Two Princes

15. Elizabeth's First Time In Control

This time when Meliodas climbs onto his motorcycle, Elizabeth hesitates for two reasons: 1) the extremely short skirt, and 2) because of his apology for the kiss. Like he regretted it.

He senses her hesitation and holds his breath until he feels her climb on and slide up behind him. After a beat, she hugs his torso, and he exhales the tension in his shoulders. "You okay, Elizabeth?"

She nods her head against his back. Meliodas kick-starts the bike.

❤︎

"What are we doing here?" Elizabeth gazes at the forest on either side of this deserted, secluded stretch of road. "Is this the part when you murder me and bury my body in the woods?"

"Elizabeth." His voice is low, very serious, and his eyes darken as he gazes at her. "I would never hurt you."

Oh.

Then Meliodas gives her a gleeful smile. "You're going to drive my bike!"

Her mouth drops open. "...What?"

He gestures for her to scoot toward the front, and then he stands in front of her, explaining. "Okay, so, listen carefully. Everything on the left corresponds to and controls the gears, while the right controls acceleration and braking. Got that?"

"You've seriously got to be joking."

"This," he points to the left handlebar, "is the hand clutch, and you'll need to squeeze it whenever you want to change gears, because it'll put the bike in neutral long enough for you to shift up or down. You do that by stepping down on this gear shift by your foot at the same time, and, of course, slowing down."

"You really are trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"The throttle is here, on the right handlebar, and it's for accelerating, and right here is the front brake. Very important. This lever by your right foot is the rear brake—just as important. Got it?"

"I knew skipping school would be a bad idea." She groans, swiping her bangs away from her face in frustration.

"Elizabeth, pay attention," he says patiently. "You can do this. Let's start with something simpler—"

"—Like you driving us back to the tavern?" she asks hopefully, and he gives her a look.

"—Like you starting standing on the ground, letting the clutch out very slowly, and just walking forward so you get a sense of balance. Okay?"

She stares at him like he's crazy.

"Elizabeth, I'm right here. You're not going to get hurt."

She gulps and nods, knowing there's no way she'll be able to talk him out of this.

"Now. What do you do first?"

"Kick-start it?"

"Yeah." He gives her a lopsided grin. "See?"

Under his direction, then, she slowly goes through each of the controls until she has a better sense of how to handle the motorcycle, and eventually the dragon purrs smoothly beneath her. Meliodas nods, satisfied.

"All right, Elizabeth, let's see what you can do!" He climbs on behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his body, and her cheeks warm. Oh, no. No distractions. Focus.

Slowly, she lets out the clutch until the motorcycle begins to roll forward on the ground, and she accelerates cautiously and then with a little more abandon, switching gears fluidly, until they're flying through the forest.

"Yeah, Elizabeth!" He whoops behind her, and her stomach flutters at his expression of pride.

After a short while, she switches gears and decelerates, eventually bringing the dragon to a complete stop in the middle of the road, and she steadies it.

"Elizabeth?" Meliodas rests his hands on either side of her waist. "You still with me?"

She throws her head back, laughing, and he grins in relief. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

Over her shoulder, she locks eyes with him. Hers are sparkling. "Yeah. It is."

For a moment, they just stare at each other, smiling. Then before she can think about it, Elizabeth leans forward and kisses him.

No time for him to think about or question it, either, and Meliodas kisses her back, sliding an arm around her waist to pull her flush against him, until they break apart, breathing heavily and no longer from the adrenaline of Elizabeth's first time in control.

"Elizabe—" Meliodas starts, but she cuts him off in the same breath as she leans back in, cupping the side of his face and pressing against him, her lips moving in and out and around his own with such urgency, and he groans in the back of his throat. His fingers tighten around her hips, in the same instant that she pulls away and pushes him back, and he stares at her, confusion clouding his green eyes.

"Why are you kissing me?" she demands. "You apologized this morning! You regretted our kiss! What the hell, Meliodas?"

What...the...? Oh, fuck. It. Green darkens to dangerous black as Meliodas grabs her around her waist and at the back of her neck, pulling her back and down to him to claim her lips again, aggressively, possessively, and Elizabeth's fingers twist roughly in his hair.

Time pauses as the forest around them spins into oblivion, and there is just the two of them, in this moment, hungry and wanting, until they break apart again and green and blue eyes meet, calmer, and Meliodas' grip on Elizabeth relaxes, and her hands slip down to rest gently on his shoulders. "Meliodas?"

The smile he gives her is a far cry from his usual cocky grin. His eyes have lightened, and swim now with the same tenderness she's seen just a handful of times, and quickly her mind cycles through the memories—Meliodas giving her his leather jacket for the first time, Meliodas rescuing her from that disastrous dinner—"There's a lot you don't know about me, Elizabeth"—"I'm glad you're alright, 'cause that's what really matters to me"—their first dance, their first kiss, and...maybe, just maybe...

"Meliodas, would you forget me if I asked you to?"

The forest is as silent as she, as she holds her breath, waiting for his answer, still straddling his motorcycle, still holding onto him. Meliodas drops his gaze.

"Oh, Elizabeth." Keeping one arm firmly around her waist, he reaches his other hand to cup her face, gently stroke her cheek with his thumb, brush her bangs out of her eyes, blue eyes he's dying to swim in.

"Elizabeth, I've been unable to forget you for even a second since the moment I laid eyes on you."

She gasps, her eyes filling with tears, and he wraps both arms around her. "I've never regretted a single moment I've spent with you."

She hugs his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "Meliodas."

"I'm right here."

For a long time, they stand there together, both straddling the motorcycle, until the air cools and the sun is disappearing behind the treetops. Meliodas takes off his jacket and wraps it around Elizabeth, brushing his lips against her cheek. "Elizabeth, I've gotta get you home."

"Your home?" she asks hopefully.

"I'd love to, but Bartra will murder me, and then you won't have a date to that dance."

Her stomach flipflops.

"I'm gonna take you home, okay?"

Disappointed, she nods, but quickly brightens with an idea: "Can I drive?"

He laughs loudly. "You really do want me to die, don't you? No, Elizabeth, but another time. I promise, I'll take you out again."

Obligingly she lets him climb in front of her and this time she hugs him without hesitation, resting her head on his shoulder, and the bad boy blushes and smiles.