Despite the big deal we made out of saying we loved each other, not much changed, aside from more frequent displays of affection. It was nice that Berwald was more confident in his actions, sweeping me into his arms for kisses when I wasn't expecting it. He also found out that I'm rather fond of flowers, and had planted a small garden for me. I was quite surprised by the gesture. He was such a smart man though; He could have simply bought me a bouquet, like the people on the television did. But he'd given me something more permanent. I could enjoy the flowers until winter came, and not only that, it gave me something to do while he was away.
He was impressed by how well I cared for my blooms, and he promised that next year I could pick out the seeds that I wanted and grow them myself. I was fine with the ones he'd chosen though. Not many flowering plants grew near the ocean, so I was seeing the majority of them for the first time. I found myself fond of the little white ones, and he said they were called lilies of the valley. They actually began growing little berries after a few weeks, but he informed me, quite sternly, that they were incredibly poisonous, and I should refrain from eating them. I was lucky he hadn't seen the little basket of them that I had picked, and it promptly found a place in the waste bin.
I seriously started to contemplate getting a job. Something simple, anything really. I just desperately wanted to help financially. The longer I stayed with Berwald, the more I realised how expensive I was. I began to grasp human currency, and I was shocked to learn just how much feeding me was taking out of Berwald's wallet. But when I brought it up, he pointed out that it would be hard to find a job that didn't involve any kind of reading whatsoever. Even fast food restaurant employees had to be able to read.
Finally, after searching around on my behalf, he found something that sounded promising. A small pet shop near our house was hiring, and all the position consisted of was dealing with the animals. I went in for the interview, and half an hour later walked out with a job. Berwald was pleased, and he doubled the time spent helping me learn to read, just in case.
My first day was spent learning exactly what was expected of me. I had to feed all of the animals every day, make sure they were doing well, clean out their aquariums, kennels, and enclosures. If someone did purchase a pet, it was my job to get them ready to be taken home. I immediately took to it, loving the chance to spend time with so many animals. And, because of my job, I got to play with them pretty regularly. The bunnies and I had a particularly good relationship. And there was a whole area dedicated to fish, a place I tended to frequent.
The entire part of the store was ceiling to floor aquariums, and bathed in the blue light, surrounded by colorful fish, it almost felt like I was in the ocean again. My coworkers didn't seem to mind that I lingered there, as long as my other work was done. The only other thing I was in charge of was cleaning, and I took care of that quickly, never letting it get messy enough to warrant more than an hour of janitorial work.
After I'd been there for a while, and customers grasped my permanence, they started talking to me. A man named Ludwig came in every couple of weeks to buy food for his three dogs. Sometimes he had another man with him, a very cheerful man with a funny way of speaking. I always helped him carry the big bags to the counter and out to his wheeled-monstrosity.
I also saw Gilbert pretty frequently, as he bought his bird feed from the shop as well. I later found out that he and Ludwig were brothers, when they came at the same time one day. When they stood next to each other and bickered affectionately, I saw the resemblance. I learned that Gilbert was actually the older brother, despite his immature personality. It kind of made me long for a sibling, but it was probably for the best I didn't have one. They probably would have been born with eyes like mine. But thinking on it, my bedmate had been akin to a younger sibling. But that thought only made me that much sadder, so I tried to avoid that line of thought.
Another man, named Antonio, came in for turtle food. He always bought a lot, and I once made the mistake of asking him the names of his turtles, for I knew he must have more than one to require that much food. Twenty minutes and countless turtle names later, I decided it was best not to inquire about such things in the future.
Customers aside, I made friends with another employee, a man named Eduard. He informed me that he wasn't really that fond of animals, but the store was close to the school he attended, and he needed an income to fund said school, as well as his cost of living. Though he had different interests, we became fast friends, especially considering how often our shifts overlapped. Somehow he managed to pick up on my inability to read, and he helped me when it became an issue, which was rare. The nice thing was that he didn't question it. Maybe he sensed that it wasn't something I was keen on talking about.
