#imagine Kaz scheming in his room

[petertingle-yipyip]

ALWAYS BEEN YOU - KAZ BREKKER

//follow-up to this (for context, really) but can be standalone// also @darker0moon221b asked for this//

Pairing: kaz brekker x reader

Word Count: 3,146

Summary: On the heels of a rough night and unbelievable confessions, Y/N still has to make sure Kaz is alright. What comes after is… shocking.

“I loved you first.”

“What?” Your head snapped up and your hands around the kit tightened till your knuckles were white. “You don’t mean that.” You laughed nervously.

Kaz didn’t waiver in his eye contact, dark eyes boring into yours. You shifted slightly under his gaze but he didn’t speak. Even when you rose to your feet, he didn’t look away, didn’t say a word. He just watched you intently, like if he looked away you would vanish.

Those four seemingly simple words bounced around your skull. You tried to imagine what his expression was when he said them, but you couldn’t. There was no way for you to know what he was thinking. That cursed unreadable expression crossed his features and you would’ve given anything for any of his other looks. That near smile that only you seemed to get or even his widely recognized scheming face.

“I loved you first.”

You had imagined it, right? He gave you nothing to think otherwise. Yes, that’s all it was. A tired brain mixing with a yearning heart to play on your own foolish infatuation. Kaz Brekker was many horrible things and few wonderful. But he was not someone who confessed love. Maybe he didn’t know love. Maybe he didn’t want to. Either way, it wasn’t about you. That much you could convince yourself.

“Okay.” You said finally. You had no idea how much time had passed while your thoughts ran rampant. “Well, make sure you eat and drink something to help with the blood loss. I’d say something with some sugar. Oh! Nina was by earlier, brought some new pie. You might like it.”

“Y/N?” He tried but you pretended not to hear him.

“I’ll come check on it in the morning, if that’s alright. Make sure no infection has set in and you still have your wits.”

“That’s all?”

“Is there anything else?” You cringed slightly at the desperation in your voice.

“You tell me.”

You swallowed the thoughts that threatened to embarrass you further and simply nodded, lips pressed tightly to a line. You moved to grab your fallen book but once your eyes went down, Kaz seemed to know your intention. Of course he did. You immediately stopped when you saw his movements, the stretch of his long yet muscle bound bare limbs.

You also realized he was still shirtless.

You turned on your heel instead and briskly walked out the room. You made sure the door was firmly shut behind you and then you practically ran to your own room. You all but slammed the door and dropped your kit to your desk. You yanked off the remaining glove and pushed your hands into your hair. You let out an uneven breath and tried once more to piece together the night.

You were reading in Kaz’s office. He came in, covered in blood. You cleaned him up and he smiled at you. He said he loved you.

You laughed slightly and then put a hand to your mouth.

“Oh Saints, I’ve gone mad.” You said to yourself. You shook your head and decided to sleep it off.

But your dreams were simply replays of that damn smile.

The next morning, you dragged your feet to get ready. You brushed your hair and teeth, then washed your face leisurely. You knew Kaz was likely already waiting for your promised arrival and he’d have some comment locked and loaded, just itching for an opportunity, but that only made you want to avoid it more. But the deal was the deal.

You tucked a pair of gloves into your pocket and cut a new bandage wrap from your fabric pile before you headed to see him. You greeted the few Dregs that were up at the early hour before you hesitated outside his office.

You tugged on the collar of your shirt, just so you didn’t pat your pocket, and shifted on your feet. You hated the fact that you were dreading something you were good at, simply because you had gotten something you had only dreamed of. And for what? Because you couldn’t believe it? Because you decided to want something so simple from the one person it always seemed so improbable from?

Then again, improbability wasn’t impossibility.

“Why are we staring?” Jesper whispered loudly and you jumped. “It’s just a door.”

“Ha ha.” You said sarcastically and jammed your elbow into his ribs. “And it’s not that I’m staring. I’m stalling, it’s different.”

“Okay… Why are you stalling? Meeting with the boss you don’t wanna deal with?”

“Of a sort.” You nodded. “Do you think…”

“Wylan would say no but I beg to differ.” He shrugged and glanced over with a wide grin. “What’s on your mind?”

You nodded towards Kaz’s door.

“What’d he do this time?” Jesper sighed and his smile fell.

“When he’s come back after having the ever-loving shit kicked out of him, have you ever heard him say anything strange?” You tried to keep it vague. Telling Jesper was just as bad as screaming it across the Barrel. You loved your friend but he was a gossip.

He gasped dramatically, thus confirming your hesitation. “Is there news?”

“Maybe… I’m hopeful, don’t get me wrong, but I also can’t convince myself it happened.”

“Well, what was it?”

“So you can tell all of Ketterdam and get us both in trouble?” You laughed. “No way.”

“Oh, come on!” He tried.

You shook your head with a smile and knocked on the office door. After a second, you could hear the tapping of his cane coming closer. You looked back at Jesper, who was still staring with wide, pleading puppy-dog eyes. The door cracked open so you shot your friend a wink and ducked inside.

“You took your time.” Kaz complained once you shut the door.

“Good morning to you too.” You rolled your eyes, both glad and disappointed to be back to your usual banter. You turned and found him sitting in your chair, cane resting against the arm while he rubbed out his bad leg. “How do you feel?”

He shrugged. You could’ve been mistaken, but he seemed more irritated than usual.

You made a face to yourself and crossed the room. You stopped a few inches from him, not even letting your shoes touch, and leaned in quietly. His eyes went wide for a moment and it almost seemed like he had a forward lean of his own. Your eyes were on the cut of his forehead, checking the length of it once then twice then a third time just for the hell of it.

But even with your focus on the injury, you could see the movement of his own eyes. Darting between yours, following the shape of your jaw, your lips, trailing down your neck.

“That one looks good.” You leaned away and nodded. “You didn't feel any sort of dizziness or sickness after I left?”

He seemed to lose himself in his thoughts before he answered you. You knelt in front of him, nudging his knees apart. The jostle seemed to bring him back to the moment, which caused a new flash of surprise. You wondered for a second if it meant something in your favor or if he was feeling some sort of after effect from the fight.

“Kaz?” You tried waving a hand in front of his face. “Is something wrong?”

He reached out and took your hand in his. You said nothing, but your expression betrayed you. Kaz let out a small chuckle and let himself smile again, smaller than the one that threw you last night but still genuine. Your eyes were wide and soft in awe at the simple contact but coming on the heels of the confessions last night, it had to have some weight.

“Nothing’s wrong.” He said quietly. “Truthfully, Y/N, I worried I had misunderstood you.”

“What?” Your brows furrowed.

“Do you remember what you said last night?”

You winced. “In painful detail, yes.”

He chuckled again and you lost the fight to hide a smile. “I thought about it all night.”

“Really?”

“I wondered if I had misheard you, if I had misread your cues.”

“Hang on.” You cut in, snapping into focus as if you had been hit with cold water. “Cues? I wasn’t giving cues.”

“Really?” He challenged lightly. “Should I list them?”

“Please do, but while you try and embarrass me, unbutton your shirt so I can check your side.”

“Those wide eyes that always find me in a room.” He pointed to your eyes before taking off his gloves to work the buttons. “You ask something specific of me then change it to mean everyone. The way you curl up in this chair and face my desk, pretending to read but you’re looking over your book towards me. Hell, even the way you say my name.”

“That’s… a good list.” You said carefully, admittedly embarrassed. You dropped your eyes and pulled the gloves from your pocket. 

“Do you want to know what really convinced me?”

“Not particularly but I’m sure you’ll tell me anyway.” You confessed with a sigh. Once your gloves were fitted to your hands, you leaned an elbow on his knee and looked back at him.

He leaned in as if to tell you a secret, though it was likely just to free some space while he wriggled out of his shirt sleeves. You wanted to lean in and meet him, finally kiss him, but you knew better. Instead, you forced your eyes to stay on his side. You tried not to let your gaze wander across his muscle-bound, scar-riddled torso.

Focus, Y/N.

You shifted to sit up on your knees and reached in. Your rubber covered fingers met his skin carefully and you gently prodded and pulled on the injury.

“Nothing to say anymore?” You asked lightly, hoping to break the now thick tension.

You dared a glance at his face and his eyes were closed, head leaning against the back of the chair. Your movements froze as you simply looked at him. He almost looked content, so much softer when his eyes were closed. It was small moments like that that made you forget he was the Bastard of the Barrel, Dirtyhands Brekker. He was someone to be feared. Men with any sense wouldn’t dare to cross him. Women with any sense swooned and batted their lashes for his attention. Kids with any sense feared their closets because the monsters come from there.

But to you, especially in those fleeting vulnerable instances, he was just Kaz. And that was always enough for you.

You shook the thought and went back to your examination. You ran your fingers over the length of the wound and frowned when you realized one of the stitches were looser than it should’ve been.

“Were you messing with these last night?” You accused quickly.

“What?” He finally spoke. “No.”

“Dammit.” You cursed and pulled your hands away. You dropped to sit on your heels and blew a sigh while you threw the gloves on the floor in annoyance. “It’s not as tight as I’d like it to be. Must’ve been the gloves.”

“Do you need to fix it?”

You looked over at the discarded gloves and frowned. “More practice is what I need.” You muttered before looking back at Kaz. “It should be okay. It’s clean so as long as you keep it covered, it won’t bleed through your clothes or anything… But it’ll scar for sure now.”

He shrugged. “What’s one more?”

“You never told me what tipped you off.” You said, looping back to the prior conversation.

You knew you should’ve left, let the unspoken thing between you two stay unspoken, but you also knew you needed closure. You needed to know with certainty if your pining was obvious. If you needed to pack up and run from your embarrassment. Maybe Inej would let you join her crew next time she came to port.

He held his hand out to you and you went for it, then hesitated. You kept your hand just out of his reach before closing your fingers to create just a bit more space. The idea of putting your hand in his - his bare hand - was something you had only dreamed about. You heard him make a noise of impatience at your hesitation and he leaned forward again to take your hand in his.

“You’re always careful of my space.” He began carefully. It was a list he knew, something he had drafted and gone over a million times in the past few weeks. Or maybe it was months. It could’ve been years for all Kaz could tell. Everything with you seemed to come together in the best and worst ways. “You’re careful of contact.”

“Because I know you don’t like it.” You shrugged. “Doesn’t everyone seem to avoid you for one reason or another?”

“Well, yes, but you do it to be considerate not because you’re afraid.”

“I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Kaz took a deep breath and his eyes finally met yours. You could see the war raging behind his eyes. The contact of your hand in his must’ve been driving him insane. You could see his chest rising and falling with deep breaths, like he had to consciously force the air in and out of his lungs. His jaw was tense. Hell, his whole body was wound tight as elastic, ready to snap. To shove you away, to scream at you, to start a fight neither of you would hold back in. But he didn’t. He willed himself to maintain the contact, even when you gave the slightest tug to free your hand.

“No.” He finally spoke. “Never you.”

“What are…” You tried, but the question wouldn’t form. What was he thinking? Why wasn’t he letting go? Why was he tormenting himself just to hold your hand?

“When I felt your gloves last night, it all made sense.” He explained and the grip on your hand seemed to tighten slightly. “I knew I hadn’t been crazy.”

“I might be.” You said mindlessly and he chuckled.

“We both might be.” He agreed. “But still… You didn’t have to use gloves, but you did, because you wanted to be able to help me. Right?”

“Someone has to.” You tried to sound casual.

“They don’t.” He corrected. “But you want to.”

“Because I care about you, Kaz. You’ve been my friend for years. I’d hate to lose you.”

“Do you love me, Y/N? Truly.”

You swallowed hard, licking your lips to stall. Your free hand twitched and knowing your pockets were empty, you tugged on your shirt to adjust the fabric. Suddenly, the room felt very warm.

“I…” You began slowly. “You’re still holding my hand.”

“Yes.”

“Without your gloves.”

