Jean couldn't really explain what he felt in this particular moment. He cranes his neck to look back at the castle you both slowly stray away from.

He had always thought the castle back home that he was so lucky enough to spend most of his time in, was the biggest he'd ever see. It almost pained him to walk away from one three times the size.

He didn't realize how his twisted posture dragged his weight and slowed his pace until he saw how many steps ahead of him you were.

When he looked forward, he only saw the back of your head. He tried to picture how your face looked on the other side, but he honestly couldn't quite tie the image down.

"Hey." He calls out to you.

You turn your head to look back at him. You say nothing.

That's not a good sign.

"You okay?" He asks, his eyes intently watching the way yours avoid his. Your head turns forward again and no noise comes from you except the heels of your shoes toppling over the loose gravel beneath you.

He figured you'd atleast lie. Whenever anyone asked if you were okay, you would always, no matter what, say yes. You'd smile brightly and say something along the lines of, "I'm great!" or "Of course. I'm just tired."

Even when he knew damn well there was something bothering you, you'd never admit it. He knew that from experience. It was the "princess" in you to lie and cover it up.

But was this a sign of you no longer caring to cover it up? Were you so comfortable to the point where you felt you couldn't hide it from him anymore? Or maybe no longer wanted to.

"It's okay to not be okay." He reminds you.

You turn, your mouth forming the sentence that never gets to come out because a ball flies right at your ankle. A beat-to-death soccer ball now rests by your foot.

"Be careful Gabi!" A blonde boy yells. "You almost hit her!"

A brunette girl, probably the same age as the blonde, comes running up to the two of you to collect the ball. "Sorry! I didn't realize I could kick that far."

She kneels down to pick up the ball and then looks up at you. "Whoa." She breathes. "You're even prettier up close."

You smile, a real one at that. A relief to Jean. "Thank you." You reply. "Although, you're much prettier."

The brunette girl who Jean assumes is named Gabi, waves over the rest of her friends. The blonde boy rushes over with two other kids the same age. One girl whose hair was almost like an ash blonde color and another boy with dark hair and glasses.

The boy with glasses pushes the lens on his face further up his nose. "We saw you leaving the castle. Are you a princess?"

Ah. So that's why the ball hit you. It was an excuse for them to come over and question you.

"She sure looks like one." The blonde girl, Zofia, says with stars in her eyes. Gabi frowns and points at the boots hugging at your feet. "Look at what she's wearing. Princesses don't dress like that."

Falco, the blonde boy, elbows her. "Don't be rude. What if she really is a princess but from a poor country or something?"

Instead of being insulted like many might've been in your situation, you laugh and squat down to be at their level. "I'm unfortunately not a princess." You lie straight through your teeth.

Jean felt a sense of relief when he heard you deny the very true accusation of being a princess. Telling a bunch of hyper-active children, who willingly come up to strangers, that you're a princess undercover was a sure fire way to ruin the entire plan.

Gabi tilts her chin up in the air at her friends. "Told ya."

"However," You raise a finger up in the air. "Me and Queen Historia are very good friends."

All four children light up instantly like you were waving candy right in their faces. "Really?!" Gabi steps forward. "Can you tell her I want a new soccer ball? Oh, and a new net!"

"I want a new bicycle." Zofia chimes. "Mine isn't my size anymore."

"I need new glasses." The dark haired boy named Udo adds as well. "Falco accidentally sat on mine and now they're bent."

Falco steps in between you and the three begging children. "Guys! She's the queen, not Santa Claus. We can't just give her our wishlist."

"Santa Claus?" Your ears perk up like a dog. "Is it that time of the year already? Christmas?"

Gabi throws her arms up in the air, her fists tightly together. "In two days! It's Christmas Eve Eve!"

Christmas already? It felt like your birthday was just yesterday. He takes a moment to do the math in his head.

November 28th, your birthday. December 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve. Had it really been an entire month already?

You stand up and look at Jean. "It's Christmas Eve Eve." You bring a finger to your lips in a mock concentration manner. "Should I tell them I'm really good friends with Santa too?"

All four children gasp and begin to bounce around you in circles. They shout things all at once, making it absolutely impossible to understand anything they said.

But you stood right in the center, teeth shining in the afternoon light as you smile brightly. Most people, Jean included, would've been annoyed by the screaming children tugging at your arms and begging you to do favors for them.

But not you.

"Okay! Okay!" You calm them down. "Maybe I'll put in a good word to my friend. But!" You point at them. "Only good kids get presents, right? You all behaving?"

The kids stop their voracious behavior and stand completely still and in place as they nod their heads. You laugh. "Let me ask your parents if that's true."

Gabi grabs your hand and begins dragging you over to where you assume she lives. "All of our parents are at my house because my mom is throwing a Christmas party. You can talk to her first!"

Zofia grabs your other arm. "Heyyy, that's no fair! I wanted her to talk to my mom first!" The two girls begin to lead you down the village and Jean walks behind you with the other boys walking along side him.

Falco studies Jean carefully while trying not to make it too obvious, his green eyes peeking from his peripheral. "Say, how is that lady friends with everyone?"

Jean couldn't help but smile. "She's pretty popular."

Udo narrows his eyes. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Uh," Jean takes another glance at you but you're running beside two girls who attempt to pull you in two different directions. "Something like that."

"You like her, don't you?" Falco asks.

Jean started to feel slightly warmer. "I mean..."

"So, what's stopping you?" Udo asks, his face unamused.

He couldn't believe two nine year olds were judging him right now. Not that they didn't have a point. "It's not that easy." Jean defends.

Gabi finally leads you to her home and she bangs furiously on the door so that her parents can come outside.

Udo takes a seat on the small bench in front of her house. "So you're just going to let someone else have her?"

"Like I said," Jean's patience begins to waver thin. "It's not that simple."

Falco scratches his head. "Seems pretty simple to me. You like her, she likes you. She does like you, right?"

A woman who looks exactly like Gabi 20 years from now opens the door with a confused look. Jean pushes the two kids out of his way. "You'll understand when you're older."

Jean couldn't make out what you and the woman were saying but at the end of the conversation, he saw you hand the woman some money in the most discreet way possible so the kids can think the gifts came from Santa himself. He should've known.

You do the same for each of the children. You speak to their parents with elegance and sweetness and they seep right into your fingers like bees attracted to sweet pollen that exudes from fresh may flowers.

You give them money for their children's secret wishes and even though they refuse at first, they eventually give in to your persuasion.

He found it endearing that both children and adults were naturally enchanted by your charm. It was impossible not to. Those eyes, that smile, that voice, it all knew exactly how to draw people in.

Even though he knew you felt disoriented and overwhelmed, you still smiled as if there wasn't a single thing to stress about. If he wasn't beside you just a few moments ago in the castle, he would've thought you were completely fine.

He seemed to always forget you were a real life princess. Aside from the training and the clothes that made it clear, it was the magic in which surrounded you and the color you brought into the lives of others that really gave it away.

The way children stared up at you in awe, the way people admired you without knowing your real identity. There was no crown or expensive dress to give it away.

Here you were just a girl but you still drew every eye your way. You still pulled nature into your embrace and the love of even the coldest of hearts toward you. So easily. So effortlessly.

He envied it.

After Gabi's mother practically begging you and Jean to stay and join the holiday festivities, you finally convince her to let you go. The four children embrace you in a hug, their small heads resting on your torso. He couldn't believe how attached they were to you already.

Well, he could. He was also a victim of the intense gravitational pull you so innocently had.

As you stand in the middle of Gabi's front yard, you wave goodbye to everyone as they all collectively return back into the home and shut the door.

