Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 14 (May 27, 2019)

Later that evening, Lorraine watched sorrowfully as the piles of dead bodies went up in flames. The stench of burning flesh, hair, and clothes filled the air around the Cadets and soldiers. The sun was just a dark orange sliver on the horizon, making way for the dark blue sky to start rolling in. Ashes fell to the ground around the bonfires as the corpses were destroyed. Friends, loved ones, comrades, all burned the same. Lorraine looked down at her feet, standing alone beside her friends. Jean knelt close to the flames and picked up a small handful of warm ashes from the ground beneath the fire.

"Marco...I-I'm so sorry, Marco. I don't even know which of these bones are yours anymore."

Tears started to run down her face as she listened to the sobbing and crying around them. She folded her arms, cradling herself as she started to cry, too. She heard Jean stand up and turn around. She looked up at him. He was crying, too. His fist was still clenched around the ashes he'd picked up. He stammered nervously, "Guys...I-I've...I've decided..." Connie looked up at him, still holding his head in sorrow. Sasha asked, her voice hoarse, "Wh-what are you talking about?" Lorraine cocked her head to the side. Jean said loudly, "I-I'm joining the Scout Regiment!" With those words, he held his fist up to his forehead, clutching the ashes tighter until his fingernails started to dig into his palms. He was shaking. Lorraine saw the fear in his light brown eyes. He collapsed to the hard ground and started sobbing uncontrollably. Lorraine wiped her tears away and knelt in front of him. She put her hand on his back, silently comforting him.

Dinner was quiet. A few folks were talking, but not many. It was nothing like in the past, where dinners were loud and cheery. Lorraine sat next to Armin, listening to him telling the group of bystanders about Eren's trial and the results. Lorraine leaned on her hand, picking at her soup with her spoon. She had stopped crying, but her heart was still heavy. She finally picked up her tray, putting it away before stepping outside. She looked up into the starry sky and sighed.

"We've lost so many...but we gained a chance to reclaim a part of our world. I will be joining the Scout Regiment, too. I want to help humanity win this fight. I may not be as strong as Mikasa, or as smart as Armin, or as brave as Eren, but I will do my best to help. No matter what."

Her thoughts were interrupted by Reiner, who stood behind her.

"Hey, Lo. What are you doing out here?"

Lorraine smiled a little and said, "Just thinking." He smiled back. She looked up at him for a moment, his golden eyes glimmering in the lantern light. He made her feel almost happy in this dark time. She felt her cheeks heating up and turned away. She said softly, "Reiner...I-I never got the chance to say 'thank you' for saving me. Back in the battle of Trost." He chuckled and said, "No need to thank me." Lorraine said, hugging her elbows again, "A-actually, it's not just then. Y-you've always been there for me whenever I needed you." Reiner smiled and said gently, "Yeah. Of course. It's what we do as soldiers. We stand by each other. Lift each other up." She nodded and said, "Yeah. I suppose so." Silence met them again, but instead of going their separate ways, they both leaned over the handrail of the deck. Lorraine looked at Reiner out of the corner of her eyes. She blushed and looked back down at her hands. She started fiddling mindlessly with her cuticles and said, "R-Reiner...? Can I...tell you something...?"

"Of course. Anything."

Lorraine half-laughed under her breath, then said softly, "Well, when I first met you, th-that day back in Trost...I couldn't have known...I could never have guessed that you would someday...that you would ever be important to me. N-now, I...damn...I..." He turned to her, his face and heart filled with joy. She took a deep breath. Her heart felt like it might leap out of her chest and her face felt so hot, as though she was sitting in front of a raging inferno.

"As time went on, I-I...I realized that I was thinking of you more and more. Th-that night when you took me out to the lake...I wanted to tell you how I felt, b-but I...I was scared."

Lorraine's shoulders tensed and she said, letting out a nervous laugh, "I-I guess the truth is...I...I think I've fallen in love with you, Reiner." She clenched her fists together, but he put his hand gently over both of hers. She relaxed a little, looking up at him. He was smiling. No. He was absolutely beaming. She felt the same contagious joy that she had come to love over their three years of Cadet Corps. She couldn't help but smile back at him. After what felt like an eternity, he said, "I love you, too, Lorraine." She leaned on his shoulder. He said quietly, "Hey...so...do you want to go out tonight?" She gasped a little and said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'd really like that." He laughed and said, "Alright! How does the Trost Night Market sound?" Lorraine nodded and said, "Sure! I've heard that it's really beautiful." She stood and started quickly towards the girls' dorms, but turned around and said, "Meet up at the town gate in about thirty minutes?" He nodded.

"Sounds good. See you then, Lo."

