Love Games - Erwin x Reader

Part 9

You frowned upon seeing Erwin slowly walk out of the mess hall looking somewhat...uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" Asked Mike, turning to look at you.
"I'm going to go talk to him." You replied standing up. "I'll catch up with you later."
"Alright, good luck."
You nodded and smiled gratefully before hastily leaving the table to go after the commander.
Mike watched you leave with a neutral look on his face and shrugged, stirring his soup.
However before he could enjoy his dinner in peace, someone sat down opposite him.
"That was quick!" He mused, looking up and raising an eyebrow when he was met by a certain bespectacled titan lover. "Oh it's you. What do you want?"
"Mike." Smiled Hanji knowingly, batting her eyelashes at him behind her glasses. "Have you by any chance, been conspiring with f/n to mess with Erwin's head?"
Sitting back in his seat, the tall section commander inhaled deeply and smirked.
"No more that you've been helping Erwin try and win f/n over."
"Ah touche comrade!" She giggled. "However, I have a proposal for you."
"No."
"What? You don't even know what I'm going to say?"
"You want me to help you spy on f/n and Erwin" He stated matter of factly. "Erwin's already proved he wants more than a quick fumble and f/n is willing to give him a chance, leave them alone to sort things out between themselves."
"Aw, you're no fun!" Pouted Hanji. "Aren't you the slightest bit curious?"
Mike narrowed his eyes at her and pursed his lips thoughtfully.
"You're thinking about it aren't you?" Giggled Hanji, a manic smile slowly creeping across her face.
"Only because you're going to try and follow them anyway!"
"Would I?" She gasped in mock offence, slapping a hand over her chest.
Mike stared at her with a bored expression for a moment.
"Well if you intend to stop me...you'll have to come with me won't you?"

Erwin walked briskly down the corridor, heading back towards his office.
"Commander!"
"Hmm?"
Turning around his heart almost skipped a beat when he saw you jogging to catch up with him, stopping in front of him you took a moment to catch your breath before speaking.
"What is it?" He asked curiously, his bushy brows furrowing slightly.
"I...erm...I just wanted to see if you were okay." You started nervously looking around to make sure no one else was around. "I was worried you and Mike were going to come to blows during training earlier."
"What gave you that impression?" Questioned Erwin.
"The way you were death glaring each other while I was trying to assess the recruits?" You giggled, folding your arms. "You do realize that Mike and I are just close friends...right?"
"Of course I do." He replied evenly, not willing to admit that he was indeed jealous of your closeness.
"Okay good." You nodded, clearing your throat and awkwardly shifting your weight from one foot to the other. "Well, erm...I should go...bye."
Erwin watched you turn around and walk away, a frown creeping across his face.
'Go after her you idiot!' Shouted a voice in his head.
"F/n wait!"
"Yes?"
You stopped and turned around almost immediately, your e/c eyes widening and staring at him in concern.
"What are you doing now?" He asked approaching you.
"Oh, erm." You blushed and struggled to maintain eye contact with him. "I have the rest of the day to myself so I was going to catch up on my paperwork."
"I see." He nodded. "Well would you like to accompany me on a ride around the training grounds instead? It looks like there are storm clouds on the horizon and the last thing you want to be doing is catching a cold while exercising your horse."
You swallowed hard and smiled, grateful for her concern for your welfare.
"Alright."
Erwin smiled softly and gestured for you to lead the way to the stables. However he failed to notice two senior officers poking their heads around the mess hall doors and watching him with interest before following a few minutes after...

"Hmm looks like they're going for a ride." Said Hanji, she and Mike stood a short distance from the stables observing you walk up to your horse and stroke its muzzle while Erwin walked away a few meters along the row to another stall where his horse resided.
"They did this once before." Mused Mike. "Well, now we know what they're doing we can leave them to..."
Hanji naturally had other ideas.
Before Mike could finish speaking she had already run off down the path towards the stables to get her own horse prepared for riding.
Rolling his eyes and groaning, Mike followed her.

"Hey, are you ready?" You asked with a small smile, stopping outside the stall where Erwin's horse resided and mounting Whisper.
"Yes, all set." He replied, adjusting the bridle and pulling the reins over the animal's head before climbing up into the saddle.
"So where are we riding to?" You asked quizzically, clicking your tongue and gently kicked Whisper's sides, encouraging her to start walking.
"Shall we go down to the lake while the weather's still nice?"
"Sure...catch me if you can!"
Pulling back hard on Whisper's reins, the animal reared up and whinnied loudly before galloping off in the direction of the lake.
"Oh don't worry f/n." Smirked the blonde commander, spurring his own horse and following you. "I will catch you and when I do...I will make you mine!"

