The Ereri Project!

Graduation

Fourteen year old Levi is much more mature than his parents really know how to handle.

He has a very grown up way of looking at things and phrasing requests and they really don't know how to make their son stay a kid a little while longer.

In their efforts, they plan a party for after his eighth grade graduation, inviting kids his age they don't know he wasn't really friends with.

He had expected it to turn out like the beginning of Looking for Alaska and no one would show, but sadly, everyone has rsvp-ed.

As the ceremony itself is closing, Levi bumps shoulders with Erwin, who is standing beside him (their school didn't call individual students to get their certificates so they were supposedly supposed to stand in height order but most people cling to their friends anyway).

"Hey," he whispers.

"Yeah?" Erwin replies.

"Will you and Hanji cover for me if I leave the party?"

Erwin glances down at him, his attention completely off the speaker. "Still don't like crowded parties?" Levi shakes his head. "Still haven't talked to your parents about it?"

Levi looks up at him. "How am I supposed to bring that up? They kind of expect me to be able to efficiently conduct myself in any social situation, including parties, how do I explain how much they make me dizzy without seeming like a baby?"

Erwin shrugs. "You really should tell them though, before they throw a bigger party for our high school graduation."

"Erwin-"

"Shh!" a passing teacher hisses.

"We'll cover for you," Erwin whispers, as they are told to stand.

.......

Levi's house is noisier and full of more people than he expected. His heart rate is wrenching up higher by the minute and he can't seem to find a quick escape. "Levi?"

He turns to see Petra, she's anxious too but less so than him. She takes his hand, besides Hanji and Erwin she's the only person Levi has told about this problem of his. "Hey," he replies.

"There's no one by the back door right now, if you want to go outside to breathe for a little bit," she says, dragging him toward it.

"Will you be alright?" he asks.

"Hanji's around, I can hang out with her," Petra says, smiling at him.

"Thank you," Levi says and makes a quick escape to the backyard.

Sitting underneath his favorite tree, just far enough away from the house that he's hidden in the shadows, he feels like he's really breathing again.

Once he gets under control, he notices a tiny body perched on the swingset next door. He walks up to the fence between their yards. "Eren?"

Eren turns and when he realizes it's Levi, he grins and runs over. "Congratulations Levi," he says. "How was your graduation?"

Levi shrugs. "Stupid."

Eren giggles. "Isn't your party why you couldn't babysit me tonight? Why are you out here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, brat."

"Mom told Auntie BB to come watch me but she just got drunk and fell asleep so I came out here."

Levi's eyebrows furrow. "Have you had dinner yet?"

Eren shakes his head. "I would have made something but we don't have anything else I can microwave."

Levi pulls himself up and over the fence. "C'mon, I'll make you something."

Eren grins and takes Levi's hand. "We have Kraft macaroni on the top shelf."

Levi smiles and follows him inside the Jaeger household. Aunt BB is indeed dead asleep on the couch downstairs so Levi makes Eren sit in the kitchen with him while he makes the seven year old his dinner.

Eren takes a break from his coloring book to look up at his babysitter. "Hey Levi?" He says.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna marry you one day."

Levi makes a face and turns to look at the tiny brunette. "What?"

Eren nods. "Cause I love you more than my mom loves my dad so that must mean I love you a lot so that must mean we should get married."

"You're not old enough for that."

Eren rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically. "Of course I'm not old enough, you're not old enough either. That's why I said 'one day'."

Levi walks over and ruffles Eren's hair. "You're not gonna be interested in me when you're older, kid."

Eren puts on his determined face. "Yes I will! You'll see! I'll bake for you all the time and I won't hog your blankets and we'll have a big, pretty house with our friends around all the time and we'll never, ever be lonely."

Levi doesn't really believe him, but he hugs Eren anyway. "You're sweet."

Eren looks up at him with a cheeky grin. "Sweeter than the cookies I made this week?"

Levi barks a laugh and goes to stir the macaroni. "Sweeter than the cupcakes you made for Petra's birthday."

Eren hums happily to himself while he continues coloring.

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A/N: So I was watching Barbie and all of the sudden my 5 year old sister come and she's like "DANIELA YOUR GAY!" She said then ran away.