Chapter 17
Hey Jealousy
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PLEASE REMEMBER
If you didn't see the note last update:
I misplaced Chapter 13: One Night Love Affair, which introduces Carly.
She's important in this chapter.
Please be properly introduced to her.
"One Night Stand" by Mis-Teeq
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Eren approached the club's neon blue bar, the faint scent of citrus cleaner mingling with the rich aroma of spilled beer and whiskey. The bartender, a stocky man with colorful sleeve tattoos on each arm, finished pouring shots for another customer and stepped over to Eren.
"A round of beers for booth four," he said, his voice carrying just enough weight to cut through the thumping bass of the club's music.
Before the bartender could respond, a lilting voice said just behind Eren, "Excuse me."
The words were far too close, and Eren jumped as a wisp of air tickled his ear. He spun around, only to have the voice yelp in surprise.
In an instant, he felt the cold splash of liquid soaking his shirt. He looked down, dumbfounded, as white wine dripped from the fabric. His gaze lifted to meet a pair of wide, brown eyes framed by delicate lashes. The woman's cheeks flushed crimson, her lips parting in a soft gasp.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with genuine mortification. Grabbing a napkin from the bar, she leaned forward, dabbing at his chest in a flurry of panicked movements.
Eren took the napkin gently from her hand, his fingers brushing hers for the briefest moment. "No, pardon me, miss," he said, his tone calm despite the awkward situation. "Not much got on me, don't worry." He said that, although as he dabbed at his shirt, he realized it was drenched. "At least it was white wine. Here, let me order you another." He sniffed the napkin, caught the sweet, floral scent of wine, and gestured toward the stocky man. "Bartender, a Moscato. Actually, make that two. And bring the beers over to booth four. Put the wine on our tab."
The bartender nodded briskly and grabbed a bottle from the wine rack. With a practiced hand, he poured two glasses and slid the glasses toward Eren.
Eren turned back to the woman, really getting a look at her now. She had wavy honey-blond hair that framed her face, pale brown eyes, and her cherry-red lipstick made her soft smile stand out. Her low-cut blouse, simple but elegant, accentuated her curves without appearing gaudy.
"For you, m'lady," Eren said, handing her one of the glasses with a slight bow.
She giggled, her blush deepening. "M'lady, huh? You don't see many old-fashioned men these days. Especially not hanging around clubs."
"I don't doubt it," Eren chuckled. "I only came here because some coworkers dragged me along. The name's Eren."
"Carly Stratmann." She extended her hand, and he shook it with a firm but respectful grip.
"Carly? Funny enough, my mother's name is Carla." As soon as he said it, Eren realized how immature that sounded. Comparing her to his mother? Yikes! He had not needed to flirt in years, after all, so he was out of practice.
Her brows arched in playful curiosity. "Really? If you're a mama's boy, I'm not interested."
Eren leaned casually against the bar, trying to appear nonchalant, and flashed her a charming smile, hoping to recover from his slip. "How about a man whose mother taught him to treat women right?"
Carly eyed him flirtatiously. "I think I really did find the last true gentleman alive. So, you said you're here with coworkers?"
"Yeah, no big deal. And you?"
She sipped her wine before replying. "I came to spot a friend. She was meeting a guy she found online, but he turned out to be just as handsome as his profile promised. They hit it off, and she left just a minute ago giving me a thumbs-up. So, I find myself alone and not really eager to go home yet."
"That would be a shame," Eren said, his lips rising into a playful smile. "The night's still young."
Carly's cheeks dimpled as she tried to suppress her smile. "Sorry if I was being a bit forward earlier, coming right up behind you like that."
"So you didn't spook me for laughs? That's a relief."
Her giggle bubbled out, light and amused. "I only planned to come over and ask if you were here with a date."
"Those guys hardly qualify as dates." Eren thought to himself, how would Jean freak out if he dared to call him a date. Not like Eren would! But it would be hilarious to watch.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
The directness of her question caught Eren off-guard, but he liked confident women. "Nope, I've been single for a few months now."
