A/N: Entry number 11! Yay... TwT. This is only the eleventh entry. My poor fingers are already feeling tired. Why did I have to make 3,000 the number? Oh yeah, cause that's a significant number for Melizabeth. (Please ignore my ranting)

Anyway, this addition is titled 'Piña Coladas' and is more or less based on the song Escape (If you like Piña coladas). I had it stuck in my head and so a new story was born. But yeah that's it for the summary of this one except that it's a postponed Valentines thing so...

Anyway I'll let you guys read now.

Till next time,

D.L.D


Piña Coladas

Elizabeth sighed as she spooned yet another scoop of cookie dough ice-cream into her mouth. All day she'd been wearing a slight frown, drowning her negative emotions within the jumbo tub of frozen dough and dairy. In fact she hadn't even bothered to change out of her pajamas, instead lounging about in the living room of her shared apartment as she spooned ice-cream and flicked through useless TV channels. Much to her roommate's chagrin.

"Oh come on, Elizabeth!" Diane, her roommate, sighed as she looked at her gloomy friend. Not even Elizabeth's hair was normal, the usually shiny silver tresses seeming limp and dull. "It's not that bad! You can still try and - "

"Nope, I'm not going out today," Elizabeth remained firm, munching yet more ice-cream. "You and King can go without me. I'll just be a third wheel anyway."

Diane had been trying to get Elizabeth to leave the apartment, saying that she had to go out today. In fact the brunette had tried everything to get Elizabeth to leave. Blackmail, bribery, even offers to having a girls' night; but nothing worked. Elizabeth refused to leave the apartment and actually wanted to drown in her hole of self-pity. Well it was more sudden depression than self-pity, but Diane felt it was a mixture of the two. It had to be.

No-one pulls this crap for two years in a row after all.

The reason for Elizabeth's sourly depressed mood was that it was Valentines day. Yep, Valentines. Like most singles on this day, Elizabeth wanted to drown her lonely singleness in discounted chocolates and other crappy Valentines clearance stuff. The young woman had made a plan to stay in her apartment all day and watch trashy rom coms and things like Titanic, allowing herself to feel terrible while also not ruining Diane's day. But that seemed to be failing, Diane having none of Elizabeth's bad mood.

"Well you have to do something," The brunette plonked down beside her roommate, a teasing look on her face. "Stuffing your face with acne-inducing food isn't going to help your already low self-esteem~"

"Hey!" Elizabeth flushed red, pouting as she took another spoonful of frozen heaven. Her voice came out small and muffled. "It's all that helps right now..."

Diane laughed at her friend's tiny whisper, the light laughter ringing around the room until her eyes landed on the daily paper. Both women had forgotten that the mailman had posted it through the slot, providing them with the daily news. Usually one of them would've read through it by now, often looking for stupid stories or really urgent/tragic events. One famous example was the disappearance of Ana Everton, a woman who went missing walking home with her dog. It happened right by their apartment complex too, leading to King often accompanying Diane and Elizabeth everywhere.

However Diane hadn't focused on the newspaper for the local media trash. No, she had focused on it because she had an idea - an idea that would drag Elizabeth out of her depressed state. Grabbing the newspaper from the coffee table, Diane then flipped towards the personal ad section. There were a bunch for horoscopes and stuff, along with a few small business ads and prostitutes placing sneaky self-advertisements. But what caught Diane's eye was the special Valentines' day addition. It was a small column where you could do 'Rush Hour Crush' admissions. Apparently it was a permanent addition that would start from today.

So with a cheeky idea blooming in her mind, Diane began to read.

"To the lady with the bewitching golden eyes," Diane smirked as Elizabeth raised a brow. "I loved the talk we had on the metro. The way you were so passionate about the advancement of science was enchanting, not to mention your offer to help me. If you want we can meet for a coffee, I believe you like lattes and already have my number ;). The man with the lion tattoo."

"Now that is confident~" Diane fanned herself slightly, her imagination spiraling. Recovered, the brunette then turned to her sullen roommate. "What do you think, Elizabeth? A pretty good entry right?"

Elizabeth was still rather stunned, surprised but still skeptical by Diane's sudden tactic change. In fact the young woman was still puzzling over what her friend was planning from reading out these weird newspaper ads.