And the more we talked with one another, the more I realised we had in common. He described himself as a nerd, and I decided the term was appropriate for me as well. He approved of my favorite television programs, and suggested a few that I should watch. I liked his as well, I came to find out. When he figured out that we shared a passion for what were apparently outdated cartoons, he started bringing me DVDs to watch. There were more titles than I could remember, but I was particularly fond of the Powerpuff Girls, and a delightful show about trolls called Moomin.
I was surprised when Berwald walked in on me watching the latter show, his eyes going wide as he joined me on the couch. As it turns out, Berwald used to watch the Moomin show as a child. After some rummaging, he managed to locate some of his old Moomin merchandise, which he promptly donated to me, much to my delight. He must have been large, even as a child, for his old shirts fit me. I wasn't going to complain though.
Eduard thought it was funny how quickly I took to the show, but he too gave me some old Moomin stuff of his, saying he was glad to unload it with someone he knew would take care of it. I assured him his faith was not misplaced, and made sure I was extra careful with the things I'd been gifted with. A corner of our room was now dedicated to the show, a small alter set up. Berwald shook his head with disdain every time he passed it, but he made no move to take it down.
Berwald stopped by on occasion, usually when he had a little extra time for lunch and wanted to share it with me. Most of my coworkers were terrified of him at first, but he quickly grew on them, and they began greeting him when he stopped by, some even striking up conversation if I was too tied up to get to him immediately. I was glad to see that Berwald was making some acquaintances at least, for I was starting to realise that he really had no other friends, myself aside. And I didn't count anymore, for we were courting. He mentioned a Mathias guy from work sometimes, but I never saw head or tail of said man. Not that my fellow employees could really be considered his friends, but they were friendly towards him, which was an improvement.
I now had a lot of things to occupy my time, between my job, learning to read, caring for the garden, and paying attention to my love. But working at the pet shop made me ache for an animal of my own to take care of. I brought it up with Berwald, and, after a few kisses and vehement promises, he agreed to let me have one. With my income added to his, we were more than capable of taking care of something. He drove me to the shop that day, surprising Eduard at the cash register, for I wasn't scheduled to work. I explained that we were customers, and he nodded in understanding. He himself had recently taken a little hamster home, unable to resist its charms.
Berwald had already informed me that cats and dogs were off limits. I had been kind of mad about that, because my first choice was a dog, but he explained that he wanted to start with something small, since I'd never kept a pet before. So, now unsure of what I wanted, we browsed around. I played with the bunnies for a while, but decided they were too messy for my taste. I already cleaned up after them at work, I didn't want to return home and do the same. The same went for the other rodents, though I did consider a particularly fluffy teddy bear hamster. Next on my list was a snake, but the reptiles seemed to make Berwald kind of uncomfortable, so I spared him that one. Birds were annoying in my opinion, too loud for my taste. So that left fish.
I almost laughed, because that was such an obvious choice for me. I knew where each type of fish resided, and showed my favorite to Berwald. They were just guppies, apparently very common. But I thought them beautiful, their long tails like pretty veils. Berwald nodded his approval, and I picked out a lively white one that I actually had trouble catching. Eduard helped me decide on an appropriate tank, then waved us off as we headed home. The fish rode in my lap. I nodded in understanding as it flitted about inside of its small bag, obviously frightened by the small space, the jostling, the strange creatures suddenly handling it.
Berwald started setting the tank up as soon as we got home, and I whispered to my new friend in a bid to calm them down. It was silly, I knew. Fish didn't have enough intelligence to speak, though they did communicate a little bit, if only to form schools and mate. Still, I understood the poor thing's struggle, having been in a similar situation countless times.
Berwald had the tank up and running in no time at all, and I transferred the bag to the waterline, letting the water temperature adjust, as I'd been taught at the shop. While my new pet was warming up, I was left to think of a name. I'd never named anything before, and Berwald was hardly a help, suggesting things like Henry and Mary. I was disgusted by his boring choices.
