Disclaimer: Not my characters


Thunder cracked loudly, and Kaz's leg throbbed in sympathy. He was only a couple steps away from his rooms at the top of the Crow Club, and still his body tried to convince him that it might not be a bad idea to simply lie down and fall asleep where he stood. He'd slept in less comfortable conditions before.

He felt Inej's presence behind him, soundlessly waiting for him to get to the top and unlock the door. It was her waiting that convinced him to haul himself up the last few steps, cane clunking softly on each as he went.

He unlocked the door with barely a thought, reaching up to pull the dove grey tie from around his neck, tossing it and his coat on a small stool by the fireplace. Both were coated in thick mud, a gift from the unexpected deluge they'd been caught in on their way back from a job.

He glanced at Inej. She was pulling off her black climbing gloves and hooking them into her belt, though she seemed less eager to remove her muddy clothes than he did. That almost made him grin. There was a time when the thought of undressing in front of another person would have made his skin crawl and his stomach clench. With Inej, he barely spared it a thought.

Kaz quickly unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it aside with the other discarded items of clothing. There was a large basin of steaming water sitting on a table in the center of the room, likely placed there by the housekeeper when she'd seen the rain before he and Inej returned. People like that were a blessing on nights like this. He carefully removed his gloves and set them gently beside the basin; he'd have to clean them carefully after he'd finished with himself.

He grabbed a washcloth off the table, dipping it in the water and letting out a very soft sigh as the warm water chased the mud and the cold from his skin. He glanced at Inej, who still stood silently by the doorway. "There's a cloth for you here too."

Inej shrugged, face impassive, though she didn't meet his eyes directly. "I can get cleaned up in my own room."

"True, but right now you're dripping mud all over the carpet, which I'm sure the cleaning staff will thoroughly appreciate."

Inej rolled her eyes at him, but stalked over to the basin, dipping a washcloth in the water and swiping it over her face. Kaz focused on cleaning himself, trying not to watch from his peripheral vision as her brown skin flushed from the heat of the water.

She must have caught him looking, though, as she met his eyes with an opaque stare, dropping the cloth back in the water and reaching to unfasten her shirt. Kaz thought he should probably look away, but the way she stared him down was like a dare, and Kaz Dirtyhands Brekker never backed down from a dare.

Inej's hands deftly slid each button through it's hole, and in no time she was tossing her shirt into his pile of dirty clothes. Beneath, she wore an undershirt specially designed to remain tight against her chest without impeding the movement of her torso. When he'd asked her about it months ago, she'd shrugged, blushing slightly. "Female acrobats wear them. It gives us free range of movement without worrying about anything… popping free."

He'd nodded mutely at the time, amused by her embarrassment.

Now he watched as she worked a series of ties at the back, loosening the wet garment enough that she could pull it over her head. At this, he looked down, noting absently that the water in the basin had already turned a slight brown from their washing.

Thunder rumbled briefly outside. Inej reached into the basin, pulling out her washcloth and squeezing, the trickle of water plinking in counterpoint to the rain tapping the window outside. Kaz's eyes followed the cloth as she brought it to her collarbone, sweeping it across her shoulders and squeezing so that rivulets of water ran down her chest and between her breasts. Kaz watched a particular line of water run over her breast and drip off the tip.

He swallowed. Normally, the sight of other people's bared skin made him slightly nauseous and uncomfortable. His mind conjuring up images of dull, bloated skin and empty, staring faces.

Now, however, in the flickering light of the room's candles, Inej's skin glowed like warm, polished wood, her pulse beating noticeably under the skin of her neck.

Kaz's muscles tensed, mouth going dry. He had so rarely felt this sort of desire. The bared skin and ample cleavage of most pleasure-workers made him nauseous. Even with covered skin, he had a hard time focusing on sexual desire when the thought of another person touching him sent him into a mild panic. But with Inej, heat flowed across his skin, and his heart picked up a heavy, staccato rhythm that drove the air from his lungs in soft puffs.

"Say it." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, almost drowned out by the distant rolling of thunder.

Kaz dropped his cloth in the basin with a soft plop. He could feel the words weighing on his tongue like hot chocolate, heavy and sweet. "I want you," he said, already gravelly voice turned rough with emotion.

She reached out slowly to brush fingers against his cheek, as she had at the Ice Court. Her fingers were hot against his cold cheek, and he shivered, for once not out of revulsion. He had an impossible want to taste her skin, to feel the heat of her life pulse against his mouth. Inej's lips were parted, moving slightly as she breathed in and out.

He leaned forward, terror and desire constricting and expanding his lungs in turn. His lips barely brushed hers, and he trembled. Her breath sighed across his lips.

"Without armor," she mouthed, the words pressing their mouths closer together.

He rested a careful hand against her neck, feeling it throb with blood under his touch. Her tongue brushed across his lips, and he shivered but did not pull away. His mouth molded itself to hers, and he groaned softly. He saw where this could go. He would draw her to him, desperately crushing her chest against his to feel the beat of her heart against his skin. He would tremble, torn between running and wanting her, and she would hold him tighter, enveloping him in her warmth.

And something in him would break. A good thing, because he would melt into her, and she would hold him together, his Wraith. She would wipe the tears from his eyes and guide him when he felt like he was about to loose himself.

And he would hold her afterward, afraid of what would happen to him when her skin left his.

He bent his head to her neck, tongue pressing against her pulse-point.

"Kaz." Her breath ruffled his hair.

"Kaz…" Her voice was deeper, louder.

He peeled his eyes open to a dim room. Nina knelt near his bed, keeping a respectful distance. Even in the dark, he could see the circles under her eyes and the way her skin clung tightly to the bones of her face. "Brekker. Jesper is back. You said to wake you when he returned."

Kaz let out a gust of breath, pushing aside the confusing dream. No point in dwelling on dreams of Inej when she was still held captive. "I'll be right there."


I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the relationship between Inej and Kaz, particularly since he struggles so much with physical intimacy. I like to think that Kaz is a very sensory person, and that his coping mechanism would be to focus on the tactile things that run counter to his experiences as a child. I was also intrigued by the concept of a person who wants to feel desire for another person, but has so little experience with even that.

Let me know what you think! I'm planning two more chapters which will be up depending on how quickly I have the time/inspiration to get them down.