Disclaimer: I own none of these characters!

Notes: Sorry this took a while to get posted! ^ ; This also ends the Cinderella series. Next post will be a mini-chapter and then new fairytale time!

The ball was boring. At least to Levi. It lost its luster after the first half hour he was there. The masks did nothing to hold his interest. Everyone looked the same. Everyone was the same. Boring and mundane.

And no matter where he went, a flock of young suitors were right at his heels. No matter what he wore and no matter how well hidden his face was, he could do nothing about his height or noticeable haircut. It was an identifying mark for every young woman because even despite his curse, Levi was still a prince.

And marrying the prince meant a life of luxury.

However, Levi played his part. He danced when he was asked. And he even did his proper duty and asked a lady or two to dance. It was normal protocol, especially for an unmarried prince. A young, unmarried prince who had become the target of a certain princess.

Levi was no fool. At the end of the night, he would have a final dance with a chosen partner. It would be a spotlight dance and the position of his partner was one coveted by everyone at that ball. Hitch was no exception.

She stayed close to him, chatting with him as much as she could. Levi went along with it, listening to her talk about whatever she wanted.

Levi calmly sipped his champagne, nodding his head to whatever the princess said. He was off chasing a pair of green eyes in his mind, after all.

But no, if he was seeing green eyes in his thoughts, why were those same eyes….

"I'm sorry," Levi interrupted, shaking his head. He stared at his glass of champagne for a brief moment and looked back up. At the top of the stairs was a perfect sight.

A truly beautiful young boy, dressed in all white. And from where Levi stood, he could see the dazzling green eyes from under messy brown hair and a sparkling mask.

Nothing felt real. It was all a dream, Levi was sure. No one could ever look so splendidly perfect. Levi was thankful for the stupid mask he wore because it covered most of his face and hid most of the red that had crept onto his cheeks.

The world had stopped, except for his pounding heart. And all that suddenly mattered was his green eyed-angel.

"Levi?" Hitch asked again.

Levi nodded, holding his champagne out to her. Hitch took the glass, confused. She tried to get Levi's attention again, but the prince was enchanted. He mumbled inaudible words as he walked passed her, making his way to the stairs.

Eren was unsure of where to go. Everything was bright and sparkling. That was the best way he could describe the ballroom. The chandelier overhead gave off enough light to be nearly blinding. The dresses and suits and masks all seemed to glitter, especially with the light bouncing with every movement.

He clung to the stair railing as he walked, scanning the ballroom for the food. He was sure there would have to be some decadent sweets somewhere…

"Oh, excuse me," Eren said, bumping in to a young woman as he walked.

"It's quite alright, dear," she replied. "Oh…!"

"Hm?"

Before Eren could stop it, he was dragged on to the dance floor. He was spun around and around and he was dancing, he was actually dancing. And as that dance ended, he was grabbed again and kept on the ballroom dance floor. He was never given a chance to find any cake or have a glass of champagne. He had become the sudden ballroom doll that everyone had to have a turn to dance with.

As much fun as it was, and as nice as the attention was, Eren couldn't help but notice a looming sort of shadow in the ecstatic crowd. There were no smiles or excitement in the man's eyes. Even while he spun, Eren could clearly see that. And when the moment came, when he paused to bow to the lady he danced with, he let his eyes trail up to the man dressed in black.

He recognized the cold grey eyes once he stopped. Before anything else, before the shaved hair or the height or even the costume, Eren saw the eyes. And those eyes were too unmistakable.

Levi was watching him like a hawk watches a mouse.

Eren looked away as Levi cut through the crowd, making his way across the dance floor. Eren turned and started to walk as fast as he could. He didn't want to face Levi yet. He wasn't ready. What if Levi knew it was him? Would he be in trouble? Was Levi upset? Eren knew he wasn't supposed to be there…

The music had stopped. It caught everyone's attention, but Eren was still moving erratically. He stumbled and fell, slapping against the marble floor. He groaned as those closest to him stared him down; everyone else had turned their attention to Nile, who stood at the front of the crowd. By him was an older man with a tall glass of champagne in his hand, and on Nile's other side stood a rather huffy Levi.

Eren got to his feet but kept his head lowered. He listened to the girls next to him and their excited whispering.

"Who do you think he'll choose?"

"Who did he dance with the most?"

Eren raised his eyebrows in confusion. Who would dance what…?

