Four stops climbing when he’s right behind me and looks over my shoulder, his chin next to my head. His breaths flutter against my ear, and I feel shaky again, like I did when I was climbing the ladder.

What does flutter mean here

Question

Four stops climbing when he’s right behind me and looks over my shoulder, his chin next to my head. His breaths flutter against my ear, and I feel shaky again, like I did when I was climbing the ladder.

What does flutter mean here

Answer

It would suggest that his breathing is uneven. Because he's tired, his breathing is irregular and 'flutter' suggests that it's unsteady.