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Hi I just read enough and I was wondering if you would make another part. It doesn't have to be yn and Kaz getting another kid it could just be them in the future. Thanks
⥠Summary: Nina and Matthias have finally taken it upon themselves to search for a place to settle down. The downside is, it's outside the country. And saying goodbye is a bit more difficult that it usually is.
⥠Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Reader, The Crows x Reader (platonic!)
⥠Fandom: Six of Crows, Grishaverse
⥠Warning(s): None
⥠WC: 4.4k
Been a while, but here's part two!! I loved the direction this took when I was writing it and I hope you and everyone else who wanted a part two feel the same <3
Side note, thanks for 500 follows. Was not expecting that when I took a break but it was nice to come back to!
Please excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes
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"Something's wrong."
Kaz turns to look at you, several pieces of paper shuffled around in his hand and slotted between the spaces of his fingers. It momentarily distracts you, seeing how ridiculous he looks.
"Yeah. You're not helping."
"No, that's not it."
You ignore the scathing glare he sends you in turn for biting your nails, eyebrows twitching from where they're pulled together.
It feels distinctly like you're missing something. Or maybe like something is supposed to be happening but it's not.
You've already been around Jesper and Wylans to drop off the pie you promised them in exchange for them coming along on a job. Nina already talked to you about her trip back to Ravka to discuss some stuff with the King. Inej wasn't due back until tomorrow, already having everything prepared for her return. Matthias was relatively self sufficient so he didn't need anything from you today. Kaz is burning holes into your skull as a way of forcing you to continue to help him.
Logically, there's nothing left to worry about. You just went through your entire list of people who you wouldn't mind helping.
Maybe Rotty needed something? But you haven't talked with him in a while. Which, really, you need to do that because now you feel bad. Pim and Anika are out of town.
So what-
Panic bubbles in your chest and spurts out your throat. "Leo!"
Kaz jumps a bit, papers making a noise as they're jostled. He stares for a moment, then tenses. "Where is he?"
You rub at your face, the question already plaguing your mind.
"He's at fifth harbor, I think."
The fact that you're not certain kills you.
"You /think?/"
"Okay listen here, Mr. 5 Star Parent." You glare at him. "I told him there was something I needed at the harbor and that it was coming..."
You pat your body, looking for a pocketwatch. Usually it's around your neck or hanging in your pant leg but it's not here.
Kaz walks up to you, jutting his torso out a bit and paper filled hands held off to the side. You grab the pocketwatch from his vest, popping it open to look at the time.
A bit of relief nulls the panic. "It came about half an hour ago, which means he should be-" you turn towards the window, slotting the little clock back into his pocket "-on his way back right now."
The curtains are already open, letting in a deep, warm orange glow into his newly refurbished office. He still intends to move to the ground floor, but for now he remains up here, with the creaky stairs and wide angled window.
You walk over, looking outside. The sun blazes into your eyes for a moment before you block it out, the cobblestones glistening up at you.
There aren't any people around, which is a little weird considering this is the time when people would be making their way back home. But, there is a dog barking up the side of a building, the sound carrying to your ears.
"I doubt you'd see him walking back home."
"He couldn't carry a stack of notebooks with him over the rooftops."
"He would try."
That he would. And he proves Kaz right by hopping down from above.
"I got your note- Woah!"
His sudden appearance is enough to make you scream, hard earned fighting instincts kicking in. Your knife in your side pouch is suddenly no longer in your side pouch, instead flying at record breaking speeds across the Barrel.
The only reason it's not in your son is because you managed to divert it before it left your hand, instead making it create a wind that rustles his longer hair.
"Shit!"
Leo loses his balance, tumbling into the office in a very ungraceful front flip, landing on his back.
"Leo! What did we say about this!?"
He doesn't answer right away, and you don't really expect him to. He groans on the floor as you go to help him up, books scattered on the floor from where they ripped against the thick paper they were stored in.
Kaz is right behind you, papers forgotten as he grips Leo beneath the arms and hoists him up to his feet. You grab a chair, heart still racing yet relieved to see him here and, for the most part, safe.
You plop him down, wooden chair adorned with a cushion.
"I thought you'd have heard me!"
You scoff. "You know I often don't, you sneaky fucking minx." He learned from the best, unfortunately, so he had nothing to say in his defense. "I really could have killed you just now."
"Yeah, you could have." Kaz decides to chime in, going back to sorting through his papers, but paying you extra attention. "That knife is now floating in East Stave, judging by the sheer power and murderous intent you just threw it with."
"Which is why we talked about this!" You examine Leo, turning his face with your fingers near where you seen the knife fly by.
Kaz sighs, putting papers back between his fingers.
"I'm sorry." Leo whispers.
You take a minute to look at him, /really/ look at him instead of searching for what you know isn't there, and see the shaken up and guilt ridden look on his face. His freckled cheeks are drained of color, but slowly coming back. His eyes are wet, and his hair is ruffled beyond repair with just your fingers to card through the progressively curling strands. His eyebrows are pulled together, and there's a noticeable downturn to his lips.
He's really scared.
You sigh. "I'm sorry, too." There's no hesitation in the way you place a kiss to his forehead, letting your lips linger for a moment as you feel the tension leave the space between his brows. "I was literally in the window looking for you, I shouldn't have been so startled."
"I wasnt gone for that long."
You huff. "It's half eight. You left at two."
His eyebrows raise. "Wow."
Kaz actually laughs, a short, sharp exhale through his nose with a curve in the corner of his mouth. "I don't think 'wow' is the word you should be using."
"It's the only word I've got."
You scoff. "Well now you're just a liar, little book worm."
Speaking of books, you turn to the space in front of the window, finding it void of your stack of notebooks that nearly cost Leo his life.
You don't even get the chance to look around for them before Kaz is picking them up from his chair, and then handing them off to you.
There's four of them, each looking the exact same as the others, much to your delight. You take them in earnest. "Thanks, love."
It's wonderful to see the shade of pink that adorns his cheeks still when you call him that.
"What do you need 4 exactly replicated notebooks for?" He clears his throat.
You set them in Leo's lap, taking the top one off and opening it.
The paper was fine and thin, a bit of a bumpy texture to it when you run the pads of your fingers over the surface. It was cream white, a slight yellow tint to some and a very slight grayish-brown tint to others. The edges were deckled, which you'd fix later, and the back cover to the book had an imprint of the sellers company on it.
"They're for little things. Ones for Leo and the rest are for myself. I was considering getting into drawing, but I think I'm mostly going to use them for keeping track of my thoughts."
Leo picked one up, flipping through the pages. "Like a diary?"
"Not... necessarily."
"Then what?"
As you try to think of a different way to explain it, though, nothing comes to mind.
You bought a book you can write in to record your thoughts and feelings. If that's not a diary you don't know what is.
As if second nature you look towards Kaz, as if he's going to help you out of the mess you made. Instead you're met with your husband doing a shit job at hiding an amused smile.
He did that a lot these days.
"If not a diary, then what is it?" He teases.
"It's just... a journal." You go back to flipping through the pages, drinking in the sound that comes from Kaz as he suppresses a laugh with a controlled breath even if it pisses you off, Leo smiling widely at the display he's managed to produce. "Just to write stuff, yknow?"
Leo closes his journal and opens the next one, going over the pages.
"Write stuff. Personal stuff." Kaz teases again.
"Well, yeah." You shrug. "But also, other non personal things. Just stuff I notice and want to keep track of, like things people gravitate to. And to help me learn languages."
You feel Kaz before you hear him. He presses a feather light kiss to your temple, holding your face with his gloved hand.
It's new, welcomed.
You close your eyes and lean gently into his hand until he pulls away. And when you look back at him, he's got that boyish charm to him that he fought tooth and nail for.
You're just glad you run warm. To ease his worries.
"A journal isn't going to help with your abysmal pronunciation of Ravkan."
You shove the journal into his chest, making him stumble away from you. His smile grows.
"I don't need sass from you, Mr. I-only-know-one-language."
He takes the journal and opens it, looking into it. "I don't need to know more than one when I'm surrounded by people fluent in several."
"Not for much longer you're not."
The comment makes the air in the room melancholy.
Along with Nina going to Ravka to discuss some "important matters," her and Matthias won't be returning to Kerch afterward.
They're going to travel around for a while, exploring the different lands available to them to settle down in. After they explore a bit of Ravka, Nina giving Matthias an ample tour of her homeland, their next stop is Novyi Zem. There they'll do much of the same, basking in eachothers presense as they indulge in the prosperous lands and rich culture.
From there they'll edge into The Wandering Isle, but not too far to avoid the DrĂŒskelle. And then they'll take their leave to the Southern Colonies, where they're planning on taking permanent residence if they don't find somewhere else first.
You're happy for them, and so is Kaz, much as he still hates to express it.
Leo, however, is having a hard time figuring out where he stands on the matter.
Earlier, when you went to treat Nina to waffles as one of the last meals you'll share together for a long while, Leo had made it about halfway to the same little diner the three if you went to when you first found him before stopping.
He stood his ground, refusing to move even as you took his hand and tried to encourage him to even just move out of the road, and then gave you a genuine, sad "sorry" and took off back towards the Slat.
You couldn't get him to turn around and come back. And knowing he'd make himself as difficult to find as possible, you continued to meet Nina, who was as sympathetic as can be despite being disappointed.
Even now, you can see the way Leo grips the notebooks, ready to flee.
Your fingers find the back of his head, gently scratching his scalp and loosening the knots in his hair. His shoulders loosen, and he let's out a deep breath.
He's the only reason they haven't done this sooner. But now that he's older and they've had time to learn how to manage the sheer amount of money they came into possession of, it's time.
"They leave tomorrow. Inej will be back as well to see her off." It was a feeble attempt to lighten his mood.
And it doesn't work, his smile not even reaching his eyes. "I know."
You can't think of anything else to say. And Leo stands up, setting the journals on the chair, and walks out the door.
--------
Inej makes it to the harbor before everyone else. Her boat is docked right where it always is, and she's throwing herself off the side and bounding towards the group of you before you can point it out.
You pick up the pace, Nina following right after, luggage forgotten about once she gets to the base of the steps.
The both of you wrap Inej up in a hug, not squeezing hard, but hard enough that you're sure that Inej is having a bit of some difficulty breathing.
You all let go, you taking Inejs hands in yours, smiling as wide as you can. "It's so good to see you."
"You too."
Nina puts a hand on Inejs shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright with taking me to Ravka?"
Inej gives her a contented look. "I'm sure. I'll just be dropping you off, no getting off the boat."
You hardly get another moment with her before Jesper is shoving his way through. He draws out her name, slowly and gently coming down to wrap her in a hug. She reciprocates, already having seen his quick approach.
As Wylan comes to stand next to the hugging pair, Jesper swinging them from side to side, you turn toward Matthias to see him smiling at the display as well.
He's gotten so much more comfortable over the past few years, his year in prison far behind him. It's nice to see him smile so openly, so lovingly.
The boys let go of Inej, Leo having given her a hug as well.
He decided to come along silently, standing outside the Slat and ready to follow to the docks.
No one said a word, just nodded at him as he tailed right beside you.
Getting to see Inej breaks the tension within him a little. You can tell, his shoulders more relaxed and his smiles coming easier.
He moves out of the way as Nina gets Inej's attention again. Inej allows the tears to collect in her eyes as she hugs her once more, the both of them gripping eachother.
Inej sighs. "You'd think I'd be used to this."
They giggle, and so do you.
A high, sad whine escapes Nina's throat. "I didnt realize how hard this was."
"It gets easier."
"I don't think it does."
They go silent, gripping eachother just a little harder before letting go.
You suppose there's some truth to both those statements.
As Nina turns to you, wrapping you up in her arms, you find it hard to do the same.
Because sure, if you do this enough it can start to feel like routine. You lean in close, holding the other together as tight as possible, and then you say goodbye.
But there's so much more.
You hike your arms up and squeeze around her middle, only minding your pressure just a little to avoid forcing all the air out of her lungs. She does not afford you the same courtesy, and squeezes you as tight as possible.
Emotionally, it doesn't. Everytime Inej leaves it feels as if a piece of you is being taken away. And now two more pieces are leaving, a sizeable hole forming in your heart.
When will it be whole again?
When will every one of you be back in the same place, after almost 8 years since the Ice Court? With one hunting slavers and two finding a place they can call home?
Childishly, selfishly, you want everyone to stay together. To call this place, right here, their home, and settle down.
But that's not how real life works.
So you squeeze her a little tighter, and eventually when you let go, you allow the little piece of her that occupies your heart to float away with her.
"Take care of yourself." You say to her, clutching her hands in yours.
She laughs, her loud barking laugh, and tears run down her cheeks. "8 years and that's all you have to say?"
You scoff, regretting it immediately when the release of air from your lungs sends tears pouring out of your eyes. "You know I suck with this emotional goodbye bullshit."
