#Reiner Comfort

[strawberrybuni]

WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING

Characters: Levi, Hange, Eren, Armin, Erwin, Mikasa, Reiner, Jean, Annie, Sasha, Miche, & Yelena Summary: You've been struggling with your mental health, and your lover is here to make it aaaall better CW: LOTS of comfort, fluff, this touches on a lot of depression related things so pls keep that in mind in case that's triggering! A/N: request complete! I hope you enjoy and just know you are loved and I hope this brings you and everyone comfort :)

[shingekinomyfeelings]

too much, not enough (Reiner x gn reader; hurt/comfort)

swf. unspecified setting/timeline. ~450 words. mild warning for depictions of depression

Reiner finds you in a vulnerable state and offers an assurance.

notes: I wrote this after a nasty fight with someone left me feeling like a POS, because I guess this is the kind of thing I wish I had someone to tell me when I'm fucked up. It's super short and I'm pretty sure I was crying my eyes out while I wrote it, but it did make me feel better, so I hope it does the same for someone else.

Reader is gender neutral, and this could easily be either canon universe or an AU; it's up to you, friendos.

Originally published March 2023.

You’ve been staring at the wall for longer than you realize, curled on your side on the bed, wrapped in an air of listlessness and lethargy. That’s how Reiner finds you, as he has before, and he doesn’t need to see your tired, reddened eyes to know that you’re struggling again.

He makes his voice soft – as soft as he’s able, anyway – as he calls your name, and you respond with a delayed lift of your hand before you let it flop back to your side. Reiner crosses the room and clambers onto the bed to lay curled around you as best he can.

“Hey, dove.” He tugs you against him and rests his chin on your shoulder, his stubble scratchy against your skin, and you can feel his voice rumble in his chest as he asks, “You wanna talk?”

You’re slow to speak, knowing that when you do, the tears will start flowing again, and reply haltingly, “Do you ever feel like... you’re somehow simultaneously too much for everyone, and not enough for anyone?”

Reiner blinks, considering how to answer the question. He could tell you, and he’d mean every word of it, that you’re never too much for him, that you’ve always been enough, but he knows as well as anyone can that simply telling someone that their self-loathing assertions are wrong doesn’t really make them disappear. So, after a brief pause, he answers honestly, “Not as often, since I’ve been with you.”

You take a deep breath and try to steady your voice, but it still comes out as a half-whimper, “Sometimes I don’t understand why you put up with me.”

“Hrmm…” Reiner tucks a few errant strands of hair behind your ear and out of your weary face. “Same reason you put up with me?”

You can’t help but sound borderline offended as you reply, “But I don’t ‘put up’ with you, I love you. Even when you do make me aggravated now and then, it’s always been worth it for all the other times I have with you.”

He very gently raps his knuckles against the top of your head, his voice still soft. “So, same reason, then.”

This brings on a fresh wave of tears as you reach to take his hand in yours and press your lips to his fingers, trying not to tremble or cry. He kisses your jawline and intertwines his fingers with yours to give your hand a tight squeeze. “You can cry if you need to. I’ll stay here.”

And then all you can do is let yourself cry softly, until the tears slow and the sound of his breathing lulls you into a rest.

And outside, you can hear birds singing...

[keischreiber]

Canonically, I feel like Reiner is the type to be apprehensive about using pet names for his significant other. He doesn't know when would be a good time to do it, would his partner like, is it something they'd prefer over calling them by name. Personally, I think he likes the way your name rolls off of his tongue. How something that, to him, was just a random name before but now holds so much meaning. Because it's your name.

Reiner is quite observant by nature so I think he's the type to watch people in passing. How maybe, walking through the streets of Liberio, he listens to people's conversations. Catches how couples seem open to such monikers and wonders just how he can also try it out.

Does he need to be casual about it and insert it into conversations; or should he just wait for you to bring it up, asking why he never calls you anything sweet or romantic. Reiner, I feel wouldn't want to upset you by calling you a particular pet name that you didn't like. So, I think he'd casually bring up a conversation that allows him to fish for some information.

He could site how people are so open about their relationships, and that he couldn't possibly do something like that. Trying to get a reaction out of you. And hopefully you'd question him about it so he could ask if you liked that sort of thing to, had any terms of endearment that you liked.

He knows that it shouldn't be complicated, but he's a man who has been met with so many rejections and disappointments that the last thing he wants is to disappoint you too, or be rejected by you for a simple mistake. He thinks about your comfort more than his own, because he feels it's the best way he can get his feelings across.

Maybe he thinks about it too much and just, during one of your busy mornings, it slips absentmindedly from his lips. Called you something other than your name. How naturally it left his lips that it caught you by surprise.

"What did you call me?" You'd ask, dumbfounded. And then he realizes that he slipped, possibly fucked up. God, his anxiety is setting in. You can see the discomfort on his face and hear him ask if you hated it.

Which you don't.

So his face lights up, obviously relieved that he hadn't disappointed you for being to comfortable. He can be silly at times, despite being each other's significant other, he's still so careful; afraid of risking your disapproval even if you've talked to him about things like, you're not always going to be on the same page at the start, but that doesn't mean you'd love him any less. That despite differences, love will always be present. He understands this, but sometimes, it's hard for him to wrap his head around it.

Then, you ask him, pulling him from his train of thought: "What do you want me to call you back?"

And he's stunned, always, that you were so considerate about him too. Giving him a choice, when majority of his life, he was given none. That the choices he made had put people in danger; that the only choice he could afford was the lesser of some evil. But you, you openly gave him a say, showed him how valid his points could be, how they make sense without endangering anyone. He appreciates you so much for it.

"Reiner. Just Reiner is enough." He tells you.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how sweet terms of endearments were... he wouldn't any form of it, coming from you. But if he were to choose, he'd want to hear his name roll off your tongue; given life by your voice.

Because for so long, to him, "Reiner" sounded like an obligation. His name attached to too many painful things. Responsibilities that he could never forgo, wrongs that could never be erased, a tool that was used over and over again, something that brought people he loved pain...

... but with you, it's different. His name felt like it meant something more. Something that wasn't as cursed as he initially thought. Something that was meant to be said, and cherished. Something that, when he hears you call for him... felt important, held significance—had meaning.

If it's you saying his name, why would he settle for a name that everyone already uses for everyone else?

[averysmolbear]

CW: This features a female or afab reader. There’s talk of their menstrual cycle and all that that includes (albeit not graphically or anything). There’s maybe a pet name or two in there. Reader and unspecified “boyfriend” are both adults in this scenario. It’s also an established relationship with the reader and their boyfriend living together.

