A Life Changing Moment.

Part Four.

Meliodas slammed open the door with the cigarette still burning in between his index and middle finger as he stood there with wide eyes. In the split second it took him to run in, a few very bad scenarios were running through his mind. Zel getting into his medicine and choking on the pills before dropping to the floor or managing to get them down before overdosing, the little guy trying to mess around in the bathroom and hitting his head on something, or even the child accidently electrocuting himself with some of the crappy wiring behind the TV.

However all he saw as he stood there was the cheerios scattered and broken fragments of the bowl on the floor with a teary eyed boy standing in the middle of it.

"S-Sorry... 'm sorr-y-y-y..."

The tears started running down his face as Meliodas put out the cigarette on the nightstand before walking over to make sure he didn't cut himself or something. He picked the child up and put him on the bed so he could inspect safely.

"I-I-I-I didn't m-mean t-to b-b-weak ceweal..."

He was absolutely sobbing now even though he didn't have a single apparent cut, like it was the end of the world that a little bowl got broken accidently when eating cereal.

"It's okay kid, just calm down. It's just a bowl, I was just bringing you over here so you didn't get cut and so I could make sure you weren't hurt, it's not a big deal. You aren't in trouble or anything."

" Z-Zel not in twouble?"

"Nah, why would you be? Just a silly bowl, nothing worth getting upset over."

Zel calmed down with sniffles and some small tears still in place, but before Meliodas could react the ravenette tackled the blond in a tight hug, like he has just told him world hunger was over or some great news like that. This act of affection froze Meliodas in place though, he really wasn't used to moments like this and honestly, this was the first bit of it he had gotten in a long time. Seeing it was from this tiny three year old looking boy who grasped him so tightly, well... Meliodas didn't know what to think about it.

Waiting a minute before peeling the tiny hands from around his neck, he found himself giving a very small smile at the child, almost like trying to reassure him that things were okay.

"Alright Zel, I'm gonna clean this up and then head out to the store, I want you to stay here please. No wandering or anything, you can watch TV or something if you get bored. I'll put on a channel for you. Okay?"

"Don want you go."

"It's alright I'll be back soon, promise. Do you want to give me another hug before I go since you seem to like them?"

The boy nodded before once again squeezing his tiny arms as tightly around Meliodas as possible.

"Okay, so I'll be back soon. Oh yeah, you don't have anything to call me do you?"

"Daddy!"

Once again the word made Meliodas's heart ping painfully at the word as Zel seemed to notice the change with furrowed eyebrows and a frown.

"Do you... not want be daddy?"

Sighing at the sensitivity of this child, he tried to think of how to word this nicely. The headache was coming back from earlier now that the nicotine promptly wore off and his irritable nature usually came with it. And also lots of vomit on the second day of withdrawals, which he was not looking forward to.

"It's not that, it's just I... can't, be your father. Okay?"

The boy seemed very sad over that, but nodded.

"However you still need something to call me. My name is Meliodas."

"Mew-oa-s"

He tried hard to say it but it came out mixed up and slurred in the young child's mouth.

"You know what, how about Mel? It might be easier."

"Mew!"

Eh, close enough. I always hated that nickname but it was what all the little kids in foster care called me so why not.

"Okay, I'm gonna head out, so stay here I'll be back soon, so don't freak out like last time alright?"

"Okie Mew!"

For some reason the comfident but sweet tone of the words mixed with the butchered ones themselves made the blond smile slightly as Zel waved with intense movement in his arm.

"Bye, kid."

"Bye bye!"

As he shut the door, the smile continued for only a moment longer before falling at the thought of how this would work. It wasn't against the law here to take in a child if there was no parental unit with them since usually that meant they were abandoned and that happened very often in this crappy state, but the problem was that it was also home to pedophiles, traffickers, and creeps. Which meant that if you did find a child and start asking around, you would be taken in for questioning to make sure you were really trying to return the kid and not sell them. Yet another reason Meliodas was trying to stay clean until the boy was gone. Because in his current state? He'd be arrested very fast trying to get that kid home.

And that wasn't wasn't broaching the problem of if a pedo said yes just to get his or her hands on the boy. How was Meliodas to tell who the real parent was? His original plan of using a photo was starting to seem very flimsy now, although it was made when dealing with the first wave of withdrawals.

Alright, I'll get Zel some clothes, I think he's about three or so, so I'll get him an outfit in that size just to test it out. If he ends up staying awhile I'll get more, but for now I'll stick with the one, get his hair brushed and- shit, he probably needs a little toothbrush doesn't he? And that toothpaste kids use? The bright blue, sparkly, sticky kind? Ugh I'm gonna lose all of my cash on this kid! Outfits are already expensive enough. Whatever, I'll get him just those and worry about other things later.
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Let's just say that didn't work out.

He walked in with minimalistic intentions and came out with two arms full of bags. He was starting to get the suspicion that when lying about how much he'd spent on the boy he'd have to majorly increase the price in order to have any left over for his next damn hit!

Sighing with annoyance as the shakiness make it difficult to carry all of the bags, he hauled it in the Uber car and tried to keep the vomit in his stomach on the way back.

Wave two was getting worse now. Great. Soon he'd be withering away from pain and mental confusion as his body basically gave him the middle finger for taking away it's medicine.

"Same place you picked me up at."

"You got it."

He zoned out the whole trip before staggering to his room in a daze and struggling to unlock the door.

Ten minutes later he was inside with the groceries as he gave brief acknowledgement of Zel before running to his bathroom and vomiting like crazy, barely getting the first round in the toilet.

Ugh.. another round of hell begins.

Hope you like the chapter!