𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 ↦ Kaz Brekker

xxxv. conniving son

Malkus hadn't quite calculated how long it would take to get Kaz alone, with none of the other Crows around, to listen to what he had to say, and so had fallen asleep beneath the table, curled around his fangs.

"Malkus," Something poked the small boy, who groaned and batted at it. Why were they talking to him? "Malkus, get up!"

"No, Ma,"

"Malkus!" The boy opened his eyes, turning around to glare at whoever had woken him, before freezing at the sight of Kaz's raised eyebrow and unamused expression. "Get out from underneath the table."

"No?" Kaz sighed, before stepping away as Malkus ran over what he was going to say in his head and slid to the edge of the shadow, the table cloth bunching around his shoulders as he looked up at the man.

"Malkus, get out from underneath the table and go back to Snake,"

"Not until we've talked,"

"Go home,"

"If you want me to leave, you're going to have to move me," Malkus grinned, crossing his arms. "and you don't like touching people, so you can't, so I'm staying!"

"You are absolutely Snake's son," Kaz muttered, before sighing in annoyance and sitting down in a chair. "How did you get in?"

"Through the front door," Malkus replied. "I wanted to talk to you. I had to talk to you, so I got in and waited."

"I see," Kaz muttered. The man's face was dark, his fingers drumming against the chair. Something was off about him, even Malkus could see that. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Ma," The man tensed up, glaring down at him. "She misses you."

"I doubt it,"

"She does," Kaz produced a toffee from his pocket and handed it to the boy, who grinned and began to chew on it. "She spends all her time in her room now. Doesn't talk to anyone, just goes through information."

"Why does this concern me, Malkus?"

"Because I think Ma's going to leave with the tall man and the two witchy people," Kaz froze, his face draining of colour. "They were talking about a ship and having a space open and that means Ma's leaving because she said she'd think about it."

"That doesn't mean she's leaving,"

"It might," Malkus shrugged. "You hurt her and when she gets hurt, Ma leaves for a while to clear her head except I think she might be leaving forever now."

"She wouldn't," But deep in Kaz's heart, he knew that she would do such a thing, and Malkus had a feeling that she would as well. "She wouldn't leave you or the other Vipers."

"But she might and you have to stop her,"

"Me?"

"Yes, you love her and she loves you and surely if you told her that then this would all be sorted and Ma would definitely stay and you'd both be happy again and it would all be alright," Malkus rattled off quickly, waving his hand about as Kaz watched him. "and then I can go back to my job, instead of being sent off to watch some random person's house, and it could all go back to normal because you two would be alright."

"Malkus, it doesn't work like that," Kaz sighed, as Malkus wrinkled his nose again. "Your mother and I aren't talking to each other and I doubt we will ever again."

"But you love each other...?"

"Love means nothing," Kaz shook his head and started to limp out of the room. "Go home, Malkus."

"No, I won't!" Malkus huffed, scurrying after the man to stand in front of him, dust swirling beneath his hands. "I'm not leaving until you and Ma talk and, if I don't leave, she'll work out that I'm with you and come and talk to you."

"You planned this all out?"

"Yes," Malkus grinned, before remembering that he was supposed to be angry at his da. "Yes, I did. So, you can suck it!"

Kaz's lips twitched into an amused half-smile as he watched the boy, who was trying his best to appear intimidating. It didn't truly work.

"You should not be saying things like that," Malkus stuck his tongue out, as Kaz pushed him down the hallway. "Can you go home now?"

"No, cause I might be taken by Shu soldiers and then it would be your fault and you promised that if I did get taken by Shu soldiers, you'd come and find me and Ma would hold you to that," Kaz froze, before turning to look at Malkus. "Got you."

"That's cold, Malkus," The boy nodded and grinned. This was going far better than he expected it to and it seemed like Kaz was going to take his advice. He hoped his Da would take his advice and talk to Stasiaj.

"Thanks," 

"But you still need to go home," Malkus scowled, as Kaz grabbed the back of his coat and pulled him towards the door. "Back to Stasiaj, before she comes here to stab me."

"At least you'd be talking," Malkus muttered, before looking up at him. "Why don't you just talk to her? I don't understand why it's so complicated to just talk to Ma. You love her, don't you?"

"It's not that simple, Malkus," Kaz put his hand on the door. "I broke her trust and I can't just expect her to talk to me so soon."

"No, you can't," Stasiaj stood in the doorway, her arms folded and a glare at her face. The two boys paled further, gulping. 

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

Malkus is done with his parents BS and I absolutely adore him channelling his mother to get her and Kaz to talk. Also, father son bonding time so yay! Just want to confirm, Kaz did not touch him, he just grabbed Malkus' jacket, not skin!

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx