The dog and the little thief

You were too tired to wonder why you had brought yourself here, you instead decided to enjoy it while it lasted. As you moved your hand up his neck and onto his cheek, his skin felt unnaturally warm. You also noticed cuts on his neck and his other cheek.

You lifted your hand over his other cheek, "Arthur" you whispered again. He groaned quietly and opened his eyes, "why are you hurting?"

He turned his head and pressed his lips into your palm, "Just training".

You nuzzled his nose with your smaller one, your faces so close his hair tickled your forehead.

"Are you sure you're not training too hard? I can't heal you from here" You smile, he slips his hand out from the covers and onto your neck, heating the corner of your face.

"Where are you?" He said, ignoring the question. His sleepy purple eyes like a beautiful ocean of stars.

"Safe, with Diane and Ban, and Meliodas".

He wedged his face between the pillow and the side of your face, breathing gently on your bare shoulder.

"Why can't you love me?" He murmured, obviously dozing off to sleep and not realising what he was saying.

You held your breath, tears coming up to your eyes as a familiar face entered your mind, you pushed them away and hugged Arthur's head into your chest, "I'm so sorry".

"Don't be sorry angel baby" Arthur said softly between your breasts.

He half yawned. An awkward experience for both of you but he wouldn't remember in this state, and you didn't mind the strange kiss on your chest.

When you came up out of your vision, you were lying on top of Ban on the floor, snuggled into his chest with his two strong arms wrapped protectively around you.

Not wanting to wake him and explain how you fell out of bed onto him, you wiggle out of his grip and walk downstairs.

Once you had reached the tavern's bar, you looked out the window to see it was still dark, with little to do, you released your wings and flew out onto the roof.

Meliodas was up there and it scared you at first, but he wasn't looking at you, he was lying on the roof tiles looking up at the stars.

"Melio?"

"Yo (Y/n)!" He patted a space next to him, "can't sleep?"

You shrug, "Ban snores"

Meliodas shakes with light jubilant laughter and a half-smile creeps onto your face, he really did have the most beautiful smile. You begin to titter too, your shoulders rising and falling before exhaling happily as you look up to the vast dark sky above you.

"I missed this" You smirk and push your (H/c) hair behind your shoulder, your nightie falling loosely over your body.

The air was cold tonight, much like the evenings were when you were in Camelot sitting on your balcony. You realised just how many nights you had spent sitting beside Arthur in silence, looking out over the vast landscape, thinking of Meliodas. And now here you sat, beside the blonde boy you had spent so long searching for, thinking about Arthur.

You clutched your head in frustration, "ah I need a drink".

Meliodas chuckled and winked at you as you look at him, "I'm sure I can find something". He jumped off the roof and you heard the door open as the dragon sin walked inside. You heard several bottles smash which made you snicker before the boy re-emerged jumping up next to you and handing you a bottle of Vanya ale.

You pulled the cork off and had a swig of the drink, you licked your lower lip with a goofy grin on your face, "Mm! This is good!"

Meliodas takes the bottle and gulps down a large amount, nodding "It's my best ale!"

After a few more guzzles of the drink, Meliodas grew quiet, "Did you see Arthur again?"

"Yes"

The sin frowned sadly, "How is he?"

"He misses you Meliodas" you wipe your nose, it was beginning to go numb in the cold, "I can sense it".

He nods, noticing you are cold, the blonde moves closer and puts his arm around you. You sit solemnly together, your wings emerging from your back and wrapping around your backs against the winds. You rest your head on his shoulder, Meliodas taps the top of the bottle with his finger, "he still doesn't know?"

You close your eyes, "no".

You two talked for hours, drinking most of the bottles in the tavern. When you finally opened your eyes, your head was pounding like you'd been smacked with a hammer across the skull. Lifting your head off the bar, you realised you had been drooling in your sleep.

In front of you, Ban stood in his casual red leather holding a plate with two eggs and bacon on it. He set in down between your waiting hands and you didn't wait a beat before consuming the deliciously cooked food. "So much better than Melios" you say between mouthfuls, a big grin stretched over your delicate features.

Ban brushes his hair back lazily with his fingers, "the Cap'n has no talent in cooking".

"(Y/n)! Come and help me!" You heard Diane crying out in frustration, you laughed, what's wrong now, and walked out of the tavern door. Outside, you saw Hawk's mum had stopped to watch the giant wrestle with the Wind Walker, who was trying to lick her face with its long, snake like tongue.

"Ok" you smirk, "down boy". With a swift swipe of your hand, the ground seemed to open up under the creature and it was sucked down under the earth before it closed up again. Diane brushed the dirt off her orange outfit and had a cranky look on her pretty face, she pulled one of her ponytails tight again, just as two figures stepped out onto the road in front of them.

"You there! Oversized pig and giant girl!"

"Stop where you are!"

The two men were dressed like knights, but did not dawn powerful enough weapons to be Holy Knights, perhaps Holy Knight apprentices?

