Hello my dear readers, it's been a while-hasn't it? I'm so sorry for that. University has been rather hectic for me as it's my last semester and I've been working a lot of hours at work on top of it. I was originally going to include the actual Yule Festival in this chapter but that would have made it more than twice the length and I figured it would be best to give the festival its own chapter. So that's coming next. I'm going to start working on the next one soon and I hope it won't take as long to get out. I graduate May 4th and will have way more free time after that to write so hopefully I can get myself back on a regular update schedule after that. I have included a surprise POV for you guys in this chapter to make up for the amount of time it's taken to get this up, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Please look forward to the next one and thank you so much for your continued support.

"Your heart doth drip its aqua tears my knight

Let service be your key, pray not for me

Serve I must in another court this day

All so soon I glimpse its citrine soft light

Let your grief tend our summer hallowed tree

Look for me in still pools sanctioned by fae."

-Virginia Waters

Levi's POV:

He wasn't sure why he'd decided to take the brat's painting with him. What did he care about such a painting? What did he care about humans and their shitty ass emotions? What did he care if taking the painting to the brat's mom would make her happy and, in turn, make the brat happy? What did he care? Levi was the Winter King, after all; one of the most powerful Fae to exist within their realm. He didn't have time to cater to the whims of a mere, pathetic human and yet here he was on the way to the human realm, carrying the painting carefully in his arms as if the slightest bump would cause it to disintegrate.

It was strange being around Eren. He made Levi feel… something. He didn't quite know what the something was yet. The first time they kissed, Eren had been the one to initiate it, and coupled with the warmth of his hands on his face, it had Levi feeling as if the room had fallen away and all there was was this slow, burning feeling In all his years of being alive he'd never gotten so lost in the feeling of another's lips against his. It seemed that after over 2,000 years of being dormant, his heart had begun to beat once more. Fae didn't experience hunger, but after just a taste of Eren, every second away from him had Levi feeling as if he was starving.

Memories he'd never cared to recall started popping up. When he wasn't within the presence of Eren he found himself worrying about him, and when he was with of Eren he found himself wanting nothing more than to please the brat, no matter how stubborn he could be. There were times where he swore there was a strange pain in his chest and his brain would be all foggy. He knew he was forgetting something, some specific memory attempting to crawl its way to the surface, but it was as if he was stuck in quicksand: the harder he tried, the deeper he sank, and the no matter what he kept on sinking- it seemed like there was no sure way out.

The human version of Levi had cared, even loved, before, as hard as that may be to imagine, but King Levi could conjure up no memories of anything quite so… passionate. While he couldn't exactly feel the emotions he once had, more like an outsider looking into their own life, he could still remember those times, but not once had it ever been like it was now. Maybe it was because it'd been hundreds of years since the last time the Fae King had deigned to take part in such an activity, or maybe it was just Eren. All Levi knew was that when he was around the boy, whether they were talking, touching, or simply around each other, it felt as if after an eternity of loneliness had washed away, replaced by a light feeling.

The Fae Kinglet out a disgruntled sigh and shook his head. He couldn't let this distract him right now; he had a festival to prepare for. If anyone in his court noticed his current weakness- if King Erwin heard of it, to say he'd have a lot of shit on his hands would be putting it lightly. The mere thought of it sent a shiver of through his body. Right now, he would focus on putting on a festival that would satisfy his court and mentally preparing himself for a visit with the mother of the boy he had stolen away. Being a perfectionist, he wouldn't stop until everything was to his liking, and his court had not once ever been disappointed with any of the celebrations, so really, everything would be fine. But, something deep within him was telling him that tonight was special. There was a strange aura of finality, as if this would be the last time, he would do this.

As Levi entered the human world, he felt off balance, but more so than usual. It was a natural feeling that occurred when one traveled between the two realms, but it seemed as though the war waging within himself only amplified those feelings. He shook his head again. Focus, focus, focus.

After a few more moments of silent meditation, the Fae King began his trek through the forest and into the small, quaint town of Shiganshina. It was sort of funny, really, how much humans strove to cling to things that were familiar to them. In all his two thousand years of being a Fae, the village had hardly changed. The only parts of the village that illustrated the human world was now in the 21st century were the lights and some of the newer buildings. Otherwise, if someone from out of town were to visit, they would feel as though they were taking a step into the past.

