Nina & Matthias
"They went this way!"
Sometimes it seemed as if all they ever did was run. Run from bullets, from Stadwatch, from rival gangs, from hired security. Today was no exception.
Why they would ever be sent to a rival gambling house, disguised or not, was a complete mystery to Matthias, who wasn't thrilled to be in the Crow Club as it was. Why him? And why with Nina? Well, Wylan looked too young to even drink and only a fool would set Jesper loose in a place like this. And so he and Nina were the lucky winners.
"This way!" she hissed, yanking him by the wrist into another endless hallway. Their pursuers appeared to be hired muscle brought in for extra security for the height of tourist season. Too many pigeons for the regular crew to handle. It also meant that the pair was under even more scrutiny than usual, which made it all the easier for Matthias to blow their cover.
"Really? You couldn't simply act natural for an hour? That old geezer was a breath away from telling me." The girl had amazing stamina to be able to run and scold him so thoroughly at the same time. "Here!"
She stopped abruptly and pulled open one of many identical doors lining the hallway in the rear of the club, and shoved Matthias inside, making him grunt indignantly.
"I am a soldier, not an actor. I march and I fight. I am not made for things like this." He caught Nina rolling her eyes at him before shutting the door and submerging them both in total darkness.
A supply closet, and a tiny one at that. Barely enough room for the brooms, much less a grown man and a...woman.
"Well, this is cozy, isn't it?" He could hear the mischievous grin in her voice, her breath at the base of his neck. He loved and despised that voice, that upward lilt that feigned innocence. She was one of the least innocent people he had ever associated with.
Cozy was not the word he would have chosen. The handle of a feather duster was poking him in the back, and Nina was pressed against his front, and he had no idea what to do with his hands.
That was a lie. He had several ideas about what he could do with his hands, and none of them were acceptable options. She had no such concerns, her hands gripping him firmly by the waist.
"Ouch! Those are my toes, you big oaf."
"Quiet, drusje, before they hear us."
"Not likely. I can hear them on the stairs." A small comfort. He could escape the most immediate danger and hurtle towards a much more manageable one. One he knew how to handle.
"Good. Then we can leave."
"Just wait a moment! Really, why are you so eager to get out of this closet, hmmm? Is there a problem?"
Yes, there were. Two of them, and they were crushed obscenely against his chest. The closet was becoming much too warm. Heat crawled up his chest, his neck, his face, and if they lingered here much longer, it was going to fly south for the winter.
Djel, give me strength.
"Why do you do this?" he groaned.
"Because you make it so easy for me. And you're so pale," she added. Suddenly, he felt fingertips brushing against the stubble on his jaw. "You look better with a little color in your cheeks."
He took the bait. That was a mistake. A half step backwards out of her hand knocked Nina off balance, and in his haste to stop her, his idle hand finally found a resting place. Far, far lower down the back of her than intended. Because she was a devious, wicked creature bent on stripping him of all honor and discipline, she let out the most lovely giggle.
"Now who's trying to get fresh?"
"The coast is clear now," he announced, setting her to rights and swinging the door open at lightning speed. Certainly there must have been a window nearby he could jump out of.
"Oh, I'm only teasing. Djel wouldn't fault you for an accident. I'm sure you'll be up till the wee hours praying about it anyways." Still burning, he marched out and onwards, growling through gritted teeth:
"I hate the way you talk."
Hey, I'm back! Just like our favorite crow couples!
Calahan, Danielle, and Kit have brought with them divine inspiration, so for those curious, yes I will be doing more of these in the future.