Summary: The kids start nagging Levi about not being in the Christmas spirit. Reluctantly, he gets them a tree and is not pleased to find out that they aren't satisfied with just that alone.

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Writers block + My job getting stressful due to Christmas coming = Horrible writing conditions. Ugh I can't believe Christmas is coming (in real life and in this fic, whoa) At least I can vent some of my current Christmas resentment through Levi. Bah Humbug!

There was too much triggering me lately. All these thoughts and sensations I haven't had in years were returning without warning, knocking at my door and dragging in their messy memories with them.

Whatever. Let's see how long I could go before my self-pitying inner monologue turns itself back on again.

In an attempt to start the new, wonderful fucking day off right, I took a sip of my coffee—that took me precisely two seconds to realize that it literally tasted like grainy shit. Well, there goes my attempt at leading a wonderful morning. I tried.

I know Eren means well, but ever since he self-proclaimed himself as the chef of the household my taste buds have been miserable. It wasn't that he was aterrible cook—some meals he prepared were almost enjoyable. Let's just say he puts a little too much love into his ingredients—and when I say love I mean he just adds way too much unnecessary shit to every meal he prepares. Sure, his pancakes were fine, if you can find them under all the sticky syrup and butter. My coffee would have served its purpose if he didn't go ahead and add three too many sugar cubes to the cup.

Even Mikasa—who never stopped eating until her plate was empty—had shoved Eren's shameful attempt at an omelet from her.

"What, why aren't you finishing it?" Expression frantic, he hooked his head over his shoulder. That's when I realized he was at the stove. Cooking again. I suddenly felt my life was in danger. Fuck, I hope he's not cooking for me.

"I'm full." Mikasa lied. How did I know she lied? Because I was a professional at pokerfaces too, meaning I know the signs when someone is making one. I blinked across the table at her and she returned the same glare. We were both silently sharing the same thoughts and I wondered for a moment if we had telepathy, but vigorous arm movements caught my peripheral vision. With seasoning in hand, Eren shook the flavoring over the dish until the scent of the spice filled the kitchen, nearly made me sneeze.

"You might as well remove the cap and just pour the whole fucking container over it."

"Huh?" Oblivious, Eren stared at me, his arm still in motion.

"Stop. Seriously. That's enough."

"No, no. Trust me, it'll taste much better. It's my secret ingredient." He claimed confidently. Now with the spice container half-empty, (or half-full depending on your optimism level) he plopped the plate in front of me with a big, goofy grin.

Well, let's hope that secret ingredient is rat poison so I won't ever have to eat this ever again. While Eren's followed my every move, I daringly picked up a folk and took a tentative bite. How I managed to swallow added an eighth mystery to the world.

"You lost your kitchen privileges." I said flatly, setting distance from the plate with a press of my finger.

"Eh?" His chipper housewife persona was long gone, he remained standing over me with confusion and doubt.

"Eren," Mikasa added, "you wouldn't be a bad cook if you just didn't try so hard." I couldn't agree more.

"What are you talking about? I don't try too hard! My cooking is fine!" Eren scrapped the dish across the table and in a hostile motion, plucked the folk from my hand—he didn't have to pry it out—he was more than free to take the burden away. The need for any utensils was unnecessary, I had zero intention of finishing that garbage. Even so, he still had about the same amount of manners as a scavenging raccoon.

An insulted expression remained but diluted each time he chewed. His jaw paused. The folk shattered down on the plate. He looked at Mikasa, then myself before swallowing hard, hanging his head low before us like a puppy after pissing on the floor. He realized his mistake, at least, even though it wasn't much of an accident since he intentionally fucked up.

"Okay. I'll put less seasoning next time."

"Next time? No. Don't worry about cooking anymore. I'll handle it." I tried to word the request decently, but it all came down to me having little faith in his abilities, not because I wanted to take a chore away from him.

"I need to get better at cooking. Just let me keep practicing."

Using my hand for support on the back of the chair, I lifted myself up and poured my sandy coffee down the drain, then turned back around with a suspicious glare, leaning myself against the counter with my arms crossed. "Why do you need to get better at cooking?"

"My hobbies are none of your business—c'mon Mikasa, you ready?"

The girl gave a subtle nod and rose from her chair. I followed behind as they left the kitchen, my head spinning—that's the first time I felt that while sober. "Wait. Where the hell are you two going suddenly?" My suspicion spiked even more.

"Uh, to look for my dad? Duh." Irritated by his bratty tone, I stepped even closer and grabbed my jacket off the hook. I had to hand it to him, it was a good excuse, but I knew it was a lie. I haven't known him long, but when he's hiding something or lying, his ears glow red. "Good idea. I'll help you look."

"N-No! Stay home!"

"...I knew it."

"Huh?" Eren's mouth gaped up at me, and Mikasa patiently idled behind him.