Fae time worked much differently than it did in this realm. Humans often spoke about how King Levi had been in power for over 2,000 years, but it was nowhere near that amount of time back in his kingdom. Compared to some of the Fae who had come before him, his reign would seem as though it were child's play. The thought caused a feeling of what he would equate to as sadness shot through his chest. To think that so much time had passed here, so much history had been made, and that so many people had come and gone, and yet for him...that same time had seemed like nothing at all.

And at that moment it was as if a dam had been broken and Eren's emotions suddenly made sense to him. With the distinct knowledge that even if he were to one day procure his freedom, there was the possibility that everyone he ever knew and loved would be dead, he took his chances for his village, willing to risk his own demise, his downfall, for the people he cared for. He was risking the chance of returning to a world that he no longer knew, the very world that Levi no longer knew.

Levi chewed his bottom lip softly as the Yeager household came into view. It was a two-story cottage with a cobblestone roof that was built in a rather peculiar way. On one side it was shaped into a triangle with the bottom right angle coming down to frame around their door and on the other side, it formed more of a rectangle shape with part of it circling around a small window. The wood of the cottage was painted an alabaster white with accented wood around the windows and on the door being of a rich mahogany color. There were lush green vines trailing up the left side of the cottage, the leaves wrapping around the window adorned with lush red wine-colored roses. Surrounding the house was a wooden picket fence and as Levi stepped onto the cobblestone pathway and entered the yard, he found he was surrounded by a robust garden. The garden was filled several Oakland hydrangeas, ogan spireas, a few purple smoke bushes, some more of those richly colored roses, and a small fountain in the center made up of a series of smooth stones.

It was a quaint and beautiful space and Levi could see that this place was filled with peace and serenity. He pictured a young Eren running through the gardens with a wide smile on his face and that's when he made his decision. He couldn't allow Eren to fall to the same fate he had. He would have to find a way to get Eren back to his realm as soon as possible. That way he could live out his normal human life with those he loved and cherished, and then die along with them, a good life having been lived.

Levi found it hard to picture Eren as a Fae; devoid of his art and the very emotions which caused everyone around him to cling to him like moths would a flame. There was no scenario that the Fae King could imagine in which it'd be okay for Eren to become such a being like himself. The mere thought of it was just wrong.

As Levi knocked on the front door of Eren's home, he felt an odd stirring in his chest, a feeling he hadn't felt since he had made the decision to give himself up in exchange for Isabel's freedom. Protectiveness, it was caring for someone, worrying about them over himself. This realization was nothing short of startling for him, a being who had felt nothing but slight hints of animosity, lust, and boredom for over 2,000 human years.

The door opened and in front of him appeared an exact replica of the painting Eren had done. Carla was even more beautiful in person, her kind eyes and soft smile, her small frame, but confident posture- all of it reminded Levi of someone from long, long ago. A woman who had died many, many years ago. The same woman who had given him everything she could for him to live the life she had only ever had the possibility of dreaming of. The woman who he could never really forget.

"King Levi, what a surprise! A-are you okay? You're… you're crying, sweetie. Is something wrong?"

Everything.

Everything.

Everything was wrong.

Levi remembered.

Everything.

Eren's POV:

With Levi having left, Eren had nothing to do and nothing to distract himself with. He considered taking another look at the book he'd found earlier, but the incident with the fire had him hesitating. Ultimately, he decided not to. He doesn't know what could set him off and he can't afford to fuck up right now. Plus, he has no idea when Levi would return so if he does do something stupid, he doesn't know how long he'd be stuck. Eren also thought about exploring the castle some more, but again, he doesn't know much about the place and the things it holds so tempting his fate doesn't sound like a risk he'd want to take. Besides, he has the festival tonight; it'll be a nice change of scenery. But, despite being excited for them, it makes him feel nervous.

Eren decided to go back to their shared bedroom, it being the safest place for him. As he made his way there, he felt butterflies in his stomach at the thought of being surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar Fae. While he was excited at the prospect of exploring the castle grounds of the Winter Court, he couldn't help but worry about them. Learning how to interact with Levi had proven difficult enough and even he had some human roots.

