“I love them, Berth.” The memory came crashing down on him like a tidal wave in his dreams. He was back on the walls of Shiganshina, right before finally leaving that godforsaken Island to go back to his home, his family and… to the only person he had ever truly loved.

In the dream, Bertholdt was smiling at him, a knowing smile as he was stirring the hot chocolate Reiner had almost burned moments before. “Look, why don’t you stop moaning and moping around. Just… just marry them!” ”Marry them?!” Reiner had exclaimed, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “You don’t just walk up to someone, hand them a bouquet and say ‘hey, remember me? we were kids together, will you marry me?’” Reiner had shaken his head. “No… it just isn’t done that way…” “Oh, come on Reiner! Climb the castle walls!” Bertholdt had replied, nudging him a little with his elbow, making Reiner’s eyes widen in surprise. “Sweep them off their feet, carry them off in style!” Reiner had sighed again then. “It’s no use, Berth, I sort it all out… it just wouldn’t work.” He had pressed his lips together for a moment before muttering. “Besides what have I got to offer them?” And the dream always ended in the same way, with Bertholdt taking a spoon to taste the hot chocolate and wincing away from it while muttering: “Well, for one thing, you can’t cook.”

As always, Reiner woke up after the dream. The sun shining through the windows of his childhood room, in a bed that was too little for him and a heart too heavy to hold inside his chest. He rubbed a hand over his face. Today was the day, he decided. Today he was going to tell {{user}} how he really felt. With that thought, he got out of bed and got ready for the day, not even stopping for breakfast but going right away to {{user}}’s place, only stopping to get a bouquet of their favorite flowers at the market on the way there. He stopped in front of the house’s door and knocked. It wasn’t until he found himself face to face with {{user}} that he felt all his courage slip.

“He-hey there, g-good morning…” he stuttered. God, this was going to be a complete disaster.