugh and the new couple blush.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself Merlin!"

Teased the Captain, while King, Gowther and Hawk joined them.

In the meantime the two had let go of the embarrassed bartender, who went quickly over the bar to prepare something to drink for everyone, just to get away from his companions but staying near the woman he loved, giving her his support.

All the Sins, and even Mael, were circling the Mage, waiting for a reply from her.

"Well, if you heard that then you need to know no more."

She said matter of factly trying to recompose herself, and hiding her satisfied smile taking a sip of the drink that Escanor had quickly and subtly put down in front of her. That didn't go unnoticed from the Lion, who puffed up in pride and went preparing other drinks to hide his big happy smile.

The others erupted in laughter and in sincere congratulations for the new couple, finally!

The rest of the evening passed in merriment, everyone was at least a little buzzed, and all around one could hear laughters and happy voices.

Late at night, or more like early in the morning, people began to go back to their homes, or pass out somewhere in the bar, and at last there was quiet.

Merlin had excused herself earlier, saying her farewells to the room full of inebriated people, giving Escanor a sultry look before grabbing his shirt and kissing him hungrily in front of everyone. That move had all the people whistling, shouting encouragement, or blushing.

She stopped the kiss only to look at him with a lascivious and satisfied smile, seeing him looking at her with hungry eyes, his arms around her body pressing her to him. Forgetting about everyone else she snapped her fingers teleporting them to her room, resulting in another round of whistles, shouts and claps from the ones left in the bar.

As soon as they appeared in her room the Mage jumped on him, she wanted to feel his bare skin on hers and couldn't wait any longer, she wanted him, and wanted him now!

Her mouth devoured his lips with passion, being so impatient that she got the both of them naked with just a snap of her fingers, moaning at the sensation of their bare bodies pressed together.

Another snap and they found themselves on the bed, with her straddling him, her eyes a storm of passion, and she waited just long enough to cast a quick spell to soundproof the room, the others didn't need to hear more than they already had.

Since they had arrived in the room, Escanor had been completely taken over, and he wasn't disappointed, not at all! Her passion fueled his own, finding himself responding to her, kiss for kiss and touch for touch, letting her steer their movements to do as she pleased, he was enraptured by her fire and surprised by her wanting him this bad, but he wasn't complaining!

They spent a great part of the night making love to one another, experimenting a little, trying different positions and different places around her room to have each other.

At last they laid spent on the bed, hugging and caressing gently.

The morning sun found them still hugging one another, their limbs intertwined, and their expressions happy and satisfied.

But wakefulness also brought stormy thoughts and insecurities.

Merlin was watching him sleep, she was trying to memorize his every feature, caressing him gently. She hadn't wanted to wake up, she wanted to stop time in this moment to stay like this forever, with him, in his arms, and when she remembered that that wasn't possible, her second thought was to grab him and escape, far away from there, leaving behind everything and everyone, but she couldn't do that either... the things she had set in motion couldn't be stopped anymore and she had to see them through until the end, it was her responsibility.

She couldn't find a way to have him stay with her, they couldn't have their happy ending, and it was her fault.

The Mage closed her eyes trying to rein in her sorrow, but some tears were able to escape her eyelids, and were suddenly stopped by a finger on her cheek. She reopened her eyes and saw him looking at her with a sad smile.

"I hope these tears are not because of what we did yesterday and last night, or I would feel very awkward and disappointed."

He tried to joke, and was able to make her lips lift upwards a little.

"These tears are because we won't be able to have many more moments like yesterday and last night."

She explained, but he had known already, and continued to caress her cheek gently giving her a loving kiss on her brow, leaning his head on hers.

After some quiet in which they went on caressing and comforting each other, she broke the silence.

"Have you told the others?"

He looked at her, her gaze sad but stable.

"No. They have other things to think and worry about, and I don't want them to make a fuss over this."

She frowned at that, she didn't agree with him, it was a very important topic, he shouldn't disregard it, and himself, like that. Her face told him everything without her needing to voice it aloud.

"Please, it can wait. We have the Captain to worry about now, right?"

At his words her eyes shot open in surprise.

"You… you realized that too."

He just nodded at her affirmation and she sighed.

To be honest she suspected that everyone was aware that the power that Meliodas had now couldn't be permitted to stay in this world much longer, it would disrupt the balance that was already crumbling.

