Her Monster's Wraith

The Monster is always awake

Inej felt the bed move and she blinked open her eyes, lifting her head.  Kaz was padding over to his desk.  He got out a pen and paper, and she watched him scratch something out.  Then he folded the paper and put something in it, stuffing it in an envelope, sealing it tightly.  Then he limped over to the window, and she looked at his face.  He was so calm, hands braced against the sill, hair slightly ruffled, eyes thoughtful.  She thought about saying something, but instead she silently got out of bed, making no noise as she grabbed a fallen blanket and wrapped it around herself and she slipped through the shadows to her monster's side.  She looked out at the streets with him, and then at the sea.  The dark abyss of water, merciless to those that tried to cross it, ready to kill those stupid enough to test it.  She loved it, it reminded her of Kaz.  But she dared to test it, if she could get through to the Bastard of the Barrel, rumored to be born in the darkest pit of Hell, she could tame an ocean.

The silence that was writhing around them in a pet-like way was comfortable, like a dog sleeping on your feet.  Kaz finally turned to look at her, his eyes more black-blue now.

"Do you miss the ocean?"  

"Yes.  But when I'm with it I miss you," confessed Inej, he nodded, and she couldn't hold his gaze for some reason.

"Do you ever sleep Kaz?"  He shrugged.

"When I'm tired."  She went back down and sat on the bed, fully awake, in the middle of the night.

"Well, now I can't fall asleep."  He went over and sat next to her, elbows on his knees, chin on his fists, looking at her.

"Why not?"

"I'm not tired, and I feel bad going to sleep when you can't."  He shook his head at her foolishness and she frowned.

"Remember the reasons I was going to give you to stay?"

"Yes."

"Well, I've thought of some."  She propped her chin up on her fist, still holding the blanket around herself with one hand.  

"One.  I'm not myself without you.  I'm like a little demon child."

"And that's a change?" she teased.  He glared at her.

"Two. The sea is dangerous, and there aren't many slavers left.  Three.  I won't be there.  Four.  You won't have your friends.  Five. If I die, you won't be there."

"And six, you won't be there," she supplied for him.

"But Kaz, as valid as those reasons are, there are still slavers out there–"

"And there always will be, you're one person with a crew of six.  You can annihilate all the slavers.  Inej, you can't do this all your life.  You have to understand this," he cut her off.  She leaned back from him.

"There are children on those ships, innocent children that don't know what's happened.  And I'll stop all the ships I can to save people like them.  And you just want me to stop?  Kaz, I'm not stupid, I know I can't get them all, but I can try."

"Inej, I worry for you–"

"And I worry about you Kaz, but I don't ask you to stop doing what you love.  Because I know it's a part of you, and this is a part of me.  And if you don't understand that..."

"I do!"

"Then you understand I have to to do this."  He drew her to him, but Inej was stiff in his arms.

"Inej, I'm...s–sorry," he mumbled.

"You'd better be.  I hate that a main part of your job is killing or horribly wounding someone, but I won't ask you to stop."

"And I won't ask you to stop again."  A gust of wind swept in through the open window and Inej shivered.  Kaz stood up and closed the window.  As he sat down Inej muttered,

"I'm going to be gone for around ten months this time I think."  When Kaz sat down he leaned back, exhaling.

"Well, we still have tonight together."

"What are you trying to say Kaz?" she questioned, tipping her head to the side, genuinely wondering.

"Are you feeling better?"  He asked as she leaned back against the wall next to him.

"Yes."

"Good."  He sat up and leaned over, kissing her.  It wasn't a sweet, testing kiss, it was ravenous, hungry, and it caught Inej off guard.  But she grabbed his neck in her hands, keeping him close, and letting the blanket fall.  His hands went to her hips and he hoisted her up so he didn't have to lean down.  She wrapped her legs around his waist, still against the wall.  She was getting used to this, and the thoughts going through her head weren't repulsive, and the warm feeling heating her was good.  She pulled away for air, and his lips trailed along her jaw, feather soft.  Her breaths came fast as his tongue flicked over the bruise that had formed where he'd bitten her.

"Why?" she gasped out.  He stopped to murmur against her skin,

"You're mine, and every monster marks what's theirs."  His lips trailed down to her chest and she new tomorrow would have to be spent praying to her Saints for forgiveness for what she was doing this night.  His mouth came back up to hers, poised over it.

"Is something wrong, Kaz?"  He had some sort of look in his eyes.

"Do we need to stop?"  He let out a long breath, and then shook his head.

"I'm fine."

"Kaz.  It's not like this is our last night together, we'll see each other again."

"But when you leave it's an eternity to me."  And with that the space between their faces was nonexistent again.  He lowered her from the wall and laid her out on the bed beneath him.  The pillow cushioned her head, and welcomed her to sleep, but she ignored it.  She was with Kaz, and neither of them were feeling sick.  His hands were braced on either side of her head and Inej steeled her courage, bringing one of her hands down to his pants.  Kaz looked at her oddly, cocking his head.

"Inej–"

"Kaz."  That one word conveyed so much of what she wanted to say, she poured so much emotion into it.  He shook his head.

"Like you said, you won't be gone forever.  We have time.  I don't think we're ready."

"But like you said, it feels like an eternity when I'm away.  And what if one of us does die," she argued, tugging on his waistband.  

"Inej... I don't know.  I think we shouldn't push ourselves to far.  Not tonight, but one day, I promise."  Inej knew he was right, but still.

"We don't have to do anything Kaz."  Even as he shook his head she felt one of his hands trail down her side to her shorts.  She sat up a bit and kissed him, this kiss soft, telling him not to be scared, telling him it was fine.

(Later that night/day, early hours of the morning before even Kaz is awake)

Inej heard a crow's caw and sleepily opened her eyes, and suddenly panic crashed through her.  Someone was in her bed, arms wrapped around her.  She turned over to see who it was, moving so that her fist was free.  She raised it above their head, and then saw who it was.  Kaz.  It all came rushing back to her, and in the dark her face and neck both flushed, looking down at the floor where their clothes were scattered about.  He was so peaceful, rested, chest rising and falling rhythmically.  He was holding her in his sleep, not wanting to let her go.  She smiled sadly, she would miss this.  She changed her position so that her head lay on his chest, her arm around him, and the squawking crows lulled her to sleep.

Hello peeps!  So I felt that I didn't do enough in The Moon, so I decided to add this little part.  Hope you liked it, I know, not amazing, but I try!  I'll try no to do such lovey-dovey stuff anymore! (After their parting, as that will be sentimental).  Please pardon any mistakes and comment!

–MOJ

P.S. The reason it took forever to get this out was because I ate lunch then had to go do mother's helping.  Sorry guys.