Chapter Text
Again.
Everything was intertwined.
He had explained it to Armin. But words weren't enough to express the extent of his omniscience.
He lived every moment, every second, of the past and the future, simultaneously. Each moment unfolded again and again. It never stopped.
Eren could see the consequence of every action, every choice he had made. He was the cause of it all.
He knew how his story would end. He knew everything. It was inevitable.
Eren had no choice. The future he saw was the only possible one. The only one he accepted. And for it to come to pass, he had to do things he never thought he'd have to do.
This scene was probably the one that haunted him the most.
His footsteps echoed against these narrow, dilapidated walls. His shadow danced across the dusty ground, drawing ever closer.
Eren swallowed hard.
He had planned this. This meeting with him. It had never been necessary. Seeing him wouldn't change the greatest tragedy the world had ever known. The Rumbling would happen no matter what. Paradis would be spared, and his own death would come regardless.
However, Eren couldn't resist.
He needed to see him, to hear his voice, which he had almost forgotten after four years separated by the sea.
Eren still remembered the time when he hung on his every word with blind faith. Every confident gesture, his strong, solid body, his deep, warm voice. He had felt protected and loved, as if he and his friends were a close-knit, loving pack.
Years ago, he had admired him with pure innocence. He had wanted to be like him. Someone confident, someone reliable, a strong and capable alpha.
He hadn't understood his body's reaction back then. He thought it was simply admiration.
At fifteen, Eren's palms had always been sweaty when he spoke to him. His heart pounded against his ribs when the blond laughed at his jokes and witty remarks. His bright, playful smile had sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. His cheeks flushed, Eren had watched him intently as they trained, their bodies pressed together, trying to disarm each other.
An alpha loving an alpha.
In truth, he didn't care.
All those memories they had built together. All the hopes he had for them. That was what truly mattered to him.
But it had all shattered.
Nothing was real.
Falco entered the room with a smile on his lips, certain he was helping two poor souls who lost each other long ago. His still faint scent, enveloped in a milky haze, permeated the cold concrete.
The taller figure finally crossed the doorway. His amber irises under the oil lamp rekindled the spark in Eren's stomach.
Eren's heart clenched.
Reiner's eyes widened in horror. The soothing scent that had previously enveloped the blond and the child vanished abruptly, immediately replaced by fear and intense stress. It was as if sugar had burned, charred, and then reduced to ashes.
Eren's nose twitched slightly.
Smelling an anguished omega was never pleasant.
This was probably Reiner's second biggest lie. His secondary gender, so well camouflaged beneath those bulging muscles and confident air during their time in the 104th Training Corps.
No one could have guessed that Reiner was an omega.
The small wood fire that had been his scent for all those years was just an illusion. A disguise Reiner had worn.
This had deeply disturbed Eren when he discovered it during his time in Marley.
He had been watching him, he had followed him, determined to unravel the mystery of this man who defined himself as "a warrior." Beyond appearances and the convictions he displayed. Eren wanted to know who he truly was, when there was nothing left to hide behind. Without missions, without duties, without battles.
He was more like a shadow, a lost soul wandering wherever his obligations lay. Even at his wit's end, he followed orders. Reiner rarely slept, ate only when absolutely necessary. He no longer smiled.
It had been terribly difficult to believe that this broken man was truly Reiner.
Eren had only been able to observe him from a distance, always far enough away that Reiner couldn't detect his scent. It was only by chance that Eren had stumbled upon a forgotten clothing, a beige coat lying on a chair. Reiner had never come back for it.
Eren had grabbed it without really thinking, almost instinctively. The fabric was still warm against his fingers.
The sweet scent had chilled him to the bone. The idea that this scent could have come from Reiner seemed impossible. It couldn't be his. He must have made a mistake.
But the same thing had happened with other clothes : a scarf, a shirt, a jacket.
The same scent always followed him as if it were his own. The aroma of warm apples with hints of cinnamon. It had taken him weeks to recognize this spice, which had been unfamiliar to him before.
He couldn't believe it.
Then one day, he saw each of the Founding Titans remove their scent glands before going into battle. The blade sliced through the flesh at the base of their necks and wrists, tearing out these organs that had become too cumbersome. They only allowed them to heal once the mission was over, when their secondary gender was no longer an obstacle. At least, that's what Marley said.
After that, the scent suddenly vanished.
There was no longer any doubt.
That scent was that of an omega. And it belonged to Reiner.
He laughed at the absurdity of such a lie. He had never known the real Reiner. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was true. Not even his scent or the protective and dominant instincts he had displayed during their youth.
Eren would never have believed that Reiner could be such a good actor.
“Eren?”
Reiner’s hoarse, breathless voice made him look up. His green eyes were veiled behind a curtain of hair and bandages.
It was at this moment that everything hinged.
The selfish desire to see Reiner one last time before his death wasn't the only reason for this meeting.
Eren knew how Reiner's life would end.
In a few years, Reiner would die.
