Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Y/n L/n: Presidential candidate, Eldian born in the Underground City, raised by Kenny Ackermann and Levi Ackermann, under her hardened walls lies a sweet personality, very humble, sacrificed a lot to get to where she is, wants the Eldian minority to finally be treated with respect, Eldians love her, Extremists hate her, very professional and dedicated

Reiner Braun: Military veteran, wears a heavy loss on his sleeve, quit the military because of his refusal to cooperate, lives off of his savings and has become a suicidal bastard with nothing to lose, later on becomes Y/n‘s bodyguard, very protective and strong, doesn’t fear anything anymore

Levi Ackermann: One of Y/n‘s mentors growing up, became her bodyguard as she started growing more known in the political sphere, treats her like a younger sister, would do anything for her, very strong fighter, military veteran

Kenny Ackermann: Uncle of Levi, One of Y/n‘s mentors, used to be a cold-blooded killer (still is when he deems it necessary), taught Y/n how to protect herself alongside Levi, tough love kinda guy, made sure Y/n would be taken serious when she started getting involved in politics

Erwin Smith: Former leader of the Wings of Freedom political party, now a retired politician, husband of Levi, gave Y/n the leadership of the party, another mentor of Y/n in her adult life, was the first person to see Y/n‘s potential, took her into the spotlight when he retired

Hange Zoe: The vice president if the Wings of Freedom win the election, Another one of Y/n‘s adult life mentors, very bubbly and energetic compared to Erwin, the highly educated people love her and Erwin

Armin Arlert: Assistant of Y/n, seems innocent but is the most intelligent in the whole party, Y/n‘s right hand man, was offered the role of Vice president but proudly declined, co-writes Y/n‘s speeches and is a manipulative bastard when provoked too much

Willy Tybur: President of Marley currently, potential to win election again, a part of the Marleyan republican party, sweet face and a dangerous personality, prioritizes profit over his people, Extremists and the uneducated love him, promises to bring Marley back to its „former glory“ without the „devils“

Eren Jaeger: Leader of the Jaegerist party, basically an Eldian extremist party, Eldians like him and Jaegerists die for him, hates Willy Tybur, has an okay relationship with Y/n, isn’t as extreme as his co-leader

Floch Forster: Co-leader of the Yaegerist party, VERY extreme, thinks that Marleyans should’ve died, Everyone lowkey hates him, very good debater

Mikasa Ackermann: Family of Levi and Kenny (somehow), a part of the Oriental clan, very close ties to Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert, a silent messenger, the wife of Eren Jaeger

Annie Leonhart: Military soldier, used to be colleagues with Reiner Braun before he left, barely talks to him anymore but supports him silently, Eldian born in Marley, a superior in the Eldian subunit troop in the Marleyan army, skilled in hand-to-hand combat

Bertholdt Hoover: Former military soldier, passed away in the front lines of the war, Reiner‘s closest friend, haunts Reiner like a ghost, was the reason why Reiner quit the army

Jean Kirstein: Marketing and PR manager for the Wings of Freedom party, the successful campaign is all thanks to him, a charming Eldian that uses his ways to get intel, him and two other members of the Wings of Freedom party are collecting intel to leak the secret extremist behavior of the Marleyan republican party (1/3)

Sasha Braus: Executive manager of the Wings of Freedom party, very bubbly and rowdy but means well, insanely good intuition, a part of the three members (2/3)

Connie Springer: Finance manager for the Wings of Freedom party, keeps in contact with Dot Pixis, is a little bit of an airhead but gets the job done, very friendly and easily approachable, a part of the three members (3/3)

Dot Pixis: Spy for the Freedom party who gives the three members all of the intel, has spent years under a fake name, an alcohol lover, believes in the future of equality and peace

Theo Magath: Military soldier, Commander of the Marleyan Army, torn between what’s right and what’s wrong, wants to continue supporting the Marleyan party but the extremism makes him hold back, close to Willy Tybur

Zeke Jaeger: Military soldier, Commander of the Eldian troop in the Marleyan army, has a soft spot for Y/n and helps her with whatever she needs, does it in secret, secretly supports the Freedom party

Porco Galliard: Military soldier, part of the Eldian troop, Y/n‘s shooting range buddy, him and Y/n used to have a past together, close to Magath and reports almost everything to him

Chapter Text

The crimson spilling in front of her felt like a nightmare come to life. This shouldn’t have happened.

The presidential debate had been going so well, Y/n had been convincing enough to grasp the attention of the Marleyan public, making them question their current president‘s motive. He was a man who sought out power, he wanted to play the people with strings. They were his marionettes and for the first time ever, the folk doubted the president. It was going so well until a bang echoed around the city.

Levi, her bodyguard, had saved her from a fate of mortality, falling to the ground as the bullet hit him somewhere near his torso. Before the woman could react, another shot had been fired. The adrenaline had rushed through her, the body of her bodyguard on the ground making her feel oblivious to the bullet that had pierced through her collarbone. Everything around her was blurry; the voices, her vision. The only thing that mattered was Levi, her older brother. They weren’t related by blood but she had been raised by him and his uncle ever since she could walk.

One of the only members of what she could call family, keeled over by the floor and bleeding out of his lower torso. She didn’t even realize that she was crying and screaming for an ambulance. She didn’t realize that she‘d been shot and she didn’t realize that the extremist who had aimed at her to kill her off has been killed by her only other family member, Kenny Ackermann.

She could feel herself slowly lose energy before her vision went dark, the horror not leaving her unconscious body. She could feel herself getting carried off somewhere, but her hearing was still too muffled to make out where she even was, nor what was happening.

After many hours of darkness and not having moved an inch, she could slowly feel a light appear near her. Was this the end? Was the years of fighting for the equality of her people over? Was this the afterlife she had heard of, the one that people told her she would never reach because of the simple fact that she was born a „devil“?

Her eyes fluttered open, looking at the view in front of her. An aching pain had slowly washed over her body, the adrenaline finally having worn off. Multiple people were surrounding her hospital bed, but her only worries were if Levi was still alive.

Panic slowly rose over her as she quickly got up, looking around for answers. He couldn’t die, he was a strong man. Sure, age has clearly changed him but he’s still the strong man she knows.

"Calm down, little one. He’s still kicking. Didn’t bite the dust."

Kenny, the trusted Uncle of Levi and Y/n‘s father figure, spoke up and let her know that he was okay. She audibly exhaled, thanking God that he was alright. She was mad at the fact that the fool missed two times, ruining her perfect chance at winning the crowd over. He caused a stupid scene and couldn’t even kill both of them.

"Did you kill him?"

A politician shouldn’t even be asking that but Kenny‘s a notorious serial killer. He shouldn’t be a father figure nor a mentor, but he taught her all there is to know about survival. 

"He‘s six feet under."

She nodded, her shoulders dropping down a bit. Looking around, there were other people there as well: Armin, Hange and Mikasa.

"If it makes you feel any better, they’re calling you a hero. Good PR."

Hange interrupts the silence, which gets a chuckle out of the woman. Who would’ve thought that a mere death experience was good exposure for the campaign?

"What‘d the other parties say?"

Mikasa spoke up, wanting to let the female politician know that her husband has expressed his concerns towards this whole incident.

"Eren spoke on the news earlier. He came by, too. He was genuinely surprised as to why they targeted you. He was convinced they‘d kill him one day because he’s the extremist that hates Marley."

She spoke with a soft voice, clearly wanting to get the message across that Eren had told her. Eren was never a fiend of Y/n‘s, they actually got along pretty well. 

"You should’ve seen Tybur, though. He was acting all sad about how unprofessional and how unfortunate all of this was. I can tell you right now, that man was behind all of this."

Hange expressed her anger when it came to the current Marleyan president, everyone secretly knowing that they wanted the whole party gone but couldn’t prove it. 

"Alright, let’s not get too worked up. Levi and I are both alive and well and that’s what matters."

Mikasa put an arm on Hange‘s shoulder, trying to calm the other down. It was a tense moment; One of the presidential candidates almost got assassinated by an extremist who supported the Marleyan republican party. It gave the freedom party some plus points but the politician wanted to win this because she actually reached out to the diaspora, not because of pity.

"The doctors said you can visit Levi once they come by so you’re stuck with us for a bit."

Armin smiled and she gave him one back. The woman had always been completely different to the people close to her; An insanely nice person who cared for the wellbeing of her close friends and family. Not only that but she deeply cared for the people who get silenced. Whether it be the poor, the minorities, the civilians of the undercity; the woman cared deeply, even if she seemed cold in front of the public.

Kenny even told her that she should never forget her main goal as to why she became a politician. He taught her many things, even if it was in a tough way. „Never let down your walls, always be professional and strong towards your opposition, not everyone is worth your energy, fight for what’s right“, all of these things were like mantras that played over and over in her head. 

Her whole career started off small: Helping people in the underground, volunteering and being kind to the community. It was an unspoken rule to not hurt her, mainly because she had Kenny and Levi as guardians but the underground didn’t even think about that anyway. She had this glimmer in her eyes that the underground couldn’t take away from her. In her teen years, helping the community turned into protests and demonstrations. The girl never gave up and fought for what’s right. One day, she had been arrested and by mere chance, Erwin Smith discovered the teen girl.

That passion in her eyes, that undefeated look in her gaze. Erwin was there and he saw her. He saw her potential. He bailed her out and from that point on, the man took her and the two Ackermanns to the city and gave them shelter there. She went from a protestant to a member from the party. Erwin educated her daily alongside Hange, telling her all she should know about politics and the way the Wings of Freedom party ticked. 

Y/n grew in love with the idea of becoming a voice for her people. She started holding the speeches for the party and the underground city was beaming when they found out that somebody had given her a voice. 

Throughout adulthood, she continued to hold speeches for the party and was promoted to being one of the key members of the party. She wrote Erwin‘s speeches and organized presidential debates, her favorites to attend.

She was a force to be reckoned with and as she got older, the other parties realized as well. They started inviting her up to the debates and when Erwin finally stepped down as the leader of the party, he handed her the role of leader. Hange didn’t want to be the leader, so he handed it to Y/n.

Ever since then, the party had gained lots of traction in a way that Erwin never expected it to get. He had always played it safe, hinting at things subtly to not get the other parties mad. Y/n was more aggressive, especially during the debates. She came with facts, statistics and went there to kill with words. She came with an energy that no other politician had. She was a fire that couldn’t be tamed and maybe, this is what the party needed. They needed a fearless leader who could hook people in without any fake promises. A leader who could actually bring change instead of empty promises.

Some time passed, the members of the political party talking about how successful the debate had been and how the predictions even showed an increase of the support for the freedom party.

"You should get shot more often! I‘ve never seen people talk so often about someone before! You‘re practically a martyr!"

Jean came into the room, holding his computer and walking over to the injured woman. He was joking, of course. Something like this wouldn’t fly with other people.

"No but seriously, the odds say that you can even win the election! Look!"

Connie pointed at the screen and he was correct. Before that whole fiasco, the odds were at around 50/50. Y/n had a bit less votes but now? Her odds stood at around 60%. More than half.

"Maybe I should thank that stupid idiot at his grave for shooting me."

Sasha just laughed, handing her some food that she had made. Sasha, if she wasn’t the executive manager, would have made an amazing cook. Her food was scrumptious.

"Bless you, Sash."

She just smiled, letting the woman eat. The others talked and when she finished her meal, the doctor came in and told her about the wound and all.

"If you wish to visit Mr. Ackermann, you may do so. Keep in mind that he’s currently resting, so please keep your volume at a minimum, Miss L/n."

She nodded and excused herself from the group, walking away and closing the door behind her. The hospital walls were always scary to look at. She never liked hospitals, even if so many people here constantly save lives here. It‘s also a place of death, it will always be a place of horror in her eyes. 

She was afraid that, maybe one day, she’ll be here and experience something that would shatter her heart into pieces. Almost losing Levi made her heart feel like it’s going to stop beating. She couldn’t lose him nor Kenny. They were the family that had somehow taken her in, even with such a scary history behind them.

She opened the door and looked inside. Levi had fewer visitors, only two. Kenny was sitting by the window, acting as a sort of guardian angel while Erwin was sitting right next to him, his fingers on his husband‘s cheek.

"I‘m sorry for getting him in such a state, Erwin."

She felt bad. Erwin loved Levi dearly and seeing him in a state of hurt and pain made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. 

"He just did his job, Y/n. You can’t fault him for doing what he did. It‘s just… an assassination? Did they think they were about to pull a JFK?"

Y/n shrugged, sitting down next to the blonde man. Erwin had been a wonderful mentor and during the time he taught her, he had also gained feelings for the cold bodyguard. Levi had sworn to Y/n to protect her from danger since she’s always been a bit… outspoken. He knew she could get in trouble easily, so he made sure she was always protected. Erwin thought that was attractive and the both of them slowly fell for one another.

"Don’t know but hey! I‘m still alive and so is he!"

She wanted to cheer the man up but there was nothing but concern. Everyone had been around to see the scene and, even if it had been a boost of positive publicity, it also showed how she had let her walls down. No one had ever seen her like this before. She was usually so calm and professional. In that moment, it showed that she had fears. She was afraid to lose the people close to her. Everyone saw how she cried and screamed over the man‘s bleeding body. It was raw and full of emotion. It was ammunition that could be used against her to break her.

It was horrifying.

"He can’t go on like this."

She just looked at the blonde man confused, wondering what he meant by that.

"What do you mean-"

"You need another bodyguard."

She just looked at him appalled, not knowing if she heard him correctly. Another bodyguard? There was absolutely no way! She trusted Levi more than any other human being in this universe! She couldn’t just… look for another person to watch over her safety!

"Erwin, you’re asking the impossible. If I hire the wrong person, then it could ruin my chances of becoming president. You don’t know what Tybur could do if he wins the election again!"

He looked at her with a slight disappointment in his eyes. He understood, hiring another bodyguard meant putting her walls down, letting a pair of unfamiliar eyes trace her every move. However, his husband barely made it out of a mere death experience and he couldn’t lose him.

"Y/n dear, I know it’s a lot to ask. It is, believe me, especially with that whole… operation going on. However, I almost lost him today. My husband, Y/n. I can’t lose him and I know you don’t want to lose him, either."

She just looked at Erwin, an intense gaze where she tried to verbalize her thoughts through a look. Her eyes looked over at Levi, who had been shot near the hip. It pained to see him like this, it really did.

"I‘ll think about it."

He smiled at her before standing up. He probably wanted to give her some time alone with Kenny. 

