Meta Knight x Reader One-Shots

Meta Knight x Waddle Dee!Reader

"You should really just tell him how you feel yourself," Bandana Waddle Dee stated bluntly.
A furious shake of your head was your wordless answer.
"I'm just a regular old Waddle dee, there's nothing super impressive about me. And Meta Knight's so cool," you sigh.
The two of you are sitting on the roof of the Waddle Dee cafe in town. You were on your break from your job as a baker at the moment. 
"You are NOT just a regular old Waddle dee, you're Waddle (Y/n)! And Meta Knight would be lucky to have you! It was your idea to paint the 'Thank you Meta Knight' on that wall he watches the town from after all!"
"Yeah, but that was a group effort!"
"And you're the one who has been leaving him little goodie baskets of sweets from your baking!"
"Those are mostly the ones that don't look good enough to sell. I can't eat them all by myself, I'd get sick. Besides, I'd feel embarrassed if he knew I was the one making all those messy looking goods," you trail off.
"They still taste delicious, me and Kirby and Elfilin all certainly think so!" Bandana Dee protests. "Plus, if it goes bad you could just say it's thanks for protecting Waddle Dee town!"
"Hmmmm, maybe," you groan.
A lull in the conversation. Bandana glances up towards the Colosseum, spotting the Knight the two of you are in the middle of discussing.
You had always admired Meta Knight. Working as a Baker in castle DDD, you would occasionally see him in your day to day routine. 
There was one instance where you had caught him sneaking some of the sweets from the kitchen. He had noticed you and frozen, pastry in hand but keeping still as though hoping you wouldn't see him if he didn't move. 
Of course, you did see him. And you spoke quietly as not to alert anyone else in the castle.
"Um, there's more variety over here, if you want some other kinds of sweets, too. And I have some that are fresher than that one as well."
And you led him towards the pantry of your section of kitchen. He took, well, quite a few different ones, arms full, though hidden under his cape.
"Thank you…" he trailed off, unsure what to call you.
"(Y/n), Waddle (Y/n)."
"Thank you Waddle (Y/n)," he gave a little nod, and walked off towards his suite in the castle.
That was years ago, before Meta Knight had the Halberd and its crew. And it was before you had your signature distinguishing accessory.
When all of the residents of Popstar found themselves transported to this new world, you, along with all the other Waddle Dees, had found yourself captured by the Beast Gang. You had for a while tried yelling for help. Throat raw from your shouting, you were slumped in your cage when you heard a ruckus.
"HELP!" You resumed shouting, voice hoarse.
Coming into your view, you see someone you didn't expect to ever meet one on one again.
Meta Knight's eyes flashed with recognition, and the cage you were in was sliced to pieces in one swift motion. You were left unharmed as the bars crumpled around you.
"Th-thank you!" You stuttered.
Meta Knight gave a simple nod.
"There's a town other Waddle dees have been forming here, come with me and I can show you the path there."
And so you followed him back to the path. Once there, he bid farewell and continued on his way, while you returned to Waddle Dee town. Shortly after, you took up your job at the cafe.
Most of the other Dees had been saved by Kirby you later discovered. You had yet to find anyone else that Meta Knight had personally saved. You assumed you were just a chance encounter as Meta Knight had been scouting out the new and unfamiliar area. Kirby was the one who did a thorough look afterwards and found the rest of the Dees.
And then the world almost ended.
Bandana Dee had told you the details afterwards, but you yourself witnessed how Planet Popstar almost collided with your new home. You and all the other Dees had found the ordeal quite scary. But Meta Knight had remained steadfast in guarding the town, even when there was nothing he could really do to actually stop the collision.
Sure enough, Kirby, Bandana Dee and Elfilin had taken care of it, returning as town heroes. And they returned with King Dedede!
In the lull of chaos, everyone found newfound freetime. All of Waddle Dee town was full of excitement at both the avoidance of the apocalypse and the king's return!
Even so, Meta Knight had remained ever vigilant. When you heard of Dees expressing similar admiration, you suggested leaving the message thanking him, which others quickly agreed with.
After that, you had started leaving little goodie bags of sweets at the base of the wall for Meta Knight to find. They always had a little label addressing him, so no one would take them other than their intended recipient.
So far you had yet to be caught by him. There were a few close calls, however. 
The first instance, you had tried to throw a bag of the softer pastries up on top of the wall for Meta Knight to find. He had been away from his post at the time, so you took the opportunity when it appeared.
Unfortunately, your arms were quite stubby as a Waddle Dee, and unlike Bandana you did NOT have the strength to make a decent throw. Several failed attempts, and you gave a huff of frustration. 
