Six of Crows One-shots

You had a bad day... Kanej moment

Inej felt so pissed and upset that it felt like she was sick. Jesper and Wylan were off who knows where having a blast in Ravka. Her best friend hadn't talked to her in four months since Matthias broke up with her. He always came back but Nina didn't seem to know that. Inej's own relationship was pretty steady, Kaz had definitely been the right choice, but right now Inej didn't want to see him. Kaz had a bad habit of being moody, over-dramatic or cold and Inej couldn't handle that right now. This didn't mean she loved him any less... she just couldn't handle anything today, her patience was gone.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem, head home and hide. But, Kaz and her had moved in together recently. Different rooms and all still, but it didn't help much, however it also helped college expenses. Oh yeah... and her work had taken all her time and she got a bunch of old people tips that was like half the normal price. She was getting home at midnight, she had school tomorrow and she needed to study. She reached the door of the apartment that they rented together, fumbling with her keys and eventually getting the door. "Hey Inej!" Kaz called, from somewhere in the house, wide awake since he took partial night classes that just got out, he also spent a few hours sleeping and most staying up till the dead of night. "Hey..." Inej huffed, trying to not start blowing up at him for nothing especially since he didn't do anything but greet her, it was just one of those nights. If Inej had been five years younger she might have flopped on the couch and screamed into a pillow. Now, she just laid on the couch and buried her face in the pillows, mentally screaming instead.

The soft tapping of Kaz's cane as he came closer was a lot like a bell on a cat's collar to Inej. She knew the strange ring that only her black cat's bell made. Kaz was observing her as she mentally screamed and at the moment she didn't care. "Tough day at work, then?" Inej only grunted in response... practically deflating from everything... too tired to care and too worried to fall asleep. Kaz huffed, leaning onto the cushy couch top. "Want to talk about it?" He prodded, Kaz only pressed on when he was actually concerned about her or wanted information, he never showed curiosity if he did have some. She was really hoping it wasn't the latter of info. But she turned on him either way.

"Fine. I get less than any other day I worked, I stayed till midnight to do it and I have a test tomorrow at eight, it's four in the morning Kaz! Four! I need to study and sleep in four hours... And I'm going to need to work over time to get back on track with money from work, and I have three tests going on this week, Besides the one for today!" Kaz only raised an eyebrow, barely seeming fazed, despite Inej growling and grinding out the whole sentence in anger and frustration venting out by lashing at him.. "You seemed to be holding quite a lot of problems in." Inej grumbled something like 'state the obvious' before going on to say a more clearer. "Yeah, well. Nina nor Jes nor Wylan has yet to respond to me." Kaz nodded, seeming to soak in the information. Inej looked at him expectantly.

Eventually, Kaz pulled off the sofa slowly, his eyes having lost their focus a few seconds ago and he seemed to stare into space 'scheming face' Inej thought. Then he looked down at her with a dazzling smile. "So.. call off." Inej's mouth dropped, "are you insane!?" Kaz looked her dead in the eye. "Possibly. Inej, the teachers love you. Especially the 8am test one!" "Mrs. Hertzoon." Inej corrected, to which her boyfriend merely rolled his eyes. "Point is, if out of the entire class she would let you be the one to retake it. And if she won't, I have a few resources." Kaz's smile turned devious. Inej supposed if a hacker and blackmailer would ever need some help in school he could find plenty of things.

"Besides. There's no way your gonna sleep now when your wide awake." Kaz had several points to his arguments... Inej gave a soft sigh, giving a defeated glare as he grinned down at her. "Your terrible influence." He chuckled, reaching down with an ungloved hand to stroke her cheek, Inej leaned into his touch. "So I am aware." He murmured, Inej sighed happily. Opening her eyes to lock onto his. "Will you be here?" He frowned, moving his hand away, causing Inej to scowl. "I'm working, but if my plans are correct then we should be let out early and I should be here about the time you awake." Inej nodded, standing and walking over to Kaz burying her face into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and letting her fingers kneed through his raven hair. "Thank you." She murmured, he looked at her curiously, tilting his head to one side slightly.

