The Ereri Project!

Teddy

Levi enjoys doing laundry. Of course he does, he loves cleaning in general (when he and Eren got Petra, it was nightmare for him for a while managing all the general cleaning, their laundry, and all the mess raising a child brings with it).

He prides himself on his cleanliness, of course he does. So when a four year old Petra is so attached to her teddy bear she refuses to let anyone touch it unless she's watching, he drives himself insane trying to find a way to clean it.

Eventually, he figures out the easiest time to get it is after she goes to bed at night, clean it, and then sneak it back before he goes to be himself.

Unfortunately one night, after Levi put a load of laundry in to wash, he went to bed with Eren and fell asleep before he could put everything in the dryer.

Petra's bear included.

So, at four in the morning, both men are woken up by the sound of their daughter screaming.

Eren is out of bed first but Levi gets to her room first, so drowsy he nearly ran into her doorframe as he goes in her room. "What's wrong?" he asks, picking her up. "Are you alright?"

"My, -hic- teddy, -hic- is, -hic- gone!"

Levi looks around for a moment before he realizes. Eren walks in. "What happened?"

"I forgot to teddy in the dryer," Levi says.

Petra gasps, her big eyes even wider and Levi feels so awful at the look of the tears welling up in her eyes. "You drowneded teddy?"

"Uh," Levi drawls.

The look of anger on her face is sudden as she shoves against his chest to get him to let go of her, Eren almost didn't catch her when she fell backwards over Levi's arm.

"Whoa there!" he says. "You can't do that sweetheart."

Petra hugs Eren. "I don't care, Daddy hurt teddy and now teddy's gone!"

Levi sulks as he walks out of the room. "I'll go put him in the dryer," he says quietly as he walks downstairs and toward the laundry room.

Petra pouts. "So he drowneded and now he's gonna get burned?"

Eren shakes his head. "No, sweetie, the heat makes him dry."

She sighs and plays with a loose thread on the sleeve of Eren's shirt. "Wanna go back to sleep, sweetheart?"

"Not without teddy."

"Teddy might take a-"

"Not without teddy."

Eren stares at Petra; that was not a nice voice.

"Wanna go downstairs then?"

She nods so Eren takes her down and they sit on the couch. She stays on his lap while he changes the channel, looking for something to watch.

It's too early for anything but the Nick Jr. channel, so they watch Wonder Pets! while they wait for teddy.

After Levi puts everything in the dryer, he walks into the living room and freezes. What if Petra gets mad again?

He decides to go in the kitchen so he doesn't have to walk by the irritable little girl. Eren notices and sits Petra on the couch. "Where go?" she asks, grabbing his hand.

"I'm getting some coffee, do you want juice?"

"Please?"

He nods and walks to the kitchen where Levi is sitting with his head on the table, Eren laughs. "What the matter?"

"She's mad at me."

"She's four."

"You're point?"

"She'll get over it."

Levi sits up, a frustrated look on his face. "Sure. You can say that cause you're not the one she's mad at."

Eren rolls his eyes and pours her some grape juice. "Go give this to her."

Maybe it's the earlier hour than usual but Levi looks uncharacteristically childish. "Why do I have to?"

"Because I said so."

Levi rolls his eyes and gets up. "Gee, thanks mom."

"Ew," Eren replies as Levi picks up Petra's cup.

Levi sticks his tongue out before walking out to give Petra her juice. She looks up and pats the seat beside her. "Sit," she says.

"Really?" Levi asks.

"Is dark in here." Levi takes a moment so again think about how cute it is that she skips the 't' when she says 'it's'.

He sits down and Petra takes her juice, sipping some immediately and moving herself onto Levi's lap. Eren smiles when Levi looks over at him. Told you so, he mouths to the raven.

Levi rolls his eyes and continues watching Wonder Pets! with his daughter.

She falls asleep again before the dryer is finished. He makes sure to tuck the bear back under her arm when he puts her back in bed.

He's almost positive she's smiling when he leaves.