When people say they go through a heartbreak, you thought it was metaphorical. Yes, you had experienced great pain before, but you had no idea you could feel your heart being crushed from within your chest, leaving nothing but a hollow space. That’s how you felt when you found out the truth.

You weren’t even supposed to, your childish jealousy had carried your feet outside of that shed, where Reiner and Annie had snuck in. He had never given you any reason to doubt his feelings for you, but you were always too nosy for your own good. You couldn’t believe it, even when the words left their mouths, so crystal clear they almost sounded like a joke. It had to be a joke, right? Reiner couldn’t be the armored titan.

When you both joined the scouts, he was nothing but kind to you. Reiner wasn’t the most extrovert guy in the 104th, but with you, he would show his affectionate side. You had spent countless nights tending at each other’s wounds during training, and the tradition lived on when you started to go on real missions together.

After some time, it wasn’t just caring out of convenience. Touches lingered for longer than necessary, comforting words turned more affectionate, and the crackling of burning wood would swallow your secret kisses. Now, you wondered if all that happened between you was just a way to earn your trust and keep up his lie.

You needed to know if it was the truth: you decided to confront him. You had fallen for everything you were taught to stay away from under an intelligently crafted lie. You didn’t sugarcoat it. At night, you went into his room and told him what you heard him and Annie say. Tears welled in your eyes as you expressed how betrayed you felt.

He didn’t have the strength to keep lying to you, so he confessed. He expected you to scream, maybe even hit him. Instead, you only looked distraught, and your eyes still held the same love for him. “You should hate me,” he murmured. “Not look at me like you still want to be mine. I'm a monster.”