The Lion watched his lover lose herself in her serious thoughts for a while, deciding at one point that she had rummaged in her head quite enough.

Suddenly Merlin felt herself roll over, emitting a light squeal of surprise, and finding that she was laying on her back with a very awake Escanor looking at her from above.

"Enough of that for now, I didn't give you a 'good morning' yet."

His suggestive gaze was hungry and full of love, making her chuckle lightly, but he quickly silenced every sound she was making by devouring her lips with his own.

It was a very long and very pleasurable 'good morning'.

They regrouped with the others at the bar, they had arrived just a little while before Ban and Elaine, the last to join them that morning.

They had decided to go refurnishing the bar, going to Vaizel for their famous wine and to buy some utensils, and then stopped near some woods so that the men could go catch something to eat and the women sat themselves on the beautiful grassland to wait for them, and having some tea; it was rare to have these kind of quiet moments.

"Do you think our children will play together?"

Diane had steered the conversation towards the future, trying to picture what their children would be like and what they would do.

"Oh, I bet we won't wait long to see Merlin's children!"

Elizabeth said with a mischievous grin, looking at the Mage, who was suddenly the center of attention, making her a little uncomfortable.

"I don't know what you mean."

Her response was neutral, trying to stay out of that conversation. She didn't want to think about the future.

"Right…!"

The other women chuckled and went on, focusing on Elaine after that.

The Boar withdrew for a moment in her thoughts, the talks had brought her a sad and painful feeling, it was unlikely that Escanor will stay alive enough for them to even think about having children, and firstly she had never even thought about having some, but now, knowing that she would never have them with her Lion, she felt the loss so strongly that for a moment she couldn't breath.

She was taken back to the present by the sobbed words of Diane, she had been listening distractedly to the rest of them, so she needed only a second to understand the reason behind the changed atmosphere.

"Sis-Sis, I need to tell you something about Meliodas…"

"I already know."

Unknown to them the men had arrived at the same topic.

Everyone was painfully aware of what was to come in the very near future: Meliodas couldn't stay with them in this world, he had to leave soon.

In the afternoon the jovial atmosphere of the first part of the day was replaced by a solemn and weighty tenseness.

Everyone had retired in their rooms or had isolated themselves; Escanor and Merlin were leaning together on her couch, he was reading and reciting poems to her, trying to chase the tense and sad atmosphere that permeated the Boar Hat, away from them.

She was listening to him, imprinting in her memory the sound of his voice and the words of his poems, she didn't want to risk forgetting something about him. Her hand was caressing his chest, feeling his strong heart under it, and she knew it was beating for her.

They were trying to use this time in the best way possible, both of them having the foreboding sensation that it would be the last moment they could pass like this, so it couldn't lack a round or two of intense love making, this time it was slow and explorative, full of love and companionship, they both knew that they belong with each other, they could feel it, and they were expressing it with their bodies.

The succession of events after that, didn't leave the Sins with much time: they went to Edinburgh so the Captain could release Gelda, then there was the party at Liones' castle, where Barthra asked Elizabeth and Meliodas to take over the reigning title from him, and where they all discovered Elisabeth's determination and decision to follow her love in the Demon Realm. Merlin wasn't very surprised at that, she knew her Sis-Sis well, she had almost expected that.

After the news the Seven Deadly Sins had reunited together in the Boar Hat, chatting between them and giving their farewells to the Captain.

They were disbanded.

Now they were a long distance away from Liones, the Mage had opened a gate to the Demon Realm and it was the time for the final goodbyes.

Escanor was trying to rein in his tears, it was sad to say farewell but it was less painful knowing that their two friends would stay together. He turned towards Merlin and couldn't not notice, under her sad gaze, that she seemed quite tense and alert, as if waiting for something to happen right at the next moment.

As if on cue, suddenly a giant rock fell.

Right where Elizabeth was, walking towards the gate

The shock of everyone was palpable, as were the distraught feelings of Meliodas, who screamed the name of his beloved in hurting anger.

Yep, I rushed the parts that didn't have Escalin! U.U XD

I hope you liked it! ^^

I will wait for the anime to go on a little more before writing and updating the next chapter, so that it won't have too many spoilers! ;D So please be patient with me "^^