Six of Crows One-shots

Morning

   3 years later

Kaz lifted his head off of his pillow, his eyes connecting to the ghostly grey sunset. It was barely touching, turning smudges from the perfect black of blue to a purplish tone and even closer to the sky was spikes of defiant orange that troubled Kaz's mind. Was morning truly so near? He felt Inej shift beside him, felt her wrap her arms across his shoulders, draping her weight on him to better pull him back into bed. Oh, such a tempting offer. "Stay Kaz, the sun has yet to arose from his slumber. Come lay beside me with night's mask still securely eluding us from the world." He smiled, how wonderful it sounded, to place the troubles behind and simply put the world to his back and face his treasure of heart. "I can't, my dearest Inej... I would want nothing more, but... I have been summoned and I cannot ignore it. Ravka needs aid, supplies. This is Nina we're talking about.." "send someone else that we can trust so greatly, don't go yourself... we can't keep leaving like this." Inej complained, kissing his neck lightly causing a small tremor to creep down his spine and vibrate his bones. She pulled him down, and he let her, wrapping his arms along her waist as she leaned above him, one hand playing with his hair, the other interlocked with his own.

"War awaits..." he whispered against her lips, closing his eyes. "War always awaits, it's like the ocean. Always lapping to steal away from land, eternal and fierce. It will never let go of its greed and crave for blood." "You speak of the ocean as if it hasn't been your trusted partner for two or so years now.." he hummed, she lightly kissed his lips relaxing and cuddling him to a point where he would rather die than leave her embrace. "You have been my trusted partner. The sea steals me away but it will never claim my heart nor my trust." "Inej... my own ocean calls to me.." he tried to reason but Inej wasn't particularly fond of where he was going. "Kaz- It can wait a few more hours." She shifted, resting her head on his shoulder and her hand ran through the feathery locks of dark hair. He had kept the sides short but they were now slightly longer than they were in the heist. "Wraith... War may wait but my ship does not. Dawn continues his climb into the sky and I will be late if I stay any longer..." "it's not even anything important to you-" "I do not fight for Ravka, or Lanstov or any of them. I go to retrieve Nina and make the waters safer to have passage on. If so doing would mean to end the war then by all means it will end." He whispered, tilting his head towards her ever warm presence. "Come back?" She said after moments of silence. He said nothing, only ran a pale hand through her dark hair. "I'll meet you at the docks when the war ends. Berth 23." Inej kissed just above the collar of his shirt before pulling away and letting him get up, begrudgingly. "Stay safe, my love..." he kissed her forehead, leaning away he heard her whisper. "Stay out of trouble." "Not a chance." Kaz replied with a crooked grin that Inej rolled her eyes to but a small smile found its way to her face none the less. A flicker of light that still had Kaz's heart jump.