The second the door is closed and there's no one around beside you and him, your smile drifts away and he watches as your shoulders fall. All the light from just a moment ago was eclipsed by something so hauntingly tragic.

"Ymir died on Christmas Eve." Your voice wavers. "Talk about horrible timing."

He should've knew that was still on your mind. Just like he knows it's going to take shelter there for a while. Hell, it was all he could think about too.

Your eyes looked dull and tired. Your plump lips were tilted downward and your skin looked two shades paler like you hadn't seen the sun in years.

Your movements were sluggish and weak. He felt like you were going to faint at any given moment so he remainded cautiously beside you in case he needed to catch you mid fall.

The woman who was always full of life and energy and was the epitome of health was now the exact opposite. It was as if all drained out of you.

Then it hits him, your body naturally took any physical pain away but mental pain, emotional pain, that was done manually.

And you weren't even attempting to strip yourself from it. Not right now atleast.

He figured he'd let you dwell in the grim aura that casted over you. As much as as he hated to see it, this was one of the first times in his life and of his time knowing you in that life, that he has seen you allow yourself to just...feel.

To feel disappointed, to feel how utterly disappointing real life could be. That it wasn't always sunshine and butterflies. And that although you were a princess through and through, this isn't a fairytale in the least.

He took it as a sign of growth. Maturity. A girl
who ran away from her problems a majority of the time and forced herself to only ever feel happy was now finally facing the truth and herself.

He wanted to reach out and hold you but he knew he'd be stealing the little energy you had left. He could tell you were feeling weaker and it probably had to do with the continuous mass of unknown people you keep coming across.

"Just so you know, if you feel your powers being suctioned by me, I'm totally guilty of taking advantage of your touch right now." He recalls Historia's words.

From the queen to the obnoxious children gnawing at your arms and the drunk adults slurring their thanks to you. It was all too much, too quick.

You spent your entire life secluded and restricted on the amount of people around you. Now you were surrounded by strangers.

He wondered what was the next move. You got what you came for and even though it wasn't what you thought it would be, it's done. So what now?

The entire reason for this journey was for this moment. The lanterns weren't happening until tomorrow and the ball the day after. So what now?

He looks at you, wondering if he'd somehow find the answer by seeing it on you and as he does, you turn to him and said. "Hungry? I'm starving."

He chuckles. "Do we even have enough money to go eat somewhere? You've been giving it all away."

"Hey," You eyebrows scrunch together. "Those kids' entire year will be made with those gifts. They need it more than we do."

Jean scoffs and begins walking. "Speak for yourself."

You scowl. "I am pretty responsible when it comes to money, believe it or not. I've been keeping track."

He turns to you walking beside him. "We can't spend too much. We still have to buy our outfits for the ball."

You wave it off. "Historia said she's paying for it so we don't have to worry about that."

He stops walking, the pebbles beneath his boots scratching into the dirt. "Seriously?"

You nod. His sharp, almond eyes narrow. "Do you really trust her? She seems... too nice."

You tilt your head. "What's wrong with too nice?"

"Too nice gives away all my food money away." He says as he snatches the bag that held all the money from you and continues to walk down the stone path. "And why don't I hold on to this from now on."

You keep up with his pace, never wavering. "Why? So you can spend it all on food?"

"Better than just handing it out." He retorts swiftly.

He waits for your diss back but he's left waiting. You stare up at the vibrant decorations that were draping the kingdom's center villages. "They're getting everything ready for the festival tomorrow."

Jean looks around at all the different people helping dress the town beautifully. Older people to middle age adults, even teenagers and children did their part too.

Most business shop owners decorated their stores to match and show their support for the festival.

"We should help." You say as you carefully watch people on ladders and standing on stacked crates.

Jean groans. "I thought we were getting food."

"But —" You begin. He shushes you before you even get the change to finish. "You're a visitor here. You're on vacation and to enjoy what this place has to offer. You're not supposed to do any work." He reminds you.

He walks behind you and grabs your shoulders as he guides you through the town so you don't stop to help. "Let's go."

You drag your feet as he pushes you forward and you allow his hands that pressed firmly, yet gently, against your back lead the way.

He could feel where your shoulder blades rested and where the space in between them was soft.

Your hair brushed up against his face as you tilt your head back in a lazy manner, your head up at the sky. He could smell the soap from the cabin's bathroom each time you moved.

"Oh!" You hit the brakes, his hands pressing into your back as he tries not to trip from the sudden stop. "Let's eat there."

To pull his eyes away from the sight of your collar area and neck was a challenge. But when he finally managed to do it, he could see the restaurant, if you could call it that, that you were referring to.

It was medium sized, brown stone building, with a purple roof that was coated in bright green moss. There was also a sign just in front with a cartoon yellow duck.

"The Snuggly Duckling?" Jean turns his head toward you slowly, his face a mix of disbelief and disgust. "You want to eat at a children's restaurant?"

You say nothing further but the smirk on your face told him everything he needed to know. "Don't judge a book by its cover." You wave him over. "Come on."

The inside was nothing like he imagined. In his head, he figured, a restaurant called "The Snuggly Duckling" had to have been as the name suggests...snuggly.

He imagined pastel color walls and colorful round tables. He imagined the menu consisting of chicken nuggets and ice cream. He even
thought there'd be a small indoor playground for the kids to play in once they finished their food.

He was wrong about all of it.

It was dark and gloomy and when you come in, your instantly hit with the smell of beer and smoke from the massive chimney off to the side.

The people who are at the restaurant were definitely not what he imagined either.

Instead of mothers chasing after their kids, there was full sized grown men that looked like they could rip a tree off the ground with their bare hands.

The restaurant illuminated a dim, orange color since the windows were closed, and the only light was from the fireplace and the melting candles floating above on ancient chandeliers.

There was even a long bar section to the left with what looked like every beer known to man kind behind it.

He didn't realize he was making a face until he heard you laugh behind him. That's when it hits him that you knew all along.

He was honestly just glad to see you laughing again.

"This is where you want to eat?" He raises his eyebrow, mentally telling himself this is just some joke you're pulling on him. "Out of all places?"

You run your finger along one of counters, dust collecting on your skin. "Believe it or not, they're famous for their steaks."

His nose crinkles when he sees the gray residue on your fingertip. "Oh, I believe it. I can smell the cow getting brutally slaughtered in the back."

You laugh even harder, your hand coming up to your mouth. His cheeks light up and he couldn't contain his growing smile.

He could tell why men who were construction workers, lumberjacks and swordsmith liked to come here as he passed their tables.

Their plates were full to the brim of food that he couldn't deny smelled incredible and by the way the exhausted men devoured their food, he could tell the taste was just as adequate.

He sits down at the table you choose off to the side, cautious of the seat before he sits in it. "It smells like the color brown in here."

He then leans over the table, closer to you. "And I could've swore that guy over there had blood in his mustache."

You giggle and flip open the menu that rested on the table. "You think it's his or someone else's?"

Even though you smiled and laughed, he could still tell your mind was somewhere else. Your eyes didn't quite match your mouth. Where you smiled presently, your eyes remained distant.

Jean points behind you. "There's a piano."

You crane your neck to look back. "Oh. You're right. I didn't even notice when we walked in."

That's how he knew you were subconsciously somewhere else. You being the music lover you were, naturally, it would've been the first thing you laid eyes on.

"Think they'll have the notes for City of Stars?" He proposes.

You pass him the menu. "Can't have City of Stars without Thee City of Stars, now can you?"

He grabs the menu from your hands, only to toss it aside on the table. "Let's go play."

You look around, your strong presence wavering. "Right now?"

The last thing he wanted to do was play the piano in front of a bunch of brawny men to judge him but, it was the only thing he could think of to distract you. Even for just a moment.

