Hometown

Chapter 26 - The Yellow River

~Reiner's POV Earlier That Day~

"Stop–" I grabbed Y/N's wrist abruptly. I knew what I had to do. "I'll tell you all of it. I'll tell you tomorrow. Not today, we have the celebration." Her hand slipped away from me gently. A soft and caring expression was suddenly creeped slowly upon on her face. My heart broke to see her wipe away yet another tear.

Was this my fate? To love someone who I'd constantly torment?

"Reiner," she started. "I'll be eager to hear your explanation. But for now, I'm going to return to my duties as a soldier." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, although it wasn't like how she usually kissed me. I could see she was bothered by all this. When she walked away and turned the alley, a dark feeling loomed over me.

"What the hell, Reiner?!" Annie shouted at me suddenly. "What more is there to tell her? It's bad enough she knows you and Bertholdt are titan-shifters, and you're going to tell her more?! What's wrong with you?!" She was pissed off. I could hear it in her voice.

"I don't want to lie to her anymore!" I exclaimed. "I'm going to tell her everything. I'm going to tell her about your Titan, Annie. I'm going to tell her about Marley. I'm going to tell her about our plan to take Eren, and even though it will be painful, I'm going to tell her about the Curse of Ymir." A wave of sadness hit me in that instant. Though I had reflected on it often, I had never outwardly expressed that my time was limited to anyone, especially Y/N.

"Hell, Reiner!" Annie said sarcastically, laughing to herself lightly. "You might as well tell her not to even bother dating you or keeping your secret if you're just going to die in a few years anyway!" The anger returned to her voice.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her. Although I thought I knew, I wasn't so sure.

"You're going to give her even more reasons not to be with you. Once she hears all that, do you think she'll really feel obligated to stay with you? She'll probably hate your guts!" Annie walked towards me. "Reiner, you heard her just now. She's doubting why she's even keeping our secret in the first place. She looked at you with those puppy eyes of hers and you immediately caved!" Annie threw her hand in the air, turning away from me and bringing her hand to her mouth. Bertholdt just looked on nervously, unsure what he should do. He most likely wanted to comfort Annie, his crush, but also help me, his best friend.

"I love her." I said quietly. It was the only thing I could think of to justify my actions. "I love her with every part of me." It didn't happen often, but I felt a tear fall from my eye. I had never felt that way before with anyone. The thought of my imminent death made my feelings towards her all the more painful. No matter what, we lose in the end.

"I know you do." Bertholdt said assuringly as he walked over to me. "As much as I believe she loves you in return and wants to keep our secret, I don't believe she'll feel the same way when she learns of Marley and the Curse. It'll look to be more of a war to her, and she's not on our side. Also, imagine the betrayal she'll feel to know we kept Annie's Titan a secret from her..." Bertholdt patted my back softly the way he did whenever I felt down.

"What are you saying?" I asked slowly. I did it again. I asked, because I did not want to accept what I was being told.

"I think you know what I'm saying, Reiner." Bertholdt's eyes were sympathetic. He was right, I did know. But Annie was more bold than Bertholdt and could outright say what he couldn't.

"End it, Reiner." She said coldly. "We won't tell you again. I mean that." 

~

I walked down the street by the riverside. I needed to clear my head and think about what I was going to do. Both Annie and Bertholdt were right. I had ignored their protests for three years and inevitably got together with Y/N. It was obvious she was starting to have doubts about my intentions, and Bertholdt was most likely right that the full truth would make things worse.