The Ereri Project!

Sun

The day is bright and warm.

Fourteen year old Petra is finishing a book she's been reading in their backyard while Eren is tending to their garden; it's Wednesday so he ought to be at the bakery but all the important orders are in or too early to start so he left the shop to Marco and came home early.

It isn't often anymore that he has free days to waste so he likes to take them when he can.

"Hey Papa?" Petra asks, placing her bookmark and folding her book.

"Yeah sweetie?" Eren replies, putting back the hose after watering the flowerbeds.

"How did you know you were in love with Dad?"

Eren freezes, glad Levi isn't home to hear this. He smiles and walks over so he can sit in the grass near his daughter.

"Well, that's a tricky question. Why do you wanna know? Have someone you're thinking about?"

Petra cheeks flush and she looks down at her book, Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk. She'd been trying to get Eren alone to ask him about this for days so she hadn't really been reading it the entire time they'd been outside.

"Well, I guess," she replies thoughtfully. "I mean, I know for a fact they won't return my feelings so I guess what I really wanted to know was what does being in love feel like?"

Eren leans back on his hands, letting his head fall back so he can feel the sun on his face. "It's probably different for everyone," he says. "But for me, it kind of feels like this."

"Like sitting in the grass?"

"No, like the feeling on the sun on my skin, except inside, you know?"

Petra gives him a look and Eren looks back at her, smiling. "It's hard to explain."

"Okay, so then when did you know?"

"When I was six years old."

Petra shoves his shoulder. "Be serious Papa."

Eren chuckles. "I am, I've been in love with Levi since the first time he smiled for me." Petra looks down at her lap. "I didn't tell you what you wanted to hear, did I?"

Petra looks back up at him. "I'm sorry," she says. "I would have asked Dad 'cause he's much better at explaining things but you know how he gets when he thinks I'm growing up."

Eren tries to make his expression as soft as possible when he asks, "This is about Erwin isn't it?"

"How'd you know?" Petra's voice cracks as she shoots her father a defensive look.

Eren shrugs and nudges her cheek softly with his thumb. "I've known you your entire life, sweetheart. Those eyes say a lot more than you're ever going to want them to."

Petra leans her forehead on her knees. "Are you disappointed?"

"Why would I be?"

Petra shrugs. "I should only be interested in boys my age."

"Well there's that," Eren says, sighing. "Erwin is thirty years older than you. But I understand it."

Petra leans her temple on her knee so she can look at Eren. "You do?"

"Hell yeah, Erwin is a hella fine slice of man, I can completely understand why you would think he's attractive."

Petra laughs. "It's not just 'cause he's got great abs Papa."

"I know," Eren says. "He is good to you, he's just way too old for you."

Petra sighs. "What do you do to stop loving someone?"

"That kind of information would have saved eleven to eighteen year old me a lot of heartache."

"Is there any way to intentionally fall out of love?"

Eren sighs and rubs Petra's knee. "I would just say give it time," he says. "You're still young, if you wait long enough you're bound to meet someone who makes you happier than Erwin."

Petra hugs Eren. "I wanna meet them right now," she says into his shoulder.

Eren pets her hair absently. "Sorry sweetie, you'll have to wait."

Petra wakes up to the sunset. As she sits up she notices someone sitting beside her. "Evening, Petra."

Once Petra regains the mental capacity to completely absorb what's going on she realizes Erwin is weaving a flower crown. "What're you doing?"

"I got bored waiting for your fathers to finish up upstairs," Erwin says with a slightly annoyed edge to his voice. "I will never understand why they invite me to dinner if they're just gonna bang for an hour and then order pizza.

I expect actual food if you're going to invite me over."

Petra laughs, long since begrudging used to how often her parents run off together. "But why are you making a crown?"

Erwin shrugs. "Your mother showed me how when we were younger and I wanted to see if I still could."

He weaves in the last flower and hold it out to Petra. She smiles and looks it over. "I'd say you're still pretty good at it."

Erwin stands as Petra sits the crown on her head. "Well, since your fathers aren't getting at it any time soon, would you like to help me make dinner?"

"Okay," Petra replies as Erwin helps her to her feet.

She thinks fleetingly that she's glad her crush is on Erwin and not someone else.

At least he knows how to make a cute flower crown.