Hello Readers!

So I've been very, very busy writing and editing my more time consuming piece Homeward Bound, but I decided to take a bit of a breather and write a new Petra/Levi holiday piece! It's been I think a few years since I've done the holiday gig, but admittedly they are a complete joy for me to write, and it was nice getting to step back from such a serious, exhaustive plot and write somthing more simple and cute that didn't involve so much detail and character development. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but something more fun and fluffy has been long overdue for me. This piece was more of a recent idea of mine, and certainly more for laughs and just an overall good time. Heads up, this is a two shot (both pieces are already written) and I'll plan to post the other half of this story on New Year's Day.

In the mean time, hope yall enjoy the read!

...

...

"Mistletoe?"

"Yeah," Eld responded to Oluo's question with a sort of grin, presenting a small green plant, complete with a delicate velvet bow. He looked around the table and smiled brightly, "It could be fun!"

"No." The Captain said flatly from his end of the table, bringing a steaming coffee mug to his lips and glaring at the blonde irritably, not sure what Eld was trying to pull but knowing full well it was a bad idea. It was his firm opinion that mistletoe had absolutely no place on a squad of straight men, because if such a thing were allowed, his squad would undoubtedly start harassing a certain ginger for however long the godforsaken plant was left hanging, and Levi couldn't knowingly permit such a thing and cause Petra so much unwarranted trouble.

"Oh come on, Captain. You're not giving us any time off for the holiday this year, so the least you could do is let us have some fun with this. What's the harm? It's a holiday tradition!"

"What is?" Petra walked into the room curiously, only having caught the last bit of conversation and uncertain what was being discussed. She took her place at the table, giving a nod and a few good mornings, and the conversation continued.

"Mistletoe." Gunther responded flatly with a nod toward Eld, and at his words, Petra looked between Gunther, then Eld, then Levi, because she wasn't certain what they were in reference towards.

"Mistletoe?" she repeated with a wrinkle of her nose, "Never heard of it. You said it's a tradition? For Christmas? Like…a game or something?"

Eld chuckled at her question, then shrugged in thought because he supposed to some extent she wasn't wrong, "Well…kind of. I guess. You've never heard of mistletoe, Petra? Really?"

The ginger gave a shake of her head and looked around the table with a shrug, "Don't think so. But I'm game to learn. How's it played? Are there cards or something? What are the rules?"

At her questions that more than confirmed she truly had no idea of the concept of mistletoe, Levi groaned and rolled his eyes, and there was another laugh from Eld. Before the blonde could correct her and explain the concept of mistletoe, Oluo stood up from the table, grabbing the festive plant from Eld as he walked over toward Petra while grinning devilishly, "Well Petra, it's really a game that you learn just by playing it. You see, if I have the mistletoe and I hang it above you and-"

"Sit the fuck down, Oluo." Came the Captain's sharp, irritated command of outright warning, his expression suddenly firm and confirming that he was issuing an order that would be respected. At once, Oluo gave a dejected sigh, holding up his hands in surrender and walking back towards his seat without another word.

As Petra looked around the room in obvious concern and curiosity, her previous questions still unanswered, Levi's gaze settled onto Eld and he pressed his lips together in irritation, "See? That is exactly why I don't want that trash around here. No mistletoe."

"But what is it Captain?" Petra pressed with a sudden persistence, and Levi looked toward her and gave a flat sigh as he tried to explain.

"It's stupid. That plant Eld has is called mistletoe, and traditionally speaking, you hang it up and if two people are underneath it at the same time, they're supposed to kiss. That's all. Like I said, stupid."

There was a long silence that fell over the room as Petra's eyes narrowed critically in thought, Oluo mumbling that the Captain was a complete kill joy, and eventually the girl looked back toward the Captain in question.

"So if you and another person are under the mistletoe plant, they kiss…and I'm assuming that whoever is kissed the most…loses?"

Levi blinked at her apparent interpretation of his words, and Eld gave a snort and interjected before Levi could correct her, "Yes, Petra. Yes. Whoever is kissed the most before Christmas day is the Mistletoe Game's official loser. That's definitely how we played it when I was a kid."

