Ban, frankly, wasn't too sure what to make of this.
He was standing just inside a modest tavern, which was on top of a massive fucking green pig of all creatures, that was walking away from Dalmary. Sure, Ban had seen a lot in life, but this might take the cake of strange things he had seen.
"You lot have been running a bar all this time?"
Meliodas grinned at the immortal as he passed Elizabeth - who had ended up almost collapsing from exhaustion the moment they got back - to Gelda. Gelda was the least injured of everyone, so it seemed the most logical.
"Yep! Oh, and Gelda, you can treat Elizabeth in my room."
"Why your room?" Hawk asked, narrowing his eyes at the blonde. Another thing Ban couldn't get over - a talking pig! Meliodas shrugged.
"I figured Ban might want the room Elizabeth was staying in… unless he doesn't mind sharing a room-"
"Oh fuck no."
Meliodas chuckled and Hawk pouted. "So she gets to stay with you?!"
"My room's the only other one with space."
Hawk muttered some choice words. Zeldris rolled his eyes. "Hawk, why don't you go help Elizabeth and Meliodas and I can show Ban to his room."
Hawk continued to grumble as he listened to Zeldris, sparing the three men one last glance before disappearing upstairs with Gelda.
Ban turned to Zeldris, frowning. "Please tell me neither the captain or your wife does the cooking around here," he deadpanned. Meliodas sounded like a kicked puppy at that particular remark, while Zeldris snickered.
"I do the cooking." Zeldris leaned on one of the tables, letting out a long sigh as the soreness was starting to set in. "Though it's nowhere near as good as your godly cooking." Meliodas made an agreeing sound, though he was still sulking near the stairs.
The immortal grinned at that. "Great! I can tolerate your culinary disasters." Ban stretched and his bones all popped. "Well, I'm gonna go find that room." He glanced between the brothers. "All good you two?"
Ban's gaze lingered on Meliodas, concern tugging his lips down slightly, and Zeldris shared the mildly worried look. Meliodas didn't answer, so Zeldris decided to.
"Yeah, we'll deal with each other." He forced his eyes to Ban, and offered the most relaxed and reassuring smile he'd ever dare give Ban. "Room's on the second floor, end of the hall. Only condition is you don't trash it."
Ban hummed and left without another word - though he did roughly ruffle Meliodas' hair as he passed.
Neither brother moved for a few minutes, Zeldris watching Meliodas carefully with a frown, and Meliodas refusing to look away from the floor.
Meliodas sighed, and started to climb the stairs, only glancing behind him once to see if Zeldris would follow.
"You know I can do this myself, right?" Zeldris asked, watching as Meliodas wrapped the younger's arm in bandages. Realistically, they'd both be healed in the next few days without them. They both knew this, too. Treating the wounds this way was mostly for show, though. Meliodas didn't say anything. Zeldris frowned, and the frown only grew deeper when he realized just how unsteady Meliodas' hands were when Meliodas pulled the bandages a little too tight and he had flinched.
Meliodas took a deep breath and loosened the wrapping enough so Zeldris still had some circulation to the rest of his arm. He was about to get up and leave, that being Zeldris' last injury that wasn't just a small scratch. They were in Zeldris and Gelda's room, Gelda dealing with both Ban and Elizabeth.
Zeldris caught Meliodas' wrist, pulling the blonde down onto the bed. "Your turn," he mumbled, and Meliodas made a small, strangled sound, trying to pull his arm away and get up again. Zeldris tightened his grip ever so slightly. "Meliodas."
He took a deep breath before finally giving in, shoulders dropping and head hanging, face shrouded by his bangs. Zeldris let go of him for a moment to grab the second bucket of clean water they had to start tending to Meliodas' own wounds. Meliodas hissed when a cold wet cloth came into contact, but otherwise continued to stay silent.
Zeldris would be lying, if he said he wasn't worried.
Meliodas was never this silent, not unless something truly tragic had happened. Zeldris sighed quietly, brows knitted together as he thought. Was he still worrying over Elizabeth? That would make sense, actually. Zeldris' face relaxed slightly, and he let out a long sigh.
He could deal with this. He had dealt with this. He'd spent years comforting his brother and would probably spend many more doing just that.
"She's going to pull through," Zeldris whispered, continuing to clean Meliodas' more serious injuries with one hand while the other began to rub his arm gently. Meliodas stiffened, hands clenching. Zeldris smiled to himself. "She's a badass."
He heard Meliodas chuckle, though it was strained and he stifled the sound immediately, putting a fist to his mouth and biting his knuckles. Zeldris' face fell a little at that, but he shook his head and brought the small smile back, just in case Meliodas decided to finally look his way.
"Elizabeth's always been stubborn, her stubbornness only second to her compassion." Zeldris let the bloodstained towel drop into the bucket, and grabbed the remaining bandages. "It's clear she's determined to do… do whatever she's trying to find the Sins for. And if she gets hurt along the way, we'll be there to-"
"You're an idiot."
Zeldris pulled back slightly, jaw dropping slightly from Meliodas' remark. Any words he could have thought of though promptly died when he realized Meliodas was shaking.
