Title: Where Happiness Rests

Theme: #22 Cradle

Fandom: Nanatsu no Taizai/Seven Deadly Sins

Pairing: KingxDiane

Note: Spoilers for (all of) the manga. This is one that I've wanted to write since I started this challenge.

Disclaimer: I can't even update this fic on the regular. God forbid I actually own it.

Where Happiness Rests:

Short stubby fingers closed around the stems of a bushel of wildflowers, gripping tightly as it yanked with a frustrated grunt. The flora resisted, forcing chubby cheeks to puff out, a pink mouth puckering. An almighty wrench ripped the flowers from their roots and the child gripping them fell back on her rear with a thump. Violet eyes twinkled with happiness, her lips spreading into a grin that showcased one of her missing front teeth. Clambering to her feet, the pair of pearlescent wings on her back giving an involuntarily flap, the girl ran off towards the great oversized tree in the distance, her laughter echoing through the forest.

The Fairy King looked down from his perch on a wide tree branch where he had been conferring with Gerharde when he heard the tell-tale sound of scampering footfalls. A pleasant smile crossed his face and Gerharde watched her king float down to greet the little girl with a face that could only be described as content.

King held his arms out as he landed, humming with pleasure as the child flew straight into his embrace, giggling madly, her brown hair spilling over her face. King swept her messy bangs back with a fond expression. "Kelda, you're covered in dirt. What have you been doing this time?"

Tall enough to reach his waist she was able to bury her face in his stomach and nuzzle it, a favorite habit of hers and a sure-fire way to avoid answering as her father just about melted. He gently stroked her hair, a warmth spreading through him, a feeling of genuine happiness that he had grown accustomed to feeling in the presence of his daughter. He noted the slow fluttering of the wings on her back and he looked up to meet Gerharde's gaze.

"Gerharde, can I ask for a favor?"

The long-lived Fairy floated down with a secretive little smile, bowing her head slightly. "Ask my King."

"Could you fetch Oslo and-"

"Say no more Harlequin. I shall take care of it." She cut him off with a tinkle of a laugh. King sheepishly thanked her, wondering at what point in his life did he become surrounded by woman that all knew him far too well.

The child, his child, he thought with great pride as she leaned back, bouncing onto the balls of her feet was the picture of joy as she jumped in place, holding up a collection of half crushed limp flowers in every color. King chuckled weakly at the sight.

"Da, look!" She squealed. "For mama!"

Gathering her into his arms King's massive wings flapped once before they were sitting in the air, cushioned on the green-patterned pillow that was King's Chastiefol. With Kelda sitting sideways across his lap, the former Grizzly Sin of Sloth raised a hand and watched his daughters face light with glee and wonder as he breathed life back into the flowers she held, their stems knitting back together to stand up straight, missing petals replaced by glossy new ones as they grew at an accelerated rate until each flower sported a full gleaming bloom.

Kelda's expression when she watched someone work magic was a treasure to behold. Despite a few subtle differences, such as the slightly upturned nose and thin arched brows she had inherited from him, Kelda could have been a young Diane's twin. The way she smiled up at him, so much like Diane used to. He was powerless in the face of such innocence.

"Da." She cooed. "So pretty."

King thanked her, wrapping her tighter into his arms, mindful of the bouquet as he leaned his cheek on her head. There was a telling yawn from beneath his chin and King looked down to see Kelda blissfully dozing off. Her eyelids fell slowly, the tips of her long lashes brushing her cheeks before she would force them open, only to have the same process repeat itself over and over again.

King said nothing, knowing from past experiences that the moment he spoke Kelda's eyes would snap open and she would never get to her nap. The little girl, despite being too young to put an extensive vocabulary to use, had a love of conversation and would listen to anything said in her presence with ears too big for her head. The Fairy King merely rocked them on Chastiefol, lulling Kelda to sleep, the early noon sun filtering through the leaves overhead to light a beam that fell over her features.

Not keen on stirring her just yet King himself gave an almighty yawn and, with a cursory glance around him to ensure that no fairy would be disturbing them, he cradled Kelda against him and promptly fell asleep to the sound of her soft snores.

The next thing he registered was awakening to the sound of giggling.

He slowly opened his eyes. Looking down at him from ten feet above was a beautiful pair of lavender eyes crinkled in mirth. Wide awake now and sporting a full degree blush King happily greeted his lover.

"Diane!"

The giantess chuckled into her hand. "I wanted to say good morning but it's afternoon now..." She chirped teasingly. "You two look comfortable."

