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Mikasa couldn't believe she stood inside the food hall, it wasn't a completely change home but those with decoration duty really did well in making the hall seem like an actually party hall instead of a simple foot hall. Sure, some tables were left by the walls for others to sit to rest, eat or when they got a little too drunk and passed out. But still, you couldn't really tell it was the food hall until you noticed the simple clues that couldn't be covered up. The main counter where those on cooking duty would serve each meal was hidden up by a tiny stage that the small musician band sat on, playing their instruments already. 

The barrles of bear was placed on a single tabled pushed close to the kitchen door, clearly slowing anyone flow who'd try sneaking into the kitchen in hopes to steal a whole barrel of beer. Apparently someone always tries it every year, hiding the barrel afterwards in their barracks, in a bush or in whatever strange place they think off. Sometimes, the captains overlook it and sometimes they don't. 

Mostly depends on the rumours that go around afterwards. If a respectable soldier stolen it to have a few mugs of beers with their comrades after an expedition or tough day. They captains are happy to over look it, pretend to fail in finding the stolen barrel but if the rumours aren't as healthy or good hearted .. they soon snatch it back and leave it for nights of celebration. 

No one has time to deal with drunk soldiers during an stressful or important day. Even less so when the soldier is a huge idiot or a dangerous fool that has access to odm gear and blades. 

But still, Mikasa fell a little proud of herself as she stood in the hall. The smell of Tabaco and booze filled the air, sweat mixing into the jumbled of smells. The musicians played as loud as one would for such a hall and either drunk or almost drunk soldiers unsteadily dancing around or just too far off in their own world as they enjoyed the night. Some who was still rather sober was just enjoying the moment with those around them and well, everyone had a smile. But the music was a little loud, mostly to be heard over any bad singing from the drunks or drunken yells and laugher. 

But for now, Mikasa was on the borderline of enjoying herself. She's only been here for about five minutes, being a little late even as she planned to be one of the first to arrive. She ended up having a nap, wasn't planned of course but why waiting for Levi she fell asleep in her hiding spot and just rushed over to the party.

The night was still on and it seemed so was the party in some way. 

She still had a chance to show off her hair and dress before kidnapping Levi for a dance. 

She wasn't going to give up this chance, some may fight titans but tonight .. she faced Levi. 

A man who has never once tried having fun at the survey corps parties and moped around in a corner until he decided he could return to his bedroom or was forced to step up between some drunken idiots. 

Tonight, that would change. 

She would get him to dance at the very least. 

She wasn't hoping for a smile or laugh, she wasn't foolish enough to get ahead of herself, baby steps she had to remind herself before. 

And now, she's found her target in the corner sipped a cup of tea. 

She'd let it slide, not everyone enjoys alcohol and Levi already admitted he wasn't fond over it but then again, living in the underground made alcohol either rather expensive it got you killed or your only escape from life as it killed your insides.  

He had his own reasons to not be fond of the stuff and rarely drink when he fancies any. 

"Excuse me kind sir but may I have the honour of having the next dance with you?" Mikasa asked in her best fancy and posh voice, offering her hand to the older man just like her father use to do towards her on those chilly nights. 

Levi just glanced up to her, raising an eyebrow while placing his cup down on the edge of the table. His eyes scanning her over before he gave a heavy sigh. 

"I told Mike he didn't have to buy you a dress" Was the first words to leave Levi mouth making the younger girl frown a little. Sure, everyone had priorities but still, she just asked for a dance with him and he chose his annoyance towards Mike gift.  

"It's my birthday gift, now don't be so grumpy and dance with me already" Mikasa huffed back as she placed her free hand on her hip while keeping her other hand held out to him.

"I refuse" Levi simply answered making her frown deepen. 

"We're going to dance, even if it means I have to ask someone to carry you on the dance floor and stay carrying you while I sway with your hands. I'm sure enough of the soldiers are drunken enough to risk death by doggy piling on you or lifting you up long enough for a few seconds of dancing" Mikasa argued back, a dangerous shine in her eyes showing how far she was willing to go for the dance. 

"I don't dance" Levi replied with a sight, crossing his arms.

"It's not like I'm asking you to be my prince charming or anything. I've already danced while standing on my dad feet, how good do you think my skills will be? Just come on, dance with me and have a little bit of fun .. just a tiny bit. Then you can go back to being all bitter and grouchy for the rest of the night ... pleassssssssssssse" Mikasa muttered back, waving her offered hand at him while stomping her foot like a spoiled brat knowing he's either get fed up and give in or get fed up and try to storm out making the soldiers have a perfect chance to cling at him for her. She had thought this out as well as she could on short notice, even Hanji and Mike was ready to risk their lives in dragging him to the dance floor for her.  She had her own army to use against him and if they failed her, she'd just have to announce that she hid up his tin of tea and won't pass it over until he danced with her, even if it's an angry dance. 

