Title: A Simple Encounter

Theme: #9 Dash

Fandom: Nanatsu no Taizai/Seven Deadly Sins

Pairing: KingxDiane

Note: AU. Spoilers in general.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nanatsu no Taizai but I will one day own a dog whom I will name Oslo and who will be spoiled rotten for the rest of his adorable life.

A Simple Encounter:

The scratches of .07 lead on college-ruled paper bound together in a spiral notebook that sported a tiled design of comical pigs in costume accompanied the sound of gently splashing water. The fountain's base was cast stone molded into the shape of a large daisy, the petals rimmed with smooth curves wide enough to double as an impromptu seat during a hot day. The precisely cut statue that erupted from the very center was a faceless figure that stood at a graceful six feet tall and made from the same ivory as the base. The female figure was posed delicately, her legs crossed in mid-stride, one hand at her side while the other extended in a lovely arch to catch something in the air next to her head. There the artist had created a smaller form, also faceless, adorned with wings shaped like a dragonfly. Patterned along their clothes and hair was the etchings of flowers and leaves, with the stand circled by stone vines. It was a divine display in the center of the pavilion, the pale pattern-bricks that made up the wide rose-lined walkways all coming together there. Rail-thin street lamps that towered as high as the honey lemon colored gingko trees that surrounded the area were made of polished grey metal and capped with cubed light fixtures . At night they would throw soft off-white light that matched the rows of lights that were candy-striped around the trunks of the park trees. It was an exquisite sight to see and with the introduction of Autumn only a few days beforehand tourists were already making the park a mandatory stop in their tours.

Every so often the sound of a pencil scribbling furiously would waver, the writer lost in thoughts no one could read. The ideas would dive in and out of her minds eye, driving her focus away and back until she could catch the tail-end of whatever errant thought she had been chasing. Then the scratching would return with a renewed sense of excitement, the writer hoping to catch her every meaning and shape it with the magic of the written word. She would always appear to dawdle in the same spot every day in the late afternoon. On the cool ground with her strong legs crossed to the side modestly, her back against the wall of one of the fountains potruding petals. The orange zip-up backpack she used would usually sit across her lap, the notebook spread open on top. The chestnut hair she kept tied up and on the sides of her head would fall over and onto the paper as she wrote, consistently in her way. She always came alone. Her time was spent with her fingers wrapped around a mechanical pencil, her head flip-flopping from buried in the pages to facing the sky, feeling the wind and observing the beautiful surroundings with an appreciative eye.

What she wrote was a mystery to all, even the occasional passerby. The headphones in her ear gave her peace from outer noise, discouraging any inquiring individuals from approaching. When she was there she was in a world separate from everyone. It was a place of peace where she could organize her thoughts.

The day was the same as every other. After her softball club adjourned for the afternoon she had returned, shuffling through her iPod's playlist with her thumb, whistling a tune, smiling at the various cyclists, runners, and general park visitors when she passed them. Her school ribbon had come undone from it's tie and hung loosely around her neck. Colorful band-aids decorated her left knee, offering relief from a scrape she had earned in practice. Two children, a pink-haired boy and a young girl with pale lavender hair giggled together as they dipped their hands in the fountains falling streams, flicking droplets into the air. It made her happy to see them for secreted in her heart was a fondness of children she rarely shared. They didn't notice her, so caught up in their antics as the boy proudly announced himself a grand hero, running into the trees to find himself a 'sword' among the fallen twigs. The girl raced after him, proclaiming herself the damsel to his knight. Unable to fight a chuckle the softball captain settled into her spot, shaking her head with her laughter.

It was a slow day for her. She didn't write with the intensity she had wielded the four days previous. Instead she opened her notebook over her legs, leaned back against the stone fountain, and shut her eyes. She loved this place. Adored being able to return to the spot that had always been her safe haven. The trees that grew in the park were large, their canopy's dense enough to block even the sprinkling of an unforeseen April shower. The sound of squirrel chatter, the way the wind peppered the air with beads of water when it hit the fountain just right. She was at home in the outside world with the earth around her.

Today she just took in the feel of the park that surrounded her. She filled her senses with what the world offered her. All thoughts of school, home, and sports were pushed from her mind as she lost herself in pleasant memories.

Lost in a multitude of emotions she was so far gone from reality that she was shocked when something squishy and wet and cold connected with her injured knee. She gasped, drawing back and painfully cracking the back of her head on the ivory stone. Violet eyes widely stared at the huge panting animal that had invaded her personal space of peace. It was a dog. A large dog with a big mouth full of teeth and a hanging tongue that dripped saliva. His fur was dark, almost black with a lighter underbelly and muzzle. He had ears that stood up on his head but drooped on the top corners. She couldn't stand it. She reached out to pet while exclaiming "You're really adorable!" and dropping her notebook to the ground. His short tail went back and forth like a metronome on it's fastest setting, unable to get enough of her coddling.

There was a green and yellow woven collar around his neck, a bone-shaped little metal tag attached that sported a row of numbers engraved at the top, a local phone number, and finally in larger print than the rest were four letters that spelled "OSLO".

"Oslo?"

