Chapter Text
“So then I had this group come into work dressed as all of the Sailor Scouts and I’ve never met people who were more picky about their frappuccinos before. They were all ordering secret menu stuff which I mean, I’ve studied it enough to not have a problem with it but Jean had no idea what to do so I had to walk him through it and you know how Eren gets when you have to explain things to him,” Marco said with a sigh as the two of you lounged around his apartment.
“Ugh, that secret menu shit will be the death of me,” you muttered, eyes glued to your laptop screen. “You’re a saint for memorizing that crap.”
“Hey, it just makes everything easier for me,” he shrugged. “How’s the apartment search going?” You sighed and gave him a small shrug.
“It could be better. Either everything is out of my price range or it’s too far away from campus and work,” you told him.
“Have you at least found a few options?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I found two. One sounds like it’s a fuckboy palace and the other one sounds like it’s a serial killer,” you said, motioning for him to scoot closer to you. He moved right next to you and looked at the screen. “But I did find these on Craigslist, so I guess that’s kind of expected.”
“Try looking more towards the shopping center near Starbucks. Maybe that’ll give you more options,” he suggested. You nodded, fingers flying across your keyboard as you put in another search. A few options came up, and you found one that didn’t look too bad. The rent’s not that bad and the place looks pretty nice, you thought.
Rent is $530 a month, plus another $40 for utilities.
We are currently looking for a new roommate since our old one moved out. We’re located right behind the University Shopping Center in a three bedroom, 2 bath apartment. If you’re okay with illegally keeping your pet, then pets are allowed.
We both are full-time students and we have two jobs each so we’re not always there, so you’ll probably not see us all that much. We are okay with anyone of any gender, but since we know that sometimes people need to know the gender of their future roommates, just to be clear we are two guys.
Please contact if interested. We need a roommate fast and we’re pretty accommodating.
“This one looks decent, but I don’t know how I feel about rooming with two guys I don’t know and it’s at the top of my budget,” you pointed out, showing Marco the screen.
“Wait, what’s their address?” he asked after reading the ad.
“Uh, it’s four-twenty Ackerman Boulevard,” you replied. “That’s an unfortunate address.”
“Hey, I know those guys!” Marco piped up, a smile spreading across his face. “I didn’t know that Annie had moved out already. But yeah, I know them and they’re really cool, [First]. You should go for it!”
“How come this Annie moved out?” you asked.
“She got accepted in a foreign exchange program. I thought she wasn’t leaving until December, though,” he added with a frown, but he quickly shook it off. “The guys, Reiner and Bertolt, you’d like them. I can call them and tell them you’re interested, if you want.”
“You’d do that?”
“Yeah, of course! I already have their numbers and it’s no trouble at all.” He pulled out his phone and dialed them.
“Hey Reiner, it’s Marco! Listen I have a friend that’s interested in rooming with you and Bertl,” he said after a few moments of silence. You could hear a deep voice from the other end, but you couldn’t make out any words. “Yeah, her name is [First]. She’s really nice, you and Bertolt would get along with her.” More talking from Reiner. “Oh! I, uh, yeah, I think we could. Hold on.” He covered the receiver with his hand and turned to you. “[First], are you willing to go over there today and see if this’ll work out?” Today? That’s really quick, you thought, feeling nerves creep into your stomach.
“I’m ready,” you replied, trying to put on a brave face. The sooner you get this done, the better, you told yourself as Marco went back to talking with Reiner.
“Yeah, we can come over. When are you guys available?” Marco asked. Reiner’s muffled voice filtered through the phone. “I have work at four. Maybe we can meet at two? Would that work?” Reiner responded. “Great! We’ll be there at two!” Two? That’s only an hour away, you thought. No, I have to do this. I’m don’t wanna sleep on Marco’s couch anymore. And the sooner I meet them, the sooner I can get over these nerves.