"Hurry up Mike!" Yelled Hanji, putting her foot in the stirrup and moving to mount her horse, however just before she could swing herself up into the saddle she was grabbed by her shirt collar a moment later and yanked backwards.
"You're not going anywhere." He remarked lowly. "The games are at an end Hanji, leave them alone."
"Aw come on!" She protested, struggling in his grip but to no avail. "I wanna see what they get up to!"
"How would you feel if someone was stalking you and Levi?"
"I'd ask them to take notes for scientific purposes!" Giggled the bespectacled brunette.
Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Come on Mike!" She pleaded. "We've both been playing them off against one another in a mad bout of flirting and trying to see whether they like each other or not, don't you want to see the final result?"
"F/n will tell me about it later, as I'm sure Erwin will confide in you. Now sort your horse out and get back to the castle, we have work to do."
"Ugh...fine!"
Mike stood and folded his arms, watching Hanji closely as she removed her horse's saddle and bridle, putting them away before skulking back to the castle and muttering about her comrade ruining her fun.

Having managed to get a small head start on Erwin, you reached the lake at the eastern side of the training grounds first.
Bringing your horse to a halt you turned around and grinned upon seeing Erwin approach and halt a few feet from you.
"You took your time!" You giggled, dismounting Whisper and leading her to the lake so she could have a drink.
"Since when were you so cheeky to your superiors?" Asked Erwin quizzically, raising a bushy eyebrow at you.
"Since you started flirting with me...or do you not want me to be myself around you?" You retorted.
"No, I very much want you to be yourself around me." He answered evenly, dismounting his horse and patting its neck before joining you at the water's edge.
"Can I ask you something Erwin?"
"Of course."
"Why did you decide to put the recruits up against Levi instead of me for their hand to hand combat assessment?"
Erwin blinked rapidly before responding, although truth be told he wasn't really sure how to answer without possibly offending you.
"What do you mean?"
"Well...I'm just curious. I mean, I know Levi is the stronger out of the two of us, but...don't you think that was a little harsh? They are only rookies after all."
"I believe you have just answered your own question f/n."
"Huh?"
"You're too thoughtful towards the rookies, they need to be firmly taken in hand to build up their expectations of what to expect on missions." He explained matter of factly. "The titans won't go easy on them because their rookies, they will still try and kill them without a moments hesitation."
"So...you're comparing Levi to a titan?"
Erwin chuckled and shook his head.
"I'm saying he's harsher in his methods than you are. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I believe in being prepared."
"I see." You nodded. "So nothing to do with my hand to hand combat skills then?"
"Not at all, I've seen you spar with Mike on several occasions. You're actually quite good at holding out against him considering the size difference."
"It's just a case of knowing how to use your opponent's strengths against them." You replied with a shrug. "Mike's height puts him at a disadvantage with me because I can scoot between his legs and blindside him."
"Is that so?"
"Shall I give you a demonstration?" You smirked impishly, making the commander blush.
"You want to spar with me?" He swallowed hard, this wasn't what he had in mind when he said he wanted you to accompany him for a ride.
"What's wrong Erwin?" You challenged, a daring glint shining in your e/c eyes. "Scared of getting beaten up by a girl?"
"You're being serious aren't you?"
"Yep!"
"Alright."
Leading his horse to a tree a few feet from the lake, he tied the reins to a low hanging branch and motioned for you to do the same with Whisper.
You giggled and joined him under the leafy branches, looking for a low hanging one to hitch the animal up to.
"Standard rules apply." Stated Erwin, walking towards an open space "Pin to win."
"Okay." You smiled, assuming a battle stance.
Erwin narrowed his icy blue eyes and did the same, watching you carefully while he pondered his first move...although it seemed you weren't prepared to wait.
You lunged forward and aimed a punch to his stomach, missing when he jumped back and spun around, pushing you forward and knocking you off balance. Quickly righting yourself you lunged forward again, this time throwing all of your weight behind a shoulder blow to his chest and sending him staggering backwards a few steps.
Erwin grunted and grabbed your waist, pulling you back against his broad chest and pinning your arms to your sides so you couldn't raise them. He then attempted to hook his right leg around yours but failed when you raised it between his legs and kicked his backside with the heel of your boot, making his eyes widen and his grip loosen in shock.
You then wasted no time in elbowing him in the ribs, diving between his legs and emerging behind him, grabbing his left wrist and spinning yourself under his arm you twisted it up his back.
"That was a dirty move f/n!" He remarked, looking at you over his shoulder.
"Aww...you mad Erwin?" You pouted, batting your eyelashes at him.
With a smirk Erwin bent over, lifting you from the ground and causing your grip on him to loosen enough for him to break free. Taking advantage of your confusion he turned to face you and hooked his right foot behind your left knee, pulling it out from under you.
You yelped and grabbed his bolo tie, dragging him down with you as you fell.
However you had a plan.
You waited until he landed on top of you and spun the pair of you over so you were straddling his hips and placed your arm across his throat while pinning his arms above his head by his wrists.
"Looks like I win!" You giggled devilishly, relishing the startled look on his face.
"Maybe you should claim your prize then." Said Erwin in a low tone.
"Oh?" You asked, raising your eyebrows. "What would that be then?"
The blonde commander gave you a soft smile and raised his head to yours, giving you a quick peck on the mouth and instantly wiping the smug grin from your face.
You swallowed hard and stared into his eyes for what felt like an eternity before lowering your head to his and pressing a kiss of your own against his lips.
Erwin hummed approvingly and more than willingly responded to your advances.
Your grip on his wrists loosened as the kiss became more passionate and you removed your arm from his throat, placing your hands on either side of his head.
With his wrists now free, the commander instinctively gripped your hips and ground his crotch up against yours, growling into the kiss...however this did not have the desired reaction he was hoping for.
You pulled away immediately and stared wide eyed at him, your lower lip trembling slightly.
"Shit." He muttered, turning his head away and frowning. "I'm sorry f/n, I..."
"Erwin, I like you but..." You started nervously, gently cupping his chin and turning his head back towards you. "I just don't wanna rush this."
Swallowing hard Erwin exhaled deeply, relieved that you hadn't rejected him completely and called him everything from a pervert to a womanizing bastard.
"It's alright, I understand."
You smiled and nodded, pushing yourself off him and offering your hand to help him up.
He returned your smile and gripped your hand tightly in his, standing up straight and brushing a few blades of grass from his uniform.
"We should probably head back." He said, turning to walk back to the horses, failing to notice the slightly worried look on your face, although this also meant that you couldn't see the worried frown that was slowly starting to form on his features either.