A/N: I wrote this because I’m going through it right now and it’s cathartic. I won’t be offended if anyone passes on reading it because of the subject matter. I didn’t include any specific character as the “boyfriend” in this and any characters I tag for it aren't the only characters that you could replace “the boyfriend” with when you’re reading this. I just tagged some of my faves and a few others.

You really should have been prepared for this. You knew it was coming, even if you couldn’t always time your period down to the day. Usually you stocked up in the days before you assumed your period would start but this month you had been so stressed that you hadn’t been paying attention.

You didn’t notice all of the usual signs. Sure, you were maybe a bit more emotional than normal but with everything going on lately, it was easy to assume it was just the stress piling up on you. You dealt with bouts of insomnia regularly as well so that didn’t even register as a sign of what was to come.

Now here you were, laying in bed, curled up in the fetal position — or as close as you could get to it — as you felt the cramps kicking your ass. They weren’t always this bad but this month was clearly not going to be kind to you. You weren’t in tears but you certainly weren’t looking to move any time in the near future.

The problem was that you kind of needed to get out of bed. You moved slowly, uncurling yourself, as you moved to sit on the edge of your bed. You could hear the tv on in the living room but you missed the sound of your boyfriend’s footsteps as he made his way down the hall to pop his head into the bedroom.

“Hey, babe?”

You looked up and forced a smile. After all, you didn’t want to be a bother. You had dealt with this sort of thing for years now. You didn’t want to make him deal with it too.

Your skin, however, was paler than usual and there were dark circles under your eyes. Your boyfriend had noticed you tossing and turning last night which is why he let you sleep in this morning without trying to get you up when he got up. But it was getting later and he had only wanted to see if you were hungry. Now, however, he was worried.

“You feeling okay?” He walked over to sit down next to you on the bed, wrapping an arm around your shoulders when you rested your head on his shoulder. “What can I do to help?”

You looked up and could tell he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. You shrugged and when he nudged you gently, you sighed, giving in.

“I just want to curl up on the couch,” you finally said. “Can you help me?”

His brow furrowed and without you asking, he scooped you up and carried you into the living. He carefully set you down on the couch before standing in front of you with his arms folded across his chest.

“What do you need?”

You started to shake your head but he frowned and you know that putting up a front wouldn’t work. “Can you grab me a glass of water while I run to the bathroom?”

He nodded, already piecing together what might be going on. He watched you until you disappeared down the hall and then he got the water for you as well as some of your favorite snacks, making sure there were more sweet than savory options for you.

When you got back to the living room, you had changed into a pair of his sweatpants, drowning in them but comfortable. He smiled softly and handed you the water and gestured to the table filled with snacks. You softly laughed before taking a couple of pills to help with the pain and swallowing it down with a couple of sips of water.

He pulled you close so you could rest against him while you stretched out a bit on the couch. He handed you his phone, already opened to a delivery app.

“It’s almost noon. Pick something for lunch,” he explained as you looked up at him. “Whatever sounds good to you. And if you need me to run to the store, I can. Whatever you need, okay?”

You nodded, your attention drifting to the phone as you felt your boyfriend press a soft kiss to the top of your head. After picking something to order, you handed the phone back and snuggled in as much as you could, the warmth of your boyfriend’s body helping to soothe some of the pain you felt.

He rested a large hand on your stomach, slipping it innocently under the bottom hem of your shirt. As you glanced up, you saw him looking down at you with a light blush on his cheeks. You happily sighed and scooted just a bit closer to your boyfriend.

You might not feel the best right now but at least you knew he didn’t see you as a bother today. And hopefully a lazy day at his side would help as well. You knew he was going to spend the rest of the day pampering you but today, of all days, you were going to let it happen because you knew you needed it today more than ever.

And sometimes it was nice to be reminded that you weren’t a bother and that your boyfriend would move heaven and earth to make sure you were taken care of.

[harventheblorbo]

headcannons of the aot boys comforting their gn!S/O!

Summery: Eren, Levi, and Reiner find their significant other crying on their shared bed.

Note: I'm trying a new format and tumblr is acting weird for me so I apologize if it looks weird 😭

Warning: Maybe ooc?? Possibly

Eren

He would be so worried whenever he hears you sniffling beside him and see you shake a little bit. He wants the best for you and it aches his heart to see you such in a vulnerable state. He wants you smiling all the time.

He would call your name or just a random nickname that he choose for you out first to see if you were crying in your sleep while having a nightmare. But when he realizes that your awake, he immediately sits up.

He asks what's wrong while he places his hand on your shoulder. He wants you to know that he has your back and you can come to him for support at anytime.

When you flip over to look at him, you see his worried expression. You sit up a little bit more and start to rant to him about what's been going on. You pause for a little while trying to swallow the lump in your throat. He's expression softens and starts to craddle you in his arms with your head on his chest.

He hates to see you in pain. He would see the world crumble rather then to see you cry. He loves you so much, he will legit do anything to bring your hopes up.

He asks if you want to watch a movie with him to help you calm down and forget about it. When you say yes, he would grab all of the snacks and hold you as the movie goes on as you fall asleep in his arms.

Levi

I think it's already kinda obvious that he gets nervous when it comes to comforting. He was never really shown comforting when he was a child so he ends up just teaching himself how to comfort others.

Whenever you two are in bed and he hears any sign of distress, he immediately picks up his head and looks for any sign of danger, when he realizes that there is not any sign of danger, he turns his head towards you.

He tightens his grip on you and asks what's wrong and if you want to talk about it. He might seem cold but he does care about you. A lot actually. He wants the best for you at all times.

When you answer, he's listening as he rubs your back or starts to play with your hair and removeing any tangles if any. He wants the best for you and makes sure that you feel loved at all times. Even if at times he may not know how to show it.

He asks what you want to do. If you want to just be held, that's what he will gladly do until you both are back asleep.

Reiner

He immediately gets worried when he feels how cold it is next to him on his bed, which completely washes away how groggy He was from just waking up. He sits up and sees that your on the edge of the bed with your hands resting on your face while you sob.

Reiner crawls over and wraps his arm around you from behind. He feels awful whenever he sees his partner cry like this, especially while he is asleep. He feels you tense up but then realize that it's just him.

"What's wrong baby?" he would ask with his groggy voice. He wants to know so he can help. He feels bad for everything that he has done in the past, so he wants to help as much as he can.

When you vent to him about what's been bothering you, he sits there silently as he listens as you hiccup between sentences. His heart aches in pain when you vent and he could almost feel his heart swell up.

He asks if you want to go to bed again and when you say yes, he pulls you back to bed and then quickly leaves for a breif moment and comes back with water to help you calm down.

