King Dedede confidently marched down the halls of the Battleship Halberd, his boots taking him towards the same office he'd made it to plenty on his own -- without some "escort" telling him whether or not he could.

But said escort happened to be on their way back to him as he stomped past. "Your majesty!" cried Sailor Dee. "Wha- I asked you to wait in the main hall, what are you-"

"Escortin' myself to see my own knight thank you very much!" the king replied with his bearded head held high. "I don't know when y'all decided I needed one to see him, but I don't much appreciate it."

"Oh! Great king, I-- we didn't mean any offense by making you wait!" The sailor rushed to catch up the monarch. "It's just that Sir Meta Kni--"

"Actually!" Dedede stopped to glare down the hallway with his hands on his hips. "Why ain't Meta Knight with you," he snapped around to look at the dee. "He got people needin' escortin' to and fro now? Why don't he just escort his butt out here and talk to me instead?"

"That's what I was returning to explain, y-your highness." Sailor Dee tried not to shrink under their monarch's impatient gaze, and as if his words would summon an ounce of his courage, they parroted, "Sir Meta Knight regrets to inform you that he is presently too engrossed in diplomatic affairs to meet with you right now. But if you were to return tomorrow evening he--"

The king burst into sardonic laughter, "'Too engrossed in diplomatic affairs'! What-a-riot!" And started right back down the hallway with renewed frustration. "As the king, his royal obligation to me comes before whatever the hell else he has to do!"

Dedede ignored the young dee's flustered cries for him to come back, he was getting a little tired of people thinking they could tell him what to do these days. Ever since that last adventure with that lying, flying egg-wizard no one seemed to remember that he was the king of this country!

Kirby was running in and out of his castle like he owned the place, thinking that one adventure together made up for their decades of rivalry; Bandana was trying to tell him what to do with his servants as if he were some great warrior sage all of a sudden; And now his ACTUAL warrior sage and boyfriend was ignoring him like he's just some annoying kid!

In his angry musings he almost walked clear past the knight's office, and had to back up straight into this "escort" still chasing after him.

He hammered on the nautical steel door with his fist. "Hey! Open up that door, Meta!" he shouted. "You ain't gonna hide from me behind no mountain of papers!"

Sailor Dee beside him reached to hang onto the king's arm in a vain attempt to stop him. "Please stop..." they whisper-yelled. "Sir Meta Knight needs his peace while working..!"

From behind the door, a deep but tired voice could be heard faintly, "Dedede, did Sailor Dee not tell you that I am busy at the moment?"

His subordinate tried to defend themself, but King Dedede cut in, "Yep! They sure did tell me you were sittin' here tryin' to ignore me!"

"N-no I didn't!" they corrected.

If they'd listened carefully a groan of deep exhaustion could've been heard as Meta Knight got up to answer the door. Mask on, and head held high and goofy, bat-like ears erect, the knight greeted his king with utmost politeness, "I regret to inform you that I am currently far too engrossed in diplomatic affairs to--"

"Oh cut the crap!" King Dedede exclaimed and easily pushed his way into the knight's office. "I ain't some nobody asking for your high and mighty advice, I'm your king! And--" he added after using a foot to close the door on their third wheel-- "Your one and only boyfriend... You don't get to kick me out with some formal address."

Meta Knight's shoulders slumped, believing this was one of their common miscommunications. "I do not mean you any..." He caught himself and attempted to switch tone while taking off his mask. "I did not mean to come off as cold or dismissive to you, my love, I am just rather weary."

His now bare face confirmed this well, even if his tired and neutral expression looked pretty similar. With a sigh, he turned back towards his desk, cluttered with papers it appeared he was trying to sort into concerningly high stacks. "And as I said - occupied with my stately duties..."

Dedede chuckled at his boyfriend's utter failure at sounding casual, familiar as it was by now, "My problem ain't your language, silly. It's you sendin' me away in the first place! It ain't any way to treat yours truly!" Dedede sauntered around the desk to plop himself down at the chair his knight was eyeing. "Nor how you've treated anyone in the past, what's with that all of a sudden?"

