[closed]

[schild]

Who: Ryan Brown and Bertholdt Fubar
What: Coffee and talking and totally not a date!
Where: A coffee shop by the fire station. Very romantic.
When: August 8.

[ Dressed in a polo shirt and jeans (yeah that's how he rolls,) Ryan waits outside the coffee shop, as one does with these things. He figures he'll pay for lunch, since he's the one who invited Bertholdt out of the blue. He's had an echo since then, though, and it's different-- but it sounds a lot like Bertholdt's. Maybe they can make some sense out of it.

And maybe Ryan just wants to meet the guy he's essentially been skyping with for the past week or so. That could be it too. Plus, this place is kinda nice. The food is okay and they make great smoothies. ]

Comments

[schild]

[ Well maybe Ryan'll test the waters by stroking said hand.... ]

Yeah, I hope so. If we got similar echoes and powers, we could work this out together, y'know?

[toobig]

Right... It's, uh, not as --scary if it's both of us.

[Bertholdt watches him do it, finally finishing up his coffee.]

[schild]

Right. We'll do it together.

[ Yeah Bertholdt is definitely not minding the stroking. So is he okay with this...? Ryan doesn't like to assume-- he's usually the one being hit on, not the other way around. ]

So hey, uh... would you like to go out sometime?

[toobig]

G-go out...?

[Like-- go out go out? If he hadn't already let off his steam, that would have done it.]

Y-you want t-to, uh-- w-with me?

[schild]

I know it's, uh, sudden. I mean this is our first time meeting in person, but... I'd like to get to know you better? Even though it feels like I already do. Or maybe because of that, I think.

[ Plus you're a tall, hot dude and Ryan likes tall hot dudes so really. What's not to love. ]

[toobig]

[It takes him a moment to respond, having so much trouble collecting his words, before he finally nods, meeting his gaze shyly.]

I... I'd like that too, Ryan.

[schild]

Yeah? [ So much relief spills into that one word that Ryan might actually steam up too, if he could. ]

Cool. [ Ryan definitely squeezes Bertl's hand, looking over to him with a smile. ] Great.

[toobig]

[He returns it, even if he's still so shy about all of this.]

So...

[schild]

So we're dating.

[ He smiles. I swear Ryan isn't normally shy about this stuff, there's just something about Bertl that feels special. ]

I guess that makes this our first date.

[toobig]

Right... I-- I guess so, huh?

[Wow, he suddenly feels... so awkward. He's never been in this sort of situation before, what is he supposed to do...?]

[schild]

Yeah.

[ Whoops, Ryan is gonna just lean over the table and kiss you on the nose, Bertl. How bold!!! ]

Thanks for meeting me here, Bertl. I'm really glad we could meet.

1/2

[toobig]

[toobig]

M-me too...!

[He's blushing so deeply, he wonders if he might steam again, but he doesn't. Even if it was just on the (very sensitive!) nose, he's frozen in place, grip tight on Ryan's hand.]

I-I...

[schild]

[ Ryan smiles. He'll wait for Bertholdt to get it out. That's what friends (and boyfriends?) do. He just waits. ]

[toobig]

It was... mostly because our Echoes were similar I-- I, uh, wanted to meet with you, here. Because... you're, uh, familiar to me even though... we hadn't met...

But-- The you, uh, now... not the past you--

I'm happy I met you.

[schild]

Me too.

[ Oh Ryan's standing up and sitting back down, this time next to Bertl and what's that-- he's pulling Bertl into a hug. ]

I'm really glad I met you, Bertholdt.

[toobig]

[Physical contact is really, really new to Bertholdt. But this feels right, somehow. He kind of... leans his chin on Ryan's shoulder after a moment, hoping he isn't too sweaty.]

Even with... the odd circumstances. I'm-- happy.

[schild]

Same here.

[ Psh, if Ryan minded sweat he sure picked the wrong guy. But he doesn't, and he didn't, so all he notices is how nice it feels to snuggle up with Bertl, like they could fall asleep like this if they weren't at, y'know, a restaurant. ]

That odd stuff helped bring us together-- so who knows, maybe it's not so bad.

[toobig]

[It's warm and comfortable. Bertholdt doesn't remember feeling like this with anyone before, in thirty long years.]

Like... we said before. We'll-- help each other out, with all of it.

[schild]

Yeah. Together. [ Gosh stop being so cute in public!!! Not allowed!! Too adorable!! Meaning Ryan just noses Bertl's a little, heaving a contented sigh. ]

No matter what happens, as long as it's you and me, we'll figure this out.

[ Ryan just knows it. ]

[toobig]

Right, we will.

I'm... usually so nervous when I'm out in public... but you're... you make me feel better.

[schild]

[ Ryan breaks out into a smile that's just completely ear-to-ear. You'd never guess these two had literally just met today. ]

I'm glad, Bertl. [ And since they're sharing, ] Somehow being with you makes me feel at home. Is that weird?

[toobig]

[It must have been the past life thing. Bertholdt had never felt this way about another soul.]

I don't... I don't think it's weird. I know... other people have, uh, figured out that they know... knew someone before, in their Echoes.

[schild]

Yeah. [ Ryan just knows. Bertholdt is... important. He's always been there for Reiner, now it's Ryan's turn. ]

I hope we can really get to know each other, Bertl. Not just through echoes and stuff-- I wanna know you.

[toobig]

[He looks shy again, looking away and blushing. Scratching the back of his neck, he just sighs a little.]

Really...? But...

I'm not... uh...


Interesting.