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Erwin and Levi were different in many different ways. And most of the time that was good. They were yin-yang, night and day, peanut butter and jelly, moon and sun, working constantly in tandem to balance out. But there was (1) itty-bitty problem...
Holidays.
Levi hated them. He hated the lights. He hated the over-saturated music. He hated the colors of red and green everywhere. He hated the outdated movies that endlessly looped the same messages that would never happen in reality. He hated the expensive gifts. He hated the false cheer. And he especially hated the Mariah Carey song that people didn't stop bellowing-
All Levi wanted for Christmas was NOT to hear her voice so many times he could literally feel his brain melting out of his ears-
But Erwin-
Oh...Erwin.
Ever the sun, was bedazzled by Christmas.
When Erwin heard Levi hadn't had a tree growing up he had been so thunderstruck Levi swore he was going to drop dead with his massive, bushy eyebrows flying off his face like bottle rockets. And lord knows he took it upon himself to ensure that, that particular year Levi was welcomed into the arms of pine and sticky sap. Levi immediately found out why he also hated this tradition as well. The needles got all over and the mess of the tinsel pissed him off beyond normality.
But...
He put up with it.
Why?
Well, because Erwin gave him a dazzling grin that made his entire world seem a little brighter. Almost like the blinding lights that he had strung up (in Levi's opinion rather needlessly) across the house for the season had infected Levi's brain-
So while he grumbled...he did pick up the tinsel. He fluffed the branches and made sure to shine the multi-colored bulbs until they glinted in artificial light. And moreover, he put up with brushing pine needles of the carpet every five minutes-
Because Erwin was happy.
But on the morning of Christmas, his patience was really starting to wear thin. It had been the coldest night of the year, for one, and Levi was notorious for getting extremely cold easily. His toes often would turn a shade of purple with the upper body desperate for warmth. Ending the ordeal of the night before Christmas, Levi was left: fingers shaking, and body curling up on itself to preserve the small amount of warmth his tiny form could provide. And as he roused himself, he found the reason why whilst rustling. There was an empty space nearby, nothing but blankets and slid off sheets. Levi let out an unpleasant whine, dissatisfied with the fact that Erwin wasn't present until it finally dawned on him what day it was.
Erwin was perpetually like a child on Christmas, apparently, for the next thing he knew something big plopped down unceremoniously on his form with Erwin's baritone brightly offering a; "Merry Christmas, Lee!" The same item, apparently Erwin's upper body, leaned forward to plant a kiss on his forehead.
"When was the last time you fucking shaved-" Levi growled, pushing his face away despite the red spreading along his cheeks.
When grey eyes cracked open they were greeted with a puppy dog pout, disheveled blonde hair, and blue eyes looking miserable - leaving Levi to huff. "It's been a week-" Came the belated response, a big hand coming up to scratch along his five o'clock shadow. "But that doesn't matter! Come, love! Come downstairs!" He tugged on his arm; "It's christmas morning!"
"You're a child." Levi yawned, but swung his way out of the covers and shivered. It was only then that he noticed Erwin rising up to his full height to reveal a god awful looking reindeer with a massive nose sticking outside the fabric of the shirt, plastic covering up what was, without a doubt, a light-bulb. "And that is the ugliest fucking thing I have ever seen-"
Erwin gave him another puppy dog expression; "It's festive. I got you one too-"
"Which I am not wearing, fuck you very much-"
"Don't be a Grinch-" He tapped the button shaped nose on Levi's face before scampering off, "Come on, baby, presents are under the tree-"
Levi sighed, knowing there was no winning. And so he shivered out of bed, grumbling into the (very normal for home temperatures, but not for Levi due to his lack of body heat and size) "cold" of his shared home. A two story townhouse with nice, wide arches and two bedrooms (one for them, one for a guest or possible child in their future should they decide it) the place was a beautiful blend of Levi and Erwin's style and furniture. The outside was a shade of gray, roof a darker form with shingles (much to Levi's dismay who would have preferred a metal roof they didn't have to frequently work on/replace), with white trims around the edges of their windows. Inside, it featured soft tans, grays, and whites - all immaculately clean due to Levi's nature.
He passed into the bathroom, a spacious area with quartz counter-tops and a sparkling white toilet and tub-shower hybrid. The sink arched gorgeously with bright silver metal, two swan like wings in the form of handles breaching the divide after it's long necked faucet. Levi hated being filthy, in any capacity, so he took his time cleaning, shaving, and pampering himself in the way he so desired to feel (knowing Erwin was a patient man who understood his condition). After this, he finally popped his prescribed mental pills and shut the glass door of their medicine cabinet over the sink, reflection glistening at him with a little more pep than when he first woke up.