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice spoke behind you.
You jumped, startled. Turning around you came face to face with Meta Knight himself.
"Um, I, uh," you stumbled, glancing away. You were never very good at maintaining eye contact, and the fact you had a giant crush on the one whose eyes you were trying to avoid was not helping in the slightest.
Meta Knight kept staring in silence. Not in an annoyed way, just in an expectant way. Still, the stare caused your cheeks to heat with a bigger blush than usual.
"I, uh, brought these over as a thanks from everyone at the cafe! T-to thank you for protecting Waddle Dee town for everyone!"
You were never good at lying either. While yes, everyone at the cafe WAS thankful to Meta Knight, this gift was all on your own. Your voice felt a bit stiff as you gave your answer.
"No need to thank me," Meta responded.
"S-still, please take these," you pushed the bag into his hands, your blush deepening even further as you did so. Suddenly the ground seemed VERY interesting to you. You couldn't seem to tear your eyes away from it.
Meta Knight looked at you a moment, before letting out a chuckle, which managed to bring your eyes up. His laugh was a lovely sound, you thought.
"Well, if you insist. Please thank everyone at the cafe for the food."
"W-will do!" On instinct, you saluted. You cringed internally, feeling a little silly. You waited until Meta Knight flew up onto his perch to stop. After which you walked as quickly as you could back to the cafe and proceeded to take out your stress of, as you had perceived, looking a bit stupid on some dough.
From then on you decided to just label the little bags of treats for Meta Knight and leave them at the base of the wall. 
Even after that incident, you couldn't help stealing glances towards him when he was up there. He caught you looking a few times, and you were always too nervous to look back and check what his reaction was.
Still, life went on. You kept working and hanging out with friends, Bandana Dee most often but Kirby and Elfilin came along fairly often too. You made fast friends with both of them, though you had known Bandana before either of you had picked your different accessories to stand out. 
Rooftop lunches at the cafe during your breaks became a regular occurrence. Often you would give them some of the reject desserts during them, though they were usually not substantial enough to fully fuel the heroes. The trio were always excited regardless.
It was during one of these rooftop lunches that they invited you to the Colosseum.
"Watch you fight?" You asked. "I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle seeing either of you get hurt."
"Don't worry, it's all for fun! The Meta Knight cup is the lowest rank anyways, it's just training basically," Bandana Dee explained.
"The… Meta Knight cup?" You inquired.
Bandana Dee didn't have a mouth, but just from their eyes you could understand that if they did, they would be smirking.
"Thought that might catch your interest," they laughed.
"Sh-shut up!" You laughed as you said it. Your crush on the masked knight had become a well known fact among the four of you, though Bandana Dee was the only one who teased you for it. You didn't actually mind, though.
"Meta Knight is super cool, though," Elfilin exclaimed. "Anyone would be interested to see him fight! Especially someone as strong as Kirby!"
"Poyo!"
"True," you laughed. "You know what, as long as no one is going to get seriously hurt, I'd love to come and watch!"
And you did. You had a great time cheering on your friends as they battled their way through the first five rounds. And now that the Beast Gang and the Waddle Dees were all friends, you found yourself much more at ease to see Kirby and Bandana fight against them.
A hush fell over the crowd as the two heroes entered for the final round. You had been on the edge of your seat the whole time, but you nearly fell off when Meta Knight made his entrance. Kirby was wielding a sword as well, and was even wearing a little Meta Knight mask himself, and met his attack with a clash of their blades.
The battle was a much closer fight than any of the previous rounds. You were so enraptured by it you forgot to actually cheer for your friends. Whenever anyone got hit, you inadvertently let out a little yelp. It was by far the longest round, but the most exciting as well! It almost made you want to learn to fight, too!
Kirby performed the finishing blow, and your seat had a perfect view. What you had not expected, was for Meta Knight's mask to break immediately after. It was only for a second, but you got a clear view of his face. You felt you probably imagined it, but you thought your eyes met for a second.
And then he teleported away. 
The rest of the crowd's cheering snapped you out of your daze. Kirby, Bandana Dee, and Elfilin stood victorious in the middle, confetti raining down and Announcer Dee was standing with them already.
You caught up with them after they had exited the arena.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" You shouted, not holding back. "YOU WERE SO COOL!"
Kirby, Bandana Dee, and Elfilin all giggled.
"Thank you (Y/n)!" Bandana spoke.
"Yes, thank you very much," Elfilin seconded.
