The Sins of Sloth, Wrath, Lust, and Envy, along with the, now wanted, third Princess of Liones and a talking pig, stood inside (or outside, in Diane's case) of the Boar Hat, waiting anxiously for the return of their comrades, the Raven and Fox Sins. It had gotten to the point where the most of them were restless, only being able to occupy themselves with mindless activities like picking at grass or pacing (possibly floating) back and forth to dispel nervous energy. Every minute or so, one of the people inside would check the window, hoping to see two figures in the distance, and Diane just stared, not wanting to miss the return of, who she considered to be, her best friend in the Sins. It was extremely nerve racking, for Ban had been gone for nearly two hours, and you, a little more than seven. It was around midnight now, the moon high in the sky, letting everything it shone on have an ethereal glow, which was quite the pretty sight. Or, at least it would be if the group wasn't as gut-wrenchingly nervous as they were.

"I can't take this anymore!" King finally shouted. He had been the most concerned by far, as he was one of the people who was particularly close to you. He slammed his open palms on the counter, causing the center of attention to shift away from the large window and toward him, if only for a few moments. "Ban's been gone for two hours and (y/n)'s been for gone more than three times that! We have to go out and look for them!"

"This has been his seventh outburst this hour," Gowther commented, looking stoically over to his comrade. He didn't understand all the fuss. Surely both (y/n) and Ban would return, if not momentarily, then relatively soon.

"King, it's like I told you ten minutes ago," Meliodas sighed, crossing his arms. It seemed as though the intervals between King's demands to go look for you (and Ban, but not as often or as passionately) had grown increasingly smaller, shifting from an hour to five or ten minutes. "This is for the better, we need to let-"

"(Y/N) and Ban reconnect because it will be better for the team," King finished, already having heard his captain's lecture numerous times. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Even I'm annoyed at how long it's taking them to get together! But still, we can't act this recklessly! We need to get them back so we can see if Merlin is here and then do whatever it is we need to do next! It'll be quicker if all of us go," King was almost pleading at this point, now entirely desperate to help on the hunt to find you. "You can't tell me you aren't worried about her! That you don't want to help!"

"Of course we do, Sir King," Elizabeth sighed, offering a knowing glance in the direction of the Dragon Sin, letting him know she could handle this outburst. They had been trading off every few times, insisting that they wait in their own way. Of course, Gowther's insistence to help every few turns grew rather obnoxious. "But Sir Ban has probably already found her and on his way here. We just need to be patient and await their return."

"That's what you've been saying for the past two hours!" Shrieked King, "And before that, all you said was that (y/n) was probably already on her way back! I'm not stupid!"

"That's because it was the truth," Gowther butted in, earning an annoyed glance form Meliodas and Hawk, who had grown all to familiar with the routine. Elizabeth was the more... patient of the three. "This is one of the most unlikely scenarios expected to occur."

"I wasn't implying that you were!" Elizabeth ensured hurriedly, ignoring Gowther's comment entirely and deciding to respond singularly to King, "I just mean to say that we are all getting restless, not just you."

"Screw this!" Growled the Grizzly Sin, clenching his fists and summoning his pillow, which was nearby, to his side. "I'm going to look for her- whether you guys help me or not!"

"Sir King, please wait-!"

"(Y/N)?! OH MY GOD! (Y/N), YOU'RE BACK!"

Diane's shout caused everyone, who wasn't already keeping to themself, to fall silent in disbelief. She had been quiet ever since you had left, not once saying anything. She just listened to the conversations of her comrades, watching the town of Belford as she anxiously awaited your return. She hadn't been sure at first, but hope soared in her chest when she saw, what she believed to be, a figure in the distance. When they got a few feet closer, she could make out the form of a tall man with spiky hair, whose silhouette looked suspiciously like Ban's, that was carrying a smaller form, with (h/l) hair that she could just barely make out. Somehow she knew it was her teammates.

Immediately upon her realization, she let out her cry, which stopped the action within the Boar Hat. She stood up, almost too quickly, and began bouncing toward you and Ban. Following her were the rest of the group, who had quickly bursted out of the bar and came running as well.

"Looks like the whole entourage is here," Ban chuckled, "Must've missed you."

"Shut up," You grumbled, cheeks still burning red at your previous interaction with the strangely alluring Fox Sin.

"That's not very nice~" he purred playfully, the vibrations of his voice resonating in his chest and against your stomach.

"I'm not very nice," you countered, eyeing the giantess who was closing in scarily quick.

"I think you should gimme a kiss to make me feel bet-"

"(Y/N)!" Before Ban could finish his certainly embarrassing comment, Diane had finished her trek over to the two of you, and had scooped you up. She pried you out of Ban's arms, tossing him carelessly to the side before giving you the tightest hug she could without killing you. "You're back, you're back, you're back! Do you know how much you've made me worry, you meanie?! I thought we lost you again!"

"Missed you too, Diane," you wheezed, the tightness of her large arms around your small, currently frail form was suffocating. Literally. "Can't... breathe!"

