(Discontinued) AOT Boys x Reader; A Relaxing Vacation?

A Moonlit Path

You and Bertholdt walked through the crisp forest night with the only light sources being the occasional firefly, the cabin behind, and the moon and stars above. Bertholdt was still being pulled along by you and was glad it was too dark for you to see his face.

"The shed this way." you stated, "I thought I saw Hanji putting some stuff on the top shelf and the first aid kit is probably there...so I may need your help reaching it." You laughed awkwardly in the dark.

"Y-yeah..."replied the dark outline of Berthold. You could barely make out the nervous shifting of his eyes in the dark. Bertholdt was being even more quiet than usual for reasons unknown to you. You realized you were still holding his hand and you felt the temperature in your cheeks rise. You dropped his hand.

"Sorry! I didn't realize-"

"N-no, actually..." Bertholdt gulped you saw him raise his other hand over his mouth, "I'm still h-having a little t-trouble seeing, so I mean it would be easier if I...um h-held your hand...I guess." You felt your pulse quicken and you shifted awkwardly. Bertholdt peeked through his fingers and saw the moon hitting your (h/c) hair, giving it a shiny and lustrous appearance. Your glistening (e/c) eyes reflected the stars' brilliance, but they looked everywhere except him. Is it bad she's not looking at me...or is she nervous?, thought Bertholdt. He had never had much luck with girls, so he had no idea what to expect from them, especially you.

"Well if you're fine with it..." You gingerly took his hand again and began walking a little slower than you were before so as not to trip. His hands were shaking and gentle in a way that you found oddly endearing.

The hills surrounding the pair of you echoed with mystery and the symphony of the night. Crickets sang relentlessly, the leaves rustled with anticipation. The darkness smelled of clover and midnight dew. Silence hung like a chandler above Bertholdt and you.

"Hey, I think that's it!" you said finally. Bertholdt looked up from gazing at your hand in his and saw the distant beacon of the shed's lantern. The shed what the shed was lacking in width it made up for in height. You turned to the lanky boy behind you. "It seemed a little longer distance than it did before though...." Berthold shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, kicking stray pebbles at his feet.

"The walk didn't bother me too much," he gave you a quirky smile. Then he added more quietly, "I really don't have anything to worry about when I'm with you..."

Your stomach did an unexpected somersault and you felt a strange heat in your chest. Your face must have looked surprised because Bertholdt reacted almost immediately.

"Oh! I-I said something w-weird, didn't I!" He looked practically horrified, "W-what I meant was that...you make me feel safe...wait no t-that's um..." he stood there looking down and ringing his hands nervously. You tried your best not to giggle but it escaped your lips with a slight pause.

"You really are something Bertholdt!" you laughed. Unfortunately, the dark-haired boy looked even more defeated. You felt guilty and added with a grin "Don't worry, I get what you were trying to say. With all the extra combat training I do, anyone would feel safe with my walking with them at night!" you turned on your feel and pretended to fight an imaginary foe next to you, striking the most ridiculous fighting stance you could. You heard Berthold chuckle and looked back at him, his tan face pulled into a smile.

"Yeah that's what I meant." He said. You smiled back and turned towards to shed.

"Well what are we waiting for!" you exclaimed. You both trudged towards the shed.