[ Nina has no care of anyone else around her. Not the crew, but the other passengers. Her smile shines upon her great wolf. She likes their little sway. She lets him lead as they sway in tandem with the sway of the ship. It feels a little bit like being intoxicating by good kvas. She feels like she's floating.
She takes his hand, so that she can do a little twirl for him. Nina draws back into him and dramatically tugs him down to dip her. ]
[ It's lame. It's corny. It's everything Matthias never would say. But perhaps that's not right—that's what the old Matthias wouldn't say, the man who was born and bred to be a soldier, not a partner, not a person.
He dips her low, his hands steady against her back, never once letting her slip or daring to tease her with it. When he draws her back up, he pulls her toward her so she's almost against his chest. ]
Should we try and claim a bed before all of them are gone? My wife deserves a thin hammock than to sleep sitting up on a rickety barrel.
[ And maybe he's warming up to the idea of some heavy petting. ]
[ He takes her breath away when he dips her low. He holds her securely in his embrace. His gaze arrests her as though she's been ensured. Nina's lips part as she takes him in. She's enchanted. When he draws her back up, she can't resist leaning in to steal a kiss. She laughs against his lips. ]
Can a hammock support all of your heavy muscle, my love? I worry we'll collapse in the middle of the night.
[ One of the crew, the Shu woman, approaches them. There's an amused smile on her lips. ]
The captain has offered you private accommodations for extra coin if you'd like. It's small, but considering you two are newlywed, well. The Captain is a romantic at heart.
[ Matthias glances away, face flushed with heat as the crew member regards them with a pointed look. He'd foolishly thought they'd been stowed away in the shadows, unseen and unheard. Perhaps he should've known better. Matthias was tall and bulky, and Nina was Nina—a vibrant light, a shooting star even in the brightest days.
He tucks a hand into one of his pockets, knowing that he has little in it save for what they managed to find along their trek into Ravka. He nudges her with his elbow, wanting her to hold out her palm. ]
What do you think, my love? [ He murmurs it, finding he doesn't have to try very hard at playing the newlywed. ] Start our honeymoon today?
[ It's a surprising offer, one she hadn't expected. She's not going to miss out on it. She beams when Matthias rummages in his pockets. Eagerly, she puts out her hand for the coin to give. ]
We'll take it? Do you mind showing us to it?
[ She pats her beloved's chest with a teasing grin. ]
This one burns under the sun. We can't keep him out here too long.
[ At least his eye roll isn't for show. Finding a couple of coins in his pocket, he plops them into her awaiting palm before shaking his head and looking away, truly embarrassed despite wishing to play into it. ]
She tells lies.
[ The woman merely smiles, perhaps used to displays such as this. She accepts the coins happily and turns effortlessly on her foot before gliding along the deck to where the private accomodations are.
Matthias grasps Nina's hand, not wishing to get lost in the thin sea of people. While he'd been delegated the role of kicking, it was Nina how truly kept them afloat in the cold True Sea.
Leaning toward her, he murmurs, ] I hope no one will be offended we take it.
[ The woman smiles wryly. Nina is making sharp note of both her and the Captain. They pay for this kindness with coin, but she's smart enough to always be wary of everything. Her smile doesn't falter, nor does her playful, cheerful demeanor. She keeps hold of Matthias' hand as they're led deeper into the ship.
She quietly memorized all the paths and exits. She chuckles up at her husband. She doesn't answer because soon they stop at a door. The woman opens it to reveal the modest room with a single bed. ]
You have our deepest thanks. [ Nina gives her a beautiful curtsy and steps into the room. She doesn't release a breath until the foot closes behind him. ]
If they are, I'll know it. Hard for heartbeats to lie.
[ At the end of the day, that's what makes Nina dangerous. It's impossible to hide from the heart.
Matthias doesn't let go of her hand as he takes in the room. It's smaller than the room at the inn (which isn't a surprise), and it bobs with the water (which isn't a surprise), but it seems cozy, a little escape from the rest of the madness on the ship. A wooden table sits beside the bed, and the oil lamp glows brightly. There's a small window where the ocean spray spits against the glass. ]
What do you think? Are you suspicious about why they gave us this room?
