Matthias Helvar was very much infatuated with one Nina Zenik. Nina knew it. Her customers at her coffee shop knew it. Their friends knew it. Their professors knew it. The university librarians knew it. Matthias didn't.

Men.

But Nina had the patience of a saint and so she waited. For days. Weeks. Months.

It's important to note that while Nina had the patience of a saint, she was not a saint herself. And she wasn't interested in waiting until she was an old maid before Matthias realized the filthy things she would let him do to her.

And so she took things into her own hands in a very much Nina fashion.

A small dose of jealousy was good for all men, as far as she was concerned. Matthias deserved a larger helping than she normally recommended for the frustration he'd worked her into over the past few months.

Her first partner in crime in her endeavour was one Kaz Brekker, a poor choice, but Nina had to start somewhere. For one, he didn't smile. Or wink. Or do much of anything with his face. In fact, in all the times Nina had known Kaz, she was quite sure she'd never seen him express any sort of emotion.

The first attempt occurred on a Monday while she was working at her cafe. Nina's boss had been warned in advance of what she was doing and had gladly turned a blind eye.

"As long as we're making money, do what you want Nina dear," they'd said and disappeared.

Matthias was sitting at a table in the middle of the room, in direct view of Nina, while she was working behind her counter. His gaze had passed over Kaz when he'd strutted into the shop and then pinned the man in place after five minutes passed and he was still at the front with Nina.

And then his gaze passed over Nina and Kaz after ten minutes had passed and Kaz was still there.

"Kaz, I'm begging you here. You gotta give me something to work with," Nina gritted out through her wide smile. She batted her eyelashes at Kaz and trailed one hand over his arm and up to fiddle with the collar of his shirt. Kaz tensed underneath her touch. His breath came a little shorter, and if she wasn't as close to him as she was, Nina would've missed the slight changes herself. She could, however, see Matthias tense out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm not an especially funny man," Kaz replied in that even tone of his.

"Boy, I'll say," Nina said. "You know how talented I have to be to act as if you've told me the funniest joke in the world. Come on, try for me."

Kaz was unmoved.

"I'll give you five kruge?"

A slow blink.

"It'll make Matthias want to kill you?"

Between Nina inhaling and exhaling, Kaz transformed into a different man right before her eyes. The tension melted from his always stiff shoulders. Gone was his military straight posture, instead bending towards Nina.

"Should've started with that, Nina darling," Kaz said, his voice suddenly two octaves lower. Paired with the lopsided smile that spread across Kaz's face, and Nina was left momentarily speechless.

"That's-that's…wow," Nina stuttered. "Is this what Inej has to put up with?"

"Only on very special occasions. I don't like to smile. It contorts the face unnecessarily," Kaz replied, his regular sternness appearing briefly before he pushed it away again.

"Where is Inej?" Nina asked as she trailed her fingers across her collarbone, a move she knew regularly worked on men to attract their notice downwards. Kaz's eyes stayed firmly focused on her face.

"She's got an exam for international law coming up that she's studying for in the library," Kaz replied. "Which reminds me, I have a group project to work on."

"What about your other group members, surely they can manage without you," Nina said as she flicked back her hair, a move that brought attention to her chest. She could feel the heat from Matthias's glare all the way across the shop. She couldn't help but grin even wider.

A sharp crack caught the attention of everyone in the room. Kaz turned around and Nina looked over his shoulder to see Matthias at his table. Pencil snapped in half. He let out a string of swears as he grabbed his bag and aggressively rifled through it, looking for a new pencil to write with.

Kaz turned back to her as if nothing had happened and leaned over Nina to whisper in her ear as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger and giggled. "This project is worth half my mark and if those imbeciles I'm forced to call partner's cock it up, I'm going to have them buried somewhere no one will find them."

"If this is what Inej is subjected to, I don't envy her," Nina said, leaning in to whisper into Kaz's ear. She never knew what Kaz would've said in response because at that moment Matthias pushed back his chair with a loud scrape, slung his bag over his shoulder, glaring at Kaz the whole time, and marched out the front door.

Kaz leaned back, one arm braced against the counter as he watched Matthias's large back retreating. "I think my work is done here. Always a pleasure working with you Zenik."

Matthias was a creature of habit, which was unfortunate for him, as Nina had his routine memorized and used it to her advantage.

Jesper proved a much more enthusiastic actor. But then again, Jesper regularly irritated everyone to distraction, so it wasn't much of a stretch.

Nina was seated facing the entry to the library, where she knew any second Matthias would walk through the door. Jesper right on cue came dashing into the library, made sure to knock into Matthias on his way in, and then bounded over to Nina. Matthias was still glaring after Jesper's back when the boy in question slung an arm across Nina's shoulder and kissed her on the cheek, dangerously close to her mouth, before taking the seat next to her.

