King just stared at the man before himself with wonder. How could someone else look so much like Ban and not be Ban.

"Who are you?" King asked and before he could figure out what he was doing his finger traced the mans lips. Oh how he wished to do that with Ban.

"I'm honored that the great Fairy King has taken a liking to me. But I can tell I'm not the one you wish to be with." The man said smiling. Only the raspberry bushes rivled Kings cheeks as he realized what he was doing.

"I'm so sorry!" King babbled and pulled away. His face burning. The man only smiled at King and chuckled.

"If you'd like I can give you my time?" The man said. King nodded. " My name is Rye, by the way. "

With a smile King dried his eyes.

Ban looked all over for King. He had questions. But no matter how much he searched he could find no trace of the man. Normally Ban could follow someone's footsteps but thanks to the floating pillow it made following King all the harder.

"Damn it King where are you?" Ban yelled frustrated.

"Ban, maybe we should wait for him inside?" Elaine said and shivered. It was an unusually cold day. Ban looked at Elaine and wondered again - when had his love started to fade.

"Hey Ban," Elaine said her hands behind her back as she floted next to Ban. "Do you think my brother is bothered by us?"

Ban stared with wide eyes at Elaine, mouth wide open as he contenplated what Elaine had just said.

"I mean you heard Gowther this morning. He said King had such hatred in his eyes do you think that's so?" Elaine said bitting her bottom lip. You could tell she was deep in thought.

"Ya'know Elaine, I'm not sure. Maybe he's just worried about you. Ya'know being his little sister and all. You heard Meliodies. " Ban said standing tall as per usual.

"But I'm not a child any more!" Elaine said with anger in her eyes. She puffed out her cheeks. They now stood inside the Bora Hat.

"Well either way we have the room all to ourselves tonight." Ban said wrapping his arms around Elaines waist and snuggling her neck. "So I can finally steal you~"

"Try not to be too loud" Meliodies said from the stairs. "Yo!"

"Sir Meliodies!" Elaine yelled. " How can you two say such vulger things!"

Ban and Meliodies looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Unsure of what was going on Gowther tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

Unsure of the man he allowed to sit next to him King wondered if he was just imagining thing so far as to be tanganble to the touch. King watched as the man smiled when talking about what ever they had striked up a conversation about.

"I'm sorry what did you say your name was again?" King interrupted as he floated with Chastifold smashed between his chest and legs. Could he really be imagining things to this extent?

"My name's Rye. You haven't been listening to me have you?" The man said with and smile directed at King. King shook his head syhly when he realized he had been caught.

"It's alright. I can understand your confusion. Everyone says I look just like the fox sin of greed! That makes me wonder what had happened to him to be able to receive such a title?"

"I know." The words left his lips before he could stop them. The man smiled at him again. He could feel his heart squeeze tight at the smile he so dearly wished to see from Ban.

"Would you mind telling me what happened to him that would cause such dastderly outcomes?" Rye asked and shifted to face King a little more.

"Ban was accused of burning the Fairy Kings Forest and killing the saint of the Fountain of Youth, my sister.. but the thing is she's alive now and she's all Ban can see. He's forgotten all about me and it makes my heart ache. I have a hard time believing that my sister is alive again but its become painfully real when I realized that all he still cared about was my sister." King stopped to take a breath before he dove right back into his monologue.

"I mean I'm glad she's alive and all. And I know I should be glad to Ban for loving her so, but I still can't help but be jealous of her. All the time I spent with Ban made me fall for him. Everywhere. Everything." King could feel the tears coming but he refused to let them fall he was too proud to cry. But he knew that if he kept talking he would cry and it would be so ugly. King let out a sigh and stood up.

"Just remember that when Life gets you down remember that the sun always rises again, and would you look at that nights already falling." Rye said and stood up as well. "May I walk you home, Fairy King?"

King only shook his head. "It's best if I go alone"

Rye watched him as he started off. "Wait!"

The plea broke through the falling night like a siren. King looked back and was caught off guard. The kiss on his cheek was so fast and quick that he almost wasn't sure it was real.

"What was that?" King asked.

"A parting gift fit for a King!" Rye said with a wink. King blushed so red that he swore he could light up the world.

"I must go now!" King said and flew away. Looking back against his better judgement. He stoped dead in his tracks. The man was gone.

'Did I imagine him?' King thought with Chastifold under his arm. King turned around and made his way back to the Bora Hat. Passing by Diane king went straight to the door. Once inside the tavern King deflated against the door and let out a sigh.

'What a day!' King thought