It took a great deal for the young cadet to find out the Squad Leader's birthday. Nobody seemed to actually know, which both surprised and frustrated her.

Hanji, however, came to the rescue when Sasha nervously asked the superior officer about Levi's birthday. The fact that it was on Christmas Day was endearing for the girl, though she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the idea of his birth being a Christmas miracle of sorts, but then again, that was too cheesy.

So, when it came around to the time of his birth, Sasha had the best gift.

Levi disliked birthdays. Why celebrate another year of his life when so many others had their lives taken from them? When it came to it, Levi would spend his birthday like any other normal day.

Hanji, of course, would remind him every year, and every year, he'd tell her to drop it and not respond to any question she asked him. This time, however, the absence of Hanji and her pestering confused him, but he didn't think much of it.

It was nearing the end of the day, and Levi couldn't help the odd feeling that gathered in the pit of his stomach when he noticed that he hadn't seen Hanji - or even Sasha - that day. It wasn't that much of a big deal, but he couldn't deny that it bothered him in the slightest way.

Sasha knew Levi probably wouldn't appreciate something too extravagant for his present. In fact, she wasn't sure if he even wanted anything, but that wouldn't stop her. It was getting close to evening when the girl ran from the only vendor in town she could find selling the treats that were in the box pressed against her chest as she made her way to Levi's office.

In an instant, she was in an out of his office, careful not to be seen by anybody. Only Hanji knew about her plan, but that was only because the superior wouldn't let her leave until she knew just one tiny detail. The box was left on his desk, with a note card tucked under the tiny bow that sat on its light pink wrapping.

Levi walked into his office when the moon had risen and the room was plunged into a darkness only illuminated by a few candles he lit. He was on his way to his quarters, which was connected to his office, anyway, when he noticed something out of place.

There, on his desk, was a box he hadn't seen there earlier. On it, was a card placed neatly within a red bow. When he plucked it from its spot, he turned it over and read the script he recognized instantly:

Happy Birthday~ I hope you enjoy these. (If you don't, I'll be glad to eat them, instead.) - Sasha

He placed the card down on the desk next to the box. As he opened the box, the delightful smell of its contents slowly wafted and met his nose, and he nearly ripped the rest of his way through. Once the wrapping was removed, he could clearly see what the delicious smell was. Strawberries.

Sasha was in her room, not quite asleep and not quite awake, either. Her eyes were closed, yet her consciousness remained. It was times like these when she was glad that she didn't have a roommate. She was allowed the quiet escape of her room to dwell on her thoughts.

Though, that night, she was only thinking of a certain man in particular.

A knocking sound rang through the room, somewhat louder than normal in the dead silence of the night. Sasha got out of the warmth of her bed and padded to the door, her toes curling in the slightest when her bare feet met the cold floor.

She wasn't sure who to expect at her door in the middle of the night, but, seeing as she had only given one man a present that night, it shouldn't have been a surprise to her when she opened the door, and she could just make out the figure of Levi standing there, the box of strawberries in his hand.

"Levi?" She said, smiling in a greeting. "I see you got my present."

"Oh, no, you did not like it, did you?" Sasha instantly followed up with her doubts, and her face fell. "I'm sorry.."

Even if her head wasn't bowed like it was in that moment, Sasha wouldn't have been able to see Levi's next actions in the darkness the night provided. He lifted her chin up with his finger, so that her line of sight wasn't at her toes but at his face, and kissed her in a swift moment. It was short, needless to say they weren't going to share a deep kiss in the doorway to Sasha's room.

"Relax, brat, I came here because I knew you wanted to have some," Levi said once they pulled away. He walked further into the room, and sat at one of the two chairs at the mini table in her room while Sasha closed her door and made her way to the opposite chair.

It was moments like some of the ones that followed that Sasha cherished, especially the ones where Levi fed her a strawberry here and there, and warned her not to bite his finger in the process. Though most of the night was a blur of strawberries and the occasional stolen kiss here and there, Sasha could distinctly remember how she fell asleep that night, in the arms of Lance Corporal Levi, where she was meant to be.