When your done with the water, he sets it on the bedside table and crawls back in bed with you and tangling your twos legs back together.

[petallidas]

Traitor

[medli-komali]

I've been enjoying Attack on Titan fanfictions lately, but there's one character that I feel is consistently misrepresented or made too OOC for my taste - Erwin. Whenever I read fanfictions where Erwin has a starring role, I find that he's one of two things...

One, cold hearted / emotionless if not just plain cruel. I feel like this is such a misunderstanding of him as a character. Yes, he makes some difficult decisions, many of which result in the death of many. But taking away his compassion altogether misses so much of who he is, especially the Erwin we get to know in Season 3.

The second pet peeve of mine is less aggravating, but still just not the vibe I'm looking for when I want to read about Erwin Smith - writing him simply as the knight in shining armor. He's so often portrayed as this perfect gentleman to a boring degree in fanfiction, particularly when he has a romantic role in the story. We lose any nuance, any inner conflict, Erwin's natural independence, etc. and are left with just this attractive but boring man. To me Erwin would be much more interesting (in a romantic setting especially) if we wrote in those conflicts and struggles that we saw him deal with in the anime/manga in some way.

Take two of my other favorite characters for example - Levi and Reiner. Levi without his stoicism or his dry sense of humor is just not Levi. Reiner without some semblance of insecurity or inner turmoil (past or present) also feels shallow and OOC to me. I see people consistently writing these two characters well (yay!), exploring the intricacies of who they are in different settings. So why do they so often get to shine in say, hurt/comfort fics for example, but Erwin never seems to?

If you have any recommendations for Erwin fics that you enjoyed, particularly that delve into his character a little more, please do let me know! And if you're an aot fanfiction author this is just one fan's request for an engaging, thought-provoking, but still lovable depiction of Erwin.

For the sake of discussing what has become one of my favorite series, I'd love to hear from you if you have another character or characters that you feel are often misrepresented or not portrayed how you'd like them to be in fanfiction. Nothing turns me off from a fanfic more than having a character that's recognizable in name alone, and I'm sure a lot of you agree with me there, even if Erwin isn't one you've noticed like I have.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! 😊

[marcobodtlives]

[shat-on-the-dick]

GIRLS, find yourself a man who can do both!!

(or rather, find yourself a Reiner)

Low effort drawing of an idea I couldn't get out of my mind

Edit: WHY WONT THIS FUCKING THING APPEAR ON THE FUCKING TAG

Also, I found a faceclaim for Pauline! (Under the cut)

[kakavashka]

Everyone LOOK at these Jeanboo and Little Rei stands I finally hunted down today, they're so cute I'm actually going to throw up. (Wanted keychain versions like my Bby Erwin, but I've never seen either as keychains and had never even come across the Bby Jean stand before, so I GRABBED 'EM)

Honorable mention 2 this lil rubber strap Reiner I ALSO found at long hellish last. Look at him. Lil man looks like he has a tummy ache 😭 It's okay bbyboy, Jean will kiss it better 🥺

[naeisscore]

Preview

"Never planned that one day, I'd be losing you" [Reiner Braun x reader]

Inspired by Katy Perry's the one that got away

content warnings: angst, hurt no comfort, modern au, high school sweethearts, songfics, war, death, strangers to lovers, lovers to strangers, regret

Summary: On one hot afternoon, right after high school during the start of your summer break, you met the popular Captain of the Baseball team, Reiner Braun.

word count: 10.5k

A/n: not proofread, posted this on 2019 tumblr and wattpad (using a diff pseudonym) and I decided to reposted it again

♡ ㅤ⭒⠀♡ ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ⭒⠀♡ ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ⭒⠀♡ ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ⭒⠀♡ ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ⭒⠀♡ ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ⭒⠀♡ ⭒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ⭒⠀♡

[twpsyn-who]

Today on "Another JeanMarco Soulmate AU absolutely no one asked for" I present to you -

Soulmate AU in which you stop seeing colors when your soulmate dies, the only exception being your soulmate. Now cue to Jean who just found Marco's, his best friend's, body. And you know, there's the shock of finding out Marco's dead. The pain and confusion and guilt. But there's also the revelation, because despite everything he can still see Marco like nothing took place at all- yes, half of his face is missing and his body is straight up lifeless, but Jean can still make out the color of his eye ; see that light shade of brown perfectly, remember all the times he has found himself looking at them while listening to Marco talk. He can still make out the colors of his uniform, see the same shade of black his hair has always had, practically see. Despite being dead, Marco was the only piece of color left in his life.

And there's denial for a moment because there's no way Marco was his soulmate. But that goes away fast, getting replaced by guilt. By the fact that he hasn't been there to save him, that Marco has to die all alone without anyone being there for him.

And that was worse than the simple fact that he could no longer see colors ; because Marco was there when Jean needed him, but he failed to do the same. And not only he lost his best friend that day, but his other half too.

[shingekinomyfeelings]

I wrote this to make myself feel like less of a miserable fuck, and I'll be happy if it does the same for you

reposted here

[keischreiber]

Reiner can manhandle you. Sure. But the question is, will he?

[mishimaontheflipside]

Make My Mind: A Halloween fluff

a halloween reiner x f!reader modern au

It's Shocktober fest, autumn is in the the air and reader invites a self-conscious Reiner Braun along for a spooky evening of fun at a Horror Farm. She's always liked him but never known where their friendship stands. When things don't go according to plan, she tries to see the positives, hoping to get Reiner out of his shell and not read too hard into his glances.

Suggestive themes, swearing, angst and pining; mostly just fluff, flirting... tension . My attempt at some cute Reiner interactions, or I hope they are. He sure needs them. A lil early for Halloween...Inspired by the song Make My Mind by Screaming Trees

7.0k words

......

“You sure about this?” Reiner muttered hands buried deep in his pockets as he took in the prying eyes of the demon before him. It was rather hammy. Barely grazing his pectorals with its yellowed latex talon, hissing in what was more likely delight; setting off a rather involuntary eye twitch on Reiner’s otherwise reserved face. Carved in marble, all of him; maybe that was what the demon had noticed.

I had.

Snorting, I ushered the ridiculous costumed being off and shook Reiner’s shoulder, my fingers brushing the wool of his collar, fighting the urge to squeeze the taught muscle under my grip that was swathed in the flattering dark denim of his jacket, “We only just got in. You want to deprive me of a Halloween Horror Farm? Me?”

He glanced down at me, his spell (or stare off) with the demon-thing broken at my touch. His mouth pressed into a firm line, towering over me and striking a broad, intimidating figure. Yet I spied a softening around the eyes.