The drive to Reiner and Bertolt’s apartment was quiet. Marco had the radio on and you had your window down, letting the wind play with your hair. You’d probably regret it once you got to the apartment but for now you enjoyed the cool breeze flowing through your hair. Despite the fact it was September, it was still hot outside and the only relief came from the cool breezes. That’s Trost for you, you thought with a wry grin.
“So Bertolt, the other guy you might be rooming with, he’s at work right now but he should be back during our tour,” Marco explained as he turned into a large apartment complex. It was right behind the shopping center you worked in and incredibly close to campus. You could walk or bike to school everyday with ease. This looks promising, you thought.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” you murmured. The buildings looked like old Victorians, like dull and monotone versions of the painted ladies in San Francisco. Maybe they all were painted ladies at some point before they got converted, you wondered. “Marco, what’s the history of this complex?”
“No idea. I don’t think it’s that old, though. I think it’s just supposed to fit in with the painted ladies. I mean San Francisco is too expensive but people want that aesthetic. We are Bay Area, after all.” He pulled into a spot next to a fancy-looking motorcycle. “Just as a heads up, Reiner can be a little . . . exuberant. But if you say you’re uncomfortable, he’ll stop immediately.”
“O-okay,” you said. Your stomach was knotting itself up as you and Marco stepped out of his car. The three-story building he parked in front of looked big but it was clearly split into three separate homes. “This place looks kind tiny.”
“It’s not as small as it looks,” Marco reassured you as you went up the porch stairs. “It’s pretty roomy actually, for the price and the narrowness.” He led you to the leftmost door and knocked on it. A man yelled from the other side but you couldn’t hear exactly what he said. In seconds the door opened and a burly young man opened the door.
“Hey, Marco!” the guy said, pulling Marco into a hug. “How’re you doing?”
“Great! And you?” he asked.
“Doing fine. I take it this is [First]?” the man asked, gesturing to you. You cleared your throat and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m [First],” you said quietly, holding your hand out for the man to shake. He grinned at you and sandwiched your hands between his as he shook your hand.
“It’s great to meet you, [First]! I’m Reiner,” he said.
“Great to meet you too,” you replied.
“Come on in, guys. Bert should be back any minute, but we can get started,” he said, letting you and Marco inside. The apartment seemed a lot more spacious on the inside, but you still couldn’t help but feel it was a bit tiny, at least width-wise. The living room wasn’t anything special but the kitchen looked really nice. “So here’s our living room, right behind this is the kitchen. We don’t have a formal eating area, we just eat wherever,” Reiner explained. “Behind the kitchen is a bathroom. Over in this corner is our staircase.” He gestured for Marco and you to follow him up the spiral staircase just left of the door, almost tucked away in a corner.
“How’re you liking it?” Marco whispered in your ear as you all traipsed up the spiral staircase. The stairwell was rather unsettling, if you were being honest with yourself. There were windows and it was very bright, but it felt like you were walking up a tube rather than a staircase.
“I like it,” you told him.
“All right, so here’s the second floor. It’s the room you’d be taking if you move in with us,” Reiner replied, stopping on a tiny landing. A curved wooden wall seemed to be in front of him. He grabbed a handle and slid the door to the side and walked into a large empty space. Wow, this is really nice, you thought, looking at the large window to your left. It looked out onto a pool and what you assumed to be a small meeting hall, or something.
“This used to be the master bedroom, so you have your own bathroom and a walk-in closet,” Reiner said as you wandered around the space. The wooden floor below your feet softly creaked as you walked towards two doors near the back of the room. Marco and Reiner’s voices floated through the room but you ignored them. This is a really nice room. I basically have an entire floor to myself, you thought, opening a door and walking in. The bathroom was simple but very clean. Another door lead you into a fairly nice closet. I can see myself living here. It’s nice, pretty big for a bedroom, not to mention I get my own bathroom.
“So Annie’s already in Barcelona?” Marco was asking Reiner as you walked back into the main room.