The ride back to the stables was surprisingly pleasant despite the awkward encounter down by the lake.
You and Erwin managed to keep a relaxed atmosphere between the two of you and even engaged in small talk during the journey, discussing anything that would prevent the subject of what happened during your little sparring match from being raised.
"F/n."
You looked up from closing the door of Whisper's stall and turned to face Erwin.
"I'm sorry about earlier." He said softly. "I hope I didn't make you feel too uncomfortable."
"It's fine." You smiled, meeting his gaze. "Like I said I'm just not ready for anything intimate yet."
"I understand." He hesitated slightly before stepping closer to you, gently cupping your cheek in one large hand and tilting your head back so you met his gaze. "May I kiss you again?"
"Yes." You replied with barely a whisper, your e/c eyes remaining locked onto his.
Lightly caressing your cheek with the pad of his thumb, the commander lowered his head and gently brushed his lips against yours, sighing when you responded to his advances and rested your hands on his firm chest, gripping his shirt.
After a few moments the two of you parted and stared into each other's eyes, neither of you speaking or so much as twitching until...
"Ah Erwin there you are, I was looking all over for you!"
The two of you jumped apart at the sound of a shrill voice and turned to see a certain bespectacled brunette making her way towards you.
"What is it Hanji?" Asked Erwin, straightening his posture and putting his hands behind his back.
"I needed to speak to you about some results from my latest experiment, do you have time to talk?" She looked in your direction and gave you a bright smile. "Oh f/n, Mike is looking for you by the way."
"Okay, where is he?" You answered neutrally, still you couldn't help but think that he and Hanji had planned to get the two of you alone upon your return and start digging for details of what happened.
"He said he was going back to his office, so chances are he will be there by now."
"Okay. I guess I should go find him them." You mused, giving Erwin a quick smile before making your way back towards the HQ, closely watched by the commander and Hanji.
Once you had gone, Hanji turned back to Erwin and giggled deviously.
"So how did it go?" Asked Hanji enthusiastically. "I want all the details!"
Erwin sighed and leaned back against the stable wall, folding his arms across his chest.
"I kissed her."
"What?" Hanji's puppy brown eyes widened behind her glasses. "That's fantastic! Why the hell don't you sound happier about it?"
"I made an inappropriate move on her and I think I may have made her assume that I was only after one thing from her."
"Oh no, Erwin what did you do?"
"I...I..." He gritted his teeth and growled in the pit of his throat, frustration building inside him as he was forced to relive the encounter down at the lake. "We were sparring, when she pinned me down I...Ugh! I ground my hips up at her in an intimate manner."
"Well you are only human." Shrugged Hanji nonchalantly. "You have feelings for her too, so maybe you just acted on instinct?"
"I don't think she saw it that way." He muttered, looking back towards the castle and furrowing his bushy brows.
"Women are a strange species Erwin." Smiled the titan loving section commander. "I gave Shorty the run around for weeks before deciding to get intimate with him..."
"Yes, well...I really don't need to know about what you and Levi get up to behind closed doors."
"I'm trying to make a point here Erwin!" Said Hanji seriously, lightly slapping his arm before placing her hands on her hips and continuing in a matter of fact tone. "F/n is probably thinking one of two things right now."
"Which would be?"
"Does she really want to risk taking things with you further? I mean we live a dangerous life here, any one of us could die every time we step beyond the walls so the risk of heartbreak is very real...I know it was the main things that put me off pursuing a relationship with Levi."
"The second being?" Asked Erwin curiously.
"She probably thinks that if she jumps straight into bed with you that you will think she's some sort of whore."
"I could never think that of her." Sighed Erwin. "The whole time she's been here I've never once seen her even take an interest in anyone here with a view to being in a relationship with them. Obviously I assumed she was involved with Mike when I started to notice her on a more personal level but..."
"Then it's probably a case of she's wondering if it's worth the risk of taking things with you further that's playing on her mind." Said Hanji softly. "Give her some time and hopefully she will talk to you about it when she's ready."
"Thank you Hanji." Nodded Erwin, turning his attention towards the castle and furrowing his bushy brows as a frown spread across his face.