Eren had tried to prevent it, again and again, but every attempt was doomed to fail. Yet in every scenario, even if Reiner survived the Rumbling, he was destined to take his own life. Haunted by his own actions, by the lives he had stolen, by the blood that stained his hands a deep crimson.
Once the Rumbling was over. Once Eren was dead. Once Reiner had no more reason to fight, no one left to protect, he found no reason to live. Even by trying with all his strength to heal the anguish that gnawed at him, Reiner’s despair and pain proved stronger.
That night, everyone had gathered to make up for lost time. Everyone else had managed to rebuild their lives, except him. Mikasa was expecting a child with Jean, and Armin had just become engaged to Annie. Weddings, birthdays, family meals. Reiner no longer attended any of them.
Eren could see him. Alone in the bathroom, his gaze vacant. The razor blade lay on the sink, still new. It had been bought for a single use.
Eren gritted his teeth. It was as if he could feel the blade slicing through his own flesh. Blood trickling from his wrists. A steady flow reddening his skin and the white tiles.
His golden eyes, forever tarnished.
Eren couldn't bear it.
The hatred he had once harbored for Reiner seemed so futile now. He couldn't hold it against this man, knowing what was going on in his heart.
He was a manipulated and indoctrinated child, believing he was simply saving the world and pleasing his mother. An omega forced to suppress his identity. The weapon of a people who hated him for the crime of being born.
He didn't deserve this. Not this end after giving everything he had to others his entire life.
Eren was ready to do anything to ensure Reiner's survival, even after he was no longer in this world.
“Huh ? You’re old friends, aren’t you ? Right, Mr. Kruger ?”
Reiner only looked away from Eren’s vacant stare when the boy’s voice rang out. The air thickened, heavy with bitterness and the smell of burnt remains. The child cowered. Reiner’s fear was consuming him, spreading like a chain reaction. Falco’s eyes flickered between the two men, wide-eyed, unable to comprehend what was happening.
When Reiner realized that Falco was trapped with them in the cellar, the putrid stench of fear intensified. He reached out and shoved the boy behind him, as if Eren wanted to harm him.
Eren’s green eyes flickered between Reiner and Falco.
The only times Eren thought he was seeing the real Reiner were when he was with those children. Four children playing warriors. Innocent and unaware of the horror they were running towards.
Reiner tried so hard to protect them, to preserve the innocence that had been stolen from him at such a young age. He no longer dwelled on those dark thoughts around them. He perfumed them with his sweet, affectionate scent, rubbed their unruly hair, and offered them sweets. His face even seemed to regain color, and it was only with them that Eren could see a faint smile appear on his unshaven face.
Reiner loved those children with all his heart. He would give them everything until they no longer needed him.
When that happens, Reiner will choose to end it all.
Reiner finally noticed the red drops trickling into the palm of his hand. Eren could see the realization on his face.
“Eren.”
Reiner called out his name almost as a plea, shielding the child from view. His chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to keep pace with his breathing.
“I won’t hurt him. I just want to talk to you, Reiner. Please sit down.”
“Mr. Brown ? I don’t understand…” Falco gripped Reiner’s jacket tightly. The stress of one seemed to be fueling the other’s.
“Falco. I’d like to speak to Reiner in private.”
Eren’s calm voice seemed to unsettle Reiner. He probably still remembered the teenager he once was, shouting incessantly, wishing the whole world would witness his rage and hatred.
“But-”
“Falco. Do as he says.” Reiner cut him off, wanting to get the child out of the basement as quickly as possible.
The boy exchanged a look with each of them, a mixture of incomprehension and concern. He took a few seconds to think before finally running away.
Falco couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation. Even if he alerted the authorities in Liberio, it would be too late.
Eren would have achieved his goal.
And Reiner would have a whole new reason to live.
"Reiner, sit down." He asked in that flat voice that seemed to send icy shivers down Reiner's spine.
The blond closed his eyes and sighed, gathering his strength before sitting down. Every muscle was tense. His body was so on edge that he couldn't even rest his back against the chair.
"Eren. How... Why are you here ?"
"Same as you. Don't you understand ? I'm like you. I have no choice."
The blond's breathing became ragged. He clutched the sides of his head as if he didn't want to believe it, as if Eren were just a figment of his imagination. The entire room was filled with the smell of burning.
Eren took no pleasure in seeing Reiner so panicked.
Innocent people were going to die tonight. Liberio would suffer a terrible loss, an incurable trauma. The streets would be bathed in the blood of his people, and fire would consume his home.
Eren didn't want it, but there were no other options. This was the future he saw. This was the future he would bring about, just as he had envisioned it.
It would happen in several hours, however. For now, he had to focus on Reiner.
Eren wanted to hear the truth from Reiner. He wanted to tell him what he thought, what he felt for him. He wanted Reiner to finally admit everything that was on his mind.
They had so little time.
“That day, when the wall was destroyed and the Titans invaded my hometown, I watched a Titan eat my mother right in front of me. I didn't understand. She hadn't done anything wrong. She was kind and loving. She deserved anything but that.”