They were such warm eyes; made the whole evening really hard to keep platonic. I had promised myself that much. This wasn’t a date. We had never used the term. Just two friends hanging out, behind their other friends back at a Shocktober Festival on a functioning farm.

For some reason it felt like we were up to no good when we hung out alone like this. Or I did anyway. If Reiner thought of me more than friends, he wasn’t explicit about it. Certainly not in comparison to my stupidly obvious vibes… we liked each other’s company. That should have been enough.

And the others could be so loud. So rare as the occasion was, I had to bask in it, never pushed for more.

Reiner’s eyes were a colour worthy of being ignited, even now as I witnessed the caution in his gentle gaze. I wanted to be the spark; it was just that I didn’t know if he was after one.

“Maybe you’ll regret wanting that. Here’s your chance to run.” Reiner nodded behind us, to the gate.

I wished he was joking. I knew that as lightly as he tried to pass it off, he meant spending time with him; fucking moron. I asked him, “From you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, watching as a Michael Myers-esque character sidled by to annoy an oblivious flirting couple.

“Thought so,” I tugged at his sleeve until he dropped his arm down, “You said ‘yes’.”

“Because you asked.” He said it so plainly, a matter of fact.

My heart skipped a beat but I battered down that delight, “Funny that; it’s almost as if I wanted to come here with you.”

Now my heart was going to explode – goddamn Reiner was smiling. It never failed to knock the wind from me when he did that, even more so when I was the source.

Reiner nodded, “Well, I thought everyone else had said ‘no’.”

I feigned outrage, “To me?”

His chuckle rumbled; I could feel it in the air between us, in the ground beneath our feet. Shit, he was quaking my world, and it took all my power to hold on to it, not to miss a moment.

“Boo!”

That was the hockey-masked face that had appeared before me, catching me before I could blurt out how beautiful Reiner was.

I screamed.

Reiner’s arm shot out in front of me, a thick guard against the assailant.

This was no play actor however. Otherwise it would have been highly unprofessional for them to be joining in the raucous laughter of the group of college students behind them, also in hockey-masks. Out of character too; I was pretty sure that they weren’t supposed to be collaborating with the customers.

“Hey!” Fear quickly shifted to rage and Reiner’s defence of me was more from me, forced to keep his arm steady, even as I clawed at it, “You little shits. Why don’t you drown in some lake? Huh? Or maybe Mama will do it for you-”

“Okay,” Reiner grumbled, resisting me with some struggle, “Very specific with the threats.”

The laughter rippled louder and the hockey-masked fiend patted his arse for me to kiss it. It was embarrassing really, that I could recognise him when he turned around; the long-long on top, clipped on the sides hairstyle, arrogant wiggle of his great, yet unbearable, arse.

“Porco?” I squeaked.

This just set them off louder.

Reiner dropped his arm, stumbling away from me a little, “Porco? Oh shit, what are you doing here?”

Even as he said it, as Porco pushed the mask off his face to reveal that dreadfully smug smile, he was followed by the rest of the group. The others, who were loud and annoying and totally invasive, were now all there. We should have suspected.

Bertholdt towered above everyone, and removed his mask rather sheepishly mouthing an apology in Reiner’s direction. Colt was there too, grinning, just happy to be a part of the fun. Totally shameless. Pieck flung her hair out as she removed hers, coming up behind Porco to squeeze his still dancing, obnoxious butt – it wasn’t official that they were boning, but no one voluntarily did that to him, so it had to be true.

When Zeke shook free of his own mask, he handed it to a passing girl, ruffling his hair and beard into shape before they had a grip on it. Then he lit a cigarette.

Reiner blinked, “Should I be running?” This he said to no one in particular.

“You didn’t invite us?” Porco smirked, grabbing hold of Pieck’s wrist playfully, chiding her bullying – the squeezes had turned into pummels of his cheeks - directing the question our way, “Can’t remember the last time I saw you outside of the classroom, Braun.”

Reiner blushed, shrinking in his large way. To those who didn’t know him, they would not suspect such recoil. It was a rather subtle change, yet he seemed to be disappearing inwardly. He ignored Porco.

Bertholdt was shifting uncomfortably still, locked in some silent admonishment from Reiner. So I answered, “Didn’t think this was your scene, Porco? I mean, you live each day like a horror show, right? What’s new here?”

He guffawed, “Rich coming from you. You don’t usually piss yourself when you see me.”

“Not that you know of,” I snorted.

Pieck jabbed at us both with her free index, “You know you both just admitted some questionable stuff just then.”

I buried my head in the crook of my arm, and suppressed a scream. They were so freaking annoying. When I peeked from behind it, Reiner was looking at me, half amused, half baffled. And there were his soft eyes… The little creases. I could swear that he warmed just for me, hoped it was the case.

“Where’s Annie?” he asked, breaking eye contact with a shake of his head, pointing his question towards Pieck.

“I’m not her keeper.” She huffed.

Colt chimed in, “She’s at her dad’s for the weekend.”

“Her dad’s?” Reiner’s brow furrowed, “I thought he lived overseas now-”

“Deflection,” Porco shook his head. At that, Reiner feigned a little backhand, a why-you-little kind of gesture.

Zeke clapped his hands, cigarette dangling from his mouth “Well, it’s not about where we start, but where we go from here,” He wrapped an arm around both me and Reiner, pulling us close to him; a strong whiff of Reiner’s cologne disturbed in the motion leaving me a little light-headed, “The night is young and full of terrors.” He squeezed my shoulders, “Or lacklustre whimpers.”

When I scrunched my face up, he blew a little puff of smoke out of the corner of his mouth like a tea kettle and mock-pouted back.

“You guys are tagging along?” Reiner sighed. I couldn’t give him the stink eye, what with Zeke’s luscious locks and magnificent height blocking my view, but I’m sure he felt my psychic protests.

“How very kind of you to ask.” Zeke patted us both and released, leading the way towards Chainsaw Maze. Well, I knew it was by the punctuated metallic clang of a chainsaw and the ripple of screams beyond that followed.

Porco puffed his chest out, slinging an arm around Colt and Pieck, mimicking and not quiet nailing the effortless alpha-ism of Zeke before him, “After this, I want candy apples.”

She grinned, tugging at his finger, “With extra razor blades for you.”

Colt frowned, looking between the two, “You wouldn’t, would you?”

Bertholdt still hadn’t said anything. Reiner prodded at his arm, “You hate horror parks.”

“I tried to stop them, but they already bought the masks…” He pleaded, glancing at me, “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head, “Not your fault?”

Reiner and Bertholdt exchanged another look. What was going on with them?