"You and our boys all do."
You turn towards where Kaz and Matthias are standing next to eachother, Kaz's hands placed firmly on his cane and Matthias with his hands clenched into loose fists at his sides.
While he has grown more relaxed over the years, that DrĂŒskelle rigidness has yet to be completely shed, if it ever will be.
Jesper and Wylan get their turn saying goodbye to Nina, and you walk over to Matthias.
He relaxes slightly, his body curving down ever so slightly to become just a bit more eye level with you.
"What do you want, big guy? A hug? Handshake? Fistbump?"
He smiles at the humor in your voice, rolling his eyes, and then he's walking forward, arms out.
It's only half surprising, your eyebrows raising ever so slightly as you walk into him.
He's still as solid as can be, but he's gentle in the way he uses that solidness. His arms wrap around your upper body in a way that encapsulates you, your hands flattening across his back.
The hug is much shorter than Nina's, but it's only slightly less emotional.
Your tears continue to fall. His eyes manage to get a glossy look to them, which is basically the same as you breaking down into an ugly sob if you had to put it on a scale.
You take hold of his arms, his hands holding onto your elbows.
"You take care of yourself as well. Keep eachother safe."
He smiles. "You and the demjin really do suck at goodbyes." His Fjerdan hasn't faded a bit, with you, him, Nina, and ocassionally Wylan all speaking it when he does. You and Wylan were learning to speak more like a native, you catching on much faster than him, who wanted to stay more towards textbook Fjerdan.
You're going to miss those bits of chaos, with Kaz and Jesper standing off to the side giving the lot of you looks of confusion and horror when they pick up on certain words out of context.
"Give me a break, half of you are gone now."
He gives your elbows a squeeze. "We will visit, as promised."
"You better. I'll be visiting you too once you get settled down, so you better be prepared."
"I wouldn't expect any less."
You let go of eachother, your body subconsciously finding Kaz's and standing as close as you can to him.
Leo is talking nervously to Nina. Their voices are gone with the wind, his mouth moving rapidly as hers stays slow, hands coming up and wiping away his tears.
He stops, lips turned down, and she brings him into her. Just like you, he can't seem to make his arms move at first. But when he does, they fly around Nina, squeezing her as tightly as a thirteen year old boy can.
You hope this doesn't break him. It's hard enough whenever Inej comes and goes, you have no idea how hard this will be for him with Nina and Matthias visiting so much less often.
They pull apart, and Nina wipes his tears once more. She says something, low enough that you see Inej try and lean in to hear. Whatever she says, Leo gets a serious look on his face, and then nods.
She ruffles his hair, making him giggle.
Inej takes this as her cue to make her way on over. Her eyes are a little pink and glassy, and her nose has gone a little red from where she's been rubbing it.
You hold your arms out again, and she accepts as she takes those last few steps. She's still so thin, but you know better than to think she's gotten weak. You can feel it in the firmness with which she hugs you and how tense her back is, hard muscles sleeping beneath her clothes.
"I've only seen you for five minutes and you're leaving already. And taking Nina and Matthias with you."
You feel more than you hear her chuckle. "Ill visit soon. And so will they when they're ready."
"I know." You pull away. "It just hurts."
She moves on to say something to Kaz, and you look back towards Nina to see Leo handing her one of the journals from yesterday. Usually you'd be a little upset at the regifting, but the awed look on Nina's face brings more confusion than anything else.
They hug again, squeezing tighter than before if possible, and then Leo is running back towards you.
He slams into you, and you're half ready for it. Your body stumbles backwards, his fingers digging into your side and shoulder blade. A third hand comes and stabilizes you as you put your hand on the back of his head, and your other on his back.
He's grown so much. Both physically and emotionally. He's tall enough now that his forehead can rest comfortably in the meat of your shoulder, and considering that he's only 13, you're willing to bet he'll be as tall as Matthias once he's done growing.
The people this important to him leaving will be hard, like opening an old wound, but you can tell he's been prepared for this. They've been openly preparing to leave Kerch for about a year and a half, discussing it when the topic comes up.
He knew this was going to happen.
You just hope you're prepared for how emotional this will be once they're actually gone, boat disappearing across the horizon.
You squeeze him a little tighter, wishing that just holding him like this would make everything better.
"You okay?" You ask.
He nods his head, but doesn't let go.
The other hand rubs your back from side to side. You can feel the leather through your many layers, the vibrations of the friction as he readjusts his fingers making you smile.
Looking up, you see Nina begin making her way over.
Gently, you encourage Leo to let you go. He stands next to Kaz, who does his best to comfort him, gloves fingers moving his hair from his face and behind his ears.
"One last hug before you go." You ask.
She doesn't deny you. "Youre doing a lot of that today."
"Forgive me for wanting to hold you while youre still here."
"Apologize for that again and I'll drag you with me to throw you overboard."
You both laugh, the sound coming from your bellies. Your heart stutters, and it makes you feel a whole lot better.
"Leo gave me a journal to write in while I'm away." She whispers.
"Are you going to use it?"
"Don't be stupid. Of course I will." She pulls away, wiping at her eyes. "And you can read about our adventures for generations to come."
"The size of your ego won't fit on that boat."
"I'll make it work."
You cup her head in your hands. "You always do."
Her lip wobbles, and Matthias takes that as his cue to come in and comfort her.
For a while you all stand in the middle of the docks of fifth harbor. Hoards of people give you dirty looks as they brush past, but no one could find it in them to care.
It's obvious that you're all just finding excuses to keep the conversation going. But the thing is, it's not hard. It's the easiest thing in the world. Topics flow into more topics, strings tying each one together so intricately that you loop back to the beginning several times without more than a blink, and then you're off on something else just as quickly.
And time continues, despite the unrelenting need for it to stop.
When you eventually look up, the sky is becoming a darker shade of blue than the ever lovely warm orange it sports. The sun is just barely peeking over the horizon if you had to guess, the torrential waves surrounding Ketterdam ever present.
Everyone goes silent, realizing the time, and then they begin their goodbyes.
The cycle starts with Jesper and ends with Kaz, who gives both Nina and Inej a tip of his hat, Matthias getting a handshake.
You put a hand on Ninas shoulder. "I hope you find the best piece of land the world has to offer."
"I won't settle for anything less, given what we've been through. I deserve it."
You both smile, giggles almost bubbling. "That you do."
You let your hand slip off her shoulder as she turns away to pick up her things, journal stuffed safely into her shoulder bag.
With nothing left to do, they wave goodbye with their stuffed hands, and Helnik and Inej are on the boat and pulling out of her berth and out into the sea.
The waves allow them to pass, making for a beautiful scene of The Wraith bathed in the light of the nearly set sun, and they're gone.
Nobody says anything.
You wrap your son in your arms, and take your husband's hand. Wylan tucks himself into Jespers arms, and props him up.
Everything feels like it's falling apart.
But for your sanity, and those around you. You tell yourself everything is as it should be, no matter how bullshit it feels.
Because everything is as it should be. It just...
It doesn't feel good.
A hand comes up and wipes your cheek, and you let it rid your face of the tears.
"Come. Home time." Kaz says. There's a gentle tug on your arm, and it's almost like he tugs on your heartstrings too.
He makes everything easier.
You finally look away from the waves, and you feel just a little better. "Home time."
You look down at Leo, who also has tears running down his face. He let's you wipe them away, and then nods. "Home time."
"See you tomorrow?" Wylan asks, Jesper cleaning himself up right next to him.
You hum a deep, confirming tone. "Tomorrow. Dinner."
He nods. "Dinner it is."
Kaz tugs once more, just as gentle, and you give in.
It's time to go home.
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Tags:
@b3kk3r-by-br3kk3r @a-candle-maker @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @kylie18 @morrigan-crowmwell @venomsvl @milkshake0
And I hope it's okay to tag these people as well since you guys specifically asked for a part 2 in the notes:
@curiousdarlin @beautifulbows924 @jjmaybanksrings
This is the best fanfic ever <3
relationship: kaz brekker/his son. a little bit kaz brekker vs his son. kaz brekker x female!reader.
warnings: idon'tknowwhattodo!kaz. iwilldoeverythingformyson!kaz.
legend: y/n -> your name
word count: 1485
authors note: IâM SORRY, OK? if you want to read something riddiculous, abstract and stupid then⊠well you are in the right place. please donât kill me, iâve great fun writing this at 3 a.m.
english is not my first language so sorry for mistakes
Saying that Kaz was worried was understatement. Kaz was totally panicked and for the first time in his life he didnât know what to do. He couldnât solve the problem with force as usual, right? But, come on this kid was his son, he couldnât be that bad as others. Kaz wanted to believe in this but for him children were only little devils.
âDonât make such a face, Kaz,â said y/n and took her suitcase. 'This is your son and Iâll be back for three weeks. Bye.â
It took Kaz a moment to realise that previously she had been saying about two weeks not three.
'Wait! y/n!â He ran after her but she had already gone. 'Fuck!â
'Fuck,â Kaz heard a childish voice.Â
Keep reading
Summary: More feared than the Shadow Summoner himself and more powerful than the Sun Summoner could even imagine, the Emperor of Magic is the only known human to be able to manipulate magic. Having only been a myth up until this point, Kaz Brekker sets out to take her captive in hopes of making himself rich in the processâŠ
Warning: +18 Warning, mentions of gruesome deaths, person taken into captivity
Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader
Type: Series
Word Count: 1.6k
Series Masterlist
It had been three and a half years. Any spare moment was spent keened over a desk looking at outdated documents, old records, and even ancient books. Plans had been laid out, but were often discarded once a flaw presented itself. The rumor had started three and a half years ago; that there had been a sighting of what ancient texts called âThe Emperor of Magic.â
This was no ordinary human being. They couldnât be classified as Grisha since they only performed small science. They are only able to manipulate things. The Emperor was able to craft, wield, and destroy anything. They are the only known being to control magic.
There were theories that tried to reason and explain the power and extent of magic. The Emperor needs to see a victim in order to inflict order and control their mind. The Emperor must touch a victimâs skin to possess them. The Emperor need only hear their victimâs voice to be able to control their every thought. Though the wildest theory claimed the Emperor doesnât need to see, touch, or hear anybody in order to control them. They are already all-knowing. Therefore, they could control.
More feared than the Shadow Summoner himself and more powerful than the Sun Summoner could ever imagine. The Emperor of Magic rose above all others. Their power was not limited to one area like the Grisha. They had the ability to control anything and anyone.
The Emperor was not viewed as a Saint; they were viewed as a demon from the depths of hell. A man had died the most impossible death; his head exploded into millions of pieces. Some witnesses were around when the incident happened and called the authorities. Now someone had been taken into custody.
Due to the extent of the incident, the leaders of the three nations called a meeting to discuss what should happen next. They met in Ravka. In the Little Palace, they attempted to come to an agreement as to what should be done about this new threat to their world.
While Ravka, Fjerda, and Shu Han had their differences in the past, they were willing to work together to come to a solution about this issue. If they refused to work together, their countries might cease to exist in a few years time or they might lose their thrones of power. They needed to find a solution.
âShe went willingly. Didnât put up a fight,â the King of Ravka explained to them. âShe very well could have taken down my entire army if she wanted to, but she didnât.â
âAre we absolutely certain it was her?â The Taban Queen of Shu Han spoke.
âOnce she was in custody, she killed two more guards the same way,â The King of Ravka claimed. âIt is most certainly her.â
âHow was she detained?â The King of Fjerda asked in a thick heavy accent. He had obviously heard about the extent of her powers.
âMy soldiers took her by surprise,â the King of Ravka boasted. âThey covered her eyes with a bag and put muffs over her ears. Stuffed a gag in her mouth so she could not speak and bound her wrists so she couldnât perform any magic.â
âWhere is she now?â The Taban Queen of Shu Han wondered.
âShe is currently being kept in a high security prison. Though I fear the cell is not built to contain someone as gifted as her. She needs to be kept in an impenetrable place,â the King of Ravka said slowly.
The Ravkan Kingâs eyes had shifted to the King of Fjerda. The Ice Court was a military stronghold that was truly impenetrable. Many of the druskelle were tasked with guarding the high-security prison, keeping track of all prisoners. The King of Ravka knew that the Ice Court would be the only place that would be able to contain someone of such power.
âYou donât think she would be able to escape the cells?â The King of Fjerda questioned. âShe can control anything; she could make her way out of a flimsy cell.â
âThatâs why Iâd like to send a Fabrikator to construct a cell to hold her,â the King proposed. But this only caused the King of Fjerda to laugh.
âI would never allow the likes of Grisha into my court,â the King of Fjerda seethed in threat. His people liked to hunt those who could manipulate small science. They found so much pleasure in killing them.