He let out a shuddering breath. “Yes.”

“And that doesn’t make you want to run?”

“It does.” He answered tightly. “But I don’t want to run from you.”

“You don’t have to do this.” You put your other hand on his knee. “Let go, Kaz.”

“No.”

“Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“Because how can I be with the woman I love if I cannot bring myself to touch her?” He answered quickly and your eyes went wide. “If I cannot hold her hand or touch her face, her lips… If I cannot bring myself to hold her, what kind of love is that?”

“If she truly loves you, she’ll bear it.” You offered. 

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” His expression shifted slightly to relief. “Yes, you, Y/N. It’s always been you.”

“So I didn’t imagine it last night? You said you loved me first.”

“Truthfully, I was worried I had imagined it all. But I couldn’t stop thinking about those damned gloves and how I wanted to feel your touch without them… Just be honest with me, Y/N. Do you want this?”

“Of course I do.” You said without thinking. “But I can’t ask you to torture yourself just to be with me.”

“You’re always so gentle.” He spoke softly, admiringly even, and it made you blush. “You don’t have to be so with me. I can take it.”

“And you shouldn’t have to.” You managed to wiggle your hand free and you watched his chest rise and fall with a heavy sigh of relief. “I do love you, Kaz, in a way that scares me. But I won’t be the reason you force yourself to do something you can’t.”

You stood and reached for the book you left the night before.

“No one forces me, Y/N.” He stood in front of, one small step to block your reach. “I want to do this for you.”

“Don’t make me move you.”

“You wouldn’t push a cripple without his cane, would you?” He feigned innocence.

“I’m serious, Brekker. Let me get my book so I can go and you can think this through.”

“I’ve spent weeks thinking it through.” He shook his head. “I want to try. For you, yes, but also myself… I want to hold you and kiss you and touch you for myself.”

“If I give in and if I’m with you.” You said firmly, pointing your finger near his face. “We need to be very open about limits. I won’t push and I expect you to stop when you need to.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted sarcastically and you had to refrain from kicking him in the shin. “Anything else?”

“You need to give me your word, Kaz.”

“Don’t trust me?” He raised a brow.

“I trust you with my life you buffoon.” You rolled your eyes with a small smile. “But I need to know you’ll commit yourself to what I’m asking.”

“Y/N, darling. I give you my word, on any and all Saints you want to invoke, that I will take that time I need so long as you’ll let me.”

“Good.” You nodded. You thought if there was anything else you could or should have him agree to. Your mind was blank so you shoved your hands into your pockets. “I suppose that means we’re together now.”

He grinned and you couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Finally.” He said and you could tell he was truly happy. “Can I kiss you?”He took a step closer.

You freed a hand and gingerly brushed your fingers along his temple, sneaking into his hair for a second. He gasped but you noticed he didn’t flinch. Feather-light, your touch went along the angle of his jaw and danced down his neck, curved with his shoulder, and skimmed his arm until you reached his hand. He interlaced his fingers with yours and you felt his other hand under your chin, tilting your head back.

“If you’re sure you can bear it.” You said quietly.

[crowsnqueens]

Bibliophile; Pt. ii

Kaz Brekker x Bibliophile!wife!reader

Summary: After Jesper watches a display of affection between his boss and his co-crow (hehe) he talks to Nina about it, eventually involving Inej and the heartrender in an investigation

a/n: this part of the storyline takes inspo from @undiscovered-horizon’s fic “Four Crow Investigation” which you can find here! i rlly recommend their stuff you should check them out!

Warnings: Mostly the same stuff as last time, you will need to read pt. i so go check her out first, Kaz is less angsty bc he’s married blah blah blah, (i’m just going to copy and paste the ones from pt. i tbh lmao) Kaz can tolerate reader’s touch, mentions of alcohol and drinking it, fluff for DAYS, reader uses she/her pronouns and is described as female, marriage??, the crows are about 22 in this (which is what i imagine to be in the show), OOC Kaz (i tried y’all)

Pt. i !!!

“I’m telling you, Nina! He kissed her forehead! There’s something going on here.” Jesper’s hands flailed about wildly as he expressed his concern to the girl across from him.

“I don’t doubt you, Jes. We just need to go about this carefully. Tell Inej.” The heartrender sipped her tea and waved the boy to go find their friend.

~

“Oh, I’ve known. I just can’t tell whether they’re just dating or married, it’s hard when they go about it so delicately. It’s really sweet, actually.” A soft smile lit the Suli girl’s face.

“Argh! I need to know! The anticipation is killer, I need to tell more people about this. Wylan!” The Zemini boy sauntered out of the room shouting.

“Saints, Jesper, carefully also means quietly! They’ll know we know if they hear us shouting.” Nina cautioned him.

“Who’ll know you know?” Y/n entered the kitchen gracefully and quietly. Even Inej was slightly taken aback. “What do you know that’s so secret? Can I have some of this Nina?” She gestured to the tea pot.

“Sure! And nothing too important, just the usual barrel gossip.” The Corporalnik laughed cooly as Y/n began to ascend the stairs.

“Alright. See you guys.” She giggled and waved to her three friends.

“That was too close.”

Inej and Jesper nodded together, all eyes falling on the boy.

“Stop yelling about top secret information, idiot.” Nina whispered.

~

“They know, Kaz” Y/n entered his office and sat in the chair opposite himself.

“About us together or our marriage?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Probably just us together, but I wouldn’t put it past Inej to know. We should just tell them, love.”

“How do we tell without telling?” Kaz questioned his wife as she used her best impression of his famous scheming face.

“I have an idea.” She smiled

“Do you know?” The boy smirked back at her, ready to listen.

~

“Oh, Demjin left some papers out.” Matthias walked past the kitchen table with a buttered piece of toast in hand, eyes rolling and head shaking.

“What do they say?” Jesper rushed the table with vigor and looked through some of them.

“Nina, they’re married! For three years! They’ve been wed since they were nineteen! Their marriage certificate is right here! Can you believe it?!”

“I really can’t.” Y/n’s voice carried from the bottom of the stairs to Jesper’s ears as he whipped around and pursed his lips.

“Morning, Y/n.” the boy waved a little and scrambled to the couch to attempt to disappear.

“Mrs. Brekker. Thats her official title, anyway.” Kaz waltzed in and placed a kiss to his wife’s cheek and continued to his arm chair in their living area.

Nina ran a hand over her face and gave the sharpshooter a look.

“Good going, Jes.”

The group laughed, Y/n sat on the arm of Kaz’s chair and linked their pinkies.

“Tell us everything. How did he propose?” Wylan leaned toward the two.

“Well, we were on a job…”

[1wishand1thought]

SNEAKY LITTLE FOX

| Kaz Brekker and fem y/n|

Y/n, a secret Crow for all the team but Kaz, finds her boss jerking off in his dorm after she goes to visit him for job matters only.

You can find part 2 here

⚠️ Warnings: obscene words, masturbation.

I apologize in advance for any misspelling/grammatical error🥲 I did proofread it a thousand times before posting it but just in case you find one I'm truly sorry, my main language isn't English. Now let's spice things up a bit bahaha

Kaz Brekker was known for many things as nicknames he has been given. The complete opposite happened with y/n, "the fox", as he once called her.

She was one of the Crows, but no other member of the group knew of her existence, only Kaz knew, part of it was due to the deal they made where she prohibited Kaz to tell anyone else about her.

Kaz was good with it, but he was doubting that feeling now. It's been over a year, and this weird sensation has only gotten bigger, more condescending,  and more... impossible to hold back.

He was 23 years old now, it's been years since Inej left Ketterdam and he was good with it, he knew he wouldn't be able to give her what she deserved anyways. Currently, his mind was foggy with y/n face more than usual, his ears repeated her sarcastic, yet captivating voice. And when it came of her body... ohh.

He has found himself craving for touch as much as he despised skin-to-skin touch.  He has made some progress with it through the years though. He would sit on his desk chair or his bed and would find himself stroking his cock after a long day to get rid of the huge stress.

But what he didn't know, is that y/n was nearby in every one of those moments. She didn't stand there much of course, but it was as if the saints would lead her to see him touching himself just to make her panic. She has caught him doing it several times in the last 5 months. Every time it happened, y/n would leave the second she saw his bare hand grabbing something between his legs,  she would never break his privacy like that.

And, as she never stood over 3 seconds,  she never got the chance of hearing her name leave his mouth. Sometimes as low growls, other times as whimpers, and right now, it was a mix of both.

His mind had a good side beside the terrible one. The bad one was his memories frequently tormenting him, and the good one, was the ability he had to imagine her body like a picture, one he has never seen yet found printed in his mind.

He could imagine how her light brown eyes would look up at his body while his thrusts got faster, going in and out of her, the throbbing sound mixed with the moans echoing in the room. He also imagined how her eyes rolled to the back of her head while she muttered his name, or even better, screamed it.

"Hmmm Kazz!" he imagined her yelling, begging for more, and squirting when she felt his tongue doing magic on her cunt.

He bit his lower lip, his hand wet with his arousal. Shaky, uneven whimpers followed.

A minute later he found himself whimpering, leaving soft moans of pleasure as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

At that moment y/n was heading to check on him, her second weekly visit to see what schemes Kaz had planned for the Crows to work in, or to see if he had settled a specific mission for her, and her only. She was some paces away from the window of his dorm when she heard him calling her name. At first, she didn't get the words right, it wasn't until she got a bit closer that she heard her name being spoken by a voice, his. She wasn't certain of what was going on in there, it sounded... soft... unusual in Kaz's icy voice.

She swallowed hard when she realized it after reaching the window. The dim light of the moon enlightened the dark room. The brighter spot was hitting Kaz's body.

He was holding his erect length, his hand going up and down, touching the pink tip of his dick as he kept breathing heavily. He was calling her, pleasing her in his mind. He was picturing himself touching her skin, her breasts. Licking her nipples as she grabbed his hair asking for more.

"Y/n... Oh ... fuck" he mumbled, a shaky rough whisper loud enough for her to hear at the window.

She froze, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to leave, run and pretend this never happened as she managed to do several times before.

But this time was different, her light feet were glued to the floor, she couldn't move, and the sight was too... pleasant. Like a tower full of Kruger she couldn't stop staring at. That was until he locked eyes with the figure standing at the entry of the window. He recognized her immediately. His eyes took in an intense feeling of embarrassment mixed with lust.

He wasn't Kaz Brekker anymore, he was Dirtyhands now. He didn't stop his hand movement. The environment grew hotter, his cheeks were flushed from the intensity of the moment. A part of him wanted her to look, the other part wanted to run and never have to look into her eyes again due to the embarrassment he felt.

Y/n looked at him in awe, with flushed cheeks as she never had before, and wide eyes as he jerked himself off in front of her. He never stopped doing it, nor did he avoid eye contact with her bewildered big eyes. Instead, his eyes got darker, deeper, and full of desire.

She felt something growing inside her. The heat was evident. Until he came. It wasn't just a growl, he leaned his head backward, his mouth opened and his eyes shut closed. The vein of his neck was marked showing how intense the pleasure was.

"Oh fuuuck" he whimpered, the white cum splashing over his stomach and covering his bare hand. She, on the other hand, was crossing her legs and biting her lower lip as hard as she could to not let out the loud moan she was holding back. All thanks to the(as much as she would like to deny) oddly appealing sight.

He opened his eyes again, now a small amusing grin plastered on his face. He was enjoying her look. Her still shocked face as she swallowed hard, her mind thinking on what to say.

He was still panting, sweaty loose strings of hair fell over his eyes, he took a deep breath as he grabbed a napkin and cleaned his hand covered in cum, and spoke, eyes locked in hers:

"My sneaky little fox, d'you liked the view?" Again, a crooked smile.

She didn't say anything, but deep inside, she knew she'd liked it. Indeed:

It was quite appealing, Brekker.

