#cadet Reiner!

[shingekinomyfeelings]

what you really are // 1st installment

Reiner finds that his first sexual encounter with a girl he truly cares for brings up a lot of memories and conflicted emotions. Reiner’s POV; honestly a casserole of angst, fluff, romantic drama, and Reiner being a big dumb idiot. I won't call it comedy, but it made me laugh.

As always, thoughts and comments mean so, so much to me. I really appreciate those of you who've followed me to read my stuff. It's so strange and funny to me that writing about this blonde mess of a man is what brought me back to writing for fun.

warnings: none yet; explicit sex in later installments, but nothing fetishy or triggery. Reiner is angsty, but is that really a warning?

Characters are cadets, but aged up to 19, don't come at me.

notes: uh, so, this one’s a little different from the usual.

It’s from Reiner’s point of view, which has been really fun to do. I’m really not sure how to tag it, though, because the girl in question is unnamed and descriptions are vague enough that she functions as a Reader or y/n, but since it’s from Reiner’s perspective, she’s never referred to as ‘you,’ so idfk if I should call it an x reader fic or an x oc.

It’s also pretty self-ship coded, but I’m starting to realize that most x reader fics are, when they’re written with real feeling and immersion, because a truly blank, universal ‘reader’ is lifeless, and we’re all writing about canon characters through our own lens of interpretation, so the entire fabric of fanfiction is deeply personal, and frankly I doubt anyone is even still reading this fuck it I wish I had apple juice

"Have you, um... have you ever slept with a girl before?"

The question, posed with shy curiosity, makes Reiner's brain skip a few beats along with his heart. He swallows, eyes wide for a moment, the faintest hint of pink creeping across his cheeks, and then he coughs quietly to regain his composure.

"Uhh... uh, a... few, yeah..." He rubs awkwardy at the back of his neck, not sure why he sounds apologetic. She doesn't look upset; she's simply gazing up at him with a slight tilt of her head, waiting for him to say more.

"It was just a few hookups with some girls from town,” he explains, a bit sheepishly. “Not even other cadets, just... strangers. Just some fun now and then, until we got bored of each other and moved on, which never took long. Pretty sure one didn't even tell me her real name."

His heart gives a tiny pang at the soft way she laughs at that, and he pauses for an awkward few seconds before he asks her, "Have you? Slept with... anyone?"

"Of course not," she answers, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I told you, you were my first kiss, remember?"

Oh. Right.

He nods, a little flustered. It’s not that he's forgotten that first kiss – it happened a little over two months ago, and while they've shared many more since then, it’s still the one that keeps him shamefully preoccupied at night when he should be sleeping – but for some reason, this conversation has him fumbling with both his thoughts and his words.

Of course he wants to; God, he wants to. He’s tried his best to hide how badly, not wanting to rush her. He’s never taken his flirting and teasing far enough to make it sound like he’s impatient. He’s even readjusted himself awkwardly many times when she jumps on him playfully, or when he’s pressed against her with his arms around her waist, and his body starts to get just a little carried away.

But, as their private moments together have become more heated, the subject has come up a few times, and she’s expressed interest, and now it’s even harder to keep all of his thoughts at bay. He can’t escape them even in his sleep, recently, though he would never in his life tell her the lurid ways he’s dreamed about her. Underneath all that constantly simmering lust that threatens to boil over a couple of times each day, though, Reiner has noticed other, unexpected feelings beginning to surface as well. Guilt. Sorrow. Hesitation. And...

He looks at her for a moment, the way her hair falls around her face and her shoulders, and the way her eyes are so kind and intent on him.

"Does it... uhh, does it make you nervous, knowing I've done that?" he asks, his eyes trained on hers.

She stares back up at him and asks blithely, "Does it make you nervous knowing I haven't?"

"Tsshh..." He makes a noise like she's just asked something ridiculous, and tries to roll his eyes a little for good measure, but he’s sure she sees through it, because she just smiles just a little more.

His hand reaches out to hers, where it rests on the ground, to lace their fingers together. She’s always seeing right through him; it’s annoying, but charming - and a liability, but so endearing...

She doesn’t see everything, though. If she did, she wouldn’t be here right now, sitting beside me, relaxed, letting me hold her hand.

He reminds himself of that at least once a day.

She would never let someone like me touch her. Why would she?

She sighs softly and bumps her head against his shoulder. “I don’t want it to make you nervous,” she tells him. “If we uh... end up doing that, I trust you, you know...”

