Beep... Beep...

"Hey, here. If I don't pick up the phone probably it's because I'm busy or something" The voice message rang out as Reiner let out sigh.

He'd been calling for his girlfriend Y/n to check up on her since he had been noticing her distance and quietness these days. She must be busy finishing her deadline right now..., the blonde thought to himself, knowing how much of a major procastinator his girlfriend is. Even though he had tried to advice and help her to organize a proper plan and schedule, yet it seemed like Y/n never took it seriously. Reiner then chuckled to himself. What a disorganized girl, another thought came to his mind causing Reiner to exhale for the second time while making his way to her dorm.

Out of the blue, his ringtone of Shawn Mendes' "There's nothing holding me back" echoed as Reiner struggled to get his phone out to press onto the green button. It was Y/n calling him, and this made him grin as he pressed the phone against his ear.

"Hey baby, what's up-"

"R-Reiner...?" - the voice on the other side of the line was shaky, with some sniffing could be heard along caused Reiner's heart to break slowly.

"What happened Y/n ?! Are you hurt ?! Did someone make you cry !?" Questions soon bombarded by the blonde, as pure concern engulfed his mind. Why is she crying ? Reiner was now panicking.

"J-just come *sniff* h-here... I c-can't take it anymore..." The sobbing on the other line soon turner into cries, clenching his heart even more hearing the one he loved so desperate like that.

Wasting no more seconds, Reiner soon took off over to Y/n's dorm. Something awful must have occurred to make his baby crying like that. But what exactly...? If someone had made her cry, he would sure give them hell of a lesson. Perhaps a lecturer insulted her to an extent that it made her bail her eyes out ? Hell, he would report to the principle. Or maybe worse, someone could have sexually harrassed her. The last thought made Reiner's face darkened, his pace picked up as he kept slamming the up-button of the elevator for the doors to close quickly. He was getting impatient here when his girlfriend was in such an emotionally emergency.

Arriving at Y/n's room, Reiner tried his best to keep calm and slowly opened the worn out door only to find the whole dorm room dark, with her laptop as the only light source. And there was Y/n, curled up in a bunch of blankets on the armchair, probably not because of the cold that the weather caused. "Blankets make me feel safe", Reiner recalled vividly what Lin had told him before the first time he had found her wrapping the same amount of the items around her, despite the humid summer day (and that she had turned on the air conditioner much to his confusion).

Y/n must have been losing in her own train of thoughts right then that she didn't even notice the slightest crack of her dorm's room, or even her lover's presence as she kept burying her face into her knees. A few sniffs and sobs escaped from her mouth, and later a light hiccup. The very sight broke Reiner's heart, as he closed the door behind him lightly then walked over to where Y/n was, putting his big comforting hand on her covered shoulder.

"Honey..." Reiner called out her name ever so softly, yet his voice was also on the verge of breaking, too. "Did something happen to you, hun ? Tell me please..." He was just as desperate as she was, now that he saw her in such a miserable state. Even Reiner looked as if he was also going to break down along with his love right there right then.

"...it's too much..." A small whimper made their way out of Y/n's lips, with her face still muffled in her knees and not even bothered to look up at Reiner whose eyes widened in pure concern. It took her a few minutes for her to finally make eye contact with Reiner, since she didn't want to worry him more than he already was. Reiner was genuinely a caring boyfriend she could ever ask for. She knew he also had problems of his own. Everyone did. That's why she was unable tell Reiner or anyone close to her about her own problems, especially when it relates to her emotions, which is something she held to herself all the time and just let it burdened onto her small shoulders. But her emotions right now... it is truly something she couldn't hold back anymore. This was her last straw of bottling up everything.

"I feel like a major failure... I couldn't communicate efficiently in a team project which led to one of us giving up when the hardest came... Right now there was no choice but to also give up the project but my conscience don't allow me to..." Y/n's voice was shaky and raspy, due to excessive of crying she was having right now.

Reiner said nothing, knowing Y/n well enough that one more push, even words of affirmation could shatter her into million pieces. So he just knelt besides her, looking up at his desperate girlfriend as he listened attentively to every words of her confession. She is so delicate... thought the blonde. That's why I need to protect her.

"A-And then there's also this individual assignment as well." Y/n continued, stuttering as she wiped her tears away. "I was absent the previous periods to get my laptop fixed so I didn't know that the date would be due in the next one. E-Even though the professor was kind enough to give us two more days to finish it, but still..." Y/n's voice soon cracked, keeping wiping her eyes frustratedly which it would make her eyes even more swollen if it wasn't for Reiner to stop the action as he held her wrist tenderly yet firmly. "Now I hate myself for all of the procastination I took... And then I regret all of the decisions I've ever made in my life and then the thoughts just get more overwhelming and darker-" Another intense cry from Y/n as she buried her face back into her knees.

"I'm sorry Reiner... I shouldn't have answered your call in such state-" Before Y/n could even continue her self blame, Reiner stood up without hesitation. He scooped her up into his gigantic, muscular, strong arms much to Y/n's surprise. Reiner then carried her bridal style over to her bed, before he, too, climbed up after he was done tugging her in along with her blanket burrito and cuddled with her afterwards.

"Why are you sorry ? You did nothing wrong, hun." Was what Reiner said. And somehow it clicked inside Y/n's brain.

"Just because you couldn't accomplish your assignment and giving up what you find unable to carry on doesn't make you a failure at all." He continued, his voice also cracked as a single tear slipped down his cheek to his stubbled chin, and soon onto the pillow. Reiner then immediately blinked the tear away, he needed to stay strong for her. She was the one who needed someone to lean on now. It was lucky for him that her room was dark to see what was going on with him earlier

"You did the best you could do. That's the important part." A genuine, ressuring smile bloomed on his handsome features, as he caressed Y/n's tear stained cheek lovingly. His hazel eyes, even in a dark room, were affectionately piercing into her (e/c) ones, slightly glowing its angelic light.

Reiner then leaned in, kissing Y/n's forehead. The lips kiss could be shared some other day once Y/n was calm enough. Y/n slowly nodded into Reiner's broad chest, hearing the steady sound of his heartbeat.

"Now sleep hun, I'm not going anywhere." Reiner whispered, bring the hand that had laid on her cheek earlier to move to her (h/l) (h/c) hair, softly stroked the puffy locks as if to lure her into sleep. It was also a reassurance to his words, that he wasn't going anywhere for now. Feeling as Y/n nodding tiredly into his chest, Reiner let out a small hum. A lullaby that his mom used to sing to him back then, regarding of how it would always help him feel calmer, and he knew Y/in would also. The two lovers then drifted off into dream land. The darkness engulfed them, but not their hearts.