"Are you sure they won't notice?"
A sigh, "Elizabeth, for the third time, we'll be fine," Meliodas says while the silver haired woman stares out of the tinted windows of the car. "You worry too much." Elizabeth scoffs as she turns her head to look at the blonde.
"Okay, well I'm sorry if I don't want to be caught by government officials!" Elizabeth snaps at him. She turns her attention back to the window with a conflicted sigh. She didn't mean to get angry at him like that. Her paranoia decided to strike, and it won't be leaving anytime soon. She hears him shift in his seat and he places a camera on her lap not too long after.
The silverette looks down on her lap and takes the camera into her hands. "I-I'm sorry," a quick sigh, "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I guess I'm just a bit... Well, paranoid."
She glances to Meliodas, and he flashes her a lopsided grin. "It's alright, Princess. Like I said before; I know I'm not easy." Elizabeth's lips slightly twitch into a sad smile as she goes back to looking out the window.
"Still; it doesn't give me an excuse to just yell at you over something so small," the silverette says with quiet words.
He softly chuckles next to her, "And I've forgiven you," his tone soft. "How about this, then?" She turns her head to look at him in his sweet and affectionate eyes. "The choice is yours, but if you want to make it up to me, you'll accompany me tomorrow to this... event."
To this, Elizabeth raises her eyebrow. "Event?" She asks.
The blonde once again gives her a smile - though, this one just seems cheekier and more mischievous than his previous grins. "Mm hm," he shortly hums, "Nothing too formal, but formal enough that it requires you to wear a dress. But of course, nothing that's over-the-top, you know?"
Elizabeth has a hunch she'd be forced to go to this event, but she does want to make it up to him. He doesn't deserve her getting angry at him over small things, and she wants to thank him for earlier this morning for not only the coffee, but for helping her through a panic attack. She didn't have those attacks often, but when she did have them, they're a nightmare to go through.
"Alright, I'll go," the silverette agrees and it causes Meliodas to smile widely at her. "But you have to promise me you won't grope me in public."
He softly chuckles, his green eyes narrowing at her. "I don't make promises I know I can't keep, Princess," Meliodas purrs and it causes Elizabeth's cheeks to be tainted with a bright pink hue.
With a roll of her eyes, she diverts her attention back to the window.
"So, uh, what exactly are we on the lookout for?" Elizabeth asks as she squints her eyes as if it would help her see better.
"A black Cadillac," his response is quick. "Y'know; rich people cars," he snarkily comments.
"I drive a Cadillac," Elizabeth replies, her voice monotone. Meliodas laughs once more.
"And you're the only person that drives a Cadillac that I don't resent," the blonde says.
The silver haired woman playfully scoffs with a quick roll of her eyes. "You're not one to talk either, Meliodas. You drive a convertible."
He laughs, though it's short, but it makes Elizabeth smile nonetheless. "Okay, say what you will; I'm a hypocrite. Everyone is in their own way."
Elizabeth giggles to herself. He isn't wrong. It's like the way Veronica and Margaret would "shield" the silverette from boys when the three of them were in school, but both of them would run off to their own boyfriends. Though, she can't really blame them. Elizabeth dated someone senior year of high school and ended up breaking up with them after a four-year commitment.
Does she regret going out with him? Yes and no; it's really complicated. For one, she did love him, and she would've kept loving him had she not found out he was lying to her for God knows how long. But most of the time she spent with him made her happy. Regardless though, it ended a long time ago and she doesn't have to deal with him anymore.
Elizabeth hasn't even forgiven him, and she's one of the most forgiving people on the planet - so that really says something. She doesn't even know why she wasted her time with him in the first place. For nearly half their relationship, all he ever did was lie and do shit behind her back.
After she broke all contact with him, Elizabeth had trust issues galore.
It wasn't long before her breakup when she met Arthur. Apparently, he'd recognized her the minute she set foot in his bar - since Elizabeth was the president's daughter and whatnot - and she'd thought the ginger was one those people that tried to get on her good side just because they wanted some of their own recognition.
But, of course, he proved her wrong. Eventually, after a long year, she finally started opening up to him, and Elizabeth couldn't tell you how happy he was. Arthur's a great friend, and anyone would be lucky to have him as a friend. He's kind, comforting, and really supportive. Elizabeth felt lucky when she met him when she did. He was there when she needed someone the most.
