I've wanted to write something for Attack on Titan for quite a while. I'm completely enamored with the concept of Levi being Eren's father in an alternate universe story. I think they'd be just too precious as a father and son. Of course I have to add my own OC as the wife and mother. I don't usually write holiday fics but I could not help myself when this idea came to me today as I was listening to the song "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus." This will also be my first safe for all ages fic. So here goes...venturing into all kinds of new territory here with this little one shot. Hope you like it.
Mira repositioned the baby's first Christmas ornament on the tree for the tenth time. Since he was three years old, it wasn't exactly Eren's first Christmas nor was he an infant anymore. However, he was finally officially their baby since they had signed the adoption papers last month. This would be their first holiday as a 'real' family. Levi had disappeared somewhere in the house having grown tired with her fussing over every miniscule detail. She knelt down by the handmade wooden rocking horse, straightening the small green and red bows tied to his cream colored yarn mane. Getting on her hands and knees, she rechecked the presents under the tree.
Levi propped against the side of the archway that led into their living room. How many times was that woman going to rearrange everything that was already perfect? Usually that was his job, to over-think the details, and he could understand why she would often lose her patience with him. The seven foot tree dominated the corner of their living room. The top point of the star nearly touched the ceiling above it. It had taken hours to decorate that green monstrosity. His feet and legs had just stopped aching from standing on the ladder as she had handed the hundreds of decorations to him, one by one, for hanging. He smiled with the fond memory of her smiling up at him with the childlike wonder of Christmas gleaming in her dark brown eyes that had looked black in the muted light from the multicolored lights on the tree. When Eren would become particularly insistent on having her attention, she would give him a decoration, then pick him up so he could pass the decoration off to his Daddy. Daddy. He loved it when the little boy with the mop of unruly hair, brown like a chestnut, and huge turquoise eyes would call them Mommy and Daddy. He found it difficult to be angry with the child, even when Eren had done some really wrong, like drawing on the walls. Eren had drawn a picture of his new family in bright primary colors on the hallway wall beside his bedroom. Levi had been highly upset by the unlikely choice of canvas for the artwork, but he could not bring himself to spank the boy. Although he had intended to paint over the messy scribbling, his wife had begged him not to cover it. She convinced him the whole hall could be completely repainted in a few years, but for now, that picture was a masterpiece that needed to be left for their enjoyment. Of course, she was right. Each morning as he passed their son's bedroom, he would look at those marks that faintly resembled stick figures and a house, and smile. Smiling was once a rare and arduous experience for him, but he found himself doing it quite easily and surprisingly often since the little force of nature had come into their lives.
"Mira," he called to her. He watched with amusement as she jumped, shoving her head into the ornament laden tree, rattling the plastic ornaments together on the bottom boughs. They had kept the lower branches within Eren's reach free of the glass decorations.
"Levi!" she exclaimed, scooting backwards to extricate herself from the tree.
Levi laughed to see the small wooden soldier ornament hanging from her thick curly brown hair where it had gotten caught. He walked over to her to assist her with removing the hanger from her copious amounts of tangled hair. After hanging it back on the tree, he pulled her into his arms to hold her as they gazed at their gorgeous tribute to yuletide cheer.
Mira hugged him, burying her face in the fuzzy white ffaux fur edging the sides of his lapels. She leaned back, taking a good look at him for the first time since he had reentered the room. He was wearing a Santa suit. She could not help but stare at the reserved man who spoke few words. Most of the time he was quite serious, acting as if he were allergic to the prospect of fun. Now, here he was wearing a complete Santa suit but without the beard or pillow for a belly. She poked his hard, flat abdomen, complaining, "You're an awfully skinny Santa."
"Where are the milk and cookies? I can work on that," he returned, his voice even, emotionless, just like always. But his dark eyes glittered mischievously. "Do you think Eren will like it?"
"Seeing Santa in person? He'll love it." Mira leaned forward, kissing her husband who was the same height as her. She had always preferred tall men until she met the diminutive Levi. What he lacked in height he made up for in a commanding presence that could capture the attention and respect of men a foot or more taller than him. He had also captivated her with his sleepy looking eyes with irises the same color as his pupil and his almost prissy, feminine ways. Him being a neat freak appealed to her because she had always been a bit of a slob. Disorganized and sentimental, she had a tendency to be a clutter-bug. She was flighty and giggly, loud and overly excitable. She seemed to be his complete opposite in every way. He was the yin to her yang; the flawless complement who made her a complete person, and she did the same in return for him.