"You've really became spoiled, you know that right?" Levi sighed as he ran a hand through his hair while she just innocently shrugged. 

"Stubbornness is just part my charm" Mikasa sweetly answered as she flapped her offered hand at him once more. 

"If I do this, you'll leave me alone for the rest of the week .. right?" Levi asked as he squinted his eyes towards her, clearly trying to judge her answer.

"I will try my very best" Mikasa honestly answered and Levi just gave an approving nod knowing that was the best he'd get. 

"Okay, we'll have a dance. But a slow one" Levi grumbled out, his voice sounding tired already from knowing he won't win against her over the dance thing.

"Great, now time for me to properly ask otherwise you won't experience the full Ackerman charm. It's only right you get to feel as much as a princess as anyone else should" Mikasa proudly answered, clearing her throat a little as she lowered her arm and patted down her dress trying to smarten up.

"The Ackerman charm? Princess? I didn't agree with any of that, I agree to a single dance" Levi deadpanned, crossing one leg over the other and lifting an uninterested eyebrow. 

"Shut up, I have to do my part. Just behave like a good princess otherwise you won't win yourself a king one day or a sexy thief .. whatever that's about" Mikasa snapped back, slapping at Levi knee to scold him a little before she took a step back. 

"I'm clearly having words with your parents in the after life, just what in the hell did they teach you?" Levi muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes but nodding for her to do what she must. 

"Princess Levi, May I have this honour of taking your hand for a single dance tonight. I'll be as graceful as you are charming" Mikasa spoke in a princely voice, crossing one arm over her stomach as she bowed down while offering her free hand towards his. 

Levi just blinking towards her as the musicians had finished the song just before she started to speak meaning everyone in the whole hall just heard what she asked and how she asked it. The leader of the musicians awkwardly standing on the edge of the stage as they were gonna announce a few minute breaks but was stopped by Mikasa small moment. 

"And this is how your Dad taught you to dance with someone?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow, keeping directly eye contact with Mikasa who lifted her head to look at him. Everyone else in the room still staring at them, silently taking in what they just witnessed and heard. 

"Yeah, Dad always says Princess because a goddess of a Queen is always taken by an undeserving king. Only a Princess will still be forbiddingly charming and free for a single dance if a princess if lucky enough to catch her eyes" Mikasa innocently answered as Levi just stared at her, taking a deep breath and pinching the tip of his nose.

"I have to say yes, don't I?" Levi asked to no one at all.

"Yeah" Sober, merry and drunken soldiers all answered from where they stood making a tick grown on Levi forehead.  

"You do If you ever want to see you tea tin again" Mikasa simply mumbled with a shrug, standing straight but lazily hanging her hand out still. 

"I wasn't asking any-What did you just say?" Levi started to snap towards the rest before freezing up and turning towards Mikasa after catching what she said. 

"So, was that a yes?" Mikasa asked instead, a hopeful sparkle in her eyes as she wiggled her fingertips at him. 

"Oh god, I better be eaten by a titan tomorrow before gossip spreads. But fine, we'll dance when the next slow song is pla-And they're skipping their break for this .. great" Levi started to answer, regret already clear in his eyes before a deep frown filled his face as the musicians suddenly started playing a slow tune proving they were going to skip their break for this to happen. 

"Great, come on. We can be fools together but just know, I can't have you dance on my feet. Your much fatter then I was on my dad feet" Mikasa grinned, grabbing Levi hand and happily pulling him towards the space left as the dance floor. 

"It's muscle not fat" Levi grumbled back, already wondering if he could just make a run for it to his bedroom. 

"Call it as you may your still a heavy git who'll break my little toes if you stand on me. But If your that self conscious, I think your still very dashing even while your fat, if that helps you to sleep at all" Mikasa casually replied, giving Levi hand a comforting squeeze to try and cheer him up over being heavy. 

"As soon as your thirteen, I'm throwing you into your own room" Levi simply threatened back as he glared towards her. 

"We both know you'll just miss me if you do" Mikasa teased a little, coming to a stop as they reached the dance floor. Smiling as she gave a silly curtsy towards Mike who had already pulled Nanaba to dance with him.  Waving towards Hanji and Erwin who stood on the dance floor, ready to help keep all eyes off the Ackermans why they danced and to help dance around them to stop anyone else from bumping into them by mistake. 

"You planned this" Levi whispered yelled in pure horror as it finally clicked.

"You can kill me later, Princess, for now, WE DANCE!" Mikasa smirked and took hold of both Levi hands before swaying with him. Levi taking a deep breath to try not and murder everyone in the room before he swayed with her. 