“Yeah, she left a few weeks ago. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you,” Reiner replied.
“I was in Jinae over the summer. It’s not like she could’ve contacted me,” Marco shrugged. The two men realized you were done walking around and their focus shifted to you.
“So, how do you like it?” Reiner asked you.
“I really like it,” you replied sincerely.
“If you want it, it’s yours,” he offered. You gave him a small grin and nodded.
“Yeah, I’d like to move in,” you told him. Marco squeezed your shoulder and Reiner gave you a large smile.
“Fantastic! I’ll go let the landlord know we found another roommate and we’ll get all the paperwork signed and stuff.”
“Am I interrupting something?” You all turned towards the door. A very tall, very cute boy stood in the doorway. He was dressed in all black in clothes that extended his frame; he looked positively giant. Reiner grinned at him and motioned for him to enter the room.
“We got ourselves a roommate, Bertl!” he exclaimed. So, this must be Bertolt. He edged into the room, politely offering you his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Bertolt,” he introduced himself.
“Nice to meet you too. I’m [First],” you told him. Rooming with two attractive guys. I guess it could be worse.
After a few days the paperwork was finalized and you were ready to move into Reiner and Bertolt’s place. You weren’t entirely sure how you were going to get all of your furniture up the small staircase, but with Marco by your side, you were sure you’d be fine.
It was a beautiful Friday afternoon when you started moving your things out of storage and into your new home. Jean had been nice enough to lend you and Marco for his truck and the two of you put it to good use. Reiner and Bertolt were both home when you and Marco showed up and they were nice enough to help you move in.
“Do you want us to place these anywhere special?” Reiner asked as he grabbed part of your desk.
“No, just put them wherever you can find room, please,” you instructed him, making him smirk.
“I don’t think that’ll be an issue,” he said before heading up the stairs. You wandered over to the truck and grabbed for a box of your clothing. Bertolt reached out and your hands brushed against each other.
“I’m sorry!” he apologized, quickly drawing his hands back as if he’d been burned.
“Oh no, it’s fine,” you said, grabbing the box. “If you could grab my shoe box, though, I’d appreciate it.”
“Yeah, of course.” He followed you into the house and up into your new bedroom. Marco sat on the ground, rebuilding your disassembled desk.
“Marco, you don’t have to do that!” you exclaimed.
“I got it, don’t worry,” he waved away your concern. “I’ll be fine.” You bit your lip but nodded, continuing on to the closet, dumping your box in there to be sorted out later. “You know, [First], Bertolt goes to UC Trost too.”
“Really?” you asked, turning back to Bertolt.
“Y-yeah, I just started my third year,” he replied.
“That’s cool. I just started my second,” you said. “What are you majoring in?”
“English, minor in drama. What’s yours?”
“[Major]. But that’s cool, doing drama! Have you been acting long, or?”
“Not really. I’m more interested in the technical aspects. I did crew for shows during high school but I haven’t done much acting,” he explained.
“Actually, Bertl’s had a ton of acting experience in porn. He’s kind of a big deal in the industry,” Reiner piped up. A string of nonsensical words stuttered out of Bertolt’s mouth, his cheeks turning a bright red color. A few giggles poured out of your mouth at his mortified expression.
“I am not Reiner! I-I, I haven’t done porn, I swear. Reiner just thinks his horrible jokes are funny,” he added hurriedly to you.
“Yeah, rule number one of knowing Reiner is disregarding everything that comes out of his mouth,” Marco told you with a short chuckle.
“Aw come on guys. Everything that comes out of my mouth is comedy gold,” Reiner defended himself.
“Well, I’ve gotta admit, you saying you’re funny is a great joke,” Marco replied. You laughed harder, doubling over your box of T-shirts. Reiner rolled his eyes.
“Y’know, if you guys are going to make fun of the coolest person here, I’m just going to leave,” he said as he headed towards the door.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just got a very particular sense of humor,” Bertolt told you.
