Six of Crows One-shots

Snowed in

The snowstorm kept coming outside, it intrigued Kaz. Such a small thing, gathered together, slow going... so that one doesn't notice until they are being suffocated by it. He watched the world go from black, to grey and then to white, heard the thud of the door closing and a loud scream that sounded like Nina yelling "were snowed in!" Kaz sighed, watching the snow pile outside his window, the ground layer close to the roof where it settled and was moved by the wind.

Kaz stood up and walked downstairs, he had somehow been talked into coming to watch his comrades (friends) decorate the mansion. He, avoided the whole thing by going upstairs, much to Inej's disappointment. "Hey Kaz!" She smiled warmly at him. He nodded to her, "Wraith." She rolled her eyes at him, she had stopped asking him not to call her that, it was hopeless.

Christmas music rang through the Van Eck mansion, "silver bells" settling through the house like the snow on the ground, Kaz knew the house by heart even with new paint and such. He also knew the Christmas songs well, his brother loved them, and sang them whither it was spring, fall, summer or winter. Nina was in the kitchen, making cookies and fighting off Jesper who kept stealing cookie dough, Wylan had gotten Matthias to help him with the tree in the corner, Inej was also helping with the tree and if anyone else needed something. Kaz felt a jarring warmth at the site of it all. Jesper finally found he stole enough cookie dough and started hanging mistletoe near the fireplace. "What a beautiful plant." He commented, brushing the leaves with his fingers while giving Wylan a pointed glance.

"It's also a great poison." Kaz piped in, leaning on the armchair, Inej smirked. "It is actually, Nina and I used it a few times." She smiled and Nina started humming the song, while Nina couldn't sing, she wasn't too bad at humming. Kaz sat down into the chair, eyes narrowing on the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. The rest of his vision blurring till it seemed to fold in on itself and see a new image. Snow falling on a frosty window, Kaz as a much smaller, younger boy looking through the windows, coughing from the cold. He didn't want a toy, no, a warm house, a good meal. That would suffice. He wanted his brother back too. He wanted a loving family again.

He pulled his too- small coat tighter around his shoulders, body shaking. The smell of warm cookies in the bakery that he couldn't pay for and children's laughing that he wished could be himself. He hummed quietly to himself, missing his brother, so, he hummed his brother's favorite. 'Christmas shoes' a sad song about a boy who's mother was sick and dying and a man who paid for the poor boy to get his mom some nice Christmas shoes, he talks about loosing her too, and that he wanted her to look beautiful if he did. Kaz, never had the memory of that, but Jordie did. Sat in a hospital hoping that his mother and baby brother came to him, but only got one.

"Kaz!" "Hmm?" Kaz's head snapped up to Inej quickly. "You looked ready to murder that Christmas tree. You alright?" Kaz unclenched his white knuckled grip from the chairs leather and turned his head, "fine." He grumbled, looking up toward her again, her eyes clouded with worry. Worry, for him. Kaz felt a flicker of warmth flutter through his chest at the mere thought. A warm meal, a soft bed... a family who cared. He had gotten all that he had wanted, though his bed wasn't quite soft it was better than the winter streets. "You sure Kaz?" Inej asked again, placing a hand over his ungloved one. He paused, then intertwined their fingers. "I'm sorry, this just... brings back memories." That caused Inej to scowl, her head tilted to one side curiously.

"Rocking around the Christmas tree" grew a bit louder, Inej and Kaz turned to see Jesper and Wylan swinging all about the room, dancing. This made Nina giggle from her position on Matthias's lap. Inej sat on one of the arm rests of Kaz's arm chair and leaned on his side. "We never celebrated Christmas.. Matthias didn't either... this is new." Inej informed him, a smile adorning her perfect features. "I spent most of them alone... back at my home we use to go to the graveyard... since my mother's birthday was today and she was really the only one who celebrated, though that didn't stop Jordie from trying to get da to celebrate... we never got presents or silly things like that... we barely made it by as it was... actually, it looked a tad bit like this.." Kaz told her, voice hushed. Inej looked torn between emotions at the end and just decided on hugging Kaz, whom hugged her back.

"You never have to feel like that again Kaz, you have us.." Inej promised, pulling away slightly. He smirked, "I know." Inej was warm, much warmer than he was. His leg was aching bad but he decided against saying anything or showing it. "Ooh! We got some action over here! It's a Christmas miracle!" Jesper shouted, eyes glistening happily at his two friends who were the most secretive.

Nina smiled wryly, Kaz just sighed and Inej laughed, pushing on his side slightly and then standing up as the cookies in the oven beeped, Nina thanking her. Kaz turned his head back to the window, eyes clouding over. He swore he saw Jordie, smiling on the other side of the glass in the mix of white, moving with the tiny grains as they were packed together. He swore for once he didn't feel the guilt of his brother's death, just longing for him joking around with Kaz. He closed his eyes and breathed, this would help nothing, Kaz needed to let go.

He ignored the room for a little, burying himself in the pain of longing and memories past for five minutes. He opened his eyes and watched Jesper and Wylan dance. Nina and Matthias as well, Inej sometimes joining in with Nina. Kaz stood, walking away and up the stairs unnoticed, he walked to the music room. Slipping off his gloves and placing them on the edge of the grand piano. He sat down on the bench and pressed s fingers to the familiar and cool keys. A tradition...

"Come on Kaz! Play a song for us, for mum." Jordie said with a smile, white flakes in his hair from the snowball fight they just had. Kaz nodded, putting his hands to the keys, playing he songs he practiced, the ones he knew. His brother sitting beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and their dad watching fondly, with tears in his eyes. Jordie would sing and Kaz would play, they made a list they played each year in the same order... Silver bells, Christmas shoes, Silent night.. and so on.

Kaz didn't remember beginning to play, but now the music wrapped him in memories and smells of warm hot chocolate and Jordie voice wrapping around the room. His fingers danced across the correct keys without his consent, his eyes closed and lost in times of past. He smiled slightly... as he played along the list, his brother's voice clear and happy, encouraging and sweet, his father's smile conscious to Kaz in the right corner of the room as the scenery changed, warm orange lights on red cheery wood floors. His father standing by the fireplace, his brother's arm around his shoulders, stockings over the fire place and a wreath hung above the arch. A small tree with small presents never opened for their mother... as Kaz's fingers played the last keys he shivered looking up and seeing the vision fade away. The supportive weight vanishing with the music. Kaz bite his inner cheek, drawing salty rust-tasting blood.

He lowered his head, a small sigh escaping. "I didn't know you played..." Wylan said softly. Kaz turned to him, "yeah... I don't play anymore..." Kaz said softly, reaching for his gloves and stopping, grabbing them after a moments hesitation and tucking them in his pocket. "You should... your good at it." Wylan protested, offering a warm smile. Kaz ran a hand lightly over the keys. "No. I- it's like a memory... Wylan. It hurts too much to look back on." Kaz said, Wylan looked at him then nodded. "I'm sorry." He murmured, Kaz shook his head. "It's alright. Just don't tell anyone... I'd rather not have to explain again." Wylan only nodded once and Kaz stood. "Come on... let's go join the others." Wylan looked up with a small, unsure smile. To which Kaz acknowledged with a small smile of his own, reassuring Wylan he was fine. Kaz rejoined them.. barehanded.