A/N: This chapter was me basically lamenting and making up for my family's lackluster response to Christmas. XD
Jean couldn't believe his ears. Erwin Smith was declaring the soldiers could have a half-day in order to prepare for a Christmas party?
He wiped the sweat off his brow in disbelief. They had just finished a few training exercises after lunch and they were already getting the rest of the day off? He looked around frantically for a certain blond …
Finally, his eyes landed on him. There was the offender, standing innocently among the rest of the soldiers a good few metres away from him. He seemed to be aware of someone watching him for he whipped his head around, spotting Jean immediately.
Armin gave him a smirk and winked at the same time.
Jean was flabbergasted. A smirk? Since when was such an expression in the vocabulary of Armin Arlert's body language?! Turning red (from embarrassment? Frustration? Inexplicable reasons?), Jean started to mouth something but a soldier moved into his line of sight, obstructing the view of the other person.
Throwing his head back in exasperation, Jean decided trying to catch Armin's attention now was useless.
Then, he felt someone nudging him from the side. The soldier beside him gestured to Levi's steely gaze, focused on him.
Jean quickly straightened up. He tried his best to calm down. Soon, the announcement came to an end and the soldiers were dismissed. Everyone dispersed around him. Jean however, stayed and rubbed his temples while shutting his eyes to think. It's not the end of the world for him … When Armin said "help", it could mean anything. It could just be supporting him from the sidelines, or even just gathering firewood. Right?
"Jean!"
His eyes flew open and there stood Armin, beaming as if he had just won a million dollars.
"I need help with the decorations. You'll do this with me right?"
Jean nervously looked around for an escape route. He found none. His worst fears were coming to fruition. "Umm … Uhhh -"
Just then, Mikasa appeared behind Armin without warning. "What's going on?"
"Jean has agreed to help with the Christmas decorations!" Armin put a hand on his shoulder warmly. He almost choked.
"Really?" Mikasa looked at Jean with an odd expression.
He frowned and looked away. What?
Eventually, Mikasa gave a tiny smile. "I'm glad to hear that. We need all the help we can get," then she paused before continuing. "Anyone see where Eren is?"
Armin removed his hand and looked around. The grounds were empty except for them. "Perhaps he's with Levi?"
Mikasa muttered something unhappily under her breath before announcing she was going to search for Eren. "Come on, Armin," she said as she strode off.
"I'll meet you at the warehouses at 4!" Armin waved to Jean before he left, running after Mikasa.
Jean kicked at the snow and sighed. He'll go, since he did already agree to help anyway … Even if he secretly thought it was unfair the way Armin had asked him yesterday. He was way too close to him! What else could he do?
Remembering their close proximity and Armin's breath on his cheeks suddenly brought a rush of blood to his head. Once again, Jean wondered if he should see a doctor or a psychiatrist. Feeling even moodier than ever, he headed inside the castle.
Perhaps a shower will help cool him. He was feeling so strangely warm in winter …
Armin stood, arms akimbo outside the warehouse. It's time to transform the dreary Headquarters into a magical, festive castle.
"Umm, when we were cleaning yesterday," informed a soldier beside him. "We found some old Christmas decorations and put them in a pile of boxes in warehouse 2."
"Thanks, Ivan!" Armin said brightly and headed into the warehouse along with a dozen other soldiers.
He was proud of himself for managing to convince Commander Erwin to hold the party. At first, his face revealed no emotion whatsoever, but by the end of Armin's proposal, he gave a nod. Though … Levi looked disapproving the whole time. Still, Erwin confided he thought a party might be "fun" for it was during Christmas break anyway, and that may give the soldiers some motivation to carry on their gruelling responsibilities next year.
Finally, the green light was given and Armin was dismissed. Elated, he went out and hurried over his dorm to tell his dorm-mates who were too delighted about the prospect of a party. Next morning, after going around and talking to each soldier during breakfast and in between training, Armin was glad to find that such sentiments were shared. And hence, not only had he successfully convinced Erwin to throw a party, he also managed to gather most everyone to help with the decorations.
The soldiers started to take down boxes from the stack one by one and opened them to see what was inside. Armin clapped joyfully seeing the multitude of colours from Christmas baubles, paper maché snowflakes, carved and painted wooden figures …
Jean leaned against the entrance of the warehouse, watching everything. Armin looked like he had received a huge Christmas present. He involuntarily smiled a little and then went over to help with the boxes.
"Jean! You're here!" Armin exclaimed as Jean came up beside him, pulling down a box.
"Geez, who knew there were this many ornaments in this place …" Jean grunted as he passed it on to another soldier.
Armin continued to pass boxes too. "The more the merrier right?"
