"Happy Christmas, Levi!" Hanji shouts when she sees him walk in. "Hi!"

Levi lets her hug him without complaint, using the opportunity to scan the mess hall, where this so-called celebration is taking place. The veterans talk amongst themselves at the front closest to where the food would be served, while the remainder gathers in small clusters, mostly sorted by age and experience. Nothing new on that front. There are candles on tables and even tablecloths (or glorified sheets, it looks), and though he doubts they'll be serving from anything other than the usual tin plates and cups, he can actually see that an effort has been made.

Hanji's made an effort too he sees, when he notices her looking him up and down. "We're twinning," she says, sounding pleased, folding in the lapels of her slightly-too-big blazer, then flipping them back out.

"If you ignore the fact that my clothes fit, then sure."

"Oh, please." Hanji winks—what the hell—and pulls him by the hands back through the open door. "Let's go outside, kay?"

Levi doesn't bother protesting. It's an unusually warm night anyway, so though he's cold, it's not unbearable. Frankly preferable to the chatter and lights and people inside anyway.

Hanji does a bit of chattering about how it's their first Christmas in the Legion and how exciting, they've known each other for nearly eight months, isn't that amazing? Levi only half-listens to her rambling, focusing instead on the stars in the dark sky.

"So when's your birthday, anyway?" Hanji changes the subject very abruptly like this, forcing him to tune in again. "I recall you saying it was in December but you never gave me a date and—"

"Today."

"Excuse?"

"Today." He looks at her sideways. "Don't tell me your hearing is just as shitty as your eyesight."

Hanji blinks. "Today? Christmas, today?"

"Mhmm." He rolls his eyes, waiting for some dumb joke, so he's more than a little surprised when Hanji grabs his hand instead and drags him away, down the steps from the mess hall. They're heading to the barracks. "Shitty Glasses, what the hell?"

"Come on!" Her feet kick up little flurries as they run, then go up the steps to her particular barracks. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Was I supposed to assume you wanted my birthday?" Levi stands in the doorway, watching as she digs in her shared trunk for something. "What are you—"

"Here!" Hanji waves a small box in the air and bounds across the room to join him and shove the package into his hands. "Look!"

He frowns at her, even as he unties the twine knot and opens it. His frown deepens. "What the fuck?"

Hanji bounces a little on her toes. "It's a cravat!" she explains, removing the length of silk from the box and wrapping it around his neck. "Happy birthday, you dork."

"Uh." Levi remains still as her hands work at his throat. He's not entirely sure of what to say. "I know what a cravat is."

"I got it a while back," she babbles. "I thought it was funny, because you're so uptight and I saw it, so of course I was like, 'It's a wonder Levi doesn't wear one of those.' And I realized December was coming, so your birthday was coming, so I decided screw it, and I bought it." Finishing up, she adjusts the length slightly before she's satisfied. "God, you look so dumb." Like she wants to prove it, Hanji takes him by the shoulders and repositions him so he's looking at the small square pane of glass by the door. "See?"

Levi studies his reflection silently. "I like it," he finally says, shrugging as best he can with her hands still clamped down on him. "Thanks, I guess."

He can see her tip her head slightly in the reflection, like she'd expected a completely different reaction. Then she smiles warmly. "You're very welcome, Levi," Hanji says. "You know, it actually does look nice on you, in a silly, uptight way. Very characteristic, I believe."

"Yeah." Levi turns his head this way, then that. "Yeah, sure."

I like to think the cravat started out as a gag gift, but Levi took it too seriously.