“No worries. It’s kind of funny, actually,” you admitted. “So, uh, yeah. Doing crew is really cool. Do you want to do that professionally, or?”
“I’d like to, if I can find the work. But if not, I’ve got other things to fall back on,” he said. “Eventually I’d like to try out doing Shakespearean shows professionally, but that’s on the back burner, you know?”
“That’d be so much fun! Kind of depressing and confusing, but fun!” you told him. “Old English can get confusing, especially when you have to speak in nothing but it.”
“Actually, Shakespearean sonnets and plays aren’t in old English,” he corrected you. “Old English is more along the lines of Beowulf.”
“Oh, okay. I didn’t know that,” you mused. He did a complete one-eighty, going from confident to freaked out in a matter of seconds.
“I-I’m so sorry! That must’ve come off as really rude and pretentious! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” he apologized
“It’s all good. The more you know, right?” He nervously laughed.
“Yeah, ‘the more you know,’” he nodded.
Unpacking went quickly with four pairs of hands in terms of getting your boxes out of Marco’s car and into your apartment. But in terms of actually pulling things out of boxes, well, that was another story. You decided it’d be best to just ignore your closet and bathroom for the time being and focus on your bedroom. You’d never had this much space before. Sure, the room was pretty narrow but lengthwise it was a lot of room to fill. The four of you had just managed to squeeze your bed into the little niche next to the staircase when Marco’s phone rang.
“Hello?” he picked it up, giving you all an apologetic look and going downstairs to talk in private.
“So, how do you know Marco? Is he your boyfriend, or just a friend?” Reiner asked.
“Friends. We’ve known each other since kindergarten and we both work at Starbucks,” you informed him.
“Nice. So you know Jean too?” Reiner inquired.
“Yeah, I know him pretty well. He’s not my favorite person ever, but I know him and we hang out a lot since I lived with Marco. That and Marco and I tend to hang out a lot in the first place. They’re kind of like a buy one get one free package.” Reiner and Bertolt laughed.
“They are though, aren’t they?” Reiner chuckled. “I met Marco through Jean. I work with him, actually.”
“Oh, at the pizza place near the mall?”
“No, the other place.”
“The strip club?”
“Bingo.”
“Huh, I didn’t have you pegged down as the kind of guy that would be into that. But hey, whatever floats your boat,” you shrugged as you got on your bed to hook up the small chandelier to the ceiling. “I would’ve thought you’d do personal training at a gym, or something.”
“They don’t hire college guys. They think we have too much testosterone. Which is probably accurate but it sucks. So I have to work at the strip club. If you wanted, I could show you a few moves,” he said with a wink.
“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’m going to pass,” you deadpanned.
“Suit yourself,” Reiner shrugged. His gold eyes glanced over to Bertolt. “You know, Bert actually works there too.”
“This time he’s not completely lying. I do lighting for them. It’s good practice. Awkward practice, but still decent,” he said, making you chuckle.
“I can imagine,” you commented. Marco poked his head into your bedroom, a worried look on his face.
“My mom’s car is dead and she needs someone to take her to her Zumba class. I’ll be back in an hour or two. I’m sorry to leave so soon,” he explained.
“Don’t worry about it, Marco,” you reassured him. “Go take your mom to her class and tell her I say hi. And thanks again for helping me move all of my stuff over here.”
“Anytime, [First]. I’ll see you guys later.” You all waved goodbye to him as he left the house. Part of you didn’t want him to leave. What am I going to do now, you wondered, nerves starting to rock around in your stomach. Who’s going to initiate conversations now that Marco’s gone?
“Are you guys getting hungry? Maybe we should have dinner soon,” Reiner said.
“I think we have some instant pasta in the pantry,” Bertolt said. “Does pasta sound good to you, [First]?”
“Yeah, it sounds really good,” you replied.
“If you guys are hungry, I can go start on it,” Reiner offered.
