Work Text:
"Don’t fuck this up." It’s what Reiner kept saying over and over on his way to the farm where Historia and her family live. The visit was not for something special or something personal, he just had to personally inform the Queen about some things and he was the only one available, unfortunately for Jean who was not comfortable with the idea.
It would only be a few moments, how terrible could it be? It’s not as if he was going to try something because her husband would be present. Ah, her husband, a guy who doesn’t even know but already dislikes him. Reiner just knows.
It struck him that, since he was already in the vicinity of the farm, no one had come to greet him. They knew he was coming, right? On the other hand, she is not an ordinary queen as she lives a rather austere life and is probably still not comfortable with the royal lifestyle. After all, she married an average man.
He had no choice but to knock on the door of what seemed to be the Queen's cabin, and in a short time someone opened the door: a tall, thin man, dressed very simply. Reiner believed that it was some servant or helper.
"Ah, you must be Mr. Braun," he smiled at him with great confidence, as if they already knew each other before.
"Eh… yes, I have come to speak to Your Majesty," he coughed a little, trying to make his voice sound as low as possible.
"My wife had an important matter to attend to but will be back in a few minutes." He opened the door for him. "If you like, you can come in and wait for her."
His wife?
"Then you are…?"
With some discomfort, Reiner entered the house, it seemed a pleasant place and not at all lavish. It was a lovely house.
"Excuse my manners. After all, I’m a simple farmer, " he extended out his hand. "My name is Micah, Historia’s husband."
They shook hands, the man had a strong grip. "Reiner Braun but you can just call me Reiner. It looks like you already know who I am anyway."
"Historia mentioned something or other," he doesn't want to ask what she said to him. "Please take a seat."
It didn't take him long to see that there was a fairly large sofa and a coffee table in front of it. Reiner sat in the middle, it looked of some good quality, quite comfortable. For a reason that he did not understand, that man kept smiling at him, he would say that he was making him uncomfortable but...
"Would you like some tea?"
"Yes please."
Micah was too nice. He didn't remember the last time someone treated him with that respect, maybe Jean could use being a little more like that. Micah left, presumably to the kitchen to make tea, so Reiner stared at the small details in the room: how many ornaments there were, how many toys were on the floor, the colors on the walls, the pictures hanging. It didn't look like the house of a Queen but it was definitely worthy of Historia, now a wife and a mother.
He started to play with his fingers, a little bored, hoping he could soon do his work and leave. But then he heard a quick footsteps approaching and when he turned to see, he saw in front of him a beautiful little girl, very similar to Historia, looking at him and smiling as if she was looking at a new toy. Reiner didn't know what to do.
“Hi.”
Awkward Reiner is the best Reiner.
She waved her hand at him. Then she climbed onto the sofa, very close to him. Children don't have the same sense of personal space that adults have, so he didn't say anything when he felt the little girl's hands touching his hair. The man just stood still waiting for her to stop. She was laughing, what's so funny about his hairstyle? Oh, Reiner, many things.
"Ymir, don't bother Reiner!" Discovered by her father, who was returning from the kitchen with a tray, the girl began to laugh mischievously.
"Reiner, Reiner," the girl said trying to imitate his father and continuing with his work of teasing Reiner's head. Micah quickly went to put the tray on the table and immediately scooped the little girl into his arms. "No!"
"I'm so sorry, Reiner, I didn't think she was going to wake up from her nap that soon," The girl pouted but that did not last long and ended up accommodating in her father’s arms. On his side, Reiner was a bit ... perplexed perhaps? He became speechless when Micah mentioned the name of his daughter. "She's a bit ... rebellious, let's say."
"What... is the girl's name?"
Micah smiled.
"Ymir."
"Ymir." Reiner repeated as if it were the first time he said that name but no, he remembered that person well, he always remembered her.
"I suggested it first, Historia wouldn’t have dared to even consult it," then pointed to the tray. "Please have your tea."
Reiner obeyed. "So you know about ...?"
Micah laughed. “My wife and I don't keep secrets to each other. I know everything."
And when he said everything, Reiner was sure it was everything. While drinking the tea, he stared at that man, whom he cursed half an hour ago but ... wasn’t bad, he didn’t think he was a disgusted man. In fact, Micah seems like a nice person. A smiling man who held a beautiful girl in his arms, how could he think bad of him? Still looking, Reiner grabbed one of the cookies Micah brought to eat, he wasn't hungry but drinking just tea seemed sad.
