Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2025-03-01
Updated:
2025-10-03
Words:
2,300
Chapters:
23/50
Comments:
62
Kudos:
37
Bookmarks:
4
Hits:
726

50 Shades of Reijean

Summary:

Welcome to 50 Shades of Reijean.

This 50 shades project have nothing to do with the dreaded book (honestly, I have not even read it), I just liked the wordplay. The concept is a matter of 50 small stories, consisting of exactly 100 words each. No more, no less. Main relationship is Reijean, but other characters may be mixed up in the chaos occasionally. Tags will be updated as I move along.

What you’ll find: 50 slice of life pieces from everyday situations in this relationship dynamic. They are not related and can be AU, canon-compliant or something entirely else. No rules apply.

What you won’t find: deep, meaningful and complicated plots.
Smut. Go to my other works for that.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Reiner hated secrets. Sure, he had no issue keeping his own, but watching other people sneak around him was making him uneasy.

At the same time, Jean was absolutely awful at being discreet with his secrets. His constant sneaking was beyond obvious, and Reiner’s mind was spiralling. By the end of the week, his brain had fully convinced him that a breakup was happening.

But true to form, Jean put his worries to shame as Saturday had him coming home to the biggest surprise party he had ever seen. “Happy Birthday!” They all shouted. And happy it was. Happy indeed.

Chapter 2

Summary:

Life is good

Chapter Text

Sunday mornings were perfect. It was the one day with no demands, and Reiner was more than content to stay in bed all day, squished between his boyfriends.

At his back, Jean’s strong frame had him firmly pressed to his chest, and in front of him, Bertholdt was splayed out, arm squished under them both to keep Reiner’s head resting on his chest, hips angled awkwardly and one long leg folded over them.

Soft, steady breathing and gentle, rhythmic heartbeats made up the entirety of Reiner’s world now, and it was good. It was pure perfection in its finest form.

Chapter 3

Summary:

There's beauty in the chaos

Chapter Text

In the midst of chaos, beauty was the one thing that helped Jean to cling onto his sanity. First, only the beauty of the sky graced the barren landscape, but as time passed, more lines of beauty appeared.

Still, he mused as the pencil scratched on the paper, that the most beautiful soul had been right in front of him for so long. But it was only now, as the pencil copied Reiner’s striking features onto the paper, he realised that he had not been appreciating it.

He decided then to spend the rest of his life doing just that.

Chapter 4

Summary:

Family <3

Chapter Text

Reiner never expected to live long enough to have children and some part of him feels bad that Jean is denied that family feeling by staying with him.

But as he watches his lover teach Falco to draw and give admittedly horrible dating advice to Gabi, Reiner thinks that it might not be that bad. And when Gabi and Falco help Jean in the kitchen, all causing the most adorable chaos, Reiner finally understands that Jean has found his family. And so has he.

It’s the family they build together, the family he’ll grow old with. The family he loves.

Chapter 5

Summary:

In which Reiner works for food, and love

Chapter Text

Running track with Bertholdt was torture. Pure and simple. Those long legs carried his boyfriend far and fast, and Reiner never failed to wonder how he let himself get talked into this every single time.

Cardio is good for you! Bertholdt would say. And it probably was. If you were built for it, which Reiner was not.


But as sure as he would complain every time, the complaints would cease at home. When Jean put his brunch plate in front of him and kissed the top of his head, unknowingly motivating Reiner to continue the dreadful cycle week after week.

Chapter 6

Summary:

In which conflicted looks good on Jean

Chapter Text

The lines were like a map. Had they stood across form one another, they would be mirror images.

He knew intimately where every line would mark the skin, thanks to his own body experience. Still, Jean was itching to reach over and touch Reiner. It was not fair how tempting the bulky man looked. And how conflicted Jean felt about it was also deeply unreasonable.

Images of him running his fingers along every line left by the ODM gear on Reiner’s body, flooded his mind and he had to escape. He turned away and left, muttering “Beautiful bastard…” to himself.

Chapter 7

Summary:

In which Reiner learns to appreciate the importance of flowers

Chapter Text

Flowers had never been important to Reiner. Of course, he could agree that they were pretty. But to Reiner personally, they had never carried much importance. Jean liked flowers.

And Reiner adored the vibrant smile that spread on his lover’s face when he brought him a bouquet. Jean was significant to Reiner, so filling their small apartment to the brim with flowers for Valentines only seemed natural.

The small bouquet in Jean’s hands paled in comparison, but as Jean threw himself at him with a passionate kiss, Reiner caught it and decided that maybe flowers were important to him too.

