Grishaverse Oneshot Collection

Barrels Goddess {Kaz Brekker}

Summary: You are an old friend of Kaz Brekker and pay him a visit after seven months. You're also a legend in the Barrel.

Warnings: Threat through a dagger.

People either feared or adored her. There was barely any in between. She was the closest thing to a god the Barrel had.
She could kill, she could save and nobody wanted to be on her bad side.
Nobody but Kaz.
But he would never be on Y/n's bad side.
They were close since they arrived in the barrel. Both victims of the plague, both orphaned and all alone. They suddenly only had each other. So while Kaz worked his way up through the Dregs, Y/n took every job she could get. Everything, but never one that required her to stay. She would never again give up the freedom to go wherever she wanted to. Not after the plague freed her from her parents.

Kaz and Y/n were a team, wether they would ever admit it or not.
She would sneek into his attic in the night, when everyone, even Inej, was out. Nobody knew that Dirtyhands associated with the Goddess. They'd talk and laugh and Kaz would let down his mask for a few hours. For a brief moment they were just kids. But Kaz Brekker wasn't a kid.
Kaz Brekker was the Bastard of the Barrel, Kaz Brekker was Dirtyhands, most respected member of the Dregs, feared in the entire Barrel. Y/n wasn't a kid either, Y/n was a shadow, never seen and never heard, yet everyone knew her name. Some claimed her to be a god. She wasn't. Neither a god, nor a saint. Just a Heartrender with a talent for daggers and a big knowledge about venom.
But she liked the title she held.
It kept her save and her work going. Barrel Bosses liked to pay for pretty girls that were feared.

Here's the thing. It's been seven months since she has last seen Kaz. She had a job, something that took a bit longer but was payed well.
It wasn't something very dangerous, she just had to bring a bankers kid out of Ketterdam.
She hasn't told Kaz that she took the job. She never did. But she also never had a job before, that took more than a month.
So she did what she was used to.

She sneaked into his attic late at night. It was dark and smelled like parchment and wood oil.
Kaz wasn't there, but Y/n stayed anyways.
She was still in her work clothes, mask up.
But it was boring and Kaz was nowhere to be seen. The shelves caught her attention. Y/n took out the recent books to check the numbers of the Crow Club. They added up nicely, she noticed. Business was going well. Good for Kaz.
She sighed and placed it back where she took it from. Then she walked over to the writing desk. It was messy, there was a cup of coffee and the papers were scattered all over the place. So she did what she was good at. Sorting things out. Doing the work Kaz had left unmoved.

When she finished the papers from the Crow Club, Y/n walked over to the shelve again to put them where they belonged.
Out of nowhere, someone pressed her against the wall, dagger at her throat.
The person was smaller than her, clearly female. Must be Inej.
Y/n held up her arms in defence, chuckling softly. Right at the door stood Kaz, crow cane in his hand, wearing hat and coat and, of course, a suit. Handsome as always. Next to him stood a certain sharpshooter Y/n had seen every now and then. Jesper.
"Who are you and what are you looking for?" Inej asked, moving the dagger closer to Y/n.
She looked over to Kaz again, right into his eyes. That Bastard knew it was her and didn't say a word. "I'm an old friend." She finally confessed. Inej took down her masked, looking into the soft face of a women that wasn't a day older than they were. The Suli girl looked back to Kaz, who obviously had no intention in clearing the situation, so she turned back to
Y/n. "Who are you?" She asked again, slowly.

"They tell me I'm a god." Y/n smiled sweetly.
Inej understood immediately. Only one person in the entire barrel would answer to the question with that. Inej wasn't sure if she actually existed or if it was just a rumour, but now she stood in front of her.
"Let her go, Wraith. She's on our side."
"I'm on no side, Kaz." Y/n said, finally being freed from Inej's dagger.
"Well who would've thought Kaz actually has friends we don't know about." Jesper laughed, packing away the gun he held towards her. "She's not my friend." Kaz assured. Y/n laughed.

"Hell I am. He just can't get rid of me."
"I did, for seven months." Kaz smirked slightly.
"Oh come on, Brekker. I had a job, you don't get to take the credit for my absence."
While Kaz sat down at his table, Jesper held up his hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet someone who can get Mister Hardfeelings to smirk. My name is-" She took his hand.  "Jesper Fahey. I know. And you're Inej Ghafa. I'm Y/n. That's it, nothing more to me."
Inej looked at her in amazement.
"The entire Barrel talks about you. They say you're a saint." She said respectfully.

She turned to Kaz, who still smirked, and laughed loudly.
"I'm not a saint. I don't even believe in them. I don't need saints as long as I'm considered a god. You can't get more respect than that."
Y/n sat down on a small couch, making herself comfortable. "I've looked through the books. Did a bit of your paperwork. Things are going good, Brekker."
Kaz started going through the things Y/n had done. He nodded in agreement. "They are."

"So, are you gonna tell us why you're just casully chatting while we never even knew that the Barrels Goddess even existed, or are you just gonna leave this unaddressed?" Jesper asked, pointing between Kaz and Y/n.
"Get out Jesper." Kaz said, without looking up.
"No further questions asked." Jesper answered, nodding towards the door so Inej followed him.
She did, smiling towards Y/n.
Y/n smiled back. She liked the Wraith. She liked Jesper too. Kaz always trusted the right people.

After the door was closed, Kaz finally looked up again. "You enjoyed me pinned against the wall, huh?" Y/n chuckled. "No, I just had to get back at you for the timeout. You could've at least said something." He turned back to the papers. "Ah damn, don't act all worried now."
Kaz looked up again, holding eye contact to her for a moment. "So Darling, tell me what you've done the last seven months?"