"Berwald, that's terrible! What if you were named Henry?" I demanded. He quirked a brow.
"Then mah name woul' be Henry." He said, shrugging.
"No, no, no! That's horrible! I don't want to call you Henry!" I cried.
"Then don't, it's no' mah name." He replied simply. I whined in frustration, crossing my arms over my chest with a huff. He sighed pulling his light-up brick from his pocket and tapping it to life. "Come here." He beckoned, drawing me to his side. I tried to read the words on the screen, but could only pick out 'name.'
"What is it?" I asked.
"A name-generator. What are some things ya like?" He questioned. I thought about it, looking around the house for help. My eyes fell on the window, and I smiled as I thought about my garden, just outside of it.
"Oh, flowers! I like flowers!" I decided. He nodded, typing that in.
"Somethin' else?" He prompted. I furrowed my brow again, looking around in hopes of another epiphany. But all I could really find was the plates from breakfast.
"Um, eggs?" I offered. His face showed his skepticism, but he didn't argue, typing that in as well. I giggled, thinking it rather funny that he'd actually taken the suggestion.
His phone loaded for a minute, then a long list popped up. He explained that they were all the two words combined into one, in several world languages. He began reading them off to me, making me laugh at the ridiculousness of some of them.
"Blumei, Kukkamuna, Hanatamago, Fiorequovo..."
"Oh!" I gasped, and he stopped, disbelief already on his face. "That second to last one!" I said, and he looked again.
"Hanatamago?" He asked incredulously. I grinned.
"Yes! That's perfect! Hanatamago! But, uh, we'll just say Hana for short." I decided. He stared at me for a while, but just shook his head. It was my pet, so I had the right to choose the name. I was beaming as I went over to the fish and informed it of its new name. It didn't react much beyond changing the direction it was swimming in, but that was alright, because the name suited it well. She, I decided. Hana sounded like a female name. I knew that the male fish tended to be prettier, but it was pretty much impossible to tell until mating season anyway, so I'd think of her as a girl, whether it was accurate or not. Who was to say that she wasn't a he that desperately wanted to be a she? I used to think like that, wishing I was female so I could find a male mate to protect me. I could still have a male mate, but I'd be expected to take care of myself.
But Berwald didn't follow that standard, always making me feel safe, loved, taken care of. I beckoned him over, lacing our fingers together and getting up on tip-toes for a kiss. He smiled, returning it easily. He pushed my bangs aside, pressing kisses from my forehead, down my nose, across my cheeks, to my chin, then he finally gave me another on my lips. I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck and letting him support some more of my weight. He took it easily, his hands finding my waist to help with the balance.
We just stood there looking at each other for a while, small smiles gracing our lips. Then he swung me gently, spinning me around. I stumbled a bit clumsily, but he didn't let me fall, walking me backwards a little before spinning me again. I laughed gleefully, realising we were dancing, and tried to mimic his steps to the best of my ability. I wasn't any good, but being whirled around was delightful.
"Berwald, there's no music!" I pointed out, and he shrugged.
"Do we need it?" He wondered, and I nodded.
"Yes we do!" I said, firmly. I thought about my options. There were some music channels on the television, but turning one on would involve separating from Berwald. I opted to provide the music myself, opening my mouth and letting the less familiar Mer language spill from my lips. The longer I spent talking with Berwald, learning new words, learning to read, the more I felt I was forgetting of old Mer. The words I sang were simple, child's speak. Other Mer would be appalled, but I didn't mind as much as I should. The only thing I used the language for was singing anyway.
Berwald adjusted our pace to match the song I was singing, slowing down to a gentle sway. I smiled as the melody fell away, and he pulled me in for another round of kissing. Even after we'd separated, he kept our foreheads together, our noses squished against each other, eliciting a chuckle from me. He suggested I release Hanatamago from her baggie prison, and I did, letting her swim into her much larger tank. She took a moment to get used to her new surroundings, but was quick to claim her favorite hiding places. I was glad she was making herself at home, and I quietly promised to get her some friends when I thought Berwald wasn't paying attention.