You’re too sweet, he wants to tell her. I don’t deserve how sweet you are. I don’t deserve how much you trust me. One day you and everyone else are gonna find that out...

She must see the slight tension that crosses his features, because she plafully blows a puff of air into his ear, and he scoffs in feigned annoyance and puts an arm around her, releasing her hand to drape his on top of her head, ruffling her hair so that it falls across her face. Pulling her closer, he buries his face against her neck and kisses her as she half-assedly tries to squirm away.

He hates himself for feeling happy.

I’m the worst devil on this whole island.

[lesuerts]

Maybe unpopular opinion: I didn't want to have another spin-off of levi despite loving him very much.

This is what I wanted to have:

• hange's, miche/mike's and nanaba's past

• how petra and co were chosen to be levi's squad

• training of the warrior cadets (reiner and co gen) and more of them (especially galliard brothers)

• the 5 year gap where reiner and co were in paradis but what happened in marley (more of gabi, zofia, udo and falco; pieck and porco; colt and zeke (as mentor); or more of the situation of the eldia in marley)

• veteran trio (hange, erwin, miche/mike) or also with moblit and nile in the training corps and their first expedition outside (except nile ofc)

Just little short stories, a few chapters about that

[kimasousparky]

104th cadet corps

[pinkmirth]

they’re such idiots . . .

[aruanimess]

Aruani breakup au (canon, modern au, pre time skip, cadet days, post time skip WHATEVER)

Saying this cause I’ve started cooking smth right now😰

Oh, Gaia, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to yap about this!!

So this is a scenario I've often daydreamt about but I didn't think had enough substance to work it into a fic.

Cadet years, but chiller. (Perhaps an Annie is originally from Paradis AU). The two of them start dating, but decide to keep it a secret until they're more confident in their relationship.

One month passes, then two, then three.

Armin is starting to get antsy. Surely, it's time for them to go public, right? But Annie hasn't brought anything up. Perhaps she's still uncertain about him? Is she doubting his feelings? Or worse! Is she doubting hers??

Amidst this uncertainty, he overhears a bunch of boys in the barracks talking about Annie. One guy from their group apparently has a crush on her and the others are urging him to go ask her out.

Armin is seething with anger.

He wouldn't have to put up with this if he and Annie were public. Or perhaps he would, but he'd be justified in telling the other guy off for making a move on his girlfriend. What right does Armin have on Annie now? None, that's what.

As he's stewing in his own juices, his jealousy-choked brain starts cooking up a plan. Before he even realises what he's doing, he sidles up to the group of boys and begins encouraging the guy to be bolder. "What's the worst that can happen?" he tells him, and "Maybe you should try your luck," and "She looks like she could use some company."

Slowly but surely the guy is convinced: tomorrow at lunchtime he will shoot his shot.

Armin goes to bed in a trance. A small part of his brain, one that's barely conscious, understands that he was overcome by jealousy and acted out by instinct. He realizes he should probably stop the guy before he embarrasses himself in front of everyone. Then another part of him, one that likes to dismiss his own abilities, reassures him that certainly what he said couldn't possibly have an effect. Surely, nothing will happen because of his words.

Little does he know, the very next day, the guy approaches Annie, makes a fool of himself in front of the entire mess hall and endures a particularly cold and very public rejection. The guy hangs his head and shuffles away, muttering something about being misled by a fucking nerd.

Then Annie is at Armin's table, hovering awkwardly and dangerously between Eren and Mikasa's seats. Armin doesn't even have time to say 'hi'.

"Did you have something to do with this?" she asks.

Eren and Mikasa turn to look at her, confused. Armin speaks, halting the beginning of a protest that's about to fall from Eren's lip.

"Annie, I can explain."

She stiffens. "No need."

"No, Annie, please!"

"I get it." Her eyes are lowered, doleful. "You felt threatened."

"I-" he gulps. "Yes..."

"You doubted me."

"N- no... Annie..."

Her blank expression crumbles. "You always do this, Armin. You never trust me." Then she composes herself. "I don't blame you."

Armin's stomach is sick. How could she fault herself for his own stupid insecurities? He's been so foolish, so self-absorbed. Had she wanted to reveal their relationship all this time and thought he was the reluctant one?

"No, Annie, you've got this all wrong..."

But it's too late.

She turns her back to him. "Don't come after me. This was a mistake," she says and walks away.

[saintxhunter]

847 - 850

So much skill I would barely need.

