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Reiner Braun, the only freshman to make it on the varsity football team, one of the two freshman in honors Algebra 2, the only freshman to be ranked on Ilse Langer’s Liberty’s Ones to Watch blog, had no musical talent whatsoever. He’s been kicked out of his church’s children’s choir at the age of eight because the director complained that he couldn’t keep pitch, (which was a feat considering no one had ever been kicked out of the children’s choir before.) His mom had tried to teach him piano when he was in grade school, but he hadn’t had the patience to practice nor the focus to get the fingers right. And he’d been demoted to triangle in middle school band, cause it was seemingly the only thing he couldn’t mess up.
But just because he wasn’t musical didn’t mean Reiner couldn’t enjoy music. He actually enjoyed it very much. He had decided that his lack of ability gave him a greater appreciation of music. He loved every genre of music imaginable, and always had something positive to say about every singer, musician, and genre. Reiner found music absolutely mesmerizing, and was enchanted by anyone who had the gift of bringing harmonies and melodies to life.
Which was why he dropped his math homework in study hall when he heard the most beautiful voice in the world. Show choir practiced during seventh period, sometimes taking the stage in the auditorium, where Reiner’s study hall was held. They usually sang as a group, making Reiner smile as he heard them solidify their harmonies over the year. But around February, when the music department was preparing for an in-house Broadway showcase, the show choir kids started practicing solos. And three solos in, the most beautiful voice in the world performed.
Reiner couldn’t help but gawk at the boy on stage. He’d seen him on stage with the choir all year; olive skin, dark hair, all long, lean limbs. He’d been in the back for most of their numbers, probably because of his height, but he’d held his own in the dance numbers despite how lanky he looked. And while the fact that he was in show choir was a testament to the quality of his voice, Reiner had never known he was that good.
The song was Empty Chairs at Empty Tables from Les Miserables, which happened to be Reiner’s mom’s favorite musical ever. He’d been listening to the music since he was kid. But he’d never heard the song sung so beautiful. The boy’s voice was smooth, silky, perfect. No note was too high or low, everything fit, creating a hauntingly beautiful melody that echoed around the auditorium… without a microphone. Reiner was captivated, forgetting everything in the world but the boy on stage.
It was a shock to Reiner when the song ended, and the auditorium erupted into applause. He hadn’t realized everyone else had stopped to listen too. Neither had the boy, who seemed to shrink a bit as he nodded to the audience, a shy smile on his face. The rest of the choir swarmed him; apparently they’d never heard him sing like that either.
Reiner watched that boy for the rest of the period, math homework forgotten. The boy didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the class, even as others sang. And Reiner felt himself mirroring the smile. He had no idea who the boy was, but Reiner knew he had to be something special to be blessed with such a voice.
“Zoey, I know my legs are significantly longer than yours, but come on,” Bertholdt pleaded with the Pomeranian currently sniffing with great fascination at a pile of decorative stones. “We haven’t even left your yard yet.” Zoey pretended not to hear him for another ten seconds before lifting her head from the stones and turning big brown eyes on Bertholdt. “What?”
The dog gave a bark, her entire body jumping.
Bertholdt smiled. “Yes, I know you’re happy.” Zoey barked again. “Can we walk now?”
Zoey gave a small ruff before heading off down the sidewalk. Bertholdt laughed to himself as he followed her, working hard to keep his steps small so as not to overwhelm the small dog. When he’d agreed to dog sit for his aunt’s neighbor, he hadn’t realized how much of his job would be arguing with the dog to complete simple tasks. Zoey had barked at him for ten minutes straight when he’d tried to put the leash on her. It suddenly made perfect sense why his parents refused to a get a dog.
The Pomeranian walked along happily, stopping to sniff things here and there. She would pause sometimes to look up at Bertholdt and make sure he was still watching her. Bertholdt didn’t know how anyone could possibly stop watching her.
As they rounded the corner onto a new street, Bertholdt’s eyes on Zoey, he was caught off guard by a loud bark. Before Bertholdt knew what was happening, Zoey began to yip excitedly, running forward and meeting a golden retriever puppy halfway. The two dogs began to jump around each other in excitement as their walkers were pulled together at breakneck speed.
