(A/N: OMFG, IT DIDN'T PUBLISH CORRECTLY. DUMB MF PC. APOLOGIES FOR IT.)

𝚈/𝚗'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

The giant Titan-killing hammer at Trost District finally fell silent around the time that snow began to stick on the ground.

"All right everyone, we're having a snowball fight! Also, it's me against everyone else, and I'm still gonna win!" Eren declared.

"Hold it right there, you little punk! You think you're gonna beat me?" Jean galloped his way to Eren.

"Eren, I'll be on your team." Mikasa raised her hand up as she made her way to Eren, who just facepalmed.

"Sasha, catch me!" Connie began to fall backwards as his body collapsed on the snow. Sasha just laughed.

"Connie's doing snow angels! Connie! Connie! Connie!" Sasha chanted, cheering him on.

"Like a fallen angel!" Connie sang, creating snow angels. Sasha laid on the snow next to him.

"Duh duh duh duh duh do~" Sasha sang along with him, joining him as the two created snow angels.

"Eren, do you have enough layers on? You must wear many layers. It's cold." Mikasa began to worry about Eren, like the usual.

"Mikasa, it might be a little cold, but I'll keep you warm." Jean flirted, only to be ignored by Mikasa, like the usual.

"Levi!" Hanji called out to our captain. Hanji told me to call her Hanji from now on, since she wanted to be friends with me.

"What do you want?" Captain Levi rolled his eyes, already annoyed by the fact that Hanji is here.

"Heads up, Captain Clean!" Hanji formed a snowball and threw it at him, hitting him in the eye.

"Hanji, do you want me to blind that other eye?" Captain Levi threatened before chasing after Hanji who began to scream as she attempted to escape his wrath.

(A/N: Iykyk. It's from a tiktok, btw.)

"It's been a while since I've seen Eren so full of with energy." I mentioned, placing a cup of hot chocolate next to Armin.

The two of us sat down on the chairs on the porch of this log cabin we decided to stay in together.

"Oh, thank you, Y/n. And yes, Eren seems to have cheered up a bit." Armin agreed with my statement.

Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Connie, and Sasha began a snowball fight. Eren and Mikasa teaming up, of course, even though Eren protested against it.

The two of us watched the snowball fight go on as Captain Levi continued to chase after Hanji, who happened to be a surprisingly fast sprinter.

"I wish time could just stop right now. I don't want this to end." I mumbled. I want to make plenty of fun memories with everyone.

"Me too. Unfortunately, we have to keep moving forward. That's the only choice we have." Armin sighed.

Suddenly, a snowball decided to make its way in my direction. Since I always lower my guard around Armin, I didn't have time to react.

"Eren, Mikasa, I'm joining your team." I announced to them as I stood up from my chair, wiping the snow on my face.

"Don't overdo it, Y/n. Have fun!" Armin supported. I turned to him with a smile.

"Of course." I nodded as I turned back to Jean, Sasha, and Connie.

"Eat hay, horse face!" I yelled, throwing the snowball at Jean's face.

By the time the snow had melted away, the Survey Corps announced that every last Titan within Wall Maria had been killed.

When the Trost elevator was put into operation and streetside shops began to open for business, flowers had begun to bloom and butterflies danced between them.

Refugees were sent back to their hometowns one year after the attack on Trost District.

Finally, six years after the Colossal Titan's first appearance, the Survey Corps once again began expeditions outside Wall Maria.

Hanji was right. Almost all the Titans had entered Wall Maria. We killed most of them in just a year.

That just means we can continue on until we get to the objective.

Sadly, after that one year had passed, Eren had completely lost his smile. He was no longer grinning like he used to.

"You must be really excited, Armin." I remarked, noticing the huge smile on Armin's face. I love it when he smiles.

Before Armin could say anything, a red smoke signal is shot up into the air, setting us on alert.

When we get to it, though, the Titan is largely immobile due to the size of its limbs compared to its body.

We can see the depression it made in its wake, but its movement has been so slow that grass and small shoots have grown in the groove behind it.

Eren walked up to it without fear and touched its head with his left hand. For some reason, the Titan looked...sad.

"This is someone who was sent to paradise as punishment. One of our own people." Eren informed.

It's desire was probably to join us and fight for our freedom.

