Six of Crows One-shots

Days in the Suli caravans

Inej couldn't help but notice Kaz's discomfort, which she figured was natural due to thousands of people crowding around him. However, no matter the reason, it slightly threw off the joy she felt at being home again. She wanted to share it with her friends, to let them get to know her, she also hoped that Kaz would possibly enjoy himself, though that didn't seem to be the case.

They were also heading in the same direction as her family so they tagged along with them. Inej reminded herself to relax and that she was home again, but she hardly saw Kaz outside and it worried her. However, Wylan came bounding up to her. "Do you know where Kaz is? He isn't in the caravan..." "what? He has hardly left the place since we got here. I haven't seen him." Inej tried to keep the dismay out of her voice. Wylan nodded, "lets go find him."

It didn't take long, actually it did, but since the looking was done so strategically it didn't seem so. Wylan spotted him slip into a tent where the animals that they trained were kept. As Wylan stayed behind and Inej followed they found him inside the tigers cage next to Inej's mother. "I can't believe we almost didn't notice... I can't thank you enough." Her mother was speaking quickly with a frantic voice of something rather terrible almost happening. "Nonsense." Kaz rumbled lightly, he was always rather polite around her family. But he seemed more at ease this time, which edged off some of her nervousness.

"What's going on?" Inej asked, stepping in. "We figured out why Slasha has been attacking her trainer. Well, he did." Her mother said with a bright smile. "She's about to have a liter." Inej raised an eyebrow. "How in all the saints did you know that?" She asked Kaz, he tilted his head back at her. "My father would keep tigers as guard dogs, however, they became really just pets." He shrugged, Inej rolled her eyes at him. She stepped closer, finding the female tiger resting up against Kaz, who let the tigress lean on him as he stroked her glossy coat, his black gloves combing gently, its purring was loud.

She kneeled down beside the cat, it's tail flashed through the straw once. It maneuvered and squirmed so that it was laying more so on Kaz then next to him. Inej's mother smiled. "It seems she likes you... I don't think she wants to share." Inej blushed slightly, Kaz chuckled, moving his gloves in patterns on the fur. Inej's mother winked at Inej once, then stood up. "Well you two, we should be off. Do you need help Kaz dear?" "No I can handle myself, thank you Mrs. Ghafa." "Please, there is no need to be so polite." And with a dismissive wave and a playful smile, Inej's mother gracefully disappeared through the doorway.

"I've been worried about you." Inej told him, he started to move up and away from a now attention wanting tigress who leapt up and pressed against his leg. Kaz stroked it in between its velvety ears. "I'm fine Inej, you worry too much." He told her, his eyes looking up into hers as he straightened himself and left the tiger where it was. "No I don't. I worry the perfect amount, Kaz- it's obvious your still in pain..." "mental, emotional or physical?" Kaz asked, arching an eyebrow.

"All three Kaz, it's not a game, so stop playing around me and drop the mask." Inej glared into his eyes, something caused him to pause, and sigh. He seemed to take on a whole new persona entirely as the boundary he had held slid off. "Let me in Kaz... tell me about what happened to you- your past life.... just let me in." Inej crossed the room. She embraced him, he buried his face into her shoulder, he nodded, moving away, but barely while keeping himself in Inej's circle of her arms.

He was silent the entire walk back to the caravan, but Inej stayed by his side as he entered the guest room caravan. A smaller one but none the less furnished quite comfortably. As soon as he was settled down sitting on the bed, cane resting to the side he spilled. He talked about the farm he grew up on, the animals he lived with, he spoke a little bit of how his father died and what he learned about his mothers death, he spoke of the town and of his late brother, how he caught the plague as well, his experience with the body men and swimming back.

He let loose everything he kept bottled up, Inej held him in her arms, she could feel him become less tense as if with each word a part of the weight he carried on his shoulders lifted. Inej felt her worry start to lift in the same way, she told him not to hold anything in, even if it hurt and that she knew he was human and he could break down in front of her, he could cry... and she somehow found him more strong when he did do so. When he showed her how much he cared for that he lost, his purpose in life, and the struggles of trying to find a new one when your being hunted down.

Inej realized that she never truly thought about how tough Kaz had it, how strong he had to be. She cherished the idea that he loved her so. When he was done he gently pulled Inej to him. "Thank you Kaz, tell me the truth.. was that so bad?" "It- it felt nice to tell someone, and there is nobody I would rather share my life with, then you." He murmured, Inej smiled as she knew he meant every word of it. "Good... now I should let you sleep." Inej told him softly. "Goodnight then, Wraith." He told her, she was about to tell him not to call me that, but then remembered something he told her and realized what the name was.

It was his promise to be by her side through every fight, it was a promise to stay with her. Every time he spoke that name he was saying he needed her, Inej smiled, and nodded. "Goodnight Kaz." She stood and crossed the room, closing the door and heading to her caravan, she fell asleep after a few or a lot of minutes thinking deeper into Kaz's background and storing the information he had given her.

I present to you, my update! Sorry for taking so long ☹️ just got my ipad back couple of days ago! Anyway, I should get back on schedule after some of my summer classes.