Hey, everyone! I just finished The Seven Deadly Sins on Netflix and LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT! I was slightly saddened by the fact that there are so few stories on FF of this series when its so dang good! Anyway, I came up with this on the fly, and hope you like it! Rated K+ to be safe!

Markings

Curiosity

"Oh no," Elizabeth sighed softly as the last drop of her bath potion entered the water. "It's gone already? And this was one that Veronica gave me..." She slipped into the water, sighing as the warm water eased her aches from working in the tavern all night.

"Would you like me to wash your back when you're ready?" Merlin asked, casually walking in and sitting next to the tub.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm just going to soak for a little while." The platinum blonde answered, smiling.

"As you wish." The warlock's eyes fell on the bottle next to the tub and lifted it. "Is this your bath potion?"

"Yes, I just used the last of it," she drooped, reaching for the bottle but blinked as Merlin raised it to her nose and sniffed it. When Merlin offered to recreate the concoction, Elizabeth nearly sprung from the water to enclose her arms around the older woman, her face bright with glee. "That would be wonderful! Thank you so much!" Merlin tucked the little bottle into the folds of her robe, pausing when the young princess gently placed a hand on her arm. "Can you tell me...about Sir Meliodas?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "You're going to have to be a little more specific."

Elizabeth swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. It was now or never. "His markings..." She flinched slightly when the warlock's eyes locked on hers.

A small smile tilted Merlin's lips upward. "I will be going to the forest tomorrow afternoon to gather supplies. Would you like to come along?" Elizabeth shook her head, saying that she had an errand to run in town. Merlin hid her smile as the princess left the tub, wrapped a towel around herself, and departed after saying goodnight.

...

"King?" she called, searching the trees. "King?"

"Yes?" he answered, slowly floating down until he was eye level with her as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What is it?"

She gulped. "I was wondering if you would help me with a little something."

"And that is?" His eyes grew as she leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "You want me to what?!"

"Please?" She folded her hands under her chin. "If you cover for me while I'm in town, I will let you in on a little secret!" He perked, a faint pink dusting his cheeks. "Thank you, King! I promise to be back before lunch!" She called, waving as she darted down the dirt road towards the bustling town. The clock was ticking and she couldn't waste a second!

She slipped through the crowds of people in front of the stalls, her eyes dancing with excitement as she entered a tailor shop. "Hello? I'm here to pick up my order!" An older woman emerged from behind a curtain, her wrinkled face lighting up with a smile as she recognized her customer. They began to converse in pleasant conversation as Elizabeth was shown to a fitting room where her order was waiting. After a few minutes, she emerged from the shop, a big smile on her face and holding a brown package to her chest. "Maybe I should pick up something for the others before I head back, that way I can give them their gifts even if we are on the road." She glanced at every stall, coming to a stop before a market stand. They all loved food, so it was perfect! "Thank you very much!" she smiled, bowing her head to the seller as she turned toward the street.

"Fancy seeing you here, Elizabeth," Meliodas smiled, his hands wrapping around her now exposed chest and giving her boobies a few squeezes. "Need a hand?"

"S-Sir Meliodas, hello!" she giggled, attempting to hide the brown package from him. "Yes, I would appreciate the help! I mean no!"

He blinked. "You sure? Cause the one bag has a tear in it from being dragged on the ground."

She drooped, looking down at the spilled contents. "Oh no, now its ruined..." The seller stepped forward, a bag in his hand filled with the ingredients that she had just bought. "I couldn't!" Meliodas accepted the bag, apologizing for the waste of food then lead the way out of town, leaving Elizabeth to follow. "S-So why were you in town?" she asked, catching up with him and keeping the brown package safely tucked under the arm farthest from her companion. "Were you gathering supplies for the tavern?"

"No, I was looking for my favorite pair of panties." She shivered as his free hand rose and tickled her backside. "And by the way, the next time you want to come into town," his hand rose to her arm and pulled her to stand in front of him, his eyes locked on hers. "I'm normally okay with you going by yourself, but after all that's happened, you can't be too careful. Just ask instead of sneaking off alone, okay?"

"I understand." she murmured, hanging her head slightly as he released her arm and they continued. When the Boar Hat came into view, she slowed to a stop at the sight of Ban acting as a shield for King who looked as if he had gone through hell and back. "Oh my goodness! Are you alright?" She ran forward, kneeling and assessing the damage.

"I tried, Elizabeth," he whispered, winching slightly as she gently touched his shoulder. "But he nearly went berserk when he got back from sparing with Diane and Ban."

