he picked it up carefully, turning the pages in amusement while reading a few sentences or words. the cover was crinkled and faded, the pages as well. armin didn't know what the book was about but he figured it was important to you if you still read something so... old. he wanted to give it back but he didn't know how; he couldn't possibly leave the book in the sand, it would get wet from the waves or someone might pick it up.
but he couldn't give it himself as well.
it already shattered his mind that he allowed himself to stay long on the land while a human was watching him. having no other option, he chose to keep it for now and perhaps give it back without exposing himself. he had no idea how he could do that but it was the least of his worries.
he closed his eyes and kissed the cover lightly before pulling away and smiling; the book wouldn't get wet now if he took it underwater with him. that technique was common to every mermaid, just to keep objects dry if they ever get it out of the water, which was rare.
armin sighed wistfully and turned to look back at the land once more, eyes wistful, before diving under the water and finally leaving to head towards his kingdom.
your footsteps echoed loudly as you run straight to your car, mentally cursing yourself for parking is quite far away. you didn't stop to look back or to check if what you saw was really a fucking mermaid because there was no way in hell were you going to get back.
that male creature captured your attention more than you wanted to admit, whether you think he was creepy as fuck, real, or just a random dude who likes cosplaying. he seemed so terrifyingly real.
seeing one of the mythical creatures up close seemed so surreal, almost like a big dream... and yet his whole being intrigued you just like the great scientist galileo when it comes to the universe.
cartoons didn't even lie about a mermaid's look, he was attractive as hell.
you laughed to yourself loudly and shook your head, you were beginning to lose your sanity at this point. he probably was just another figment of your imagination, a hallucination even.
because there was no way in hell that you saw a goddamn living mermaid.
you yelped as you collided with something hard and solid, pushing you backward that caused you to land on your rear. you yelped at the burning pain in your lower half, looking up to see a familiar person that you bumped into.
"reiner?"
"hey y/n," he greeted with a cheeky smile, "even if i told you not to visit you still did- wait, hey, you're pale as hell. you okay?" he asked while helping you up, worry very evident in his gruff voice.
you blinked and rubbed your eyes, about to answer the blond when you stopped. if you told him about seeing a real mermaid by the beach, he'd probably laugh at you and tease you for decades to come. he wouldn't even believe you.
plus, you weren't even sure if it was real. it could be a product of your imagination, a hallucination because of how stressed out or tired you currently were, or your human eye playing tricks on you. even so, you didn't want to tell him the truth. it was probably nothing, right?
"it's nothing, i just realized the time is all," you answered wearily, flashing him a smile to lessen his worry. it clearly didn't, but he chose not to pester you any further.
"alright, but you should get home now. see you tomorrow, y/n." he grinned and messed with your loose hair before making his way back to his home with a bag of groceries in hand.
who shops so late? only reiner. that dumb blond thinks that shopping late at night wouldn't give him the hassle of waiting. you suppose it's true.
with a tired sigh, you walked towards your car while taking deep breaths to recover all the oxygen you lost while running. that is a workout that i thought i never needed, you thought.
you opened the door with your keys, sitting behind the wheel in silence to reel yourself and collect your thoughts. you looked at yourself from the rear mirror, noting your messy hair sticking all over the place and your tired droopy eyes. with a sigh, you sat up straight and put the keys in the ignition before driving away.
— ❂ —
you hummed a catchy tune as you pack your backpack with binders and pens, double-checking for your items for college later. you pursed your lips and felt as if something was missing. definitely not your homework, or the countless amount of papers, also not your books. both for leisure and college. wait... where was your special book?
panicking, you looked around the living room for it but nothing turned up. you checked your bedroom, kitchen, and even your car but it was nowhere to be found. your heart flailed inside your chest as you wonder where the hell you could've possibly left the book. you gulped and took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself while muttering phrases as you search your room once more.
you could feel tears pricking your eyes as you looked around the apartment. that book, although old, was very important to you. you couldn't lose something so dear, you needed to find it immediately. before you could break down and cry, you thought of all the possible places where you could have left your book.
the last place you held your book was at the beach.
you checked the time and sighed in relief, silently thanking the gods for blessing you with afternoon classes today. you still had two hours before classes start so you figured you could go to the beach and check your book there.
you quickly hopped inside your car and drove straight to the beach quickly without trying to break the speed limit. you parked your car near the beach and got out, squinting your eyes at the bright sunlight from the giant star above. you looked around the beach and took notice of the few people hanging about, having fun with their friends and loved ones on the beach.
you cursed yourself for your forgetfulness. it didn't cross your mind that people do visit the beach, but only during the day, and someone must've already picked it up and either claimed it as theirs or thought it was litter and threw it away.
that did not stop you from checking it yourself. you marched over to the spot you were at yesterday night and found a woman with red hair with yellow highlights sunbathing just near the spot. you looked around the sand, kicking some away to look for the book that might've been trapped under. your attempts were futile so you contemplated whether or not you should bother the woman with your simple problem.
deciding which was best, you bit your lip and blocked the sun for her to take notice of, and she did so just as soon as you stepped up. both of you looked at each other, silent. "uhm, have you seen a book here recently?" you questioned awkwardly, wishing to throw yourself at the ocean immediately when you saw her little scowl.