"Let's go. We're close." I ushered, walking away from it.

"Hey! You're just gonna leave it here? Don't we need to kill it?" Floch yelled in the distance as we started going ahead. We decided to ignore him.

We left the Titan without killing it and followed its trail until we came to some sandy dunes. I saw this in Lada's memories when she was trying find the walls.

"There's no mistaking it. This is where they turned Eldians into Titans." Eren mumbled, referring to the wall we were passing by.

"And just beyond it is..." Eren paused. Armin and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

Hanji led us around the wall, taking us to an overlook with a view of the ocean that Armin and I promised to see together.

All of us are stunned to see a body of water that goes out as far as the horizon.

This is what Armin wanted to see. No, this is what we wanted to see.

We went down our horses and took off our jackets and shoes, not wanting to get it wet.

"My eyes!" Sasha cried out when Connie splashed water into her eyes, making Connie laugh.

"So salty!" Jean complained after he decided that drinking unknown water was a good idea.

"Let's explore the outside world together. Far beyond these walls, there's flaming water, lands made of ice, and fields of sand spread wide. It's the world my parents wanted to go to."

Armin's voice from that day reminded me of our achievements, reminding me of how far we've come with each other's support.

Hanji was amazed that the entire ocean was composed of salt water. She then spotted something weird.

Captain Levi warned her to stay away from it, on the suspicion that it might be poisonous.

Hanji being Hanji, she ignored Captain Levi and proceeded to pick them up and prepare for their naming ceremony.

Soft sky above, sharp stones underfoot and the clouds caressed with reflected light.

The lacy waves are a drumbeat that echo my heart, the breeze blows the tension right out of my bones, and all the while, the birds arc above, masters of the salty updrafts.

The ocean breeze is enough to blow errant strands of my hair back, gently kissing my skin.

A cool draught of air whips over the waves, bringing a taste of the ocean with it. It was...refreshing.

"Eep!" someone squeaked from behind me. I turned around to see Mikasa holding both of her boots.

"It feels weird, but it's sort of relaxing." I remarked. She gave me an awkward smile. I returned her smile.

It was as if she hadn't smiled in the longest time. It wasn't just Eren who had lost his smile. It was everyone, but we're holding on.

I stared as Armin watched the ocean, lost in the rhythmic percussion of waves on sand.

His lips bear the semblance of a smile, just enough to show that he's happy, to show that he had finally seen the ocean he dreamt of when he was just a child.

I moved closer to him so that I could feel his comforting presence, yet I stayed quiet, allowing him to stay lost in the moment a while longer.

Waves came, transient yet always there, rising and falling. They scatter the light, the hue of the water ever-changing yet always familiar, always blue.

How could I not love them as they dance inward to crash on the pebbles?

How could I not appreciate the salty air or the cold caress of the fresh, ocean breeze?

They are stalwarts of this ocean-side life, present, and passing, always the same and never.

I closed my eyes to the lullaby of the ocean.

Every day was nothing but chaos. Every day was filled with nothing but bloodshed. Every day was painful to bear with. But today the breeze told of only sweetness and joy. I stand here content, whole, and happy.

"Armin, that's called a seashell, specifically a conch shell." I mentioned, staring at the object in Armin's hand.

"If you hold it up to your ear, you'll be able to hear the sound of the ocean." I guided him to bring the seashell to his ear.

"You're right...it does sound like it." Armin mumbled, staring at the conch shell in surprise, but his face mostly expressed amazement.

"But how did you know about this? This is your first time seeing the ocean, right?" Armin asked.

"Oh, uhm...actually, Lada visited the ocean. I don't remember much of it. All I know is that Zeke brought her to the beach and gave her a shell when they decided to skip practice." I stated.

"We finally got to see it. It's so beautiful." I commented, changing the topic as I stared into the gorgeous horizon.

"It's just like I said, Y/n. A salt lake so big, merchants could never deplete it even if they spent their whole lives extracting salt." Armin said.

"It was out here all along, just like I thought." Armin began to walk somewhere else, so I followed after him.

"Remember that day I told you? When we finally see the ocean together, I need to tell you something." he reminded.

"Of course, it was a promise we made. How could I forget?" I replied, leaning against some kind of rock.

