It was damn cold outside. Indeed it didn't snow, but frost covered bare bushes and white grass crunched under the boots of the two recruits. As they were told Mikasa and Jean tramped through the forest, inspecting every conifer that qualified as a potential Christmas tree.
"Hey Mikasa" Jean shouted grinning casually and posed under a beer birch, his finger stretched into the air where mistletoes dipped the tree into a bright green. "Look what's hanging above us."
Mikasa kept a straight face donating him attention for a short moment. "Then climb up the tree and pull it."
The soldier snorted angrily, but his smugly grin stayed in his face. "Then watch it!" Granted, his chat-up line was plain, but maybe madam would be impressed by his excellent technique in gathering green branches. Confidently he applied his maneuver gear and skimmed over a tree. With hands full of gorgeous mistletoes he smartly returned to the ground next to waiting Mikasa.
"I am deeply impressed, Jean. You let me carry a heavy ax while picking up the green stuff."
"Oh, come on" he moaned "You don't know how fricking cold the winter wind above the treetops is. I didn't want you to catch a cold."
She rolled her black eyes and both continued their search speechlessly, until they finally arrived at a pretty fir.
"We'll take this one" said Mikasa pointing her finger at the chosen tree, which Jean inspected thoroughly.
"Are you sure? It looks so small."
The girl insisted on her choice. "It's the right size. After all Corporal Shorty shall not drown in inferiority feelings, because even the stupid tree is taller than him."
Jean chuckled plastically. "Good joke, Mikasa."
"I am serious. Don't look like that and help me by holding the trunk. I want to log it."
No matter what he said, Jean couldn't please the arrogant Madam. "You picked it well" he murmured, holding the fir tree.
"I know" Mikasa answered quickly and applied the ax properly.
After a few minutes the tree felled and before sunset they returned to the HQ of the Scouting Legion. Eren was said to decorate the Christmas tree this evening.
"Kirschstein, get out with the branches and Ackerman, the tree, too!" Levi ordered as the teens wanted to carry the plants through the door. Before they incurred the corporal's wrath, Mikasa and Jean dropped on the ground outside.
"Sir, we have to carry the tree indoors" Mikasa replied.
"Use the back door. I don't want you to drag this fir through the floor and spread needles everywhere.
"Corporal, we are tired. Why can't we use the front entrance?" Jean whined, but Levi frowned.
"No, I have just cleaned the floor. Take in the back way."
Avoiding an attack with a swap they collected branches and tree to turn the corner. Eren was waiting on the other side.
"Hey guys, use the back door. Levi has cleaned the front entrance and the floor."
Mikasa ignored the second part of Eren's remark and passed by silently. "I don't care" she hissed.
Arriving in the common room they puzzled over how to fix the trunk in a stand, until Armin finally helped out by giving proper instructions how to set up a Christmas tree.
"Thanks goodness that Heichou isn't here" Eren murmured while taking a look at the green needles on the floor.
"What the fuck, Eren! Don't you turn into a second corporal" Jean, who pulled the tree into the right place, sighed.
"Shut up! I have to sweep the floor, because your job is done now."
Armin was cutting the mistletoes that he wanted to hang up in several rooms. "Eren, you can stay here and decorate the tree and I'll undertake everything else" Armin interrupted the approaching conflict and decided to separate both squabblers. "Jean, can you help me?"
Haughtily Jean turned around looking at the small twigs. "And how can we tie them up?"
"Here we go" The blond showed up a bundle of red ribbons. "Christa made them a few minutes ago. I suggest that we should hang mistletoes in every room."
As the boys left the common room Mikasa began to speak. No matter how to look at it, you could hear how jealous she was. "Eren, be careful where to go, please."
"Why? Don't worry; I won't spread needles through the house." Heedlessly he fished out fairy lights that he wound around the tree out of a box full of Christmas decoration.
"No, I'm talking about the mistletoes. I bet you don't want to be kissed by anybody."
Eren waved with his hand serenely as he threw the chain of lights over the branches. "Calm down. You are the one who should watch out. For horse face will take every chance in trying to kiss you shamelessly."
Mikasa hid her face under the red scarf as she blushed.