_____

Part 2 here

Any who, did you like it? Let me know in the comments, this is my first one-shot so if you have any suggestions on how can I improve my writing I'll take them happily 💓

[lunarthecorvus]

My Kanej headcanon

Kanej and a dance

Part 1 to the headcanon here remember this is not a fic just a headcanon/ word vomit

Some context: Kanej have come out to the public as a couple at this point (another hc). This is set 1 year to 2 years after CK. The merchers know that Wylan + Jesper are friends with Kaz + Inej.

They arrive at the event with Wylan and Jesper, theres tons of high power figures, merchers, and the council. As soon as people realise Kaz and Inej have arrived, everyone's stares at them and then immediately turn their heads afraid of the wraith captain and dirtyhands wrath.

Inej links arms with Kaz, and she drags him to a quiet corner in the room away from people. She whispers to him that if they see someone that's a known part of the skin trade, it wouldn't be the most tragic thing of they lost a jewel or two. Inej walks off to go talk to Wylan and Jesper and Kaz thinks saints I love that woman

Inej finds Kaz sat in a chair, observing the people with what could possibly be a scheming face. She walks up to him and offers him her hand, and asks him to dance. Kaz thinks about saying know but then remembers what she said to him back at the Slat and answers yes.

They make it to the dance floor, but when the music starts, they realise that people are staring at them. Kaz feels Inej start to shake and whispers to her to follow his lead. This sacred Inej and made her think that he wanted to dance despite being watched by a whole room of people with faces full of digust. But she then she feels his hand holding firm to hers and sees that he's walking away she copies his pace, eager to get away from the crowds.

He takes her outside onto the stone walk in the backgarden and lets out sigh. He looks back at her, and the look he gives her brings her back to the moment, saints she loves her eyes (kanej eye loving, I couldn't resist). They stand there for a while just simply existing, holding onto each others hand.

A song suddenly comes on, and Kaz turns to her and asks her for this dance. She panics, thinking that he means to go back. But he lets go of her hand and stands a few metres away from her and holds his hand out. She realises that he means to dance here. She always wanted to dance with him but never thought she'd be able to, I mean, can you imagine seeing the bastard of the barrel dance? But since the heist she's seen the parts, he locked away, and they are each beautiful.

Inej takes his hand, and they fit in place as if they were made to fit each other perfectly. It turns out Kaz Brekker can dance, or maybe it's Kaz Rietveld that can dance, possibly both. It doesn't matter, though she loves Kaz no matter which surname or mask he holds.

She asks him how he knew to dance, and he tells the story of a miserable boy forced to dance lessons by his father, and how during boring mercher parties stakeouts he memorised the moves just to keep himself from boredom. Then he returns the question and asks how she knew the moves because he didn't think the suli had the same dances as the kerch, Inej thinks on that and decides that she must've learned the moves as well but her missteps during the dance can be covered up by her acrobatic reflexes, which causes Kaz to laugh and say that some of her missteps were in fact noticeable for which he got a well deserved arm swat and called a shevrati.

They dance for what feels like years when it was only a few dances, and Inej decides that as long as they are around these people, they'll never be able to be a normal couple. But for now, she's ok with that. She loves every moment of this unconventional relationship she shares with the man she will forever love, no matter how hard some of those moments can be.

Boom dance done. However, there could be another hc to this because I may have thought of another idea for this hc.... enjoy <3

[rorygilmoreclown]

The Window

A window

Kaz Brekker x Reader 

Prompt: I can’t stop imagining him with a reader or oc that’s just absolutely fucking insane and feeding off this shit. Like during this whole scene she’s going feral or giggly or something. And all the other crows are so used to her being crazy and Jesper is like: “Don’t mind her gentlemen, she’s just missing a few screws… okay maybe all of them.”

Note: A little note for everyone, I don’t mean to disrespect the bond Inej and Kaz have, I myself am a huge worshipper of Kanej. Just for the plot sake of this fic, the contents have some comments which might make you feel like I’m anti Kanej, but I’m not. Thankyou.

Wordcount: 2.1k

Inej climbed the walls to the topmost window since she knew that you and Kaz would most likely be scheming there. She stood outside the window, undetected to anyone who would be glancing at the window from the inside, a habit of the beloved spy she had become for the crows. Afterall, she was the eyes and the ears for the Dregs, how could she not know every single detail being planned. A part of her also knew that it was due to the curiosity about how the two most insane people in Ketterdam could find a longing devotion towards each other, and also a bet she’d entered against Jesper. 

If anything happens tonight, if every plan goes awry, run away from this mess and . Inej almost thought that the later half of the sentence would be asking you to stay away from Pekka Rollins, but yet again, she had underestimated the bond that Dirtyhands and his beloved assassin, you, shared. And ensure that you torture Pekka Rollins and destroy him. Even if I’m not with you, although I suppose that my absence would inevitably send you down that path. 

You knew Inej was listening through the window, and you wouldn’t really blame her for doing that. You laughed. Brick by Brick will turn into fragment by fragment until it’s all dust Kaz, I can assure you that. You said as you strolled away from the table and towards the window. Your feet make no sound, as if you were swimming under the water. And besides, nothing can go wrong when it’s our planning being turned into a play. 

Inej was baffled. She thought that a sane partner would have probably asked you to escape and lead a different life, but nothing about this was normal. Afterall, this was Kaz Brekker. Our play has the most perfect dolls. Even the ones who try to spy on us. You leaned through the window and smirked a little at Inej, as if you had won some game. Inej knew that it was her cue to enter the room. 

Kaz just ignored the slight irritation he felt by the interruption. I hope that all the preparations have been made. You could hear the need for only an affirmative response. Wylan's brought the compound. Jesper's helping load it in. Yes, it is all in place, boss. Your eyes secretly met her and in an unsaid medium of communication, she conveyed to you that the arrangements asked to be made by you as a backup plan had also been made. Kaz didn’t miss that, but trusted you enough to know that it isn’t something adverse. 

After a rehearsal of the plan, everyone went on their own routes. You went with Inej to the fifth harbour. Both of you fit perfectly hidden within the shadows and the ropes of the ships. You got started with your job instantly, Inej jumping off to cover the lower deck as you breezed through the upper one. Your feet light, using a trick you stole from a previous circumstantial acquaintance with whom you had been trained, Dunyasha. 

Shortly after Inej gave you the signal to leave without her. Knowing and trusting her skills and intentions, you left the harbour. Before you’d go and watch the final act, you made a pit stop at the menagerie as well. Choosing to leave them a little present of freedom by contaminating their work environment. Good, you thought, they won't be able to start the work for weeks now. 

Finally arriving at the club, you notice Nina dragging a willingly being dragged Kaz. It was fun to watch them from a distance. You slipped in without anyone noticing and sat down at the little front bar, waving cheerfully at Nina. You saw that Kaz was still on the ground. As angry as you were with Pekka Rollins, it was adorable of him to even think that he could harm Kaz. You watched as Pekka threw a kick onto Kaz ribs and as he kneeled in pain. I have to say, this isn’t how I had imagined Kaz Brekker to be kneeling but this works too. All heads turned towards you, and the guns of the Dime Lions with them. Leave her, she won't interfere with my artsy process of destroying this bastard. Rollins almost warned the members. 

You knew Kaz was confused as well. The plan was that you would stay on the window sill which was high above and only interfere or indicate your presence if and when needed or signalled. What are you doing here? Kaz’s tone was threatening as well as disappointed at the same time. 

Your heartrender isn't the only one who knows how to double cross you Brekker. Rollins said as he let himself smile, thinking that it was the end for the bastard. You knew Kaz would connect the dots and know that you were on his side. Now where were we? You saw Kaz being beaten up, each strike encouraging the raging urge to reduce Pekka to nothing. But you had to maintain your front. After a while of this, the sweet and loud sound of the siren fell on everyone’s ears, followed by Edyck, a dime lion, who had come to inform the pleasant news of your plan succeeding. 

You went forward without anyone noticing and helped Kaz stand upright. Slowly retreating as Kaz put the final act into place. There will be outbreaks at all of your establishments. And only yours. The path of contagion will be clear. A ship in your harbour spread the disease to your clubs. You saw the colour being drained from Rollins’ face, yet trying to maintain a facade for the sake of any change of revenge or escape from this situation. What did you do, boy?

Oh why give him all the credit Rollins. I know a certain someone who might have helped. You spoke as you took a sip of the cold concoction you had forced the bartender to summon. Now, the guns were turned towards you as well. I’ll have my own revenge on you later, you foolish girl. 

And that was enough for Kaz to put his next pawn into place, now completely knowing that Rollins deserved it. You laughed out loud, startling the bartender as well as the people who had their guns aimed at you. There's nothing an island nation fears more than disease. The Merchant Council's going to want a proper investigation. Kaz explained to Pekka, who was busy loading bullets. You knew one of them would be aimed at you too. 

Hmm. You got my attention. But you're not worth the time it'll take to put a bullet in your head. You saw Jesper enter silently as Pekka spoke. He took a seat next to you. You passed him a glass as he scoffed. You knew that it was aimed at your antics. Fifth Harbor is shut down. You got up from your seat. Kaz interrupted, breaking your chance of giving Pekka a monologue, Your businesses are tainted. 

My businesses will be fine. But you- Pekka said. You gave him a scoff as you spoke up, And you were calling me insane when you’re the one that is living in denial. Ignoring the gun he had shoved in Kaz’s face. I'd reconsider. If you want to see your Kaelish prince again. Pekka knew exactly who Kaz was talking about. Afterall, Rollins was the one who had assigned the job of keeping the little boy safe, to you. Big mistake. Yet, he didn’t want to give anything away. Oh. What are you gonna do? You gonna blow it up again? You need to learn some new tricks. 

Your other Kaelish prince. You continued the next part for Kaz. Fond of sweets. Blond hair.

Alby. You raised the glass you had in your hand and offered it to Kaz. If the devil could smile, that’s where Kaz Brekker learned it from. He gave you a crooked smile, taking the glass from you and gulping it down. I have to say Brekker, blood on your face and smirk on your lips suits you. You winked at him. If this wasn’t enough for Pekka to be furious, you didn’t know what was. I will kill everything you love, Brekker. Pekka moved the gun and aimed it at you now. I will kill your little assassin, and bury her right under the remains of your previous Crow Club. You saw how Kaz clenched his fist, controlling himself to not just put a bullet in Pekka’s head right then and there. Despite the circumstances, you found this little action sweet. 

A loud giggle escaped your lips. Gaining extremely confused glances by all the members. Jesper spoke out from the corner, ignoring the implication of a kid being kidnapped by Kaz and you, trying to laugh his doubt away. Mentally, he was kneeling on his knees and praying to whatever God he could remember Inej prayed to. Don’t mind her gentlemen, she’s just missing a few screws. 

That’s the difference Pekka, between us and you, you know that he is your weakness, we know that we are each other's strength. Go ahead, kill one of us. Go ahead, taint your carpet with the blood of Crows. But remember, that Crows remember who have wronged them and done them right. The minute you harm us, you will never even get to hear the harsh piano your stupid kid plays. Kaz spoke, he had a teasing tone to his entire threat. 

Kaz, the darling love of my life, that’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. You saw Nina shake her head in disapproval and disbelief. What did you do? You could hear the fear in his voice. I buried him. Six feet deep. Kaz paused after every word. Giving Rollins some time to digest the news. He went into that box so easily. Didn't even cry, until I took this from him. You finished for Kaz. You showed Pekka the little wooden lion which you had stolen way back when you were on the job to protect Alby. 

Where's my son?   

The whole thing ended about an hour ago. You were sitting on the windowsill of Kaz’s office. Kaz opted to settle the rest of the things with Per Haskel at the dregs club, before coming and resting. He entered the room, looking exhausted. 

Didn’t sleep yet? Kaz inquired. Normally, you would have gone to your room and slept. But not today. You finally had found a moment alone with Kaz, the two of you leaning against the window. The adrenaline of the confrontation as well as the proximity coursed through your veins, but there was also a sense of closeness, of unity.

