"Diane, I don't know if this is a good idea, are you sure this is what you want?" King asked, watching Diane push the cradle I between them, she climbed onto her own, sitting on the edge.
"Of course I am, we should both be in here in case she needs us. I thought you'd be glad to get away from Ban anyway. You two fight so much during the day, I can't image what it's like before you go to bed "
"I am, it's just-" how could he possibly put it into words. "Isn't this going a little fast, I mean I know you're excited about the baby but I feel like maybe you're getting ahead of yourself. I could hear her from the other room, remember, I came over to check on you two. " he pointed out.
Diane smiled faintly but stared down at her blanket.
"You're always looking out for me, thanks, King."
"Of course I am, that's what friends do for each other. I'll always be here for you Diane."
"Always... Like forever?" She asked quietly with a glance at Nevaeh's cradle.
"Until the day my life ends, I'll be with you." He vowed. A moment of silence filled the room. Diane seemed to be deep in thought.
"Hey, King, if I tell you something do you think we could still be friends? " she asked cautiously.
"Sure, what's wrong?" The fairy's tone was now filled with concern.
"Nothing's wrong, I just want you to know how much y-"
"Hey King, can you come downstairs and give us a hand?" Meliodas called from the other side of the door.
"I'll be there in a few minutes." King called back, turning once again to Diane. " what did you want to tell me?"
"It can wait,it's not really important."
"Are you sure, I can-"
"Yeah, it's fine."
"If you change your mind, I'll just be downstairs." King said, disappearing from view and pulling the door closed. Diane sighed heavily.
"I just wanted to say how much you mean to me and that... I love you." She whispered laying down in her bed. She would tell him one day, she decided, staring up at the ceiling.
In the tavern below, King found himself clearing dishes from the tables and taking them to the kitchen to wash them. He sighed staring at the stacks of plates and mugs.
"Gonna be a long night." Ban said. "I've never seen this place as packed as it is now." King didn't reply, instead he began working in silence.
"How's family life?"
"It's great, Ban. I just need to get through this, it'll be morning by the time I'm finished."
"I'm almost done here, I can give you a hand if you want." King stopped, turning to him.
"Suddenly you want to help wash dishes?" He asked skeptically.
"What's wrong with helping out an old friend?" The man asked finishing the last of the meals.
"It's not like you to start with," The fairy pointed out. "Why would you do that?"
"Thought we needed to talk, you know catch up." King sighed heavily.
"There's nothing to say. " Ban shook his head.
"Fine, then just listen. I see you with that baby, when Diane's next to you, you look happy but you're scared. I see it in your eyes. You gotta-"
"Raising a child isn't easy,it's only been a few days, I'm still adjusting . I don't know why you care in the first place."
"King...I know what scares you-"
"Don't." King warned, picking up another plate.
"I also know you're not gonna let it happen, Captain picked you for a reason, he saw the same thing in you we've all seen. You don't have to worry about it." Ban said he patted the fairy's shoulder as he past, disappearing from view.
King wasn't sure what to make of the conversation It wasn't like Ban to act in such a way. Though he was right, King did have fears stemming from his past.
It was nearly dawn by the time King finished and returned to his and Diane's room to find her sleeping soundly. He was about to lay down for a short while, but his plan had been changed when Nevaeh began to cry. He crossed the short distance to her cradle and lifted her into his arms.
"It's okay, Nevaeh." He soothed, preparing to give her a bottle. King soon realized that making a bottle while holding his daughter wasn't as easy as Diane made it seem. Once he had successfully put the top on, he offered the bottle to the baby, making himself comfortable on Chastiefol. The infant stared deeply into his eyes.
"You're so tiny," he whispered trying not to wake Diane. "It's funny how someone so small can be the source of so much joy and still manage to- I'm so afraid of failing you. You need someone who can protect you and I- I'd rather die than let anything happen to you or your mother. That doesn't mean I'd-" King took a deep breath.
"There's always going to be doubts, but I won't let it happen again. I know what happened in my past and because of that, I can learn from it, I'll make a better future for you." The fairy vowed.
Nevaeh finished her bottle and King placed it on the bedside table, moving to put the child into her crib.
"Goodnight little princess." He said quietly. Nevaeh fussed softly.
"What's wrong Nevaeh, it's time to sleep." He began to remove his hands only to find that she had grabbed onto his finger. King smiled.
"Do you want to come sit with me for a while?" He held her close once more, Nevaeh became silent.
"All right, let's go for a little ride." He offered leaning back against the giant pillow. They floated silently around the room until finally Nevaeh closed her eyes and fell asleep in King's arms.