Eyes widening, Zeldris dropped the bandages and onto his knees to get a look at Meliodas' face. Meliodas was biting his fist, eyes squeezed shut and he hunched his shoulders further with Zeldris no longer being next to him.
"You're an idiot," Meliodas mumbled again. Zeldris could see a few tears sliding down the blonde's cheeks. Zeldris let out a long breath, still utterly confused, and he kept his voice quiet.
"How am I an idiot?"
Meliodas shook his head, his breath stuttering and Zeldris hesitantly moved back onto the bed. He reached around Meliodas, carefully pulling his brother close, minding the injuries.
"Hey now…" Zeldris whispered, tucking Meliodas' head under his chin. Meliodas choked on another sob, and his arms wrapped tightly around Zeldris. Zeldris swallowed thickly, tucking his face into Meliodas' hair and squeezing the shaking form just that little bit tighter. "Hey, it's alright…" Meliodas shook his head again.
It's been a long time since Zeldris had seen Meliodas like this.
Well, not a long time. But it had been long enough since this had happened, this badly at least.
Zeldris began to brush Meliodas' hair with his fingers, still trying to figure out what had brought this on. He shifted Meliodas, letting Meliodas wrap himself around Zeldris, face buried in Zeldris' neck.
"Can you tell me why it won't be alright?"
Meliodas didn't answer.
Right, yes or no only. He took a deep breath.
"Does it have to do with Elizabeth?" Meliodas shook his head, and Zeldris frowned. That was the biggest possibility out of the way.
"Alright. Is it something one of us did?"
Meliodas hesitated, but gave a small nod.
"Was it something one of us said?"
Meliodas shook his head.
"So it was an action."
Meliodas nodded again.
Zeldris drummed his fingers gently against Meliodas' back. "Was it something Ban did?" Meliodas shook his head. "Hawk?" Another shake. "Me?" Another. "Gelda?" And another.
"... you?" A nod. Zeldris' frown deepened. "You haven't done anything wrong, though." Meliodas made another strangled noise. "Really, nothing wrong. Not anything the rest of us wouldn't have done ourselves."
Meliodas took a deep, trembling breath, nearly choking, but he pulled back and Zeldris' breath caught in his throat at the irritated face he was presented with. Meliodas was attempting to glare, though any harshness was lost in the look. He shoved a finger into Zeldris' chest, just above where one of Zeldris' wounds had been.
It had been a deep clawmark, or what could be seen as one, over one of Zeldris' hearts. In reality, it had been done with a very sharp branch Meliodas had grabbed while they were hypnotized, and he had been using it as a makeshift weapon in their-
"Oh."
Meliodas slumped back into Zeldris and hugged his younger brother even tighter. Zeldris inhaled shakily.
"Oh, Meliodas…" Zeldris squeezed Meliodas just as tightly, any injuries be damned. "It's not- it's okay." Meliodas shook his head and pressed closer, and Zeldris knew he was saying something but whatever it was it was muffled by Meliodas burying his face even further into Zeldris' neck. "It is, alright? It's okay."
Meliodas kept mumbling into Zeldris' shoulder, and although it took a bit, Zeldris finally realized what Meliodas was saying - or rather, trying to say.
"I'm sorry I hurt you."
Zeldris rested his cheek against Meliodas' head. "It's okay, Mel… it's really okay. We both know it wouldn't really do anything to me. I should be apologizing to you. I…" Zeldris nosed Meliodas' temple gently. "I hurt you, too."
Realization punched Zeldris right in all of his hearts.
His next breath caught in his throat. Zeldris mentally cursed himself as he tried to take a deep breath, his own eyes now burning with tears.
"Fuck- Mel, I hurt you, too. I wouldn't die but you-" he choked on the words, and Meliodas inhaled sharply. "I'm so sorry- stars above if I had-" Zeldris didn't finish, burying his face in Meliodas' hair just as the dam broke. The older of the two gripped Zeldris tighter, pulling his brother as close as he could.
They elapsed back into silence, broken only by their occasional choked sobs, mumbled apologies and hushed assurances that the other was forgiven.
Gelda poked her head into her and Zeldris' room. It had been far quieter than two demon brothers should be when both were injured and patching each other up.
She had expected utter chaos, honestly, when she had left to tend to Elizabeth. Leaving her family and Ban in the same room seemed like asking for the tavern to never hear silence once again. Even if Ban eventually left them, there was no chance both Meliodas and Zeldris would make no noise.
The sky was various shades of red now, as the sun began to dip behind the hills. Gelda had left everyone upstairs for a while to keep herself busy and mind distracted, Hawk "guarding" a sleeping Elizabeth. She assumed Meliodas would have gone to his own room by now, especially since it gave him the chance to watch over Elizabeth without seeming totally creepy and out of place.
She did not, in fact, consider the idea that the brothers were wide awake and clinging to each other so tightly, Gelda feared one of them may crush the other.
Meliodas still had his wounds on display, though they were healing fast - as expected of a demon his rank. He was curled around Zeldris, and he was shaking, and if Gelda didn't want to accidentally terrify them both she would have gone over and tried to offer some comfort. She bit her lip and winced when a fang dug into her own flesh.