"You were brilliant, Kaz," you murmured, the note of admiration evident in your voice. "I don't know how you keep coming up with these strategies." Kaz's lips curled into a small smile, his gloved hand reaching out to intertwine his fingers with yours. You knew that he was resisting a lot. 

He could sense your hesitance, he knew the reason behind it as well. It had taken him years to be able to just be comfortable being so close to you. But he knew he wanted all of that, to feel your touch, to be so close to you. 

I have good inspiration, he replied softly. A team that I trust implicitly and a maniac who supports all my decisions. All this soft talk was always reserved for you and the room. When I’d first told you about the Alby, had you thought that it was a bluff or an actual plan.

Kaz, don’t be stupid, I know when you are bluffing. It’s a very obvious tell. 

It wasn’t any obvious tell. You just knew Kaz, so you got lucky with this guess. 

Don't worry, you laughed at his bewildered look, you still look hot while lying. The night went on. Despite being so tired, neither of you could sleep. So the night was spent on the window, planning every single heist possible, making plans to take down the rest of the city. This was definitely proving to be the best date like day ever.

—---

A/n: A little bonus for you guys. For being so late. 

Kaz: I have a very important question to ask you guys. 

Jesper: We know. You have never assembled a meeting consisting of all of us if you didn’t have any serious reasons. 

Kaz: Do I have a tell when I lie. 

Inej: As far as I can tell, and I say this on behalf of everyone, we wouldn’t know. 

Kaz: (disappointed) 

Kaz: Okay, that’s okay. Do I ever look hot? Because apparently that's when I express my tell. 

Insert bewildered crows. 

-----

Taglist: @neonlight2

[9mysterybook6]

Hello guys, I have a au chaotic idea that I have had for a long time

I've been inspired by @bigfatbreak.

when I First time saw feralnette au.

The way @bigfatbreak changed Marinette's personality and appearance was genius

And imagine Kaz in Marinette's place

Here is the design

(note Check it out @bigfatbreak. blog their feralnette au is amazing)

I'm still thinking of a name for my chaotic au.

Here's the idea

Before the beginning series

kaz and Tom are close friends and Everything is fine

Until that day there was a new student.

his name is Lorenzo Reyes.

he in oc base on Lila rossi and the color scheme is Like her>

like Lila: Lorenzo doesn't like it when someone reveals that his lies aren't true, showing no remorse for lying in the first place. If anyone attempts to expose him, he won't hesitate to try to make them miserable or break them down just to get them out of his way.

And like in Miraculous season 1 ep 24, "Volpina".

kaz, like Marinette, did not trust Lorenzo

Lorenzo Give kaz two choices Because you're not stupid like everyone else You are either on my side or against me. kaz Of course rejects him

Lorenzo: You will regret this. Trust me I will make your life hell. I will make you lose everything

Just like in Miraculous SEASON 3 EP 18

Lorenzo accused kaz.

No one believed him, not even Tom believed him.

after this event kaz changed He began practicing boxing and martial arts And he became more isolated,

I was thinking about what kaz's dream what to be

Marinette wants to become a fashion designer So I thought I would make kaz's dream to be invention & game programmer.

luckily Lorenzo Move to another place. But kaz and Tom, they are no longer friends Because of that day.

when chaotic cards release.

When kaz got the code

Before he enters Perim. kaz Collect some information from players and robot.

When kaz enters the UnderWorld.

H'earring tried to jump on kaz Because of the smell from the bag but kaz dodged H'earring.

kaz picked up the bag and said, "You are H'earring the tracker."

Here's the deal. If you help me scan and show me UnderWorld you will get the Dractyl scales, And got other awful food you want.

Kaz sparked H'earring's interest And he said Straight to the point, I liked this What is your name.

Call me Kaz.

And here things become interesting.

Kaz is building a secret hideout somewhere in Perim.

Kaz did research on Perim language and technology.

Kaz designed his suit and mask

Imagine a mask with horns in front And cloak and Imagine the color scheme deep red black And dark grey.

NOT my art

kaz invented a device Something like Telebracers, And a device Makes you invisible like Mipedian

Kaz becomes a bounty hunter in Perim. he names himself the phantom Of course no one knows who he is And many players tried scan him But they all failed. In addition, Kaz spread rumors that the phantom, Any player who tries to scan him will be killed.

At the beginning of the episode Welcome to Chaotic.

Similar to the events of the episode, but with differences.

When Tom got the code. Kaz tells him about chaotic and Perim.

kaz says it's the truth.

So when Tom came in Chaotic Kaz will be like: didn't I tell you this would happen and Of course, without clothes, you are lucky. I expected that. kaz throws at tom a pair of jeans and Gray shirt.

When Kaz returned from Chaotic.

Kaz went home to Tom and he Avoid the donuts that Tom threw When he entered the room, Kaz just rolled his eyes and whispered the secret in Tom's ear.

Tom: how did you know that? I didn't tell anyone.

Kaz: yourself chaotic Tell me this secret and where is your scanner?

I threw it out

Tom, are you neglected or something? It hasn't been a day since your scanner Stop working and you just threw it away because it didn't work Instead of asking a technical expert to know the problem Or ask the store you purchased from to solve the problem.

And when they heard the sound of the garbage truck.

They started running after the truck.

Kaz manages to save Tom's scanner from being crushed by the garbage disposal.

After all this, Tom apologized to Kaz because he did not believe him. Kaz forgave Tom.

Tom asked Kaz if he could guide him in both chaotic and Perim, And Kaz agreed.

Tom tries to be Kaz's friend again While Kaz tries to keep some space between them.

Kaz always keeps people away from him and doesn't talk to them much unless you speak to him about Chaotic Or made deals.

Kaz always goes to the point Subject In a conversation.

he is friends With Sarah and Peyton

Sarah likes Kaz Because he is not reckless, unlike other players, And also Kaz is good at scan quests and He knows how to make the match fun and friendly

Peyton likes Kaz Because he Finds Kaz a chill person and They both listen to music, The competition between them still exists, like in a series.

his personality:

Kaz is like in the series But he is more calm when dealing with a situation and has More sneaks and intelligence.

I was thinking Make: Kaz makes money from his small business as a YouTuber 2d for games and he musician and singer And an artist.

here's the funny thing

Aa'une and the M'arrillian Scared of Kaz

Here's the idea for the scene

A village from OverWorld Being attacked by M'arrillian and the OverWorld troop Try to stop them while tom, Sarah, Peyton, Kaz They were there

when The general of the M'arrillian tried to control Kaz's mind. that backfire it cause to created a vibrational explosion that freed everyone from M'arrillian's control.

Let's just say When M'arrillian was in Kaz's mind This is what he saw Kaz

Kaz looked at The general of the M'arrillian With eyes filled with pure rage. He takes the Battlegear out of his bag And kaz started chasing him While cursing the M'arrillian in the language of Scotland

Everyone was wondering what was happening and why the M'arrillian was back away. And here they saw the strangest scene in their lives.

The general of the M'arrillian was running away from Orange hair Chaotic player boy While he shouts in a language they does not understand.

Some creatures recognize him as Tom's friend,

This is my idea if my au What do you guys think?

[achingwoundforaheart]

Once a week, in hellgate, thanks to Pekka Rollins there was hellfight, if you come out alive you get a clean room all to yourself.

'maybe I should enter' y/n said while eating a sad excuse for breakfast.

'you realize you can die right' Matthias asked sarcastically.

'I'll die in three days either ways' y/n replied shrugging.

Matthias and Maria looked at her uncomfortablely, they had come to like this inmate, mostly because she could talk any guard out of punishments. She was a good ally in the prison.

'Why do you have a death sentence' Maria asked.

'Killed a monster' y/n replied, flash backs going through her brain and an uncomfortable tingling in her scars.

'Monster' Maria raised an eyebrow, Matthias tired to silence her by kicking slightly, not wanting to make y/n uncomfortable but wanting to know the same thing.

'A rich monster' y/n added unhelpfuly

'hey we shared our stories I think you owe us yours'

'I owe no one anything' y/n replied coolly. Maria was sort of getting on her nerves.

'Why hellfight, don't you already have a cell to yourself' Matthias changed the topic.

'it's the worst possible cell, it reeks, there's mice, and something is dripping from the ceiling' y/n shuddered. She'd lived in worse places but would rather spend her last days somewhere more comfortable.

'can't you threaten your way into a better cell' Maria asked shifting on her seat, feeling uneasy after hearing about that cell. 'I'm sure you have dirt on every guard here'

'I don't know if it'll work really' y/n said, scratching her chin slightly, she did have dirt on most of the guards, she could try and control everyone, the idea seemed tempting, it'll take a whole day atleast but it could be fun. She smiled to herself imagining running Ketterdam's worst prison.

'I can see you scheming something' Maria laughed. Matthias also gave a rare smile in her direction.

'hmm' y/n said looking around, pinning secrets on guards mentally 'I could do something, need a lot of distraction because if they come together then I will overpowered'

Suddenly something connected in her brain, she DID know Matthias, wait why am I just making the connection she thought, huh anyway this could be useful.

'you know Nina Zenik' y/n said, smirking a but as Matthias clenched his jaw.

'How do you know her' he asked slowly, anger seething through his words.

'oh calm down' y/n teased, 'aren't you two lovers'

'no fuck you' he shouted banging his fists on the table, quietened down as he saw a few guards looking in their direction.

'Well she certainly loves you' y/n said amused at the anger, she knew Nina is the reason Matthias is hellgate from Nina's drunk confession one night. Matthias seemed to soften a bit at that. 'she's trying to make money to buy you out of here, her Ravkan crew saw you two together and were going to kill you'

Y/n didn't know why she was annoying Matthias exactly but hey drama is always fun.

Matthias furrowed his eyebrows at that, making mental connections and probably remembering good times with Nina. Things made sense for the first time in his two months here.

'help me out I'll try and reunite you with your asique' lover. Y/n said in Fjerdian.

Matthias breathed sharply, here was this new inmate offering freedom barely three days into her sentence. Maria faced her and was about to ask something when y/n said 'yeah to you too if my plan works out'

Maria smiled 'at your service', Matthias gave a curt nod. Y/n grinned, working out her scheme, she just might be able to break out of hellgate, eventhough she'd already accepted her death sentence, this seemed much more fun. And hopeful, a small voice in her head said, she shook it off.

Back in Ketterdam, the crows were trying to finalize their plan to get y/n out. Their odds were thin, but they were willing to bet. Nina was a bit miserable because she wanted to get Matthias out as well, debating with Kaz every chance she got.

'Breaking out one person is difficult enough, I'm sorry if I can't bring you your lover' Kaz said ending all discussion. Inej just returned from a patrol, gathering all information she could only the stadwatch, prison guards anything really that would get y/n out.

'Find anything ' Jesper asked eagerly, the planning phase making him restless, he wanted to be on his feet, doing something. Anything other than looking at things that can go wrong.

'Nothing good' Inej said, 'y/n might have signed up for hellfight' she continued 'does she have to make things more difficult'.

'What is hellfight' Nina asked.

'they make prisoners fight to death with with beasts every once a week for a better cell' Jesper said grimacing, trying not to imagine y/n fighting a bull. Why bull he thought internally.

'That's barbaric' Nina exclaimed 'hoe is that legal, not everyone there has a death sentence, they just let them die'

'it's hellgate' Kaz said. He hated the guilt he was feeling these days, especially with Inej not talking to him. He had come to become close to her, they talked a lot, he'd come to rely on her, if not trust. He felt Jordie's ghost, you are doing to her what pekka did to us, he seemed to say.

They all felt defeated.

'we should go to hellfight' he said finally, everyone looked at him with irritation, he didn't care about that. 'it should be easier to break her out of a nicer part of hellgate, possibly with lesser guards and saves us the energy of breaking in' his brain trying to cover any holes in the plan

Everyone looked at each other with uncertainty, but feeling a bit of hope, this was by far the least risk.