As Eren thought, his steps slowed, getting lost in his inner turmoil. He tried to remember everything that Mikasa and Armin had mentioned of their interactions with the Fae and what they were like, but the only thing he could distinctly recall was their emphases on the fact that the Fae tended to be very cunning. They liked to prey on human emotions just get what they want and once they were done having their fun, they had clever ways of disposing of them. Of course, however, not all Fae were like this. Armin had mentioned there existed some who almost admired humans, intrigued by their intellectual capacities and seemed to enjoy long conversations about technology and the world, how it's changed over the past few hundred years. Fae were, after all, naturally curious creatures and had an appetite for knowledge that was nearly impossible to satisfy.

If only his family and friends hadn't kept him in the dark things would've been so much easier. Eren knows they were only trying to help him, but it was frustrating. Even so, he knew he'd be safe from harm so long as the Fae King kept his interest for him, so he doesn't need to worry all too much, but he couldn't help it. For now, he'd have to plan some things to talk about because no doubt the Fae will be asking questions. The best he could come up with is his travels to Germany and his knowledge of technology and new age inventions. Hopefully it'd be enough to direct their attention from wondering why a random human was in their realm, but all of it was a huge risk- they were definitely going to be suspicious. To Eren's knowledge, King Levi had only ever brought back humans for their talents. Eren couldn't let anybody know who he was, so saying he was a painter was out of the picture. What if they asked to see something of his? Humans and Fae alike knew his paintings- he'd be screwed and so would Levi. The Fae, especially Erwin, would be all over him if they knew what Eren was trying to do.

Then again, Levi had been a Fae for a long time and was more than capable of handling himself. What Eren really needed to do was focus on keeping his own identity a secret. If it got out who he was before his village threw the festival, they had been spending months (that was such a fucking odd thought when it had only been two days for Eren) planning… he didn't even want to think about what sort of wrath the Fae would bring upon them. Not to mention, it would make his chances of making it back to the human realm unscathed nearly impossible.

Eren walked into the bedroom and plopped down on the bed, placing his head in his hands and rubbing his palms across his face roughly. All the thinking was giving him a headache. Normally it was Armin who was the worry-wart and Eren would be going in head-first, not thinking of any potential consequences. It was how he got named the "suicidal bastard" and other such names. Even so, he couldn't really argue. But it seems like his time in the Fae realm was already making changes to his personality as well as his mentality. He couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not since thinking things through was probably something he should've done. If only his friends back home could see him know; they'd be calling him crazy.

As he thought, Eren continued to stare at the ground with his hands cradling his head. He wasn't sure how much time had passed by with him sitting like that, but by the time he finally looked up his body gave a jerk and he let out a pitiful squeak. Levi was casually leaning against the doorframe with his usual unreadable expression. Eren had no idea how long the Fae King had been standing there staring at him like that, as if he was some sort of puzzle that needed to be solved… as if he could see right through him and into his soul. Eren was fully clothed and yet he had never felt quite so bare in his entire life. It was...uncomfortable.

Out of habit he found himself scratching the back of the neck and looking off to the side. Whenever he was nervous, Eren had a difficult time keeping eye contact with someone, a fault that he was not only aware of but hated as well.

"I… er… I didn't hear you come back," he muttered softly, continuing to avoid Levi's gaze, though since noticing he felt as if he was burning.

"It hasn't been that long. You looked deep in thought and I didn't want to disturb you." Levi's smooth voice filtered into the room and seemed to fill up every inch of the space around them. The Fae King had always had a big presence, but for some reason now it seemed to suffocate him. Pulling himself together, Eren looked back at the seemingly unchanging face and asked, "My mother...did she say anything?"

Levi's eyes flashed and the corner of his jaw ticked slightly as he brought his right hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, a tired look on his face. This was uncharacteristic of the Fae he had spent the past few days getting to know and Eren began to once again question if Levi's emotions had really already come back and, if so, what was the reason behind keeping it a secret from Eren? He had to be aware of them, right?

"Your mother… she said a lot of things. I've always found humans to be incredibly curious creatures and that, even in my own days as a human, it was nearly impossible to understand their motives behind their actions. However, your mother… she is different. Hmm, I can see where you get it from.