âThen say she does escape. Donât you think sheâll want to take us out first?â The King of Ravka explained. This only caused the other king to frown. âShe is called âthe Emperorâ for a reason. She wonât need kings or queens once she is in power. Sheâll take our thrones if we do not stop her now.â
âYou can stop her by killing her,â the Fjerdan spat. âStrike her down where she stands. The demon does not deserve to live.â
âBut she could be of great use to us,â the Queen of Shu Han spoke up. Her people were known for conducting scientific experiments and inflicting inhumane treatment onto the Grisha. âIf we could harness that power, weâd be able to control our enemies,â the Queen grew excited from the thought alone.
âExactly,â the King of Ravka nodded. âSheâd become our greatest weapon.â
The three leaders agreed that they liked power and theyâd like to remain in power. By eliminating the threat, theyâd have very little to gain from it. However, if they were able to obtain that power of magic somehow, theyâd be able to weaponize it and use it against their enemies. Theyâd be unstoppable.
So they crafted a legal document in which they all had to agree to and sign. In the document, Ravka would supply the materials needed to contain the threat. The Fabrikators would have to create a cell that could contain such power. Theyâd also be tasked with crafting the proper attire that would render her imobile and make it so she could not use her magic. The Fjerdan would provide the space to contain her and the people to guard her. The druskelle were known to be some of the best soldiers in the world. The Shu would provide the knowledge. Theyâd send scientists to perform the experiments needed to figure out how to harness the power of magic.
Each nation had a part to play. And it was going to work in their favor.
That meeting happened three and a half years ago. There was no evidence that the meeting ever happened besides the legal document which explained each nationâs part to play in the whole scheme. Only one person had lived to see the incident happen that resulted in the death of a man. That is how the rumor started.
The Emperor of Magic had been sighted, but there was little evidence to prove it. The man claimed that the authorities took her into custody, but neither the captive or the guardsmen were ever seen again. The man who claimed to see all of this was starting to go crazy, becoming a theorist whose ideas sounded extreme.
The rumors spread across the lands and fell on ears. Many people chose not to believe the man, insisting that there was no such thing as magic and whatever he had seen was just make believe. Some people were most intrigued by his stories and wondered what truly happened to the person captured.
The Little Palace kept the legal document of evidence in a sealed vault. The document had actually never been seen by anybody other than the three people who had signed it. However, unbeknownst to the three rulers, the legal document that was currently sitting in the vault was not the original copy.
About three years ago, a small group of criminals had broken into the palace on a completely unrelated heist. Their true intent was to capture the Sun Summoner who had just recently been discovered. But one of the members stumbled across a secure vault.
He had a thing for lockpicking. When he was able to open the vault, he was slightly surprised to see a single piece of paper inside. He took it without hesitation, coming to believe it must have had some type of significance if it was locked away. He quickly crafted a replica and forged signatures before slipping the copy into the vault.
Kaz Brekker was able to find the one piece of evidence and quickly became obsessed with it. For the next three years, Kaz studied that single piece of flimsy paper until the edges became worn and the paper grew discolored. He tried finding old reports on abnormal or supernatural behavior. He pulled out old records of prisoners kept in the court. He even read ancient texts which described the emperorâs power.
Why the fascination? Why the obsession over a mere myth? The answer was clear to him.
He didnât believe in saints or demons. He didnât care about people who could manipulate small science or people who could control magic. What he saw was an opportunity to make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.
If other people in power knew about this potential weapon, how much would they be willing to pay for it? If he managed to break her out of prison and keep her captive himself, what kind of power would he possess? Â Power. Money. Control.
He began crafting the ultimate heist. He recovered old maps of the court they had made during their first heist as a full crew. He studied the old myths to become more knowledgeable in the kind of threat theyâd be facing. Wanting to keep his whole crew alive if possible, Kaz was making sure every aspect assured their safety.
They couldnât be seen by the emperor. They couldnât be heard by the emperor. And they could not touch the emperor. But Kaz somehow devised a plan to get the emperor out of prison.Â
It took him three years. He lost count of the amount of paper heâd gone through. He spent too many hours studying those old documents. He also didnât relay any details to the rest of his crew. At least, not until he was able to perfect his plan.Â
Finally, after three years, Kaz was content with the looks of his heist. He looked over the plans once more. He managed to break into the Ice Court once. How hard could it be doing it again?
THOUGHTS ON THE NEW SERIES?
Summary: More feared than the Shadow Summoner himself and more powerful than the Sun Summoner could even imagine, the Emperor of Magic is the only known human to be able to manipulate magic. Having only been a myth up until this point, Kaz Brekker sets out to take her captive in hopes of making himself rich in the processâŠ
Warning: +18 Warning, mentions of gruesome deaths, person held captive and tortured, lots of angst, swearing, mentions of blood and injuries
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Summary: In which Kaz reveals what his true dream is.
Warning: slight angst...its short...and major fluff near the end
Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader
Type: Oneshot
Word Count: 1.9k
The chapel hadnât sustained much damage from the battle. A few wooden pews ended up getting pushed and overturned. A few shards of glass scattered across the floor from broken windows. Yet, the stainless window remained absolutely untouched. The image of the Saint Sun Summoner cast colorful rays of light onto the stone floor.
At the given moment, Y/n was sitting on the edge of one of the pews. Her eyes remained on the saint in front of her. She had never been the religious type; she often left Inej be the expert in that area. But she found comfort in sitting in the small chapel.
It couldnât have been more than an hour ago when they almost lost their lives to the shadow monster they encountered in that very room. The crows had done risky jobs in the past, but none of them involved looking death right in the eye like they just did. She was still shaken up from the whole ordeal.
The familiar sound of a cane clicking against the stone floor could be heard behind her. The leader of the crows was making his way down the center aisle of the church, coming to a halt slightly behind the pew she sat in. She did not turn her head to address him.
âLantsov paid up,â Kaz had come to tell her. âEveryone will get their cut.â
âGood,â Y/n nodded once. She looked over her shoulder, resting a hand on the back of the pew. âAnd Nina?âÂ
âSheâll receive a pardon for deserting and another for her Fjerdan. As long as he stays out of trouble, the charges will be dropped.â Kaz explained.
âIâm glad to hear it,â Y/n let out a sigh. She went to turn back around in her place. Her eyes naturally gravitating to the stain glass window once again.
Unbeknownst to her, Kaz began staring at her through the corner of his eyes. He felt his heart tighten in the confines of his chest upon just looking at her. He spent so many years admiring her from a distance, never being able to find the courage to act on the feelings in his heart.
He had known for a very long time that she did not want to stay in Ketterdam. There were too many painful memories to give her reason to stick around. She always loved to travel anyway. She wanted to move west as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Now that the fold had been destroyed and the job was complete, there was nothing preventing her from moving far away.
Just by looking at her, Kaz could tell that her mind was in a different place at the given moment. She was probably already planning about the adventure sheâd be on, the journey across the sea, and the exploration of a new land. Sheâd be thinking about how great it would be to leave Ketterdam behind, along with him.Â
Under the notion that the two of them would have very little time left together, Kaz tried being slightly sentimental for once in his life. He racked his brain for something that meant worthwhile and heartfelt.
âI also...â Kazâs voice trailed off. âWanted to say goodbye.â
âOh,â Y/n said sadly.Â
âSince I assume youâll be leaving as soon as you find a ship,â Kaz predicted. She nodded her head at this. âAs you should. Itâs what youâve always dreamed about,â Kaz said in an almost harsh tone. It sounded mocking.
âWell, what do you want me to say?â Y/n responded in retort. She spun around in the small wooden pew, staring at him with a strong him of confusion in her eyes. âWhat would you have me do? Stay in Ketterdam?â Y/n persisted.
In response, Kaz went to turn his head away from her to avoid eye contact at all costs. He wanted nothing more than to slip behind the facade he held, void of all emotions if he could help it. His face was blank as if she hadnât just expressed the one thing he desired the most. Having her stay in Ketterdam.
âDonât tell me youâve never had a dream,â Y/n scoffed at his stone cold expression. She faced forward once more. What followed was a moment of pure silence.
With a haunting past, Kaz Brekker was cursed with torturous nightmares most nights. However, on the rare nights that he had dreams, he always dreamed of her and absolutely nothing else. His imagination would run wild of the endless possibilities they could share together.
In his dreams, Kaz would find himself stroking up and down her bare back with his own hand. Thereâd be no gloves. No urge to pull away at contact. No memory of his past. It was just the two of them together.Â
They would spend hours together in bed. Heâd brush her hair away from her neck to grant him access. Heâd burrow his face into the crook of her neck, placing the most delicate kisses along her kiss. He loved hearing the sound of her sighs in his dreams.Â
He could see it all now. Her body lay underneath his. Her delicate hand trailing up the length of his chest, stopping to linger at his heart. He take her hand in his own and give it a gentle squeeze before leaning down to capture her lips.
His dreams wanted them to be together. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her until she forgot her own name. Being brought back to reality became his nightmare. He came to realize that heâd never be able to have that and his dreams would never come true. His armor was still in place and sheâd be leaving soon anyways.
After the moment of silence, Y/n had tilted her head to the side as if she was trying to look at him through her peripheral vision. She grew curious. Her mouth parted to ask a question.
âWhat is your dream, Kaz Brekker?â Y/n wondered.
Slowly, Y/n turned around in her place. She looked at him expectedly, patiently awaiting for his answer. She quirked her eyebrows to show her curiosity. He studied her face for a moment. He thought about his choice of words, struggling to express his true emotions.Â
The old answers came easily to mind. Money. Vengeance. Jordieâs voice in my head silenced forever. But a different reply roared to life inside him, loud, insistent, and unwelcome. You, Y/n. You.
For a second, Kaz opened his mouth, but no words came out of his mouth. He was so close to confessing his true feelings to her. However, the fear quickly overtook him. He resorted to fortifying himself behind his walls again. He quickly tore his gaze away from her.
âTo die, buried under the weight of my own gold.â Kaz claimed.Â
She faced forward. She felt herself rolling her eyes at his answer, even scoffing under her breath. She couldnât believe him.Â
âMore money. More scores to settle,â Y/n deduced. She quickly rose to her feet, which only took him by surprise. She went to approach him. âWas there never another dream?â Y/n tried one final time.
The silence to follow was enough reason to leave. She went to brush past him with the intent of walking away and never looking back. But as she began to walk away from him, Kaz reached out to grab onto her wrist. He stopped her.
âStay,â Kaz pleaded. His voice was rough stone. âStay in Ketterdam. Stay with me.â
Slowly, Y/n shifted her body to face him She briefly glanced down at the gloved hand which held her wrist captive. Her gaze shifted back to the look of desperation in his eyes, silently pleading for her to stay for his own sake. She could feel the tears begin to gather in the corners of her eyes.
âWhat would be the point?â Y/n whispered. She shook her head at the notion.
He only drew closer to her. He refused to look away from her now, knowing that if he did, he might lose her forever. He took a breath.Â
âI want you to,â Kaz confessed truthfully. He saw the look in her eyes change slightly. She was taken back by this. He needed to make himself clearer. âI want...I want...you,â Kaz confirmed.
The two of them didnât seem to realize how close they had gotten to one another. Their chests were pressed together and they were able to feel anotherâs breath fanning their faces. Either of them had been so close to anyone before.Â
With great hesitation, Y/n had lifted her head to stare directly into those brilliant green eyes. She felt the tears streaming down the slides of her cheeks. She shook her head at his words.
âAnd how will you have me?â Y/n wondered in a soft whisper. âGloves on? Fully clothed? With your head turned so our lips never--â but she was never able to finish that sentence.
Because the rest of her words were lost against his mouth. He had grabbed her face with his two gloved hands and pulled her into a captivating kiss. He kept his eyes squeezed shut so tightly as if he was trying to silence the voices in his head. He felt sparks of lightning tingling against his lips, knowing his mind was screaming for him to pull away. But he didnât want to.
Yet, he kissed her so gently and carefully in fear of losing her forever. He felt her body begin to relax in his grasp. She gripped the lapels of his black trench coat, pulling him harder against her if that was even possible. His arms had shifted to circle around her waist, gathering her body against him.
A hint of pressure only caused a most delicate hum to escape past her lips, muffled against his mouth. If he could bottle the sound and get drunk on it every night, he would have without question. Their lips moved together in a synchronized harmony as if they were two puzzle pieces made to fit together.
The kiss had brought a newfound sense of warmth and comfort to his old stone heart. The memories of his brother, which were often brought from contact, hadnât plagued his mind. He focused on the feeling the softness of her lips, how she tasted, and how she felt agains him.Â
She couldn't believe what was happening. Even she had dreamed about what it would be like to touch him, but never so far as kiss him. He tasted like the expensive liquor from his flask, which he always kept in his coat pocket. His lips moved compellingly against hers as if they were fighting to persuade her to stay. And it was working.