"I'll leave you two to talk for a bit."

And with that, he left the hospital room. She just continued to stare at Levi before getting up and plopping down next to Kenny. A moment of silence hung in the air, both of the family members not speaking a word.

"Come here."

Kenny could immediately tell when she was getting emotional. She never cries, it’s what he taught her. Crying doesn’t make you weak but you should avoid it at all cost, is what he would tell her. However, she almost lost a brotherly figure and that was a moment where she could let loose. She was stressed and afraid, she had every reason to be. People were keeping their eyes on her. They wanted her gone. She had all the reason to be afraid.

"I‘m scared, Kenny."

She hugged him softly, letting her tears fall down her cheek. She had never cried in front of other people before, so her showing that emotion on that stage was like a slip up. People couldn’t see her like that ever again. 

"I know, little one. I know."

Kenny had been in the room with her when she woke up but he left soon after to visit Levi. He rubbed his hand over her back, letting her cry in his arms. He never showed emotion but in that moment when he saw the both of them get shot, he felt fear. Fear that the two people he‘s been raising would bite the dust because of some stupid fool. And then came anger. He quickly found the stupid man responsible for that scene and sliced his throat. He let him bleed out in a secluded alleyway and kicked him in the stomach before fleeing the scene.

"Should I really look for another bodyguard?"

She looked up at him with glassy eyes and for a second, he wanted to say no. However, Levi was the only family he had left by blood and he didn’t want to lose him. They had the bloodline of a family of knights that were persecuted in the past. He couldn’t let that die out.

"As much as I hate to say it… yes. We can’t lose him, little one. I‘m sorry."

He ruffled her hair, feeling bad and apologetic about his answer. However, it was the truth. He couldn’t risk losing Levi nor Y/n. Even if he would rather die than say it, he loved them. Dearly.

"Okay. I trust you, Kenny."

She rested her head against Kenny‘s head before falling asleep. Kenny looked at her and when he did, he couldn’t feel anything else but pride. She had grown into a respectable woman. She never forgot where she came from, she never forgot her goals and she never stopped being kind to people in need. She was the future of the country and the people needed someone like her more than anything.

He remembered when she was still a tiny girl, learning about self defense and how to hold a knife. When he taught her how to successfully shoot someone, how to be manipulative and how to threaten people. He taught her everything that she needed to survive in the underground but somehow, she managed to survive with her kindness. He had seen the effects she had on the underground. The people were kinder, they started to get involved in politics and the crime rate dropped significantly. She was doing so much just by showing kindness to a community that never experienced that before.

Some time had passed and the woman woke up to the sounds of people talking. Hange, her husband Moblit, Erwin and Levi had been talking and when she saw Levi, she immediately went up to him. There was actual worry in her eyes, one that couldn’t be faked.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt? Did the doctors say that you’re in critical condition? Were any vitals hit?"

Levi couldn’t process all of that, so he just held her shoulders and looked at her with a stoic impression, just like always.

"Calm down. I‘m okay. No vitals were hit, thank the heavens."

She let out a huff, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed. She then decided to finally make her decision final.

"Levi Ackermann, you are fired. You will be retiring as my former bodyguard."

Levi did not seem to like that statement, his gaze immediately hardening, his voice turning aggressive.

"What?! You almost got assassinated a few hours ago and you want to fire me?! Who‘s supposed to protect you?! People are out to get you, Y/n!"

Her eyes widened before she decided to take it easy. They saw her put her walls down again. That needed to change.

"I‘ll hire someone. You know how they have those agencies! I‘ve got a good eye for people!"

He looked skeptical, looking at his colleagues and husband for approval. They didn’t seem to object, so Levi sighed and looked at her.

"You better find someone who‘s willing to give up their life for you. If you don’t find anyone, I‘m going to continue protecting you. Mark my words. Y/n."

She waved her hands around, trying to make it seem like it’s no deal. It was a big deal but she wanted to feign nonchalance to the people around her.

"Alright, alright! Jeez, calm down… Anyway, I want multiple candidates for the position as my next bodyguard by the end of the week! That’s in around… two days. Let the others know and we‘ll wrap this up quickly!"

She stood up, showing enthusiasm for this new hiring process, even if she didn’t want to do it in the first place. She didn’t want a new bodyguard but everyone seems to think differently, so she had to listen to the people that were close to her.

The rest of the day was spent resting and eating and by the time she and Levi were released from the hospital, her desk had a whole stack of files. Obviously, they were the list of Levi‘s replacement and she just sighed. The public had been pressing her nonstop for a speech after the failed attempt of assassinating her but she kept on telling Jean to postpone it until she found a new bodyguard.

She looked at all of the stacks and each contestant just had something not worth becoming a bodyguard for her. Some looked too sweet, some looked too weak, some were just a joke to look at. She lost all hope until she saw one of the last files: Annie Leonhart. 

Blonde, hooked nose, a stare that could kill someone immediately. Eldian superior in the Marleyan army. Good in hand-to-hand combat. Antisocial, according to the files. She put that one to the side before looking at the rest.

Only one person had caught the woman‘s interest, so she looked at the file again and made a call. The ringing sounded like an annoying noise that would play in her head whenever she got anxious.

"Hello?"

A woman picked up the phone and immediately, Y/n used her professional voice that let people know that she meant business.

"Hello. Y/n L/n speaking. I happened to have stumbled across your file and I would like to invite you to my office. There’s an offer I‘d like to make."

The voice of the soldier was surprisingly high pitched and smooth, completely different compared to Y/n‘s expectations.

"Uhm… I can swing by. I‘m not sure that I‘d be the right person but I can try."

A small smile graced the politician‘s face, thankful that the soldier at least agreed to come by and think about the offer.

"Wonderful. If you know where the Freedom party HQ is, then I‘d gladly clear my schedule to have a talk about that offer. How does tomorrow 12pm sound?"

The politician‘s nails tapped on her desk, a bit anxious that the woman might decline the invitation. Maybe she had plans?

"I‘m free tomorrow."

Y/n cheered in her head before wishing the woman a great night, hanging up as she put the phone down.

Maybe she had found her choice.

Chapter Text

The following day, Y/n had gotten up extra early. 

There was more intel that the three gathered. They wanted to turn everything into a whole underground operation that would expose the extremist behavior of the Marleyan republican party. The operation name? Operation potato, named after Sasha and her dear love for potatoes. 

The three had called her early, telling the leader that they had found something big. She had immediately gotten out of bed, putting on one of her best attires and leaving her vicinity. She had moved to Connie‘s office, where he had his own space. 

What did they find out? They found notes of Willy Tybur‘s that talked about cutting medical funds and insurance for the people, especially the Eldian folk. Not only that, but the ones that were mandatory and needed to let people live would be worth way more money.

“Did Pixis find out all of this?”

Dot Pixis was the one who turned all the plans into action. He‘d go to the weekly supremacist meets, where Willy Tybur also attended, and would find out information. Sometimes it was tiny whispers, sometimes full of evidence.

This, right now, was a big one.

“He didn’t find it out. Tybur practically offered to show him. He was so proud of it too. What a fucking asshole.”

Connie spoke up, letting the politician know all about the scenario. These things could really ruin the people and their trust in their leader.

Tybur cannot be president again. He can’t win this.

“Anything else that I need to know about? I‘ve got a job interview soon.”

She looked at the three, proud of them for what they have been able to discover so far with the help of Mr. Pixis. He’s been a real help in making this all possible. The first person they chose for the mission was actually Kenny but knowing him, he’d probably kill the lot before they even spoke a word. 

“Job interview? What for?”

Sasha asked confused, the other two looking at her a bit weirded out as well. She hadn’t really broken the news about the new bodyguard situation yet, so this might be a bit awkward.

“After Levi got injured, I decided to let him retire. So right now, I‘m on the search for a new bodyguard and I‘ve found my lucky contestant. I certainly don’t want to be late, either, so I‘ll be taking my leave. I‘m proud of you four, keep it up.”

The woman bid her goodbyes to the group and strutted back to her office. It was close to 12pm and the whole offer would start. To be honest, she wasn’t the biggest business woman, making offers wasn’t really her thing but as of right now, she needed to suck it up and deal with it.

She tidied up her office a bit before Armin came in with the soldier. She was wearing a suit, a pretty normal one. Her hair was in a bun with some strands falling out and as for makeup, she didn’t have any on.

“Ah! Miss Leonhart, what a pleasure to meet you!”

Y/n walked up to the woman, holding out her hand as she smiled at her. She was as tall as Y/n, maybe an inch taller. 

“Likewise.”

She was direct and professional, something that immediately came across as a positive sign for the woman. She looked at Armin for a split second, letting him know that he could leave the office.

“Miss Leonhart, I‘m very sorry for sounding so vague on the phone yesterday. I‘m being extra cautious because of the recent events that have been unfolding. I would like to assume you’re up to date with the news?”

The presidential candidate grabbed her notebook and her trusty pen, immediately writing down Annie Leonhart‘s name and things she would like to remember for the time being. Important facts, if you will.

“I‘m up to date, yes. I truly apologize for what happened. That must’ve been scary to experience.”

Y/n just nodded her head, not wanting to relive those moments during that failed assassination.

“Well, I wasn’t the only one injured. My bodyguard also got injured, a bit worse than I was. I gave him the option to retire and he did. The question is as follows: Would you like to become my bodyguard?”

She was always straightforward, not beating around the bush because it never really got her anywhere. In moments like these, being blunt is always appreciated.

“No.”

Y/n‘s eyes widened, but mainly out of how fast that answer came. She didn’t even tell her that she’ll think about it. Just a straight up no.

“Is… there a reason why you won’t consider it? I pay very well, if money is of any concern.”

Most people would probably refuse because it’s a dangerous job that might not pay well. She actually paid Levi pretty damn well for putting up with her ass every day.

“I‘m actually very content with my job in the army, thank you.”

Y/n frowned a bit, not knowing what to really say after that. She had hopes that the blonde might say yes but that went all out of the window.

“I could recommend someone to you.”

The woman‘s ears perked up, that simple sentence being of interest. She seemed capable, so she would probably recommend someone of the same league as her.

“Do tell. I‘m in very desperate need of someone filling the role as my bodyguard.”

She leaned in a bit, her pen in my hand, ready to write down any information she might give her. She was grasping at straws here.

“My former colleague Reiner Braun could be a good fit. He was the best soldier before he quit. I would love to give you his number but I fear he got a new one, so the older one is invalid.”

Y/n immediately wrote down the name Reiner Braun. She might have heard of that name before from the military files, so she’ll have a look at that again.

“Does he have an address? Or maybe a place he likes to visit?”

Annie seemed to be in thought, thinking about the woman’s question.

“Address is a no but he likes going to this bar. It’s liked by veterans. And… he might be a bit difficult to persuade. He’s going through grief and he’s not coping well.”

She wrote down all of these things before closing the notebook. This wasn’t really how she thought it was going to go but at least she got another possible bodyguard recommendation.

“I think that concludes our meeting. It was nice to meet you, Miss Leonhart. However, if you do change your mind, my line is always there.”

Y/n stood up and shook the soldier‘s hand again, letting her know that the door was still wide open if she wanted to change her mind.

“I probably won’t but I‘m honored to have been a candidate. Good luck for the election, Miss L/n.”

The women say their goodbyes before leaving the politician alone in the office again. She sat there, opening the closed notebook and rereading her notes.

Reiner Braun.

She stood up and looked around her office and drawers, trying to see if there was a file with Reiner Braun in it. Her whole office had been turned upside down at that point, but no file in sight

She returned back to her office desk, tapping her nails against the desk again. Time was ticking and if she didn’t find a bodyguard soon, she needed to pick Levi again. He couldn’t get hurt again.

She grabbed the phone, punching in a familiar number before putting the phone to her ear. The line was ringing, so that was good.

“Hello?”

The deep, male voice echoed through the line and the woman got her bearings together.

“Zeke, dear! Are you free right now? I could use your help with something.”

Y/n could practically hear the man smile over the phone. He had always been head over heels for her, even if he never told her. The few hookups they did have got him hooked.

“Well, what do you need?”

She stood up, knowing that he‘d probably ask for something in return, knowing the man he is. Y/n never really saw him as anything more than an acquaintance whom she could get anything from.

“I need a file from one of your old subordinate soldiers. Reiner Braun. Does that ring a bell?”

Zeke hummed across the phone, definitely knowing of Reiner Braun. Reiner used to be in his troop before quitting after Bertholdt‘s loss.

“I have it in my office. But, you know, it‘ll cost you something.”

Y/n rolled her eyes at his shameless flirting. Zeke didn’t look like the type to be like this but he’s only like this with her. He thought she was brilliant.

“Yeah, I know. Let’s go for dinner tomorrow.”

He usually wanted more than just that but he could never say no to dinner. Who knows, maybe the both of them will get drunk enough to get the woman to spend the night at his place?

“I‘ll come by in around half an hour to give you the file… Why do you need it?”

Y/n never liked it when people not close to her asked her questions. They didn’t have the luxury to bite off more than they could chew.

“That is my business and my business only, Zeke. I‘m looking forward to that file.”

With that, the younger woman hung up on the man and sighed. What she does for information is beyond her understanding. So much effort gets put into her every move. She was a woman who was careful about every word that leaves her mouth.

After about half an hour, Armin walks in with Zeke. He immediately left the room, the commander and the politician left alone in the office.

“Your file, madam.”

She wanted to take it from him but he quickly snatched it away. Again, this is what he usually does to act like he was flirting.

“Zeke. I really don’t want to prolong this any further, so just give me the file.”

She sounded serious and rather annoyed by his behavior, which surprised him a little. She usually played along with his actions.

“Someone’s grumpy today.”

She rolled her eyes as she held out her hand, waiting for him to put it in her hand. She had no time for funny business. Her safety was in danger and she needed someone to protect her.

“Smoke break or a kiss and I‘ll hand you the file.”

The woman groaned at that, not wanting to entertain him any further. He was difficult to work with sometimes when he was like this. He was so much more obedient back then.

“Smoke break. I need one anyway.”

He gave her the file and she put it in her drawer, locking it before taking her cigarette pack and walking to where the smoking area was.

She took out one cigarette and, just as she was about to reach for her lighter, Zeke put the lighter at the butt of the cigarette, lighting it up for her.

“You’ve gotten so difficult, Jaeger. You used to give me things without wanting something in return. Did Magath put a spell on you?”

He chuckled as he took a drag as well, keeping his eyes on her at all times. She was like a siren in his eyes. He couldn't help but feel drawn to her, even if he knew that it was a trap. If anyone even saw him with her from the Marleyan troops, he’d be in deep trouble.

