As the clock chimes midnight, ringing in a new day, Elizabeth lets out a sigh of relief.

She clocks out, bidding her coworkers a farewell - thankfully, she won't have to work again until Tuesday. Elizabeth removes the hair tie in her hair, allowing her hair to fall past her shoulders. She walks into the dining area, silently observing as her other coworkers kick out the people that assume they can stay because they decided to get drunk at the bar.

Walking through the job she's so familiar with, she's more or less surprised when she sees Meliodas sitting in the little waiting area by the front door on his phone. She looks at him with raised brows when he lifts his head and she clutches his jacket closer to her body, already feeling the chilly air just barely seeping into the building.

"Good day at work?" Meliodas asks.

Elizabeth in turn scoffs. "You tell me. You probably watched me work all night."

He smiles softly, tucking his phone into his pocket. "I did," he admits. "Only from time to time though. I'm not the stalker you seem to love to accuse me of being."

She flushes, embarrassed. Meliodas comes to a stand and he opens the front door for her, grinning softly as he extends a hand outward - a silent action that says ladies first. "It was fine, it honestly could have been worse," she says. She walks through the doors he so kindly held for her and he follows behind her, the shutting of the restaurant's doors echoing in the chilly night.

"That's good," he comments. "I'm glad they let you keep the jacket on. It was sorta cold in there, too."

"Do you really care that much if I get sick?" She asks, letting the words slip from her lips without truly meaning to. Elizabeth flushes again out of embarrassment. "Y-You just… really don't strike me as the type to care if someone else gets sick, especially with a cold."

He scoffs, a playful noise, and she pauses slightly. Elizabeth turns her head to glance at him, and she sees a small knowing grin on his lips. "Oh, Ellie, haven't we talked about this before?" He asks, taking a step forward to raise his arm by her waist to get her moving again. He didn't directly touch her but she can feel the ghostly warmth of his hand even through the thick jacket he lent to her. "You're my friend. Of course I'll care, even if I don't show it."

"It's just so unbelievable," she laughs. "You know how people see you, yet here you are, saying you care. It just doesn't sound like you at all."

"Mmhmm…" Meliodas hums. "You saying you don't care how big my dick is doesn't sound like you either, yet you still said it. So I guess we're even?" He chuckles, his eyes crinkling as he smiles teasingly at her. She feels her flush run deeper and warmer and she forces herself to look away.

She bites her lip, gaze darting to the ground they walk on. "I was drunk, and… I was just being ridiculous." She can't tell him it was Diane that said that sort of thing. "And about me being drunk—I'm, um—thank you for taking care of me. You really didn't have to, Meliodas."

"You were all by yourself," he points out, "you could have seriously hurt yourself. Trying to do shit on your own while drunk isn't fun, Ellie."

Elizabeth smiles as she teasingly glances at him, eyes almost squinting. "So you speak from experience, Vayne? How often did you have to get drunk to end up with that conclusion?"

"I'll have you know, Liones," he teases back, "I do not get drunk that often. Once every blue moon, maybe."

She rolls her eyes with a faint smile at his words. But in the same moment, the realization hits her; since when had she become so… friendly with him? As if conversations like these are the easiest thing to come by? Does he act like this with every other girl he's ever come into contact with? Surely not - Meliodas Vayne typically only cares about getting his dick wet when it comes to other girls.

Typically.

Shaking her head, she releases a sigh when they finally reach his car. Meliodas opens the passenger's side car door for her and she mutters a soft thank-you before she climbs into the vehicle.

It's a blur– him getting into the car, the car starting up, and driving up to a red light– it's all a blur. Elizabeth is so exhausted - even more so than usual. Working this late at night is nothing new to her; so what is it that is causing her to be this tired? Sighing softly, Elizabeth closes her eyes slightly, hoping to at least get a wink of rest before she returns to her dorm.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" Meliodas asks. She opens her eyes, slowly turning her head to him. So much for that getting some rest idea.

