"What the fuck was he doing?" The music began to swell as Levi led me out onto the dance floor, maintaining a perfectly practiced smile.

beats me

"Making enemies?" I curtsied at Levi before grabbing his hand to begin the dance, "I mean- he has a fiance- I don't know what he was thinking."

ill have to make levi stick with me the rest of the night

i feel like floch will try again

i don't think i'll be able to turn him down

"He seemed awfully friendly with you," Levi took a tone, his eyes slightly cold under the thin veil of his smile.

wow

"We've talked a few times," I muttered, trying to remember the last conversation I had with Floch, "I'm sure he was trying to get something from me- I just don't know what."

maybe it would have been worth it to dance with him

push through my discomfort

figure out exactly what he wanted

"And how were your conversations?" As Levi spun me I caught a glimpse of Floch, staring at us as we made our way across the ballroom.

you-

"Are you jealous?"

"Fuck off."

"Oh my god you totally are-"

"I'm not jealous," he glanced away from me to compose himself. "If you associate too much with people like him it will ruin the plan."

oh right-

that reminds me

what about you and erwin?

"Ok- I'll stop 'associating with people like him' when you stop leaving me alone to spill all of our secrets to the Prince."

"I had to."

oh? so you did tell him things?

"How much does he know?" I found myself having to fight to keep my expression level.

"You can trust Erwin."

"No- you can trust Erwin, I've never spoken to him."

"I trust him- so you can trust him."

"Can I? Levi- what if he's the one who did it? Did you tell him about Hanji? What if he sends people to go looking for her-"

she hates my family enough already

the least i can do-

i agreed to just leave her to her peace

"Calm down, people are looking."

"Right," I recomposed myself, "my point still stands- we can't just tell everyone everything."

"Then what about Ymir and Historia? Didn't you tell the two of them about all of our shit?"

well-

"That's different- they aren't the Prince."

"So you trust that it wasn't them? You trust that they won't tell anyone else?"

of course

"They wouldn't do that- they're my friends."

"And Erwin is my friend."

"He won't do anything to Hanji will he?"

"I didn't tell him."

oh

"I'm sorry for getting upset with you I just-"

"You were worried about her."

"Aren't you?"

it felt like they were getting close at the end there

"Interested- indebted," he trailed off.

ah

"Tell me about Erwin," I searched the room for the aforementioned Prince. "I don't know much about him."

i'd like to know the things that you know

"He wanted to know about you," we spun across the ballroom, Levi's hand warm on my waist.

oh?

"And? What did you tell him- only good things right?"

"Well-"

"Levi!"

"Careful- everyone is watching."

"It wouldn't be a problem if you weren't provoking me," I huffed.

seriously i'm beginning to think this is happening on purpose

"He wouldn't have any reason to want to kill you right?" I couldn't help but ask, watching as Erwin talked to a group of nobles off to the side of the room.

"Fuck no."

"Right- he needs you- needs the support of the Duchy," I reaffirmed- mostly for myself.

in the same way that historia's family and mine are each other's supporters

"There's no need to worry," Levi shrugged, "he wouldn't benefit from hurting you either."

right

"Then- it must be someone from the aristocratic faction."

a couple names come to mind but-

right now there's only one obvious answer

the man who has been waiting for this dance to end since it began

"Marquess Forster has been shitting himself ever since I intervened."

exactly

"Well," I grinned, "at least he's sensible enough to realize that he's hardly competition for the future Duke Ackerman."

"What's fucking weird is that he thought he was in the competition to begin with."

well... at one point maybe

men are all the same

(said with hate)

"Actually Levi, I wanted to talk to you about something," I hesitated, trying to figure out how to word my next question.

"Is this what you wanted to say on the carriage?"

yes

"Yeah- we got cut off-"

"Alright," he glanced around looking for something, "should we stop dancing? Is it serious?"

i think it's serious

"It is-" I could sense that he was readying for us to exit the dance, "wait-"

this is a long ass song

"Yeah?"

"I'd actually prefer it if we continued to dance for this."

at the very least he has to keep a happy face on

i don't know if i could really take the rejection if we were alone

so i'd prefer it like this

"Oh, alright," he muttered, recentering himself.

right-

"Earlier, while you were with Erwin I was approached by some of your rabid fans and well-"

they had a point

"Yes?"

"Is this going to cause problems for our families?"

"This?"

"Yeah- us- our relationship."

"Why would it?"

i don't know how to read that

"I guess what I'm really trying to ask is- what are we?"

if we continue to live ambiguously like this i'm just going to get hurt

what happened earlier is enough evidence

i want to know that you like me as much as i like you

enough to take this seriously

take us seriously

"Let's go to the balcony," Levi abruptly stopped dancing- the two of us stood in the center of the ballroom as other people began to move around us.

oh

"Ok-" I nodded, "let's."

__________________________

the build up to finals is kicking my ass </3

- ami