Chapter Text
»And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime«
Grisha sat on the armchair with his new camcorder and zoomed in on his son who was currently occupied with opening his first present.
It was a pretty woolen sweater; the only problem there was was the colour, a bloody red.
Eren's favourite colour was bright blue.
»Nonsense!«, he called his gift after realizing what it was. Everything that wasn't a toy was ›nonsense‹ in his eyes. The boy asked Santa for something to play with and not for some stupid pieces of clothing.
So Eren moved on to the next box in which he found a new set of bedclothes. Winnie Pooh and his friends were smiling at him, the round bear was eating honey, yet Eren threw his gift behind him without looking. »Nonsense!«, he repeated angrily and thought about writing Santa a letter, calling him a naughty man for not getting him any of the toys he had been waiting for all year.
Levi, who quietly sat down next to Zeke while hugging his plush Pikachu tightly yet with care, looked over to his own presents, the ones he got from Santa and his family. He turned 5 that day so of course he received one present more than any of the other children did. Additionally, he had been a good boy.
One of the gifts had also been a set of bedclothes, however it wasn't Winnie Pooh who was depicted on it. Tom & Jerry were on it, Tom holding a mouse trap with cheese while Jerry had a hammer, ready to slam down on his enemy's tail.
Levi wondered if this present would be considered ›nonsense‹ as well, which was why he glanced over to his mother, but Kuchel studied Eren's disappointed, angry look and sighed deeply.
She had hoped the soft material to cover his matress, pillow and blanket would bring joy the boy. Nope.
Therefore Eren was all the more happier when his last present turned out not to be ›nonsense‹.
He ripped the colourful paper in small pieces and his green eyes grew big when he recognized what it could be.
»WOAH!«, he exclaimed thoroughly impressed when his small hands held the package of a Game Boy Advance.
It had been Zeke's before and since he didn't use it that often and had noticed his brother's interested eyes, he decided to give him his console along with several games.
The two families had put aside some money to buy their children another gift which would hopefully be used together: Nintendo's Gamecube.
Kenny felt something- no, someone tugging on his pants so he looked down to see Mikasa there, stretching her arms out to Kenny. »Potty«, she said quietly yet alarmed, but it was an order.
Carla lifted Mikasa up, held her in her arms. »I'll bring you there, sweetie. Do you want someone to come along?«
The little girl seemed to consider the suggestion for a short while before negating the question and shaking her head.
Just a week ago she needed someone to be there with her because she feared that she couldn't do it without her mother, her brother or her uncle.
However, Mikasa wanted to be adult, to be like her brother, so she decided that it was time to do it alone.
She let herself be carried to the bathroom by Carla who waited outside, just in case the almost 2 years old required help.
When they returned and entered the living room, Grisha handed his camcorder to Kenny and stood up. He bend over the sofa's back and a bigger box appeared in between his hands, when he turned around.
Eren and Levi squirmed in their seats when Grisha said the following words: »Merry Christmas, you both! Santa brought another present for you. Open it up!«
Nothing could have stopped them from leaving behind their spot as they dashed forward to the wrapped up box. When they saw the GameCube, their happiness knew no limits.
-x-
After finishing breakfast, Grisha installed the GameCube in the living room because his younger son didn't stop whining about finally wanting to play with Levi.
Carla and Kuchel washed the dishes, talking about topic Kenny would label as 'women's stuff' (»You don't need to wash the socks with hot water, like 40°C and some disinfectant is enough«) which was why he went outside in the garden to smoke. He wasn't allowed to lit a cigarette inside or anywhere near the children because the two mothers wouldn't show mercy. Not only because Kuchel had stopped smoking when she found out she was pregnant with Levi (»Why are you throwing away our cigarettes!?« - »Don't want to harm my baby.«), but also because cancer ain't a game.
And while smoking, he fiddled around with a thick piece of wood and started to carve a figure with his knife.
Zeke, who recently had begun to wear glasses and finally got rid of the mullet at the back of his head, observed the man and sat down next to him on the cold bench they had placed on their patio. »Would you please show how to do carved animals, Kenny? Puh-lease?«
He got a deep laugh as an answer at first. »If ya Mom finds out 'bout this, I'll be shortened about a head's size. So yeah, of course.«
A bit frightened by that statement, Zeke blinked and frowned. »Mom wouldn't react that way, would she?«
»Well, I fear my baby sister more than I fear ya mother, so I'm good with that reaction. Ya father is a man, too, so he won't mind me showing ya stuff like this.«
For some reason that made sense in Zeke's head.
»Also, Zeke, I wouldn't mind if Kuchel cut me short, after all, that way it would be easier to look up a flame's skir-«, Kenny continued with a smooth grin, but was interrupted by a warning harumph coming from the direction of the glass sliding door.
That was enough to make this (formerly) fearsome man think about his plan again.
»Y'know what, kiddo, I'mma show this to ya another time«, Kenny settled quietly so none of the women could hear him. »Go inside, don't watcha to catch a cold.«
Levi was sitting on the Jaeger's expensive leather sofa and Mikasa's eyes were heavy as she fought against sleep, always sitting up straight when she realized she had been snoozing a second ago. Her brothers warm arms held her securely so she wouldn't fall over.
He had been waiting for an additional sibling for months now, but the stork who brought the children to their mothers had not shown up so far.
Often Levi would ask his mother about it, but she had always ignored the question until one day she finally told him that the stork had brought his sibling to another family who had longed for a baby much more than she, Kenny and Levi did.
That was unimaginable! How could a stork just decide where to bring the baby! What a rude bird!
He already loved Mikasa so much, how could another family love a child they didn't even know more than that? Impossible!
And yeah, Mikasa could really be annoying sometimes.
So he kind of did understand it after all.
Often she would cry out loud in the middle of the night, causing him to wake up.
And she always took his toys without asking! At least she didn't drool over it anymore.
That was when Levi realized that his little sister was enough (of a burden).
Additionally, Zeke and Eren were there, too.
Speaking of Eren, he took Mikasa’s little hands in his own and let her dance around on Levi's lap. She only stared at him indifferently with sleepy eyes.
Both boys wore matching onesies and the scene was so cute , making Carla unable to not capture it in a photograph which was glued into the photo album shortly after.
The woman smiled softly when she flipped through the pages and found the picture of Kuchel and her on their last day of high school, both 17 years old.
»Then, we were bodacious«, she sighed, taking a trip down memory lane when her husband wrapped his arms around her waist lovingly from behind.
»Then? When was the last time you saw yourself? It's hard to resist you today, too, honey.«
Carla giggled sweetly, holding a hand in front of her mouth while her cheeks coloured themselves in a rosy pink. »Oh, stop it you!«, she whispered.
»Only if I get a kiss from my lady.«
Grisha received what he craved, a big smooch.
»Papa! Stop kissing Mama!«, Eren exclaimed in horror and Levi made a funny face.
Ew, love . Both of them had not reached the age to care about girls.
»You promised to install the GameCube for us!«, the brunet boy continued and Grisha sighed, but got back to work with a joyful smile.