blank open eyes | reiner braun x reader

chapter thirteen

Reiner's absence was the first thing you noticed when you woke up the next morning. The spot beside you had grown cold, and you'd rolled nearly to the middle of the mattress in an attempt to gather all the sheets close to you.

It seemed that you'd slept in later than usual—the sun was high, illuminating the sky a bright hue. It was a much different view than what greeted you on your way into town; normally, you were first met with a navy, star-littered sky.

Lazily, you sat up, wincing at the aches and pains that accompanied you. The medication had worn off, and everything was hurting much worse than it had been. Without the constant treatment from the hospital, you were starting to feel the true effects of your injuries.

You reached over, attempting to grab the crutch without climbing out of bed, though in the process, you knocked a few miscellaneous items off your bedside table. Your candle rolled under the bed, and the stack of books fell to the floor with a loud smack.

The sound made you wince—if you weren't fully awake before, you certainly were now.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

His voice was frantic, though there was an edge of composure behind it.

You glanced up to see Reiner panicked, his honey eyes wide as they assessed you for any visible pain. He'd entered the room so quickly you hadn't even heard the door open.

"I'm fine," you said, amused by his obvious distress. "I just knocked some things over."

Reiner seemed unconvinced. He noted the stiffness in your body and the way you grimaced with every subtle movement. If you tried to maneuver one way, the wound in your leg began to pound. If you tried to shift the pain from your leg, every muscle in your arm screamed at you.

"You look worse than before. Are you sure that you're alright?"

A small part of you wanted to be exasperated with the pampering, but it was won out by the larger part of you that was plainly exhausted. Reiner seemed to notice the inner battle, and sat down on the bed next to you, sighing.

You slumped against him, resting your temple against his shoulder.

"Everything hurts," you frowned. "I feel like shit."

"I can tell," he said, tracing your spine softly as he planted a quick kiss on the top of your head. "Do you want to go back to sleep? It's still early. You can rest more."

"No," you groaned, rubbing your hands over your aching eyes. They felt hard behind the lids, gritty like sandpaper. "That's the last thing I want to do. My head is throbbing from too much sleep."

Reiner rested his chin on the top of your head, smiling into your hair. He was so warm, and you found that you couldn't get enough of his casual embrace. "I made you breakfast," he said softly, playing with your hands. "If you're hungry."

You froze, shifting to meet his eyes. "You made me breakfast?" The way your voice caught was almost uncomfortable to hear.

His smile fell slightly. "Well, don't get your hopes up. I did my best, but almost everything you have here has gone bad. I'm not a good cook, either."

"That's not what I meant. You didn't have to do anything at all." You ceased his ramblings, and his cheeks flushed a slight pink. "Thank you."

"Yeah, well, don't thank me yet. It might be completely inedible."

Despite his warning, you beamed, certain that it would take a lot to wipe the smile off your face. Reiner helped you to your feet gracefully, shouldering your weight to ease the pain. Though you still walked with the crutch at your side, you leaned more into him than anything.