𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙴𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢 |𝙰𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺: 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

Reiner wasn't sure how to act amongst the boys in his dorm. He and Bertholdt were content to stick together but he didn't want to arouse suspicion. They both figured it was best to assimilate themselves fully into the cadets. But not too close, they were the enemy after all. Not just the enemy, devils.

Bertholdt thought it was best to wait for someone to approach them. So, Reiner kept to himself for the time being. None of the other boys were talking much, save from a few that heralded from the same towns. So he hadn't spoken to anyone else. Yet.

When they went down to the mess hall for dinner, Reiner opted to sit away from Bertholdt and listened carefully to other's conversations. They had learned a lot about life in the walls from the two years they lived here but it was always best to keep an ear out. He didn't want to get caught off guard. They had made it this long without being found out, but before this, they hadn't really talked to many people. Pretending they were one of them. A question plagued his mind. How long until he became what he was pretending to be?

When that loud boy Eren Jaeger started ranting about killing all Titans, Reiner felt himself tense up. This kid knew nothing about what he was saying, yet he went on like he has the most experience on the matter. Reiner almost felt sorry for him. Thinking he had any chance against them, it was pitiful. He was almost grateful when that conceited mop top interrupted him. Almost. After all, this guy was no better. His whole reason for joining was to live a comfortable life away from danger. Where was the nobility in that? It was just like they had been told; these devils were self-absorbed, savage creatures who needed to be wiped out. Reiner wasn't sure who he wanted to win the fight more. Before he could make a bet with himself, he saw a girl walk around the crowd and out into the night.

His eyes were glued to her determined movements. The way her dark, brown hair gently moved out of her face as she pulled open the door made his breath catch in his throat. Her face was so familiar to him like he recognised her from a different lifetime. Like he knew her from- No that wasn't possible. Yet she felt so close. Before Reiner could think more about it, she was gone and the fight beside him was over.

He tried to think back to initiation when he listened to everyone introduce themselves. Or had at least tried to. The Commandant had droned on for so long and with the sun beating down on them it was difficult to concentrate on every person. And at one point as Shadies had got closer to him he was more concerned with what he was going to tell the Commandant in answer to his question, than hearing others. It's not like he was listening out for anyone familiar. Reiner didn't exactly know anyone in the walls. And he didn't want to. But it couldn't hurt to find out who this girl was.

Reiner looked up to find most people had cleared out of the mess hall. He had just stepped out and found the girl right outside the door talking to mop top of all people. He clenched his fists and continued out of the cabin towards the dorms trying to clear her soft voice that was echoing in his head.

I didn't like anyone; you were the exception.

Reiner fell asleep with her words still in his mind and tried to stop imagining she was saying it to him instead.

The next morning, he awoke by the chatter of the other boys. Reiner supposed and annoyed groan. They had been up until late last night talking, what could they be on about now? He specifically remembered Jean, the annoying mop top, making an effort to talk to everyone.

"Had he not spoken enough to others?" he had thought bitterly.

Reiner had to restrain himself from snapping at him when Jean introduced himself the night before. But he recalled what he and Bertholdt had decided about making friends and kept up polite conversation, all the while thinking him to be a manipulating hell spawn. Not exactly friendship material. He did notice though while Jean had spoken to everyone else, he specifically ignored the scrawny kid, Eren. Reiner scoffed. So much for a truce.