|𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠e𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞| ᵃʳᵐⁱⁿ ᵃˡᵉʳᵗ

|23| Reiner's Return

*Warnings: Character deaths*
-MARLEY-

The months went by just as any other, but Y/n's life really started to turn around. She grew more comfortable without her gloves the more she took them off. She didn't have to live in fear of herself anymore. She kept herself around Melvin and Porco, and the three of them became quite close. Udo spent more of his free days with Y/n, they would walk around down by the beach and stay out until the sunset. She had a routine, she had a life and it was all making sense.

Of course, Armin never left her mind. Along with everyone else. Whenever she eats a meal, she subconsciously leaves a portion for Sasha, then eats it when she remembers Sasha isn't there to come and snatch it off her plate. Whenever someone calls her name, she freezes up and sometimes accidentally does the salute she did in Paradis. It was like a part of her was still there.

Though, one day everything changed. It was the day Bertholdt and the others were to get back. Y/n made it to the docks with Udo and Melvin, while everyone else arrived soon after. They waited for about an hour until the boat was in view on the horizon. Gabi and Falco sprinted over to the boat and embraced Reiner as he walked out. Zeke was next, then Pieck. Y/n waited anxiously for Bertholdt and Annie to walk out, but they never did.

Reiner put a hand on her shoulder, "Bertholdt isn't coming, Y/n," he told her.

"Does he have more business in Paradis? Is he staying to get Annie back?" she asked.

"Y/n, he's dead," he told her blankly. It took her a moment to process it, but once she did she couldn't stop the tears from spilling down her face.

"No, he promised- I can't- he wasn't supposed to die," she stammered as Reiner embraced her in his arms. "What happened to The Colossal...?"

"Uh- we don't know, or I don't at least. But I have something else and you won't like it," he added as she looked up at him, waiting for him to say it. "Armin's dead too."

And that was it, that's what did it. Every fibre of her being snapped and her legs didn't want to work anymore. Bertholdt's death was bad enough, and the fact that Annie was still there trapped in that crystal, but Armin too....she just couldn't take it. "No! Bertholdt was supposed to come back with Annie, he was supposed to keep Armin alive! He promised me!" she shouted. "Why didn't you do anything!?" She shoved him back. He didn't seemed annoyed, he just stood there and took her anger. He let her shove and hit him as she liked, he knew she was upset and he figured it was better him than anyone else she got too.

"I almost died too, I couldn't do anything at the time," he told her calmly as he grabbed her shoulders. "I'm just as upset as you are, we can get through this."

Y/n nodded, breathing in and out through her mouth. She was huffing out loud sobs with every breath she took, though it was clear she was trying to calm down. "I can't-" she sobbed. Reiner stopped her from speaking and helped to her to sit down on a nearby bench with him. The bench faced the ocean, which Y/n never looked away from once. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be taking this out on you, it's not your fault."

"Armin was different after you left," Reiner began. "He was his usually nerdy self of course, but when he wasn't doing any of that stuff, it was easy to tell he wasn't taking it well. I liked you, Y/n, I know that, but you gotta let go now."

"Even if I manage that, what about Bertholdt?" she cried. "We planned so many things, we made so many promises, and for what? For him to die? For Annie to be left behind? It's not fair, and I know you're going through all this too. Bertholdt was your best friend, Annie was your best friend."

"I cried a lot, and I feel guilty about it a lot too," he told her. "But we can't do anything about it now. It happened, it's in the past and we need to learn to live on."

Y/n nodded, her breath continuing to shake, the tears continuing to spill from her eyes and down her chin. She tucked her knees up to her chest and rocked herself back and forwards slightly. She began humming quietly to herself. Reiner heard her faintly and put an arm over her shoulder. "My life was just getting better, my dad started liking me, I could walk the streets with a little more ease. Everything was starting to turn around for me, and now I feel like I could tie a rock to my foot and jump into the ocean."

"You'll be okay," he told her, squeezing her shoulder slightly. She shuffled closer to him so they could embrace in the others sadness a little easier. "Y/n I think you're burning up," he said a few moments later.

"What do you mean?" she asked as he shuffled away from her.

"No, you're like hot to the touch, like 'I could fry an egg on you' hot," he explained. Y/n stood up from the chair and saw a giant burn mark from where she was sitting. She touched it with the tips of her fingers to see how damaged it was. As she did, the whole chair got engulfed in flames. Y/n smelt a burning under her feet, upon lifting her foot up she realised the bottom of her shoes were melted through. She turned to Reiner's shocked face with an even more panicked one then turned to the crashing ocean waves behind her.

She bolted for it, not wasting a second because she knew what was coming. Her body sizzled at the contact with the water. It was so dark, a part of her wanted to swim down as far as she could and never come back up, but she knew it wasn't the right thing to do, so she swam to the surface and climbed back onto the docks. Crowds of people had come over to see the commotion and all eyes were on Y/n as she walked from the dock. Her shoes had melted off completely, and her body was still steaming.

That's when everything started to go down hill. That's when she really changed.

-

1.1k Word Count