“I think he’s onto me.”

He smirked as he looked at the younger woman. The commander of the Marleyan army, Theo Magath, was very wary of the Eldian troops, especially Zeke‘s troop. Magath was associated with Tybur in some sort of way, so it was clear why he was so suspicious of Eldian troops.

“Try and be more secretive, commander. If you keep on making heart eyes at me, he’ll figure it all out.”

She knew some of the troops of Zeke‘s team. Colt Grice, whose brother she sees every morning when she goes to work. Porco Galliard, who goes to the same shooting range as her and whose brother had died recently. Pieck Finger, the woman who was dating Porco. Last but not least, Annie Leonhart, the woman she had met today and who declined her proposal of becoming her bodyguard.

“Why did Annie go to your office today?”

She was silent for a bit before responding with a simple answer.

“No reason.”

There was definitely a reason but Zeke was still a bit in enemy territory. He worked for the army and he was close to Magath, so one wrong word and she could be in trouble.

“Is it something I need to worry about?”

It was clear that Zeke didn’t want to be in any trouble and she couldn't blame him. She was a bit nervous, having no idea how the Marleyan military would react to her possibly employing Reiner.

“I have no idea.”

Zeke just hummed before putting out his cigarette, stepping closer to her. She looked up at him, taking a drag as she did so.

“I trust you enough to know that there won’t be any trouble.”

She finished her cigarette, putting it out and throwing it on the ground. She looked up at him once again before pulling him in for a kiss. Sometimes, she really needed confirmation that she was doing alright. Tiny compliments like these were so needed at times, especially now.

He didn’t pull away, leaning into the kiss and wrapping his hands around her waist. Her hands held onto his coat, not letting go as he deepened the kiss.

After that tiny makeout session, she pulled away and fixed his coat.

“Thank you for the file, Zeke.”

And with that, the woman strutted off into the building again. She felt bad for using Zeke like this, calling him every time she needed something from him but it needed to be done.

When she reached her office, she sat down and looked through the file. It was older, the edges a bit roughed up and crinkled. The file opened looked like any other; Picture of the soldier, their personal information and additional notes.

Looking at the picture, Reiner Braun seemed to look very roughed up. Blonde, short hair. Green eyes that looked like the color of olives. A scar that was vertical, starting from his eyebrow and ending at his top lip. A more broad build, being visible from his neck and shoulder size alone. The muscles were prominent through his attire and he had this serious look in his gaze. It looked intimidating.

Perfect for a bodyguard.

He was a few years older than her, around half a decade. He was born and raised in Marley and specializes in using guns and snipers. Second best in hand-to-hand combat and good at intimidation. He was the best from the trainee days and is known for his caring and brotherly nature towards his comrades. His only flaw is his emotional attachment to his close comrades.

That wouldn’t really sound like a flaw in her eyes but the military has different measures here.

She looked at the notes of hers, his favorite bar circled in her notebook. It was still far too early to go to a bar, so she decided to write her speech for the day that she could finally talk to the press. 

She had started to get E-mails and messages from journalists and reporters, wanting to hear her statement about what had happened. Those would usually go to Jean but they somehow started to find their way into her office.

After it was finally around time to leave her office, she packed her bag and put Reiner‘s file into her bag, for educational purposes. She locked her office door twice and left the vicinity.

The walk to the veteran bar wasn’t far, so she decided to use her feet instead of her car like usual. It was a chilly day, so she had buttoned up her coat and put on her scarf. The air felt like frozen particles that could freeze her throat, so she chose to stay as warm as possible.

The bell rang throughout the bar, the tiny amount of customers not really paying attention. Most were getting drunk to feel something after the tragedies they had to experience during man-made conflicts. Some were here to cope with their horrible life, some were here to honor their comrades from the past. It was a depressing sight, but it was a realistic one. 

War has shaped this country into what it is right now. Throughout generations, people were known to endure such horror for nothing more than power. Some wanted more wealth, some wanted more ground and some just wanted to eradicate the other.

The war had turned people into hateful monsters, banishing them into underground cities and cutting off everything that they needed in order to survive. As long as they could play people like a marionette, they would be happy. 

There were multiple military groups and soldiers hung up on the wall. Some from older generations and some from a few years ago. She looked at the pictures, the comrades looking happy in all of them, like they thought they could come out of these things unscathed. 

Y/n had always hated war. There was no reason to commit such atrocities for power but the more she got older, the more she realized that people don’t care. Man will always crave power and as long as they get it, they don’t care. 

The bell rang throughout the bar again, letting the people around know that another broken soul had entered the vicinity.

She looked at the customer before realizing that it‘s the man she’s been looking for. He looked numb, like this is his only escape. He was wearing a hoodie along with some denim jeans and worn down boots.

“One whiskey, please.”

The bartender listened to the veteran‘s orders and fixed him up a drink. The woman slowly walked towards where he was, leaving an empty space between them before sitting down next to the empty stool that was sandwiched between them.

“I‘ll have the same.”

She says as she looks up at the bartender. She placed her bag next to the empty stool and looked at the spirits displayed in the bar.

“What woman drinks whiskey?”

He sounded genuinely confused as he asked that, the question coming out as a bit of a mockery but the woman remained unscathed.

“A woman who’s going through a lot.”

He looked at her before taking a big gulp from his drink. He barely talked, he didn’t like talking to strangers. She didn’t seem like a veteran, so what was she?

“You‘re not a veteran.”

She smiled lightly. It was a fact that she wasn’t a veteran. She lacked the personality of one, even if she was a mental warrior who had to fight for the equality of her people.

“I‘m not.”

He just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. What was a woman like her doing in a bar for veterans? The man was confused and even a bit annoyed that she had come here.

“What are you doing here, then?”

She finally got her drink and she thanked the bartender, taking a much needed gulp of the alcoholic concoction.

“Do you watch the news, Mr. Braun?”

A simple question, but one that made shivers run down Reiner‘s spine. How did she know his name? No one knows his name.

“I don’t.”

The woman smiled. Clearly he didn’t watch the news or else he’d notice her immediately. He was more worried about her knowing his identity, however.

“How do you know my name?”

She looked at him before taking a big gulp from her glass, finishing the whiskey immediately. He was surprised at how quickly she finished it, but his curiosity lingers.

“Mr. Braun, I came here with the intention to find you. Don’t worry, you‘re not in any danger or anything. I am in need of a bodyguard and I would like for you to fill that role.“

Reiner felt like he was just slapped in the face. He was so confused; What did this lady just ask her? 

“What?”

He looked at her dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

“I want you to be my bodyguard.”

She couldn’t be serious. He literally quit his job because of the amount of trauma he experienced there and he’s supposed to just work again? He should’ve bit the bullet yesterday.

“Who are you?”

She reached in her pocket and gave him a card, sliding it across the table. The colors were white, blue and a dark forest green. Some wings were visible and the term „Wings of Freedom party“ was written on top of the symbol. 

When he turned the card around, her name was written on there alongside her phone number and E-mail.

“I‘m a part of the freedom party. I‘m the presidential candidate and almost got assassinated recently, Mr. Braun. My former bodyguard didn’t want to work the job anymore, so I need a new bodyguard. You are my only choice.”

Her voice was soft, speaking to him in a way that wasn’t mocking him or anything similar. She was just explaining the situation as it was. 

“Whatever happened to you in the army, Mr. Braun, I‘m sorry. I want you to know something, however. They never cared for you nor any of your comrades that have died in vain. They never cared for us. They put the Eldians to the front line for a reason. They want us gone. Whether you choose to accept my proposal is up to you but I promise you, I won’t make you regret accepting. I won’t let your perished comrades die in vain, Reiner Braun.”

The woman slowly got up, paying for both her drink and Reiner‘s drink. It seemed so nonchalant after that whole speech she just gave. It made Reiner look at her with shock and awe. Before he could react, however, he saw a familiar figure about to enter the bar and he knew he had to act quickly.

He grabbed the woman‘s arm and rushed her around the corner, hiding them as best as he could. He had caged her against the wall, the space close between them as he looked around the corner.

Theo Magath and Willy Tybur.

What they were doing here, he wasn’t sure. He just knew that she should not be visible to them. The woman was breathing heavily and for a split second, he could see her facade slipping. These emotions were raw, genuine fear behind those eyes. They were nothing like that crafted professionalism he got to witness a few minutes earlier.

His breath was warm on her skin and that somehow managed to calm her down a bit. Why did he hide her away like this? She had no idea. Her heart was busy beating out of her chest to know why. She couldn’t even look around her, the only thing she could see was the blonde veteran in front of her.

When she finally calmed down, she could hear familiar voices. It then clicked why Reiner did all of this so suddenly: He wanted to protect her at that moment. They stayed like this for a bit before Reiner quietly and slowly led them out to the backdoor exit. Once outside, the woman finally takes a proper breath.

“Thank you.”

She thanked him sincerely, no fake smile or anything. It was a moment of gratitude and Reiner appreciated it a lot. 

“It‘s no problem.”

She looked at him again for a split second before finally realizing that she was letting her walls down again. She quickly regained her confidence and reminded him once again about the proposal.

“Like I mentioned before, you have time to decide whether you accept or not. I‘d appreciate a call if you know your answer. Good night, Mr. Braun.”

She quickly nodded her head at him, bidding him goodbye as she finally moved away from this whole moment. She needed some sort of distraction after this, whatever the universe would throw at her.

“Fuck!”

She gripped onto the headboard tightly, her back arching off of the mattress. Zeke was going in deep tonight, the poor man must’ve been starved from sexual intercourse.

“Ugh.”

The man groaned as he continued pounding himself into her entrance. This wasn’t how he expected his night to end but he couldn’t complain. She just randomly showed up at his door without any context. Not only that but when he wanted to ask her what happened, she just went in for a kiss and the rest was history.

He was close to finishing, the condom being a barrier that had been a good reminder that he could finish without the need of pulling out. The protection was there so he felt no need to care. Her body was enough to make him want to finish, her beautiful soft skin along with visible scars that he hoped only he got to see was a sight to behold. 

“I‘m close.”

He groaned in her ear as he placed kisses down her neck, relishing in the moment of sweat and skin-on-skin contact. He couldn’t get enough of her, like an addict who needs his vices to survive. 

“Zeke…”

Her moans were delightful for the ear, like the platter of rain on a window. Her voice was so delicate and higher-pitched compared to her usual tone that was deeper and more cold.

“I got you… Fuck!”

He finally finished inside of the condom, riding out his high as he focused on her orgasm. She still didn’t finish so he would try and help. 

His thumb rubbed against her clit, the woman whimpering and squirming under his touch. She was close and could feel her orgasm build up. This continued for a bit before she arched her back for the last time as she finished. Zeke finally pulled out and removed the condom, throwing it away in the bin near his bed.

They both laid down a bit, calming down from the high. After they both calmed down, the woman collected her clothes on the ground and decided to put them on again. Zeke was used to it by now, so he just watched her dress.

“I‘ll get going.”

He just hummed and before he could say anything else, she had already left his home. He just sighed as he looked at his now empty bed, the whole thing seemed like a now gone dream.

The woman walked all the way back to her place, undressing and immediately plopping on her bed. She was tired and she couldn’t wait to get some shuteye. Just as she was about to go and sleep, her phone vibrated and she groaned, picking up her phone.

“Yes?”

She sounded displeased that someone had disturbed her effort at trying to sleep. A deep voice echoed throughout the phone, giving her an answer as to who had called her.

“I‘ll be your bodyguard, Miss L/n.”

Her tired eyes widened as she heard that. It was obviously Reiner who had called and she was more than delighted to hear that he accepted her offer.

“Wonderful. Come by the Freedom party office and I‘ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Reiner just hummed before apologizing for his disturbance, hanging up the phone. Before he had called, he had tried to shoot himself for what seemed like the 30th time already. Reiner wanted to end it all, he had no purpose in life anymore. The gun had been in his mouth, his finger close to pulling the trigger. Before he could pull it, however, the memory of the moment before popped up in his mind. The way the woman thanked him after he protected her. Her words and her promise that she’ll avenge his dead comrades.

He didn’t pull the trigger. He set the gun to the side and looked at the business card, holding it in his hand and looking at the name and number. Y/n L/n. He grabbed his phone and called her, letting her know that he accepted her offer. It’s not like he had anything to live for anymore, so if he dies, he dies.

After the phone call, he just laid down and let himself get some rest. Tomorrow, his life will change. He would finally be employed again after almost a year. It was scary but he had to suck it up.

He would protect her, even if his life depended on it.

Chapter Text

The shooting range was a great place for Y/n to let out all of her emotions. Controlled breathing, shots that could do damage to the ear drums and targets with bullseyes.

The woman had her gun in her hand, her earmuffs on and her gaze fixed on the targets. Her breathing was controlled, steady, as she fired her first shot. She had great aim, something she had worked on for years now. Kenny had taught her all the controls of a gun but using it was something he never taught her. When she finally got the chance, she used it and taught herself how to shoot.

She had to mentally prepare herself for the next few days. She had her dinner tonight with Zeke, the day after she had the press interview about her failed murder and the day after that, she had a debate with one of the members of Tybur‘s party. She needed her time to unwind and she spent that time in the shooting range.

“Haven’t seen you in a while.”

A familiar person steps in, putting on the gear that was necessary to even shoot in the shooting range. Porco had his usual clothes on: Black shirt, black pants and boots. His hair was slicked back and his buff body was on full display.

“I was busy.”

She took off her earmuffs, wanting to hear the man better as they spoke. It would be disrespectful if she kept them on because she was raised that way. Hear people out, even if they spew bullshit.

“I can tell. That bullet wound doesn’t look pretty.”

He had always been cocky and sarcastic, that was just his thing. He also had a pretty big ego but he talked to her like a normal friend. 

“Bastard couldn’t even shoot correctly.”

She rolled her eyes as she looked at the gun in her hand. She had been way too close to death in that moment and it still scared her a bit. She couldn’t show people that she was still intimidated. 

“I‘m sorry that happened.”

She just gave him a nod, thanking her in a way that was nonchalant. She actually wanted to wrap up her time at the shooting range since work was calling, but she could spare a few more minutes.

She had a question to ask, anyway.

“Galliard, do you know of Reiner Braun?”

He looked at her confused, wondering what she meant by that question. Of course he knew Reiner, he practically went ghost on everyone after quitting his job at the military.

“I do. Why?”