"Well...I guess it was romantic in a way," Elizabeth shrugged, silver hair spilling over her shoulder. "But what has this -"

"Wait! I have to read the next one," Diane interrupted mid-sentence, her grin growing as she focused on the next admission. "To the man with a devil of a stare, you were so silent and stoic this morning. Usually I would sneak glances at you from across the train, knowing that something could be possible and yet still impossible. I think I know how Eve felt with the apple. I know that it's forbidden but perhaps we could meet for a 'bite' to eat? I'll be waiting at a restaurant called Dark Delights tonight. The blonde with the dark hair ribbon."

Now any dummy could now figure out what Diane was doing. In fact Elizabeth caught it as soon as the brunette slid a glance towards her, purple eyes glimmering with mischief and wiggling brows. From the glances alone, Elizabeth knew that Diane was hinting at her going as one of these 'Rush Hour Crushes'. In fact the silver-haired woman would bet all her jumbo tub of cookie dough ice-cream on that one plot. After all, Diane's been trying to end Elizabeth's singleness for months now.

"Diane - " Elizabeth began to protest, but the brunette continued.

"To the woman with a damn good kiss," Purple eyes once again shifted towards Elizabeth, sly grin still in place. "I never got the chance to catch your name after you ran away. Did I do something wrong? You're like a song now: stuck in my head. So why don't you meet me again? I promise I won't make the same mistake. The bodybuilder."

"Now these keep getting better and better!" Diane beamed, once again turning to her roommate. "Did you choose who you're gonna go as or do I have to read more?"

"Diane, please stop," Elizabeth sighed, scooping more ice-cream as she shook her head. Teeth instinctively gnawed at her bottom lip, brows creasing. "You know I don't like these sorts of things..."

The silver-haired woman bit further into her lip as she looked at her roommate, pleading for the readings to stop. All they did was highlight how people were hoping to have a happy Valentines, their 'Rush Hour Crush' hopefully seeing the message and arriving. But even so, that hope was built on ignoring if the bad things don't happen. Stuff like being stood up, dumped or entering a relationship that wastes years and years.

Oh, Elizabeth can relate to the last one.

"Fine, here's one last read aloud," Diane rolled her eyes as her roommate looked more and more agitated. However the eye roll softened, a small smile forming. "To the man who I shared my first indirect kiss with, you were so kind and caring when I lost my umbrella. Thanks for giving me yours, although I feel bad for making you walk in the rain. How about I apologise over some coffee or even just meeting up? I believe you may have 'stolen' my number. The woman with the silver hair and a name beginning with E."

"Is this you Elizabeth?!" Diane's eyes widened, gaze repeatedly reading over the last line. "Did you share an indirect kiss without telling me?!"

"What?! No!" Elizabeth frowned at this, not at all amused by Diane's meddling.

There was no way Elizabeth herself wrote that entry, especially because she hadn't met anyone recently. Well Elizabeth had, and with the umbrella situation, but she didn't actually write that! Someone else had to...Elaine! It had to be her. That was the only person Elizabeth had told about the strange encounter with the umbrella man, the petite blonde having called her while she was on the bus. Elaine had to have told someone, because that situation was too close to be true. Too close to not be Elizabeth.

"Well, I didn't write it," Diane frowned, still studying the entry. "I didn't even know about this supposed 'indirect kiss'."

"I know you didn't do it Diane," Elizabeth sighed, a finger twirling a strand of her long hair. "I did meet someone in that way though...Only I didn't write that."

Diane grimaced at this, knowing that it would probably be tricky from here on out.

"Well, now you have to prepare for a phone call," The brunette spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, her expressions and actions similar to that of a teacher. "They more or less hinted towards a call."

"But he doesn't have my number," Elizabeth spoke quickly, knowing that for a fact. She had been so crushed when she discovered that, mentally cursing and scolding herself for not having given the man anyway to contact her. "He...doesn't have my number..."

Realisation dawned at that point and the silver-haired woman gave a smile. That meant the entry wasn't about her situation! That meant Elaine hadn't done this behind Elizabeth's back! That meant she didn't have to leave the apartment to meet this umbrella guy! Yes!

"I'm not going as anyone Diane because that isn't me," Elizabeth gave a triumphant grin. "That's a completely different person with silver hair and an E name."

