BIRD OF PREY | a reiner braun spinoff

chapter t e n

CABIN BY THE LAKE, ALLIED TERRITORIES

Ages.

It seemed like ages passed in silence as they stared into each other's bewildered eyes. Dark panicked eyes met with a purely shocked pair of golden ones. Only the crackle of fire echoed in the dark and heat of embarrassment.

The two simultaneously turned the brightest shade of red. Reiner dropped Saito's hand as if it were an unholy thing before he scooted away and turned his back over. Saito quickly disappeared beneath his blankets, curling up under it. He wanted to turn over as well, to have his back face Reiner's broad one as well but it hurted him to move just as much already. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. He begged for the silence to continue.

Reiner cleared his throat and huffed in disbelief as he hurriedly pulled his shirt over his body and chest, buttoning it up with flustered fingers. "I- I never realized you felt that wa-"

"REINER, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Saito launched his pathetic excuse of a pillow at him as he hid his whole head beneath his blanket. Reiner grunted as the pillow slammed right on the back of his head and fell over his shoulders and on his lap.

Ahh- I shouldn't have said anything.. Reiner realized belatedly as he creased the pillow in his hands nervously. But would it have been weirder if he hadn't?

Saito felt the heat of his own body rising from the actions of his embarrassments. That's one way to get warm, he thought. He laid his fist on his head. "Am I finally going crazy?" He hissed to himself with a whispered breath.

Stupid. Dumb. Dumb!! Idiot! Saito swore, hitting his head softly with every curse. And as the minutes passed, it didn't get any better. His filthy words were still fresh in his mind. The warmth of the moment. Reiner's smooth skin on his fingertips. Their subtle breath...

And so were Reiner's bewildered golden eyes.

Fuck! Fuck! FUCKKK!

And as if his stupid mumblings weren't enough, Saito still felt the chills under his skin. And another goddamned sneeze around the corner. He tried to hold it back. He really did.

But alas, he failed so miserably.

ACHOOO!~

Reiner glanced at him over his shoulders, his hands still fumbling on his buttons. He blinked back at the fire and cleared his throat as he looked down at his shirt that he was struggling to close up. "You should move closer to the fire.."

"I'm fine." Saito grumbled back with a sniff.

Reiner sighed as his finger bunched up into a fist in frustration. Why can't his hands work like how they were meant to work! He tightened his jaws, clenching his teeth together. He ran a large hand over his golden head before he hung his head low in defeat.

Calm down.. He tried to tell himself as he took a recovering breath after a moment. He exhaled out slowly before he gave his shirt another chance, buttoning the lowest out of the last three. He peered down at it to see where he was supposed to insert the button. But then he slowly froze in place.

Cold. Reiner remembered. They were so cold. He touched the spot where Saito's fingers had lingered for a moment. Just below his beating heart.

Reiner tilted his head curiously as he pressed against the skin on his chest. Had his heart always beat that fast?

Or could it just be another Warrior thing? Why haven't I noticed it until now? He pulled his finger back out through his ajar shirt as he looked at them closely. A thin stream of steam lifted lazily into the air from between the creases of his hands. Could I really warm him if I was beside him?