[ The drüskelle drummed it into him to always be paranoid. Brum, for his confidence, was a man with a deeply buried paranoia. You could never tell who was Grisha by looking at them, not unless they wore one of those pieces of jewellery that indicated them more powerful than the rest. ]
[ Nina drops herself down on the bed. It's not very big. It's only big enough for the two of them barely. It'll be a tight fit. She'll be practically on top of him, not that he'll have any complaints about that. She sighs and offers him her hand to tug him down with her. ]
A little, but not enough to refuse. There's Grisha on this ship too, so I doubt they're discriminatory. Greed though, that's the real motivator for most people.
[ If she didn't offer him her hand, he'd remain standing awkwardly in the room. It's only inevitable he'd cross his arms and take up even more of the limited space.
Dropping down beside her, he doesn't try and keep any distance between them like he would if they were still in Ravka. His thigh rests against hers. ]
Hm.
[ Matthias sighs, back slouching, and looks ahead. ]
We should probably enjoy it, especially if we stay in Novyi Zem for a long time.
[ They'll only be able to pretend to be newlyweds for so long, especially if Novyi Zed happens to be the city for them to settle in. He hopes it is. Matthias knows he was never really meant for travelling all over the world, not even as a Grisha hunter .
He lifts the corner of his mouth up in an attempt to not appear too obvious that he's smiling. ]
I hear it's lovely in Novyi Zem. Sunny and by the water. They call their Grisha 'blessed'. [ The prejudice that extends to other countries does not include the Zemeni. Their only concern will be any Drüskelle or Second Army that might be passing through that could recognize them. With time, they can alter their looks and grow away from the people they'd once been.
Nina leans against her big wolf. She's tired, but she's content. The sway of the ship speaks of the freedom they're heading towards. ]
He doesn't shift away from her when she leans her weight against him. He takes comfort in it, liking that she's still there, a constant, warm reminder that he's not alone in the aftermath of all of this. They may be back on a ship, but she's not in shackles, and he's not walking away from her.
Weighing his words, he furrows his brows, and after a noticeable moment, he tries to speak without too much worry lacing his words. He fails. ]
Would you be safe?
[ They may refer to their Grisha as 'blessed', but even Matthias knows that may not mean much. ]
[ Her tone is rueful. There's truly no place for Grisha that's fully safe. In Fjerda, they're burned. In Shu Han, they're experimented upon. In Kerch, they're indentured servants. Even in Ravka, they are at the whim of the greedy, incompetent Tsar just as much as the Darkling is.
She hopes their destination will be different. It's easier to hide as a Corporalnik than Etheralnik. Her small science is much more subtle. She takes his hand and brings it to her lips for a kiss. ]
We'll take care of each other. We're safer together.
[ Watching her handle his hand, he exhales roughly through his nose and dissipates most of the tension lining his shoulders. He'll have to make sure that she's safe. Like how he'd kept his ears peeled for news of Grisha nearby, he'll need to do so for witch hunters and those who wouldn't take kindly to her.
Novyi Zem needs to be different. He hopes for it to be different.
He squeezes her hand before bowing toward her, a small smile playing on his lips. ]
I won't let anything happen to you again.
[ It's something he wishes to make up for. Being beneath Brum's thumb and Fjerda's hate is something Matthias knows he'll spend the rest of his life making up for. ]
[ Nina wouldn't have it any other way. She's always thought the Grisha were her family. Perhaps they still are, but in a distant sort of way.
Matthias is her family now. She'll protect him against everyone and everything. He is hers just as she is his. They've given up everything for one another. ]
I hope you don't regret it.
[ She says it quietly. It's a fear she has. Walking away from his country and people and his religion that's so ingrained into the thread of his being can't be easy. He's not free spirited like she is. She's afraid he'll wake up one day and realize she's not worth it. ]
[ He flushes furiously and glances away, pressing his lips together to unsuccessfully try to fight his small, embarrassed smile.
For all his love of Djel and Fjerda, Matthias knows Djel would never have put him on the path to meeting Nina if he wasn't supposed to be here. He wants to believe that his god had something to do with it, that straying from the Drüskelle was always in the plan for him. It's what makes the most sense now, even if he'll pull it apart differently much, much later.