"A cute gentleman like you? Hard to believe."
He scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Well, work keeps me busy and … you know, life and stuff." He decided not to mention his mother's battle with cancer. No way was he going to bring up a depressing subject like that.
"What kind of work do you do?"
"Accounts management for Eldia Inc. Should I give you my LinkedIn profile so you can read my bio?"
Carly glanced him up and down, her smile coy and playful. "I'd rather get to know the man in front of me, not a résumé."
# # #
"Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms
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Jean dried his hands on his trousers as he stepped out of the men's room and danced to the pounding music all the way back to the booth, where a round of beers was just arriving.
"Hey, where's the asshole?" he asked as he sat down to his new beer.
Bertholdt practically had hearts in his eyes as he looked at the bar, and Reiner pointed in the same direction. Jean turned and saw Eren flirting with a busty lady.
"Whoa! He got a lady already? Sheesh … wait…" The woman laughed at something Eren said, and Jean got a good look at her face. "Carly?" he whispered in shock.
Bertholdt caught the astonished expression on Jean's face. "Someone you know?"
Jean gulped, pushing past some cobweb memories. "I met her at a club last Sunday. I banged her … twice, apparently."
"Apparently?" Reiner said with an arched eyebrow. "Just how drunk were you?"
"Not too drunk to get it up…"
His light tone froze again as Jean remembered something else about the morning after, something Carly had told him.
"I was dead asleep, but you began to take me from behind while moaning some other girl's name. Sharon? Eren?"
"Oooh shit," he breathed, too quiet for anyone to hear over the blaring music.
No! He had already decided, surely he moaned the name Karen. There was no way it would be Eren. Disgusting! Not a chance!
Still, if Carly brought it up, Eren would get some weird ideas about him.
Seeing her like this, not with a morning hangover, but dressed up with makeup ready for a night of flirting, Jean had to admit, she was one of the most beautiful women at the club. She giggled again at Eren and placed her hand on his chest, almost like she was admonishing him, yet she did not remove her hand.
Reiner chuckled. "Nice! He's reeling her in fast."
"That bastard," Jean grumbled.
Bertholdt shook his head in reprove. "Just because you had a night together, if you're not dating her, you don't have any claims on her. And you don't have any claims on Eren either." He playfully added, "Unless there's something you wanna tell us."
"Oh, fuck you!" Jean snapped, pissed now due to that memory. "This is supposed to be a boys' night out."
Reiner shrugged and took another drink. "Leave him be. He might have some fun tonight. Heaven knows he needs it!"
Jean's face contorted. It was not like he was against one-night-stands. Hell, it was how he got any action at all these days. Still, he was just starting to have some fun with Eren. Sure, half of it was teasing him, but it was nice to relax with him, just like old times.
Was Eren not having just as much fun?
That pissed Jean off.
He flopped down at their booth and scowled. "Well, if he's gonna sip wine with some chick, I'm gonna drink his beer."
Jean could not hear voices that far away, especially with the music thumping through the club, but the sight of Eren's laugh sparked something in his heart. Two weeks ago, it had been a feeling of warmth and happiness at the idea of being the one to make Eren smile and laugh after so long living in misery.
Now, the feeling was darker.
"Are you okay?" asked Bertholdt.
Jean sneered at the bar. "I don't like that Eren found a chick before me. Damn fucker has always been good at getting girls. It's one of the things that made me hate him so much in middle school."
Reiner looked disgusted. "Seriously, we're not twelve anymore! If you want to go find a lady, you're free to go get one."
"No!" Jean snapped. "This is supposed to be a night for us guys, a time to catch up, and Eren-fucking-Jaeger has to fuck it up by flirting after a few fucking drinks."
Reiner and Bertholdt watched the outburst with confusion. Sure, Jean always saw Eren as his rival, but this much rage seemed unreasonable. After all, Jean even said that he had already slept with the girl. If anything, he should be gloating that he got her first.
