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[He doesn't let go of her when she pulls away. He won't until she tells him to.]
Yeah...? [It's a somewhat surprising revelation, but...he's glad.]
It really is true. There's always something...
And it matters. It matters a lot.
[She nods, as he speaks.] Yeah. [And a confirmation, when he stops.] It does....
[Words aren’t good for this, she realizes. Or at least Aubrey’s not eloquent enough for them. Every conversation, how she told it to Levi… hell, even before she and Eren got along, the way she tried to hold on to those words against his coldness. They’re a beacon.
[Words might not do it justice, but she’d regret not trying.]
It’s something to hold on to. Even now, I— [A pause to sniff, swallow. She could probably keep crying, but…] I want that. I want to laugh again with you. [Both of you. All of you.]
And I remember what you said, and… I know we will.
Aubrey...
We have everything we need to live happy lives here.
It isn't always easy. I know that. Sometimes it's horrifying.
But it's beautiful too. We've made it beautiful.
[Aubrey looks up to him, physically, and his expression nearly throws her yet again. He’s smiling, tearing up… is he that touched? But that pained hope… it’s something else. Something better.
[It’s beautiful. Armin is beautiful. She looks into his glistening eyes and words don’t work, so…
[Briefly, softly, she kisses him again; on the cheek this time, with ample time to move if he doesn’t want it. It’s fine if he doesn’t. And regardless, a whisper through a pained smile:] Thank you....
[He really wants nothing more, in that moment, then to kiss her again.
[But...they need to wait for Eren. He smiles, genuine, with a breathless laugh.]
Of course. Always.
Well.
[He smiles at Aubrey.]
How has loving you changed me?
The answer's pretty easy, actually.
[Idly, he turns his hand to stroke Eren's cheek with the back of his knuckles.]
You gave me back my hope. I think you did that for all of us.
[So it’s Armin’s turn to have Eren in his lap. Aubrey smiles, soft and happy; just look at them. They’re beautiful. And even though the world has an idea for them again, it’s nicer this time. Much nicer.]
Hah… I’m glad. [Just a small understatement.] You know, in a way that’s what I was trying to tell you, earlier… staying hopeful. Holding on.
[Again, words falter. But she thinks he understands.]
I know Eren needs you, too.
Maybe I didn't have any left at all, but...
[He stares once again down at Eren, still lovingly stroking.]
None of that really matters now, I guess.
[Hard to believe, Aubrey thinks; but it’s really not, when he looks to Eren like that. And he’s right; it doesn’t matter now anyway.
[Speaking of now… The last time Aubrey was barefoot in water, ocean waves lapped at her shins. Without them, she almost doesn’t notice they’re at a dock at all until she shifts, finally looking around.
[The boat catches her attention immediately. She’s staring at it quizzically, trying to follow the cables into the distance, as she asks,] Where… are we?
[Then, with a glance around, a good-natured laugh.] Sort of...
It isn't quite complete, but this canal here looks like I remember. That's the ferry there for transporting cargo.
[And human lives once the wall fell.]
[There was nothing like this by the tree… or in the titan-wracked town, for that matter. For a place enclosed by walls, Shiganshina is bigger than Aubrey thought.]
[…It had more people too, then.
[The smile fades somewhat, at that thought.]
Just… back and forth, huh? [It’s a shallow cover.] No wonder you wanted the ocean....
There are lakes and things like that in the countryside, but before I became a Scout, I'd never been.
This was the closest thing we had to a real body of water.
[He looks at Aubrey, tilting his head to the side just so, as if considering something.]
You know...the more I think about it, it must have been the ocean that drew me to this place. I had this book...
It was illegal. It had information about the world outside of the walls.
Nothing about Marley, or anything like that. Just...bodies of water, filled with salt, that stretch out so far in every direction that you can't see the other side. Fiery water that flows between rocks and bursts out of mountains. Green lights in the sky that look like magic...
[Briefly, he bends forward to kiss Eren on his temple.]
Eren took me to all of those places. When we were talking just before he died. That reality he made...for me.
[When Armin looks at her, Aubrey swings focus back. As he talks, she finds herself a bit lost, watching him; the strength of his own nostalgia, maybe. The story itself. His face. Echoes of awe…
[She sees that in him, still. He kisses Eren, and it means everything.]
[A cabin for Mikasa; forbidden wonders for Armin. Worlds, just for them, in farewell.]
[She loves him; she loves him; she loves them.]
[After a quiet;] And it’s always the ocean you go back to, huh…
Seeing it for the first time...it was all I could do not to cry. I used to dream about what it might look like, feel like, smell like...
There was so much salt that it stung my eyes just standing too close. It felt...profound.
[It… explains a lot, somehow.
[It’s the only one Aubrey’s seen, too. Always a special day out…]
Was it all that you imagined?
[He has to clear his throat, but it doesn't quite work. His eyes are stinging with salt.]
Crossing that ocean...it led to so much turmoil...
[The memory—
[It’s beautiful; it’s jarring; it’s hope— No. Traces of it, maybe. But there was more, and that’s why Armin can’t speak of it as fondly, and Eren has truly always, always, always been on this path, hasn’t he?
[Well. He was. And the ocean ran red for it.
[But Armin can’t hate it.]
[The emotion in his voice tugs at Aubrey; she reaches for his hand.]
I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd get emotional like this.
[She squeezes back. But the smile is less certain.] It’s alright....
Seems like Eren and I remember that day a little differently.
I'm sad for that.
He always wanted it too.
[She wasn’t sure, really; but that’s confirmation enough. Actually, she didn’t realize it wasn’t quite Armin’s....]
More than either of you ever dreamed, I guess.
[His father’s memories… Aubrey clamps that thought before Armin sees something he shouldn’t.]
It’s a lot.
It's easy to talk freely about it now - Paradis, Marley. An island, a continent. But we didn't even know what the word "island" meant for most of our lives. All we knew was what was inside the walls. We might have thought the world outside was worth exploring, but as far as we knew, all of humanity lived inside of those walls...
[He shakes his head, brow pinching together in a pained expression.]
The population of Paradis made up only 20% of the world's population, and we thought that was all there was.
We were so ignorant back then...
[More to Paradis; so much less than a world.]
[She just squeezes his hand. Imagining that boat going back and forth, back and forth, day after day… always a straight line, never off course. Like the pacing of a caged animal.]
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