Rounding a corner, Eren pulls his hood closer to his body as the cold winter wind picks up and swirls snow around him. The weather is bad enough that not many people are out on the streets, even though the shops are open. Eren's satisfied by this development, though; he doesn't want his surprise ruined by any one of his big-mouthed comrades.
It takes him a few more minutes before he's where he wants to be and his boots kick up slushy snow all the way there. He brings a gust of cold air and snow with him into the shop as he enters, but it quickly fades in the face of the shop's hearth. The shopkeeper is an older woman, and she smiles at Eren kindly as he comes up to her.
"What can I help you with, lad?" she says, stepping up to the edge of her counter.
Pushing his hood back from his face, Eren says, pointing, "Um, can I buy that?"
The shopkeeper's eyes follow his finger to a pendant lying neatly under a glass pane. The chain is a shimmery gold, thin, and connects to a large, round, aquamarine gemstone. The gemstone itself is encircled in matching thin gold wire. She looks back up to Eren, her lips pressed thin as she surveys him. A few moments later, she says, "Are you sure? This one is expensive."
Eren nods, knowing what she is probably thinking. Everyone knows that soldiers aren't paid well until they reach higher ranks, and his cloak clearly gives away that he's a trainee. But Eren's been saving for a while now. He takes out his money and counts out his payment to the shopkeeper; he has the exact amount to the penny.
"This is enough, right?" he says as he finishes counting.
The shopkeeper is smiling at him again, now. She takes the money he has laid on the counter. "Yes, lad, it is indeed. Give me a moment and I'll have this wrapped up for you in no time."
Eren feels a small thrill of excitement as he watches the shopkeeper pick up the pendant delicately and place it on a small, white pillow. She arranges the pendant, making sure that the chain does not knot, then places the pillow and the pendant inside of a wooden box. The wooden box, a dark mahogany, has a silver clasp and a decorative flower carved into the top. When he picks up the box, it's barely larger than his palm.
"Thanks, it's perfect," Eren says to the shopkeeper, flashing her a genuine smile. He carefully puts the box into an inside pocket of his cloak and flips his hood back up.
"Be careful, it's cold out there," the shopkeeper calls after him as he leaves.
Between sharing his bunk with Armin and the prying eyes of the other boys of the 104th squad, Eren has a harder time than he originally thought he would hiding his purchase but he manages it. Eren comes close to ruining his own surprise a few times; it takes every ounce of his patience to wait until Christmas Day to present his gift. He slips it into his pocket that morning and, when everyone is nearly done with breakfast, he nudges Armin.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Armin is engrossed in a conversation with Sasha and Connie but he turns to Eren at the brunette's prompting, ever attentive to his needs, and nods. "Be right back, you guys," Armin tells them.
Armin shivers when they exit the mess hall, the frigid air biting through his clothes. Armin follows as Eren leads him around to the back of the building and gives him a look of concern when Eren abruptly stops and turns to him.
"What's wrong?" Armin says, hugging his arms close to his chest. His lips and cheeks are already flushed pink from the brief exposure to the cold.
"Nothing," Eren says quickly, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out the wooden box and offers it to Armin. "I just, um. Merry Christmas?"
Armin simply blinks. Chilly fingers take the box from Eren gingerly and trace over the flower carving and intricate silver clasp. He turns it in his hands, looking at each side. "It's really pretty," the blonde says in awe, temporarily forgetting about the cold. "What is it?"
"Open it," Eren says, stuffing his hands in his pocket. His eyes are trained on Armin's face.
The box makes a small click as Armin opens it, pushing the lid back slowly. Eren's smile widens when Armin's eyes do.
"Eren…," Armin murmurs, gazing at the fat blue pendant that has been revealed. He grasps it gingerly and lifts it out of its confines; the gold chain links glimmer in the wintry sunlight and reflects through the pendant. His eyes flicker up to Eren's. "This is beautiful… and I didn't even get you anything," he says guiltily.
Eren shakes his head. "I don't care. I didn't buy it because I wanted you to get me something in return," he says. He takes the necklace from Armin then, reaching around to clasp it behind his neck. Armin jumps a little when his cold fingertips brush his neck. A shiver down his spine follows shortly after.
Pulling back, Eren says, "Besides, it matches your eyes."
"Thank you, Eren," Armin says, face reddening further at the brunette's compliment. He pulls Eren forward and wraps his arms around him, squeezing tight. Burying his face in Eren's neck, Armin's chilly nose presses into the brunette's skin. Eren's arms encircle him warmly and Armin can't help but whisper again, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Eren says, pressing his face into Armin's hair. After a moment, he says, "You're freezing, let's go back in."
Armin pulls away reluctantly from Eren after that, not wanting to move away from the warmth of his body. He touches his fingers to the heavy pendant lying on his chest and, with a small smile, agrees.