"Your fighting was so precise, and really fun to watch! And I'm glad it was all against friendly opponents so I never felt too too scared about anyone getting hurt. Especially during that last fight! It got really intense, I honestly was so enraptured that I forgot to actually cheer!" You had a sparkle in your eyes as you spoke.
"Glad you had such a fun time!" Elfilin said.
"How was the view?" Bandana Dee asked, shooting you a look that told you they were not necessarily talking about the fight.
You immediately grew a bit flustered, deciding to act a little oblivious as to what they were really asking.
"Oh, uh, it was wonderful! I c-could see everything so clearly! And that last fight was so intense! A much closer call than all of the previous rounds!"
"Yeah, Meta Knight is a really tough opponent," Elfilin agreed.
"Yeah, he's so cool! Seeing him fight, it makes you realize just why he was all we needed for protecting Waddle Dee town! His skills with the sword are unmatched! Well, almost unmatched I guess, since Kirby was also fighting with a sword. But, it was two on one, and he still held his own!" You praised.
"And, uh," you spoke a bit softer. "I thought he looked pretty handsome under the mask."
Bandana grinned.
Unbeknownst to you, Meta Knight was standing behind you, hearing this whole conversation. Bandana Dee made eye contact without a word. Meta silently nodded to them, moving away before you had noticed he had been there.
***
Meta Knight knew much more than he let on.
You had been VERY obvious in your feelings for him. You had always been.
Truth be told, he remembered you from his time in the castle. He had always thought fondly of you after the incident where he was caught stealing sweets. You hadn't even blinked at his preferred tastes. In fact, you had given him more and better sweets.
On the Halberd he would occasionally remember you, pondering if you were still working in the castle. Considering if maybe he should see if you would prefer a job baking on the Halberd, so he'd get to consistently have those yummy sweets he liked when he worked for Dedede.
Stumbling onto you caged in the new world had been a coincidence, but a happy one. You, too, seemed very happy to see Meta Knight, though he had assumed initially it was just because someone rescued you. You now had an accessory to differentiate you from other Dees, but he still recognized you from before, though it had been years. He played it cool, maintaining his stoic image, before leading you back to the path to the town.
When he eventually settled in Waddle Dee town, having seen far enough to satisfy him, and learning Kirby was freeing the other Dees, he was excited to find that the Waddle Dee cafe was set up. Not only that, but YOU were working there as a baker! He would get to see you again, and get those delicious treats you made.
When the end of the world nearly happened, he acted calm, assuming that, like always, Kirby would probably take care of it. But he was a bit worried. And so was every Dee in town, including you. Remaining calm had been the best thing to calm everyone else, and sure enough, Kirby DID take care of it. 
The celebration that followed had a lot of food, and of course many baked goods. Meta Knight continued to keep watch over the town, but he took notice of a certain Waddle Dee running about delivering bread and pastries and sweets. He pondered if he could get you to deliver some to him on the down low, still a bit self conscious about his sweet tooth.
On the day he decided to order from the cafe, luck would have it you had called out sick. The food was the same preparation, and the same recipe, but it didn't taste the same.
Maybe it was because Meta Knight found himself worrying about you. You hadn't spoken together since his rescue of you. Still, he found himself hoping that you weren't in too much pain, if you had to be in any. He wondered if you would be back tomorrow.
The next day, he spotted you walking around the town. You looked like you were doing okay. Meta felt relieved.
A short while later, Meta Knight saw you and a couple other Dees at the base of his wall perch. He wasn't on the perch, checking on Dedede to make sure the king was doing alright. Meta's staring was noticed by the king.
"I think they're leaving you a thank you message. I overheard them talking the other day. It was apparently that one's idea," Dedede pointed you out.
Meta Knight hummed in acknowledgement, happy that you were apparently thinking of him.
Sure enough, when he went to check it, the message did read out, "THANK YOU META KNIGHT!"
It wasn't much later he caught that same Waddle Dee trying, and failing, to throw something up onto his perch. He watched for a bit as they got a little frustrated, before deciding to step in.
"What are you doing?"
He hadn't meant to startle you, but you jumped when he asked, before turning around and stumbling over your words.
He could see the bag you had been attempting to throw. Not only that, he could smell what the contents were. He recognized the smell as the same pastries you had snuck him from the castle kitchen all those years ago. His stare seemed to make you more nervous, a blush deepening on your face.
'Cute,' Meta Knight thought.
"I, uh, brought these over as a thanks from everyone at the cafe! T-to thank you for protecting Waddle Dee town for everyone!"
Your voice was stiff. Meta Knight didn't need to be a detective to tell you were lying. And you were very, VERY bad at it. Not only that, the choices of sweets he smelled seemed to specific to be picked out by more than just you. No doubt that the cafe Dees DID feel grateful to him, but this was not their collective gift.
