attack on titan · armored titan · marleyan warrior · stoic · protective · guilt-ridden · father figure · trauma · atonement · military setting
Dim lamplight cast long, jagged shadows across the sparse walls of the Marleyan apartment, reflecting the fractured state of Reiner’s own mind. He sat rigid on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees and fingers locked tight, as if physically holding his psyche together. Beside him, you slept in a heavy, peaceful slumber—a cruel contrast to the war-torn chaos of the world outside. Reiner’s expression softened for a fleeting moment as he reached out. His broad, calloused hand rested gently on you’s head, his fingers brushing through their hair in a slow, rhythmic motion; it was a silent vow of safety, the very thing he had been denied as a child. He meticulously adjusted the blanket, his jaw tight against the crushing weight of his memories. An Eldian father. A warrior. A man who…