"Oh, so that's it? That doesn't seem so bad. What's the big deal, Captain? Granted I'm not kissing anyone on the lips, but I could spare a kiss or two on the cheek if it's for the holiday. Besides, we all know that we have to work nonstop over these next few days, and this might be a way we could still have a bit of fun regardless. I mean...I'm certainly game for it."

Eld gave a smile and looked across the table toward her fondly, "That's the spirit, Petra!"

She gave an equally excited smile in return, missing the Captain's perturbed glare of sudden irritation, and she looked around the room thoughtfully, "I guess we should hang it in a spot that everyone has equal access to – that way it's fair and doesn't favor any one person with some advantage. How about…" Petra looked around the room all the more, and her expression brightened with sudden certainty as she pointed with gustro, "Right there, right above the entry way to the kitchen? We all pass it like twelve times a day; it's not by anyone's bedrooms or an awkward spot like the bathroom. It's perfect!"

Eld looked at the open doorframe and nodded in hearty agreement, "Okay, yeah. You know, I'm actually really liking the sound of this. We'll hang it up there, and the punishment will be that whoever is caught underneath the mistletoe is liable to be kissed – only on the cheek – by whoever caught them. We'll keep track of whoever gets caught the most, and they will be declared the official loser of the game. I'll take the official count on Christmas morning and that will conclude our game! I love it; it's so festive and yet progressive! Just like the days of yore."

The blonde looked around the table, seeing various smirks and accepting shrugs from his comrades, then looked toward Levi with a confident grin, "Well, Captain? Seems like we're all in agreement. You really going to spoil it for us by playing the Commanding Officer card?"

Levi exhaled through his nose with a huff, noting that his squad seemed more than content with their suddenly made up game, contrived of Petra's sheer misunderstanding of the holiday tradition. He supposed that if their strange game was built around a mechanic that wouldn't single out any one particular person or make anyone uncomfortable, and if that's really what his squad wanted, then he would turn a blind eye and allow them to have at it.

After all, what was the harm?

It was just a dumb game, and certainly no better or worse than the other idiotic things his squad and come up with in attempts to pass time.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts and eventually responded, "If that's how you all want to spend the next few days, spying on each other and acting like complete morons, then be my guest. But, I'll say it now: any squabbles or any drama or petty fights – let the record show I told you all it was a bad idea, so don't come crying to me because I won't hear a word of it. You're all on your own for this."

The Captain paused in thought and his expression soured, "And on that note, I don't want any of your disgusting mouths near my face so-"

"So I guess we'd better not catch you under the mistletoe then, Captain." Petra finished his sentence with a devilish smirk, and Levi's gaze fell on her with an irritated, but still surprised scowl. She merely grinned at him all the more and gave a laugh at his conflicted expression, "It's only for a few days, and you're part of this squad too. It'll be more fun if you play with us, and what's more, if you feel that strongly about it, then just don't make frequent trips in and out of the kitchen and you'll be fine."

"Uh-oh," Oluo gave an amicable laugh as he looked between Petra and Levi with a prominent, teasing smirk, "Sounds like someone's got their heart set on kissing the Captain, hey Petra?"

Petra didn't seem to be offended by his words and merely gave an innocent shrug, "So what if I am? Captain is so good at everything, and maybe some part of me might enjoy watching him be taken off guard and getting kissed by someone, perhaps even losing the game if it happens enough. I don't think I've seen Levi lose at anything before, and what's more, if it's particularly early in the morning, maybe that person wouldn't have even brushed their teeth yet. Gotta admit, I'm curious to see what would happen on that front."

Hearing Petra's words, Levi visibly blanched, the color leaving his face as he thought of someone approaching him in such an unkempt, disgusting state, and all at once the squad was laughing at his obviously horrified expression. Any remaining apprehension they each felt regarding the potential awkwardness of kissing each other, on the cheek or otherwise, was instantly gone as the squad collectively thought about putting their oh so touchy Captain at such odds, and they each watched Levi with increasingly amused stares that spoke of their sudden resolve and anticipation.

Watching this, the strange, purposed gazes his squad now watched him with, Levi got the distinct impression that it was no longer Petra he needed to be concerned about. After her simple confession, he had become the subject of the squad's collective interest, and the Ackerman felt admittedly intimidated under the heavy, determined gazes of his subordinates.