They ignored the whole thing, talking instead about an upcoming project for work. Jean drank his beer, only half listening, but his eyes kept turning to Eren.
Just then, Carly drew closer, pressing her body up against him, appearing to talk suggestively and making Eren blush. She pulled away with a light laugh and seemed to apologize. Boldly, Eren grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor. Jean's eyes followed them the whole way. They began to dance, with Eren and Carly swaying their bodies up against each other.
"I mean, sure, I could get a girl," Jean suddenly blurted out, shocking Reiner and Bertholdt who had been busy talking about work. "He may have better looks than me, but I have more experience."
"With a multitude of women, maybe," Reiner pointed out. "Eren dated a few girls in high school, not as prolifically as you, but he could keep girlfriends for longer."
"What?" Jean cried out. "Wait, Eren actually got a girlfriend back then?"
"At least four that I recall. There was a rumor that he knocked up some girl in another school, but I never bought it."
"What the fuck?" Jean screamed.
"Plus," said Bertholdt, "Eren was living with Louise for four years. You spent that time in the military."
Reiner gulped his beer and belched. "How many times did you have sex while overseas, versus how often do you think those two slept together? I bet those two were like rabbits."
Jean was stumped. It was true, while deployed overseas, he rarely slept with anyone for months at a time, trying to make up for it whenever he was on shore leave. Eren had spent those years probably banging his girlfriend weekly, if not more. The idea of Eren gaining experience while he was away on a ship with a bunch of sailors, celibate for months at a time, made him scowl.
Bertholdt watched the expressions playing out on Jean's face and shook his head. "Go dance. If this is going to make you jealous—"
"Who says I'm jealous!" he snapped, yanking himself out of his thoughts. "We're supposed to be treating him to drinks."
"We did," Reiner reasoned.
Bertholdt added, "And we're also supposed to help him relax after dealing with his mother. Isn't this part of it?"
Reiner gulped his beer hard as he nodded in agreement. "Getting laid might be good for him. Poor guy needs it."
Jean grumbled, "Apparently he was getting laid a ton while I was off fighting a damn war."
Reiner glared hard at him. "Dude, settle down."
Back over on the dance floor, Carly pressed her body flush against Eren and wrapped her arms around him, resting them on his ass and pulling him close up against her. Eren smirked and swiveled his hips against her, making Carly bite her lip in excitement.
Jean's eyes widened slightly. He knew this was childish, an old rivalry that he had thought he outgrew, but he could not stop staring at them. He did not know what came over him, but he was quickly getting bothered. His foot tapped furiously, and he shifted in his seat as he watched the way Eren ground against her.
When she got too close and whispered something in Eren's ear, Jean turned his eyes away. He really did not know what exactly pissed him off. This could be good for Eren, some fun to take his mind off of his worries.
Why would he be angry?
Was it because he had banged Carly just a week ago?
Not really. Eren could have his sloppy seconds if he wanted.
Was he angry that Eren took off with a girl when he was supposed to spend time with them, or was it really only that Eren had always been the boy all the girls in school wanted to date, while Jean had felt like the second place consolation prize?
Bertholdt was right, though. They had all agreed to help Eren relax. They thought this would mean drinking until the alcohol loosened him up, but if getting laid was the key…
Hell, Jean knew it was great after a long work week. A hot girl, few worries beyond making sure he brought a condom…
"I bet he forgot a condom," Jean muttered, glaring at his beer so he did not have to see the dance floor. "Hey, if those two start heading out, one of us needs to make sure Eren knows to go buy condoms."
"I'll tell him," Reiner said, figuring he had the highest tolerance for alcohol and would be lucid enough to remember that.
Jean kept tapping his foot as he took another sip, and another. He finished off his beer and got started on Eren's; however, he found himself drinking faster than he normally did. He groaned, realizing he was now beyond just tipsy and would have to call for a ride home that night.
