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It’s been a long, long time.
His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the twilight rather quickly. He didn’t flinch in the slightest as he sat up in the dewy grass, dawn just about to break over the horizon. His clothes were slightly damp, leaving a refreshing feeling over his warmed skin. The cool breeze balanced out the humidity of the calm atmosphere as birds sang out and field mice scurried around the taller grasses. Inhaling the scent of the meadow, he lifted himself onto both feet with ease, his muscles feeling more relaxed than usual. He took in his surroundings without caution and began moving towards the rising sun without hesitation.
It had been a while since he’d felt this peaceful. Hope was bubbling in his stomach, reminiscent of a child’s naivety. His pace remained calm as the sky went from a dark blue to pale green, the sun signalling the morning to the world. His brows relaxed as he hiked towards his destination, eager to find what he had been searching for for the past… how many years had it been? He didn’t know, and at that moment, he didn’t care. He strolled from hillside to hillside, chasing the first beams of light to break over the landscape.
Not a single pant left his mouth when he finally came to a stop. Just a few hundred meters away sat a tall, blooming tree, a blur of a figure sitting at the base, surrounded by little blue bellflowers. His face melted into the most genuine smile he ever made as he began to pick up his pace. With each step he gained speed, beginning to sprint as the features of the person ahead of him became clearer. The straw hat with a single bellflower tucked in was a dead giveaway, and although he didn’t notice it, his tears could have watered an entire field’s worth of them. He came to a halt just a few feet away from them, the campanulas seemingly overtaking his feet to slow him down. He let out a comfortable sigh as he caught his breath, taking in the sight. The hatted figure turned to face him, their eyes widening before closing rapidly because of their wide smile.
“Reiner, what took you so long?”
He just about fell to his knees at the sound of your voice. It was a long forgotten melody to him, one that used to bring solace to his deteriorating mental state. His name rolling off your tongue was the only medicine he’d needed his entire life, some sort of spell-like remedy. He stood speechless as you sat yourself down on the handmade quilt you had made in the 104th. You turned to your side and busied yourself with the twine basket behind you, unravelling fresh biscuits from an embroidered cloth.
“What are you standing there for? Sit down and enjoy, the others should be here shortly.” You poked fun at his dumbfoundedness while gesturing for him to take a seat opposite of you, with just the baked goods and their aromatic steam separating you.
Reiner did as told, sitting down eagerly. His mouth watered as he reached for a biscuit, breaking it in half to release more of the heat. The sun was fully over the horizon, illuminating the drops atop the flowers and the moisture of your skin. It was so much to take in at once, yet he didn’t feel overwhelmed in the slightest. Instead, he felt as if he’d been at the base of that tree for decades, basking in your presence for centuries. For all he cared, he could sit there with you for eons without complaint.
“So, how was the airship ride back to Paradis?” You began, your hands folded in your lap neatly.
“Hmph,” Reiner began, quickly swallowing his first bite. “Same as usual. Less threats this time around, you know?” He partially laughed.
“Ah!” You giggled in response. “That sure is a plus. It’s been so peaceful since I last saw you.” You continued, looking across the flowing fields. “Paradis sure has come a long way, thanks to you.”
“Oh, I’m not at all to blame for that.” Reiner responded quickly, his usual shame making its presence known across his brow.
“Oh, nonsense. This war would have never ended without you.” You reassured him as he attempted to look elsewhere, but your calming voice refused to let him shy away. “You’re a hero. My hero!” You added extra dramatic flair, lightening the mood as much as the sun lightened the sky. Reiner couldn’t help but laugh at your silly nature, it always proved to be the most useful distraction.
“Well the same can be said for you,” Reiner added, placing one of his hands in your lap. You brushed your fingers over his calloused palms, drawing small swirls into the fine lines and scars.
“Naturally, I was pretty useful!” You joked, Reiner taking his hand away to flick your forehead at your boasting. You stuck your tongue out and grabbed his hand again, tracing over once more.
“Ugh, get a room.” A familiar stoic voice alerted the two of you to its presence just a few meters away. Over the nearest hillside, Annie and Pieck strolled closer.
“You made it!” You cheered, those teeth of yours making an appearance once again. Reiner smiled to himself as they joined you on the quilt. Pieck placed down her own basket of goodies, filled to the brim with different kinds of berries. “Oh, these are perfect for the biscuits. Please, have some!” You held your basket to Annie and Pieck, both willingly taking one of their own.
“So, Reiner, you’re here a lot later than we expected,” Pieck spoke, her usual relaxed tone creating a sense of serenity over the small group.
“Yeah,” Annie added before popping a berry into her mouth, her eyes closed with disinterest.
“I think it’s alright that you took your time arriving. We wouldn’t have started without you, anyway.” You joined, grabbing some berries to place in Reiner’s hand. “Okay, so after you landed in Paradis, how did the meeting with Historia go?”
“It was complicated, a little difficult avoiding the new Jeagerist regime, but overall proactive.” Reiner responded, Pieck nodding her head in agreement.