"I simply have not been so busy in the past..." Meta sighed, gracefully collapsing into his guest chair seeing his escape route was cut off. "Ever since our adventure across Popstar, I have been in constant talks with foreign kingdoms--"

"But I thought we cleared up all that bad blood with Fatty and the rest of 'em?" he said, referring to the trail of defeated guardians they'd left in their wake.

"Yes, we did. But I told you that other neighboring provinces to them began contacting us as well--"

"Yeah, yeah. All worried 'bout whether we'd come in and trounce 'em as well." The king punched his palm with a smirk and laughed, "We sure made some kind of diplomatic impression on them!"

"Yes. We did..." An exhaustion crept into the knight's tone that Dedede wasn't much fond of. "So much so that upon me explaining our peaceful intentions to them, nearly every country or state who'd contacted us now wishes to be our allies." Meta moved to pick a few key papers out of the mess on his desk. "We have been inundated with requests to attend balls, receive ambassadors, schedule calls, and--"

The king snatched a paper out from under his hand. "Whoa, whoa, and why haven't I heard about all of this?" He tried to hide a hint of anger with a crooked smile. "You may be my statesman, but I'm still your king, this should be going through me."

"I..." the knight faltered for a moment. "The last time we spoke I tried to bring this up, but you wished not to talk of occupational affairs. So I figured I would organize all of these into a proper briefing before bringing it up again."

Dedede quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. "You mean a week ago when I told you to 'lighten the mood a bit' at that meeting? Sweetie..." He leaned back trying to make his exhaustion look playful, but in turn Meta stood up and stiffened his back. "I didn't mean, 'Don't tell me that fifty-leven countries are now knockin' at our door'! I meant if it were just some boring stuff skip over it. Cause you're good for goin' too into detail."

"I misunderstood..." Meta Knight's admitted. His ear twitched as he looked down pensively. "If you would like, I could debrief you now. I do not believe this is everyone who will respond yet, but it is already enough to start making plans."

"Nah! Nah." Dedede shot back forwards realizing how desperately he didn't actually care about this at the moment. "Look, that's important, but we can talk about it later, alright?"

Meta stared at him blankly for a moment. "You mean that this time? A few of these have been on hold for some time now, they're a touch urgent-"

"Can't wait till tomorrow urgent?"

Meta considered the stack of papers. "No... none of that urgency per se."

"Good! Then we can get back to what's more important - Us! Even last time when I told you to put this stuff aside we just kept talking business, business, business." He mockingly flapped his fingers.

Meta looked down. "I apologize again."

"It's whatever. But you could make it up to me with a date?" He grinned.

"If you would wish."

Dedede once again had to hide a prick of frustration. "If I would wish? Heh, what about you?"

"Of course it is what I wish for as well," Meta replied politely. "I... admit I haven't been as spending as much time with you lately as I would like, I need to find a better way to fit time with you into my schedule."

Dedede was very familiar with his partner's way of speaking and showing affection by now, and, logically, he didn't take much offense to the wording of that sentence. But something in him felt like being offended.

He held his head in one hand and let his arm fall on the desk with a light thump. "'Fit into your schedule'?" He repeated teasingly. "Am I just more work to you or your boyfriend?"

Meta's head shot up to meet him with wide eyes, "I did not mean to imply that you are more work. I... I just meant that--"

"I get it, sweetie!" He put a hand up for him to stop before he embarrassed himself further -- that first sign of life since they started talking was all he wanted out of him. "You're a workaholic and you ain't the best at people. Just watch yourself, cause thinkin' like that leads to actin' like that," he winked cheekily.

Dedede finally relinquished Meta's little throne and came to stand before him with a giddy grin. "How's about tonight right as the sun's settin'?"