"You're doing something sneaky. What are you up to?"

Eren looked over to Mikasa for answers, but she remained silent. He heaved a defeated sigh lashed forward. "Mikasa and I found jobs, okay? It's only temporary, though."

I couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not in an attempt to hide something else, but I went with it until I could come up with a final verdict. "Why? Money isn't a problem around here, I make plenty of it."

"Yeah I'm sure you do." The undertone of his words pissed me off. I stepped toward him and took his ear between my thumb and index finger, pinching the lobe. I was honored a yelp.

"Knock it off!" he swat my hand away, his face red. Honestly, I had no clue what was going on. Why would they suddenly get temporary jobs without telling me?

Wait, no. This brat wasstill lying.

"Why'd you say you were looking for your dad, then? Why not just tell me you had a job?"

Eren dragged down his cheeks, wiping his aggravation and then shot me a look, it was as if he was calling me every insult under the sun in the privacy of his mind.

"I just didn't want you following me. It's embarrassing, okay?"

"Follow you to work? Oh, like you did to me?"

". . . . . ."

To say I was satisfied with the way his lips motioned but no words came out was an understatement.

"A-Anyways, we're going to be late. Can we go?"

I waved them off with a dip of my head. Eren inhaled a relaxed breath before swinging the door shut behind him.

A moment later, I fetched my coat and dug my feet into my boots.

Of course I was going to follow them.

The buildings passing me by were covered in a cold film of white, even the cobbled ground was just a memory now that a few inches of snow was coating it. The kids remained in the foggy distance as I kept waking a few feet behind, taking my eyes off them now and then to skim over the blurry figures rushing around. There were more people out than usual, not that I was familiar with morning atmosphere, but suddenly a reason to explain this hit me—along with Eren's preceding statement—Christmas is drawing near.

I slipped the flap of my coats collar over my face, covering enough to make only my eyes visible. There wasn't much of a cold wind, but the snow descending straight down on me like soft rain was enough to make a numb burn intrude my body.

Look at all these idiots getting worked up over a holiday. Why exhaust yourself and wallet on useless gifts, candy and toys? The meaning behind Christmas has been long since forgotten; not many savor the holy day anymore. It was merely a competition to see who bought the most expensive gifts, or to bribe your kid into shutting up about the toy they've been begging for, or a way to impress someone with artificial luxuries as oppose to earning your way to their heart. As I saw it, it was a crooked holiday that benefited crooked people. When I put it that way, I briefly pondered why I detested it so much.

My boot crushed into the ice when I came to a halt, looking up at the building before me. Icicles hung from the ledge of the roof, and I realized the building Eren and Mikasa disappeared into by the back entrance was the same cafe we went to together.

So this is where they're working, huh.

I idled outside the front entryway, finishing the rest of my cigarette before extinguishing it in the snow. Between my heated breath and tobacco vapor releasing my mouth, I blew out double the amount of smoke as I pulled the handle—my cautiousness up until now was in vain because I forgot about the obnoxious bell that rang off when the door opened; a way to let the staff know a new customer had entered.

It was fine, though. There was no sight of the kids. I relaxed a little when I realized they would likely be helping out in the back since they went in that way. Not that I cared either way, but it saved me from listening to Eren's whining if he found out I followed him, no matter how hypocritical that would be.

Inside the shop was notably warmer and the smell of coffee and pastries (that had more sugar than dough) attacked me from all sides. I stomped the slush off my boots onto the welcome mat so that I wouldn't track snow all the way to the counter. I was trying to keep a low profile, but hey, I'd take the risk blowing my cover for some decent coffee any day.

I wasn't particularly fond of any of the food here; not that I didn't have the occasional sweet tooth, but it was just a little rich for my taste. Their variety of actual meals was slim, but if I had an appetite right now, I could have managed to order a simple breakfast. My tongue, however, was still stinging from Eren's secret ingredient. The brew here on the other hand was satisfying and well-received. Since I'm normally sleeping at this hour, I don't get a chance to buy a cup here often, so I patiently waited in the busy line.

"Oi, Levi."

My eyes instantly flew shut, my mouth forming a perfect downward curve as I shoved my head to an angle, giving myself a moment to simmer in my own self-pity. A groan may have vibrated in my throat. Can't I go out once without being bothered by something? Fuck, I sure am a popular guy, aren't I?

My eyes remained closed, too bothered to open them until I spun my slumped posture around and finally glanced in the direction my name was being called. Rolling my eyes at the smile gifted to me, I removed myself from the line and smacked my palm down on the table, my hand loosely on my hip as I bent forward.

"What, do you fucking live here lately?" This was, of course, an exaggeration. This is only the second time I have run into him here, but it felt like more times than that—in fact, every time I saw Erwin it felt like it was one too many times.

"I like the coffee here—it's nice to see you too."