Suddenly, Reiner whistled and cheered. Jean turned his head sharply to follow Reiner's gaze. He scanned the dance floor, but there was no sign of Eren.
"Did he leave already?" Jean shouted. "Reiner, you were supposed to stop him."
"I ain't stopping him. I only said I'd warn him to buy protection before he leaves, and he hasn't left yet."
"Although," Bertholdt said with a bright blush, "he'll probably be heading out soon."
Jean finally spotted Eren in the corner, illuminated briefly by a crimson flash of light. His stomach twisted. Eren was pressed up against the wall, Carly's arms curled around his neck, his hands gripping her waist, pulling her in close. Their lips moved hungrily. Eren's fingers slid down her hips with a confidence that made Jean's chest tighten with something vicious.
Reiner let out an approving chuckle. "Eren's got game tonight!"
Bertholdt hummed in agreement, but his focus sharpened as he caught the expression on Jean's face. His jaw had clenched tightly, muscles twitching, nostrils flaring with every uneven breath. His fists trembled at his sides.
Then something inside Jean snapped.
Before Bertholdt could voice his concern, Jean was on his feet, pushing through the writhing crowd with sharp, determined steps.
"Think they're gonna fight?" Bertholdt muttered.
Reiner took a swig of his beer, smirking. "Knowing them, probably. I don't see why, though."
"I do," Bertholdt muttered, too quiet to hear.
"I mean, Jean brags about his hook-ups all the time. It's not like he's morally opposed, and he doesn't seem all that mad that it's a recent hookup of his. So I don't think he's jealous, at least not over her."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Bertholdt muttered. "Should we stop them?"
"Nah," Reiner said with a chuckle. "If Jean is stupid enough to pick a fight with Eren, he won't win. Eren may have gotten softer since high school, but the reflexes you learn in wrestling never leave you. Besides," he said, taking another sip of his beer, "it'll be fun to watch."
# # #
"Rock Your Body" by Justin Timerlake
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The club pulsed with electric energy, the bass thudding so hard it vibrated through the floors. Neon lights sliced through the darkness in disorienting flashes of blue, red, yellow, and violet. The air was thick with sweat, perfume, and alcohol. Bodies moved in an unrelenting tide on the dance floor as the smell of cologne and sweat lingered in the air.
Yet over by the wall, Eren and Carly were wrapped in their own bubble, far away from the wild energies of the dancers, creating some wildness of their own.
As Jean stormed closer, the scene before him only fanned the flames of his fury. Eren had his head tilted as he repeatedly dipped his tongue in. His hand slid down from her waist to her hips, pulling her closer to him. Carly slid both of her hands up his chest, holding Eren up against the wall in a boldly empowering move. She let out a breathy moan, tilting her head and allowing him to nip at her lips. Down below, Eren had distinctly developed a bulge in his black slacks, and Carly swirled her hips to rub against it, enticing him, thrilling him.
Somehow, all of it enraged Jean even more.
"Oi, dickface!"
The voice cut through the music like a blade. Eren tensed instantly, lips parting from Carly's in surprise. She pulled her hands off him, releasing him from her hold, dazed as she wiped her lips. Jean did not even glance at her. His burning gaze was locked on Eren.
Eren cleared his throat at being caught kissing so heavily, and right in the middle of a crowded club. However, rage boiled up as soon as he saw Jean.
Carly looked over as well, and her eyes narrowed. "You!" she spat.
"I'm not here for you," he said dismissively, keeping his eyes on Eren.
Carly scoffed and folded her arms.
Eren instinctively shifted, placing himself slightly in front of her in an unconscious act of chivalry. His tone was clipped as he asked, "What do you want? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"
"Enough dicking around," Jean yelled over the pounding music. "This was supposed to be a boy's night out."
"Yeah. We hung out, it was great, we should do it again. We also came here to have some fun." He huffed under his breath. "Hell, I thought you were hoping to get laid."
"I could if I wanted to!" Jean snapped.
Eren waved out at the dance floor. "Then go. There are plenty of ladies to choose from."