He stands up from the table and holds out his hand, once you take it, he guides you over to the piano.

Jean flips through the sheet music rested on the face of the piano and when he finds the exact song he's looking for, he proudly holds it up for you to see.

You smile and nod your head. "Well, what do you know. They have it."

He takes a seat on the bench and sets the sheet music on the stand in front of him. "Sing the lyrics while I play."

You cross your arms. "No way."

His face sags. "Why not? I hear you sing it all the time. And," He gestures around the room. "No one is paying attention anyway."

You turn your head to the table of men howling obnoxiously as two of them arm wrestle, their veins threatening to burst out their tough skin.

In the other direction, there was a couple making out in the corner, way too preoccupied to even pay attention to anyone else in the room. How they were able to get horny in a place as musky as this blew Jean's mind.

Then there was the group of guys with their heads tilted back, groaning at the ceiling as they rub their stomach. Some of them even asleep with their head rested on the table and drooling.

You narrow your eyes at him. "I'll sing if you sing."

He really didn't want to. He never thought of himself as a good singer. If he thought he was a bad dancer, he was an even worse singer.

Sure, in the shower he'd belt out the lyrics to his favorite song but other than that and the occasional whistling as he walked down the halls of the castle while on duty, he wasn't a singer.

But he'd do anything to cheer you up. Even if it meant constantly making jokes to make you laugh or by insulting a restaurant that he actually thought was pretty cool the more he got used to it.

Even if it meant even attempting to sing in front of the very last person he'd ever want to humiliate himself in front of. He wouldn't be able to look into eyes without the fear of you judging him.

But he had to.

Just to see that smile.

Just to hear that laugh.

Just so he knew he was helping cheer you up even just a little bit. It was worth it.

He knew you were expecting him not to. He could tell by your smug face that you knew he wouldn't.

Because of that, he felt he had to do it even more just to prove you wrong.

He takes a deep breath, inhaling the manly air surrounding him as if it'd somehow give him the courage to do what he was about to do.

And just as he exhales, his fingers begin to follow the notes above and the melody flowing out the piano follows.

[Play city of stars by ryan gosling and emma stone here, make sure it's the one with both]

He begins to sing the first lines, his voice unsure and lowered but still trying his best. He was terrified of looking your way but he continues to sing anyway.

His eyes flow back from the keys and the notes so he doesn't embarrass himself more by messing up the song. He wanted to do atleast one thing right.

As anxiousness barely starts to form in the pit of his stomach and his brain screams at him to stop before he manages to humiliate himself some more, you sing. You sing as your eyes read the words written in front of you.

From being hesitant to even look your direction to not being able to pull his eyes away from you. It was a wonder how you could make him feel so many different emotions in just a short matter of time.

You meet his gaze and laugh as you sing your eyes, full with joy. He could tell he caught you by surprise. "It's loveeeee." You touch his shoulder with yours. "Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else."

You begin to sing harmoniously and Jean never skips a beat, his fingers never falling out of rhythm. Even without looking at the keys and at you instead, he never messes up.

You don't look at the notes either. You had this song memorized forward and backwards. No, your eyes stayed glued on him which only made him feel even more nervous but surprisingly, in a good way.

It was the best he had ever played the song. He had played it with you before but never this well. This time he played it like he was the first one ever to. Like he was the one who created it right from scratch.

Even though he played beautifully and full of power, he couldn't take a second to admire his skill. He couldn't think of anything else except playing it absolutely perfect, just so it could fill your ears with a sound that felt like silk, and so that it accompanied your voice just a smoothly.

He hadn't realized every thing around the two of you was still. He had slipped into his own little world. One where only you and him existed and he played the piano all day to the sound of your voice.

There was nothing but silence. The pang of dishes from the kitchen. The sound of heavy glass mugs slamming onto the wooden tables after someone chugged them dry. The shouts of men cheering on the person they placed their bet on.

It was all gone.

But you both were too consumed by the moment to even notice. In this moment, nothing else mattered. All the drama and angst, it all was far from sight. All that mattered was his hands meeting the right key.

It wasn't until the song ends and he's looking right in your eyes, his face just a kiss away, that he realizes there's no sound. Not a single person moves a muscle.

That's when the quiet bar erupts with applause and cheers. You look in the direction of all the drunk people giving you and Jean a standing ovation. Your face exudes embarrassment.

A man in the corner yells, "KISS HER ALREADY!" While someone else shouts, "PLAY ANOTHER ONE!"

Jean felt like he just walked onto a stage completely naked in front of thousands of people. Had he known they'd all be listening, he wouldn't have sang at all, but he couldn't deny he loved the way he was getting praised for the time being.

You cover your mouth and nose with both hands, only your eyes left out in the open. "Ohhh my god."

And it was all worth it because once your hands came down from your face, you howl with laughter, your hands falling to your stomach as you clench it tightly.

His horrified expression disappears and he feels accomplished once again as he watches you cackle with laughter, your head resting on the piano as you catch your breath.

"So," You wipe a tear from your eye when you pick your head back up. "What do you say? Shall we give the people what they want?"

Jean freezes for just a second. "Are you talking about a kiss or another song?"

You lean in closer, the prettiest smile on your lips and your eyes full of life once again. "Either one works for me."

Right when he's about to lean in, a man who was practically falling on his way over, harshly leans up against the piano and points a thick finger at you while he slurs his words. "Hey, I know you."

Jean quickly turns away from you at the same exact time you do. He takes a swift scan of the man with his eyes. He had a thick country accent and a beard. He had a slit on his left eyebrow that looked fresh too.

"You do?" You ask. There wasn't even the slightest hint of panic or worry in your voice. Meanwhile, Jean was shitting himself.

"Yeah!" The man replies as he takes a swing of his beer, foam sticking to his beard which he uses his sleeve to wipe clean. "You're the girl my friend has been looking for."

Jean's entire body goes still but his heart doesn't cease to gallop agonizingly against his rib cage.

Is this it? Is this the moment where we get caught? Is the best time of my life coming to its  inevitable end?

He knew it was going to happen eventually. The
traitors couldn't hide forever and they'd make their appearance sooner or later and right now was probably the best time to do so, since you weren't as heavily protected as usual. He just didn't think it would happen this soon.

"Who is your friend?" Jean stands up from the bench. Where he lacked in muscle, he made up for in height. His head pointed slightly downward as he looked at the man.

The man looks at Jean up and down before going back to you and taking another drink. He then shouts a name, "JONATHAN! I FOUND HER."

You look at jean, your face was normal and calm but he could tell from your eyes, you were telling him to bolt out the door on your signal.

Another man, who he assumes to be Jonathan, approaches the table. He looks at you and Jean in compete and utter confusion. "Found who?"

The drunk man spins around to face his friend, beer spilling out his cup and landing on the floor. "Your ex-girlfriend. The one you want to win back."

Jonathan frowns. "What? That's not her. They look nothing alike!"

The drunk man looks back at you and Jean and blinks slowly. "It's not?"

Suddenly, he leans over the piano and right into your face and you cock your head back. He blinks slower this time but with more force. "Shit. That's not Julie at all."

Jonathan sighs as his eyes roll back. He grabs his friend by the shoulders and pushes him back to their table. "Sorry about that. He has bad vision and being drunk doesn't help. You guys were great by the way."

The two of you stay motionless, bewildered at what just happened.

Jean sits back down on the piano bench beside you, his mind trying to process all the emotions he just went though in under a minute.

A second later, there's blowing raspberry noise beside him. You begin to bellow with laughter, even harder than before. Once you finish, you sigh and faintly smile. "Ohhhh, I needed this."

