AN/ What can I say? writing short chapts for this fic gets me goin'!

Kerch, Ketterdam
Present Day

6:23 am
KAZ

Kaz had attempted to get some sleep after Inej had left, she left after she'd showered and had eaten some food. Then she went back to Van Eck mansion, where she kept all of her on-land possessions. Kaz just couldn't rest easy knowing that Inej was probably up, worrying just as much as he was. So Kaz did what he did best, he went down to his office and planned.

9:17am

Kaz checked his clock on his was just past nine bells and he was wondering where the hell Inej was. He was back at his desk, writing out the plan that he had come up with in the early hours of the morning, he hadn't slept yet. He had guessed that Inej would be here by now, and he hadn't anticipated being so tired. He felt his eyes growing heavy as he scribbled on the paper, fighting sleep off. Apparently in his newly found routine, he had grown used to having a full night of rest. So he ended up slipping into sleep, snoring at his desk.

10:34am
INEJ

Inej slipped through the open window of Kaz's upstairs office. She had expected Kaz to be in his downstairs office by now, but when he had asked Rotty, he had grunted that nobody had seen him, so Inej was quite worried. Okay, she was very worried. In all the time Inej has known Kaz he has never slept in, so it was either he had a reason, or he was missing presumed dead. Inej automatically feared the worst.

So, you can imagine her immense surprise over seeing Kaz's head sprawled over his desk, a low, rhythmic snoring coming from his drooling mouth. Inej smiled a delicate smile. Kaz looked so young in sleep. The lines that usually marred his face were nowhere to be seen, just a teenage boy sleeping in too late. Inej wished that she could be the kind of girl to walk upto Kaz's desk, push his long dark hair out of his face and kiss his head, but she was the Wraith, so she opted for chucking a pair of Kaz's socks at his own head, smirking as his head sprung up, shouting in a dazed confusion.

"Who in the, get-" Kaz began, but then his eyes snapped to the now giggling Inej, and he rolled his eyes.
"Wraith." Kaz said sleepily, sitting back and stretching, his leg stiff and his back cracking.
"Who knew Dirtyhands snored." Inej teased, sitting on a clear spot on Kaz's desk, so close could see the marks the desk had left on Kaz's face. Kaz furrowed his brows as he slid his chair back.

"I don't- Where were you? I was up till nine bells and you were a no-show." Kaz said huffily, grabbing his cane and walking to his sink, splashing his face and slicking back his hair with water. Inej wasn't afraid to admit she would miss the way it had fallen over his face.

"Well, I was sleeping - actually." Inej admitted with a blush, she hadn't been sleeping, she had been convincing Jesper and Wylan that she didn't have feelings for Kaz. After coming in late last night and announcing she had been in Kaz Brekker's room, it had taken a whole interrogation from Wylan and Jesper to believe that the two hadn't done anything. Oh how Inej wished they had done something. These thoughts just made her blush flush a deeper red.

Kaz turned and blinked slowly at her, clearly not believing her but nodding nevertheless.
"So, I've come up with a plan, but for that we'll need The Wraith and the use of your crew, so what do you say, Captain?" Kaz said, retrieving his shoes and sitting back down to put them on. Inej nodded slowly, "I'll go round them up, meet me at the Van Eck mansion in half a bell?" Kaz nodded and finished tying his wing tips,
"Oh and Kaz?" Inej said as she stood at the window, looking back at Kaz wolfishly.
"Yes?" Kaz said back, trying not to focus on the way the morning sun was framing her beautifully.

"Pack your sea legs." Inej said with a wink, before disappearing into the rooftops of Ketterdam.

11:25am
KAZ

Kaz cursed himself for being early, but he couldn't help himself as he rang the doorbell to the Van Eck Mansion, looking up at the house with mixed emotions. Unsurprisingly, he'd only had to wait a minute before a very over-hyper Jesper opened the door, looking like he had chewed about a million sticks of Jurda, which honestly was quite normal for Jesper.

"Kaz Brekker, Ketterdams number one ladykiller!" Jesper shrieked enthusiastically, clearly not understanding the meaning of inside voices. Kaz commemorated Wylan again for living with Jesper; He must've invested in a decent pair of ear plugs.
"What are you blithering on about now Fahey?" Kaz snarked, trying his best not to roll his eyes at the sharp-shooter.
"Nothin' Boss, just stating your true title." Jesper said, faking innocence as the two walked into the living room of the mansion.

"Jesper, stop it." Wylan said from across the room. He had a huge spread of drawings laid out in front of him, and he was inspecting them with a furrowed brow. Kaz stood silently, glancing around the room and noticing the two brown suitcases in the corner of the grand room, Kaz internally groaned.

"Please tell me you two aren't coming." Kaz said, realising why Jesper was even more hyper than usual.
Jesper flashed Kaz a grin, and Kaz groaned aloud this time.
"Inej wants us there, and she told me to tell you to suck it up." Jesper snarked, flipping one of his revolvers. Kaz just slumped down in an armchair, putting his bag on the ground next to him.
"Packed twenty of the same identical suit, have we Boss?" Jesper teased, which earned him a vicious death stare from Kaz.

"Packed all twenty of your orange blazers?" Kaz retorted, and Wylan snorted from his desk. Jesper rolled his eyes and slumped on the opposite armchair, long legs bouncing up and down impatiently. Kaz's eyes flickered to his watch, it was nearing half past, and he scolded himself for being so early, so eager.

Thankfully Kaz's pride was left unscathed as Inej hopped in the living room window, rolling into the middle of the room. Kaz immediately perked up, looking at Inej curiously as she pulled back her hood, eyes flickering to Kaz immediately, smiling slightly.

"I take it Jespers told you?" Inej says, somehow not out of breath even after scaling the entirety of Ketterdam.
"Unfortunately." Kaz mumbled, looking at Jesper who's shit eating grin had only gotten wider.
"Pretend that you hate us all you want, but I know you secretly love us."

Kaz scoffed, "I love two things, money and revenge."
And Inej. Only Inej.

"Always the romantic." Jesper joked, stealing a glance at Inej, who was looking at anything but Kaz. Kaz wanted to meet her eye and tell her that he loved her, that he was an idiot for doing it but he didn't care, he would love her no matter what.

And that terrified him.

"Right," Inej said with a cough, scanning the room, "Ready to join Captain Ghafas crew?" She said, a brilliantly wicked grin on her face.
"Always!" Jesper said, picking up his and Wylans suitcases.
"Anything for family." Wylan mumbled, sharing a shy grin with Inej.

Kaz stood up, and Inej looked him in the eye, clearly waiting for his answer.
"Brick by Brick." Kaz said, looking right back at Inej, and Inej nodded steelily.

"Brick by Brick." She replied, and Kaz knew he would follow her anywhere.

AN/
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