[𝓑𝓪𝓷 𝔁 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰] 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵

chapter 5, Live within my paradise

Ban looked up at Elizabeth, knowing exactly what she was going to ask before she could even muster a word. " This stays a secret between us. If anyone else hears about this, I doubt King would ever talk to me again." 

The white haired girl nodded, leaning in closer towards Ban to gently cup his face, wiping away one of his last tears. He chuckled a bit and smiled tiredly. " Thanks, princess...  I don't want to imagine what would have happened if you wouldn't have gotten here..."

She hums with a small nod, backing away to look down at the fragile boy in the fox sins' arms. " But I do have another question..." She mumbled out quietly, scared to break the small moment of peace.  

" Shoot," Ban replies, looking right into the white-haired girl's eyes. "How did King get in the state? He's frozen and his head was bleeding..." 

At least she didn't see his arms, what a relief thought Ban, feeling a weight flying off his shoulders. "He slipped in the stream and got caught up with the current, and him being him, couldn't swim back up and probably ended up hitting his head off a rock." The sin of greed only said half of the story, the half that she wanted.

The princess nodded and got up, bowing deeply. " As much as I don't want to leave the two of you here... I must go back before sir Meliodas gets worried and searches for me." Ban nodded in agreement, waving lightly. "It's fine. There are berry bushes near the bottom of the mountain."

After a bright smile and a brief thank you to Ban, the girl turned around to do her ' quest'. Ban smiled sadly and looked down at Harlequin, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully at the moment.

He slid his slender fingertips through the fairy king's hair, brushing the humid bangs lightly. His smile got softer just by looking at the peaceful male. '' Is he really peaceful, though..." He mumbled out, his smile fading a bit.

He caught himself leaning in towards Harlequin's head, freezing halfway through after he realized what he was doing. His thoughts were rushing through his skull at full speed before shaking his head and leaning in, pecking King's forehead lightly.

He blushed lightly from his own actions, just holding the smaller male closer to his chest. "I won't let go this time. Not again." He mumbled out, nuzzling the soft, orange hair from harlequin's head. He took a few deep breaths to relax his nerves, try to calm his mind.

Ban stood up, holding the thin fairy king closely, in a bridal style. Taking a few steps forward, trying to spot a nice place to relax. He walked around, going deeper into the mountain's forest. The fox sin used his superior hearing to see if he could hear anything relaxing.

Over all the chirping birds, small rodents running around and insects buzzing, he heard small droplets of water, falling one by one if a relaxing way. He could almost smell the faint smell of cherry blossoms. 

His mind was made up, he headed in the direction of the steady, calming noise. He did his possible to keep the sleeping boy undisturbed, wanting him to rest as much as possible. Ducking under branches, stepping down on bushes, the overgrown man knew his destination was, little by little, getting closer.

Finally, Ban spotted it. A single cherry tree in full blossom. I was a bit smaller than the trees around but still stood in all its pride. The fox sin made his way to the tree, slowly lowering himself to place King at the base of the tree, leaning him on it so it wouldn't become uncomfortable.

Ban sat beside the unconscious boy, making himself comfortable. His hands slowly reached up to a cherry blossom, it falling gracefully into his palm. He smiled gently and placed it in Harlequin's hair.

The said boy started to whimper a bit, making Ban perk up and watch him carefully. King's whole body twitched, it almost looking creepy. Soon enough, a single tear rolled down his cheek, alerting Ban. Ban approached the fairy king carefully, gently cupping his cheek and wiping away the tear, similar to how Elizabeth did it to comfort him earlier.

Slowly, Harlequin's amber eyes fluttered open, his mind hazy and confused. "Ban...?" He mumbled out, looking right at the said man. He slowly raised his arms to stretch, looking around quickly.

" Uh... Where are we?" The fox sin chuckled nervously and responded. "The cherry blossom tree." "Oh? But why..." Harlequin dragged off his sentence,  digging in the deepest parts of his memory to remember.

He remembered fleeing to the mountain to do his ' business', then sensing Ban's presence. He remembered going to a stream to wash off and then... It's blank. At that moment, he realized something he wished would have never happened.

" B-ban..?" Ban looks at Harlequin worriedly and hums, tilting his head a bit. His worries were multiplied at the sight of more tears rolling down King's cheeks. " You saw, didn't you..." He mumbled out. Ban nods, making King feel worse.

Harlequin expected Ban to call him a freak, get up and leave, maybe tell him to finish what he started, tell him he's worthless... But the reality was far from what he expected. 

Ban hugged King softly, rubbing his back to comfort him. The action made Harlequin cry even more. " Why do you care..." He would mumble out every once in a while.

"Because it's excruciating to see you suffer in that way, knowing I could help but just couldn't find a way how. I care because you are dear to me. King, I care because you are my friend, because without you I wouldn't have come to my senses, because you are precious and fragile and because I want to protect you." 

Ban took a breath after his small speech, pulling away to look at King in the eyes, holding his chin between his fingers. "Because I like you. A lot."