“Oh god! I’m so sorry!” Bertholdt exclaimed, trying to pull Zoey back without hurting her. The Pomperanian didn’t seem hindered by him at all; in fact, it seemed like she couldn’t even feel his gentle tugs at her leash. She kept barking, and running around the golden retriever like no tomorrow.
“Don’t apologize! Lucy! Chill!” the other owner, a boy no older than Bertholdt, exclaimed. It took about three more minutes of barking, yelling, and gentle tugging to separate the dogs, who were content to simply roll together in the grass. “At least they seem like friends.”
“Right,” Bertholdt laughed, finally turning to address the other boy. His breath caught in his throat. Standing in front of him was the Reiner Braun. The star of the football and basketball teams, the straight A student, the most popular guy in school… that Reiner Braun. Standing in front of him. With his dog. Reiner Braun.
Who was currently smiling at Bertholdt. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Did you just move here?” He was looking at Bertholdt with a curiosity the tall boy rarely attracted from people. And it made his chest tighten ever so slightly.
“No, I’m just dog sitting for a friend,” Bertholdt replied, nodding towards Zoey.
Reiner Braun nodded. “Gotch’a. I thought your dog looked a little familiar.”
“Yeah. She belongs to the Bodts? They live right over on Sycamore.” Bertholdt pointed to the street behind him, feeling his ears begin to burn from the redundancy. Reiner Braun probably knew where Sycamore was if he lived here.
Still, the other boy just nodded in reply. “Cool, cool.” His eyes slipped to the dogs as he asked, “Do you go to Liberty High? You look kinda familiar?”
Bertholdt bit his lip. There was no way the Reiner Braun would ever recognize him. “Yeah, I do. You go there too, yeah? You’re our star linebacker.”
A smile curled at the corners of Reiner Braun’s lips. “Yep, that’s me. Reiner Braun.” His smile faded ever so slightly as his eyes met Bertholdt’s. “Can you remind me of your name?”
A pang of something shot through Bertholdt’s heart. He hated to admit it might be disappointment. “Bertholdt Hoover.”
“Gotch’a.” Reiner Braun nodded as he said it, his golden hazel eyes staring intently at Bertholdt’s face, enough to make the other boy fight the urge to squirm. “How long will you be dog sitting?”
“Only two more days.”
“Well, I hope to see you around. If not in the neighborhood, maybe at school,” Reiner Braun said with a winning smile. Bertholdt smiled back.
“Yeah. See you around.”
And just like that, Reiner Braun continued to walk past him. Bertholdt froze in place for a few seconds, mind reeling as Zoey happily rolled in the grass. Their conversation had been… normal.
Bertholdt had no idea what he’d expected to happen. They were just strangers. Two people who’d never met before. Two kids lost in the shuffle of a big high school. Or maybe one kid lost in the shuffle and the other the rising star of the city.
Didn’t every kid just want to be noticed by someone more popular than them? Wasn’t that a plot line to 90% of romantic comedies?
Either way, it was a weird interaction. The fact that Reiner Braun had stopped to talk to him at all was a small miracle. Bertholdt had heard rumors that Reiner Braun was a pretty nice guy, but he’d heard an equal amount of rumors that he was anything but. And no one would believe this interaction had ever taken place, if it had. Reiner Braun probably wouldn’t remember him by the time he got home.
Bertholdt sighed. A small conversation could mean everything to him, and nothing to someone else. High school was funny like that.
~
The one problem with being a sophomore, in Reiner’s opinion, was that he didn’t have his driver’s license yet. While his birthday was in August, and he was technically one of the oldest in the grade, he hadn’t had time to get the classes done over the summer, which left him still waiting for rides if he had anything after school that would involve missing the bus. Which wasn’t usually a problem cause what he stayed late for was practice, where he had friends who could drive him home. But when that after school activity was tutoring, then he’d have to wait for a ride.
A sound caught his attention. Soft piano music found him through the halls, and Reiner followed it to the doors of the auditorium. By the time he arrived, a voice had joined the melody, and Reiner felt a jolt up his spine. He knew that voice. He pushed the door open and walked inside.
