Dances and Ruin// Reiner Braun x OC

Chapter Thirty-Three

AUTHOR'S NOTE
Wow, what a Hiatus it's been!! I can't believe it's been almost exactly five months since the last update. It's nothing I'm proud of, but I'm just happy to be back. Again, thank you all for being patient with me and for sticking around. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I plan on getting back into this full force this week. That said, it could potentially be another week or two before I update again, as we are understaffed at work as of Thursday. We're trying to figure all of that out, but I won't let it get too in the way. Who knows, I might surprise you guys and update earlier than expected again. Only time will tell. That said... welcome to the official "Lennon isn't dead and plans on actually finishing this fanfic" chapter. I hope y'all enjoy!!

Love to all,
Len. 💙
*

The endurance of the silence causes Peri's hands to tremble, much like the earth far, far beneath them. Even with the weight of the moment and Reiner's eyes on her, Peri can't bring herself to say anything else to him. Anything worth saying has already been said, right? She looks away, closing her eyes and resting her head on the feathered back of Falco's titan. I can't cry here. I can't cry now, even if it is all I want to do. "Peri," Levi says softly.

"Yes, Captain?" she responds, keeping her head set on Falco's back.

"I'm going to need you to do something else," he explains. Peri feels her body tense involuntarily. What else could he possibly have me doing? What could be so important that he would risk moving someone from the front lines? Is he crazy? Her nerves only seem to worsen as Levi continues with his sentence. "I've noticed that there are some people on the ground who might be in need of some assistance. I need you to get down there and do something, anything you can to help further evacuation proceedings. It might not seem like there's much to do, but something needs to be done. Anything. I'm trusting you to do what you can."

Peri is unable to stop herself from vocalizing her thoughts only to regret it in an instant. "Are you crazy!? What good am I going to do down there? Are you trying to make our numbers dwindle or are you just so far gone that you actually think I can do anything down there?"

Levi huffs loudly as if he's dealing with an indignant child who isn't getting their way. "Peri, I'm not asking you to make everyone join in arms and band together. I am simply asking that you do what you can. Besides, if I'm remembering correctly, you're capable of quite a lot. Even if it's just a small group of people, I need you to get people moving, even if it doesn't seem like much. Every bit of distance is going to make a difference in the long run. Just do it."

Her eyes remain tightly squeezed shut as she lifts her head from Falco's back. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever done. "Fine, I'll do it. Get me closer to the ground before all of you head back. I'll do what I can, just as you've asked."

The captain nods, "Thank you. Alright, let's get going." She can feel Falco making a gentle descent as the knots in her stomach grow tighter and more tangled. I'm gonna puke, I'm gonna puke, I'm gonna puke. "Peri, are you ready?"

"Yes, Captain!" she answers with a shaky voice.

"Alright, start looking like it. You should be ready to depart any second," Levi announces.

Peri forces herself to open her eyes and look down at the cataclysm of desperate people beneath them. Her breath catches in her throat as the realization that she's about to have to put forth an effort as the voice of reason among them settles upon her. She looks toward her friends, her eyes zoning in on Reiner. She isn't sure why, but she can clearly remember the day she put forth her first effort of befriending him. More than that, she remembers the day they actually became friends and all that lead her to this moment. The love they share. She forces an uneasy smile in his direction before gathering herself to her feet. She tries to memorize every detail of his face to memory, just in case. The time window in which she scrambles to take note of the color of his eyes and the curve of his nervous smile is cut short as Levi yells again, causing her to jump into motion. "Now!" he commands.