I can’t say the same of the people.

[the-last-thread-of-my-sanity]

Okay here’s a textpost no one asked for about what instrument I think each of the 104th cadets would play in a concert band or orchestra with little to no explanation. I’ve been listening to a lot of concert and classical pieces lately and the brain rot got to me.

Eren- Trombone. He’s piss poor at the slides at first and he keeps hitting people in the head with it if you sit in the row in front of him.

Mikasa- First Chair Violin. Don’t try and get into the practice room, she already booked it.

Armin- Guitar/Bass. He either barely gets to play or he’s the focus of the piece. The only one who knows how to set up an amp or a microphone.

Jean- Saxophone. He feels himself a little too much when he has a solo.

Connie- Drums/Percussion. Thought he got assigned his instrument because he can’t sit still. Discovers swing rhythms in jazz and is actually quite good.

Sasha-Clarinet. Gets yelled at and kicked out when she ruins the piece with too many squeaks. Once tried to play with food in her mouth.

Historia-Harp. She’s the pretty one. Brings people to tears with how graceful she looks when she plays.

Ymir-Cello. Likes that she can manspread while she plays. Will elbow you if you sit next to her, mostly on purpose.

Marco- Flute. Not much explanation needed I feel like.

Annie- Piano. She practices almost as much as Mikasa. Prefers classical. Don’t ask her to be an accompanist, she doesn’t care enough about you to help out.

Bertholdt- French Horn. Will ask you where we are in the music when he inevitably zones out.

Reiner- Tuba. Always gets asked to move chairs onstage before the concert and shows off how many he can carry.

[armoredone]

the armored titan has a huge ass because REINER was blessed with cake and in this essay i will--

[melishade]

Number 48?

This ask game

asked so far.

Optimus caught in a rather sweet predicament with the Warrior Cadets in the Dark Timeline

"Hey, Eren," Reiner walked up to the other titan shifter. He still felt a little uncomfortable addressing him by name. He was still getting used to the fact that they were on speaking terms. He expected Eren to greet him with venom, but Eren waved a simple 'hello'. He smiled even. It probably helped that Optimus was back on his feet again. Everyone couldn't help but be worried for the titan's health.

"Have you seen Gabi and her friends by any chance?" he had asked Eren.

"No." Eren shook his head as he wiped his face with a towel, "I just finished training with Megatron."

"I just haven't seen Gabi and she needs to rest and take her medicine. Do you think you can help me find her?" Reiner asked.

"Sure," Eren agreed as he put down the towel, "We can always ask Optimus, since she seems to be attached to him."

"I just...find it weird," Reiner confessed, "That Gabi would adore a titan of all things."

"Well Optimus tends to have that effect on people," Eren shrugged, "C'mon. Let's ask Hanji. They saw him last."

===

"I told him to take a break," Hanji explained, "He's been trying to go above and beyond without actually recovering from his injuries."

"Do you know where he could have gone?" Reiner asked, "I really do need to find Gabi and Optimus might know where she is."

"Well...," Hanji pondered the thought, "If Optimus did take my advice, he might be at his library?"

"Library?" Reiner questioned in surprise.

"The library's been closed since we heard about Shockwave," Eren recalled.

"Well, Optimus cares too much about that place, and knowing him, he'd reopen it to the public to give some people joy," Hanji reasoned, "Try there, and if you can't find him there, we'll call Buckethead so he can drag Optimus back to the neutral ship."

==

Later

Reiner and Eren had arrived to the building Eren described on horseback. Both jumped off of their shared horse and Eren tied the reigns to a tree.

"So...this is it?" Reiner asked.

"Yep," Eren answered before noticing Optimus' alt mode sitting there, "And Optimus is here too."

"Why does Optimus have a library?" Reiner asked as they walked up to the door.

"We gave it to him as a gift," Eren explained as he opened the door, "Optimus misses his home, so we thought that we could bring parts of his home to him."

"He can't go back?" Reiner asked.

"Before he couldn't," Eren answered, "But with Wheeljack and Arcee's help, he-!" Eren paused when he heard a familiar voice from an open door down the hall. Eren quickened the pace, forcing Reiner to follow after him. When both titan shifters arrived, they were met with the sight of the library, cleaned from top to bottom. There were a few books on the ground, but also on the ground, was Optimus' holoform. His back was propped up against the front of his desk and he was reading aloud to his audience.