Chapter 8

Summary:

An egg, is an egg, is an egg.

Chapter Text

Jean stared at the massive, blue-green egg. It was rare, but he lacked words. It was not just one egg. No, four of the giants huddled together in the basket, that Reiner was currently presenting proudly to Jean.

Saying anything would be like kicking a puppy, so ultimately, he took the basket and started cooking. An omelette was an omelette regardless of the bird, and this was just a huge bird. And in all fairness, Jean had a huge boyfriend.

A huge boyfriend who always smiled like Jean was his entire world, no matter what food Jean would serve him.

Chapter 9

Summary:

Jean wants to save the world, and everything important to him

Chapter Text

Saving the world was the main priority. Of course, it was, and maybe Jean was a fool for thinking beyond that. Still, he couldn’t help himself.

Because every time he looked at Reiner, every time he appreciated the physical growth, he was bothered. The sharp lines, the trimmed goatee, the hardened body, it all had a very attractive appeal. But the eyes. The eyes were what pained Jean. They didn’t match the growth.

Jean was surely a fool, yes, but he would save the world, save humanity, and then he would restore the life that had left Reiner’s golden eyes.

Chapter 10

Summary:

Appreciation of skills

Chapter Text

The new ODM gear was smooth. Reiner liked the feeling as he tested it out between the buildings on the dock.

Later, Reiner would consider how it was a shame that the battle hadn’t allowed him time to appreciate how Jean moved in the gear. It seemed a strange priority, but he’d always enjoyed watching Jean manoeuvre the gear between buildings and tall trees. Jean had grown out of the spindly little teen Reiner once knew, but he’d retained his smooth flexibility in the gear.

Maybe, some day, the trees would grow tall enough to let Reiner appreciate it again.

Chapter 11

Summary:

Finding comfort in the silence of the night

Chapter Text

In the silence of the night, Jean was finally feeling himself. Something he hadn’t allowed himself to do for a very long time, and it was overwhelming.


In the same silence, a new sensation built in Reiner’s chest, as he finally felt himself. It was something he’d never been able to before, and it was scary.


That night, Reiner and Jean would feel each other because it’s the comfort they both need, in a post-apocalyptic world. At night, embraced in the other’s arms, they both find a sliver of peace, a sliver of calm, and an anchor to their sanity. 

Chapter 12

Summary:

Food is the way to a man's heart.

Chapter Text

An omelette. A goddamn omelette had beaten the boar that had nearly killed him. Reiner was speechless.

The foreign feeling was so palpable that it made his chest constrict with emotion. A meal made with love? He didn’t know what that meant, but when he watched Jean win the cook off, cheeks flushed with pride, he decided he would find out. Even if it was the last thing he ever did.

In fact, Reiner decided he wanted to find out what a meal made with love by Jean was. Yes, that was an ambition to hold onto until the end.

Chapter 13

Summary:

Jean muses over his life and love.

Chapter Text

Love came in many forms, but Jean had never expected it to come in the form of a tall, dark haired, lanky man prone to anxiety.

Bertholdt had barely been on his radar during their high school years, and sometimes Jean would look at his life and wonder how exactly this man had wedged himself into his relationship. How kisses on his cheek would make him smile and how everything just seemed better this way.

Then he would look at Reiner and fall in love all over with the way Bertholdt made Reiner shine, and suddenly everything made sense again.

Chapter 14

Summary:

It's the end of the world and Jean learns a lot about himself

Chapter Text

At the end of the world, Jean would learn surprising things about himself. How he would find an anchor to his sanity by keeping Reiner afloat was one of them.

The long nights spent with the blonde wrapped up in his arms, rocking him through breakdowns of guilt and sorrow was therapeutic for them both.
How he would one night find Connie wrapped up in his arms too, was another thing of surprise but as Jean rocked them both gently through sorrow, guilt and despair, he found comfort.

His anchor got heavier and maybe, just maybe he would remain sane.

Chapter 15

Summary:

Reiner has a lifetime left to learn

Chapter Text

For as long as Reiner could remember, he had been expected to be something for somebody else. Mostly, the demands were put on him by other people, but sometimes also himself.

He supposed it was the core of his current struggle. Because when he was with Jean, he wasn’t required to be anything. All demands stripped, Reiner didn’t need to be the officer, the titan warrior, the brotherly figure, the hardworking son.

He didn’t need to be anything. Anything but happy, that was. Reiner didn’t know how, but at least now, he would have a lifetime to figure it out.

