Stockholm || Reiner Braun x reader ||✔

Chapter 8

Y/n's first paycheck came in after a while. And although she originally needed to pay for a private doctor, she spent the money to buy a gift for Reiner's birthday. Before his memory got damaged, he used to love pottery, or even just crafting something with little Mihai so she had an idea of what to get him.

After the continuous tragedies, his breakdowns began to slowly die down, the nightmares never stopped but at least he was making healthy progress.

"Reiner." She called. Her arm weighed down with the basket of apples she freshly picked. The blond man hand an armful as he mindlessly followed her back to their visible home. "Did you have fun today?" She asked when he caught up.

Reiner enthusiastically nodded. He appreciated her taking care of him and giving him a roof to live under but he did crave some special time with her, a few games or even just helping her out with mundane things since Y/n works almost all week.

"I picked a lot!" He burst joyfully. "I can tell, maybe I should have gotten a second basket."

"It's fine, I can carry a lot."

Y/n fondly laughed at him and leaned over to kiss his cheek, "I'm grateful."

Once they got back inside, Y/n set the basket down on the table and Reiner emptied his arms to reveal slightly badder ones. They seemed to have small defects in them but Y/n didn't say anything since he looked so proud of himself.

"Right, you go wash up, I'll get started." She shooed him off and washed the apples, picking only her ones and leaving his in the basket.
Once Reiner came back with washed hands, she sat him down with her, 2 apples with him and 3 with hers, all 5 peeled by her. She trusted Reiner but she didn't want him cutting himself by accident.
So he had a butter knife and she held the sharp one.

Regardless of helping her out with cooking, he was having a lot of fun. His eyes lingered on hers as she carefully cut naked apple cubes.

"I can see you, you know?" She said, "what is it?"

"Which apples are these?" he shyly asked. "Yours, they were much better for the job." Lying through her teeth suddenly seemed worth it when he gave her the biggest grin ever. His face lit up like an excited puppy.

"I told you I'd be a great help!"

"And you were right."

That evening, Y/n had finished baking and organised her room, the one she shared with Reiner. He stopped sleeping in the room meant for Mihai and stuck to hers. It just randomly happened, when he followed her to her room and mimicked her as she got into bed. She didn't question it and fell asleep. In fact, she kind of liked it.

He had made their bedroom into his own habitat, by hanging scribbly drawings of her and Reiner in a frame and around the room. At least, in his mind, he was thinking of happy parts of his life. Because somewhere in there, was a thin fragment of Mihai.

He awoke before she did one day. And when Y/n woke up, she noticed him staring accusingly up at the ceiling. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the glow of the thick curtains. Her hand held his side, averting his attention toward her.

"Good morning." His voice came out gruff. "What's going on up there?" Y/n lazily smiled at him. "Nothing much, I just had a dream," he kissed her forehead and sighed through his nostrils, "I saw my younger self but I had... different eyes and my hair."

Y/n was delighted to hear the news, as the boy he described wasn't himself, it was his son. She nuzzled herself closer to his neck. "In fact... my eyes were kind of like yours." He said in fond memory, that he traced patterns along her waist.