From the Start (Reiner Braun X Reader)

8 [Olive Branch]

"I'm the armored titan. He's the colossal."

You rested your head back on your pillow as you remembered the words you had overheard. The memory of standing on the top of the wall made your heart ache. After everything that had happened in the hours prior, you remembered that those words sparked the worst moments of your life. Even after living through everything you did, the betrayal seemed to sting the most.

"I've spent too long on this island, surrounded by idiots."

At that moment, you remember turning your head to look over at Reiner and Bertholdt. You knew this moment was coming. You remember discussing the potential of more traitors, but you did not want to believe it could be true. When your eyes locked onto the blonde's, you could not help but stare. He looked past Eren, gaze focusing onto you.

"Nothing but devils."

Through blurry eyes, you looked up at the ceiling of your bedroom and frowned. Small tears ran down the side of your face, dripping down by your ears and dried before they could fall down to your pillow. Just thinking back to the moment made you wish your brain had an off switch. When you thought about it, the words played over on a loop. They always stung the same they had on that day. It was nearly impossible to break the cycle.

The sun had not quite risen high enough to shine through your window. The sky was a dark blue as the birds began to slowly sing their morning songs. The day was beginning to start, and you had no ambition to leave your bed. With a small sigh, you rolled over on to your side and pulled the blanket up your chin.

You hated this feeling. You hated wishing for things to be different. You wanted to think about something else. Every time you tried, however, something always seemed to remind you of the past. It could be something as simple as the way a person talks that reminds you of the things you once experienced.

Mindlessly, your fingers twirled a loose thread from your blanket as you peered over to your window. The lightning sky began to brighten up the room as a few memories played in your mind. The blank expression on your face gave you an unintentional thousand yard stare, your eyes looking out the window. From the sliver of sky you could see from your position, you watched as dark clouds began to slowly roll in. You knew then that the day was meant to be a gloomy one. The lack of sunlight encouraged you to close your eyes once again and roll over to face the wall. With the blanket still tucked up to your chin, you brought your hands up to wrap around your pillow and cradle it against yourself. The coolness of the sheets and pillowcase felt inviting on your skin. As your head rested in its newfound position, a wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over you. You closed your eyes again. Sleep came quickly, though it felt as if you had only blinked.

When you abruptly woke, you squeezed your eyes shut a few times. The room seemed to be a little lighter than it had been when you last had them open. It took a few moments for your tired eyes to adjust to the room around you as you sat up in bed. Looking around, you wondered what had caused you to wake so suddenly, if anything. You had not dreamt in that short time, not that you knew, so you were unsure if your brain had mindlessly woke you up.

Then, you heard a muffled knock coming from your front door downstairs. Your eyes widened as you quickly threw your covers off and hopped out of bed, night clothes still on as you rushed out of your room and down your steps. Before you opened the door, you tried to quickly fix your hair and wipe your face, trying to make it out as if you had not just been woken up. Upon opening it, a pale man in black formal attire stood in front of you. His brown hair was slicked back, facial hair clean and the scent of sandalwood flooded your nose. His hands were behind his back and his posture was straight. Blinking in confusion, you tilted your head.