"Oh no, you're going somewhere!" Diane grinned, producing a paper and pen. Now that she knew about Elizabeth's indirect kiss, Diane had to make sure that her situation with the umbrella man went further. After all not just anyone shares indirect kiss with someone - usually that means you're soulmates. "You're gonna write your own entry to this supposed umbrella man."

"Diane - "

"Nope, it's final," The brunette rose from her spot on the couch, passing Elizabeth the pen and paper. "Get it done by the time I get back or feel my eternal disappointment!"

Elizabeth let out a long, deep sigh at that, watching as her roommate left the apartment. There goes all her lonely Valentines day plans.


Meliodas sighed as he got in from a long day at work. Since it was Valentines weekend a bunch of people had flocked out, causing the blonde to work a lot more than usual. Not that working was a problem for Meliodas, in fact he was someone you could depend on to get things done. The problem was that working within the hospitality industry often meant working overtime sometimes, meaning the blonde often had no time to think about himself or his own life.

Instead he focused solely on his business.

"Woof!"

A medium sized dog appeared, easily nuzzling himself against the legs of his owner. Reddish-brown fur coated his body, except for a white clover mark on his hind leg, dark brown eyes seeming to stare right into green as the animal waited patiently for his daily pet as his owner came home.

"Hey Hawk," Meliodas easily gave the animal a pat, his rough hands knowing the spots the pup liked most. The blonde then raised a brow, confused as the dog brought something to him. "What's that you got there?"

The dog looked back at Meliodas innocently, seeming to bat his eyes as he rolled the newspaper towards the blonde. As standard Hawk had collected it from the mailman, rather enjoying snapping at the weird man's hands. In fact all the dogs in the area nipped at the mailman. He always smelt of sausages and bacon - no dog could ever resist such an alluring smell. Plus the taste could still linger if the smell was present.

As a result the paper was rarely intact by the time Hawk gave it to Meliodas, the dog beginning to chew it from thinking about the mailman's sausage fingers. So Meliodas often grabbed a paper on his way to work, the train ride being something long and that provided them for free. All forms of media like to be available after all, plus Meliodas often liked to know about what happened outside of his small, bland world.

However today the newspaper was intact and Hawk had somehow opened it on the personal ad page. The part where sex workers, fake fortune tellers and dodgy business people placed ads. But for the dog to open the page to that, knowing that Meliodas was currently single and alone one Valentines was just betrayal.

It was downright cheeky.

"Very funny, Hawk," Meliodas chuckled slightly, picking up the newspaper. He was about to just close it when a word caught his eye, the letters seeming as familiar as an old song.

"To umbrella guy, if you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain then I'm the person you've searched for. I kept the umbrella you gave me, and still feel bad about letting you walk alone in the rain. Even though you probably won't see this, thanks. Elizabeth."

Elizabeth.

That woman was something that Meliodas remembered particularly well, especially since their meeting was purely by coincidence. Sheer luck really. Hawk had dragged him out for a stupid walk just as it began to downpour heavily, and Meliodas being the kind person he was decided to just fuck it and go. He'd brought his umbrella with him, honestly thinking that Hawk would do as usual and finish up quickly. That dog didn't like the rain much. He was pretty high chested for a canine.

Yet Hawk decided to be all wacko that day, just as he was today, and ended up taking Meliodas towards the other end of the park. This led to him spotting her underneath a bus stop, her shivering form barely covered by her thin blazer. So being the Casanova he was, Meliodas used the charms of his dog to try and talk to her. Hawk easily led the way to the lady underneath the bus shelter, something about her seeming to interest him. So the meeting was inevitable.

.^. ^.^ .^ .

"Eek!"

The woman backed away slightly, silver hair framing her flushed face. A pair of deep blue eyes matched her plump pink lips, her face rounded with innocence and grace. She looked out of place underneath the bus stop, her thin tights and pencil skirt clearly not providing protection from the rain. It was a wonder that she had managed to stay dry for this long, the rain being particularly heavy that day. Torrential even.

"Don't worry he doesn't bite," Meliodas shot the female a grin, friendly and warm. He had decided that the woman was quite pretty, no she was beautiful. She had features that were quite pleasing to the eye, her softened look something that many city people lacked these days. Plus there was something about the way she just innocently stood there as if waiting for the rain to stop. It captured his attention, his intrigue, and not many people did that these days.

