A/N: I was listening to Christmas songs this morning in the car, and this happened. Now I'm behind with my wrapping and tidying. I hope it was worth it.

There's probs a ton of mistakes. I'll try and edit at some point.

Love to you all on the eve of our dear Captain's birthday!

A Christmas Wish & A Birthday Gift

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, it's Christmas Day tomorrow."

Zackley's rumbling tone cut through the meeting room in the military HQ of Mitras. He sat at one end of a long table, flanked either side by members of the government and higher military. At the other sat the Queen, with Levi at her side. The topic of discussion was the delivery of food and gift donations to the children of the underground. The scouts had worked their asses off gathering it all; now they just needed a little help from the other branches to get it down there. So far it was proving difficult to secure said help.

"Yes, correct, Premiere. I'm well aware of that. Which is why this proposal is so important."

Levi was silent as he watched Historia speak beside him, eyes burning brightly. He crossed his arms, waiting for the protests from the brass to continue. He'd warned her this would happen, but she didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

Good. Neither was he.

"But how many children are there in the Underground? It would take a significant number of personnel to support the logistics of such an operation. You can't really expect us to draft in that many MPs this late in the day? When they should be enjoying the festivities with their families tomorrow?"

Levi gnashed his teeth, uncrossing his arms to take a sip from the tea cup in front of him. Anything to stop himself biting out a response. Historia had asked him to let her handle things as much as possible. She wanted the opportunity to lead properly; he wanted to give it to her.

"We're well aware of this fact, as you should have been a month ago when we first submitted the proposal for your review, Premiere. If you were familiar with it, you would also have seen that we have the support of the Special Operations squad and Captain Levi." She gestured sideways to Levi, and he inclined his head. It was true, his squad had been more than willing to give up a few hours of their Christmas for her cause. Their cause. "As well as several other squads from the Survey Corps. They're happy to assist with the deliveries tomorrow. The only support we need from the Military Police is the opening and manning of two stairways for a few hours. We've coordinated drop off points where children can collect the food and gifts that we've gathered, we simply need you to open up the Underground to the troops."

Levi raised his brows as Zackley cleared his throat. He glanced sideways at Historia. Her cheeks were a little flushed, but she held that fierce look of determination she always got when she was dead set on something.

Nicely done.

She might not yet have the experience and wiliness of Erwin, but by nineteen, she had begun to mature into quite the negotiator.

Nile Dok ran a hand over his face, before frowning at the table. "Your Majesty. I understand why you want to do this, but surely one day won't make too much difference? Why don't we arrange it for the day after tomorrow? A large number of the MPs based in the districts of the entry points do have families. They'll want to spend the day with their children. Are we really going to take that away from them?"

Levi couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Must be nice, to have a table full of food, and a family you can sit around it with while you all enjoy the day. Unlike -"

He felt Historia's boot meet his shin under the table. He grunted in surprise, and she seemed happy to take the opportunity to cut in.

"We understand. But it's just a few hours; they won't miss the whole day. We've coordinated everything to be as efficient as possible. Commander, we really need your help. The children need your help. Imagine a world where your own daughters couldn't rely on the kindness of others should they ever be in a desperate situation. That is a world we wish to move away from."

Well, shit. Perhaps she was more like Erwin than he gave her credit for.

Nile appeared to war with himself inwardly for a moment, his fingers stroking that pathetic wisp of hair on his chin. He sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll allocate the men. Providing the Premiere is happy, of course."

Levi and Historia both looked over to Zackley, who was regarding them both shrewdly as he rested his bearded chin on clasped hands. "Well then. That's settled. I think you both got what you came for."

Levi felt Historia's knee nudge his beneath the table, gently this time. He made to take another sip of his tea, hiding the way his lips twitched upwards behind the cup.

Historia practically skipped out onto the street as they headed for the carriage. "We did it!"

Levi climbed up into the cab after her, grumbling. "You're the damn Queen. Shouldn't have even needed to negotiate."

