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hatsue-exe · 2 years

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spring kisses.

reiner x reader, 2.6K words.

gabi and falco can't stand the tension between reiner and his oblivious crush, so they decide to do something about it. when it fails, it's reiner turn to try.

warnings: she/her!reader (no body description, but reader is ref. to as miss/she/her). set after the timeskip, but before the eps of season four. reiner's depression and ptsd are mentioned.

Spring and its festivities, once again, arrived at Marley faster than Reiner could have predicted. Even though the days seemed to crawl through him, dragging his thoughts along with the tortuously slowly passing hours, the seasons had still changed in the blink of an eye.

He laid in bed, looking out the window at the blossoming trees, the crushing weight on his chest contrasting with the soft colours around him, the sounds of happy chattering seeming to mock the threatening silence of the guilt in his guts. It had been four years since he returned from Paradis, and yet he hadn't managed to escape the memories eating him away from his family and friends. Sure, Reiner was now a hero that got smiled at and waved at in the streets. People would send all kinds of delicacies and trinkets to his house as a way of showing their gratitude for fighting those dirty, foul demons on the island. His mother would even find the eventual love letter shoved in the baskets, but he never cared for reading them. No amount of well-intended words could suppress the sins he committed.

And you knew it.

When he first arrived back, you weren't there to cheer him and the other warriors along with the rest of the people. Instead, you chose to give him some space to settle in and came to see him during the night after dinner, knocking on his window as you used to when you were kids. You smiled at him, a bouquet of yellow tulips and white camellias in your hands. He helped you in, his heart racing and his tongue heavy.

"'Hey, Reiner. I know you must be super tired, but I picked up a few flowers earlier and thought you might like some. Just a little welcome back gif—"

Your words got cut out as Reiner threw himself in your arms, hugging you tightly. He had grown quite a bit, engulfing you with his body, but he felt just like the boy you befriended so long ago. Rocking on your feet, you rubbed his back and hair. Under the candlelight and surrounded by your comforting presence after a day of being pushed around and smothered by the town's folk, Reiner broke down.

"He's gone. I left him. I left him."

Berthold. Gossip spread like wildfire about those that didn't make it back. You heard your neighbours cussing out the devils for taking the Colossal and Female Titan from the army, about what a terrible loss it was to Marley's war power. And you got mad, sure, but not at the same people they were. How could no one think of how the others were feeling? How was the war the first thing in these people's minds, instead of those who had just lost their loved ones? Instead of the rest of the warriors that saw their friends get snatched away from them?

Dawn had come up by the time Reiner slept, but you stayed by his side, not wanting him to wake up alone. You turned that into a small routine: every once in a while, you'd take him flowers, mostly white and pink roses, since he grew fond of those, and then he'd hold you close and rest better than ever, even if it was just a quick nap before you both went back to your chores.

Of course, you thought you were being sneaky, despite it being clear to everyone around how much you're mere presence brought Reiner into a state of contentment. He would find ways to see you through the days, although his cornucopia of duties kept him occupied. Even when he promised to spend time with his younger cousin, he somehow (and supposedly unintentionally) walked towards the general direction of where you lived or worked.

"Ugh, if you're so in love, just confess it to her already!" Gabi groaned after Reiner had seen you from afar and started smiling like a damn fool — as he usually did. The older Braun blushed, stuttering to find a way to retort.

"What would you know about love, kid?"

"Not much, but I don't have to when you look at her like that! Even dumbass Falco sees it."

Reiner didn't have an answer.

He also didn't deny anything.

Those words stayed with him, though. And he started holding you a little tighter, started noticing how soft your lips were against his skin when you gave his stubbled cheek butterfly kisses. He was, inarguably and without a doubt, in love with you.

And, sometimes, when you lulled him to sleep and lingered close to the corners of his mouth with your own and when he heard your breath hitch when his hands held your waist to help you steady yourself, he fell under the impression that you might love him too. As fast as these observations surfaced, he was twice as fast to dismiss them. How could you love him, knowing what he did? How could you ever love him after seeing all the ugly, weak parts of him? Fuck, there were days he could barely get his ass out of bed to eat something, days where the images of the children and friends that died because of him would have him sobbing his eyes out. How dared he aspire to your love when he could barely take care of himself?

