of snakes & crows || kaz brekker

─ 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚

┏━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┓

[20|| chapter twenty]
the artist and his muse

┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛

━━━━ "KEEP YOUR HANDS to yourself."

Ead felt herself glaring at Kaz with so much fury she was surprised he didn't burst into flames. "I never touch anyone without their consent, dirtyhands."

"Yes, well..."

Ead's eyebrows shot up. "Are you insinuating I forced myself upon Jesper?"

Kaz raised his chin. "You didn't ask for his consent on the train."

Ead's head snapped in Jesper's direction heatedly. "Jesper, if you did not like me kissing you on the train, you would've said as much, yes?"

Jesper didn't look all too happy to be caught in the crossfire. "Er, yeah. It was heat of the moment. Asking sort of ruins it."

Ead crossed her arms.

"Besides, E owns my body."

Kaz curled his lip at Jesper as she groaned.

"Jesper is a bad example," Ead huffed. "But I am very capable of controlling the hands attached to my body, thank you very much. However, we are currently here to play the part, and if you do not let me near you, people will begin to ask questions. I am your prized piece."

"I wouldn't say as much."

Ead felt the frustration bubble over. "If you have something to say in regards to anything I have done in the past twenty-four hours, please get it off your chest, Brekker, because the second we step through those doors you are Ivanovsky and I am Tulla. I will grasp you by the arm and you will smile like I am the sun summoner herself. Go on, have at it, but get it over with— time is ticking and it's not in our favor."

Kaz's mouth pressed into a firm line and their heated gazes stayed locked together without fail for longer than they should've. He turned away and held out his arm cautiously. Ead glanced at Jesper momentarily, slightly surprised that he would give in so quickly, before slowly and carefully hooking her arm through his.

There were many layers between their skin, all mainly his. Ead's shoulders, neck, and collarbones were exposed and so were her forearms, but she wore lacy white gloves to add to the costume she currently wore that reached all the way to her elbows. They were frilly and thin, but if she accidentally touched the small sliver of flesh that showed every time Kaz shifted he'd feel the lace first, and she'd retreat before he could feel more. She was annoyed with him beyond belief, but it didn't mean that she was going to use anything against him.

          Though she locked herself onto him the way a doting lover would, she attempted to keep the space between them great enough that the fresh air of Kribirsk flowed freely between them. Kaz's breath hitched slightly despite all of her precautions, so she let him take a few moments to process it.

This was the closest someone had ever been to him as far as she knew— well, unless they were absolutely handing his ass to him fist to face.

"Whenever you're ready," She said softly. "Your leg alright?"

Their eyes met briefly before he nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yes. Let's go."

Ead instantly cut her steps in half so it seemed she was struggling to keep up with every large stride he took, her eyes wide and her mouth formed into a stupid circle to show her amazement at the building around her. She could see Kaz force a smile onto his face out of the corner of her vision, and the absolute pain that radiated through his eyes as he did so seemed more unsettling than anything.