Grunting, he disentangled himself with the confines of the bathroom and pulled on some clothes (even the ugly hoodie with the santa saying 'birthday boy' Erwin purchased him). Then, it was time to face the music - literally and figuratively as it seemed Erwin had put on a cheesy Pentatonix song downstairs talking about Jingling Bells.
"There you are!" Erwin bounded towards him like a golden retriever bringing back a ball to it's master, shoving a present towards him. "Open this one first!"
"If I must." He sucked his teeth and sat down while Erwin flashed him another signature pout, very carefully opening up the wrapping so as not to disturb and tear the red paper with dancing snowmen. It went much like this for the better part of an hour. One of them would handle a present, shoving it towards the other - Erwin ecstatically and Levi grumpily - before they settled back amidst the remains. Erwin had received new knives, a knitted sweater, knee high boots, a new jacket, and some playing cards (the gorgeous nerd) he had his eye on for a while as well as his brand new Nintendo Switch Fire Emblem game. Levi received a vintage album of Fleetwood Mac (something he listened to as a child and hadn't found in years), mittens, a new jack for his guitar, several stockings full of his favorite treats (all chocolate, of course, his biggest weakness), a new book, and several vintage video games (since Levi was more of a vintage man than a fan of the new stuff. Of course, he didn't mind playing them, but his preference was the PS2 era and before). And both had received several gifts from friends for their home and beloved Chantilly cat, Scout.
By the time it was over, they were cuddled up on the sofa, in a tangle of soft kisses and rubbing toes. Levi however, kept getting closer and closer. And by the time that Erwin went to disentangle himself to start on lunch, Levi whined and tugged at the same sweater-hoodie hybrid he hated that morning so very much. "Don't go. Cold." He growled.
Erwin laughed; "You have a warm hoodie on-" He said, blue eyes twinkling.
"Don't laugh you big bastard-" Levi whined.
A softer look came across his face; "Silly me, allow me to rectify it-" He held out his arms, again, allowing Levi to slip in. And while he started out alright, curling into Erwin for warmth - time slowly took them onward until Levi was shivering again. "Still cold?"
"Ugh." Levi rolled his eyes; "No..." He lied blatantly; "Obviously it's this stupid Reindeer looking me in the face and blinking it's stupid red nose. It's so horrible to look at my body is rejecting it-"
"I could take it off-" A blue twinkle left Levi to splutter and blush.
"Shut the fuck up. Just-" He started shifting, digging his head down under the bottom of Erwin's hoodie.
"Le-Levi, this is highly unorthodox - you're not going to-"
"Shut up and suck it in. Jesus, go to the fucking gym once in a while-" He grumbled, knowing full well Erwin was renown for the six pack currently staring him in the face from the hoodie he'd been tucking into.
"-Levi you are small, but I doubt this small-"
"Shut up and let me think-"
"L-Le-ouch! Levi, did you just bite me?"
"Not intentionally, your stupid ass big boobs got in my face and you keep making me talk-"
"Well cease your actions and this won't be an issue- OUCH!" The top of Levi's head finally poked through the sweater collar, Levi accidentally bumping into poor Erwin's jawline. By the time he finally wiggled through, stretching the hoodie out irreparably, Erwin had another pout on his face. "That is going to bruise-"
"Boohoo." Levi huffed, kissing the spot; "Stop complaining and make me comfy-"
Erwin let out a soft chuckle; "Not very nice for somebody who just ruined my sweater. How do you know I did not treasure this?"
"Treasure this shitty thing? You really are warped."
"Warped enough to love you-" Erwin hummed teasingly.
"A horrible decision, really." Levi quoted capitally in return, sighing as he rested his chin onto Erwin's shoulder-blade. "There. Now I'm warm."
"And I am extremely uncomfortable-"
"You're my boyfriend, isn't being a little uncomfy for the sake of my warmth part of the damn job description?"
"I didn't see that in the contract when I took you out, for the first time, at all-"
"Fine print, Blondie. Fine print." The Ackerman sighed and finally fell silent, body relaxing with the familiar skin of his boyfriend despite the itchiness of the hoodie.
Despite all pretenses, it seems that Erwin didn't mind it at all, pushing his fingers within black locks and brushing them to and fro, petting, caressing, and care taking. "I love you, Lee."
"You too, Ervy."