Lasting only as long as a twitched, I gave one of my sarcastic smirks that would likely send a baby into tears. With aggravated strength fueling me, I pulled out a chair like a prissy bitch that didn't get my way and sat across from Erwin. I needed coffee in order to function properly, meaning I was unaware at the time that I unintentionally just set myself up to be annoyed further. But that was to be fixed when the server came over to take my order.

After the woman had left to fetch my drink, my arms draped over the table, holding me up as I leaned over to Erwin, my eyes scanning the area. "Apparently the kids are helping out here."

"Really? Good for them. It's nice to see young kids being responsible."

There he goes, being lame again.

I leaned back in my seat, but I still couldn't shake my suspicion about this whole ordeal. Maybe I was still on edge from last night and couldn't find truth in anything. Still, it was odd that they would suddenly scout out a job for no apparent reason. Or maybe there was but I didn't see it—Eren and Mikasa seem to be overly appreciative of letting them stay with me. Adding funds to the household might be their way of showing thanks, regardless of how unnecessary it was. That was probably it, I just didn't catch on quicker because I tend to overlook sentimental gestures.

The server returned with my coffee and I quickly indulged, deciding against waiting for it to cool down. The steaming hot drink was enough to eliminate the chill leftover in me from the walk over here, plus it managed to burn away the nasty aftertaste of Eren's failed attempt at breakfast.

Being as occupied with my beverage as I was, Erwin found entertainment in the newspaper that I assumed he brought in with him.

"Today's headline is pretty wild," he said as he read, "apparently an officer got beat nearly to death by a stripper last night. Now that's something you don't hear everyday."

"Mhm. Sure isn't." His words went right over my head as I nursed my mug, staring down at the murky liquid.

And here it comes—the realization.

Oh for Christ sake, I made the front page again.

I yanked the paper out of Erwin's clumsy grasp and quickly skimmed through the column. According to the report, I'm a victim who used self-defense against a perverted police officer and my identity is to be concealed for my safety.

You bet your ass that's accurate. The reporter should get a promotion.

"Eh." Carelessly, I tossed the paper back at the table, some of the pages sliding out unorderly as I did. As long as privacy was kept, I could care less what the papers wrote about me.

A chuckle was in his pitch, "You alright?"

I cupped my chin in hand, looking away at nothing in particular. "Yeah."

Erwin's mood dipped along with his head, as if he read me better than the newspaper he reorganized and set to the side of the table. "...I'm assuming you have no leads yet, huh."

"I thought I came close to one last night, but it was a bust. I don't know where to go from here, so I'm a little bummed if you don't mind." I had no idea why I was confiding in him, but Erwin proved to be a good listener at times. There was also an unmistakable aura of reliance that glowed about him. Not that I trusted him, but I gathered that he didn't have it in him to turn on me—yet.

"If you want my opinion..." he started, and I honestly didn't. "It might be a better idea to take it slow right now."

"Can't. If the trail goes cold then I really won't find them."

"Why don't you put your mind on something else for a while? Christmas is coming soon, why don't you start getting into the spirit?" he laughed, knowing how stupid he sounded. Or maybe he was just so stupid that he was being serious. I could never tell with him.

I flipped my bangs with a roll of my eyes. "Ew."

"C'mon, Christmas isn't so bad. It was around the time we met, remember?"

"Not really. I tend to block out bad memories." Until late, apparently.

"That's a cruel joke."

"Who said I was joking?"

He inhaled through his smirk. "Fine, then. I'll remind you. The first time I spotted you was when you were drunk beyond belief, swinging around on unauthorized Maneuver Gear until the Military Police finally caught up with you, then I was the one who bailed you out before they threw you behind bars."

The rim of my cup paused right before touching my lips. My eyes widened and cornered Erwin. "That actually happened?" I had absolutely no recollection of that at all. He wasn't the type to pull my leg (he had a terrible sense of humor) so I can only take it as the truth.

Erwin found amusement in my panicked expression and his laugh got louder as he seemed to be recalling the details of the memory. He tried straightening out his face, but he'd start smacking his palm against the table again when a laugh spilled out.

I tried to form the pieces of the day in my head. "The only part I remember was picking you up at the bar, then fucking you senseless back at my place."

Erwin's features sharpened, the whites around his blues expanded as he squirmed his body in his seat, inspecting our surroundings to ensure my words didn't reach any other ears but this own, then returned to the conversation with a much softer tone than my own. "No, that happened afterward."

I couldn't help I was a little fuzzy on the facts. Meaningless sex tends to replace the important details.

A bell rang in my head. I curled my nose at the memories belated arrival. "Oh, shit. Now I remember. I puked on you and took you home to get cleaned up. Then I fucked you senseless."

A hard laugh threaten to leave his lips, he fought it back but despite his efforts, he still resulted in having a warped grin. "Aren't you the romantic type."