Matthias tilts his chin up slightly before he looks at her, letting the corners of his lips curve upward. ]
[ She's delighted by his words. It's sweet and romantic. She reaches up to cup his face and brush her thumb along his cheekbone. She wonders what things would be like had they met sooner. She wonders what would change.
She leans in, kissing sweetly. No, the Saints have made sure that she met him at exactly the right time. They're ready for each other now. ]
[ Which he suspects won't discourage her at all. He's learned quickly that Nina cares about those around her. She'd cared about the Grisha on the ship despite not knowing many of them. He's sure not knowing their fates since the sinking has weighed heavily upon her. Matthias has chosen to wear their loss on his shoulders now that he understands that some people have a looser interpretation of what Djel wants.
He smiles lopsidedly—a sign that he's about to say something dorky. ]
Why would you want to worry about me when I am here? And we are newlyweds…
[ She raises a brow at him. There's a delighted smile tugging on her lips. He's her dork, and Saints, does she adore him for it. Coyly, she starts unbutton the front of her dress. She has so many layers, but she's adept at peeling them off. Now they don't have to rush or fumble or worry about staying warm. ]
Then come do your duty to your wife, Mattias. She has need of you.
[ She lets her dress fall to the floor. She's left in her slip and bloomers as she lounges on the bed with an inviting look. ]
[ Matthias may regard her with a lopsided grin, but his fingers work deftly at untucking his tunic from his pants and pulling it up and over his head. Unlike her, he doesn't wear many layers to keep him warm. Perhaps it's all part of being a wolf, being a little invulnerable against the cold. ]
You will always be your own.
[ And Matthias, for all of his conservative beliefs, doesn't think it's right for anyone to claim her. Birds are free. They're not meant to be in cages.
But that doesn't stop him from climbing over her and burying his face in the crook of her neck, taking his time in kissing her skin. ]
[ She can be her own but his as well. She enjoys the sight of him undressing. She likes the way his arms flex with the movement of tugging off his tunic. He treats her to the sight of his gloriously bare chest. She likes the sprinkling of hair there too. She likes running her fingers against it.
A breathy giggle escapes her when his broad body covers her. His lips are warm and soft against her throat. Her fingers move more impatiently to get herself naked and bare.
She gets distracted as she always does with him. Her fingers leave her buttons and stays to trace along his sides and down his back. Turning her head, she kisses along his temple and tugs at his head. ]
He'd think himself running more cold than hot, but Matthias doesn't find it strange. She makes him flush until the snow has melted off his bones and reveals soft flesh beneath the sharp icicles.
Although his heart pounds, confidence climbs his spine. She makes him brave enough to be vulnerable and playful. The drüskelle would think it such a sin. ]
Am I hot here?
[ Staring at her with his lips parted, Matthias taps his fingers against the pulse of his neck. ]
[ It's always a breathtaking sight to see him grow more comfortable with mischief and playing. His stoicism has melted away more and more. She giggles and leans in to brush her lips against his throat. She scrapes her teeth along his skin, but it's her tongue that traces at his pulse point. ]
Mmm, you're burning up. Hot enough to keep me warm in a whale hut.
[ Nina can act with the best of them. It's her way to tease that she's so exaggerated with wide eyes and emphatic nods. She bites her bottom lip as his fingertips trail down her arm. She wants him to touch her more. All over. His touch elicit gooseflesh along her skin. ]
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She takes his hand, so that she can do a little twirl for him. Nina draws back into him and dramatically tugs him down to dip her. ]
You've quite the moves, husband.
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[ It's lame. It's corny. It's everything Matthias never would say. But perhaps that's not right—that's what the old Matthias wouldn't say, the man who was born and bred to be a soldier, not a partner, not a person.
He dips her low, his hands steady against her back, never once letting her slip or daring to tease her with it. When he draws her back up, he pulls her toward her so she's almost against his chest. ]
Should we try and claim a bed before all of them are gone? My wife deserves a thin hammock than to sleep sitting up on a rickety barrel.
[ And maybe he's warming up to the idea of some heavy petting. ]
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Can a hammock support all of your heavy muscle, my love? I worry we'll collapse in the middle of the night.
[ One of the crew, the Shu woman, approaches them. There's an amused smile on her lips. ]
The captain has offered you private accommodations for extra coin if you'd like. It's small, but considering you two are newlywed, well. The Captain is a romantic at heart.
