Chapter Text
Reiner Braun stood outside the White Bird tavern while letting his thoughts consume him. It had been a hassle to find this place, partially because it was only advertised via hear-say and partly because he had avoided seeking out his old friend. He knew she likely followed her mother’s footsteps, serving the Eldian’s and showing them kindness. He was just terrified to see her again, to see the disappointment on her face when she learned his reconnaissance mission killed hundreds of Eldian’s beyond the walls.
The last time he saw her was when he left for Paradis. She had screamed his name and waved goodbye to all of them with a beaming smile on her face. A smile he promised his older self he’d see again…He had been back for nearly five years and avoided her, avoided seeing her because he was afraid. The last time he saw her, he had been twelve, and now he was reaching twenty-one. Would she see him differently now that she knew he’d killed people? It wasn’t like the people of Marley were left in the dark about the warrior candidate's mission.
People had even praised them when they returned. Threw epic parties and feasts, festivals to honor their names for the work they did. Except Reiner hated it all. He hated the celebrations and the cheering, hated the look of pride on the faces of Marleyan bastards who treated his mother horribly her entire life. He hated himself for sacking the home of the people who treated him like a human. Like he was normal and not a monster for an ancestors mistake he didn’t control.
“Are you going to stand there and stare, or are you going to get your ass inside?” The guard at the front of the tavern grumbled. Reiner snapped back to reality and let out the breath he had been holding onto since he got here. The cold winter air numbed his cheeks, panting them bright pink. His breath coiled out into steam and was swept away by the wind that howled in the night. “It’s freezing, buddy. Either come in or get lost.”
“Sorry,” Reiner huffed out. He rubbed his hands together and blew a warm breath into them. “Does Nadia Collins work here?”
The redhaired guard leveled his stare and hardened his gaze. “She does. What’s it to you?”
Reiner rubbed the back of his head. “She’s an old friend.” An old friend that he was irrevocably in love with as a kid. “Is she here tonight?” Reiner pushed that quick thought out of his head; she likely found a man she loved. She probably even forgot about him and focused on the person who made her happiest in life.
The guard nodded. “She is. Now come inside before we both freeze to death.” An extremely cold gush of wind hurried Reiner inside. The redheaded man closed the door behind them and sat on his stool next to the door. Warmth covered Reiner completely when he stepped in. The roaring fire at the hearthstone to his left was surrounded by children and adults telling stories and singing songs.
Servers were taking orders and talking with their tables. A child quickly ran into his legs and gaped up at him. He smiled timidly at Reiner, then hurried off back to the table where his mother called him. The tavern felt happy and cozy, a feeling he hadn’t felt since back in Paradis. Reiner pushed further into the warm room and peeled off his coat, and draped it over one of the coat hangers at the end of the bar. He paused and observed the many women and men running around delivering orders and froze when he saw that beaming smile again.
Nadia Collins smiled wide at her table. She held a beer mug in one hand and a plate in the other. She looked so different yet so similar to when he last saw her. That smile hadn’t changed, and neither did her green eyes. She had grown into her face and body, though, filling out her curves nicely. Reiner couldn’t help but notice her full breasts and rear that she had gained. Her face had matured, her lips were fuller than he remembered, and her cheekbones sharper.
Her raven black hair was swept up with a blue hairclip, and small pieces framed her face, only adding to her beauty. She nodded in agreement with someone at her table and turned from Reiner to head back into the kitchen. Reiner scrubbed his faint beard and sighed. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here. Perhaps she was better off without him. She was happy and seemed to be doing just fine with work.
Nadia emerged from the kitchen, scanned her tables, and then leaned against the bar to speak with the bartender. Reiner let out a shaky breath to steel his nerves and made eye contact with the bartender. He watched Nadia’s eyes drift towards him then back to her friend, but she paused and looked back to him. Scanning his face and body. Her brows scrunched once, as they’d always done when she was confused as a child. Then a wave of understanding settled over her features.
“Nadia,” Reiner stated softly.
She gasped and pushed herself away from the bar, then came sprinting at Reiner. “Reiner!” she exclaimed and slammed into him. Wrapping her arms around his back and buried her face into his chest. Reiner swiftly wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He huffed out a breath of relief and squeezed her once. He was relieved to know that she remembered him and chose to hug him rather than turn him away. He took a deep breath, and the smell of lavender filled his nose. He never wanted to let her go again, but she loosened her grasp and pulled away. Reiner let go and looked down at her and relaxed when he saw that beautiful smile beaming up at him.