'What if she dies' Inej shook her head, trying to put away the picture of her lying beaten in the ground.

'that's a risk we'll have to bet on'Kaz said grimly.

'she took out a guy twice her size' Jesper said trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

'I don't like this' she said, 'but it may be the only chance'. Feeling a bit defeated she retired to her room. Freshening up, laying on her bed. She thought of y/n, she might hate me. She thinks I sent her there. Inej remembers the face of betrayal on y/ns face. She refused to look at me she thought painfully. Why do I care so much about her she blinked away a few tears.

[stray-kaz]

A Better Distraction : a Jesper Fahey x reader FF : Two

Jesper’s boots hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs and Kaz shoved a missing poster into his chest, waiting for him to take it before letting go and stepping away. Confused, he looked down and saw your face gazing up at him from the sheet, a broad collar loaded with jewels slung around your neck, a solid emerald sitting in the hollow of your throat. It was an excellent likeness; he couldn’t mistake it. He looked back at Kaz, and waited.

“Your bleeding heart case is Kaelish royalty. I knew as soon as I saw her.”

“Then why’d you let her stay?”

“Leverage. Ransom. To hold something over someone else. Take your pick. But remember, Jes, she’s your responsibility. Take good care of her” Kaz answered coolly.

As he made to turn away, Jesper reached out and grabbed his arm. Kaz glanced down at the offending hand and back up at Jesper’s face. He dropped it but didn’t back down.

“You have a plan” he said, a thread of steel in his voice. “Scheming face. What are you going to do with her?”

Kaz smirked.

“Your little girlfriend is going to earn her keep” he said. “Don’t touch me again.”

He strode away, his heavy cane thudding against the ground with every step. Jesper swung around to gaze up the stairs to where he’d left you, running a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. A princess. Just great. How was he supposed to hide you from royal searchers? He sighed and headed towards the door, his fingers just itching for a game of cards.

“Jesper. Stop.”

He yelped and spun to find Inej standing in front of him, silent on her approach as ever.

“What?” he demanded, jumpy and agitated. “Is Kaz having you follow me now?”

She shook her head, black plait flicking around her shoulders.

“No. But the plan he has for the princess? It’s not exactly pretty.”

Jesper’s glance flicked down when Inej scratched absently at the damaged skin on her forearm where her Menagerie tattoo once rested. He arched his eyebrows in surprise.

“He’s not going to put her in a pleasure house, is he? That seems dark, even for the bastard of the Barrel.”

Again, Inej shook her head.

“No, he isn’t. But he’s going to dress her up, put her on display like a doll, and have her sing for her supper.”

Jesper groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face.

“He is the worst” he grunted, annoyed. “All right, I’m outta here.”

“What about -” Inej started to call out after him.

He just waved a hand without looking back.

“I’ll be back before she wakes up!”

When Jesper returned to the Slat and his room, you were still asleep, lying on your side with your hands pressed beneath your cheek, hair splayed across the pillow. He felt a twinge in his gut at the sight of you: innocent, peerless and alone. What were you running from?

He didn’t realise he’d asked the question aloud until you shifted under the coverlet and opened your eyes, sitting up with a start when you saw him.

“What are you running from, princess?” he asked, raising a single eyebrow and not giving you a chance to dissemble, or even wake up properly. “And don’t lie. I’m better at it than you are, trust me.”

You sighed heavily and rubbed your eyes.

“My parents want me to marry my cousin” you stated flatly.

Jesper recoiled.

“They still do that?”

You nodded.

“The ring those oafs stole from me was the betrothal ring. I don’t care that it’s gone, but if anyone recognises it, they’ll know I’m here in Ketterdam.”

Jesper grimaced.

“Well, that’s just gross” he muttered. “Inbreeding? I shudder to think.”

You bit back a smile and swung your legs out of bed. Standing at your full height, you realised how tall he was as you were forced to look up and up.

“Can you imagine the children, though?” you asked, shuddering. “They would be so screwed up.”

Jesper’s eyes flicked to your stomach and then back to your face.

“Horribly so” he agreed. “Kaz has a plan, I’m afraid, that might be nearly as bad.”

Your smile faded and high colour slipped into your cheeks.

“What is it?”

Before Jesper could tell you, his door swung open and Kaz marched through it, trailing a tall, beautiful girl carrying a heap of costumes in her arms. The pile was so high, she could only just see where she was stepping.

“This is Nina” Kaz announced dispassionately. “She’s a Heartrender, but she also knows how to dress, unlike you. A princess dressed like a peasant? How quaint.”

Jesper was impressed with the fury in your eyes as you appraised Kaz, but hoped you would not act on it. He believed he liked you and didn’t want to see you dead at the end of the crow’s head cane.

Nina rustled forward and dropped the clothes on Jesper’s bed. In one hand, she held a shiny pair of silver scissors. You blanched and stumbled away, backing into Jesper. His hands fell onto your waist, fingers curving around your hips. He eyed Kaz over his shoulder.

“Is this really necessary?” he demanded, tone dark. “Her hair, Kaz?”

Kaz shrugged, eyes like obsidian.

“Don’t want her to be recognised by the wrong people” he replied. “Cut it off and dress her up, Nina.”

Nina approached you with sorrow in her green eyes and gently tugged you away from Jesper, pressing you down onto the only chair in the room. She leaned over you so her hair acted like a curtain around you both.

“I’m so sorry” she whispered. “But doing what Kaz Brekker says ends better than not doing it. And for what it’s worth, I think Jesper will like you whether you have long hair or short.”

She winked and stepped back, just far enough to get a good look at your hair as it cascaded past your shoulders. You glanced up at Jesper and saw him clenching his jaw, thumbs stroking absently over the handles of the guns peeking out of their holsters. He looked like energy given human form, twitchy all over, but altogether the most beautiful thing you’d ever laid eyes on.

You bit your lip hard, sat back and closed your eyes. The first snip of the scissors sent a solitary tear sliding down your cheek. Jesper saw it and turned away, fighting the sudden desire to bash Kaz over the head with that damn cane he loved so much.

He watched the hair fall away, sloughing off your shoulders and drifting to the floor like so many snowflakes. You, on the other hand, kept a level glare on Kaz the entire time. When Nina had finished, your hair curled around your ears and sat lighter on your head than it ever had. Your eyes blazed in your face like twin fires. Kaz appeared unaffected as he nodded perfunctorily.

“Good. Jesper, you should leave with me, now. I don’t think the princess would care for you to see her naked” he said, glancing sidelong at you and then Jesper.

Your face burned with shame and Jesper bit back a retort as he ducked his head a little and followed Kaz out of the room.

Nina turned to the heap of clothes on the bed and began to sort through them, casting aside sashes, tiaras and vials of glitter. She beckoned to you to come closer.

“Now, let’s see” she mumbled, almost to herself. “Which is the lesser of all these evils?”

When she was done, you barely recognised yourself, let alone expected anyone else to.

[lostxtosunlight]

For the Touch My Muse meme, if you fancy ❤︎

       The injury, within the grand scheme of things, wasn't worth the trouble of dragging Nenik out of her bed for. Yuki had sustained a cut from just bellow his left cheekbone that nearly reached the side of his nose. It wasn't necessarily deep enough to require stitches, but Kaz thought it still needed to be held together nonetheless.

       Yuki was seated in the tiny kitchen space in his room in the Slat, seated in a chair opposite Kaz. They were close enough where, if they shifted slightly, their knees could barely brush. Kaz cleaned the wound with methodical care — and he did so with his leather gloves on, of course. It would've been difficult for most people, clumsy. But not for Kaz, who had learned to master precise, careful touch with leather clad hands.

       His touch was surprisingly gentle, his dark gaze sharp and focused as he worked. Once they'd finally managed to staunch the blood flow, Kaz used four small, thin strips of tape to carefully close the wound. He tried his best not to think about the proximity, to not take into account every single minute detail of Yuki's response to his touch, whether it be physical or otherwise.

       ❝You'll have a scar,❞ he murmured thoughtfully, his rock salt rasp managing to sound quiet between them. A faint, crooked curve of his lips followed his words and he shrugged. ❝Another to add to your growing collection.❞

Touch My Muse | accepting

@thiefofcrows

The wound ached and bled endlessly, the result of a sharp knife in a skilled hand. Had Kaz not been there, Yuki would've done what he always did; retreated into his room and dealt with it himself. He'd been doing that since he was nine years old, after all, and compared to the last injury he'd come to Kaz with, this was nothing.

As soon as Kaz shot him a look, Yuki conceded defeat. It was hard to argue with him once he'd made up his mind. Besides, the idea of disappearing from the eyes of the other Dregs to be alone with Kaz...didn't seem so bad.

The antiseptic stung, but Yuki made sure to stay still. Kaz was very close. He treated the cut with deft fingers, the same precision and diligence he took when picking a lock. Only there was a certain level of care taken that went beyond a task, beyond business. If he thought Kaz wouldn't notice, Yuki would spend more time studying him -- but as it were, he mostly kept his gaze on the wall across the room, and didn't break the silence.

Then Kaz leaned closer, drawing Yuki's gaze back to him, and his heart thumped hard against his ribs. There was no hiding from Kaz anymore, not after they'd formed this strange mental link. And it wasn't the first time Yuki's mind had wandered where it shouldn't. Yuki imagined what it would feel like to close the distance and kiss Kaz, and his gaze quickly dropped to the ground.

When Kaz spoke, Yuki met his eyes directly, his cheek aching in a different way now -- that sharp sting lingered and he knew this bruised feeling wouldn't leave anytime soon, but he had to admit, the pain of healing was preferrable over an injury left untreated. One Yuki would've otherwise hoped would heal by itself.

Kaz's words brought a small smile to Yuki's lips, gaze softer with the way his friend's lips had just barely turned up.

His friend...was that still what they were?

"Another scar?" Yuki's eyes filled with warmth, as they usually did when it came to Kaz, and his voice was tinged with amusement. "I don't know, I don't think I can handle that."

[mistylakeee]

Kaz and Inej high-fiving is something so personal to me that I just made up

[cameliawrites]

more kanej headcanons

Today I’m imagining Kaz recruiting Inej to pose as a student at Ketterdam University for a week--

The mark is a shady mercher with more than a few paper trails connecting him to Tante Heleen’s line of work. Kaz has devised a plan to take him down through the careful manipulations of his insufferably pompous nineteen-year-old son, who is attending university (courtesy of his father’s kruge, of course) as a prerequisite to taking over the family business.

He can’t send Jesper, who might be recognized at the university, or Wylan, who’s busy working a half-dozen shared schemes with Kaz against the Merchant Council, so he asks Inej to step in instead--

(And if the promise of toppling what’s left of Heleen’s crumbling system of indentures isn’t really the thing that motivates her so much as the chance to stay docked in Ketterdam for an extra week, spying and scheming for Kaz once more, all the while chipping away at the barriers between them, moving ever-closer to this once untouchable boy--well, she doesn’t have to say any of that to him when she agrees to take the job.)

(And if Kaz is loathe to admit that he could have asked any one of a dozen other Dregs to perform this role...well, these days he’s at least self-aware enough to recognize his own incurable weakness when it comes to the spider-turned-sailor next to him: He has never trusted anybody the way he has come to trust Inej.)

Inej has been tracing the mercher’s son through all of his classes, gathering information and planting a series of documents and nasty rumors that, at a flick of Kaz’s magician’s wrist, will bring the house of cards they’ve carefully built out of the mercher’s resources and reputation toppling in a matter of days.

The great inconvenience to this work, though, is that Inej has to actually appear to be a university student for these few days: attending classes, befriending bright-eyed students lingering near Speaker’s Bridge, hauling piles of textbooks through the Boeksplein,

and, yes, completing her homework.

But if she has to suffer through this misery, she’s determined to make Kaz suffer too--

Which is how they end up sitting side-by-side at the dining room table of the Van Eck mansion, open books, scattered papers, and half-dried inks splayed out before them.

Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve been at this for hours, moon high in the window above them, and Kaz’s brain has turned half to rot--or maybe, as he might blame it later, some lingering fumes from one or another of Wylan’s chemistry experiment have addled his senses temporarily; either way, he can’t help waxing nostalgic for just a moment with Inej sitting so peaceably at his side:

“You know, if we were two normal eighteen and nineteen-year-olds, this is probably how we would have met.”

She has to blink for a few seconds, her eyes dry from minutes glaring at the same page of Kerch Politiek, before she catches his sideways glance over the puffed-up philosophy treatise he’s referencing for an essay--she’d given trying to decipher that one hours ago. “Oh?” she prompts. Go on. 

“In some study group or another in university. Solving problem sets instead of cracking safes, pilfering snacks from the café instead of stealing from literal slavers.” His tone is nonchalant, but there’s something almost like yearning behind his eyes as they stare determinedly toward the center of the table.

(She wants to ease that yearning, wants to reach across the inches between them that feel like fathoms. She knows too well that it’s not just their shared history of impossible odds and daring escapes that keeps them from the simpler life he imagines; it’s all the broken pieces of his past that he has only half-revealed to her in fleeting moments of courage, pieces she can’t put back together for him, even if she’s promised to keep reaching through them. All she can do, in this moment, is indulge in the fantasy.)

“Please, Kaz. That would never happen.”

The indignation in her voice draws his gaze back to her face, where her eyebrows are raised in amusement. “You might have gone to university to read these Saints-forsaken textbooks and freeload off Wylan Van Eck’s good will, but I would never have stopped performing with my family. We’d only meet after my troupe came to perform to the university students.” 

There’s something gentle and knowing in her grin as she envisions it. “You’d be so obsessed with trying to figure out how I made all my tricks work, you wouldn’t be able to help following after me as we packed up the venue. That’s when we would meet--not at any of those awful coffee shops off the Boeksplein like two love-drunk pigeons ready for the plucking.”

His gaze is far-off now; she watches him imagining the scene she’s set before him. She thinks he’s nearly lost in the false memory, but one particular word does seem to pique his attention through the fog:

“Love-drunk, hmm?”

(His smirk is far too self-satisfied, but she can’t help the flaming blush that erupts on her cheeks.)

“We would never look so foolish, of course.”

“Of course,” he teases, the weightiness of the moment lifted, yet something almost melancholic lingers behind his easy grin. It’s a look she rarely sees him wear, insistent as he is on burying his true feelings beneath thick layers of armor. But Inej has always been good at sneaking into even the most impenetrable fortresses--and if Kaz has taught her anything, it’s the art of the impossible heist.

Maybe she’ll dive into that feeling with him later on, but for now, she has four classes’ worth of schoolwork to finish before the morning, and she needs his focus back on the books. She grabs one of the leftover textbooks within her reach and holds it up toward him, clearing her throat. “You might have some skill accounting for a gambling club, but let’s see how well you handle... Basic Accounting for the Prudent Wife.”

He snorts at that, picking the book up disdainfully by its spine. “They’ve devised an entirely different system of accounting for women?”

Inej’s grin is sharp. “I suppose you’re about to find that out for me.”

If they spend the rest of the night hand-in-hand below the table, a fraction of each of their minds cast toward an imaginary first date (where Inej demonstrates how she flips weightlessly across a high wire, Kaz shows off the card tricks he practices between business classes, and the two of them are certain that in any version of history, they would be drawn to each other the way the crows are drawn to the Slat’s attic window)--

Well, they don’t have to say it to know it’s true.

[crowsnqueens]

Bibliophile; Pt. i

Kaz Brekker x Bibliophile!wife!reader

Summary: Kaz returns from a meeting to find his wife (that was meant to attend) with a book in her hand and a drink at her side. Unfortunately, a fellow crow sees their interaction and is itching to find out more.

an: i had so much fun writing this bro y’all don’t even KNOW

Warnings: Kaz can tolerate reader’s touch, alcohol and drinking it, little bit of irritated Kaz, fluff for DAYS, reader uses she/her pronouns and is described as female, marriage??, the book “The Language of Thorns” is presumed in canon, the crows are about 22 in this (which is what i imagine to be in the show), OOC Kaz (i tried y’all) I may have missed some 💁🏻‍♀️but enjoy!!

Kaz sighed as he scanned the room for his wife, finding that she was in fact, not present.

“Have any of you seen Y/n?” he tooka large breath,”Never mind, let’s continue.”

“But boss, doesn’t she have a big chunk of the job?” Jesper swirled a pistol around his fingers then re-holstered the weapon with ease and precision.

“I can inform her later.” His teeth slightly grit, his hands working in the beginnings of a loose fist.

“As we were…”

~

Once the meeting was finished, Kaz gathered up the papers to re-place them back with his files, and shrugged his coat off. Descending the stairs of the slat, he noticed some of the books on the shelf had slanted in their places, as if a support had been pulled from under them.

Curious, he smirked.

he decended the stairs further to the crow club’s nightly regulars either gambling or drinking, conversing or laughing, scheming or wishing. But among them all, he found a familiar face in a quiet secluded corner, with a book and a glass of Kvas.

Continuing his way across the floor of his club, he stopped to ask one of the other Dregs about the upcoming job.

Slowly from her corner, Y/n heard a certain man’s voice and found him in discussion with the woman who tended the bar named Sylvi. They were presumably discussing a new job or a previous one, but nothing other than work. She knew that, but she still couldn’t help but keep an eye on the interaction.

Eventually she grew tired of surveying her husband’s every move, and returned to her book. “The Language of Thorns” is a collection of six fairytales and myths she had been read as a child, and when she found it on the shelf she just had to reread it.

“You look invested.” Kaz’s voice softened from his previous tone with the other woman.

“Oh I am, this book is very good. I used to read it quite a lot when I was young.” She smiled over the top of the book, knowing exactly what he would bring up next.

“Was there anything else you needed to do or, attend possibly, this evening? That you perhaps weren’t there for?”

“Oh there was this meeting, yes, my dear husband told my to meet him at 9 bells and it must have slipped my mind.” She smirked in the taller boy’s direction over her book.

“I’ll make sure to tell him about your predicament.” Kaz sat beside his wife, grabbing her hand that was laying on the couch.

“She is forgiven.” He placed a kiss to her knuckles and smiled lightly at her.

“Thank you, Mijn liefje.” She leaned her head on his shoulder and Kaz kissed her head.

“Of course, schatje.”

Little did the two know, a sharpshooter watched and observed their interaction, slowly piecing together that their relationship entailed more than expected.

[yesimwriting]

The Promise of Rain

A/n finally writing that Kaz Brekker x reader angsty-fluff where the reader is all sunshine-y and Kaz is dramatic as always lol 

Might make this a blurb series bc i like this dynamic so much lol

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x sunshine-y reader 

Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Kaz has a conversation with the reader (who’s a runaway princess) about what happens to people who stay near him. 

-- 

He once said that he didn’t believe in Saints. A moment later he conceded that perhaps they existed in order to appease Inej, but he was quick to tact on that if Saints existed they didn’t care about him. Inej and I had exchanged a look, she pleaded with me in silence to let him be. I opened my mouth despite the look in her eyes, but he had walked away before I could get any words out. 

He believes that the Saints don’t care about him, but as soon as he was dragged in by Jesper, bleeding and more broken than usual, it had started to rain. The rain is a promise. The rain is a sign that he will wake up. 

I tap a finger against the forgotten book on my lap, ignoring the dried blood I’ve been too anxious to wash off. When Kaz wakes up he’ll either scold me or partially tease me for waiting here by his bedside. The rain continues, cascading down invisible hope. 

“Save your prayers, even for you the Saints won’t regard me.” Kaz. His voice is raspier than it should be and his slight condescension is blighted by the tired flatness of it. But it’s him. He’s speaking. 

I tear my gaze away from the window, almost forgetting to tamper down my relief before finally looking at him. I haven’t known him long enough to see him in any level of defeat, but I’ve heard enough stories. The fictional exaggeration of those that fear him have made him seem so immortal. Some part of me must have internalized that because to see him like this, to see him so human is too intimate. 

“Don’t be so narcissistic.” Something about Kaz always leaves me feeling challenged, like each comment is some kind of dare. I adjust my posture. “I wasn’t praying because I knew you’d be okay.” 

His expression is unchanging. “So much faith in me?” 

There’s a soft edge to his words, an attempt to twist some kind of awkward denial out of me. Some days I don’t think Kaz enjoys anything and then other days I think he enjoys any misstep in my words. 

I shrug, pushing down the flood of relief still attempting to crawl out of my chest. “You’re always okay.” I scratch the back of my wrist idly. “It seems the safe bet.” 

“Don’t tell me you’ve been taking gambling advice from Jesper.” 

I half roll my eyes. “No--Jesper and I don’t play together anymore.” I let out an easy sigh. “Last time I beat him he bordered on a hissy fit.” There’s the slightest hint of upturning at the corners of his lips. “I should go tell Jesper and Inej you’re awake.” 

“I think you should change out of that dress first.”

He was more likable when I thought he might die at any second. “Wow--Kaz Brekker the professional stylist.” He has no right to judge the formal gown I’m in. Yes, my outfit is ridiculous, but I’m only wearing it because the Crows needed someone they knew at a merchant’s party for a part of some scheme they wouldn’t share the details of with me. “Yes, I’m aware that this dress is more tulle than anything else, but I’m only wearing it because I was helping you.” 

I wait for some retort about how he could have managed without my assistance or some kind of comment about how I didn’t need such a large dress to flirt and distract the guards as the Crows snuck into the merchant’s private office. “You fit in there more than you said you would.” 

From anyone else, I’d consider this an insult. “I was making an effort for the sake of your plans.” 

“I saw you before I went into the office, you knew the dances, the man took your hand.” 

That’s the weirdest observation I’ve ever witnessed someone reflect on. “That’s how those dances tend to work.” I don’t hide the confusion in my expression. “How much blood did you lose?” 

Kaz’s piercing gaze drops to the blanket on his lap. “Not a concerning amount.”

“Why do I feel like we have different definitions of ‘concerning’?” 

His eyes flit upwards, a partial smirk playing at his lips. “We define a lot of things differently.” He pauses, “You defined the life you slipped into so easily tonight as something you could never do.” 

“I can’t.” What is his problem? “One dance is different than an eternity of planning teas and marrying some man who only keeps me so I can rear his children.” 

“You’d end up marrying someone who could give you things.”

He better not be implying I should be having children. I’m seriously starting to hope he did lose a significant amount of blood because that would be some kind of explanation. “I don’t want anyone to be giving me children right now, but I guess your concern is ni--”

“No, no,” he screws his eyes shut for a long second, “You know what I meant.” I stay silent. “You’re technically a princess, y/n, you could have more than the Barrel.” There’s an odd silence as he pauses. “Someone like you should have more than the Barrel.” 

He speaks like his word is law. That’s the one habit of his I can never seem to forgive. Is Kaz telling me to go home? To go back to a mother who dreams of marrying me off and a father with a temper that often leads to violence? He may be Dirtyhands, but he is no one to tell me who to go back to. Not after I risked my anonymity to get him into that merchant’s office. 

I shut my book and stand in one swift motion. “I’m going to tell Jesper and Inej that you’re awake.”

“Y/n.” I ignore him. “Y/n.” Again, I ignore him, approaching the doorway. The rustling of sheets leaves me frozen, hand on the doorknob. “Y/n.” 

Without thinking, I turn on my heels while glaring. There’s no way he’s proud enough to have climbed out of bed wi--and he’s standing. Standing almost directly behind me. 

“Kaz Brekker, I am going to say this one time and one time only.” I keep my words measured and my tone flat. No room for argument. “You just had nine stitches put in near your heart, get your ass back in bed before that is no longer your only injury.” 