“It was proactive once you got your nose out of that letter, Braun.” An alarmingly masculine voice called out, Jean appearing from behind the tree. He held a tray of sandwiches wrapped in cloth, placing it on the quilt before situating himself between Annie and Pieck.
“Hey, Historia makes her own paper out of lavender, so I can’t be blamed for that.” Reiner defended himself, his cheeks turning slightly red.
“Sure, sure, whatever you say,” Jean sighed, removing his hat to reveal his never-messy hair. “It’s been a while. What took you so long?”
“That’s what I’m saying…” Pieck poked back in before resuming her small nibbling of the biscuit.
“I’m glad the two of you are getting along these days.” You smiled at Reiner, catching his eyes for a couple of seconds before running your thumb over his hand again. “Strange how our differences became similarities in the long run.”
“You’re telling me!” Jean bragged, throwing his head back. “I nearly killed you!”
“Well deserved,” Reiner shot back.
“No, no, none of that. We’re here to enjoy our time together. Self pity wasn’t invited.” You defended Reiner from himself, earning a glance of gratitude from his usually sombre eyes.
“At least he’s aware.” Annie muttered, eyes still shut.
“Oh, you’re one to talk.” Jean remarked, grabbing one of his own sandwiches before shutting himself up.
“Eating already?” A soft and chipper voice called out from nearby, alerting everyone to Queen Historia herself.
“Come sit! There’s plenty to share!” You called out, beckoning for her to hurry. Historia giddily joined the group, taking a seat next to you.
“Reiner, how have you been?” Historia questioned as she placed a small plate of nicely decorated cookies in the centre of the blanket.
“The usual, I guess.” Reiner shrugged off the question, not entirely sure of how to answer.
“Last time I saw you must’ve been ages ago. Tell me, how are Gabi and Falco?” Historia inquired politely.
“They’re alright. They’ve made quite a life for themselves since Levi passed.”
“Ah, his funeral was very difficult for them. It was a wonderful celebration of his life, though. A shame you had to miss it, (Y/N)!” Historia turned to you, a solemn smile across your youthful face.
“I didn’t get to catch many funerals, did I?” You laughed, much to Reiner’s surprise. Well, what really surprised him was the laughter of the rest of the group. It didn’t seem like a very funny concept to him.
“Heh,” Reiner played along momentarily before thoughts began to cloud his mind for the first time since he woke up. It was true that it had been a while since he had seen the others, but he couldn’t quite place the last time he had seen you. You were asking him question after question about his life after the rumbling that he hadn’t asked a single one about you, but he couldn’t quite remember the details of your journey the way you remembered his. “Hold on a second, where were you, (Y/N)?”
The group’s laughter ended sharply, everyone looking around at each other. Even Annie had opened her eyes, staring straight at your shocked expression. Even though the silence was thick, the tension was washed away by your ever returning smile.
“Reiner, do you remember the last time we saw each other?” You asked calmly, squeezing his hand a little tighter.
“I-”
“Is that Reiner?!” A nostalgic voice called out from farther away, towards the direction Pieck and Annie had arrived from. The group simultaneously stared at the hillside as a cheerful Armin approached at full speed. He panted as he arrived, taking off his satchel and removing a handful of freshly sliced vegetables. “God, what took you so long!?”
“Right?” Pieck, Annie, Historia, and Jean all said in unison, earning a giggle from your bubbly self.
“I, uh,”
“Well nevermind that, you’re here now! The others are just behind me, they shouldn’t be very long. Mikasa thought she lost her scarf when we set out so we got a bit held back.”
“No worries, c’mon and join us!” You requested, the space on the quilt seemingly never ending.
“So Reiner, happy to finally be back?” Armin asked as he displayed the vegetables in an organised manner.
“Absolutely,” Reiner lacked any doubt in that statement, eager to say it, even. “I’ve missed this.” He squeezed your hand as you had done to him earlier, the gentlest form of security.
“It must’ve been ages since you’ve seen (Y/N), huh? They got here much earlier than the rest of us.” Armin supplemented Reiner's early confusion.
“Didn’t feel that long to me,” You casually mentioned, popping a berry into your mouth. “But I guess it must have felt much longer for you, huh?” You smiled at Reiner calmly, speaking of time as if it were some measly concept.
“Wait, I have to be honest, I’m not really understanding,” Reiner attempted to reason, but Annie was quick to shut him up.
“He still hasn’t gotten it, huh?” She brashly questioned, Pieck flicking her leg in response.
“Don’t pay her any mind, man.” A calm, sentimental presence washed over Reiner’s being. The voice brought him to his feet as soon as he heard it, head whipping around to search for the boy it came from. “Miss me?”
Bertholdt poked at Reiner’s shoulder from behind, sending Reiner spinning around. His jaw went slack as his pupils shrank in size, unable to process the sight in front of him.
“B-Bertholdt… how are you… how did you… what?” Reiner sputtered, comprehension of the situation becoming unachievable.
“Hey, hey, calm down, take a seat, you don’t want those biscuits that (Y/N) made to get cold, right?” Bertholdt sat at Reiner’s side, taking him with him. You couldn’t help but lean your head on your hand as you watched Reiner reunite with someone who was practically his brother. It warmed every part of your soul to see them reconnect, just as much as it made your heart flutter to finally be with him.