With great reluctance, their lips parted ever so slightly from one another. Their breath held without thinking. The suspense in the air was caught at the top of their throats.Â
The two of them had leaned forward to rest their heads against one anotherâs. They panted softly to regain their breath. They remained so close to one another that their noses brushed against each others. They stare down at each otherâs lips, tempted to continue.
âYou...â Kaz panted. He brought a hand up to cup her cheek lovingly, staring into the depths of her eyes. âYou are my dream. You always have been.â
Upon hearing those words, Y/n felt any tension leave her body and she finally relaxed. She felt a small smile growing at the corners of her lips. She closed her eyes to savor those precious little words.
âStay with me,â Kaz pleaded one last time. He nudged his nose against hers as if trying to persuade her and it was working. âStay for me, my dear.â Kaz whispered.
She had never heard him speak so desperately. Though he was a master at crafting a lie, she knew him well enough to know that heâd never lie about his feelings. He wanted her and he was asking her to stay with him.Â
Her eyes glanced between his own and his mouth. âIâll stay...for you,â Y/n agreed.
Upon hearing this, Kaz felt like his dreams had finally come true. He inclined his face towards hers so that he could lay his lips against her own once again. He pulled her body as close to his as humanly possible, now knowing that heâd never have to let go. She was finally his.
Hi I absolutely loved heal his heart and saw someone say your request are open so I was wondering if u could write kaz brekker x sick reader just how he would take care of her. Iâm sick right now and itâs kicking my arse lmao
Hope nice day :)
Warning: mentions of severe illness, mentions of traumatic childhood, mentions of needles and bloodletting
Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 4.7k
Over the past few weeks, Kerch had become a victim to a new disease brought from the harbor. It spread rapidly, mainly through air circulation and proximity. Many people speculated that the disease originated from Shu Han as a few cases had been reported from there. Other than the few cases, there was really no proof of where it came from.
People began calling it the 'fragile fever.' This was because the first symptom to show was a high fever and people grew quite frail due to their weakened state. The Shu were working frantically to find some kind of antibiotic that would dissolve the bacterial infection, but they had no success thus far.
The number of casualties was rising rapidly, reporting nearly fifty deaths each day. It acted fast and could take a life in less than twenty-four hours. Ketterdam had fallen into a very dark time.
Being part of the Crows, Y/n was always busy with something. She often ran errands for the group, choosing to buy the needed supplies for most of their heists.
It was now mid-afternoon. She was heading back to the club for the day with a much needed roll of parchment and a new container of ink for her boss. She felt incredibly hot and had even broken out in a sweat despite it being particularly cold that day. She brushed it off as her wearing one too many layers.
Back at the Crow Club, the small group of six were gathered to sit around one of the empty tables. The club wasn't supposed to open for another two hours. In the meantime, the group worked on planning for their next heist. They talked amongst themselves.
"Another ten announced dead from the Financial District," Jesper announced with his nose buried in a newspaper. He dropped the paper onto the table.
"It's moving west," Inej realized. She briefly glanced down at the paper.
"Could reach the Barrel any day now," Matthias claimed. He had been leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.
"No news from the Shu?" Wylan asked Jesper. His voice hopeful.
"Nothing that the papers are reporting," Jesper stated. He directed his gaze to look at his boss who sat across from him at the table. He could see that he was deep in thought. "Thoughts on closing the club?" Jesper wondered.
The others turned their heads and looked at their leader expectedly. But Kaz kept his gaze on the silver crow head attached to his cane. He pursed his lips together in thought before shaking his head at the notion.
"No," Kaz said firmly. "We need the business and we need the money."
In that exact moment, the long wooden doors swung open to announce the arrival of someone. The six crows immedielty shifted their gaze towards the source of the noise. Their eyes landed on the familiar figure of the seventh member of the crew. Though, she didn't look quite like herself.
She was covered in a thick layer of sweat, which was clearly evident on her face. She panted heavily to herself; her chest heaving with each breath she took. It looked like she had been running, but she truly hadn't been. The color was robbed from her face.
"I'm...back," Y/n said slowly and breathlessly. She sent them a weak smile, shuffling towards a nearby table to lower her supplies down.
The others quickly looked between each other as if expecting to find some kind of explanation. In the back, Kaz slowly rose to his feet with the help of his cane. His eyes remained on her frail figure.
"Y/n," Kaz called warningly.
It was almost like she didn't hear him because she just kept organizing the things she had brought back to them. Unbeknownst to all of them, Nina moved her hands in a particular motion underneath the table. She sensed her rapid heartbeat, which ultimately meant she probably had a fever.
"Kaz," Nina whispered under her breath. She discreetly turned her head to glance at him through the corner of her eye. "Her heartbeat," Nina began.
He didn't need to be told anything else. He knew what this meant. He inhaled a sharp breathe. He was rudely reminded of his haunting past with disease and how it claimed the life of his brother. He shuddered at the mere thought.
For a brief moment, Y/n felt the entire room go silent. She saw these black splotches begin to cloud her vision. Her head felt light almost. Before she knew it, Y/n had completely lost her footing and had fallen unconscious to the floor.
Without hesitation, the six crows had jumped to their feet in order to rush to her side. It had been Nina who had gotten to her first. She grabbed her shoulder to shift her body to lay on her side. Her fingers hovered over her chest to feel for a heartbeat.
Kaz stood towering over Nina's knelt figure, watching her with hawk eyes. Inej had closed her eyes to say a silent prayer in the background. Jesper had taken Wylan into his arms to bring him some form of comfort. Matthias stood there with as much anticipation as the others.
"She's alright. Just unconscious," Nina announced which made the whole group release a sigh of relief.
"Matthias, take her up to my office." Kaz ordered immediately.
In response, Matthias had dropped down to the floor right beside Nina. He slipped his large arm underneath the unconscious girl's neck, linking his other one under the hook of her legs. He checked to make sure she was secure in his arms.
"Inej, go fetch the doctor." Kaz turned to her. She immediately left their company without another word. "Wylan and Jesper, head down to the market to get medical supplies." Kaz finished.
The two boys nodded their heads understandingly. They rushed towards the entrance with the intent of running to the market as quickly as they could so they could return as soon as possible.
"I'll stay with Nina," Kaz said mostly to himself.
Now Matthias had risen to his feet with the much smaller girl in his arms. He tried to handle her with the utmost care, knowing that if he didn't, Kaz might just have his head. He carefully made his way up the spiral staircase with Nina and Kaz trailing behind him.
Nina went to open the door to Kaz's office. She stepped out of the way so that Matthias could slip through the opening of the office. He stood still for a moment, indecisive of what to do next and where he needed to put her.
"Right over there," Kaz gestured to the sole crimson couch in the corner. So Matthias moved towards the crimson couch. He leaned down to lower the body onto the surface of the couch.
Once Y/n was comfortably laid down, Matthias took a step back so that Nina could sit beside her and Kaz could monitor it all. Nina kept her hand hovering over her chest, concentrating on feeling the pace of her heart rate. She brought her other hand to the side of her dear friend's face, shifting some loose strands of hair out of her face.
Her hair had begun to stick to her skin. Her shirt had a noticeably sweat stain around her neckline. Her breathing was wavering slightly. She looked so sickly up close.
All of the sudden, Kaz didn't see one of his crew members laying on his couch, but instead, the image was replaced of his dead brother who was still covered in those deathly firepox spots and whose eyes had been glazed over. The haunting feeling of his skin being so cold and damp. It gave him chills just thinking about it.
The memories only forced him to turn his head away from the scene. He squeezed his eyes tightly as if trying to push out the images flashing through his mind. He felt a strong sense of bile rising in the back of his throat, threatening to release if he didn't get a grip on himself.
Unable to handle his thoughts any longer, Kaz had left the room in a hurry despite hearing Nina and Matthias calling after him. He slammed the door shut behind him, holding the handle tightly between his leather gloves.
He pressed his backside against the surface of the door and allowed his head to fall back. He closed his eyes once again. His breathing began to increase in speed as he failed to get the sickly image of one of his crows out of his head. His hands shifted to grasp onto the head of the crow cane, keeping him steady.
After a couple minutes of waiting outside, Kaz began to pace back and forth in front of the door. He ignored the slight ache in his right leg. All of the sudden, Jesper and Wylan came clambering up the staircase. They each held a small wooden crate full of vials, rags, and healing herbs.
Upon seeing Kaz, Jesper had halted in his place. He narrowed his eyes at him as if trying to figure out what was going on, but he couldn't figure it out. He cleared his throat to get his boss's attention.
"Got the supplies, boss." Jesper stated.
"Bring them to Nina. She'll know what to do," Kaz did not stop pacing.
With a single nod, Wylan went to enter the office with his supplies. Jesper went to follow him, but he stopped one final time. He stood directly in front of his boss.
"Coming?" Jesper wondered.
Kaz shook his head in denial. He refused to look at him. He took a single step forward to continue his pacing, pressing the tip of his cane against the solid wood floorboards.
In slight defeat, Jesper decided to drop the subject. He turned to walk into the office, joining the others in their attempt to bring their dear friend out of an unconscious state.
Time began to pass.
Before anyone knew it, the large celestial clock of a full moon was hanging high over Ketterdam. The skyline had outstretched its black view of night over the entire city. The stars were sprinkled against the dark sky, almost like salt spread across a table. The lights of the city glowed yellow in the night.
By now, though it had only been a few hours, Y/n's state had taken a turn for the worst. She still failed to wake up. Heavy bags lingered under her eyes and her eyelids had grown darker in color. Her face was still drained of all color and her sweat continued to be an existing condition.
The doctor had been called earlier. He had arrived no more than an hour prior. He checked for the usual symptoms for which he had been seeing every day now. He worked in complete silence. The five crows stood around him and could not take their eyes away.
In the background, Kaz made sure to make no noise as he reentered the office. He stood in the dark corner as he did not really want to be seen by anybody. He held his breathe in anticipation, awaiting to hear the doctor's diagnosis.
Ever so slowly, the doctor lowered her hand back down onto the couch since he had just finished taking her pulse. He reached up to remove the circular glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He turned his body around in the chair to address the others.
"Well?" Jesper asked rather impatiently.
"Is she going to be alright?" Inej asked worriedly.
"It's hard to tell," the doctor shook his head.
"Well, what is it? Is it the fever?" Nina persisted. Her fingers pinched a little gold necklace around her neck to ease her nerves.
"I'm afraid so," the doctor replied. "She has all the symptoms."
"What can you do for her?" Wylan pushed.
"Not much I can do," the doctor sighed. He went to open his medical bag, taking out a rather large empty syringe.
"W-what's that?" Wylan practically trembled at the sight.
"It's an option. I can try to bleed her, see if any of the bacteria can be extracted..." his voice trailed off despite his urge to further explain himself.
"But?" Jesper wondered.
"If I bleed her, it might finish her."
Upon hearing this, Nina closed her eyes as if trying to prevent the tears from falling. Matthias went to wrap his arm around her shoulder. Inej began another little prayer to herself. Jesper wiped his mouth with the palm of his hand.
"There is no promise I can save her," the doctor confessed truthfully. "The fever acts fast. Her body grows weaker with each second. I need to know now if you want to to proceed with this."
Hesitantly, the five other crows had turned their heads and looked over to their boss standing in the corner. His eyes remained on the wooden floorboards since he was contemplating his options. He closed his eyes to ignore the stares coming his way.
Even then, Kaz still could not look at her. He couldn't even face his crows, coming to the realization that they were dependent on him to make the final decision on this. He thought for a moment.
"Do what you need to do," Kaz said finally.
Over the next hour, the doctor worked ever so carefully. He had successfully inserted a long tube into her arm to transfer some blood out of her system. The excess blood fed into a single porcelain bowl.
In the given moment, Jesper and Wylan were sitting in one of the corners of the room. They talked quietly to themselves. Meanwhile, Inej had been kneeling at the foot of the bed with her hands folded and her head bowed in prayer. She hadn't gotten up since. Then Matthias was pacing the room as he grew more anxious and nervous with each passing second.
All the while, Kaz remained in his own dark corner. He stood leaning against the wall with the help of his cane for support. Anytime Kaz's eyes fell on the familiar figure on the couch, the haunting memories of his brother came flooding back into his mind. He opted to keep his eyes shut to keep the memories out.
Now Nina came back into the room with a bowl full of cold water. She held a dry rag in the other hand, carrying both of them to the small side table beside the couch. She went to dip the rag into the bowl of water, wringing it out afterwards.
She proceeded to place the wet rag on the sickly girl's forehead in hopes of relieving the heat she felt in her head and to bring down her fever. In response, Y/n turned her head from side to side father slowly. She moaned at the feeling.
After a moment, the doctor removed the single tube from her forearm. He cleaned it off with a spare handkerchief. Then he stood to his feet and took hold of his medical bag. He went to leave the room, but was ultimately stopped by the leader of the group. He halted suddenly.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kaz quirked an eyebrow at the doctor.
