Six of Crows One-shots

Don't go

Nina sniggered at the joke Inej had made, stirred the coffee she had, and took a sip. She made a face and put more sugar into it.
"Blegh, Inej... I don't know how you do it. Black coffee is disgusting."
"It's an acquired taste." Inej smiled, glancing out the window of the Kooperom, her eyes tracking the pouring rain as it slid down the glass.
"Mhm... So, where did you go yesterday?"
"Oh... Uhm, nowhere." Inej fidgeted and took a bite of a waffle. Her cheeks held a slight blush.
"Come on, Inej! It's just us. I can't believe you won't tell me." Nina huffed, puffing up her chest and starting into a tangent upon the secret-sharing ritual that they had always shared.
"Alright, I was just with Kaz."
"Oh? Is that so? How is the Bastard of the Barrel."
"He's well..."

"Is he good at kissing?"
"Nina! We haven't..."
"You are lying! I can tell."
"Well... not last night anyway." Inej hides her smile behind her cup of coffee.
"No?"
"We just... it was a stakeout."
"Is that code for something?"
"No. It just included a little more stargazing than is normal." Nina smiled a big, wicked grin.
"I told you, his breath catches every time he sees you."
"Stop." Inej laughs softly, her cheeks growing steadily redder.

"Do you love him?" Inej sighs, staring into her mug.
"I love him, Nina... I just wish— I wish we could be like others. Everything is so hard, and I want so much, we both do... but our hearts are wrapped in knotted barbwire. And when we try and untie it, free ourselves, it causes so much pain, that sometimes it's hard to tell if it's helping at all."
"Damn, Inej. You a poet?" Nina tried to make a joke because, for a second, Inej's eyes had taken on this edge of sadness that scared Nina.
"Then there's our careers..." Inej grumbles. Nina reaches over and grips her friend's hand tightly, giving it a soft squeeze.
"Trust me, Inej, a strong love will find its way through life's trials. I'm counting on you guys."
"Thanks, Nina."

"So, you heading over there tonight?"
"Nina!" Inej laughs, shaking her head.
"You're not denying it!"
"You just finish your waffles!"
"Inej and Kaz, sitting in the slat, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Nina sang, and Inej snatched her plate.
"Shut it, or I'll eat your waffle."
"You wouldn't dare!"

They finished their meal and headed over to Wylan's mansion. Inej still felt nervous, remembering the dark glint in Kaz's eyes. What was she asking him to give? What if he never could? What if she pushed him too far and he pulled away?
A cold, gut-twisting feeling began to grow in her stomach, making it as heavy as lead. Pain lacing through her tired nerves.

"Are you okay?" Jesper looked over at Inej with concerned eyes. She nodded, stretching and sitting up on the couch. It was almost time to go see Kaz, when had it gotten so dark? She was probably late.
"Yeah... I think I'll go for a walk."
"Inej? You're really pale..."
Inej stood up from her seat and started toward the door. Her body felt... strangely tired, fatigued. Then her vision grew spotty. In a terrifying moment, the world went black, and gravity was suddenly tearing her down, and the wraith was falling.
"INEJ!"

Kaz sighed, briefly taking his eyes off the sheet of numbers before him, to the flame in the gas lamp. It was running low, and the window was dark. Inej was supposed to be there at sunset, but now it was well into the night, several bells later.
"Gheezen, where is she?" He allowed himself to mutter, tapping his ungloved fingers against the firm surface of his desk. She was late, very late. Perhaps she was just enjoying herself, had simply lost the time. Maybe she just forgot and was sleeping at her bed in Wylan's. A darker part of his mind whispered vile ideas. Someone could have jumped inej, she could be bleeding out in an alley, she could have been kidnapped or shot. Could have been picked up by the Staadwatch. Kaz forced himself into his feet and out of his chair, jerking his bad leg.

Sitting in his chair would settle nothing and he'd continue to fall down the rabbit hole of fears. He grabbed his cane and headed for the stairs If he wasn't in his room and all was fine Inej would probably circle back to find him. If she was asleep, he'd return to the Slat with some peace of mind. Going to Van Eck's seemed to be the only course of action that would get him some answers without taking possibly unnecessary drastic measures that'd show the whole of the barrel his weakness was none other than the Wraith herself.