He made his way to the kitchen and began dinner. I decided to check on my garden while he was busy with that, coming back just in time to wash the dirt my fingers had collected off and sit for dinner. Berwald made sure to remind me, several times, that I was responsible for feeding my new friend, and not to forget, or she'd die. I rolled my eyes, reminding him, several times, that I was not stupid, and that I worked at a pet store for heavens sake!
He finally let up, doing the dishes himself to make up for pestering, allowing me to catch a couple episodes of the Moomins before he beckoned me into the bathroom. I was confused by this, wondering if he needed help with something, maybe a pipe had broken. But there was nothing visibly amiss when I went inside. It was strange of him to have brought me here; we both showered in the morning, and separately at that.
He was already red in the face, so I could guess where he was going with this. Berwald had a shyness about himself that I could only assume was natural in humans. I, having not worn clothing in the ocean, was a lot more comfortable being bare before others. But I didn't mind Berwald's modesty, it only made it more of a treat when I did get to see the usually hidden skin. He drew a bath, and I began undressing immediately, him following suit, though at a much slower pace. However, he seemed relieved that I'd understood what he wanted without him having to say it. I waited for him to get in first, then followed after, slipping into the water on the other side of the tub, positioning myself so that I could rest my back on the lip of the porcelain and face him. I situated between his legs, the tub not really big enough for the both of us, forcing me to curl my legs against my chest. I didn't mind it though, at first anyway.
When it became a little too uncomfortable, I turned around, scooting back to rest flush against the front of his body. I think the appropriate term for the position is 'spooning.' He was flustered, but didn't push me away, eventually calming down enough to wrap his arms around my waist and hold me. I sighed, stretching out as much as I could in the small basin of water.
"So, any occasion?" I wondered. I felt his chest rumble with a bit of laughter.
"Nej, Ah jus' love ya." He replied simply, pressing his lips to the crown of my head. I giggled.
"That's enough reason for me." I decided, stealing one of his hands from my waist and tangling our fingers together. "Oh, thanks for letting me get a fish." I added, realising I hadn't yet thanked him properly. He shrugged, I felt it.
"Jus' take care of it." He said, bending his neck at a rather awkward angle to reach my cheek and plant a kiss there too.
"I will, promise." I swore, rolling my eyes because he'd brought it up again. Did he really think I was incompetent?
"Sorry, Ah know Ah'm pesterin'. But Ah think it'll be a good indicator of if you'll be a goo' parent." He explained. My mouth fell open in surprise.
A/N: Before you guys get mad or something, keep in mind that This past week was... Dun dada daaa: JeanMarco week. And, much like EreMin week, I couldn't not participate. It, like, isn't even arguable. My love for that precious freckled dork will never allow me to not participate. I only ended up getting seven prompts this time around, as opposed to the fourteen of EreMin week. But my fills were a lot longer for this one, by a few pages. If you want to check them out, I have them posted on here. Just go to my profile and click on the story titled "Love Me Dead." And then one of my prompts earned itself oneshot-status, so it's under "Love Distance Long Affair." I might turn it into a chaptered thing some day, after I finish this story and What Lies Beyond the Walls. My next obligation after Violet Eyes is to start posting the NSTAC sequel that is very late in coming. When I finish WLBTW, I think it'll be safe to start posting another SnK fic. So we'll see.
Anyway, sorry for the tardiness, but here's the next chapter. Something of a cliffhanger, right? I tried anyway! I hope you guys are ready to hold your breath for a while, because I'm sick as a dog, and it's actually pretty hard to type right now. I sleep most of the day when I'm sick, so I'm basically out of commission for a few days. I'll be working when I'm awake though, if that's any consolation.
Alright, I've much to do, including getting better! Hope you guys liked this chapter, despite its shortness, and see you next time!
KuroRiya
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