Ban l My Lily [On Hold]

Chapter 45 l As Long as You're Here

"Just watch Elizabeth for me, 'kay? I need to go...tie up loose ends."

"Calla? Lady Calla?"

"Elizabeth, I love you, but if you call me 'Lady Calla' one more time–"

"Calla, we just passed Hawk!" Calla skid to a stop, seeing the boar chasing after them.

"Oh–I'm sorry Hawk." She apologized, setting Elizabeth down, so she could embrace the sniveling pig.

"MAMA'S DEAAAAHEAAAAD" He cried, just as a large, pig-shaped shadow fell over them. Calla watched Hawk run around in circles, obviously cheerful as she looked towards the smoke rising in the distance.

"Elizabeth, stay with Hawk. I'm going to find Meliodas and the others." Elizabeth nodded, brows furrowing with thought.

Calla found the remaining group of knights and Sins alike, surrounded by smoke and tears.

"How long do you plan on standing there staring at me?" Meliodas asked, looking at his friend, who kept his distance. "You look like you've got something you want to get off of your chest."

"Yeah...something like that." Ban admitted, striding over and setting a hand on the demon's shoulder. "I'm glad my partner in crime hasn't kicked the bucket." He turned in the direction of Calla, calling over his shoulder. "How about we have a toast and kick things off properly?" His weight suddenly against Calla nearly made her topple as his chin landed on her head, sighing heavily. Her arms went around his neck, face against his chest. "Just gimme a minute." He murmured, and her grip tightened, fingers grasping his hair.

"Take as much time as you need, love."  

She didn't see Meliodas frown at the sight of them.

~

The rain swirled around the group of knights and generals alike and Calla pressed herself closer against Ban's side, trying to retain warmth. Jericho stood in front of the Sin pair, looking down at her brother, who was surrounded by flowers and dressed in his knightly attire.

"I don't...understand why my brother had to die..." She said, hands clenching and unclenching at her side. "Was it...to protect me? How are you going to protect me now that you're dead?!" She demanded. "You could've...at least given me the chance to say a proper goodbye...!" Through the rain, no one could see the tears welling in her eyes. Calla set a hand on her shoulder, and Ban set one on her head. "We were...just always...at each others' throats..." She hiccupped and broke down, bowing over with pain, and holding her chest as she wailed.

And there she was held by two immortals at her brother's funeral in the pouring rain. 

~

Calla's brow rose, watching Ban try to discreetly pace back and forth, rolling his lower lip with his teeth and feeling at the scar on his neck.

"Ban," she started, gaining his attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing–nothing's wrong, Cals."

"You say that but I've seen you bite at your nails like five times, and you never do that." He sighed, thumping on the bed–courtesy of Jericho–and running a hand through his hair, mussing it further.

"It's the Cap'n." He admitted, and she huffed a little, already knowing what his answer was going to be. She padded over to the small bed, sitting next to him and leaning a head against his shoulder. "He missed the celebration the King held–he never does that!"

"I know, love. But wouldn't you be acting a little strange if you just came back from the dead?"

"That's just it!" Ban threw up his hands in exasperation. "You heard that bastard–seven hearts, if they get destroyed, the demon dies, no comebacks. And he stabbed each and every one. I fucking watched it!" He shook his head. "It's just–there's nothing. Nothing to explain how or why he came back, he just is!" Calla chewed the inside of her lip, she hated having to lie to him, but Meliodas wanted her to stay quiet.

"But Estarossa also mentioned him being the leader of the Ten Commandments, you don't think there's something that could have saved him?" Ban's brow rose. "A safeguard." She continued. He didn't answer, and she was worried he'd realize she was lying.

"Maybe you're right." He admitted. "If it's not that, he'll tell us, I'm sure of it." She wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Me too, love. But we should–"

"–head to bed, yeah." He agreed. "We have a kingdom to repair tomorrow." He huffed out an amused breath, standing to strip down to a loose pair of shorts. 

Calla–who had already changed into sleepwear–settled down, waiting for Ban to cram in on the small bed with her. Almost as soon as he did, back to her, she threw a leg over his knees, securing an arm around his midsection and burrowing her head into his neck.

Almost immediately, the tension in his body left, and he shifted some, placing his much larger hand over hers.

"Thank you, for everything, Cals." She pressed a kiss to the back of his neck

"You don't need to thank me, Ban."