"Okay, yeah," Oluo agreed with sudden gusto, looking at his other squad mates and nodding toward the Captain with a grin, "After seeing that display, now I want to kiss him."

"If you so much as stand up from the table, I'll murder you." Levi threatened in warning, and regardless the malice of his words and the readied coil in his posture, the squad merely laughed all the more, clearly not intimidated so much as amused by the Captain's pristinely standoffish mannerisms.

"Alright alright, everyone just keep their lips to themselves because I haven't even hung the mistletoe yet." Eld stood up and moved away from the table, grabbing his chair and the plant in question before stationing himself near the open framework of the kitchen's doorway; speaking as he worked to hang it, "Hey Petra, will you go ahead and get me some tape? Maybe a thumb tack or something? I think there's something we can use in that utility drawer, just anything that will keep the mistletoe hung up here for the next three days."

Petra gave a nod and disappeared into the kitchen, digging through the drawer in question and appearing near Eld a few moments later, "I have a thumb tack here, will that work you think?"

Eld looked down at her from where he was standing on the chair, squinting at the golden object and then giving an accepting nod, "Yeah, it should, as long as you don't put it through the leaves or anything. Would you come up here and put it in? Try to get the bow if you will, so the plant doesn't dry out and fall down later."

The ginger merely gave a nod, grabbing the back of the chair and carefully standing up on the small space, careful with her footing because Eld was a grown man, and the chair was only so big when shared between two people.

She pressed the metal object into the wooden doorframe, pinning it up by the velvety red bow and giving a satisfied nod when the plant felt secure and stabilized against the wooden post, "And there we go, I think that should hold up okay." She looked over her shoulder toward the table for her peer's approval, "Guys, does that look good? When do you think we should start?"

From her side, there was a slight sigh, "Oh, I'd say right now's good."

There were some instant chuckles and at that, Eld leaned toward Petra and lightly pecked her cheek, and the girl's mouth fell open as she whipped her head toward Eld in shock. Before she could so much as process what had happened, Eld gave a laugh and scurried off the chair before Petra could attempt to retaliate.

At Eld's successful ploy, realising she had been successfully tricked, Petra gaped in alarm and slowly moved off the chair in wonder, putting a hand up to her cheek as the squad howled with laughter at her stupefied reaction.

"Ah Petra," Eld sighed fondly as he took a seat back at the table, obviously quite proud of himself, "You're such a good sport. Someone start the tally board, because I believe that's one for a certain Petra Ral."

"You…you scoundrel!" she eventually chided him as she moved back toward the table, though was clearly amused and not upset by his actions, "Alright, fine. If that's how you want to start it, then so be it! Go ahead and put me down for one, but let it be known the gloves are coming off because I'm a sore loser and I don't intend on losing to any of you. I feel my very reputation is at stake here."

From the end of the table, Levi scoffed at the display he had just witnessed, and could only roll his eyes at his squad's childish antics, "You're all idiots. I can't believe you're seriously going to waste three days running around like children, cavorting about and trying to kiss each other." He shook his head in disapproval and mumbled to himself balefully, "Disgusting. I hope you all get mono."

Eld merely smiled, undeterred, and looked around the table, raising his eyebrows in challenge as he exchanged glances with his squad mates, "Well on that note, let's get this show on the road! From now until Christmas morning, if you're caught under the mistletoe, you're liable to be kissed and ultimately lose the game. Three days everyone. May the best man-"

"Or woman!"

"Win."

...

...

It had been a hectic few days, to say the least.

Training aside, the squad had spent almost every waking moment engaged in their ridiculous new game, and each day their methods got more loud and more dramatic as they found new ways to exploit the competition.

Admittedly, Levi had thought that it would be something they did for a few hours; that they would tease each other and laugh about it for an afternoon and then just move on as they inevitably became bored of it. At its core, Levi simply couldn't see the appeal of their shenanigans, even now. It was such a childish thing and kissing someone on the cheek wasn't really all that special, even by his standards, so it stood to reason that they would eventually drop it and find something else to do with their time that was actually worthwhile.

Well apparently he had been greatly mistaken, because here they were, Christmas Eve, and his squad was still going strong with no intention of slowing down in the least. If anything, it had only escalated all the more because they were still having that much fun with it.