He pauses, lips pressed together into a tight white line. And then his mouth opens, pried open by an oddly light sound. Did he just--Did Kaz Brekker just laugh? He doesn’t laugh. I didn’t think he was physically capable, and now he laughs while I’m threatening him? I should hit him on principle alone and damn the consequences. 

“Did you--” I’m gaping at him with a rage I am not accustomed to. “Did you just laugh?” 

Kaz is quick to shut his mouth. “You did swear you’d get me to laugh one day.” 

Saints--now he chooses to have some kind of sense of humor. “Not while I was threatening you for being an idiot after saying my lineage means that I’m meant to be trapped in the life I desire least.” 

“I didn’t say that.” I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t deserve more than this because of your family, you deserve more than this because--” He cuts himself off with a sharp sigh. “Do you remember what happened the day we met?” 

He had wanted to return me to my father for the money. I had managed to convince him I could be more useful working for him without profit. The first day had been tense, I had sworn to myself that I would hate him forever. 

“I remember really hating you.” I remember thinking him beautiful despite his darkness. “I remember it started raining on our way here.” 

“You had a hood, but you pushed it off your head to feel the rain.” I don’t remember that because indulging in the rain is instinctual to me. “You looked at the rain, and you smiled--and then you saw a woman with a child and you took off your hood and gave it to them.” 

“What does that have to d--” 

“Watching that felt like intruding on an intimate moment I had no business knowing about, but it wasn’t that to you. That moment was nothing to you because that moment was who you are.” 

I don’t understand what he sees in something I can barely remember. “Kaz, what does that have to do with anything?” 

“I’m the monster that children believe live under their beds, I’m the bastard of the Barrel, I’m someone who gets blood on everything near them.” His gaze is harsher than I’ve ever seen it as he focuses on the dried blood splotched across my hands and arms. “And then I can’t even help you wash it off.” 

Those last words are the closest to broken I’ve ever heard him sound. “Kaz--”

“And you’re the girl who looks at the rain like it’s a gift from the Saints.” 

Is he implying what I think he’s implying? Even if I believed him such a source of evil, even if I felt like touch mattered that much--why would he care? I keep the much more frightening implication at bay as I exhale. Clarity will only make this conversation worse. “That doesn’t matter.” The words leave me in a low whisper. 

I stare at the ground until his silence is something I can no longer bear. Looking up as cautiously as possible, I take in his expression. I’ve never seen him look so--so enraged. “It doesn’t matter?!” He doesn’t bother hiding the fact that he’s practically seething. “I’ve viewed your presence here as temporary since you first came and despite that, when I saw you there…” The breath he lets out is practically pained. “When I saw what your life is meant to be--I didn’t want you to go.” 

The admission breaks something hard in my chest. “I never wanted to go.” My eyeline drops to the ground. “I didn’t want to go when you were trying to make me, I didn’t want to go when it was only for that evening.” I swallow a lump of emotion restricting my throat. “When you were bleeding out and Jesper had to carry you back here I let myself imagine what it’d be like if you died. And it hurt. It hurt so badly I asked myself if I would rather never know you than feel that pain.” 

“Would you?” His voice has gone hollow. 

I finally look up again. “No.” That word leaves me more bare than any physical touch ever could. 

“I stain everything that stays with me,” his voice has seamlessly shifted back to a tone meant for business, “Me wanting you to stay is more than enough reason for you to leave.”

My chest aches as emotions I’ll never be able to place a name to pound against my chest. “I’m a princess that ran away from her family and tried to befriend her kidnapper--you can’t possibly be narcissistic enough to believe that you’re what’s corrupted me.” 

“Y/n,” his voice is gravely again, the way it was when he first woke up. 

“No. What could you possibly think I’d say to that?” He’s insane--I’m not even sure I understand what he’s implying. “You know I’ll never agree with what you’re saying, so I have no idea what kind of reaction you’re looking for.”

“Maybe a genuine one.” 

The comment is so frustrating I can’t help but roll my eyes. The irony of Kaz Brekker asking for a genuine reaction to an emotionally heavy comment is almost laughable. “My genuine reaction is that you’re acting like an idiot because I don’t agree with anything you’re saying, but calling someone an idiot after they’ve been stabbed in the chest is a little insensitive so I can’t give you my genuine reaction.”

Kaz half-scoffs, “You don’t agree? Y/n--are you hearing me!? I want--I want you to stay.” Even angry, the admission warms me. He lets out a frustrated sigh. “More than that I want--” 

“What?” 

He shakes his head once. “I want something that can never be because I can’t give what needs to be given to get it.” 

“Kaz, if it involves me staying you don’t need to give anything for that because I don’t want to go.” 

“I-want-you-to-stay-with-me.” The admission is pried from him by some invisible force. He speaks so fiercely the sentence comes out as one angry word. 

He speaks so quickly a part of me is convinced that I misheard him. I watch him as he moves back to the bed, sitting down in a way so resigned I wonder if I blurted something out on instinct. 

“Kaz,” this is embarrassing, “I wanted to stay with you even when I wanted to hate you.”

I take in his measured expression, the only thing implying any kind of reaction is the way his eyebrows draw together. “Don’t say that, you don’t understand what that means.” 

“Why? Because you’re convinced you’ll ruin me?” 

“Y/n, we’d be together with a wall between us, keeping us from ever touching.” 

“I will tolerate any amount of damage you’re so convinced staying with you will bring, I will stay with you and never touch you and think nothing of it--but I will not stay with you just to stand in front of a wall.” I let out a tired breath. “I will stay with you but my one condition will be that you have to let me know you.” 

Kaz’s intense gaze wavers. “The first thing you’ll know is that me allowing you to stay is a testament to my greed.” 

I give him a sharp look, “It’s not greed if I want to be here.” 

He half sighs, leaning against a pillow as he turns to look out the window. “It’s raining,” he muses, “The Saints must have done that for you.” 

The sentiment is so soft my heart feels like it’s constricting. “I thought you didn’t believe in the Saints.” 

“If they exist, they do so for people like you.” 

I push past the emotion in my chest as I move to sit in the same chair I was in earlier. “I was honest when I said I didn’t pray for you.” I scratch the back of my arm, a coldness passing over me. “I didn’t pray because I knew you would be okay because you had to be.” 

“They wouldn’t have saved me,” he mumbles, “Or maybe they would have for you.” 

I shake my head once, staring at the rain with more fascination than before. 

--

General Taglist: @theincredibledeadlyviper @grishaverse7 @lonelystarship

[goldengoddess]

you’re my home - kaz brekker

pairing: kaz brekker x heartrenderi!reader

request: hi!can i request a kaz brekker x reader where they were childhood friends but she had to leave because she was a grisha, and later at the fete they see each other again and she ends up helping the crows?thank you!!have a great day!

a/n: hey i hope this is what you like! i based it more off the show and just switched things around,,,, this is absolutely cheesy and i hate it and i didn’t know how to end it pls forgive me omg

warnings: normal heist stuff, like one curse word?

kaz brekker had changed since the last time you saw him. 

to start, he was taller. he’d grown at least two feet. he’d also grown into himself, he didn’t look like the lanky boy that you had once pulled out of the garbage can that one time. and he had a noticeable limp, something that he hadn’t had when the two of you had last talked. his clothes were different too, he was wearing a little palace guards uniform. 

but you knew who he was anyways. 

his voice was the same, the same comforting sound that invaded your dreams on a good night and had you screaming on a bad night. when you heard him whispering you whipped your head around in panic. he was leaning down talking to suli girl in hushed and angry tones. 

when had he become a palace guard? you wondered to yourself, how hadn’t you noticed before? why was he in ravka of all places?

a silly thought came into your head, was he looking for you?

but you pushed the thought away, moving close enough to listen but not to get caught. 

“take your position” you heard him say to the girl, also in guards uniform.

she moved away silently, too silently. 

kaz straightened himself and surely enough turned his head in your direction.

his eyes were also the same. they were the same color the same look. but they were hardened and cold. the eyes of a boy who had done everything too survive. even the things that he didn’t want to do. 

his face was shocked for only a fraction of a second before he regained his composure and faced the rest of the room. standing straight and poised like any of the other palace guards.

had he not recognized you? no, that couldn’t be it. the two of you had grown up together, yes you had changed but not enough that he wouldn’t know who you were. maybe he resented you. for leaving. for being grisha. for having been taken away and saved from the streets of ketterdam unlike him. 

you remembered the day they had taken you away.

you and kaz were huddled in the corner of the room away from the rest of the kids your age. 

the two of you were been inseparable. stuck together like glue, everyone said.

both of you worked the shitty jobs in the barrel. the ones no one else wanted to do. you ran around the streets delivering packages and messages. you would clean up anything that needed cleaning. the two of you were survivors.

kaz never talked about his brother or how he’d ended up working the streets like this, but you knew, even then as a little kid, you were all he had. 

but nothing good ever lasted for little kaz brekker.

when the grisha examiners landed in the harbor of the city, all of the children running around making trouble on the street were forced to get tested.

you and kaz weren’t any different. 

you tried to hold onto him as the adults gripped to your arm, testing your for abilities in the small science. when they determined that you were grisha, and promised you a wonderful life at the little palace, they had to rip you from kaz’s arms.

the both of you were wailing and protesting, saying that you wouldn't go anywhere without the other. but eventually the fight left you and you let them drag you away from your only family to a country you didn’t know 

you snapped back to the reality of the party going on around you. kaz still looked stoic and unphased a few feet away from you, as if your presence didn’t affect him at all. 

but his presence affected you tremendously. 

you had whined and cried when you first made it to the palace but you had loved your life here. being surrounded by other grisha, other heartrenderers. people who could do the same things as you. understood the need to use your powers. and you couldn’t deny how comforting it had been to settle into a life where you didn’t have to worry about whether you could make enough money to eat. 

you thought of kaz all the time. you thought of everything you had left behind but the only thing that had really mattered to you in that horrible place was kaz. you wondered what had become of the young boy you knew in the years since you had seen him.

just as you were about to make a move to talk to him, two squallers were storming in the direction of kaz and the silent girl he had been talking too before. 

the two of them shared a look and started walking in opposite directions. kaz walked past you, sparing you the fastest look ever. a look no one else would have even noticed. but you did because kaz brekker, your child hood best friend was finally in front of you. 

the hurried and suspicious steps of your fellow grisha, set off an alarm in your head. even when the two fo you were little, kaz was good at getting out of sticky situations. he has a gift for scheming and the sleight of hand.

he was here on a job, you concluded.

you waited a few seconds and then snuck away, following kaz out of the room where the main events of the fete were taking place. 

you walked in just in time to see the inferni make a move to attack kaz. you raised your arms and the grisha dropped like a stone. kaz turned around in a fighting stance and froze when he saw you. he kept his hands in fists, as if he was waiting for you to attack him too. 

you dropped you hands, “what are you doing here kaz?”

he dropped his hands as well but you could tell he was still on guard and looking for a way to leave the room.

"i don't have to explain myself to you” he all but growled at you.

you stepped away from him, like his words had physically wounded you.

he seemed to regret the words and took a couple of steps closer to you. 

“i’m here on a job and i really need to go find my team so if you’ll excuse me” he tried to move to the door that was behind you. 

“let me help” you said, almost desperate. he had just come back into your life, and yes it seemed like he resented you but you couldn’t let him go just yet. 

he looked at you skeptically but nodded his head, “i need to get to the courtyards with the carriages. can you take me there.”

you nodded and started leading the way. you turned through many different hallways, moving up and downstairs. every now and then you held up a hand for kaz to stop, as you listened for a heartbeat nearby. 

“you’re good at that” he mumbled, gesturing towards your heartrender movements. 

you nodded your head, a shy smile. “yeah i’ve had a lot of practice here.”

his face turned gloomy at that and you realized you had said the wrong thing. “yeah. i know” he said curtly. 

you stopped for a minute, turning to look at kaz in the dimly lit hallway.