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He tucks a hand into one of his pockets, knowing that he has little in it save for what they managed to find along their trek into Ravka. He nudges her with his elbow, wanting her to hold out her palm. ]
What do you think, my love? [ He murmurs it, finding he doesn't have to try very hard at playing the newlywed. ] Start our honeymoon today?
[ He ignores how hot he is beneath his shirt. ]
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We'll take it? Do you mind showing us to it?
[ She pats her beloved's chest with a teasing grin. ]
This one burns under the sun. We can't keep him out here too long.
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She tells lies.
[ The woman merely smiles, perhaps used to displays such as this. She accepts the coins happily and turns effortlessly on her foot before gliding along the deck to where the private accomodations are.
Matthias grasps Nina's hand, not wishing to get lost in the thin sea of people. While he'd been delegated the role of kicking, it was Nina how truly kept them afloat in the cold True Sea.
Leaning toward her, he murmurs, ] I hope no one will be offended we take it.
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She quietly memorized all the paths and exits. She chuckles up at her husband. She doesn't answer because soon they stop at a door. The woman opens it to reveal the modest room with a single bed. ]
You have our deepest thanks. [ Nina gives her a beautiful curtsy and steps into the room. She doesn't release a breath until the foot closes behind him. ]
If they are, I'll know it. Hard for heartbeats to lie.
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Matthias doesn't let go of her hand as he takes in the room. It's smaller than the room at the inn (which isn't a surprise), and it bobs with the water (which isn't a surprise), but it seems cozy, a little escape from the rest of the madness on the ship. A wooden table sits beside the bed, and the oil lamp glows brightly. There's a small window where the ocean spray spits against the glass. ]
What do you think? Are you suspicious about why they gave us this room?
[ The drüskelle drummed it into him to always be paranoid. Brum, for his confidence, was a man with a deeply buried paranoia. You could never tell who was Grisha by looking at them, not unless they wore one of those pieces of jewellery that indicated them more powerful than the rest. ]
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A little, but not enough to refuse. There's Grisha on this ship too, so I doubt they're discriminatory. Greed though, that's the real motivator for most people.
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Dropping down beside her, he doesn't try and keep any distance between them like he would if they were still in Ravka. His thigh rests against hers. ]
Hm.
[ Matthias sighs, back slouching, and looks ahead. ]
We should probably enjoy it, especially if we stay in Novyi Zem for a long time.
[ They'll only be able to pretend to be newlyweds for so long, especially if Novyi Zed happens to be the city for them to settle in. He hopes it is. Matthias knows he was never really meant for travelling all over the world, not even as a Grisha hunter .
He lifts the corner of his mouth up in an attempt to not appear too obvious that he's smiling. ]
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Nina leans against her big wolf. She's tired, but she's content. The sway of the ship speaks of the freedom they're heading towards. ]
I quite enjoy being your little wife.
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He doesn't shift away from her when she leans her weight against him. He takes comfort in it, liking that she's still there, a constant, warm reminder that he's not alone in the aftermath of all of this. They may be back on a ship, but she's not in shackles, and he's not walking away from her.
Weighing his words, he furrows his brows, and after a noticeable moment, he tries to speak without too much worry lacing his words. He fails. ]
Would you be safe?
[ They may refer to their Grisha as 'blessed', but even Matthias knows that may not mean much. ]
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[ Her tone is rueful. There's truly no place for Grisha that's fully safe. In Fjerda, they're burned. In Shu Han, they're experimented upon. In Kerch, they're indentured servants. Even in Ravka, they are at the whim of the greedy, incompetent Tsar just as much as the Darkling is.
She hopes their destination will be different. It's easier to hide as a Corporalnik than Etheralnik. Her small science is much more subtle. She takes his hand and brings it to her lips for a kiss. ]
We'll take care of each other. We're safer together.
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Novyi Zem needs to be different. He hopes for it to be different.
He squeezes her hand before bowing toward her, a small smile playing on his lips. ]
I won't let anything happen to you again.
[ It's something he wishes to make up for. Being beneath Brum's thumb and Fjerda's hate is something Matthias knows he'll spend the rest of his life making up for. ]
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[ Nina wouldn't have it any other way. She's always thought the Grisha were her family. Perhaps they still are, but in a distant sort of way.
