Guess who's procrastinating on her two theses? That's right.  Anyway, thank you for your comments! I should really start replying to them.

I don't want to talk much more, I just hope you will (somewhat) enjoy it! 

Prompt: "As the bell hit twelve o´clock, he couldn´t stay still anymore." (I really enjoyed this prompt!)

---

Limits
 

Donghae took a look at the man who held him tightly one second and spun him around the next. Despite the mask that covered his face he knew exactly what the man's face looked like. He knew about the charismatic and warm brown eyes that would crinkle when he smiled brightly. He knew of the excited glances the man would give if his hobbies and passions were involved. He knew about the light blush that would grace his cheeks whenever he got complaints. 

Of course, he knew them. Everyone in the whole kingdom knew them, knew him.

Prince Hyukjae. Young, polite, ambitious, well-liked. No scandals, no affairs, no dirt on him, he made everyone around him proud.
But there was one thing missing to complete the Prince. A wife. 

His parents, the King and the Queen, were delighted to announce a mask ball to find their son a beautiful wife. 

Donghae, just like every other girl in his neighbourhood, admired the Prince and secretely wished to have a chance but Donghae knew he was foolish to even dream about being beside the Prince as his spouse. He was bright shouldered and had muscles, not to mention, the lack of long and beautiful black locks every other girl had. They all had red lips, fair skin, and big eyes. 
Sometimes he would lay in his bed at night and dream of being able to dance with the Prince, to see his smile directed at him. But far more often he replayed the scene in his head when the Prince saved him from drowning a few years ago. He never forgot how he felt helpless in the water that didn't stop taking him in. He remembered how a hand took his arm and pulled him up. He even remembered how the Prince looked at him with so much concern it nearly made him think that he really cared for him like they knew each other. At this moment he would usually stop himself and shake his head. As if, the Prince didn't know him and just saved him because he was a kind hearted soul.
Even if he knew the truth, he also couldn't help thinking: "What if I would have been a girl?" It would have saved him so much stress. He may would even have had a chance. His deceased father always told him that love had no limits but it had. Of course, everything has its limits. Liking a person of your gender was abnormal. Wrong. Filthy. Unacceptable. Donghae knew that too well. 

"Why the sullen expression, my Lady?" 

The sweet voice of the Prince took Donghae away from his thoughts and back to the present. He tried smiling but couldn't help the bitter turn of his smile at the way how he was adressed.

"Is it my dancing? You seemed to have been delighted before."
"No, of course not, Prince. Your dancing is the most enjoyable experience of the whole evening." 
"Thank you." 

The Prince smiled and Donghae felt how his lips turned up. He didn't see it but he just knew that the Prince's cheeks had a faint blush on them.
He was simply so beautiful. 

"You have a beautiful voice, my dear. I wished I could hear you sing one day. Maybe next time?"

Donghae bit his lip, knowing that the Prince indicated that he wanted to keep seeing him - her. He needed to remind himself that Hyukjae only liked what he saw right now. A delicate beauty with fair skin and gorgeous hair in a glorious red dress - his favourite colour. This was not him. This was the body of a woman that made Hyukjae take interest in him. Not more. But what the Prince didn't know was that there would be no next time. This was their first and last time they would meet. 

"Of course." His voice was barely audible but by the way Hyukjae was smiling brigthly, he must have heard it. 

"Let me tell you a little secret-" Donghae felt how the Prince leaned towards him and whispered into his ear. "-I'm glad to have met you. I thought I would have to disappoint my parents but luckily you appeared in your marvelous dress, captivating me immediately."

Donghae's heart was beating wildly. Even if he was in another body, his heart stayed the same. In the back of his head he heard the clock hitting three times. It was 11:45. Only 15 minutes were left. 
15 minutes till he would have to say goodbye. 
15 minutes till he would change back to Donghae. 
15 minutes and the magic will stop. 

The fairy told him to go early and not to risk something but how could he leave if the man of his dreams was holding him tightly and looking at him the way he dreamed of for so long? So he stayed still in the Prince's arms, relishing the last few minutes and admiring him again. 

"You must be tired of all the dancing. It is also quite late. Let's move to the chairs, so you can re-"
"Please. Don't. Please let's just stand here for a few minutes."

Hyukjae was surprised at the girl's plead but couldn't deny her desperate but pretty eyes. He felt the stares of everyone in the room but he chose to look at the beauty in front of him instead. He felt giddy thinking about her soft hands in his. When they talked about the kingdom's people earlier, she sounded so down-to-earth and realistic he was delighted. They even shared their same love for dogs. 

After a few minutes, Donghae closed his eyes and leaned towards him. He wrapped his arms around the smaller body like he was protecting the person from all the bad. Both knew it was inappropriate but it felt so right that moment. 

Donghae saw how the last minute was going. Only a few seconds left. He knew he should be running now, but he couldn't let go. He was too weak. It would kill him to pull back and turn around. But when he heard the clock hit 12 o'clock and a weird sensation over his body, he knew he couldn't stand still anymore and had to run. 

He hastily untangled their arms. 

"Goodbye, my Prince." It was a mere whisper. 

With one last look he ran as fast as he could. Hyukjae, who was too dumbfounded about the girl suddenly running away, only looked at her with a shocked expression till he realized that he should follow her.

Outside on the stairs he found one of the shoes and picked it up. He took another look towards the gate. He couldn't see anyone, it was like she suddenly vanished. 

What he didn't know was that a man was standing next to the stairs behind bushes, biting on his lips and holding back tears while he took a look at the Prince. Even if Hyukjae would travel to the farest country to look for her, he would never find the girl he saw that evening. She didn't exist. She never really did.

"I'm sorry, my Prince. But we are not meant to be."

Because love did have its limits.

_

Ummmmm sorry for the sad ending?

And come on, this prompt basically screamed Cinderella!!


My next prompt: "He went shopping, learning and eating  - why the hell was there always this guy?"