I could have just puked on him and left, but I cleaned him up and fucked him. That seems romantic to me. I nodded in agreement. "You know, if you squinted a lot I could actually pass for a presentable gentlemen."

"No arguments there. Too bad you always decline my offer to go out to a nice restaurant with me. I would like to see that gentlemen side of you be put to the test."

"Gross. I would puke on you again if you ever put me through something so disgusting. Let's just keep our usual dates of wild sex, shall we?"

"You know, for such a cleanly person you sure do have a filthy mouth."

"My mouth is one of the few things I like to keep dirty, I think you'll agree with me there." I toasted up my mug with a jerk of my brow.

As I drank, I peeked over the rim of my cup in time to catch his tongue swiping over his bottom lip. Yeah, he knew exactly what I was taking about. He wasn't an idiot when his dick did the thinking for him.

Alright, so maybe Erwin wasn't as annoying as I make him seem—he managed to take my mind off some shit for a while. I almost wanted to thank him, but instead of scooping to his lame level, I showed my thanks by rewarding him with silence. I could tell he was about to explode from the inappropriate conversation being publicly exchanged, so I'm sure he was grateful.

"Getting back on track—do you still have that Maneuver Gear? Don't tell me you still use it."

I cocked my head side to side, like I was mentally debating on whether or not to tell the truth. Erwin already got his answer from that.

"I use it when sparingly. I bought new parts for it a few months ago though, so it's ready to go next time I need it." And when I say bought, I mean steal, and when I say parts, I mean I just took a brand new one for myself from the black market. Hey, those things are expensive and Erwin didn't need to know the details or else he'll go into father-figure-mode, which was a total turn off and his sex appeal was all he really had going for him. Why ruin a good thing?

A fought back smile appeared as he shook his head, disapproval and amusement battling for dominance on his features. "I'm still amazed at how you taught yourself to use the equipment. Some recruits take forever to master it—you're a real natural."

I groaned into my cup. "If you turn this conversation into convincing me to enlistee in the Survey Corps I will throw this scalding hot coffee in your face."

He put his palms up in surrender, suggesting he knew I wasn't joking about blistering up his skin. "I'm not saying another word, Ebenezer Scrooge. You better be careful, though, you might get visited by ghosts tonight if you keep that attitude up around the holiday season."

Little too late for that warning.

I chugged down the rest of my coffee—I would have liked to enjoy the last of it leisurely, but I just wanted to leave. Not because of Erwin was necessarily bugging me (this time) but chats with him tended to drain me—everything about him drains me.

Yes, that's a double-entendre.

Wordlessly, I excused myself from the table.

~x~

I backed into the couch and merged myself with the cushions. With my arms out-stretched, I reflected on the chores I completed in my head, mentally checking them off as I recited them. Dusting, check. Landry, check. Dishes, check. Sweeping, checked—although it proved to be more trouble than it was worth. The damn broom is shedding bristles, leaving behind a bigger mess than there was to begin with. I tried to tighten the string holding it together, but it proved to be a useless attempt at fixing it. During the day, hours crawled, so at least I managed to kill extra time when I settled for sweeping up with a small scrub brush manually on all fours, then mopping over it. Now, I was just waiting for the floor to dry.

I went over a few other completed duties and nodded as the list came to an end. The house was perfectly spotless—or as spotless as this shithole will get. It was sanitary, at least. The blazing fireplace almost made it a little too toasty in here—I was especially hot since I spent the day washing the house top to bottom without breaks, but I figured the kids would be cold when they arrived back. With the thought of them in mind, I checked my wristwatch then returned my arm to the back of the couch. 2:55. They should be back any minute now, the cafe closed at three.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard a knock. The freshly washed floor had luckily dried before I walked across it and unlocked the door.

Stepping in fast to escape the winter assault, Eren held the wall as he removed his shoes, Mikasa came in last, shutting the door behind her. I extended my arm over their heads and relocked the chain and sat back down on the couch as Eren told me about their day (in great detail). The gist of it: their duties included cleaning the kitchen and prepping for the bakers. Odd how he wasn't all secretive about his job now. I'll never understand this kid.

When Mikasa finally escaped from her outerwear, I had noticed her hand holding onto a weaved handle. She walked over and set a basket down on the coffee table before me.

"What's this?"

Finally removing his jacket and hanging it up on the hook, Eren completed the circle around the table and pulled back the cloth to reveal a basket full of pastries and rolls, the previously trapped scent spread across the room freely, hiding the smell of the cleaning chemicals.

Mikasa had explained that the owner sent them home with the leftovers of the day, since it was going to be thrown out anyways. It sure was a lot; more than three people could eat in a day. But the thought vanished as I remembered I was starving, having not ate all day. When I first came home I originally intended to cook myself a proper meal, but wiping off the counter became an all-day cleaning marathon and I forgot all about my hunger pains.