You then stand up and gesture him to follow you back to the table. "Come on, we haven't even ordered yet."

After Jean scarfs down his food like it was nothing, he understands why the restaurant didn't care too make their appearance grand. The food did all the talking for them.

He regretted not bringing the horses because the walk back home was dreadful. He had ate so much that his body felt twice as heavy. You practically had to carry him home and when you arrived there, he passed out on the couch and stayed asleep for the entire night.

The next morning, he woke up in a panic. He couldn't even remember falling asleep and when he saw you weren't anywhere near him, he rushed up the stairs, tripping over several steps.

He practically bursts through the bedroom door, the back of it slamming against the wall. You stand in front of a mirror, your fingers fiddling with your hair.

"Oh thank god," He breathes out. "I thought I lost you."

You grin. "I'm still right here." You walk over to him and plant a kiss of his cheek. "Good morning."

You were a completely different person from yesterday. The same drained girl was now full of energy once again.

He leans up against the door frame and rubs his eyes that still had small eye boogers at the corners. "You're in an extra good mood."

"Hellooooo," You sing. "Today is the lantern festival! Don't tell me you already forgot."

"Oh, you're right." His groggy mind recalls.

You grab your bag and begin to shove stuff in there. "And we have to go to the tailors to get a dress too since the ball is tomorrow."

You squeal and skip in place. "It's going to be so much fun! I just can't wait any longer. Hurry up!"

Your energy was contagious, he couldn't deny it. As tired as he felt, he could feel your warmth seep into his skin. He could practically feel his body grow with life.

He walks over to the bathroom to brush his teeth and you, for some reason, follow him. As he leans over the sink, you bounce up and down as you try to be patient.

After he finishes and gets dressed, the second he slips on the final shoe, you're zooming out the door.

Jean stands where you left him, breathing in your dust and he waits for you to notice he's not running wildly like you are.

You spin around, several feet away and wave your hand up high in the air. "Come on!"

He takes in the moment for just a second longer. The sun rising behind you, the rays looking like they're coming from you instead as they sprout out from your body.

All he needed was to take a quick mental snapshot of the moment and then there he was,
chasing after you as he always does.

"I'll get the horses." Jean offers when he finally catches up to you. Before he can break away from you to go in the other direction, you reach for his hand. "Let's walk." Your head turns upward toward the sky. "It's a beautiful day outside, isn't it?"

He doesn't look up like you do. He doesn't look anywhere else besides at you. "Very."

Even though he hasn't lost you yet, even though he didn't have to return you back to the person who actually got to hold you for the rest of his lucky life yet... he could feel it coming. Slowly but surely.

He looks down at your hand connected with his and all he could think about was how he didn't want you to let go.

But of course, you eventually do. The two of you begin walking along side eachother, enjoying the quiet morning atmosphere.

Dewdrops cling to the green blades of grass, shop owners begin to open up their stores and sweep the entrances of them. Festive christmas trees were in almost every direction.

"I'm going to miss this place." You say as you touch one of the ornaments hanging from a nearby tree.

Jean snickers. "You attached to it already?"

You return a chuckle. "It feels like my home in a weird way. But I know it isn't. Eldia is my home. I don't care what that book says."

He looks at a book store to his right as you both pass it. "Do you miss it?"

A sigh slips out of you. "More than you know. It might just be my family I miss though, because if it wasn't for them, I'd be roaming around this earth without feeling so terrible about it."

Jean looks up at floating clouds passing through. "It's still so funny to me how close all of you are now. I remember them telling me to ignore you like it was yesterday."

He kicks a rock in front of his path and it rolls a few feet away. "Now it's then telling you to ignore me."

You laugh quietly. "Yeah well, things changed after you left. I was pretty much your replacement."

Jean looks at you, his eyes trying their best to not show the pity lurking in the depths of them. He never really saw it that way.

"After you were sent away, Elijah scolded me and told me I should know better. Ambrose called me probably every curse word he knew at the time. Kai just up and left the room and gave me the silent treatment for days after." You explain. "It was a rough couple of days. Well, more like weeks."

Jean doesn't respond. He just keeps his eyes down at his feet as they continue to kick at every small pebble he comes across. You watch his feet and then look back up at him. "Kai wrote to you about maybe 5 times. After the fifth letter, he kinda just gave up and decided if you were going to move on, he would too."

You tug at your sleeve like you needed your hands to be occupied by something. "He was the first one to talk to me and the one who I ended up getting the closest too. We got along a lot better than we thought."

You shrug. "Maybe he was just looking for a bestfriend replacement but that's okay if that's what it was. I'm glad I could fill the void for him. Although, I clearly wasn't a guy and I certainly wasn't you."

He smiles with admiration at your optimism. You truly knew how to find the light in any dark situation. There was even more admiration of your kind heart for not caring for the reason Kai looked for you. You only care that he chose you.

"When you left," You carry on. "It didn't just make my brothers separate from me, they separated from eachother too. I guess Kai felt just as lonely as I did."

"Elijah got more serious about school and learning how to run a kingdom that he didn't have time to have fun anymore. Ambrose turned all his anger into sports and became the strongest out of all of us." You add.

You both pass by a small pond that had water lilies floating on the reflective surface. "And Kai
remained Kai, barely passing his classes, sleeping in late, always making jokes at the wrong times and never breaking a sweat. And I..."

"Stayed you?" Jean finishes for you.

"Pretty much." You laugh. "Although, to my brothers I might've seemed more annoying. I didn't like that we weren't all together. Don't get me wrong, I was content with just Kai and Mikasa but I still wanted to get along with Ambrose and Elijah too."

A group of kids go zooming past both of you, causing you to stop in your tracks until they pass. "Elijah was a bit more easier to convince. I just tried to do what he was doing. If he was studying, so was I. If he was reading, so was I. If he was taking a break to get a snack from the kitchen, I would too."

"I bet that got annoying quick." Jean admits.

You nod, laughing at your younger self and her insistent determination. "He would get annoyed at first, but eventually just realized I wasn't actually bothering him and stopping him from doing his work so he let me be."

You twist the bracelet around your wrist, the purple and gold gemstones sparkling in the sunlight. "Ambrose was more of a challenge but once I realized how to win him over, it was easy."

Even though you were going on and on, he didn't mind it one bit. He enjoyed listening to you. He could do it for hours on end and not even realize how much time passed by.

"I knew he liked compliments and praise, so I would watch him during his archery classes and clap everytime he made a good shot or beg him to teach me sword fighting because he was good at it." You roll your eyes. "He adores attention so he fell easily."

Jean chuckles as he thinks of his friend and his peculiarity. "Ambrose sure is something, isn't he? Claims he doesn't even want to be in love because he prefers to be alone yet... he hates being alone."

You look down at your shoes as they walk one before the other. "He requires a lot of attention and when your parents have to run an entire kingdom and pay most attention to your smarter, more mature brother, he doesn't get nearly as much as he'd like."

"I think that's why he is the way he is." Jean points out. "Loud and filled with charisma. It's the way he attracts all the attention from everyone in the room. He has to be the star in every situation."

"And he usually is." You laugh. "And trust me, the rest of us are happy to hand all of the attention over to him."

For a moment, it's quiet. Almost like you were both thinking of what to say next. He sneaks a peek at you and you're smiling toward the ground. Even if it's a smile, he could tell it was a bittersweet one.

You really did miss your family.

Jean inhales, oxygen filling his chest and he slowly blows it out. "This might be wrong, but I feel like Ambrose loves you the most out of the three of your brothers. I mean, you should've seen how he was when he found out you were missing."

