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"...What the hell is that?" Ed asked, giving the sweater in your hands a look.
The fabric of the sweater was bright red, the sleeves decorated with repeating red and white stripes. And sewn on the front of the sweater was a design of a cartoony reindeer surrounded by snowflakes.
"It's a Christmas sweater!" You answered with a bright smile, completely contrasting his expression. "Isn't it cute?"
"Not really... It looks hideous."
"That's the whole point - it's pretty much a Christmas tradition to wear one of these."
"It is?" He looked at you doubtfully.
"Yeah, haven't you ever-" You caught yourself before you could get the full question out. From what he told you about his past, he'd spent a good part of his life in a lab, being little more than an experiment for Shadaloo. You were sure they never bothered with letting the test subjects celebrate holidays. You weren't even sure if he started after being rescued.
"Haven't I what?" Ed's voice pulled you out of your thoughts. He was staring expectantly at you.
You quickly waved the question away. "Never mind, it's nothing." Before he could ask anything else you continued, "I just saw this while I was out today and I needed to get it."
Ed still looked like he didn't understand the appeal at all. "Will that even fit you? It looks like it'll be way too big."
"Hm?" You held it closer to your body and looked down at yourself. Sure enough, it went down farther past your waist than it was supposed to. "Oh, this one is yours." You folded it up and set it down on the table beside you before rummaging through the shopping bag hanging off your arm.
"...It's mine?" He asked, his tone bland.
"I got one for both of us. I thought it would be fun if we matched." You produced an identical sweater from the bag, this one in a slightly smaller size.
Ed was already shaking his head. "I am not wearing that, Y/N."
"What? Why not?"
"Why would I? I don't want people to see me in... That." He made a face as he gestured towards the sweater with his thumb.
"We don't have to wear them out in public if you don't want to, we could just wear them around the apartment." You tried to assure him.
"I think I'll pass on that too."
"Come on, please?" You pouted up at him, giving him your best attempt at puppy eyes.
Unaffected by your efforts to convince him, Ed just shook his head again. "No."
"Pretty please?"
"I said no."
"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
"Y/N, no." Ed started to leave the room, apparently having had enough of this discussion.
On the other hand, you weren't ready to let him off the hook so easily. You took a few steps after him. "If you wear it, I'll buy you some more of those chocolates you like."
He stopped and looked back at you. "Those boxes of Christmas chocolates that they're selling literally everywhere now? I can get 'em myself."
"No, I'm talking about the homemade ones I got from that little candy store the last time I went to see Manon."
That seemed to get his attention, as you expected. He turned to face you fully now. "The ones with the mint filling?"
You nodded, a small smile already starting to form on your lips.
Ed silently contemplated your offer for a moment. "When are you gonna go visit again?"
"In about two weeks."
You noted the way his bright blue eye kept going back and forth between you and the sweater on the table. Finally he sighed, shoulders slouching when he came to a decision. "So when did you wanna wear those things...?"
Your smile got even wider at that.
~~~~~~~
"There, you happy now?" Ed asked.
You looked over at him as he returned from the bedroom, the blue hoodie he usually wore now replaced by the sweater. It fit him similarly to the way yours fit you: it was a bit oversized, but that's what made it so comfortable. Unlike you though, Ed rolled the sleeves up to his elbow rather than letting the fabric gather at his wrists.
"I am, yeah," You hummed. "It looks nice on you."
"Sure it does..." Even though he rolled his eyes at the compliment, you didn't fail to notice his small smile before he looked away to hide it. "Anyway... What are you watching?"
"Oh, this is a Christmas movie I used to love when I was younger," you answered. While you were giving him a brief explanation of the plot, Ed took up a spot beside you on the couch.
He pulled at the edge of the throw blanket you were currently snuggled up in until you finally relented and gave him enough of the blanket to pull over his lap.
The two of you watched the movie in relative quiet, save for a few moments where Ed would make little comments about the movie, or you would start giggling at something that happened on the screen. Towards the end you decided to ask a question that had been on your mind since the beginning of the night:
"...Hey Ed?"
"Yeah?"
"I also bought these headbands that have antlers on them, I was wondering if-"
"No, no, no," He held up his hand, immediately stopping you. "You're lucky you got me to wear this thing, that's all you're getting."
"OK, OK, fine." You laughed softly.
Well, at least I tried.