He set in the corner and sobbed. In the corner of an ally, a boy is crying into his knees and the passing people outside won't stop to take a look.
The world can be so cruel.
How could this happen? How could I let my guard down so easily?
~I am taking you back in time to luuUuUUnch!~
Ah, good old lunch with the Crows! And Wylan was in a pretty good mood!
The date with Jesper the other day was amazing. When they came back to the Slat, the Zemeni even kissed him! Wylan couldn't wait until the next time.
He was trying not to grin all the way through lunch, but failed from time to time. No one said anything at first (for which he was grateful), but he could practically feel their smug expressions when he tried to hide his smiling face.
When they finished eating, Jesper came up to Wylan and asked if he wanted to go on a walk with him. Wylan happily agreed and stood up to leave.
That's when it happened.
Kaz just had to tease him at this moment. The moment, where his mind was to clouded too process what he was saying.
"Another dare with your boyfriend, eh, kid?"
(gosh this is OOC)
Wylan went bright red and glanced at the laughing Crows before blurting: "Dad!"
That's when the laughing died down. Wylan only looked at the shocked faces of four Crows only for a second, he didn't dare to look at Kaz, then he took of running.
Away from the Slat. Away from the rejection, the disgust that must have been on Kaz's face.
How wrong he was.
.Kaz
He couldn't react in time. The boy ran away before he could say anything.
His face was red and his mouth hang open. Kaz knew of course that the kid seemed to look up to him. But he never intended to talk about it with Wylan, if he wanted to admire Kaz, than alright. No one's gonna stop him.
Kaz was also aware that Wylan had almost called him that only yesterday.
But still.
He didn't think...
He looked at his friends and saw them staring at him with wide eyes. Nina even started sputtering.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Matthias cleared his throat.
"I suppose we - uh - should go looking for him.", the former Drükselle sent a pointed look in Kaz's direction, to which Dirtyhands started moving towards the door.
"Er - yes, of course, of course.", he rubbed the back of his neck. "Nina, Inej, take the side to the East Stave. Matthias, I want you and Jesper to look at the more southern side of the Barrel, even the White Rose if you have to. Try to split up sometimes."
Inej frowned. "And you?"
Kaz looked right through her.
("Scheming Face.", muttered Jesper.
"Definitely.", murmured Nina.)
He looked at the door.
"I'll take the West Stave. I doubt he would go anywhere near the northern territory, I told him that the Black Tips started patrolling there a while ago. I think Geels let go of 5th Harbor in favor for 3rd."
Jesper's eyes darkened. "Really? Shouldn't he be happy with 6th? That one is big enough. If he wants anything so bad, just make a deal about Reaper's Barge for all I care!"
Kaz glared at him. "You may not care about that place, but I have some...resources there. And besides, the Dime Lions already tried to-"
"That's enough!", Nina snapped. "Could you talk about your fucking unimportant territory problem later! Right now, we have a kid to find!"
She took a step forward and glared at Kaz so fiercely, he was afraid that, if she still had her Heartrender powers, she would make his heart stop beating.
"The merchling, for a reason only Inej's Saints must know (cue, offended noise from the Wraith), he sees you as a father figure (Kaz winced a little). And now he is out there, probably thinking that you want to get rid of him! So you and Jesper better shut your motherfucking mouths AND GET GOING!"
.Wylan
He leaned his head against the wall. Where should he go now?
He can't go back to the Slat and certainly not to Van Eck Mansion. Maybe he could leave Ketterdam?
Or Kerch in general?
He could speak Fjerdan, besides, Matthias said that Fjerda was very tolerant when it comes to refugees. So it would be an option.
The Shu-Han and Ravka wouldn't do him any good. Only hearing about those places made him feel uncomfortable.
Novij Zem? He could start a farm there. He had always wondered what it would be like anyways. Making your own money through hard work and not because someone-
"Last alley on this side. So you better be here, Wy! My leg won't be able to keep this up much longer...", a raspy voice joked slightly.
Kaz.
Oh no.
.Kaz
The alley were getting smaller and smaller. And even though Wylan wasn't the biggest, even he would not fit between the spaces of the containers in most alleys.
When he reached the last alley of the more inner side of the Barrel, his leg started throbbing. He looked up.
The already clouded sky, seemed to darken even more with the upcoming storm clouds.
He sighed.
"This will be getting much harder if he isn't near here somewhere.", he mumbled to himself.
He entered the alley and looked around. Many containers, more than in most other places, with many corners. A good hiding place.
Let's just hope he's still as obvious as two weeks ago...
He moved further forward. Slowly he started calling out to the boy.
"Last alley on this side. So you better be here, Wy! My leg won't be able to keep this up much longer...", his voice kept getting raspier to the end, as the pain in his leg increased.
Still, he kept walking.