As it turns out, I become very productive when Netflix is down late at night. As a result, Chapter 2!
Again, not my characters, but I do love them.
Nina settled herself on the small pallet that served as her temporary bed. The crew had rented out a small space in a district far removed from their usual territory. Kaz hadn't wanted to spend much of their newly acquired funds on lodging for, as he put it, they would need "every penny to bring Inej home safe." So their accommodations were small and not very nice.
Nina agreed with him, though the space left them very little room for privacy. Luckily, Nina had been given her own bed in a closet-like room. Nobody talked about it, but she knew it was because they still worried for her health. She worried for her health. Though her withdrawal symptoms had largely abated in the time since she'd taken jurda parem, she was still immensely tired more often than not, and using even the smallest amount of her abilities gave her a headache.
She closed her eyes, leaning against the wall and beginning the breathing practices she'd learned in Grisha schooling. She was still too weak to be of much use to the crew, but she was forcing herself to strengthen her body and powers for Inej's sake. Though the meditation made her impossibly sleepy, she forced herself to perform it as often as possible, gaining slow control of her body and mind.
She was just beginning to settle into a steady rhythm when she felt a solid body settle next to her. Without opening her eyes, she could tell it was Matthias. No one else in the crew had his solid bulk, and, even in her weakened state, her magic recognized the steady thump of his heart. Nina let out a large breath, leaning over and settling her head where she knew his shoulder would be.
He took her hand. "Is that the correct way to practice breathing?"
She chuckled, eyes closed. "No."
His thumb skated across her knuckles in soothing sweeps. "Is Jesper back?"
Nina nodded.
They sat in silence for a time. Listening to the faint creak of wood and murmur of voices in their hideout.
"This must be hard for you," Matthias murmured.
"Losing Inej? I suppose, though I think it's much harder on Kaz."
She felt his shoulders sag as he sighed. "No, I mean… living here. In your state. When you're used to much… finer things."
Nina looked up at him through her lashes. "Do you mean my rooms at the pleasure house?"
Matthias blushed so red she could see it in the dimness of the room.
She smiled. "They were nice, I guess. But they never felt quite comfortable. I didn't even have a bed, so this pallet is a nice upgrade." She patted the thin blanket by her leg.
"No bed?"
Nina lifted her head from his shoulder. "I didn't want my customers getting the wrong idea."
She could see him struggling with the word "customers." She picked up his hand in both of hers, looking at him through hooded eyes and adopting the deep, wise voice she'd put on for clients. "My child, if you continue to blush as you are, I fear your fair, northern skin will be stained a permanent red. And not even a Corporalnik as powerful as I will be able to fix it."
She could see him fighting a smile. He squeezed her hand, and she settled back down against his side. "I imagine this act works better when you look not so tired."
Nina shrugged. "You'd be surprised. A wise and world-weary heartrender makes much better tips than a wakeful, peppy one."
Matthias smirked. Again, they settled into silence, and Nina suspected that they were both reveling in the ability to be close to each other without one of them wanting to kill the other. Since they'd returned from the Ice Court, they had both looked for excuses to touch each other: holding hands, brushing shoulders, and so on. Nina had feared that because of his Fjerdan upbringing he would be hesitant about physical affection. She'd been pleasantly surprised to find that he had no problem touching her, though that might change when things between them got more… intimate.
Nina wasn't sure how to broach the subject with him. She was by no means shy about sex – living in a brothel ensured that – but she had no way of measuring how much experience, or trepidation, Matthias had. She was fairly certain that he was a virgin, he'd made that fairly evident in the days after their shipwreck, but there was a good deal of grey area between being a virgin and having no experience at all. Nina herself was less experienced than she let on. She'd had a lover or two at school, but nothing that amounted to an extensive, adult relationship. Of course, she had a great deal of second-hand knowledge from the girls at the brothel. She'd found that one of the girls' favorite pastimes was gossiping about clients.
Still, all that gave her very little ground to stand on when it came to gauging her relationship with Matthias. And though most of her mind was consumed with getting well for their upcoming rescue mission, at times like this she wondered where their physical intimacy would lead.
"You know, I've just realized that I have a promise that I failed to keep with you," she sighed playfully.
She could feel the huff of air leave his chest in an almost-laugh. "Eternal torture for hunting your brethren?"
She rolled her eyes, though he couldn't see. "Not even close. Back at the Ice Court I promised to kiss you unconscious when the job was over."
He took in a quick breath. "I remember. Though I think it would take a great deal of kissing to make a man unconscious."
She lifted her head from his shoulder, meeting his eyes. His gaze was steady, though his pupils were dilated and there was a slight flush in his cheeks. "It probably would."
She bent her head so that their noses brushed, but remained there. She wanted him to close the remaining distance. Though he had kissed her forehead and knuckles while tending to her after the jurda parem, they had never truly kissed.
Matthias's breath mingled with hers, creating a warm swirl of air between them. She could almost feel his muscles tense and loosen as he leaned forward to brush his mouth with hers. Nina's nerve endings raced with sensation and she could just feel her pulse pounding through her lips. Matthias's lips parted and she leaned forward, pressing their mouths more tightly together.
Matthias let out a shaky breath, his hand cautiously reaching up to tuck itself in her hair. She placed a hand on his chest, moving to her knees to give their lips a better angle. She felt the rumble of almost-noises reverberate deep in his lungs.
The kissing deepened, tongues and teeth making tiny appearances, and Nina found herself getting woozy with breathlessness. She pulled back slightly to take in a breath, and Matthias moved to plant soft kisses on her neck. His free arm wrapped around her waist, and she let out a pleased sigh.
Suddenly, the arm at her waist tightened, pulling her closer while simultaneously flipping her onto her back on the pallet. Matthias hovered over her briefly, pupils fully dilated and lips swollen from kissing. She pulled him down to her, kissing him fiercely. He returned the kiss with equal passion, and they kissed intensely for a seemingly-infinite amount of time.
Nina was just starting to feel the stirrings of powerful desire when Matthias pulled back, lifting himself a few inches off her body. They were both gasping for air now, and she noticed that he was definitely feeling the same stirrings she had been.
"We…um…we should…" he stuttered, swallowing heavily.
She placed a hand on his cheek gently. "I know. It's ok. I'm not sure I'm in much of a state for it anyway," she said, noting how exhausted she felt after just their kissing.
He must have noticed, for he leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the forehead before pushing himself onto his knees. "Then sleep. I must take watch soon anyway."
Nina nodded, squeezing his hand before allowing herself to be tucked in. He gave her a long, almost shy look before turning to leave. To her surprise, she was asleep before the sound of his footsteps had completely faded.
Sadly, that's it for Nina and Matthias. It just seems too OOC for them to go any further when Matthias is so inexperienced and Nina is not doing so hot. Still, I hope I captured their characters faithfully. I had the idea that Nina would sometimes think in terms of anatomy since that is her specialty. I tried not to make it too overwhelming, but it does make sense to me for her character.
Next I get to move on to a couple I'm particularly excited about: Jesper and Wylan. Their teasing and banter are either going to be incredibly fun or impossibly difficult. As always, review if you have any thoughts on this chapter or wants for the next one!