A piano was set up on the stage, and sitting at the piano was the boy from last year. His voice had gotten even more beautiful, still silky smooth but with a new depth of power Reiner hadn’t heard before.
Have you ever felt like nobody is there? Have you ever felt forgotten, in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever felt like you could disappear? Like you could fall, and no one would hear..
The words of the song were heartbreaking, but the voice had Reiner under a spell. He walked forward slowly, careful not to let his footsteps make a sound in fear that the boy would leave. He’d looked so shy last year, it probably wouldn’t take much to scare him off. But Reiner couldn’t let his chance to meet him slip away.
The melody began to change, minor chords changing to a lilting melody. Well, let that lonely feeling wash away. Cause maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay. Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand, you can reach, reach out your hand.
A pause. Reiner’s breath caught.
And hope…
The notes become smoother as the boy’s voice carried throughout the auditorium one note, two notes, three.
Hope… someone will come runnin’ to take you home.
Reiner had never heard the song before, but he was enraptured. The words felt so real in the boy’s mouth, as if he’d wrote them himself. Reiner couldn’t be sure he hadn’t. And it made him want to hug the boy.
Raise a glass to all of us. Tomorrow there’ll be more of us. Telling the story of tonight.
Those words Reiner knew: Hamilton.
Out of the shadows, the morning is breaking and all is new, all is new. It’s only a matter of time…
The riff had tears prickling at the back of Reiner’s eyes. He had crept close enough to see that the boy was so focused, his eyes were almost closed. The piano music came to a crescendo, then paused before falling into a lilting, hopeful melody.
Even when the dark comes crashing through. When you need a friend to carry you. When you’re broken on the ground, you will be found. Even when the sun comes streaming in, you’ll reach up and you’ll start again. If you only look around, you will be found.
And as he kept repeating the final lines, softer and softer until the song was over, Reiner’s resolve to stay silent eroded away. He applauded. The boy fell off the piano bench. Reiner lurched forward, running towards the stairs, and scrambling up just as the boy got back to his feet.
“I’m so sorry!” Reiner exclaimed, hesitating to get too close, afraid the boy might run away. “I didn’t mean to scare you! I just heard you playing and couldn’t help myself from coming in!”
“It’s okay, I just didn’t expect it, is all,” the boy said, breaths coming in fast and ragged, hand on his heart. His forehead wrinkled in confusion as he stared at Reiner’s face. “Reiner Braun?”
In that moment, a memory clicked in Reiner’s brain, and his voice lit up as he replied, “Bertholdt Hoover?”
The boy’s eyes widened. They were a soft olive green. Reiner hadn’t noticed that before. “You remember me?” Bertholdt asked.
“Of course. It’s not everyday Lucy finds another dog who’ll play with her long enough for me to talk to its owner,” Reiner said with a smile. Bertholdt smiled back, small and shy, eyes finding the piano. “You’re really talented, you know?” Green eyes found his again. “I remember hearing you sing last year in study hall, that’s why you looked for familiar to me this summer.” Bertholdt seemed surprised that Reiner had recognized him. “But this…” Reiner gestured to the piano before looking back at Bertholdt with a grin. “This was ever better.”
“Thank you,” Bertholdt said around a laugh as he turned back to the piano. He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“What song was it?”
“Found Tonight?” Bertholdt replied, looking at Reiner curiously as he took his hands out of his pockets. “It’s a mashup of Story of Tonight from Hamilton and You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hanson.”
“It’s beautiful,” Reiner said, looking towards the piano. The instrument was made of a dark, rich wood, the only interruption of the color the ivory keys. “Wait. Where’s your music?”
Bertholdt bit his lip. “I um… up here?” He tapped his temple twice.
Reiner’s mouth dropped open. “Are you fucking serious?”
Bertholdt nodded, fingers curling and uncurling twice. “Yeah. I can… listen to a song and figure out the notes without sheet music.”
“Are you a superhero?!” Reiner exclaimed.
