Sunshine

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He buried Helbram the night after the fighting. He made the mistake of leaving him last time; he wasn't going to do that again. Maybe if he had buried him properly back then, his body wouldn't have been found, wouldn't have been thrown around like a toy until Hendriksen got his hands on it. Maybe he would have been able to save his friend from all that suffering. Not a sound left him while he carried the body from the still smoking city, but his vision was clouded by tears. In a perfect world he would have buried him under the sacred tree in the Fairy King's Forrest, but this wasn't a perfect world. He found an old, sturdy oak tree on the outskirts of the town, figuring that this was as good a place as any. Too late did he realize that he hadn't even brought a shovel with him. Digging the grave with his hands took all night, the sky turning from black to navy while he worked. In all honesty, a part of him was happy that he had forgotten the shovel. Burying Helbram like this somehow made it feel more… Real. Like this was really the end of it. He hoped it was. His best friend deserved as much. When the birds started singing in the sky above him, all of his tears had dried up and the hole was ready. He didn't say anything as he placed Helbram into the earth. For a long time he stood and looked down at him, King's knuckles white as he held the battered helmet. His hands shook so much when he finally took the first handful of dirt that most of it missed the grave. However, being over the first scoop, it somehow went easier from there. He didn't cry and he didn't speak. There wasn't really anything left to say between them, was there?

When he returned to the Boar's Hat, dirty and tired, it was late in the afternoon. It had started to rain at some point, but he had barely even registered it. On the way back he had passed by only a few townspeople, actively trying to avoid them as much as possible. They had all recognized him though, nearly falling over their feet to thank him for saving them. He felt like running away. Their words stung. The memory of those he had not been able to save was overwhelming him, making his stomach turn to the point where he had to stop in his tracks and dive behind a bush. He forced himself to turn down all of their words of thanks as politely as possible, regardless of how hollow his voice sounded to him.

A sigh of relieve left him when the familiar hat-shape finally appeared. He knew that the other sins had been talking about helping with the rebuilding of the town, so he figured he would be the only one there. He was proven wrong though, as a pair of purple eyes appeared from around the corner of the bar, seeking him out instantly.
"King! I was starting to get wo-"when the giant paused, he knew he should have been prepared. He should have hid his face, anything, for her not to see him like this. He was covered in dirt, his eyes red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep, Helbram's old, bloody helmet clutched to his chest. He opened his mouth quickly to– to what? What could he say? She wouldn't joke about it to make him feel better, like Ban would, but he didn't want her to see him hurt. He knew her. She was too kind; seeing him would make her hurt too. He had promised himself a long time ago that he would never, ever, hurt her again.
"Welcome home."
Surprised he looked up from where his eyes had drifted to the ground, her understanding smile making the acing in his chest disappear momentarily. As the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the falling rain around them, a little, melancholy part of his sorrow whispered, that although this world was not perfect, it still held those few, perfect people in it. Surely that was worth something.

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Despite his love for sleeping, the favourite time of the day for him was actually mornings. Often he awoke just in time to watch the sun rise from his hammock by the window, taking in the waves of colours that spilled across the sleeping earth while he cuddled underneath his blanket. He always fell back asleep right before the sun arose for real, but somehow his inner alarm clock never allowed him to miss a single sunrise. There was a certain pleasure in awakening only to turn around and go back to sleep, a kind of early tranquillity and escape from the otherwise hectic life in the bar.

In those early days he never would have dared to even dream, that Diane would one day be lying next to him, shrunken down to fit in his hammock and sleeping soundly against his chest. Now he awoke in the early hours of the morning, not to look at the sunrise, but to look at her.

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Getting a course of female anatomy and sexual pleasures from the Captain wasn't exactly something he had been looking forward to. Ever since he and Diane had admitted their feelings for each other, the idea of taking her to bed had been ever present in his mind. There was just one problem, though; he had no idea /how/ and thus King now found himself sitting in a chair before the blond, wishing more and more by the minute that he could just sink into the floor and disappear. Fate was, as usual, a bitch though, and as if his embarrassment couldn't get any worse, Ban walked down the stairs. Now, the fox's sin was howling with laughter as Meliodas drew perverted pictures on the back of his wanted poster. Why was it, King asked himself, that he always had to endure this kind of harassment?! When Gowther walked in and asked what was going on, King fled the scene as quickly as he could.

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He still remembered the first time he saw Diane cry. It was back when the two of them were still children, living together in the little cave on top of the hill. It had been a particularly chilly spring morning, two weeks after she had found him by the river, that Diane suddenly asked: "Harlequin? Is it hard for you to walk?"
"Huh?" The question took him completely aback at first, but when the giant girl explained that she had ever only seen him fly or hover whenever he had to move around, he began to understand where she was coming from. "Well, I am a fairy after all," he had told her with a soft smile, "flying is just second nature to us, I guess." She seemed to ponder his words for a bit, tilting her head to the side. Her hair slid away from her face with the movement, a barely audible sigh leaving King. She looked really nice like this, when it was easier to see her face. A sudden warmth he couldn't quite place spread in the pit of his stomach, and before he realized what he was saying he blurted out: "But I can walk, you know! Better than any human!" Mentally he hit himself, but that didn't stop him from continuing: "In fact, I'll promise you that I will walk for an entire week and not fly even once! No problem!"

