𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐑 | j. kirstein

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢 | kill or be killed

She stayed silent.

"All I know is this; kill or be killed. It's up to us to decide what will our fate be... to remember who's side we're on, and survive at all costs."

"Fate, huh?" Iris chuckles humorlessly, "Our fate was decided a long time ago. I don't think we ever had a say in it."

"Perhaps," he says.

"You're wrong about something... There is no need for me to remember which side I'm on. I know where my loyalty stands, and it's neither Marley nor anyone else. I only fight their wars to protect my family. They'd be making fools out of themselves by thinking I'd die for them."

Reiner shifts his gaze to her, observing the sincerity in her face. "You sound just like Annie."

Iris' jaw twitches slightly, but she restrains her discomfort, "Yeah, well, you should learn a thing or two from her, too."

"Braun!" Zeke yelled again, this time, his voice laced with hints of annoyance. "Any day now."

Reiner and Iris exchange tense glances, and make their way to Zeke, who greets them with a sharp sigh as they come closer.

"What took you so long, huh? One more second, and I thought you might've kissed on the spot," he eyes both of them with suspicion, but shrugs it off. "Don't forget our goal here. It's about time we end this prolonged and unnecessary battle."

How about I kill you here on the spot? Iris thought, cursing from the inside. If things between Reiner and her weren't tense enough, Zeke had made sure they were with his ignorance.

Well, technically, Zeke didn't know of what happened, nobody did, and Iris will do everything in her power to keep it that way.

It's been three awful days since then, filled with nervous glances, awkward silences and this tense banter between them. They couldn't find the way to bring it up without making it worse, so instead, the two remained silent and chose to ignore it.

She did, at least.

Iris figured that it was simply because of the intense proximity in the moment, an act of impulsivity, and totally not something else. She was bound to dismiss it and forget, so why couldn't she wipe the memory off her mind?

It was hard not to think of it, especially with Reiner around her. It was impossible to deny he didn't make her feel something. It scared her that in that moment everything she felt for Jean was put to question.

Still, for her and their friendship's sake, she will turn a blind eye to the matter.

"How long till we reach the wall?" Iris asks nonchalantly, doing her best to change the subject. Beside her, Reiner clears his throat nervously.

"We shall be there by nightfall," Zeke replies, "Look for Pieck. You're with her."

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Indeed, they arrived at Wall Maria by nightfall. The luminous sky was decorated with a sea of stars, the moon gleaming down at the abandoned district of Shiganshina.

Iris stood at the top of the wall, her eyes scanning the ruins the city became, having just landed with the help of ODM gear Zeke had provided her and Reiner.