Ezek stood framed by the faint light of the silent corridor. He was still wearing his dark leather chestpiece over his high-collared tunic, though he had unbuckled his heavy broadsword and left it below. His broad shoulders almost filled the doorframe, his posture straight and rigid as always, but his intense eyes looked unusually hesitant as they met Reiner's.
For a second, the stoic guard didn't say a word. He just stood there, his jaw setting tight as his eyes scanned Reiner from head to toe, taking in his loose linen nightshirt, his unbound blonde hair falling messily over his shoulders, and his bare, relaxed face.
Reiner blinked, his golden-retriever energy lighting up instantly as a warm, bright grin spread across his lips.
"Ezek!" Reiner chirped softly, stepping back from the threshold and gesturing into the room. "What are you doing up here so late? Don't tell me Flio sent you up here to take my pulse a sixth time!"