“No. I’m just… a guy,” Bertholdt replied, cheeks flushing red. “Just a guy with perfect pitch.” Reiner shook his head, breathing out as if Bertholdt had just told him some groundbreaking information. The brunette couldn’t help but feel his heartbeat start to race.
“Do you uh… come here often?” Reiner asked.
“Yeah, almost everyday,” Bertholdt answered. “My older brother’s on the basketball team, so I wait for him to drive me home.”
“Cool, cool.” Reiner nodded. He bit his lip. “Would you mind if I came back sometimes?”
“Oh, um, sure?” Bertholdt replied. “If you want to…”
“It would be my honor,” Reiner said. Bertholdt’s eyes met his, unsure but grateful. “See you around, Bertholdt.”
“See you around… Reiner.”
~
It quickly became a pastime, Reiner coming in and listening to Bertholdt practicing. At first, Bertholdt jumped every time Reiner appeared, shocked that the blonde kept coming back. He’d honestly thought that the first time had been a dream. There were no witnesses to tell him otherwise, no physical proof that the Reiner Braun had heard him singing and followed his voice only to compliment him. But Reiner kept coming back. He didn’t come back until a week after the first time, when Bertholdt was still working on Found Tonight. Reiner didn’t seem to mind; he actually seemed to rather enjoy that he recognized the song.
“Hey, I looked this up after I heard you last week,” Reiner said, sounding excited that he’d done his homework. “I didn’t know it was a duet.”
“Um, yeah,” Bertholdt replied, tone unsure as he peeked at Reiner over his shoulder. “Ben Platt and Lin Manuel Miranda.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask to sing it with you. I can’t sing for shit,” Reiner said. “I just… really like that song now.”
Bertholdt smiled. “It’s kinda hard not to.” Reiner nodded. Bertholdt nodded back. And then he got back to playing.
And that’s how they continued for the following weeks. Small conversations interspersed between music. Bertholdt’s repertoire changed. He went through a week of Adele songs, practicing for his mom’s birthday. He played some Panic! At the Disco at Reiner’s request, changing Brendan Urie’s high falsetto notes into lower harmonies that made Reiner’s heart melt. Bertholdt often threw in a lot of Josh Groban songs as well, introducing Reiner to a whole new world of music he hadn’t enjoyed before. Two months had gone by before they noticed.
Reiner and Bertholdt also learned more about each other than they’d ever expected to. Reiner told Bertholdt about football, about working as a math tutor, about Lucy and his mom. Bertholdt told Reiner about his three brothers, his guitar playing efforts, and his AP struggles. They vented about teachers together, told ridiculous childhood stories, and exchanged book titles. Before either knew it, they had easily become best friends, missing everything but the hanging out outside of school. And anyone else recognizing their friendship of course. Because even though they saw each other in the auditorium almost everyday, they still never saw each other during the day.
One Thursday, Reiner came in to a new song, and one he couldn’t recognize. Bertholdt wasn’t singing today, which meant the song was new; he always learned to play a song first before adding words. Which was endearing.
By the time Reiner got to the stage, the song was over. He threw his backpack down next to a stool and walked to join Bertholdt at the piano. “What song were you playing?”
“From Now On,” Bertholdt answered, glancing up at Reiner over his shoulder. They’d come a long way in two months; Bertholdt always used to jump when Reiner arrived. Now he was finally comfortable enough to accept his presence. Reiner’s head cocked to the side at his answer, though. “Have you ever seen The Greatest Showman?” Reiner’s brow furrowed as he shook his head. Bertholdt sighed. “Reiner, you have to see it!”
Reiner settled back onto a stool someone must’ve brought out on stage during concert choir. “What’s it about?”
“It’s a musical. It’s the story of P.T. Barnum, the man who started a circus,” Bertholdt explained. “It’s all about his life, and how he made his dream come true. Hugh Jackman’s the star of it.”
“Ooo, Hugh Jackman.” Reiner’s eyes lit up.
“And Zac Effron,” Bertholdt added.
“That’s it.” Reiner held his hands up, admitting defeat. “We should watch it together.”
“You want to?!” Bertholdt asked, seeming genuinely excited.
Reiner nodded. “I’m going to need your musical genius commentary on it. How’s this Saturday?”
