Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from The Seven Deadly Sins/ Nanatsu No Taizai. They all belong to the wonderful Nakaba Suzuki.

This story, however, belongs to me.

-A Flustered Reality-

His hearts all but stop when Elizabeth's arms come to wrap around him tenderly, keeping his face right in place between her bosom. Her voice grows soft and brimmed with contentment that seems to flow into him steadily, increasing his heartbeats dramatically.

"Fine by me… Please, grope away…"

His breath stifles in his throat as he stares up at her in wide eyed wonder. The contentment of her words, the warmth of her hold, and the gentle way she runs her fingers through his hair all cause his nerves to thrum like livewires. Then he realizes his face feels unbelievably hot, not at all because of the heavenly warmth of Elizabeth's wondrous breasts. It dawns on him that he's blushing of all things.

He'd only been teasing Elizabeth as usual and admiring her uniform which definitely earns his stamp of approval. Hearing her squeal in halfhearted protest while he sneaks under her skirt to caress her warm, creamy thighs and check the style of panties she adorns, or even when he gropes her plush ample chest and smells her sweet scent that always fills his lungs intoxicatingly is more than exhilarating to him; all of it earns him those delightfully high pitched squeals from the princess as he pushes her to reach new levels of red in her flushed visage.

But being this close to her in a moment that could be frozen in time for all he cares is not what he expected. Elizabeth is brave and courageous under her hidden exterior of a shy, sheltered princess. It's something he adores in her and he always tries to boost her level of confidence whenever the opportunity arises. However, the thought never occurred to him that she would be the one to hold onto him, sighing blissfully into his hair as she nuzzles him with such affection his blood continues to rush to his face, steadily forcing coherent thoughts from his mind.

What did he do to earn a reward such as this?

His minds begins to fill him in as his eyes drift shut and he presses closer into their affectionate embrace. He died. That's why Elizabeth is this eager for close contact. He never wanted to put her through that if he could prevent it. But circumstances were against him and she most likely suffered goddess knows how many sleepless nights blaming herself for his death. The pain he put her through is something he'll never forgive himself for. But he's stronger now. He'll keep her safe and shield her from any more pain. She won't lose him again. And he sure as hell isn't going to lose her. Not this time. Not when he's so close.

Meliodas turns his head to the side in her comfortable chest pillows, his arms rising from their shocked positions at his side in order to glide up her thighs and around her rear so that he can pull her closer. He wants to convey his thoughts, his feelings, these damned chest palpitations that beat out of his control in their wish for her to notice how much he cares for her. How much she's cherished.

His palms land on the smooth material of her thighs, his fingers already twitching as his nerves begin to get the best of him. His face is most likely a beacon of fluster for anyone to see… good thing he's pressed so nicely against the chest of his princess.

When his hands make their move, it's like the shattering of the glass barrier that kept them from the happenings of the world around them. Elizabeth stills completely for an entire three seconds, he counted, before she extracts herself from him with that embarrassed visage of hers he fancies to exceeding heights. Her arms are flailing around as her self-conscious begins to paint itself clearly in her stumbling words.

"Err... Umm… I got caught up in the moment, Meliodas!" That right there despite his rapid descent into a calm demeanor causes his heartbeats to skip a few beats. The sound of her being so informal with him does things to his insides she'd never notice.

Elizabeth continues to try and downplay her actions in the cute, clumsy way of hers, but only manages to dig a deeper hole as he inwardly smirks. "I was just so happy to feel the warmth in your skin again that I… Err… Wait that came out wrong… What I'm trying to say is…!?"

A chuckle nearly builds its way into his chest in thick rumbling, satisfaction. So she likes the warmth of his skin, eh? There's always a grain of truth in one's mortified rambling. He's about to make a sly comment when someone coughs out an interruption.

"AHEM~! Don't mind me," an old familiar kooky voice registers in his mind.

'Zaratras. Ah, well, the world doesn't stop for anyone. Although this was good while it lasted… Still…' Meliodas leans his head back into Elizabeth's warm, plump breasts with a casual ease as he exhales. And just as he'd planned, Elizabeth squeals as steam practically wafts from the heat of her face.

Out of all the possibilities, he decides, in the end, he couldn't have woken up to anything better in this world.