"Hm?" She hums softly in response.

Her eyes glance to his hands gripping the steering wheel of his car, his knuckles tense as the car moves once more. Green light, she realizes. His lips part a fraction and he sneaks a look at her before he finally speaks; "About wanting to see your family, right? What if you could see them for a weekend?"

A weird question. "I'd be the happiest girl in the world," she answers, and really, she would be. "Why though? I already blurted out my feelings about missing my family to you." Had he forgotten the whole mishap? Forgotten her entire breakdown?

"I talked to Diane," he says, "and she gave me your sister's number. And then I talked to her and we arranged something for you. For the weekend, you can visit your sisters and your dad."

"What?" Is all she mutters. Is he serious? She can see them? But with what transportation? What about school and her job? She'll fall incredibly behind if she leaves now! "Are you joking with me right now?"

He chuckles - a gentle sound. "No. I'm serious, Ellie." Again with that nickname. "I decided I wanted to help you with this, so I pulled some strings. You won't have to worry about work or anything school related 'til we get back."

"…We?"

Again he laughs, eyes crinkling barely as he keeps his eyes on the road. "I'm gonna drive you to see your family. Is that okay?"

She laughs almost hysterically, "Okay?" She repeats, leaning toward him over the cup holder that separates them. "Okay—of course that's okay! I've been dying to visit my father and my sisters! I could kiss you right now! This is… this is amazing, really!"

Meliodas nearly chokes on his saliva as he registers Elizabeth's words. He glances at her, hands and knuckles tensing even further on the wheel. She has the biggest smile on her face, this joy radiating from her—it could probably rival the happiness a child would feel for getting a piece of candy. He cracks a bit of a smile too, unable to help himself.

"Glad I could help," he says quietly. "Though, let's save the kissing for later, huh? Didn't we just establish a friendship?"

She rolls her eyes, leaning back into her seat. "You know what I meant. It's just… no one's ever really done something like this for me." She pauses for a moment and he can hear her breath stutter. "No one owes me anything like that anyway—I don't expect any of my friends to drop anything important in their lives to cater to me and me feeling homesick."

"Even if you'd given them the world and more?" He asks. A genuine question - because would Elizabeth Liones risk her own life for someone else's happiness and expect nothing in return? Any sane human being would want some sort of reward, selfish or not.

Elizabeth doesn't speak at first. It feels as though a full minute passes by - as they proceed past the bright and flickering street lights on the road - before she finally says something in response to his question. "Even if I could grant their every wish. No one owes me a thing. Just… pass on the kindness. It doesn't kill you."

A truly sincere woman. Elizabeth Liones is a genuine, unhypocritical, frank person. Meliodas had already suspected her to be just that; but hearing her speak like this, like the world hasn't fucked her over at least once, it fills his heart with something he can't describe. It is a swelling feeling and the blonde clenches his jaw tight at the feel. It's… surreal, almost.

Lord, the things he'll do for this girl.

ooo

"Do you mind if I stay the night again?" Meliodas asks, at her side as they walk the halls to her dorm room. They aren't too far now.

"Why?" Elizabeth smiles only barely, looking for the opportunity to tease him once more as her gaze shifts to the blonde. "To see if I'll get drunk again so you have the excuse to take care of me like last time?"

He chuckles, a sound that is rich to her ears. He passes her a glance and smirks, "Well, no, that isn't the plan. But if you choose to play a damsel in distress, I'll play your hero." Oh. Oh how her skin flushes pink at his remark. He… isn't serious, right? Meliodas is just playing around like she is, isn't he? Elizabeth quickly looks away, blue darting from green, and she prays he missed the blush on her cheeks.

She hugs herself, gaze falling to her feet, listening to the slight echo of their footsteps as they traverse the halls. It's late - past midnight - that is why she's acting all flustered! Yes, that's exactly it. She's just tired. Otherwise, she wouldn't have blushed profusely at his words.