Surprisingly it really hadn't been a problem. At least not until they decided to play hide and seek, and King had gotten hungry while waiting to be found. He had settled down in some bushes next to an apple tree, and although most the apples weren't ripe yet, his stomach had decided that they would have to do. His first instinct had been to simply fly up and grab one, but halfway hovering he remembered his promise and a sudden cold shiver took over his body. He had never climbed a tree before. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he stood before the tree, looking up into its crown. It was tall…. But how difficult could it be? Human children did this all the time, didn't they? The lower branches of the tree were thick and placed close together, and as he slowly got higher and higher his confidence returned to him, making his chest feel bubbly. This was actually strangely fun! If only Diane had been there to see how awesome he was! She would definitely be impressed with him! A part of him wondered why these feelings and thoughts had come to him, but he quickly brushed it aside and continued to climb. In his eagerness he did not notice how the branches got thinner and thinner. Finally he reached one of the few, pink apples, reaching for it with a grin. His arms were slightly too short, so he scotched out further on the branch, leaning to the side, and- The sound of him picking the apple mixed with the louder snap from the branch he was standing on.

He awoke to the sound of sobbing. He was lying on his back in a cave he didn't recognize. His right side felt sore from his upper thigh and all the way up to his cheek. With a soft groan he sat up, still feeling half asleep as the cave suddenly began to shake and move around him. It seemed to dissolve, being split in two and- when two purple eyes came into view, he realized that it hadn't been a cave at all, but Diane's hands that had been shielding him.
"H-Harlequin?"
He was laying in the grass underneath the apple tree he had fallen out of, the sun sending it's beams down through the leaves to kiss his bruised face. Diane was sitting right behind him, her face wet from crying. The sun reflected in the watery surface, making her eyes light up and sparkle like polished amethyst. Though he had yet to answer her face softened from seeing him conscious again, and the relieved smile that broke out onto her face made his heart beat furiously against his ribcage. Looking back on it now, King was sure that had been the very moment that he had realized, that he loved Diane. Despite them being so young, despite Diane's tear-streaked face, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

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He woke with a jump when warm arms suddenly wrapped themselves around him, King having been on the edge of sleep and having thus not heard the rustling of the bushes around him.
"D-Diane!" He gasped out when he recognized the mess of brown hair that now swept across his face, the adrenaline from being woken so suddenly quickly being replaced by a tingling sensation in his skin, his body hypersensitive to every little touch.
"Shucks! Did I wake you, King? I'm so sorry!" Diane babbled against his stomach, lifting her face with a frown, "I thought I… I…" A slight blush spread across her cheeks as she buried her face against him once more, a soft giggle leaving her. "I just wanted to cuddle with you."
Goddesses above, she was too cute! "I-It's o.. o-okay," King stammered as he gingerly wrapped his arms around her shoulders. It had been about a month since they had confessed to each other, but besides the two kisses they had shared, they had done little next to holding hands (or more precisely him holding onto Diane's little finger) and the occasional sleeping next to each other on Chastifol (which King had enlarged to fit underneath Diane's head). Not that King really minded though, in all honesty the mere thought of being close to Diane like this was enough to make him dizzy, not to mention the thought of her actual, naked /body/. No, he definitely wasn't prepared for that. He would make a mess of it, without a doubt.

The other sins were preparing for an evening feast in celebration of, well, something… (As usual the other's truly did not need any reason to celebrate) and it was only with some shame that King had snuck away halfway through in order to catch some, if you asked him at least, much deserved shut eye. He hadn't expected Diane to come and find him though, the giantess having asked to be shrunken down in order to help out with the preparations easier. He had no complaints, of course; to him her size really didn't matter, but he had to admit that being together with her like this made something unrecognizable turn in his stomach. Snuggling against him with a content hum Diane closed her eyes, King feeling himself being dragged into the comforting warmth of her body as well. This was so different from the other times he had been lying next to her, her cheek resting against his stomach while her hand drew lazy circles on his chest. It felt… Safe, but in a way that he wasn't used to.

Normally he slept next to her with the knowledge that if anything bad happened they would be able to protect one another. While this felt equal warm and safe, he couldn't quite shake the clenching feeling in his chest nor how his arms drew her even closer to his body in an attempt to shield her. Naturally he was very much aware that Diane could handle herself, regardless of her size, but somehow her being smaller made his fingers twitch possessively. Surprised he realized that the usual feeling of never wanting to let her go had somehow grown even stronger in the short time they had been laying like this. Did her size really make such a difference? Guilt lashed itself onto his chest, digging its long claws into his flesh. Hadn't he been the one to tell her time and time again that her size did not matter? So why… ?!

