BIRD OF PREY | a reiner braun spinoff

chapter s i x

"What is it, Gelvar?"

"S- Sir?-" Gelvar tripped over his words in a stutter as Saito's words pierced through his deepest thought like a bullet. The vice-captain took a moment to regain his composure.

"Go on. Just say it." Saito said without even a whisper of interest, his eyes still tediously on the controls.

"Well since you insist heh-" Gelvar chuckled nervously. He was walking on thin ice bringing it up. But Gelvar found a thrill on walking on thin ice. "I.. was wondering if you sorted things out with the Armored."

Saito stilled for a moment at the mention of the Armored . Gelvar felt a chill of hostility. Fuck- I shouldn't have said anything, he panicked.

"And how is this of your concern, Vice-Captain?" Saito said, regaining his motor abilities from the shock of the sudden topic as he continued back to the controls.

"It's not. But I had hoped that you would at least clear up whatever misunderstandings the two of you had before we left for the mission."

Saito leaned on the edge of the control bar. His eyes were sharp. Dark. Threatening. Gelvar shivered from catching a glimpse of it's reflection on the window. Saito spared him from his deathly glare as he looked out of the cockpit instead. He took a breath before he was able to speak again. His tone obviously held back.

"And what gave you the impression that we had a misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstandings..." Gelvar blurted out, correcting him without thinking. "I- I honestly don't think what the two of you have is just one thing..." Fuck I should shut up before Captain throws me off this bird when it's in air..

Saito however chuckled, much to Gelvar surprise. "Misunderstandings are spared for people that you've formed some type of relationships with."

Gelvar blinked at his Captain. There was regret in his eyes as soon as he said those words. "Like friends.."

"We were never friends." Saito growled as he stood up to his full height, his fingertips still at the control bars.

"I never said you two were..." Gelvar said coyly. Saito turned and glared at him and Gelvar quickly pursed his lips.

"I just don't understand.." He continued bravely- or rather foolishly. "You say you were never friends but if you weren't... He shouldn't bother you this much."

"You want to know what he and I were?" Saito snarled, surrendering. "I was an assignment. And he was the one assigned to it. For all the years I was in Liberio, Reiner was practically just appointed by my father as nothing else but my fucking baby sitter. He was a bodyguard. My servant-"

In the midst of his rage, Saito immediately realized the foul word he had used. And he hated himself for using it. He bit down on his teeth. He really was just becoming his father. A true fucking Marleyan.

"I was a favor." Saito continued, in a defeated tone. "And he took it.... We were never friends-- Never supposed to be. Never will be."

Gelvar, as frightened of Saito as he was, was always twice as bold still, and he noticed the sudden guilt on the Dragon's stone-cold face. "Had you always known.. of everything?"

"No." Saito breathed out hoarsely. "I didn't know that I was merely a pawn on his board. On his grand scheme. I was just a fucking wild card for him to get back to his glorious Titan program or whatever they call it."

"He told you this?"

"He didn't need to." Saito spat. "It was right in front of my eyes. For years. I was just too much of a fool to see it."