Fun fact: This story is longer than the first Shadow and Bone book. I'm literally a senior in high school taking classes at my local community college — I have NO clue how I managed to write a book 10,000 words longer than Shadow and Bone but okay. Whatever. Anyway, cheers <3
There had been a time in Jesper's life when all he would do was count. Jesper would count how many times he'd "accidentally" brush knuckles with Wylan in a day, or how many times he could get away with sitting arm to arm with Wylan before the Merchling noticed. He often kept a tally of how often Wylan blushed in front of him or tried to hide his smile.
'He smiled at me three times today,' Jesper would think to himself when he'd leave the Van Eck house. 'That's certainly some improvement.'
At first he wasn't entirely sure why he was keeping count. He had thought it was because Wylan had been so adamant about hating him at first. But if Wylan initiated these signs of familiarity, then that must mean he saw Jesper as a friend, right? Never mind the fact that he was far too good for Jesper; for an hour a day, Jesper had all his attention, and he would certainly make it worthwhile.
Maybe Jesper had fallen first; maybe Wylan had. Jesper had honestly been too stuck-up to even notice the very apparent signs. Maybe if he hadn't been so keen on hiding all his secrets, he would have noticed the way Wylan had reacted to his dirty jokes. Maybe he would have noticed the glare Wylan gave to the girls Jesper would flirt with.
Eventually Jesper had stopped counting. There really was no need to when the boundary between friends and lovers disappeared. Jesper couldn't imagine counting the times Wylan touched him now — whether that was on the arm during breakfast or his fingers pulling at Jesper's hair in the dark of night. He knew that no number could describe how many times Jesper fell in love with Wylan in a day, no matter how hard he tried.
So numbers had gone out of style. They even stopped counting their relationship by months as spring turned into summer, then summer into fall. Together they learned the names of their neighbors and the way they liked their tea. They visited old friends of Jesper's and made new friends of their own, even starting a monthly book club with the Havi family a couple miles away. They were known as "Colm's boys" and happily accepted into the community.
And for the first time in his life, Jesper could genuinely consider himself a lucky man.
Wylan yawned and stretched from underneath Jesper's arms. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled.
"Good morning, love," Wylan said, his voice rough from sleep. "What time is it?"
Jesper craned his neck to look behind Wylan at the clock on the nightstand.
"Nine bells," Jesper answered.
Wylan pulled the blankets off of his scrawny body and tried to pull himself away. Jesper groaned and held him even tighter, burrowing his head into Wylan's chest.
"Please don't go," Jesper said. "Just tell them you're sick or something. Stay in bed."
"I can't miss this rehearsal," Wylan answered, trying (and failing) to push Jesper off of him. "We perform in less than a month now!"
"So?"
"So they need me to be there." Wylan ran a hand over Jesper's hair before planting a kiss on his head. "It'll just be a couple hours, I promise."
"It's still too long."
"Someone needs to start the day."
Jesper looked up at Wylan and frowned. "Don't turn my own words against me."
"Someone has to." Wylan finally managed to wriggle out of Jesper's grip. He swung his legs to the side of the bed and stood up.
Jesper couldn't help but watch Wylan. He had the perfect view of his strangely long and slender legs, his skin a porcelain white against a solar system of freckles and hair. All he wore was his blue boxers and slippers, but he was still a sight for sore eyes. Jesper let himself ogle at him as Wylan pulled out one of Jesper's shirts from his dresser.
"I'm gonna go shower real quick," Wylan said, grabbing his trousers from off the floor.
Jesper kicked the rest of the blankets off and sat up quickly. "Can I join?"
Wylan made a face. "I'm not having your Da catch us again!"
"'Catch' is a strong word," Jesper argued. "The bathroom door was locked, so it wasn't like he saw anything."
"How does that make it any better!?"
"Prude," Jesper muttered as he laid back down.
"When you get us a place of our own, then you can join me whenever you'd like," Wylan said.
"Just a couple more months and I'll keep good on my promise."
Wylan walked over to the bed and kissed Jesper. "I know you will."