"My prince charming, aren't you?" Elizabeth laughs despite herself.

"You're the princess," he responds.

Quite the sweet talker. And ass kisser.

At the same time though, she supposes he is her prince charming in every sense of the word. No one is willing to sacrifice their time to give her the gift of seeing her family. Besides Meliodas, it seems. A random miracle sent from above…

"So," she changes the subject, daring to look at him once more. "No one's missing you at your place?" She would assume one of his friends, or whatever he might consider his roommates, would notice his absence. Surely, right?

He looks at her, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Not as far as I'm aware, Ellie. They've got nothing to worry about anyway. Probably throwin' another party like they always do - even better for them since it's the weekend. But you didn't answer my question."

She hums, confused, and she raises a brow. "What question?"

A half smirk dances on his lips. He sure does love acting like he knows something she doesn't. "Do you mind if I stay the night?" He asks again. "I just think it'd be a little more convenient if I sleep in your dorm and leave as soon as you're ready. Instead of trying to agree on a time to leave, y'know?"

He does make a good point… trying to agree on a time for him to come, having him ask if she's ready to go, and everything in between would be a bit inconvenient. But what if Diane—if she's even home of course—says otherwise? She has just as much say as Elizabeth does when it comes to anyone staying over. Whether it's King or Elaine, or even Ban (he's only ever stayed over once), they always come to some sort of agreement. They always sort it out.

Would Elizabeth let him stay anyway? A tiny, minuscule voice in the back of her mind says yes, and she tries to disregard it with a faint flush to her cheeks.

She feels her lips part in hesitation. Their steps are quiet yet loud all at once. The echo persists, faint. "If it's okay with Diane," she decides. However, if Diane was the one to give Meliodas her sister's number in the first place, surely they've already planned ahead, right?

"We may have," Meliodas coughs - a feigned noise - and she notices the way his lips curl up in a more full smile, "talked about that sort of thing. I asked if I could. I don't want to drive for half the entire day, running on two hours of sleep 'cause I decided to stay over at mine, knowing my buddies would be throwing a party. Like they always do."

"You don't like the parties?" She asks. Would he not see those parties as a free ticket to getting laid? Maybe the music– if they play any in the first place– drives him crazy. Elizabeth knows it would drive her crazy.

Meliodas scoffs, a playful sound. "No, not exactly." Her eyes glance to the walls surrounding them, catching sight of the numbers on the plaques next to doors of the students' dorm rooms. Just a bit further, down the hall and they'll reach her dorm. "The people I bunk with aren't really… hospitable. Sure, they'll greet their guests all nicely but the next moment, they're getting drunk and blasting music that could wake up the entire damn country. Would you wanna stay over, endure hearing your roommates having sex faintly over the shitty music they play?"

Elizabeth can't help herself from laughing at the way he explains the situation. Of course, it wouldn't be ideal to try to sleep through something like that, but she must admit—it sounds funny in retrospect.

The blonde walking next to her nudges her side which only causes her to laugh a bit harder. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up, Liones. Maybe I'll play loud ass music at four in the morning just to spite you."

"And wake up the entire building, Vayne?" Elizabeth smiles. "You'll get me kicked out. Where else will I go?"

"I'll get us a place," he suggests. Her brows raise in shock - her eyes darting to him before she decides to keep her gaze on her shoes, finding a sudden fake interest in them. He isn't serious. He can't be! They barely know each other—sure, they are friends, but they're not friends! Is she making any sense? Maybe getting some rest will do her fried brain justice…

Elizabeth chuckles awkwardly. "We aren't at that level, Meliodas. Why would we move in together? Plus, I'm already bunking with Diane. She called dibs."

"We aren't there, yet," he slyly says.

She settles on not responding; whatever the outcome may be of them arguing over nothing won't deter her from visiting her family. But she would rather not sit in a car for roughly ten to twelve hours with a man who infuriates her to no end. Not like he isn't like that already… Just slightly less than before.

