The Devil Tips His Hat

Author note: Song and lyrics mentioned by Voltaire – When You’re Evil.

They had pledged their allegiance to all things dark, promised on their damned souls to do as told. Reiner was convinced Lord Beelzebub had never seen soldiers quite like them, soldiers who didn’t only do their job, but did it happily. Bertholdt thought it was a bit exaggerated, but who was he to deny him a bit of harmful fun?

Reiner was in a playful mood again, Bertholdt thought quietly to himself as he watched the blonde man approach their squad. Raising his blades, he began to murmur the song they had come up with during training years when alone and conducting mischief, grief and terror. With the first note, he struck mercilessly.

“I’m the fear that keeps you wake, I’m the shadows on the wall” Reiner told his first victim of the day, the boy of their human age turning with a puzzled expression upon hearing his words. With little effort he decapitated him, sealing a look of terror on the flying head which Bertholdt kicked aside when it came rolling his way. Blood stained his boot, making him sigh – he had just scrubbed them this morning, gee.

"I’m the monsters they become, I’m the nightmare in your skull” Reiner continued, grin widening in anticipation when the other two freshly graduated recruits took notice of his treachery. The girls’ high-pitched screams were not as short-lived as Bertholdt preferred.

There was an unmistakable wide grin on Reiner’s face as he lashed out and cut through a human’s arm like a knife through butter. Soul-shattering wailing made Bertholdt wince a little, reaching up to cover his ears with a look at Reiner that told him to make haste. The next strike caused the same girl to choke on his blade, Reiner twisting the weapon and swinging it free in an upward motion, splitting her skull in half.

“I’m the dagger in your back, an extra turn upon the rack” He laughed moving according to the lyrics. He was too loudly as always, nothing about his technique was as sophisticated, quick and clean as Bertholdt’s, but it did the job. The other femme was too startled, and too shocked by the sight of her fallen comrade to even register Reiner took immense joy in their misery. Tears rolled down her pale face and the sight made Reiner growl seductively.

“I’m the quivering of your heart” the blonde said, pressing the tip of his blade to a girl’s chest, arm reaching for her as he forced it through her flesh and bones. He pulled her close to his body, making sure the last thing she saw, before the light vanished from her eyes, were his wicked eyes as he whispering more softly: “a stabbing pain, a sudden start.”

When the blonde slowly slid the girl off his blade, Bertholdt shook his head: Reiner always treated the ladies differently. Crossing his arms, he said nothing, but turned his head away.

“And it’s so easy when you’re evil. This is the life you see, the devil tips his hat to me. I do it all because I’m evil, and I do it all for free - your tears are all the pay I’ll ever need” Reiner sung while lowering his weapons and cleaning them on a nearby corpse. His eyes twinkled, chuckles slipping into his speech as if he was tipsy.

“You never leave one for me-“ Bertholdt complained, his words overruled by Reiner’s increasing volume. It didn’t matter that he could have murdered the last girl if only he had really wanted to. The way Reiner took his sweet time singing and swinging his blades at the same time offered too much of a show. It was both time consuming and entertaining.

He wasn’t done singing yet, sheathing his swords and spreading his arms as if presenting the bloody massacre to him. Bertholdt rolled his eyes, but chuckled softly at his partner’s performance. “Do you want a round of applause?” he asked teasingly when Reiner fell silent and waited for his response.

“Tche..” the blonde flicked his tongue at him playfully. “It gets so lonely being evil.. what I’d do to see a smile, even for a little while.. and no one loves you when you’re evil..” the blonde sighed deeply, exaggerated, grin making way for a knowing smirk. “I’m lying through my teeth: your tears are all the company I need!” Reiner finished, fisting the short, dark hair on the back of Bertholdt’s head. He yanked the silently smiling man down to bite at his lips, smirking at the wince and hiss that followed.

Bertholdt pushed Reiner away, his long arm holding the quivering man at bay. His hand pressed into something moist and he knew the substance without shifting his eyes from Reiner’s. “Don’t come near me, you’re dirty” Bertholdt said, reaching for his lip where blood trickled down his chin. The minor cut where Reiner’s teeth had broken his skin sizzled shortly while it healed. If anything, it made Reiner fight against him more forcefully, fingers curling around his wrist and removing the barricade to step into Bertholdt’s personal space once more. It didn’t show on his face, but Reiner knew the other couldn’t deny how every smudge of blood, and every scream of agony, made them both wriggle and writhe.

“Today promises to be quite an enticing day” Reiner told the other, smirking eagerly.

“You had your fill for now” Bertholdt stated, avoiding the biting motion to his lips just barely, tilting his head back. Instead a sharp pain appeared at his sensitive neck, quickly followed by a hot, throbbing pleasure that always submitted him to Reiner. He groaned softly, nails digging into Reiner’s nape. His head tilted backward when hips pressed against his in a rutting motion. Bertholdt ran his hands through blonde hair, gripping and pulling Reiner away when his eyes caught sight of a familiar face. A grunt and forceful turning of Reiner’s head later and the blonde knew what had alarmed his partner.

On a rooftop, just two blocks away from theirs, stood a wide-eyed, freckled man.

“Fine, one more” Bertholdt muttered into Reiner’s ear, releasing him.