He turned and left the room with a little wave. Jesper decided it was probably time to get up too, and stretched. He pulled himself out of bed, fixing the sheets once he was standing. Wylan preferred a neat bed, though Saints knew he didn't feel the same about his desk.
Not that it was Wylan's bed. He technically had his own room across the hall, though he hardly ever used it for sleeping.
Jesper had to give his Da credit where credit was due. The second they came home the day he blessed Jesper's "courtship", he went straight into separating the boys. He tried to act like it was nothing — just something to give the boys a little bit of privacy — but they both knew what it was really for. Still, Jesper didn't mind. He actually found it quite hilarious, and was usually the one to insist that Wylan at least pretend he actually slept there.
Once the bed was made, Jesper got changed. Wylan had been stealing all of his good shirts, leaving Jesper to choose between rewearing a shirt with a little hole in the armpit or the itchy cotton button-up. He decided to go with the latter solely so he could restitch the former one. He threw it over his shoulder and took it with him into the kitchen.
Colm had started his day hours before the boys and was now cooking by the stove. Jesper could smell bacon and coffee; a strange combination but one that Jesper wouldn't complain about. He stood over his Da's shoulder and took the coffee pot from his hands. Jesper poured himself a cup before handing it back to Colm with a big grin.
"Good morning to you, too," Colm sighed.
"Did you feed Vach yet?" Jesper asked as he found his seat.
"That's your job, Jesper," Colm said. The eggs sizzled from beside him. "He's your responsibility, not mine."
Jesper groaned and stood back up again. He knew exactly where this conversation was going, and he'd rather just skip it for today. He gave his Da an unceremonious wave as he slipped on his boots and left for the barn out back. The sun had just crept over the hills, now blooming red like the branches above his head. Fall is here, they said, and fall is here to stay.
He found his way to the barn in the back of the farm with a bucket of wheat in his arms. Jesper opened the door with his foot and let himself in. He clicked his tongue as his Da used to, slowly entering the barn so Vach would see him.
"Good morning, precious," Jesper cooed. "How's my little guy doing?"
Vach Jesper Wylan Fahey-Van Eck — or Vach for short — mooed at Jesper, and Jesper couldn't help but smile. He hadn't meant to get Vach at the market, but the moment Wylan saw the little calf he couldn't help but fall in love with him. And Jesper could never tell Wylan no.
They had argued over his name for quite some time. Wylan insisted he should be named Vach for some Saints-awful and tasteless reason; Jesper wanted something simple like "Milo" or "Sergei." When Wylan refused to back down, Jesper made him a deal: their child's name could be Vach if his middle name was Wylan. Jesper made the proposition solely because he knew Wylan would refuse.
But when had Wylan ever been predictable? He named the calf Vach Jesper Wylan, then insisted they hyphenated their last names, resulting in the child's (awful? wonderful?) five-letter name. The name was a monstrosity, but Jesper was strangely proud. And he'd never admit it, but hearing Wylan say "Wylan Fahey" made him feel something deep inside his chest he couldn't quite name.
Jesper fed the calf, petting his soft head as he ate. Vach was especially vocal today, chipping in with appreciative moo's. Jesper played along, saying things like, "Really?" and "I totally agree." It just felt right somehow, like chatting with an old friend.
He didn't even realize that Wylan was standing at the barn door until he cleared his throat. Jesper jumped, nearly tripping over the bucket he had been sitting on.
"Having fun there?" Wylan asked, a smirk quirked on his lips.
"Finally thought you'd come see our child, huh?"
"Of course." Wylan walked over and slipped his arm around Jesper's waist. "He's such a great kid. Polite, happy, never causes trouble..."
"He surely didn't learn that from either of us."
"It must come from his grandfather then."
There it was again, that funny feeling. It wasn't strange for Wylan or Jesper to refer to themselves as Vach's parents, but sometimes it felt a little too real — a little too exciting. For a guilty moment, Jesper let himself enjoy the idea; him and Wylan as actual parents. Never had he wanted to be a father before, but if Wylan were to ever ask him...
