Chapter 25 - A Day Off

I was already wide awake but didn't feel like getting up this morning. So when the door to my room got opened, I was very aware of these familiar footsteps that walked closer until they stopped in front of my bed. Without lifting my gaze, I saw the metal boots and the end of the long white uniform of my best friend before he kneeled down so I could look at the rest of him. His strong, muscular arms moved closer to me as he put one of his hands to my face, moving the black wisps of my hair out of the way.

"Happy New Year, Yami" he said softly but when he saw my face, his eyes widened. I have to admit, I must've looked really sad back then. Meliodas had promised me after so many years in the demons world, that he'd bring me to the humans world to see the fireworks I always loved so much. But in the end, he didn't come. "I'm sorry. I know I let you down."

"It's okay, Meliodas" I said and sat up on my bed to face him better.

"Your face says something different" he sighed and nodded at the empty space next to me. I nodded to tell him it's okay if he sits down next to me and so he did. A sad smile formed on his lips and I could see how sorry he felt. His view wandered down from his face to my hands and he moved his left hand and placed it softly on mine. "I wish I could make it up to you."

I remembered last nights events and how Zeldris found me, waiting for Meliodas. He sat down next to me and we talked to each other until he offered to go to the humans world with me and everything that happened afterwards. I couldn't help but smile a little about the closeness I began to share with Zeldris. "You know" I said to Meliodas "last night wasn't that bad. And I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to me" I giggled.

♦♦♦

Meliodas had left the castle again just a couple of hours later as there seemed to be another job for him to do and I wished there was something to do for me, too. I spent the entire day at the castle, trained my powers or spent the time in the kitchen to cook for the three brothers and me. But to be honest, Meliodas' jobs weren't only dangerous but really brutal as well. He was only following the demon lords orders and from what I knew about him, he was a brutal and heartless creature, what always made me wonder how his sons could be so kind sometimes. Especially Meliodas was the absolute opposite when he was around me. And I always wondered how he could leave the castle to kill other races and creatures just hours later.

I didn't expect his brothers to still be here, so I just stayed in my room, when I heard an unexpected knock on my door. "Yes?" I asked and when the door opened, I could see the raven black hair that belonged to Zeldris. "Zel? You're still here?"

"Why, yes?" he asked confused whilst closing the door behind him.

"Meliodas has left again already" I explained and patted on the empty space next to me, gesticulating to him to sit down.

"Father has different orders when it comes to him. You should know by now" he said and was almost back to the cold hearted guy he was around me most of the time. But still, he sat down next to me. "How was your night?"

I looked at Zeldris in confusion and couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips as Zeldris had never cared about me before and it just surprised me. But I tried to catch myself again as I had to treat Zeldris in a different way than I did treat Meliodas. "My night was good. Why do you ask?"

"I couldn't help but think about you- uh, last night, I mean!" he said quickly. "I'm sorry you didn't get to see the fireworks."

I looked at Zeldris and a smile formed on my lips. I knew he was being honest with me and when I thought about it, I got something better last night. For the very first time, I felt like Zeldris really cared about me and maybe we were finally becoming friends.

Without that Zeldris knew what I was thinking, he returned my smile and another giggle escaped my lips because it was very rare that he smiled at me directly.

I don't know how much time has passed when I hear a knock on my door. I haven't moved since I got here after my conversation with Elizabeth and don't feel like changing that anytime soon, so I just ignore the sound coming from opposite the room. It knocks again and I am sure it's Meliodas on the other side but I don't care right now. I just want to be alone.

At some point, tiredness seems to have overwhelmed me, because I wake up when it's already dark outside. I lay down on my side, my back faces the door. Still full of sadness, I whipe away the dried tears from my face while still looking outside the window. I can't believe I have wasted the entire day...

I get up from the bed and my whole body feels really heavy, as if all my strength had left me. This knowledge alone almost makes me burst into tears again because I get mad at myself for being so weak. Since I felt the presence of the other demons weeks ago, I have expected a lot but the last events only overwhelm me.

I open the window of my room and deeply inhale the fresh air of tonight and let the cool air cool help me relax. I rest my head on the window frame and keep on looking outside for a while until I notice a babel of voices coming from downstairs, where another window seems to be open. It's not just Hawk, Elizabeth and Meliodas who are talking. There seem to be more people than just the three of them.

I hurry out of the room and into the bathroom to wash my face real quick so I don't look as bad as I feel and then make my way downstairs. The tavern is filled with all the members of the Seven Deadly Sins, along to the familiar faces of the Holy Knights Howzer, Gilthunder and Hendrickson. And then there's someone else, too. A face I've seen before but last time I saw it, this person wasn't on our side. I want to form a dark ball of energy in my hand to, if necessary, attack the person but everyone else sits around the person all relaxed and I can sense no danger.

"Oh, hey Yami, there you finally are!" says Meliodas surprised as he sees me. From the look he gives me, I can tell there's more he'd like to say to me and that he's really worried about me but he keeps himself together in front of the others, who already rised up their heads to look at me. But I instantly move my face from Meliodas to the new person.

"So, who am I talking to? Dreyfus or Fraudrin?" I glance at the man with dark hair and see Hendrickson move closer to the man, like he's trying to protect him if necessary. So I nod, as I already understand.