She just nodded her head, putting the gun in the space where the other guns were. She put her earmuffs in her bag and her gloves as well. 

“No reason. See you around, Porco.”

He looked at the woman as she disappeared, his arms crossed in front of his chest. She had always had this mystery allure around her even if she was a public figure. She appeared out of nowhere at the time he enlisted and turned the political scene way more interesting than before.

People were scared of her, especially the republicans. She was not afraid to speak her mind, calling out the republicans for corruption, racism and manipulation. She was a force to be reckoned with and the people were finally taking politics seriously. 

The whole Eldian troop liked her but they couldn’t show it. If they even expressed a tiny amount of support, there would be nothing but trouble waiting for them. He just moved on from it all and focused on getting some training done.

The woman walked to her workplace, her work clothes in her bag, wanting to change in the bathrooms because of her still feeling somewhat untrusting of the shooting ground. As she stepped foot into the building, she already saw her new bodyguard talking to her assistant. She didn’t really look… appropriate for work since she was in fitness attire but that could wait.

“Mr. Braun! I didn’t think you would be here so… early. Come with me and we‘ll talk about everything there. Armin, would you mind calling Levi over? I need him in my office.”

The blonde assistant nodded, immediately ringing the phone as the woman and the new employee walked down the halls and into her office.

“Now, Mr. Braun, I was surprised that you accepted my offer. At first, I had a feeling that you would decline it but you surprised me.”

He just listened to her, nodding along as she talked. She seemed so different compared to the woman he talked to yesterday. It seemed like a forced personality, a way to cope with her whole life. Her walls were way too high up, it felt like a light switch whenever she acted like this.

“When am I going to start my job?”

A simple question and an obvious one. He wanted to get the job done, so he needed all the information he could get. Working hours, salary, equipment… He needed to be prepared if he was going to do this job.

“Right now. I asked my old bodyguard to come over and when he does, you two will exchange in a conversation while I dress into more appropriate attire. Ask him everything you need to know about the job. I still don’t know about the working hours but you‘ll get a big sum of money for protecting me. It’s what you deserve.”

Levi came through the door pretty fast, not knowing that that much time had passed. The woman grabbed her work clothes and held them in her hands, looking at the men as she did.

“Levi, this is my new bodyguard named Reiner Braun. Reiner, this is my former bodyguard and brotherly figure named Levi Ackermann. Levi, he’s going to ask you questions about the bodyguard life, so don’t be hostile and answer them. I‘ll be right back.”

She waved them goodbye and when the door shut, Reiner immediately asked the question that lingered on his mind.

“Is she always like this?”

Levi chuckled for a quick second before nodding. His sisterly figure had the urge to be like this, all nice and professional whenever she was around people. When it came to being serious, however, she’s like a different person.

“Most of the time.”

Reiner nodded, looking around the room as he continued to think. He didn’t have that many questions, he was more interested in what the former man had to say.

“You better not let her out of your sight. If a single scratch gets onto her body… You’re a dead man.“

Reiner’s eyes widened at the threat, not knowing what to respond after that. He got it, she was an important figure and after what had happened yesterday, he wanted to do this job.

“I swear I‘ll protect her! I didn’t want to seem like I‘m incompetent at my job!“

The smaller man was terrifying, so he noted that he should always end up on his good side. There was another silence before the smaller man decided to speak up once again.

“Over time, you’ll get closer to her. She’s more sensitive than you think she is, so take care of her. I don’t know how long you’re willing to stay but try to last until the election is over.”

Reiner nodded once again, hearing the older man out. He seemed protective of her but he was like her brother, so obviously he wants her to be taken care of.

“I can give you my equipment and as for work attire, you‘ll be fine with normal clothes. When you’re in formal spaces, wear a suit. Always keep your eyes on people, don’t let them get too close to her unless they’re friends or alliances. Never leave her side, ever. Hell, stay at her place even, I don’t care. Just keep her safe.”

He wanted to say more but the door opened and his sisterly figure came through the door, closing it behind her and slendering back to her chair. She sat down and looked at the men.

“Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?”

She asked with a more serious gaze, looking at the two men. They seemed like they had talked about everything important but she asked again to make sure there were no remaining questions.

“Where am I supposed to stay?”

She looks at the man, thinking about what to say. He could continue living in his home but if he wanted, he could be a 24/7 bodyguard and stay at her place.

“Well, you can decide. Either you stay at your place from before or you stay with me.”

He looked at her, then looked at the former bodyguard before finally locking in his decision. 

“I‘ll stay with you. You don’t know what people can do nowadays.”

She looked at him with a genuine smile before clapping her hands together. She seemed happy to finally have gotten this step out of the way.

“Alright! My assistant will help you with getting your things at my place. Your job starts right now and you‘ll accompany me to dinner. You’re just going to watch from far away, make sure that nothing strange happens.”

She seemed a bit annoyed that she had to go to this dinner, as Reiner noticed. Her eyebrows furrowed when she talked about the dinner, which means that she was clearly doing this out of force. 

“I‘ll introduce you to the others as Armin organizes the whole moving process. I‘m excited where this will all lead. However, I need you to promise me something, Mr. Braun.”

He just looks up at her as she stands up from her seat, him still staying seated as he was given no direct order to get up.

“I need you to promise me to keep secrets. You will be by my side for every second now. You will see things that no ordinary worker here sees. You will hear things that are prohibited to reach the ears of others. I need you to be loyal. Not only to me, but the Wings of Freedom as well. You still have a choice to back out but once you lock in that promise, I expect you to obey my commands. Is that clear, Mr. Braun?”

Her voice turned serious quickly, her eyes and behavior not being the cheerful one from before. She meant business and it was clear. Her head was tilted a bit, her voice was deeper than before, slightly threatening towards the end of her sentence. 

“I swear that I will obey your every command, Miss L/n. I will protect you and the Freedom party.”

She looked at him, her eyes squinted a bit before a smile graced her face. It was like someone turned on a light switch. Her personality changed so easily, it was intimidating.

“You signed up for this, so no more backing down. Welcome to the team, Mr. Braun.”

She lightly hinted at him to stand up and he obeyed that command. The three of them walked out of the office and into the lounge where her team was. Hange, Erwin, Armin, Sasha. Jean and Connie.

“Everyone, I would like you to meet the newest member of the team. This man right here will be my new bodyguard from here on out. Reiner Braun. Reiner, this is my team.”

She introduced him to each member of the team, most of them being nice but still a bit wary of the guy. Who wouldn’t? They had never seen him before but they knew that Y/n has a good nose, so he couldn’t be that bad.

“Mr. Braun, could you help me with the zipper?”

The man had spent the rest of the day moving his things into the woman‘s house. It wasn’t an insane house, just a normal house with her touch on it. The house smelled of wood, eucalyptus and lavender, a comforting smell that immediately relaxed him. She had a huge bookcase and her house was surrounded by trinkets and pictures of her team.

Currently, the woman was getting ready for her date. With whom she was going out with, Reiner still had no idea. He was currently getting ready on his own when a knock echoed throughout the room. He was staying in the guest room of her house, which was placed right next to her room.

“Of course, Miss L/n. And call me Reiner. It feels like I‘m way too old whenever you call me Mr. Braun.”

She giggled a bit as she walked over to him. The zipper was at the lower back and he wasn’t surprised that she couldn’t zip it up. That little zipper was goddamn tedious but he managed to zip it up.

“Thank you.”

She turned around and looked up at him before looking him up and down. Her eyes were squinted again, like there was something wrong with his outfit.

“Ditch the tie. I think the outfit looks better without it on.”

He just looked down at his messy tie before nodding, taking it off. He was secretly happy that he didn’t need to wear a tie since he was horrible at tying one. He just never knew how to do it.

She had a black dress on that went up to her knees, maybe even a bit shorter than that. Black stockings underneath since it was cold outside and a coat that she was wearing. Her makeup was dark but still somewhat simple. She was dressing to impress.

“I would have loved to wear something less… provocative but that man can only be persuaded by short black dresses.”

She rolled her eyes lightly, soliciting a chuckle from Reiner. She looked stunning but he could tell that all her efforts were just to please another man. Or maybe she needs something from him.

“The dinner, I hope, will be short. I‘m mainly going because I want some updates from the man of the current… predicament at his work.”

The both of them left her house and she locked it twice, turning on her alarms and security cameras before hopping into her car. She was driving and Reiner was in the passenger seat. She would have allowed him to drive but he didn’t know where the dinner would take place, so she was driving instead.

“The man isn’t really someone to worry about, so you’ll just be observing. However, if there’s anything noteworthy going on that I‘m not aware of during that dinner, you tell me when we get back home.”

He nodded as she continued to drive. During a red light, he could see her pick at her skin around her fingers a lot. He noticed tiny things and maybe she was nervous. He didn’t want to comment on it, however, just to not get on her bad side.

“We‘re here. I‘ll get in first and you follow a bit behind.”

She got out of the car first, him following after her. She was there for the date first, him getting seated somewhere where he could see her perfectly without gaining any attention. 

Both of them just waited until the man in question finally showed up. Reiner, who had been clueless about the man‘s identity up until now, had his jaw practically on the floor.

The man… was his former commander in the military?

He just looked at the man snaking his arms around her waist and everything started to click. Back then, Zeke had mentioned a mystery woman that he had been „seeing“. But who would’ve thought it was her? If anyone from the Marleyan troops finds out, especially Magath, he‘s in deep trouble.

Zeke was looking at her like a predator would look at its prey. There was pure lust and hunger in his eyes. He had a look full of emotion behind those irises while she just looked over it.

“You’re late.”

She pulled away as she sat down, Zeke immediately sitting down across from her. Reiner could hear enough of the conversation, which was a good thing.

“I needed to sneak away from Magath. You know how he is.”

The rest of the dinner was pretty uneventful. Not only that but Reiner heard some… pretty inappropriate comments and advanced which actually grossed him out. He probably wouldn’t look at Zeke the same way ever again.

“Zeke, since when are Magath and Tybur close?”

Reiner’s ears perked up at that question. Zeke had been trying to make this turn into an actual date but she refused to let it go there. She was here strictly to get information out of him, which was a little bit mean but he couldn’t blame her.

“They’ve never been close. At least, not outside work”

Zeke looked confused at the question. He was right, the both had never publicly spoken before. However, behind closed doors, anyone could be close to anyone. 

“Why did I see them at a bar together then?”

Zeke‘s eyes widened a bit as he heard her words. The commander and leader of the army was close to the current president and Marleyan extremist? He wanted it to not be true but hearing those words… it just made sense.

Zeke just kept quiet and the whole dinner proceeded as normal. He told her about everything that happened at work, which was just increased monitoring of the Eldian troops. His troop. He also talked about Magath‘s behavior and how he was eyeing Zeke‘s team.

After a while, the dinner finally ended and the couple stood up. He offered to drive her home but she declined, the man looking a bit sad about that rejection. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, albeit forced, so he could leave with something at least.

After Zeke disappeared, she told her bodyguard to get up from a single hand movement and he did. They walked to the parking lot and he was driving this time around since she was a bit tipsy.

“I wanted to mention that I was going out with Zeke but I thought that you might’ve declined if I told you.”

Any reminder of his past must be difficult to Reiner, so I felt a bit bad that the first thing he had to do was watch me go on a date with his former superior.

“It‘s fine. I just wasn’t expecting him to be so… forward.”

A giggle came out of her mouth, one that couldn’t be faked that easily. She seemed a bit careful around Reiner and maybe even a little shy, but he couldn’t blame her. She‘s so used to the people around her, no wonder she’s a bit intimidated by a new person in her life.

“You should’ve seen him when he first set his eyes on me. He was like a desperate man, ready to court me. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s sweet that he’s into me but I just don’t like him in that way.”

Reiner looked at her before looking back at the road. He did have a question on his mind because something just jogged around in his memories.

“Did you two…?”

She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what he meant by that before finally understanding what he meant by that question.

“Yeah, plenty of times. Yesterday was the most recent time after that whole… situation at the bar.”

She looked out of the window, playing with the ring on her right ring finger. It was a promise ring that had been given to her by her dear fatherly figure Kenny, who had given her this piece of jewelry as a present for getting them out of the underground. She played with it every time she got a bit nervous.

“I didn’t mean to intrude, Miss L/n.”

She just waved her hand, letting him know that it was fine. Another moment of silence in the car and she felt like apologizing for being so awkward. She wasn’t used to this.

“I‘m sorry for being so awkward. I‘m just not used to all of this.”

He looked at her for a split second before giving her a bit of a crooked smile. He felt that it was nice of her to apologize, even if she had nothing to apologize for.

“It‘s fine. I need to get used to this, too. I haven’t really talked to anyone in a while, so…”

The car ride continued to be silent as he drove but he decided to talk this time around. He felt like he needed to get something off of his chest.

“Did these attacks start a while back or was this the first one?”

He wanted to know what he was getting himself into. He knew that the republicans hated the Freedom party but there hadn’t been attempted assassinations ever. 

“This was the first one. I mean, I get it, I‘m provocative and all that when it comes to the debates but I‘m just telling the truth. They can’t handle looking bad in front of their audience, so what do they choose to do? They try to kill me like the cowards they are. I bet they’re fuming that I‘m alive.”

He genuinely thought it was interesting. No political party has ever had this much hate for a single politician before. She must be a beast at those debates.

“Tomorrow is your first press conference after that whole thing, right?”

She just nodded and she started playing with her ring again. Truth be told, she was pretty damn nervous. She had to be even more cautious than before and that alone was a huge problem. And now she had a new bodyguard as well. 

“Armin‘s writing the script for me. I don’t even know what to tell the press.”

Her voice was soft, the whole situation having clearly affected her. Who could blame her? She almost got killed along with her former bodyguard! That’s no laughing matter.

“Sometimes it’s better for you. They‘ll use your words against you, knowing them.”

She looked at him and then gulped a tiny bit. She was in danger, she always had been but now it’s clear. They were keeping an eye out for her.

“I remember when I first got chosen to hold a debate by Erwin. Honestly, I was goddamn horrified. I had never spoken in front of Marleyans before, only Eldians. I spent weeks preparing for that debate and it was so damn worth it. You should’ve seen me. I was on the front covers of newspapers, talking about how I‘m the Freedom party‘s new weapon.”

A light smile was on her face but it quickly faded. Times had changed and now she had so much responsibility on her shoulders.

“I‘m scared that all my efforts are for nothing. I‘m promising everyone so much but what if those promises can’t be met? What if we have to continue to face that prejudice and hatred?”

She wanted to continue speaking but then she realized that she was letting her walls down again, so she just shut her mouth. 