She made a face at him as he settled into the seat at her side. "Stop being a grump. It's Christmas Eve, and we're going to make a lot of children a whole lot happier tomorrow!"

Huh. That was true, although it was going to take a whole lot more than a few turkey drumsticks and knitted scarves to solve the problems of the Underground. He didn't voice this, though. He didn't want to do anything to endanger the way she beamed in the moment.

Levi let her chatter on about the joys of Christmas as the carriage wheels clattered along the cobbled streets. For a kid that had been robbed of love in her youth, she sure seemed to have an abundance of it to pour out these days. One of the reasons he admired her so much. She told him animatedly how pretty the fir tree - the one his squad had felled - now looked, adorned with decorations in the playroom of the orphanage, and how the children had made Christmas cookies decorated with questionable looking snowmen, and how the holly she'd cut to lay across the banisters and mantlepieces had left her with several war-wounds.

Levi gave a small tch at that, taking her soft hands in his rough. He inspected the small cuts with an arched brow. "Barely even a scratch, brat. Call yourself a soldier?"

"Not any more," she elbowed his side with a grin.

Levi grunted, releasing her hand. "Fair."

They were less than ten minutes away from the Orphanage in Orvud when she sprung the request on him.

"Are you shitting me?"

"Go on, please!"

"Zero chance, Your Majesty."

Historia pouted at him as she held up the red suit and hat she'd miraculously produced from one of the packages they were supposedly delivering to the orphans in her care that evening.

"The children will love it! I won't tell anyone."

"Absolutely not."

Historia sighed wistfully. "Alright. I should have known you'd be the same as Commander Dok when it comes to these sort of things."

He turned his head to look at her, eyebrows raised in disbelief. She batted her lashes at him, still wearing that ridiculously will-shattering pout.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"Give it here." He yanked the suit from her hands, doing his best to ignore her little whoops of glee.

The fake cotton-wool beard itched his face like hell. How in the name of the three walls did people willingly not shave? Facial hair was disgusting.

The door to the playroom slid open slowly.

"Surprise!" Historia exclaimed beside him, hands in the air.

The children stared, round eyed. She elbowed him.

"Ho ho ho," Levi muttered.

That seemed to do it. Dozens of tiny feet pattered against the floorboards as the brats flew at him with cries of 'Santa!'

Amidst the chaos of being accosted by the group of frenzied children, Levi felt Historia's warm hand slip into his own. She lead him and his band of followers over to an armchair by the fireplace.

"Sit."

He did as he was told, although he tutted quietly beneath the beard.

Historia turned to the children while gesturing to Levi's lap. "Who's first?"

And so it went. Kid after kid, they all perched their bony little asses on his thigh, told him what good little brats they'd been all year long (which, quite frankly, was a pack of lies from most of them) and they got a red and white striped candy cane for their trouble, which Historia surreptitiously slipped him. He spoke as little as he could help it, merely giving hums of agreement or nods of his head.

If Erwin and Mike could see him now, they'd piss their pants, the pair of bastards. Thank fuck Hange wasn't around.

"Tell anyone about this, and I'll kick your ass." He muttered, leaning toward Historia.

"A promise is a promise." She muttered back, pressing her hip into his arm.

The final kid, and the biggest pain in Levi's ass, was a boy named Freddie. They went through almost the whole charade without problem, until it got to the part where he was supposed to slide off Levi's knee. He didn't. He turned his pink little face, framed with dark curls, up at Historia, and yelled, "your turn!"

That set them all off. A horde of banshees, all screeching about how Historia also needed to sit on Santa's lap, because she had been the 'goodest girl of all.'

Levi would strangle every last one of them. But not tonight. It was almost Christmas, after all.

He didn't look at her, but he could still see from the corner of his eye that she was the colour of the shitty suit he was wearing. Huh. Served her right for coming up with such a ridiculous idea.

He patted his thigh, mirroring her earlier command. "Sit."

Her ass was much less bony than the kids', despite still being as petite as she was at fifteen. Her hand went to his shoulder to steady herself, and he felt the softness of her body as it sat flush to his.

