Brand New Life

Chapter 29: One Life

Reiner and Bertholdt

Reiner's POV

Now... we are just sitting here, the day before school starts for us... since we were on the trip to Paradis Island. Just playing video games. We both had different tastes in games... I liked mine where you become the hero of the game and just fight enemies. Bertholdt... well... he likes the games where you can be as creative as possible.

This time, I'm introducing him into a fantasy game where we can both fight and build together. Multiplayer. Now we can play without any of us complaining about the things. I get to fight, Bertholdt gets to build. That's all that matters.

"Oi, Bertholdt. I'm gonna search for supplies, okay? You wanna build the house?"

He smiles, "You asked for it. I'll make the best house for the both of us to live in."

"Remember, we got one life and the game is over." I say, venturing out to a nearby village, preparing for the monsters that comes at night.

*   *   *

"R-Reiner... come back to the house." Bertholdt whines as he's hiding in the make-shift house. Monsters were already surrounding him and that his health bar was almost depleted. Gah... I was almost there to save him. If he dies... well, he has to start all over from the beginning.

"I'm coming, Bertholdt." I say, slaying every monster that there was. I gotten beaten up so badly that I only had a couple bars left of health. "You good?"

"Y-Yeah." I turned to see Bertholdt, and he was grateful. His voice didn't show it, but on his face, his eyes sparkled... man... he stood up for me when Charlie was flirting with me. But, maybe it was as a friend.

"No problem." I say as I pressed on the button to heal him. "After all, we have one life."

Looking at Bertholdt's character on my screen... I snickered. Did he accidentally press the wrong button? I mean, that must've been it... since he doesn't know about his avatar. "Reiner... what's funny?"

"Bert... what button did you press for gender?"

"Male... why?"

I snickered more. His avatar wasn't a boy... "You sure about that, Bertholdt?"

"I'm sure... why?" He turns over to my screen, and his face turned red in embarrassment. I couldn't hold it in anymore. My sides began to hurt as I started to burst out laughing. "What?! Did I really put my avatar as a female?!"

"W-Well... w-we can't change it! Hah!" My arms tightens around my sides as I laughed. 

"I'm not gonna last as a girl for my avatar!"

"And why is that, Bertholdt?"

"Didn't you read the back of the game, Reiner?!"

"Um... no." I just read what it involves, not the whole other thing about the features. When I saw that this game contains fighting and building, the middle ground... I bought it. For the two of us.

Bertholdt just groans in disappointment, "Reiner, when two players chose the opposite genders of each other, the ability to court the NPCs just disappears."

Scoffing, that was a terrible idea to input into a game where you can have fun. Maybe that's the reason it only costs $21.99 instead of $40 or something. "Oh... so... does that mean I'm the only one you can court- or I have to court you?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Cool... I may not be in a relationship with him in real life... but in this game, we can. "What else can we do in this game, since you know this so much."

He sighs, which presented good news for me and bad news for him. "There is kids that you can name and kinda customize. But that only happens when there's a good house built and that you are married with the person you want to be with it."

"Can you choose genders?"

He shakes his head, "No. But you do have the chance to name them and customize their looks. Oh, and you can also get the chance to age them and marry them off to NPCs."

"Amazing. Well... how long does it take to finish this house, Bertholdt?"

"E-Eh?! W-Why are you asking that?!"

"Well... we are renting this game until tomorrow at 7... so, let's see what we can do together. I would love if we- our avatars had a kid here. You know... a bit of some fun."

He shrugs, "Well... if you helped... a day in the game, I guess."

"Great. Let's get started."

*   *   *

After the house was built, I couldn't stop smiling this terrible grin on my face as I courted with Bertholdt's avatar. It was fun, to be honest... it felt... somehow real as I courted with his character. Almost like I was actually flirting with him. Then, we finally got married- in the game. Soon, the button for a baby appeared over Bertholdt's character's head.

"Oi... look, there's a baby option." I pointed it out, chuckling. "Can I push it?"

He grunts, "We have what? 12 hours until we return the game? Just do it."

I do so, and pink sparkles surrounded Bertholdt and then, she was holding a baby in her arms. On my screen, it states that it was a girl, and asking for a name. "It's a girl, Bert. What can we name her?"

"Tch, whatever you want." He started to grumble as a name popped up in my head.

I thought it was so beautiful and perfect for her... "Welcome to the world, Dani."

"Dani... huh?" Bertholdt says as he pressed buttons.

*   *   *

We played until midnight, and at that time, Dani grew from a baby to a toddler, and into a young child. We leveled her up until she grew to be a young teen. She had blonde hair and light brown eyes, just how we made our characters... she was a mix of the our avatars.

"R-Reiner... it's getting late..." Turning to see Bertholdt yawning and rubbing his eyes, I knew that we had to sleep.

Stretching, we saved the game, knowing that we would never see Dani again. At 6:15, we get ready for school, then we stop by the game store to drop the game off... so we have no time play in the morning. Dani... I would love to adopt a kid that had that name... I think it would fit her...

"You're right, Bert. Let's head to bed now. After all, this game was amazing!"

"Yeah... what's this game called again?"

"One Life."

"Huh... a life for the player's or something? Weird... anyways... this was our life together..."

"If you were a girl." I snickered, "Anyways, milady... shall we head for bed-"

"Reiner, don't call me that- like, ever. Please."

"Fine..."

I couldn't stop but think about the video game... and when I drifted asleep, I thought about us in that video game. Me being that cool warrior, slaying monsters, and Bertholdt being the house-wife. Dani dancing in her dress, spinning around under the warm sun and the sky was clear. Feeling the summer breeze blowing through the fields... I wish that this life would be true... would be real. I would do anything to be in a relationship with him... and we were close... I didn't want to push myself too much... else I would lose Bertholdt again... One Life... huh?

Can't we spend our one life with each other?