“I would like to tell you that you‘re doing great but the Marleyan military censorship does wonders.”

He wasn’t surprised now that he’s never heard of her. The Marleyan army always made sure to just show the propaganda of the republican party. He’s been hidden from the other viewpoints and it made him mad. He had never been interested in politics because he’s never seen any point of view.

“Are you surprised? Magath is a huge suck up towards Tybur. He‘d do anything for that man.”

Y/n rolled her eyes at that statement because it just seemed so unsurprising. No wonder that most Eldian veterans in the Marleyan army hated their own kind. They were spoonfed racist propaganda throughout their whole career.

“I‘ll make sure to keep you safe. You have my word, Miss L/n.”

She looked at him with a soft gaze before smiling a bit. He looked so determined, like he meant every word.

“Please call me Y/n when it’s just us two. It feels more like I‘m talking to a friend rather than an employee.”

Y/n could tell that he could be trusted. She always had a good eye for people. Every person in her team had been handpicked by her. Armin, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Levi… Everyone had been chosen by her and they have always delivered. Not only were they good at their jobs but they turned out to be wonderful friends. She hoped that Reiner could also fit into that category.

“I‘ll remember that. We‘re here.”

He parked the car into her garage with ease. When he was done, he stopped the car and undid his seatbelt before getting out of the car. She also undid her seatbelt, wanting to open the passenger door but Reiner had already done so for her.

“Thank you.”

He just nodded and closed the door to the car and locked her garage shut. She opened the locks to her house and the both of them entered. The both of them took off their footwear, Y/n‘s height dropping a bit since she had been in heels.

They took their coats off and hung them on the hanging rack before walking to their assigned bedrooms.

“Wait, Reiner. Could you undo my zipper? Just like before?”

She turned around and the man walked up to her. He reached for the zipper with one hand, his other hand holding onto her waist for more stability. He pulled it down with ease before stepping away.

“Thank you. Good night, Reiner. I‘ll wake you up tomorrow.”

She gave him a light smile before disappearing into her room. Reiner still stood in the hallway, sighing as he looked around the place. He disappeared into his room, changed into something more comfortable before going back down to her kitchen.

He hadn’t eaten anything at that restaurant mainly because the food there was goddamn expensive. The only thing he ate was garlic bread and that was barely enough to get him somewhat satiated.

He looked around and finally saw something worth eating. It wasn’t much but some good leftovers wouldn’t hurt. It looked like spaghetti noodles with some tomato sauce. He grabbed himself a plate, hoping she wouldn’t mind that he was going to eat it.

The microwave was pretty easy to figure out and while he waited for the bowl to heat up, he looked around the place a little more. The living room had a tv, a table that had some snacks in tiny bowls, a comfy looking couch and a warm lamp that illuminated the space. The space was home-y, the vibe that a library would give off.

When the microwave beeped, he grabbed the bowl and sat himself down, eating the leftovers. He had no idea if this was takeout or not but it tasted delicious. The flavors of onions, garlic, a few spices and tomatoes was a wonderful combination that felt like an explosion of taste in his mouth. He hadn’t eaten a proper meal in ages, the only thing that had been a staple in his diet had been instant foods, water and alcohol. He still was somewhat in shape but he clearly had seen better days. 

He needed to get in shape again and he needed to eat properly again. He hoped that Y/n was capable of making food of some sort or else he’d have to rely on instant meals again.

After eating that filling meal of spaghetti leftovers, he washed his hand and brushed his teeth before retreating back into his room and falling asleep on the bed. The bed was comfy and smelled like lavender, a smell he was starting to get used to since it surrounded the house.

Tomorrow would be his first proper day as her bodyguard and he hoped it would go well.

Chapter Text

“Reiner.”

A voice woke him up from his sleep. The familiar voice that had been haunting him for the past year. A male voice that was a curse at this point, a constant reminder of the failed rescue attempt.

The front lines had been something Reiner had been used to at that point. They always said that the Eldian troops just were the most qualified, hence why they were at the front lines. They had always succeeded, being one of the only troops to come out unscathed every time.

The only time where they slightly got outnumbered by the enemy, that’s when the team got smaller. Marcel, the brother to his former colleague Porco, or Ymir who had been in a secret relationship with a woman, or Bertholdt. The moment the troops wiped out all of the enemies, Reiner wanted to celebrate. He couldn’t find his closest friend, however, and that worried him.

Looking around the field full of corpses, he saw his most beloved friend on the ground, coughing up blood like it was vomit. He rushed to his friend, telling him it would be all okay as he cried. His friend told him to live on, to leave this place and to not suffer the same fate as him. He soon perished from immense blood loss and in that moment, Reiner had lost the meaning of life. 

Why does one continue to live? What does life mean if you have no one left in your life? Soon after, Reiner quit the army. He had finally realized that fighting in a war that he wasn’t responsible for was stupid. So many lives that were lost and for what? For people to continue on gaining power? For people to flaunt their kills that were oh so meaningful? 

He spiraled into a deep, deep depression. Bertholdt would follow him around like a ghost, one that he couldn’t escape no matter what. Reiner would start to drink heavily, his diet would lack in quality and his workouts were practically nonexistent. He was neglecting himself, feeling numb was wonderful to him.

When those things were starting to lose effect, he resulted to self harm. Punching himself, cutting himself, whatever helped him with his numbness. He had attempted to take his own life multiple times, too. Trying to jump off a bridge, wanting to get run over, hanging or shooting himself? Nothing he hasn’t tried. However, he always held back because he was deathly afraid. What would await him after his soul left his body? Would he descend into heaven or into hell? Was there even an afterlife? He was horrified, so he never ended his life.

That fateful moment in the bar from the day before, that monologue of the woman he now works for, her promise to avenge his dead friend… He felt hope for the first time in a while. Protecting her when he did at that bar, he had found something to pursue. He wanted to help her. He didn’t know why but he felt that maybe he needed someone to save him from the misery of the life he had been living.

He slowly got out of the bed to go and brush his teeth. He was fairly tired but that would probably pass soon. The man hadn’t slept this short since he had last been in the military. It was around 6am, which was a bit surprising because he had never heard politicians go to work this early.

Reiner opened the door to the bathroom when he saw the woman in front of him. She was brushing her teeth, the foam of the toothpaste around her mouth looking silly on her. She looked at him through the mirror before continuing to brush her teeth, stepping to the side a bit so he had some space too. 

The faucet started to run as she spat out the toothpaste, cleaning her mouth from any residue from the paste. She rinsed her face with water before finally speaking.

“Did I wake you?”

She hadn’t really been loud, except for the fact that she had stubbed her toe on the way to the bathroom. She let out a little yelp and continued to curse for a few seconds before shutting up again before continuing to wander to the bathroom.

“No. Woke up on my own accord.”

She nodded as she started to put on some moisturizer on her skin. She didn’t really abuse skincare like those money hungry influencers that circulated around social media but she did love a good moisturizer and sunscreen.

As she went on with her skincare routine, her eyes moved towards Reiner and his exposed arms. They were covered in scars; Some were obviously from the war but others seemed self inflicted. She didn’t mean to pry, so she wouldn’t, but the scars were very obvious. 

“I wanted to go to the shooting range. I hope that’s okay with you.”

The main reason she wanted to tell him is because she was afraid that it would trigger past trauma for him. She didn’t really keep in mind that the man probably had some sort of PTSD, so she had to be careful when it came to anything that could bring those memories back.

“That’s fine.”

The man nodded with his mouth full of toothpaste. She left the bathroom after that to go and dress up into her workout clothes. Sweatpants and a black compression shirt. Her earmuffs were always inside and she had her jacket on as well.

She went to the kitchen to whip up some breakfast. Eggs and toasted bread. She had always been able to cook quickly, so when Reiner was done with getting ready, two plates had already been ready to be eaten.

She took her plate to the living room and turned on the TV to watch some morning news. The TV added extra illumination in the room, the sound was loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to not disturb her eardrums too much.

The news didn’t really say much, most were just naming the time when the press conference with Y/n started which made her roll her eyes. She ate her breakfast as she watched the news, transfixed on the screen.

She switched the channels until she ended up on the Eldian news channel. She always got her news from the Eldian news since those were the most important to her. The news just talked about simple things but she thought that those were so important to her. Knowing that everyone was still so strong even after being treated so horribly.

Reiner took his plate and sat down next to her on the couch. She looked so immersed in the news and he didn’t want to interrupt her while she watched.

There was a comfortable silence as they ate and watched the news. The Eldian news showed many things that surprised him. Be it street interviews with civilians or recommending new restaurants, it was surprisingly entertaining to watch.

“I hope the food was nice.”

Nice? It tasted goddamn phenomenal. He already thought that the leftovers from yesterday were fantastic but this? If she kept conjuring this food for him, he might stick around forever.

“It’s amazing.”

His compliment was genuine and he sounded a bit offended that she deemed her food as only „nice“. He could eat another whole portion of her cooking and he wouldn’t get tired of it. She got up and took their plates, rinsing them and putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

The both of them got their things and were ready to leave for the shooting range. She drove again just to show him the road and to get familiar with the routes. He would do all the driving soon but he needed to get familiar with everything first.

Driving in the early morning was oddly soothing and it was one of the only times during the whole day where she felt at peace. 

Arriving at the shooting range, the both of them entered. Reiner didn’t feel the need to practice his shooting since he was already good at it. He just sat on a bench near her presence so he could look after her. She put on her earmuffs and picked up the gun. He used this time to continue observing her.

She was surprisingly good at shooting at first. Over time, her shots just got worse and she‘d go from hitting the targets to completely missing them. He thought it was odd but he could see why soon after. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was heavy. Her stance was uneasy and it seemed like something was lingering on her mind.

He got up and grabbed the gun from her hand. She looked at him confused but she didn’t fight, she just let him. The truth was that she was scared. This was her first proper public appearance after getting shot and it was horrifying. What if someone shot at her again? What if she would actually die this time around?

“You okay?”

She just looked up at him before nodding slowly. She was never unsettled about the thought of stepping into the public eye but knowing that she had to do that after almost getting killed? She was worried.

“Yeah. Just… nervous.”

She looked up at the man before looking away again. The ring that she always played with was back in use again, the fidgeting clearly a way to help her cope with moments like these.

“Why?”

He had a feeling that it was because of the press conference but he needed to know for sure. He wanted to be a useful bodyguard, make sure she feels protected mentally and physically because that’s just what bodyguards do.

“The press conference. I feel a bit intimidated by the thought of going out there again.”

She was trying to play it off as just another inconvenience but Reiner could tell that it was more than that. Her lips were dry and she continued to fiddle with her ring.

“Are they that horrible? The press?”

He wanted to know what was making her feel uneasy. She probably hadn’t been away from the press for long but maybe she was afraid that they would ask intrusive questions. Maybe she was afraid that someone would try another attack.

“I can deal with the press just fine. It‘s more my safety that I‘m worried about.”

She finally looked up in the man‘s eyes. A beautiful shade of warm green. An olive color that mixed wonderfully in the light.

“I‘ll protect you. And even if they try, I was best in the military for a reason. They won’t get far, trust me.”

He handed her the gun again, wanting to let her continue with her shooting. He did notice a slight flaw in her stance at times, so when he saw her miss another shot, he interjected. The shoulders were tense and her legs were too apart. His hands moved to her shoulders, hoping that she would somewhat relax.

“You’re too tense. Calm down a bit.”

She stopped shooting for a second to take his advice. When she did finally relax, he situated her shoulders the right way. He looked down, seeing that her legs were still too far apart.

“Close your legs a bit. You‘re pushing too much weight on your feet if they‘re apart like that.”

The advice didn’t go unnoticed and she did as she was told. She took a deep breath and finally concentrated. Reiner stepped away and let her take the shot and when she did, she was able to hit the target. She sighed as she put the gun down.

“Thank you. I was feeling a bit tense.”

Reiner just nodded as a way of saying „you‘re welcome“ before watching her take the gear off. She must be done for today, it seemed.

“How‘s the bullet wound?”

He asked as he looked at her shoulder. The stitches were almost ready to be taken out, her bullet wound having almost healed. It was a good thing that the injury was so minor. 

“It hurts a bit when I raise my left arm too much but that’s to be expected. Otherwise it’s okay.”

She put her earmuffs in and then she was finally ready to go. They left the shooting range and disappeared into the parking lot, hopping into the car. Reiner was driving this time around, making sure they got to the office on time.

From afar, there was a lurking presence who had watched them get out of the shooting range. After not having seen Reiner for almost a year, he finally made an appearance… with Y/n? Porco was puzzled as to how she had convinced the suicidal man to work for her. One thing he would note down, however, is that Reiner had chosen his side and that Porco would need to keep an even closer eye on her.

“Stupid press conferences. I swear they’re going to ask me stupid questions again like they always do.”

The woman rolled her eyes, standing in the hallway of the press conference room. She hated these public conferences, mainly because the press always asked questions that were bordering on ridiculous. How can people conjure such stupid questions that always challenged her brain cells?

“You‘ll be fine. Just answer their questions swiftly and you‘ll be good.”

Jean was her marketing and PR manager, so he was always there during any sort of public outing where she was. He just always made sure she was putting on a good image.

“I hope so.”

It was finally time to attend the conference. She took a deep breath and walked through the hall. Before she was visible to everyone, Reiner quickly held onto her arm, holding her back from walking for a second.

“You tell me if you wanna get out of there.”

She just nodded as she finally made a public appearance after almost two weeks. The cameras immediately started flashing and she felt herself get tense before calming down. She walked up to the podium and stood in front of the microphone, her nerves through the roof. She had her speech memorized. It was short but enough to get the questions flowing.

“Ladies and gentleman, as you can see, I am alive and well. The event that had happened two weeks ago has managed to shake us all. A minor injury to the shoulder and a more severe injury to the torso. I suffered the less severe bullet wound, but my former bodyguard had to suffer a more painful injury. The both of us are well and healing. The shooter had sealed his fate with mortality, having been killed shortly after he shot me and my accomplice. The investigations said that the assassination had been planned beforehand and we will do all it takes to find out who is responsible for my failed death. If there are any questions, you are able to ask them now. I won’t answer any after this press conference out of respect for my privacy.”

She was usually able to deliver speeches like a boss, just like right now. She just was a natural when it came to articulating herself. Deep down, however, she was a bundle of nerves. She hoped this would go well.

“What do you mean by former bodyguard?”