I trod off to the kitchen, telling them to warm up by the fire while I made some tea. I didn't want either of them getting sick, especially Mikasa since she recently recovered. Everyone knows you're the most vulnerable to get sick again once your immune system already weakens. Within a time span of a few minutes, I readied three cups in time to hear the whistle of the kettle going off.

With his arm holding up his weight, Eren sat on the floor across from me, the coffee table between us. In his other hand was a croissant, which disappeared in a flash after gulping it down. We were making small talk—we being Eren yapping and Mikasa and I nodding, hardly following.

"Oh, that reminds me," I wanted to tell him not to talk with his mouth full, not because I was that kind of an adult that cared for a child's manners, but because he was getting crumbs all over my clean fucking floor—but I was unable to scold him because he kept talking, licking his fingers as he did. "When do you plan on getting a tree?"

I slowed my chewing down to give myself time to think. My face suggested I swallowed something sour, but it was his words that caused that. "Tree—what tree?"

With a roll of his head, he clicked his tongue. "A Christmas tree, Levi, a Christmas tree."

"Oh, that tree. Yeah, I'm not getting one. Tree's belong outside, not in the house." The concept of Christmas trees never made much sense to me. You take a dirty-ass tree, likely riddled with bugs and possibly wildlife infested rabies and put it in your house. Then stick balls on it. Who the fuck made that up? Whoever it was, I'll have what he's having.

Eren slumped forward, his arms loosely in his crossed lap as he studied me. My expression must have settled any doubts. "Seriously? It doesn't feel like Christmas without a tree."

"Well then, I guess Christmas isn't coming this year. What a shame."

"I think a tree would liven the place up." Mikasa settled down her cup with both hands. "The spot over there is nice."

She pointed to the empty space in the corner of the living room, just left from the front door. After examining the area myself, considering the fact that it did look quite empty, I blinked back over to Mikasa and Eren, then closed my eyes on their hopeful faces. In little circular motions I rubbed both my temples, preparing my voice for a stricter tone. "No. Now drop it. We're not getting a damn tree."

"Levi..."

"Don't you Levi me, we're not getting a tree, Eren."

"Pleaseeeee?" His pitch rattled right through me, making me wince. I hated when kids begged all sing-songy.

"No—you stop thatright now or so help me you won't live to see Christmas."

"Fine, fine," he flopped his back to the ground, shot down by my assertion. "I guess I should be happy I'm not out on the street for Christmas, I shouldn't be complaining about a tree."

This fucking kid. God damnit.

A jagged breath prepared me, but I still nearly bit off my own tongue to stop myself from speaking. "If I say we can get a tree—will you shut up?"

How fast he sprung up, his pout inverted completely. "Yes! Well—under one condition."

"Excuse you? Shouldn't I be the one giving conditions?" I didn't even have the power to include myself in the pending exchange, so I scratched my previous sentence and replaced it. "Fine, what else do you want?"

"You have to promise to help me and Mikasa decorate it."

"Ugh." I slowly closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the couch as I internally cursed at Eren, and cursed my own heart for how fast it started beating.

Why—did it do that?

I didn't feel that annoyed for raged adrenaline to be pumping through me. Nor was I embarrassed, I don't think (I'm not really sure what the emotion feels like). Even if that was the case, why would I get embarrassed at something so stupid, anyway? I probably ate too much of this pungent junk food. Yeah, that was it. My heart whacking out simply meant I was about to have a heart attack. That was more preferable than my former guess.

I wanted to get it over with and said we should leave sometime within the hour. Once we were all fueled with sugar and tea, we headed out.

~x~

Our scenery of the busy city was replaced with an isolated white plain of land, untouched by the freshly fallen snow from this morning. The stumps left behind indicated a few others had this place in mind when picking out a tree, but there were still plenty, big and small, to spare.

I still couldn't believe I was doing this. Why was I out freezing in the snow when I could be warm at home? Why was I surrounded by filthy nature? Why was I suddenly taking a step toward celebrating Christmas in the first time since I was a kid? Why did I have two small children easily manipulating me into doing such things?

All these thoughts likely came to me due to my brain being frozen—or maybe these children were evil. Instead of being blessed with guardian angels they were little demons that wanted to make my life hell.

For the record, brain-frosted delusions mixed with holding an ax was not a good combination.

The snow had stopped falling, making browsing a little more bearable as we scouted out the perfect tree. When I say we, naturally I mean the kids since this was their idea of fun after all. I stood behind, distracting myself from the cold by watching a nearby cardinal; its red feathers contrasting intensely against the white backdrop. It dug its beak into the snow with hopes of fishing out a worm.

The bird flapped its wings and flew away from Eren's abrupt shout. "This one's perfect!"

I cracked my neck just trying to glance up to the top of the tree Eren picked out, his arms spread wider than his grin as he boosted about the tree like a salesman.

