uneasy hearts weigh the most (Eremin)

Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most

Of all the colleges he received acceptance letters from, Armin chose Trost University to earn his bachelor's in Environmental Science. He couldn't forget the look of surprise his grandfather had when he rejected the prestigious University of Sina's acceptance letter.

"Are you sure, Armin? Kids like you would literally fight for a spot there." He said

"I'm sure, gramps. There's probably someone on the waitlist who deserves it more than I do." He replied. "Besides, I wanna minor in music too. I'm sure Mom and Dad wouldn't want my violin skills to go to waste."

Although, if circumstances were different, he would've accepted Sina's offer. But he felt like he didn't fit in with the campus's atmosphere. When he visited Trost with his grandpa and Krista, they all knew it was perfect for him. The campus was tucked away in a valley and surrounded by plants of different species. There were forests nearby that provided a hiking trail for anyone who wanted to work out in a natural setting but Armin's favorite part of all; the campus is close to several beaches.

Armin loved going to the beach. His happiest memories always involved the beach. Occasionally, the sea when his parents would take him snorkeling while out on field work, where he would watch creatures interact with each other and he understood why his parents loved their jobs. The sea reminded him of his parents and its waves always carried his love for them.

Oh how he misses them dearly.

Armin feels a hand touch his shoulder, stirring him awake. He notices Krista first, then the open door of a van. He's the last to hop out of Jean's van (Eren has relentlessly teased Jean about how his vehicle of choice made him look like a soccer mom, but at the end of the day his van is convenient when multiple people need rides from him). When Armin's feet hit solid ground, he stretches his limbs out. Feeling his joints pop after being confined to the cramped vehicle for almost an hour. Eren and Mikasa are waving at them with a spot they had already set up for the group to settle in. The siblings already went ahead, using their truck, offering to use the abundant space for everyone's belongings, and beach essentials. Armin plops his backpack right next to Eren's, his eyes glued to the sparkling water, and on instinct, he starts taking off his shirt and kicks off his flip flops.

"I'm going in." Armin tosses the shirt on the ground and hits a running start to the water before the rest of their friends can get settled. Krista calls out his name but it falls on deaf ears as the others cheered, whooped, and whistled while Armin leaps into the water. Krista's probably calling him to put some sunscreen on before he can jump in the water. It's okay though, Armin made sure he put on sunscreen ahead of time just so he could hit the water as soon as he saw it. His blond hair pops out from the water and sticks to his face. It's cold and his exposed shoulders shook when a breeze hit him. Everything was perfect.

"C'mon, guys! The water's fine!" He shouts letting the waves bob his body up and down.

"I'll race ya to the water, Kirstein!" Eren stands up and tosses his shirt at the other man's face who barely had time to register the challenge. He starts running, feet digging into the fine sand until he copies how Armin dove in the water instead of falling face first. Which always happens to him when he would go to the beach. Unlike him Armin is graceful, as if he belongs in the sea. Hair as golden as the sun's rays, eyes as vivid as the water, and a voice like a siren's...

Once Eren reaches him, he's floating peacefully on the water on his back, golden hair spread out, and swaying with the waves. Eren wanted to stand there a little longer and watch Armin relax despite the freezing water. Sadly, the annoying splash of Jean awkwardly wading against the waves interrupted their tranquil moment.

"Fucking christ, Yaeger, why the fuck did you choose to go to the beach in the middle of fall?!" Jean complains, his arms wrapping around his shoulders to keep his warmth from escaping.