'Hey.'

'Hey.'

'Why are you still awake?'

Meliodas raised an eyebrow, barely visible in the moonlight. 'Why are you still awake?'

'I'm hungry.' You reached for his hand under the covers. 'Do you want anything?'

'Sure.'

'Be right back.' You got up, hissing as your bare feet touched the cold floor.

'You are not warming your feet up on me when you get back.'

'You're an ass.'

Meliodas's soft laugh followed you down the stairs. You moved quickly, footsteps light, trying to limit your contact with the cold. Heavy breathing and soft snores came from each bedroom you passed (or loud snores from Ban and Elaine's).

Do you want tea? you asked as you entered the dark kitchen.

Are you having any?

I was just gonna have water.

In that case, I'll have—

You are not having ale in the middle of the night. You put the knife down a little harder than necessary.

You're no fun. There was no harshness in Meliodas's voice.

Leaving the knife in the sink, you grabbed the plates and made your way back up the stairs.

'Toast?' said Meliodas as you closed the bedroom door with one foot. He had lit the candle on his bedside table. The soft light caught in his hair and eyes.

'Yeah. Jam for me and cheese for you.'

'So,' Meliodas said as he held both plates while you got back under the covers, 'how cold are your feet?'

You raised an eyebrow at him but he said nothing more, so you pressed one foot against his shin. Meliodas jumped, dropping his toast. You laughed, tucked your feet behind your knees and settled against the headboard to eat.

'Do you want to tell me?' you said after a while, looking at Meliodas out the corner of your eye. 'Why you were awake.'

Meliodas kept chewing and you thought he wasn't going to answer. He leant against your side, head resting on your shoulder. 'How long was I gone?' he asked eventually, looking at the moon.

The toast in your mouth turned to cardboard. You swallowed thickly. 'Why does it matter? You're back now.'

'Please tell me.'

You sighed. 'A month.'

'That's a long time.'

'It felt longer,' you said and immediately regretted it. 'But you're back now.'

'Yeah.' Meliodas kept staring at his toast.

'I left you for five years.' You kept your voice light. 'That's got to be worse.'

'Not even close.' Meliodas finally met your eyes. They were hard, just like his voice. 'All I had to do to feel you was hold my ring. All I had to do to speak to you was put it on. There's no comparison.'

Your eyes prickled. 'I ... I'm sorry.'

'No.' Meliodas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'That's not what I ...'

You looked at him closely. 'Did he say something?'

Meliodas froze before shaking his head. 'Just the usual. "Give me my granddaughter and I'll leave you alone." Blah blah blah.'

'Bastard.'

Meliodas shook his head. 'Too kind. Dick.'

You laughed, breathed in a crumb and started coughing. Meliodas handed you a glass of water. When you could breathe again, you said, 'Thanks.'

Meliodas just stared at you.

'What? Is there something on my face?'

'You have really pretty eyes.'

Your face exploded with heat and you almost started choking again. 'Um, thank you. Your eyes are really pretty too.'

Meliodas smiled at you so wide that his eyes crinkled at the corners. You blinked. And blinked again. Too bright. That was way too bright for this time of night. But you had learnt long ago that you couldn't not smile when Meliodas did.

He leant in, stopping just as his lips brushed yours. 'And you have a really pretty smile,' he whispered, warm breath fanning over your cheeks.

Before you could say anything back, Meliodas was kissing you. Whatever you were going to say ­– in fact, every coherent thought – left your head. One of his hands was on the back of your neck, fingers in your hair, holding you against him. Your hand was holding the headboard for balance, the other holding your plate (no matter how absorbed you were right now, you didn't want jammy crumbs on your sheets).

'I love you,' Meliodas mumbled against your lips. I love you. 'I love you.' He pulled back just a little and leant his forehead against yours.

Feeling blindly behind you, you put down your plate on your bedside table. Hands now free, you took no time in holding Meliodas's face, hands cupped around his cheeks. 'I love you,' you said kissing his left cheek. 'I love you.' You kissed his right cheek. I love you too. You kissed his lips lightly.

Meliodas relaxed into your touch. You pulled him in closer so his face was smushed into your chest, and blew out the candle. Without letting him go, you settled under the covers, tangling your legs together. Meliodas didn't complain.

As your eyes got heavier, you remembered one last thing you had to say. 'Oh, Meliodas?'

He answered with a sleepy hum in your mind.

'You have a really pretty smile too.'

And as sleep took you, you felt Meliodas smile against your collar bone.

—

The light faded and air rushed into King's lungs again. There was birdsong and blue sky and grass beneath his feet.

'Where am I?' he asked, hoping someone was going to hear and answer. 'What are we doing here?'

As he turned his head, something brushed against his shoulders. King grabbed it. Hair. Long, red hair that fell down his back and on his bare chest. 'What's with this hair?'

There was something heavy on his back, right where Gloxinia had slashed it moments before. But that wound had been healed. And whatever this was didn't hurt. So King turned his head slowly and almost fell over. Wings. Huge, beautiful wings that pulsed with colours. 'Wait. Does this mean—?'

On unsteady legs, King walked to a conveniently placed pond. He braced himself and looked at his reflection.

'Woah.' The face of Gloxinia stared back.

Before King could do anything more than that, an awfully familiar scream pierced the air. 'Diane!'

King took off. It was much faster than he was used to, the wind pushing through his hair. The wings – his wings? – also helped with stabilisation. It was pretty cool.

So absorbed, King almost shot straight past Diane. Well, not Diane exactly.

Looking identical to Drole, Diane wailed, 'No! Why do I have four arms now? And my skin! What's going on with my body?'