Granted, he supposed his squad had always held a competitive spirit, and something simple like this with festive undertones was proving to be a perfect outlet for their pent up holiday energy, so perhaps he couldn't complain too much about it because Maria knew if it wasn't this, they would just find something else to do that would piss him off just the same. As irritating as it was, as loud as they had been and the times he had nearly been run over in the hallways as someone was dashing away after a successful encounter, Levi begrudgingly allowed them to have their fun because if he couldn't give them the holiday off, he figured this was the least he could do for them.

Tolerate them.

Even if they were irritating the fucking shit out of him.

Yes. He supposed he could endure it; it was only for one more day after all. Surely he could go for one day without snapping someone's neck, right?

He would…try.

When the game had first launched, they had each taken the approach of just avoiding the kitchen to ensure that they themselves would not be caught under the mistletoe, but it soon came to their collective attentions that if they were all actively avoiding the mistletoe, it would mean that they wouldn't be able to catch someone else there, and by lunchtime that same day, the game had shifted entirely and the true game had officially begun.

Within a matter of hours, it became a give and take of wit and betrayal, often requiring plans that involved deals with multiple squad mates as they baited and tested each other, because sure they might take a hit, but if they ganged up on each other, someone might get kissed once, someone else three times, and as the numbers began piling in, it made it all worth the risk of getting caught as that was the only way to get points on the board, and therefore worth the chance of being exploited.

By the end of the first night, there had been literal traps set up, personal effects that had been stolen as bait (Petra's hairbrush, Eld's 3DM harness, being fine examples) and left under the mistletoe for future use – at one point the following morning, the squad had collectively ganged up on Oluo, who was carried by force by Eld and Gunther toward the mistletoe, where a certain ginger was already waiting. The poor thrashing man had been kissed by all three of his squad members at once before they all ran away while laughing manically. For that particular happening, one of many in fact, Levi had actually been present in the room, and he had made a point to shoot them all a profoundly dirty glare, because the levels they would stoop to were shameful.

Unfortunately the squad had been so wrapped up in their fun that his glare had been lost to each and every one of them, and they continued their holiday rumpus completely unbothered and unaware of his scathing disapproval.

Perhaps the only one who hadn't changed his methods in the slightest was of course Levi himself, who hadn't so much as stepped foot in the kitchen since the plant had been hoisted and displayed above the kitchen doorway. He would enter the lobby and go about his day like normal, but as for the kitchen specifically, he gave it a rather wide berth because he did not want to be pulled into the line of fire if he could at all help it. Perhaps it was a little inconvenient, having to run across the campus for water or dishes at each meal time, but considering the alternative was subjecting himself to the squad's escalating methods of scoring points for their twisted little game, Levi was quite certain he'd allow himself to starve to death before he ever stepped foot under the mistletoe willingly.

Besides, it was the principle of the matter. While he would turn a blind eye and allow them to continue, in no way shape or form, would he actually participate, and he made a point to stay as intentionally uninvolved as possible. Though he had been approached more than once to help trap such and such an individual, he had always shut it down and confirmed bluntly the he wanted no part in their ridiculous game, and for the most part had been successfully left alone.

The only thing he couldn't avoid was the squad's frequent score recap; an irritating spectacle that occurred during every mealtime as they reviewed the team's most recent standings. From his right, Eld suddenly stood up from the table, and Levi bit back a groan because this little presentation would now be the sixth one he had been forced to endure, and he was more than ready for it all to come to an end.

The blonde wore a large grin and slowly unfolded a piece of paper, clearing his throat and speaking fondly with his best announcer's voice, "And good morning Squad Levi! It's Christmas Eve and I know why you're all gathered here - it's time to review the most recent scoreboard regarding our current standings for our first annual Mistletoe Games!"

There were some cheers and claps, and Levi gave a sedating exhale.

"Without further ado, starting in fifth place-"

The squad began slapping the table with their hands to simulate a drumroll, and Levi merely clicked his tongue and allowed Eld to continue, because he had already learned the hard way that causing a fuss would only make the miserable event prolong all the more and it was just better to suffer in silence.

"Oluo Bozado with a shocking, embarrassing, and belittling twelve whopping points! Remember Oluo, the goal is to not be kissed. I understand you're lonely, but this is just sad! Try to show some dignity, my man!"

