Dances and Ruin// Reiner Braun x OC

Chapter Seventeen

Hey everyone! Sorry, it's been a minute! The past week and a half has been insane. I've been helping my friends move (They're about to move four hours away to become nurses, YAY!) and I had to pick up some weird shifts at work to cover for one of my co-workers so she could go look for a new house (she's moving too). Either way, I just haven't been able to sit down and give my full attention to finishing this chapter until about an hour ago. So, without further adieu, here's a new chapter!!!

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It's been quiet. Reiner has been sitting atop a tree branch for a while, taking in his surroundings. On a separate branch sits Ymir and Eren, both of which are missing parts of their arms and legs. Beneath them, they're surrounded by titans. I know this place, but why am I here? Where are the rest of the scouts? He's pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Ymir's voice. "Hey Reiner, got any water? Help a girl out. I'm dying over here," she says.

Reiner perks up, his spine stiffening. "Sorry, there's not a hell of a lot I can do, even if it is a matter of life and death."

Ymir waves her arm in the air. "Well, that's comforting. At least now we know where we stand. Sort of."

Reiner frowns and images from the night before come flooding back to mind as if it had only been a mere few hours ago. He leans back, "Speaking of which, we've been working our asses off. No food, no sleep, no nothing. Ever since those titans showed up. That was yesterday, right? Man, we're lucky the wall hasn't been destroyed. Still, you'd think that means they'd give us a break. And don't even get me started on promotion."

"What the hell?" Bertolt asks, leaning forward as he hugs onto his knees.

"What? Aw, come on. I don't think that's too much to ask, do you? God knows we've done our share of heavy lifting, all things considered. I mean, I get it, we're soldiers, duty first. It's just nice to be acknowledged." Reiner can feel everyone's eyes on him, and with the silence lingering among them all, it feels awkward. Did I say something wrong? Is a promotion really too much to ask for?

Ymir tilts her head, "You bang your head or something? What are you even talking about, seriously?"

"Ugh. Don't give me that. I'm not saying we storm in and demand the rank of captain or anything," he says. Maybe that will make it not sound not so upfront. Maybe.

The brunette on the lower branch dispels that theory completely. "No. That's not what I mean."

Okay, then.

"Oh yeah. Where'd you find that cannon, by the way? I owe you one for saving my bacon." Ymir's face drops completely as if the more Reiner talks, the more confused she gets. However, if anyone were to notice that, it isn't Reiner. "Sure am glad Peri was there to patch me up, even if she was a little rough about it. I did make her mad though, with the stunts I pulled and all. I'm really starting to believe the two of us are really gonna make it through all of this together."

Eren jumps to his feet at a surprisingly sat rate for someone who is missing his arms. Why is he missing his arms, again? "Hey," Eren screams. Reiner jumps at the sudden outburst. His voice quiets exponentially as he speaks his next couple of lines. "What's wrong with you? You've got to be kidding me."

Reiner's eyebrows furrow as his arms falls to his side. "Huh? What are you so pissed about all of a sudden? Take it easy, man. Was it something I said or--"

"If you wanna die, then just keep talking!"

Ymir places across a now fuming Eren, "Hold up, Eren. I think somebody's gone off the deep end. Is that what this is, Bertolt? If you know something we don't, now would be a good time to put it on the table."