Matthias is her family now. She'll protect him against everyone and everything. He is hers just as she is his. They've given up everything for one another. ]
I hope you don't regret it.
[ She says it quietly. It's a fear she has. Walking away from his country and people and his religion that's so ingrained into the thread of his being can't be easy. He's not free spirited like she is. She's afraid he'll wake up one day and realize she's not worth it. ]
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[ He flushes furiously and glances away, pressing his lips together to unsuccessfully try to fight his small, embarrassed smile.
For all his love of Djel and Fjerda, Matthias knows Djel would never have put him on the path to meeting Nina if he wasn't supposed to be here. He wants to believe that his god had something to do with it, that straying from the Drüskelle was always in the plan for him. It's what makes the most sense now, even if he'll pull it apart differently much, much later.
Matthias tilts his chin up slightly before he looks at her, letting the corners of his lips curve upward. ]
You don't need to worry about that, my love.
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[ She's delighted by his words. It's sweet and romantic. She reaches up to cup his face and brush her thumb along his cheekbone. She wonders what things would be like had they met sooner. She wonders what would change.
She leans in, kissing sweetly. No, the Saints have made sure that she met him at exactly the right time. They're ready for each other now. ]
I care about you. Of course I'll worry.
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[ Which he suspects won't discourage her at all. He's learned quickly that Nina cares about those around her. She'd cared about the Grisha on the ship despite not knowing many of them. He's sure not knowing their fates since the sinking has weighed heavily upon her. Matthias has chosen to wear their loss on his shoulders now that he understands that some people have a looser interpretation of what Djel wants.
He smiles lopsidedly—a sign that he's about to say something dorky. ]
Why would you want to worry about me when I am here? And we are newlyweds…
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Then come do your duty to your wife, Mattias. She has need of you.
[ She lets her dress fall to the floor. She's left in her slip and bloomers as she lounges on the bed with an inviting look. ]
Make me yours.
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[ Matthias may regard her with a lopsided grin, but his fingers work deftly at untucking his tunic from his pants and pulling it up and over his head. Unlike her, he doesn't wear many layers to keep him warm. Perhaps it's all part of being a wolf, being a little invulnerable against the cold. ]
You will always be your own.
[ And Matthias, for all of his conservative beliefs, doesn't think it's right for anyone to claim her. Birds are free. They're not meant to be in cages.
But that doesn't stop him from climbing over her and burying his face in the crook of her neck, taking his time in kissing her skin. ]
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[ She can be her own but his as well. She enjoys the sight of him undressing. She likes the way his arms flex with the movement of tugging off his tunic. He treats her to the sight of his gloriously bare chest. She likes the sprinkling of hair there too. She likes running her fingers against it.
A breathy giggle escapes her when his broad body covers her. His lips are warm and soft against her throat. Her fingers move more impatiently to get herself naked and bare.
She gets distracted as she always does with him. Her fingers leave her buttons and stays to trace along his sides and down his back. Turning her head, she kisses along his temple and tugs at his head. ]
You're always so hot.
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Am I?
[ It's innocently asked.
He'd think himself running more cold than hot, but Matthias doesn't find it strange. She makes him flush until the snow has melted off his bones and reveals soft flesh beneath the sharp icicles.
Although his heart pounds, confidence climbs his spine. She makes him brave enough to be vulnerable and playful. The drüskelle would think it such a sin. ]
Am I hot here?
[ Staring at her with his lips parted, Matthias taps his fingers against the pulse of his neck. ]
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Mmm, you're burning up. Hot enough to keep me warm in a whale hut.
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[ He smiles, titling his head up to elongate his neck. He remains still; his pulse pounds. ]
But we're not in a whale hut, are we? We're on the sea.
[ And hadn't that been when everything began to change for them? Matthias trails the fingers of one hand along her arm. ]
I remember it being freezing. [ His purrs. ] Are you cold, Nina?
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[ Nina can act with the best of them. It's her way to tease that she's so exaggerated with wide eyes and emphatic nods. She bites her bottom lip as his fingertips trail down her arm. She wants him to touch her more. All over. His touch elicit gooseflesh along her skin. ]
See? So cold.
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