"Eh? Ah..." Having momentarily forgotten what he had been doing King looked down to see Kelda still surprisingly fast asleep, flowers clutched in her vice-like grip. He looked up with a pleased half smile."She was up early, picking these for you."

Diane struggled not to laugh outright. "Well...they do look better than the last ones ne?" Both of them remembered well the last flower picking session that resulted in Kelda happy and blissfully unaware of the smattering of green-tinged spots all over her body.

"She really doesn't listen to me." King sighed with an expression mixed between forlorn and grudgingly proud. "I told her she didn't have to get you flowers this time but..."

"It's alright." Diane braced her arms against the trunk of the tree, placing her face on her hands so she could be eye level with them. "It's good that she has her own way of doing things."

"Even if they are stubborn." King muttered with a single arched brow.

Her tongue poked out in protest, all good-natured fun. "Giants are supposed to be full of energy you know."

"I dread the day she learns to fly."

They shared a laugh and Diane adjusted herself to rest her cheek against the palm of her hand. "It shouldn't be any harder than looking after a little giant girl for two hundred years though should it?"

King flushed brilliantly but managed to reply sardonically with, "Weren't your feet settled on the ground? Can you imagine her exactly as she is now but with the ability to fly freely throughout the forest?"

"There are eyes everywhere here. She'll be perfectly safe you know."

"If the fairies don't decide they'd rather do without their king and kick us all out." King studied Diane's face, the way the woman watched over their daughter. "How were things today?" He asked, moving the topic onto more serious matters.

Diane heaved a sigh that lifted Chastiefol higher into the air. She didn't seem upset or irritable as she used a fingertip to gently push them back down so King allowed himself to relax as she spoke. "There was a fight with another clan but Matrona took care of it. She was visiting when we heard and I think she was just looking for a reason to put someone in their place."

King, who had become rather familiar with the other giantess over the years felt his stomach twist with a measure of sympathy. "You were gone longer this time." He mumbled into Kelda's hair bashfully, the child snorting drowsily in her sleep.

His partner's face brightened as her eyes sparkled. "Is that why you sent Gerharde?"

He looked up when he realized that she wasn't annoyed with him. Blushing he leveled his gaze on her. "There's no reason for us to be apart anymore." There was a note of defiance in his voice, his face florid but fierce, as if he dared anyone to claim otherwise. They had gone through all of the trouble of building and moving many of Diane's clansmen into a stronghold just beyond the borders of the Fairy Forest. It took Diane less than half a day to walk between the two. King had sent Gerharde with Oslo to fetch her simply because he and Kelda missed her and didn't want to wait for her to arrive later in the day. She had already been absent since the previous afternoon.

"I like it."

"Eh? He blinked up at her, brows knotted with confusion.

"I like it when you get like that. When you're a little selfish." It was her turn to blush, curling the tips of her hair over the lower half of her face with a nervous finger. His heart squeezed at the sight of the familiar gesture. Being together for the last several years hadn't rid them of the ability to grow embarrassed in each others company, something Ban liked to point out whenever he and Elaine made an appearance. A dopey smile crossed his face and he looked down with a shy chuckle.

They shared a moment that felt so much like the early days of their courtship before the peaceful ambiance was shattered by an ear-splitting cry of glee.

"Mama!" Kelda's head had popped up and her hands were in the air reaching for Diane with the excited fervor of a girl who wanted nothing more than to be in her mother's arms.

"Here we go." King hummed good-naturedly, rising to carry her over to Diane. Unfortunately it appeared that he wasn't moving fast enough for his spirited offspring and she dug a foot into his stomach painfully to push off into the air.

"Kelda-!" King tried to swipe his arm out to try and catch her while Diane quickly reached her hands out before the parent's gasped in shock.

Wings beating laboriously at her back but with an expression only for her mother Kelda flew forward to attack her mother's cheek in a spread-armed hug. "Mama!"

Diane squealed with happiness, proudly crooning to her little girl while King watched from where he'd landed in an ungraceful heap, face awash with a horror only a father could understand.

"Oh...no..."

Owari

Happy SUPER late Valentine's Day! Lol. Hope I don't get hate for my little plot device in this chapter. It took a lifetime to decide on a name but I found the name 'Kelda' and it means Spring based off the translation in a book I found that had a number of interesting names. I wanted something that sounded vaguely fairy-ish. I imagine the Fairies might be just a tad more accepting of a Fairy-Giant hybrid than the Giant clans.

If there's any errors 1. I have no Beta-Reader and 2. FFdotNet loves butchering my work.

This challenge should be done this year as I'm going to go back to my monthly updates so please wish me luck! Thank you so much for reading!

Only eight more to go! I can't believe it!