glow of the mark (six of crows soulmate au)

chapter eighteen (nina)

//warning: dirty jokes//

"Ninaaaaaaa."

"What?" Nina peeked down from her bed so that she was upside down, which was raised to fit luggage underneath, considering the small room. Matthias was sitting down, leaning against the bedframe.

"Nothing, just felt like talking to you." Matthias laid the book he was reading (it was one of Stephen King's books, Nina had finally convinced him to read it, as it was her favorite and she wanted to talk to him about it) on his lap.

"About?"

"Anything. And, don't lay there with your head dangling off the side, you're going to get a headache."

"Nah." Neither of them spoke for a moment, falling back into silence before Nina talked again. "Hey, Matthias?"

"Yes?"

"Why haven't we kissed?"

Matthias went bright red, "I- uh- I- I didn't know if you wanted to. It's also not usual for those in the culture I was in to kiss before marriage, so... I kinda don't know what I'm doing."

"Do you want me to show you?" Nina grinned.

"When you're not still upside down."

"Oh, right, probably shouldn't do that."

"I told you that."

Nina got off her bed and sat next to Matthias before kissing him, he didn't close his eyes at first, so she could feel his eyes bearing into her before he eventually closed them.

"Hey Nina, I wante- shit, sorry." Wylan entered the room before bolting out the door, closing it behind him.

Nina and Matthias had pulled away when they heard the door open, and they both started laughing hysterically when he left.

"Was I supposed to close my eyes or..?" Matthias asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, but you caught on." Nina kissed him again, but it didn't last as long, though, it still sent the unspoken, electrifying message that she had for him; I love you.

//spoiler warning: when they kissed in ck, i was dying when matthias mentioned nina's "magnificent thighs," I WAS LITERALLY SOBBING OF LAUGHTER AT 1 IN THE MORNING//

"Well, thank you for my first kiss, Nina."

Nina had never heard someone thank her for kissing them, so, she had to laugh, "Of course."

"We likely scarred poor Wylan."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he has done more with Jesper."

"Nina!"

"You have to admit, that was funny."

"No, I do not have to admit that."

"You just admitted that you do think it's funny by saying that you don't have to admit that it was."

"You're confusing me."

"Good, ya big oaf."

"I call you nice names like Red Bird, and you call me a big oaf."

"Well..." Nina lifted up her sleeve, "Now you do, not originally."

"Witch." Matthias read quietly, the writing illuminating the dimly lit cabin. "Nina, I'm so sorry. You have this permanentl-"

Nina cut him off with a quick kiss, "Matthias, it's okay. I quite like having a reminder of how we turned to this."

"This?"

"Us. We hated each other from the beginning... which I could tell in-"

"We are not going there."

Nina smirked, "Alright, you and Matthias number-"

"Absolutely not." Matthias was stifling a laugh.

"Fineee. How's the book?"

"It's good, I can see why you like this author."

"I have exquisite taste."