Jean's scowl hardened. "You never hang out with anyone from work. You were supposed to spend this time with us."
Eren blinked, thrown off by the sheer intensity of Jean's anger. "What?" He let out an incredulous scoff. "Are you serious? You're throwing a tantrum because I won't play with you? What are you, six? Grow up." He shook his head and began to turn back to Carly.
Jean grabbed his shoulder to yank him around, although Eren hit Jean's wrist out of pure reflex, thrusting away his grip.
"We've barely had four rounds," Jean shouted.
"You do realize, this is the most I've drank since university. I don't plan on drinking until I pass out. I have a long ride home."
"I'll call you a cab."
"I am not getting drunk."
"You were supposed to be with me!" he blurted out.
That was it. His frayed patience snapped. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I your fucking emotional support animal? Jesus, Jean. I never agreed to be glued to your damn hip all night."
Carly came out from behind Eren. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something between you two?"
Eren said "No," while at the same time Jean said "Yes."
Eren's head snapped toward him, anger flashing in his teal eyes.
Carly looked between the two. "Eren," she muttered, remembering her night with Jean and that soft moan in the night. She took a step back, worried she had gotten in the middle of something. "Are you…? How do you two know each other?"
"It ain't like that!" Jean barked, feeling threatened by the suspicious glances she was giving between the two of them.
Eren was calmer as he assured her, "I told you, I was here with some coworkers. Jean works in the same department as me."
"Oooh," she whispered. She backed up even more from both of them. "Um, I'm going to let you two have some space to talk privately."
"No, please…" Eren began to plead.
Jean took a step now toward her. "I said, it's not like that. Whatever you're thinking…"
Eren leaped in his way, arms outstretched to block him. "What the hell is your problem?"
Jean's lip curled. "We didn't come here to fuck some whores."
Carly gasped in disgust. "You asshole!"
Eren turned sharply to her, hands up in a calming gesture. "Ignore him. He's a bigot and a racist who talks horribly to women."
Jean grabbed Eren's arm and yanked him back around. "The fuck are you sayin' about me?"
Eren's gaze flickered down to where Jean's fingers clenched his suit coat. When he looked back up, his expression had turned deadly. His voice was quiet—too quiet.
"Let … go."
Jean straightened to full height. He was taller, his presence imposing, but Eren did not back down. Those teal eyes, filled with disgust toward him, made Jean even more furious.
"We were having a good time before you took off to chase after some pussy."
"All of us were having a wonderful time, before you decided to be a fucking cockblock." He turned back to Carly and smiled nervously as he assured her, "Not that it was my intention." He turned back to Jean. "Sheesh, why are you being a jealous little bitch?"
"Who says I'm jealous?" Jean growled, his voice simmering with something darker than mere rage. "Of her? You can have my sloppy seconds! I'm pissed that you'd ditch your friends, the guys who are buying your drinks tonight, all for some whore?"
Eren snapped, "You do not speak that way to women, you horse-faced bastard!"
Jean sneered. "I can when it's a woman I've already fucked."
Carly recoiled. "Oh, I'm warning every single one of my friends about you, Jean."
He turned sharply at her. "Get out of here, you baby-killing bitch. This doesn't concern you."
Carly's mouth dropped in utter repulsion. She stomped forward, and her hand flew across Jean's face in a resounding crack. Leaning right up into his face, she hissed softly, "I hope you choke to death on his dick." With that, she turned and disappeared into the sea of bodies.
"I said it's not like that!" he screamed after her.
"No, wait!" Eren began to shout as Carly fled, but he did not blame her for running away. He spun back to Jean in a white-hot fury. "See what you did?"
"Good. Now come back and drink with us."
"Why the hell would I want to sit at the same table as you after pulling a stunt like that?"
"We're supposed to be hanging out."
"No, we're supposed to have fun, and I was before you charged in like a racehorse. I didn't even want to come here. Then just as I started to forget all the shit in my life, you come and ruin everything for me, like you always do. Fuck you!" He turned and began to storm away.