"Sorry! I was just so excited!" She beamed, quickly letting you go and setting you in the ground. She crouched down, hugging her knees to her chest. When her hand left your body, you swayed dangerously, the sudden weight on your legs feeling overwhelming.

Goddamnit, I'm not that fat, you thought stubbornly, attempting to steady yourself, although it was rather unsuccessful. You probably would've collapsed if Ban hadn't come up beside you, offering you a discrete, but very helpful, handhold, which allowed you to collect your bearings.

"Missed you guys too," you chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck with your insanely heavy arm, trying your hardest to make it look natural.

"(Y/N)! Welcome back! We were incredibly worried!" Elizabeth was the first to reach you, Ban, and Diane, followed quickly by King, Hawk, and Meliodas, then finally, Gowther, who didn't seem affected at all by your sudden appearance. She bounded up, wrapping you in a tight hug. You graciously returned it, keeping one of your hands on Ban's arm to keep from falling.

"Sorry about that," you mumbled as she pulled away.

"What happened! Why were you gone so long? Do you know how worried we were?!" King immediately burst out with angry questions, sounding like a worried older brother. You sweatdropped at the bombardment, and we're extremely thankful when Meliodas swatted the Grizzly Sin across the head.

"Geez, King, she just got back!" The captain exclaimed, "Give her a break."

"I believe his questions are quite reasonable," The Goat Sin spoke, "She was, after all, gone for approximately seven hours, thirteen minutes, and forty-seven seconds."

"Gowther, do you have an off button?" Meliodas grumbled, casting him a sideways glance.

"I don't understand the question," he replied, cocking his head to the side, "Perhaps you can give me further detail on what you refer to as an 'off button', ca-"

"Thanks, Meli. You too, Gowther," you laughed, interjecting into the conversation. You understood how annoying he could get. After stopping the nuisance that was the Sin of List, you turned to King. "And I'm fine, don't worry. Some bounty hunters caught me off guard."

"Did they put the enchantment on your drink?" Meliodas asked, then smirked. "Or you're food?"

"Food," You grinned, mouth watering at the thought of the pastries you were eating. Sure, they had a sleep enchantment on them, but that doesn't mean they weren't delicious. "This guy, who was also a bounty hunter- which kinda sucked, but whatever- was selling a bunch of cakes and food and stuff, so I drowned my sorrows in cookies and lemon cake. They were awesome by the way! Sucks that he enchanted them, though... and kidnapped me... and almost..."

Your voice had grown progressively quieter and less playful, to the point where you mumbled the last two words so that only you and Ban could hear them. His chest tightened and his head spiked with aggression at the thought of what that... bounty hunter almost did to you. He didn't deserve to be called a man, in Ban's opinion. No man who had any sliver of honor left would do that, no matter the scenario. Still, he played it off, gazing to the side and keeping up his neutral and uncaring demeanor.

"You did not finish your sentence. Perhaps the topic makes you uncomfortable?" Gowther asked, and Meliodas swatted him across the head. He was powerful and a very good addition to the Sins, but sometimes he made it so difficult to endure his unfeeling words.

"But Ban saved me!" You piped up, your smile returning to your face. It took every ounce of Ban's willpower not to smile as wide as he could and kiss you right then. It was an automatic debate to stay indifferent or show emotion with him, and somehow indifference almost always won. Almost. "That's all that matters!"

"Are you okay?!" King demanded, his face scrunching up in worry. He couldn't help it. You had been gone for so long, his big-brother senses were kicking in. He was worried sick, and hearing your story made him even more upset. If those bounty hunters had decided to hurt or violate you in any way, he would make it his personal mission to track them down and kill them, revive them, then kill them again.

"I'm fine, don't worry," you grinned, hoping it hid the shifting of your feet as feeling came back to them, and the subtle movement of covering your body with your cloak you made. Gowther noticed it, but refrained from commenting, noting everyone's reactions to his previous statements. You couldn't help it- the interaction with those men had spooked you, to say the least. It made you realize how truly careless you had been all this time, and how that could've happened on numerous occasions. You were simply lucky- even though you truly thought you never were. It's true that you usually did get the short end of the stick, but more often than not it didn't bother you. Which was peculiar, considering you were the Sin of Despond.

"You were just kidnapped! How can you be fine?!" King immediately fired back, worried. There was something off, but only he and Meliodas noticed it. Elizabeth, Hawk, and Diane were just happy to know you were okay, and Gowther was too dense to notice anything other than the scent of sugar on your breathe and the faint change in your posture. You were standing particularly close to Ban, and one of your fists was clenched around the fabric of your cloak, closer to your weapon that it usually was. Your stand was stiffer than usual as well, your legs clamped together instead of their usual, carefree stance. It was truly odd, however they both had very different interpretations of it. King thought something was wrong, and Meliodas thought something went... very right.

"I'm fine, seriously, guys," you laughed, grinning toothily as you attempted to clam yourself. In Ban's arms you felt safe, as much as you hated to admit it, and now that you were standing you felt strangely out in the open, like someone could attack you, or possibly kidnap you again, at any moment. You found it weird. "There's no need to worry. All is good in the realm of (y/n). Er... well as good as it can be, seeing as we're talking about me."