You pick your head up and your eyes blossom with hope, your smile a little more genuine now. "I think it's because I'm the only one who really paid attention to him. The real him. Not the one he showcases to everyone else."

"I remember he used to always call you a freak because you were always so nice to him even when he was a complete asshole to you." Jean reminisces.

You snicker. "Freak is one of the nicer names he has called me."

You come across the venus water fountain you first saw when you arrived here. Only this time, the girls with the bright red hair were no where to be seen.

You take a seat on the edge of the fountain and runs your hands through the cold water as it falls. "Even when I finally got them all together and by my side... It felt like something was missing."

He watches as your hands weave through the water and he takes a seat beside you, intrigued by how the water must feel and joining in on the sensation. "And what was that?"

Your eyes say focused on the water trickling through your fingers and pooling up in your palm. "I couldn't figure it out until you came back. They were all so happy to see you that it just made sense it was you all along."

He could feel his heart lose it's constantly on edge weight. It felt light for once. Maybe because it was always something he thought about after he left. He'd stay up late and wonder if it made any difference at all that he was gone.

"The day we spent together outside swimming in the lake and dancing around. It all just clicked. We aren't complete without you. I didn't realize how much I missed you until I saw you for the first time again." You say softly.

The water from the fountain didn't nearly sparkle as much as you did. Your natural radiance outshined the way water caught the light from above.

All he could do is stare at you, speechless. He couldn't help but admire the way you admitted to something so heartfelt without stuttering. Not even once.

He doesn't think you realized exactly what you're saying. It seemed like it flowed out of you much too easily for it to be thought out. It was coming straight from the heart and your brain wasn't bothering to stop you.

Suddenly, your eyes jolt open and you clear your throat with a rough laugh. You wiggle your hand in the air for it to dry. "Uh, sorry, enough about that."

You then bump his shoulder. "What about you? I can't be the only one homesick. Who do you miss? Besides, your mom, obviously." You tease him.

He shakes his head to get himself to snap back into reality. "Well, I miss my friends too. As annoying as they are. Marco, Connie, even Eren."

You smile as you listen to him, genuinely interested in his answer. He almost felt nervous to continue as you looked at him with such intrigue.

"I spent more time with Marco in high school because he lived so close. Just two houses down." Jean explains. "I know we don't nearly spend enough time together now that we work all the time but back then, we were always together. I sorta miss it."

You scoot closer. "Marco is nice. I like him."

Jean narrows his eyes while attempting to not show how jealous he was. He obviously wasn't doing a good job. "Define like, because I know what kind of like he feels toward you."

Your face comes closer, the gap between you two closing almost completely. A small giggle slips past that grin you wore so well. "Is that jealously I detect in your voice?"

"Please," Jean tries to play off. "We have a lot in common so it's natural we're both attracted to the same person. As for Connie, he likes whoever laughs at his jokes and Eren is too far up Mikasa's ass to even notice any one else."

A quick flash flickers in your eyes at the mention of Mikasa's name. Your smug smile fades and you look down at your hands that wrap around the edge of the fountain.

But just like that, you shake it off and it's like nothing ever happened. You sigh and lay your body down, your head resting on his lap. "So, if you miss Marco so much, why don't you tell him?"

"Well," Jean takes a hand through his hair. "It's not that easy. We're both always working and my hands are pretty full with you. I don't really have time to spare anymore."

"Mm." You hum while looking at him. Your hand comes up to his ear and you gently pinch his lobe. "Well, after I'm gone, you'll have all the time in the world again. You should reconnect with them."

You sit up. "Go out with them, go grab some after work drinks, have fun. Live your life, meet new people."

The heaviness in his heart returns. He couldn't wrap his head around how one day you were trying to convince him to stay here with you forever and now suddenly, your pushing him to live his best life without you. "But-"

You abruptly sit up and brush your hands off. "Come on, let's grab something to eat before we head to the tailors."

As you begin to walk away, he remains seated. There was a strange feeling he just could not shake. Even though you were much better than yesterday, there was still something so different about you. Something changed. He just didn't know what it was.

You spin around on your heel and wave him over. He forces himself to stop his persistent thinking and join you.

After breakfast, you hold out the card Historia gave you with the address of the tailor she referred you to. With help from some residents, you eventually find the place in no time.

You look up at the building and down at the card to ensure you're in the right place. "This is it."

The tailor shop with the words Magnolia Couture in cursive lettering stood in your presence. It was a two story building that looked old but new at the same time. Jean didn't really understand how that was even possible. "Sounds fancy."

"Well, the Queen gets all her garments from here." You remind him as you step toward the front door. "That tells you everything you need to know right there."

Jean reaches for the door before you can even grab it and holds it open for you. "Fair enough."

When you enter, the small bell at the top of the door rings and your greeted with a massive chandelier that hung pretty low for Jean's taste, and again, had the same old new look. Everything looked vintage but in a very expensive way.

There was a stunning spiral staircase that swiveled all the way up to the high ceiling and showcasing the second floor.

On the first floor, there was a sea of mannequins wearing a variety of different fabric and styles. Some mannequins were completely nude but had pins pierced into the skin marking measurements all over their fake bodies.

Considering he saw nothing but men's clothes on the bottom floor, it was safe to assume the entire second floor was entirely for women. More privacy that way, anyway.

"Wow." Jean laughs. "Does this place come with a map?"

You stand at the center of the room, head tilted up at the classical chandelier and spinning in slow circles. "I wouldn't mind getting lost in this place."

There's the sound of heels quickly rushing down the top of the stairs and you both turn your heads to the source.

A tiny woman with silver hair thrown into a sleek yet messy bun, burgandy lipstick and an all black dress, cheers with delight when she sees you. "Mon cheri!"

French?

The woman runs up to you without hesitation and gasps when she does a full 360 of your body. When she meets you front and center again, she rests both of her extremely slender hands on your cheeks.  "Quelle belle femme!"

You smile bashfully. "Merci mademoiselle."

The woman gasps again, her expressive eyebrows crinkling her forehead. "Tu parles français!" She claps her hands.

You look toward Jean and bring him closer to you by tugging on his sleeve. "I take french lessons. Well, I did as a child. Jean is the only reason I can still speak it."

The woman who didn't even realize Jean was there for a moment finally acknowledges his presence and looks him up and down. When she gets to his face, her eyes narrow.

"Now this," She says as she grabs his jaw and turns his face to the side. "This is a French face!"

She proceeds to turn his face in every which way as if she's studying it at every angle. "Look at this bone structure. The long face, the defined jaw, the small eyes."

Jean pulls away from her and rubs at his jawline. "Small eyes and long face, huh?"

You giggle. "Almost like a hor-"

He snaps his fingers and points at you. "Shut it."

The woman continues to praise Jean while admiring his body. "Tall and slender. The perfect French model! Come, come. Let me take your measurements."

You widen your eyes and raise your eyebrows as you try to hold in your laugh. "Wowwww, look at you." You grin.

He sends you a look that screams "Shut up and save me," as he gets dragged away by the woman and put onto a giant pedestal in front of a even larger trifold mirror.

Instead of coming to his rescue like he so silently begged you to, you sit back and relax in the waiting area with a mischievous smile on your face.

"Vie," A voice echos from upstairs. "Don't harass the poor boy."

A man who was dressed in a pressed suit and was much taller than the previous woman struts down the stairs. "Excuse my wife, Sylvie. She gets excited when she gets a new project."

When he reaches the end of the stairs, he holds his hand out for Jean. "Antoine. Welcome to Magnolia Couture. I hope you'll be pleased with our efforts."

It was safe to assume these two were the owners. A married couple who both specialized in high fashion and royal apparel, it was no wonder both of them were dressed so classy. They probably had money up to their knees.