Jean swiftly clasped his fingers around Eren's wrist. "Hey!"
Eren grabbed Jean's hand and twisted his arm up behind him so swiftly, Jean was unable to react until he found himself in an agonizing hold, screaming and cursing in pain. The earlier slap and now a scream surprised many people around them.
Eren's breath was hot against his ear, his voice low and seething. "Touch me again, and you'll be wearing a cast to work on Monday."
Then they both saw eyes in the crowd looking over at them. Eren released Jean, who stumbled away, stunned by the sheer strength in Eren's hands, considering he looked softer than he had when they were teens.
"Fine!" Jean snarled. "Do whatever you want. Fuck whoever you want. I don't give a shit."
He stormed away from the dance floor and back to the booth. He dropped heavily into the seat, his shoulders hunched, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His cheek still stung where Carly had slapped him, a hot, humiliating reminder of how spectacularly he had just made an ass of himself. The club's pounding music barely masked the roaring frustration in his head.
Reiner took a slow sip of his beer with barely concealed amusement. "Well, that was dramatic. Fun while it lasted."
Bertholdt sighed, watching Jean's sulking. "Why did that lady slap you? What did you say to her?"
Jean's upper lip quivered in a faint sneer, but he did not answer.
Reiner asked, "And why would you interrupt Eren in the first place? The poor guy was finally getting some action."
Jean's voice was low and simmering. "Seeing him with that girl pissed me off."
Reiner blinked, genuinely perplexed. "Why?"
Jean's fist curled on the table. "Fuck if I know." The words came out sharper than he meant. He forced himself to lean back, running a hand through his hair. "He always pissed me off. Rich parents, nice family, hot sister, good grades, good in sports, popular with the girls. Everyone loved him, and I was just that kid who hangs out with Eren. Fuck that!"
For a moment, it seemed like he might unload all over again in an explosion. Instead, he snatched Eren's half-empty beer, chugged it in one go, and slammed the glass back onto the table with a hollow thud.
Reiner muttered under his breath, "You're gonna regret doing that."
Jean sneered at the foam dripping down the emptied glass. His voice was low, rough, and he grumbled, "He's able to pick up girls without even trying. Walks into a club, and two seconds later some bitch is trying to ride his dick, whereas it took me all night buying drinks for that lady before I finally convinced her to come home with me. He makes it look so goddamn easy." His voice lowered, more to himself now. "Everyone falls for Eren."
Bertholdt's knowing glance flicked to Reiner, but the blond only shook his head in warning.
Don't push it.
But Bertholdt couldn't help himself. "Everyone?"
Jean's eyes snapped up, burning beneath the low lights. For half a second, Bertholdt thought he had crossed a line, until Jean's gaze flicked away, scowling deeper. Bertholdt thought for a second that it was out of bashfulness, until he realized Eren was walking up to their table.
After leaving Jean, Eren had searched the dance floor, trying to find Carly amidst the seething bodies and flashing neon lights. After a few minutes, he gave up, shoulders slumping in defeat, and retreated. Now he was near the table, keeping a hesitant eye on Jean.
"Thanks for the drinks," he said.
"I'll get you a cab," Bertholdt offered.
"You've done enough. Thanks, really." He glanced at Jean, still hunched over and turned away from him. Eren frowned and wearily shook his head. "I'll see you at work on Monday." Then he turned and headed for the club doors.
Jean only now looked over, following Eren as he made his way to the exit. As soon as Eren vanished into the night, Jean bolted up and yanked his coat on. "I'm leaving too." He pulled out his wallet and laid down some bills. "My portion of the tab."
"Wait! You really shouldn't … drive…" Bertholdt sighed as Jean was already too far away to hear. "Well, there goes a fun night together."
Reiner swirled the last of his drink. "Hey, can't say it wasn't entertaining."
"I'm glad someone enjoyed himself."
Reiner merely smiled. Just like back in high school, watching Eren and Jean go head-to-head was always entertaining for him.