“i’m sorry i left okay? i know it hurt you, i can only imagine how much it must have sucked. it was horrible here at first, i missed you every day. but i will not apologize for enjoying myself here and taking advantage of what i was taught. i like it here. i have friends, and a life, and im good at what i do and i will not allow you to make me feel bad about that.” you said all in one breath.

kaz didn’t say anything, choosing to look down at the floor instead of you. 

you sighed and took a step closer to him, you noticed he still wore the black gloves similar to the first pair that you had stolen for him when you two were younger.

“kaz,” you said, your voice shaking, “i missed you so much. i still miss you and you’re standing right in front of me. i get why you hate me but i really don’t want you to. so that’s why i’m helping you, that’s why i’m going to get you out of here without getting caught.” 

you turned on your heel, prepared to continue to lead him away. but before you could get away he grabbed your hand and spun you back around. 

he flinched at his own action and let go.

“i don’t hate you y/n. i get why you enjoyed yourself here, this over a life of petty and dangerous crime? of course this is the better opportunity but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt when you left.”

you bit your lip and nodded your head in understanding. 

he looked directly into your eyes, “i knew you would be here but i thought, hey what are the chances of actually running into you. having to see you happy and having to live with the fact that i never came to look for you.”

you took a step closer to him, “kaz i don’t blame you for not coming to get me, i wouldn’t have wanted you to anyway.”

he looked at you and for the first time he looked desperate. kaz brekker was never desperate. and if he was, he didn’t show it.

“come home with us” he said.

you raised your eye brows in surprise.

“come home with me” he corrected, looking at the wall to avoid your eyes

it was the same voice he had used all those years ago, when he was begging for you to stay. he wanted to you stay with him. to come home. to go back to the place that had broke kaz and would probably have broken you.

but it was kaz.

but ketterdam wasn’t your home anymore.

kaz had been your home, but was he still?

the two of you stayed silent. there was still so much the two of you needed to say. how you had probably loved him as a kid. how you probably loved him now. how you regretted never writing, never trying. how you missed ketterdam. how this place would be perfect if kaz was here with you. but there wasn’t enough time or courage to say those things.

so instead, you raised your arms in your fighting grisha stance and smiled at him.

“how about we get you out of here first and then we can decide is i become a fugitive of ravka to go play crime boss in ketterdam?” you teased.

he almost gave you a grin and you continued walking, a new found peace settled between the two of you.

kaz brekker in the little palace, who should have thought.

[lonslibrary]

things the netflix shadow and bone got right and wrong—my reaction to the show (🚨 contains spoilers, pls read at your own risk!!)

- to start on a positive note! the shadow and bone characters: i, like many others, didn’t care too much for shadow and bone with the exception of nikolai and am also half convinced a different person wrote soc judging by how little i enjoyed reading s&b compared to soc and crooked kingdom. however, i thought the show was enjoyable and got the characters spot on. alina was more likable, mal was not bland/douchey at all, and i thought ben barnes as the darkling hit every right note.

- highlights included genya and david; though they didn’t have too much screen time, genya was stunning and david was almost exactly how i imagined him when reading the books. i’ve grown attached to them, and yes, i’m pretending row chapter 20 doesn’t exist :-)

- cgi and costuming was also super impressive. loved the keftas, loved the crows’ outfits, and the stag, the fold, and all the grisha powers were really, really good.

- moving on to the crows, i will say i thought casting was some of the best i’ve ever seen throughout all ya adaptations, although i know there are some things that could have been improved, including the fact that danielle galligan, who plays nina, isn’t plus size (no hate to the actress, pls). however, all the reviews i read praised kit young and i could see very obviously why. his jesper was spot on—exactly as i had imagined in the books. i’m willing to bet kruge on the fact that he falls within everyone’s top 5 characters. loved his character in the books, and kit was perfect for him.

- amita was also a stunning inej. her knife/acrobatic skills were all there like i imagined and i thought she portrayed the character very well on screen. i was so invested in her menagerie backstory when reading so i was happy to see some of that get into the show as well.

- ok, now my thing about kaz: freddy carter’s performance was perfectly good! i had no issues with his acting, but i think the show, meaning the producers/writers, haven’t fully understood kaz. don’t get me wrong, the introductory scene with all the crows in ep 1 was fabulous. jesper shooting the coin, kaz’s cane being on screen first, inej’s silent appearance. i really enjoyed the grittiness of kaz, the way his bare hands weren’t shown once, his hair, his cane, how he sweat, etc. however, i thought they overdid it with the pekka rollins backstory, which i think could have been saved for later seasons, and i wanted non-readers to be introduced to a more brutal, calculating, brooding, and genius kaz. i know he isn’t like that all times, but i felt like he was kind of on the defensive(?) very often, raised his voice when it wasn’t needed, etc. i wanted more of his smart, scheming moments like when he double crosses the conductor. not sure how to explain it, but his character felt a bit off at times. maybe i’ve read the books too many times to the point where i’ve kinda made him in my head very specifically.

- nina and matthias: loved danielle and calahan’s performance, i know some disagree but i think the actors were also pretty spot on to how i imagined in the books. their lines most alike to the books as well so i loved hearing the quotes. i did feel that their relationship moved too quickly, though. i definitely feel like matthias would have taken up a bit more time than that to warm up and i know how it goes in the books, but on screen it felt really sped up to the point where i was like already?? i feel like with how much they put into the very little screen time they had, this could’ve been saved for flashbacks in season 2.

- the combination of the two series did worry me but it was pretty smooth! i liked where the crows went, how they kinda came together in the end, but i’m also glad that they’re separating after all. i’m so invested in seeing the soc and crooked kingdom storyline come to life exactly how it is in the books so i don’t want any more interference lol. i am worried about how the timeline is gonna work in season 2 because obviously the civil war has not ended, but i really liked how the last episode set us up for season 2. (also a random note, but the show was very dark lol i had my brightness up all the way the entire time)

- HIGHLIGHTS: milo the goat (mvp of the show), jesper tumbling the stable boy, all of jesper’s lines, really, the darkling’s office/room setting, genya and david’s one (1) singular scene together, the darkling’s kefta, the child actors portraying alina and mal, the way the stag’s bones connected alina to the darkling (super grotesque, but a good portrayal of her becoming his prisoner), the CUT omg, that one scene when jesper pretends he didn’t shoot on dime lions territory, the scene where the fjerdans attack alina in the forest, kaz avoiding the cut, kaz saving jesper from the cut, inej’s knife battle with the heartrender, kaz stepping in front of inej to face the volcra, FEDYOR AND IVAN omg, kaz’s “jes?”, queen baghra, the darkling coming out of the fold at the end with his monsters that are impossible to spell, and more i can’t remember after binging the show until 3AM.

- in conclusion, it lived up the excitement for sure, and i’m ready for season 2!! especially with the way the last episode ended. i’m very eager to see my faves, nikolai and wylan, and cannot wait to watch where the grishaverse takes us next.

do you agree or disagree with my thoughts? i want to hear everyone’s opinions!! feel free to drop comments below :))

[wafflesandkruge]

Armor (kanej)

Kaz and Inej have a quiet moment together before a big job. Will either of them finally say what they really mean?

ao3

Written for @grishaversebigbang! Based off of @nannadoodles​’s amazing art which you can find here. Enjoy!

Kaz Brekker was a patient man. He understood the unfortunate reality that some things simply took time, so he was more than content to sit and wait for a perfect opportunity. Better to wait a decade than rush in and lay down your cards before you even had an inkling of what your opponent was holding. So he waited. Made some investments, some inquiries, some acquisitions. Waited some more. 

And now, he was finally ready. After tonight, everything would be different. After tonight, Kaz would finally win.

“That’s your scheming face,” a voice murmured, interrupting the turning gears of his mind. 

Kaz looked up to find Inej looking directly at him, her brows furrowed either in concern or exasperation, he could never quite tell with her. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she lounged on the windowsill. There weren’t any lights in the room they were currently holed up in, but the bright lights from the unsleeping city on the other side of the window made her luminous skin glow as if she’d been blessed by her saints. Kaz swallowed and focused again on the disassembled gun on the table in front of him. He forced his hands through the familiar motions of putting the weapon back together. 

Silence fell between them again, occasionally punctuated by faint sirens and the ambient noise of a city not yet gone to bed. This high up, it was easy to pretend the troubles of Ketterdam didn’t exist. 

But the ghosts of the past were never far behind, not as long as certain demons still lived.

“Are you ready?” he asked. He finished reassembling the gun and set it down on the table.

“You know me,” she said as she played with the end of her braid. “I’ll do it whether I’m ready or not.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Inej went quiet, a pensive look on her face. Then she sighed, a hundred unspoken frustrations behind it. Kaz thought their relationship would be much less complicated if she just told him what was wrong instead of resorting to her proverbs all the time. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for another cryptic Suli saying.

“This job isn’t going to give you what you think it will.”

Kaz laughed, the sound harsh to his own ears. Inej always thought she knew better. It was a shame she was usually right. “Money? I think this job will give me plenty of it. Thirty million kruge, to be exact.”

“We both know that’s not what I mean.” She leaned forward, the end of her braid brushing against the steel surface of the table. Kaz swallowed and tried not to move back. Her bare fingers brushed the lapels of his jacket, light enough he could have been imagining it.

“You talk of the future,” she continued, her voice solemn, “but your heart won’t let go of the past.”

Kaz stilled. They had an unspoken understanding between them to not talk about certain topics. The scar on the inside of Inej’s forearm. His aversion to touch. Jordie.

“I have no past,” he said, his hands clenched into fists below the table. “I came from nowhere. From no one. I built myself from the rubble.”

And he had. When he had nothing, he stole. When stealing wasn’t enough, he killed. He had pulled himself up from the slums of Ketterdam to become one of the most notorious gang leaders, and he didn’t do it by having a heart. Kaz Rietveld’s heart had long drowned in the canals along with his brother. Inej was seeing a ghost of what had been and what never would be again.

But she only swung her legs off the windowsill until she faced him completely and leaned closer. He could feel her breath against his lips. His muscles clenched, every voice in his mind screaming at him to move back. To run. But he could only watch as slowly, she let her palm rest against his still beating heart. His breathing turned ragged. The water he could feel rising around his legs was as cold as a harbor in winter, but all he could feel from Inej was...warmth.

“Armor,” Inej said quietly. Her gaze rose to meet his, and he clung to it like a lifeline. “It’s all armor.”

He tried to focus on her eyes and not the sensation of a dozen dead hands pulling at his limbs. It was Inej, not some faceless corpse. Not Jordie. She looked at him with a hope in her eyes that reminded him of his first days in Ketterdam, that perhaps there was good somewhere within a festering core of bad.

Inej was wrong for once. 

He took a deep breath to steady himself, then forced a laugh. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Armor is what keeps you from getting a knife in the back. Armor is what keeps you from bleeding out in an alley somewhere like a stupid skiv.”

Armor was what differentiated him from that stupid boy he had been. 

He pushed the chair back and breathed a silent sigh of relief as Inej’s hand fell away. The water receded. But Inej was scowling at him again like he’d done something wrong.

A bell tolled from outside. Midnight was nearing, which meant the window they had to pull off the job was about to open. Kaz shook the events of the last few minutes from his mind as he grabbed his gun from the table and shoved it into his jacket. 

“Don’t miss,” he told her as he turned for the door. If anything, her scowl deepened. 

“I never miss. Keep talking and you’ll be the one with the bullet through the head instead of Pekka.”

“But think about how much you would miss me.”

“The only person in this city who would miss you is the undertaker.” 

The door slammed behind him, leaving him alone in the dark hallway. Kaz shrugged and began walking towards the stairs. The clacks of his cane against the concrete echoed down the hall. 

In an hour, Pekka would be dead. In an hour, he’d be free. 

He thought about the streets of Ketterdam that would soon belong to him. Kings and queens, Inej. Kings and queens.