Oluo gave an accepting wave and chuckled, having been caught a large number of times in trying to set traps for his peers, and had subsequently been ganged up on more than once by the rest of the squad. As the laughter and comments died down, Eld continued with a grand, fake laugh and walked around the table to build the suspense, "In fourth place, with a score of nine points – a handsome man if I've ever met one, your very own announcer and proprietor, the man who made it all possible, you're looking right at him, Eld Ginn!"

At his own announcement, Eld gave a bow and the squad laughed at his charismatic display, clapping all the more as he merely shrugged at the change of rank because at the last update, he had in fact been ranked higher.

"Nine points now? That's two more than what it was after dinnertime last night, did I miss something?" Petra whispered to her side, toward Gunther, and the man smirked, "I worked something out with Oluo and tricked him into the kitchen by telling him we were ganging up on Oluo again. I got him once, then Oluo did like three minutes later. Classic bait and switch; worked like a charm."

"Nice."

"And in third place, with a respectable eight points and moving up in the ranks from just yesterday, she is indisputably the prettiest girl on the whole squad-"

Petra rolled her eyes, but joined the squad in drumming on the table regardless, and Eld pointed toward her proudly, "Petra Ral, everyone! Give her a hand! Once a rookie but now a true contender! Will this up and comer rise to the occasion, or will she fizzle out to bitter defeat? Only time will tell!"

Petra beamed as though shocked by her higher placement and gave a tearful, fake sob as she stood up from the ground slowly, "Thank you, thank you so much. To my fans, who have supported me, to my peers, who have believed in me-"

Eld chuckled and with a heavy pat on her shoulder, forced her to sit down, "Please, take a seat Ms. Ral. There's no way you can top your thrilling speech from yesterday - what an unexpected ten minutes that was for our audience – and I'm quite certain that if you go off like that again, the producer is going to have the program cancelled!"

At that comment, Levi was quite certain he was being addressed indirectly, and he gave a nod because there was no way he was sitting through another one of Petra's acceptance speeches. At first, he had found her impromptu speech admittedly amusing, watching Petra stand up and begin making some dramatic promises about her game plan and all she had done, things she was proud of, things she wasn't, people that had gotten her this far, and things she vowed to do when she won the 'Mistletoe Games'. He couldn't help but watch her with a challenging stare, somewhat egging her on because there was no way she could keep something like that up, and she had more than accepted his challenge because she had gone for a straight ten minutes without missing a beat.

He wasn't sure what either of them had been trying to prove, but either way, he admittedly stood corrected.

At Petra's easy retreat, Eld continued, "And now we move to second place, with a scarce, enviable three measly points – proof that not showering every day does indeed pay off – our very own Gunther Schultz!"

Gunther gave a laugh at Eld's insult and also waved with a smirk, nodding toward an invisible audience and mouthing a 'Hey mom!' and eventually Eld cleared his throat, a serious expression coming across his face.

"And now…the moment we've all been waiting for! At the top of the list, our very own Captain, the man of the hour, the undisputed Humanity's Strongest and our Mistletoe Games reigning Champion, you guessed it - Levi Ackerman! It's time to review his current score, which is – drumroll please!" again the team was slapping the table dramatically, and Eld waved toward Levi with a grand wave of his arm, "An inspirational, heart moving, tear jerking zero points! That's right team, the man has yet to be spotted even a single time under the mistletoe. Is it fate? Magic? A Christmas miracle? Tell us Captain, what's your secret?"

"Oi, piss off." Levi grumbled with an irritated scowl, and Eld merely gave an even larger smile and turned back toward his peers dramatically as they clapped and cheered, having received a similar response from the man just yesterday, "Well you heard it here first ladies and gents! Those trade secrets are known only to the Captain himself, but as they say it's not over till it's over! Today is Christmas Eve, and this marks your last chance to score some final points against the competition. It's time to get serious and really make it count people! Get creative, pucker up, and as always…"

The squad all spoke in happy unison, "See you under the mistletoe!"

At Eld's concluded speech and the tapering laughter of his squad, Levi cleared his throat sternly, "You all done now? Can I go over the training plans, or is there some other recap that needs to happen? No guest speakers today? I presume there's no guest sponsor this time around?"

