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The sound of waves lapping at the shore reminded Armin of breathing, the sound swayed like a whisper, but it took up more space in the air like a conversation between the waves and the land. The ocean’s breeze sifted through his golden hair like Eren’s fingers when they were alone together in the nighttime--just the two of them beneath the moon, safe between covers. The openness of the beach yawned around him, but it didn’t leave him alone--no--Eren had his hand firmly laced around his own. The ground yields to his knees as Armin guides himself down to fumble with his boots.
“Here, let me--,” Armin swats Eren’s hands away, he doesn’t need any help. He has this. He discards the boots in a haphazard pile, the sand is warm in between his toes. He stands, never has he walked on ground that moves when he does (mud doesn’t count). With Eren trailing behind him he stumbles towards the waves. The sand becomes firmer beneath his feet, and cooler. Soon it’s wet. Eren catches him when he jolts backward, his first wave caught him by surprise.
“You okay?” Eren asks, nearly talking into Armin’s shoulder, who only giggles in response. The blonde’s back shakes against Eren’s chest, he’s fine, Eren thinks to himself but he doesn’t let go. The waves roll back and forth over their feet in a rhythm. They pull in, submerging both of the boys’ feet in cool ocean water, and as they draw back, they pull away grains of sand from underneath them. Armin buries his toes into the ground, trying to keep it from being drawn away, but his efforts are impervious to the evening’s tide. He feels the sun smile against his face, and he can’t help but beam back. They’re here. They’re finally here.
His chest expands as he takes in a deep breath, this is what freedom smells like, it’s air held captive by few people’s lungs, and is far, far away from any walls. It carries the cries of seagulls and the smell of salt and seaweed that shouldn’t be so intoxicating, but Armin wants to capture it and put it in a candle, so that when he returns inland he can burn it and show Mikasa and everyone else without them having to actually see it. It’s perfect.There’s just--There’s just one thing…
“Eren?” Heat rises to the apples of Armin’s cheeks, the way it always does when he’d rather not ask for help...but there’s one thing he does need Eren’s help with. He can feel him burrow his face into the crook of his neck, he could feel his smile against his skin.
“Yes?” His arms tighten around his stomach.
“Can you...can…?” Armin swallows the knot growing in his throat--he won’t cry, he’d prepared himself for this. Eren brushes his hair behind his ear, prompting him to continue. “Tell me what it looks like...please?” Eren’s face is no longer burrowed into his shoulder, and instead he looks off into the horizon. There’s silence. “Nevermind, you don’t have to--.”
“It’s blue like your eyes.” Eren can’t hear Armin take back his request, “the ocean I mean--it’s big--bigger than you-- we’d-- ever dreamed--it just goes on forever! I feel like I could get lost in it, but I never want to stop looking. It’s so deep and blue...I feel like I could look into it forever.” With the last part Eren’s voice became as light as a cloud, and as peaceful as the breeze stirring Armin’s hair into their faces.
“Eren…”
“It’s turning orange where the sky meets the ocean, and above us the sky is clear and blue. The sun is golden like your hair and it’s lighting up the waves with its colours kind of like a path from us to all the way out there.”
“Eren…”
“The waves aren't really high, but when they rise up they arc and curl up on themselves before going back down, and when they hit the beach there’s seafoam and it’s white and bubbly kinda like--.”
“Spit?”
“Well...I was trying to find a prettier thing to compare it to but yeah...the ocean’s spitting at us,” Armin laughs weakly, tired, and relieved, he leans back into Eren’s chest. They lapse into a silence filled with each other’s breathing. Something wet plops down onto Eren’s forearm, afterwards came sniffling and then Eren was turning Armin around to face him. His smile was broken, outlined in streams of tears that were anything but mournful. He could be dead, Eren could be dead, everyone could be dead...but Eren was here with him in front of a sunset and an ocean he’ll never see kissing away his tears. Really, there was nothing more he could ask for.
“What? What is it?” Eren murmured, erasing another tear track with his thumb.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” his hands felt for Eren’s face, and he pressed his lips onto his. With Eren by his side, he could see this dream through, and as the sun began to set on them he could feel this chapter draw to a close. Beneath the golden sky they sealed their devotion for one another in a kiss; in the approaching twilight the ocean bore witness to the new chapter that was unfolding between their beating hearts.