Six of Crows Oneshots

What's in your cup?

A/N: Idk how bad or good this is but it was requested by Livinginahole101
I'm sorry if I messed it up 💀 *zemo voice* apologies.

Kaz was known for his routine.

Wake up.
And grab his sacred cup of black, smooth, untainted coffee.

Nothing was to interrupt his morning routine.

Now of course there were variants; the bad days of seven cups in one day, the good ones with three or four, and of course the days-we-don't-talk about where fifteen was hardly enough.

Nobody dared touch Dirtyhand's coffee. Unless you wanted a wrist broken or a busted skull.

Usually both.

But the rule in the Slat, the Crow Club, and most of Ketterdam.

Nobody. Nobody messed with Kaz's coffee.

One day, Inej got curious.

The Wraith wanted to get the Barrel Boss a Christmas present.

She thought what better than a fancy brand of coffee? Dark as midnight or maybe darker, but only the best for Kaz.

The Wraith got Jesper to agree to help. They would tag team him after a long day and Inej would run distraction while Jesper got a small vial to test the contents of Brekker's mug.

"What are you doing here?" Kaz asked, seemingly unsurprised by the sharpshooter and the spider's entrance.

"Oh nothing," Inej said with a sweet but sly smile. "Just stopped by to check on you. We're your friends after all!"

Kaz's eyes narrowed at the word friends.

He sipped his simple grey mug casually. Tilting back the steaming hot mug. The scent wafted towards the duo and Jesper's nose nearly twitched. Something Like melted sugar and bitter chocolate.

Jesper began. "Is that-"

"Hot cocoa?" Inej finished.

Kaz just sipped his cup once more, wiping the excess liquid away from his top lip with a unshielded part of his arm.

"No." He said defensively.

"Oh really?" Inej replied with a knowing smile.

Jesper just flopped into a nearby chair, his Jesper talents no longer needed.

"It's coffee-"

Jesper flicked a piece of dust off his shoulder. "Kazzle Dazzle I hoped by now you'd be better at lying than that."

The barrel boss went back to writing the club's records with a huff. "Maybe it is."

"Then," Inej leaned forward on Brekker's desk. "Why lie?"

"Reflex." Kaz replied with a tense shrug.

"Kaaazzzzz come on!! Tell us!!" Jesper said with a child's excitement and curiosity.

"I mean I do drink dark coffee. The 'shadow brew' in the cabinet is my personal favorite. But mostly Because I'm supposed to be badass and kool. I'm supposed to be cold blooded and fueled on caffeine alone. But on rough nights when my leg hurts," his voice slowly got smaller, more childish. "I like a cup of cocoa. Jordie always used to make it for me."

A comfortable silence fell between the trio. Long ago Kaz had explained his past to the tight knit group of crows.

Inej whispered lowly, so even Jesper couldn't hear her. "Well I think that's adorable."

Jesper nearly shot to his feet.

"OH MY SAINTS KAZ THERE'S THIS CAFE NEAR WYLAN'S HOUSE THAT HAS THE BEST HOT COCOA EVER WE SHOULD GO!!"

Something like a knowing pain flitted across Kaz's face, but it slid away as soon as it was there.  Dirtyhands just smiled.

"Then we'll have to stop by one day. Maybe tomorrow?"

Jesper's smile was radiant. Wide and filled with a youth's wonder.

Inej knew exactly what she was gonna get Kaz for Christmas.