“And we don’t own the place, do we Reiner? Glad to have you along.” I patted Bertholdt’s elbow, and side-by-side, we pursued the others. Until I felt a little resistance, on the end of my coat. Turning, I saw Reiner gripping the hem.

Not that he said anything, simply fell into step with me and, a little behind Bertholdt, we followed the rest, united in our disturbance of the evening ahead of us.

I felt high as a kite still. What Reiner could do to me.

---

The Chainsaw Maze was a success, I guess. It conquered us as intended. Halfway through we had somehow split up, just as the maniac herding us through had wanted all along. In panic, it was Zeke who I found myself clinging to in pure terror, his swagger exchanged for knee-buckling. But, I distinctly recalled linking frightened arms with both Bertholdt and Reiner. Pieck was counting us off, having made it out first unfazed, puzzled by Porco’s sudden absence, having crept in eagerly together.

“Hmm, I wonder how much motor oil they must get through with that thing.” Colt pondered, offering a visibly shaken Bertholdt a sip from his water bottle.

Of course, the last to emerge were none other than Porco, illicitly spent and breathless, hanging from Reiner, pale to look upon as they stumbled free. 

I covered my mouth to disguise my bubbling snickers. Reiner was shoving Porco aside, but when he met my gaze his frown cracked open. He laughed. It was only soft, and he dipped his head, inspecting his feet, utterly self-conscious, hiding the momentary shine from his face.

They did not let us rest. Caught before I made to reach out for him, forgot that I had never been so frank like that, I was glad I suppose that I was hindered from exposing my gravitational pull towards his frame.  Yet I couldn’t help but resent, even just a little, the way they tumbled on him as they considered the next amusement. As though they were frightened he would recede. Their clutches keeping him in place. But there I stood, keeping my distance, for the same reasons.

Next up was the Horror Hay Barn ride. It was just a tractor, pulling a sheep wagon kitted out with seats; for sheep did not perch like us. Yet funny how bestial and base I felt rounded on board. When I sat down, Zeke was opposite me. But before the tractor pulled off, spotting the free seat beside me instead, Pieck on my other, he slunk into that.

“Eww, who said?” I frowned.

He nodded, “This way I don’t have to look at you.”

I giggled, shoving him.

Reiner had been beside him, but with little hesitation, shuffled up so he was opposite me. Hands clasped in his lap at first, he smiled. It faltered as the monstrous vehicle shuddered into action. Bertholdt grabbed Reiner for support.

As we ploughed over the uneven dirt roads, pale-garbed figures snuck about the treelines, popped out from behind the shrubbery. The story was that there was a secret lab in the basement of the old farmhouse, with long-forgotten failed experiments haunting the dilapidated land. The professor, thought long dead, had been rumoured to still work on his devious creations. I didn’t know why we needed to be on a tractor for it.

The themes were all over the place.

A figure, one of the test subjects, scurried alongside the wagon, trying to grab on. I reeled away, as Pieck tried to push me further out.

Reiner kicked my boot after the ordeal was done, arms crossed firmly across his wide chest, when Pieck had found something to pick at Porco over – if I was mistaken, I could have sworn that she was comparing him to one of the more nervous, lacklustre monsters peeking around the tree.

Zeke almost looked like he was dozing.

Colt was forcing Bertholdt to watch, laughing all the while.

“You okay?” He mouthed.

I nodded.

He looked tired himself, drained by the attention of the others. I pointed at him, my own question.

He simply smiled. It wasn’t an answer.

---

I was certain I felt Reiner’s hand brush the back of mine at the stage. A time warp was being recreated with a crew of pumpkin dancers, strange gyrating rather uncomfortable to endure in their bright orange costumes and toothy, bulbous-headed gleams.

Maybe it was that the audience couldn’t comprehend what they were seeing; many looked as though they had been there all evening throwing back the local brewed cider, vibing with the spooky atmosphere. Just going with the flow, accepting the trip; for me, much of the dance was further proof that themes were a creatively restrictive construct. That had to be why...

I glanced down at my hand, the contact brief but scorching against the chilled skin. His hand was right there, hanging beside my own, his other holding a paper cup of cider. I bit my lip when I noted that his cheeks were little flushed. He’d only had a sip.

Colt swayed to the music with Pieck, holding their cups up like lighters at a rock concert, Porco mimed grinding the air behind her, imitating the dance up on stage. Even Zeke was tapping his foot.

I stepped closer to Reiner, not that there as much distance to fill. The heat of his large body radiated from his frame.

All I did was glance up, but he was already looking down at me. I wriggled my head in a little groove. He shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. Bertholdt and myself had ordered hot – lukewarm - chocolates, not quite seeing the appeal of what may have been a rather potent moonshine.

And then he offered me a sip.

I could still smell his cologne; it clung to him even as his own masculine smell lingered beneath it. The smell of his soap, the fresh detergent on his clothes, the bitter tang of the alcohol; I was practically pressed up against him, as platonically as I could be, inhaling it all in. I pretended it was the crowd, sparse though it was, convinced myself that I was not bold at all, only cautious of others. Knowing what I did, that I could feel the shape of him through my clothes, it meant that he would feel me too. I was already drunk on him.

Still, I took the cup. His long, thick fingers grazed my own, and I allowed my imagination to run wild as I drank from it, staring up at him as he watched. Waiting for my opinion.

“Good?” he smiled, eyes dropping to the cup and then back to my own. He didn’t just look at me. The way he saw me, with caution, waiting for something. Maybe rejection, but brimming with hope? My chest ached. Some people were always waiting to be hurt. If I could make that go away…

I nodded. Tart on my tongue, I disguised my expression as he took the cup back.

It was his hand that snaked up my arm, the one I was certain had brushed my own. It traced lightly the shape of forearm, my fleshy tricep before the wide expanse of his palm pressed between my shoulder blades, absently rubbing the spot. Yet I could feel the tug. The one that was pulling me closer to him.

From this angle, the whiskers of his facial hair looked darker. I wanted to run my hands though his fair hair, pull his face down to mine, feel the bristle of his scruff on my skin. The cider was really strong.

“Ugh!” Pieck cried, covering her eyes.

We jumped apart.

“In public?” Colt shook his head, half-hearted though the statement was.

My heart pounded in my chest, I had to avoid looking at Reiner. I was sure he was doing the same.

They weren’t looking at us.

A few others in the crowd were tutting, stepping aside from a couple locked in some manic embrace on one of the picnic tables.

“Zeke, do something about your brother,” Porco shook his head in disapproval, but failed to stop his own sexy dancing.

He was the only one who could do anything and even then Eren, his brother, was a lot to handle. Mikasa was totally into that right now. They were moments away from full contact.