She saw Matthias freeze where he was as he stared at the two of them. Nina threw back her head and let out a laugh as Jesper slouched in his seat, his other arm thrown across her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"I didn't know you had such a performance in you," Nina said.

"I dare you to find someone out there who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to piss off Matthias," Jesper replied.

Nina made a big show of looking around and then acting as if she'd spotted Matthias. She gave him her biggest smile and waved him over. He stared at her for so long she was almost certain he would turn around and ignore her. But eventually, with the air of a man who had cinder blocks tied to his feet, Matthias stomped over to their table and let his bag slide off his shoulder.

She pretended to giggle as if Jesper had said something hilarious. "Be nice, he's just gruff."

Jesper nuzzled into the crook of her neck, smiling against her skin and whispered, "He's an idiot."

"He is not and you know it," Nina said, trying not to let her temper rise.

"He still hasn't figured out you're mad for him," Jesper pointed out.

"Not everyone is a flirt like we are."

"Matthias!" Jesper exclaimed with a wide grin as the broad-shouldered man violently pulled out the chair across from them and sat down. Jesper had a hand on Nina's neck and was gently massaging the tense muscles there.

Matthias gave a grunt in response. His eyes locked on Jesper's hand as it kneaded Nina's soft skin.

Jesper acted as if he hadn't noticed, and kept going. Jesper could've declared he planned to plant an explosive in the library, and he doubted Matthias would've heard him.

"My da's coming to visit," Jesper said.

"Mhmm," Matthias agreed.

"I figured I might show him around the city."

"Hmm."

"And did I forget to mention I'm getting married!"

"Congratulations."

"I was thinking of having it on a floating barge going down the river."

"Wow."

"Kaz might even agree to wear a dress."

"Definitely."

"Although of course I'll have to skin a bag full of kittens before he'll do it."

"Necessary yes."

Jesper kept going as Matthias refused to look away from Nina's neck. Jesper's hand moved across her shoulders, kneading at the skin there. Nina let out a sigh. Matthias stiffened in his seat.

"Maybe I should accompany you when you show your dad around," Nina said in a breathy voice, her head tilting as Jesper continued to knead. Matthias's eyes were hungry as they roved over her neck. Jesper's grin widened as he imagined Matthias was likely becoming very uncomfortable right about now.

Jesper leaned in close to her face so that Matthias had no choice but to look at him and said, "You know, maybe you're right Nina darling, hospitality is most certainly," and here his gaze wandered down to her exposed cleavage and then locked on Matthias, "one of your stronger assets."

There was a small crack as Matthias broke off a piece of the wooden table.

"Mmm," Nina agreed and let her head fall back, exposing her throat and closing her eyes. The look on Matthias's face when it snapped to the smug look on Jesper's face was murderous. If looks could kill, Jesper reckoned he would've already been gruesomely dismembered.

If only Matthias wasn't such an honest man, people wouldn't make it a hobby to get under his skin. He leaned forward and looked to be about three seconds away from lunging across the table and wrapping his large hands around Jesper's skinny neck.

And everything probably would've de-escalated if Nina, in that moment, hadn't moaned while her head was back and said, "that's the spot Jesper, yes."

Jesper and Matthias were banned from the library for the rest of the semester.

There were not enough words to describe the level of irritation that Nina had reached. How much farther was she going to be forced to go with Matthias before he finally snapped? The man was constantly on the edge of giving in and doing what she knew he wanted as much as her, and yet he just wouldn't give in.

She had to get more drastic. And if this attempt didn't work, then Nina was going to jump him in his bed in the middle of the night. Enough was enough. A girl needed release, and he was going to give it to her, screw his honour.

It took place in a club. The music was thumping. Nina could feel it vibrating in her bones, and could barely make out the words that Wylan was yelling. It was too dark to see much of anything, but Nina made sure she would be easy to spot when Matthias eventually found them.

"Nina, I don't think this is a good idea," Wylan yelled, as his eyes darted around anxiously.

"I'm not asking you to have sex with me right here in front of everyone," Nina yelled back.

"I still don't like it, Nina. I mean, have you seen Matthias," Wylan replied. "The man could snap me in half."

"You let me worry about Matthias. Now touch my boob, Wylan."

"Isn't there something else I could do instead?" Wylan asked desperately, his eyes glancing back to the door to the men's bathroom.

"Wylan."

"Can't I just put my hands on your waist?"

"Touch the boob."

"Nina-"

"You said you were willing to help make him jealous, didn't you?" Nina demanded.

