Upon arriving at our new hideout an hour before midnight, I found a room to call my own. I placed a name tag on my door with my first name and Kenny's last name. When I saw this now, I was happy to have a 'tough man's last name. I then looked at my clock waiting for the dreadful time...the time that marked my birth. When it happened there was a knock on my door. I looked at my door confused as the knocked sounded again.

"Well, happy birthday me." I mumbled as I got up to answer my door.

"Merry Christmas, Levi!" Kenny and some others shouted.

I looked at them in shocked confusion. I then slammed my door in their face.

The knocked sounded again.

"Levi, open up man." Kenny's voice told me.

"No one should be alone on Christmas."

"They do. If it's their fucking birthday." I yelled in anger as I threw myself onto my bed.

There was silence. "It's his birthday? Is that why he had gotten no Christmas presence?" another voice, Jonathan, asked in wonder.

I sighed as I got up to open the door again.

"Yes." I answered. "I'm ten today."

"Well then happy birthday."

"Tsk. I'd rather forget it...but thanks."

"Come on, let's enjoy Christmas then. We'll keep your b-day a secret. Okay?"

I actually like the sound of that. Celebrating Christmas only is something that I never had done. I felt a small soft smile creep up on my lips. "That would be nice."

"Come on, no one wants to be alone on Christmas. Let's go down to the dinning hall."

I glanced back at my clock. It read one o' three in the morning. My birthday past anyway, yet my parents had celebrated it all day.

We made it to the dinning hall and the whole gang was there, they yelled Merry Christmas to me as I entered. There was a huge tree decorated with all sorts of things and presents underneath it. I was surprised to see so many under there.

"The rest is for you." Kenny told me.

"Rest? It doesn't look like it's been touched."

They laughed.

"Those are ours to you." Kenny mentioned.

"But I… I have nothing to give to you."

"Don't sweat it, kid, come over here and open your Christmas presents."

I felt my eyes dazzle, like any other kids eyes at Christmas I think. I raced over there and ripped opened one from Kenny first. It was a 3DMG I didn't know how he got it, but it gave me hope that my dream of joining the survey corps will come true. As soon as it was fully unwrapped. I put it on it fit me perfectly and was adjustable for when I'm older. I opened the rest of the presents with. I was thankful that no one there told me happy birthday. It was only Merry Christmas. After I was done ripping through all the wrappers of my gifts, I ran to my room dropped off all the gifts. Leaving my 3DMG on me, I ran out of my room and into the training room. Once I was there, I practiced all morning to master the 3DMG. By lunch time, I felt like I was dancing in the air. I tried some tricks and I started to favor the spin. I then landed and picked up the swords that came with the gear and started to practice my fighting skills with swords. I had my right hand and it's sword in front of me, with the sharp end of the sword facing outward. My left hand and it's sword was behind me with its blade facing outward. Afterwards, I practiced fighting with my swords while using my gear. When I worked up a sweat, I stopped and went into the washroom. It was now to the back right instead of the back left.

After I showered, I went straight to my room and slept. When I got up again, it was close to lunch time. I woke up and realized that my door was opened. I looked around and I noticed that there was another boy, about my age, sitting on my chair near my desk.

"Morning." the boy said in a cherry mood. "Did you have fun with your presents? I sure did."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Kevin. I just joined. Kenny said there was another kid my age here."

"Right. Anyway, I'm Levi."

"I know. He told me. You look pretty when you sleep."

I stared at him in confusion. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"I said you look pretty when you sleep." As I thought, he's a weird one...and possibly a disgusting one.

"Isn't that a word to describe how a girl looks?"

"Yeah, so."

I laughed at myself. He and I are gonna be great. Kenny will be hurting. I laughed again.

"Oh yeah, Happy Christmas Birthday."

I looked at him, a bit agitated at him.

"Is it fun having your birthday on Christmas?"

"No. It's horrible."

"Why?"

"Well, today was fun. But my other birthdays were horrible."

"Why?" he asked again.

"My parents never celebrated Christmas the same way other families do."

He went over to my 3DMG and started to play with it. I got up and grabbed it away from him.

"Don't touch that. It's not a toy."

"Why do you have a titan weapon?"

"It-it's a titan weapon?"

"Yeah, my dad...before he died had one like it. He was in the survey regiment, the only part of him that came back was his arm."

I had a horrified look on my face, I'm sure. "But if you're already training I'm sure you'll be really good at it." he said after seeing my expression.

"Kevin...I don't want to be here at all. I'm only here to toughen up so I could join the survey regiment like your dad. In four years, I'll be old enough to join. I'm going to learn about those titans and I'm going to share the information I receive to the people. I want to preserve life not lose it."

"You sound like a grown up when you say that." Kevin then paused. " I like that."

We were silent. I just realized what he looked like. He was taller than me, as I figured, but only by an inch. He had pastel green eyes and light brown hair. He probably weighed about the same as me or a little heavier. He may even be a little lighter than me. But whatever, he was staring at me like a boy would a girl he likes.

"What are you staring at?" I asked, dreading to know his answer.

"You."

Yup, I knew it. "Why?"

"You're pretty."

How should I tell him that I'm a boy just like him? "Kevin...I…"What the hell? Why am I stuttering? I sighed. "Thank you." Whatever he's doing, he's pulling me in. " Say Kevin, Who was your dad?" great am I going to wind up being disgusting too?

"Corporal Asholt. Anyway, let's go down and have lunch." he said, as he grabbed my left hand and ran out of my room, pulling me along.

I still had my 3DMG in my right hand, when we appeared at the dinning hall. Everyone looked at us. It was a stare, that I never thought I would get from them. It was a horrible feeling, being stared at. But then I realized that Kevin was still holding my hand, I tried to retrieve my hand back. He just pulled me further into the hall.

"Come on, let's sit together."

"Can...can I get my hand back?" I asked nervously.

He didn't hear me. I was being towed behind him and I started to feel myself blush. This is not happening. It's not happening. Please let this be some sort of disgusting nightmare. I'm a boy, I shouldn't be having these notions towards another boy. What is it that he's doing to me? Why am I acting so strange? He's so….

"Levi...bud...are you okay?" Kenny's voice sounded in the distance.

I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I didn't realized Kevin and I were sitting down by Kenny eating. But I didn't touch my food.

"What?" I sounded distant. I feel sick.

"Are you okay?" Kenny asked again.

"I-" I got up and ran out.

I ran to my bathroom. Next thing I knew, I was in my bed...at least that's what I think that's where I am.

"He's going to be fine, Kenny. He's just sick...but he's not running a fever." our gang doctor was talking.

"That's strange. Shouldn't he have a high fever or something?" Kenny asked.

"This may be a different kind of sickness."

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was right.

There was a soft knock on my door. Kenny left my side to answer it.

"Kevin...what is it little guy?"

"He...Levi left his titan weapon behind. I came to return it."

"How nice of you."

"Is he up? I want to give it him myself."

"No." Kenny answered. "He's-"

"Yes, I'm up." I cut him off, in my weak voice. " you can come in Kevin."

"You know you never did answer my question."

"It was a Christmas gift from Kenny."

He sits my gear on my bed, then left. I drifted off to sleep. I must be sleeping off whatever it is he had done to me, mentally. Yes, that's it. I'm sleeping this disgusting notion to be with him forever.