She knew that question was coming, but she couldn’t hold this information back from the public. Their faces had immediately contorted when they saw Reiner behind her. He was a new face and they were aware.

“I have given my former bodyguard the chance to retire. He’s a family member of mine and I would rather have him safe than dead. I hired a new bodyguard, who is the man standing right behind me.”

She turned her head lightly to point to Reiner, to let everyone know that he was the man who would be protecting her from now on. The journalists would probably do some digging later on and release some stupid article but it‘s better to tell them beforehand.

“What‘s the information you found out about the shooter?”

Finally, a good question that was asked by a journalist. She would gladly spill all the information, since the detectives had told her all about what they recently found out.

“The shooter was a part of a far-right group in Marley called „Glory to Marley“. In his plans, he had decided to choose a debate and wanted to originally shoot me in my head. Clearly, that didn’t work. If his plans failed, he’d commit suicide. That didn’t happen either. The far-right group is still very anonymous and sadly, we don’t know their whereabouts. However, we will do our best to uncover everyone who is a part of that group.”

Well, that’s what she wants them to think. Her ace up her sleeve, Dot Pixis, has infiltrated that space by pretending to be a supremacist. He‘s been gathering intel for her and has been successful for the most part.

“Will the debate tomorrow take place?”

Another journalist asked and she nodded her head. The debates were the one thing that she could use to slowly expose the Marleyan party to the people.

“Of course. I‘m still running for president, after all. A failed assassination won’t stop me from debating. I‘m looking forward to the debate with the finance minister.”

The crowd looked confused and for the first time in a while, she felt anxious. Did she say something wrong? She was obviously going to debate the finance minister tomorrow, this has been set up for weeks. She already had her points ready.

“You haven’t heard the announcement? You‘re debating the minister of defense tomorrow, Miss L/n.”

Her breath stopped for a quick second. How was she not told that? And why did they suddenly change the person for the debate tomorrow? This has been fixed for weeks!

“Pardon? Why was I not informed? No one in my party is aware of this.”

Armin was backstage, looking around for the news but nothing. He was shaking his head, telling her that he had absolutely no idea. She was trying to remain calm, so she flexed her hands a bit.

“He‘s told all of the journalists.”

The woman exhaled, trying not to lose her mind. Tybur did this on purpose, she could immediately tell. But why did they choose the minister of defense specifically? This made no sense.

“And he couldn’t have made that statement for everyone?”

She started playing with her ring, the nervousness slowly creeping back up. She was overthinking, having no idea why he had specifically asked the minister of defense. She took a quick look around the room and spotted a familiar face.

Theo Magath.

Her eyes widened and then she finally took a look at Reiner. He was focused, stoic and serious. She had no idea if he was losing his mind like her, but she definitely was. The journalists were silent and then she finally continued to talk.

“Well, the debate will still take place. I just wished that this matter could have been handled more professionally instead of leaving one party out.”

Someone had clearly told Magath. Someone knew that Reiner was in my team and told him, but who could that have been? Did they suddenly stumble upon Reiner‘s missing file in the military that Zeke had given her? It couldn’t have been Zeke, he’s too infatuated with her to snitch. 

“This concludes the press conference for today. Thank you for taking your time off of your day for this press conference. Have a great day.”

She bowed lightly and the cameras started to flash again, Reiner quickly moving behind her and covering her. Her breathing was heavy and she walked past Armin and Jean. They could clearly tell that she was upset.

“Miss L/n.”

When the three of them finally followed Y/n to a more private place, she finally was able to release her anger. And she was pissed.

“Someone snitched. Someone found out about him being my new bodyguard and told Magath. He definitely made Tybur change the ministers for tomorrow. I fucking know it!”

The three men just looked at her, not knowing what to say. They had been clearly set up and the woman was the victim to that setup. She was more mad about the whole preparation that went down the drain rather than the switch up. She always spent weeks researching for her debates and wrote everything by herself.

“Armin, please send out E-mails to all of the Eldian journalists about this. They deserve to know this, too.”

She took a deep breath, calming herself down. She had time to research for tomorrow. An all-nighter wouldn’t be bad, she could use that time to write down all of the points that she could use for that debate.

The men continued to talk and she started thinking about who snitched to Magath. It couldn’t have been Zeke, and it couldn’t have been Annie either. She tried to wrap her head around who exposed her situation and then it clicked.

“I think I know who it was.”

The woman started walking, leaving Armin and Jean behind. Reiner looked at her confused before saying goodbye to his colleagues before following her. 

“Do you know for sure or is it just intuition?”

He caught up to her as he walked next to her, his eyebrows scrunched together. He didn’t want to doubt her, he just wanted to know if what she was doing was smart.

“You should never question a woman‘s intuition, Reiner. I hope you didn’t forget where the shooting range was.”

They managed to slip into her car without any issues, the woman stepping into the passenger seat as Reiner sat in the driver‘s seat.

“Did someone see us there in the morning?”

He turned on the engine and drove off, looking at her from time to time. Someone must have seen them if all of this happened.

“I don’t know but I know a person who visits frequently.”

They arrived at the shooting range shortly after. Both of them decided to enter and when they got to the shooting range, they saw a familiar face already practicing.

“Galliard.”

Her tone was poison, clearly not here to have fun. She meant business, her arms crossed as she stared daggers at the man. He finally turned to her and his eyes widened.

“Reiner?!”

He was more surprised to see his old colleague rather than her. He sees her almost everyday here but his former colleague who practically vanished into thin air? That was something new.

“I‘m talking to you, Galliard. Is it polite to ignore people now?”

She wanted answers. She had a gut feeling that it was him, that he aired out her business to the leader of the Marleyan army. And she was pissed.

“What’s going on?”

He sounded so clueless, like he actually had no idea. However, she knew more than what he led on. That face of his says it all. 

“Care to explain how the military found out that Reiner works for me now, hm?”

It was obvious that the switch up had all been because of their knowledge of Reiner working for her. What else could it have been? The minister of finance declined all of a sudden? The decision was made with specific intentions in mind.

“He works for you?”

The woman rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a word he‘s been saying. The army watches the news, especially the ones relating to the elections. She wasn’t dumb.

“Yes, Porco. He does. Now tell me how Magath found out before the public knew of my new bodyguard.”

She stepped closer to him, wanting to intimidate him until he gave up and told her. One thing about her is that she values honesty a lot. If a person breaks it, they immediately lose her trust. In a space like this, trust was the one thing she cared about a lot.

“I don’t know! I swear!”

The woman nodded her head and grabbed the gun that laid on the railing. She looked at it from every angle as she held it, the weight weighing it down a bit. The gun slowly slid up his body, pointing at his abdomen.

“Let me tell you something, Galliard. You know how much I value honesty, right? You‘ve seen me here practically every day and you know more about me than most. You‘ve heard about my work and about the things I hate. And do you know what I hate?”

The man gulped as the gun slid up higher and higher until it reached his heart. Her look could kill someone in seconds. It was full of danger.

“I hate liars. I hate it when people betray my trust. So, you better tell me the truth or you‘ll end up seeing your brother soon, Porco. Do you want that? To be reunited with your blood that is buried six feet under?”

The side of his neck was suddenly met with the head of the gun, her gaze not wavering. Her words were a threat and if he lied, he wouldn’t be breathing anymore. The comment of his brother made his heart stop for a second, the mention of his closest family member rubbing him the wrong way. 

“The only thing I know is that a file was missing. That’s it.”

The icy glare was focused on him for a bit longer before she finally took a step back. He finally took a proper breath after she gave him physical space again.

“Okay.”

The gun ended up on the railing again before she took a quick look at Reiner. Maybe he wanted to talk to his colleague again, maybe she could use him as a way of gaining information without her being in the vicinity.

“Reiner, do you want to talk to your old friend? It must’ve been a while since the two of you… talked.”

She turned around until she was facing Reiner. He perked up as she did so. He could tell that there was something more than what she asked of him, but he couldn’t really tell. Honestly, he didn’t want to, but it seemed like an order and after what he just witnessed, he’d rather not disobey.

“Yes ma‘am.”

She gave him a smile before walking past him. Before she left, however, she let Reiner know where she would be. They deserved their privacy, after all.

“I‘ll be in the locker rooms, Mr. Braun.”

And with that, the two men were left alone. Porco just looked up at the man, not knowing what to say. Here he was, his former colleague after he disappeared.

“What the fuck, man? I thought you were dead.”

The man suddenly hugged Reiner and he looked puzzled. He thought it was confusing. Everyone from the military had known where he lived and yet, no one had ever visited him after he resigned. The only one who had was Annie but she stopped coming by after the two of them had a big fight once. The rest? He had practically been a ghost for them.

“I‘m not.”

He reluctantly hugged the man back before he pulled away. Everyone from his team had abandoned him. He needed connection but they never bothered. He didn’t feel the need to fake but maybe, for now, it would be better to pretend.

“I‘m sorry, man. I know how much Bert-”

“Don’t say his name.”

Reiner immediately interrupted him, not wanting him to finish that sentence. No one had attended his funeral. It had only been Reiner, Annie and his family. No one bothered to even come by after the grave. The only flowers his closest friend got were from him. 

Porco tensed up, realizing that he hit a nerve. None of the members of the team had visited. The only person who did had been Annie but she rarely visited. The three of them were close, so close, but Bertholdt’s passing shook them all.

“How… Why are you working for her?”

Reiner‘s eyebrows furrowed. It seemed like such a weird question to ask. He thought that everyone in the Eldian troop supported the Eldians in secret. Why did he seem so… appalled by his choice to work for her? She’s fighting for their people.

“I needed a job. I was behind on rent and there was a spot open and I took it.”

It was true… kind of. He was behind on his rent but he actually thought he would be dead by now, so his thoughts hadn’t really focused on his finances. Not only that but he just accepted the job on a whim and now, here he was.

“I thought you didn’t care about politics.”

That’s what Reiner always used to say. A walking contradiction, an oxymoron. What soldier didn’t care about politics? Why had he joined the army back then? He didn’t even know anymore. However, when Bertholdt passed, he realized that he should be caring. His closest friend got killed because of politics and it made him loathe the state of the world.

“Times change.”

His tone was direct, letting his former colleague know that he wasn’t the same. He wasn’t the same as in the army, he wasn’t as clueless anymore. He wasn’t as caring as he used to be after witnessing the horrors of war. 

“C‘mon man. What happened to the big guy I know?”

Reiner just looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. He‘s gone through grief and had been left traumatized because of the army and he’s supposed to be the same man from years before? How?

“I watched him die, Porco. I got diagnosed with PTSD. Everyone I knew and loved distanced themselves from me. I had no one. And you want me to act like how I was back then?”

He sounded offended and even disappointed. They had it good in the army, probably. Reiner didn‘t. Reiner tried to kill himself on so many occasions after he left, the guilt gnawing at him every second of the day. The guilt was like a parasite infestation in forests, killing the trees slowly as they feast. 

“I didn’t mean-”

“No, I heard you loud and clear. I‘ll be on my way, don’t want to keep the boss waiting.”

Reiner finally stepped back, not even granting the man a former goodbye before going to the locker rooms. When he finally entered, the woman looked at the man and stood up. She could tell he was in a sour mood, so she didn’t ask him any questions.

“Let’s go home. We’ve had a long day.”

The man just nodded as they walked up to the car. He drove them home since he knew the road. The silence in the car was prominent until she decided to speak up.

“Did Porco ever report things to Magath?”

Reiner just looked at her for a second before thinking about the question. He never really bothered much and neither did Zeke, but Porco had always seemed too eager for anything.

“I don’t remember. He always was eager, though. Whenever Zeke forgot to protocol something, Porco would immediately chime in and state the rest. He really likes the job and I don’t think that changed.”

She let that answer sink in for a bit. Too eager to report things and really into the job? The poor boy was brainwashed to the heavens but she kept her mouth shut. It did tell her enough about Porco now, though, and that his words from earlier were definitely a lie.

“Do you believe in what he said earlier? That he doesn’t know?”

Reiner had hope that maybe, just maybe, his former colleague hadn’t snitched. That he was just confused and really didn’t know anything. 

“I don’t believe a word he said.”

The rest of the car ride was silent and when the two finally got into the house, the woman quickly excused herself to make some phone calls. Reiner just changed into normal clothes before leaving his room to descend down the stairs. Before he did, however, he heard Y/n’s voice from her room. He didn’t want to intrude but it just was right there. He couldn’t just not listen.

He leaned against the doorframe, hoping to make out some coherent words. He surprisingly was able to pick up on a lot. She talked really clearly.

“Con, put Porco Galliard’s status to unsafe for the time being. He’s proven to be a danger, so we need to be careful when it comes to him. And if you would be a dear, put Reiner’s status to safe. Thank you.”

She hung up the phone and decided to call someone else. He felt a bit relieved that his status was put to “safe”. It was a good thing that she finally trusted him. He would make sure to not make her lose that trust. 

“Hello?”

The man sounded grumpy, which he always did. This was Kenny, the serial killer of the underground. Kenny the Ripper. He was infamous for his rough demeanor, even towards those he considers family.

“Hey Kenny.”

The bed dipped when the woman sat down on the edge of the bed, placing the phone in the crook of her neck and holding it by pressing the phone to her ear with her shoulder. She played with her ring, just like she always did.

“I saw you on the news today, little one.”

She sighed as she held the phone again in her hand. She didn’t even know what to say. The press conference did not go the way she wanted it to go. Not only that, but now, she needed to write down new points for the debates and that was going to be hard.

“It was a disaster, Kenny. They’re setting me up.”

The anxiety slowly crept up her body, the doubts filling her mind like they always did. She was afraid that they were going to throw her even more curveballs, to make sure she would continue to fail and make a fool of herself. 

“That’s not the girl I know. What did I always tell you?”

The words of his came back like a throwback. When she first got made fun of by the Marleyan police during a protest, Kenny told her to never back down. “Don’t back down from a fight. That’s what they want you to do. Keep fighting even when you only have yourself by your side.”

“I should always keep fighting.”

Kenny hummed across the phone, letting her know that her answer is correct. When Kenny needed to, he always made sure to show the people he loved that he’s there for them. He’s a tough love kinda guy, but he knows when to not be tough.

“Atta girl. Now prepare your things for tomorrow and make them regret ever doing that to you today.”

Chapter Text

“This will be great for us, dude! Imagine it, us being the heroes of our town!”

Young Reiner had been so naive, so blinded by the propaganda that was spoonfed to them. Bertholdt, at first, had been a bit reluctant when it came to joining the army. The more time passed, the more he felt obligated to enlist. Not because of Reiner, but because of his family’s decaying health. They barely had money to pay all expenses, so what choice did he really have? Besides, he would never leave his dearest friend behind. Not Reiner.

