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Reiner had always thought his mother was pretty. He liked the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, and how one side of her mouth was higher than the other when she laughed.
His mother Karina frequently wore makeup. Reiner never really questioned why, since most women wore makeup. Karina had many different kinds of makeup in an array of various colours that she changed depending on the occasion and the season. As far as Reiner could tell, there wasn't any particular pattern.
He enjoyed watching Karina applying her makeup. It fascinated him. She was very precise about the order she did things, how much she used, and what went where.
For some time, Reiner had wanted to try his mother's makeup for himself, but he was too scared to ask. Boys didn't wear makeup, after all (Reiner didn't understand the reasoning). And he didn't want Karina to get mad at him.
However, one day when Karina was out, Reiner finally gave in to the temptation.
He stood in front of the bathroom basin, where Karina kept her makeup. Since he was still somewhat short, he had to get on a stool to properly see himself in the mirror that hung on the wall.
Even though Reiner had observed Karina putting on her makeup countless times, he suddenly felt overwhelmed, and didn't know where to begin.
There was eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, lipstick, concealer, blush, highlighter, and several things he didn't remember the names of (Karina had explained everything to him at one stage, but Reiner had forgotten most of it).
Reiner decided to start with the foundation, which he applied to his cheeks. He then used some blush over it. Afterwards, he put on some eyeshadow, which he struggled with. He debated using the mascara and eyeliner, but decided against it in the end.
The lipstick was the easy part, so Reiner had saved that for last. He puckered his lips and shakily started applying the lipstick...
"Reiner? Are you in there?"
"Wha-!"
Startled, Reiner fumbled the lipstick and dropped it. It fell onto the bench and rolled off onto the bathroom floor.
What's Mum doing home?! S-She wasn't supposed to be back yet!
Reiner braced himself as he heard his mother's footsteps in the hallway. He tried not to panic. Maybe she wouldn't be too angry at him...
"What are you doing?" Karina asked.
Reiner shamefully turned to face her. "Um... I can explain--"
He was cut off by Karina bursting into laughter.
"Sorry, sorry!" she apologised, putting a hand over her mouth. "Look at yourself, Reiner."
Reiner slowly looked in the mirror. Even he could tell that his makeup was terrible: the eyeshadow was uneven and didn't match the lipstick (which wasn't completely applied) and the blush was all over the place.
"Oh... Um..." Reiner felt his face turn red.
Karina walked over to him. She stood behind him and put her hands on his shoulders.
"It takes a lot of practice," Karina said gently. "You also need to make sure you're using colours that match your skin tone... and that match each other." She kissed him on the top of his head. "Would you like me to teach you?"
Reiner was surprised by her response. "You... You're not mad at me?" he asked nervously, not sure where to look.
"Of course not," Karina replied, hugging Reiner from behind. "I know you've been interested in makeup for ages. I do think you should wait until you're a bit older, but it can't hurt to play around with it at home."
Reiner nodded shyly.
"But we should clean you up," Karina chuckled, clearly amused. "Hold on a moment..."
Reiner stayed there while Karina found a cloth. She poured something onto it and wiped Reiner's face thoroughly for him.
"T-Thanks, Mum," Reiner mumbled, still slightly unsure. "And, um... S-Sorry."
Karina frowned. "Why are you apologising? I really don't mind."
"I used your things without your permission," Reiner explained. "I should've at least asked you, but I didn't know how, and... well..."
Karina hugged him again, that time from the front.
"It's not like you used all of it," she said. "But Reiner... Can I ask you something?"
"...Sure," Reiner nodded.
"Is there a reason why you want to wear it?" Karina asked. "You don't have to have one. I didn't initially."
Reiner hesitated, embarrassed. "I... I just... I wanted to look pretty like you."
Karina squeezed Reiner tightly, almost making him uncomfortable.
"You're already pretty, Honey," Karina murmured softly. "But I'll do my best to make you prettier, okay?"
Reiner wanted to cry. "Okay."
Later that day, Karina sat Reiner down and properly did his makeup for him. She explained that it wouldn't look exactly like hers, since his skin tone and facial structure were different.
When she was finished, Reiner couldn't stop staring at his reflection in the mirror. He looked like a different person. It made him feel strangely confident, as if he was wearing a mask that hid his insecurities.
Karina decided that she'd take a photo of Reiner, just so he had a memento, even if he didn't continue wearing makeup in the future. Reiner, however, was pretty sure that he would, since he thought he looked a lot better with makeup on.
He didn't mind that he could only wear it at home, either. It still made him feel happy.
Reiner hoped that he could at least show that photo to his best friend Bertolt one day.