"Reiner, dear?" His mom's voice pulled him out of the stupor of memories. "Gabi and Falco are here. They want to see you!"

"I'll be right there!"

Reiner washed up before going to the living room, Gabi immediately jumping at him.

"Reiner! Have you asked her?"

He frowned. "Asked who and what, kid?"

"Miss (y/n). Have you asked her to the fair? It's tonight." Falco concluded.

Ah, yes, the little fair that happened every spring at the small park the eldians in Marley had. Inviting someone to go with you was almost always the first step into a relationship, an unspoken tradition amongst the younger generations. He got asked a few times but politely denayed. "Too much work, I'm sorry," he justified.

"Are you going to ask (y/n) out, dear?" His mom chimed in. Before he could respond, she started chattering: "You two make such a lovely couple, and I'd appreciate it if you could give me some grandchildren. All of you have grown up so fast! I miss having little kids around the house. You were a handful, of course, but it was so worth it, you'll see!"

"Mom! Grandchildren?" He gasped, blushing at the thought of a cute, chubby baby that looked like the two of you but also thinking back to an argument they had a few months ago. Karina asked if he had someone in his heart and encouraged him to do so, claiming it'd do him good and maybe give her some babies. Things escalated quickly, and she ended up shouting about not wanting to be alone when the Titan's curse inevitably snatched him from her. "One thing at the time, ok?"

"Yeah, he needs to grow some balls first and ask her out."

"Gabi, language. Also, shouldn't you be worried about your training instead of my love life?"

"My training is going great. I don't have to worry about it. Your love life, on the other hand..."

Reiner sighed, used to his cousin's bluntness but not in the mood for it. "I have to go to work. I'll see you all later."

He kissed his mother's forehead and left. Karina, in turn, went to the kitchen to mind the house chores, upset about her son's denial. She knew she had gone too far, but god, anyone with a single functioning brain cell could see how madly in love you two were. Her son was not stupid. The reasons why he was acting like this were beyond her understanding.

"You shouldn't have said that, Gabi." Falco scolded her softly.

"You didn't help at all! I should've asked Udo to tag along."

Falco gasped. "Well, I'm not sharing my plan to get him to ask her out then!"

"Ha! As if you'd have a plan."

"I do."

"It's probably dumb."

"It is not!"

"Doubt."

"I'm going to send (y/n) flowers on Reiner's name with a note asking her out, and then I'll just say there's an emergency at the fair and they need him, so he'll go, and they'll work it from there!"

"What emergency would you even make up?"

"I... Well, I haven't gotten to that part yet."

"See? It's dumb! But, lucky for you, my friend Falco, I'm here."

Gabi smiled, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. 'Oh no', Falco thought as she explained his very own plan back to him.

Later, while in your job, a postman came to give you a bouquet of roses, red roses. "You're one lucky gal! My daughter tried to talk to him, but he never even spared her a look." Frowning over the weird comment, you took the flowers and read the small card that came with them — the card the postman had read as well, you realised, as it said in a bit shaken cursive: "I hope to see you at the spring fair. Reiner."

Your emotions were in overdrive. Did Reiner really mean this as you were reading it? It was obvious you were head over heels for him. The only reason you hadn't confessed was out of wanting him to heal first. You knew how scared he was because of the war, and the last thing you wished was to add to his already constantly overwhelmed heart.

"(Y/N)!" Your boss screamed, and you carefully put the flowers away before going back to work, your mind lost in what you would be wearing later.

Later, Reiner walked out of a meeting that had gone about as bad as all the others. The setting sun painted the sky a pretty rose colour, and it made him think of you, of the warmth you brought into his life. Maybe his mom and Gabi were right. A small voice in his head whispered about how you'd never like someone as broken as him, how you'd leave, how he'd be alone again. But didn't you see how broken he was? And hadn't you stayed?

So, he changed his usual path.

He went to the nearest flower shop.