"What if...what if I told you that...I've loved you for the longest time?" he stammered. I stared at him in surprise.

"Armin...what do you mean?" I inquired, not believing what he was saying. How could you love someone like me?

"I want to spend the rest of my 12 years with you. Basically, I uhm...want to be with you for the rest of my life." Armin mumbled the last part, but I was able to hear it.

"I want to spend the rest of my 12 years with you as well, Armin." I confessed, bashfully scratching my cheek.

He looked up at me in surprise. I could see wind-stirred waves in his ocean eyes.

If one were brave enough to enter their depths, all else would blur and you'd fall so deep in love that you'd choose to stay there, no matter what.

Of that, I'm completely sure.

For some reason, we just stared into each other's eyes, just admiring the secrets hidden inside of it, the windows to our soul.

As we stared into each other's eyes, without realizing it, we slowly began to lean into each other.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked for consent. What a gentleman.

What are we doing? I have no idea, no idea at all. And yet, it felt right, as if this was the right thing to do.

Our lips connected as he rested his hands on my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

In that moment of the kiss, we are in each other's protective cocoon. In the moment of the kiss, we are our pure and vulnerable selves.

In his kiss, is the promise of years and the sweetness of waiting for real love. In his kiss, I am safe...

Finally, after it had felt like hours, although it was only a few seconds, we released from each other's hold.

Both of us panted for air, still staring at each other. My cheeks began to heat up, realizing what we had done.

Armin's cheeks are suddenly kissed pink like a spring rose, the blooming color so cute against his face.

"S-Sorry! I couldn't resist the urge to kiss you. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me." Armin panicked.

"Silly." I chuckled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. He quickly staggered backwards and tried so hard not to stare into my eyes.

The nervous expression on his face was replaced with a frown. He looked guilty...and downhearted.

"Do you find it strange? That someone like me would fall in love with someone as strong as you?" he questioned.

"Armin...it's not strange at all. If you saw yourself in my eyes, you wouldn't be able to recognize yourself with the way I see you." I comforted.

"Your eyes..." Armin pointed out. During that time, I hadn't realized that my eyes have changed during the kiss.

That was the consequences of inheriting the Soaring Titan. Once your love interest confessed their feelings for you, your eyes will begin to change.

My eye color was still there, of course. The only difference is that it would take a weird shape if my love interest appears.

It also happens after I come out of my Titan form. It's strange, but I can tolerate it. I mean, I have no choice but to live with it.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's just what I have to deal with. It happens once the person you love accepts your confession or when they confessed." I explained.

"W-Wait, you actually love me? For real? You're not saying that just to make me feel better, right?" Armin eagerly asked, grabbing my hand.

"Of course I love you, silly." I laughed, resting my head on his chest as I listened to his quick heartbeat.

"We should head back now before they begin to suspect anything or before they leave us." I suggested.

"Let's go back, Armin." I stepped away from him and went back to the others.

"On this side of the wall is the ocean, and beyond that ocean lies freedom. That's what I've always believed." Eren started.

"But I was wrong. The only thing we'll find out there is the enemy." Eren's voice cracked as he tried to get his words out.

Oh yeah...this isn't the Eren we know. It's the Eren he grew to be. The monster he had become.

"Everything here is exactly like I saw in my dad's memories." Eren turned around and stared at us with pain in his eyes.

Although he was looking at us, his eyes landed on me. Armin looked at Mikasa with his conch shell.

"If we kill every last one of our enemies out there, will we finally...be free?" Eren wearily asked, pointing into the distance.

Silence. Everyone was silent. The only thing you could hear was the soft splashing of the waves.

The atmosphere had gone down after Eren reminded us of the thing we wanted to avoid.

We always turn a blind eye to the things we don't want to see. However, how can we turn a blind eye to such thing?

"Who knows? If we kill the enemies, do we really win? If they kill us, the enemy, do they really win?" I spoke up.

"All we have to do is keep moving forward, right? We have to keep moving forward to achieve what we consider as, 'freedom'." I encouraged.

"Actually, everyone is a slave to something. You can't entirely be free, you know? But do we really have a choice?" I continued.

"All we can do now is soar above our enemies and claim what we know as freedom." I declared.

We don't have a choice, now do we?

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