"Alright guys, we survived our first days as Juniors! I say we head to my place and get drunk to celebrate!" Meliodas said with a mischievous grin.

"Later Captain, I want to visit Elaine first." Ban said.

"I'll go with you, I want to see her too." King added.

"Okay we'll see you later at my place. Figured we could crash there and ride together to school tomorrow." Meliodas said. King and Ban started to walk towards the hospital, while Meliodas and the others hopped into the car. Meliodas' parents were business agents so they were never there. They paid for the rent and gave Meliodas grocery and spending money every two weeks. His apartment just so happened to be situated above a bar, the owner was a good friends of Meliodas' and let him buy alcohol from time to time. The apartment had a nice living room with a pull out couch, a connected kitchen and two bedrooms with connecting bathrooms. The friends often crashed there after a long night of drinking.

King and Ban arrived at the hospital in short order. Elaine's room 280 was easy enough to find, since the path was so familiar to the two friends. Elaine lay as she always did, chest slowly rising and falling. Her beautiful shoulder length blonde hair fanned out on a stark white pillow, her creamy white skin flawless as ever, her cherubic face looked peaceful as if she was simply asleep. King and Ban sat on opposite sides of her bed.

"Hey Elaine, I just wanted to tell you about our first day of junior year." Ban said in a softer tone than he normally employed. He gently caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. Few had seen this side of Ban, King and Meliodas being the only two from the main group of friends. Ban wanted it to stay that way too. "Of course it would have been 20 times better if you were there. Math looks like its going to be a pain in the ass, thankfully I've got your annoying little brother to help me. Yeah I know, you always hated that we didn't really get along. Don't worry I still look out for him and make sure he stays safe." Ban continued to talk as if King weren't there and King knew better than to interrupt him, even if what he was saying was highly offensive. Ban eventually finished talking and then it was King's turn.

"Hey sis, so your boyfriend is still a huge jerk, but I'm still protecting him as much as he protects me. You should probably wake up soon so Gowther doesn't steal Ban away. There's a crazy rumor going around that the two are dating. Please Elaine, we need you to come back." King had to stop there, because his voice became too thick with emotion. King and Ban sat there for a very long time enjoying Elaine's company.

"Hey Ban?" King finally asked breaking the comfortable silence.

"Hmmm..." Ban said in response not even looking away from Elaine.

"Thank you...for staying with her. Most would have just left and found a new girlfriend so thank you." King said quietly.

"Well most don't love Elaine like I do and I didn't stay with her for you." Ban said, eyebrows drawn together. He returned his full attention to Elaine. When Ban gazed upon her everything else fell away and it was just the two of them together.

"Elaine, your obnoxious brother is right. I need you to come back. Things at home have gotten worse, I need you to help me shoulder this burden. Remember when I said after High School we could run away? Well I can't do that if your stuck here."

King noticed that Ban was rubbing at a spot on his ribs as he spoke, a very far away look in his ruby orbs. King had never heard Ban talk about his home, not once.

"Ban? What's going on?" King asked softly, concerned.

Ban shook his head finally remembering King's presence. "Look, you don't really want to know." Ban sneered glaring daggers at King. "Just forget I even mentioned it."

"Please Ban, just talk to me." Ban didn't even here King's voice as he said those words, only Elaine's. She had said the exact same thing to Ban three months ago. Sometimes King and Elaine were so similar it was painful to Ban. He blew out a long sigh and turned to face King directly, seeing his honey brown eyes that were the exact same as Elaine's, free of judgement.

"My parents tend to be pretty rough with me, even more so now that I stopped being who they wanted me to be." Ban said in a soft sorrowful voice. As he spoke, he lifted his leather jacket up revealing his brutalized ribs. They were a mixture of black, blue and yellow in angry splotches.

"If you ever need a place to stay or a person to talk to, you can always come to me." King said, determination set in those honey brown eyes.

"Thanks." Ban said with a strained smile. "Look no one other than Elaine knew about that, not even the Captain. I want to keep it that way."

"Of course." King agreed softly.

King and Ban arrived at Meliodas' apartment at about six o'clock. Some light drinking has started, but now that everyone was there it was about to get much heavier. The friends all ordered pizza and chatted amiably until about eight o'clock.

