Reiner knew he should've been much more careful when he cleaning the intricate gears on his equipment. His large, clumsy fingers weren't suited for work like this, and as he grumbled that to himself for the dozen-th time, the translucent flesh of skin where his thumb and pointer finger met was clipped by the twitch of the gears.
He swore loudly in the empty equipment closet and attempted to rotate the mechanism backwards to release his skin. No such luck. Tears instinctively pricked in the back of his eyes at the sharp pain, and he itched with creeping claustrophobia. Bright blood welled at the sight of the pinched skin, sluggishly dripped down his hand and onto the floor.
"Hello?"
Reiner froze, eyes darting around at the clear voice. All the other cadets had moved on to hand to hand, leaving him alone in the building, forced to finish up hurriedly- and evidently not well, otherwise he wouldn't be in this situation. No one should be here but him. Light footsteps inched closer.
"Is anyone in there?"
Reiner started as a golden head poked its way through the closet door. A girl pushed her way carefully through the door, crystal blue eyes wide as she stared at his hand.
"Are you alright?" she asked, eyes never leaving his hand. Reiner hadn't interacted with the small recruit much yet, having only spent a few weeks in the camp. She had a kind hearted reputation that you could see the truth of in her eyes. And she also had small hands.
"Quick, come here!" Reiner wagged his head in his direction like a madman, in too much pain to attempt to act otherwise. "I pinched my hand in this thing, and I can't reach the gears to twist it out."
His potential savior looked between his pained expression and his bleeding hand for a split second before rushing to his aid.
"Of course- here, let me!" She reached for his hand, grasping it firmly in both of hers as she inspected the issue, catching Reiner off guard. Her hand was soft and reassuring, and he could feel his anxiety ebb away with each gentle swirl of her thumb. He'd been right about her small hands- it took both to span his- but he felt himself sinking into the sensation to ignore the persistent alarm of trapped flesh. With a grimace, the girl straightened up again.
"It's in there pretty tightly. It's going to take me a bit of work to get it out of there for you," she said apologetically.
Reiner registered that he should probably care, but he was simultaneously hyper aware of his pain and her thumb drawing its slow, tantalizing circles on his skin. So he defaulted to bravado.
"I can handle it," he nodded, and tried his best to look stoic and impressive. She looked back at his hand, oozing blood.
"This will hurt a bit."
"Do what you have to d-aaAAHH!" Reiner squealed as his sliver of skin slipped free of the gears gnashing teeth. The mechanism clicked through the end of its cycle and stopped, oblivious of the gore now coating the inside of the machine. Reiner straightened quickly, unaware of how hunched his form had become while trapped.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she repeated and placed her palm overtop of the blood, staunching it with her soft skin. She didn't gain any height as he straightened, and he found he towered over her. He had to lean slightly to see her. "I know I have something to wrap this with, hang on."
She rummaged around in her pockets one handed, straining to reach across her body before extracting a yellowing handkerchief. Carefully, she released his palm and began to wrap it around his palm. Reiner repressed a shudder at her genteel ministrations, sweet touches melting him into a puddle. The walls felt as though they were closing in on him. Like the claustrophobia of his hand trapped before by a shred of skin, but heady and dangerous like riding a horse at breakneck speed or the feeling that ran down his spine when he transformed. It was intoxicating and intimidating. For one fleeting, heart stuttering moment, she looked up at him, meeting his gaze and they held the stare for a moment too long, caught in the liminal state of the equipment closet.
Too soon, she tied off the ends neatly atop his hand, and released it to drop hers to her sides again. She took a step back, and the feeling dissipated like smoke, clearing enough for Reiner to feel awkward and anxious.
"Thanks…?"
"Krista. Krista Lenz," the girl replied with a smile that filled her face and caused her eyes to twinkle and dance.
"Well, thanks Krista," Reiner grinned, and tucked the name away into the back of his mind for later. Krista. "I'm Reiner." He tried to extend his hand to shake hers, forgetting about the bandage.
"Nice to meet you," Krista giggled and touched her fingers with his in a mock handshake. They paused a moment too long, both unsure how to proceed.
"Well I should-"
"I guess I-"
They stopped and looked at the other, and hedged with nervous titters.
"You first," Reiner grinned.
"I think I should get going. My friends will wonder where I am."
"Yeah, and I should get started on cleaning…" Reiner trailed off. She smiled one last time, broad and dazzling, before slipping out the door with a quick, friendly wave. Reiner paused, before turning to begin removing the carnage from the equipment. His hand smarted as he used it, crusty and uncomfortable, but he continued on. He'd already decided he would let it heal at a normal pace. He could tell himself it was because he didn't want to arouse suspicion.
His mind filled with blonde every time it stung. This way, he would have to speak with her, to return her handkerchief, and maybe to ask her opinion on how it was healing. At least this way, he had a reason to see her again. Bit by bit, he scrubbed his steaming blood from his equipment, and left to join the others, thoughts filled with her.