As their simple kiss morphed into something more amorous, the affectionate parents did not see their sleepy little one wandering into the room. Eren was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his tiny fist. His teddy bear was clutched in his other fist and dragging the floor as he scuffled along in his dark blue onesie pajamas. He saw the man in a red suit, holding his mommy and kissing her - kissing her in a way that he had only seen Daddy kiss her. His mouth dropped into a round o shape, his large blue green eyes blinking in shock. Why was Mommy kissing Santa Claus?
"Mommy!" he cried out, seeing her hop away from the man.
"He wasn't supposed to see me without the beard," Levi mumbled in her ear as he hid behind her so the little boy could not see him.
"Where is it?" she asked, planning to snatch it for him so his cover would not be blown.
"In the bedroom," he answered. He had thought it would be safe not to put the beard on until later.
"Levi!" she snapped in the same tone of voice she used when Eren touched something he was not supposed to touch.
"But he wasn't supposed to be awake yet!" he shot back in his defense.
"Children often wake up when they aren't supposed to, especially on Christmas Eve," she reminded him.
"I never did. I slept through the night every night. Promptly to bed at eight o' clock at night to wake up at six in the morning. Even on Christmas Eve."
"Of course you did. Are you being serious? The only thing that has changed about your sleeping pattern since you were a child is that you've set your bedtime ahead two hours to ten?"
"Yes. What's wrong with that?" he inquired.
The arguing couple seemed to have forgotten their child had came into the room, nearly discovering the secret of Santa, until he called out for his mommy. "Mommy, why were you kissing Santa Claus like that?"
"I-I, uh, I was thanking him for our wonderful Christmas presents," she said, walking forward to scoop him up into her arms. "Which you cannot see yet, young man. Back to bed for you."
Mira carried him down the hall toward his bedroom. She pressed her face into his hair, inhaling deeply. There was no better scent in the world than a freshly bathed, clean child. Although bath time had been four hours ago, he still bore that fabulous smell in his soft hair. She kissed his forehead, feeling his little arms wrap around her neck.
"Mommy, don't you think Daddy will be mad if he knew Santa was kissing you that way?" he asked, hugging her tightly.
"Probably," she answered simply, walking into his bedroom. She hoped nonchalance would make the child lose interest in this line of questioning.
"I don't want Daddy to be mad at Santa. Would Daddy put Santa on his naughty list?" His big eyes held hers, begging for an answer.
Mira wanted to laugh but somehow restrained herself. Eren was being completely serious and was truly concerned that Santa might be in trouble. "Daddy has a naughty list?"
"Oh, yes, he told me so. He told me that I have a whole lot more to be scared of it I'm put on his naughty list than if I'm put on Santa's naughty list."
The child was just too cute. She kissed his cheek, ruffling his hair. She had no doubt that Levi did in fact have a naughty list and that it would hold more dire consequences to be on his list than Santa's. "Don't worry. I don't think Daddy will be too angry with Santa. As a matter of fact, Daddy doesn't even have to know about Santa's kiss, okay?"
"But, Mommy, he will know," he assured her, nodding his head enthusiastically.
"How will he know, Eren?"
"Because I'm going to tell him!"
"Oh, Eren," she murmured with sigh, kissing him on the cheek. She straightened the covers under his chin, tucking them around his sides. "Now, you're all nice and cozy. Sleep tight so you can get up early to open your presents."
"Mommy, I love you."
Mira's heart melted as she looked into the child's big, beautiful eyes. It was those eyes that had taken her heart prisoner in the beginning. They had been so full of sadness, loneliness; harboring a distinct desolation that mirrored their own after they had been told they would never have children because she was barren. "I love you too, Eren."
"I love Daddy too. And that's why I'm gonna be a tattle tell and tell on Santa."
Mira could hear Levi laughing from their bedroom where he was eavesdropping. She had heard that sound more times in the few weeks since they had adopted Eren than she had in their whole five years of marriage before that time. "Hey, Eren, did you know that you're the greatest present Mommy and Daddy has ever gotten for Christmas?"
"So Santa's not a bad guy after all?" he questioned her.
"No, Santa's not a bad guy after all," she confirmed with a gentle smile on her lips. The child was tenacious. His little mind had instantly grasped the concept that no man could kiss her like that except for Daddy, although it had been Levi in disguise. She could not bear to tell him that there was no Santa Claus to end this whole argument.
Eren cuddled his soft brown teddy bear, propping the bear's ear up at his lips. "Since I can't tell Daddy, I'll tell you. I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus."