Against all of your attempts, Armin was hauling everything out of the Jeep by himself. Sometimes his chivalrous ways really seemed outdated you thought as the cooler slammed into his forehead and sent his sunglasses flying.
“Just concentrate on picking a good spot ....and the towels.” was all he said as he pulled the umbrella out with caution, not wanting to tip the cooler again.
You snickered at his one negative trait, not knowing when to ask for help. Swiftly, you picked up his sunglasses and placed them on his head as he lifted the cooler.
“Thank you babe.” Arimin said but still shook his head when you reached for the umbrella. "I got it."
“You see Freedom, that’s what stubborn people get.” You directed this at your brand new, two month chocolate lab, Freedom, who was sat patiently witnessing his parents exchange.
Knowing insisting would be fruitless, with towels tucked under your arm and Freedom in tow, you began scouting the sand for a spot.
Being a Tuesday afternoon it was only a matter of seconds until you found the perfect place on the far right side of the scattered and mostly empty beach. You’d have no one around your tent and the water would be able to touch your toes with every wave.
Your boyfriend ended up caving in a little, handing you the picnic basket as he juggled with the cooler, umbrella and, blankets.
You struggled lifting your flip flops as the sand kept inundating them, Armin followed closely behind as you made your way to the designated spot. Freedom eagerly took the lead and jumped through the sandy dunes sending mini sand catapults your way.
"He's going to love it! Look he's so excited! Aren't you boy? Who's a good boy?" Armin said in that weird baby voice all new dog owners seem to adopt. Freedom looked back wagging his tail as if completely understanding Armin's babbling and you laughed.
"On no there'll be two of you? Now we'll really never leave!" you said feigning a tone of despair to which you felt your boyfriend press a kiss on your cheek as he caught up with your stride.
The three of you now stood over the spot, you took the blanket from the top of the cooler Armin held and, spread it evenly on the sand.
“Perfect babe, we can build a sandcastle around here for Freedom..” He trailed off, eyeing the waves that were rolling in.
"Almost thereeeee!" you teased your entranced boyfriend who stood next to you on the sand but whose mind was already in the depths of the ocean. Armin turned back to you with a sheepish smile and in record time he had set everything up. He'd planted the umbrella firmly to shield you from the scorching sun and set down the cooler leaving it open for you, offering you its contents. As soon as he was sure you were comfortable and chugging a chilled water bottle he kicked off his flip flops and ran into the sea, shirt and all.
“Come here Freedom!” He called to his new best friend laughing as the young pup followed him blindly into the water jumping back when the wave crashed into him.
The only thing that would ever rival his love for you would have to be his love for this place, you thought as you took another chilly swig from the bottle. 95% of your relationship with Armin had been spent here, you always teased him that he must’ve been some type of aquatic creature in another life.
Watching Armin at the sea truly made you believe reincarnation was real. A smile took up your face as you watched him stand calves deep in the ocean, the salty soft breeze brushing his hair back as he stood there looking at peace. Freedom was watching the waves come in, lifting his tiny puppy feet awkwardly at the new sensation.
You'd been absentmindedly watching your boys and leaning on the cooler which made your bag topple over, spilling its contents on you and the blanket. The sunblock landed on your lap, thankfully, reminding you of the last time you'd both forgotten about it.
Your pink boyfriend dipped in a tub full of milk trying to soothe his second degree burns to no avail was not a night you'd ever want to live again.
“Hey mermaid boy! Come here! I don't want you turning into human cereal again!”
You heard Armin's melodic laugh as he surely remembered that night. He turned flashing you the smile that never failed to melt your insides and leaned down, cupping his hands as he filled them with water. You scattered to quickly pick up a towel to shield yourself with, knowing what came next as he rushed towards you with Freedom close behind. Armin knew you weren't a big fan of the sea, it was your love for him that kept you coming back. Since you never went in he always tried to bring the sea to you, convinced that someday you'd get its enchantment.
“ARMIN.” you warned without removing the towel from your face as you felt the feathering sensation of sand falling on your thighs.
“Don't.” you were still hiding behind the towel, Freedom’s wet tail wagging wildly against your thigh.
“You’re no fun.” he said sounding defeated.
You unshielded your face and felt the icy splash of salty water quickly followed by Freedom’s tongue on your cheek.
Armin laughed lightly watching the puppy trying to atone for his actions before falling slowly to his knees to comply with your sunblock demand. He took a seat in front of you, between your thighs, as he stripped himself of his shirt, eager to get back in the water.
You placed both palms on his broad back facing you and admired the little freckles that adorned his shoulders. The sun having left her imprint on the golden boy in exchange for all those hours near his beloved sea. Leaning in you pressed a soft kiss to them and felt him shiver, his retaliation a soft squeeze of your thigh.
You squirted the sunblock on his back and felt him shiver again, this time at the unpleasantly cold sensation.
“You always do it wrong, you’re supposed to warm it up! She always does it wrong doesn’t she?” The latter half was directed to the playful pup now twirling in the sand in front of Armin and out of your view.
You coated his back and shoulders evenly, intent on avoiding an aloe vera scented night.
He was simultaneously applying it to his chest and toned stomach. “Ah, I wanted to do that part too.” You whispered cheekily in his ear as he did that.
Armin took a final look at the shore making sure Freedom who’d wonder back to the water was safely splashing without going too deep.
“Well, we wouldn’t want you to get sunburnt either, would we?” he said turning himself around, a smirk now gracing his features.
You raised both eyebrows and he looked around the beach ensuring the possible witnesses were far enough to give you some privacy.
He grabbed the sunblock and squirted it on his palms, rubbing them together before spreading the sunblock thickly across your cheeks and on the tip of your nose.
“You’re the worst.” You giggled as you attempted to rub the blob of smeared sunblock into your skin. Armin looked at you like you were the best thing he’d ever laid his eyes on as he gently pushed you down onto the blanket. You fell with a soft thud onto the firm sand and he slowly hiked up your bathing suit cover and began applying the sunblock to both of your thighs. You bit your lip staring up at your lovely boyfriend and he leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips. Before he could pull away you trapped him, placing a hand firmly at the nape of his neck, parting your lips slowly, allowing his tongue to wonder in. The sunblock ruse was long forgotten as the kiss deepened, lips moving against each others with a sweet familiarity.
The kiss tasted like the sea and you, his two favorite things in the world.
If there was a heaven, Armin was surely in it.