Stand By Me by Fullmetal Pyromaniac

Chapter ten


"Hey Elizabeth"

She looked up, Meliodas stood in the doorway. Elizabeth nearly gasped at the sight of him, he was pale, so pale, and he had dark circles forming around his eyes, but he was smiling as bright as always.

"You alright?"

Elizabeth nodded and beckoned him to come in.

"Yes, sorry, I spaced out for a second there"

Meliodas sat on the bed beside her, Elizabeth played with the ends of her duvet nervously, wrapping it around her fingers then unwrapping it, then repeat.

"Are you nervous?" Meliodas joked, giving a smile that just made Elizabeth more worried.

"Just a little bit" she retaliated with a small smile of her own, "I've never been good with confrontations, especially since she's my sister" Elizabeth sighed, Meliodas pried her fingers away from the duvet and linked them with his own.

"Just tell her how you really feel, okay? You can't go wrong with that"

Elizabeth sat up and clenched the hand that wasn't occupied already and held it over her fast paced heart.

"I will! I'll tell her how I really feel, I won't be scared of confrontations!"

Meliodas grinned wider and squeezed her hand.

"That's the true spirit of a princess! I believe in you, Elizabeth"

He sighed and leant the headboard next to her, Elizabeth rested her head atop his. It was calm and quiet, just the way the two liked it. Elizabeth's cheeks were slightly pink, Meliodas was even more so.

"What's the first thing you're going to do when you get out of here?" Elizabeth asked softly. Meliodas hummed in thought for a minute.

"The first thing I'm gonna do is buy my tavern"

"Your tavern?"

"yup! There's an old building in Edinburgh that no one wants to buy, I've been saving up for years now. I know how to bartend pretty well, Ban's an amazing cook, Diane could be a waitress if she wanted to, Gowther could too and King's great with interior design

"We'd live above the bar, there's two rooms, then above that another and an attic. Diane and King would have one for themselves because let's face it they'll be together by that point. Ban would have the other, I'd have the top room and Gowthers already bagsy'd the attic."

He sighed and stared at Elizabeth intently.

"You could come with us too, if you wanted. You could be a waitress, you could sleep in my bed. There's enough room for two" Elizabeth flushed a deep red and Meliodas winked.

"I'd love to" she said excitedly, then frowned, "I don't have many other skills anyway. Even when I was homeschooled I never really thought about what I'd do in the future, my illness has kind of got in the way of thinking about it. I'd love to work at your tavern, I just hope I'm not too clumsy"

"Nah of course not" he replied, "You'd be great, just as long as you want to work with us"

There was a knock and a sullen looking Merlin appeared at the door, clutching her clip board.

"Elizabeth, Veronica's here to see you. Want me to just send her up?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, please"

Merlin left. Elizabeth clutched Meliodas' hand harder.

This was it.

...

"Elizabeth"

"Veronica"

"How have you been?"

"Good, you?"

"I've been alright, yes. You can take a seat"

"Thank you"

The awkwardness filled the room like pea soup. Veronica took off her fluffy purple coat and hung it on the back of her chair. The silence was thick once again. Meliodas gave Elizabeth's hand a reassuring squeeze, she turned to him and he gave a quick nod.

"So..." Veronica said, playing with the hem of her skirt.

"So..." Elizabeth said, looking anywhere but Veronica. She cracked her knuckles and took a deep breath. "I'm ill, Veronica"

Veronica stiffened and sat up straighter.

"I'm aware" she sniffed, looking out the window.

"I know that mothers death may have shook you up but I'm not like that. They found my illness early, I have a fighting chance"

"But what if you don't" Veronica snapped, glaring at the wall, "What if I lose you too? What if Margaret and I lose a sister and Father loses a daughter? You saw him after Mothers death, it took him months to recuperate. Now it's only a matter of time until we lose him too"

Tears slid down Veronica's face, but she quickly wiped them away. Elizabeth stood up off her bed and hugged Veronica tightly.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, Veronica gave a harsh laugh and hugged her back.

"Why're you sorry? I'm sorry for snapping at you and your friend Meliodas. It's just hard, you know? It just seems like I'm losing the people most important to me, I thought maybe if I ignored it, it would go away. It just made me bitter"

Tears began making their way down Elizabeth's face, soaking the purple fluff of Veronica's coat.

"I can remember mother" Veronica whispered, "I can remember lying on her bed, she was so ill, Elizabeth. I hugged her, she was so thin, she couldn't walk anymore, the muscles in her legs had given up. She looked awful" she hiccuped, "I just keep having that vision but you're there insead of her"

Veronica sniffled and held Elizabeth tighter, "I don't want to see that again. I don't want to lose someone else because of that stupid illness"

Tears were streaming down the sisters faces now, dripping onto the linoleum.

"You won't lose me, I promise" Elizabeth said in between hiccups. "I'm your sister, the famous invincible Veronica Lyones' sister, I'm a fighter, remember?"

"I know, I know. I just can't help being paranoid" Veronica replied in between gulps of air. The pair just stood there until the tears had stopped flowing and they were just hugging, Elizabeth eventually pulled away, her legs beginning to ache again.

Veronica took a handkerchief out of her blouse pocket and dabbed at her eyes, Elizabeth sat back next to Meliodas and took his hand back in hers, squeezing it in a silent thank you.

