"Can I tell you again, how beautiful you look tonight?" Asked Erwin, resting his palm on the small of Historia's back, steering her under the luxuriant green of Boston ivy draped over an iron pergola at the entrance to the gardens of Yarckel Center of Arts and Gardens, lush tendrils intertwined with blinking string lights. They ducked into the thick foliage and the soft glow of the lightning.
"If you keep this flattery going, I'm going to think you don't like my usual look." Historia chuckled.
"I like every look of yours, Historia. But tonight… Maybe it's just the atmosphere here, and the lights, but it really suits you." A shiver ran like a ghostly touch over her bare skin when his fingers grazed over her naked shoulder blades. "You belong here, so lavish and regal."
A tinge of heat crawled over her cheeks.
"You are spoiling me, Erwin," she said breathily, taking his hand, entwining her fingers with his, as they emerged on the other side of the pergola.
"Then let me spoil you even further."
He guided her towards discreetly placed long buffet tables, groaning with gourmet finger food, sandwich fixings, and one-bite appetizers. Historia skimmed over fine cheese selection, herb-crusted olives, shrimps, and scallops skewers lining at the top of the counter. A gust of heat came from candles placed beneath warming pans at the hot buffet when she leaned in to fill her plate with the serving of warm hors d'oeuvres, and she pulled away hastily.
"Careful…" Erwin whispered, and his palm tightened at her elbow. "Let's find a table, and I will take care of our drinks."
They had settled at a tall, small table covered with draped, silky white fabric, and Historia watched Erwin maneuver between groups of mingling guests, struggling to juggle flutes of champagne and two small bottles of expensive, imported sparkling water.
"Thank you," she said when he finally made it and giggled. "I don't think you would make a career as a server, though."
"You don't say," Erwin answered with a smile "I think self-service buffets at art summer parties like this one are a mistake. Just have waiters circling around."
"You must go to a lot of events like this, right?"
"Yes, to a fair share of all the art fundraisers, and apparently Long Island is brimming with galleries, museums, and art centers. This is just the beginning of all the white summer parties and cocktail benefits, and it's a fairly small one comparing to the others ahead of us."
"Ahead of us?" Historia couldn't help a smirk.
"If you are still willing to be my date? I have many parties scheduled." Erwin grinned, brushing his hand over his hair. "You like horses. You will be delighted at Ehrmich Horse Races, if you haven't been so far, have you?"
"No, I haven't, I would like to go," Historia said with a sigh, lowering her head. After a moment of awkward silence, she continued. "Anyway, I really like this 'white' party idea. It's very elegant and refreshing."
"And overdone… everywhere. Why not different colors? Green? Blue? Or a rainbow?" Erwin said with a sneer. "If I were to own a gallery like that, I would do all rainbow and unicorns party…"
"That's a nice thought, owning an art gallery…" She let out a laugh but then sighed, lifting the champagne flute to her mouth for the remaining sip, the alcohol gently warming her face already.
A fine tune of string quartet playing in the background grew increasingly, cutting into their conversation. Several guests spilled over the lawn in front of the Crystal Pavillon, dancing.
"Would you like to dance, Historia?" asked Erwin, leaning in. The light candle lights played on his face and his eyes seemed even more intensely blue. Historia's breath caught up in her throat. Erwin was gorgeous.
"I would love to…" Her fingers curled around his as she slowly slid her palm into his hand.
He steered her to the improvised dancing floor under the evening sky. The garden lanterns' shadows danced around the whirling couples. Erwin's free hand slid to the small of her back, his touch soothing but firm. Historia's palm rested on his shoulder and grazed it with a smile. He returned her smile, pulled her into his embrace with a swift movement, and their bodies brushed against each other as he guided both of them through the slow flow of the music. Historia followed his lead with ease.
Erwin kept his eyes on her as they floated effortlessly over the lawn. He winked at her before spinning her out. He twirled her around, and she couldn't help but laugh. When he pulled her back in, his grip on her waist tightened, pressing her closer to the warmth of his body, and a shudder of emotion ran along her spine. Her palm tightened at his shoulder and she buried her face in his chest, listening to the beating of his heart.
"Erwin…" she whispered. "Maybe we could take a walk around the gardens."
He squeezed her hand and chuckled in his throat.
"That sounds like a good idea. Their crystal palace and the gardens are beautiful," said Erwin. "They literally have dozens of different sculptures and objects all over the place. I'm dying to show it all to you."
They wandered around the art-laden gardens and the Crystal Pavillon for almost half an hour, slowly sipping champagne and marveling at the exquisite collection of sculptures and modern art arrayed among lush, exotic greenery; strategic lightening created flickering shadows over precious exhibits.
Finally, they settled in the Crystal Pavillon, at the marble bench underneath a lush tamarind tree. The soothing sound of a small fountain and the chirping of crickets was reverberating around them.
"Erwin…" Historia put down her empty champagne flute and leaned forward, closing the distance between their faces. Glistening light reflected off the flaxen gold of Erwin's hair and made his crystal blue eyes sparkle. She ran her fingers over his neatly trimmed stubble, down his jawline and neck, fiddling with the tight collar of his white button-down shirt.