"I have other patients to see. Others like her who are dying right now," the doctor insisted while gesturing to the patient behind him. Kaz closed his eyes upon hearing the word 'dying.'
"Name your price," Kaz grumbled under his breath.
"I-I can't stay here," the doctor shook his head in denial. "I have to help others."
In any other situation, Kaz would have stopped the man before he could leave the room. He'd force him to stay there until she got better. He'd pay him all the money in the world if it meant that he could do something to help her. But alas, this time, Kaz let the man go.
Before leaving, the doctor came to a slow halt in his steps. He dropped his head down in slight defeat. He realized that he couldn't do much to help her and he wished he could have done more.
"She's contagious," the doctor announced. He stole a quick glance at the young faces around the room. "If you value your life, you should leave town as soon as you can."
The six crows were able to remain unfazed by the doctor's comment. They glanced between one another, mentally wondering if they were all thinking the same thing.
"No mourners," Kaz began.
"No funerals," the others agreed.
Without another word, the doctor dismissed himself from the company of the crows. The rest of them were left there, slightly uncertain of what to do next. There was a beat of silence.
"We'll take shifts," Nina announced, stepping forward. "Switch every three hours," Nina suggested.
"I'll take the first shift," Wylan offered with a slight raise of the hand.
"I will too," Inej said while standing to her feet.
Over the span of a week's time, the crows had taken turns alternating shifts. It operated in a smooth manner: Wylan and Inej, Matthias and Nina, Jesper and Kaz. Though oftentimes, Jesper was left alone during the shift because Kaz just couldn't stand the sight.
The doctor was only able to come briefly every other day, checking for any signs of improvement. Though they were all running low on energy and sleep, they couldn't begin to imagine how the doctor was since he looked like he hadn't gotten sleep in a whole week.
The city was restless. More people were dying every day. There were a limited number of doctors. They often were forced to pick their work from the person who could pay the most. This left the poor people dying on the streets with no medicine and no doctor at their disposal. Death leaned heavy over the city, claiming the lives of countless innocents.
During the early shift, Inej and Wylan would do anything in their power to make sure their dear friend was comfortable. They tried propping up pillows or covering her with blankets. Inej always prayed over her and Wylan liked to swipe the sweat off her brow with a wet cloth.
In the afternoon, Nina and Matthias were tasked with trying to feed her broth. They would shift her into a sitting position. Nina sat next to her and let Y/n lean her body against her side. This meant that her head was often tucked into the nook of the heartrender's neck. Then Nina raised a small wooden bowl of broth to her lips and helped her drink the warm liquid.
Matthias had to sit in front of the two women. He always made sure that she didn't fall over and that she remained conscious if possible. He wanted to help in any way possible.
In the evening, Jesper and Kaz took on their shift. Out of all the crows, Jesper was the one who tried to defuse the awkward tension. He refused to believe that one of his closest friends was on the brink of death. So Jesper talked.
Especially when Kaz stepped out of the room, Jesper talked to her about anything and everything under the sun. It was almost as if they were just having a regular conversation, but she never responded back. He truly believed that she could hear him though and this encouraged him to keep talking.
Though Y/n had regained consciousness, she was far too weak to even open her eyes or move her mouth to speak. She ate rather slowly and drank little water. Her throat burned with each swallow and her breathes had become strained from effort.
On one particular night, Kaz needed to step out of the room for his own reasons. As soon as the door closed, Jesper directed his attention to the figure who lay on the couch. He leaned forward in slight anticipation.
"This is killing him, you know? Kaz," Jesper said in a low tone of voice.
Upon receiving no verbal feedback, Jesper crossed his arms over the stretch of his chest. He breathed a long sigh of defeat. It felt like their efforts did nothing to help her. They saw no improvement. And it was so disheartening.
"I am already the looks of the operation," Jesper said cockily as always. His cheeky smile faded. His heart became overwhelmed with pure sadness. He felt the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "I really don't want to be the heart now too," Jesper nearly chocked.
Without thinking, Jesper scooted forward in the wooden chair. He took hold of her limp hand with both of his own. He raised her hand to his lips, pressing a small kiss to the back of it. Then he leaned forward to rest his head against her hand. He cried softly to himself.
"I don't want you to feel bad if you have to go," Jesper cried. He lifted his head which meant the tears rolled down his cheeks. "We'll be alright," Jesper nodded.
Unbeknownst to him, Kaz had quietly opened the door in the background. His hand lingered on the door handle. He kept the door open just slightly to hear the conversation.
"I know what he means to you. And I know what you mean to him, even if he won't let you see it," Jesper added with a slight smile. "I'll look after him. I promise you that," Jesper whispered finally.
Suddenly, Jesper rose to his feet. He went to wipe the tears out of his eyes, sniffling once or twice in the process. He cleared his throat before saying what he thought would be a final goodbye. He pressed a single kiss to the top of her head.
"Goodbye, old friend."
When Jesper had turned around in his place, he was slightly surprised to see his boss standing in the middle of the room. He looked away as if he was embarrassed by his own tears. Instead of addressing it, Jesper simply pushed past him to leave the room and closed the door behind him. And it was just the two of them.
For the first time, Kaz went to sit in front of her. He was careful to lower himself into the wooden chair, forcing most of his weight to lean on his cane. He rested for a beat.
Lowering his gaze to stare down at his black leather gloves, Kaz tried not to think about the painful memories. He just couldn't shake the image of seeing his brother's dead corpse, lifeless and unmoving just like she had nearly been all week.
Now Kaz forced himself to take a deep breath before lifting his line of sight to settle on her sleeping figure. Instead of seeing his dead brother, Kaz was overwhelmed at the mere sight of one of his dearest friends. He wasn't an emotional person normally; he always hid his emotions rather well.
But finally being able to look at her made a part of him break inside. His heart physically ached in pain. He clenched his jaw in order to keep the tears at bay. He felt the anger rising within him.
Why did this have to happen again to him? Why was the world so against him? If saints truly exist, why didn't they save his brother or her by now?
He grew angry at the world just like he had been when Jordie died. He wanted his revenge, but this time, there was nobody to get revenge on. He couldn't help her and couldn't save her.
"I..." Kaz's voice trailed off because he couldn't think of the words.
His eyes trailed down from her face to her hand that was tucked at her side. He slowly moved his hand forward so he could take her hand into his gloved ones. He held her hand.
In a way, Kaz wanted the gesture to bring her some sense of comfort. It acted as a way for her to know that he was there beside her. But in a way, it became more of a comfort for him as he realized she was still with him. She hadn't left yet.
"I'm sorry," Kaz said for the first time.
The Bastard of the Barrel had never been known to apologize to anyone. However, in this particular moment, Kaz felt utterly hopeless. He wished to save her, but he knew he couldn't and he was sorry for it.
"We always say 'no mourners, no funerals.' But I think if you left us...I would mourn for you," Kaz confessed truthfully. "I'd mourn every day for the rest of my life, thinking back on all the times I could have said something about my..."
For his sake, Kaz chose not to finish that sentence. He feared a confession would bring him too much pain at a time like this. He'd save it for now.
"Doesn't matter now," Kaz shook his head. "You'll leave me now here soon. Just like Jordie."
In utter defeat, Kaz rose to his feet and let go of her hand in the process. He went to leave the room without another word. He closed the door behind him as if trying to close another chapter of his life. He couldn't handle it anymore. He broke.
In the very early hours of the morning, Kaz was awoken by a single sun beam hitting the side of his face. He opened his eyes to realize that he had fallen asleep in a chair downstairs. His line of sight was directed to the perch above the club and to the door of his office. It was slightly ajar.
Now Kaz didn't think much of it. That was until he heard a soft sobbing sound coming from upstairs. His heart plummeted into the deepest and darkest confines of his chest. Was she...
The hardest thing he had to do was stand to his feet as he almost felt like he didn't have the energy anymore. He forced himself to climb the spiral staircase, stopping at the very top. He saw Inej sitting on the floor beside the door. Her hands covered her face as she let out small sobs.
Just then, the door of the office opened slightly more. His right hand man stepped out of the room with large tears in his eyes. He took a single step forward to stand in front of his boss. Then Jesper broke out in a smile.
This look was all that Kaz needed. He pushed right past him to enter the room in a hurry. He halted in his steps.
Upon hearing someone enter the room rather loudly, Wylan had turned his head towards the door and revealed Y/n who was sitting up on the couch. She sat next to Nina who was making sure she didn't fall over and who was helping her drink some water.
For some unknown reason, Y/n looked like herself again. All the color had returned to her face. She wasn't covered in a thick layer of sweat since her fever dropped. The dark bags under her eyes had also disappeared from sight. Her eyes were so wide open. Had they always been that color? She looks different; she looks beautiful.
It all made sense now. Inej had been crying tears of joy because her prayers had finally been answered. Jesper had to leave the room because he was so overwhelmed with emotions. She made it through. She was a survivor.
Rather slowly, Kaz limped across the stretch of the room. He refused to take his eyes off her in fear that this all might be some kind of horrid dream. The other crows looked between the two of them, knowing that there was some type of unspoken thing. He stopped right in front of her.
"You're okay," Kaz breathed in a soft whisper. "You didn't..."
"Leave you? Never," Y/n smiled in retort.
"I-I thought I'd lost you," Kaz spoke as if the others weren't in the room. She only smiled up at him.
"You can't get rid of me that easy."
I saw that your requests were open and I cant get the idea out of my head about a reader that worked at the crow club and Kaz just cant get them off his mind.
Then after failing to capture Alina and coming home, the crow club was under new Management and Pekka Rollins had taken interest in the reader, keeping them by his side. How would he react and/or get the reader back with the crows?
Warning: slight violence, mentions of provocative attire, mentions of being a captive
Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 4.3k
Ever since the Crow Club fell under the new management of Pekka Rollins, Kaz Brekker had been working nonstop to come up with a plan in order to reclaim his rightful throne. He made his way downstairs to meet up with the others.
Now Wylan had been tasked with creating a substance that had similar symptoms of firepox, but it would only last a day or two at most. He placed one of the two boxes on a small table with Jesper carrying the other. Jesper had been in charge of finding the boxes of their old costumes in which he had forgotten to clean them since last year.
Finally, Kaz had come to approach the table. He went to open one of the boxes, finding it filled with spray glass bottles of a mysterious liquid. He directed his gaze to the young boy standing in front of him.
"It'll mimic it in every way?" Kaz needed certainty.
"Mhmm," Wylan nodded.
With that, Kaz closed the lid to the box. He nodded his head in acceptance. There was a moment of silence amongst the small group. The boss turned his head to look directly at his right hand man beside him.
"You're gonna say you can't do this without me, yeah? And that you hate it when we're angry at each other, but sometimes, brothers fight. And that when all this is over, you'll open a tab for me at the club of my choosing," Jesper was rambling.
Kaz's face remained unchanged by Jesper's words. He looked at him sternly.
"Cause when Pekka's gone, you'll take it all. That's what your were gonna say," Jesper finished. He sent a cheeky smile to the others.
"There's a cap on the tab," Kaz insisted. "But otherwise, yes. To all of that."
"Then let's go take down the king," Jesper replied.
"The plan is this: Jesper and Wylan, you're gonna hand out Komedie Brute costumes and vials of the compound to all of the Dregs," Kaz began.
"Per Haskell's gang," Jesper claimed.
"Our gang now," Kaz interjected. "By sunset, the streets will be crawling with Sankt Emerens revelers. They'll provide us with the cover we need."
Sure enough, Wylan and Jesper had succeeded later in the evening when passing out costumes and the vials to the other members. They themselves wore their own costumes for disguise.
"Hit all of Pekka's businesses: The clubs, the brothels. All to destroy Pekka's reputation," Kaz ordered. He further explained Inej's part in delivery the message to Pekka's driver.
In that moment, Nina had come to join the small group by standing beside them. She had a pint in her own hands.
"Nina and I will handle the Emerald Palace," Kaz glanced at Nina beside him. His eyes drifted over the others. "See you there," Kaz dismissed them.
Naturally, Jesper and Inej had shared a look between one another. He had forgotten a vital piece of information to the plan, but he must have had his reasons. He didn't say anything about her.
"No mourners," Jesper began.
"No funerals," the rest of them said simultaneously.
As Jesper and Inej began walking away, Wylan caught up to them to ask why they always said 'no mourners, no funerals.' Inej gave a simple explanation of wanting to keep their expectations low.
Back at the table, Kaz and Nina stood in an awkward silence. She was quick to finish her pint of beer, lowering onto the surface of the table. Kaz kept his gaze on the box in front of him.
"You've been quiet," Kaz noted. He turned his body to address her. "Ready?"
With that, Nina landed a swift punch to the left side of Kaz's face. She had honestly been wanting to do that for some time.
The Emerald Palace was located in Ketterdam's East Stave, being owned and operated by the notorious gang called the Dime Lions. The gambling hall was always bustling with pigeons, bringing in heaps and heaps of money for Pekka Rollins himself.