"That's a relief," The woman seemed to brighten at that, her own gentle smile spreading as she regarded the friendly dog-walker. She then sighed, crouching slightly as she pet Hawk. "I thought things would go from terrible to even worse."

"Bad luck?" The blonde raised a brow, knowing all too well what that was like.

The woman gave a nod, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Yes, sadly I lost my umbrella," She gave another sigh, long silver hair blowing slightly in the breeze as she clutched her blazer closer. "And didn't bring an actual jacket..."

"Take mine."

He said that without hesitating, already ready to give up his protection from the cold rain of the city for this woman he had just met. In fact he was ready to get himself drenched to the bone for this woman, easily seeing something as an umbrella as small and minuscule compared to her getting home safe and dry. Meliodas rarely got sick from trivial things like walking home in the rain and returning with sopping wet socks and clothes anyway. This woman on the other hand looked like the complete opposite. As a result he saw it more fit for her to take it.

"Oh no I simply couldn't - " The woman shook her head, silver hair moving along with it in a mesmerizing pattern. Blue eyes were slightly widened as she held both hands up, her blazer hung around her shoulders.

"No it's fine," Meliodas insisted, already holding the thing out to her. He easily removed it from covering himself, wild blonde hair catching droplets of rain in the process. He gave her a simple grin, green eyes warm. "You probably live further away than I do."

Despite his kindness and manners, the woman was still hearing none of it. She shook her head, protesting even more as she refused to take the umbrella.

"But you're walking!" Her voice sounded outraged, the tone light but also insistent.

"And so were you," Meliodas answers back smoothly, still offering the woman his umbrella.

She then began to chew her lip at that, still hesitant towards taking the umbrella. Blue eyes nervously glanced between Hawk and the umbrella, the owner still not wanting to take the umbrella from the insisting blonde.

"Ok, I'll take it," The woman smiled softly, deciding to relent. "But I'll have to give it back to you."

A nod of agreement was given and the umbrella was then passed between the pair, their little fingers only grazing. However in that small moment, time seemed to freeze, something unspoken passing between the pair as they only looked into the other's eyes. Green met blue like land meets the sea, the owners seeming to feel a connection towards the other. A pull. It was something. Just something. Something like having known this pair of eyes for longer than your own lifetime. Something like staring at something you've always known. Something you've always wanted to know.

But of course the moment was soon broken by the sound of the bus pulling up.

"I should get going..." The woman smiled sadly, tucking her hair behind her ears. A light blush was scattered over her cheeks. "Thank you - for the umbrella I mean."

"No problem..?" It was then Meliodas noticed that he hadn't caught a name. Not at all and by now he would've gotten one. People usually shared names after first meeting and Meliodas considered himself pretty charismatic, however names had never been exchanged.

"Elizabeth," The woman grinned, seeming to read his mind as she giggled.

.^. ^.^ .^ .

Yes ever since then Elizabeth's been something that niggled in the back of his mind. She's been someone he has thought of despite only bumping into her for a few small moments. Those moments weren't even that significant compared to the grand scheme of things. The two were more or less strangers, him only lending her an umbrella that she promised to give back.

But who knows if that will happen. None of them had thought to exchange numbers of anything, instead he had only grabbed her name.

Elizabeth.

Hawk then barked once more, muzzle nudging his owner as he looked at the newspaper.

"You think I should reply?" The blonde raised a brow at the hyper pooch, watching as it began to wag its tail. This caused the man to shake his head, thinking that he was finally going deluded from secluding himself for so long. "I'm taking a dog's love advice..."

Hawk then let out a sound similar to a growl, but also not a growl, as he narrowed his vision on the blonde. This caused a pat of apology, Meliodas making sure to scratch behind the animal's ears since Hawk loved that spot the most.

"No offence meant of course," A sheepish grin was given and the dog only huffed at that, something equivalent to a stomp being done. The animal then looked at his owner, his gaze highlighting what he expected the blonde to do next.

"I know, I know, write a response," The blonde huffed as he headed towards his study. "Of course the dog values that first..."

Hawk watching intensely, Meliodas then began to write up his response, deciding to take a risk he hadn't taken many times before.


"The post has arrived!"