“That’d be great. Thank you,” Bertolt told him and the blond left to get started on dinner. “We generally have dinner early here. Reiner and I have to show up to work at six, so we eat early.”
“You have to show up that early?”
“Yeah. I have to test-run lights and then the dancers do a dress rehearsal before the club reopens at eight.” You nodded.
“This is probably a dumb question but is it really anything like Magic Mike?” you asked with a slight chuckle. He found the humor in it and laughed, but gave a small shrug
“I don’t know. Reiner, Jean, and I rented it but we couldn’t get passed the first ten minutes. We thought it was boring,” he admitted with a slight blush on his cheeks.
“I can see that. It certainly is a slow moving film,” you said.
“Yeah.” The two of you fell silent, only talking when he asked on where to put something. What could I talk to him about, you wondered, stealing an occasional glance at him. We already talked about jobs and majors. What if he’s not into the same things I am? How dumb will I look asking about something and he doesn’t know it or doesn’t like it? Minutes passed and finally Reiner’s voice called you and Bertolt down to dinner.
The savory aroma of cooked pasta and spice-filled sauce wafted through the air. You weren’t that hungry but damn did it smell good. Reiner had already set out of a few bowls and all you had to do was get some water and serve yourself. The bowl you grabbed was white with black cursive writing all around it. As you read it, a sense of familiarity seeped into your veins. Wait, I know this.
“Are these song lyrics?” you asked the boys, holding up the bowl.
“Yeah, Bertolt made it at our friend Annie’s birthday party a few years ago,” Reiner answered.
“You know that band?” Bertolt asked, a note of hope in his voice.
“Hell yeah I do! They’re my favorite band of all time!” you replied.
“Really? They’re mine too!” Enthusiasm made his face light up beautifully. “I went and saw them at the the Reiss Theatre last year.”
“Are you serious?! I tried to get tickets but they sold out so fast! How was it?”
“It was incredible! They do a great live show! Their opening bands were pretty good too, but man, they’re really theatrical. They had a huge set that looked like an abandoned mansion, lots of props. It was really, really cool.”
“I saw Youtube videos of it and it looked like it! I just wish I could’ve gone!” you lamented.
“They’re going on tour again this summer, aren’t they?”
“I think so. If they are, I’m definitely going to get tickets and get them early this time.”
“You should. It was kind of expensive, but it was really worth it. What’s your favorite album by them?”
“Their third is the best by far. Which is yours?”
“Their second.” “Their second? Really? They changed their entire sound and feel for that album!”
“I know, but I felt like it was so unique. It was like Beatles mixed with alternative music.” It was amazing how much Bertolt had to say about your favorite band. He knew so much trivia and told you all about his concert experience. When he opened up, he spoke with a confidence you liked, a confidence that was knowledgeable but friendly. Reiner looked bored the majority of the time, eating his pasta quietly and scrolling through his phone. You had tried to engage him in the conversation, but he said he didn’t listen to that band a whole lot.
Between the three of you, the pasta went by quickly. Once Reiner was done he put his dishes away and went down to his room to take a nap before he had to go to work. Engrossed in music, you and Bertolt kept talking until you realized you’d spent almost an hour at the table just talking. Crap, if I keep talking I won’t be able to finish moving in tonight, you realized as you glanced at the clock.
“I’m going to go and unpack the rest of my stuff,” you told them, gesturing back to the staircase.
“You need any help?” Bertolt asked politely. “I’ve got a few minutes to spare before Reiner and I have to head to work.”
“Nah, I’m good,” you waved away his offer. “Thanks though.” Should I tell him bye? Or should I just stay silent, you wondered as you put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher and walked up to your bedroom. You shut your bedroom door behind you and sighed. It was still going to take a while for you to get completely settled in the house. But at least my roommates are cool. Awkward, but cool, you thought as you got to work. I think this arrangement is going to work out really, really well.