When Pekka had taken over the Crow Club, he oversaw the distribution of its employees. He had them all line up and he made his decision where he wanted them to work for him.
He liked the big bouncers, opting to send them to the Emerald Palace where he often spent his nights. They'd serve as good additional protection. Many of the waitresses were sent away to work in his various brothels. Others were forced to go to the clubs. Then, there was her.
She was the one who had caught his eye. She stood timidly under his gaze, refusing to make eye contact with him unlike the others. He grabbed her chin to forcefully make her look at him. This caused her to let out a small gasp of surprise.
"Now..." Pekka's deep voice growled as he finally got a chance to look over her striking features. "What's a pretty lass like you working for scum like Kaz Brekker?" Pekka wondered.
"H-He pays me well," Y/n stuttered. She tried to pull herself out of his grasp, but he quickly grabbing onto her arm to hold her in place. "I-I'm just a waitress," Y/n claimed.
"Mhmm, just a waitress." Pekka almost didn't believe her. "Nothing more?"
"N-No," she lied under her breath.
Much like Inej, Kaz had chosen to pay off her indenture at the Menagerie. In turn, Y/n worked for him as a waitress at the Crow Club. She worked the tables, listening in on other people's conversations to hear the latest news circulating around the barrel. It was just another way to hear intel.
She was a resource to him. She was often the reason why he heard about specific jobs or who was no longer a reliable investment. However, that wasn't the only reason why Kaz Brekker liked keeping her around. As she was also a healer.
They shared many late nights together. He'd sit in front of her as she healed some painful wounds inflicted onto his body. Her being a healer was another valuable resource to have at his disposal.
At first, Kaz was wary when Y/n offered to heal a nasty wound inflicted to the side of his head. It caused a dull throbbing pain directly into the side of his head. To ease the almost unbearable pain, Kaz agreed to be healed by her.
He tried to prepare himself. He closed his eyes in order to try not to think about the feeling of ones skin against his own. His past coming to haunt him once again.
But when her fingers came in contact with the side of his face, Kaz didn't flinch away in pain or in disgust. In fact, Kaz felt rather comforted and maybe it was because she was healing a rather painful wound. He almost wanted to lean into her touch as it felt so warm and so gentle.
He kept his eyes closed to relish the feeling, taking a moment to appreciate not feeling the urge to vomit at physical contact. When Y/n had finished healing him, she took a single step backwards and lowered her gaze to the floor.
"I'm sorry," Y/n said softly as she already knew that he despised contact.
Instead of scolding her or demanding that she leave his office at once, Kaz approached her with an evident limp in his step. He stood right in front of her with his hands clasped onto the top of the crow head cane.
"Thank you," was all that he said.
They didn't label themselves with anything. There was some undiscussed attraction to each other that they both knew about. Due to his reputation and for her safety, they chose not to discuss such matters ever. This left them in a short of grey area.
"No," Pekka repeated. She was drawn back to reality, facing the heartless man in front of her. "Well, I can tell that Brekker didn't see your worth. How'd you like to come work for me? I pay handsomely," Pekka bargained.
Just by looking at him, Y/n knew that if she said 'no,' he was bound to put a bullet in the side of her head. Therefore, she was left with no choice but to join his side. She went to work for him at the Emerald Palace, serving as his personal attendant.
On that particular evening, Y/n was dressed in the finest lace and silk that the barrel had to offer. Her corset made it extremely difficult to breathe in, much less move around in. She brought another drink to Pekka as per request.
"Thank you, my love." Pekka said while laying a hand on the small part of her back. She wanted to wiggle out of his grasp, but stayed where she was as to not upset him further.
One of the bouncers came into view, stating that someone was there to see the boss. With some hesitation, Pekka Rollins rose to his feet and placed his glass of alcohol down. He dismissed himself from the group.
In the main entrance, Kaz Brekker was laying on the soft red floor. It looked like he had been in a fight as his hair was in disarray and there was sweat on his brow. Behind him, Nina Zenik stood with her hands held in a certain position. She could feel his beating heart.
"No match for a heartrender, are you, Brekker?" Pekka looked most pleased. "A real boss knows how to inspire loyalty in his people. Isn't that right boys?" Pekka glanced to his men.
"That's right," the other members of the gang agreed with him.
"Good job, lass. I've got it from here," Pekka gestured to Nina. His men were quick to pull their guns on her, which brought a tone of surprise.
"Move those hands and you lose them," one of them said. They knew what kind of power she could manipulate. They needed to keep her accountable. She raised her hands in defeat.
"I'm gonna make you regret the day that you crossed me," Pekka said to Brekker. He began to take off his jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his white button up shirt.
In the background, Y/n had pushed her way through the crowd of men. Her gaze landed on the familiar figure laying on the floor. She raised her hands to her mouth in hopes of covering the gasp she left out. He lifted his head and looked directly at her.
"Get him on his feet," Pekka demanded.
"Wait!" Y/n exclaimed from the side. She took a single step forward.
Just as Kaz was hauled to his feet by two men, Y/n had also been held back by another two members. She thrashed against their tight grip on her arms, desperately seeking to be released. She couldn't stand to watch this play out.
"You told me..." Pekka redirected his attention to his personal attendant. He strode towards her slowly. "That you were just a waitress for him," Pekka said.
He knew the weight of his words. He had always wondered if there was something unspoken happened between the two. This could easily be used against Brekker.
"Nothing more," Pekka glanced back to Kaz. "That's what you said, isn't that right?"
She couldn't deny it, so she chose to say nothing instead. She hung her head low, not wanting to even look at Kaz in fear of seeing the hurt in his eyes.
And her words (though not spoken in that moment) did hurt him. They both knew that she was much more than just a waitress for him. She was more than just another one of his investments. She had done more for him than just healing his wounds. Because she had also managed to somehow heal his heart which ached from the pain of his past.
"He'll never be able to offer you anything. Nothing worthwhile at least," Pekka continued. He went to approach the young teenage boy. "He is nothing more than a lowlife who feeds off the dirt from the ground," Pekka spat in his face.
"You're wrong," Y/n said with a slight quiver in her voice. Pekka turned to her once more. "He is more of a man than you will ever be, you witless worm."
A few people left out a gasp of surprise upon hearing this. Now Pekka's blood was really boiling to the point where his face had turned beat red. It could have been from utter embarrassment or it could have been from pure anger.
Without another word, Pekka Rollins went to approach the girl he had taken under his wing. He stopped to stand right in front of her. In a flash, the back of his hand had met the side of her cheek. Her head whipped to the side from the slap and she winced from the stinging pain she felt in her cheek.
In that exact moment, Kaz wanted nothing more than to bash Pekka's head in for what he had done. But he could only watch as Pekka gripped her face with a single hand. He squeezed hard and forced her to look directly at him.
"You do well to remember who you belong to," Pekka growled.
"Go to hell."
In response, Pekka released his tight grip on her face. She could now feel the distinct taste of copper lingering in her mouth. She also did not know that there was a small cut on her cheek from where his ring had come in contact with her.
"I'll deal with you later," Pekka pointed to her threateningly. He turned back to his old rival. "Right now, I need to make an example out of this rat."
"You'll pay for this, you double-dealing witch!" Kaz finally spoke to Nina with venom in his voice.
Without warning, Pekka delivered a swift punch to Kaz's stomach. He doubled over from the searing pain, kneeling on the ground. He couched in attempts to catch his breath.
Reaching down, Pekka grabbed a fist full of Kaz's disheveled hair. He forced him to look upwards in which he could now see the line of blood trailing over his mouth.
"After I beat you, I'm gonna hand your body on a post as a reminder to anyone who forgets that I'm king of this city." Pekka claimed.
"Do your worst," Kaz challenged.
Another punch was brought down onto Kaz's face which sent him to the ground once more. He swiftly kicked his stomach many times over. Each time being more painful than the last. Kaz kept his eyes squeezed shut as if to try to manage the pain.
On the side, Y/n wanted to rush over and kneel beside him. She'd gingerly lay her fingers over his aches and pains in attempts of bringing him some sense of comfort. She needed to heal him. And she didn't know how much more he could take.
With one final blow to the side of the head, Kaz fell unconscious to the ground. His blood trailed down the length of his face, staining his skin. He blinked a couple times as he was brought back to a painful reality. He could hear the sirens now.
One of Pekka's men had come to inform him about the sirens, which initiated a quiet conversation between the two of them. He announced the return of the firepox. But all the places that had been reported to have been hit where nowhere near each other.
"There will be outbreaks at all of your establishments," Kaz said as he found the strength to stand to his feet. "And only yours," Kaz breathed heavily.
For a moment, Y/n was very confused. She furrowed her eyebrows as if trying to make sense of what he was claiming. She wondered. What are you up to, Kaz Brekker?
"The path of contagion will be clear. A ship in your harbor spread the disease to your clubs," Kaz explained.
"What did you do, boy?" Pekka wondered.
From earlier, Nina could remember the conversation she had with Kaz. How Kaz was going to pay to keep Matthias out of the fights in Hellgate. But Nina needed to do something for him first and she needed to make it look real.
"There is nothing an island nation fears more than disease," Kaz told Pekka. "The Merchant Council's going to want a proper investigation."
Meanwhile, Pekka was loading one of his handguns. He slipped another bullet into the barrel. He cocked it in his hand.
"You've got my attention," Pekka confessed. "But you're not worth the time it'll take to put a bullet in your head."
"Fifth harbor is shut down. Your businesses are tainted," Kaz continued.
Unbeknownst the the others, Jesper had slipped through the doors wearing a glorious red and golden cape. He managed to slip through the heavy crowds with the intent of listening in on the conversation.
"My businesses will be fine," Pekka raised his gun to Kaz's head. "But you?" Pekka began.
"I'd reconsider," Kaz interjected. "If you want to see your Kaelish prince again."
"What are you gonna do? You gonna blow it up again?" Pekka wanted to chuckle. "You need to learn some new tricks."
"Your other Kaelish prince," Kaz emphasized. "Fond of sweets. Blond hair."
Now Pekka had shifted from one foot to the other. He tried not to show any signs of weakness, suddenly realizing who he was talking about.
"Alby," Kaz seethed.
"I'll kill everything you love, Brekker." Pekka promised. He half expected him to look over at her in the corner. But Kaz kept his gaze locked on Pekka.
"The trick is not to love anything," Kaz claimed. Naturally, Y/n could only feel her heart plummet into the deep confines of her chest. She sniffled her tears away. Maybe she was just another waitress to him. "Your mistake was that you let someone get in. Someone you'd sacrifice everything for and it makes you weak," Kaz spat.
"Then I'll just kill you," Pekka tried.
"Do that," Kaz encouraged. "And you'll never find your son in time."
"What did you do?" Pekka looked horrified.
"I buried him. Six feet deep," Kaz spoke heavily.
"He went into that box so easily. Didn't even cry," Kaz pulled a small wooden train out of his pocket. "Until I took this from him."
"Where's my son?" Pekka demanded.
"Make smart choices. And you might just reach him before the air runs out," Kaz explained.
"You trifling piece of barrel trash," Pekka growled. "What the hell do you want?"
"I want you to remember," Kaz stated firmly. The images of his dead brother flashed through his mind.
"Remember what?" Pekka wondered.
"A con you ran on two farm boys. Orphans," Kaz explained. "A promise to replace the family that they'd lost. And then you duped them out of everything. They ended up on the streets and they both died. But one of us was reborn," Kaz finished.
Despite the description, Pekka Rollins tried racking through his mind. He recalled every single job that he tried to pull off, specifically singling in on the ones that had gone wrong. But his mind came up blank.
"Too many pigeons to remember? Let me help you. Jakob Hertzoon," Kaz spoke.
"That was a long time ago," Pekka said slowly. He hear nothing in response. "So that's what this is all about? Why you look at me with murder in those shark's eyes of yours?" He scoffed.
In the background, Jesper began to make his way to the backside of the men who were holding Y/n captive. He remembered the plan that Kaz had laid out. He brought his hands to the handles of his pearly pistols, preparing himself for the worst.
"You were just two pigeons who I just happened to have plucked. And if it hadn't been me, it would've been somebody else." Pekka insisted.
"Bad luck for Alby that it was you," Kaz spoke loudly.
Upon hearing this, Pekka seized for Kaz's collar. He slammed his body against a nearby pillar, keeping one hand firmly on his chest. He pressed the barrel of his gun into the side of his neck as if to threaten him. But Kaz only smirked at him.
"You...you tell me where to find me son!" Pekka demanded.
"It's a simple trade, Rollins. Speak my brother's name and your son lives," Kaz explained.
In utter defeat, Pekka stumbled backwards in his place. He locked his jaw in place, feeling his teeth gritting together painfully. He clenched his fists at his sides. He was seething with anger and frustration.