Diane takes the newspaper with a flourish, happily laying the thing upon the table like a sacred relic. Her squeals could be heard by at least five of the neighbours and the brunette had no aims of quietening down, her grin growing wider as her roommate only stared at the paper object. All Elizabeth did was stare at it, her hands failing to even go near the thing. In fact it seemed as if the female was terrified of seeing if there was a response, lip already latched between her teeth.

"Come on, Elizabeth!" Diane sighed, shaking her head as she looked at her nervous roommate. She then wiggled her brows, nudging the silver-haired woman. "Don't ya wanna see if Umbrella Guy responded?"

Elizabeth jolted from that, squealing as Diane placed in a tickle with her nudges. This caused the silverette to giggle slightly, blue eyes filling with slight mirth as her roommate forced her to look at the newspaper upon the table. The newspaper that would show whether Elizabeth had gotten her mojo back after a very messy breakup.

"Yes, I do," Elizabeth answered surely, nodding but still chewing on her lip. She then turned to Diane, eyes filled with concern as her eyebrows creased. "But what if he didn't see it or reply? What if I did it for nothing?"

Diane only shook her head at that, a calm hand being placed on her friend's shoulder. A calm hand that seemed very motherly as the brunette began to speak, her tone very simple and guiding. Much like the tone that teachers or older people use when educating younger people.

"You won't know unless you try," Diane cautioned, hand held up. Amethyst eyes were plain and hard, a firm softness set into them. "You have to take a leap to know if you really jumped."

"That makes no sense!" Elizabeth giggled slightly, scrunching her nose as she tried to make sense of Diane's impossible proverb. "How can you leap to know if you've jumped?"

The brunette gave a shrug as her laughter joined Elizabeth's, both females shaking with humor. A light humor that helped to lighten the situation as the newspaper remained on the coffee table. Just sitting there. Laying there. Waiting to be opened and used for its purpose: to be read. So it was decided among the girls that they would do just that, Elizabeth being given the honor of reading as they were only hanging onto the newspaper for hope that Umbrella Guy responded.

"Ok, listen closely," Elizabeth warned as she tentatively picked up the paper. Gracefully she flipped to the 'Rush Hour Crush' column, eyes lighting with surprise. "To Elizabeth, yes I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. Since you have my umbrella, I know the perfect way to return it. Meet me tomorrow at noon at a bar called The Boar Hat. I have a surprise planned. Umbrella Guy."

A smile sat on Elizabeth's lips as she read that, her brain knowing that she hadn't lost her mojo. In fact she was doing fine, her constant stating of being relationship avoidant actually being something that made her more attractive as it meant she tried to avoid men. So really Elizabeth was happy to know that she'd gotten a response, especially since the Umbrella Guy had gained her attention. He was interesting and she wanted to know more about him.

She hadn't even gotten his name...

"You have to meet him!" Diane practically bounced, grinning as she reread the entry. She shook her friend, eyes seeming glazed with mirth and romance. "He is so interested!"

"Diane...I don't know," The silver-haired woman bit her lip, nerves suddenly taking over. Elizabeth had only met this guy once, their interaction being at a bus stop while it was raining. He was out walking his dog and she was heading back from work, clearly the pair had a chance meeting. That chance meeting could be just that.

"Do it Elizabeth!" Diane's face was inches from her roommate's, seriousness being her main expression. Deep purple eyes broke the thoughts of blue, brown pigtails swishing. "Do it! If you don't I feel like you'll be an old cat lady or something."

Elizabeth shook her head at that, unbelieving that her friend believes that she will slip that far. Cat lady far... That was a level that was more or less worse than being celibate, cats being something that only replaced the empty void created by a lack of men and family. Only people who went super far became cat ladies - not someone like Elizabeth Liones who was trying to rebuild after a long relationship. A relationship that crashed and sank suddenly. One that also led to her straying away from romantic situations...

Ok maybe Diane did have a point.

"Way to have faith..." Elizabeth sighed slightly, voicing her thoughts. A grimace then formed, the silver-haired female finding herself agreeing with her roommate. "I'll go, but only if you stop pestering me."

"Agreed," Diane grinned.

A wide grin spread across the brunette's face, her smile like Christmas lights as she hugged the living daylights out of her friend. Why? Because she finally had a date - yes an actual date. A date with someone who's potentially really cute from how Elizabeth describes him.

