Have we met before?

[School Castes AU]
A small table in a bar, books and papers scattered around, two cups of coffee and long glances exchanged sideways, without the other person noticing how their heart was yielding. Yearning for something they couldn’t have. Or at least, that’s what they thought.
“Hey, have we met before… maybe in another life?”

Notes:

It can be read without knowing Amor Fati, but you'll know who "Anna" is only if you read it lol

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

When Reiner Braun sat down at that small table in that bar near his school, he felt lucky, considering that the place was crowded and almost everyone was busy. Unfortunately, that place was the only one where he could concentrate decently to write that Eldian literature assignment. And unfortunately, Reiner had to do it well or he would risk his starting spot for the next game: coach Magath could be quite strict, especially when it came to school grades.

With his hands in his hair, Reiner didn't really know where to start. Intent as he was on staring at the still almost completely blank sheet of paper, the chatter in the background lulled his concentration, so much so that he didn't notice that person entering the bar, looking around before deciding to stop right in front of his table. He only noticed when a hand with long, slender fingers gently tapped the table just enough to get his attention. And when Reiner looked up, wondering who it was, his eyes widened and felt perfectly the right moment when his heart started beating wildly without any permission. When his golden eyes met the boy's azure ones and read how agitated he was, and maybe a little embarrassed, Reiner thought he wanted to give him the whole world so that those emotions would disappear from his body. Reiner knew it was absolutely ridiculous, but he would do it only for him.

Reiner recognized him instantly, and how could he not, given how often his eyes ended up staring at him whenever they crossed paths in the school hallways. Class, social groups, clubs… Reiner Braun and Konrad Vanderwood couldn’t be further apart, but ironically (he liked to call it twist of fate) his eyes had never stopped being drawn to his figure, ever since the first time they crossed paths at school. Even though they had never exchanged a word, the two of them, Reiner just couldn’t take his eyes off him; just like a magnet or, maybe worse, a moth to a flame. Because that was the only way Reiner felt he could describe those strange feelings. Because even though they had never spoken to each other before… Reiner Braun felt he already knew him. It was a strange sensation, one that caused a warmth in his chest; and yet, he would never say a word about it aloud. He would jealously guard it to himself. He felt pathetic already, and absolutely did not want to add to the dose by throwing himself into ridicule.

-All the other tables are packed.- His melodious voice brought Reiner back to reality and he forced himself to listen, remaining as impassive as possible, because the quarterback maintained his confidence in every situation (too bad that the slight blush on his cheeks gave him away a little, but Reiner pretended nothing had happened anyway).

-Is this seat free, by any chance?-.

That hopeful look had struck him straight to the heart. “Take the whole table, and me as well while you’re at it,” Reiner immediately thought without any shame.

-Sure, go ahead and sit down.- He exclaimed, instead, without letting any of his most spontaneously hidden thoughts come out. Because Reiner might have decided not to say anything at all, but he was still a boy. One in the midst of an adolescent crisis, with hormones skyrocketing, precisely.

Konrad thanked him with a smile and sat down in the chair in the corner opposite his. He put his bag on the floor and the coffee he had previously ordered, instead, on the table, immediately forgetting it in favor of the material that came out of the bag: headphones, a notepad and a pen. It was then that Reiner went back to staring at his homework, trying not to think about the small and insignificant detail that that had been their first conversation.

But every now and then, whenever Reiner was sure Konrad wasn’t noticing, he would sneak glances at him. Noting how Konrad looked so intently, how he was frowning thoughtfully, how he was holding his pen, how he was playing with his silver-whitish hair without noticing, how the crescent-shaped earring in his right ear was jingling slightly. And the more Reiner looked at him, the stronger that feeling in his chest became.

“Hey, Konrad… have we met before?”

Reiner squeezed the pen in his hand, lowering his gaze, tearing it away from him. But even though Reiner tried not to look at Konrad anymore, he just couldn’t help but do exactly that. “Hah! As if I could actually say that… he’d think I’m a crazy stalker.”

_______________

Swear I feel you in my memory

I think I’ve seen you in my dreams

Maybe you and I have history

But I don’t think you know me

[Sarah Borrios ft. Eric Nam, Have We Met Before]

_______________

“So even athletes do homework. What a great discovery, I should tell Eren, Armin and Mikasa.” That was the first spontaneous thought that crossed Konrad Vanderwood’s mind, as soon as his gaze fell on his school’s famous quarterback, right after entering that bar.

He had desperately looked for a place to finish writing a song for his band, but the world had brought him straight to that situation, sharing the same table with the boy he had a crush on. “Lucky, huh.”

Yep, truly lucky. Those little moments in which Konrad managed to gaze at him furtively, without anyone noticing, were the only things he had left, after all. Konrad didn’t have the courage to admit it even to his best friends, that’s why he kept everything inside.

How could he ever let them know about his feelings, when he had always been the first to show disinterest in romantic relationships? He didn’t want to be arrogant at all, but as far as he could remember, Konrad Vanderwood had always received love confessions and he, punctually, had always rejected them. All of them, without making any distinctions.

Konrad didn’t see anything interesting in love, preferring to concentrate all his emotions, all his time on music and his friends. He even made fun of the so-called “love at first sight” and loved to tease Armin for his little crush on Annie, the guitarist in his band.

And yet… on the first day of school, when he bumped into Reiner Braun in the hallway to go to his next class, his world opened up and it was never the same ever again. Konrad didn’t understand how it was possible, he had never spoken to Reiner before today (if asking him to sit at the same table counted as a conversation) and yet that feeling remained and, indeed, continued to grow stronger and stronger. Especially now, whenever he brought his eyes to his figure as soon as Konrad was sure Reiner wouldn't notice.

“Reiner… have we met before, maybe in another life?”

Konrad knew how ridiculous that thought was. But it was the only explanation he could give himself for the way his heart had started beating like crazy as soon as his gaze had landed on his golden one.

It was all so ridiculous… that he didn’t want to acknowledge it. He was fine with things as they were now: being able to look at him from afar was enough to satisfy him, it kept Konrad going about his usual daily routine.