"That's a big-ass tree. How about we try to find one that will actually fit in the house."

Mikasa was a little away from us. The tree beside her equaled her body and a half in height. "What about this one?" Her voice was muffled behind her scarf.

"No way, I don't want some midget tree." Eren said, his tone contemptuous.

"Eren, don't use words like midget, it's rude." I actually had no clue why I just said that. Offensive terms never bothered me, I wouldn't even bat a lash if Eren choose to slip out a swear word, but for some reason my scold came out on its own (without warning, I might add). I didn't have time to ponder why because Eren was looking at me, alarmed.

"Did...did you just defend the tree?"

We blinked at each other. The hollowing wind filled the silent void.

"I don't understand how it's possible to be rude to a tree." he said, his bangs swaying in the frigid air as he ruminated.

I groaned and left my imprints behind in the snow as I approached Mikasa. "Just for being a smartass, this is the tree we're getting."

"No! It's too small!"

"Eren, stop being mean to the tree." Mikasa added in my defense with a serious tone, but honestly I really wasn't defending the god damn tree. The word Eren used just didn't settle with me right and I spoke on impulse. Eren looked between both of us like we were abusing substance.

"What's wrong with you two?" His voice went down a few levels when he labeled us weirdos under his foggy breath.

This whole tree nonsense has gotten out of control. I didn't even want to understand what just happened. I just wanted to take a damn tree and go home to warmth.

It was Mikasa's idea to bring along a flat board attached to some rope for a way to transport the tree back to the house. I'm glad she suggested it, because I didn't know the first thing about lugging along something that was so awkward to carry.

Without Eren's consent, Mikasa and I settled on the smaller tree and after a few chops with my ax it fell heavily into the snow.

"If this thing has any pissed off squirrels in it and it gets stuck in my house, I'm blaming you, Eren." I pointed at him with the ax.

"Wha—Why me? You're the one that got attached to the stupid tiny tree, not me!"

"Stop calling it names, Eren, you're going to upset Levi again."

"Mikasa." I cut her off with a subtle warning. "That's enough—just bring that board over here so I can slide it on."

After making sure the tree was secured, I rested the ax on my shoulder and started walking, telling them that if they wanted the tree so badly, it's their job to get it back to the house. There was a whine from Eren, but he quickly submitted to pulling along the tree, knowing it was only fair.

Before we even made it back into town, Eren had given up and scooped to a low level of allowing his sister to haul the tree by herself. I was going to replace his spot and help her out, but pulling with one hand as she was as she casually sighted her surroundings made it look incredibly easy. Eren might be right, she does seem ridiculously strong.

We made a stop at a local shop, I offered Eren and Mikasa money to get essentials and decorations for the tree, but they refused, saying they would pay with their own money they earned today. I shrugged my shoulders.

Browsing the store for ugly hooked figures and shiny balls held no interest for me, so waited outside and smoked until they returned with a few bags in hand. I took the load from Mikasa and offered a switch in pulling the tree, but she resumed the position and declined. Well, I offered. That was about the last drop of generosity I would have this season.

Back at the house, I reluctantly helped them get the tree-stand under the tree, making it stand just a few inches taller now. Eren folded his arms as he stared at the bare tree with hostility, like he was going to beat it up. What difference does the size of a tree make? It's just going to be thrown away after Christmas anyways. It had branches to stick stupid ornaments on—isn't that the only part that mattered?

I made another round of tea to warm us up. Mikasa was arranging the items out of the bags for easier access and Eren threw a few logs on the fire. After placing the tray of tea cups down on the coffee table, I took one for myself and stood next to the tree with Mikasa, sending my own share of dirty looks at it. It must feel very unwelcomed in this home.

...Why is it that this tree keeps being treated like an actual living thing. That needs to stop.

Having not shopped with them, all the decorations they bought were new to me, so I inspected them all. It's the usual traditional junk everyone puts on Christmas trees: shiny glass balls, bells, creepy hooked figures of angels and cardinals and tinsel—which I wasn't happy to see, that shit sheds everywhere. Now that I thought about it, pine trees shed too. It was going to be a challenge to maintain this area with a broken broom. I scowled into my mug.

Eren returned from the mantel and squeezed his way between Mikasa and myself, splitting us apart and nearly knocking my arm enough to spill my drink.

"The shop ran out of stars."

"Hm?"

"You know, the star that goes at the top of the tree?" I assumed they went out of stock since normal people tend to have their tree up and finished by this time of the month. He bent down to the decorations neatly spread out on the floor and picked one up. "We got an angel to put on the top, though."

I took the eyesore from his hands. It looked more like a doll than a tree topper—it was a generic angel with a halo over her blonde hair, a harp held against the white silk dress and wide extending wings, that were made from actual feathers. I tilted the figure to inspect it further. Under her dress was a hollow tunnel that was formed in order to penetrate a tree branch in it, to keep it in place on the tree. Well now, that doesn't seem like a very holy way to treat an angel.