He might really have to learn to dance if the only dance moves the kid know was swaying. As much as a person can be bad at dancing, they had to at least know how to pretend to dance and but them swaying, Mikasa Dad clearly didn't know how to pretend. 

But it wasn't all bad, if Levi had to admit it.

It was even a bit of .. fun, for once. 

More so when he glanced down to find the younger girl smiling at him with such a bright and warm smile. Her eyes shining in pure joy and happiness as they badly swayed to the tune and he knew the embarrassed was worth it. 

He was still going to get his revenge later but for now, in this moment, he couldn't help the tiny but true smile making its way on his lips. 

His smiles were rare but right now, Mikasa just took that tiny almost hidden smile as a victory. 

Of course, he was still taught enough by his mother to be a gentlemen and finally .. while the other couples of the dance floor were busy with each other, he finally gave a compliment over how she was dressed. 

The pure shocked and embarrassment on her face was the perfect revenge for him, she had clearly rarely been complimented. But at least his mother would be proud over him on complementing a young lady when she tried dressing up nicely for once and, she did look rather cute. 

Almost looking like the young lady she was meant to be and tonight, he saw that as his own small victory. 

Even spoiled up with a couple of twirls that he saw other men do with their partners in the underground. It earned him a true and very rare giggle from the girl he was dancing with ... tonight was really turning out to be worth it. 

But just because he was enjoying see her act her age for once and enjoy the party with the others. Doesn't mean he wanted her to suddenly fall asleep from all the fun and slowly passing night. Nor did he ask for Mike to stumble towards him, placing her sleeping form in his lap before passing out on the bench she was left sleeping on beside him. 

So now, as he sipped his almost stone cold cupper, his fourth for the night and third since the dance. He was stuck with the sleeping girl drooling into his shirt, he was not amused. 

Well, maybe a little at first when she was fast asleep on the bench beside him since he could tease her all about it the next morning but right now, with him trapped with her on him .. he wasn't enjoying it as much. 

But, as he was reminded that she knew the location of his tea tin for his office .. he couldn't kill .. yet, at least. 

So, instead. He carefully picked her up, making sure her head rested to his shoulder instead of leaning back. He walked back to their room, side stepping from any drunks throwing up outside and hopping over any passed out buddies. Walking extremely fast towards the steps in the office building since Erwin had left his office door open and everything happening in his bedroom with Hanji could be heard echoing the halls. 

Reaching his own office and awkwardly shuffling before opening the door and kicking it closed behind him. Kicking his smart shoes off in his office before heading to his bedroom door, awkwardly shuffling to open that as well before kicking it shut behind him. 

He frowned as he noticed she left her hairbrush on her bed along with a set of clothing. He tried lifting his foot, trying his best to kick them off but he couldn't keep his full balance on one leg .. not with her sleeping form leaning on him so much. 

Signing before turning to his double bed and sniffing himself. He didn't smell badly over alcohol or Tabaco. Neither did she, so, as last as he grabbed the spare blanket for himself and changed into his own pjs to make sure no smell from the party was on him .. he could allow her to sleep on his double bed without fear of her waking up from a nightmare and attacking him. 

He wasn't overly afraid of her attacking him, it barely happened from any form of nightmares, she just dully look around the room before falling back to sleep nowadays. But still, he didn't want to be the reason she released enough that she can't use beds all over again. 

She's gotten far since the night he found her and he'd hate for all that effect and achievements to be wasted. In truth, if she falls back to square one after all this time, he might have to send her to an orphanage. 

He's busier now, he's got his own life to live and Erwin already mentioned that if she didn't get better over the year then they'd have to send her to a place where she won't be a danger to herself or the rest of the camp. 

He'd hate for her to end up at the orphanage, she won't be safe but he won't be able to let her live on camp anymore either. 

So, carefully laying on his unused side of the bed knowing it won't smell much more then soap. Slipping her shoes off but leaving her socks since he knew she was still a little self conscious over the scars on her ankle from the chain. He wasn't risking any form of relapse tonight and just placed the spare blanket over her, watching as she snuggled up under it like a little kitten. 

Rather cute, in his eyes but he'd never admit it out loud. 

Grabbing his own set of nightclothes and changing in the bathroom before climbing into his bed, glancing to her once more and giving a small nod as she didn't show any sighs of a nasty nightmare. She seemed peaceful for now at least and he'd take that. 

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Question for all of my Lovely Readers...

Are you still into this book?

I know it's rather slow and I don't remember if I warned you all over that bit but is it going a bit too slow for you?

I can try skipping until they're a little bit older if you want to move on from Mikasa early ages with Levi.

Or, if this book gotten a little too boring due to being slow, I can try starting up one of my other books for a bit before coming back to this book.

What would you all prefer?

Please do comment your answers below....