Zeke said nothing, threw back the rest of his cider and handed the empty cup to Bertholdt before lighting another cigarette. Then he made his way over.

Reiner and I exchanged glances. He covered his mouth and turned away, the tips of his ears a bright red. I could feel my own cheeks sting with the flush of heat, patted them with my cold hands to drain the colour out of my face. The cider couldn’t have been that strong.

Eren was yelling at Zeke. They were all hands and gestures.

We moved on once Zeke relinquished the keys of his car to Eren, apparently a trade; if they left before they got kicked out, sober though they were, they could use his car for whatever… brothers were a breed of their own.

---

We went to other amusements; the arcade was horror themed too. Pieck and Porco were too large for the helter-skelter yet went down together. They did almost get us kicked out. And Colt was far too violent with whack-a-zombie.

A VR of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the twenty-first century followed that, and a bonfire in which we witnessed a witch’s coven summon the dark spirits. The demons from before made a reappearance and Reiner and myself both rolled our eyes. They chose one person from the crowd to ‘sacrifice’, which happened to be the most frightened and hard to miss; Bertholdt. He was ready to piss himself.

“Serves him right,” Reiner muttered.

In the gift shop, the others had been lured with the promise of all sorts of sweet treats. This was where they had bought those masks; other than food, there were breakable toys and elaborate costumes and accessories on sale at reasonable prices. I rummaged through the masks, irrationally excited by a pretty authentic Freddy Kreuger get up when I noticed Reiner and Bertholdt, heads bowed close muttering amongst themselves. Bertholdt tapped Reiner’s shoulder, as he shook his head.

Typically, they were interrupted. It was Colt first, holding up a bag of chocolate honeycomb with ghost faces painted on them to Reiner. Then Porco sidled over, sucking on Pumpkin shaped lollipops, gesturing at the checkout, the empty wrapper and finally his emptier pockets with a dramatic shrug. Was he the one who maxed out on the masks? It seemed plausible. Pieck waved a basket of treats and that was all she had to do to make her point.

They pleaded, like kids. And Reiner caved so fast, bemoaning each of them, raising his voice when Pieck went to add pinwheels to the already heavy load. He herded them to the checkout, rubbing his furrowed brow, his other hand on his hip altogether looking like a troubled doting father. He wasn’t mad, I could tell.

I bit the inside of my cheek when he caught me watching. Reiner grinned at me.

That night they had turned up and thrown off whatever it was we had planned. But I could see it. They wanted him there, to be there with him. This was no harassment or extortion in jest; I think they had missed him more than they could say. Were they exploiting his wallet? A little. But one thing I knew about them, they would do a lot for him.

Reiner kept to himself a lot, even in groups. Had for a long time. This strange routine, the smothering of attention and love, the demands and the clinging; it was all to be seen, to be felt. Beyond that, they wanted Reiner to know that he was all of those things. It was what I had hoped for, what I couldn’t alone give, didn’t believe I could.

I was relieved.

And a little lonely.

Zeke shuffled beside me, rattling a bag of jelly eyeballs beneath my nose. When I turned to him, acutely aware that I had been staring at Reiner too long, he was smirking. With a wriggle of his eyebrows he handed one sweet to me and strolled out of the shop.

---

There was one event we had put off. Porco had said it was best the later we did it, when less people would be going in and the real ghosts would come out; the Ghost Hunt through the pumpkin patch. I reminded him that if ghosts were real, they wouldn’t stick to his schedule

“You think we’re gonna see real ghosts?” Pieck asked, regret fogging her expression at who she had chosen to hook up with on the sly. Or so I guessed.

“I can’t do this anymore, please let me go home.” Bertholdt whined.

The queue wasn’t all that long but it was harrowing for the poor guy. His requests were denied, and we were rushed through by weary workers, checking their watches, then a mock greenhouse where we were handed cheap flashlights and regular goggles – Zeke tutted about hygiene - and out into the actual vegetable patch owned by the farm.

Bloody bold of them considering how potent the cider had been earlier. They were strewn about the place, magnificent large pumpkins and squash flourishing amongst their vines and disturbed soil.

Colt kicked one of the pumpkins Reiner had crouched beside to inspect (I hid a giggle at that too, he looked so serious), lightly with the side of his foot, “They’re fake!”

Pieck cheered, “We solved the mystery.”

A whistle blew, “Hands off the props!” It was the crew, a girl younger than all of us but far more done with life.

Porco pointed an accusational finger back at them, “You’re hiding something! Is it an ancient burial ground under these props?” How much had he drunk?

She waved her walkie-talkie at us to warn us to settle down, or she would call for our removal. We had made it so far, it was not worth it to throw it all away over a plastic seasonal vegetable. Back to the path we were.

Bertholdt had found a little comfort with Colt, who had no interest in the ghost hunting aspect of the evening. Leading them away from the cast hiding behind various garden ornaments in pasty makeup and fade-out rags to look at the other faux foods, he was the antithesis of fear. Pieck and Porco were making Zeke walk ahead of them. They weren’t scared, they kept saying, only making a human shield.

That left me and Reiner. Again.

There was no more cider to make us heady, or music to sway to, no promise of a night to unfold, no privacy at all really. But I could feel him fill the space beside me.

“Here,” He held out his arm like it was change, or a bottle of water I‘d asked for, and not the muscular limb that I wanted to grab every day and hang from like some wild being “If you need to hold onto something. Could get spooky.”

I eyed it sceptically. In the lowlight, Reiner’s angles were daunting. That marble, Adonis thing was really working for him even as his ghost-hunting goggles were bushed back at his hairline, messing with his do. I was seconds away from mussing it all up. Mine had been hanging around my neck, too tight to wear, clattering against my necklace. “I thought you wanted me to run from you earlier,” I said.

He sighed, pressing back the smile he wanted with the hard purse of his lips, “The grounds uneven.”

“I’m not scared of falling.” For him I was.

“Maybe you’ll get cold.”

“Hmm, a multi-purpose arm. What more can it do?” I grasped his arm and held it up like I was inspecting the sturdiness of a footstool, “Do tell.”

The corner of his mouth curved up and he sniffed, “I suppose it can do a fair bit more.”

I wanted him to show me what more it could do.

Even as he said it, he dropped his arm, regret flooding his brief easy-going mood; like he had gone too far. Like he stopped before he felt caught.

Earlier, it had been easy. Before they had gate-crashed and reminded me of everything beyond the two of us, platonic though we were; now I could not forget every reason why it was best I never crossed the line with Reiner. His heart was big and aching; so little could knock him back. I wanted him to come back out, not force him to expose his soul anymore.