"How about another hint?" Kaz pushed himself off the wall. "You called your daughter Saskia. She wore red ribbons in her hair," Kaz described.
At that moment, Pekka began to mutter under his breath. He was desperately trying to remember the name off the top of his head. He raised his hand to point at him.
"Okay. T-two boys from Liji," Pekka recalled. But this wasn't exactly what he wanted.
"Yeah," Kaz confirmed.
"You had a piddling little fortune. Your brother fancied himself as a trader. Wanted to get rich quick like every other nub who steps foot in the barrel," Pekka said.
"I want you to say his name," Kaz growled.
The room had fallen silent. The older man's heart began beating faster and faster as the desperation quickly began to settle in. He couldn't stand still, shifting from one foot to the other. He mumbled a few names under his breath, but they weren't the ones he was looking for.
"Come on!"
"I don't remember his name! I just want my son. He's all I have," Pekka claimed. He took a step forward. "I'll give you whatever you want, Brekker."
Now, Kaz's gaze shifted to the one who was once and now who claimed to be 'just a waitress' for him. Those were the exact words he needed to hear to get her back. He felt a heavy weight lift off his chest.
"I'm begging you," Pekka drew him back to reality.
"Are you?" Kaz wondered curiously.
With some hesitation, Pekka Rollins had found himself lowering to the ground on his knees. He hung his head low to hide his shame. The other members of the Dime Lions glanced at one another. They didn't really know what to think of the situation.
"First, you will return what is rightfully mine," Kaz hissed.
The sound of two guns clicking could be heard in the background. When the men turned their heads to look over their shoulder, Jesper was standing there pointing his guns at them threateningly. He motioned for them to release her.
Rather roughly, Y/n was released by the two men and pushed forward in her place. She stumbled from the force, landing on the floor in a heap. She groaned to herself.
Recognizing that she was now safe, Kaz proceeded to pull two pieces of paper out of his coat pocket. He held them up for the whole crowd to see. He explained what they were.
"A confession for the murders of Tante Heleen and Constable Sem. And a quitclaim deed for Inej Ghafa," Kaz dropped the papers to the ground. He made a pen appear in his hands. "Sign both if you want to find your son alive," Kaz further explained.
On his knees, Pekka Rollins did not hesitate to take hold of the golden pen and papers. He signed his name on both of them before handing them back. He had been bested.
Slowly, Pekka rose to his feet. He hated how this whole ordeal had gone down, how he had been humiliated in front of his men, and how he had been called out for being weak. But he did everything that he had been asked to do for the sake and safety of his only son.
"Where's my son?" Pekka wondered humbly. His voice sounded tired.
"Black Veil Cemetery," Kaz answered. He spared a glance to the room full of men surrounding them. "You'll need all your men digging to find him in time," Kaz claimed.
Without a moment to spare, Pekka Rollins was the first one to leave with all of his men following behind him. The only people left were Kaz, Nina, Jesper, and Y/n. As soon as those doors closed behind the men, Kaz finally caved in.
In a split second, Kaz had rushed to be at her side. He knelt down in front of her, ignoring the aching pain he felt in his right leg. He gripped her arms tightly, shaking her a little.
"Are you alright?" Kaz demanded an answer.
"Kaz..." Y/n said breathlessly.
"Are you alright?!" Kaz said a little louder. He shook her until a few strands of hair had fallen in front of her eyes. He could see the evident tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She shook her head in response.
Now Kaz had pulled her forward into a bone crushing hug. He could feel her shoulders shaking as she sobbed into his shoulder, clinging to him so desperately. He closed his eyes to relish the feeling of her being in his arms once again. He brought his hand to the back of her hair, brushing down her hair in attempts of calming her down.
"My darling..." Kaz whispered into her ear. "You're safe now. I've got you."
For the first time, Kaz had turned his head to press his lips against her temple. He whispered her name over and over again to bring her some sense of comfort. Her eyes grew heavily and she melted in his grasp. He rocked the two of them back and forth in a soothing manner.
His arms remained around her for comfort. He even managed to carry her back to the Slat, though it pained his leg badly. He laid her down in his bed and brought a blanket to drape over her body. He stayed with her all throughout the night.
Earlier, Kaz had lied blankly to Pekka's face. Though it was a trick to not love anyone, Kaz had failed miserably at that task. Because he had fallen in love with the person who managed to heal his heart.
Summary: There was nothing special about the head bartender at the Crow Club. For Kaz Brekker, he could list off thirty people who were more valuable assets or investments to him. But there is something about the bartender that ignites a desire to protect her at all costs.
Warning: alcoholic beverages, mentions of gambling, slightly demeaning behavior
Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader
Type: Oneshot
Word Count: 4k
The Crow Club had such an enticing ambience filled to the brim with thoughtless pigeons. The Ketterdam tourists didnât know any better than to visit one of the most well-known clubs in the Barrel. A place where they could put down a couple wages, drink until their hearts content, and get tricked into spending more money than they realize.
It was the perfect trap set by Kaz Brekker himself. The tables and dealers werenât rigged, but a gambling hall is still a gambling hall. People lose their money at the tables and invest in a couple drinks. Before they know it, all their money is gone and it has all goes right into his pocket.
The Crow Club was never not busy, besides when it was closed in the early hours of the morning. It was Friday, which only meant that it was going to be a busy night and the start of the weekend. The tables were filled with some bystanders even standing on the sidelines awaiting their turn.Â
The bouncers guarded the door to monitor the people coming in and out of the club. The waitresses whisked around tables, carrying tray after tray of various alcoholic drinks. All of which were provided and stocked by the head bartender.Â
Near the back of the club, Y/N was standing behind the bar counter. She had a pint in her hands and was filling the pint to the brim with rich golden beer. She placed the pint onto a tray that was almost full of other drinks. She quickly pushed the tray into the hands of a waitress, sending the orders out.Â
On busy nights like these, Y/N barely had a moment to think to herself. Instead, she opted to bury herself in the work in front of her because she knew how well it paid. She wiped her hands clear of beer on the apron tied around her waist before grabbing a nearby rag to clean the countertop.Â
In that given moment, Wylan had returned to the bar with an empty tray in his hands. He slipped behind the bar and began helping by drying some cups with a rag himself.Â
Over the past couple weeks, Y/N had been training Wylan in the art of bartending. She had seen firsthand how well he performed when mixing different chemicals to create his signature bombs. She wondered if he would take an interest in bartending since it was somewhat similar. And he most certainly did.
Wylan was a quick learner. Despite still not knowing how to read, Wylan was able to memorize which bottles of alcohol where which by the shape, size, color, and even smell. He always measured out the correct amount for each drink, since precision was insanely important when it comes to pyrotechnics. In no time, Wylan had become well knowledge in how to make certain drinks.
To have a second bartender was very helpful, especially on busy nights like these ones. For the past week, Wylan also doubled as another waiter since one of the girls had called out sick on short notice. He would take orders, return to the bar, create them himself, and then deliver them to the pigeons.Â
With Wylan often at the bar, this meant that Jesper spent even less time at the tables. For the majority of the night, Jesper would find himself perched on one of the barstools at the bar; his head perched in the palm of his hand as he stared longingly at the young bartender. This distraction was one that Wylan, Y/N, and Kaz were most thankful for as they knew how bad his gambling problem really was.
âMight I have another refill?â Jesper wondered as he lowered his now empty glass onto the bar counter. He winced at the burning in the back of his throat.
âI think youâve had enough tonight,â Y/N said warringly as she took his glass away. âDon't want to develop a drinking problem on top of a gambling problem.â
Jesper snorted in response, but nodded his head in agreement. She sent him a warm smile and cheeky wink. He went to push the barstool back, standing to his feet. He stretched his arms over his head.
âWell, then I might head to the tables.â Jesper began. She went to protest, but Wylan beat her to it.
âWeâve talked about this,â Wylan quickly came to stand beside him and took his arm as if to stop him.
âDonât worry about me. I wonât spend more than an hour at the table,â Jesper claimed. He leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his forehead, burying his nose in the ruff of hair. He quickly pulled away and slipped into the crowd to find an empty table.
Left at the bar, Wylan slumped down in the empty barstool left by Jesper. He breathed a long sigh of defeat. His gaze drifted down to the wet rag in his hands, finding a loose string and pulling on it without thought.
âIâll send Inej to make sure he leaves the tables after an hour,â Y/N tried to cheer him up. He looked over his shoulder to send her a weak smile, mentally appreciating the effort. He redirected his line of attention to the crowd, spotting his lover situated at one of the tables.Â
From across the room, Y/Nâs eyes had landed on the dark and looming figure of her boss walking the floor. He was currently being trailed by one of his informants; a pesky man who honestly didnât know when to stop talking.Â
The bartender just knew by the look in his eyes that his patience was already warring thin. His jaw was locked in place and his pace quickened despite the use of his cane. He also had that clear look of annoyance in his eyes.Â
In that moment, Y/N began to prepare his usual order, which was a glass of the finest whiskey in Ketterdam. She knew he was gonna need it after that conversation. Sure enough, Kaz spun around on the heels of his feet and said one thing to his informant. Without another word, the short and stout man scurried past him to leave the club.Â
Now, Kaz headed straight to the far side of the bar. He stood with his eyes facing the shelf full of the alcoholic beverages. The head bartender placed his usual on the countertop before sending it sliding down the long length of the counter. Without looking, Kaz caught the small glass of whiskey with his leather black glove. He raised the glass to his lips, taking a long sip of the rich liquid and relishing in the burning sensation felt near the back of his throat.
When Y/N turned her head away, Kaz shifted his gaze to stare at her discreetly unbeknownst to her. He remembered the day he hired her, which was only a few days before the club opened. He hired her for one reason and one reason only: if she agreed to not to ask any questions. And she had kept her end of the bargain ever since.
He knew this would be a difficult task for anyone. There was always the mystery behind the black leather gloves he wore and the limp accompanied by the crow cane. The origins of where Kaz Brekker came from. Why he was so ruthless and heartless even as a twenty year old now. But she wasnât allowed to ask questions.
When Kaz would come back to the Slat bloodied and bruised because he had gotten into a fistfight with a local gang, Y/N couldnât even ask what happened or who did that to him. She simply sit silently while tending to his cuts with a damp rag. Â She never pestered and she never pried.
She wasnât anything special herself. She wasnât part of the Six Crows. She didnât participate in the heist. She didnât wield any foreign knives, have the heartrending ability, or have a sharpshooterâs eye. She was just simply the bartender.Â
She wasnât part of the fight. She didnât attend meetings. She brought very little to the table, besides the occasional alcoholic drinks as per requested.Â
She played no role. She had no importance. She didnât have a name for herself. She most certainly was expendable. If she disappeared, nobody would know her or even remember her. Her job could easily be filled by the next person who walked into the room or even Wylan if that was an option.Â
She had little value and she knew this.
âHey lady,â Y/N was pulled from her thoughts by a customer sitting at a table nearby. He raised his empty glass. âBe a sweetheart and get me a refill,â the man grinned wickedly.
Now Kazâs gaze shifted from the customer to the bartender. He watched carefully. She grabbed a clean empty glass, choosing to fill up the pint without saying anything. She went to hand the glass to Wylan, but the customer stopped her by calling out again.
âBring it to me yourself, lady.â He almost groaned. He sent a cheeky wink to the other men around the table. They chuckled deeply to themselves.Â
With some hesitation, Y/N made her way around the side of the counter with the pint of beer in her hands. She went to approach the table, carefully placing the glass down for the customer. She began taking a single step back, but was stopped when the man gripped her wrist.
Out of instinct, Y/N let out a small gasp of surprise. She clenched her fist tightly and attempted to pull herself out of his tight grasp. She tried to contain herself, in attempts of hiding the clear fear and discomfort she felt. Because she knew that if she showed even an ounce of fear, that they will feed off of that and tear her to pieces. She held her ground.
âKindly let go,â Y/N demanded firmly but quietly.
âWhat you gonna do about it, pretty girl?â The man said with a deep chuckle. The beer drenched his long orange beer, dripping onto his fine waistcoat. His breath stank of alcohol and tobacco.
All of the sudden, a loud click of a cane came in contact with the wooden floorboards. The table went silent. Everyoneâs heads turned to the source of the sound; their gazes falling on the one who ran the club.Â
In all his glory, Kaz Brekker stood facing the table of pigeons. His two gloved hands rested on top of the crow head cane. He said nothing to them, simply staring them down with a hard look in his eyes.Â
A little click of a gun caused the men at the table to turn their heads once again. On the other side of the room, Jesper stood with one of his precious pearly guns in his hand. It was already cocked and ready for a fight. He narrowed his eyes at them as if challenging them. Wylan shallowed heavily in fear of the worst happening.
The sound of a knife being pulled out of its sheath could be heard much to everyoneâs surprise. They turned their heads one final time to see a dark cloaked figure standing on the other side of the room. She drawn knives glistened in a yellow light of the club. Her face covered by a thin blue cloth. It was the Wraith.
