Chapter Text
The skies were clear with only the sun showing. Condensation went down the side of the glass of lemonade as the ice cubes inside clinked together.
Armin picked up the cold glass taking a drink in from the blue, striped straw. The land in front was clear. Armin loved the country. The vast land, clear skies, and fresh air.
It was peaceful.
It was quiet.
It was the exact opposite of his previous relationship. He was incredibly thankful that his grandfather is letting him stay at his house. He needed a breather from work and to get away from memories of his ex.
He got up from the lawn chair and stretched. While he loved the country, it could get rather dull, but luckily his grandfather lived close to a bookstore. He was going to visit it for the first time since he arrived three months ago. Before now, all he could think about was his ex.
Since it was pretty close, he decided to walk. He picked up sunglasses that were next to the lemonade and walked into the sun, putting them on as he went. He wore simple clothes, the basics, and it was a rushed trip here, so he didn't bring anything great, just t-shirts and shorts.
It was about half a mile up the road, so he was left to his thoughts for twenty minutes. Once or twice while he walked, his sandal slipped off, and he touched the scorching road. He thought about how his ex scorched his heart to bits.
He passed cows behind wooden fences and wondered why he couldn’t have a simple life like that.
No stress.
No worries.
Just grazing in the grass, and basking in the sunlight.
This trip was supposed to help him forget his ex. Yet, he still remembered everything about them. The smile he loved waking up next to, the laugh he rarely heard, but when he did, made his day brighter, and the days where they would stay in bed and cuddle.
He was lost in thoughts, and barely noticed a car that was coming up behind him, until he honked.
Armin quickly moved out of the way, shouting a feeble, “I’m sorry!”
He only received a grunt in response. He looked up the road, and saw a sign, still a bit far away to read, but he assumed it was the bookstore.
He planned to spend hours there, reading, relaxing, and forgetting. One thing he loved about small bookstores was that you can find the greatest stories that you'd never see in large chain bookstores.
He loved finding new books to read, old or new, modern or historical, long or short. He loved them all. In his apartment in the city, he managed to get quite a large space that had bookshelves lining the wall, most being filled up.
A few steps away, he read the sign:
The Book Nook.
The outside looked dingy. The foundation was cracked, the paint was faded, chipping and peeling, and the roof sagged. The discolored sign on the door said, “Come in! We’re open!” While it isn’t the most beautiful on the outside, Armin reasoned the inside would look better since all the books were there.
He walked in, the bell above the door chimed. No one was behind the counter so he looked around. There were about three large bookshelves, each of them had books spilling out, threatening to swamp the entire store in them. Books were piled high on top of the bookshelves as well as the floor, and on the side tables that were scattered next to mismatched chairs.
It was homely, calming, everything he was looking for. Serene music played through a small radio on the counter, which was covered with paper. The music and atmosphere helped improve his mood significantly since he first arrived in the country.
He felt idiotic that he didn’t think to come here. Books were his passion, so why’d he just retreat into his bedroom? He thought that maybe even with the loss he felt at the time, this one store could’ve helped him.
A door shut and took Armin out of his trance. A man looking in his twenties, about Armin’s age, saw him standing there.
“Welcome to the Book Nook! I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you, I had a phone call in the back. Looking for anything in particular?” The man smiled at Armin going through his routine words for when a customer visited.
“N-No. Just browsing.” Armin quietly responded back.
“Let me know if you need anything.” The man walked behind the counter and pinned a name tag to his shirt, “Name’s Eren, by the way!” He pointed to the name tag.
Armin just nodded and started going through books that were on the floor.
“What time do you close?”
“9:30 P.M. Usually earlier since we don’t really have customers come in.”
“I’ll be here until 9:30.”
Armin too busy with the books didn’t notice the shocked look on Eren’s face.
“Alright… That’s fine by me. I didn’t have anything planned anyway.”
Armin was thoroughly engrossed in a book, everything around him became dull. All he saw, were the words on the pages. All he felt, was what the characters were feeling. All he wondered, was what was going to occur next. All he wanted to do was read for hours on end, not paying attention to real life, and just focusing on the fantasy world. The setting, the characters, their feelings, their hopes, their dreams… He wanted nothing more than to be transported with them.
“Hey…” Armin felt a hand nudge his back. He looked up, thumb in his mouth, biting it in anticipation of what’s going to happen next.
“It’s closing time.”
Armin just stared at Eren, processing what he just said, a little out of it from being in Book World for so long.
Once he registers what’s going on, he looks up at the old clock on the wall. Indeed, it did say 9:45.
He quickly got up from the cushion he was sitting on, “I-I’m sorry I’m making you get off of work late!”
Eren rubbed the back of his neck, “Don’t worry about it. Like I said, I don’t have any plans.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any less horrible.”
Armin set the book down, gently, and then walked outside. The moon was shining brightly with the stars. Another thing he loved about the country, how you could see the stars. All the different shapes and constellations you could see? He loved that.
He started walking down the road, back towards his grandfather's’ house.
“You’re gonna walk.”
“Yea.”
“At least let me give you a ride, it’s cold at night.”
And right, Eren was, the wheat field danced from the chilly wind, and unconsciously, Armin shivered.
“Hop in. I’ll take you home.”
Armin did as told, and sat in the passenger seat of an old blue pick-up truck. While the paint was faded, it looked as if it was cared for immensely.
“Where to?”
“Um. I’m not sure of his address, but it’s a half a mile away.”
“Mr. Arlert’s place? Are you his grandson that I hear so much about?”
Armin looked at Eren, eyes wide, “Grandfather talks about me?”
“All the time when he comes to visit, saying how successful you are in your line of work, how one day you’re going to be a famous CEO of a large company.”
Armin looked out his window and smiled to himself. He never knew his grandfather felt that proud about him. It felt nice that he was appreciated by someone at least.
“Well, this is your stop.” Eren stalled the car in front of the house.
“Thank you, Eren.”
Eren looked away, blushing, and rubbing the back of his neck, “No problem.”
Armin walked up the wooden steps and stopped at where he was sitting earlier. The lemonade was paler, diluted from the ice. He picked it up and entered the house.
Today was just the thing he needed.