And Falco, who was supposed to attract him to the park, couldn't find Reiner for the life of him. When he ran back to Gabi, desperately fumbling over his words to explain why he was late and alone, you had already left, trying to convince yourself that something must have held him back at the quarters, but hurting nonetheless.

You were getting ready for bed, crickets and cicadas shushing away your sad thoughts when someone knocked on your door. Reiner stood there, holding a trio of white roses, a shy smile on his face that soon disappeared when he noticed your swollen eyes. "(Y/n)? What happened?"

You laughed through your nose. How could Reiner think bringing you some more flowers would fix that he left you waiting for him for hours, watching as other couples danced away under the wooden gazebo? Did he think it wasn't a big deal to fill you with hope, just to empty it of you?

"Reiner, I'm not sure I want to see you right now. I understand you must have had your reasons to skip our..." You cut yourself. "To skip the fair, but..."

"The fair? What are you talking about?"

"Reiner, I'm talking about the invitation you sent me! The red roses?"

"What?! I didn't send you anything!" His brain made a quick connection, and he cringed. "Can I see this invitation, please?"

"My folks are sleeping. Wait here while I fetch it." You walked in and came back with a bouquet and a card. He took them, counting the flowers before anything else. 13. He sighed, looking at the small note and closing his eyes in frustration.

"(Y/n), I didn't send you these. The calligraphy here? It's Gabi's. She has been bugging me to ask you out, but I never imagined she'd resort to this type of thing. I am sorry. Besides, I've learned some things about giving flowers in my time away, and thirteen roses mean eternal friendship. That is not what I feel, at least not at all."

"Reiner..."

"I know you can't talk much here, so would you like to go to my house? My mother went to my uncle's. I could make you some tea, and we could talk. If you want, you don't have to!"

You took a deep breath. "Lead the way, Reiner."

Back at his place, Reiner made the two of you some warm tea and guided you into his room to have some more privacy, even if it was only the two of you. Only the two of you. Gosh, that thought alone sent the butterflies in your stomach into a frenzy.

"I'm sorry again. About Gabi."

"It's alright. She's just a kid after all."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't been acting like a coward for so long, she wouldn't have felt the need to do that." Reiner put his cup down at the bedside table, hand reaching shyly for yours. "I can't even put in words what you mean to me. Your support these last years is what keeps me going. Seeing you happy keeps me going. Knowing that even with all the things I did, you'd somehow be there for me at the end of the day is what keeps me going. I want to give back some of what you've given me, some of the comprehension and affection. I want to give you my love, (y/n). If you'd take it."

Reiner kept his eyes at your hands, fearing, waiting for the inevitable rejection, for the confirmation of his worst fears. Instead, your fingers intertwined and squeezed his.

"Rei, look at me. Please." So he did, and your soft smile shined something so bright inside his heart that it burned his insecurities away. "I want nothing more than to be loved by you, Reiner. As long as you let me love you too."

"I'm yours, do to me whatever you want." He whispered, eyes tearing up.

"Don't tempt me, Rei." You two laughed, leaning into each other. His other hand cupped your cheek. His voice was low, deep: "Can I kiss you?"

"Please, Reiner."

And his lips were on yours, at first just a brush, as if he was making sure you were there and this was real. Then a feverish crash, his hands quickly moving on your body to bring you impossibly closer to him, onto his lap, tongues exploring each other's mouths until his mouth ventured to your neck. His stubble tickled you into squirming away a little bit, a sigh leaving both of you.

"I should shave," he said into the skin of your shoulder. You pulled his face to look into his eyes, so much adoration inside them you wondered how much was his and how much was a reflection of your own.

"Don't. I like it. You're just gonna have to get me used to the feeling".

To prove your point, you kissed his jaw, moving his chin in your hands to cover every piece of his face with appreciation. He chuckled, basking in the attention.

"I can do that. I can definitely do that," Reiner pulled you to him again, the fresh breeze of spring and the smell of the night-blooming jasmines veiling you from the rest of the world night in.

The next morning, you'd both be late, with a lot of explaining to do.

But you'd be damned if it wasn't worth it.

i love him, arrest me.

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