thirteen things | e. jaeger

3. Play the Flute Again

a/n: guys tbh i don't even play the flute but whatever here's chapter three

You knocked on Reiner's door once again. When nobody answered, you feared the worst and burst into his house, scared of what you would find.

"Oh, hey, Y/N! I didn't hear you knock!" Reiner said, turning away from a large pot, the contents of which he was stirring with a large wooden ladle. He wore a frilly pink apron, and at your slack-jawed stare, he flushed lightly.

"Are you, uh, expecting somebody?" you said, motioning towards his dinner table, which was elaborately set up with gleaming white china and shining silverware. His kitchen counter was covered with food – enough for a three-course meal. You had never seen such a variety in one place before.

"You, of course! I've been cooking ever since you left," he said.

"Wow, you didn't have to do all of that," you said, rubbing your nose. You couldn't believe he had gone to all of that trouble just for you, even if whatever he was cooking smelled mouthwatering.

"It was a nice distraction. Besides, it's been a while since I've had anybody over. Your visit gave me an excuse to clean up and get the stove running again," he said.

"I guess that's good. Do you need any help?" you said. He shook his head vehemently, ushering you over to the dining table and pulling out a chair for you to sit in.

"Not at all! You're my guest; I'll do everything. You just stay here and eat what I give you. I mean, as long as you like it. If you don't, you're welcome to ask for something else and I'll do my best to make it," he said, patting you on the head and bringing you the first round of food, what seemed to be a mushroom soup.

"Aren't you going to eat?" you said, fighting back the urge to devour the thick liquid.

"I already did," he said cheerfully. You wondered what had caused the abrupt switch in his mood before deciding you didn't care, too focused on the bowl in front of you and the delicious scent it was giving off. At Reiner's encouraging nod, you picked up a spoon and began to sip at it. Your eyes grew large at the taste, which was even better than the smell, and you slurped the rest of it up like a woman starved.

"I didn't realize you were such an amazing cook!" you said, wiping your mouth with a napkin. Reiner took the now-empty bowl from you with a bashful shrug.

"I'm decent enough, I guess," he said, returning with a plate of chicken and pasta. You were almost certain you were drooling a little bit now. It had been ages since you had had anything as good as this. You weren't sure why Reiner was being so kind to you, but you were determined to take advantage of it while it lasted, even if it was a little uncomfortable to be treated like this.

"Do you like it?" he all but demanded.

"Mmph," you nodded, your mouth completely full. Almost before you had cleared the plate, Reiner had whisked it away, presenting you with the final piece of the meal: a single sugar cookie, sitting delicately on a tiny plate.

"Reiner, I can't accept this," you said as you stared at it longingly, knowing how expensive sugar was nowadays. Even with the hefty salary of a Warrior, this would've been a huge hit on his bank account.

"I insist. I've had that bag of sugar for months with no reason to use it. Eat the cookie, or I'll have to throw it away," he said, shoving it in your mouth when you opened it to argue again. You gave in to his persistence, chewing and swallowing the sweet treat delightedly.

"That was all incredible, but I have to ask, why'd you do it? We're not exactly close," you said, dusting yourself off and heading over to the sink to start the dishes. Reiner followed after you but, thankfully, did not protest, instead drying the plates you washed.