"That collar looks so darn stiff," she said with a low purr. "Let's remedy that." She slid her palm below the fabric and swiftly undid the first two buttons. Her fingertips tingled when she caressed his taut skin. Erwin's throat pulsed with a sudden gulp.
"Feeling naughty?" He asked, muttering under his nose; a glimmer of desire came into his eyes.
"Very," she said, breathless, and her palm curled around his nape, pulling him towards her.
A rush of emotion stormed through her body when their lips touch, and she slipped her tongue lightly into his mouth. His lips curled against hers with a smile.
"I see…" he said, pulling away, his eyes skimming over her face. "Wait, I need to fix something."
He touched her forehead and his fingers reached for a small bobby pin, keeping her bangs in place, and he pulled it out. Her usual unruly blonde strand fell forward over her eyes.
"Now, better," said Erwin, leaning in to kiss her again.
Her lips parted against his, and she gave a light lick to his lower lip before sliding her tongue into his mouth, meeting Erwin's tongue halfway. The playful, tantalizing touch when she wiggled the tip of her tongue against his sent chills of expectation down her spine. Their lips caressed again, teasing before their tongues grazed against each other. His warm mouth tasted of champagne, and she savored it, the crispy sweetness reminding her of the excitement of the evening. Historia's palm entangled into the neatly combed hair at the back of Erwin's head, ruffling it a little, causing him to groan, and their tongues lapped against each other again.
A gasp ripped out of her throat when Erwin pulled away just barely, planting a trail of sensual, open-mouth kisses on her jaw and down her neckline. Her grip on his hair tightened as she guided him to the sensitive hollow at the base of her neck. He nipped at her clavicle, and she trembled with anticipation, her head falling backward. She buried both of her palms in his hair.
Erwin's fingers traveled up her arm, leaving goosebumps all over her skin, and he slid the strap of her dress down; at the same time his face buried in her cleavage, exposed by the deep decollete of her dress.
"Yes… Erwin… please."
(...) full explicit scene available on my Ao3 profile
"There's nothing I desire more." His hot breath grazed her face. "But I think," he said, pulling away. There was a conflict and disappointment flickering in his blue eyes. "We still have an art auction ahead of us tonight, and as much as this is sexy, I want to have you all to myself without distractions and time restrictions. Would you accept a dinner invitation to my house some other time?"
"Of course I would. But soon." She planted a small kiss at the side of his nose, and her fingers brushed over his hair, smoothening the ruffled strands. Erwin pulled the strap of her dress back up and smiled at her.
"I will look forward to it," he said, reaching out for her hand. "Now come, I will let you chose the art piece I will bid on."
"You have an amazing ability to regenerate, young man," said Hange, smoothly wiggling out the staples from Eren's head, one after another. "The cut looks fantastic."
"Does that mean—" Eren asked, but Historia who was fidgeting on the armchair at Hange's desk was first.
"Good to know, Hange, thanks. Should we still be careful with that or can he burn some of his energy and go surfing?"
Hange giggled.
"Oh, I see. He must have been a pain in the ass," they said and immediately covered their mouth, chuckling. "Sorry, Historia."
"Don't even tell me." Historia winked. "Everybody's dying to see him back in the water. Right, Eren?"
"Right," he muttered under his nose.
"Well, just to be safe—and I know you will go surfing immediately after I let you out of here—let's limit it to an hour a day, just for a couple of more days. And check his head afterward. If you see anything unsettling, send me a photo."
"Thanks again, Hange."
"No problem, and have fun." Hange sighed.
"You should join us sometime," said Historia, her voice playful. "How long since you've been to a beach, not to mention out there, in the ocean."
"Too long, to tell you the truth. But you know, I have an endless supply of hurt people here, it never ends."
"Oh, come surfing with us sometime, doctor," Eren chirped in.
"I agree with Eren, Hange, or if not surfing, you should at least come by for a dinner sometime, on a Sunday or something."
"Sunday dinner, right? I can make that work. I would love to see your squad, some of you, unlike Eren here," Hange winked at the boy, "I haven't seen in ages."
"Sounds like a plan then," said Historia, her voice soft. "Come on Eren, let's leave the good doctor to their duties."
"Sounds like a plan," Hange nodded and opened the door, letting them through, yelling towards the group of people gathered in the waiting room. "Mr. Sannes, you are next."
Historia and Eren made it to Historia's van, old Ford E 350, and while they both buckled up, she said, "Eren, text Levi, tell him we are going to meet in the water. Now, aren't you all excited?"
"I am." Eren's emerald eyes glistened. "I will text Armin, too."
They accessed the Ditch Plain beach from the parking lot and Historia squinted as the glaring sun, reflected by the ocean, blinded her for a moment. She burrowed her feet in the warm sand and tightened her grip over the shortboard she held under her arm. She hadn't been surfing for a while now and she felt both the thrill and reverence towards the ocean, taking it slow to fully enjoy the experience. The beach was basking in the rays of the afternoon sun, and six-foot waves were rolling in lazy, steady sets. There were several surfers already in the water, but the line-up was not crowded.