Womanhood suited her.

He turned to meet her eye. The shared glance was momentary, before both had to look away. He could feel his own neck reddening now, too. He was finally grateful for the disgusting cotton-wool beard.

"What do you want?" He muttered.

She was staring resolutely out of the window. "What?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Tch. For Christmas, brat. What do you want?"

"Oh." She shifted in his lap, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from hissing at her to keep still. "Ah … well …"

"C'mon. Haven't got all day - gifts to deliver, and shit."

"Oi." She jabbed him in the chest for his language. He grunted, poking her in the back to try to get her to hurry the hell up.

"Alright. For Christmas, what I'd really like … is for someone not to spend their birthday alone. I'd … like to celebrate my … friend's birthday, with them."

Well, that was unexpected. He cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his surprise. "Oh. I see."

Suddenly, one of the brats near the back piped up. "Captain Levi! She means Captain Levi!"

How the fuck?

He peered up at her beneath his oversized hat. "Seems like someone couldn't keep their mouth shut," he mumbled. "Sure you've been the goodest girl?"

Finally, she looked at him properly. Her mouth curved into an apologetic smile, cheeks still glowing. "Sorry. But we really would like you here, with us?"

Her words made his chest go tight.

"Santa is coming to spend Christmas with us, too?" An excited voice chirped.

Historia fumbled. "Captain Levi. I mean, we would like Captain Levi here!"

Levi hated his birthday. Historia had only found out about it by accident. But now, it seemed, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place as dozens of little, expectant eyes stared up at him and the pretty Queen sat upon his lap.

To hell with it, then.

"Mmm. Sure the Captain could stop by. I'll ask him to make time in his busy schedule. He's got some presents to deliver himself, first."

Historia seemed to get the joke. She squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Thank you."

Levi nodded once. "Fine. Now shift, brat. You're heavy," he lied. "I've a dead leg."

It was far later than it should have been by the time he made it to the front porch, after having one too many Christmas cookies and glasses of eggnog thrust his way. It wasn't even damn Christmas yet. Not for a few hours, at least.

He felt a tug on the back of his red suit. Oh, how he couldn't wait to get this scratchy shit off of him in the carriage that was waiting at the end of the path.

"Hey." He turned to find Historia staring at him, her cheeks rosy, but this time likely due to too much eggnog rather than embarrassment. "You were wonderful."

"Shut up." Despite himself, he could feel his mouth twitching upwards beneath his beard. Damn him.

"You can take the beard off now, you know. They're all in bed."

Right.

Levi ripped it from his face, eternally grateful to feel the cold evening air against his clean shaven skin. "That shit was irritating as hell," he grumbled, shoving it into his pocket. He looked up to find Historia laughing at him. "Oi. It's not funny."

She quietened, although she was still smiling when she asked, "you will come tomorrow, won't you? Afterwards. Once we've delivered everything. I won't make a fuss, promise. I haven't even got you a gift."

Levi shoved both his hands in his pockets. "Good. Alright. Not like I have much choice now, is there? Apparently Santa is going to have a word with me."

She laughed again, this time softer. "I'll look forward to it. Goodnight, Captain."

Levi inclined his head. "Night." He turned, but before he could take another step, her voice halted him again.

"Wait -"

He rolled his eyes, sighing loudly in exasperation. "What now?"

Before he had chance to process what was happening, Historia was on the porch beside him, leaning on her tiptoes as she kissed his cheek.

His eyes widened as she settled back to look at him. "Changed my mind; about the gift. Happy Birthday, Levi."

Levi tried desperately to hang on to his trademark expression of boredom. He was well aware he failed miserably. "Huh. Not my birthday, yet."

"Oh. Of course," Historia gave him a shy grin. "True. I'll have to give it you again, tomorrow, then."

No longer sporting a cotton wool beard to hide his blush, Levi spun quickly around and marched down the path. He was sure Historia must know he was fighting a smile, though.