Bertholdt thought it over. "Don't you think it's strange that Jean got so angry?"
"Not really," Reiner said dismissively. "He's always been envious of Eren."
"But is it because Eren almost scored with a lady, or because it was a lady?"
Reiner turned to him with a pointed look. "Don't. You're getting that same scheming glint in your eyes that Hange does, and it freaks me the hell out." He began to take another drink.
Bertholdt shrugged, feigning innocence. "You have to admit, that was an extreme reaction just for a little canoodling."
Reiner sputtered into his beer, his face flushing. "Seriously, who the hell says canoodling these days?"
Bertholdt smirked teasingly, and his voice dropped low. "I know you like it when I talk old-fashioned."
Reiner's eyes narrowed in mock warning. Under the table, his fingers slid along Bertholdt's wrist, secretly holding his hand. "You're sweet, but you're expecting too much from those guys."
Bertholdt still had a scheming glint. "You can't blame me. Like Hange said once: closeted guys make the best screamers."
Reiner stiffened slightly, his playful edge faltering. He leaned closer to Bertholdt's ear. "Careful what you say. You, of all people, know how Jean feels about gay stuff."
Bertholdt's smile faded. "He was never mean to me."
"You were too scared to come out because of him. You said so yourself."
Bertholdt pressed his lips together into a frown. Reiner wasn't wrong. He had been terrified all through high school that if someone figured out he was gay, he might be kicked off the basketball team—it had happened to a student their freshman year. Then Jean would target him. Even after Jean moved away, the culture of hostility he helped create had lingered in that school like a miasma, polluting it for years.
"Maybe that's why I hope this is repression and not just bigotry," Bertholdt muttered. "Maybe Jean likes Eren, but he's too scared to admit it to himself. I met his dad once. Not a nice man. If I had a father like that, I'd be scared to come out too."
Reiner sighed heavily, squeezing his boyfriend's hand. "Which is why I'm begging you not to tease Jean about this. If he gets as homophobic with you as he used to be with Armin…" His fingers clenched slightly. "I really don't want to go to jail for manslaughter."
"Aww!" Under the table, Bertholdt squeezed Reiner's massive hand back in reassurance. "Are you saying you'd kill a man for insulting me? That's adorable, in a terrifying sort of way." His voice lowered into a seductive whisper. "It turns me on."
Reiner's composure cracked just enough to smirk. Under the table, he slid his hand up Bertholdt's thigh, slow and deliberate. "You like it when I'm a bad boy."
Bertholdt hummed with a thrill of pleasure. "Rawr!" he playfully growled.
Reiner's hand slid higher along Bertholdt's thigh. His fingers ghosting over his groin. Bertholdt shuddered and pinned Reiner's fingers flat down before they could wander more.
"Later," he whispered, brushing his thumb over Reiner's knuckles before pulling away.
Reiner leaned back, trying to suppress the heat creeping up his neck. "Tease."
"I know you love it."
The club throbbed around them, neon lights flashing over their faces. The two of them sat in comfortable silence, their hands remaining hidden beneath the table, fingers lightly entwined. Reiner signaled the waitress for another round, and Bertholdt leaned into his shoulder, humming softly along to the music.
# # #
# #
#
One Night Stand was a 2001 hit by British girl group Mis-Teeq. The song hit #5 in the UK singles chart, as well as getting international acclaim.
Hey Jealousy is a 1993 hit by Gin Blossoms and became the band's signature song. It's about a man who ruined a relationship and wants to get back together.
Rock Your Body was a 2002 hit single on Justin Timberlake's debut album and helped to cement his solo career. The song got embroiled in controversy during the 2004 Super Bowl, when Justin Timberlake joined Janet Jackson to perform Rock Your Body. As he sang the final line, "Bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song," he was meant to rip away only the top layer of Janet's black leather costume to expose a red lace bra. However, something went wrong, and for a brief second her entire breast was exposed before she covered it in horror and television cameras cut away to a wide shot.
