For Drabble List #2: 40,42,69 (: (wouldn’t mind terribly if it were set in the Phantomverse 🌚🌚🌚)
40. "Hard cash is a girl's best friend."
42. "You live to annoy me, don't you?"
69. "You do know that we're in public, right?"
Nina Zenik-Helvar is a woman who is, it cannot be denied, used to getting what she wants at all costs. It is either a serious character flaw or her chief strength, depending on how you look at it, and she is certainly prepared to admit that it has gotten her into plenty of trouble in the past. This, however, is not a matter of life and death. Not really. That doesn't make it any less irritating that Matthias, as is also his wont, is being unreasonably, stupidly stubborn about it. God forbid anyone make an unscheduled luxury purchase and live a little. His boring, sensible Scandinavian brain might actually explode.
"No," Matthias says again, for emphasis. "We need to pay the berthing fees -- there are also daily docking charges, we need to fill up the gas tank, and get some food before the storm hits. If it's bad, we won't be able to get on shore again for several days at least, and then -- "
"Matthias," Nina interrupts. "Darling."
He glowers at her. "What?"
"May I remind you that this is my own money that I am proposing to spend, and kindly ask what, exactly, you are contributing to the effort?"
Matthias harrumphs in patent disapproval. They are currently living on a houseboat in Bridgetown, Barbados, their most recent stop since leaving Norway and bopping itinerantly around the world, and while Nina is still working for the Crows from afar, Matthias's own employment options have been far more limited. He is mostly stuck with working day jobs for under-the-table cash payment; he is tall, he is strong, and he can carry heavy things without complaint, so there is that. Their budget can definitely get fairly harrowing at times, and it's not like Nina has forgotten about everything else they need to pay -- most of which will also come from her, as the chief breadwinner -- but still. She picks up the necklace again, letting the luminous black pearls trickle through her fingers, then turns to the stall owner, adopting a tone of no-nonsense brass tacks. "How much?"
He names a figure that Nina absolutely does not intend to pay, so she spends the next ten minutes haggling him down to a more reasonable number. While Matthias stands nearby with a resigned look, they finally reach agreement, Nina peels off several colorful Barbadian dollars, and takes the necklace, fastening it around her throat. "There," she says to Matthias. "What do you think?"
He sighs deeply. "It's nice, but if we can't pay the berthing fees and get thrown out in the middle of the night, I'm blaming you. Besides, where did you get all that cash? Aren't you usually paid virtually?"
"Hard cash is a girl's best friend." Nina flutters her eyelashes and takes her husband's arm. He sighs again, but doesn't say anything else, and they stroll down the cobbled street, under the waving palms and market awnings, the island breeze laden with the damp scent of the incoming storm. "Besides, I think it's your turn to buy the groceries for once. And a pair of barbecue tongs."
Matthias blinks at her, utterly baffled. "Barbecue tongs? Why?"
"You know," Nina says sweetly. "To pull out that stick that is still, somehow, stuck all the way up your ass."
Matthias groans. "You live to annoy me, don't you?"
"Maybe." Nina grins angelically, snuggling closer. He's so damn tall that she has to reef him in like a sailboat, pull him down to get close enough to kiss, and she does so, until she's good and ready to stop. Matthias squeaks, performs an aborted attempt at a struggle, looks around furtively, and then gives up and kisses her back. His hair has turned very blond in the tropical sun, and he smells like male sweat, ocean salt, and big dumb boy. Nina loves him so very much.
"You do know," Matthias says prissily, once they pull back, "that we're in public, right?"
"No, I totally didn't notice." Nina rolls her eyes. "Come on, you moron. Let's go find some dinner. And you are paying for it."
Matthias eyes her up and down. Despite all his protestations, he is clearly imagining how she will look while wearing nothing but the necklace. "All right," he says, and offers her his arm again. "I hope you're in the mood, yet again, for fish."
[fic prompts]