The silver haired woman doesn't realize that she's smiling at the thought of her ginger haired friend. Arthur's just so sweet; he's like a brother to her.
"There they are, Princess," Meliodas whispers, breaking the woman's train of thought. Her eyes find his, and his green hues seem so nice and comforting. Her smile only brightens before she turns her gaze to the Cadillac. She positions the camera the blonde gave her so she can get a clear shot.
Soon, two men she almost didn't recognize exit the vehicle. One had short white hair, cold turquoise eyes that could paralyze you in fear, and the other man had long dark brown hair with purple eyes.
"Hendrickson and Dreyfus," Elizabeth whispers as she watches their every move.
"You know these people too?" Meliodas asks.
She gives a shallow nod, knowing his eyes are on her. "They're normally carefree people. They're close friends with my father; they would babysit me a few times when I was younger when my father couldn't take care of me and my sisters," she softly explains.
The darker haired man moves to the back of the car to open the trunk of it, pulling out a briefcase before he closes it. The man proceeds to lean on the hood of the car while the other man holds a phone to his ear, likely trying to get a hold of someone. "I don't know why they would willingly do anything for Mael of all people," she quietly comments.
Meliodas hums next to her. "They don't seem happy just being there," the blonde comments, "blackmail maybe?" Elizabeth smiles with an exhale before she turns to look at the blonde, their orbs meeting not long after. He gives her a small raise of his brows. She narrows her blue eyes at him.
"Don't you think my father would've found out by now?"
He shrugs, "Sometimes we don't really see what's happening around us, Princess. Happens to everyone," his tone sedated. "It's like King and Diane. When you first stepped into the bar and talked to both of them, you knew they liked each other."
Elizabeth smiles at the thought of the two Sins. "They're like oblivious teenagers," the woman remarks. He nods in agreement, a small grin appearing on his lips as he softly laughs.
"You should see King when he's asleep," Meliodas says, and the silverette raises an eyebrow. "Sometimes when I would go to wake up him up, he'd be mumbling Diane's name with a smile." Elizabeth finds herself smiling even brighter than she already was. It's cute, Elizabeth thinks; King is really head over heels, huh? Certainly Diane feels the same. King is mostly all she talks about when she and Elizabeth are alone.
"That's cute," she simply comments. He chuckles and she once again goes back to looking outside her passenger's window. Now, Elizabeth sees another car pulling up next to the two men, and not long after, a woman with short bobbed hair exits the car. Elizabeth watches them closely as she prepares her camera for the perfect shot.
"What do you think they're doing?" Elizabeth asks, her cerulean eyes still following everything they do.
Meliodas gives a confused hum, "I dunno. With the angle we're at, we can't see what's in that briefcase. Probably either drugs or money," the blonde man concludes.
Elizabeth raises a brow, but keeps her gaze locked on the trio. "Drugs? Meliodas, wouldn't a briefcase be the last thing to put drugs in?"
Meliodas gingerly chuckles, "I don't know, do I look like the type of person to be trading and - or selling drugs?"
Elizabeth exhales a laugh, but doesn't respond. It's a been a few minutes of the three people conversing, but the two men finally open the case and take out a plastic bag or two with a weird substance in it. They hand it the woman, and Elizabeth seizes the opportunity to snap the picture. With a quiet shutter click, she pulls the camera away from her face to look at the picture. It seems clear, so she's feels somewhat satisfied with herself, considering the fact she's never taken a good picture in her life. Like ever.
No matter what her sisters would say to try to convince her otherwise, she knew she wasn't the best at taking pictures.
{-}
After being gone for nearly three and a half hours, Elizabeth, the leader of the Sins, Ban and King finally returned to the bar to a very distressed brunette sitting near the bar, a bottle of wine sitting on the counter of the bar.
The silverette didn't even get the chance to say a single word before she was tackled onto the couch. She let out a surprised sound as her eyes took in the sight of dark brown hair. Diane had her arms wrapped around Elizabeth's back, her face basically smushed between Elizabeth's bosom. Elizabeth felt herself blush at Diane's closeness. She wrapped her arms around Diane in a likewise manner, and rubbed small circles on her back.