We will see this incident later on in this story. I cannot emphasize how massive this so-called NippleGate incident was back in 2004, how a simple wardrobe malfunction potentially altered an election and changed world history forever.
(right after Justin rips off Janet's costume)
# # #
Hey Jealousy: A Personal Story
(Warning: contains mentions of SA)
To start off, my first boyfriend was abusive and cheated on me with my (former) best friend. Our six months of hellish dating culminated with him violently sexually assaulting me. I was too mentally traumatized—and brainwashed—to even realize that I should report this, plus I had a friend who tried to report an attempted rape by her boyfriend, and nothing was done. "Boys will be boys." I figured nothing would come of it, and I didn't want the whole school to know.
Obviously, we broke up, and barely a week later he wanted to get back together. Like hell was I taking him back!
I began to date my best friend's younger brother: 6'2", dreamy blue eyes, wore glasses (I am a sucker for glasses), funny, nerdy, trained in martial arts, loved sci-fi and anime, a gentle giant…. In short, he was everything I found attractive, plus when I said I felt scared of my ex, he promised to protect me. I fully believed he would have kicked that bastard's butt!
The fact that I had moved on pissed off my ex. He pestered me for months, insisting "You don't really love him, you're just using him." He also spread rumors that I slept around while we were dating, when in reality he had cheated on me.
He began to date a flute player known to put out and loudly bragged about what the two of them did, but my friends said he only did that when I was around. He would play the song Hey Jealousy almost every day as soon as I stepped into the band room, constantly asking if I was jealous of him and his new girlfriend. I wasn't jealous at all, though, and I ignored his immature actions. This pissed him off even more.
One day, he demanded to know. "What does he have that I don't?"
We were all in the school marching band, my ex played alto sax (little sax), my new boyfriend played tenor sax (big sax). So, without missing a beat, I replied, "He has a bigger sax than you." The whole band burst out laughing!
Everyone knew he was desperate to get me back; even his girlfriend eventually realized she was being used. After those two broke up, she told me that he had been abusive and constantly compared her to me, complaining that while she had bigger boobs, she couldn't match me with kissing. (Apparently I'm a good kisser?) He wanted her to be jealous and hate me, but we remained friends.
Meanwhile, I was head-over-heels for my new boyfriend. He was amazing and helped me to emotionally heal. The only reason we broke up is his mother, who was in the Army, got reassigned to a new base. As soon as he moved away, my ex called me up and tried to convince me to take him back. I hung up on him.
He went back to playing Hey Jealousy when I was around and insisting I was jealous of anyone who happened to be dating, mocking that I was now all alone. But I was happy being single.
At one point, he approached me and a band friend of mine, both of us having dated him, and said, "I want to get back together." When we asked which one he was talking to, he said both. He wanted a threesome.
We laughed. Both of us wanted nothing to do with that abusive bastard.
Ever since then, Hey Jealousy reminds me of my ex.
If you listen to the lyrics, one line goes, "If you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down." Because even in the 1990s, men wanted women to lower their expectations. "I promised not to drink, sleep around, or be abusive, but, you know, don't actually expect any of that, now why won't you take me back? Oh, you want communication, respect, to be treated as an equal, and fidelity? God, you can be such a needy little bitch!"
Ladies, don't lower your standards. There are decent men out there, they just don't listen to manosphere vloggers. Find yourself a partner who respects you as an independent human being. Or a cat.
And men, if you can meet the most basic levels of human decency, you have an advantage over all of the wannabe Andrew Tates out there. Just please, for the love of God, PLEASE… Wash. Your. Dick. That is how low women's standards have plummeted. Yet apparently there are men out there who think washing their crotch or even wiping the shit off their ass could emasculate them and make them gay. ISTFG.
Anyway … although my boyfriend played Hey Jealous to insinuate that I was jealous of him, he was actually playing a song that reflected his own insecurities, his ugly jealousy, and his desperation to get back together.
What a loser!