𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 | 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐕: 𝐓𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚

Stepping out of the carriage was like stepping into the most opulent alternate dimension. The transcendence tinted your vision so strongly of roses that you nearly missed Mr. Ness and forgot to give him a final goodbye before he departed.

Street lamps chased away the fleeting sunset, leaving cobbled streets bright enough to memorize the stone's every ridge. Carriages and trollies rolled over those same roads while what felt like thousands of people mosied through their lives without sparing you a second thought. You were invisible to nearly everyone–dwarfed by tall buildings and cloaked by busy streets.

Going unnoticed was an experience you were seldom fortunate enough to enjoy in your hometown. You walked through the early evening air without feeling stares on your skin quickly; it became the most exhilarating feeling ever relished. To say you were overwhelmed to the brink of tears with all the wonderfulness before you was an understatement.

While you were invisible to nearly everyone, Jean's calloused fingers that intertwined with yours ensured that you still felt seen as he led you into the most magnificent, massive marble building. It stretched six stories into the sky and loomed over the world with a welcoming authority. You had never seen such a tall building. The largest you had the opportunity to gaze upon was the Freudenburgs family home when you visited for Hitch's party.

If the exterior was awe-inspiring, the interior was even more so: corinthian columns; sparkling lights; lavish red curtains; frescoed ceilings. Men and women dressed in their finest attire chatted, escaped into lavender  light, or loaded trunks onto carts while your jaw hung in disbelief. You should feel underdressed, but seeing as no one cared for your existence, you thought little of it.

"You may want to close your mouth. People might believe you are slow," Jean joked as he led you toward the walnut-wood desk where Armin and Eren waited with all the luggage.

"Let them," you responded without ever fully closing your lips for more than a second. "If being astonished by such grandeur makes me slow, then I will happily be the most dimwitted dunce in the entire world."

Your beloved chuckled and gripped your hand tighter before finally relinquishing your fingers. You were entirely invisible once you were disconnected—nothing more than a ghost in a room full of angels—yet you would have it no other way.

Across the room, Armin conversed with the hotel clerk while Eren stared at the sights that caught your attention with the same degree of wonder. His green eyes traced the paintings on the ceiling, the luggage trolleys moving through the majestic lobby, and the lights flickering from chandeliers and wall sconces. He was so engrossed in all the resplendence that the three pretty women that batted their lashes from a distant corner went unnoticed. The instant one of them beckoned for him to walk over, followed by her two companions giggling beside her, you found yourself laughing with the women across the lobby at your friend's aloofness.

Then, the three women noticed Jean.

You watched as they pulled the same finger wag they used on Eren at your beloved, and just like your friend, Jean was aloof to their advances. Wanting to have a little fun, you nudged his shoulder and pointed to the ladies.

"I think you and Eren have gained a few admirers," you informed him.

Jean followed your finger and scoffed, "And?"

"You should give them a wave. They seem very taken with you."

"Do they now?" he asked. You replied with a smirk, a nod, and a few raised brows, but Jean did not match the playfulness warming your flesh. Instead, he reached for your hand and entwined fingers once more. "This should fix that. I would hate for them to have the wrong impression of us."