Still, he decided to play along.
"No need to thank me," he smiled under his mask, trying not to chuckle.
"S-still, please take these," you shoved the bag into his arms, and Meta Knight found himself surrounded by the lovely smell of sweets. In the handoff, his hand brushed yours, though only for a split second, and Meta Knight felt his face burn a bit. It surprised him.
He tried to meet your eyes, but they were glued to the ground. Your face was an even deeper shade than before. He gave an inaudible chuckle.
"Well, if you insist. Please thank everyone at the cafe for the food," he said, even though he just wanted to thank you in particular. It was a very thoughtful gift, and he was touched that you had remembered his preferences after such a long time.
"W-will do!" A salute. It was small, but Meta Knight spotted the small change of expression that told him you did not actually mean to salute and had done it instinctually. 
He decided to not mention it and just fly up to the perch to let you save face. You may have felt silly, but Meta Knight had found it endearing. Just as he found you quickly walking away after the interaction, clearly a bit embarrassed, to honestly be kinda adorable.
The two of you were very different. You wore your heart on your proverbial sleeve, while his mask allowed him to be emotionally unreadable. He found himself wanting to get to know you more. It was a bit hard to get close to folks when everyone looked up to you so much, though. He could never seem to find the right time to approach you. So many eyes were always on him. If he wasn't keeping watch, even after the Beast Gang had become allies, folks could get worried.
One day, he noticed you on the cafe rooftop with Kirby, Elflin, and Bandana Dee. You were clearly having fun, laughing and talking so easily. Even from far away, your emotions were clear. You were so at ease.
Meta Knight wondered if he would ever get to see you like that up close. If he could ever be the one to make you laugh like that. And suddenly, Meta Knight realized something.
Oh no.
OH NO.
'WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO ABOUT THIS????' He thought, definitely calm about realizing he had caught feelings for you.
How could he talk to you? He knew he was intimidating, that was probably why you were so nervous around him. Right? The blushing and avoiding eye contact was just cause you were embarrassed, right? That had to be it.
You just, really admired him as a protector of the town. Yes, that must be it.
He noticed that rooftop lunches with the heroic trio and you were a regular thing. And he was friends with Kirby and Bandana Dee. They'd been on adventures together before, maybe he could… ask about you? Maybe he should consult Dedede as well.
And sure enough, after one of their Coliseum matches, he approached Kirby, Elfilin, and Bandana Dee. 
"Hey Meta Knight! Are you wanting a rematch already?" Bandana asked excitedly.
"Poyo!" Kirby echoed.
Strangely, he found himself stumbling over his words trying to ask his question.
"Actually, uh, it's, uh…"
Bandana, Kirby, and Elfilin all looked curious. It wasn't like Meta Knight to stutter or mince words.
"You three, uh, you," Meta Knight was avoiding eye contact.
"What is it Meta Knight?" Elfilin asked gently.
"You, know Waddle (Y/n), right?"
Meta Knight mentally face palmed. Of course they know Waddle (Y/n), dumbass! You've seen them have lunch together so many times!!!
Bandana Dee's eyes took on an unusual glint, and their face showed the equivalent of a shiteating grin.
"Yes, we do. Why do you ask?" Elfilin answered innocently.
"Well," he was continuing to avoid eye contact, a quick glance upward and he spotted a knowing look in Bandana Dee's eyes.
"Yeah, Meta Knight, why do you ask?"
"Poyo!"
"What…" Here it goes. "What do they think of me?"
The glint Bandana had turned into a shine.
"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Elfilin questioned.
"I, I think they might be scared of me. Or at least intimidated by me. I don't know if it's fear, but like, admiration maybe. They keep leaving little goodie bags of desserts for me. They try to do it in secret, but I know it's them. I caught them the first time and they said it was from everyone at the cafe, but I could tell they were lying."
"They are very bad at lying," Elfilin agrees.
Meta Knight laughed a little at that.
"Anyways, after that, I made sure to just let them do it without showing myself. And I've spotted them looking at me, but every time I meet their eyes they look away."
"Yeah so they totally l-" Bandana Dee starts.
"DON'T SAY!" Elfilin interrupts. "WE PROMISED THEM!"
"Promised them?" Meta Knight asks.
Elfilin stiffens.
"We, uh," now Elfilin is avoiding eye contact, "We promised we wouldn't tell you something."
"Oh?"
"Poyo!"
"Here's a better question! Why do you wanna know what they think about you?" Bandana asks, gaze inquisitive.