Reiner stayed silent for a moment before he glanced back at the biscuits, the same steam still rising from them as if they were just removed from the oven.
“Hey, you better not eat all of those!” A loud voice called out, Sasha and Connie running at full speed towards the tons of food available. Sasha sat onto the quilt with so much fervor that the ground nearly shook, stuffing her face as Connie revealed a fine selection of meats the two had curated.
“Sasha, slow down!” Historia begged, offering a hand out to help, but the brunette merely flicked it away as she munched. Reiner stared at the duo blankly, all gears in his brain coming to a complete halt.
“(Y/N), what’s… I don’t…” You took his hand once again, offering that same gentle squeeze as a way to say he was safe, that everything was okay.
“Don’t let her make a mess of the quilt that (Y/N) made,” A sharp, condescending tone reached Reiner’s ears.
“Honestly, such fine craftsmanship!” a much more reckless voice followed.
“Levi, Hange, so glad you could make it!” You welcomed your former superiors as they approached the base of the tree, tea leaves and a tea set in their hands. Reiner’s mind was still at a dead end, but his expression was far more relaxed. You could tell the dots were slowly connecting, he just had yet to see them.
“Hange wouldn’t let me rest unless I showed up.” Levi complained, taking a seat farther from the rest of the group as Hange joined Sasha in scavenging.
“Typical,” Pieck and Annie whispered to themselves.
“It’s an honour that you joined us, though.” Historia added, offering her kind smile to the exhausted captain.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t sugarcoat it.”
“Oh no, are we late?” The soft voice of Mikasa rang out, approaching out of the blue.
“And whose fault was that?” A gruff voice muttered behind her. She swung her arm back, hitting the boy behind her directly in the chest.
“My apologies, everyone, I-” Mikasa gasped as she spotted Reiner, her expression unreadable. “Is that… are you actually here?”
“Hello, again, Mikasa,” Reiner spoke, a wave of understanding hitting him roughly as he spotted who was behind her. As tall as he had gotten, he still seemed like the struggling kid that Reiner had to help, no matter how long it had been. “Hello, Eren.”
“Reiner, long time no see.”
“Right?” Everyone chimed again, this time making you throw your head back in laughter. Reiner let your amusement take the place of his wildly running mind, peace flowing through his veins as Eren and Mikasa took a seat across from him.
“Reiner, you better thank (Y/N) for all of this. They’ve been planning for decades.” Eren pointed out, gesturing to your bashful form. “By the way… no hard feelings, right, (Y/N)?”
“That’s pathetic, bro,” Jean blurted, Annie mumbling in agreement. Even Levi nodded in his little corner.
Reiner’s recollection of his memories with you became crystal clear at Eren’s statement. He remembered the exact moment he saw you last, the last moment you shared eye contact. You had run out of blades and gas at the beginning of the rumbling in an effort to prevent Reiner’s titan from defeat. It had been either you or him, and that decision was easy for you to make. You smiled at him as you fell to your death, but that was long before he had seen most of the others last. Rage attempted to take over his mind, but that gentle squeeze of your hand snapped him out of his trance.
“Of course, none at all.” You smiled at Eren, offering him a biscuit.
As everyone sat together harmoniously, the sounds of idle chit chat and chewing taking over, Reiner recalled every last moment he’d spent wishing he was with you.
The moment the rumbling came to an end, he searched for anything and everything that reminded him of you. At Levi’s funeral, he’d saved a bouquet to say it was from you. At Historia’s second childbirth, he’d convinced her to name her child after you. At his own mother’s deathbed, he told her stories of the way you would make light of any situation, all the while working ever so slowly on that damned quilt. At Gabi and Falco’s wedding, he mentioned you in his speech. Every moment he had spent in his life without you, he was thinking of you.
“(Y/N),” Reiner finally spoke, just soft enough for you to hear. “Am I-”
“Yes,” you turned your smile to him, this time taking both of his hands in yours. “And it’s okay. You were the last one. You lived a long and healthy life, Reiner. I am so proud of you.”
As his eyes filled with tears, you took his head into your shoulder, running your hand through his hair.
“I am so, so proud of you. So please, be proud of yourself, too. We’re all here to celebrate you.”
“I don’t deserve this,” he whispered into your collarbone, his voice reverberating through your body.
“Yes you do.” You took his weary head in your hands and made him look you straight in the eye, wiping his tears with your thumbs. “You’re here now. I’m here, too. You’re not alone.”
“Eat the damn biscuits, Reiner,” Jean threw one at him, bouncing off of his head and onto the quilt. Your laugh sounded out once again, and Reiner felt calm.
It had been a while since he felt this peaceful. The hope in his stomach had fully bubbled over, that childlike naivety turned into certainty. The goal he had been seeking not only in this field, but his entire life, was right there with you, under a tree, surrounded by the bluebells that you wore in your hat. The scent was as sweet as the sensation of reaching his destination.
“Enjoy the food, Reiner. After all, it’s been a long, long time.”