Reiner remained silent, his gaze fixed on the ground. His fingers trembled on his pants.
Eren remained perfectly calm despite the scent of stress emanating from Reiner. He kept his own completely under control, deliberately neutral. He refused to further fuel Reiner's anxiety, already deeply shaken by his words.
“Why did she die like that ?”
Reiner swallowed hard, clutching the fabric of his pants with all his might.
“Because we destroyed the wall… to retrieve the Founding Titan and save the world.”
“I see. You had to save the world. So you had no other choice.”
Reiner looked away, ashamed.
“I remember what you said back then : ‘I’ll make sure you suffer the worst death imaginable. I promise.’ Is that why you came ?”
The despair on Reiner’s face almost made him regret those long-forgotten words.
How could he say such a thing when he knew what he was about to do would be infinitely worse ?
Nothing could compare to the genocide he was about to unleash. All the destruction once caused by a child still incapable of grasping the consequences of his actions seemed insignificant compared to that which a man fully aware of each of his choices would create.
He didn't want Reiner to die. It was the last thing on his mind.
At that moment, he would do everything to save him.
Eren lightly scratched his cheek. "Forget I said that."
"Huh ?"
“It’s true that back then I saw all of you, on the other side of the sea, as enemies. Now I see you for who you are, human beings, just like those inside the walls. There are no differences. You and I are the same.”
Confusion gradually filled Reiner’s amber eyes.
“I don’t understand…”
“I don’t blame you, Reiner. You’ve been taught your whole life that the people inside the walls were demons. You didn’t know any better.”
Reiner’s scent became more nuanced. Eren perceived a multitude of different shades, a tangle of emotions he still struggled to distinguish. He wasn’t used to smelling him so closely, much less deciphering every tiny variation of his perfume.
He felt sadness and guilt, but also shame.
Eren didn't want him to feel like that. He wanted to show him he understood. Reiner was simply a product of a sick world. He wasn't the one to blame.
Eren wanted to release calming pheromones, but he held back. He didn't want to influence Reiner's response.
"You were just a child, what could you possibly have done ? You suffered so much all this time."
The chair was suddenly thrown back as Reiner fell to his knees.
"No ! You're wrong, Eren ! That day, after Marcel was eaten, Annie and Bertolt wanted to stop everything and go home. But I forced them to continue."
Tears welled in his eyes. His fists were clenched on the stone floor. His face turned away from his, it was as if the blond was reliving that day in his mind.
“I wanted to be a hero, I wanted to be respected ! But all I’ve done is destroy and kill people. It’s all my fault ! The wall fell because of me. Your mother was eaten because of me !”
Eren froze, staring at Reiner’s distress.
“I can’t take it anymore. I deserve worse than death. Please, kill me...”
Perhaps death was the only way for Reiner to find peace. Perhaps it was the most merciful thing to offer him. Perhaps for him, that was freedom.
But Eren wasn't there to offer him death.
He was going to give him a life.
A life that would grow within him. Eren's final legacy.
Once his leg had fully regrown, Eren stood up. He took a few steps to position himself above the omega.
Deep down, Eren knew Reiner was strong, but at that moment, he was fragile. Eren had never seen him so vulnerable, crying and curling up on the ground like a child. Weak sobs shook his shoulders.
Reiner was trapped in his dark, despairing world. He offered himself entirely to Eren, so that he could kill him, so that he could inflict any punishment he desired.
Taking advantage of this vulnerability disgusted Eren to his very core. However, it was precisely this vulnerability that would allow him to accomplish what he had come for.
He opened a small box full of pills and placed one under his tongue.
Then he held out his hand.
"Reiner."
The omega looked up, surprise etched on his face.
Reiner lightly sniffed the air, which was gradually being filled with Eren's calming pheromones. His shoulders relaxed imperceptibly before he grasped Eren's hand as if he wasn't quite aware of what he was doing.
Instead of pulling him to his feet, Eren fell to his side, his lips suddenly pressed against his.
Reiner's eyes widened.
With his eyes still open, Eren took advantage of the blond's surprise to open his mouth. He slipped his tongue inside.
The omega tried to pull away, to escape his forced embrace, but Eren held him back. His hand slid behind his head, caressing his short blond hair, which he pulled back while pressing his face even hadrer against his. His tongue became more insistent, dominating the kiss, which resembled a fight more than a tender gesture.
Then the pill slipped into Reiner's mouth.
The omega grabbed his forearms with all his might, but Eren didn’t let him go.
Only after Reiner swallowed the pill did Eren back away.
Bringing his hand to his throat, the blond coughed slightly, trying to catch his breath. His cheeks were still wet with tears. Fear and confusion filled the room.
He looked at Eren, uncomprehending this turn of events.
“What… Why ? What was that ?
Eren’s calming pheromones were constantly being released. He didn’t want to appear threatening, especially not for what he was about to do.
“Reiner. Your death is the last thing I want. I’m going to show you how I feel about you.”
His hands cupping Reiner’s face, he leaned in for another kiss.