"I'm so glad you're back!" Diane squealed.

"As am I," Elizabeth joined in, smiling her signature soft smile. You grinned back at the two girls.

"It is preferable to have you back in our ranks, yes," Gowther chimed, deciding to join in on the train of compliments. If you could call that a compliment.

"I can't believe you let yourself get kidnapped," Hawk huffed, "If we see any 'a those pigs, they're dead meat."

You chuckled dryly, sweatdropping at the thought of the twins who had been part of the group who kidnapped you. You imagined vaguely that they walked into the bar, only to be greeted by four of the eight sins, plus an angry princess and violent pig, ready to completely demolish them. You'd almost feel bad for the poor guys. Almost.

"Oh yeah, if you guys see a pair 'a twins with blonde hair, kill 'em," Ban spoke, his muscles clenching. He had vaguely seen two men exit the building you were being held captive in, just before he heard you yell out. When he exited, he looked for them, but didn't see them anywhere. He would've gone searching, but you're his top priority. Especially in that moment. "One of 'em had a bowl-cut and the other had a weird mustache, and haircut that matched it."

"The twins..." you muttered, glancing up at Ban. "You saw them."

"Are they the guys who kidnapped you?!" King demanded, beginning to stomp forward. It did look a little weird, though, considering he was floating. "Where are they?! I'll kill them where they stand!"

"Slow your role, there, Mr. All-Might," Meliodas chuckled, grabbing onto the hood of his attire and stopping his progression forward.

"That is the wrong anime," Commented Gowther quietly. Everybody ignored him.

King still stomped his feet like he was walking as Meli continued, almost as though Gowther hadn't spoken at all, "We'll find them tomorrow when we go look for Merlin. We don't need ya being a hero right now."

"But-"

"Meli's right!" You interjected immediately. As much as they had harmed you, and were planning on harming you, you didn't need anyone going out to kill someone for your sake. Especially not assholes like them- they weren't worth any one of your friend's time. Not even Gowther's. "I'm tired, and I'm sure all of you are too! Once we're all rejuvenated tomorrow we can look for Merlin, and if we happen to see them, then we can kill them!"

"Nah-ah-ah!" Meliodas grinned cheekily, "You're going to stay in tomorrow. And since Ban's your boyfriend now, he'll stay with you!"

"WHAAAAAT?!"

You and King both shrieked in sync, gawking at the blonde man. Your face had enflamed in embarrassment, and King's in rage. Ban smirked ever-so-slightly at the notion.

"No! It's not like that, I swear! We're just friends, we don't need to read into it to anything! I mean sure, he saved me and he's a great guy and I may or may not want to date him, but we're not official!" You rambled on, your glowing face buried in your hands as you dig yourself deeper into the hole of embarrassment. It was now quite clear to everyone, including the naive Diane and Gowther, what had happened during the time between when Ban had found you and when you had returned to the bar. You and Ban were, in fact, official.

"Your body language suggests otherwise," the Lust Sin commented, looking you up and down. His eyes widened momentarily, "I understand now! You're change in posture- is it possibly because you and Ban had some sort of sexual inter-"

"GOWTHER! SHUT YOUR TRAP!" Hawk shouted, lunging on the man. King gawked at the scene, then turned to you and Ban. You're face had grown even brighter, and Ban had to keep in his snorts.

"What?! This is unacceptable!" King puffed, causing Meliodas to laugh.

Ban wrapped his arm around your shoulder, bringing you lightly into his chest as he smirked at the Grizzly Sin. He felt it was his duty, in that moment, to make King as angry as possible. He fake-yawned, then proceeded to walk to the Boar Hat. Your embarrassed, still rambling form followed along without even realizing.

"Come on, babe," Ban cooed, smirking back at the fairy king, "Lets go to bed~"

"BAN, YOU INSIGNIFICANT HUMAN! I WILL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!" King shrieked, attempting to storm toward the now-couple. He was stopped by Meliodas, who swatted him across the head and, when he refused to stop, held him by the hood again.

"I called it!" Meliodas grinned cheekily, knowing quite well in his 'infinite knowledge' that this would be the outcome.

"I ship it!" Diane squealed, making a heart with her hands around yours and Ban's retreating form.

"What is this 'ship'? Are you attempting to say you approve of their relationship? If that is your ultimate goal, then I agree!" Gowther stated, confidently holding up a peace sign.

"They're so cute together," Elizabeth smiled, watching the two of you with her cheek in her hand.

"Why do I care?" Hawk grumbled, having just got off of Gowther (rather begrudgingly, I might add), watching the two of you as well. He, too, albeit internally, approved of the relationship, even if he refused to show it to his comrades.

"Ban, I hate you," you grumbled, your face still buried in your hands as you followed him into the bar.

"Love you too, babe~"

You let out an odd sound, somewhere between a shriek and loud choking at his comment, your face burning even brighter, if that was possible. Your heart pounded at the thought, but maybe, just maybe...

Maybe something might work out for me, for once.

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