A/N: For Levi's birthday. I tried. Most of the dialogues were taken from one of my best friends' idea given on the Christmas Eve of 2014. Got inspired to write while traveling – it was definitely worth it. Plus, the story-writing exercise aims to make me realize that my birthday is something to look forward next year. Yeh.

I'm continuing my other stories soon enough. Legit. XD I still have to cram in ideas. For now, enjoy. :3

Ridiculous

For thirty years, Levi Ackerman just finds Christmas Eves ridiculous.

It is currently 8:30 PM. Levi was the only person left in the office after Hanji and Erwin left early along with the rest of the people in the company to celebrate Christmas with their families and friends. Apparently, he had stayed behind - reasoning that he still has paper works left to finish.

Truth to be told, he knows that his currently living-in boyfriend Eren will not be with him for the Christmas Eve. He has a family; he has Mikasa, Armin, and the rest of his college friends. He won't miss this Christmas party - it's the last one their batch gets to celebrate before the March graduation. And to make things clear - he is not jealous or lonely. Not when he sees two lovers kissing by the fountain in the middle of the park, nor when he sees a kid walking side-to-side, hand -to-hand with his parents. At least, he thinks so.

Because of the congested roads and the bustling activity in the metropolitan, it ridiculously took him an hour and a half to get home.

"Exactly an hour before Christmas, huh?" Levi sighed loudly as he opened the door to that cozy, two-story penthouse he got as a perk from his company position. The first thing he notices was how ridiculously clean the place is, not to mention that large box that settled peacefully by the staircase.

Ignoring it, he grabbed that sweater Eren had knitted him by the couch and preceded to the kitchen to prepare some warm milk. He might be in his 30's, but he still loved milk in the hopes that he would catch up to Eren's height. He sat on one of the high chairs, reviewing the last of the papers he had to check as he waited for time to pass.

11:30 PM.

Thirty minutes before Christmas, and Eren isn't home yet. It's not like Levi was getting worried, but he does not want to pick up a sober Eren. The last time he did, things didn't go as smoothly as picking-up a drunken guy should be in his terms, and that brat was ridiculously heavy. Deciding not to wait further, he grabbed his cell phone from his satchel and saw one message on the screen.

"Levi~! Open the box by the stairs when you get home, alright? Love you."

"What the fuck are you up to this time, Eren?" Levi's eyebrows met as he stood up. Grabbing that mug of half-filled milk, he walked towards the box and opened it cautiously. What he saw was very unexpected.

A peacefully sleeping human wearing reindeer pajamas, snuggled in this cramped box.

Moreover, this human was none other than his boyfriend Eren.

"Really now," Levi stared at the sleeping brat.

This wasn't the first time Eren had done something ridiculous for him. There was a time he tried to make him homemade chocolates for Valentines, which failed miserably. Instead, he put chocolates in the curry they ate for dinner, which tasted really good but he will never admit that to Eren. There was another time he wore some mascot costume while cleaning the window in front of his office. Apparently, there was an executive board meeting ongoing in his office and everyone in the board knew that it was their anniversary.

Back to the present, Levi had decided at this point not to wake up the human reindeer when suddenly Eren shifted in his sleeping poition and suddenly woke up.

"A-ah…surpriseeeeee!" Eren stood up all of a sudden, nearly tumbling out of the box but regaining his balance quickly.

Levi only gave him an eyebrow raise.

"Surprise?" Eren repeated himself. "I'm the gift and uh….this." He fumbled with a….what was that….a red knitted clothing and wrapped it around Levi's neck. Ah, a scarf.

Levi couldn't help but giggle.

Eren blushed. He knew that contrary to popular belief, Levi can laugh. But he wondered why Levi laughed at this time of all the circumstances, which made him quite embarrassed.

"I knew you wouldn't like it…."

"Shitty brat." Levi interrupted Eren, laughing. "You make me fucking worried, and then I see a shitty brat wearing baggy reindeer pajamas sleeping in a cramped space then says "surprise" and gives me a scarf as a gift. You cannot be serious."

"E-eh? But Hanji gave me this." Eren showed the other a picture of Levi in a Santa costume, courtesy of 'four-eyes' as Levi called her. "Hanji showed me that picture and told me Santa doesn't have any reindeer so I figured I'll be your reindeer. A-and I tried hard to make that scarf."

"Okay I've got the most idiotic boyfriend in the world." Levi was in pure bliss he could only laugh. "For the first time in my life, I laughed on Christmas. And you made me laugh."

"So I did fail," Eren put up with the saddest face he could ever put up, and Levi smacked his forehead.

"God damn it, do you ever listen to details? Or do I really have to get it through that thick skull of yours once more? Okay fine, I'll repeat. Even if I have to save your plump ass a thousand times from all the scary efforts you have been putting to give me a simple surprise, I will still love you to death. I swear I have the most idiotic boyfriend in the world and I am not regretting any single thing about it because I have my idiot and I will slit their throats if someone comes hurting you."

Eren blushed heavily. "Levi! No to physical violence."

The clocked ticked. 1200 AM.

"A-and it's 12. H-happy birthday, Levi."

"Say Eren, you don't have to go through such lengths to celebrate my birthday. It's just a day that happens every year - nothing really changes, not even my height. Except my age, of course."

"E-eh?! But Levi, you should cherish your birthday! Well aside from the fact you are a Christmas baby, uh…...it's the day you were born, of course that's special."

Eren's cheeks only have gotten redder. "A-ah well….what I'm really trying to say is….you were born today, and I thank God he has given you to me. You're a blessing, Levi. If you don't recognize yourself as one, then I won't stop doing everything to make you feel like one. I….I'm really just glad I met you….thank you for being born, Levi."

At those words, Levi just melted into a puddle of emotions and glomp-tackled Eren or whatever you call it. He was just ridiculously happy he couldn't explain it himself.

"Such words you've got there." Levi fell on top of him from that hugging. "I think I should enjoy my gift now. I know, Santa should ride his reindeer tonight! But you're too red, so you're Eren the red-nosed reindeer. Ah but it'll be awkward to ride you - wait you should be the one to ride me. Imagine a reindeer riding Santa….oh my fucking hell-"

"LEVIIIII" Eren whined, his face beet red, "PLEASE JUST STOP SAYING THAT SO CASUALLY~"

The bickering continued for the rest of the night, followed by a steamy, passionate lovemaking.

After all, Christmas eves are indeed ridiculous.