“Having you with me, I’m sure it will keep the ghosts away.” I nudged his side with my elbow. Disappointed though I was, I forced myself to keep it light.

A white, flowing cast member scurried from one corner to the next and we both shone our light on it, “Was this worth waiting for?” Reiner groaned, unimpressed.

“Porco seems to think so.”

They were having fun, I could see them creeping and peeping behind the scarecrows, pointing with excitement at ‘ectoplasm’ which was 100% duck poop; even as Bertholdt was ripping his hair out, clutching his chest, having a breakdown on the spot. The screams of delight from them were unusually wholesome.

“Is this enough horror farm for you?” Reiner whispered, leaning down, his arms crossed.

The only thing scary was how jealous I was. That the others were so candid with their affection with him. That he was right there but I didn’t know what to do. Was frightened of his recoils. The others made it easy, made me wonder that if Reiner really, genuinely thought of me as someone he could… like, that they would be okay with it.

Watching the way that the unofficial Pieck and Porco clung on each other, playfully teased as though it was nothing, the way Eren and Mikasa were so shamelessly into each other, the way Annie and Armin walked hand in hand with such ease towards the corn field-

Wait.

I wasn’t the only one who saw it. Reiner’s mouth formed a little ‘O’, like a guppy.

And she spotted us too, because Annie was about to make a dash for it. Porco yelled, making all those (including the ghosts) jump in the surrounding clearing, “You’re dad got shorter, huh Annie?”

“Armin? Of all the…” Pieck trailed off, marching after them.

“Shame on her!” Colt grinned, following in her direction, Bertholdt hanging on as his flashlight trembled in his hand, barely comprehending the latest unfolding event, on his heels. Zeke pulled up the rear and in no real rush. A plume of smoke billowed above his head as he lit yet another cigarette.

I wrapped my coat closer to me, tucking my hands under my arms, like a straight-jacket. We were left alone (bar the staff) and now something hung on to us, an ellipses from earlier. I wanted to say a whole lot of different things, but all I could think of was, “Should we follow them?”

“I don’t want to.” He sighed.

I shook my head, “The peace and quiet is kind of nice.”

“That’s it,” Sheepishly, he glanced down at me, “I always find that when I’m with you.”

What could I say to that? He stared me down for as long as he could before dropping his head again. The ground was very interesting, had been all night. With a scuff, he kicked at some loose dirt with his toe.

My heart was dropkicking my ribs, my head was telling me not to read into it and yet Reiner had a way of pleading for me to accept him. I was so ready to hold on with all might. But what was I accepting? What way could I and not get hurt or hurt him? What was on the table?

And he was looking again. Forcing himself to, “I mean it.” He said.

Fucking hell.

Beyond, the cornfield was rustling again. Porco’s loud voice bemoaned that they couldn’t catch up to them.

Reiner didn’t say anything. I heard a sharp intake of breath from him, was about to turn to see if he was okay but was grabbed, his strong hand wrapped around my wrist. Before I could blink, he was dragging me into the towering corn in the opposite direction, just as the others were emerging; they didn’t notice our departure.

Reiner followed the guide of his torch, and I trailed behind, finding the burst of adrenaline pumping through my veins propelling me through some rather embarrassing ragged breathing.

When we slowed down, we were flanked on all sides by stalks, forced into a pocket, our bodies once again moulding in the air between us. I shifted awkwardly, bent double, clutching my knees wheezing but grinning like an idiot, almost smothered by the large leaves cocooning the corn. He barely broke a sweat. Yet his chest heaved, rising and falling in what some would have found almost pornographic. I was some.

“What was that about?” I giggled, giddy and dopey and terribly unsure if I had any right to feel those things.

His fingers laced behind the back of his head, arms up and biceps flexing beneath his sleeves. Lower than that, a peak of skin flashed as his shirt lifted; of course that would have been incredibly revealing too, some heel-knocking kind of miracle teasing through.

And then he said, “I’ve wanted to do that all night.” He pounded the air on the last words, sucking in the night air.

I swayed on the spot.

Still all breath, he was holding back a smile again, turning a little from me to hide his face, “Was that okay?”

“To drag me into bushes?” I snorted.

He faltered, “I guess this wasn’t what you were hoping for when you invited me here. Look, I should have said something sooner, maybe I’m jumping the gun- After all this- I shouldn’t have said anything- I’m messing this up.” He was deflating quickly, his own adrenaline was receding. I could see him thinking, the cogs clunking around his pretty head; it needed to be stopped.

“Yo, Reiner.” I pressed my palm to his heart, “I got to spend time with you and I think I got to see you happy.  I miss- we miss you when you’re hiding away but today all I saw was you being here with us, present. That was all I wanted today.”

He stared at my hand.

Yep, I knew it. I had overstepped. Not very platonic…

“I was glad when you only asked me.” He murmured, covering my fingers with his own, skin burning mine. “Those guys are such morons. Without you, maybe I would have dipped early… In the end, I was glad that I had you- I mean, that you were here… Thank you”

I gnawed on my lip, considering the little facts I was hauling together. Presumptions were my enemy. “You and me,” I flapped the minor gap between us, “So, do you ever think about it? About more?”

His shoulders slumped “Yeah, all the time… And it scares the hell out of me.”

I shuffled closer, contemplating once again, “More than the Chainsaw Maze?”

He flashed his teeth in a wide grin, shaking his head, “For sure.”

“Can I show you something that scares me?”

The air was still, we could not hear the staff or our friends, the rows of maize stifling all sound, engulfing us deeper in whatever this was. I trembled; the temperature was dropping on this autumn night, yet the heat from his body hit me in rhythmic waves. His breaths were deep. Sultry even as his Adams apple bobbed.

The nod was minute.

I dared to touch his skin, my fingers trailed up his neck, whispering along his stubble, tracing his broad jaw before cupping his cheeks. On my tip toes, I strained just a little.

And I kissed him. Catching his full lip between my own, it was just a caress. Velvet smooth and better than I could have imagined the shape of him with my own was a perfect fit. His jaw twitched as he relinquished beneath my gentle touch.

I kept it brief. When I pulled back, I examined his face. We were holding our breath; I was still.

When he kissed me, it was firmer. With his whole body. Wrapping me tight in his embrace, large hands pressed firm against my shoulders and spine, his lips were hungry, I could feel the power all the way in my toes. His rock solid abs, his firm hips, strong arms robbed me of strength and I let him hold me.

My hands had found a way into his hair, pushed the goggles off his head. Our breaths were so heavy, the wet sound of our kiss filling my ears, I never heard it’s gentle thud on the earth beneath us, joining the torches we had abandoned some time ago.

