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On sunny days in Dreamland, the sunlight shone brightly in the early hours of the day. The trees swayed gently as they were shaken by the wind and the grass stood out for its greenery. On days like those, one could smell the faint sweetness in the air of Dreamland and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
In the distance, Kirby was holding Bandana Dee's hand, leading him to a small pool of water near the hill. His other small hand held two fishing rods. Bandana, meanwhile, was happily following his friend, talking about something inaudible to Dedede. The two seemed happy to spread out the fishing line and drop the hook into the crystal clear water
On top of the hill, Dedede watched the happiness of his friends. The shade of the tree behind him shielded him from the intense glare of the sun, something he was grateful on such a hot day. At his side was his knight, leaning over his shoulder, lying motionless. Exhaustion must have taken hold of him on his last watch, given his posture.
Meta Knight seemed at ease, slipping into a peaceful slumber. His cloak was loose, and his beloved sword remained strapped to his waist, untouched. Dedede rarely got to see his knight so peaceful, but when it happened, the world seemed to be a better place.
He had no intention of moving his arm at all, but he could still move to take his beloved's hand in his own. The fabric of his glove was too familiar to not recognize it upon touching it.
He liked being like this, when the sky was clear, his friends enjoyed the weather, and he had his knight by his side. It was a moment he wanted to keep in his memory for as long as possible. A feeling of melancholy that he didn't want to forget.
Next to him, Meta Knight moved slightly. Dedede tried to remain still, but the knight had already awakened. He looked around for a moment, trying to clear his mind, before his gaze fell on their intertwined hands.
"Heya"
"Good morning" his voice came out soft, there were traces of sleepiness as he spoke "It seems I've fallen asleep."
“Ya think? Well, you looked pretty sleepy to me.”
Meta Knight didn't reply, but he didn't withdraw his hand either. He lifted his gaze from Dedede and turned it to Kirby, who was jumping up and down in victory for catching a fish. Bandana put down his fishing rod to admire the prize in Kirby's hands. Then they let the fish go, releasing it back into the waterhole.
Some water splashed on them both, soaking them. Although it didn't bother either of them, Bandana squeezed out his beloved cloth worried that it might get ruined. Nothing to be concerned about.
Sleep was calling him again, his eyes wanted to close even though he wanted to stay awake. Meta Knight let out a small yawn, fortunately nothing would be visible thanks to his mask. Suddenly the grip on his hand tightened a little, causing him to focus on Dedede again. He had forgotten about the king completely.
He had to say something, perhaps an apology or an excuse for taking so many liberties with Dedede. As much as he liked it, it wasn't appropriate, he felt he was being selfish. Dedede was quicker to speak, interrupting his chain of thought.
"You can go back to sleep if you want to, I know you need it."
He must have been too obvious. Still, he didn't want to say no, his eyelids insisted on wanting to close again, and his body agreed that Dedede was a good pillow. He just hoped it wouldn't become a habit to sleep so comfortably.
"Thank you."
Meta Knight leaned over the king again and closed his eyes. Before falling asleep again, he felt a gentle caress on the back of his hand and smiled, knowing that Dedede would take care of him while he slept.