“Great. I’m not doing anything,” Bertholdt answered.
“Awesome. What’s your number? I’ll text you my address. I’ll provide the popcorn if you bring the movie,” Reiner said, pulling out his phone and passing it to Bertholdt. With shaking hands, Bertholdt plugged in his number, and sent a text to himself before passing it back. “Sweet. Can’t wait.”
“Me neither,” Bertholdt said breathlessly. He held Reiner’s gaze until the blonde asked what else they’d be playing that day. Then he snapped out of it, and started to introduce Reiner to The Greatest Showman soundtrack song by song.
And on Saturday, Bertholdt went to Reiner’s house for the first time, and met his mom before they put in the movie. Reiner asked for commentary throughout the whole thing, throwing popcorn at Bertholdt when he got to absorbed. So Bertholdt did the same when Reiner wasn’t listening to his fun facts. More popcorn ended up in their hair than in their mouths, and they had to rewind This is Me three times and Rewrite the Stars four times. The smile never left Reiner’s face, and Bertholdt hadn’t laughed so hard in ages.
It was the most fun both of them had had in a long time.
~
The next Monday, Reiner asked Bertholdt to teach him the piano.
“Are you sure?” Bertholdt asked, turning fully around on the piano bench.
Reiner shrugged. “I think it would be fun,” he said. “As much as I enjoy listening to you, you’ve inspired me to try my hand at piano again.”
“Even after you got kicked out of lessons last time?”
“I got kicked out of choir, you jerk,” Reiner said, smacking Bertholdt lightly to get the amused grin off his face. “And my teacher last time was old and boring. You’ll be much easier to learn from.”
Bertholdt shrugged. “Okay. I’m game. I’ll bring some beginner books tomorrow.”
Reiner smiled. “Fantastic.”
Which was a word he’d come to regret when he couldn’t automatically play any songs, and struggled to even get the finger positions right. Bertholdt at least was a patient teacher, pointing out Reiner’s mistakes kindly, and helping reposition his fingers. Which involved Bertholdt leaning over Reiner’s shoulders and touching his fingers. Which scared Bertholdt out of his skin at first, but slowly became more normal for him.
In fact, the whole thing was becoming more normal. Hanging out with Reiner had become so much easier since The Greatest Showman. Which was something Bertholdt never thought would happen to him. The Reiner Braun was now his best friend, and was so much nicer than any football star in the movies. He liked Bertholdt for Bertholdt, which was something most people didn’t.
And Bertholdt could sit through a few painful piano lessons with a tone deaf Reiner to repay him for that.
~
Three weeks later, Reiner was no further with his piano lessons, except he’d learned where to place his hands, which was a big victory. Still, piano wasn’t his goal today.
“Hey Bertholdt, I have a question for you,” Reiner said as he strolled into the auditorium.
“Yes?” Bertholdt asked.
“The team’s throwing a party this weekend, and I wanted to invite you along.”
Bertholdt blinked. “Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my best friend, and I want you to be there,” Reiner explained.
Bertholdt smiled. “That’s flattering Reiner, but I don’t think anyone else would want that.”
The crease in Reiner’s brow made Bertholdt happy, but not enough to convince him to say yes. “What are you talking about?”
“Reiner, I’m not exactly a person people want at parties,” Bertholdt replied. “I’m… awkward and quiet and…” He shook his head. “I’m not cool.”
“So what?” Reiner asked, hands on his hips. “Who cares if you’re cool?”
“Most people.”
“I don’t.”
“You aren’t most people,” Bertholdt said pointedly.
“But my friends are like me,” Reiner insisted. Bertholdt frowned. “They are, I swear! They have a bad reputation, but they’re really sweet.”
“Yeah, if you have social value,” Bertholdt muttered, shaking his head.
“Oh stop. You have value, Bertholdt,” Reiner said. “And they would love you.”
Bertholdt took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Fine. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll go.” Reiner’s smile was enough to convince at least half of Bertholdt’s nerves this was a good idea.