The knight looked away sheepishly. "That would work."

The king chuckled and held his boyfriend's hands. This was the coy little knight he wanted to see, not that papers and formalities stuff. "Then it's a date! And I don't want you workin' none till tomorrow, you look like you need sleep anyways." He planted a kiss on his cheek and made his exit. "Love you, sweetie-pie!"

But, Meta Knight seemed too distracted too reply.

As twilight came, the two Dreamland nobles found themselves on their promised date. But it wasn't at all the romantic pace-breaker Dedede had hoped.

A few courtesy kisses melted into awkward silences and curt hums from both men, especially Meta who didn't appear more rested at all -- if his tired face before was subtle, it very much wasn't now. And Dedede may have been stubborn, but he wasn't stupid, and could tell when something needed to be addressed.

They sat beside each other on one of the castle's patio couches, overlooking the hill where the sun set on the kingdom. And on cue with the last of the light falling over the horizon, Dedede shuffled and turned towards his knight, "You still thinkin' about all that work from earlier?"

Meta Knight visibly flinched, glancing at him for a moment before continuing to look straight ahead silently. And guiltily. "I'm sorry, I find it hard not to..."

Not being a surprise to Dedede at all, he found it easier to let go of his gripes from before, and to just let them leave his body in a long, closed-mouth sigh.

"Sorry for making such a fuss earlier. I... don't really know why I was so pissed off at you workin'. I s'pose I was just feelin' sort of..." Dedede glanced away and crossed his arms, searching unexpectedly deep for words. "Ignored? And I guess that's why I got all pissy with you."

The king paused and furrowed his brow. "And yelled at your crew... And at Bandana earlier... And Kirby yesterday..." His face screwed up in thought. "And why I've been yelling at people in general..." Dedede shifted in his seat. "Maybe somethin's wrong with me."

"Then perhaps it is best if we no longer see each other..."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" The king jumped in his seat and turned to his knight. "Where's that coming from? Just cause we got some problems communicatin' don't mean we gotta just give up! Heh heh, we just started talkin, that's the first step in fixin' this, ain't it?"

The knight continued to stare at the ground, his face still blank with exhaustion, but he subtly frowned further. "You are... right... I do not know why I said that..." He blinked. "I think something is wrong with me as well."

"Heeey!" Dedede threw his arms up and wrapped them around his lover, who just barely relaxed into it, "That's somethin' we have in common now! And now we start talking! How 'bout you go first, you seem really messed up over this..."

For the first time in a while, Dedede saw Meta's whole posture shift in accordance with his emotions. The ever-stoic knight's ears fell back in shame and his brow furrowed as he looked away. "When you said earlier that I work too much and am not good with others it stung me. I... I know you were just trying to be lighthearted, but I had failed in my duties to you as your statesman and your partner -- unable to read your commands nor your affections...

"And now, I am sitting here, unable to do my work or attend to you personally and I... I do not know what to do with myself. I do not know how to manage between these obligations and I fear that greatly."

"Oh..." Dedede huffed with earnest understanding. "So this is really on me--"

"No no no, not at all, my love," Meta responded, turning to him fretfully. "It is not you it is--"

"Calm down," he interrupted with a light shake of Meta's shoulder. "I ain't blaming you or myself, I'm just sayin it's..." he sighed. "I didn't need to come bargin' in like that earlier and makin' a fuss over nothing. I musta looked like a kid throwin' a tantrum."

Suddenly, Dedede huffed again as a terrible realization crossed his mind, "Actually, that's almost exactly it. I was acting like the pouty kid I used to be when others left me alone to go get more important stuff done - the fun part about bein' raised by a buncha royals - maybe I still got too much damage over bein' put to the side over that..." he grumbled.