Chapter 16

Summary:

Lazy mornings and pancakes

Chapter Text

Reiner rarely slept in. It was usually Jean who would stay in bed for as long as possible, loving the coziness of lazy mornings.

Reiner didn’t mind, because it meant that Jean would always be there to cuddle when Reiner woke up. Except today, he wasn’t in the bed when Reiner woke up. Maybe it was childish to feel disappointed, but Reiner allowed himself the emotion when he was waking up to an empty bed.

But disappointment faded into gleeful expectation as the scent of pancakes wafted through their home. Maybe Jean should get up early a little more often.

Chapter 17

Summary:

Jean thinks a lot, but the thoughts are forbidden

Chapter Text

Jean knew he shouldn’t be thinking about Reiner, but he couldn’t help himself. The thoughts were bordering on traitorous, and every time someone would ask him what he was thinking about, he was quick to brush them off.

No one could know. Despite all this, the thoughts kept returning. On slow days, Jean’s thoughts would revolve around Reiner and he promised himself that one day, he would ask the man why.

Until then, he would keep him in his thoughts. After all, thoughts of those lost and living were always a better comfort than thoughts of those lost and dead.

Chapter 18

Summary:

The best recipe to a great movie night contains three hearts and snacks.

Chapter Text

Watching movies on his own was a boring activity. It wasn’t that Reiner didn’t like movies, but watching them alone didn’t really appeal to him. Of course, it helped if there were snacks, but the best was company.

Jean was fun to watch movies with. Animated and passionate about the stories, he entertained Reiner as much as the movie did. Bertholdt was cozy to watch movies with. Cuddly and soft, he made Reiner feel right at home.

But the best was watching movies with them both. Tangled up in their love, huddled in a blanket, was forever Reiner’s favourite movie.

Chapter 19

Summary:

When the truth startles, Jean makes promises to fix the future

Chapter Text

Four years was a long time. Jean had grown, towering over his comrades, filling out his form nicely.

In a way, he supposed he had expected Reiner to have done the same. Reiner had already been a big guy in their cadet days. Surely, he would be an impressive figure by now. The truth, however, was startling. Taller, yet seemingly a mere shadow of his previous strength.

Maybe it was an odd priority, in the chaos of war, but still, Jean had found his next mission right then and there, as he vowed to restore Reiner to his former glory.

Chapter 20

Summary:

When love is making room for another soul

Chapter Text

Reiner had always liked Connie. His spunky ways and fresh energy had been a constant source of entertainment during his cadet days.

Seeing him now, Reiner missed that. Maybe that was why Reiner didn’t object that first night, when Connie wedged himself between Reiner and Jean, and when it just kept happening. Perhaps it was selfish, but when Reiner looked at Jean, he hoped that Jean could do the same for Connie, as he had done for him.

Because Jean’s arms had been a place to heal, and Reiner would forever make room in them for Connie to heal too.

Chapter 21

Summary:

In which Jean learns aomething new about both of them

Chapter Text

Jean had never been a terribly domestic guy. Maybe that was why he had never assumed Reiner to be one either. When the first sticky note turned up on the coffee maker one morning, Jean frowned at first. Then he smiled.

Your lunch is in the fridge. Love you. R.

Floating to work on a cloud. Who would have thought?

The next note showed up a week later, reminding him of their dinner date. Jean smiled again, heart warmed. On his way home, he bought a pack of heart shaped sticky notes. 
Maybe he was a bit domestic after all.

Chapter 22

Summary:

In which family matter

Chapter Text

Of all the things in the world Jean enjoyed watching, nothing ever quite compared to watching his mother with Reiner.

The initial confusion to the motherly smothering. The way the alarm slowly morphed into slightly alert discomfort until it finally gave way to something softer. Jean saw it when Reiner opened himself and hugged his mother back, in how he smiled at every meal, and rushed to help her with even the smallest things.

Yes, in Jean’s mother, Reiner had found another place to belong, and Jean decided that the new smile on Reiner’s face was worth sharing her for.

Chapter 23

Summary:

In which Reiner makes peace with his past

Chapter Text

The darkness was bleeding. Or maybe it was his soul? If he had one, he was sure that would be it, but by now he was certain he didn’t.

He couldn’t. Not with the atrocities he had committed. It simply wasn’t possible. And without a soul, what could be left but darkness? Darkness that was now leaking, bleeding into his mind, poisoning his heart, if he had one.

But he didn’t, at least not one belonging to himself, and following the footsteps of the man who held it, Reiner smiled and accepted that he would never again own his heart. 

Notes:

Comments and kudos is my life blood - you all make my world a brighter place.

Come be random with me on tumblr @iantosnipple