Said audience consisted of the Warrior Cadets, who were cuddled up against each other and against the Prime. Falco was propped up next to Colt, while Colt's head rested on Optimus' right shoulder. Meanwhile, Udo and Zofia rested next to each other on Optimus' lap. Many of them had fallen asleep to Optimus' narration of the book except for Gabi. The girl clung to Optimus' left arm and snuggled close to the Prime. She tried to keep herself awake to listen to Optimus speak, but her eyes were starting to droop from exhaustion.

Reiner couldn't help but gawk at the sight of the Warrior Cadets being so comfortable around Optimus. He turned his attention to Eren, but he noticed that he looked so relieved to see Optimus so well-rested and content. Reiner wanted to say something, but he decided to let it go. The Warrior Cadets needed this moment of peace.

(64 has been asked! For what's left, we have: 42, 51, 52, 55, 57, 62, 63, 65-69, 74, 76, 84, and 85)

[shingekinomyfeelings]

what you really are // installment 3

Reiner finds that his first sexual encounter with a girl he truly cares for brings up a lot of memories and conflicted emotions. Sure, he's an idiot, but she kind of is, too.

warnings: still none quite yet; explicit sex in later installments. does the implication of Reiner's mental state beginning to break apart count as a trigger? idk. Minors dni why aren't you out catching tadpoles or something?

notes: She is a little bit silly, but just a little. Bertholdt appears in this one and he's just as a joyful and carefree as Reiner. everything's gonna turn out fine for them I bet

I'm reposting this because I added a sentence to make Reiner a little more embarrassing I'm sorry

She’s happy that I’m just a regular person like the rest of them, huh?

Hands in his pockets, Reiner walks the old dirt path between the training grounds and the showers at an easy pace, his eyes shifting to her back now and then. She’s a short ways ahead, talking with the other cadets about something. She barely seems winded from the day’s exercises, but she’s taken off her jacket and from here he can really appreciate the way the muscles in her arms have become more defined in recent months. The thought crosses his mind that her thighs and stomach must look supple and toned, too...

That annoying heat prickles at his cheeks again and he stuffs his hands deeper into his pockets and lowers his head a little, like he’s hiding his thoughts from the world.

How many regular 18 year-old males falter like this when their girlfriend says she wants to have sex for the first time? he asks himself dryly.

She hasn’t said so explicity, of course, she’s just a little too shy for that; but she has told him, in a soft and adorably halting voice, that if he wants to go a little further with her, he can ask, and, well, she won’t say no...

He has to take a deep, deep breath when he thinks about that conversation. She’d sprung that one on him several nights ago when she was reclining serenely in his arms while they watched the reflections rippling on the lake, and... well, something else also immediately sprang up, and he’d spluttered some idiotic response that even he found puzzling.

"That sounds... like... a smart way to do things. I'll be sure to remember it!"

She’d been silent for half a minute and then said, “Huh. Okay,” and the conversation just hadn’t really picked up again since.

Really dropped the ball on being roguishly charming there, Reiner. He sulked a little as the memory replayed itself every three minutes, or every time he set eyes on her, sometimes imagining the bemused expression that might have been on her face.

That was the plan, right? Wait until just the right moment, give her a soft little smirk, maybe run your thumb across her cheek real gently, and say something irressistable like... Well, he hadn’t actually come up with that part yet, but he was sure it would come to him when the time was right and be so provocative and winning that she’d melt into his arms and let him take her on the spot. Who’d have thought she’d beat him to the punch with something so endearingly awkward and unconsciously demure? It was borderline criminal.

And why didn’t he look her softly in the eyes and tell her he’d be honored? Heck, the moment was so simple and sweet and honest, it actually made a bit more sense than his plan to find the ideal instant in which to throw the whole ‘gentlemanly lecher’ routine at her. Would she even have liked that?

He rubs his palm across his face, glad that she’s currently too distracted to notice him silently berating himself.

How the hell is it that she makes me feel so completely confident about some things and so damn confused about so many more?

He pulls himself together long enough to flash her a gawkish smile when she looks over at him and gives a tiny smile and wave before she ducks into the girls’ showers.

Hell, maybe other, regular guys are this awkward. He sighs as he walks into the boys’ showers to clean up. It’s not like I know much about being a regular guy...

“Reiner... You’re not a soldier, remember? You’re a warrior.”