Eld shrugged casually, enjoying the Captain's irritation as he made mention of Hanji and Erwin's previous appearances, and eventually took his seat at the table with a smirk, "Nah man, you're good. Do your thing Captain; I'll allow it."

Again Levi grumbled lowly under his breath, and with a shake of his head, reviewed their material and responsibilities for the day, trying to put the matter aside and focus on their military duties.

Fuck...

It was just one more day. Less than twenty-four hours.

He just had to endure it a little longer.

...

...

Levi had been in his room, attempting to relax and clear his mind of what had been yet another loud and boisterous day.

After training had come to an end, the squad had spent the entire evening running amok in the hallways, squealing and laughing like school children as they tried to get in their last-ditch effort points before the final results were scheduled to be delivered tomorrow morning.

Levi had quickly learned that the common areas were all out war zones now, and within an hour of being off duty, he had found himself intentionally staying inside his room because there was no way he would be able to be amongst his squad while they were acting so foolishly. While they had all previously attempted to be mindful if he were around and try to sober their behavior to something a little more becoming, now that they were down to the wire, no one seemed to care if he were there at all and continued undaunted.

He supposed that there was some part of him that was happy they were having fun; he certainly didn't wish misery on them by any means, but he couldn't help but wish that their version of having fun were perhaps a bit more…quiet and subdued. Perhaps over a board game. Cards or chess. Something not so…stupid. Or loud.

Thankfully, the last few hours had been admittedly quiet, and pleasantly so.

Granted that probably meant that two or more of them were off plotting something against the others, aiming to make a 'game changing move' but even if it were a mere calm before the storm, Levi would take whatever peace he could get, and for however long he could get it, because it had been a solid three days of their tomfoolery and any break from the commotion was welcome.

As he sat in his room, presently reading a book and enjoying the much-needed silence, a sudden knock broke his concentration and he looked toward the door in question.

"Captain, it's Petra. Are…are you in there?"

At the cautious way she spoke, it was obvious that she legitimately wasn't sure if he were present or not, and with the almost tremble in her soft voice, Levi was certain at once that something wasn't right.

He gently closed his book and set it aside, "Yeah, I'm here. Just a sec."

He moved toward the door and opened it just slightly, unable to stop the impulse to look around the hall to see if his other subordinates were present or what they might be up to, suspicious that their actions were undoubtedly related to why Petra was knocking on his door like this.

At being greeted by an empty hallway that was relatively devoid of life, his eyes fell onto hers in question, and he watched her flatly, "What is it."

At his question that came out as more of a demand, the girl gave a timid nod and looked into the ground, "I uh, well…" she gave a defeated sigh and looked up at him with large, sad eyes, "Captain I know you said the game was a bad idea and that you don't want any part in it but I…" again she shook her head and she looked out toward the direction of the main lobby, giving a slow shake of her head as though uncertain of where to even begin, "I get that we've been pulling pranks and playing dirty and such but with this…this time they went too far, Captain."

His eyes narrowed at her words, not certain what she was getting at but fearing the worst as she brought an arm over herself almost subconsciously, refusing to meet his gaze as a silence fell between them. He felt a sort of anger wash over him as she remained mournfully quiet, and Levi shook his head at the weight of her unspoken words, "Petra, what happened? Did someone, what, kiss you without permission? For real, kiss you or whatever? Was it Oluo?"

Petra shook her head, "What? No. No, nothing like that Captain. I'm not sure if it's better or worse than that per say. I just…well, I had kitchen duty tonight and so I've been out of the Compound for a while but when I came back well…my bed was moved."

Levi blinked.

"…Your bed?"

She nodded.

"Your whole fucking bed, frame and all? Everything?"

Petra bit her lower lip and nodded again miserably.

"And all things considered, it's presently located under the mistletoe, I presume?"

For the third time she merely nodded sheepishly, and Levi groaned and rubbed his fingers into his temples with a low growl, "You've got to be fucking kidding me. Is that why it's been so damn quiet this whole time? They were disassembling and reassembling your bed out in the lobby, piece by fucking piece?"