Jean greets the man in return. "Jean." He then gestures over to where you sat while trying not to move his body so much. "That is Andromeda."

The man turns to you and takes a moment to admire the woman seated before him. You stand up promptly and bow your head. "Thank you for helping us so last minute."

The man approaches you and holds out his hand for you to take. When you place your hand in his, he bows before you and plants a kiss on it. "Your highness."

"Oh! I'm not..." You pull your hand away. You then bite your tongue. "Did the Queen say I was?"

Antoine frowns. "The queen only mentioned she had a friend who needed a gown as soon as possible." He then winks. "But I know royalty when I see it."

His eyes then look you up and down. "Even dressed as a commoner."

Jean watches as embarrassment floods your face. "Is it that obvious?" You fiddle nervously with your fingers.

Antoine laughs loudly, the sound echoing throughout the building. "When you've been in the business as long as I have, it's quite easy to tell who was raised with etiquette classes and who wasn't."

"Ah." You chuckle awkwardly and look down at the chair you didn't hesitate to stand from. "I guess I sold myself out there, didn't I?"

He gestures for you to take a seat again and make yourself comfortable. "Don't worry, we won't say anything. We work with Kings and Queens from all over the world and a majority of the time, they want their affairs to be private."

"Besides, the Queen would have our heads if we said anything." Sylvie cackles as she wraps measuring tape around Jean's waist.

You try your best to sink back into the seat even though Jean could tell you were tense. "Historia? She doesn't strike me as the threatening punishment type."

The married couple exchanges a brief but impactful look. Antoine then quickly changes the subject. "So Jean, what did you have in mind for your suit? Simple, yet classic? Bold and wild?"

Jean looks back at you for help. He honestly didn't know shit about stuff like this. He didn't grow up with enough money to get custom tailored suits and when he became an adult, he was constantly in his work uniform. "Um.."

"I know exactly what he should wear!" Sylvie interrupts. "He would look absolutely exquisite in that new fabric Julien is bringing by later."

Antoine takes a step back in front of Jean and strokes his chin. "I think you may be right."

She scoffs. "Of course, I'm right! He's the perfect model to showcase the design you've been working on. Not to mention, he's going to the ball where there's going to be a ton of clients. This is the best form of advertising for your work!"

Jean stands there, bashful but also with a boosted ego. He couldn't recall the last time he got this many compliments from anyone else besides his mother on the night of his senior prom or the first time she saw him in his uniform.

He looks at you from the reflection of the trifold mirror since you were surprisingly extremely silent.

The face you were making, he never expected to see. Mostly because, he never has. It was the face of jealously.

He could see your eyes following Sylvie's hands that trailed all over Jean's body from his feet to his neck. You followed them like a cat to a mouse, never losing eyesight of wherever they traveled. Ready to pounce at any moment.

He almost found it funny. You didn't even look this jealous when Thalia appeared. He figured if you'd be jealous of anyone, it'd be his ex girlfriend and not some random seamstress.

Did that mean your feelings for him have gotten stronger since then? It would make sense considering you had sex together after that incident.

He couldn't pull his eyes away from the way your face looked. It looked like you wanted to jump off the small couch you sat on and attack the woman touching him. You didn't even try to disguise your irritation like you usually did. It was written all over your face and not to mention, your body language.

Oh god. Did I break the princess?

Or maybe it was like he said earlier, you stopped hiding your emotions in general. Jealously, anger, saddness. The mask you kept in your back pocket for cases where you were anything other than happy, was no longer in sight. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see it again.

It seems Antoine notices as well because he then says, "Sylvie, why don't you go upstairs to help Ms. Andromeda. I'll take over."

Sylvie pouts, disappointed she had to give up her place but she disguises it quickly by clapping her hands together and smiling brightly. "Okay! Girls are much more fun to dress up, anyway."

Jean does a quick look back to check on you. The same vexed expression still lingered but you forced yourself to return the smile. "I may not be the perfect model but I'll do my best." You say through gritted teeth.

Sylvie then links her arm with yours and she leads you up the stairs to the second floor, leaving Antoine and Jean alone.

Antoine smiles at Jean before he steps onto a stool to be face to face with him. "I apologize for my wife. She can be quite flirtatious with young men in their 20s. She seems to forget she's nearing 50 and already married." He says as he fiddles with Jean's collar.

Jean laughs. "It's alright. I can't deny that it was flattering."

Antoine sticks a pin in between his teeth to hold briefly before he sticks in to the garment. "I wasn't necessarily apologizing to you but to your girlfriend as well. That is, assuming she is your girlfriend, right?"

"Um," Jean turns away as he tries to think of the right answer. He could straight out say he was your bodyguard since he knew you were a princess but was that all he was? He couldn't say friend either because clearly, it was more than that.

So what was he? At the end of the day, you were getting married to someone else so it didn't even matter what he was to you.

Antoine chuckles over Jean's anxiousness. "You don't have to answer. I just could tell she was getting upset over my wife's comments." He then looks up at Jean. "That look doesn't come from just friends."

Jean sighs. "It's a long story, I'll admit. But no matter which way I spin it, the point still stays. I care for her deeply."

The man smiles, his head slightly nodding with respect for such an honest answer. "And same for her. You can see it in the way she looks at you."

Jean could feel his insides suddenly know every gymnastics move known to man. When he catches his face in the mirror, he felt pathetic when he sees he was blushing.

"So," Antoine says as he pulls a jacket over Jean's shoulders so he can try it on. "What brings you two to Paradis?"

Jean checks himself in the mirror and even though the jacket was something he could never afford unless he saved up for months, he looked absolutely dashing in it. "The lantern festival. She's been wanting to see them for years now."

The tailor's eyes light up. "Ah, I see. Well, you're in for a treat. I remember my first time seeing them. My daughter begged me to take her and I didn't quite understand what the hype was about some stupid lanterns but when I saw them light up the night sky like that..."

Antoine steps down from the stool and properly takes a look at how Jean looked in the coat. "It was the most breathtaking thing I had ever seen."

Suddenly, the small bell at the top of the door rings again and a man who looked around Jean's age, hobbles into the shop carrying a box that looked twice his weight.

The man then slams the box down on the ground the second he steps into the building and groans with relief. For some reason, he looked eerily familiar.

Antoine almost dies on the spot. "Careful! Those silks are imported!" He rushes over to the box and carefully rips it open. "Oh, Jean. This is my son-in-law Julien. He's married to my daughter Camille."

"Nice to meet you." Julien waves lazily. He then plops his body down in the same spot you were seated in.

Antoine snaps his fingers. "Don't get too comfortable, I need you to put this in the back room."

Julien's mouth falls open. "Can you atleast help me? I'm only 21 and I'm pretty sure this just gave me back problems already."

21? So he is my age.

"Fine." Antoine rolls his sleeves up. "Grab one side and I'll grab the other. Jean, you're done, I have all your measurements so you can take a seat while you wait for the ladies to finish up."

Jean nods and steps down from the pedestal. He then removes the jacket that he dreaded taking off and placed it on the mannequin who originally had it on.

While he waits for someone to return, he walks around the room, taking in all the different designs scattered all over the place.

He runs his hands over all the different high quality fabrics and realizes he probably won't ever get the opportunity to touch something this expensive again, much less wear it.

Considering no one was around, he decides that trying a few on wouldn't hurt. It wasn't like he was planning to steal them. There was no crime in just testing how they fit.

Before he puts on the one that caught his eye, he does a quick scan before slipping into it and he's surprised when it fits like a glove.

He takes a quick look at himself in the mirror and his confidence is immediately skyrocketed. It was amazing what money could do for one's self esteem.

