"Morning." You heard a fatigued, familiar voice sing as you grumbled an insult beneath your breath.

"Reiner," You hissed with a yawn, your eyes still closed to avoid the dreadful light strobing through the open curtains, "What have I told you about waking me up?"

"You told me that you love it more than anything," Reiner cheerfully responded whilst placing his palm on your shoulder, attempting to gently shake you awake, "And, you told me that the best part of your day is waking up to see my face."

"Oh, you two truly are the sweetest!" A feminine voice cooed from above you as you began to realise why Reiner was being abnormally affectionate this morning, "I can't help but be slightly jealous - you make such a lovely couple."

"Thank-you, Christa." Reiner offered a handsome smile towards the pretty-blonde girl as you began to slowly pull your blanket above your face, "But you have no reason to be jealous. I wouldn't mind waking you in the mornings, as well, if you'd like."

Christa thanked him in her usual cheery demeanour.

Reiner sighed with anguish as he realised you were fading back into a deep sleep, the muscles in his body tensing with frustration.
"Y/N," Your pretend-boyfriend's voice grew colder as he leaned across your bed, "You seriously need to get out of bed. Your Captain won't be happy with you if you're late."

"I can't get out of bed."

"And, why is that?"

Whilst slipping further into an incoherent slumber, you sleepily mumbled: "I'm hibernating. Leave me, please, Braun."

"First of all, you're not an animal. Secondly, do you think I'm an idiot?" He immediately snapped after witnessing the teasing-smirk on your lips, "Don't answer that question."

Today would be your first expedition where you would be advancing the Walls of Paradis. Following the battle for Trost, you had been increasingly anxious about your next encounter with a titan: although, admittedly, your worries had calmed with the knowledge that you were under the protection of the Levi Squad.

Your pupils cracked open to the busy dormitory, witnessing multiple girls hurrying around the room in preparation of their duties.

Reiner, growing increasingly impatient, groaned beneath his breath.

Whilst straightening his posture, he snapped: "Fine! I'll have to take matters into my own hands."

"What? Hey!" You squealed, "Reiner, what do you think you're doing?"

Reiner Braun tightly wrapped his arms around your torso, lifting your body up with ease; you shrieked once more - but your scream was only followed by the giggles of your friends as they watched Reiner lift you from your bed. Reiner had thrown your figure over his shoulder; your hips resting on his broad shoulder.

"Reiner Braun!"

He wandered towards your wardrobe: one of his arms hooked around your thighs to keep you balanced, whilst the other hand was plucking out your uniform. You balled your fingers into fists, hitting his muscular back with all of your might.

"Reiner Braun, put me down this instant! I swear on my life, I will make you regret this!"

"And, how do you plan on doing that?" He asked you calmly, ignoring your insistent kicking and hitting: "You can't even get down on your own."

"I genuinely, with all of my being, despise you."

With an evil smirk against his cherry-pink lips, he finally placed you back onto your feet: he chuckled to himself as you stumbled on your feet. You latched your nails onto his shirt for balance, offering the blonde your most menacing of glares.

You snatched your clothes from Reiner's grasp before ordering him out of the dormitory, changing into your uniform as slowly as physically possible out of pure spite.

༺♰༻

"Are you still angry at me?" Reiner leant forward to meet your eye line, and sighed when you childishly avoided his gaze, "Come on, talk to me."

You were collecting your gear whilst preparing yourself for the expedition - scowling in Reiner's direction whenever he made any attempt to talk to you.

"If I hadn't of lifted you, you would have gotten yourself into trouble. Tardiness is not a good look on you."

"That doesn't sound like an apology to me."

"Don't get your hopes up on getting one." He scoffed, "You should be thanking me."

Whilst clipping his last buckle, Reiner's gaze averted to the left. His piercing stare landed on Christa Lenz and Ymir, who were carefully attaching their gear to their uniforms; you watched his expression soften at the sight of the blonde-girl. Reiner anxiously swallowed, beginning to run his fingertips through his short, blonde locks.

"Reiner." You caught his attention as his eyes flickered back towards you.

"So, you're finally talking to me now?"

"Help me put on my gear." You demanded, "Please?"

Reiner glanced over his shoulder at the pair of girls once more, before nodding adamantly at your idea. The blonde knelt down on the ground, entwining his fingers with the buckles on your thighs. He clasped the buckles together, one of his hands resting against your thigh for balance.

He looked up at you through his thick, blonde lashes, his golden orbs remaining on yours. Your chest tightened as he refused to break eye-contact, your anxiety building at the sensation of his large hands on your legs.

"Is she watching?" His brooding voice brought you back into reality.

With sharp exhale, you diverted your attention onto Christa as you realised she was staring in your direction.

"Yes." You answered as Reiner's face became corrupt with pure, devilish delight: "She doesn't look happy, either. If anything, she looks upset."

"Do you think she could be jealous?" Reiner raised his brow before standing-up from his knees: "Maybe our plan is working already."

"No, not until Eren reciprocates my feelings for him."

"Give it time," Reiner's hands traced past your torso, beginning to clasp together the buckles on your chest: "Eren will come around eventually, I'm sure of it."

Reiner began to pull the upper-latches of your harness together. His brows knitted together in concentration as you suddenly felt your face grow in heat; your mind became fixated on how close his fingers were to your chest. You silently prayed that he could not hear your thudding heart.

As the last buckle attached itself, Reiner removed his hands from your chest. His fingertips trickled up to your jawline, pulling your face closer towards his.

He placed his lips on your cheek, softly kissing your skin. Reiner's kiss was slow, and gentle - his lips felt soft and smooth. His large hands dropped towards your waist, pulling your figure against his. He kissed your forehead, and then your cheek once more.

The hot-air suffocated your deflated lungs, making breathing infeasible. You could feel Reiner's body heat radiate onto you as you became overstimulated by the sensations around you; his smell; his heat; his touch.

You suddenly stepped away from the blonde with a sharp sigh, using your hands to create distance between your bodies.

"Are you okay, Y/N?" His head tilted with confusion staining his expression, "You look unwell."

"Don't worry about me." You responded with panic in your expression whilst beginning to stray away, "Stay safe today on the expedition."

"You, too." Reiner replied with confusion in his tone, unsure on why you had suddenly become so reclusive.

Goosebumps erupted across the miles of your skin as you sheepishly stormed away. Your chest tightened at the distant echoe of your name being called from afar, the Levi Squad discussing the expedition.

"Hello, stranger." Petra's arm outstretched into a friendly wave, placing the attention of her Squad onto you: "Are you excited for your first real expedition?"

"I'm nervous, to say the least."

"We're barely breaching past the walls on todays mission. You have nothing to be nervous of," Gunther offered a welcoming beam, "Truly, nothing."

"Especially whilst I'm here," Uluo confidently stated, pointing his index finger towards the clear-sky: "I'll protect you."

Eld sighed through his nose whilst pulling his body weight onto the saddle of his horse, "You can barely protect yourself, Uluo."

Petra softly chuckled as an argument began between Uluo and the rest of his squad.

"Please, stop arguing. It's too early for me to deal with this," Captain Levi spat with a glare of frustration in his silver eyes, "Let's head out."