He looked up toward her and shot her a sudden glare, "See, this is exactly why I told you all it was a bad idea. You're all insanely, childishly competitive and have no concept of the words 'too far.' It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain that messing around with military property is grounds for disciplinary action, but you all seem to think that the rules are above you just because it's the damned holiday season!"

Petra was clearly intimidated by his obvious fury and she looked into the floor with a remorseful mumble, "I'm sorry Captain. I know it's not your problem, and I know you said that any squabbles like this were to be resolved on our own. I looked for the guys earlier, but they already hightailed off. I'm guessing they'll try to gang up on me later because they know I'll have to get started on it eventually, but I can't really wait for them to show up and help me put it all back together because who knows when that might be. It'll take me all night to take it apart and-"

She gave an apologetic sigh and collected her thoughts with a wave of her hand, "Look, I didn't come here to ask for your help. I know you aren't that thrilled about it and I guess in some way it serves me right. I just…you know, if you see me in the halls past curfew, that's why. I'll try not to bother you too much. I uh, sorry for any trouble I guess. I'll go. Merry Christmas, Captain."

She turned over her shoulder timidly, and Levi felt perhaps the beginnings of guilt churning in his stomach, because his frustration was toward the squad as a whole, not Petra individually, and after hearing of the squad's most recent stunt and seeing the effect it had on her, perhaps he came down a bit too strong on his tenderhearted subordinate that was by all accounts, a victim of his men's thoughtless actions.

He gave a low sigh.

"Hold on Petra. Let me go ahead and help you; irritating or not, it's not exactly a one-person job and there's no reason you should be forced to reassemble your bed on your own like this."

Petra turned back toward him slowly and gave him a suspicious, surprised stare. For a long moment she said nothing, and she eventually turned toward him more fully in defeat, "Are you…sure, Captain? I know we've been…irritating."

He merely nodded in confirmation and closed his bedroom door behind himself as he joined her out in the hallway, "It's fine. I won't say it's no trouble, because it's a lot of trouble in fact. You owe me, but we'll figure out how to settle to score later. For now, let's just focus on getting your room put back together because I can't imagine that you'll want to sleep out in the main lobby like this."

They made their way into the lobby, and sure enough, her bed had been indeed taken out of her room, piece by piece, and put back together in the lobby, wedged up into the doorframe of the kitchen and making a rather tight fit between the two rooms to where the small doorway was almost impassable. Worse still, it seems the men had even gone as far as to make the bed, complete with one of her teddy bears placed over the pillows.

Levi frowned at the jolly stuffed animal and his eyes narrowed at the display, "Okay. Was that really necessary? Really? What does that even have to do with your game? Those petty fucks."

Petra couldn't help the laugh that left her throat, and she could only shrug, "Guess they aren't the type to do anything halfway."

Levi groaned, "Guess not. Here, you go ahead and take off the bedding. Fold that up, and I'll get to work on the frame."

As she began pulling the blankets and sheets off the mattress, Petra nodded toward the kitchen dutifully, "There's actually a screwdriver on the counter, Captain. The guys left it out, that and note saying, 'Dear Petra, happy screwing. See you under the mistletoe, signed Squad Levi."

Levi grabbed the screwdriver and shook his head at the still present note, a scowl on his face as he responded flatly, "Cute."

Petra gave a long-suffering sigh of her own and looked toward her Captain with a hesitant sort of suspicion, "When they say the rest of Squad Levi, is it still safe to assume that you had no part in this, Captain?"

"Correct."

She gave a relived nod at his confirmation and continued her task in silence, and once the mattress was free of bedding, Petra grabbed the mattress and set it to the side of the room so they could get to work on the more difficult of the two tasks.

As Levi started working on the frame, Petra made a few trips back and forth to her room, taking the bedding and her many pillows, and eventually she had run out of things to carry and found herself sitting down by Levi, assisting him by holding the frame in place as he worked to loosen the stubborn bolts.

"Captain, if I may, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, but I may not answer."

She couldn't help but smile at his response, and she stole a single glance towards him, watching his focused expression with interest, then dropping her gaze back towards her bedframe and asking in a quiet voice, "This whole mistletoe game, do you have bad memories of it or something as a kid? Granted, it's not something that I played as a kid, to each their own with traditions and such, but I can understand if-"

Levi's eyebrows furrowed, though she wasn't sure if it was from what she had said, or if it was from the difficulty of the task. The screw he was presently working on was somewhat stripped, and Levi was having a difficult time attempting to finesse it out without damaging the small metal device further. With a strained voice, he shook his head and cut her off, "You still misunderstand. It's not a game, Petra."

