Outcast [REINER BRAUN X READER]

Forgotten past

****THIS CHAPTER IS TO PROVIDE CLARITY FOR LATER REFERENCES TO HER BACKSTORY**** (in other words you can come back and read this later lol, sorry I just really wanted to give Y/N more depth as I despise the concept of having a shallow protagonist :)

The apartment was dark, only a few oil lamps illuminating the living space. The air was humid and something felt as if it were brewing in the underground atmosphere.

A five year old girl was curled up in a worn, wool blanket, on a pale, raven haired man's lap, one arm wrapped around her, the other clutching a book titled "wind in the willows" - which he was previously reading to the small child. He secretly liked the book for it was his favourite story, that his mother read to him when he was the girls age, however he keeps that fact, like many others, hidden behind his stoic features.

He was the only one awake as his golden and cherry red-haired companions had dozed off on the sofa, however, he had trouble sleeping, like he always had.

Why sleep if you can read anyway?

He gazed down at the child with the rare complexion of tenderness in his usually icy steel-grey orbs and gently lifted a lock of H/C hair off her delicate, doll-like face. Nobody was awake but him, so he felt comfortable to show his softer, empathetic side.

The tranquility in the air was comforting, almost, just almost lulling him to sleep, however, something was pulling him up - a gut feeling, as if hell was about to break loose. Maybe the girl sensed it, she let out a small whimper in her sleep.

"Shhh.......brat....it's only a dream" His deep voice murmured tenderly. She seemed to calm down as she snuggled further into her little wool cocoon.

He stood up, and paced around the room with the fragile child in his arms, wondering what was giving him this uneasy feeling - or, more precisely what was going on beyond that crack in the curtains.

Cautiously, he made his way over to the window, making sure he wasn't seen by any individuals outside.

The man seemed to freeze, as if some spell turning him to stone had been cast.

Hushed voices.

Shuffling of leather boots against the pavement.

The gut wrenching scrape of a blade being sharpened against brick.

The man tightened his grip around the child in a protective manner as he clenched his jaw in frustration.

'Tch, just as I was getting relaxed' he thought to himself.

There were five men at the foot of the apartment staircase were assembled in a ring. Three of them held knives, the other pair? Were they hiding their weapons?

One made their way towards the staircase, as Levi anticipated, the predator ascended up towards their door.

He jumped towards the flame haired girl and shook her out of her slumber. "Isabel, Isabel?"

She stirred and rubbed her eyes, reaching her arm out to shove the person disturbing her precious sleep. "Farlen piss off....." not realising that on this occasion it was the other male walking her.

If she wasn't 'family' to Levi, he would've kicked that face of hers by now.

She rubbed her eyes and noticed the panicked expression on Levi's face, instantly bolting upright. He hardly ever looked like this, she knew something was wrong. Before she could speak, he gave her instructions.