"I apologize for reminding you of that, I did not mean to patronize you or--"

"You don't gotta keep apologizin', Meta!" The king cried with a lighthearted chuckle, but Meta Knight only started and tensed up in response. In turn, Dedede gave a concerned look and tried to take a softer approach, "Look... "I'm sorry. I was tryna say that I was bein' unreasonable. I started this over some dumb feelings -- you ain't done nothing wrong!"

But despite lightening his tone as sincerely as he could, Meta's demeanor still unnerved him. Dedede knew the knight could be timid, but he seemed... afraid now; His eyes wide and ears flat, almost like a spooked cat. "I'm not mad or upset at you," he said, leaning closer. "You feel me, right?"

Meta Knight failed not to flinch at his approach. "Of course..." he replied flatly, averting his gaze again but not relaxing in the slightest.

Dedede frowned. "Are you okay? You seem... jittery..."

Meta didn't reply. But Dedede felt him tense further, as if he were about to book it. Gently, the king pressed down on his shoulder, and asked again, "I-I mean it, are... is there somethin' else goin' on?"

The knight glanced to the side, as if still considering escaping, but instead he visibly heaved a sigh and steeled his nerves. "I am..." he whispered weakly. "Just rather... anxious about these... sorts of confrontations..."

His posture, the placative words -- Dedede's heart sank like a stone in his chest.

He bit his tongue as he slowly moved his hand off of Meta's shoulder to cup his back, considering what to ask next. "Well, uh..." he began awkwardly. "I want these kinds of conversations to go well for the both of us, y'know... No blaming or yelling or nothin'. I just want us to talk."

Meta tensed again.

"I-I don't wanna hurt you, is all... You mean a lot to me, and I... want you to be happy and comfortable talking to me..."

After a few more heartbeats, Meta sighed, "I understand..." He leaned into Dedede's arm for the first time that night. "Thank you... I do not want you to feel hurt by my actions either."

It was a measly change in expression for most people, but Dedede gave a great big grin knowing it meant a lot coming from his knight. "Aw, it's really all right, Meta. I mean... at this point I feel like me bein' moody's done more of a number on you than me."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, fully looking up at him this time.

"W-well, I mean, like I said, you seemed really fidgety and messed up about everything. I didn't mean for my complaining to get us both so worked up."

"Ah..."

"Do uhm..." The king looked around to try and get his words right a third time. "I know it may not be my business why, but you wanna talk about why these sortsa things bother you so much?"

Meta looked away sheepishly again, and for a second Dedede assumed he may've tripped this nerve all over again. But Meta replied in due time.

"I did not sleep since we last talked earlier today," he stated bluntly. "Nor did I get much sleep the night before. I feel as though that fact is interfering with my ability to reason. I am..." he looked Dedede in the eyes, betraying no fear or aversion. Simply terrible, soul-withering exhaustion. "I apologize. For the final time."

Dedede chuckled and hugged his knight to him further. "Gee, yeah it really was me doin' a number on you. My bad this time!" He leaned forward to plant a kiss on Meta's forehead. "I'm takin' all those apologies of yours and makin' them from me to you -- you need some shut eye, not a date right now."

Meta's gaze softened upon him. "That would be nice. As long as I can rest beside you."

"Of-course!" The king cheered.

With a big smile he stood off the couch, leaving his hand in that of his partner to offer him leverage. But as soon as Meta stood, another idea struck him, "Wait -- here, cause I really owe you one!" And without any effort he swept Meta's legs from beneath him and held him in his arms.

The smaller man only took a second to orient himself, his exhaustion making the movement more disorienting that it should have, but likewise made his new spot against his lover's body all the more inviting.

Meta melted into Dedede's arms, in a way the king and never really seen before, his body went lax and his silly ears flopped onto the larger man's chest and arm. "That better?" Dedede asked.

"Most certainly..." the knight hummed, barely able to keep his eyes open.

The king couldn't help but laugh, even on the edge of sleep his knight couldn't just leave it at a simple 'yes' or 'good'. Whatever was wrong with him he loved it. The thought which followed him back into the refuge of his castle.