âIâd chose your next step very carefully if I were you,â Kaz threatened darkly.
With little hesitation, the man released his tight grip on the bartenderâs wrist. She took a couple steps back in retreat. She pulled her wrist to her chest, rubbing the tingling pain away with her other hand. She wondered if it would bruise tomorrow.
Kaz didnât say anything. He tipped his head to Jesper as if to say âescort this man and his pals out of the place.â He nodded knowingly before calling over the bouncers. They acted quickly by escorting the whole table out of the club despite their protests that their money was good and they didnât do anything wrong.Â
The owner of the club went to stand in front of his bartender. He kept his eyes on the door of the club as the men were forcefully pushed out of the club. She looked at him expectedly. She half expected him to ask if she was alright, but she should have known better because all he said was:
âMy office after work.â
Her shoulders slouched at her sides in defeat. She stared at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes. The pain in her wrist was starting to become more prominent with each passing second. It was bound to bruise at this point.Â
âYes boss,â Y/N accepted.Â
With her head hung low, Y/N returned to her rightful place behind the bar to finish out the rest of her shift. She dreaded the conversation that she was expected to have at the end of the night, left expectant in the dark about what their topic would pertain to.
Many hours later, the Crow Club was finally closed. The tables had been cleared. The dealers and bouncers had all gone back to their quarters at the Slat. Even Jesper, Wylan, and Inej had made their way back to the place they called home. All that was left was the bartender.
For starters, Y/N had to walk around the club in order to collect all of the glasses and pints. Many of them were left empty, but some of them still had liquid leftover. She returned to the bar to wash the dishes and dry them with her spare rag. She placed the rest of them upside down on the counter to dry overnight.
Next, Y/N made her way to each table to clean the table tops. She then proceeded to stack the chairs on top of table. This took quite some time as they were a lot of tables in the club. But once the tables and chairs were taken care of, Y/N was able to get out a broom and dustpan.
The pigeons often brought in heaps of dust and dirt from the road, which made the naturally brown floorboards this disgusting black color. It took close to an hour of sweeping the place before she was able to move onto the mopping portion of her tasks.Â
By this point, it was close to the early hours of the morning. While the sun wasnât peeking over the horizon, it was bound to in an hours time. Rather sluggishly, Y/N returned to her place behind the bar. She opened a hidden cupboard to retrieve a single pristine teacup. She filled the teacup with a rich black coffee before placing the cup on a silver tray.
Carefully, so not to spill the cup of coffee, Y/N made her way upstairs to the upper level of the club. She cautiously went to approach the door to her bossâs office. She raised her hand to knock twice.
Even though she heard nothing in response, Y/N was able to open the door and make her way inside. She saw her boss sitting behind his desk, working through some of the books. She strode over to his desk to lower the silver tray on top of it.Â
As per request, Kaz liked to have a cup of coffee while working on the books every night before leaving the club. He never took any creamer or sugar with his coffee, opting to drink it straight black. Almost fitting to his persona.
Black gloves. Black coffee. Black soul.
Without taking his eyes away from his work, Kazâs devilishly long fingers curled round the handle of the teacup. He brought the cup to the seam of his lips, tipping the cup slightly upwards to get a taste of its bitter and strong flavor.Â
In the three years of working for Kaz Brekker, Y/N always brought him a cup of coffee at the end of the night. Sheâd watch him drink his coffee, waiting for her next orders. Sometimes Kaz would ask her to restock the new shipment of vodka that had come in from the harbor. Other times, Kaz would ask her to look over the books for him to make sure he didnât miss anything.
The longest wait had been over an hour long of her just standing in front of his desk, waiting for a verbal dismissal from him. It was always how she ended her night at the club. Sometimes her dismissal came in the form of a short nod. On rare occasions, Kaz would say something like âyou may go.âÂ
Tonight would be different. A fight had almost broke out in the club. A gun could have been fired by Jesper had his patience run out a minute earlier. Blood could have been shed over a mere bartender.
A few moments passed in utter silence. The only sound was coming from Kaz flipping through some papers and when he lowered his drink back down onto the silver tray.
âIâd like to apologize for tonight--,â Y/N began but was quickly interrupted.
âWhat for?â Kaz said without drawing his gaze away from his work. She paused for a moment.
âThere was almost a fight,â Y/N replied blankly.
âHappens from time to time,â Kaz claimed. He wasnât wrong. âI just prefer to keep my floors clean of blood.â
She knew this better than anyone. Heâd always get so frustrated if someone shot a gun off in his club or if someone ended up dead on his floor. Unbeknownst to her, it was solely because she was the one who always had to clean up the mess. He hated seeing her on her hands and knees, scrubbing the blood out of the floorboards.Â
He knew that sheâd wake up the next day with sore knees and splinters in her hand. An ache in her back that wouldnât go away for another week. Her hands stained pink from the blood she washed away with a scrubber and bucket. Her eyes tired from having to stay later.
Kaz Brekker knew well of pain. He was old buddies with him. The effects of firepox had caused an unbearable pain when he was much younger. However, the worst pain that Kaz ever endured was when he was fourteen years old. In which, he jumped off the roof of a bank and broke his right leg. That pain failed to leave his side and still resides with him to his day, hint the cane.Â
Kaz Brekker knew well of the pain of others. Often times, Kaz found a somewhat sense of joy upon seeing the look of pain in others faces, particularly other members of rivalry gangs. To see a man writhing in pain due to being shot in the leg or being witness to a solid left hook to a jaw. It was often satisfying to say the least.
However, Kaz Brekker concealed behind all his hard armor, could not stand to see one particular person in pain. It shouldnât have been an issue, but it had been for the past three years. His bartender of all people was the one person on his mind.
He always knew that he liked to take care of his investments, particularly his crows in which he had invested a lot of his money and time into. His bartender was not much of an investment. He had paid off Inejâs indenture years ago and she worked for him as a spy in disguise. He gave Jesper a line of credit in which he quickly became his right hand man. Even Wylan, whom Kaz had taken under his wing, was part of the crew and was a much more valuable asset than any bartender could be. After all, she was just a bartender.
She brought nothing to the table. No intel. No skill. No muscle. Just the ability to make one hell of a cocktail and the strong sense to not ask any questions.
The investment in her was not one for the books. It wasnât one of the best choices heâd ever made. She made drinks and kept the place tidy. That was it. She was dispensable.
And yet, for some reason, Kaz protected her. He always protects his investments, but especially the ones he truly cares about. He protects his crows as they are the closest thing he has to a family now. He protects the other members of the Dregs as they are what holds his empire together. And he protects his bartender because...
Kaz lifted his head to finally meet her soft gaze. She offered him a small smile that went away as quickly as it appeared. He found himself standing to his feet with the help of his cane, shifting around the side of his desk. He stood in front of her.
He very slowly lowered himself to perch on the edge of his desk, studying her figure with a blank look on his face. She faltered under his strict gaze, dropped her line of sight to stare at the ground instead. She closed her eyes to calm herself.
Suddenly, Y/N felt the soft pads of two leather fingers touch the underside of her chin. Her head was lifted by those fingers until her gaze met those of her bossâs. She held her breathe as she stared directly into the eyes of the bastard of the barrel.Â
He took the time to admire all of her features. Her skin was illuminated by the soft golden glow of the fireplace beside them. Her hair smelt of alcohol from the drinks she had been pouring all night. Her lips so perfect because they had never been tempted once to ask a single question.
âYour wrist...â Kaz said softly.Â
His other hand made contact with the wrist that had been clutched tightly that night. He brought her hand up to view himself. He went to push away the sleeve of her blouse, settling his gaze on the small purple bruise that had begun to form around her wrist.
âItâll heal,â Y/N claimed with a shrug of the shoulders. He cast a glance to her.
âThey wonât come near you again. That I can promise,â Kaz gave a nod.
âB-But they bring in money. They meant no harm--,â Y/N tried to reason with him.
âThey meant harm,â Kaz said curtly. He lifted his head to stare at her hard, unwavering in his opinion on the matter. He examined her wrist once more. âThose kind always do.â
âItâs only a bruise. Not a break or even a sprain,â Y/N replied. She tried to recapture his attention by lowering her head to insert herself into his line of vision. âI am fine. You donât have to worry about me,â she claimed.
In that moment, Kaz Brekker could feel the walls around his mind and heart begin to fall away at her words. His mind wasnât plagued with the fear that someone might overhear their conversation. He always believed attachment meant weakness, but just for a moment, he forgot all about his beliefs.
âI do worry,â Kaz said in a soft whisper. He stared into the depths of her eyes, now taking notice of their proximity to one another. That he was able to feel the soft fanning of her breath against his face. âAll the time,â Kaz added.
âW-Whyâs that?â Y/N replied, almost baffled by his answer.
âBecause...â Kaz couldnât find the words. He was reminded that if he spoke his mind or showed any sense of vulnerability, that he would be deemed weak in his own eyes. So he changed his answer. âYouâre an investment. And I like to protect my investments,â Kaz lied under his tongue.
âI can take care of myself,â Y/N chuckled at his response. She wanted to take a step back and turn away from him entirely, but she was too drawn to him.
âThe thing is...you donât have to,â Kaz responded. He dropped his voice to a low whisper so that they couldnât be heard by anyone other than themselves. His lips curved into a michevious grin. He was up to something. âI can take care of you for the rest of our lives.â
âHow?â Y/N narrowed her eyes at him, knowing this was far beyond a (what she thought was) simple confessor of feelings.
âFound myself another job,â Kaz replied. He smirked at her wickedly. âOne that will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams.â
Authorâs Note:
ITâS BEEN A WHILE, HASNâT IT? I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE MY RETURN.
Will you kiss my booboo better?
Â
(Cover image belongs to me and so does this story but no characters belong to me and will I finish this story for one mabye but anyway this is a kaz x reader story with some hurt comfort)
The fall chapter 1
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In kerttdam it was now reaching the end of the colder times where it would reach temperatures of negatives now it was only reaching around 1-8 degrees, while still cold it was bearable, and you could walk without a coat and not being getting frostbite and this allowed inej back out of the slat for the first time in weeks with you , you had been training with inej to become the next spider for brekker as inej was leavening to become the pirate queen and all the past spiders were too slow , too loud , too easy to spot they weren't good enough and this had led to many of them dead , injured , caught , you had spotted Kaz's eyes after you had managed to steal a stopwatch from his pocket ,you had been running from the stand watch when you had ran into him you hand as slid into his pocket and touched the chain and your mind could only think of one thing to do take it ...so you did. You had gotten down 2 miles before the wraith had jumped you and you had a the end of a cane on your throat then the next minute you were offered a job working for Kaz.
You and inej both were covered in warm clothes, but they were thin enough to more with easily ,inej was teaching how you could jump from building to building without falling and how to quickly get down from the roof tops without falling and without cutting your skin off on the way down something inej knew loads about as she had experienced it for years and her body had the scars to prove it.
You both had been practices since 7am without issue the current time was 5pm and you were both running across the roof tops from the standwatch inej was graceful and was standing on the ledge of Kaz's office with her hand reaching out to you to help you in unfortunaly you miscalculated your jump and was being ripped up by the wall and drainpipes as you fell as soon as your body hit the ground you heard the soft pat of inejs feet hitting the ground and helping you up with Jespers help who had seen you very ungraceful fall  .
âWell loves that is one way to get down although I do not think inej recommends it âHes said with a joking hint in his voice but right then you did not want to joke you were in so much pain. The two of them helped you into Kaz's office where it was empty and quiet.
While Jesper went to find Nina inej stayed with you, you groaned out in pain as you were laid down onto a bed that was in a side room from the office, the room was very bare and empty it had a bed in the centre of the room with a Martise that was so old it was disintegrating  , there was a makeshift desk at the edge of the room that had a reading light on it , some books and some paper work. you were slightly zoned out as you scanned your surroundings, you noticed the floorboards shift under the weight of someone walking into the room.
Both Nina and Jesper had entered the room and you noticed Nina's face drop as she scanned your wounds your white shirt was not a light red colour around your sides, your back and your arms were your skin and been destroyed on the way down on your fall.
Nina told you to remove your shirt so she could assess your wounds fully and that is when you heard the voice âwhat's on earth is going on here â
So here you were shirtless, hurt, on Kaz's bed, in Kaz's room with inej , Jesper and Nina with Kaz walking in on you.
Saints you wanted to die.
The real barbie is Y/n.
Y/nâs a doctor, a cop, a scientist, an agent, vet, hero, villain, astronaut, lawyer, spy, criminal, artist, chef, engineer, psychologist, architect, journalist, firefighter, event planner, mechanic, photographer, musician, actor, interior designer, bartender, fashion designer, barista, florist, forensic scientist, flight attendant, profiler, tour guide, translator, etc.