#eldia

"I'll try to be." He whispered.

"Besides, I have something to come back to anyways!" He exclaimed, pulling her at arms length to look at her. She had tears but suddenly smiled up at him.

"Yeah! You have to come back! So we can get married and live together!"

"Of course! I'm going to get us a big house! So mom can live with us too!" Reiner told her equally enthusiastic.

(y/n)'s hand clenched onto the item it held, her mind suddenly remembering about it.

"Oh, I got this for you!" She pulled on a chain, a ring hanging on the string. "Made sure to put it on a necklace so you don't loose it!"

Reiner looked at the gift with wide eyes, hand slowly reaching out to touch the dangling jewelry.

"You didn't have to." He said with a soft smile. He gingerly touched the necklace, the girl letting go as the ring fell into his palm.

"I wanted to." (y/n) smiled. "Now we can match."

The girl giggled, pulling the chain she had bought to put the ring Reiner gave her on. As she moved to display the two rings together, her shoulders sagged and her smile fell into a sad one.

"You're my best friend, Reiner." She said somberly. "And I want you to come back."

Reiner's eyes twinkled as (y/n) looked up at him. He gave her a small smile back, gripping tightly onto the ring her got.

"You're mine too." He spoke. "Don't tell Bertolt, though."

"I'll see you at the docks tomorrow, okay. I'll be sure to wave you off!" (y/n) giggled, the boys cheeks flushing.

"I'd like that."

There was a small pause, (y/n) looking up at Reiner as she tried to come up with what to say. Instead though, she quickly leaned forward, her lips touching Reiner's in a fast paced manner. Reiner's face suddenly went hot, the boy not reacting to the kiss on time and just freezing as he was stunned.

"I love you, Reiner." She told him softly, the statement causing the boy to come back to Earth.

"I love you too, (y/n)."

And just as she had told him, she waved at him. Her hand raised high as she stood on another dock, away from the Eldians telling the warriors goodbye. Reiner gave a small smile, hand waving back as he saw her looking frantic to make sure he saw her.

****

She finished off the letter with another small heart, her name placed off to the side as she read over what she wrote. It talked about her day; talked about how much she remembers of Reiner and how she realized her feelings for him.

She sighed, folding the paper neatly and placing it inside an envelope. Her door opened, footsteps pounding as a little girl giggled as she looked around her older sister's room. She peaked her head over the desk, eyes glancing over all the papers that had neat calligraphy.

"What are you writing, sissy?" Her 5 year old sister asked, trying to get on her toes to look closer.

"A letter, (s/n)." (y/n) answered, sealing the envelope up with wax and reaching over to place them in a box on her desk. Her fingers rolled through all the other letters, three years worth.

"To a boy!?" (y/n) laughed, as another one of her sisters walked up to her, the girl a bit taller at the age of 8.

"Yes, to a boy."

"Who's Reiner?"

"(B/n)! Why are you snooping!?" (y/n) panicked, hearing the 12 year-olds deeper voice. He had a messed up letter in his hand, the name at the top still clear though.

"Isn't that the name of that one Eldian boy who father said got the armored titan?"

"It's none of your business." (y/n) scold, snatching the paper out of his hand and crumbling it back up to place back in the trash.

"Are you writing him love letters? Isn't he on the island of devils right now?" The two younger girls watched as their older siblings argued with wide eyes.

"Don't touch my things." (y/n) sneered.

"I would stop while you're ahead of yourself. Father would never let you be with an Eldian boy. A titan shifter no less." (B/n) said in an uptight matter, the boy folding his arms over one another.

"Don't tell anyone." (y/n) said in a threatening tone.

"I don't need to entertain myself with girlish things. I have more important things to do than play with emotions."

"Like what? You're just a 12 year-old boy."(S/n) spoke, a finger to her chin in thought.

"I shall have you know, father has started educating me to be part of the Maryleyan army! He says he's going to get me into the high positions once I come of age!" (b/n) mocked.

"There's no benefit in that." (y/n) deadpanned to her brother.

"Wrong!" He retorted. "I get to help my country."

"The same one who treats its people like trash." (y/n) whispered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, (b/n)." She said, moving around her room to gather some of the mess left laying around. "Go back to your war strategies. I'm busy."

She sat down at her desk, moving back to pick up all her stationary things and place them in their designated areas.

"I'm being serious, (y/n)." (b/n) told her, his tone going down. "If your boy does come back and father somehow lets you be with him."

"He only has so long left to live. It's been 6 years. He's reaching the half point of his life."

The boys footsteps bounced off the walls as he walked out of his sister's room, the girl giggling to themselves as they went to play in the room. The teen's shoulders sagged, glancing at all the notes she had. It was a subconscious thing, moving to rub at her pinky with the skin marked.

She swallowed, picturing what Reiner could possibly be going through at the moment. It had been three years, she knew trying to get the founding titan was going to take a while, but what if there was a slim chance of him not coming back.