When Elizabeth glances up from Diane, she instantaneously noticed Ban, King and Meliodas look at the two women with odd expressions. Elizabeth glared at them, causing King to stumble backwards onto a chair next to the newly cleaned tables, his bright and golden eyes wide with small hints of fear. Though, neither Ban nor Meliodas backed down.
With a soft exhale, the silver haired woman brought a hand up to Diane's hair and gave her small pats.
"Diane?" She tempts. "Are you okay?" She feels the brunette shake her head against her clothing. Soon enough, Diane lifts her head, tears welling up in her pretty amethyst eyes.
"I thought something bad happened to you guys! I tried calling King but he wouldn't pick up! It's been so much longer than it should've taken! Do you know how worried I was?!" Diane yelled, tears streaming down her face. Elizabeth pouted, soon wiping Diane's tears with her thumbs. It was like the silver haired woman was depending and acting out on her instincts, because before she even realizes it, she had leaned down to the brunette in her arms and planted a soft kiss to her forehead.
She heard Diane gasp, so Elizabeth pulled back only to see the brunette staring at her, her purple eyes wide as a slow blush consumes her cheeks. Elizabeth only gives her a mere smile. "It's okay," her tone reassuring, "we all came back, and we're all in one piece. We're okay Diane. Don't cry anymore, okay?" Her voice soft, and caring in her own ears.
Diane simply gives her a small nod before she lets go of Elizabeth and stands, extending a hand to the silverette. Elizabeth tenderly smiles as she takes the brunette's hand.
"I'm sorry for overreacting like that," Diane apologizes as she pulls Elizabeth into another hug. She rests her chin on Diane's shoulder and her eyes dart around the room until they land on a familiar green warmth. Meliodas smiles at her, his hands shoved into his pockets while he leans backward onto a table. Elizabeth feels her lips twitch into a smile as Diane pulls away.
"It's okay Diane," Elizabeth dismisses with a bright smile. The brunette removes her hands from Elizabeth as she apologizes once more. Elizabeth and Diane continue to hug for what feels like forever, and the second the silver haired woman raises her head from Diane's shoulder so she can examine the room, she notices the rest of the Sins left the bar.
An exhale leaves her as she pulls away from Diane. "Better?" Elizabeth asks with a grin, her blue eyes looking into the brunette's deep purple. Diane gives an enthusiastic nod.
Feeling a bit hot due to Meliodas's hoodie that she somehow forgot she was wearing, she proceeds to take it off. She folds it neatly and softly tucks it in between her hip and her arm. When Elizabeth looks back up to Diane, all she sees is a knowing smirk on her lips. Raising a brow at her, Elizabeth eyes her suspiciously.
Diane softly squeals as she pulls out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and turns on the camera function. "What's that, Ellie?" The brunette asks as she points to a purple-ish bruise on Elizabeth's neck through the camera of her phone. Elizabeth slowly brings a hand up to the mark, trying to remember how in the world that managed to get there. Did she accidentally hit herself and she didn't real-
No.
How in the fuck could she forget?! Meliodas gave her a hickey! And she didn't stop him! ...Why didn't she stop him?
She stares into the camera and the blush she has on her face is not subtle - at all. Diane giggles next to her and playfully punches Elizabeth's shoulder when she puts her phone back into her pocket. "You're avoiding the question, Elizabeth!" Diane says in a sing song-y tone. Her blush only gets worse at Diane's next words.
"Did Boss mark you? Ooh, I bet he did!"
At this point, Elizabeth can't even lie. She could try to defend herself, but she'd only just grow more flushed than she already is. And her skin already feels like it's burning, and not just because she was thinking of Meliodas. Elizabeth nervously chuckles, "D-Diane, please," she begs, but for what, she has no clue.
"I won't stop until you tell me!" Diane continues to tease the silver haired woman.
"Tell you what, Diane?" A voice says from behind the two women. They both turn around to see a cheeky looking Meliodas with a sly smirk on his face. Ban and King are behind him, too. Though their expressions don't really seem as cocky as the Boss of the Sins. Instead, they seem... surprised and shocked, almost. Had they seen the hickey Meliodas gave her as well?
She eternally groans knowing this hickey problem isn't something she can just cover up anymore. No use in trying to cover it anyway.