"But we have to make sure you look nice - "

Elizabeth groaned as Diane started again, really not in the mood for it all so early in the day.


It had been years since Elizabeth had gone on a date. Literal years.

The young woman couldn't help but chew on her lip as she stood outside the bar, her mind debating whether it was wise to even go inside and see if Umbrella Guy was really there. He was a complete stranger after all, his name as well as most information about him being a complete mystery to her. For all she knew he could have a whole family, perhaps he could even be murderer, and doing this could lead to a whole storm of bad events she could've easily avoided.

It was easy to make a choice when you considered that.

But every time Elizabeth went to leave, she would find herself turning back or feeling as if she was rooted to the pavement. She would anxiously gnaw on her lip, feeling her heart strings tugging at the thought of even walking away and pretending that she had never met Umbrella Guy. She had come all this way to return his umbrella after all...

Taking in a deep breath, the female entered the bar. She was greeted by a lively and bustling atmosphere, people scattered all about as they enjoyed pints of beer or other alcoholic beverages. A waitress flitted about, her raven hair looking a little familiar to Elizabeth however she could never see her face long enough to actually see if it was someone she knew. The sound of voices melding into countless conversations met her ears, everyone seeming to be in their own little worlds and realities as Elizabeth's eyes began to search among the cheery customers' faces. However she couldn't spot Umbrella guy yet.

Sighing, Elizabeth headed towards the counter. She might as well try to drown her buzzing thoughts in booze if she was going to get stood up.

As she sat on the stool, the bartender placed a drink in front of her, grinning as he

"I believe you like piña coladas."

Her blue eyes widen with surprise, a silent gasp leaving as she meets his emerald eyes. Blonde hair is messily scattered about his head, matching with the youthful look of his facial features. A crisp white shirt, navy waistcoat and loose red tie are on his form, betraying his role as a the bartender, but also cause a light blush to spread on Elizabeth's cheeks as she thinks that he actually pulls it off. With his wild blonde hair and boyish features Umbrella Guy was made for smart casual. Not to mention the peek of what looked like well toned arms that she could see from his rolled up sleeves.

"You work here?" The question tumbles from her lips before she can stop it, an embarrassed flush leaving as Elizabeth's brain enters panic mode. She always had a habit of talking before she thought, especially when she was in shock.

But Elizabeth wasn't sure of she could even call the state she was in shock. It was a little too mesmerized and bashful to be shocked. It was more like being stunned or taken aback, especially when he seemed to chuckle at her bashful nature. It was a rather nice chuckle too, deep and textured like velvet although you wouldn't expect that.

"I-I'm sorry it just tumbled out," Elizabeth managed to get the word past her lips, an odd feeling she'd never experienced before pulsing through her veins. She then grabbed the umbrella she had toted with her. "Here's your umbrella, I'm sorry I've kept it for so long."

She passed him the umbrella and in that moment something inexplicable passed through them. It was something like flickering memories from many, many previous lifetimes passing them, each experience and dream passing like a ghost evaporating through walls. Little snap shots and moments that they couldn't remember nor recollect passed in tiny little tingles and shocks, leaving both of them once again looking at each other.

"You feel it too didn't you?" Meliodas raised a brow, still feeling the slight thrum of whatever had passed between them.

The woman nodded, at his question a slight blush dusting her cheeks. It happened every time they'd made contact, albeit they had only really done it twice. But even so the jolt of electricity, the feeling of having the other for many, many lifetimes, was always there. It was always hanging

"I don't know why, but I feel connected to you," Elizabeth breathed, her mind still spiraling with countless thoughts and theories. "First it was the rain, then your dog."

"That dog is way too smart for his own good," Meliodas chuckled.

They both laughed recalling the russet furred dog that was definitely a lot more aware than they gave him credit for. Hawk seemed to be the thing that had pulled them together in the first place, his adamant sniffing out of Elizabeth leading to her and Meliodas crossing paths.

"You think it's all coincidence?" Elizabeth tilted her head softly, the words leaving gently as she turned the straw in her drink.

"Would this be coincidence?"

His lips pressed flush against hers, both parties well aware that they'd only just met but they didn't care. All they knew was that they were willing to explore where this went. They did both like piña coladas and the rain after all.