Meta Knight is suddenly very glad his mask fully covers his face. His deep blue blush would have instantly given him away. 
Unfortunately his eyes are still visible, and do change color depending on emotion. And even more unfortunately, being a mentor figure to Kirby means Kirby has learned what each of the colors mean.
"Poyo!"
"Really!?" Elfilin shouts. "Meta Knight likes (Y/n)!?"
"KEEP YOUR VOICES DOWN!" Meta Knight whisper-yells. 
"So you DO like (Y/n)!?" Bandana says, equally as loud as Elfilin.
"SHUSH!"
"Poyo poyo!" Kirby cheers.
"KIRBY!"
A few of the nearby Waddle Dees turn and look at the four of them. Meta Knight feels his blush deepen.
"Listen, yes, okay, I like (Y/n)! Please don't go shouting about it!" Meta whispers angrily.
Bandana and Kirby laugh, but the two of them and Elfilin all nod.
"Don't worry, we won't tell them. But, YOU should," Bandana Dee states.
"I," Meta glances away again, "I haven't really gotten to talk to them alone. Not since I rescued them when we all got sucked into this world."
"Well, what's stopping you? You're the coolest person in town, and they clearly at least feel positively about you! Why would they leave you sweets if they hated your guts?" Bandana asks.
"I," Meta pauses. "I suppose that is true."
"Yeah, everyone thinks you're really cool, plus they were the one who had the idea for the thank you on the wall you perch on!" Elfilin adds.
"I never said I knew that was them," Meta Knight states.
Elfilin cringes, having let that slip.
"So, they told you it was them who thought of it?" Meta asks.
"Yeah, they did. Told you they liked you."
"BANDANA!" Elfilin panics.
Bandana and Elflin make eye contact and have a silent facial journey. But Meta Knight does not assume the 'like' meant romantically.
"So they do think I'm cool."
"Poyo!"
Meta Knight's statement pulls Bandana and Elfilin back into the conversation. The two make eye contact one more time, acknowledging that the actual meaning of the statement had not been picked up on.
"Even so…" Meta Knight trails off.
"So?" The three ask the knight.
"They have never seen my face. I, well, I doubt they'd think I was as cool if they saw I looked, well, like Kirby."
"Hey, we've seen your face and we all still think you're super cool!" Elfilin counters.
"Plus, you've got some sick scars that make you look badass!" Bandana chimes in.
That did make Meta Knight feel a bit better.
"I, still don't necessarily wanna take that chance. I'd much rather know for sure that they have a romantic interest in me rather than trying and failing."
"We can arrange that."
"What?" Meta Knight looks at Bandana Dee.
"We can ask for you!" Bandana proposes.
Elfilin gives Bandana Dee a confused look. Bandana Dee gives a wink.
"We can ask them what they think of you when they don't know you're around! That way they will be totally honest and not be worried about you hearing!"
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Elfilin asks.
"We just have to get them in a situation where they don't know Meta Knight is there and ask! It's that simple!"
"Do you have an idea of how to make that situation happen?"
"Yeah! And, we could get them to see your face too, that way we can see if they still think you're cool afterwards!"
And thus Bandana Dee, Kirby, and Elfilin managed to convince you to go watch them compete at the Coliseum. 
Meta Knight found himself anxious as he waited for Kirby and Bandana to advance to the final round. His fight. Even if he did kinda want you to see his face, he would still be giving it his all. He would seem a lot cooler if he managed to defeat the younger heroes, or at least put up a good fight.
Just out of view, Meta Knight scanned the crowd to try and find you. Sure enough, there you were. A few rows back, a seat where you would get a clear view of his entrance. A smile crept onto his face.
And with that, he entered.
The fight lasted a long time. His attacks felt extra strong today. Maybe it was the fact he had a specific person in mind to fight for. His hits were landing more often than usual. The heroes had a few very close calls. Kirby was managing to parry his swings well. It was getting him fired up!
And then, when he felt close to defeat, he looked around, trying to locate you in the crowd again. It took a second, but he spotted you.
And at that moment Kirby gave his final swing, and Meta Knight's mask split in two.
Your eyes met, and Meta Knight felt simultaneously excited and terrified. 
And then he was gone.
It took a moment to regain composure and grab another mask. It was over. There was no going back now. 
Time to face the music.
Your voice greeted him as he exited the arena. A quick glance confirmed you were looking away from him. As he carefully approached, he listened.
"-Fun to watch! I'm glad it was all against friendly opponents so I never felt too too scared about anyone getting hurt. Especially during that last fight! It got really intense, I honestly was so enraptured that I forgot to actually cheer!"