"I-I'm just gonna go... Yeah," Elizabeth stammers on her words before she heads to her room. Once she's inside, she soundlessly closes the door and presses her back to it. A sigh escapes her as she grips the hoodie in her hands. Why does it always get awkward when Meliodas confronts Diane about her teasing? Well, awkward for the silverette, at least.
It's like grade school all over again, isn't it? Elizabeth's first boyfriend, and her sisters went absolutely crazy. All they did was tease her, and of course, they meant no harm. Their younger sister finally grew mature enough to start dating. It was natural to act that way, right?
Elizabeth exhales a laugh as she pushes herself off her door and flops onto her bed, her back hitting the soft blankets. Meliodas's hoodie still stays folded neatly on her lap... Wait. Meliodas's hoodie? Why does she still have it? Why didn't Meliodas ask for it back? Why is she acting like a hormonal teenager? Jesus, Ellie, it's just a piece of clothing! Calm the hell down.
She sits up and inhales deeply. The scent she breathes in seems too familiar to her. That's when realization hits her in the back of the head. She smells like Meliodas. Already, she feels herself heat up once again, her cheeks no doubt a dark shade of pink. Why does Meliodas make her feel this way? Why... Why does she feel so love-struck?
Then, somebody softly knocks on her door, breaking Elizabeth's train of thought. The silver haired woman voices a meekly 'come in' and the door slowly opens to reveal a brunette, her purple eyes finding Elizabeth's aqua, and a small smile on her face. "Hey, I just want to apologize again," Diane says, walking further into the room after she closes the door behind her with a soft click. "Boss got really mad once you left."
Elizabeth looks at Diane with a look of confusion. "He got mad because I left?" She asks the brunette as she sits next to the silverette. She shakes her head, closing her amethyst eyes. Elizabeth still focuses her gaze on the woman.
"No, he got mad at me for teasing you," Diane corrects Elizabeth's misinterpretation.
"Oh. But why?"
Diane shrugs as she opens her eyes, soon finding Elizabeth's confused stare. "I don't really know. If I'm being honest, I wasn't really listening," she admits with a smile and a laugh. "All I really caught was something about him being the only one to tease you?" After processing the words Diane just spoke, Elizabeth flushes, imagining Meliodas smirking cockily at her. Shamed to admit it, but her flush only gets darker at the thought of the blonde, those piercing emerald hues, and that wild golden mess of unruly locks.
"Are you sick, Elizabeth?" Diane says, breaking Elizabeth's train of thought once more. Realizing that the brunette was staring at her flustered face, Elizabeth frantically shakes her head.
A nervous chuckle leaves her lips, "N-No, it's just a b-bit hot!" Elizabeth hears herself, and dear God she does not sound convincing in the slightest.
Diane cocks her head to the side with a knowing smile on her lips. "I didn't fall for that excuse the first time, I'm not gonna fall for it the second time," Diane teases once again. "I-" Diane starts, but stops herself, sadness filling her eyes. Elizabeth looks at her, concern filling her veins as she takes Diane's hands in hers.
"What?" The silverette whispers. She notices Diane's purple orbs dart around the silver haired woman's face like she's trying to find something.
Diane exhales a chuckle. "I-I don't know, Elizabeth. Just teasing you like this makes me think about King," the brunette admits.
She rubs her thumbs back and forth on Diane's hands. "King?"
Amethyst orbs close for a quick minute before she opens them once again. "Yeah," Diane whispers. "Ban would always tease him because King would be staring at me while he thought I wasn't looking. At first, I thought it was just all fun and games, but King got really frustrated with him. And it doesn't help that Ban's going out with King's sister."
To be honest, Elizabeth doesn't know what to say. She'd already gotten a taste of Ban's unwanted comments, and she couldn't blame King for getting upset with the guy. It's silent for a few minutes before Diane speaks again.
"I-I don't know, but when I think about King, my heart beats faster and I smile so widely my cheeks hurt. He makes me feel so safe when it's just the two of us. I like feeling his warmth radiate off him when we walk side by side - and I don't know what to do! I care about him so much it hurts, Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth smiles before she pulls Diane into a hug. She doesn't speak until Diane relaxes into the hug and returns the embrace.
"You love him," she quietly says. They pull away from one another, and she takes in the sight of Diane's bright smile. It makes her smile just as wide, too.