Bertholdt’s voice was resolute and a little pained, barely above a whisper. They had been standing together on the deck outside the mess hall that overlooked the common grounds. Reiner was watching her down there, fending Sasha away from a bit of fruit she’d saved from breakfast. Sasha was hounding her to trade it for some unspecified future favor, but it didn’t seem to work, because even from a distance he could hear her voice turning into a whine. He didn’t even realize he’d been smiling until Bert’s interjection shook his attention away. He blinked at the taller boy for a moment as if confused, then looked somber.

“I know that. You don’t have to tell me all the time.”

Bert didn’t quite believe him that he doesn’t need to be told from time to time, but he knew better than to get into that right then. He watched the other cadets, too, allowing himself just a bit of a smile when Connie seemed to join Sasha unsuccessfully in her negotation attempts. Then Reiner had broken the silence with a a very thin, dispirited tone that Bertholdt almost didn’t recognize.

“And they’re not devils, are they? They’re regular people...” How long ago had she said those words to him? A week? Two? He’d lost track...

Bertholdt had looked at his friend with slight startlement. Of course it was no secret to him or Annie that Reiner had known that since they first came here and saw the undeniably human suffering and enduring will to live that inhabited this island, but hearing Reiner admit as much out loud for the first time was both unexpected and worrying. He paused for a long time before he answered, his own voice bleak and conveying an understanding he wished none of them had ever come to share.

“Yeah. They’re regular people. None of them deserve this. She doesn’t deserve this. But we don’t have a choice. We’re gonna have to finish what we started at some point...”

Reiner’s sun-gold eyes had dimmed a little, like he’d hoped for a different answer. He looked down at the others, at her chewing thoughtfully on an apple as she watched Sasha and Connie now bickering between themselves. She – all of them, really, but she especially – looked so warm, and so alive.

And since that moment, the racing, whirling deluge of contradicting thoughts in Reiner’s mind had become quite deafening.

[tectosilicates]

I’ll make a proper post for my Reijean headcanons in time, but my vision is that cadet Jean and Reiner were not close. They’re friendly classmates, friends-in-law, almost-friends sometimes, but they mostly don’t pay much attention to each other. Reiner will find Jean almost enjoyable to be around and then he’ll do something so fucking annoying that it changes his mind. Those two years Reiner has on Jean makes him think of Reiner as being so much older than him. Reiner’s mature, brotherly/parental tendencies tick him off when he’s feeling especially stubborn. Jean thinks Reiner’s sense of humour is cringe (too crude for a mature guy like that). It is essential to me that cadet Jean and Reiner would be deeply embarrassed that their future selves are dating.

[swagging-back-to]

the scene where the rest of erens class choose to become scouts is SO fucking dramatic. they act like they're simba's father facing down the herd of stampeding buffalo. Jean has a whole entire breakdown and screams out.

all for what? peer pressure? you have faced down literal titans and have almost died and you're worried about peer pressure from the LITERAL faceless crowd? grow up. fucking babies.

[pinkmirth]

hi i’m new here but i jus wanna say that somebody who’s face (and body 🫣) remind me of reiner is charlie hunnam

omg nonnie, i can totally see what you meannn!!! with his dusty blonde hair & that prominent nose of his . . . reiner definitely favors him, especially in this photo:

charlie’s givin’ me a soldier!reiner vibe here ><

[rosec0urtz]

Oldie but goldie heheh

Porco: *Gently taps table*

Reiner: *Taps back*

Zeke: What are they doing?

Pieck: Morse code.

Porco: *Aggressively taps table*

Reiner: *Slams hands down* YOU TAKE THAT BACK-

[tsukimirecs]

104th cadet corps // fic recommendations

note: remember to read the tags! + i do not own any of these works

jean kirstein

the roommate

dutch courage

babymaker

washing machine heart

bottled up

i stayed there, dust collecting

santa daddy

cake

wish, wish, wish

armin arlert

for one night

maneater

nine years

secret love affair

ripe fruit.

bright morning

reminder: thank reiner later

definition of a good boy

ocean eyes

mikasa ackerman

idol

bruises

arm wrestling

nocturne

stalker

dust, moon, and silver

the unbearable weight of staying

eren yeager

the way you are

bittersweet

say a little prayer

ocean's breath

midnight snacks

sweet dreams

emotional baggage

all over again

peppermint flavored kisses

connie springer

honey oat latte

promise

the unwritten law of college parties

free

anything but sex

[armoredone]

they really sold reiner's expression here. like that's the face of someone who never felt worthy of love :')