Levi and the rest of the kids had already been out there. She also noticed a familiar group of surfers hanging out next to them, Levi's friends from his old squad, Olou, Eld, Gunther, and Petra, treading water next to him. Historia's eyebrows knitted together in a concerned frown.
"If you have warmed up enough, go catch up to Armin and the rest," she said to Eren, who was fidgeting impatiently, standing shoulder to shoulder with her. "But show me your face first."
Eren craned his neck towards her, and she leaned towards him, her fingertips spreading the lumps of sunscreen equally all over his face.
"Now, go, I will be right behind you. I just want to do some more yoga poses," she said and watched Eren trotting away towards the ocean.
She covered her eyes with her palm and observed the line-up. Petra hadn't moved from Levi's side, and from the beach it looked like they were chatting, their arms occasionally brushing each other. Historia let out a sigh. That had been supposed to be a family thing, for Armin, and not some opportunity for Petra to hit on Levi.
She took a deep breath and stretched her arm above her head, then arched her back. With an exhale, she dropped her arms forward towards the sand, folding in half. She lowered her body into a plank and to the cobra position. She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly, letting the sun rays wash over her face, before pushing her hips up into the Downward Dog. Her ponytail fell to a side, and she adjusted her position to stretch her every muscle. Historia shifted smoothly to a lunge and back to forward fold, finishing the sun salutation sequence with another stretch of her arms. With the final exhale, she folded her palms in front of her chest.
Historia got close to the water's edge and strapped her board leash to her ankle. She ran her palm over the deck under her arm with affection. The swell rose in front of her, powerful, hypnotizing, but at the same time familiar and peaceful. She tugged at the long sleeves of her skintight black wetsuit and took the first step into the whitewater.
The cool water washed over her calves in a familiar way. Her footstep, first precarious, adjusted to the power of the undertow and the slick surface of the stony bottom, and soon enough she waded out to her thighs and let her board and her palms flow over the surface. Then she delved her fingers into the ocean, letting the water tread through them, paying silent respect to the ocean. Let me in. She mouthed almost voicelessly.
She slid over the deck of her board. The sweet scent of fresh wax mixed with the salty smell of the ocean hit her nostrils. Paddling out turned out easy, once she got through the whitewash, and her board felt one with her, sliding over the green surface. Her strokes were still strong like they used to be, and she felt at home. At her beach.
She lifted her chest even more up, to aim at the spot in a line-up where Levi was straddling his board. Their kids to the left, Petra and the guys to the right. With two more strokes, she reached them, staying a bit more on the inside.
"Hi!" she said, sitting on her deck, and sent a general wave to the surfers in the line-up. "How's Armin doing?"
"Check that for yourself," said Levi.
Indeed. Armin appeared on the crest of the wave, paddling hard. Then he popped out, and all of them watch him carving the face of the steep wave when he rode it into oblivion. She smiled back at Levi.
"Nice choice of the board."
"I knew he would shine on it."
He moved, making a space for her at his side. Petra watched her with narrowed eyes and a scowl on her face.
"Going to surf, Krista?" she asked with a sneer.
"We will see. We are here for the kids," she said, turning her head, as Eren hooted, riding a fast wave, probably his first after his enforced break.
"Hange cleared him out for surfing?" asked Levi, his board bumping into Historia's. Their knees touched under the surface.
"Yeah, but he shouldn't stay in the saltwater longer than an hour."
"Not much time, then. Going to ride?"
She hesitated, and as if he was reading her mind, he said, "we could block you a nice one."
"Seriously? Cutting in the line-up?" Petra said. They both ignored her, and Historia laughed.
Seriously. That's my beach.
"Or…" He said after a while, mischievous grin crawling upon his lips, and he swept a small wave of water into Historia's direction, splashing her. "We could share, like we did when we were kids. I could drop in on you. Come on, we haven't seen you shred those waves in a while."
Petra's eyes went wide when he said that, and a smirk of satisfaction tugged at the corners of Historia's lips. She splashed Levi back and nodded.
"Ok, let's do that."
A swell arose in front of them and they both turned, going for the wave paddling side by side. Several hoots reverberated behind them. Historia took a deep breath before popping out, then both of them dropped on the steep green face of the wave. She was at the wave first, but she could feel Levi's presence just behind her. She slid down the wave, sped into a bottom turn, and went up again. Levi carved the wave and pumped it, going in front of her. They traded places again, and the line-up went all hooting. Historia felt the rush of the speed warming her face, her heart-beat fast, pounding.
Just when the wave was about to close out, Levi caught up to her, their decks almost in parallel. She hadn't expected what came next. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her off the board, dragging her with him into the ocean. The wave dumped the mass of the water over them, and they both, holding each other tightly, bodies pressed together, their legs and arms entwined, got tumbled head over heels. Historia's first instinct was to hide in his taut chest, but she lifted her face, and then—what the heck?—she felt the urge to press her lips against his. His mouth was slightly coarse and salty, but he returned the kiss, coaxing her mouth to let his tongue in just barely.