Once they reach her dorm she shares with Diane, Elizabeth sighs softly. She passes Meliodas a glance and he offers a faint grin. She looks away, skin flushing once more - is it just hot in here?

Pushing the door open once she unlocks it, her ears are met with the sound of two familiar voices—one belonging to Diane and the other belonging to King. Her heart thumps in her chest, thinking it might be awkward when Meliodas and King see each other. There is no avoiding it either.

Elizabeth whispers to Meliodas, telling him he can kick off his shoes and leave them by the door. He obliges, bringing a hand up to the wall to steady himself as he looks down, taking one foot to press against the heel to remove a shoe and doing the same with the other.

The silverette walks into the living room, watching as Diane and King shift their attention to her, their conversation dying down as they fully take notice of her. Diane's smile is large when she comes to a stand, and Elizabeth can't stop herself from smiling back. In the blink of an eye, Diane's arms are wrapped around Elizabeth's waist.

"Ellie," Diane says her name in an almost sing-song tone. Maybe she's been hanging out with Ban too much as of late. "Girl, you've really gotta find another job. I don't think anyone in our building works as late as you do! And for a restaurant of all places?"

Elizabeth swallows, a sudden lump in her throat. Why is she so abruptly nervous? She knows Meliodas and Diane talked - she knows they planned something, sleeping arrangements included (at least for tonight). From the corner of her eye, she sees Meliodas studying the scene before him, his eyes glossing over Elizabeth and Diane. Is he eyeing her more than he is Diane or is she crazy?

"How many times will we have this talk, Di?" Elizabeth laughs softly, patting Diane on the back, silently asking Diane to end the embrace. She smiles at the brunette, hands now behind her back. "The pay is fine. I'm not being overworked. I'm okay—and I'm not gonna quit just because you don't like the uniform."

"That uniform is more than reason enough for you to quit," Diane retorts. Elizabeth rolls her eyes playfully in response.

She hadn't realized, but King had stood up from his spot on the couch and moved up slightly; he is now just in between where she stands with Diane and the coffee table. Her heart thumps again - what will he say when he notices Meliodas? The last time they spoke, Elizabeth had made it very evidently clear she had a massive distaste for the blonde. But she brought him here—what will King say or even think?

Feeling Meliodas' presence directly behind her, she supposes she doesn't have to wait much longer to see how everything will unfold.

Nothing stops her nerves from heightening, though.

"Oh, Meliodas," King greets. Well, sort of. It was not necessarily a greeting. More of an acknowledgement. "I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you been?" Oh but Elizabeth can't miss the confusion in his voice - Elizabeth is betting all her money on King's number one thought and question: why is Meliodas here?

Meliodas smiles in kind, tilting his head off to the side. "It has been a while, King," he says. "I've been good. I assume the same for you?"

It feels awkward but not as awkward as Elizabeth thought this conversation would go. If they played together, of course they'd have to have known each other already, right? They've spoken to each other once at the very least. Clearly they have if they can greet each other. It's the bare minimum, after all.

Much to Elizabeth's surprise, King lets out a laugh– half breathy, half… genuine? "Everything is fine on my part. Everyone still calling you Captain? Haven't heard Ban refer to you as that in a bit."

"Well, he's my best bud," Meliodas states, matter-of-factly. "I told him to not call me that, at least not outside of the field. Everyone does still call me Captain though. Just not at the moment. I'm sure these two wonderful ladies told you all about my predicament."

King, again, laughs. Were they ever friends? How does conversation come so easily to them? King never once mentioned them being friends. Unless this is simply how they talk - even then, it seems too friendly for a simple chit-chat amongst acquaintances. "Yeah. Sorry to hear, by the way. I'm sure you'll figure stuff out, sooner or later. You are a good captain—I'd honestly hate to see you benched."

Hm. Peculiar. Being late to practice makes him a good captain…?

