Levi has an unwilling appreciation for Christmas. It's annoying when people get too excitable, but he can't help but like the way that the air is filled with the scent of pine trees and coffee. More than the light snow, he enjoys the way that Eren holds his hand the entire time they're outside. No one has ever felt the need to protect him, or they've been to scared to even try, but Eren has never flinched away in his times of need.
And of course, Christmas is Eren's favorite holiday. He's dragged Levi to countless stores, buying ornaments and too many boxes of candy canes(the kid has a burning love for peppermint.)
There's just one problem; Christmas means gift giving, and he has absolutely no idea what to buy Eren. He doesn't like the concept of giving gifts on a set date; he just wants to give them whenever it feels the most honest.
He's spent years alone on the holiday, even though it is, unfortunately, his birthday. And no matter how many times he'd tried to convince himself that being alone and watching the world was okay, he felt empty. He always loves Eren's presence in his life, but it's more apparent around this time of year.
"You don't have to get me anything," Levi says suddenly. They've been painting and drawing for hours, sitting side by side in the living room, and the sudden sound echoes in Eren's ears.
He cocks his head in that puppy-like way. "What do you mean?"
"For Christmas." Levi stares straight ahead, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't really want anything. You being here is enough."
Eren leans closer to him, pulling their faces together and forcing him to make eye contact. "I'm getting you something whether you like it or not." His tone is teasing, but the sparkle in his eyes fades into something more gentle and serious. "You gave me your most precious possession. Let me repay you."
"You've already given me more than enough," he mumbles, trying not to blush. The words sound so ridiculous when he says them.
"I haven't given you nearly enough." Eren nuzzles his shoulder playfully before kissing his neck. He seems to get distracted there, kissing all down his neck until he reaches his defined collarbones.
"Eren." It's hard to concentrate. "H-Hey, what are you- don't you have work to do?"
He finally looks up, only to smile softly and say, "Work isn't important."
This time Levi initiates the kiss, grumbling about how insatiable Eren is, because he's hopelessly in love. They forget about everything else for a while.
On Christmas morning, Eren wakes up to find Levi in his arms. It's a rare occurrence; usually he wakes up earlier and starts drawing or cleaning the house or making breakfast. Eren takes in his lovely face, his dark hair contrasting against the pale, luminous skin. In his sleep, Levi's eyebrows stop furrowing. It's a relaxed, beautiful side of him that he hardly ever gets to see. His soft pink lips are open slightly, and it's very, very tempting, but Eren lets him rest.
He kisses the man's forehead as gently as he can, but his boyfriend stirs. With a small yawn, he snuggles into Eren's warm chest more. "Merry Christmas."
His voice is thick with sleep and unbearably cute, and Eren can't help but kiss his jaw softly. It's a sensitive spot on Levi; his eyes flash open and narrow. "Already? Control your hormones, I just woke up."
He mutters a few more insulting things, all while nuzzling Eren affectionately. After a few minutes, he can't help but kiss the warm, tan chest in front of him. He doesn't even mind the smug smirk on his lover's face that he just barely catches before he sucks on his collarbones.
"I got you a present," Eren whispers in his ear, kissing his neck playfully, his teeth grazing Levi's sensitive skin. He shivers the tiniest bit, but it's still seen. "Well. Not exactly a present. You'll see what I mean."
When he tries to get out of bed, Levi frowns and pulls him back, not very gently. "Hey. Get back in here, I wasn't done."
They cuddle and mess around for a while longer, until Eren finally tears himself away from the bed, excited about his present. Levi is actually clingy today, holding his hand even when they're brushing their teeth. He's happy about that; Mikasa and Armin are coming over later, and he wants to spend as much time with Levi as he can get.
Eren opens his gift first. It's a huge set of art supplies; new watercolors, oils, brushes, canvases, and paper. It's beautiful. He kisses the man fervently, thanking him over and over, and for the first time ever, he laughs. It's the most beautiful sound Eren has ever heard in his entire life, and he's suddenly even more certain about the present he's about to give.
"So it's a present, but it's not a present?" Levi raises an eyebrow, his lips still curved into a smile. He's breathtaking.
Eren bites his lip, hoping that he won't stumble over his words or mess this up in any way. He takes the tiny slip of paper out of his pocket and hands it to his lover.
Levi cocks his head as he reads it, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. One promise. One promise? What does that mean?
"There's something special that I want to give you, but... I want to give it at the right moment. Not because I'm supposed to do something romantic because it's Christmas, but because I want to. I want to give it to you in the most honest moment, when I feel the strongest." He runs a hand through his hair nervously.
Something special. Does that mean what he thinks it does? Levi flushes against his will, his eyes widening. "Eren, are you going to... ?"
He can't bring himself to say the word out loud, but Eren's face flushes intensely and it brings out the green in his eyes. "I'm not saying anything else. It could be what you're thinking, it could not be. It's just something special. I promise."
He wants, no needs it to be a ring. He loves Eren more than anything in the world. He's changed Levi's lonely life into something beautiful, and although he's always been able to survive alone, he doesn't want to anymore. If the kid doesn't propose soon, he will.
"I have another present for you," Levi murmurs, pulling Eren's face to his. The kid looks so flustered, and it's both arousing and cute.
"What is it?" Eren breathes, his eyelashes fluttering as he leans in closer.
"Me." He kisses him. It's a slow, sweet kiss that's full of promise. He can't always say the words out loud, but today he has to. It feels right. As they pull away, Levi whispers, "I love you."
The smile on Eren's face takes his breath away. "That was my favorite present."
And then he practically attacks Levi with kisses. When Armin and Mikasa show up later, the blonde tries his best not to stare at the red marks all over Eren's neck, or the satisfied smirk on Levi's face.