"Dreyfus" says the man more quietly than I expected him to do.

"Now, I can see you got rid of Fraudrin" I say and take a seat opposite from him. "How so?"

"Yami!" Meliodas scolds at me quietly when he places a mug of Ale in front of me. I wonder if I had been too gruffly when Meliodas, the guy who never really cares about manners, scolds at me.

The expression of shame on Dreyfus' face is the same I had seen on Hendricksons face a couple of weeks ago and I can tell he feels just as sorry. "Fraudrin freed him" explains Meliodas as he goes to sit down again and then lets Dreyfus explain everything by himself.

"...then he left my body and told me that he doesn't need me anymore. Appearently, he had reached everything he wanted" Dreyfus finishes his explaination.

"But why would he let you go instead of killing you?" I ask him.

Dreyfus just shrugs and looks down on the drink in his hand before lifting his gaze back up to look at me. "He said there'd still be enough time to kill me and he ows me something after all these years he could use my body."

"Yeah, that sounds like Fraudrin" I say and believe what Dreyfus has told me. I see Meliodas nod at my statement.

"Well, it's good to see you're back on the right side, Dreyfus" I say and see all of my friends look at me with a smile.

"But that means that we still haven't beaten any of the Ten Commandments, we still have to fight them all" states Ban and the tension in the room rises.

"I'm not so sure about that" says King, who sits on one of the tables like everyone else, which is a really rare sight. "Remember what Diane and I have told you about this test that Gloxinia and Drole put us through? It really sounded like they're sorry for what they did."

Diane nods. "Yes, they said that they weren't sure if they took the right path. Do you really think they're still fighting side by side with the Ten Commandments?" she asks and looks at Meliodas and me directly.

"It's hard to escape the Ten Commandments" thinks Meliodas out loud. "You can't quit easily. But I see what you two are saying."

"Gloxinia and Drole joined the Commandments sometime later. I think they'd be the ones who could quit the easiest" I say.

"That means, if you're right, that makes two less" says Howzer.

"It would make three less. Remember that Escanor fought Galand" I say and look over at the Lion Sin, who's in his weak appearance and blushes at my words whilst Ban pats his back proudly.

"Now, that doesn't look that bad, does it?" Meliodas says with a smirk and encourages everyone in the room.

"Only seven more to go" I chuckle but then become serious again. "But that doesn't mean that things are any easier for us. Those Commandments who are left, are the strongest. We can't underestimate them."

"But why did the attacks stop?" asks Gilthunder and everyone becomes silence and looks at Meliodas and me as if we could answer the question but we just shrug.

"I'm not sure. They're smart enough to not underestimate us. I don't think they'd stop the attacks just so that we feel safe." I let my eyes wander along everyone and can see how worried they are.

"No matter what's the reason, we're having a day off" says Meliodas and tries to change the mood of everyone. "We should celebrate that we're all together again!" He raises his mug in the air and Ban laughs and does the same.

"You can always count me in for a party" says Ban happily.

"Just like you can count him in for a drink or a nap" Hawk mutters next to me and I chuckle.

The room fills with happy and chill conversations and I watch everyone having a good time.

The friends switch seats every here and then so everyone can get in a conversation with each other and so I don't realize that Meliodas went to sit down next to me until his blonde hair is in the way of my view. I look away from the groups and meet his green eyes that look at me worriedly. Instead of saying something, I just shake my head as I know what he is thinking but I don't wanna talk about the thing with Zeldris at all.

"But-" he whispers but I cut him off immediately.

"Meliodas, just quit it, okay? I'm not in the mood."

"Yami, I'm worried about you" he says as quiet as possible so the others won't hear what we're talking about.

"Just... Drop it, okay? I'm really not in the mood for this kind of conversation right now."

Meliodas sighs and the worried look on his face hasn't changed at all. I feel sorry for pushing him away like that but I just need time. "Promise me to come to me when you need me, okay?" he begs and I nod and wave him a smile.

"I promise."

Meliodas nods and keeps on sitting next to me in silence as we both watch our friends having a good time until some of them switch places again and Meliodas goes to sit back down next to Elizabeth, who's in a conversation with Gilthunder. I get up as well and sit down next to Diane and wave her a smile.

"It's good to see you" I say and she smiles at me widely.

"How are you doing, Yami? Meliodas said you didn't feel well today."

"Yeah... Haven't slept well lately" I lie and immediately regret not telling the truth. But I can't tell anyone about Zeldris just yet.

"Are you better now?" she asks and I nod. "I just wish this whole war would already be over."

"Yeah, me too" says Diane and looks at me through loving eyes. "It must be hard to continue a fight that started 3.000 years ago" she says and refers to the past I share with the Ten Commandments.

"If you'd only know" I sigh and watch Hawk placing new mugs of ale in front of everyone. "Hey Hawk, do you want to get us drunk?" I chuckle.

"Hell, no!" he exclaims. "Everytime you guys get drunk, you leave the tavern in a mess."

I laugh and take a sip of my drink and realize how much I enjoy to spend the evening with all of them. It's been a rough time and I missed this group a lot.