"I guess …"
Then, Mikasa came over. "After taking these boxes to the castle …"
"We start decorating!" Armin finished for her, dusting his hands after passing the last box.
"Alright," Mikasa smiled. "See you back at Headquarters."
Armin and Jean nodded as she left. Jean picked up the last box from the stack, walking off after her.
Tagging along, Armin offered to help carry it which Jean eventually obliged. It was heavy anyway.
Entering the castle, they set it down on the stone floor. Armin was delighted to see that the soldiers had already begun to hang ornaments everywhere.
"Armin!" Connie ran over, with Sasha in tow. They almost tripped over a box.
"Should you guys be running?" Jean asked dryly.
Sasha laughed, waving a hand. "It's fine. We're almost recovered -"
"We didn't have to participate in training for the past two days -"
"Besides, it's just a light sprain!" Sasha grinned.
Jean felt a bead of perspiration forming on his brow. Too much energy. Where'd they get it from?
"Anyway, Armin," Connie spoke. "We wanted to tell you we're going out to make Christmas wreaths!"
Armin's eyes shone. "Really?"
Sasha nodded eagerly. "We found a whole bunch of ribbons in a box and thought of the idea. Wouldn't it be neat to see wreaths on Christmas?"
"Mmm! It would certainly brighten up the place," Armin agreed.
"Right?" Connie clasped Sasha's hand. "Well, we'll be off then!"
As they sprinted away, Jean yelled after them. "Oi! Be careful about your sprains!"
"Don't worry, Jean!" Connie waved back.
"He's become such a softie since …" Sasha started to say but as they ran off, the wind blew away the rest of her words.
"What?" Jean bellowed. What on earth …
Armin started to bounce up and down excitedly, distracting Jean. "I need to get the gramophone and Christmas records. They're in the library. I'll bring them down!"
"Okay … then I guess I'll get started here?" Jean said awkwardly as he bent down to open the box they were carrying.
Armin gave him a thumbs up, thanked him and ran off.
Jean finally felt like he could breathe again. Being around with Armin was both oddly pleasant and nerve-wrecking for no reason. He let himself chuckle at Armin's excitement. It reminded him of an innocence and happiness Jean wanted to protect.
Filled with relatively more positive thoughts, Jean's mood gradually lifted a little as he pulled out the first bauble and joined the rest of the soldiers in making Christmas happen, here at Headquarters.
"Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane …"
The music certainly boosted the spirit of Christmas as the soldiers merrily decorated the castle. Armin was once again ever grateful to whoever had left the gramophone and records behind in the castle.
Soon, the castle hallways, cafeteria and corridors were filled with baubles, mistletoe, wreaths (thanks to the effort of Connie and Sasha), even pine cones. Everything sparkled and gleamed, even as the sun began to set.
Then, as Armin walked back to admire the well-decorated entrance of the Headquarters, he accidentally knocked over a box behind him with his foot. Stooping down, he picked up a large silver star, that had spilled from it. It was a little larger than the size of his hand. The metal was cold and shone as if it were just polished yesterday. It looked absolutely beautiful.
"Ah!" Armin jumped as a thought came to his mind. He looked around wildly. Where were Eren and Mikasa? Did they go to the upper floors to decorate?
"Hey, Armin," Jean said, coming over. "Are you alright?" He could tell the boy was searching for something.
What happened next, however, Jean did not expect. Armin grabbed his hand quickly and exclaimed, "Jean! Great timing - come with me!"
And despite his protests, Armin led him out of Headquarters and to the warehouses.
"Wait - Armin! Stop!"
Armin finally let go and began searching the warehouse.
"What's going on? What are you -"
"Found it!" Armin cried triumphantly, holding up a … saw?
Jean blinked. His mind going into overdrive as he tried to think why Armin and gone and searched for a saw. "Why do we - you, need that?"
Armin held up the silver star in his other hand. "Why, to saw down a pine tree of course! We need a Christmas tree after all!"
Jean held up his hands in surrender as he backed away. "Uhh … Armin, I -"
"You said you'd help!" Armin blew out his cheeks.
There was a pause as Jean looked torn. Armin crossed his fingers in his mind as he waited with bated breath.
"Fine." Jean consented with a sigh.
Half an hour later, the two of them had found a handsome pine tree in its prime and were started to saw through it. Then, halfway through, Armin remembered he had to prepare a bucket filled with rocks for the tree.
He hurried back to the warehouses, found one with a large enough diameter and ran back to the forest to fill it up with rocks and stones. He worked as fast as possible, guilty that Jean had to do the sawing by himself.
Armin wondered if he was being too pushy … he glanced at Jean who was working hard on the tree. A second later, Jean too, looked up and caught Armin's eye.