"I do, don't I? Oh, I do! But how do I tell him? Elizabeth, how do I tell him?!" Diane practically screams as she grips Elizabeth shoulders and gently shakes her. The silverette laughs and places her own hands on Diane's shoulders.
"Okay first, calm down," Elizabeth begins. "Second, you gotta wait for the right time. Like when the two of you are alone, and you just be upfront with it. I have a feeling he loves you just as much," she winks.
It feels like hours, if not days, Elizabeth and Diane talk about various topics. Mostly about previous boyfriends and shit like that, but Elizabeth was careful not to accidentally slip up and tell Diane something about her last relationship. It's not that the silverette doesn't trust the brunette; she does, wholeheartedly, but it just hurts to talk about something like that. It always ends in tears, no matter what.
She watches Diane pull out her phone from her pocket, and Diane's expression softens. "We're gonna open soon, Ellie," she tells her. Elizabeth only nods as she gets up, as does Diane, and walks over to her closet where she keeps her bar uniform. Before Diane leaves, she tells Elizabeth one last thing.
"Oh, and by the way, Elizabeth?" Elizabeth whips her head around to look at the brunette in the eyes. "You might wanna cover that hickey. Don't want the customers spreading weird rumors about us," she finishes with a smile. The silver haired woman forces herself to smile and nods. Diane leaves, and Elizabeth gets dressed.
She smooths out any wrinkles that may be present in her short skirt before she moves to her bathroom. Opening one of the cabinets, she took notice of a box she hadn't seen before. She takes it out and opens it, only to reveal newly bought makeup. Elizabeth takes out a stick of concealer and lightly grips it as she starts applying layers of it to her skin where Meliodas have her that cursed mark.
Did Diane buy her makeup?
Diane would be the only person that would do this. Elizabeth doubts the guys would go as far as buying her makeup, especially Ban. She supposes it doesn't matter, though. As long as she can cover this mark, she should be fine.
Leaving her room entirely once she's done, she makes her way back into the bar. Elizabeth only sees King and Ban sitting at the bar, glaring at each other. Elizabeth's lips press into a thin line as she tries to back away, but Ban yells for her.
"Ah, Princess!" The spiky haired male says very loudly, a hint of anger lacing his voice. Elizabeth sighs, both mentally and physically before she forces herself to smile and approach the two men. "King here, says that I'm not worthy of Elaine's love! Isn't that just ridiculous?!"
Her eyes dart from the auburn haired man to the white haired man, Ban's crimson gaze focused on Elizabeth. "I-I, um-"
"That's because you aren't worthy of it," King interrupts the silverette, his voice carrying a clear tone of anger and hatred. "The fact that she even gave you the chance is fucking disgusting!" Ban scoffs at King. King's golden eyes glance at Elizabeth for a second, but she saw that quick look that says I'm sorry you have to listen to this.
"Are you sure you aren't just jealous that your own sister doesn't love you as much as she loves me?" Ban retorts triumphantly. King gasps, his mouth in an 'o' shape, and it's clear that he's offended.
"That's a low blow, even for you, Ban! And why in the fuck would I be jealous because of you? You treat everyone you've ever talked to like the scum of the fucking Earth!"
They continue to argue until Elizabeth feels like her ears are bound to fall off and bleed. Without even realizing her body is moving on its own accord, she places her hands on one of King's shoulders, and the same to Ban. They stop arguing, and they both turn to the silverette, their faces shocked. She only smiles at the two men, mostly thankful they finally stopped shouting at one another.
"I may not know Elaine," she begins, "but from what King has told me, I think anyone is capable of having her love and affection." Her voice is soft and sweet, as if she's anyone and everyone's voice of reason. "I don't think it should matter how bad one person's past is - if that's the case in this situation - as long as they're happy, isn't that what matters most?"
It's silent, but the looks King and Ban have are kind of priceless. But it won't stop Elizabeth from keeping them from fighting. How would Elaine react is she heard them like this?