She giggled and ran off, leaving him standing on the porch.

She reached the dorms quickly and wasted no time getting ready. She took off her gear and her uniform, throwing them into her dresser drawer haphazardly and pulling out her flowy, light blue dress. She had just pulled her dress on when Mikasa sat on the bed.

"Lo? What are you doing?"

Lorraine said happily, "I'm going to the Trost Night Market with Reiner!" Mikasa looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled. Lorraine smoothed her dress, adjusting the little blue buttons down the front, and picked out a pair of socks. She pulled them on and tied up her black combat boots as quickly as she could. Mikasa chuckled and said, "You must be really excited." Lorraine nodded and said, "I am. I've never been to the Night Market before and I'm really looking forward to hanging out with Reiner." Mikasa stood up and turned Lorraine around. She grabbed a hairbrush and ran it a few times through her younger sister's hair. She then took two locks from the front and pulled them around, securing it with a small blue ribbon. She then took the hair and flipped it over a few times, creating two beautiful twists in her hair.

"Go have fun."

Lorraine smiled at her, then threw her arms around Mikasa's waist, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you, Mikasa. I love you."

"I love you, too, Lorraine."

Mikasa held her close for a few seconds, then pulled away. She said kindly, "Now, go. He'll be waiting for you." Lorraine nodded and said, giving one final turn, "Do you think he'll...?" Mikasa sighed and said, "You look beautiful, Lo. Now, go on." Lorraine giggled and ran out, her soft, jet-black hair trailing behind her.

Lorraine trotted out to the town gate, where Reiner was already waiting for her, dressed in light brown pants and a simple, dark green t-shirt. He was standing by the gate, leaning on the stone wall. She paused, looked around for a moment, then smoothed out her long, light blue skirt one final time before jogging to him.

"Reiner!"

He stood up straight and said, looking down at her and smiling, "Wow. You look perfect." She blushed and said, "Th-thank you. You look great, too." He said, "Thanks." He held out his arm and said, "Well, are you ready?" She looped her arm under his and said, "You bet I am!" He said cheerfully, "Alright, let's go!"

The Night Market was beautiful. There were colourfully decorated tents set up all along the streets. A few of the shops were open, light shining through the windows. Lorraine and Reiner strolled through the market together, browsing the wares here and there. Lanterns and oil lamps illuminated their way through the fairly crowded market, considering the time of night. At one tent, a kind young woman was selling nice, fairly expensive fabrics. At another, a man was selling beautiful, handcrafted metal jewelry. The smells of baked and roasted street foods wafted from a couple of scattered tents and the sound of a street performer's guitar echoed over the hum of the crowd.

"Lo! Have you ever had rice milk?"

Lorraine shook her head and asked, "What is that?" He explained, "It's kind of like a sweet soup made from rice, milk, and some spices. It's pretty good." He then dragged her over to a cart where a sweet-looking old woman sat, waiting patiently next to a simmering vat of the tasty treat. Reiner said, pulling a small bag of money out of his pocket, "Two cups of rice milk, please, ma'am." The woman smiled, the crevices of her face scrunching up, creating very distinct smile lines, and said kindly, "Alright, just a moment. Are you two young folks on a date?" Lorraine's face turned bright red, but she nodded and said, "Y-yes, ma'am." The woman handed Lorraine one cup of the steaming treat, then ladled another cupful for Reiner, handing it to him. Reiner handed the woman his money and said, "Thank you." The woman smiled at them once again and said, "Thank you as well. You two enjoy." Lorraine held Reiner's hand, though the crowd had thinned, so she didn't have to worry about getting lost, and he led her to a large fountain that sat in the middle of town, not too far from the cart.

"Alright. Now, tell me what you think of that."

Lorraine laughed and took a delicate bite of her sweet treat. It was quite sweet, but had a hint of spices in it. Reiner was right. It was pretty good. She felt warm on the inside, though she honestly wasn't sure if it was the rice milk or if it was the feeling of being with Reiner. She said, "This is really good! Better than our usual rations!" They ate their snack, making small talk and enjoying each other's company.

Finishing their treat pretty swiftly, Lorraine said gleefully, taking his cup, "I'm going to go give these back. Wait here for me?" He nodded and said, "Yep." She trotted over to the old woman's cart. The woman took them and thanked her happily. When Lorraine returned, Reiner stood up and grabbed her hand. They returned to just walking around, looking at wares, and just hanging out. They both took note of the open door to the local tavern. It sounded like there was a bit more life inside than usual with cheering and music. They shared a glance before walking in, taking a small table by a window.

"What can I get you two?"

