Lion Sin of Pride (Ban x OC)

Staying in Line

"Come on, L. In here."

Ban pushed open the door of one of the empty houses near the bathhouses and motioned for her to follow him inside.

Leo entered the dark inside of the house behind him and followed him up the stairs. She watched as he pushed open the door at the end of the hall upstairs and gave her a grin over his shoulder. "Bedroom. And there's only one bed. Perfect."

"I already told you, you bastard...." She rolled her eyes and pushed past him into the room. She glanced around. There wasn't much, just a bed in the corner and a chest of drawers pushed up against the far wall, but it reminded her of her apartment back in the town where she had lived for the past decade. And at this point, she didn't care if she had to sleep on the floor, she just wanted to lie down and get off her feet.

Leo crossed the small room and sat down on the bed, testing out the straw mattress for a moment. She kicked off her boots, laid her sheath that held Megil on the floor next to them, and fell backward on the bed, closing her eyes. She stretched her arms above her head and let out a long sigh. "Seven Hells, I don't think I've ever felt a bed more comfortable."

She heard Ban shut the door to the room and then approach the bed, kicking off his large boots as well. She kept her eyes closed, but felt him sit down on the edge of the bed as it dipped under his weight.

Suddenly, he was straddling her on hands and knees, his hands on either side of her head and his knees on either side of her waist. She opened her eyes to glance up at him and he gave her a suggestive grin. "Are you sure you want to sleep, L?" His still damp hair was falling over his forehead and into his eyes as it looked down at her.

Leo closed her eyes again, trying to ignore him, and said in an irritated voice, "Hmm, I don't even want to know what you're going to suggest instead."

She felt his hand on her wrist and opened her eyes again, turning her head to look down at what he was doing. He ran a thumb over the Elvish writing that curled along her forearm, his eyes flicking over the statement as he said in a low voice, "'Pride goeth before the fall.' Does that help keep you in line, L?"

She flicked her eyes up to meet his, which were now back on her face, and said, "Don't we all have something that keeps us in line and makes us remember our sin? Even if it's not in writing."

He gave her a half smile and released her arm, letting it drop back on the bed by her side. "And what's mine then?"

She studied him for a moment, her dark eyes meeting his red irises, and then lifted her hand, running a finger across the fox mark imprinted on his side. "I think you're the one exception, Foxy. I don't think you need anything other than this to remind you of your sin. Because you won't ever let yourself forget. Not for eternity. You'll just keep punishing yourself every day for the rest of your life."

He put his hand over hers at his side, stopping her movement, and then grabbed her other wrist, pinning both hands up above her head as he leaned closer to her, a dangerous look in his eyes. "I don't like how you see through me so easily, L. I've never liked it. I think that's why I tried so damn hard to stay away from you in the beginning."

She lifted the corner of her mouth in a sardonic smile. "And look how well that worked out for you." She slipped one of her hands out of his grasp and raised it to his neck, running her fingers gently over the scarred skin from Meliodas' strike so many years ago. She stopped, her fingers resting softly on the scar on his jaw, and met his intense gaze. "I'm sorry, Ban. I'm sorry I can't always protect you like I want to."

He gave her a surprised look and then chuckled in amusement. "You don't have to protect me. I'm immortal remember? Nothing hurts me."

"That's not true." Leo raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes suddenly slightly sad. "I've watched you all these years. You heal your wounds and you can't be physically destroyed, you're immortal, yes, but you still feel. You still feel the pain of every strike, every blow, every injury that's dealt to you." She dropped her gaze from his, suddenly feeling tears well in her eyes. She'd never said this outloud, and hadn't realized how strongly she felt about it until this moment. "And I want to protect you. I don't want you to have to ever feel pain like that again. Not while I'm around."

She kept her eyes downcast, not wanting to see how he was reacting to what she was telling him, something she'd never told anyone before. Suddenly, she felt his hand go under her chin and he forced her to look up at him again. He gave her a half smile and said in a low voice, "Okay, L. Let's make a pact then. I've got your back if you've got mine."

Leo furrowed her brow, thinking for a moment as she studied the man before her. How had they gotten here? And why did she feel so safe when they were with together? And why was he, a human, the first one to ever make her feel this way in all of her centuries of living?"

"L?" His voice brought her back from her thoughts.

She hesitated for a moment, not saying anything, and then pushed herself up on her elbows. She shoved him off of her and he rolled to the side of the bed, propped up on his arms as he gave her a confused look. She got up on her hands and knees and straddled him, just like he had been doing to her moments before. She leaned over him, putting her lips to his ear, and murmured, "Okay."

With that one word, his lips were on hers. She responded hungrily, running her hands up his bare chest as his arms went around her waist. She pressed against him, feeling his sharp teeth run over her bottom lip and as one of his hands ran down her thigh, she couldn't help but forget everything outside. At least for that moment.