"Should've seen him," Ban pipped up, a sly smirk playing across his face as Meliodas approached. "Poor sap looked as if someone had drunk the last drop of his favorite ale-" His sentence was cut off from Meliodas's fist colliding with his jaw and sending him nearly a mile into the forest.

...

"Careful, you two!" Elizabeth called as Ban and Meliodas approached the tavern, each carrying six kegs of alcohol.

"Come on, Captain, put your back into it." Ban smirked down on the blonde. "I'm making you look bad in front of the princess."

"You're going to have to try harder than that to make me look inferior," Meliodas smirked back, a challenging glint entering his eyes. "How about we have a keg chugging contest?"

"You're on!"

Elizabeth sweat dropped as they sat across from one another, their six kegs each almost forming a sort of castle around them. She smiled as she caught sight of the Goat Sin laying beneath a nearby tree, his nose buried in a book. "What about the customers?"Gowther called, patting the grass next to him in silent offer for her to sit next to him.

"The loser buys more booze for tonight." They chorused, opening their first kegs. "Ready? Go!"

"It looks like this could take a while," Gowther commented as their heads literally disappeared into the first kegs. "What would you like to talk about, princess?"

A light bulb appeared in Elizabeth's head. "Well, would you be able to tell me a little about Sir Meliodas's markings?"

Gowther's eyes seemed to study her. "Not that it's any of my business, but I deduct that he is from the Demon Race." She wilted slightly, saying that she already knew of that. "So you wish for me to tell you something that you don't know about them?"

"If you would, please." She leaned forward as his lips opened, not wanting to miss a word, then gasped as he disappeared beneath a keg and she was showered in translucent colored ale. "Sir Gowther? Are you alright?" His answer was drowned out by loud bubbling, telling her that whatever was left of the keg's substance was preventing him from speaking clearly. She groaned softly, looking down on herself. If only she could take a bath to wash this alcohol off...

...

Elizabeth had retired to the bedroom after lunch, stating that she was a bit weary and was in need of rest. They thought nothing of it and they each broke off to do their own business. Once she was in the confinements of the room, she pulled out the brown package that she had hidden in the closet and opened it. Inside was her old outfit, the one that Meliodas had found her in, but it now had a knee length ruffled skirt made of glittering fabric that matched her earring and had a split that reached the hips. Beneath the dress was a small vest the color of stars and a matching pair of flats. She still couldn't believe that the seamstress had managed to salvage as much of it as what she was holding!

"What you got there?" She nearly shrieked as hands came from behind and massaged her chest, but smiled as Meliodas shifted so that he was sitting next to her, though he kept at least one hand on her chest. "Wait a minute, is that your old outfit?"

"Yes," she stood and held it in front of her. "What do you think? I thought that I would try to find a use for it even though it was nearly destroyed..." Her words faded as a strange look overcame the Dragon Sin's face. She shivered slightly as his eyes, which were steadily growing darker, seemed to trace her body. Even though she was fully clothed and had the new outfit in front of her, she felt as if he was seeing through them to her very core. "S-Sir Meliodas?"

His lips lifted into his signature smile. "Would you mind showing me?"

"Y-you want me to put it one?" Her heart stuttered as he stood and stepped forward, his body nearly touching hers. She could practically feel the heat radiating from his body, and it sent electrical shocks throughout her body.

"Elizabeth, have you seen-" She turned, smiling as Diane's face appeared in the window, her violet eyes locking on her target as a tick mark appeared on her brow. "Captain. What are you doing?"

"I'm testing out the new uniforms I was thinking about," he replied, his eyes returning to normal as he took the outfit from Elizabeth and held it up to the window. "I'm not totally sold on it though, I think the skirt needs to be a lot shorter."

"I actually really like it!" Diane smiled, studying the dress. "It's very pretty!"

"Elizabeth actually came up with it, didn't you?" He turned, his smile somewhat pained. "She's becoming quite the fashionista."

...

"Elizabeth," Merlin called, smiling as the princess appeared from behind the bar. "I have your new bath potion. I even went to the trouble of making you a few different batches in case you don't like this one." Her smile grew as Elizabeth hugged her, thanking her time and time again. "Now, now, don't thank me until you try it. I do apologize for it taking so long."

"It's no problem at all!" Elizabeth smiled back. The warlock sniffed, noticed that the princess smelled oddly. "I see you noticed that I'm in desperate need of a bath. In fact, I'm going to go take one right now!"

"Enjoy, princess." Merlin called, turning waving as she exited the tavern, a small smirk playing across her features.

