Christmas Yet Again🎄

Christmas Yet Again🎄

Word count: 1366 Note: Alternate Universe where Eren decided not to reveal himself and attack during the proclamation of war,leaving the Tybur siblings with a mix of feelings and a grim realization.

Pure white snow had begun to cover the Earth long before the month of December even thought to formally arrive, causing a certain blonde haired Lord to shiver in preparation for the cold that was to envelop him and his aging bones once he stepped foot into the white paradise outside his large house. Yet had it been up to Willahelm Tybur, he’d not leave the warmth and comfort of his home ever again. Not after the insane stunt he managed to pull at the festival in Liberio. How and why he was still alive…not even he knows. The plan was well ingrained into his brain, and he was aware of the most probable outcome. He had said his goodbyes, he had made sure his heart was in the right place, he was ready to perish that very night! Yet…that never got to happen. He delivered his speech oh so full of love for this nation that wasn’t even his, he had put his entire soul into it, ready to sacrifice all he was! All he had! And yet there he was.

The man’s beautiful blue eyes had been following the rapid fall of the heavy snowflakes, lost in the beauty of the gathering, untouched mass. It was so weird…it felt as if he was seeing snow for the first time in forever-and can you blame him? The head of the Tybur household hadn’t thought he’d see another Christmas. Lost in thought however, he forgot about someone else that struggled with this sort of feeling. And only when the silhouette of his beloved sister Lara entered his field of view did the man snap back to reality. She wore what looked like a thick long coat to keep her warm,paired with gloves and boots. Was she out on her own?Of course not.

Soon enough, small figures would rush over to the woman, figures that became simple blobs of color as the window the Lord stared out from began freezing slowly.

“Lara-” He’d catch himself nearly whimpering as he stood up from his chair,turning to head towards the door. It had been a few months since that night ,a few months since they’d spoken…a few months since Lara too had been told that something big was to happen…something greater than them, greater than they could ever imagine.

Months since the woman had prepared herself for a fight- or perhaps prepared is a word one would use loosely, for Lara had no training. She’d inherited the Warhammer titan without having any thought that a day may come where she might need to use its power. To be fair, most none of the previous inheritors had any special training…after all, they simply kept the titan safe and contained. That was all they did. So being told one day that the fate of your family and perhaps the entire world will be resting on your frail and fragile shoulders…who wouldn’t break?

“Is that dad?” The voice of a young girl that was tugging on Lara’s coat soon distracted the woman from her thoughts,and for a moment her eyes lit up at the sight.”Is he really going to join us out today?” the young girl would speak again,yet she’d receive no answer.

It was indeed their father,and the man seemed to be rushing towards his sweet children and his sister…so much so that his usually pale face now stung,bright red from the cold air that cut at him. It had been so long…so long since he allowed himself to leave his office, so long since he’d felt like he was not alone or crazy for feeling the way he did. She was right there! The woman that understood, the woman that always understood. Lara,his sweet Lara, who had been by him throughout his life, his struggles,his pains.

The moment Willy reached the black haired woman, he’d not hold back. Throwing his arms around her rather small frame in order to drag her into a warm and tight embrace,the man nearly sobbed as his face now pressed against her soft coat. The cold didn’t affect him anymore,not as long as he had her. She brought him a sort of comfort that not even his wife managed to. Lara caressed his very soul like only she knew how,just by being there. Just by..being.

All it took was one moment for the Tybur siblings to stumble back and collapse into the welcoming blanket of fresh snow with a small grunt- all this causing them to burst into laughter almost immediately. So loud and joyous, it was nearly contagious. And to Willy’s children it was, they’d make it very clear by quite literally allowing themselves to fall over in the snow by their father and aunt.

From then on followed a couple of hours of family fun, with Willahelm’s wife too joining them at some point. The Tyburs would become a normal family for a short while. Building snowmen, having snowball fights and pulling each other around on a sled. Yet as time passed, the weather grew harsher,colder…more and more unforgiving. Just like the world.

“Will you two join us inside soon? The carolers might pop up any minute,and Bruno and Alois wish to hand out the cupcakes we’ve baked together.”Willy’s eldest daughter Fine would speak up, having turned to walk backwards towards the house in order to see her sweet father.

“What’cha need me for, sweetheart?”The blonde man called out,a small laugh caught in his throat…good God, he loved his children so much.

“Well, we need you to try them! We don’t know if they’re good or not,it’s our first time baking!”

“Alright alright, we’ll be in soon, I promise!”

With that, the children along with their mother would vanish into the white winter tapestry,and Willy would sigh.

What followed was a moment of silence as he and Lara sat in the cold snow,feeling their clothes grow wetter and wetter by the minute.

“I- i honestly didn’t imagine i’d see another Christmas-” He finally broke the silence, and Lara almost immediately seemed to understand. “I was pretty sure i-”

“You’d die? As if I'd let such a thing happen.”The woman let out a gentle chuckle, silencing herself rather fast. Yet her brother didn’t seem to notice. And she couldn’t blame him.

“Well, we need not worry about such things anymore. All is good. We will celebrate many things from now on,for nothing will stand in our way. We are alive. We get to live,Lara.”

“You get to live.” Lara caught herself mumbling. She did not mean to speak out loud, for the last thing she wished to do was ruin her brother’s newfound enthusiasm for life, especially on Christmas. Yet it was too late.

As if something had lit up in Willy’s mind, the man would lower his gaze with a small hum…and then a huff. “ R- right. How long uhm-”

“ I don’t remember for sure. But at most…I have one, maybe two Christmases left.” Her voice soft,low,perhaps sad. Sad, yes…for she loved her brother,and she’d not want to go…not so soon. But she had no choice, not in this matter.

“I didn’t…realize- when did the time pass-”Willy muttered quietly under his breath, not really expecting an answer. For why would he? They’d both taken their time together for granted and there was no going back. “Then…let’s make the most of what we have left,hm?” By God did he wish to be able to sound cheerful, yet as he spoke,a hot tear rolled down his freezing cold cheek…yet he’d smile.

“I love you,Lara. Let us live out whatever we have left to live…happily.”

“I love you as well,Willy. Always will.”Lara nodded along ,and soon tears welled in her dark eyes as well.

Pushing up from the ground first was Willy,and he’d help her up,smiling as he began leading his dear sister towards their house. Determined to make the most of this holiday…determined to fill the walls of their home with memories enough for a lifetime.