Teasing, his tongue brushed my lips. A moan escaped me.

Reiner drew back. Swollen and wet, I couldn’t take my eyes off his lips, even as they hesitated to form words, “This…”

“Exposure therapy?” I murmured, “I don’t think I’m fully cured though.”

He chuckled, “I don’t think I ever will be.” He dipped his mouth to mine again, “I’ve been waiting for this too.” This time our tongues did meet. His teeth nibbled on my lip

Hands began to roam, following the curve of my waist, firm on my hips. His had never felt so large until they cupped my arse. Of course, I had untangled from his roots, snaked my fingers beneath his jacket and revelled in the heat of his skin through his shirt, warming my hands, feeling the impressive form beyond. I was yet to brave his butt; I had enjoyed it plenty of times as one would an impressive sculpture,  but I would just about keel over if I finally got my fill of it.

Besides, the groan that rumbled from him shuddered through me. I’d made him do that… I wanted to hear more of his noises.

Reiner pulled back again, “This okay, then?”

I whined, “Christ. You think it isn’t?”

“I’m just checking.” He nipped on my cheek, the corner of my mouth, my jaw, my chin. His tongue snuck out when he placed a kiss on my throat. Lower down, his fingers were teasing the hem of my t-shirt, could feel the rough pads of his finger tips on the bare skin. “Do you think we would have done this if the others hadn’t turned up?”

I was practically purring, his kisses were so sweet, “Probably not. I’m not too sure how this even happened.”

“About time though.” His hands returned to my waist and he leant back. It was a little like being shoved off the magic carpet ride. Eyes roaming my dishevelled clothes, taking in my face; it must have looked different. I felt like I had engorged, that every part of me throbbed beneath his touch. His inquisitive eyes, the way he stared at me, I may as well have been naked “I’m gonna wake up tomorrow, and still think I’m dreaming.” His fingers, idly, squeezed the flesh of my middle, “I like you a lot.” He crooned.

“I should hope so.” I traced the hollow of his collar bone, “Let’s do this.”

Reiner nodded. It was probably the biggest smile I had seen that evening, the first he let out full-throttle. I wanted to see it every day.

“I love when you do that.” I said.

“What?” His brow furrowed.

“Beam.” I placed a kiss on the dimple in cheek,

“I’m not sure I can keep it up.” He was blushing, one of his hands shooting up to rub at his face, masking my discovery.

“Not asking you to. I’m not asking you to be anything other than you, Reiner. Good, bad, moody or hyper… sensible or stupid. I want all of it; I’ll take whatever you’re offering.” I took the hand and grazed the knuckles against my lips. “You’re okay Reiner. You know that? Don’t change.”

He was on the brink of protest; his eyes were darting sideways, even as he held me in his arms. Freeing the hand, I held his face again, caught him in my stare, “Please? I like you so much. Believe me. Otherwise I would be saying all of this to someone else.”

This time when he kissed me, it was soft and restrained. Each brush of his lips slow, savouring, an inch from bruising; I could taste him all day; “Let me be yours, If you’ll have me.” He said against my lips.

I nodded.

“MAYBE THE GHOSTS GOT THEM!” Porco was yelling somewhere not too far away. More and more I was associating him with those ridiculous dogs that bark at the window when postal workers walked by.

“I’m sorry about them. I really am.” Reiner grumbled, resting his forehead on my mine, “I can’t tell if their timing is impeccable or dreadfully off.”

“Why? We can’t control what they do.” I shrugged, reluctant as I wriggled free of him. He huffed as I did. In the end he held my hands in his, swinging my arms. “You know though, it was kind of weird how they knew where to find us earlier.”

“About that…” He took great interest in the motion he made.

I quirked a brow, “What?”

“Bertholdt dropped the ball there.”

“But he only tried to stop the prank right? How would he know about us meeting up?”

“I told him.”

I pressed my lips together. I didn’t expect Bertholdt to have loose lips but his resolve was on the weaker side. All they could have done was ask where Reiner was and he would have spilled the beans rather than lie. His sweat could have screamed the truth to be fair.

“He kept telling me to tell you how I felt.” He said. Well, he’d also confided in him too. Poor Bertie wasn’t really one for secrets. I could barely hide my glee at the thought of Reiner talking about me, though. Bertholdt suffering was not in vain, if just for this brief delight.

“-but what if they have? Then who do we call?” Porco’s grating voice was booming ever closer.

Zeke replied, “Whatever they’re doing, it’s not paranormal.”

I held my hands up, guilty. “Hell, I can’t scold you for that. I should have said something, too. Who am I to talk?” I snorted, just as Pieck began the opening lines the Good Witch sang to the Munchkins.

Reiner squeezed my hand, “They’re so annoying.”

I agreed. “They miss you.”

“I know.” He chewed on his lip, thinking to himself.

I tugged him along, behind me, my turn to lead the next steps, “Come on, let’s really shock them.”

He glanced at our joined hands, and smiled a wicked smile. Before he let me go anywhere, however, he tugged me back. Cradling my jaw in his delicate grasp, he kissed me, sucking briefly on my bottom lip. His thumb brushed my chin before he let go again.

The peace was officially ruptured by Colt and Porco carrying on the chorus to the rest of the Munchkinland song. Bertholdt was protesting, not loud enough to hear much. I was certain I even heard Zeke tell them to pack it in.

We gathered the torches and Reiner’s goggles and weaved through the corn, making a complicated way around their approach.

Were they shocked when they found us hand-in-hand? Not really. But they were crapping themselves as we finally jumped out. We had darted about, relishing in teasing them, rattling stalks and throwing pebbles; recreating the menace of our favourite horror films. Reiner even managed an impressive gurgling noise.

Porco had to wipe tears from his cheeks, soothed by Bertholdt who for once wasn’t frightened; he stared to the sky above and thanked some silent entity, the burden free from him at last. Nothing would scare him again; he had no more secrets to keep. Screw the ghosts.

Pieck was crouched; head buried in her arms, muttering about how unnecessary it was of us to get them like we did and Colt… well he patted his chest, “Phew! No missing persons reports for us!”

That was some good payback.

Zeke smirked, noticing as our fingers quickly entwined with one another’s when our hysterical laughter subsided, “Called it.”

“It’s where we go from here, right?” Reiner shrugged, tugging me closer. Zeke rolled his eyes and I stuck my tongue out.

For disturbing other customers, recklessness, and ruining the attractions… we did get kicked out, eventually.

......

Hope you enjoyed <3

[oxygenbefore1775]

summer daytime nap with my blorbos

but mostly with reiner