Elizabeth studied her fogged reflection in the glass wall next to the tub, her fingertips rising to trail across the smooth surface. How did it look again? Her brows scrunched in concentration as her fingers struggled to form the symbol that she had seen. "Something...like this?" She sweat dropped as she took a moment to check her handiwork. "No, this is all wrong..." Her hand swiped across the surface, erasing her "symbol" as she slipped farther into the bubbles. No matter how hard she tried, the times when the markings appeared always seemed to find their way to the front of her mind. Sir Meliodas always seemed...different whenever those appeared. "If only I could find a way to bring out those markings..." she whispered, standing and wrapping herself in a towel. Her chest clenched as she recalled how his warm emerald orbs turned the color of blood when its dried. She hurriedly brushed her hair and dressed in the outfit that she had made, glancing at her reflection before opening the door.

Meliodas smiled as his face was squeezed between her boobies. "Have a nice bath?" he casually asked, peeking up at her.

She inaudibly squeaked, her face taking on a red tinge. "S-Sir Meliodas!"

His smile grew; her stuttering was adorable. He suddenly grew serious as her scent wafted his nose. "You smell differently." He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

A surprised look overcame her features as she stepped back. "I was trying out this new bath potion," she turned away, reaching for the small indigo colored vial but blinked in surprise as she grasped thin air and to find him holding it instead. "Sir Meliodas?"

He studied the bottle from multiple angles; it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary stained glass bottle. "Where did you find it?" He asked, flashing her a smile as he removed the cork. "It looks like one of Merlin's concoctions."

"It is," she answered, moving to stand in front of the mirror and sliding it to reveal the similar bottles of potions that Merlin had given her on the hidden shelves. "She gave it to me the earlier today since I ran out of the ones that I had brought with me. Since we sometimes go weeks without stopping, she offered to attempt to recreate the scents that I bring to her." Her eyes widened at what she saw when she slid the mirror back into place: there, above his right eye was the strange symbol. Goosebumps formed across her body as his dark red orbs met her reflection's. "S...Sir Meliodas?" she whispered, noticing his tight grip on the bottle's neck.

"Elizabeth..." His voice was low, almost husky as the bottle fell from his hand and landing with a soft thump on the floor.

"What's taking you two so long?" Hawk called, appearing in the doorway. "If you don't hurry up, Ban is going to give me your servings!"

In the blink of an eye, the mark disappeared and his eyes returned to their bright green color. "Let's go, Elizabeth!" He grasped her wrist and pulled her towards the stairs. She glanced back before the bathroom door closed, spotting the bottle next to the faucet. Maybe this would work!

...

"Here you go, princess," Ban smirked, slinging an arm over Elizabeth's shoulders as he placed her supper on the bar. "Fresh off the stove." She smiled and thanked him, gracefully raising a spoonful of scrambled eggs and veggies to her lips. When his arm remained, she shifted her glance from the food to his face and blushed as he took a deep breath from her hair. "Is it just me, or do you smell really good this evening?"

"Y-you really think so?" She tensed as Gowther appeared on her left, taking her platinum hair between his fingers. It looked like Meliodas wasn't the only one that liked this new batch! "Um...can I have a little space please?" Thankfully, Diane backed her up with threats to pull them apart piece by piece and they removed themselves from the princess. Elizabeth cast a glance toward where Sir Meliodas was cleaning a table. He was frozen in the position of stretching to reach a spot on the other side of the table, but his eyes were locked on her hair and they were a dark green. Hoping off the stool, she slowly approached him, her hands behind her back. "Are you feeling alright?"

He blinked and his eyes returned to normal. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, no reason." She giggled but internally drooped. No markings this time, but she had hope yet.

...

She sighed as she sat on the bed, removing the flats from her slightly sore feet. "I thought tonight would never end."

"It's far from over." A low voice whispered into her ear as she was pushed back into the bed, Meliodas's dark orbs almost glowing. "Elizabeth, why have you been asking the other sins about my markings?" He hands were gentle as he slid her toward the head of the bed, the mark above his eye casting them in a purple-ish light.

"I just..." Words escaped her as her eyes traced the symbol, attempting to memorize the way that it curved and arched. "Sir Meliodas..."

He pulled away slightly as her hand rose, her fingers reaching for the markings. "Elizabeth, I don't want you to keep asking about my markings, understand?"

She shook her head. "I only want to understand them more...to understand you more..."

"Why?" he asked, his bangs falling to shadow his eyes but they were unable to hide the faint glow emitting from his marks. "Why would you want to know so much about these marks?"

"Because," she whispered, her hands rising to his cheeks and raising his face so that his eyes would meet her own. "You are special to me, Sir Meliodas, and I want to prove that you can trust me."

"Elizabeth, you have nothing to prove." He sat up, enclosing her within his arms. "You have done more than anyone expected of you and have done more for me than I express."