He was too young to think about the future like that. Jesper was seventeen, after all, and perfectly content with the life he was currently living. More than content — he was thrilled to be so lucky. He surely didn't deserve this type of love and happiness.
But Jesper was a greedy man, and he refused to give it all up. He kissed Wylan's head and walked him out to the front of the house. Buttercup had already been hitched up to the wagon, ready for Wylan's departure.
Jesper helped Wylan up into the driver's seat. They said their goodbyes with a tight hug and a kiss before Jesper watched the cart roll down the road. He happily would have come if Wylan didn't insist that the rehearsal was a secret. He had this big idea in his head that Jesper wouldn't enjoy his performance at the Harvest Festival next month if he heard the music early on.
Jesper made his way back to the house. Breakfast had been set out on the table, his father already beginning to eat. Jesper washed his hands and joined him; both Faheys ate in comfortable quiet.
It had taken a bit to get used to living with his father again. As much as he loved his Da, part of him did miss the freedom that living alone had given him. It was the same reason he'd be moving into a neighboring house with Wylan once he came of age. Their neighbor, Oma Llevensta, had been living there for years until she met a strapping young Fjerdan fisherman. She moved to Fjerda merely weeks after meeting him, leaving her small home empty.
Jesper had taken an interest to the house almost immediately. He had went with his father to help clean it out just a few months ago; Jesper had run his hands against the flowery wallpaper, taking in its floral scents and the creak of the wood underneath his feet. It was rather old fashioned for his tastes, but strangely homely. He had fallen in love, and insisted that they got the rights to the home.
"I'll doing anything!" Jesper pleaded. "I can do extra work on the farm! I'll take out a loan and get a job in town! We can make this work financially, I swear—"
"It's not the money I'm worried about," Colm had said. He paused, trying to grasp at the right words to say. "I know you work hard when you set your mind to something, but... you're a little young, Jes. Don't you want to wait?"
He knew it wasn't a question — it was a request. Still, they continued to argue until they came to a decision they could both agree on: if Jesper still wanted to move when he turned eighteen, he could. All he needed to do was wait.
And wait he had been doing for months. Summer had come and gone, marking the full one year anniversary of their coming to stay in Novyi Zem. Both boys had celebrated their birthdays respectively, Jesper turning seventeen and Wylan sixteen. And soon Jesper would be spending yet another birthday in Novyi Zem once again.
Once both Faheys finished eating, Jesper took their plates and went to do the dishes. Colm had disappeared to the front room by the sounds of the creaking rocking chair on the wooden floor. He often sat there after a long morning, book and coffee cup in hand. Jesper wished he had the patience it took to be like that; it seemed peaceful.
Jesper hummed as he cleaned. It was a tune Wylan would play whenever he was bored. Even when he wasn't near an instrument, Wylan's fingers would pluck it out on an imaginary flute or piano. He played it often enough that even Jesper had learned how to play it.
The morning was a simple one; once breakfast had been taken care of, Jesper found himself meddling with the radio in the kitchen. He had been working on it for weeks now, trying to see how many stations he could get to work. Wylan had offered to look at it, but Jesper wanted to figure it out on his own. So far, he had managed as far as Weddle — a town nearly a thousand miles away from them.
Jesper busied himself with the mindless work. He was glad to have something to do, even if it wasn't entirely necessary. At least it kept him away from card games and gambling dens. Even he could admit that the change had been nice.
After a half an hour or so of tinkering, a knock came at the door. Jesper should have found it odd, but the radio in his hands was much more exciting — he seemed to have added at least another couple hundred miles to it! He barely noticed the voices from the front room, and only looked up when his Da stood at the kitchen entrance.
"You have a visitor," Colm said. "The man at the door says he's an old friend of yours."
"An old friend?" Jesper stood up. He did not like the way that had sounded. "Did you recognize him at all?"
Colm shook his head. Jesper just frowned and made his way to the hall. He followed it down to the front room where a figure in black stood waiting for him. He looked incredibly out of place, the sharp suit clashing with the cozy country aesthetic the home had. It was like he had wandered into the wrong story.
Well, "wander" didn't seem to be the right word. "Wander" was for accidents; Kaz Brekker standing in Jesper's childhood home was surely no accident.
