Quote of the Chapter:

"I have had worse partings, but none that so
Gnaws at my mind still." - Walking Away, Cecil Day-Lewis

Chapter Forty-Six: I (still) love you

Why did people love to meddle?

That one question couldn't help but play in Meliodas' mind as he stared at his reflection, wondering why the fuck he'd let himself get roped into this plan. Most nights these days he'd end up working, burying himself within the routine before returning home to stare the ceiling down until he slept. Zeldris didn't bother his evenings most nights. Most of the time he was calling Gelda, talking about how Christmas was coming up and he might need to go back to Scotland to help her.

Part of Meliodas prayed that his brother would go back home - before shit hit the fan and he was called out to work for his father. At least then Zeldris would be safe, far away from the corruption of their father's legacy. But, like the stubborn mule he was, Zeldris seemed fixed on staying for a while. His excuse was not wanting his brother to spend Christmas alone. How lovely.

Tonight, though, Zeldris was disturbing Meliodas' norm of being a workaholic. Dragging him aside, showing him a text that he'd sent to Diane, Zeldris told Meliodas that he was going to movie night this week and he was going to grow a pair and talk to Elizabeth. Air everything out. At once. In front of everyone. No excuses to be accepted.

That led to Meliodas being forced into a stupid Christmas jumper - at the beginning of December - to fit the supposed theme. Zeldris, handy as always, also said he'd provide a ride, meaning Meliodas couldn't pretend to go.

Though, with the ride Zeldris set up, Meliodas would rather kill himself at this current moment. Never in his life would he have seen himself here, sat next to his brother as Zaneri waffled on and on about her day at work, fiddling with the heater in her car as they waited in the late night traffic pile up. Apparently, Zeldris had gotten the car for the evening by exchanging his invite to movie night; some kind of trade-off that was only working because they both lived to meddle.

"Trust me, this will work, Mel," Zaneri smiled, her eyelashes glinting silver from the mascara she wore. Apparently it was meant to mirror tinsel, silver and sparkly in order to distract the viewer. Nothing new for her.

"I don't trust anything that comes out of your mouth," Was Meliodas' natural response. When it came to Elizabeth, he didn't trust much about Zaneri and her opinions on it all. There was nothing for her to gain from supporting Elizabeth; she had everything to lose if Elizabeth did end up forgiving him, so much more than she could ever gain.

If there was anything Meliodas had learned about Zaneri then it was that she was gain-orientated. Nothing else mattered as long as she benefited from whatever she did. That was why she had approached him in the first place, one of the scariest members of their year group, known for getting sent to isolation whenever he ended up in a fight.

From the moment he'd met her, Meliodas knew that the only reason why Zaneri had approached him was because of his reputation. If he wasn't Meliodas King, the kid known for being a troublemaker, an angry, brooding mess, than she wouldn't have bothered. But the protection that status gave, the notoriety - she loved it. Even now it was the same: she was still chasing a long-dead image.

"If you don't trust her, then trust me," Zeldris grumbled, shaking his head as he shot a glare at Zaneri. A sign to shut the fuck up and not ruin the plan. "Showing up and saying the truth will fix whatever mess you've made."

"And what if he chickens out?" Zaneri fired back, determined as always to get her way. Again, nothing new. All evening, Meliodas knew, she would make his mission impossible because she didn't want him to succeed. Clearing the air with Elizabeth was the last thing she needed right now. For years she had been waiting for something like this to happen.

So, why now would she just give it up?

"He won't chicken out," Zeldris responded, a firm and certain thing as he glanced at his brother. "Right?"

"Yeah, I won't," Meliodas muttered, turning away from his younger brother and instead focusing on the passing London scene. Right now there was too much noise for him to focus - both from his brain and from the two annoying pests who just couldn't leave him alone. Ever since the truth had come out, there was always someone telling him what he should do next. If it wasn't Ban then it was Zeldris. If it wasn't Zeldris then it was Zaneri. There was always someone to fill that void.

But, right now more than ever, Meliodas just needed space. All he wanted, all he would ever need for the rest of his life, was a wide berth from every other human being alive. Sadly, it was just better that way.

"Well, I still don't believe him," Pursing her lips, Zaneri still voiced her counter argument as she stared ahead at the busy London roads. Pale at the knuckles, her hands were terse around the steering wheel of her car. "So I'm tagging along whether you guys like it or not."

Resigned to his fate, Meliodas knew there was no point in arguing. Instead he'd just have to find a way around the problem known as Zaneri - which shouldn't be too hard for him. Being a sneaky, lying bastard was already encoded into his DNA. Surely, with enough thinking and a tiny pinch of good luck, Meliodas would be able to bypass whatever she had planned and talk to Elizabeth before everything went to shit.

Only, he should have never underestimated the lengths a person could go to in order to ruin another's life.

As soon as Meliodas was out of the car, Zeldris had jetted off without so much as a second word. Like he knew that there would be an argument about Zaneri and her very unwanted presence. Which he wasn't so wrong to assume because Meliodas definitely had some choice words to share with that woman before he attempted to fix his mistakes with Elizabeth.

But before he could get anything out, Zaneri had beat him to the chase. Practically skipping with excitement, she had already gone up the front steps toward Elaine's front door. All too soon she had pressed the damned doorbell and Meliodas was practically panicking on what he could do next.

"You'd better pray that someone other than Elizabeth answers that door," Was all he could say, deciding to direct all of his nervous energy into hostile energy instead. Chewing the inside of his cheek, anticipating what was probably going to come next, he sent a dark glare to Zaneri.

"Oh come on, she'll totally understand," Zaneri scoffed, rolling her jade eyes as she folded her arms across her chest. Shaking her head, she scoffed at Meliodas as she frowned, "You should really take a chill pill."

That was something he'd never do around her. Not ever again.

Confirming that resolution, Meliodas' glare only grew all the more sharp as he grumbled, "Like I said, I don't trust you."

Because who could trust someone like her? Meliodas knew that he definitely would not - not when she had so much to gain from toppling the little chances he had at getting back into Elizabeth's good graces. The only reason why Zaneri was even here in this current moment was to see what was going on and to make sure that Meliodas didn't make up with Elizabeth. Just like last time. Just like every time she tried to meddle.

So maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised when it was Elizabeth who answered that damned door.

"Merry Christmas!" Dressed in that old Santa dress of hers from a few years ago, Elizabeth didn't look too different when she opened the door. Initially she had seemed rather quiet with her delivery, her face twisted with the tell-tell signs of her nerves and discomfort. But upon seeing who was front and centre, eager to see exactly what she was missing out on, Elizabeth's face immediately dropped into complete surprise. Pained confusion.

Even without words, Meliodas knew that she was definitely going to roast him alive. If Elizabeth had been thinking about being civil with him, then those intentions had definitely been dashed out of the window now. They had burned into a fine crisp as soon as she had seen Zaneri, acting as if she been personally invited to this thing.

"Oh, hi Elizabeth," Grinning broadly, Zaneri looked as perky as a sunflower in the bright summer sun. To the unsuspecting eye she would look like an innocent person, happy to see a long-time friend that she had lost contact with. But both Meliodas and Elizabeth knew otherwise; she was reveling in the fact that Elizabeth was completely confused.

Zaneri's complete opposite, Elizabeth could only shake her head as she glanced at Meliodas, muttering hollowly, "That fast, huh?"

Before she'd turned away from him, Meliodas could have sworn he'd seen tears in her eyes. Perhaps even the fine traces of her broken heart, mixed within the tiny drops. But, before he could say for certain, she was gone once more, faded into the shadows of the darkened living room and leaving him all alone once more.

Why did people love to meddle?