"The only thing you need to know is that she loves you and she said she understands why you made the decision you did and that she isn't mad. She also cried when I gave her the painting… if that means anything," Levi paused, almost lost in his own thoughts, "Human emotion... it is… still rather confusing for me to fe- fully comprehend."

Eren narrowed his eyes as he listened to Levi talk. His apprehension was clear in his typically bored voice and it was only amplified by his slip up towards the end. Eren wanted nothing more than to call him out, but right now wasn't the best time to do it. All Eren wanted to know was why he would want to hide himself and why he couldn't just be honest. He'd have to ask later, he guessed. There couldn't be any distraction right now.

"Did you get the outfit from my mother?" He chose to ask instead. They only had limited time to prepare before Eren was fully shoved into the world of the Fae, afterall.

"Ah, yes. I sat it on the dresser over there while you were staring off into space." Levi straightens from the doorframe. "We only have two hours until the festival begins. I'll be… preoccupied for a while as it's customary for the Fae ruler to receive gifts from and converse with their subjects. However, I'll be back in time enough to explain how you should behave."

And with that, Levi vanished into thin air. This time Eren wasn't as startled by it as he had come to expect the Fae King to come and go as he pleased yet he still felt a slight pang in his chest. He hadn't had much alone time with Levi today and for some reason that fact was bothering him in a way that he found quite unusual. Eren had never been one to beg for attention, in fact, being as famous as he was in his village made him quite uncomfortable at times. However, with Levi…. well he found himself feeling jealous that the other Fae were going to be spending more time with him than he was. Did Eren actually have a crush on the Fae King?

Though Eren wasn't surprised by the Fa King's sudden disappearance, he still felt a slight pang in his chest. He hadn't had much alone time with Levi today, and for some reason that was bothering him more than he thought it would… or should. Eren had never been one for attention. In fact, his popularity (of sorts) back in the village had made him a bit uncomfortable at times, but with Levi? He wanted Levi's company- fuck, he was jealous, what has his life come to. He couldn't have a crush on him, could he?

Was it even possible to have a crush after only knowing someone for a few days? Well, Eren guessed it was possible, but with Levi? It was strange… Eren felt as though he'd known Levi for much longer than he had. He theorized it was since the two days spent in the Fae world represented two whole months back in his world. Time moves differently here, much slower, and maybe the magic of it all must be getting to his head.

Eren sighed heavily as he finally stood up to go and examine the outfit his mother had painstakingly crafted for him. He ran his hand over the material, and he could feel the magic of his mother's craft beneath his fingers. The cashmere was smooth and soft to the touch and felt wonderful against his skin. The suit was sectioned into three separate pieces, a white undershirt and perfectly tailored charcoal colored waistcoat and pants.

Eren sighed and knocked his head lightly. Not now, not now, not now. Instead, Eren went to go take a look at what his mother had made for him. Upon laying his eyes on it and running his hand over the cashmere, Eren could almost feel all the hard work and love that was put into making each piece of the suit. A tight, white undershirt, a charcoal-colored waistcoat with a two-buttoned front adorned with horn buttons, with front flap, ticket pocket, and a hand-cut chest welt pocket, all complete with a matching set of pants. Lastly was the tie, with a simply navy-blue color and smooth to the touch.

Eren quickly undressed and slipped into the undershirt and pants. He couldn't lie- his ass looked fucking fantastic. He'd always been told his body was great, but these pants did a great job at hugging his glutes and showing them off in the best possible way and the shirt fit snugly against his frame. Slipping into the waistcoat, he couldn't help but be surprised by how smoothly it seemed to mold against him. His mother had truly outdone herself this time.

The last step was putting on the tie. Eren had always struggled with it but having it in his hands put a soft smile on his face. Had his mother been here, she would gently tie it around his neck and then she'd smooth down the fabric over his shoulders even if there were no wrinkles to be seen. She'd run her hands through his forever messy hair, and he'd get annoyed at all her fuss, but she'd just give him a look and tell him to deal with it because she's his mother. He'd roll his eyes and pout, but she'd ignore it and give him a kiss on the cheek. He misses that, he really does.