Diane must have felt how his body froze underneath her, the giantess shifting so that she could look at his face. The way her round eyes and tilted head shone up against him made him feel like running away. A part of him felt like he had betrayed her. He knew full well how worried Diane was about her height and yet here he was; admitting to himself that all this time he had been, although unknowingly, lying. His body started to twitch uncomfortably. What should he do? He had betrayed her trust! He had to tell her… But he absolutely couldn't! It would break her heart! But then again, he couldn't lie to her either… What kind of relationship was based on lies?! He couldn't do that to her! But… But….! He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear Diane calling his name for the second time.

Getting worried now Diane hoisted herself up on her elbows and knees, softly whispering his name as the movement didn't seem to be enough to stir him. The sound of his name uttered so low and gently made his chest ache even more, King's eyes finally falling downwards upon Diane properly, catching her starring at him. Swallowing hard he only managed to produce a slight hum in response, his eyes darting back and forth to avoid looking at her for too long. It only took Diane slowly starting to crawl up the length of his body to glue his gaze to her for good, however. The sight caused his breath to be caught in his throat, hitching for air as he fought back a shiver. She was wearing the pink dress she wore to the festival, the fabric clinging to her hips as she moved. Without thinking he let his hands wander lower until they rested upon her lower back, Diane's face so close that he could feel her breath against his face. He was sure both of his eyes had to be as big and round as cheese wheels, his mouth hanging slightly open as he drank in her face. Surprisingly he didn't even blush, his attention too drawn to her every move and feature to even consider anything else. Diane looked as if she was about to say something, her mouth opening and closing a few times before a breathless "oh" left her, her eyes roaming his face in the same manner as his did hers. For a brief moment even the birds in the trees around them stopped singing, the only sound King could register being the beating of his heart and the mixing of their breaths. There was a brief moment of surprise as King felt his body being overtaken by a rush of warmth, his fingers taking a hold of Diane's face and pulling her down towards him even further as their lips attacked each other with a force that made them both sigh in surprise. Already feeling lightheaded King was sure that he would pass out for a brief moment as Diane slyly slid the tip of her tongue against his lower lip. Was this a dream? Surely it had to be! The feeling of guilt continued to twist in his stomach, making him pull away only to have Diane attacking his lips immediately again. He didn't deserve this: He didn't deserve having her kiss him like this, being the one to touch her like this, see her like this… He didn't deserve the privileged of being the one she had chosen to love her. Weakly he gave in to the kiss again, shame making his stomach turn. He didn't deserve any of this, and yet he was too much of a low-life to do the right thing and stop her. After a while Diane's tongue slid against his lips once more, the wet, alluring sensation making a steady pressure rush down along his spine, heat pooling in the pit of his stomach. His lips trembled as he parted them for her, Diane pressing him hard against Chastifol as she explored the inside of his mouth, making King shiver and moan weakly under her.

He felt like he was being devoured; his breath and strength being sucked from him until all that remained was Diane. His hands were still firmly planted on her lower back, his fingers digging into her warm skin. She tasted like sugar. That was the moment when it hit him: He had been thinking about it all wrong. The feelings of possessiveness towards here weren't new in any way, although he was a bit ashamed to admit it. In fact he had probably been possessive like this of her from the very start, even before he had any right to be. No… this feeling in his chest was something else entirely. It wasn't about him being possessive; it was about how much he wanted Diane to take possession of /him/. Already he had given his entire heart and soul to her, and now that they were finally together as a couple, she finally knew that. There was, however, one last thing he had yet to give, something that he could only give her, when she was like this: His body. King's cheeks exploded with warmth and colour, so much so that when Diane pulled away from air she started laughing.
"Are you okay?" she giggled happily, hiding her mouth behind her hand.
King could only laugh loudly in response, nodding his head as he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her back down into yet another kiss.

With the new knowledge in the back of his mind, the need in his body to feel more of her, to explore more of her, rather quickly became almost insufferable. Diane was still hovering above him and the lack of contact was slowly driving him insane. The way their tongues twisted together made his lower body twitch, his skin filled with a tingling sensation. It wasn't enough. This was everything he had ever wanted and so much more, but still… He wanted even more, wanted to give her even more, if she wanted it.

Instinctively King's hands slid lower until they grabbed handfuls of Diane's plump hips, raising himself upwards until he sat upright with her in his lap. The movement made their lower bodies grind together, a soft moan escaping the giantess's lips that made King groan in response. In the very back of his mind a small voice stammered nervously from the prospect of where it all might lead, however, King's body seemed to have a mind of its own, his hands sliding up and down along Diane's sides, his hips gently pressing up against her once more, begging for more friction. With a shudder Diane broke their kiss, her lips slightly swollen already as she gasped for air, her own hips coming down to meet him before she could stop them. King was starting to regret not wearing any underwear, the friction of his skin against the cloth in his pants making his vision clouded. Adding to this was how easily the warmth from Diane's body swept into his crotch, lust seeming to overcome more and more of his mind. Taking her movement as an affirmative to his silent question he kissed her roughly, thrusting up against her in earnest.

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