Okay, Christmas chapter in June, that's just how I roll! Okay well... Not really but this chapter DID have to happen at some point. Anyway, this chapter is kind of like that Thanksgiving chapter in the sense that it kind of skips around a bit. I hope that's okay.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters people or places used. I just own the writing.

Enjoy.

Levi is in this chapter, here are the translations for what he says:

Minuteth - Minutes

Twenty-One: Christmas Holidays and A New Year

Throughout the month of December snow began to fall more and more, and with these large amounts of falling precipitation came the Christmas season with it's intense holiday cheer.

Shopping centers became war zones, streets filled with crowds of Christmas tourists, and worst of all, I didn't even know what Marco wanted. Yes, that's right, I was at a complete loss as for what to get my own boyfriend and I couldn't feel worse about it.

I let out a tired sigh as I stepped into my apartment. Christmas was just a week and a half away and I was still dawdling around trying to find a proper gift. Jewelry? No. Art tools? Nah. Clothes? Definitely not! At this point my rope was wearing thin, I needed an idea, and I needed one fast.

Feeling one hundred percent defeated I threw myself onto the nearest couch.

"What am I going to do?" I asked no one in particular while I pulled out my phone. "None of my ideas are any good. Who would buy their boyfriend clothes for Christmas? Geez, like 'oh, I really love and appreciate you, here have this shirt that says 'that's what she said' on it.'" I continued to rant about presents to myself as I played around with my phone.

I stopped myself half way through my ramblings when I found a picture of Marco and I. The picture had been taken in the summer some time after we had gotten together. I was wearing my glasses as well as a red beanie, my cheeks had also flared red when I took the picture since I had leaned over at that exact moment to kiss Marco on the cheek.

"Hmmm, cute." I mused, flipping through some more pictures of us together. There were photos of our date nights and our beach trip and our thanksgiving in Oregon. "He and I should start an album... Oh my god." I gripped my phone tighter, bolting into a standing position, "that's it, I've got it! A photo album of our time together!"

I laughed, hugging my phone to my chest. "Oh my god, that's perfect."

A photo album was a fucking great idea, Marco would totally be into all the pictures and memories it would hold. All I needed now was an album and prints of all the pictures I wanted to use.

Over the next day or two I worked as hard as I possibly could on getting Marco's gift together. I had purchased a sleek looking black leather bound photo album and had spent hours slipping photos inside of it.

Picture after picture after picture were placed within the book until it was nearly halfway full. The way I looked at it was, it was half filled with memories and half empty with space for more, which was just something that my boyfriend would totally be into.

Feeling proud of my gift idea and anxious about Marco's reaction, I wrapped the album with red wrapping paper and hid it in the back of my closet until Christmas.

"Okay, gifts are done. I guess it's about time I got into the holiday spirit."

And that was exactly what I did.

In the next week Marco was over at my apartment frequently getting ready for the holidays. We decorated the apartment (but not the artificial tree I had bought, we were decorating that on Christmas Eve), we baked (and nearly caught the whole apartment building on fire) and of course we watched all the cheesy specials on T.V at night before we fell asleep.

"Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow." I reminded Marco while we watched one of said specials.

Marco flashed me a bright smile. It sure is, merry Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve.

"Yeah, merry Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve to you too." I chuckled, "I can't wait to decorate our tree, I also can't wait to give you your gift. God, baby, I haven't been this excited about gift giving in a long time."

Well you have me, so I now give you a reason to be excited.

"Yes because you're the only reason I'm allowed to get excited, you truly are king of everything." I stuck my tongue out playfully before leaning to kiss the tip of his freckled nose, "I'm just yanking your chain. I love you."

He held his phone up to my face in a 'talk to the hand' manner. I love you too, you big old dork.

We turned our attention back to the special but not before we shared a few completely un-cliché kisses._

Slowly but surely the eve of the eve of Christmas Eve passed, so did the eve of Christmas Eve. So, as you likely assumed, it was now December twenty-fourth. Both my boyfriend and I were so completely into the spirit at this point, I mean who wasn't?

"Marco Bodt, as far as ugly tree decorating sweaters go, yours is officially the ugliest."

Your sweater is not much prettier, but thank you. Marco grabbed the sides of his oversized putrid green Santa sweater and pretended to curtsy.

I smirked straightening out my bright red knitted sweater that read in white letters 'Merry Christmas you filthy animal'. "Ugly but warm clothing articles are a check then. Tree decorating now?"

He nodded, winking in my direction.

"Perfect, the box is right there. Fingers crossed nothing breaks this year, I always end up breaking something." I sighed, diving for the box of decorations with Marco nonetheless.

Within half an hour our small tree was almost completely decorated, just a few items needed to be added.

"Not much left to put on." I stated, checking out how the tree looked.

Marco acknowledged this statement by pulling a bundle of mistletoe out of the box.