Eren tried to successfully tie it, sticking his tongue out from habit. You'd think he'd be better with his hands considering he was a painter but doing these kinds of things never worked for him. What seems like countless times later he was ready to give up and leave it be until he heard a soft chuckle from across the room. Startled, Eren whipped his head around to find Levi, again, staring at him, but this time in a suit. He looked absolutely breathtaking.

Eren could tell the suit was also made by his mother, but the only thoughts running through his head were when the fuck did Levi manage to commission my mom and why the fuck didn't I know about it and holy shit, I need to jump his bones so fucking bad- it should be illegal to look that good, fuck.

The suit was the blue shade of when day faded into night and it was made of the finest silk a person could ever hope to use. Like Eren, he wore a white undershirt and the entire suit was well tailored to every curve of Levi's toned body. Around Levi's neck was a white cravat, it's folds laying delicately against Levi. Something he'd never imagined Levi wearing, but now he couldn't get it out of his head. Pair that with slicked back hair and damn, when did foreheads become such a big turn on for him. Even his fucking eyebrows were perfect; thin and arched, but strong. But what probably should've caught his attention was the fact that Levi was smiling. It was almost unnoticeable, but Eren could definitely see the slight curve of his mouth.

Eren's heart was hammering in his chest. If he had been unsure of his feelings for the Fae King before, he certainly wasn't now, but his mind was still confused and his thoughts were all over the place. How was it possible for one simple smile and laugh to knock the breath right out of him? Was it normal to feel this way about someone after having only known of them for such a short amount of time? He wasn't supposed to be like this, this wasn't supposed to happen.

"Oi, you really are a brat. Can't even tie your own tie. Come, let me help you." Levi's small smile turned into a full-blown smirk as he used his index finger to motion that Eren come forward. Eren jutted out his bottom lip in a pout and crossed his arms over his chest. It seemed that Levi would never tire of teasing him at any chance he got.

"It's not like I'm the only person in the world who has difficulty with this, you know."

Levi rolled his eyes- another gesture that was uncommon for the Fae- and replied in a low voice "Do you want my help or not? Your mother didn't go through the trouble of making you a tie for you to not wear it. Stop being so stubborn."

"You enjoy how stubborn I am, don't lie," Eren retorted with a complacent smile as he complied to Levi's request and walked over to stand in front of the shorter male. Levi just gave him a hard gaze before lifting his fingers to undo the mess that Eren had put his tie in.

When he finished untangling it and began redoing it, Levi started to talk in a stern voice, "Now, I'm going to explain to you what's going to happen tonight. We will walk into the festival together and I will introduce you to my court. I will tell them I brought you home a few days ago and kept you a secret because I wanted you for myself. I will say I was bored and needed some entertainment. None of these are lies, so I can say this without any consequences.

"Then I will have to leave you as I'll have to interact with the members of my court. This won't be for very long, don't worry about that, but it will be long enough for plenty of the Fae to get one-on-one time with you. Choose your answers to their questions wisely. As a human you can easily lie, however, I would strongly advise against doing so. Once your village exposes your identity the Fae will be angry, they'll only be angrier if they find out there were more lies. You don't want to make enemies. As of now, there is only so much I can do to protect you.

"I know your family didn't teach you much, which was a mistake on their part, but you are not dumb. You've spent the past few days interacting with me, but I must warn you that I am quite different than other Fae. I will only say this once. Do not test them."

By the time Levi had finished his lecture Eren's tie was perfectly knotted around his neck and the Fae King had smoothed his hand over Eren's chest fondly. "You look amazing; your mother's skills are truly a mystery… I wish I didn't have to leave you alone for even a second."

I wish…

Eren smiled softly as he reached up his hand to rub his thumb over Levi's cheek. "I could say the same about you, oh mighty Fae King."

I wish...

Levi reached up his own hand to place it over Eren's and Eren wanted nothing more than to freeze this moment in his mind forever. What would have life been like for them under different circumstances?

I wish…

If Levi had never become a Fae King, would their souls have still found their way to one another? Would they be able to live happily together? The possibilities were endless, and the thought only made Eren long for it with a melancholy so deep.

I wish…

"Come, it is time for the Yule Festival."

I wish we could've met in another life.