✨ DARK PARADISE ✨ Kaz✖️OC.

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

S&B season 2 announcement & I nearly cried seeing my baby Wylan on screen for the very first time 🥲 he's too precious & perf to be Wylan Van Eck 🧡

Specht had been hovering around, trying to think of something clever and romantic to say to Inej. If only Inej's eyes were blue like Nina's or green like Aeolian's. Instead, her eyes were brown—melted chocolate brown? Rabbit fur brown?

"Just tell her she's got skin like moonlight," Rotty had said. "Girls love that."

But the weather was not cooperating. There was no moon tonight, only thick grey skies above. Maybe he could compliment Inej's laugh? Except he'd never heard her laugh. He wasn't very good with jokes either. He and Inej only ever exchanged a few words before she left Ketterdam but she had been the best part of the Dregs. He thought he'd never see her again, and his heart felt heavy, but she'd return with Aeolian's mother and now they were all headed to Ravka. So without further delay, he needed to finally tell her how he truly feels.

"Spill..." Aeolian spoke as if she could read his mind, Specht stiffened. The Shu girl do have a way with words, she could help but they weren't close and it felt awkward. It's for inej. He told himself.

Specth cleared his throat, "how do you compliment someone with brown eyes?"

A sly smirked passed Aeolian's face, she's bewitching, he couldn't deny that but she wasn't his type. She has way more tricks up her sleeves than the magicians at the Stave. "Inej..." she mumbled.

He swallowed hard, she had a way of reading people too like Kaz. "What rhymes with brown?"

"What do you think?" She raised a perfect brow.

"Tree bark?" He asked.

She almost laughed, "darling Inej your eyes are as brown as tree bark?"

It was stupid when he heard Aeolian say it out loud, how could he tell Inej that. The day he joined Kaz's crew, Inej was the one who brought him breakfast at Kooperom and when Specth thanked her, Inej had smiled and he was lost. He knew his cause was hopeless. Even if she'd had any interest in him, he could never afford to buy her indenture from Haskell, and she would never marry unless she's free. But it hadn't stopped him from dropping by to say hello or to bring her little gifts of sweets. It was cheap, but it had seemed to please her.

Then after her trip from Ravka, her indentured was paid and she left the Dregs for good. Specth had thought about that moment when he'd lost the best thing in his life, and with each passing day, the hopes of her ever returning to Ketterdam had diminished. But then fate brought her back to Kerch, and he knew that if he didn't tell her his feelings now—there'll not be a next time.

His thoughts were interrupted by Aeolian's hand on his forearm. "Don't waste another moment thinking about it, just go to her."

Aeolian was right, he shouldn't waste his time thinking about it anymore. Instead, he should put his thoughts into action. For saints sake even the cold and impossible Kaz Brekker was able to open up, he had seen Kaz and the Shu princess together at Fifth Harbour, the day they sailed off from Ketterdam and it was a sight. Finally he nodded, "thank you princess."

Aeolian smiled to herself as Specht left in search of Inej. Brown eyes? She thought, who'd have ever thought she'd like brown eyes. Not until she met the scariest person walking the streets of Ketterdam with brown eyes. She'd seen something in his eyes that the others couldn't. In those earthy hues was his soul, not in the way of those cheesy romance novels, so obsessed with lust, but with the kind of beauty that expands a moment into a personal eternity, a heaven you wish to be a part of.