~
Agreeing to go the party was not a good idea. The house was entirely too cramped, full of people Bertholdt did not know, and who didn’t seem too keen on him being there. Whether Reiner recognized it or not, Liberty High School had a social hierarchy, and while he was at the top, Bertholdt was at the bottom. And again, while Reiner didn’t care about that hierarchy, everyone else did.
The glares and sneers Bertholdt was receiving as he searched the house for Reiner were enough to tie his stomach into knots. He didn’t belong there; shy AP students were meant to stay at home on Saturday nights, not sneak into cheerleader parties. Anxiety at an all time high, Bertholdt bit his lip and wrapped his fingers around his phone, ready to call Reiner. Or an Uber home. One of the two was necessary in the next two minutes.
A blonde head appeared out of nowhere, and Bertholdt’s heart raced as he ran forward. Reiner’s back was to him, but there was no mistaking it was him. But the conversation he heard as he got closer, from the people surrounding Reiner, stopped him cold.
“Why’d you invite that guy anyway?” a girl who was draped over Reiner’s shoulder asked.
“Yeah. You know we have rules here,” another girl said.
“He fits all those ‘rules,’” Reiner said, with air quotes. “He’s definitely hotter than me.”
“But he’s a loser,” the first girl purred, pulling on Reiner’s arm. “He’s gonna bring your ratings down.”
“Maybe so. He is a bit of a loser,” Reiner said flippantly. Bertholdt’s blood froze. “Maybe a lot of a loser. He doesn’t have many other friends…”
“So you’re doing it out of charity?” a boy asked.
“No…”
Bertholdt didn’t wait to hear Reiner’s response. He shook his head, spinning on his heels and hurrying back to the door. He slipped outside, forgetting to call an Uber. It didn’t seem to matter anymore. He allowed himself to be taken in by the fantasy that Reiner Braun might actually like him, as a friend or something else, it didn’t matter.
But all it was was a fantasy. He let himself get wrapped up in a dream. Like he always did.
Bertholdt didn’t even cry. This was just so typical. How could he have been stupid enough to believe he’d ever mean something to someone like Reiner? How could he have given his heart to someone so clearly different from him? How could he break his own heart like this?
~
Bertholdt wasn’t in the auditorium for the next week, and Reiner was confused. Bertholdt hadn’t shown up at the party like he’d said he would, and now he appeared to be avoiding Reiner. He hadn’t answered any of Reiner’s messages either. It wasn’t until Friday, when one of the girls from the party told him that Bertholdt had been there, and had heard some of their conversation, he understood.
Bertholdt had heard him say things Reiner had later refuted. He’d turned ‘loser’ into a good thing, defending Bertholdt, which had angered some of those friends. But it appeared that Bertholdt hadn’t heard that part.
On Friday, Reiner heard the music and ran inside, an apology on his lips. But the music stopped him cold.
He knew that intro.
I saved every letter you wrote to me. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. You said you were mine. I thought you were mine.
Reiner stood in the doorway, frozen as First Burn continued, filling the room with a heartbreaking mix of angry betrayal and devastation. Bertholdt’s voice captured each emotion beautifully, driving a stake in Reiner’s heart with every word. Bertholdt had shown him this song, and they’d bonded over how beautiful it was.
Now it stung.
Stung enough to spur Reiner to action.
~
Monday, Bertholdt found a note on the piano.
Look at where we are. Look at where we started. I know I don’t deserve you, but hear me out. That would be enough. I’m not afraid. I know who I befriended. Just let me stay by your side. That would be enough. –Reiner
He took a deep breath. Bertholdt hated to admit that he missed Reiner like crazy. And maybe it was time to hear him out and apologize instead of singing his feelings.
He texted Reiner It’s quiet uptown. And within the hour, they’d set up a time to meet and talk.
And by Wednesday, everything was back to normal. And neither Reiner nor Bertholdt had ever been happier.
~
Two weeks of laughing later, Bertholdt walked into the auditorium to the sound of piano music. The melody was clunky and slow, but definitely familiar. Curious, he made his way down to the stage, and took the few steps up two at a time. He peeked around at the piano, and smiled at the back of the blonde head sitting at the piano. Bertholdt walked forward until he was standing just in Reiner’s peripheral vision. From the blonde’s lack of reaction, he assumed Reiner had been waiting for him.
