Disclaimer: I do not own NNT, its characters and/or its plot. I also do not own the cover image.
19. ivy
Under the light of a full moon, the fairy king has a talk with the Sins' captain. It had turned heartfelt after a while of mentioning Diane and her affections for the captain. Along the way, King had shattered his fat façade, revealing his past. Meliodas wasn't all that surprised; he knew that everyone had their own secrets deep inside their hearts.
"You'll have to tell her eventually Harlequin."
The fairy king avoids his gaze. Meliodas casts his eyes to the moon instead, "Don't worry," He sends his comrade a sympathetic smile, "She's all yours. I won't steal her away."
20. warming
Although his memory's back, King doesn't remember the last time he's been hugged by somebody other than himself. It's strange to think that in all those decades of guilty living, he hasn't stumbled upon the thought –much less think of how cold his heart was.
The emotions he's been void of started piling up on him when Diane hugs him for the first time in what felt like ages. It felt like the ice in his heart was slowly being thawed out. "You're finally home." His hands cling tightly unto her, desperately as he sheds a few tears.
"….I'm home"
21. tadpoles
Down by a stream is a cluster of tadpoles; the curious giant child decides to ask her fairy friend about them. "Harlequin, why're the other tadpoles growing legs, while the others aren't?" he scratches his cheek, thinking of a good way to explain it. "Well Diane, I just think that the others are more mature, they're ready to leave the river."
Diane stares at the tadpoles wiggling in the water, "If Harlequin were a tadpole, would he leave me if he grew legs?"
He pats her head gently, a shy smile crawling up on his lips, "I already have legs."
End notes:
[1] This came out late, very sorry, I just went through a lot yesterday that it had me a bit down in the dumps. I'm okay-ish now, so I hopefully I can finish this series in the next two days or so. :)
[2] Poison ivy is green in spring. I feel like it's some sort of warning siren, or a wake-up call. Although no.18 isn't thoroughly romantic, I've been dying to write something related to it. I just believe that Meliodas knows a lot about Harlequin the Fairy King, apart from King the Grizzly's Sin of Sloth. It's my headcanon to explain why he knew that the boy was King (unlike Ban), and why he seems platonic to Diane's advances for the most part of the series. That, and let's count that Meliodas is a mysterious person -I like to think he and Elizabeth have some sort of reincarnate thing going on. Let's just wait for a conclusion on that, right? C:
[3] I'm still waiting for King to return to Liones. It's a very painful experience, and I'm sure for anyone who's following the manga at least, it's very very very painful waiting for a chapter that has some say in that issue. :'C I'll cry if Nanaba-san ends up doing some things that might hinder their relationship for a bit longer. (i.e. I'm really terrified of the idea that King might lose his memory, or better yet is forced to stay in the forest. Please, just no.)
[4] Bweh bweh bweh...-matango is a little sad, but still loves you all!