The dog responded to his name with an affirmative bark, his body shaking with the strength of his happy wiggling. She couldn't help but laugh as the dog nearly jumped into her lap, trying to shove his nose in her face so he could lick her chin. Keeping one arm up to bar him from her seizing her face with kisses she pulled her phone from her bag's side pocket. It took patience and only after two licks and a wet ear in her nose was she able to calm him down enough to read the numbers on his tag so she could contact his owner.

"Oslo!"

Barking in response the bear-like hound shoved himself from her lap, eliciting a yelp of pain from her as his claws scratched at her exposed thighs. Oslo's owner jogged up, calling the dog to him and grabbing his collar as soon as he was within reach. Her phone found it's way into her skirt pocket as she smoothed the folds and stood, wiping her slobber-mottled fingers on the edges with a grimace, and facing the dog's owner.

He looked young. In fact she almost could have sworn he was no older than twelve with his round boy features and soft-looking apricot colored hair. He wore a dark short-sleeved hooded shirt that hung long and loosely on him with three-quarter pants. She liked the high top classic chucks he wore to match his shirt. There was a green rope leash peaking from his cargo pocket and she suspected Oslo of having broken away from it. Another look-over on Oslo's owner revealed a crucial fact that actually shocked Diane. It was subtle but she was nearly positive that he was not as young as she had originally thought. There was a trace of haute maturity in his expression as he charmingly scolded his dog, his body language. His cheeks were dusted rosy from his scrambling run, his thin limbs telling of his lack of physical ardor. Weary narrow eyes drew up to echo her scrutiny.

She blinked, surprised. She had never seen anyone with amber eyes. They were intense, sharply drawing over her. Her lips jutted out in a near pout, her brows furrowing down. She couldn't understand what had him staring so much but she was about to bark out an inquiry when the oddest thing happened.

The boy's face burst scarlet. Concern flooded over her disgruntled reaction, causing her to reach a hand out. "Are you alright?" She was surprised when he shied from her despite Oslo's frantic attempts to get back to her, drool hanging off his lower lip in sticky strands. "Y-yes. I'm fine. Very much so." He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head. Some of the color faded and he didn't appear so much like a sweaty overworked child anymore. "I-uh... Thank you for catching Oslo." It seemed like all he could do to speak without squeaking. Unbidden, a smile worked its way onto her lips, drawing out a nervous laugh from her. "Oh it's fine! He's such a sweet pup! I loved meeting him."

"Really?"

She nodded earnestly and walked over to them. Oslo's tail was in full wave and he yipped with pleasure when she laid her hand between his ears. The boy released the hound's collar, clasping his hands behind him and rocking back on his heels. The tips of his ears were the only part of his skin that still appeared rather pink, his attempts to rid his face of the obvious blush successful. He watched her and Oslo bond, something hidden in his expression, his own hand freely connecting with Oslo's back to stroke the fur there. There was a comfortable moment between them.

There was a gentleness in his expression that hadn't been present before. She thought he looked better when he wasn't frantic or under pressure, with his adorable features and unique eyes. She stood, noting with pleasure that he was shorter than her by almost a whole foot. She had always thought shorter men preferable to taller.

The color rose back into his face though it was barely noticeable this time and he, with some hesitation, held out his hand. "You can call me King." He quietly offered. The dark-haired beauty immediately clasped her fingers around his happily, genuinely glad to tell him her name. "I'm Diane!"

"Too...tight.."

"Eh?"

Looking at the pale cast of his face she suddenly realized her error and let him go quickly, nervously laughing. "Sorry! I forgot!" She fingered her hair, obviously embarrassed, but he waved it away, though he rubbed his hand with a wince. "Please don't worry about it."

They kindly parted ways, Diane taking a moment to say good-bye to Oslo. King seemed reluctant to go but every subtle glance at his wrist watch gave him away. She could tell he had somewhere to be. She waved him off with a grin, wondering how it was that she was able to speak so easily with this stranger.

That evening marked the first time she wrote about him in her spot by the fountain, gingko leaves falling in her hair, water splashing onto her shoulders, and .07 lead pencil furiously traveling up and down the college-ruled paper with obsessive fervor. In the future she would look back and find her notebook overwhelmed with recollections and musings of him but for that particular page she marked it with a neon yellow page marker and wrote on the protruding tab, "A New Friend(?)' When she finished, she pulled her cell-phone from her pocket with every intention of contacting her good friend Elizabeth when the image that popped up after she swiftly punched in the passcode made her freeze. Grasping the phone with both hands as her amethyst lined eyes focused on the number that was still showing on her dial pad she gaped.

A skip of her heart. The rise and fall of her chest as she thought and thought. A shaking thumb hesitantly hitting the green button in the top corner of the screen. The halt in breath as ringing was heard on the other end. A sharp intake of breathe as something clicked, and then-

"Hello?"

Diane spoke.

-Owari-

Sooo... Over two weeks late. Sorry. Having some issues with other projects. However my excessive love of SDS had not diminished in the least. This challenge will be finished within the next few months and not years from now so don't go giving up on me. Also, looking at the numbers I see not too many people bother with this fic. I don't know whether that's lack of interest or my writing sucks but it did kind of smash my self-esteem and that did somewhat lend to the break in writing. However as I stated in a previous chapter, I write this with the idea that at least one person will read it and like it. That's all I need. I just had to remind myself. Lol. Thank you.

WHOOT! A full third of the way through! Only twenty more to go! Wish me luck!