He gave a silent chuckle. Your excitement was so cute!
Bandana Dee gave a small glance towards him. Not big enough for you to catch luckily.
"Glad you had such a fun time!" Elfilin noticed Meta Knight behind you as well.
"How was the view?"
Meta Knight recognized the knowing sparkle in Bandana Dee's eyes, but this time he realized it was not directed at him.
"Oh, uh, it was wonderful! I c-could see everything so clearly! And that last fight was so intense! A much closer call than all of the previous rounds!"
Good, you enjoyed seeing him fight. And you noticed how close he had gotten to besting the pair of heroes.
"Yeah, Meta Knight is a really tough opponent," Elfilin agrees.
Meta Knight felt like they were trying to make him sound cooler, but then again the trio was usually full of praise towards him. 
"Yeah, he's so cool! Seeing him fight, it makes you realize just why he was all we needed for protecting Waddle Dee town! His skills with the sword are unmatched! Well, almost unmatched I guess, since Kirby was also fighting with a sword. But, it was two on one, and he still held his own!"
He swelled with pride at your compliments. He had guessed you probably thought that about him, but it was still very nice to hear it come directly from you.
"And, uh," your voice softened.
Meta Knight found himself leaning closer to hear you.
"I thought he looked pretty handsome under the mask."
And that was when it struck Meta Knight just what YOUR feelings were towards him. In that moment, it became PAINFULLY obvious that your feelings were romantic. And he DEFINITELY should have realized it. His nerves had gotten the better of him in his assumptions. His eyes met Bandana Dee's.
The look was all he needed to understand what message Bandana was conveying.
'DO YOU GET IT NOW?'
Meta Knight gave a silent nod. Without a sound, he moved away, going unnoticed by you. 
Now he just had to decide how to approach you.
***
You tossed and turned in your bed. Finding sleep evaded you. Luckily you had the day off tomorrow, so you didn't have to worry about getting up early. But it was still frustrating.
In your racing mind, you kept returning to that second you had seen Meta Knight's face. It had been a week but you couldn't stop going back to it.
'You should really just tell him how you feel yourself,' Bandana Dee's words from earlier today echoed in your ears.
They were right. And you knew it. You needed to build up your courage to even talk to Meta Knight. How were you gonna confess your feelings?
"Come on (Y/n), you talk to Kirby, Bandana Dee, Elfilin, and even King Dedede just fine. Meta Knight is in the same group as them. Some of them REGULARLY hang out with you! AND ARE CLOSE FRIENDS WITH META KNIGHT! WHY SHOULD HE BE ANY DIFFERENT?" You tell yourself.
"Because you've got romantic feelings for him (Y/n)," you say in a slightly different tone. You know this, but still find yourself frustrated.
You grab a pillow and plop it onto your face. A moment of lying there, and you sit up.
"I'm not gonna get any sleep right now. My mind won't shut up, so guess it's time for a little nighttime walk."
You stand up from your bed. Glancing over, you see another bag of the baked goods' rejects. You think, then grab it, deciding you could drop them by the usual spot on your walk.
The streets are almost empty, a few night owls still up and conversing. The cafe and mail dee's place are closed. Surprisingly the game stall is still open. Unsurprisingly, so is the convenience store. You pass by both, sparing just a glance.
Something makes you pause before you reach the usual spot at the Coliseum. You realize you don't actually know if there's a night watch. And with the cafe and other spots you might see Meta Knight closed, he might just have gone to bed. Or he could be still up there. 
Fuck it, you're tired and maybe a little less cautious than you would normally be. Must be feeling motivated from your thoughts earlier. If you wanted to possibly end up together with Meta Knight, you had to get yourself to not feel so nervous around him. He had only ever been nice to you. 
"Meta Knight is cool, Meta Knight is fine, Meta Knight should not make you turn into a blubbering mess every time you make eye contact. You can do this," you hype yourself up.
Above you, Meta Knight is trying to hype himself up to approach you.
"You know they like you. You KNOW they like you. Why are you so nervous? They literally said they thought you looked handsome. It will be fine," he quietly reassures himself.
And then he looks down and spots you. And suddenly it will very much not be fine, his brain tells him.
You take a step forward, pausing in front of the usual spot. You start to hold out the bag, but stop. You glance up, and your eyes suddenly meet a pair of two glowing yellow ones. Ones you recognize immediately.
To your surprise, he is the one to quickly look away. 
Something about it shocks you enough that you suddenly don't feel so nervous.
"I, um," Meta Knight starts.
You had NEVER heard him stumble for words. Why did it feel like the tables had turned?
