Six of crows imagines

Delusional

Y/N knocked on the door and entered after a distant "Come in" came from the other side. She crouched at the side of the bed. Her head tilted slightly as she studied the fully-awake teen staring back at her. Half his face was consumed by the pillow and his entire body was engulfed in two blankets. Unlike the previous night, he wasn't shaking like he'd seen all his worst nightmares crawl from the harbour.

"How's it going?" she finally said.

His eyes flicked across her face as if searching for the answer within her details. "I think I'm burning up," he mumbled.

She lifted her hand but stopped halfway. "Do you mind?"

His mouth opened, but all that came out was a small choking sound. After a few seconds, he said: "No."

As lightly as possible, Y/N touched the backs of her fingers to his forehead.

"Saints—Kaz, you're on fire," her expression instantly filled with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Um," he murmured. "I can't exactly move."

"You're going to have to be more detailed than that, Brekker," she straightened out.

"I'm weak, Y/N. I'm sick."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Go."

Her face screwed up in confusion. "What?"

"Leave. I can handle myself."

She snorted. "You're funny."

"Usually. Not now, however."

"I'm not leaving you alone when you seem like you could fall out of bed and be incapable of getting yourself back up."

"The floor is cold, anyways. It'd help the fever.."

"Saints, Kaz, would you just shut up and let me help you?"

He looked up at her from staring at the floor. He may have been weak but his facial muscles weren't enough to rid him of the ability to flash his award-winning scowl.

"Why would you feel the need to help me?"

Y/N's mouth dropped open. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You don't need to help me, I am just fine on my own. There is no reason for you to waste your time."

The way Kaz was acting startled Y/N. He was prone to being irritable and quite out of his mind at times but this was a whole new level of ridiculous she was seeing. Why would I feel the need to help him? she thought. It's not like I've known you for nearly three years and nearly a year of that has been spent seeing a side of you no one else gets to see.
"Kaz?"

"Yes, Y/N."

"What day is it?"

"What?"

"What day is it?"
He was quiet as he thought. Kaz always knew the day, even the date.

"Right. That's what I thought." He was delirious. "Another random question—"

His sigh cut her off, but she didn't acknowledge it. The answer to her next inquiry was entirely clear.

"Do you like anyone?"

His gaze snapped to her. She raised an eyebrow when he took too long to answer.

"No. Why would I?"

"I don't mean human-to-human wise. I mean do you fancy anyone?"

"Relationships are not on my priority list, Y/L/N. They get in the way of business and blindside you in your rules related to trust."

Y/N had to pretend to scratch the corner of her mouth to hide the impending smile on her lips. It took strength not to laugh, as well.

Kaz had said the same thing to her before; when she'd admitted her feelings for him. Obviously, things changed, but she wasn't surprised to see his brain regress when under pressure.

"Right. Well. You're not getting rid of me that easily so try to get yourself to move or else the blood will stop circulating to your limbs and then you'll actually be numb and I'll be forced to move you. While you get yourself situated, I'll be getting you food."

"You better not come back."

"You better pray!" she said as she stepped out the door.

Y/N did, in fact, come back, and he wasn't any less irritated by her presence than before. However, after all their hardships, she couldn't be bothered by it. He was like a teenager with an occasional elderly emotional capacity, she just got the brunt of it.

Kaz had managed to get himself upright in the bed, allowing her to place the tray of soup and a glass of water in his lap.

"You don't have to eat it, but at least try to. And drink the water. You're probably dehydrated."

If he was, she didn't get the luxury of knowing.

Y/N and Kaz sat in silence as he worked through the contents at his own pace.

Y/N sat in the chair by the window and watched the birds fly by as well as the people stalking up the street. Kaz watched her. She could feel his eyes and wondered, as she pretended to listen in on a few people outside's conversation, what was going through his mind. It had to be why she cared so much. It also had to be him regressing to before they spoke as more than friends; what he should and shouldn't say to her; what he wanted to say to her. Unbeknownst to him, she's already heard all of his thoughts.

Y/N rested her chin in her palm, fingers curling to below her lip. "The Barrel would be so much more pleasing to the eye if people just hung planters," she mumbled. "I think it's nice already but that's just because it's my home. The more aesthetic a space is, the more attraction it'll gain."

"You should go across the street and tell Pekka Rollins that," Kaz replied. "I'm sure he'd love to hear your suggestions on flowers that'd match the Kaelish Prince's logo."

Y/N snorted and the corners of Kaz's lips quirked. "Dandelions. The white ones, not the yellow. That's the entire list. There's no flower that could make his rotten environment look pleasing. Just weeds."

"Only people like you would know that, though. To everyone else he's merely a business owner."

"Word will get around soon enough," she said, standing and facing him. "They always crumble at one point. I'll be back in an hour or two. Jesper needed me to get some groceries with him. Let me know if you come up with any more flower ideas for Pekka's empire."

The clunk of Y/N's boots against old hardwood halted when Kaz said her name.

He spluttered. "I like you."

The wildest grin grew on her face. She walked toward the edge of the bed again and stood there quietly for a moment, letting him be confused by the obvious glint in her eye.

"I know," she finally said. "We've been dating for a year next month."

Kaz looked like he had been struck.

"You have a very high fever," she continued. "You forgot because your sickness has made you delirious. How did you think I managed to get you into bed and situated last night? How I came into your room and you didn't even think twice about it? Or how I know how to communicate with you?"

His jaw bobbed slightly as his eyes searched hers. Y/N's smile faded into a smirk and she continued towards the door.

"I'll see you in an hour or two, Brekker. Try not to fall out of the bed while I'm gone."