"That looks good on you."

Jean jumps a good three feet in the air before he spins around and sees Julien standing there, sweaty and smiling. "Don't worry, my first time here I couldn't believe it either." He laughs. "I wanted to try everything on."

Jean quickly pulls the jacket from his body and sets in back onto the rack. "That jacket alone is a house where I come from."

Julien collapses back onto the couch and uses his sleeve to wipe the gleam of sweat that coated his forehead. "No kidding. Where are you from?"

"Eldia." Jean says. "That's over by-"

"I know where Eldia is." Julien stops him. "My dad is from there."

Maybe that's why he looked so familiar. "Oh. Were you born there too?" Jean questions.

Julien shakes his head. "Only my dad. I'm from Marley. My dad left to Marley when my mom was pregnant with me so I was born there."

Jean takes a seat on the chair beside the couch. He doesn't even realize that he sits in the exact same position as Julien until a few moments later. Laid back with one leg bent to the side and his foot resting on his knee.

He then fixes his posture so he doesn't look like he's copying him. "We were just in Marley." He attempts to keep the conversation going to kill time. "It's unbelievable there."

"It's way too busy." Julien admits. "It's one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world since they're one of the most advanced kingdoms. I can't stand it. I like more calm places." He gestures to the window behind him. "Like Paradis."

Jean chuckles. "Yeah, I always thought I wanted to live in a place like Marley but once I got there, I realized that's not what I want at all."

Julien shrugs. "I have absolutely no idea how my dad does it. But then again, he's married with like three other kids so he doesn't do too much going out anyway."

"3 other kids?" Jean asks baffled. "You making four. I can't even imagine having that many kids."

Julien laughs and rubs at his head again, sweat still bothering him. "He actually has anoth-"

Interrupted by the bell at the front door, Julien stands up to greet whoever walks in. A man walks in with another delivery of some sort. "Hey Julien, good to see you! Antoine around anywhere?"

Julien walks over to the massive package and reads the label on it. "Hey Gabriel, good to see you too. He's somewhere in the back. I'll just sign for him."

As Julien grabs the clipboard and pen, Jean stretches his neck to see how he signs it, in hopes that maybe his last name was give away why he looked so familiar. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he knew him from somewhere.

And as if the universe was punishing him for not minding his own business, he sees the last thing he ever expected to see.

Julien signs the bottom of the page with J. Kirstein in cursive letters. The exact same signature Jean uses.

Julien Kirstein. Father born in Eldia. Moved away to Marley when his wife got pregnant. It all had begun to click. That's why he looked so familiar. That's why they were so similar.

He sinks back into the seat, as deep as he can, secretly hoping the sofa chair would swallow him whole and he'd disappear forever.

After Julien dismisses the delivery man, he walks back over to the waiting area. "Whoa, are you alright? You look super pale. Are you about to be sick?"

Jean couldn't get his mouth to form the words he wanted to say. In fact, his brain didn't even know what to say. What does one say in a moment like this?

"Hey! It was nice meeting you! By the way, we share the same dad and we also have the same signature!"

Jean stands up and runs his hands through his hair in order to recollect himself. "I'm fine. I just need some fresh air."

Before he steps outside, he realizes you're still somewhere here and he can't leave without you.

Then he also realizes you've been gone for a while and he hasn't heard your voice either.

He rushes up the stairs, tripping on a few of the steps and when he makes it up to the top floor, he crashes into you and sends you flying to the ground.

"Hey!" You shout from where you sit on the floor and rub your head. "Why are you running around like a crazy person?"

He looks down at you as you look up at him and suddenly, you look 8 years old again, staring up at him with lost eyes. He holds his hand out for you to take, just like he always used to. "Sorry."

He picks you up from the floor and it doesn't even take a second for your brows to crease together. "What's wrong?"

He wanted to throw himself into your arms. He wanted to grab you and run as far as he could. He wanted to scream on top of a rooftop. He wanted a lot of things but mainly, he just wanted you.

His shoulders sag and he looks down at the floor. You place both hands on his face and lift his head back up. "Hey. Are you okay?"

He doesn't answer. Mostly because he didn't have one to give you. You finally stopped hiding your true feelings and emotions in front of him and he wanted to return the gesture. He didn't want to lie to you or pretend he was okay when he honestly wasn't.

You turn to Sylvie who was watching the whole thing in confusion. "I'm sorry but I think we should probably get going."

"Of course." She waves off. "We're all finished up anyway. We'll see you here tomorrow afternoon to do the fitting. You two go on out, the festival is to begin soon."

You gasp loudly and spin around to find the nearest clock. "Oh my god, is that the time?! We have to go! It's about to start!"

You release Jean and rush over to Sylvie, grabbing both of her hands. "Merci pour tout, madame. We can't wait to see the final product tomorrow. We greatly appreciate you taking us in last minute."

"Nonsense! Any friend of the queen is a friend of ours." Sylvie beams. "Now hurry! You two deserve good spots."

Without warning, you grab Jean's wrist and yank him down the stairs with you. You quickly wave bye to Antoine who was speaking to Julien now. "Bye Antoine! Thank you so much, we'll see you tomorrow!"

Before anyone can say anything else, you're speeding out the door with Jean attached to you. While you run through the town, you turn to Jean and eye him carefully. "So? What happened? You didn't like the outfit or something?"

He honestly couldn't even think of an answer as he speeds down the streets. "It's not that it's just..."

He then remembered that this was your night. He didn't wanna ruin it by making it about him and explaining some sob story about how he ran into his brother from another mother. "It's nothing."

You stop running. "Don't do that."

He pulls your arm to keep moving. "Come on! You want good spots, right?!"

You rip your arm out of his grip. "Who cares about the lanterns! I know something happened and I know it's bothering you. That's all that matters to me right now." You step toward him. "Nothing else."

As simple as that, all the tension in his body melts away. All he could think about now was how badly he wanted to kiss you. And then he realized how stupid it was to think about it when he literally could just do it.

So he does. He reaches for the back of your neck to pull you in closer and he kisses you. The second his lips touched yours, nothing else mattered. He no longer felt like he wanted to fight his father or his newly found brother.

He pulls away and caresses the side of your face, "I'll tell you all about it later. In excruciating detail if you want. But right now, this is about you and those lanterns."

"But what about you? What about what you want?" You argue.

He entangles his fingers with yours. "I want to see those dumb lanterns too."

Your concerned face turns into a giddy grin. "Okay, let's go."

As the sun began to set at a pace that seemed faster than usual, the two of you were literally racing against the clock. The festival was scheduled to begin at night fall and with the sky growing darker, the speed in which your feet moved didn't nearly seem as fast enough.

The streets grew more and more crowded, making it harder to pass through. Groups of friends and family cluttered together, oblivious to the fact that were in the way.

There were several stations positioned where you could buy the lanterns, which was convenient except for the fact that every single station had a terribly long line.

Jean could hear the sound of your foot tapping impatiently against the gravel as you wait in line, your eyes stalking the dimming sky.

If it were up to him, he'd push everyone out the way to get in front of the line or maybe he'd steal someone's while they weren't looking but he knew you wouldn't allow that. So here you were stuck in a line that seemed frozen in place.

The second you trade your money for two lanterns, you grab Jean and take off running once again. You mutter "excuse me" and "sorry, coming through" about a million times as you pass through the crowd but it only got you so far. The castle was still miles away.

"No," Your voice croaks as you stand on your tippy toes to look over the crowd. "We're never going to get a good view from here."

Jean stands up on some stacked boxes near by to get a better view of how packed the streets really were. He could feel a pang of disappointment hit his chest when he realizes there's no way to make it up to the front.