Meliodas chuckles, "I'm glad to see there's one person that's still rooting for me. It really sucks you left the team though."

"It wasn't for me." It's a simple statement King said with an equally simple shrug. "Anyways, you guys have the place to yourselves; I'm gonna take Diane out and we're gonna go over to mine for the night. That's okay with you, Elizabeth?"

The woman in question shifts her gaze to King, and she immediately takes notice of the hopeful yet knowing smile on his lips. Her hands, although jittery, return to her sides, fingers smoothing against the fabric of her skirt. A change of clothes sounds like paradise at the moment. Maybe a pair of sweatpants, or maybe a pair of shorts… so many choices…

"Yeah," she finds her voice, "that's okay. I'll be gone for the whole day tomorrow, maybe a day or two into the week too."

"We got you covered, Ellie!" Diane exclaims, rushing to give the silverette yet another hug. Elizabeth squeaks with surprise. Diane giggles, and the embrace is cut short before Elizabeth could fully finish processing her friend's action. "You can take all the time you want with your family. It'll be like you never left." She shoots Elizabeth a wink - yet it leaves Elizabeth all sorts of confused. What exactly did she and Meliodas plan?

Diane and King say their goodbyes—before she knows it, it is simply her and Meliodas in her dorm. There's food left in the refrigerator, Diane and King's courtesy. But she isn't hungry, and apparently neither is Meliodas.

Elizabeth knows she should change - but she feels so extremely out of it. She's going to see her family soon. She's excited but anxious all at once. Which makes no sense to her; what is there to be anxious about? It's been far too long since she's seen her family physically and not over a video call. So why is there a sudden lump in her throat?

And with Diane and King - did they really have to go? Plus, all the looks Diane was giving her… did she really go out of her way to ensure she would be alone with Meliodas tonight? Or does she simply think she knows something Elizabeth doesn't? Dreadful.

She left her bedroom door open. Sitting at the foot of her bed, Elizabeth stares down at the floor. Why is she feeling like this so suddenly?

A soft knock breaks the silence - blue eyes snap to her door, only to find a half-smiling Meliodas. He leans against the door frame, not daring to step into her room. Crossing his arms, he tilts his head to the side.

"Are you okay?"

The question left his lips so softly, so gently, it made her heart pound. "I…" Oh, what a moment for her to choke up. "I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous about leaving and seeing my father and sisters again." Because leaving her school work and job for a few days… won't there be massive damage done to her flawless record? She'd give it all up just to see her family for even a second, though.

"I get that," he replies. "Everything will be okay, Ellie. I'll be with you."

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Oh yes, because that really puts me at ease, thank you."

"It should." Then why does she want to punch him in his smug-appearing face? "Anyway, do you wanna start packing for the trip? Or do you wanna wait until you wake up?"

If that isn't the golden question of the night. Should she pack up a bag or two now or should she do it later, cranky and tired and hungry? Oh, but she's so tired now! Working– running around and wearing her patience thin– for six hours straight… She is in no mood to pack a single thing. But then again; the sooner she does it, the less she'll have to do in the morning when she wakes up.

And there is no telling what Meliodas will be like, either.

"I'll pack," Elizabeth decides. Her lips curl up slowly in a smile, and she glances away. "And you're gonna help me, Vayne."

She sees Meliodas shrug from the corner of her eye—totally not the reaction she was fishing for. Maybe she really is too tired. There's no way Meliodas Vayne of all people would be flustered with seeing any of her clothes, least of all her undergarments.

Yet, as he finally chooses to walk into her bedroom, she asks herself just how long the night will last…

…Well into two in the morning (if she had to guess), her main light turned on when her lamp's light was no longer enough, she sighs, head tilted toward her ceiling as she lay on her bed. It was just for a moment, she told herself, but that moment has lasted for more than five minutes. Exhaustion hugs her every nerve, her brain practically yelling at her to go to sleep, but she isn't done packing her bags.