"You're not using the most cliché plant on me on the most cliché night of the year." I backed away slowly from the menacing bundle in Marco's hand. He smirked and walked slowly towards me, much like a Christmassy version of Frankenstein's monster would have.

"No," I whimpered jokingly when he reached me, holding the plant over my head. He leaned in closer, and closer, and closer until he gently pecked me on the nose.

"Oh my god, first you use mistletoe on me and then you don't even kiss me properly. Oh my- oh my god, I'm not talking to you." I huffed and turned to place a few decorations on the tree.

Moments later I felt Marco's arms snake around my waist. He placed his lips gently on my earlobe and nibbled.

"What...- are you doing?" I moaned, turning my head, slightly. He left my ear to kiss me full on the lips.

"Was that supposed to make up for the nose kiss?"

He nodded.

"Well, I guess it kind of did, but you'd better finished what you started here."

He nodded again, taking my hand to lead me off to my bedroom.

The next morning I was awoken by sunlight pouring through my window. I groaned rolling myself over to evade the light.

"Merry Christmas." I yawned, realizing Marco was already awake.

He smiled gently. Merry Christmas, Jean.

"Hmm, thanks. I guess we should get up and open our presents since it's already..." I squinted, "I can't read the clock, it's fucking blurry. Whatever time it is, we should get up."

The clock says that it's seven thirty. Isn't the too early for a college student to wake up?

"It's a holiday, the time doesn't really matter."

For but a moment it looked like an argument was going to be made, but in the end he shrugged, dragging himself out of bed in search for clothing. I smirked as I did the same.

Thirty minutes later he and I were sat in front of our decorated tree with coffee, tea and each others gifts.

You go first. Marco typed.

"Okay." I glanced from Marco to the nicely wrapped gift before tearing through the layer of wrapping paper.

"It's a painting?" I asked, flipping over the piece of canvas to see what was on it. It wasn't really a painting, it was crayons hot glued onto the top of the canvas in a rainbow fashion and then melted. Beneath the shower of melted wax was a lightly sketched couple holding umbrellas together.

"Whoa," I whispered, running my fingers gingerly over the melted wax. "How long did this take? Wait, never mind, it's beautiful. I- I love it."

He grinned, I'm glad, I was kind of worried you wouldn't.

"Come on, baby, there's nothing that you'd make that I wouldn't love." I leaned in to kiss him, "thank you so much, now open mine!"

I held my breath as he tore through the wrapping paper and held up the album. He opened it and flipped through the pages. He smiled brightly, placing his hand over his heart as he looked through some more pages.

"Do...you like it?"

Do I like it? He closed the book. I love it, Jean! It's amazing. It's..it's wow. He pulled me into a hug, kissing my cheek.

At this point in time I was just happy that Marco enjoyed the photo album. My semi-last minute present idea had worked and better yet he loved it!

The rest of the day was uneventful, Marco looked through his present more than a few times while I hung up my new art piece. We ate a lot and talked a lot. Basically we just did a whole lot of nothing as many people do. Towards the end of the day he and I curled up in front of my electrical fireplace and fell asleep. This lazy Christmas we had together sure beat some of the lonely Christmases I'd had in the past.

The remaining days in December flew by and before I knew it, it was New Years Eve and with New Years Eve came lot's of drinking and an Eren party.

"Do I have to go in there? Everyone's going to be drunk and loud, especially Eren. Does it even matter that it's going to be a new year?"

Yes you have to and yes it matters. Marco linked his arm in mine, walking into the party.

"Happy New Year!" Sasha practically yelled, nearly tackling me to the ground as I walked in. "and the happiest of new years to you too, dearest Marco."

"God, kill me why don't you." I joked, hugging Sasha. "Happy New Year." I added.

"You boys were almost late, you've only got ten minutes to spare before the countdown!" Christa said in passing.

"Yeah boys, ten minutes." Ymir repeated, following her girlfriend.

"Nine minuteth now actually," Levi piped up, leaning against the nearest door frame.

"God, this is going to be a long nine minutes." I mumbled under my breath.

As I had guessed nine minutes passed painstakingly slowly as they always do on new years but at least I had Marco and the others to make conversation with as they did.

"Oh my god, oh my god. The countdown is starting." A half drunk Eren yelled.

"10...

9...

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3..."

I grabbed Marco by the waist, by the looks of things Levi had the same idea for Eren.

"2...

1...

Happy new year!" Came the shouting chorus from nearly everyone.

I kissed Marco forcefully on the lips which caused a few of my drunken friends to wolf whistle.

I didn't break the kiss and neither did he, we just stayed there completely absorbed in each other. In that moment I was ready to face whatever this new year had to throw at me, I was ready for school but most of all I was ready to face all the challenges I had to with Marco. Whatever or whomever was out there, I was ready. Yes, a very Happy New Year.