She inhaled shakily, watching Meliodas curl further around Zeldris. Their voices were quiet, and hoarse, and oh so muffled that if it weren't for her more sensitive hearing she would have missed the fact that they were mumbling to each other entirely. Gelda clenched the doorknob hard enough the grooves were imprinting onto her skin, their muttered assurances and apologies, and stars above Gelda swore that when she got the chance - when, not if. She would make certain this happened. She had made a promise so long ago that she couldn't break now - she would strangle the two bastards who put them all here to begin with, and she'd make sure they felt every ounce of pain the four of them combined had ever dealt with-
She grimaced as the doorknob began to heat up and burn her hand slightly, and she had to take a deep breath, the heat slowly disappearing.
Gelda glanced over Meliodas and Zeldris again, before stepping from the room as quietly as she could. She ensured the door didn't make a sound, and she leaned her forehead against the wood for a little while.
They'd be okay, she told herself. They were strong, and they weren't alone. They'd be okay. They would be okay. They had to be okay.
She opened her eyes and slowly walked away from the room. She'd sleep in Meliodas' room tonight, if she got any sleep at all. If Hawk asked, Gelda could simply say they were so exhausted they passed out in her room.
That would work. Hawk wouldn't go check on them, disturb them, not when they were barely hanging by a thread. He couldn't find out that the two had a breakdown. As much as she loved Hawk, he couldn't keep a secret and this was something none of them would want to explain, none of them would want to be so open with… almost anyone.
Shaking her head, Gelda found herself in front of Ban's new room.
She hesitated, just for a moment, before knocking softly on the door. Gelda could hear shuffling, but no obnoxious snoring or cursing, so she guessed Ban was comfortable and still somehow awake. And hopefully sober.
"Open!"
Gelda opened the door, and didn't enter the room any further, taking in the scene.
Of course, she thought with a huff.
Ban was dressed in all red leather that was most definitely not his two hours ago and also not his size, but that wasn't the worst of it. Really, Gelda would have been fine with it if he had just stolen the clothing. But the entire room was littered in things she knew for a fact they had never owned nor had they even seen before.
She was about to scold Ban, eyes already narrowed at the stolen sheets and extra pillows and blankets and the random knick knacks sprawled across the floor, but the glare slipped away when she actually got a look at Ban himself.
His hands were twitching, as though he were trying to resist just reaching out and taking, and his eyes flitted over to Gelda sure but they also strayed out into the hall, and Gelda hadn't spent all these years not learning how to read people.
"You're worried," Gelda signed as she stared down Ban from the doorway. Ban huffed, rolling his eyes.
"Of course I'm worried. The captain rarely ever looks like that. I think I've only seen him like that once. Merlin and Zeldris made sure it wasn't for long, too." Ban toyed with the sleeve of the red leather jacket he had stolen. He could barely remember that one time too, much less remember what brought it on. "What happened this time?"
Gelda bit her lip, but then shrugged. "Why were you in Baste?"
It was Ban's turn to shrug, and he avoided looking directly at Gelda. He wasn't too keen on sharing that information… he could already imagine Gelda's anger over the reason, it was so stupid. He'd take a week to recover fully and he healed faster than anyone. He knew his limits and he had no intentions on pushing them with Gelda, who's odd fire was stranger than any even Merlin could conjure.
"What if I told you I don't remember?"
Ban glanced her way and caught a glimpse of her unimpressed expression. He quickly returned to examining the very plush bed.
"Yeah, that's bullshit. Frankly doesn't matter, over and done with y'know."
Gelda pursed her lips, but sighed silently and made her way further into the room to plop down on the bed beside Ban. That's something Ban never understood, how she was utterly silent. He had never heard anyone as quiet as her, not without a lot of effort being put into it, but Gelda never seemed to be trying to stay hidden from detection. She just existed that way.
Ban hated that.
"So…" he focused his full attention on her again.
Her lips tilted up a little. "So…" she signed back.
Ban smiled slightly himself. "What's up with the princess? I never did hear why she was with you all."
Gelda's small smile fell, and her brows creased as she shrugged. Ban huffed. "You guys are letting her tag along and you don't know why?"
"She's searching for the Sins."
"I knew that," he muttered. "But why in the world could the youngest princess of the kingdom be looking for us of all people?"
Gelda shrugged again and heaved a much heavier - and still silent - sigh. She was frowning even more now. She leaned back on her hands and glared up at the ceiling as though it had insulted her, and Ban was just going to drop it. But then Gelda sat up properly again and continued to sign.
"She's anxious around the Holy Knights."
Ban's brow furrowed.
"Is she now?"
Gelda nodded, and he hummed, flopping back onto his bed with a sigh when no ideas came to mind.
"Well, whatever then. You think she'll share eventually?"
Gelda nodded again.
Ban settled into the softest pillows he had felt ever and stared up at the ceiling himself. "Alrighty…" he muttered.
Gelda tilted her head, but didn't say anything else and instead got up. She patted Ban's knee before leaving his room, the door closing with a soft click behind her.
Well. Ban knew one thing for sure.
This was gonna be interesting.