“You think so? That we’ll be heroes?”

Both boys were on a hill that they always went to. A tree covered the sunlight that was shining through in tiny beams. Reiner had been so convinced that this would be good for them, for the Eldians in his town. They would be so proud.

“Hello?! We’re going to be soldiers! That’s enough to make us heroes!”

That optimism faded over time. There were moments in the army where Reiner only wanted to turn back in time and tell himself that it was a stupid idea. He never should have signed up but when he was small, he thought that it was a wise decision to do. Of course, they got enough money to look after their loved ones but the impact stayed. Over time, it got worse and worse.

He could only pray that the days where it was only Bertholdt and him under that tree would come back. Alas, those days never came. Battlefields became so common, he had never really realized how horrible the situation was until he held Bertholdt’s lifeless body in his arms. The place turned from work to horror and it made Reiner sick. He had contributed to a sick system. He was the one who had told Bertholdt that they would be heroes. And where did that get them?

“Please! I’m begging you man! I can’t… I CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!”

The gunshots around both of them were nothing. He didn’t even care, not when his friend was bleeding out. He could see the life leave Bertholdt’s body and he felt like he just died inside. His lifeline, his partner-in-crime, his literal soulmate… dead.

“BERTHOLDT! DON’T DIE ON ME! PLEASE!”

Tears were flowing down his face, the young man sobbing and wailing. If there was a person Reiner had truly loved in his life, it was Bertholdt. They were halves of a whole. It felt like a sick nightmare that he had to endure for the rest of his life. He could have saved him. Or could he? He didn’t even know anymore. The guilt ate away at him every day after that death.

The funeral wasn’t any better. His parents, who had died a few months before Bertholdt, had asked Reiner to look after him. Knowing that he broke that promise, that he wasn’t able to save his friend… it made him puke. He had cried the loudest out of everyone, he held a speech that had lasted half an hour just to show people how good of a man he was. He was heartbroken. Numb.

He hadn’t talked to his family since Bertholdt’s funeral. He couldn’t even look at them, feeling like he had no right to show his face to them. He was a disappointment and a horrible excuse for a human. He had pushed friends away, or just Annie for that matter. His former colleagues didn’t even show, which broke him even more. Was Bertholdt’s funeral not worth attending even if they had spent such fun times with him? When everyone laughed whenever Bertholdt slept in a weird position? Where was everyone?

He was a broken man and nothing could fix him. He had always been broken but he was always able to tape himself back together. Bertholdt’s death had been a reminder that once something breaks, it will always remain that way.

He woke up in a cold sweat, his guilt and PTSD getting the better of him again. He sat up, running a hand along his face. He looked around the guest bedroom, still not used to his new living environment. He just got up and decided to pour him some alcohol. Y/n had plenty anyways, she wouldn’t mind if he had some, right?

When he did reach downstairs, he was surprised by the woman still being awake. Glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, documents scattered around the sofa and coffee table, a laptop opened and a notebook where she was writing down notes. Next to her was a glass of whiskey that had almost been finished. 

Her head shot up at him before returning to her notes. She didn’t say anything, probably giving him the option to speak or be quiet. One thing about Y/n that he had observed is that she always let people decide whether they wanted to talk or not. She gave them choices and she never judged them.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

She just hummed as she continued to write. He didn’t really know what she was doing or why she was up so late, but he wouldn’t question her. He would mind his own business, unless she wanted to tell him. He wouldn’t mind.

“Is it okay if I pour myself a glass?”

She looked up at him before nodding at the man. She lightly pushed her glass to let him know that she wanted a refill as well. Reiner picked up on that and filled up her glass. She put her pen down and sighed before taking a sip.

“Thank you.”

There was a silence that filled the living room. Was it awkward or comfortable? He didn’t know. She was staring at him, thinking about what to say. She didn’t want to intrude, but she could hear Reiner’s light cries, even if his door had been closed. 

“Nightmares?”

She wanted to understand Reiner. He was a part of the team and she wanted to make sure that he felt like he belonged. He was struggling and she could tell by the way he always looked like he barely got any sleep. Not only that but his scars on his arms were clearly self-inflicted as well, and that alone made her stomach churn.

“Yeah.”

She gave him a sad smile, not knowing what to say. She couldn’t even comprehend how much he must have gone through. The man was clearly traumatized and she felt like she was taking him back to a territory where his trauma could come back. 

“Is there anything I could do to help?”

A voice so soft, so genuine, it genuinely tugged at Reiner’s heart strings. He missed being around people. The loneliness had really gotten to him over time and just being around people… he got overwhelmed easily. Being around her team, it felt so odd. He wanted to enjoy being around them, but he couldn’t. Not when his best friend was buried under the ground.

“My antidepressants ran out. My PTSD medication as well. It’s been bad the past few months.”

Her eyes widened as she looked at the man. He had prescriptions?! And he ran out?! She took a deep breath before taking her tiny notebook and writing down that vital information. She wanted to help.

“We’ll go tomorrow as soon as we leave the house. The pharmacy is near, we can go by foot.”

Reiner’s hands balled up into fists, not used to the kindness. Why was she so kind to him? He didn’t deserve that kindness. He was a horrible human being. 

“Okay. Thank you.”

He sometimes felt like he had made a mistake by taking up the offer to be her bodyguard. He didn’t deserve to be around people, he didn’t deserve to have a job and he didn’t deserve to be better. He was meant to suffer. That was his karma.

“Do you need anything else? You’re under my care, Reiner. Whatever you need, you tell me. We’re a team, you and me.”

Her voice felt like a soothing balm, so different to the woman who was on TV or in the office. She had a kind soul and it felt like her words were genuine, like they weren’t a lie. Like she meant every word. She cared.

“I’m okay.”

His words were rough, hoarse. He was lying to himself, and she could tell. She didn’t want to pry though, so she just dropped the whole topic. It was his choice and she wouldn’t pressure him into telling her.

“I hope that’s true.”

They both continued to drink their whiskey before she continued taking her notes. She had been spending hours on writing new notes and points for the debate that was taking place in less than a day. She had been researching for hours about everything and not only that, she also found so many new documents that she could use to argue during the debate. She was focused, completely locked in. Reiner had left the living room and she didn’t even realize it, that’s how much concentration went into the research.

After many hours of work, she finally went upstairs to go to her room. Before she did that, she took a peek into Reiner‘s room. He was sleeping soundly, his eyebrows knit together and his hands hugging his pillow. Y/n‘s lips lightly turned upwards at the sight before leaving for her room. She was used to not sleeping much, it was nothing new for her.

After a few hours of shut-eye, she woke up because of her alarm. The tone rang echoed throughout the room, another reminder that a new day starts. She got up in her pajamas and moved towards the bathroom, doing her usual routine. She would probably need to wake up Reiner when she was done with her morning routine. Brushing teeth, a moisturizer and some sunscreen and she was done. The faint steps moved towards Reiner‘s room and when she walked in, she saw him fold his sheets.

“Morning.”

“Morn’.”

His voice was raspy and deep, sounding just as intimidating as his usual one. We had to go and leave for the pharmacy to get his medication first thing in the morning before we could start the day off.

„I‘ll make us breakfast while you get ready. We’ll go to the pharmacy and after that, we’ll spend the rest of the day at the office before the debate starts.“

He just nodded as she went into her room again. Both of them got ready and ate their breakfast as talked about before leaving the house. Once again, she turned on all the security cameras alongside locking the door multiple times before they took off by foot.

The air was cool, a bit windy as well. The sun was starting to peek through the horizon, casting a glance over the city. It was quiet until two very familiar voices echoed throughout the neighborhood.

“Miss Y/n!”

The two kids, Falco and Gabi, came running towards her at full speed before eventually making her fall to the ground from their embrace.

“We thought you were gone! We missed you so much!”

The woman just laughed as she hugged the children back. She felt bad, the tiny kids hopefully hadn’t seen the situation play out on TV. That would be traumatizing for them.

“I‘m okay. I‘m strong, they can’t catch me that easily.”

While the three of them laughed, Reiner just watched with wide eyes. How in God‘s name did she know his tiny cousin and his former comrade‘s brother? This world really was small. He felt like he could cry, seeing Gabi like that. He hadn’t seen her in so long, it felt like she’s grown so much.

“Kids, this is my bodyguard-”

“REINER?!”

Y/n just looked confused. How did the kids know him? She quickly took a look at Reiner and for a moment, it felt like Reiner was about to cry. Did the kids mean something to him?

“Gabi…”

The tiny girl ran up to him and immediately started sobbing, clinging onto him as she hugged him. Falco was still in my arms and I was confused. I just looked at the tiny boy, hoping he could fill me in on what was happening.

“That’s her cousin who disappeared… Gabi said that ever since they went to a funeral, he was gone.”

She looked back at the two family members, the whole situation making way more sense now. He must’ve isolated himself completely. I mean, Annie did kind of hint at it but this just made everything more clear.

“Where were you?! We all missed you! Auntie said you stopped talking to her and we got scared.”

The girl was weeping in his arms, his thumb rubbing the back of her head as he held the tiny girl. He must be overwhelmed. He was hurting badly, that was clear.

“I‘m sorry, Gabi. I wasn’t doing well. I‘m sorry for worrying you guys.”

The whole moment was emotional to watch. Y/n felt tears creep up, understanding why Gabi was crying so much. If Y/n‘s family had disappeared, she would react the same way.

“Tell everyone I‘m okay, yeah? I‘m in good hands. You don’t need to worry.”

That made her heart warm up. Gabi stopped crying and pulled away. Falco approached her and held her hand. The tiny boy had told Y/n that he liked Gabi, but the poor girl was completely oblivious. They needed to go to school. The kids waved the both of them goodbye before leaving the adults alone. It was silent before she spoke up.

“You can visit them, you know. Your family. I‘m not holding you back.”

He just looked at her, his gaze softening for a split moment as he looked at her. A quick nod followed after that before the two started walking again. 

The pharmacy staff had been insanely friendly, but that’s also because it‘s an Eldian-owned pharmacy. Y/n was insanely polite and kind towards her people, that’s what Reiner was able to observe. She always smiles at the people in the neighborhood, greeting them and even engaging in small talk at times. 

He got his medication and the two walked the rest of the way to the headquarters. How she was able to walk all that road in heels, Reiner had no idea. He had always found heels stupid, beauty standards in general. 

The headquarters were busy, people running all around the place. Today was a big day after all, the debate wasn’t to be taken lightly.

“If you want, you can stay with the others. It‘s probably going to be insanely boring since I‘m going to be silent most of the time.“

The woman was just going to find more points and maybe even practice how she was going to bring those points across. Reiner just nodded, listening to her order as he went to the office where her most important people were. Maybe he can get to know the others better.

Jean, Sasha and Connie were always together. The three of them were like glue, no one could tear them apart. There was also Erwin, Hange and Armin, the people closest to her. Even if Erwin stepped back, he was always welcome, that’s what Y/n told him. He just kind of stood there, not knowing if it would have been better to just have stayed with Y/n.

“Yo, Reiner! We need your help really quick!”

Connie called the bodyguard over and he quickly followed. He could use this to talk to them, maybe make some proper friends. He only had Annie left and even that was much of a stretch. He hadn’t talked to her since almost a year ago. 

“Yeah?”

The three of them were fixated on the laptop screen, looking at some sort of note. A check maybe? There was a sum of money on it.

“Do you know this name?”

Reiner concentrated on the details of the check before it dawned on him. The name was from a military higher up and the check was clearly for him. They usually got their pay through a bank account, so a check was… strange.

“Yeah, he‘s a superior in the army. Marines. Why?”

Jean looked at Connie and Sasha before returning his gaze to Reiner. This was clearly good evidence of money laundering, maybe even bribery.

“You don’t usually get checks at the military, let alone a sum like this one.”

Reiner looked at him before it clicked. They were going to use this as evidence for the trial, won’t they? The military was always sketchy but it felt kind of insane that higher ups, who don’t even fight in the fields, get such money while actual soldiers get nothing of the sort. 

“Use it as evidence.”

Reiner looked at them as he spoke, clearly shocked that he would utter such words. However, what else was he supposed to do? His former colleague‘s behaviour from the day before had told him all he needed to know. He was already an enemy in their eyes, why not feed into that?

Meanwhile, Y/n was writing down new points that she could use for the debate, even practicing how to convey her messages without causing too much of a scene. She wanted to keep it peaceful for the most part, even if her research has been nothing that would keep her at bay.

A lot of time had passed and after a while, the woman decided to wrap everything up. She left for the smoking area, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. Truth be told, she was afraid of the debate. Not because of the debate turning out bad or anything, but the last time she held one… That almost ended in a death sentence. 

Silence engulfed the area like a fog before the sound of the door opening got her out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw Reiner walking up to her. Once again, it was silent.

“Do you feel like you can go on stage tonight?”

A genuine question. He wanted to know if she had the mental strength to commit to the debate tonight. He was supposed to look after her, so naturally he‘ll ask such questions.

“Please, I‘ll make them wish they hadn’t tried to kill me.”

She rolled her eyes, trying to play it off like she wasn’t insanely on edge. She practically devoured her cigarette before putting it out and throwing it in the bin.

“You‘re nervous. It‘s understandable.”

How did he always manage to read her so well? She didn’t even say anything that could be interpreted as nervous.

“You fidget with your ring whenever you get nervous… Or at least, that’s what I‘ve noticed.”

Her eyes widened lightly after that revelation. She didn’t even realize that she was playing with her ring until he pointed it out. Okay, maybe she was a bit nervous but what can she do? It’s scary right now.

“You don’t think they’ll try something again?”

She sounded worried. Scared. He could see the fear in her eyes, it was obvious that this had shaken her, even if she tried to hide it. He didn’t know how to reply to that, so he tried to somewhat ease her mind.

“Realistically, they wouldn’t. However, if they would, they wouldn’t even reach you. I'll protect you, I told you that. Your enemy is my enemy.”

A deep exhale escaped her body before she nodded. It’s not like she didn’t trust Reiner, but she was just scared to relive everything again. She didn’t want to experience that again.

“We should probably start to get ready. We‘ve got two hours until the debate.”

Obviously, she had to leave a bit earlier. Preparations, checking the technical equipment and just organizational stuff. The whole team was driving to the destination, Reiner, Armin, Hange, Erwin and Y/n were all in the car, the bodyguard driving them.

