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“Here you go,” You handed Gabi her icecream. Today was much warmer than the past few months with winter leaving it now left more time to spend with the kids.
Not that you didn’t want to spend time with them, you loved them all and looked forward to spending time with them. Especially with Zofia set in line to inherit your titan, you knew your time was limited. While Gabi and Falco were competing for Reiner’s. Although you knew this was how it was supposed to work, you hated it.
You hated it so much but there wasn’t much you could do. The Marleyans wouldn’t listen to a devil. “Falco, what flavor would you like?” You asked him.
“Vanilla,” He told you. You nodded your head and went towards the icecream stand to buy another cone, instead of just buying Falco’s, you decided to get Reiner one as well.
Even if he told you he didn’t want one, you knew the reason why he said that. He wasn’t okay, he hadn’t been since you both got home.
You didn’t blame him, life on Paradis was everything you both wished for. The feeling of finally being accepted was something neither of you have never felt in Liberio.
People hated you for something you couldn’t control, your family were Eldians who praised the Marleyans and spent hours drilling into your head that the same race you had been born from were devils that didn’t deserve to coexist.
But you didn’t believe that, you never did. Things were different for everyone, everyone didn’t have your upbringing or moral compass. It didn’t stop the pain it brought you to see the cycle continue with kids once again.
You loved them all and tried your best to protect them but it was no use. They had been brainwashed and drilled into being perfect warriors by the time you came back from the mission.
Once you paid for Falco’s ice cream you handed it to him. “Thank you,” He told you. You smiled, “I’m going to hand this to Reiner.”
Gabi and Falco nodded their heads. You walked away and headed towards Reiner. You saw his back turned to you while he faced the water so you walked around the bench until you stood in front of him. He didn’t seem to have been paying much attention to have noticed thag you walked up. It almost as he was in a trance, escaping reality while lost in thought.
“I got you an ice cream,” You smiled softly and handed it to him. He took the ice cream carefully from your hands.
“Thank you,” He mumbled. You sat down beside him and ate your ice cream. It didn’t take long for both of you to finish the ice cream since the heat was beginning to melt the ice cream.
You turned towards the kids to see if they were waiting for you to go back but you noticed they were both fine and had sat down where they were talking. Reiner looked at you without you realizing, he admired how much you cared about everyone.
It was one of the many things he loved about you, your compassion, kindness, and the fact that your ability to love had never been affected. He wondered how you managed to become such a good warrior and remain untainted by their poison.
Reiner looked away once you turned your head back towards him. “I know something’s wrong and it’s not my business to know but you’re not alone.” You placed your hand on top of his.
He looked down at your hand, you gave the top of his hand a soft squeeze before moving it. “I’m okay,” He spoke softly. You frowned, “It’s okay to not be okay,” You flipped your hand and laced your hand with his.
“You’ve been through enough.” You spoke softly, you had been there to know his suffering. The both of you were inseparable back in Paradis. You cared about him deeply and only wanted the best for him. Everywhere Reiner and Bertholdt had went, you tagged along. Against their will, you told them you all needed eachother to keep safe. As you justified how the boys needed a strong woman to keep them balanced from the high levels of testosterone. You missed those days, the early Paradis days.
Reiner glanced down at your hand, he nodded his head going along with your words but you knew he wasn’t agreeing. “Look at me,” You took your hand guided his face to look at you.
You rest your hand on his cheek, “None of this was your fault, you have amazing kids who adore you. They need you Reiner,” Your voice began to waver, you dropped your hand from his face.
He knew where the conversation was going, you were referring to his suicide attempt you had walked in on. Reiner had begged you to not tell anyone and you promised not too.
You turned the nob and opened the door. Your stomach sank and you suddenly felt nauseous. Reiner held a gun up to his head. It was almost as if time had stopped, “Reiner,” Your voice was just a whisper.
He turned around and faced you. Reiner dropped the gun from his hand as he stared at you, terrified that you had seen him in this state. “Reiner,” You said again but this time your voice wavered.
“I’m sorry,” His sobbed into his hands. You slowly walked over reached forward.
You pulled him towards you, wrapping your arms around his body as he sobbed into your stomach. “Please, promise me you won’t do that again.” You mumbled. Reiner remained silent, he couldn’t promise you something that he couldn’t keep.
“Tell me you won’t do that, tell me you won’t leave me.” You cried out this time. Reiner clutched onto your clothes tighter as he felt your body vibrate as you cried. He was guilty for hurting you and he hated himself even more for that.