“How am I doing?” Reiner asked, looking up at Bertholdt as his fingers continued to slowly tap out the melody.
“Fabulous,” Bertholdt replied.
“Enough to charm you here.” A mischievous grin twisted up Reiner’s lips as his fingers slipped and played a wrong note. Bertholdt turned to leave. “No, please! I was doing so well!” The music stopped.
Bertholdt laughed, turning around. “I was kidding.” Reiner smiled. “You really are doing well.”
Reiner turned his attention back to the keys. “It’s harder than I thought it would be.”
“You aren’t thinking of giving up, are you?” Bertholdt’s smiled faltered.
“I don’t know.”
Bertholdt felt a pang of something in his chest. He couldn’t tell if it was disappointment or amusement. Or something else.
“I think piano should stay your thing,” Reiner said, running his fingers over the keys. “You’re good enough for the both of us.” Bertholdt nodded silently, afraid of what was going to come next. It was probably him, not the piano. He’d been preparing for this ever since the party, regardless of Reiner’s apology. “I think we need to find something else to do together.”
Bertholdt blinked. “Together?”
Reiner nodded, brow furrowing slightly. “You couldn’t tell what song I was playing?” Bertholdt shook his head. A smug smile pulled at Reiner’s lips as he moved back, revealing sheet music on the piano stand. Bertholdt leaned forward, squinting at the small print of the title. His breath caught slightly.
“Reiner… what…?”
“Wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can’t help falling in love with you,” Reiner quoted, eyes locked on Bertholdt.
The brunette just shook his head “Reiner, you can’t be…”
“Serious?” Reiner asked, one eyebrow arching. “I’m serious as a heart attack.” Bertholdt felt like he was about to have a heart attack, and Reiner must’ve known because he simply chucked and continued, “Bertholdt, do you know why I like you?” Bertholdt shook his head. “You don’t treat me different. I have people all the time who’re fake with me. People who want to be climb the social ladder, who only care about their image. It’s sad that being good at sports can get you caught up in that. Of course it doesn’t happen everywhere, but Liberty is, uh, one of those special cases. Just like the movies.” Bertholdt nodded quietly, waiting. “But you don’t care about any of that. You’re my friend because you’re my friend. And that’s so… wonderful.”
Bertholdt only nodded again, speechless. Reiner seemed to understand, as he stood up from the piano stool and came to Bertholdt, quietly taking his hands. “I know that my friends think it’s delusional of me to like you solely because you aren’t part of the in crowd. I think that’s bullshit. I think I’ve loved you before we even met, and I would very much like to take you on a real date and see where this thing can go. Is that something you want to?”
Bertholdt nodded, must faster than before, heart racing ridiculously fast. “Yes, yes, I would like that very much.”
Reiner’s smile rivaled the sun. “I’m glad.” He squeezed Bertholdt’s hands once before letting go. He sighed. “Well. This feels a bit too much like a Hallmark movie.” Bertholdt laughed, still giddy as the adrenaline faded. “Care to play us out?”
“You don’t want to finish your song?”
Reiner shook his head. “Nah, I can’t even play the bridge,” he admitted.
“So you’re really done with the lessons?” Bertholdt asked as he walked over to the piano, sitting down in Reiner’s spot. “That part wasn’t just a segue into asking me out?”
Reiner grinned as Bertholdt’s comfortable humor came back. “No, it wasn’t. Not all of life can be scripted, Bertholdt.” The blonde came to sit next to the brunette on the bench, and Bertholdt let him, not moving as Reiner’s shoulder brushed his as Bertholdt’s hands carefully warmed up with scales that clearly bested Reiner’s attempt at Can’t Help Falling in Love.
“Well, it’s been really nice trying to teach you,” Bertholdt said. Reiner outright laughed. “Okay, maybe the teaching part wasn’t nice cause you’re really bad at piano.”
“Fair enough,” Reiner said, moving back just enough so Bertholdt could reach all the keys. “Can you play that Once song?”
Bertholdt’s fingers were already lilting the intro. “It’d be my honor.”