Obligation
"Thank you for letting me borrow your kitchen, Ms. Braun" Pieck says as she mixes the patter "Ours isn't as well equipped."
"It's not a problem at all, Pieck dear" Karina assures "Us women need to help each other out, especially at this time of the year, don't you think?"
"Naturally" the younger woman says, pouring the patter in a pot before moving it on the stove "I just hope I don't burn this thing this time."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine dear" the older woman assures "I have some errands to run; if you leave before I get back, lock up behind you."
"Yes, ma'am" Pieck salutes, and the woman leaves with a laugh. Not long after, the warrior hears the front door open again, and soon Reiner comes to the kitchen.
"Pieck? What are you doing here?"
"Making chocolate" she answers "Your kitchen's better than mine and your mother gave me a permission to use it."
"Chocolate…?" it took Reiner a moment before he recalled that Pieck had some roots in Hizuru, and that there it was a tradition for women to give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day, which was tomorrow "Ah, right."
He grins.
"Who's your Mr. Special, then?"
Pieck snorts.
"No one" she says "These are obligation chocolates."
"…What now?" Reiner asks, not familiar with the term. Not that Pieck had expected him to be, either.
"Obligation chocolates" Pieck repeated "The not as fancy ones that you give to friends and coworkers."
"That's boring" Reiner chuckles "Not so fancy, you say, yet you still make them yourself?"
"I don't see why not" Pieck answers with a shrug "I enjoy doing this."
They dropped the subject after that. Reiner made himself a sandwich, offering to make one for Pieck too, but she declined. He stayed in the kitchen, and they engaged in to casual chitchat. It was nice, talking about mundane things with someone he'd known so long; he hadn't been able to do so ever since Berholdt had-
…
No, he wasn't going to let his mind go there. It wouldn't do him, or anyone, any good.
Now was not the time.
XXXXX
"Happy Valentine's Day, Pok" Pieck said as she handed her wide-eyed colleague some of her handmade chocolate.
"For… me?" he asked dumbly as he stared down at the wrapped chocolate, then at Pieck, then at the chocolate again.
"Yup" Pieck says "Gotta go; I need to see Magath."
With that, she rushed away before Porco could say anything more. Not that it would've helped even if she had stayed a little longer; the man simply stood there, unable to get a word out of his mouth.
"…Are you okay, Porco?" he finally snaps out of it when he hears Reiner ask this. He hadn't even noticed that the loser was in the room!
"I'm fine" he says, hurriedly hiding the package of chocolate behind his back, immediately realizing his mistake as Reiner looks at him questioningly. Of course, he did; making an effort to hide something was sure to catch a person's attention. He should've just held it in plain sight like it was nothing.
"Do tell what you're hiding from us, Porco" Zeke asks. Porco hadn't even realized that the Beast had been standing behind the Armor.
"I- it's- it's nothing" Porco insists, cursing his stuttering. Since when did he even stutter?
"Nothing, you say?" Zeke asks, rubbing his chin. Turning to Reiner, he asks: "Should we report him to the higher ups, just in case?"
"What?" Porco asks before Reiner even has a chance to react "No no, it's nothing suspicious! It's just…"
"Just?" Zeke asks with a raised eyebrow when Porco doesn't continue.
"…" Porco takes his hands out from behind his back, showing them what he has.
"That's it?" Reiner asks in surprise "Why'd you hide it?"
"…Some things are private, you know" the holder of the Jaws says with a glare "Are we done?"
"Sure, but I don't see what's so private about Pieck giving you chocolate" Zeke answers "We know it's a tradition from Hizuru."
"That's- wait, how did you know it's from Pieck?" Porco asks. Were they spying on him? Reiner and Zeke exchange looks before the later shrugs, and both take out small packages of chocolate identical to Porco's.
"What? Wh-why do you have those too!?" the man asks, wide-eyed.
"It's a tradition in Hizuru, like you said" Zeke says "Why wouldn't she have given some to us, too?"
Reiner, however, catches on.
"Ah" he says "Porco, I think you've mixed some traditions."
At Porco's look, he explains: "These are obligation chocolates, the ones women give to their friends and coworkers."
"…"
"…"
"Oh" Zeke hit the palm of his hand "Now I get it; Porco got the wrong idea!"
That's the same thing Reiner had deduced, but had tried not to be so straightforward about it. Porco hated him enough as it was. He grimaced as Porco turned, stomping away red faced. He gave Zeke a look, but the older man just grinned, clearly amused. Reiner sighs.
"I just hope he won't be even saltier than usual after this."