The quizzical smile on Reiner's face slowly falls, a cold pit forming in his stomach as Gabi hems and haws. Why would she hesitate to repeat herself? Why, unless she actually said Levi's name? Then the dreaded confirmation comes, and Reiner just … stares. Face blank, mind scrambling, a cold sweat prickling the back of his neck.
Levi, who stabbed Reiner through the spine and heart. Levi, who would like to see Reiner get what he deserves. Levi, who must be working some angle by getting near Gabi, or who must not know who she is, who she's related to, who loves her, and fuck, fuck, what will those devils do to her if they find out…?!
They're being careful not to kill her, whispers Armin's voice, poison in his ear. But they won't let her rest. At this very moment, they're inflicting pain on her every way they know how—
Reiner swallows, just once, forcing down the fear clawing at his throat. He'll have to negotiate with them. That's all there is to it. He'll have to contact Commander Hange and arrange some sort of agreement to keep Gabi safe. To keep everyone he loves safe.
Gabi keeps talking, and it takes Reiner a moment to come back to himself, to realize she's talking about a boy. A boy that she likes, blushing even as she speaks of him. A boy that she wants to call her boyfriend, by the sound of it, but she's scared of messing things up.
Unbidden, Bertolt face flashes through Reiner's mind, flushed with embarrassment as Reiner teased him about Annie. Protesting whenever Reiner pushed him to admit his feelings. Staring at Reiner with an expression that made Reiner hope, and long, and wish, but—
… Damn. He and Gabi really are cousins, aren't they?
"Falco," Reiner manages to say, the name vaguely familiar, tugging at some long-dormant memory. Something about a Warrior Candidate, maybe? If so, Reiner's mother must approve; she'd want her niece to marry a Warrior, even if it made Gabi a widow far too early.
… Marry? What the hell is he thinking about?
Reiner shakes his head to clear it, fear and confusion and everything else fogging his thoughts. Then he forces out a small laugh. "Sorry, it's just…" His gaze cuts to the side, staring blankly at the horizon. "You were three, Gabi. This high," he says, indicating with a hand, "hanging onto my shirt, yanking it whenever I looked away. And now…"
How old is she? Reiner does the math, throat tightening as he comes up with the answer: fifteen. The same age as Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and so many of the others. No, the same age they were. Because Eren lived to turn twenty, somehow, and—
He runs a hand through his hair, restlessly pushing it back. The last thing he needs to think about right now is Eren Yeager.
"Falco," he repeats, firmer this time, his eyes darting back to meet Gabi's. "Did I like him?"
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Levi, who stabbed Reiner through the spine and heart. Levi, who would like to see Reiner get what he deserves. Levi, who must be working some angle by getting near Gabi, or who must not know who she is, who she's related to, who loves her, and fuck, fuck, what will those devils do to her if they find out…?!
They're being careful not to kill her, whispers Armin's voice, poison in his ear. But they won't let her rest. At this very moment, they're inflicting pain on her every way they know how—
Reiner swallows, just once, forcing down the fear clawing at his throat. He'll have to negotiate with them. That's all there is to it. He'll have to contact Commander Hange and arrange some sort of agreement to keep Gabi safe. To keep everyone he loves safe.
Gabi keeps talking, and it takes Reiner a moment to come back to himself, to realize she's talking about a boy. A boy that she likes, blushing even as she speaks of him. A boy that she wants to call her boyfriend, by the sound of it, but she's scared of messing things up.
Unbidden, Bertolt face flashes through Reiner's mind, flushed with embarrassment as Reiner teased him about Annie. Protesting whenever Reiner pushed him to admit his feelings. Staring at Reiner with an expression that made Reiner hope, and long, and wish, but—
… Damn. He and Gabi really are cousins, aren't they?
"Falco," Reiner manages to say, the name vaguely familiar, tugging at some long-dormant memory. Something about a Warrior Candidate, maybe? If so, Reiner's mother must approve; she'd want her niece to marry a Warrior, even if it made Gabi a widow far too early.
… Marry? What the hell is he thinking about?
Reiner shakes his head to clear it, fear and confusion and everything else fogging his thoughts. Then he forces out a small laugh. "Sorry, it's just…" His gaze cuts to the side, staring blankly at the horizon. "You were three, Gabi. This high," he says, indicating with a hand, "hanging onto my shirt, yanking it whenever I looked away. And now…"
How old is she? Reiner does the math, throat tightening as he comes up with the answer: fifteen. The same age as Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and so many of the others. No, the same age they were. Because Eren lived to turn twenty, somehow, and—
He runs a hand through his hair, restlessly pushing it back. The last thing he needs to think about right now is Eren Yeager.
"Falco," he repeats, firmer this time, his eyes darting back to meet Gabi's. "Did I like him?"