“You can’t tell anyone,” Reiner mumbled. You ran your hand through his hair, “I promise but only if you won’t suffer alone, I’m here. Reiner, I will always be here.”
“Don’t leave me,” His voice shattered as he clutched onto you tighter almost as if you would vanish into the air.
“Yeah, it looks like they do.” Reiner smiled as he looked back at the kids. Gabi and Falco appeared to be bickering, it wasn’t shocking. Gabi was far too blind to notice how much Falco cared about her. You wished you could tell her but it wasn’t your place to say anything.
You smiled as the you felt the wind blow the sea breeze your way, the wind tangled and braided you hair. Reiner watched as your smile grew wide, he couldn’t help but smile with you.
The wind slowed down and by then, your hair was tangled and sticking to your face. You laughed as you pushed away your hair but it moved itself back to its original spot. Reiner chuckled with you, he moved your hair behind your ear.
He cleared your face, “Thank you,” You breathed out. Silence washed over as you stared at him just as he didn’t break his gaze away. Reiner placed his hand on top of yours, you looked down and back up at him.
But before you could react, you felt his lips meet yours. Taken back from the kiss you pulled away, his face dropped when he saw your expression. You were shocked, you hadn’t expected him to do that.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“
You cut him off by leaning in and pressing your lips to his gently. Your other hand snaked around his neck and played with the blonde hairs as you kissed him. As Reiner moved his lips in sync with yours, his grip on your hand slightly tightened.
“We wanted to-“ Gabi said as sne approached you both. She stopped in her tracks once she saw you and Reiner. You pulled away quickly, your cheeks flushed red as you hid your face in Reiner’s chest. “I told you.” Gabi pointed at Falco with a smile on her face.
Reiner furrowed his eyebrows as he watched both kids react. Falco sighed as he dug in his pocket. “Pay up,” Gabi said as she waved her hand out to Falco. He fished out a dollar and handed it to her. “I can’t believe you win.” Falco mumbled.
You laughed into Reiner chest as you watches them both. He smiled as he looked at you, neither of you could’ve seen this coming. “We’re going to leave you love birds alone.” Gabi smiled as she tugged Falco away. You shook your head and glanced up at Reiner.
“What are we going to do with them.” You said softly. “Did they make a bet on us?” Reiner asked. He looked off as he tried to register what just happened. “I’m sure they did,” You nodded you head.
You pulled away from his chest and looked up at him. He brought his hands up to your face, caressing your cheeks. Your heart fluttered and your skin burned underneath his touch.
There was nothing you wanted more than to pull him close and kiss him once more. Reiner leaned forward pressing a kiss onto your forehead, you closed your eyes as you felt his lips linger.
“I love you,” He mumbled into your hair as he pulled away. Your head snapped up towards him as you opened your eyes. You hadn’t expected him to say that, you wasn’t sure when it happened or you had realized you harbored feelings for him as well but you knew you always had. “I love you more.” You whispered.
Your heart began to well up, you couldn’t believe it. This was something you would’ve never expected. You had spent your time standing besides him, you had dreaded that all this time he viewed you as a sister, nothing more. But all you knew was that you did care about him, not as a sister did but as a lover. Reiner was careful as he slid his hands away from you, it was almost as if be feared he could hurt you.
Before you could muster the courage to say something else your tears began to fall down your cheeks as your breathing became heavy. Reiner looked terrified as he wiped the tears from underneath your eyes, he feared he had done something wrong. But he hadnt, your heart sank the moment you realized in just one year neither of you would alive. You were subjected to only one year with him.
You hated yourself for not saying anything sooner if only you had known he cared about you as well. Reiner said your name softly trying to gain your attention. You looked up at him, he smiled at the sight of your puffy cheeks before speaking. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked, it was now his time to care for you.
Reiner waited patiently for you to gather yourself and prepare your words. “I don’t want to lose you,” Your voice shook. He knew what you meant, the curse.
“We’ll make the best out of our time, I won’t leave you.” He promised himself that he would devote his remaining year to making you happy. For he believed he owed you for being there and being loving him just as much as he loved you.
Just as you, he hated himself for not acting sooner. Reiner had loved you since you were kids, he always followed you around until one day you were the one following him around. You nodded your head once you let his words sink in, you liked the sound of that.
Spending the short time you had left with him and the kids. You couldn’t have asked for anything more, it was the perfect scenario for the world you both were given.