"I haven't done anything, really." Inej nodded at his statement. "You being here helps." Kaz nodded, pulling away. Inej walked over to the radio, she needed to listen to something. Something to distract her from the worry that still weighed her down. She played around the songs until she came upon Darius Rucker's new song, What if I told you. She hummed, the rhythm helping her. Kaz walked over to her, passing her a cup of coffee, she took it gratefully, drinking in the warmth. Kaz tilted his head to the song listening as Inej smiled. "I like this song." "Because?" Kaz asked, arching an eyebrow. "It reminds me of you." Kaz's other eyebrow joined the first in surprise. "That so?" Inej laughed, wrapping her fingers in his hand. "Come on..." Inej said, giving a gentle tug.

The things he did for her... Kaz thought as he allowed her to pull him into the open living room area and danced with her. Small circles, slow and sweet, easy on Kaz's leg. Inej looked up at him. "So.. want to share something with me? Because you know I'd love you anyway." He laughed a normal and natural laugh that made Inej's smile grow. Quickly following was the song "I don't dance" another country one but neither minded and they danced to that one too, alone without any judgement between the other. Eyes glittering with the stars and happiness. Kaz muttered something like "Now this, is more like me." Inej rolled her eyes, they stopped dancing after that as a commercial came on. They turned down the radio and began talking.

Kaz sighed. "You were.. kind of spot on with that first song." Kaz admitted grudgingly. "No way!" Inej said, grinning. "You shouldn't be surprised through Kaz, I am your Wraith." Kaz chuckled. "So... where did you come from?" Inej asked, Kaz quirked a brow with a small playful smile. "I thought you knew, Oh great Wraith?" He said, smugly grinning. "You did not just do that! Come on, Kaz" Inej laughed, he chuckled softly, tapping his fingers on the warm mug. "I came from Lij... small farming town." Inej nodded, interest glowing bright in her eyes. "My father and my mother died there... me and my brother came here... you know how well that went." Kaz muttered, the last part. He looked up at Inej, she nodded. Slowly brushing her knuckles against his own, then his fingers intertwined with hers. "I'm here for you Kaz, when your ready to tell me, I will listen." He nodded, smiling a genuine smile. "When I was a kid.. I didn't want to join a gang, just get back at Pekka, whom I thought was Jakob at the time... but when I learned he was the leader of the Dime lions? I accepted the Dregs request and joined..." Kaz muttered, his thumb drawing delicate circles in the back of Inej's hand. She watched him with her eyes soft and understanding, giving small nods of encouragement.

They talked about when Kaz was a child and how he slowly became more gruesome, he explained what exactly happened to himself and his brother, he talked to her about all the things he wished he hadn't done and things he could get away from, . Inej nodded understandingly, after all... everyone has shadows, and Kaz's was inside him.. hurting him and he kept it all inside. He even talked about his farm home and the horse they had that was like a dog, the fields and the ocean, the streams and that it was small and everyone knew each other. Inej smiled kindly when he summed up that "it's enough for now... I will talk about it later but, I need some time." Inej nodded, she could see that. The new information was too big to digest quickly anyway, the conversation was steered slowly away and onto Inej who talked about her home and cousins and families, sharing the dumb things they did and the tricks and places she had seen on the open road, Kaz listened intently, almost like he did when she was coming up with theories with him or explaining information, interest glinting in his eyes as he absorbed all the things she was telling him about her, he was learning about her.

"Well.... wanna see if Jesper is on Xbox?" Kaz asked with a smirk. They had been gifted with a thief and hacker so yes, they had an Xbox and so did all their friends, and Jesper had told them Nikolai had them installed in his rooms. Inej smirked at him. "Sure, he is on at this time always right?" Kaz nodded. "I still can't believe how awful he is with titan fall." Inej said, Kaz shook his head. "It has to be the fact he can't manipulate the metal." Inej nodded, "true. Still... the only time he ever does okay is when he has the smart pistol." Kaz rolled his eyes. "That's cheating though.." he complained, Inej rose an eyebrow at him. He scoffed, "I don't cheat, Inej..." he paused and when Inej kept giving him that look he gave in. "That much..." Inej nodded and walked over to grab a pizza slice and another cup of coffee as Kaz set up the xbox. "Hey Inej, there all on!" He called, Inej smiled. "Good. Then we can torture them all... what game?" Inej for once in the stressful times felt relaxed as she leaned into Kaz as they both grabbed a remote. With the coffee table set up and remotes in hand, head sets on... Inej felt a relaxation like when she was a kid. She spared Kaz a glance who cast her a smile before entering a party and starting up the game.

No, this was better. Inej thought with warmth churning in her stomach, much better.