Kaz gave him a tight-lipped smile and nod.
"I hope you don't mind the intrusion," Kaz said, uncharacteristically kind at the moment. "I was in the area and just thought I might pop by for a visit."
It was the biggest lie Jesper had ever heard, but he was well aware that his Da was right behind him so he didn't react the way he wanted to. Jesper forced himself to smile and clasp his hands together.
"It's great to see you, Kaz," he said solely because he wasn't quite sure what else there was to say. "Could I interest you in some tea?"
"Tea sounds lovely."
Kaz followed Jesper into the kitchen. Colm noticed the strained tension fairly quickly and excused himself upstairs. Yet even without Colm there anymore, Jesper couldn't stop himself from playing this morbid game of house. He stood beside the stove, waiting for the kettle to burn, two white mugs waiting to be used.
Once tea was served, Jesper sat across the table from Kaz and cleared his throat.
"Well?"
"'Well' what?" Kaz asked, cup in his gloved hand. He didn't even pretend to drink it.
"Why are you here?"
"Can't I visit old friends?"
Jesper laughed dryly. "I don't remember you being this funny."
Kaz didn't even bother him with a glare. He just looked out the window blankly and asked, "Where's your Van Eck boy? Already given up hope and moved out?"
Jesper gripped his mug. "He's at music practice. He'll be back in a couple minutes."
"Then we shall wait."
Jesper tried to object, but Kaz refused to speak. He just sat there with his tea, staring out that damn window. He had never looked so punchable before. It was incredibly tempting.
Just as Jesper promised, Wylan came in through the front door only minutes later. He was already talking about his day as he walked down towards the kitchen. Jesper's eyes grew wide in terror, but there was no way of warning Wylan about Kaz.
"And then I told him to—" Wylan stopped at the kitchen door. "Oh, hello there."
Kaz didn't even look at Wylan. He set his tea down and folded his hands on the tabletop.
"Good," Kaz said, "we can finally get started."
"Get started on what?" Wylan asked.
"What do you two know about Bo Yul-Bayar?"
This caught Wylan's attention. He slowly took a seat besides Jesper, though his eyes never left Brekker.
"He's one of Shu Han's top scientists, right?" Wylan said. "The one who went missing a couple weeks ago. Jes and I heard about it on the news recently."
They had? Jesper honestly couldn't recall. Even if he did though, he wasn't sure he'd want to break this strange bubble that Kaz and Wylan had now. It terrified him to be in the same room as those two.
"Exactly," Kaz said, his eyes gleaming. "And what do you know about the Ice Court?"
Jesper knew how to respond to this one. He gave Kaz a cautious glare and said, "You can't possibly think you could get in there!"
"Not without you two." He looked between Jesper and Wylan hungrily like a wolf playing with its prey before the kill. "How do you two feel about winning thirty million kruge?"
Thirty million—
Jesper almost wanted to laugh. One million kruge was a lot of money, much less thirty times that. If he had that kind of money, his damn grandchildren would be set for life. He could buy Oma Llevensta's house more than sixty times with that kind of money.
He glanced at Wylan and saw that same hungry glare in his eyes. Jesper wondered if he was thinking along the same lines as Jesper. Because even with a tenth of that money, they could live easy in Novyi Zem without having to lift so much as a finger.
Jesper grabbed Wylan's hand and squeezed it tightly — whether it was for Wylan or himself, he wasn't entirely sure. At least Wylan gave him the benefit of the doubt by squeezing back reassuringly.
Jesper gave Kaz a mad grin. "How can we help?"
FINAL NOTES:
Annnnnd that wraps up the story! Thank you guys so much for reading ~99,000 words of Wesper content made by a queer little teen in America. If you liked this story, you'll definitely enjoy my next story: The Ballad of Matthias Helvar. It is a four-part Greek Mythology AU with all sorts of mythological Easter eggs. The first chapter will come out on April 15th of 2022, but right now you can save the "credits" chapter to your library so you'll be notified when the fic updates.
Anyway, thanks again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye!
xoxo,
Baz