With a muted grunt of effort, Levi managed to loosen the screw enough to finally pull it out, and he glared at the warped piece of metal before setting it behind him with a sigh, "Yeah, I'll say that one is pretty well finished. We'll have to get a new one from the supply closet. I'll go ahead and take care of that after we've moved all the pieces back to your room; not a big deal."

Petra nodded, and the pair moved toward the next corner of the bedframe, working together to complete the task at hand. Petra would hold the frame steady, and Levi would work on loosening the screws bit by bit. After a few moments of focus and preparation, Levi began speaking again, "Like I said a few days ago, mistletoe is a tradition where two people kiss if they're both caught underneath it. Granted, you all made it into a game and have spun it into a version all its own, but essentially…"

Levi continued evenly and gave her a single serious stare, for only a passing moment, before looking back to the bedframe and continuing to work on the next bolt, "Petra, it's a romantic tradition. Usually the people 'caught' under the mistletoe, it's not by chance, and it's certainly not a bad thing where you 'lose' if you're kissed by someone else. Frankly, that's the entire point of mistletoe – to be kissed by that special someone. It's a way for people that find it difficult to be together, maybe to some extent, I suppose it gives them a valid excuse to finally kiss, because of the mistletoe. I don't know. It's just a holiday thing."

There was a long pause that followed his explanation, and Petra gave a questioning, uncertain exhale, her amber orbs falling onto his stormy blue ones, and she spoke in sudden concentration, "So let's say I had a crush on Eld or whatever. I could go stand under the mistletoe and just…hope he comes and kisses me?"

Levi shrugged passively and pulled out the next bolt with a nod, "Honestly, yeah. That's about the extent of it. And unlike your guys' creepy little game, just standing under the mistletoe doesn't actually give anyone the right to kiss you. So in that case, say myself or Oluo or someone else came that you weren't interested in, you would just tell them that you were waiting for someone else."

Petra nodded, "And then hope that the right person comes, and eventually kisses me."

Levi sat up and looked toward her in question, noticing the strange repetition of her words, and he gave a slow nod, "Well…yeah."

Under the suddenly intense gaze of her Captain, Petra gave a sort of breathless nod, only now seeming to realizing how close she was sitting to Levi as they worked on the sudden project together, and she gave a flustered nod as a faint blush came to her cheeks. She cleared her throat and nervously pushed her bangs aside, "Well that's good to know, I guess. Uh, thanks for setting me straight Captain. And for this. You know, helping me get this all moved around. I appreciate it. I would have taken me hours to do myself, and with any luck, maybe we'll have it all wrapped up before the guys get back. Wouldn't that be a stroke of good luck."

Sensing her sudden nervousness and her need to be doing something, the Captain merely nodded and looked back toward the bedframe and focused his attention to the next bolt, "Yeah, I suppose it would be."

...

End Of Chapter

...

Alright, and that will do for part one of this two part holiday piece! See, I told you it was just cute and festive! Anyone who's familiar with my work knows that I am a huge fan of the original Squad Levi's dynamic, and so it was fun getting to take a traditional holiday tradition and put a competitive, Squad Levi style spin on it. Only Squad Levi could turn such a simple thing into a competition to the death, and the fact they have Eld giving updates three times a day, the fact they roped in Erwin and Hanji as a guest speaker and official sponsor - gosh it kills me every time. I am not going to, but I feel like I could write twenty some chapters of the squad's shenanigan's playing this game alone.

At the very least, can we all take a knee for Oluo's admittedly smooth attempt at the very start of the story? Poor Oluo just can't catch a break with Levi around, although I'm pretty sure that Petra would have slugged him good had he actually kissed her, so maybe it's for the best that Levi stepped in when he did. Who knows.

As a reminder, I'll go ahead and post the last half come the morning of New Year's Day, and that will go ahead and mark this story as complete! So until then, yall have an awesome weekend, enjoy the last few days of the year, and I'll see you on the first!

~Midnight