"As it is customary," Nile said, "at every ball for the available princes to choose a partner to lead the night's final set of dances. At one time, it was Pixis and I, along with Levi's father. And now, well…"

Nile only smiled and nodded to Levi.

"Though not always required, usually it is a dance with a princess," Nile continued, "but it is the prince's decision."

The hint had been dropped and there was a soft mutter that filled the room. The honey-blonde girl in front of Eren clasped her hands, as if that comment was meant for her. It didn't take Eren long to recognize her voice and put it together with her hair color.

Surely, Levi wouldn't choose Hitch of all people to dance with. In front of everyone. Then again, it was Levi. He had an appearance to uphold and there were rules…

But it was Levi. And Levi rarely cared about any of that.

Levi cleared his throat, however, adjusting his black mask. He quickly scanned the crowd. And then he walked. And fast.

Eren watched Levi hastily make his way across the ballroom and he—

Levi was getting closer. Really close. He was…he was going to pick her. And she knew it. Hitch was practically bouncing happily on her heels. The other girls were rolling their eyes.

"Excuse me," Levi said.

Hitch clapped her hands and curtsied, knocking in to Eren. Eren was rolling his eyes when he felt a little tug on his hand.

His body went numb. It wasn't possible.

He looked back at Levi and the prince was taking a slow step back. And somehow Eren was moving with him. But how, was it even a possibility? Levi was asking Hitch to dance. She was the princess.

But Levi wasn't asking her. He was Levi's choice.

"Would you honor me with this dance?" Levi breathed the customary words on a soft tongue.

Eren looked around, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. He was standing where everyone could see. Hitch was behind him, still in the crowd and completely horrified and humiliated. The other girls were all smiling big; pleased that Hitch hadn't been chosen. The older guests were whispering, criticizing and judging with their eyes. Nile looked confused; Pixis looked…possibly drunk.

And then there was Levi. The prince. His eyes were earnest. His lips were thinned. He was still holding Eren's hand and Eren could feel him shaking. Levi could have passed for furious, but there was a light flush of pink on his cheeks and Eren knew, from that beautiful color, that the prince was nervous.

"I…I…yes," Eren said, nodding. "I…dance. I can dance. I'll dance with you."

There was a faint smile on Levi's lips—and he looked so perfect, Eren thought he would melt on the spot. That smile was warm and it was happy, though the prince tried to hide it. It was genuine. And that genuine smile made Eren smile even bigger. He dared to squeeze Levi's hand and he was lead out to the middle of the floor.

Levi guided Eren's hand to his shoulder and he let his other one fall to Eren's waist. Eren shuddered as he was pulled closer. Levi took his other hand and there was suddenly music. Lots of music. And they were moving, too. Around in a circle, the crowd became a stupid blur in the background. Everything else was forgotten because everything became Levi.

Eren let himself get lost in Levi's eyes and he smiled, content. This was where he was supposed to be. Not with anyone else. Not home, at the castle, in his bed or sitting alone in the library with a book he couldn't read. Right where he was, in Levi's arms, was where he was meant to be. And it didn't just have to be on the ballroom floor, it could be anywhere. As long as that anywhere included Levi.

He leaned in, daring to close his eyes, and Levi turned his face, just enough so that Eren came in contact with black hair. It was a silent rejection but Eren couldn't feel bad. He felt too right to feel broken.

It was only when a man bumped into his back that Eren realized they weren't alone. That they were somewhere and that there were other people. Everyone was dancing again. The lights had been dimmed, casting a romantic glow to the ballroom.

They stopped moving, even though the music continued, and Levi rested his other hand on Eren's waist. Eren swallowed, placing his hands on Levi's shoulders.

"I apologize for cutting this dance short," Levi whispered. "I think I need to get some air. I feel…breathless."

"Y-Yes of course, sir."

"Would you accompany me? Please?"

Eren's heart skipped a beat. He nodded without thinking and Levi slipped back. He took Eren's hand again and lead him through the slow dancing crowd. Eren bit his lip and experimentally intertwined their fingers. He was rewarded with a little squeeze from Levi's hand.

The two stopped to grab their coats before walking outside, though now not hand-in-hand. Putting on their coats required them to part and Eren couldn't think of a sneaky way to grab Levi's hand without being too bold. The walk to castle courtyard wasn't a long one however.

Eren admired the stone courtyard and the shrubs waiting to bloom. He was sure it had to be beautiful when it wasn't cold out.