“You‘ll be debating Galvi tonight. I still have no idea why they promoted him to Minister of Defense…”

The former General used to be the highest in command before being appointed to be the Minister of Defense. He still has huge influence over the military and Theo Magath, the current General of the Marleyan army. Theo was his puppet, in a way. 

“I mean, he was the only one available from the rest of Tybur‘s friends… and he was a former General, so that alone gives him extra points.”

Y/n shrugs as she looks at Armin before the conversation continues to revolve about the topic of the debate. It was going to be difficult since Galvi wasn’t dumb, but she‘ll manage.

Once they all collectively arrived, the rest of the team took their seats in the front row. The whole debate was usually held on a stage in an open area but this time around, they decided to do it in a news studio to minimize any danger. The two podiums facing one another were there with the party‘s symbol on the front. 

Y/n made her way to her podium, placing down her notes that she had written yesterday. She still had enough time to go over her notes in her head, to make some final corrections before Galvi steps in and the debate begins. Reiner stood behind her, like the bodyguard he was, watching her.

Her hair was free from any confines of hair ties, she wore a dark green blazer and matching pencil skirt, a white blouse underneath and her “Wings of Freedom” pin that she wore with pride on her chest.

Finally, the Marleyan Republican party stepped inside the room. The woman‘s back straightened, her posture immediately fixing itself as her debate opponent made his way to the other podium. She stepped forward, shaking hands with the man and giving him a professional smile, before moving to her podium once again.

“Show him who‘s boss.”

He quickly told her before he stepped back again. The woman nodded lightly before waiting for the host of today‘s debate to speak.

There was a silence before a voice finally broke through the speakers.

“Miss Y/n and Mr. Galvi, I would like to thank you for your attendance tonight! After a few weeks following a horrible incident, we‘re finally able to bring back the debates! Today‘s topic is going to revolve all around the topic of defense.”

The host continued to ramble on and on, explaining how the debates work to potential new viewers who stumbled across the program.

“The first question is… Have there been any problems surrounding the police lately? Before that, however, we flip a coin. Heads is Miss Y/n and Tails is Mr. Galvi.“

The coin flips and it lands on Tails.

“According to the protocols and the news reports lately, there have been close to no problems with anything surrounding the police.“

The man continued to argue with “facts” that were just lies, but the woman still gave him time to finish his point before she got her turn.

“Of course, the reports and the protocols have had zero complaints in them. However, most of these complaints come from areas that are exclusive to the Marleyan nation. Neighborhoods with mostly Eldian citizens have filed multiple complaints about police officers treating them rudely or even getting aggressive at times. Let’s not forget the underground city either, Mr. Galvi. Police brutality continues to be an issue down there and citizens barely even get a pass to leave the city. I think that these points should also be taken into consideration when talking about protocols and reports.”

Calculated and direct, but not unprofessional. She stated facts and even backed evidence as she held up multiple news reports that talked about the state of the police‘s behavior towards the Eldian.

“I must have not been given the full statistics. I do apologize for not giving the full context.”

The older man backed down which immediately gave her the advantage. He nodded at the woman and she gave a nod back, out of respect.

“The next question is… Are there any plans to lower the crime rate?”

It was Y/n‘s turn this time. She had multiple points written down, having imagined every scenario when she was preparing everything for the debate.

“The crime rate usually is a sign that people had reason to do such things. One does not simply commit a crime because they want to. According to the statistics from the newspaper “Paradis Daily Post”, most of the criminals committed crime because they were put into ghettos. These people can’t even afford to properly live because they were put into these houses by people in power. They turn to crime to feed their families and themselves, to keep their bills paid. The plan should be to make the poorer and more dangerous neighborhoods safer by lowering the rent and paying people proper wages instead of having them live off of pennies.”

She has lived through it. She has seen all of this unfold with her own eyes. People don’t just fight the system for no reason. They need to in order to survive. The world is cruel to people like them.

“Well, my plan was to increase police presence in the neighborhoods. We‘ve all seen how drug dealing has been increasing recently. The only way to abolish this problem is by having more police officers around.”

That made her eyebrows knit together. He clearly has never been in a poor neighborhood before. Even if they want to increase the police presence, no one ever does their job correctly.

“I‘m sorry but I have to intervene here. Throughout the times, there have been stories in the news that the increased number of cops in low income neighborhoods has always proven to be more of a problem than a solution. Criminals will only find a way to be more sneaky and even if they get caught, police always tend to be way more aggressive and dehumanizing than they should be.”

The man interjects again, feeling that this could get out of control really fast if they don’t reach the middle ground.

“It has always worked out, however. The criminals are locked away and that is all that matters. The process to have someone arrested isn’t a walk in the park, Miss Y/n. Sometimes, a bit more roughness is necessary to make the suspect back down.”

Another statement that rubbed her the wrong way. Again, she’s seen this all unfold before. Policemen beating men and women in the underground whenever they seemed suspicious to them. She wasn’t blind. She had been a victim of police brutality, too. She got arrested for a reason before Erwin noticed her in that cell.

“That’s not roughness, Mr. Galvi. Your policemen are beating people up and nothing is done about it! I have evidence to back my case, I even was a victim once as a teenager!”

The man was about to say something when the host cut him off. The next question was going to be asked, probably, and by the way this was going, it was going to be intense.

“Let‘s move on, shall we? The next question is… Will the wars finally have an end soon?”

The former general gulped a bit before collecting himself, trying not to let that question phase him. What was he supposed to say? No? He needed to think correctly.

“Well, the current predicament is the war against the Orientals, specifically the Ozumabito. We are still fighting and trying to end this conflict, but it might take a little longer than we predicted. There are talks of a ceasefire, but the opposition is not cooperating, hence why the war is still ongoing.”

Why did the man just continue to lie? The so-called ceasefire was not ignored by the Orientals but by the Marleyan defense! She needed to intervene.

“I‘m sorry but that’s simply false. Multiple news outlets of the Orientals have reported that the ceasefire is being actively ignored by the Marleyan army. There were many appeals, however most of them were either declined or ignored by none other than you, Mr. Galvi. The evidence is written in the press, so I will not stand here and let the people listen to your lies when it’s simply not true!”

The man looked offended, but there was also a hint of fear in his eyes. He looked to the audience, before his eyes drifted to Willy Tybur who was staring daggers at him.

“The appeals simply did not meet the requirements to settle for a ceasefire. There were too many things that gave them more benefits than us and we would be at a serious disadvantage! Some of these things require way too many sacrifices that are bad for our economy!”

Before the argument could escalate once again, the host calmed the two down. Usually, these arguments would keep on going on and on but it seemed like they were trying to play it safe tonight. How annoying.

“Let‘s all calm down a bit… The next topic is all about the army. The question is as follows… Have there been any benefits for the soldiers who enlisted?”

Y/n‘s turn once again. She looked through her notes before landing on the page that had everything written down to a T.

“According to the website of the military, there are significant benefits for soldiers. Healthcare, housing and free meals. But that is about it. There’s obviously a sum of money you get monthly as salary but that is also minimal compared to the money that the military spends. Then there’s the gender pay gap problem combined with the other problem that Eldian soldiers get paid less by 16,3%! It’s important that there needs to be transparency as to why women and Eldians get paid less.”

It was time for the man to speak up. There was a clear pressure on him to speak about this to the public. He needed to be smart about this. But how could he? She was right about everything. He couldn’t just agree though.

“We are actively trying to work on not only the gender pay gap but for the pay gap for the Eldian soldiers as well. The system is a very old one, that I can’t deny, but we are truly trying to better ourselves. We also currently don’t have the money to pay everyone equally either-”

“That’s a lie.”

The man stopped as he got interrupted by the woman. There was something in her eyes, that glint that everyone had been talking to him about. That glint that, once ignited, would set you on fire like gasoline to a flame. 

“Pardon me, but I should know more about the financial status than you, Miss Y/n.“

She chuckled lightly before looking through her notes again. She finally found her most important page yet, and that was the page where things would get messy.

“According to statistics, you have spent almost 50% more money on military equipment and weapons than usual. Not only that, but a piece of evidence has been brought to my team‘s attention about not only bribery and money laundering, but there have also been soldiers who have experienced severe abuse from the army but were paid off by the higher ups of the government.”

The audience immediately started talking amongst one another when those accusations spread through the room. The woman held up multiple written and transcribed interviews with victims of said abuse combined with the statistics and evidence of the bribery.

The whole thing immediately escalated, words being thrown around and insults being spewed at the woman, but she remained unscathed. She knew she was right and that alone was enough to bring her peace. 

The program ended up being cut short, the female politician having clearly won this debate by a mile. She collected all her notes and outstretched her hand to the former general.

“I wish this debate could’ve lasted longer, Mr. Galvi. It was a pleasure.”

He hesitantly shook her hand before the woman walked off, Reiner and her team immediately following behind her.

The audience consisted of many people: Tybur and his party, employees at the news station but most importantly, actual soldiers from the army. Specifically, Zeke and his team. The woman found the piercing eyes of one man, the one who had betrayed her trust just a day ago.

Porco‘s glare was obvious, and who wouldn’t feel angry when the man who was supposed to represent them got owned on stage? Not only that, but it had to sting a lot more considering that the two of them actually had history.

Y/n‘s eyebrow quickly turned upwards before she looked away, not paying the soldier any mind. He was a waste of her time, so she decided to let him know that he meant nothing to her. He has never meant anything to her, even if he wanted her to. 

When the Freedom party finally reached their headquarters, it was a time to celebrate. They popped a cheap bottle of white wine and poured a glass for each member of the party. All of them celebrated and got drunk. The viewership had increased double the amount than before and her odds were getting better and better. 

Everyone was celebrating, the woman and her bodyguard watching the rest. No alcohol was in their system, mainly because she didn’t want to drink. Sure, she was happy that she clearly won the debate but it still seemed like she could have done so much more. Not only did the host constantly interrupt the debate to not cause uproar, but it was cut short as well. It still felt like a wasted opportunity to the politician.

“Why aren’t you celebrating?”

She turned her head towards Reiner before looking at the others again. She wanted to celebrate, truly, but it just felt wrong when there was so much more that needed to be said. 

“We might have won the debate but there’s so much that was left unsaid. I could have gone on and on about the war, the money laundering, the reported abuse… but I couldn’t. It felt like they were trying to play it safe. It’s not a reason to celebrate, to me at least. I don’t want to crash the party though, so I’ll let them celebrate for tonight. They’ve earned it.”

The duo watched as the rest laughed and drank themselves to oblivion. Reiner didn’t know what to do, should he ask her if she wanted to leave for home? Or did she want to continue watching them like this? He couldn’t drink anyway, he wanted to abstain from that for now after having relied on the substance for so long. It would do his body some good to not drink liquor for a while.

“Do you want to go home?”

It was her asking this time around, which made Reiner turn his head in her direction. The woman clearly wanted to leave just as much as him. He obviously would have loved to celebrate, but his duty always came first. Looking after her was his main goal, that was what he signed up for.

“Do you want to?”

He asked, wanting to make sure that she really wanted to leave. He didn’t want her to feel like she was forced to go home because of him or something. 

“Well, I was the one who asked first.”

He just looked at her for a split second, his brain using its energy to think. Her head was slightly tilted as she looked up at him, her eyes not leaving his. Should he tell her the truth or should he remain a wallflower?

He chose the truth.

“I‘d like to go.”

She looked at him once again, not saying anything. After the silence, there was a nod from her. She finally looked at the others again before getting her things and bidding the others goodbye. The team didn‘t mind at all, so maybe her leaving early was a common occurrence.

“I wanted to leave too.”

Home is truly where the heart is, or that’s what Y/n just always likes to say. There was no place that she loved more than her home. Her heels were off and she was in her kitchen, cooking two packets of ramen because she didn’t know what else to make for her and Reiner.

The bodyguard was leaning against the counter as he watched her cook. Her blazer was off, the top buttons were unbuttoned, showing her collarbones on display. Her hair was tied up so she wouldn’t be bothered and her makeup has clearly faded. It was an oddly comforting sight, for some reason.

“Reiner.”

He snapped out of his thoughts, looking at her all confused. Had she asked him something and he didn’t listen? He must have zoned out.

“I asked if you wanted to visit your family tomorrow. You deserve a day off.”

His eyes widened. He hasn’t even done much ever since he became her bodyguard. He just followed her around, making sure that she was protected. There hadn’t been any instances where he had to step in so far.

“I haven’t really done anything though… Are you sure?”

She turned off the stove, pouring the ramen into two separate bowls. The empty pot was put into the dishwasher and Reiner carried the two bowls to the table, where the chopsticks already lay.

“You’re still my bodyguard. You help me out even when you’re not protecting me.”

Truth be told, she really liked Reiner‘s company. Sure, he was quiet most of the time but when he did speak, it was always some sort of support or just harmful small talk. Being a person of such importance will always be a flaw, especially in the personal department. She had never been in a proper relationship before, only flings and hookups. Even if Reiner was just a bodyguard, he was also a good roommate. That was enough for her.

“I don’t know.”

Mid bite, the woman stopped chewing to look at him. He didn’t know whether to visit his family? Maybe she was just seeing this a different way but if she were him, she wouldn’t turn down the offer.

“You don’t know?”

She genuinely sounded surprised. Maybe she was just confused as to why he was hesitating so much. Was he afraid to scare them even further? Was he afraid that he‘ll get into trouble?

“No, I do know! But… I‘m scared to go. I haven’t talked to them in almost a year since… since my friend passed. I‘m afraid that I‘ll somehow end up in trouble.”

Reiner was a good guy. She could tell that this was troubling him, that he was genuinely worried and anxious to go and see his family. There was this feeling of empathy for him, one that she couldn’t really ignore much.

“Would it help you if I came with?”

The question came as a shock to Reiner, not knowing what to say. He would just feel bad if she came with because he was scared to face his family. The more he thought about it, however, the more he liked the idea. 

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

That made her eyebrows furrow a bit. How was he a burden? What if he was a bit anxious to reunite with his family? That didn’t matter to her. If he felt comfortable with her being around, then she would do just that.

“You’re not.”

His eyes drifted towards her, only to find her already looking at him. He didn’t want to be selfish, but that company sounded really necessary. He wanted to ask her again, just to confirm, but he didn’t.

“Okay.”

A nod followed afterwards, the bodyguard finishing his bowl of ramen, the woman doing the same. She didn’t want to seem like she was unapproachable. She was far from it, really. She wanted for Reiner to be open around her.

He was a part of her team, and she would do everything she could to make him feel comfortable.