"I mean, yes-"

"Then touch my titty. It's just a boob, Wylan, I'm not asking you to marry me here. Just cup the boob."

Nina clamped her hand down on Wylan's neck and yanked him down until his forehead was resting against hers. She placed one hand of hisi on the small of her back and the other on her waist.

"Nina, he'll be back any minute," Wylan hissed.

"That's the point."

And bless Matthias, for the man always seemed to be on cue, even though he didn't know it. In that moment he exited the bathroom. And because Nina could sense the presence of that man like it was her sixth sense, she only had time to tell Wylan, "I'll make it up to you," and then gently pressed her lips to his.

The poor boy gave a start in surprise, but Nina had a steel grip on his neck and kept him in place. It was dark enough that Matthias couldn't see Nina speak against Wylan's lips and tell him, "Now take the hand at my waist and slowly slide it up to my boob."

"Nina, I can feel him stripping the skin from my body with his eyes," Wylan responded against her lips. Nina could do nothing but hum in agreement, as loudly as she could, to make sure Matthias heard it. Wylan's hand moved at a snail's pace from the swell of her hips, past the dip of her waist, and up to her breast, where he hesitated for a moment before finally letting it rest on the swell.

"You owe me for this," Wylan said seconds before he was yanked off of Nina by a fuming Matthias.

"You are in public," Matthias snapped at the two of them. Wylan had his hands up in front of his chest in surrender. The second Matthias took his eyes off Wylan, the boy disappeared into the crowd. Nina couldn't help but feel smug. Triumphant.

"And what about it?" she demanded, taking a step towards Matthias.

"People can see you," he barked at her, taking a step closer.

"Good. Maybe I want people to see," Nina snapped defiantly and took another step closer until she was chest to chest with him. "Maybe I want people to think I'm spoken for."

She stared into his eyes and said, "Maybe I want to put on a show."

Matthias's pupils were already blown, but at Nina's words, they overtook what little colour was left of his irises. He stiffened, but couldn't stop the urge to sway towards her.

"It's inappropriate," his voice was gravelly and lower than before.

"Is it? Or is it only inappropriate because you're the one watching instead of the one participating," Nina said, and stepped closer still until she was chest to chest with Matthias. He clenched his jaw and looked down at her, unable to look away as she looked him up and down and then licked her lips when her eyes met his again.

"I don't-" Matthias choked out.

"In that case, let me go find Wylan and we can pick up-" she interrupted, and abruptly turned her back on Matthias and stepped away.

She hadn't managed even a step before Matthias's arm wrapped around her waist and in the blink of an eye, Nina found her back pressed to a wall and Matthias pressed up against every inch of her front. He was bent over her, his body blocking out the rest of the club.

"No," he said with finality.

"No, what?" Nina asked. She pressed one hand to his chest, feeling the hard muscle underneath as she explored and then slowly wrapped her arm around his back, and then the other one joined until she could spread both palms on his back and pull him closer. He was so solid and so warm. Nina desperately wished they were alone and with far fewer clothes on.

"No, you're not going to Wylan," Matthias replied. He seemed equally incapable of keeping his hands off of her. His arm was still wrapped around her waist, his large hand spanned from the small of her back to her hip. Nina's heart stuttered when he gave it a squeeze, tilting her pelvis towards his and bringing her even closer.

Nina slowly slid one arm from his back, over his chest, and around his neck. "Mmm, it doesn't have to be Wylan. I can always find someone else."

"No," Matthias snapped. His free arm touched the arm wrapped around his neck, followed it to Nina's shoulder and then slid it down until his hand skimmed her breast. Nina was breathing so hard, and her heart was pounding so fast, she thought she would have a heart attack and die right there.

"Why not, you don't want me, right?" Nina breathed as she pulled herself closer still. She wasn't the only one having trouble breathing. Matthias looked as if he was about to have an asthma attack. He slid a leg in between Nina's as he gave another squeeze around the waist. Nina's breath stuttered as she gave a roll of her hips and watched a shudder pass through Matthias.

He nodded his head in agreement as his other hand covered her breast and he idly passed a thumb over her nipple. Nina gasped and couldn't stop herself from arching into him.

"You're a terrible liar, Helvar," she said breathlessly. Nina pulled him down towards her, buried her face in the small space right behind his ear, and breathed him in.

"We should...stop," Matthias panted into her neck. "We should...do this properly…"

"Matthias, if you do not take me to your room and make me forget everything except your name, the next time you catch me with a man, it's going to be even worse than Wylan," Nina threatened him. She rolled her hips one more time to drive her point home.

Nina considered herself very fortunate that Matthias was a smart man.