A young lady with blonde hair tossed into a messy bun on top of her head and brown eyes stood next to the table with a silver tray under one of her arms. She was wearing a pretty red and white waitress uniform and had a cheery smile on her face. Her voice was soft and sweet with a hint of an accent that Lorraine had only ever heard from a few people. Lorraine said politely, "Just two pints of ale." Reiner nodded in agreement, but as the woman walked off, he raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Really? You want to drink tonight?"

Lorraine leaned closer, smirking, "Why not? It's a special occasion. Besides, one drink won't hurt us." They both jumped when they heard a very hearty laugh beside them. Lorraine didn't even have to look up to know that it was Hannes.

"Lorraine! What a surprise!"

He hiccupped lightly and patted her shoulder. He looked as cheerfully dishevelled as ever, his cheeks red, and smelled quite strongly of ale. She winced slightly, but put a smile on her face. Hannes looked up and said, staring at Reiner, "Hey! Is this a date?" Reiner laughed a little, noticing the Garrison emblem on his jacket, "Yeah. It is, Sir." Hannes said, slurring his words quite a bit, "Ah, kid, don't worry about it. This young lady here is like a daughter to me! I just want to make sure she's safe." Lorraine said, blushing a little, embarrassed, "Mr. Hannes!" He boasted, "It's true! You can always count on me in a tight spot!" Lorraine nodded and said halfheartedly, "Well, you're not wrong." Hannes gave her shoulder another rough pat and said, "Well, I'm gonna get back to my drinking buddies over here! See you around!" Lorraine waved, but Reiner leaned forward.

"Who the hell was that?"

Lorraine chuckled and said, "An old friend from Shiganshina. Hannes is actually the one who saved Eren and Mikasa's lives. He tends to overdo it with the alcohol." Reiner snickered. The blonde waitress came back with two pints of frothy ale and set them on the table in front of each of them. After thanking the waitress, they both lifted their steins up, clinking them together with a light wooden "thunk". Lorraine said, "To love?" Reiner laughed.

"That's so cheesy, Lo. I love it."

Lorraine smiled brightly. She brought the drink up to her lips and took a sip. She winced a little at the strong flavour of the drink, but as the aftertaste hit her, she caught hints of some spice. She took another sip and set the wooden mug on the table in front of her. She looked around. In one corner, a few guys with instruments were playing and a girl with long, red hair tied into two braids that fell over her shoulders was singing some unfamiliar tune. Many guests were singing along and clapping with the beat or slamming their hands on the table.

"And the hole in the bog and the bog down in the valley o'! Oh, row, the rattlin' bog; the bog down in the valley o'! Oh, row, the rattlin' bog; the bog down in the valley o'! And on that bird, there was a feather, a rare feather a rattlin' feather; a feather on the bird..."

Reiner lifted his mug up and took a large swig of his drink. Lorraine followed suit, the burning sensation trailing behind in her throat. It wasn't unbearable and, in fact, she thought the taste was pretty alright. It wasn't long before their steins were just under half-full. Lorraine's head started to feel a little light and she felt warmth rising to her face. She pushed her mug to the edge of the table and silently decided to abandon the ale. Suddenly a cheer erupted from the corner as the red-haired girl stood up to her feet. The musicians in the corner started to play and the red-head began to sing again in her sweet voice, joined now by two other women. One was the blonde waitress from before. The other was a stockier woman wearing a dark navy dress, her long, dirty-blonde hair curled neatly down her back.

"Look how the lights of the town, the lights of the town are shining now. Tonight, I'll be dancing around, I'm off on the road to Galway, now."

Hannes and his buddies ordered another round of ale, cheering boisterously for the ladies. A few women were clapping along. Lorraine bounced along with the music. Reiner finished his mug of ale, seeming mostly unaffected by the alcohol.

"Téir abhaile riú! Téir abhaile riú! Téir abhaile riú, Mhéirí! Téir abhaile riú agus fan sa bhaile mar tá do mharghadh déanta!"

As the music picked up, the ladies danced through the crowd, twirling and spinning about to the cheery violinist's tune. A few of the guests joined them as they continued singing. The red-head sat on the bar counter and sang, "Come now and follow me down, down to the lights of Galway where there's fine sailors walking around and waiting to meet the ladies there!" The other two ladies picked up, "Watch now, he'll soon be along, he's finer than any sailor so!" Reiner got up and tugged on Lorraine's hand, but she sat firmly in her seat. She shook her head, still grinning, and said over the bright music, "No! No, I can't dance, Reiner!" He sighed and went off to dance among the crowd. Lorraine giggled and watched as he danced with some of the others.

"Here today and she's gone tomorrow and next, she's going to Galway! Jigging around and off to town and won't be back until morning!"