"Then let me do this," she whispered, her hands pushing against his chest. "I want to understand you more..."

His head hung as he allowed himself to be placed against the pillows, doing nothing to deter her. "One last thing before you continue," his dark eyes met hers, smoldering with his inner emotions. "What were you trying to do, dressing like that and smelling like you are?"

She smiled apologetically. "If I wanted to see your markings, I figured that I would have to try to appeal to your Demon half. As for the smell, Sir Meliodas, that was unplanned. It was a fluke, so to say, but it looks like helped me reach your demon."

His eyes grew wide at her words, flashing momentarily green then returning to their dark red as he chuckled. "Such a naughty, princess, scheming and planning behind my back..." He gasped as her fingers lightly traced the marks above his eye, closing his eyes and shivering slightly as her soft fingers trailed down his neck. "Elizabeth..." Her fingers paused at the neckline of his shirt, unsure of how to proceed, then gasped as the fabric disintegrated and revealed his toned chest to her eyes. The markings extended down his right side, decorating his skin with dark violet patterns.

"Sir Meliodas," she whispered in awe at the power underneath her fingertips. "I have no words to describe them."

His eyes opened slightly, revealing fire filled orbs. He remained still as she continued her exploration, her fingers trailing over his arm then back up to trail over his chest. Unbeknownst to her, she had sparked a small fire when they first met that he had thought was long dead and it had steadily grown the longer they spent time together. Here was a girl, a princess unlike any other, giving her everything to someone like him, someone from the Demon Race. What had he done to deserve such treatment? Her hands stalled as she felt his chest convulse and looked up from his markings to find his left eye had returned to normal and to find moisture in the corners of both eyes. Wordlessly, she gathered him into her arms and gently massaged his back as his body silently shook. For many minutes, they simply sat in comfortable silence, then he drew away and cupped her face in his hands. "Elizabeth, thank you." He gently brushed her lips with his own, smiling as her cheeks tinted pink. A groan rose from his throat as she returned the kiss, her fingers that had paused resuming their exploration. "Eliz...abeth..." Her lips were softer than he imagined, and her hushed gasps were exciting the demon inside him. It purred as her intoxicating scent filled their senses, making them see dark violet around their shared vision. They groaned in unison as she leaned into him, her supple chest pressing against their own. If things continued at this pace... Meliodas seized control before the demon could make anymore moves and gently broke the kiss, smiling as she moaned in disappointment and he growled in satisfaction as her eyes opened to reveal clouded orbs. "No pouting, okay? You better get some rest, we'll be heading out tomorrow morning." He stood, preparing to give her privacy so she could change but sighed as her arms wrapped around his chest from behind. "Look at the princess now," he teased, grinning. "Who knew that the innocent little princess would be such a good kisser?"

Her face flushed and words escaped her, leaving her fumbling for words. He took this opportunity to excuse himself and locked himself into the bathroom, glaring at his reflection in the mirror. "Don't think that this means I trust you with her." The demon merely rolled its eyes as it went back to sleep. Meliodas's eyes widened as he caught sight of the bottle, thinking back to what Elizabeth had said as he washed up and emerged once the markings had disappeared, stalling as his eyes fell on the bed. She was laying on her back, fast asleep, her hair splayed out underneath her and the moonlight casting her in a white glow. This was going to be a rough night...

...

"Merlin," Meliodas knocked on her door, the bottle in hand. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

She called him in, glancing his way before fixing her attention on the test tube filled with a strange dark green substance in her hand. "If it isn't our fearless captain."

He walked forward, peering around her. "What you up to? Making another potion for Elizabeth?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Is that another one that she needs made?" she asked, reaching a hand out for the bottle. When he remained silent, she turned and raised an eyebrow at his serious look. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," he leaned against the wall, tossing the bottle from one hand to another. "I'm just wondering what was in this stuff."

"Natural oils extracted from multiple plants. That one you're holding contains blackberry, pomegranate, amber, and rose petals."

"Is that all?" he blinked, his body relaxing. "Huh, for some reason-"

"It's just mixed oils," she sighed, shaking her head as she added a drop of what looked like liquid sunshine into the test tube. "For instance, she asked for me to make this one specifically for you as a gift." Her lips lifted into a smirk as he snatched the bottle, sniffing its contents and nearly gagged. "I'll keep working on it." He waved after handing her the bottle and left, smiling and brushing Elizabeth's behind with his hand as they passed in the doorway. "Welcome, princess. I see that my little mixture has done wonders for your complexion." Merlin chuckled as Elizabeth's face flushed and ducked as Meliodas's dagger stabbed the wall that she had been leaning against.

Well? What do you guys think? Please let me know in the comments!