TITANS. aot

DECORATIONS | f. forster

floch | gender-neutral!reader

                                                                                             
                                                                                             
     it was a few days before christmas (also captain levi's birthday) and the survey corps headquarters were still bland as the soup you were often served. there were no red and green decorations that would usually be seen in every corner of the room, or the large christmas tree that everyone would often admire when they walk by the main hall.

     everyone was too busy with their own work to think about decorating even if the holidays were coming soon, and as much as you enjoy parties and gifts, you had a lot on your plate to think about it too.

     one being getting chewed out by the captain for not meeting his expectations of cleaning.

     "you have hands, cadet, hands!" he spat with venom, "do you know how to clean a floor?!"

     every time he asks a question, you chose not to answer because the last time you did, you were given a sermon much like your mom did when you were younger.

     so, you stood there shamefully as he critiques every movement you have made since this morning. you had no idea how long it would go on or if he would even stop, considering how disappointed and grumpy he looked once he saw the room.

     afterwards, he lets out a deep sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. he shook his head before continuing, "since you did a shitty job with cleaning, you're on decorations duty tonight."

     you arched an eyebrow, "wait, decorations? tonight?" you repeated carefully, making sure that you heard him right.

     "yes, did you lose your hearing too? you're going to decorate the base top to bottom tonight." the captain explained bluntly, though his expression was now relaxed and any hint of anger had melted away.

     not bothering to argue back, you slowly nodded. levi took this as a chance to continue, "since i'm feeling nice, i'll get someone to help you out. you two better finish it within the night."

     with one last glance (more like a glare), he stepped out of the room.

     you could finally breathe properly, your once tense shoulders sagging down as you looked around the room you were assigned to clean.

     considering you failed the captain's expectations already, you decided to give up cleaning the said room and leave. you would need all the energy you still have for later on while setting up the christmas decorations later on.

— ❂ —

     the once blazing ball of fire up in the sky simmered south, leaving a trail of warm colors that swarmed the horizon. in the blink of an eye, the once colorful sky turned dark and was littered with stars that twinkled ever so slightly.

     as ordered, you made your way to the main hall. captain levi was nice enough to lessen your punishment and instead ordered you to decorate the main hall only, leaving the rest of the headquarters to the other soldiers once daytime comes.

     once inside, the plain pine tree stood tall in the middle of the large room. you were thankful that the tree was originally placed there days before and all it needed was a bit of decorations, as well as the room.