Even the crowd started joining in with their song now, singing together, "Téir abhaile riú! Téir abhaile riú! Téir abhaile riú, Mhéirí!" The tavern was so alive with music and cheers. The bartender poured three more steins of ale, passing them to a few of the folks at the bar. The red-head stood next to the violinist and clapped, encouraging the guests to clap along.

"Home you'll go and it's there you'll stay and you've work to do in the morning! Give up your dreams of going away! Forget your sailors in Galway!"

Hannes stumbled over to Reiner, leaning on his shoulder and saying something in his ear. Lorraine laughed, but before she could do anything else, Reiner had returned, putting his large hands on her waist and lifting her right up off of her chair. She held onto his shoulders as he set her on the ground in front of him. His hands moved to hers and he started to pull her about, spinning her around. Her hair flew around behind her and her dress fluttered gracefully, despite her two left feet. The violinist seemed to egg them on. Many guests had paired off and were dancing around them. Reiner crossed their hands in front of them and they paddled around each other. As the music slowed a little, Reiner twirled her around again, pulling her close. He held her waist tightly and they locked eyes. She rested her hands on his chest.

"Listen to the music flow!"

"I'm falling for the flow of home. I'm home to dance 'till dawning!"

Reiner smiled and grabbed Lorraine by the hands once again. This time, she let Reiner swing her around wherever he wanted. She felt happier than she had ever felt before. She never wanted the night to end. She laughed as she felt him swing her from one arm to the other, tears of joy forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Stay awhile, we'll dance together, now, as the light is falling! We'll reel away to the break of day and dance together 'till morning!"

As the song came to a fantastic end, Reiner lifted Lorraine once more, this time, letting her go at the top and catching her as she came down. She held his neck and laughed as the ladies stood on top of three wooden tables. The crowd applauded heartily.

"Whoo!"

"Encore!"

"Beautiful song!"

Reiner and Lorraine clapped and embraced once again, both grinning. Lorraine finally walked up to the counter, setting some coins on the counter to pay for their drinks, then walked out hand-in-hand with Reiner. They had apparently spent quite some time in the tavern, as the town wasn't nearly as busy as it had been earlier. A lot of the tents were packing up their wares and taking down their lamps, leaving the streets only lit by the full moon and the few street lamps that had been lit. A street guitarist was still out playing, sitting on the stairs of one of the local stores. Reiner sighed, squeezing Lorraine's hand gently, "Man, that was fun, wasn't it?" She said with a light chuckle, "Yeah." They walked through the moonlit streets, Lorraine holding Reiner's arm with her free hand.

"Thank you, Reiner."

They took a seat on the edge of the fountain and she continued, leaning her head on his arm, "Tonight was fun. The most fun I think I've had in a long time." He smiled and said, "You're welcome. Honestly, me too." He continued in a low voice, "You make me feel like myself again." Lorraine looked up at him, puzzled. He sighed. Lorraine said, "What is it?" He shook his head and said, "Nah. Sorry. It's just that...being a soldier can really change a person. Some days, I...I feel like I'm fighting more against myself than against the Titans." He looked down at her and smiled.

"But you somehow chase away all those feelings. Your bright eyes bring me back. I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be."

Lorraine smiled and leaned her head back on his arm. She sighed a little. The street guitarist started playing a soft and slow tune. The crisp, clear notes of the instrument seemed to echo far enough to reach over the walls in the silent night air. Reiner stood up, tugging her to her feet and pulling her close to him.

"Stand on my feet."

She looked confused for a moment, then smiled, understanding his request. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and stood on the tops of his feet. He held her waist tightly, making sure Lorraine felt secure, and started swaying gently back and forth in time with the sweet music. Her face blossomed into a smile once again and she closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. She sighed as he started to take slightly bigger, turning steps. Her dress rippled and flowed behind her. Her long, black hair swayed in the light breeze.

Slowly, the music trailed off into its finale. Reiner slowed his steps down until they were standing completely still. Lorraine's hands both drifted to rest on his chest and she stepped off of his toes. He gently wrapped his hands around her waist. Amber met gold as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Lorraine raised herself up on her toes and Reiner bent down. Their eyes shut. Their lips touched softly, connecting perfectly like the pieces of a puzzle. The kiss sent a wave that felt like a flame from her heart through her entire body. She smiled into his lips, realizing that he was smiling, too. As they pulled away, she let out a breath. His cheeks had once again flushed pink as she knew hers did as well.

"I love you, Lorraine."

He reached up and caressed her cheek, brushing her bangs out of her face. Lorraine replied, "I love you, Reiner."