"This is delicious."
"Really? This is the second time I’ve made cookies," he crouched down at the table for Ymir to take one. "I wasn't sure if they were really good as my daughter enjoys eating mud and others distasteful things." A nostalgic laugh, as if he was remembering something specific. Well, he was obviously doing it. "Glad to hear you enjoy them."
Please he should stop smiling like that, Reiner felt like he was casting a spell on him. Besides being so good, he even cooks well? And takes care of the girl? He thinks he fully understands why Historia married this man, and didn't blame her. Reiner even felt a little envy.
‘Let’s get married.’
Historia didn’t take long to return, she was covered in mud, which caught Reiner's attention. When the Queen saw him, she didn't smile at him, or anything at all. Historia only stared at him for a few seconds, then laid her blue eyes on her husband, who was sitting a few feets from Braun. Little Ymir was on the floor playing with a doll, in her own world, so she did not even notice the presence of her mother.
"Welcome home, is everything okay in the barn?"
"Yes, just some issues with the animals but we worked it out," now she looked at Reiner. "Sorry for the delay."
"No… no problem." Historia still was as beautiful as she always was, even if she didn't smile at him.
And she made him nervous.
"Do you want me to prepare something for you, dear?"
He also made him nervous.
"It’s not necessary, we will not take long," Afterwards she looked back at Reiner. "As you can see, I can't sit down so let's talk at this distance."
‘Whatever you want.’
“Sure.”
"Then we retire so you can chat quietly," He carried her daughter to later passed by Historia and whispered softly to only her. "He seems a bit weird, are you sure you're going to be okay?" She nodded. Micah then spoke normally to his daughter. "Let's go play" Ymir nodded furiously, as if the idea was the best her father had ever had.
When they left, Reiner spoke.
"He seems to be a very nice guy."
Historia smiled at him, probably thinking about Micah. "He is." And although her dress was covered in mud, he did not hesitate to think that even that looks good on her, he stared at her for a long time. "Reiner, are you okay?"
Maybe he stayed too long watching her but Historia looked more worried than anything else.
"Yes, yes, sorry."
And when he told her ‘sorry’, something came to his mind. Ymir. Maybe this was his time to really talk to Historia if she allowed him.
"Historia." Reiner lowered his head. "I want to apologize for everything ... for Ymir."
She froze, not that she didn't expect that, but hearing him saying that it’s a very different feeling. She clenched her fists tightly, as if she was holding back from doing something crazy.
"I can't..." the woman said quietly, causing Reiner to lift his head. "Every day I remember that Ymir is no longer with me, every day I remember that she was taken from me." Reiner knew that he should keep quiet, he would accept a kick or whatever she wanted to do. "I can't forgive you but ..." she tried to smile, vainly. "I guess I can understand you." Historia remembered the letter that her beloved left her. Yes, she assumes that she can understand him. After all, she is living her life with pride.
Reiner didn't know what to say.
"I…"
"Don't say anything else or I’m going to hit you."
"Okay."
Well, Reiner wasn’t going to lie. Even being angry, Historia looked beautiful and although they were at a certain distance (and he could tell that she wasn’t clean), he also could smell her sweet scent.
‘Let’s get married.’
"You didn't come to bother me at my house for this, what do you need to tell me?"
They continued to discuss some things, everything was normal but Historia didn’t smile at him again or anything like that, even for a few moments he thought that she was really close to hitting him so he used his words correctly. When they finished speaking, Historia "politely" asked him to leave, that it was time for her to spend the rest of the day with her daughter. So Reiner obeyed, no more, no less.
BONUS:
After informing Armin about what he spoke to the Queen, Reiner ran into Jean and Pieck who upon seeing him decided that it was the ideal time to make fun of him.
"From your face I suppose that Historia is still married and happy." Jean looked amused, as if he was waiting for this precise moment to say that.
"They are a dream."
The other two frowned.
"Who?"
Reiner sighed, completely broken.
"Historia and her husband," He shook his head several times, thinking about them. "Why can't I have both?"
"Eh?!"
While Jean's jaw dropped, Pieck laughed a little.
"There, there, Reiner," she patted his shoulder. “Someday you’ll find a good man like Historia’s husband… and a woman like Historia, too.”
“Pieck, don’t encourage him.”