You never thought you’d see Reiner Braun like this—cheeks flushed, tie crooked, a lazy half-smile tugging at his lips as he leaned a little too heavily on your shoulder. He wasn’t sloppy, exactly. Just… softer than usual. The work party had run later than expected, and somewhere between the second and fourth round of drinks, the man who usually carried half the office on his back finally let himself unwind.

“’M fine,” Reiner mumbled as the elevator doors slid open, though he made no move to step out without you guiding him.

“Sure you are,” you said, tightening your grip on his arm as you steered him toward his apartment. “If your definition of ‘fine’ is ‘could lose a fight with a houseplant,’ then yeah.”

He huffed a laugh—quiet, warm—and you felt it more than heard it.

When you reached his door, he fumbled for his keys, missing the lock twice. You gently took them from his hand. “Let me.”

“Always takin’ care of me,” he murmured, and for a second you paused, heart thudding.

You pushed the door open. The apartment was dim, the soft glow from the streetlights spilling in through the windows. You helped him onto the couch, and he sank into it with a sigh, running a hand over his face.

“You didn’t have to bring me home,” he said quietly, eyelids heavy. “I know I’m… a lot.”

“You’re not,” you said, and maybe you said it too quickly. “I just didn’t want you stumbling around by yourself. Anyone would’ve done the same.”

He lifted his head then, bleary eyes focusing on you in a way that made your breath catch.

“That’s not true,” he said. “Not everyone cares like you do.”

Something in your chest fluttered—dangerously, foolishly.

And then it happened.

Just as you reached to take his empty glass from the coffee table, his hand caught yours—not clumsy, not drunken, but deliberate. His fingers were warm around yours, more grounding than they had any right to be.

“Don’t go yet,” he said softly. Not pleading. Not demanding. Just honest.

Your pulse stumbled.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you whispered.

But the way he looked at you—like he was seeing you clearly for the first time—made you wonder if you should’ve been more careful with your heart.