"King," Elizabeth addresses him, and his golden hues stare into Elizabeth's ceruleans. "Elaine is an adult, and she's capable of whether or not she wants to give consent to whoever she is or may date. Remember the conversation we had a few days ago? It's okay to be a bit protective, but again, don't go overboard with it. And Ban," she turns to the white haired man, his scarlet orbs finding Elizabeth's. "I don't know why King doesn't trust you with his sister, whether it be something that happened in the past between you two, but do try to make yourself seem worthy at least. I'm not saying you're not; I just think maybe you could do something that would make him see that you're more than capable," she ends with a sweet smile.
She quickly rubs her thumbs on their shoulders before she withdraws her hands and presses them to her sides. Both King and Ban's eyes are wide, and it only causes Elizabeth to smile widely.
Suddenly, King stands up and pulls the silver haired woman into a warm embrace. She nearly chokes on the air she breathes, but luckily she doesn't. Elizabeth was hesitant to hug him back, but she wraps her arms around King's shoulders. Not long after, she feels another pair of arms wrap around both Elizabeth and King, and she can only guess it's the white haired male.
"I don't know about Ban," King chuckles, "but I'm sorry."
Elizabeth slightly pouts, rubbing her thumb back and forth on his shoulder. "You don't need to apologize," her voice comes out soft. She hears Ban click his tongue in her ear.
"Of course we do," Ban retorts, "we were acting like children over something small. And I guess," a quick sigh, "he's right. I do treat most people like shit."
They break apart from one another, and Elizabeth turns around to see Ban shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. "But... Elaine's really changing me. I love how she's always so nice to everyone. It warms my heart knowing that she loves me just as much as I love her."
It warms Elizabeth's heart just listening to Ban talk like this. "That's great," Elizabeth says, a small smile finding her lips as she looks at the white haired man. It kind of surprises the silverette when Ban smiles back, and it's actually genuine. Most of the smiles he would flash her would be teasing, but this one seems happy.
"What happened?" A voice says, and when Elizabeth turns to identify the person, she sees Diane standing in the threshold that separates the bar from the Sins' bedrooms. The brunette's amethyst eyes are filled with nothing but worry.
King walks over to Diane and takes her hands in his, leading her to a stool on the bar and helps her sit. "It was nothing, Di," King says, but Diane's eyes are still filled with concern.
"Did you and Ban fight again?"
His golden eyes bore into her bright purple, and he lets a sigh escape him. He nods. "Yeah, but it's okay. Elizabeth talked us through it. We'll work something out," he says with a smile. It seemed to be contagious because Diane and Elizabeth smiled just looking at him. The silverette turned her gaze to Ban for a quick moment, only to see that he's also smiling.
It reminds her of when her sisters would fight sometimes. They would argue over the dumbest things - as siblings do. Once, Margaret got angry at Veronica for taking and wearing her clothes without her permission. Though, being the youngest in the family, Elizabeth wouldn't really understand. However, there were a few times when Veronica would take some of Elizabeth's shoes or dresses, and surely enough, that pissed her off to no end.
It was always back and forth between the three. Everything from taking each other's clothes or shoes, to taking each other's shampoos or body washes. Ridiculous, she knows, but siblings are siblings. And regardless, she always got what she wanted in the end whether it be a specific food, or a day where she wanted to miss school for no reason.
She was always treated like a princess.
The Sins seem like a decently sized family that they happily welcomed her into, and honestly? She feels happy here. Loved, even. Elizabeth doesn't even know what she did to deserve people like this.
"Elizabeth?" Someone says. The silver haired woman blinks a few times before her eyes find Diane. "You've been staring at the wall for a few solid minutes. Are you sure you're not sick or anything?" Diane asks.
Elizabeth smiles, "No, I'm not sick, I was just thinking is all."
Diane smiles at her, standing up from the stool. She tries to walk over to Elizabeth, but the second she takes a step, the door that leads into the bar opens, and Elizabeth hears the faint and soft clicking of heels. Raising an eyebrow at Diane's shocked expression, she hears a voice.
"What's Big Sis-Sis doing here?" Elizabeth swears she stops breathing.
Big Sis-Sis?
Nobody's ever called her that but one person, but that was way back when she was still in high school. There's no way this is the person she's thinking about, is it? Elizabeth turns her head, only to see a smile she knows all too well, that head of dark hair that hasn't seemed to have grown at all in the past seven years, and those gorgeous golden eyes that she could never get tired of looking into.
Her voice is a soft whisper.
"Merlin?"