"Are you staying Veronica? I could ask Merlin if she could bring us coffee or tea?"

"Sorry, Elizabeth but it's my turn to look after father today. I promise I'll be back in soon and I'll stay longer" She stood and put in her coat, then got her phone out and put it in selfie mode with her and Elizabeth in the frame.

Meliodas moved so he couldn't be seen, Veronica out the camera down.

"Don't move out the way, father's wanting a picture of you too"

"Oh, sorry" he said sheepishly then moved back in the frame. He and Elizabeth both made peace signs. Veronica too kind the photo and put her phone away, kissing Elizabeth in the forehead.

"See you soon, Ellie, you too Meliodas"

"Bye Veronica"

"See ya later!" Melidoas called as she disappeared out of the door. Elizabeth sighed and,want back against the bed.

"That went well!" She said cheerily, Meliodas nodded.

"Yeah it did, I was expecting things to be...more explosive"

She nodded, "Yeah, me too. I guess Veronica was aware of how she sounded. I'm glad it wasn't explosive though. I don't know if I could handle it"

"Me nei-" Meliodas started. A terrible coining fit took over him, causing him to hunch over.

"Meliodas!" Elizabeth exclaimed as he hacked and wheezed all over her. She rubbed his back and held one of his hands. Each cough chipped away at Elizabeth's heart, it sounded painful, each one rattled his chest loudly. Elizabeth winced.

Eventually he stopped and leant back again, exhausted.

"Meliodas, what's wrong?" He only groaned, Elizabeth stood up and went round to his side of the bed. "I'm taking you back to your room" she said fiercely, he shook his head.

"Y-you don't have to, I'll be fine, honestly" Meliodas said weakly, attempting to get up.

Despite being somewhat taller than him, Elizabeth took one arm and hooked around her shoulders and half hoisted/ half dragged him back to his room, ignoring how her legs protested at the extra weight.

She made it back to his room and placed Meliodas on his bed, then pulled his duvet up to his chin and tucked him in. He groaned again and closed his eyes, turning on his side. Elizabeth knelt down to see him.

"Are you sure you're okay? Can I get you anything? Food, water?..."

He coughed again and squinted his eyes, "My phone, it's in my bedside drawer"

Elizabeth nodded and went round the bed to it, when she opened it she drew back on shock.

It was filled with uneaten medication, his phone was lying on top of so many pills.

"Meliodas?..." She whispered, turning to him in horror, "Why haven't you been taking your medicine?

He cursed under his breath and didn't respond. Elizabeth took his phone and slammed the drawer shut.

"Meliodas?" She said, louder this time. He still didn't respond.

"Why aren't you taking your medicine?! Don't you want to get better? " She fumed. When he didn't reply that only made her angrier.

"What about your dreams of owning a tavern! What about me and Ban and Diane and King and Gowther and Merlin? If you stop taking your medicine and die what will we do then?" Elizabeth pleaded on her knees next to his bed.

"Tell me why you aren't taking it! Please! I'm begging you, Meliodas"

"Quit nagging me Liz, Jesus, you'd think you were my mother!" Melidoas shouted, his eyes still closed and one arm covering them. Elizabeth flinched back.

"Liz?..." She whispered, "No one's ever called me that before"

Meliodas cursed again. "Fuck, sorry, Elizabeth I think you should go. I'm not feeling great and I'm gonna end up snapping again and saying something I'll regret. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Elizabeth nodded and stood up, "Okay. See you tomorrow, Meliodas" she said softly and left, closing the door behind her.

She'd pushed too far, Elizabeth decided once she was back on her bed and wallowing in misery. She'd pushed him too far, although it was concerning that he wasn't taking his medicine...

She had to apologise, that much was certain, he didn't pry into her life so she shouldn't pry into his. When Merlin came round for tea, Elizabeth would ask for paper and colouring pencils. It was the least she could do for him, and she couldn't really do much.

When Merlin was in she'd let her know that Meliodas wasn't taking his medicine, then she'd leave it.

...

The moon shone through Meliodas' window, he was scrolling through pictures on his phone. Him and Liz, him and Liz, him and Liz, him and Liz.

One of the newer ones was him and Elizabeth.

He cursed silently and turned his phone off, not wanting to be sad or cry anymore. He'd fucked up at long last, he spent so long biting his tongue and making sure to add that 'El' before her name and 'abeth' after it.

They looked so alike it was uncanny, almost as if Liz had been reincarnated, yet they were so different. Liz was loud, brash, and upfront. Elizabeth was quiet, reserved, and preferred to be reading rather than fighting.

Elizabeth was an enigma wrapped in a mystery.

Liz was long gone.

Meliodas decided he'd apologise in the morning, after hiding his medication.


End of chapter ten.

A.N. Quick update on my life: passed physics, BARELY, passed French, passed my English essay, quit hockey for a while, and I may have social anxiety and/or depression. I also had a breakdown at school. My life's not been the easiest recently but I have to thank you all for being so patient with me. You guys have no idea how much you all mean to me ❤️

Every favourite, follow, and review makes me happier and helps me write, it makes my day. I want to thank you all again for being so patient with me, especially recently.

Thank you to those who read, followed, favourited, and/or reviewed! Big hugs! Please check out A-Z of Melizabeth and support me in my writing.

I seriously value you all so much, see you soon as I can :3

-Ruby xxxxxxxxxx