"We - we can go back home now Reiner!" Bertholdt's voice rang, his face twisting into a half convincing smile in the sudden realization of what was possible for the two, stuttering over his words in excitement. "We could go back -right now! It can't be as bad as what we've had to go through!" He was hovered over the heavy boy, who was seated dangerously at the walls edge; his eyes strained and weak, staring at the ground below them, only giving minute grunts for proof of listening. "Reiner?" Bertholdt's smile dared to fade, "wouldn't it be great?" His gleam was nearly gone when he had finished his sentence. His voice faded into silence, now seeing Reiner's tired, slouched composure staring blankly down. "Reiner?" He frantically repeated himself, hoping it would bring him back from his daze.
Reiner abruptly snapped from his trance, cocking his head upwards to look at Bertholdt. He slipped a small grunt from his lips, almost embarrassed with himself, "Right, Bertl." It was obvious that he was avoiding eye contact, twisting his torso to look back at their comrades, trying to avoid Bertholdt's tasking questions. His mind was too clouded to understand why and what they were talking about, even being in ear shot of them. The noise was going through one ear, and right out the other. His mind was numbing into a trance again, wondering just what they were talking about. Did they know?
"Hey-" Bertholdt staggered, "Reiner, snap out of it. You're acting a bit funny." He briskly waved his hands in Reiner's vision, finally catching his attention. Reiner slipped his head up to Bertholdt again, a bitter frown falling onto his face.
Using his good arm, he pushed himself up from the concrete wall under his feet. Stumbling to stand, he caught himself on Bertholdt, who was too taken back from Reiner's odd state to help him. He now stood directly in front of Bertholdt, not even a step away from him - close enough to hear his fragile, strained breaths.
"We need to be warriors Bertl," he breathed, hot air grazing Bertholdt's cheek. "Don't bail on me," he was undeniably forcing his breath into his face. He was speaking in a hushed, secretive tone. The small string of words had come unprovoked, out of nowhere, and only from his thoughts. Words laced with earnestness rarely, if ever, spilled out of Reiner's mouth like these did. He stood only inches -breaths, away from Bertholdt, his left hand hooking onto his broad, lank shoulder. His arms didn't need to fully extend in length to reach his comrade, despite Bertholdt's impressive stature. It was customary - more, natural for the two to stand close, and it would have been too unnatural for anyone else in their squad to stand together as they did with one another.
"Reiner," Berthodlt uttered his name like it was a question of his sanity, "what are you talking about?" His body tremored with slight panic at the urgency in Reiner's voice, sweat forming in the crease of his eyelids. His feet stumbled back an inch to increase the meager space between them, cupping his own hand on Reiner's to gradually push it off.
Reiner took a hard swallow, fixing his head to look straight into Bertholdt's eyes. "I think -" he was questioning his next words, furrowing his brows in panic, "it's time we told Eren." It all came out in a rush, and before Bertholdt was even given the chance to react, he was already ripping the sling from his right arm.
"Wait, you - you can't!" He could hardly keep his words bellow a whisper, urgently trying, but failing, to gain Reiner's attention.
Reiner had already turned himself around, agonizingly ignoring Bertholdt's plea. His voice now reached full volume "Eren, we need to talk."
/i have really bad feels for reiner and bertl ;A;
also uploaded to ao3 with the pen name jolie...