"Don't put it on yet," Eren pulled the angel away from me. "That goes on last."

"Does it really matter?" Whether it was put on now or later didn't matter to me, but I didn't see why it was an important rule to finish off the top of the tree last.

"Have you ever even decorated a tree before?"

"A long time ago." I replied to him and set my load on the couch, sipping my tea. "I'll let you guys get started, I'll help later." I was hoping I could sit this out and not have to decorate the tree at all, but I had a feeling I wouldn't escape the chore that easy. They wanted the tree, so why not just do it all themselves? My assistance wasn't needed, if anything I would just get in the way.

"I have trouble believing you even celebrated any holiday to be honest." Eren was turned away from me when he received the honor of placing the first ornament on.

"I'll have you know I celebrated two holidays this time of year, actually. My father grew up celebrating Christmas, and my mother grew up celebrating Hanukkah, so we would just merge the two together." My head heaved back at the words floating before me. A draft from my past has breezed in again. I just wanted to prove the brat wrong, but my counter-attack proved to stun me even worse.

On his tip toes with his arms stretched out, he hooked a figure blindly as his gaze rose over the line of his arm, his eyes on me. The tree's too small my ass, he can barely reach the midsection.

"What's...Hanukkah? I never heard of it."

As much as I felt I did enough just by allowing a Christmas tree in the house, I decided not to ruin the mood by snapping at him with a simple 'shut up' and instead explained. I didn't mind, really, but it was still strange to talk about given the fact I never mentioned it before. At that moment I realized Eren and Mikasa knew more about my personal history than any presently living being.

"I'm not surprised that you never heard of it. My mother used to tell me that different nationalities used to have different holidays, and she was a descendent of the Jewish race that lived in a place called Israel before the Titans arrived. After that, a lot of races, languages and traditions were lost, but my mother used to tell me stories about my ancestors and how their legacy—so to speak—was past down, along with their customs. Her side of the family just felt compelled to kept it alive, I suppose. And so, Hanukkah was one of those traditions."

It was a lot to take in, so he simply nodded. Mikasa, however, removed herself from decorating the tree, looked at me with interest held in her eyes and kept the topic going with a sad half-smile. "My mother was Japanese and passed down traditions that a lot of people never heard of, too. I plan to pass it down to my children someday, even though I'm only half-blooded."

We were on different pages but in the same book as far as our bloodline went. "My mother was the last pure blood of her race as far as I know—making me only half as well. But, I guess a century of passing down stories was a waste; it's just going to be lost in this generation since I'm never having children." I chortled in my throat bitterly but washed it away with a steamy gulp.

Eren shook his head. "It won't be forgotten. You just told us about it—doesn't that mean you're still keeping your bloodlines memory alive?"

"You're so lame."

"I'm serious." The sharp look shot at me was enough to blow the cocky look off my face. "I want to know more. What did you do on Hanukkah?"

"Well," my memories were fuzzy, it's been so long. My mental flashbacks coming in guided my speech. "My mother would light something called a menorah. Every night, we were only to light one of the candles attached to it for eight days and exchange one gift. My father came from a French bloodline, so we did also celebrate Christmas."

"Man, you must've gottena lot of presents."

"Eh, not really. I was mostly given clothes. I'd only get a toy or two out of it all. But anyway, my father told me stories of Père Noël—" I was cut off there.

"Huh? I never heard that name before—are you sure you were celebrating Christmas?"

I nodded. "He's just the French version of Santa—the only difference being he's thin, not fat and he leaves gifts in your shoes, not stockings."

"In your shoes? That's kind of weird."

"Not much difference in hanging up oversize socks over the mantel. Even now you're putting balls on a pine tree—holidays are just fucking weird kid, don't question it."

He chucked, a dangling ornament hanging from his fingers by the hook. "I want to hear more about this Père guy."

"Not much to tell, he's the same deal as Santa, just little alterations. If memory serves me right, I believe he has a twin named Père Fouettard who whips all the naughty children."

"Whips?! Geez... Santa only would give out coal if you were bad." The jingling ring of a bell sounded in the room as he struggled to get it attached to the branch. "Oh, and for the record I don't actually believe in Santa anymore, I just like the stories this time of year."

"Same here." Mikasa agreed. I was a little surprised by that. She looked the type like she still believed in stuff like that. They both did, actually. They were young enough to get away with believing in him. It was kind of sad.

"But it's good to still keep certain traditions alive, even if you just simply talk about it."

I frowned in amusement at Mikasa's words, deliberating whether it really mattered or not in the end. It made interesting conversation at least, but the topic of Santa and Christmas in general could get tedious after a while. Luckily it only came once a year.

