𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ]

empty bottle

You and Sasha walked outside of the building, your hands stuffed into your coat as you waited for Niccolo to pull up. Tonight you were going to a small house party taking place at Eren's with the people you met at the café and the party. Sasha said there would be some people there that you hadn't met yet and you speculated about who they were and what they'd be like. So far, all of the people Sasha had introduced you to had been nice and welcoming...except for Connie. But that had started to change.

"He's here!" Sasha smiled and elbowed you as Niccolo pulled up in a blue truck, stopping at the curb.

"Come on! It's cold!" He hollered from the window, flashing a toothy grin, his wavy hair styled in a messy fashion. Sasha jumped into the passenger seat and you found your spot in the back, placing yourself in the middle.

"Seatbelts," he reminded the two of you, waiting to hear two clicks before pulling out of the lot.

Niccolo seemed a lot more relaxed than the last time you saw him, with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on Sahsa's thigh. They whispered and giggled things to each other as you drove to Eren's house, but you thought it was cute to see them interact, even though you were the third wheel right now. You realized how well they got along despite your previous doubts.

"So how are you doing?" Niccolo asked and you shifted in your seat, unsure how to respond. It wasn't that you were doing bad but a lot had happened.

"I'm doing okay, just ready to have some fun," you let out a heavy sigh, hoping that was exactly what you'd get tonight.

"Well, if you need to get out of the house, let me know. Sasha and I can drive you around for a bit," he kindly offered and you thanked him, knowing you would possibly need to take that offer at some point.

"Yeah, we're both not drinking tonight. I'm taking a break and, well, it's obvious why Niccolo isn't," Sasha mentioned and you nodded your head, deciding whether or not you'd drink as well. It depended on your mood.

The drive lasted for about 15 more minutes, and in that time span, you, Sasha, and Niccolo jammed out to music and you even got to hear Niccolo's singing voice, which was absolutely amazing. You'd never met anybody who could sing like he did.

"Alright, he we go," Niccolo mumbled as he pulled into a street and parked alongside the curb. He turned the engine off and hopped out, walking over to Sasha's door and opening it for her, helping her step down. He did the same for you and you liked how courteous he was. Niccolo was a true gentlemen, no matter how blunt or shy people called him.

"You ready?" Sasha whispered to you and you smiled, nodding your head eagerly. You were excited to see everyone again, hoping they were excited to see you too.

Niccolo rang the doorbell and the door swung open, Armin standing before you. He had a big smile on his face as he welcomed you in, leading you to the basement where everyone was at. You walked down the steps and looked around at everyone laughing, conversing, and messing around. Jean and Marco were here already playing poker with Reiner and some other boy with dark brown hair. He was slim, and from the looks of it, very tall. He caught you staring at him and he turned to Reiner, whispering something in his ear. Reiner looked up at you and smiled, gesturing for you to come over.

You headed to the poker table and stood in front of the boy you didn't know, and he stuck out his hand. "Hey, I'm Bertholdt," and you shook his hand, telling him your own name.

"Nice to meet you! Wanna play?" He pointed to the poker board and you shook your head no, catching Marco's gaze for a second.

"Oh come on! You'll be so good at it!" Jean encouraged you on, leaving the table and grabbing you a chair, forcefully sitting you down into it as you now sat between Bertholdt and Marco.