A Beautiful Façade┃Reiner X Reader

Chapter 18: Thoughts

You're shifting around in your blankets during the next day, awoken by the light sounds of a kettle brewing on the stove some distance away. Its obnoxious buzz fills the quiet room, snapping you out of your otherwise peaceful sleep. At first, you're confused as to why you're sleeping in the vicinity of the kitchen. Memories take a second to hit, but when they do, you immediately feel terrible.

"Sleep here tonight. I don't want to wake up and see you."

That's right... last night.

You sit up, pushing the blanket down your body slightly, and look over at what's sitting on the coffee table beside you. There's a steaming cappuccino on the left and a neatly folded crepe next to it. A meal for a queen.

"Morning," says Reiner from the kitchen, only a few metres away.

Though a little caught off guard, you reply in a slow, calm voice, "morning."

It doesn't add up. Why would he make this meal for a person who hollered in his face eight hours ago? What's the endgame here? Is he trying to earn your affection by doing this?

"Nice meal," you add.

"Thanks," he answers shortly. You can hear him placing his dish down on the kitchen table, with a creak of a chair following. As he walks towards you, his voice gets just slightly louder, "eat. Work's in twenty. You slept in."

"You didn't wake me?"

Your gaze meets Reiner's as he approaches the couch, staring frustratedly towards you.

"Forgot you were here," he remarks flatly. "Sorry."

He's still hurt over last night's antics. Though his tone isn't angry like his expression, he speaks in more of a deflated, sad voice.

You sigh before beginning a response, "look... Reiner, I-"

"Don't start," he says abruptly.

"I just want to apologise."

"You don't have to. You've done nothing wrong."

"It doesn't feel like that," you furrow your brows. "You're never this cold around me- you know what you're doing makes me feel like shit, right? Just let me apologise okay? If I've done nothing wrong, why are you acting like this?"

He frowns. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"I am?"

"I'm acting weird. It's not fair to you," he sighs slowly. "Look, Y/N... I'm trying to be an adult about this but it's... hard. I don't mean to act so immature over all of this, really, it just comes out because I'm annoyed. None of this is your fault, you have the right to tell me no, and I'm sorry for treating you otherwise."

"Wait, are we talking about the same thing? I yelled in your face last night and slapped you- you were right to get mad at me."

"It's not that."

"Huh?"

He looks away. "It'd be hypocritical if this was just about you yelling at me since I do that to you enough."

"Then what?"

He bites the inside of his cheek in concentration as if the thought is too heavy just to say. After a moment, he turns his head and replies with a few simple words.

"You rejected me."

Your eyes widen in the slow actuality as it hits. So what he said back then... it wasn't him just teasing you for fun.

"Oh," you mumble. Your words are as placid as your expression.

"And I acted like a little emotional kid in reaction. No, worse, like a petty teenager getting told off. I'm so sorry for that. You did nothing wrong," he says gently, voice not turning spiteful at any moment. His gaze turns back to you, eyes genuine and humbled. "I like you, okay? There, I've said it. I'm not going to be a child and hide behind mind games and hyperboles anymore. It's fine that you don't feel the same. Nothing has to change, we can just go back to how it started. But I promise you, I'll never act as terrible to you as I was last night, okay?"