"I, see that you're uh, the one who has been leaving the deserts… desserts not, uh, not deserts. Sweets. Not sand."
"Huh?" You're too stunned to say anything else.
Glancing around, you notice there is no one else around. He was in fact talking to you.
"Um," Meta Knight glances away. "You're the one who's been leaving pastries and stuff, right?"
"Oh, uh, yeah," you answer. Even though you feel braver than usual, a blush does still creep up onto your face.
"They're, uh, good."
"Oh, th-thank you."
A moment's silence. 
"I, uh, saw you fight at the Coliseum with Kirby and Bandana Dee. You were, uh, really cool," the nerves came back a little, but you still managed to get the compliment out without becoming a complete blubbering mess.
His eyes shifted colors at your compliment, before returning to their normal yellow.
"Thank you! I appreciate that!"
No stumbling on that one. Meta Knight inhaled deeply, and jumped down to be on the same level as you. 
You stepped back a bit, and Meta Knight looked worried.
"My-my apologies, I didn't mean to startle you," he raises his hands slightly, reaching out as though to balance you.
"N-no need to apologize, it is, like, your job to keep watch from up there. I probably should have expected you to be up there," you chuckle.
"Even so, I," he trails off.
You look at him curiously.
"I don't want to scare you."
"Oh, I'm not scared," you reassure. "A little surprised, but not scared."
"That's good to hear," he lets out a breath.
A moment of silence, before he coughs into his glove.
"Would, um, would you like to share them?" He gestures to the bag of sweets you have.
"Oh," you blush, feeling nervous again. "If you would like to. You don't have to though."
"I want to."
You're a little surprised by how quickly he answers. You look him in the eyes. He doesn't look away this time. Surprising yourself, neither do you.
"Alright then," you smile. "If you insist."
"Would, um," he takes a deep breath, "you like to eat up there?"
He points up at the perch he normally stands on.
"I, uh, don't think I can climb up that."
"Don't worry, I can carry you," he glances away, "if you want."
"Y-yes, I would like that," you answer honestly, a deep blush forming on your face.
"As you wish."
He picks you up easily, like you weigh nothing. You suppose his sword probably weighs more than any Waddle Dee does.
"Hold on tight."
He flies up, gently setting you down at the top. You place the bag down. He sits next to you.
The two of you start pulling out the different options. There's at least two of each kind, which makes it easy to divide.
"Can I ask you something?" Meta Knight speaks first.
"Uh, sure," you answer, nerves returning.
"How do you choose what you put in these bags?"
"Oh, I work at the Waddle Dee cafe. These ones are actually the rejected sweets. Uh, not because anything is wrong with them, they're just, uh, not pretty enough to sell."
Meta Knight lifts his mask a little to take a bite of one. You try not to look, but you can't help your eyes darting over to peek.
"They still taste delicious," you see him smile.
"Th-thank you, Meta Knight."
"You're welcome, Waddle (Y/n)."
You look at him surprised. He hums a question.
"I, I didn't think you knew my name," you answer truthfully.
"Actually," he chuckles nervously. "I remember you."
"From, from when you rescued me?"
"Actually, from when you snuck me treats in Castle Dedede."
You gasped. You didn't think he would have remembered.
"And also when I rescued you."
"I, I didn't think you would remember me."
"I actually thought about those desserts you made a lot on the Halberd. Thought about maybe seeing if you'd take a job as a baker on the ship. But it had been so long I wasn't sure you were still at Castle Dedede," Meta Knight took another bite, and you could see he was still smiling.
You were shocked. You thought surely you had been forgotten. Meta Knight had had so many adventures. So many battles. 
"I was really happy when I managed to find you here, though it was less than fortunate circumstances."
"Haha, yeah, I appreciate the rescue," you laugh.
When you look back, Meta Knight is giving you a very soft look. You could tell he was smiling. This time, he didn't glance away.
You smiled back.
This was really nice. You were talking, and having fun, and sharing something, even if it was something as small as some food.
"I should come clean about something."
"Hmm?" You hum your question.
"I, well," Meta Knight pauses. "I knew that it was you leaving the sweets for me since the first one."
You blushed deeply. You thought you had been sneaky about it!
"I also know that the first one was not a thank you from all of the cafe."
"Wait, how?" You ask, genuinely unsure.
"All the sweets, well, they were all the kinds I had taken when we ran into each other in Castle Dedede. It was too specific to be from a bunch of people who don't know my preferences. Also," he takes another pastry, "you're a REALLY bad liar."
You laugh at that, knowing it was very true.
Even though you had discovered you'd been known the whole time, you didn't feel that upset about it.