He followed Levi to a stone bench and he sat down. Levi settled down by him without a word. Their only light came from the moon overhead but the silver light was all they needed.

"Thank you," Eren softly said, "for…asking me to dance…"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well…shouldn't you have asked a princess?"

"Probably," Levi shrugged. "But I found that I shouldn't make others happy. I shouldn't do it because they expect me to. I need to make myself happy."

"That—"

"Sounds selfish."

Eren shivered at the sudden bitterness in Levi's throat. He shook his head.

"That's not what I was going to say," Eren whispered. "At all."

Levi folded his arms and tapped his gloved fingers. Eren gripped at his knees, anchoring himself to stop shaking. He licked his lips—catching Levi's attention—before speaking again.

"I was going to agree," Eren said. "With what you said. You can't waste your time trying to please everyone. Because someone is always going to be upset with your decisions. So you have to do what makes you…happy…And sometimes that means breaking rules and not doing what people expect you to do. But if you're really happy and if you're doing it for you and you're not hurting anyone then…why not?"

Eren looked away from his white knuckles, to look back at Levi. There was a look of intrigue on the prince's face. His eyes had softened at Eren's words and there was a glint of enchantment that had come over them.

Levi leaned over, just a little. Eren felt his breath on his cheek and the feeling was nostalgic of being so happy and so content.

"Is that why you're here?" Levi breathed. "Even though you knew it would go against my rules, you still came here, Eren, why…?"

Eren closed his eyes, letting his head rest against Levi's. He nuzzled the prince, loving the scent of lavender that invaded his senses.

"Levi…I—LEVI!"

Eren shot up straight, covering his face with his hands. He jumped to his feet as if he could magically escape.

"How…how did you know!?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "You stupid brat, do you take me for a fool? It was obvious."

"N-No!" Eren cried. "It can't be! It's a masquerade ball, you can't know who I am!"

Levi got to his feet, brushing himself off. He slinked over to Eren, wrapping his fingers around Eren's wrists. He gave them a light tug and Eren let his hands slowly fall, his green eyes big. Levi smiled.

"You're wearing a glass mask," Levi said. "Unless the light was hitting the mask just right, it was fairly easy to see your face. All the lights and you moving made the mask a little reflective."

"So you knew…from the beginning?"

Eren would have to be sure to tell Petra and Hanji how that mask had failed to keep his identity a secret. He let his head fall against Levi's shoulder, their fingers slowly intertwining.

"Yes, I knew. I knew from the moment I saw you. Your eyes…"

"My eyes?"

Levi tensed under Eren's weight. Eren could feel Levi swallow hard and the prince's grip on his fingers tightened. Levi moved closer, burying his nose deeper into Eren's messy hair.

"Your eyes are unmistakable," Levi whispered and Eren felt the difficulty in Levi's words to admit something so intimate. "They're stunning in a way that should never be because it's absolutely terrifying, Eren."

"Why?" Eren painfully said. He let go of Levi's hand to wrap his arm around the prince's shoulders. "Why…why is it so awful?"

Again, Levi tensed. And Eren quickly jerked him close, not letting him go. Not letting him run away this time.

"I don't want you to be stuck with a monster."

Eren pulled away to look at Levi's face. The prince's eyes were glassy and red, almost wet. Eren wrapped his hands around Levi's head, untying the black ribbon holding the mask up. He took it with gentle fingers and walked to the bench, setting it down. When he looked back, Levi was shaking.

How could someone so terrifying be so scared…?

Eren walked up to him and cupped his face.

"I'm not stuck with a monster," Eren said. "Because you're not a monster. And you're the one I choose."

Levi smiled, one mixed with shyness and being honored. He rested his hands on Eren's waist and pulled him closer. Eren bit his lip, letting himself be guided until his body was flush against Levi's. He gasped at the feeling of Levi's thumbs massaging warm circles into his sides. His knees felt weak and his stomach went tight as he left his weight against Levi.

"Kiss me, Levi," Eren pleaded with a fragile breath, closing his eyes as Levi touched his cheek. "Kiss me, please."

The bell rang. Once, twice…

Eren took in a sharp breath, opening his tear-laden eyes. He instinctively pulled away, listening in horror as the bell kept ringing. Why didn't it stop? It should stop, it had to. This was his moment and it was his to share with Levi. Why would the bell interrupt now?"