"Ellie?" Meliodas' voice rings out. She flinches, not expecting him to speak. Elizabeth blinks slowly and she tilts her head in his direction, eyes easily finding his. He grins, though she can see how tired he is. Oh how his eyes speak volumes. "Are you that flustered about me seeing your underwear?" He teases. "It's not anything I haven't seen before, Liones."

"Don't mock me just because I'm tired," she whines. "Sorry I worked 'til midnight, and I'm sorry I don't really know what the time is now. You could've stopped if it bothered you."

He chuckles, a noise she's sure she'll soon grow tired of. "I wasn't mocking you. And you have nothing to apologize for. I fully knew what hours you were working, and I still stayed. Berate me if you're gonna blame someone for something. Do you wanna go to bed?"

"Mm," she groans, daring to close her eyes for a moment, "we aren't done."

"But you look done. We can just pick it right back up in the morning. You worked all day today; you earned that rest ten times over."

Elizabeth smiles at his words. "Did you start caring about me overnight?" Oh how he sounds like a concerned father. So very out of place for a man like Meliodas Vayne. "Don't give me that 'aw, we're friends!' crap, either. You and I both know you don't act like this with anyone, ever."

"You must be special then, hm?" He says and she can't stop herself from furrowing her brows. She keeps her eyes closed despite the harsh light - but what he said… what does he even mean? In what way should she even take that?

"Crap, like I said."

Meliodas laughs softly in response - good Lord, it really is too late for this, she thinks to herself. "Believe what you want. I meant it when I said I wanted to be friends with you, Ellie. After all, you said we were, right? No takesies backsies."

"You're a child," Elizabeth giggles. "Really, I'm starting to believe you are five years old. Stuff like that doesn't fly between anyone, let alone grown people."

"Yeah, I know. Being an adult is hard though– you understand more than anyone." Damn, she hates it when he has a point. But that is never often. "And I know you really believe I have some sort of ulterior motive. I don't." Hm… oh how strange. So very out of character for a man like Meliodas Vayne - the very same one that runs the moment commitment is brought up in any way, shape, or form.

Very. Strange.

Elizabeth opens her eyes, takes a moment to sit up with a soft groan, and she dares to look Meliodas in the eyes. He pauses, left hand over one of her two suitcases (don't ask why she needs more than one) and she notices how his legs are crossed as he sits on her bedroom floor. How uncharacteristically sweet of him to continue packing while she took a break.

"Are you the same Meliodas that can't hold a relationship?" She asks, perhaps rhetorically. "The one that practically uses girls for his pleasure and discards them when he gets bored? I find it really hard to believe you just want to be my friend."

He grins - and she hates the direction this is going (is she making things awkward anyway even though she hadn't wanted to in the first place?). "Like I said, Elizabeth," he says her name in such an odd tone, she can't even begin to describe it, "believe what you want. Nothing I can say will change your mind. But I do hope you know I'm done with that juggling girls business. I already told you about that—I don't need to remind you again, do I?"

It takes her a moment to recall what he is talking about - and once again, he's right. When he berated her for bringing up his reputation on that phone call they had after he left. After he took care of her the night she had gotten drunk.

Suddenly her heart feels… heavy. Something along the lines of guilt floods her and she forces herself to look away, swallowing her shame. "Right. You don't have to tell me again. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," his voice is soft, nearly quiet now. "I know I can be… difficult. But you have your moments too, Ellie."

She exhales a laugh. "I'll bet. Even worse when I drink."

"Nah, seein' you like that was a treat. You're welcome, by the way, for lookin' after you."

"Thank you."

And she holds her breath, daring to look at him once more. It's sort of worth it to see the joyful glint in his emerald-hued eyes and the genuine smile on his lips.

ooo

hello lovelies! i am deeply sorry for how long it took to update this. motivation came and went, constantly. it sucked lol, but im so happy to bring you lovely readers another update!

thank you for being patient. much love to you all