"So are you going to help us or just sit there all day?" Eren smiled warmly at me and with a huff I removed myself from the comfort of the couch. I really didn't want to, but I had a feeling I didn't have a choice. I bent to pick up an ugly reindeer and plopped it carelessly on the branch.

"There. Can I sit back down now?"

"No." Eren placed a goofy looking snowman, that looked to be hand carved, into my hand.

We all fell mute as we focused on cluttering up the tree, the silence only breaking when a glass ball slipped from Eren's gawky hand. He gave a panicked gasp as the ball juggled between his hands. He was unable to land a firm grasp in the air as it bounced a final time off his palm. Upon impact with the ground, it shattered into hundreds of sharp shards.

"Ugh..." I inspected the damage.

Eren picked one of his bare feet up awkwardly off the floor, being sure not to step in the glass. "Oops! I'll go clean it up!"

"No, I got it. It will be more troublesome if you cut yourself and get blood everywhere."

I returned back from the kitchen with a dust pan and cleaning brush, being sure not to nick myself on the glass in the process of getting into a kneeling position.

"Wouldn't it be easier to use the broom?"

I puffed at the obvious claim. "Yes, but it's not cooperating with me today. This will have to do."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Mikasa added.

"Yes, I'm quite sure. But please back up, I would want you to cut yourse—"

I had just just cut myself.

Holding up my wrist, I grunted at the sting forming on the heel of my palm.

Seriously—Seriously? I hate today.

I murmured curses under my breath. If the kids just let me concentrate this wouldn't have happened.

"I'll go get a bandage!" Eren feet pattered away and I pushed my uninjured hand against my knee for support to stand, examining the leaking blood traveling down my arm. I yanked up my sleeve—blood stains were a bitch to get out.

Eren returned and pulled me by the shirt, gesturing me to sit on the couch beside him. The first thing he did was wipe the blood away with a damp rag. With a pair of tweezers, he plucked out the fragment of glass stuck in my skin. I hissed and with the blockage cleared, my hand bled even more.

"Sorry—does it hurt?"

No, of course not. Having glass stabbed deep into my hand doesn't hurt at all. It felt fantastic. Too bad my pain tolerance only kicked in when my blood was seething—unfortunate that's just how my body operated so the throbbing sting coursing through my whole arm right now did in fact hurt.

"Hold some pressure here." He took my other hand and guided it on the rag as he sorted through the supplies in his lap. Once he poured alcohol on the cut, he took a long bandage and wrapped it tightly around my hand dexterously with careful precision.

"Since when are you so handy?" He didn't even hesitant and quickly gathered supplies to tend to the wound. He didn't seem the type to even know the first step to take.

"Well, my dad's a doctor so I seen him do stuff like this a few times." The bandage was still being wreathed around my hand. I almost told l him that was enough but the blood seeping through told me otherwise.

"We really need to find your dad." I said suddenly. "I'm sure he misses you kids a lot." They were brats, yes, but they were good kids—very good kids. Any decent father would be devastated not knowing where their children where. It was a shame they were split up in the first place, but I suppose the situation made it unavoidable.

"He's not an easy man to find." I just now noticed Mikasa was seated beside me on the armrest of the couch, watching Eren nursing me. "We've been looking for a very long time now."

"Don't give up. You'll find him." The encouragement came out empty and I'm sure the kids detected how hopeless my words sounded, but I knew they were words that needed to be said or else they might end up giving up for good.

"Yeah." He snipped the bandage and tucked the edge of it securely so it wouldn't unravel. I held up my arm, admiring his handy work. For such a clumsy kid he did a good job.

My hand was suddenly tugged from my line sight and clinched by Eren's hand and then his other as it was dragged down to rest on his thigh, holding on tight to my fingers with his own. I blinked at him, noticing the way his lids fluttered and struggled to stay open suddenly.

A child's energy was a strange thing: they can go so long without a break, or even sleep or fuel, but when they finally settle their bodies, their sleepiness catches up with them all at once. I didn't pull my hand away from his and I didn't nudge his head off my shoulder when it supported against me; the heat of his steadying breath warming up a spot on my arm.

"Looks like he fell asleep."

"Yeah." I replied absently to Mikasa and just kept studying his relaxed features close to mine, secretly fighting back thoughts of how adorable he was.

Note: This chapter started to get way too long because I got off track, so I'm going to split it into two parts.

Oh, and -awkward cough- the next chapter might seem a little pedo-y BUT IT'S NOT. JUST RELATIONSHIP BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE. Okay, Levi might be a little pedo because their relationship will begin when Eren is a teenager but shhh their love is legendary. Unfortunately that isn't for a while since I still have more story to cover before I get to that, plus the Erwin ship is relevant here since they have history soooo yesh. Commander Handsome will be in the next chapter as well, but he won't be around after that for a while. -WHINES LOUDLY- But don't be sad, I'm including a new character we all love soon~