No, she told herself. After all she would know if he was gone or not.

****

"Good day cadets. My name is (y/n) (l/n). I am going to be your new advisor." The girl told the new class of Warrior candidates. "I will be the one making sure you are all in top shape for being a warrior candidate. If I see you have failed to meet certain requirements, I will be forced to eliminate you from the list."

"With that being said, if you wish to inherit a titan, my advice to you: Work your ass off."

The cadets, who ranged from the ages of 6 to 12, all gave the girl a bow. Commander Magath stood off to the side, making sure the young girl wouldn't do anything he didn't like. She tried much too hard to get into this position; her father clearly having a hand in getting it for her.

She was the youngest applicant, but she had been exposed and educated since a young age. While she didn't have any field experience, she had knowledge of everything. So she was the most capable candidate. That didn't stop Magath in thinking it odd that she was the only female to want the position.

(y/n) went over the list of the candidates that were left over since they started the program once more. The old advisor had retired leaving the spot open; and (y/n) was quick to apply to it. Well, quick to beg her father for help in securing the position. The age limit was 18, and she was only 16. She had to prove she was smarter than the others, but she wasn't going to stop at nothing to get the position. Her one goal in mind was to reach a spot where she could be with Reiner. It was a selfish reason but it was her reason.

She had asked the kids to pair up and spar, trying to make out the skills that each one currently had. It was her way of weeding out those who had a chance of progressing and who didn't. She caught a name, standing in front of the girl who was trying to keep up with a bigger boy.

She was panting-sweating- but she didn't seem to stop throwing punches at the boy. He was getting annoyed with the little girl, his face twisting into one of irritation. (y/n) watched as he was about to strike her one more time, but the little girl moved and tackled the boy to the ground; a growl coming from her mouth.

"Gabi Braun." She looked up, getting off the boy who was angrily huffing on the ground. The 8 year old girl stood at attention, saluting the older girl who called for her.

"Why are you here?" (y/n) asked, her body language trying to make her look intimidating. She couldn't be soft; someone would be onto her if she was.

"I'm here to be the next holder of the Armored Titan!" The girl shouted.

(y/n)'s mouth twitched, trying her best to not show her emotions to them.

"The Armored Titan? Why that one?"

"Because my cousin is currently the one who has it! And I want to be just like him."

(y/n)'s shoulders dropped, but her expression stayed the same. She looked at the girl with an emotionless face, left hand clenching as a way to keep her anger down.

It's how they do things. One of these kids are gonna take it anyways. Why make a big deal if it was another Braun? It is a big deal. She was going to give up Reiner much quicker. He had a shorter life because they had to give the titan to someone else before he died.

That was if he made it back.

"Is that so?" (y/n) spoke to Gabi. She looked around watching as the boy Gabi was gone and it was just them two in that area.

"I think the Cart Titan is pretty cool. The Jaw Titan is also very useful as well."

"You think titans are cool?" Gabi asked in astonishment, eyes twinkling up at the girl.

"Of course. They help Marley fight off the bad guys." She told the girl. "Also it would be pretty cool to have their powers."

"It's very cool!" Gabi exclaimed.

"Why didn't you get a titan?" She asked in an innocent manner.

"Because she's not Eldian." The girls turned to the voice who spoke, a much taller boy with slicked back hair walking up to them.

Gabi frowned her eyebrows, looking back at (y/n). The woman had her head tilted away, but her lips were pulled into a frown.

"You're Marleyan?" Gabi asked, questioning what Porco had told them.

"I am." (y/n) answered. "I wouldn't be in this position if I wasn't."

Porco glared down at the girl, but she didn't pay him any mind; having gotten used to his temperament.

"Well, I'll try to make it for you! I'll try to get the titan!"

"Good luck to you, then, Braun." (y/n) gave her a closed eyed smile. "I'm sure you can do it."

(y/n) began to walk away from the girl, going back to watching over the other kids. Porco walked behind her, hands in his pockets.

"Why are you here, (y/n)?"

(y/n) didn't turn, instead looking at her clipboard to look at names and faces of the candidates.

"To help my country." Porco snorted.

"You really think I'm going to believe that? What a load of bullshit."

(y/n) abruptly stopped, turning to face Porco with a glare.

"What's it matter if it is a load of bullshit?" She asked him. The boy only started down at her.

"Your opinion in invalid to me." She twisted on her heel but Porco spoke once more.

"I know." He said. "About you and Reiner."

(y/n) suddenly turned back around and gripped onto the boy's arm, dragging him away from the field and towards a more secluded spot.

"Don't go talking out your ass, Galliard." (y/n) glared. "I can remind you, you're still in the unit. One word from me and you're out."

"As if you have that power. You might have it over the younger ones but I'm the one who trains them. They need me to mold their little heads."

"You really think Reiner would want to be with a Marleyan? After what his father did?" Porco glared. "Even if he did, no one would allow you to be with him. You're a princess; Reiner is just the peasant."

"What do you know?"