The Ereri Project!

Clothes

During a Hanukkah visit to Levi's family one winter when Petra's a teenager, Levi takes Petra to the family storage unit to get away from the house for a few hours.

He would have brought Eren too, but he was stuck showing Levi's mom how to make his angel food cake.

"Why don't you like being around grandma and grandpa, dad?" Petra asks on the car ride, fiddling with her gloves; it's usually never this cold back home so she's always uncomfortable when she has to bundle up.

Levi shrugs. "It's not that I don't like being around them," he replies. "But you've seen how they act, Mom's like Hanji turned up to eleven but focused on homemaking and Dad's got a thing for puns and bad movies. I love them, they're just exhausting."

They're both quiet for a little bit. "I'm glad you and Papa named me after my mom," she says suddenly. "I think it's easier for them that they can sometimes pretend I'm her."

Levi's eyebrows furrow. "Have you been reading a lot of Poe again? Cause that was kind morbid."

"Don't knock Poe, Dad." Petra rolls her eyes. "Really, I honestly think it's good for them."

Levi thinks for a moment. "I know we talk about your mom a lot," he says. "But I don't think any of us have really told you what she was like, have we?"

Petra shrugs. "I guess not."

"Because I don't think they see her when they look at you, is all. You don't look a lot like her, but your eyes are darker and your hair's longer and lighter and you don't really act like she did. There are times when I look at you and it's like replaying a memory but you're always my daughter, not Petra my sister."

"What was she like then?"

Levi pauses, thinking. "It might be easier to show you," he replies. "The storage unit has a lot of our old stuff in it from when we were kids and teenagers."

They pull into the parking lot and Levi leads Petra down to their unit. He unlocks it and Petra's surprised at how much space there is and his much is inside.

It's mostly boxes, some plastic totes, and dressbags hanging on the far wall. "I think your mom's stuff is in that corner," Levi says, as he goes off to look at something else.

The first box Petra see reads P - 5-6 years old. She opens the top to find a single item: an old teddy bear with matted fur and an ear half ripped off. "Aw," Petra grins at it and picks it up.

"What'd you find?" Levi asks.

"A bear," she replies, hugging it.

"That must be Cuddlekins," Levi says. "Mom made Petra put him in here because she didn't have to have to throw it out when he got another hole torn in him. She adored that thing."

Petra puts the bear back and the next box she see reads P - 16 years old. She opens it to find piles of clothes. "Whoa," Petra says and picks up a t-shirt. It's a tour shirt from a My Chemical Romance concert. "Mom liked My Chem?"

Levi snorts. "Yeah, I probably have one of those in one of my boxes too. I think we wore the same size t-shirt back then so you can decide if you want hers or mine."

"Can I have both?" she replies. "I want to take this entire box home to sort though."

"Please don't make me revisit what I thought was cool to wear as a teenager."

"Why? Was it that bad?"

"Eren laughed at me for it before."

"What? You were into pastel goth or something were you?" When Levi doesn't respond, Petra peeks around boxes to see Levi. "Dad?"

Levi's standing over a box holding a pair of pink skinny jeans. "No way," Petra says.

"Your mom was into it too," he replies. "She probably has a skirt in there this color."

Petra gasps with a grin and starts digging in more boxes. "This stuff is too cute," she says. "We're definitely bringing your box home too."

Its then she notices a single dress bag tucked behind her mother's boxes. "What's this?" she asks.

Levi peeks around the corner just as Petra unzips the bag. "Her prom dress."

"Whoa," Petra says. "It's pretty." Wine red with a satin bodice and a chiffon, tiered skirt.

"Yeah, she was very pretty in it. I only got to see pictures since I'd already moved out but she was beautiful in it."

Petra stares at the dress for a long time. "Do you think she'd mind if I took it?" she asks. "So I could wear it to my prom?"

"The style might be a little outdated but I'm sure Nanaba would be glad to help you fix it up."

Petra zips of the bag and leaves it by the entrance for when they leave later.