"So what do we do?" Mike asked as he watched Erwin make a total mess of his breakfast. Hange skillfully pulled the bowl out of Erwin's hands before he could lob it at Levi. The young blonde had been demanding Levi's attention all last night and this morning, and Levi, as patient as he can be, was beyond done with babysitting. Hanji had walked in on the pair fast asleep, and upon closer inspection had seen Erwin curled against Levi, the other's arm casually thrown over the smaller male. But Levi at the moment was in his office drowning himself in black tea while he cleaned up. Hanji set the bowl down on her right, Erwin being on her left, and lifted the toddler from the bench and into her lap. He resumed making "art" as he called it. When really it was him smearing over-cooked oats and cane-sugar on the table and his face.

Mike's lip twitched in either a sneer or a smile. Possible it was both.

Mike heavily sat down, rubbing his face. Children, as cute as they are, were far beyond his element. He hadn't even been gone that long. Just a brief trip to the interior to appease some officials, and then he would be back. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. Certainly not a certain scientist de-aging the one person they all relied on.

Erwin broke into delighted giggles at Mike's distressed expression.

"He's a sociopath," Mike gestured like duh. "A sociopathic toddler."

Erwin's face scrunched up. "I'm not a so...socio...scorpion..."

"Sociopath," Hanji repeated.

"Right!" Erwin huffed. "I'm not a sociopath! Levi is!"

Mike burst out laughing, Hanji too.

Mike on a whim foolishly tried to serve Erwin a spoonful of his breakfast in which Erwin took the bite, made a face, and spat it out... directly into Mike's face. Chunks landed on his tongue while more slid over his eye or down his cheek. Mike's face went beat red.

"Just... just a moment." Mike stood and bolted from the cafeteria. Cadets turned in their seats including Jaeger as they watched their squad leader flee from a child. Erwin in Hanji's lap cackled madly like it was the funniest thing in all of Shiganshina. A few smiled at the sound.

Then Levi burst in and everyone quickly shut up. Everyone except Erwin who was now too distracted by Levi's presence to care much for the "art" he'd just made. Levi frowned at the table top then gingerly settled himself a distance away.

"Levi!" Erwin made grabby hands. "LEEEEVIIIIII!"

"Shush," Levi none-too kindly said. Erwin's face fell, his lip began to wobble and his fists clenched. With a burst of energy he flung himself from Hanji's arms to the floor, flipped onto his back, and began to scream. Levi's teeth grated against each other at the hair-raising wails emitting from the commander below. "Erwin!"

More screaming. "LEVI LEVI LEVI LEVI LEVI- MMmph!"

Hanji had shoved a small clothe, Levi's ascot to be precise, over Erwin's nose. Instantly his baby blues rolled into his head and he went quiet.

"HANJI NO!" Levi cried, "YOU DON'T CHLOROFORM A CHILD WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU."

"IT'S NOT CHLOROFORM I SWEAR."

"THEN WHY IS HE PASSED OUT?"

"IT'S THE SMELL OF YOUR SOAP. HE LOVES IT."

"OH MY GOD, YOU GASSED THE COMMANDER."

"LEVI CHILL. I found it worked wonders. I'd seen how quickly he reacted to you the other day so I rubbed a bit onto your scarf. See?" she gestured to Erwin who's eyes were blinking open. He was calm, somber almost.

"Mmmm, soap!" he crowed. Then he stood and bolted from the room. "Levi play tag with me! Or else I'll drink the ink!"

That had Levi leaping to his feet and dashing after him. Hanji on their tail with the bowl of porridge.