"I really have liked getting the bags, even if I know who it's from," Meta says.
"Well, I'll make sure to keep giving you them then. Now I don't have to be so secretive about it!"
The two of you laughed. And talked more. Starting from small things, taste preferences, favorite songs the Deedly Dees would play in town. And then it turned to your passions. Meta Knight told you about sword fighting, you told Meta Knight about baking. You found out Meta Knight was, according to his comrades, a VERY bad cook. You offered to teach him. He said he would like that.
Eventually, you ran out of sweets, but neither of you seemed to care. 
It was a long while before you heard Meta Knight take a very deep breath.
"Waddle (Y/n)?"
You turned towards him, tilting your head in question.
"That day you saw me in the Coliseum, you saw me without my mask, did you not?"
At the question, his unmasked face flashed in your mind. And suddenly you were once again very nervous. Even so, you nodded.
A brief pause, and then…
"Would, you like to see again?"
Your eyes widened, and your face burned, but you nodded.
Slowly, Meta Knight removed his mask. You were far enough from the edge of the wall that only you would be able to see his unmasked face.
His face looked like Kirby's. But he had a lot of scars smattered across it. Some relatively shallow, some deeper. There was even a burn scar. You winced a little at it inside, not because the scar itself scared you, but thinking of how Meta Knight must have gotten it.
As you stared, you noticed a distinctly blue blush spreading. He wasn't meeting your eyes either, looking at his hands instead.
On instinct, you started to move to place your hand against his face, stopping a few inches away when you realized. 
It was a few seconds, before Meta Knight moved himself the rest of the way, meeting your hand where it hovered. You traced one of the deeper scars.
"It scares me to think how you got these," you speak softly. "I know you're a knight, and a master swordsman, but I'd hate to see you hurt badly enough to leave such a deep scar."
"Are you, scared of the scars?"
"No, they do make you look pretty badass," you feel him chuckle under your touch. "I just hope you don't have any more injuries bad enough to leave any more deep ones. Well, preferably any more at all."
He places his hand against the one you have on his face. You see his blush deepen. You're fairing no better.
"You called me handsome."
"What?" Your blush is suddenly much worse than it already had been.
"After the Coliseum battle. I heard you say I look handsome under the mask."
You start to look away, but the hand not holding yours cups your face, keeping your gaze on him. His eyes have shifted another color. His smile is large.
"I, for one, think you are extremely cute," he says.
You're too stunned to speak. Too stunned to even move. All you do is blink.
"Would you be interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with me?"
It takes a moment to fully register what Meta Knight had said. When it does register, you find yourself furiously nodding your head.
Meta Knight laughs. Oh, you could get used to hearing that laugh every day.
"Glad to hear it, my dear."
If you weren't a blushing mess before, getting called dear certainly would have turned you into one. You bury your face into his wing to try in vain to hide it. Meta Knight laughs, putting an arm around you, which you happily melt into.
"You know," Meta Knight speaks up. 
You show your face a bit more, and he wraps his wing around you.
"I have Kirby, Bandana Dee, and Elfilin to thank for this."
"How so?" You ask, curiosity peaked.
"They helped me work up the courage to tell you how I felt. I had been really worried you'd think I was less cool if you saw my face."
"Meta Knight, you are literally the coolest person I know."
Meta Knight is now the one to get flustered. His face burns a dark blue, and his other wing moves to wrap around the two of you as well, pulling you together.
"Well, it's nice to hear it directly from you."
You laugh. Meta Knight could get used to hearing that everyday.
"They're the ones who suggested the Coliseum, since my mask always ends up breaking at the end of fighting them. Plus, I got to show off a bit for you."
"Aww, that was for me specifically?"
Meta Knight chuckles.
"It was."
"Well now I gotta keep showing up so I can keep watching!"
You both laugh.
The sky has begun to get lighter. You had spent the whole night talking. You feel your eyes getting droopy, Meta notices almost as fast as you do.
"Do you want me to take you home?"
"Mmmm, not yet. I like being up here with you."
"Well, if you want you can rest up here with me. It's quite peaceful up here."
You yawn, eyes falling closed, and snuggle closer to Meta Knight. He grabs his mask and puts it back on. You give an inquisitive hum.
"This is a view just for you. If anyone else wants to see they have to beat me in a fight," he chuckles.
You smile along with him. It's only a moment before sleep overtakes you.
Meta Knight looks down to see your peaceful slumber. He hums, happy to have you safe in his arms. Lifting his mask for only a moment, he plants a kiss on your forehead.
"Goodnight, Waddle (Y/n)."