Six of Crows One-shots

Reunited Continued

"See?" Kaz yawned, Inej nodded, dragging her eyes away from the strange pair to look at Kaz. He had taken up the rest of the couch, his head was resting on a decorative pillow, and Inej reached over and played with the locks of his hair idly. Jesper sat down next to Wylan, and Jordie sat on the floor by Kaz's legs. That was after complaining and arguing with Kaz to move his legs. He was tired, Inej notes, he had been struggling with some gang war lately, and could use with rest.

"So, Jordie, what's your plan now that your back in this saints forsaken city." Jordie frowned, turning to Nina. "I... never left. Though I did wake up on a beach... so I somehow got in the ocean?" He craned his head to look at Kaz, who shook and Inej lightly massaged his scalp till the tension fell from his frame, she turned to Jordie and shook her head, mouthing later. Jordie nodded, before Inej looked up at wylan. "Actually, we were hoping you could still use an assistant?" Wylan blinked, then smiled widely. "Of course!" Jordie seemed to brighten, Nina clapped her hands together. "We must celebrate." Jordie's interest was peaked. "Oh? How would we do that?" "Midnight Waffles! Silly." Jesper informed him, he smiled back. Inej nudged Kaz and he groaned, sitting up and grabbing his cane.

"Alright, but I'm not paying this time." He huffed, Wylan shook his head. "I don't have my wallet on me..." Jesper muttered, looking away sheepishly. Jordie blinked and turned his head to Kaz, who shook his own in response. He wouldn't have to pay. Inej walked over to Nina as they grabbed their coats. The others followed them out. As they walked through the dark streets, Jesper at Kaz's right and Jordie his left, Jesper noted Jordie staring at Kaz. Eventually, he cracked. "What do you want, Jord?" Kaz sighed, he smirked suddenly.

"I would have thought you'd have gotten taller..." Jesper snickered and leaned on Kaz, throwing his arm around him. Kaz swatted it away with a huff.
"Well, I still have some time left." Kaz snapped, shaking his head. Inej suddenly appeared next to them. "You are tall enough Kaz." She sent a withering glare towards the two boys, Kaz smiled at her. "Mhm, tall enough for you." "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means you're short, Wraith." Inej moved into the spot Jesper opened to swat Kaz's arm, he smiled and bumped into her shoulder.

They were lapses into the silence, as they walked to the late Waffle House, which has a booth in the far back reserved for them. Jordie sat a few seats away from Kaz, and more questions proceeded into the night, many of them having to be reined out of Kaz, and told by Jordie. Their father and mother came up, briefly, but both boy's had pain flash across their faces and this time Jordie shut it down. The crows tried not to push, the brothers were.... well, one was dead for a while, and the other was Kaz. Besides, they had hopefully the rest of their lives to pick apart the mysterious background.

Inej saw it, the small smile crawling on Kaz's lips. She addressed it when they were back at the Slat, and he sat down to do his papers rather than sleep like Inej just recommend. "Your happy he is here." She stated, he turned to her shrugged. 'I guess' before he gave a verbal response. "He's my brother, of course I'm glad he's back." Inej came and sat on the edge of his desk, leaning back so her hands held her up. "So, your no longer angry with him." Kaz huffed, his lips twitching. "I never said that. I'm glad he's back, but he is still Jordie. He's rash, foolish, greedy-" "Jesper-like?" Inej teased, but Kaz nodded. "Yes. I have a hard time not blaming all that went wrong in my life on him." Inej came over, sitting on his lap sideways and snuggling up to him. She moved slowly, and let him adjust himself, let him calm down, and knew he did when he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I think he'll fit in fine with us." Inej kissed his cheek, and Kaz sighed.

"Almost too well."
"Kaz."
"I, he was part of my past Inej, something gone. A piece of family I lost. It seems wrong to try and patch him into my new family."
Inej's fingers traced the collar of his jacket as he spoke, he leaned his forehead on hers. "I wanted to thank you, for stopping me from killing him."
"You weren't thinking clearly Kaz."
"Which is why I have you. You keep me sane." He gently kissed her forehead with a sigh, Inej heard it hidden in his words 'I love you' and responded. She did so through the look she sent at him, letting a smile cross her lips, and watched his eyes light up because of it.

"Well, if I am your voice of reason, then hear me out now. Your brother, is worth holding onto. You both have changed largely, but it might be easier to regain the parts of you who you lost, with a person who lost them too." He sighed, stretching his fingers. "Alright."
"Now, if only convincing you to go to sleep before four in the morning was so simple." He laughed, and kissed her cheek. She pulled herself off of him, taking off his gloves, and setting them neatly on the desk. She reached back for him, and he laced their fingers together, with a gentle tug she lead him to the bed and they settled into it. It took a while to calm down, and they were not even touching, beside their clasped hands which rested in between them. Inej knew they'd be tangled up when she woke, as if drawn by magnets, her cheeks flushed at the thought.

"Saints, were gonna have two Jespers now?" Inej asked, Kaz nodded with a yawn. "Pretty much." Inej groaned, then sighed. "Life is about to get more interesting." Kaz smiled at her, sleepily. "You sure you don't want to stay in Ketterdam after the two months are up? I'm sure there will never be a shortage of oddities." "Maybe." Inej murmured, half asleep. She was tempted to pull herself up to him, pull their laced hands against her stomach so he was holding her, but the very thought sent fleeting fear coursing through her like flashes of a very old dream. This was enough, Inej decided as she heard Kaz's breath even out and deepen, and it would get better, as all wounds do. Even very old ones.