Faith [Eren x Reader]

Nothing Compares

CW: potential panic attack

heyyyy i didn't take five months this time! no serious smut in this chapter unfortunately :( hope u guys don't mind, it's just as long as the chapters that do have it. 

Your first night out solo in New York City was a night you wanted to be memorable. This opportunity you took advantage of was a huge step toward your career. However, your imagination continued to trail to places where you'd daydream of being with Eren for a long walk in the night. You would lock away the thoughts as soon as they appeared. 

The plan for tonight was simple. Get laid by someone who was not Eren Jaeger. It sounded easy to you, but you knew that it would be difficult for you once you were in the moment. Of course, you weren't going to do anything you didn't want to do, but you were worried that if you led a man on and then decided to leave, his reaction could get aggressive. 

You dressed up in your regular going-out clothes. Nothing too revealing since you were planning on bar-hopping, not clubbing. As you eyed yourself in the hotel room's body mirror, you were beaming with confidence.  Hyping yourself up and striking a few poses, you feel a twinge of excitement. What if you do meet someone new? You weren't necessarily on the hunt to be in a relationship, but it would be nice. Or to have a local show you around, something like that. 

The first bar you visited at ten pm was lively, bustling with energy and laughter. Slightly nervous about being by yourself, you hold your head up high and head to the bar stools. You slide into a seat behind a couple and next to an older woman drinking by herself. The bartender greets you while cleaning a wine glass, and you ask for a cosmopolitan. He nods, pushing the drink in front of you not a minute later. 

Spinning around with your drink in hand, you examine the crowd. Young women with their friends and boyfriends, businesspeople still clad in formal attire, pre-gaming club-goers. You take a long sip from your cosmo, ignoring the taste. Do you wait until someone comes up to you? 

Turning back to the bar, you hesitantly pull your phone out. The last thing you and Eren had texted about was his dealer, to which you replied with 'thanks!'. You don't want to seem too preoccupied, so you put your phone face down and focus on drinking. 

When eleven pm rolls around, you move to the next bar. This one was much darker, had louder music, and even more people. You find yourself at the counter, ordering a raspberry cosmopolitan. The seat next to you was empty for a few minutes until a man with blonde hair and a beard approached and glided in next to you, smiling and then ordering a whiskey on the rocks. 

You look away since he is too attractive for his own good and try to avert your attention. But he's staring straight at you, waiting for you to give him any sign of interest. This is your fucking chance, you tell yourself. 

"Hi." He grins when you meet eyes with him, his rolled-up dress shirt sleeves accentuating his large forearms. No ring. 

"Hi." You return the innocent energy, swirling your finger around the rim of your glass. 

"You from here?" He asks, beckoning to you and then taking a sip of his drink. You shake your head and ask him the same thing. "Yep. I only live here because of work, but I like the city." He waits a moment, eyeing your face. "Zeke." He holds a hand out. 

"Y/N," you shake his hand, happy with his politeness. "Are you here by yourself?" 

"Yeah, figured I'd stop for a drink after work, see if I can meet any new people. Seeing as we're talking, I've already accomplished that goal." He smiles and downs the rest of his drink, gently placing the glass on the bar. "You?"