The Ereri Project!

Necklace

"Daddy! Wake up! C'mon, wake up!"

Levi groans and squashes his pillow over his head.

"Papa! Daddy's being lazy!"

"Petra," Eren whispers to his daughter. "I told you to be gentle, daddy was up late last night."

Levi snorts. Eren was up late too, he's just always been an early riser. Petra climbs up onto the bed and Levi has a moment where he doesn't remember if he's wearing anything under the blankets. She nudges his shoulder gently. "Daddy," she 'whispers'. "Daddy. Wake up Daddy, it's my birthday today so you, me, and Papa get to spend the whole day together and it's almost lunchtime so you have to get up."

He feels her lean back off of him and he hears her huff. "Papa, he's still not getting-"

Levi throws back the blanket and pulls Petra into his arms, pulls her back onto the mattress with him. She squeals and giggles. "Daddy!"

Eren runs and jumps onto the bed beside them. He kisses Levi on his nose. "She was exaggerating, it's only a little after ten."

Petra squirms out of Levi's arms and looks down at her parents after she sits up. "I want Daddy to make stuff with me while Papa's making my birthday cake."

"What kind of stuff do you want me to make with you?" Levi asks.

"When I was at school Ms. Christa showed us how to make necklaces and pictures out of macaroni and cheerios."

"Okay hazelnut, go get the stuff out, Daddy needs to wake up a little bit first."

Petra grins and jumps off the bed, running to the kitchen. Eren sinks on the bed and hugs his pillow. "Whose idea was it to have a kid?"

"As I recall you're the one who had the pregnancy kink."

"But wasn't seriously about having a baby," Eren mutters with a blush.

Levi shrugs. "Um, fate or something? Her parents didn't decide this, that's for damn sure."

"Speaking of which, do you think she's old enough yet?"

"For the necklace?"

"Yeah."

"Would you trust a five year old with an expensive hunk of metal?"

"I'm just saying she might be able to handle it because of the emotional meaning behind it."

"We can give it to her over cake later."

"Daddy!" Petra whines. "C'mon, I'm growing old out here!"

Eren laughs heartily while Levi scowls. "That she definitely got from you," Eren says.

"Shut up and make me coffee."

"It's in the pot already."

"I love you."

"Yeah, yeah," Eren says and kissed Levi fully this time. "Now get up before Petra has her first temper tantrum in two years."

Levi finds himself nursing a cup of coffee between stringing macaroni on yarn. Petra is humming happily to herself while Eren is mixing cake batter on the other side of the kitchen and talking to Mikasa on the phone wedged between his ear and shoulder. "Just shut up and bring the stupid thing," Eren says. "We left it with you for a reason... she was gonna find it if we hid it here... do you have to be so damn difficult, you live a half a block away... gee thanks... See you later."

Eren puts the phone down and Petra perks up. "Was that about my birthday present?"

Eren hums. "Maybe."

"Can I have it now?"

"Not until your aunts and uncles are here and we have cake."

"But papa," she whines.

"You can have one present now," Levi says. "But don't ask for another because the rest are at Auntie Mika's house."

"Okay Daddy."

Eren gives Levi a look as the older man makes his way to their bedroom. Inside a small metal box inside Levi's nightstand is a necklace that had belonged to Petra's mother. A heart-shaped, gold locket strung on a thick chain that held tiny photos of Petra's parents when they were teenagers. It had been one of the only things Levi and Eren could find to give to Petra of her parents' and one of her mother's prized possessions. Levi carried the box to the kitchen.

He sat it on the table in front of their daughter and Eren came over to watch.

"What is this?" Petra asks, not with disgust or annoyance, but genuine curiosity.

"You remember how we had that talk about Daddy and I not being your real parents?" Eren asks. Petra nods, her hand on the box now. "Go ahead." She opens the box and takes out the necklace, her eyes wide.

"Your real daddy gave that to your mommy on their first Valentine's Day together," Levi says. "Your mommy would've wanted you to have it."

Petra grins at the necklace in her hands. "Put it on me Papa!"

She bounces so much Eren almost can't open the clasp. He laughs. "Petra, you have to sit still for a sec."

She stands like a statue until Eren lets go of the chain and it hangs on its own around her neck. "How do I look Daddy?"

Levi immediately has a flash-forward to her asking that same question, ready to leave for prom and he wants to cry. "Beautiful," he says. "You look just like your mom."

She busies herself with more macaroni but Levi notices she reaches up to touch the necklace every so often in between.