Dances and Ruin// Reiner Braun x OC

Chapter Eight

Peri rolls over, her vision flooding with the light streaming in through the window. It's strange waking up to such a spacious room. The barracks were so crowded, dim, and loud that she'd convinced herself she'd never have a peaceful morning again. Somehow, she even ended up in a room alone, further reinforcing the promise of peace. She stretches and swings her feet out of the bed walking over to the neatly folded stack of clothes on her shelves, selecting the dark purple shirt she has set aside for the sole purpose of being worn with her uniform. She begins to take off her sleepwear in order to change into her uniform, her mind thinking back to a few short weeks ago.

The events that transpired the night she opened up to Reiner seem to stay on repeat in her mind, no matter what day of the week it is. Mostly, she's still trying to figure out what to actually think of Reiner. Realistically, there's something about him that seems to shout "liar" just like Bertolt. But, with Bertolt, she knows that the "liar" in him is every little white lie he tells and thinks she doesn't notice, like when he swore that he'd talked to Reiner. Reiner on the other hand, his lies are more of the omissive type, like he's tip-toeing around some big secret that he's scared to share. Peri knows somewhere deep down inside that she needs to be careful around Reiner, for her sake as well as his. That said, with the voice of reason being such a quiet one, it's hard to listen to it. Reiner's hard to avoid, he's hard to want to stay away from. All Peri really wants to do is spend time with him, but she's not sure she's ready to admit that to anyone other than herself.

I can only be so vulnerable in such a short amount of time.

Still.

I should tell him sometime.

Peri startles at the sound of someone knocking on her door. "Just a moment!" she shouts, finishing up with the buttons on her shirt, a smile inching its way across her face. She walks over to the door and unlocks it before swinging the door open. Her face falls at the sight of a tall brunette standing at her door, "Oh, it's you."

Bertolt smiles nervously, "Still upset with me, I see."

"Not exactly, but you're still not out of the woods. You still owe me a hundred apologies."

"You were serious about that?"

Peri smiles smugly, reaching for the jacket she has resting on a chair near the door. "Yeah, just like I was every time I asked you if you'd told Reiner to come talk to me." She swings the jacket over her shoulders, "Now, then. I expect your hundred by sunset tomorrow, or I'll double them and then I'll really be upset. I hate listening to people apologize, but I hate liars and baseless slacking more. Anyway, would you like to accompany me to your room? It'd be a great opportunity to get a head start on your apologies."

"My room?"

"Yeah, your room. I told Rei I'd come over so we could walk to training together." Peri begins to slide past Bertolt, out into the hallway. She shuts the door to her room and locks it before beginning her trek to Reiner's room. "Come along now, bestie that I'm mad at for the time being," she teases.

A hand grabs her by the shoulder, turning her around to look back at them. "Peri, I think..." Bertolt grows quiet as if to reconsider if he wants to say what he was preparing to or not. "I think that you should keep your distance with Reiner."

"Yeah? Why? I know I've been spending a lot of time with him lately, but you're still my best friend, even if you did lie to me. No need to be jealous, Berty."

"I'm not jealous," he frowns.

Peri chuckles, placing a hand on her hip, "Then, what good reason do you have for telling me why I should stay away from one of my other friends?"