"Hey guys I have an idea! Let's play truth or dare." Ban said with a devilish smirk.

"Truth or dare?" Gowther asked with a head tilt.

"It's a game, where you pick either truth or dare. Then you get asked a personal question that you have to answer truthfully or a daring stunt that you have to do. You are allowed to pick truth 5 times during the game, after that you are left with dares. After you accomplish the task then you pick the next person, and make up either a truth or dare for them." King responded patiently. "It's also a really bad idea."

"I think it sounds fun!" Elizabeth said excitedly.

"Me too!" Meliodas agreed.

"I'm in." Diane added coolly.

Gowther simply shrugged his delicate shoulders. "I think it could be educational."

"Looks like your out voted." Ban said to King with a wolfish grin.

"Ban you start the ball rolling since it's your idea." Meliodas suggested with a smile.

"Alright Captain: Truth or Dare?" Ban asked.

"Definitely dare!" Meliodas grinned from ear to ear.

"Hmm...I dare you to kiss Gowther." Ban said.

"That it? Watch and learn from the Master!" Meliodas laughed. He stood up and strode over to where Gowther sat. Meliodas was actually taller than Gowther, since he was sitting. He grabbed the front of Gowther's shirt, pulling him up to a passionate kiss. Then Meliodas unceremoniously dropped him back to the seat with a laugh.

"Okay my turn. Elizabeth: Truth or Dare?" Meliodas asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Um, I guess I'll go with truth." Elizabeth responded lightly.

"Hm...what are you thinking about when my hands roam your body?" Meliodas asked with a suggestive gleam in his emerald eyes.

"Uh...nothing really." Elizabeth said, a blush crawling its way across her face.

"Okay um...Diane: Truth or Dare?"

"I guess I'll go with dare." Diane said, curling her pigtail around her finger thoughtfully.

"Hm...I dare you kiss Ban on the cheek." Elizabeth said with a light smile.

"Uh...I don't know about that." Diane said her face crinkling with distaste.

"Come on Diane, I won't bite." Ban said grinning with his tongue out.

"Fine but don't look at me like that." Diane said her face turning red.

"Like what?" Ban asked innocently, with an even bigger grin, but he closed his eyes none the less. Diane was fast as lightning kissing him lightly on the cheek then running to the bathroom to rinse her mouth out thoroughly. While she was doing her dare, King glared hatefully at Ban. But that frown turned into an adoring smile as Diane raced to cleanse herself of the ridiculous dare.

"Okay Gowther: Truth or Dare?" Diane asked.

"Dare." Gowther said, mono toned as always.

"Hm...I dare you to give me a back rub." Diane said with a grin.

"Okay." Gowther said standing up.

"Wait a minute for how long?" Ban asked.

"Oh um I actually didn't think about that. I guess 5 minutes?" Diane said thoughtfully.

"Okay Gowther go ahead and pick someone to continue the game." Ban said with a roll of his eyes.

"Very well Ban: Truth or Dare?" Gowther asked beginning to massage Diane's back. Diane slumped back into him sighing.

"Dare, I guess." Ban said putting his chin in his hand.

"I dare you to tell a lie." Gowther said.

"Gowther I love you. There, now you are never allowed to give out dare's again." Ban said annoyed.

"Thank you Ban. That was most informative." Gowther said.

"Okay King: Truth or Dare?" Ban said sitting up, a predatory grin on his handsome face.

"Um...dare?" King said unsure, sinking back into his pillow.

"I dare you to make out with Diane." Ban said grinning.

"What? I don't know if I can do that. I guess I'll change to truth." King said going beet red.

"Okay why won't you kiss Diane?" Ban said grinning wider at his devilish trap.

"Yeah I mean if I'm that repulsive you shouldn't." Diane humphed, arms crossed defensively.

"No it's not like that at all. I just...I...okay I'll do it." King said flustered.

"Well we wouldn't want you to do anything that repulses you." Diane said in a heavily sarcastic voice.

"No its not like that Diane. I just didn't want to force you to do something that's not even your dare." King said in a rush.

"Well I guess that was your truth. So you don't have to do the dare." Ban said a bit disappointed.

"Maybe we should go to bed. It's getting a little late." Meliodas suggested smiling.

"I think that's the best idea of the night." King said very quietly.