the other side of the sea - reiner braun x reader.

Prologue - 845.

It's a rainy day in the internment zone, and I guess that fits considering I have to stay here while 4 of my closest friends leave Marley to go and fight the island devils. Everything we have been working towards for most of our lives is finally coming to fruition, I just can't believe I won't be going with them. I thought I was a shoe in for the Colossal but I guess Bert was better suited for it. I should've tried for a different titan power but I was so sure I would get the Colossal. Arrogance I guess. Commander Magath always says that no Eldian has the right to arrogance, and he knows what he's talking about.

I stand by the dock and wait for my friends to be done their ride through town as they say goodbye to everyone they're leaving behind. This is going to be hard, real hard. All of the warrior candidates are strong and capable, but we don't really know what they're going up against once they cross the sea. We've been taught our whole lives to believe that us Eldians need to repent and pay for the crimes committed by our ancestors, so at a young age we join the warrior unit to train as soldiers to hopefully one day become honourary Marleyans. It's hard to live proudly as a 'good' Eldian when we've been taught our whole lives of the Island Devils that live across the sea. They tell us they need to be eradicated, so that's what my friends are being sent off to do.

I hear the cheers of the bystanders grow louder as my friends get closer to the ship that I am standing by. I clench my fists in anticipation to say goodbye. Nobody really knows how long they will be gone for, it could be a month or maybe even a year. I feel stinging start to form behind my eyes and I quickly shut them to deter the tears from falling. I see the carriage come to a halt and watch as my friends hop out. I lock eyes with Annie first and I don't think I'll be able to hold my tears back for much longer.

Annie , the inheritor of the Female Titan, walks over to me and slowly grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. Annie is the toughest person I've ever met. I thought she hated me for a long time, but I think she secretly likes me the most out of all of us. She is not one for hugs or affection so I know even just this hand squeeze is huge for her. I squeeze her hand three times in quick succession. "You too." She says in reply. "Dont be getting soft on me now, Leonhart." I tease. "Not on your life." She says, deadpan. I give her a soft smile and I watch as she walks away and boards the ship. I think I see her quickly wipe her eyes but I don't think I've ever seen her cry so I don't give it much thought.

I watch as Galliard and Bertholdt stride towards me. Galliard gives me a soft nudge with his elbow, "Don't miss us too much Y/N, and make sure my brother survives while I'm gone." Marcel and Porco Galliard are two brothers who were training as warrior candidates. Marcel was chosen to inherit the jaw titan, and Porco narrowly missed out on the Armoured Titan, second only to Reiner Braun.  I smile and nudge him back. "Me? Miss you? Ya right. Hopefully you don't have many sleepless nights missing me." I retort. "And of course I'll look out for Porco, it's just us now." He winks and begins to walk to the ship. "Remember to write everything down okay? I want to hear about all of it when you get back!" I yell to him. "It's a date!" He says. I watch his smile as he walks away.

I turn back towards Bertholdt who is towering over me. He has a sad expression on his face. "You ok?" I ask. "Yeah I'll be okay. I'm just - I'm sorry. I really thought you would get the colossal, not me. I don't know what happened or what Magath was thinking but, I'm sorry." The dam breaks and the tears flood my vision. I wrap my arms around my tall friend and squeeze him tight. "Don't apologize, Bert. You deserve it. You're going to do great things for Marley I just know it. Just don't forget about me when you're a big war hero, ok?" I wipe the tears from my eyes and smile up at him. Bertholdt has been one of my closest friends since I started training to be a warrior. His departure is one I don't take lightly. "I could never forget you, Y/N. I know we didn't say it much, but you're my best friend. I just want you to know that." I smile through my tears "You too." I reply. He gives me one last hug and walks to join the other two.

There's one more person to say goodbye too and I can feel my fragile 12 year old heart breaking as I watch Reiner hug his mom goodbye, tears in her eyes while he is clearly holding them back. He turns and his eye catches mine. His cheeks redden and I feel bad for embarrassing him. I shoot him a sad smile as he approaches me. "Hold down the fort while we're gone okay?" I press my fingernails into my palms to stifle the emotions pouring out of me. "Of course." I say, tears once again welling in my eyes. My friendship with Reiner is different from the others. Sometimes he catches me staring at him a little to long, and I him. I can't help but admire his tenacity for the cause of becoming an honorary Marleyan. He did it to make his mom proud and I will always look up to him for that. I don't want to think about it, but I know this might be the last time I see any of my friends, so I grab Reiners hand just in case this is the last time I'll be looking at him. "Come home. Okay?" I look at him, tears freely falling down my face now. I feel his fingers interlock with mine. "We all will." I don't know what else to say, so I smile at him. I expect him to turn away but he instead pulls me into him, hugging me tightly. "See you soon."

10 minutes later I watch as my friends sail away on the ship. The crowd is lively and loud as they wave and shout their goodbyes. I stand there in silence as I watch my friends grow smaller in the distance. The swarm of people begin to head back to their homes or their jobs. I stay planted where I was when I said goodbye to my friends, staring at the small blip in the distance that could be leading them to their deaths. I will keep my promise to Reiner while they're away.

I'll hold down the fort.