That was Diane all right. King's Diane. No matter whose body she was in, he could see her.

'Diane, calm down,' King said, hovering by her face. 'It is you, right?'

'King, is that you?'

King nodded.

'What in the world happened to both of us? I can't let the others see me like this. if they do, they'll get the wrong idea.'

'That's not the only thing. I don't remember seeing this place before.' King looked around, hoping to spot something familiar, but there were only mossy boulders. And this air ... It sparkled with magical power.

A strange noise started to build. It was a whistling, like something was flying through the air. And it was headed straight for them.

'Something's coming. Such an evil force. Must be the Demon race. At the Ten Commandments' level.'

The whatever-it-was fell from the sky wreathed in dark flames. It landed with a crash on a nearby boulder. King clenched his fists. At his side, Diane tensed. The dust faded and they could see what it was. Or rather who it was.

The man was young, barely past being a teenager. His eyes were green, and his hair was blond and messy. On one shoulder he carried an enormous sword. There was something familiar about his smile and when he said 'Yo', King dropped a few feet.

'No way.' He and Diane spoke in unison. 'Meliodas?'

'You guys got here quick,' the most-likely-Meliodas said.

'But that's impossible,' Diane stammered. 'You died a month ago.'

'I don't remember dying. Man, your jokes are as lame as ever, Drole.'

King tried not to roll his eyes. That was Meliodas all right.

'Tell him to try a little harder, Gloxinia,' Meliodas continued.

King looked at Diane. Diane looked at King. Oh right. They weren't ... themselves right now.

'Oh. No, you've got it all wrong. Look this might sound weird, but I'm King and this is Diane.' King gestured frantically but Meliodas's expression didn't change.

Diane pointed at herself. 'There's a good reason we look like this, I promise.'

'And speaking of looks—' King flew down to stare at Meliodas. '—since when did you look like that?'

'What are you talking about?' Meliodas raised an eyebrow. 'You look the same to me. And I look the same too.'

'Huh?'

'Who are King and Diane anyway? I never heard of 'em.'

The only word King could say was 'um'.

'Now seriously, are you guys okay?'

Thankfully a distraction arrived in the form of another person. She also fell from the sky, but she didn't land like Meliodas had. Instead she hovered in the air, held aloft by four white wings. Her hair was [y/h/c] and a bit longer than King had last seen it. She looked taller too. But those eyes, those kind eyes that looked into King's soul, meant there was no denying.

'[Y/n]?' If King had been standing, he was sure he would've fallen over.

'Hey. There you are,' said Meliodas, his smile back.

'It's good to see you two again,' [Y/n] said.

'This is incredible.' Diane clapped two of her hands. 'Now all we need is Elizabeth and it will be just like before.'

Immediately, the smile slid from [Y/n]'s face. 'You're joking right? Why in the world would we bring Elizabeth with us?'

King frowned. 'You mean ... she's actually here?'

[Y/n] opened her mouth but Meliodas beat her to it. 'Elizabeth is back at base. Gerheade is keeping her company. Right?'

'Right.' [Y/n] nodded. 'Are you two feeling all right?'

'That's what I said.' Meliodas's face shifted into a more serious one. 'But there'll be time for that later. If we're all here, we should get going.'

He and [Y/n] took off. King followed, hearing the resounding footfalls of Diane behind him. His head span. What in the world was going on?

—

Ignoring Drole's cries, you sped up a little to talk to Meliodas. 'Did anyone follow you?'

'No,' he said without turning around. 'You?'

You shook your head and realised he wouldn't see. 'No.'

There was nothing but the sound of the wind for a while until Meliodas said, 'Elizabeth's getting kind of fed up.'

'I know.' You sighed. 'But she couldn't come today. It's too dangerous.'

'You say that every time.' Meliodas kept talking before you could retort. 'Look, I agree with you. I do. Especially about today. But if we don't take her out with us, she'll sneak out alone and wouldn't that be way worse?'

You chewed your bottom lip. 'You think she'll sneak out?'

There was a smile in Meliodas's voice. 'I did.'

You laughed.

'What?'

'I did too.'

Meliodas's laugh joined yours before they were both snatched away by the wind. You hoped they ended up somewhere nice. Maybe back to Elizabeth so she knew you were safe.

As you flew, the smell of ash and smoke started to drift in the air. Getting stronger. Your nose wrinkled and your eyes narrowed, but you didn't slow down.

'We're coming up on the Valley of Fossils now,' Meliodas shouted backwards, the black crest visible on his face. 'Are the two of you ready?'

'For what?' Drole shouted. 'What are you talking about?'

He was definitely being weird. But there was no time to think about it now. The Valley of Fossils rose up before you, covered in smoke and ash. Sparks fell, fires burned and screams echoed. The light of the flames flickered over the forms of demons and Albions, their shadows elongated along the rocky walls. Your heartbeat started to pound in your head.

Meliodas nodded to you, face set, before leaping into battle. You flew away from him, Gloxinia and Drole towards the demons. They stared at you.

You closed your eyes and breathed deeply. The sounds of the battle faded. Your heart slowed. You reached out. So much pain. So much fear.

Your eyes flew open. You spread your arms. Everything glowed. 'Joshua's Faith.'

The demons closed their mouths, attacks stopping. A great wall of light, a dome, covered them and you, cutting you off from the rest of the battle. You caught one last glimpse of Meliodas standing before Calmadios before the light solidified.

Now there was nothing but you, the demons and the light.

'You don't have to be afraid anymore,' you said quietly, a soft smile on your face. 'No one can hurt you here. You're safe. I promise.'