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“So… You don’t like dogs, you think cats are evil, and you think fish are too much work.”
“Yup, I think that sums up my feelings on having pets… So what do you do for fun?”
You grab your water from the table and take long, slow drinks from it. This date couldn’t be going any worse and you’re starting to try to think of ways to escape it. This was your third date this month that went horribly and at this point you are giving up hope that you will ever find love and get settled down.
“Um… I don’t get to go out too much, busy college kid lifestyle, y’know? I do like movies and walks outdoors I guess…”
You can see the look of discontent on your date’s face. You were bracing yourself for him to disagree with both options you said and explain why he doesn’t think they are fun. Before he can, the waiter comes to take your order.
“Alrighty, I’m sorry for the wait I am a little busy tonight. One of my coworkers just had to leave for a family emergency and I am now covering their section, but let me take your order if you are ready?”
You look over at your date, his name is Bertolt Hoover. Your good friend Reiner Braun set you up with him, promising he was a good guy and fun to be around. At this point you think Reiner must be out of his damn mind because this guy was not fun at all. He didn’t even seem like he was all that interested in coming on this date, barely trying to make eye contact with you and stay off his phone. You had given him the benefit of the doubt first, thinking maybe it was a family member checking in on him, but at this point you could tell he was just texting other people like he wasn’t even on a date.
“I think I’ll just stick with the burger, medium rare,” he orders.
“I’ll have the chicken dish, a side of broccoli please,” you say.
The waiter hums in agreement before taking your menus and laying down some extra napkins before he forgets. As soon as he leaves you excuse yourself to the bathroom. When you get to the bathroom, you sigh and look in the mirror. What was exactly the reason you couldn’t find a nice date? Your h/c hair was stunning, you were a relatively active person, and you could keep a good conversation. You know love takes time, but as you neared the end of college and your friends began to become engaged with their lovers, you started to worry about something being off. You were happy for them of course, but on the inside, it was tearing you apart. The only friend you felt like you could fall back on was Reiner. He was so understanding and really tried to support you and listen to your feelings. Your best friend tried, but she couldn’t fully understand, having been dating the same person for well over 3 years now. Reiner could though.
You met him at the callout meeting for your club you both attended, cleanup crew. It was a student organization that spent its weekends picking up litter, collecting recycling, and even going around cleaning up rivers in your area. On the first callout meeting your freshmen year, Reiner had walked in late, and ran in to the only available seat in the room, the one next to you. He introduced himself immediately and the rest was history. Every other Saturday when your club had an event, you two came together. You waded in rivers with him, had competitions to see who could collect the most trash, and even collected cool rocks for each other. You would be lying if you said you didn’t find him attractive, but he had told you before he had been burned badly and he was scared to enter a relationship again, so you made no attempt to try with him out of respect for your friendship. You take out your phone to distract your mind briefly.
How’s the date going?
Of course, right on cue there he is.
Absolutely amazing. He’s the one and I’m marrying him tonight, I’m pregnant with his child as well <3
Haha very funny, not that good I take it?
You must not know me at all if you think this is the kind of guy I would go for. I think we seriously might have nothing in common. I don’t even know if he breathes oxygen, he can’t possibly be human. He. doesn’t. like. dogs.
Damn… I really thought this date might have gone well.
You exhale rather sharply and roll your eyes at the text. It had been a few minutes since you had been in the bathroom, and you figured you should probably go back to your date; it would be rude not to. You walk out of the bathroom and when you walk back to the table, you stop when you see your date talking to someone on the phone. His back is to you, and he doesn’t seem to realize you’re right behind him and listening.
“Listen man. I’m doing you a big favor being here, I feel like an absolute asshole. No offense but this date just sucks. You seriously owe me one, I really hope your little plan works, or else this is going down as my worst date in history.” He pauses briefly, listening to whoever is on the other side of the call. “Where is she? I don’t know. I think the bathroom or someth-”
He turns around and spots you standing there with tears in your eyes. “Um… I’m gonna have to call you back man…” He hangs up the phone and nervously chuckles.
“Heyyy y/n… Fancy seeing you here…”
“Worst date in history..?”
You are barely holding in your tears. He looks at you with a face of regret and panic. You choke back your tears and reach for your jacket and belongings. “I’m getting the fuck out of here.”
You rush outside into the snowfall, the darkness of the night only illuminated by the lamp posts in the parking lot. You brush tears falling from your face as you race to your car.
“Y/n! Wait, please!”
He grabs your arm from behind, you turn around, hardly able to make him out through the tears.
“Why should I? What do you care about me? You clearly aren’t having a good time, and you know what? Neither am I.”
“Please just listen, please. I know this sounds made up, but I promise this story is real.”
He releases your arm and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Listen, Reiner and I are best friends. We have been since childhood. I just go to a different school than you two. You asked him for dating help, right?”
You nod.
“Well, all the people he has set you up with are his friends. He has asked all of us to act like the absolute worst people on dates so you wouldn’t like any of us.”
“Why would he do that? I don’t understand!”
You want to scream from this newfound information, why was Reiner purposefully making your love life situation even worse?
“Jeez, you really are as oblivious as he says… He has a crush on you. He wanted all the dates to go bad so he could ask, you on a date, but he hasn’t worked up the courage yet. So he keeps setting you up with us so you can’t find anyone until he asks you… I tried to tell him there has to be a better way to do this, but he has just been too scared. He’s worried you’ll reject him. I’m sorry for the terrible date, I promise you I’m not that unlikeable in real life, I was just playing the part. In reality, I actually have a dog and a cat. I love animals.”
You’re so stunned by this you barely even register when Bert pulls out his phone to show you a picture of him holding his pets. Reiner, likes you? Reiner? The same man who had a physique that could get the attention of any person he wanted, a laugh that is so infectious, and a smile that could stop the earth. He likes you? You knew what you had to do. You say goodbye to Bert and give him a 20 for your half of the dinner. You get into your car and race over to Reiner’s apartment.
After the 20-minute drive you nearly sprint up the stairs, you usually took the elevator up to the third floor, but you couldn’t wait for it right now, you had to get to Reiner. You bang on his door.
“Reiner! You bastard! Open up!”
You didn’t care at this point if your yelling bothered his neighbors, you knew you needed to confess your feelings to him as soon as possible. Finally, the door opens.
“Y/n? What are you doing here?”
You push him into the apartment, closing the door behind you.
“Can I kiss you,” you nearly scream at him.
“What?”
“Can. I. Kiss. You?”
“Please tell me I’m not dreaming right now oh my g-”
You cut him off by reaching up and cupping his face, bringing your lips together. The kiss is slow, but full of passion. Once his initial shock wears off, his arms come to wrap around you, pulling you deeper into him. Your lungs begin to burn from the lack of oxygen, but you don’t even care. Your lips dance together until you both release and take in a gasp of air.
“Next time, just ask me on a date. I promise you I will say yes.”
He chuckles as he rests his forehead on yours. You both smile as you realize this is the beginning to your new romance.