"I'll finish them off quick" Ban shrugged and began to walk to the door, Meliodas held up a hand to halt him.

The captain walked out along the large green pig's back, past you to lean over and look down at them, "Hello there! Great job with the security check!" He gestures to Hawk's mum, "I'm the owner of this travelling tavern the Boar's Hat, can I help you with something?"

"The owner you say?" One of the men scratches his bristly chin, "What's your relation to this giantess?".

"Well she's my main attraction of course!" He slings a hand around your lower back and onto your hip, "so's this one!"

Ban folds his arms over his chest, he lifts his hand up and your forcefully pulled from your rear to him in one swift motion, "not quite" Ban says to Meliodas flatly. He puts his arm over your shoulders to walk you back inside.

You roll your eyes, "Snatch? Really? You used one of your abilities on me?"

"What's the big deal?" He gives you a toothy grin and you flick him in the nose, ducking under his hold and marching upstairs.

As your heading back to the room to change into your day clothes, you hear a familiar noise, a strange, strangled bark. Your body lifts gently off the ground to look out of one of the circular windows along the staircase. Outside you spot a massive black hound with strange green markings along its neck and shoulders.

Diane shrieks and hides behind Mama Hawk. You draw your arm back and smash through the glass, squeezing out and releasing your wings, flying out to it as the Holy apprentices draw their staffs.

"Wait!" You hold out your arm to stop them moving against the animal. Ban raises an eyebrow, he had also been about to draw his nun chucks to kill the beast.

"What the hell? That chicks got wings?!"

"That's not natural!"

You move slowly towards the black hound, come on, recognise me. Your eyebrows furrow as the black hound's eyes grow softer. Its tail still standing angrily straight, claws scratching the ground with massive paws.

Just as you were about to lay your palm on its face, something spoked it and it vanished. You looked back, Meliodas had the hilt of his serpent sword in his hand, beginning to pull it out.

As you land back on Mama Hawk, you sit down and listen to the rest of the discussion between Meliodas and the guards until they gruffly let you pass. Elizabeth approached Meliodas and began to talk to him quietly about something, later the captain of the sins announced that they were going to head for the Capital of the Dead to search for King.

(30+ years ago)

You look down upon a small blue-haired child wandering the streets of Raven; a poor, crime-filled village. His eyes were a blood red, but one lined with dark purple bruises, he shuffled along the dirt clutching his arm with an ugly scowl on his young face.

Curious, you threw the peach you had been eating to knock him on the forehead. "Ah!" He announced and clutched his forehead, his beady eyes coming quickly up to you sitting on the roof. Though your face was obscured by the hood of your embraided cloak, he was looking right into your (E/c) eyes.

"What do you want?" He snarled, his canines sharp as the human child spat foul words at a passer-by before his eyes returned to yours.

You stood, leaping from the roof and landing in front of him effortlessly. He didn't flinch as you crouch in front of him and he catches sight of your breathlessly beautiful face under the hood. "This stains your pretty face" you moved your thumb over the soft skin of his black eye. He bit his lip in pain, but refused to lower his guard to this stranger.

"What do you care girl?" He mumbles, his nose wrinkling in mild frustration.

You stand up again, "hurtful". A small smile comes on your face as you turn away, how could such a sweet soul feel so much anger? As you jump back up onto the roof, you look back to see him facing you, keen interest in his young eyes. "are you coming?"

"So first things first, we need to gather some info about the Capital of the Dead" Meliodas held his finger in the air, you all stood in a circle around him on the ground on the edge of a small village.

Elizabeth nodded excitedly, "Right!"

Hawk seemed exhilarated, "Finally I can get to work doing something that doesn't involve saving all of your asses!"

"Hawk!" You clap your hand over your mouth, giggling wildly, Hawk blushes in a little bit of embarrassment.

"Your all going to work you here?" Meliodas claps his hands together.

You place one hand on your hip and cock your head to the side, Diane squats down behind you and hearts appear in her eyes as she listens to the captain.

"Giant waitress! I'm leaving you in charge of attracting patrons!" He points to Diane first, her cheeks turn red and she holds her hands to her cheeks, nodding joyfully. "And you can cook chef jailbreak!"

"Woah hold your horses cap'n" Ban holds up his hands defensively, slowly backing away, "I've actually got things to do, soo I'll be back later".

With that the sin of greed turned and walked off lazily into the deserted-looking town. You look after him, puzzled as to what he thought he could possibly find in a place like this, but then again, you had never been here.

"What about (Y/n) and I?" Elizabeth pitched in.

Meliodas smiled at you both and pulled two tavern uniforms from behind his back, "you two are going to be waitresses!" As you take the uniform reluctantly, eying how skimpy and revealing it was, Meliodas notices and winks at you, making you blush slightly.

What you think it is Meliodas and (Y/n) are hiding from Arthur? Why can't (Y/n) love Arthur the way he loves her? Even though its clear she loves him enough to always be drawn to him?

Is it possible its a different kind of love she has for him ...