𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙴𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢 |𝙰𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

Chapter 19 - Attention

True to his word, Reiner didn't engage with Mara anymore. Or at least he tried his best not to. Every interaction with her made his chest ache. But this was the enemy. He had to remind himself, he wasn't surrounded by friends. So Reiner closed himself off, spoke to people less and less until he faded into the background, a secondary character, a prop. Days turned to weeks, turned to months; before they knew it the Instructors were preparing them for their final exams. Reiner couldn't wait, a few more weeks of grafting and he'd be free of this. Free of conflicting feelings but still bound to do his duty. A duty he would fulfil whatever it took. Right now that meant acing these exams and making the cut. Then, they would search for what they came for in the most secure place on this godforsaken island.

However, Reiner wasn't as focused as he'd like to admit. With all his attention on the exams and avoiding Mara he was blindsided to his attatchment to the rest of his fellow cadets. He continued to aid Eren in his combat training, he carried Armin's heavy gear when the Commandant had noticed he was falling behind and he even gave Sasha his notes for lectures she'd slept through. The cold-hearted titan's armour wasn't immune to allures of friendship.

In the middle of exams, there was a surprise announcement; due to the snowstorm North of Trost they were to take part in an impromptu training exercise in the mountains. It was a welcome distraction from the gruelling exam weeks to most. They spent the next day going through wilderness procedures and packing for the cold weather. The next morning the 104th Corp set off to the site of the blizzard and no sooner than they had got there Reiner's class were told they'd be the first to set off on the expedition. That's how Reiner found himself miserable and frozen stiff, halfway down a mountain, another vessel in a winter coat.

"Mara," Jean whisper-shouted, his voice carried by the wind, "stick to the path."

The snow had let up a little, enough that Reiner could see his class around him. Most of them were trekking ahead in pairs, close together for warmth. As if it made any difference. Mara was veering right, away from the direction they were currently headed.

"It'll only take a second," she replied.

"Mara!" Jean said through gritted teeth.

When she ignored him he cursed and followed behind her tugging Connie with him.

He looked straight ahead. Then, against his better judgement, Reiner followed after them.

They shouldered past trees, their arms brushing against branches. The pace quickened to match Mara's advancing figure, and before long they were running. Reiner panted as he struggled to keep up. His joints were stiff as if the cold had frozen it in place. He wasn't made for this weather, in Marley they had heat waves more often than snow and he preferred it that way. He'd been doing that more, recently. Thinking about home. It kept him focused on what he was here for, this was temporary.

He looked up to see that they stopped just outside the treeline, following Mara's lead. Her breath was coming out in clouds and her eyes were glittering with mirth. Reiner followed her eyeline and his breath caught in his throat.

They are standing on a ridge on the edge of the mountain, overlooking the expanse of peaks that stretched out further than they could see. The sun hit the snow almost blinding them with the white intensity. It sparkled and shone in front of them mimicking the twinkling of the slow running river below. Jean, Mara and Connie could only watch in amazement but Reiner's eyes flitted back to Mara who was too close to the edge for his liking.

"Wow," Connie said.

"You can say that again," Jean breathed.

"It's beautiful," Mara whispered.