He smiled and wiped his brow. Armin too, smiled back. Jean's eyes were so comfortingly warm. Flushed with joy, Armin quickly looked away and continued piling rocks into the bucket. It was real nice of Jean to help him. Armin couldn't be more grateful. A fuzzy feeling enveloped his body. It wasn't the Christmas spirit, it was something new and foreign, though not unpleasant at all. His heart raced a little.
Eventually, the bucket was full and he was perspiring despite the cold from the heavy load. Armin started to head towards Headquarters.
"Need help?" Jean asked, noticing his struggling.
Armin almost dropped the bucket. "Stay there!" He insisted, wheezing a little, and then he hobbled off.
As he did so, Jean also noticed something shiny slip out of Armin's pocket. He stopped sawing to see what the boy had dropped.
Jean found the silver star Armin was holding, in the snow. He picked it up, dusted off the frost and pocketed it, grinning.
He went back to his sawing and said nothing when Armin returned to help him a while later. Jean was thoroughly enjoying himself. Yes, even as he was stuck outside, in the middle of winter, sawing a pine tree begrudgingly, Jean was having fun.
Armin helped Jean saw away the rest of the tree diligently. He hadn't noticed anything was amiss. Armin was only focused on one thing: Making this holiday season the best Christmas the soldiers will enjoy at the Survey Corps.
Another half an hour later, Armin and Jean staggered into the main hallway of the castle with a decently-sized, prickly pine tree. Soldiers who were admiring the decorations that had been put up, leapt aside in astonishment to avoid collision and death by a tree.
Armin had strategically placed the bucket at the back of the hallway, right at the center. It wouldn't obstruct anything and yet, would still draw attention to it from anyone who walked in. The bucket had been emptied, with the rocks at the side.
The two of them set the tree down into the bucket. Jean panted, holding it upright as Armin quickly placed the rocks back into the bucket.
Then, Eren and Mikasa came rushing over. "Oh my god," Eren cried out joyfully. "A Christmas tree!"
Armin tried to speak in between breaths. "I, have been … looking, all … over -"
Eren quickly apologised. "Levi dragged me away for most of the afternoon. Mikasa later found me at the basement and we decided to decorate it too."
Jean scowled a little. "Look, if you have time to talk, why don't you get some water for the tree?"
"Why you -"
Mikasa quickly turned Eren around and held his hand. "Jean's right. We should help Armin get some water. Let's go."
Just as they had left, Armin finished putting in all the rocks so that the tree stood firmly in place. Soldiers started to surround the tree, bringing leftover decorations.
"Oh my god," Sasha squealed, bringing two hands to her mouth as Connie hung up a golden bell.
Historia too, came over to hang up a snowflake made of yarn. "It looks gorgeous," she said to Jean and Armin.
Eren and Mikasa arrived as well with another bucket, filled with water. Carefully, they poured it onto the rocks.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Erwin, Levi and Hange also entered the hallway to look at the tree. Everyone parted respectfully. Erwin promptly took out a red and gold ribbon and tied a large bow on the tree. Levi followed with a miniature blade made of aluminium while Hange attached a card she had received from the orphanage children to a branch.
Now, for the finishing touch, Armin thought. He put a hand in his pocket … and let out a cry of dismay.
"Armin?" Eren and everyone else looked confused.
"The star! The silver star … I -" Armin patted all his pockets. "It's missing!"
Jean grinned, amused at his panicking. Watching Armin fret from behind him was funny but he decided to finally put him out of his misery. Jean took out the star from his pocket and dangled it in front of Armin.
"You mean, this star?"
Armin's eyes widened in both recognition and relief. "How did you …"
"You dropped it," Jean laughed as he walked around to face him. "You dropped it in the snow while you were carrying that bucket full of rocks back to Headquarters."
Armin stared at him in shock before breaking out into a sheepish smile.
"Here, hold out your hands," Jean said and Armin did as he was told.
Jean dropped the silver star into Armin's cupped hands. And then, without warning, he grabbed his waist and hoisted him up. Armin let out a squeal of surprise.
"Go on," Jean encouraged. "Put it on the tree."
A little bashful, Armin reached over and put the star on the tree. Under the golden light of the chandelier in the hallway, the silver sparkled even more spectacularly.
Everyone erupted into cheers and applause as Jean set Armin back down on his feet slowly.
"Happy?" Jean teased.
"Very!" Armin laughed.
Then, feeling slightly embarrassed, they both looked down and blushed.
Thankfully, they were quickly swept away by their friends who ruffled their hair and enthusiastically hugged them in celebration for fully transforming the gloomy castle into a warmer, cheerful place filled with Yuletide spirit.
Armin could feel it in his bones. This was going to be, the best Christmas ever.
A/N: We're past the halfway point and I'm excitedly starting to count down the days to Christmas~~