"I have to go," Eren said, pulling his hands away to curl into himself. "I have to go, Levi, I have to—"

He started to ramble on as he turned away. Without another word, he tried to run. The tears in his eyes rolled down his face, the fairy's words echoing in his clouded mind. He had to be home by midnight and now the bell tower was chiming for midnight. What would happen once the magic wore off? What would he do? His heart started to sink a despair suddenly took over.

Eren did not get far. Levi wrapped a hand around his wrist, keeping him still. Eren couldn't face him. He shook his head, ashamed and embarrassed for trying to run and for not escaping and for that ridiculous request for a kiss and just everything.

"The magic is going to wear off," Eren cried. "So please, Levi, let me go."

"Look at me."

The stern command made Eren melt and he had no choice but to look at Levi. With a light tug, Levi pulled Eren back. And when he did the bell tolled one final time.

"I don't care if the magic wears off," Levi said, reaching up. He wrapped his hand around Eren's head, pulling the gold ribbon loose. Levi caught the glass mask as it fell and set it on a stone pillar. Eren still shook his head, suddenly feeling cold.

His boots had disappeared and his slacks had reverted to the same brown trousers he wore before leaving the castle. His shirt fell limp against his body, letting in the cold air around his chest and arms and stomach. He shivered, quickly wrapping his arms around himself. He looked back to Levi, confused and cold.

Levi let him go, pulling his own fur cloak from his shoulders. He tossed the heavy thing around Eren and pulled it closed, trying it tight. Eren smiled as the cloak's warmth settled against his body.

"Thank you…"

"I don't need you to be dressed as some elegant noble," Levi said. He pulled at the cloak and in doing so pulled Eren close to his body again. "Because that's not who you are."

"You like me even though I'm not a princess?"

Eren's snarky remark made Levi smile. The two of them laughed and Eren rested his head against Levi's again.

"Especially because you're not a princess. Never change because…you're perfect. And if it's alright, I'd like to stop this shitty slower talk and claim that kiss."

The sweet confession made Eren feel weak all over again. He chewed on his bottom lip, closing his eyes tight. He was trembling, fear and excitement mixing in his stomach. He heard the slip of material and then felt Levi's cold, bare thumb on his chin, coaxing his lip from his teeth.

"I'd like it if you did that," Eren softly replied, nodding against Levi's gloveless hand.

No more words were needed. Levi wrapped his hand around Eren's head, pulling him down. Levi found Eren's lips—his warm, plush lips that quivered and once claimed tasted so sweet. There was no lingering taste of food or champagne, it was all Eren and it was deliciously natural.

Eren moaned into the kiss. Not from lust but from sudden contentment. He was in Levi's arms and the prince—no, not the prince but Levi, just Levi—was kissing him with tender lips. And each passing kiss was filled with passion and drew Eren closer for more and more.

He wrapped his arms around Levi's shoulders to better hold himself up. And as he clung to Levi, he acknowledged the spark that pained his stomach and numbed his body. He gripped Levi tighter as fear struck him because of the unfamiliar feeling taking over his body.

Eren pulled away first, terrified of the tingling on his lips. His eyes fluttered open and he looked to Levi, who wore a similar, almost frightened expression.

Levi touched his own lips.

"Do you...feel weird too?" Eren breathed. Levi nodded, still rubbing his lips.

"I've never kissed anyone and had that happen."

"Me too…"

Eren thought back to everyone he's ever kissed. Mikasa and Armin, in ways of brotherly affectionate. His mother, on the cheek as any son would. Jean, on multiple dares. Irwin, to forget. And now Levi out of love.

Irwin's words rang through his mind. A true love's first kiss would be one that is unmistakable. And he would never have to question if it had really happened.

Eren grabbed Levi's hands, a thrill in his eyes. Levi stared up at him, terribly confused by the sudden excitement in the large green pools. Eren smiled big and quickly kissed Levi, leaving him breathless.

There was no painful spark this time, only stomach flutters. Natural stomach flutters. There was a tinge of a spark, but it did not hurt. It was only enough to remind Eren that the person he was kissing was important and perfect and made to be his other half.

Levi pulled away first this time. He wrinkled his nose. "You're grinning like a goofy idiot. What did you do?"

"Nothing," Eren laughed. "I'm just really happy…"

Levi kissed Eren's chin, running his hand over Eren's hair. Eren didn't shudder this time. His smile only grew at Levi's touch.

"Good," Levi said. "And I'm going to keep you happy, too."

Those few words were enough to make Eren's heart flutter again.