Not without bulldozing through and knocking a bunch of elderly people and kids to the floor, that is.

Even though the lanterns would float high enough in the sky for everyone to see no matter where they stood, he wanted you to have the best seat in the house. He wanted this moment to be exactly the way you always dreamed it would be. Especially since everything else hadn't been going your way.

He continues to look around in hopes of seeing even the smallest crack in between people for you both to slip through but there was nothing.

But whilst looking around, he sees a better idea. One that would make this moment even more magical than you probably ever imagined.

He hopes off the crates and grabs your wrist. "Come on."

You trip as he drags you along at high speed. "Where are we going?" It doesn't take you long to realize he's leading you in the opposite direction instead of where you're supposed to be headed. "Wait!"

He doesn't explain himself. He knew he didn't have the time to. Besides, why stop and explain when you would just see for yourself when you got there.

He leads you over to a pier that hovered over the vast ocean that reflected the glowing moon above. He then squats down and begins untieing the first boat he sees from the dock.

Your head spins around in a panic. "Whose boat is this?!"

He brings the tight knotted rope to his mouth and does his best attempt to untie it with his teeth without yanking one out. "Does it matter?"

"Kinda!" You shout anxiously.

The knot finally comes undone and the boat slowly pulls away from the dock as it begins to rock back and forth against the small waves.

He sets one foot on and holds his hand out to you. "I'll bring it back before they even notice it's gone."

You stare at him with wide eyes, excitement and adrenaline swimming around in your irises. "Fuck it."

He helps you step onto the boat and when you're both safely on it, he pushes it away from the dock. He then grabs the oars that rested in the boat to paddle the boat further into the water.

You watch as you get further and further from land. He smiles as he watches your face grow with fascination. "This is going to be the best seat in the house. I promise."

You turn to him, the biggest smile on your face he had ever seen. "I can't believe this is actually happening. All those years looking out my window. Now I can see it so up close."

[play space song by beach house here, trust me]

There wasn't many things he could control in this life. Especially when it came to you. But this moment it seemed like he had it all in his hands. There was no one else but the two of you out at sea while everyone else was surrounding the castle, awaiting the first lantern.

There were no distractions. No prying eyes. No hiding or worrying about who stands too close or stares too much. There was nothing that could steal this moment from you. He would do anything to make sure of it.

Your legs bounced up and down where you sat as you burst with excitement. You were frantically looking around as you attempt to wait as patiently as you can. It was truly adorable.

After this, and after the ball, it was time to go home. The sweet adventure was over and it was back to reality. He knew if he was given a sign from the earth herself for the perfect opportunity to say how he felt, this was it.

"Y/n," He begins. "There's something I need to-"

"Look!" You scream as you shoot up. You rush over to the far end of the boat, causing it to rock furiously and Jean almost loses his balance for a moment there. "The first lantern!"

A small yellow light floats from the tallest tower in the castle. Historia's lantern. It was the only thing shining against the indigo sky.

Just seconds later, more and more lights begin to glow and they willingly follow after the Queen's lantern that lead the way.

Before you knew it, there were hundreds of lanterns flying in the air lighting up the night and it was almost enough to take your breath away.

"Wow..." You melt as you hold onto the boat. The lanterns reflected in your watery eyes giving them the illusion that they sparkled more than they naturally did.

Even though he had the most breathtaking view in front of him, he couldn't tear his eyes away from you. Nothing beat the look on your face. He couldn't miss that expression for anything in the world.

He was witnessing first hand all your dreams come true and even though they were 100% your dreams to achieve, he was honored to be beside you, doing what he could to make them a reality.

The look on your face was the same one from years ago. The same one he saw when you first saw the lanterns from your window. The same face when you talked to him for the very first time and said, "One day, I'm going to see them in person."

He smiled at the thought that you accomplished that goal. That your juvenile self wasn't just doing wishful thinking but actually manifesting it out loud.

She did it.

He manages to break his eyes away to look up at the sky that was now swallowed whole by millions of floating lights. It was as if it was day time again and the sun exploded and broke off into tiny little pieces.

He couldn't deny that it was truly a view to behold. Seeing it from Eldia all those years was beautiful but you were right. Nothing beat the way it looked up close. It felt so surreal. Almost like a dream.

A lantern loses its way and floats over to boat, teasing the water beneath it. You slip your hand underneath before it does and gently push it back up into the air for it to join the others.

"That reminds me," Jean says. He reaches for his pocket where he held a box of matches. After he pulls them out, he gestures for you to bring your lantern closer to he can ignite the flame.

As you bring it closer, he could see the lantern slightly tremble. Your body was shaking with so much excitement that you couldn't even sit still.

He lights your lantern and his as well. They glow instantly in your hands and you hand him his. "Make a wish." You whisper.

He thinks back to the day you plunked an eyelash from his cheek back home and when you did it again after you both jumped from the water fall. He thinks about how he wished for the same thing both times.

Would it be foolish of him to make the same wish again? After all, they do say third time is the charm.

He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath.

I wish for her not to get married.

When he opens his eyes again, yours are still shut, your wish still in the making. When they come apart, a single tear falls from your eye.

He brings his thumb to your cheek and wipes it away. He didn't even bother to ask what it was you wished for but he knew it was something that was truly close to your heart.

He smiles as the moisture from your tear seeps into his skin and you rest your cheek in his hand. "Ready?"

You sniffle and nod your head. "You have no idea."

And just like that, you both release the lanterns and they float up into the air. Before they join the other lanterns much higher up, they circle around eachother like licorice.

When the twirling stops, your lantern floats higher first and Jean's follows closely behind yours. He chuckles at how comically ironic the symbolism was.

You both watch quietly as the lanterns dance in the air and begin to slowly travel further and further away. Jean could see the disbelief in your face like you couldn't believe this was actually happening.

Your eyes were wide and childlike, your brows turned upward in the softest way possible and your mouth never frayed away from smiling. Your head even gently swayed side to side like you were trying to convince yourself this wasn't real.

"This is the best day of my life." You say quietly. You look at him, eyes filled with tears of happiness. "Thank you for taking me here. You don't understand how much it means. I know it's just some stupid lanterns but the meaning behind—"

"I know." He interrupts you. He reaches for your hand and he holds it tightly. "I never thought it was stupid. I always knew how much it meant to you. I'm happy you finally got to see it." His fingers slip in between yours. "You deserve to see all your dreams come true."

You smile hard and the tears that were pooling up in your eyes force their way out and swim down the apples of your cheeks. You then jump up and embrace him in a kiss.

The impact of your abrupt movement causes the boat to tilt to the side as it's overcome with the weight of both your bodies and it suddenly flips over, the two of you crashing into the water.

You both sink into the freezing cold water, the icy temperature stinging Jean's cheeks and eyes. He gasps as he comes up for air and you do the same.

The second your eyes meet, laughter erupts from the two of you. "Oh my god, it's freezing!" You howl.

Jean could feel his teeth clatter together from the cold. His skin was coated in goosebumps and he struggled to stay up float.

Regardless, he pulls you into him and kisses you again. You slip into his arms and kiss him passionately in return as you both float in the golden sea.

As he holds you in his arms, suddenly the water isn't as cold anymore. All he felt was warmth and happiness. Complete satisfaction that no matter what happened after this adventure was over, he made it worthwhile for you and that you had the time of your life.

[scene inspired by this pic]

He was grateful for such a mythical and extraordinary experience with someone he found so dear to heart. Someone that he'd always remember forever.

The person who taught Jean Kirstein how to live fearlessly and how to love wholeheartedly.

If this moment had to end, he prayed his mind would replay it forever on an endless loop. He prayed the universe would atleast give him that.