Crows of a Feather

Chocolate Mustache

Kaz

The crows, plus Arken, had finally found a hotel near the fold. The group was both physically and mentally exhausted from their journey. But there was still work to be done. On top of Kaz's list was renting a room for Erine to take a nap in. Poor Inej had to practically piggyback the little girl all the way there. Once inside the hotel, it was busy and crowded, which also meant a lot of noise. That was another reason, just by looking at her ears he was able to tell they were irritated from all of the noise. Kaz knew that crossing the fold must have been excruciating on Erine's ears, and now a noisy pub. He needed to do better.

"Right, Arken, Jesper. Find us a table and order some food, we need to recharge as quickly as possible. Inej with me." he instructed. In no less than five minutes Dirtyhands was carrying a plate of chocolate chip cookies with hot chocolate as Inej carried Erine on her back and a key to a room in hand. The room was small, it had a bed and a vanity with a small window along with a small bedside table with a lantern. It would suffice. The trio walked into the room kaz taking a sit at the vanity setting the plate on the bedside table.

He watched as Inej gingerly set the little girl down on the bed, it seemed on the walk Erine fell asleep. Good, she needs it. Kaz thought as he recalled the past 48 hours. The poor girl probably got only 8 hours of sleep between them. Not nearly enough for a child. He let his gaze linger on the suli girl as she gently ran her fingers through Erinie's ruly raven hair. It was the same shades as Inej's. A beautiful onyx color, so rich and dark that when he saw Inej running from roof to roof her hair looked like oil trailing behind her. Priceless. And though Erine held that color in her hair, the texture was the opposite. Inej had clean, pin-straight, fine hair that looked fragile to touch, Kaz wondered that if he ever ran his fingers through it would her hair break from his touch. While Erine had thick waves and curls, similar to the kind he had when he was a little boy. And while Kaz grew out of his curls, Erine didn't.

Kaz could've spent all day comparing the beauties of the two girls, and a small part of him wanted to. But Kaz ignored that part of him, he always did. The Kerch boy noticed Inej carefully take out the little girl's earplugs, there were specks of red on them, and what might have been dried blood on the inside of her ears. "Kaz..." she called out to him, barely above a whisper. Her eyes widened in panic as she held out the earplugs to him, not moving from Erine's peaceful face as she slept. Kaz stood up harshly, he grabbed the earplugs from Inej shoving them in his pocket. He didn't realize he had also pulled Inej up to standing in the process. " Don't worry about it" he said leading or toward the door "But-" "Go eat some food., replenish your strength-" he tried to get her out of the door but the Suli was stubborn. "Don't" she locked on his eyes. Her gaze was harsh and unforgiving, not the kind and caring he saw Erine receive, the one he wanted to receive. "Don't ever. Push me away from her Kaz Brekker. Or so help me, I will stab you". He felt a surge in his chest, her words had reached farther than most ever had. Part of him was happy to see Inej protect her, another part was jealous. He wanted her protection as well.

He met her gaze with just as much intensity "Keep your blades to yourself wraith" he took a breath "You have my word she will be alright. Now go." it was a request, it was a demand. Luckily she turned around and slowly walked out the door, "Don't get too comfortable down there, as soon as figure out the next move we are leaving" he said. Inej only nodded as she continued on her way. Kaz retreated into the room closing the door. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to relax for the first time in days. It was now only him and Erine, his panther. The way it was all those years ago when he first built his empire. Just the two of them. He had no reason to hide his facade from Erine, she had seen it all. His weak moments, his angry moments. And he had seen hers. Kaz wasn't dirty hands, or the bastard of the barrel, or a dreg, or even a club owner when it was the two of them, he was just Kaz. and she was just Erine.

Kaz walked to her bedside, sitting on the edge of the bed he got a closer look at her red ears. It wasn't the first time they had bled like that. One night Erine came home from being out with blood drizzling down one side of her face, nearly gave Kaz a heart attack, and found the best heart render he could find. He was told she had ruptured her eardrum, one that would heal on its own, but could cause some hearing loss. At least once a year she had one. He knew it wasn't healthy but there was little he could do to stop it, the earplugs were supposed to. It was no surprise the fold caused one.

Kaz took a deep breath as he reached his hand over to the top of her head. He caressed it ever so softly, and he shuddered slightly 'She's not Jordie, she's breathing' he kept focusing on the task at hand. He repeated the motion a few more times before she started to stir and honey met ice. "Katje," he said, gentle as one would to a frightened puppy "Kaz?" she answered even softer. Kaz removed his hand and took another deep breath. "You ruptured an ear drum again, can you still hear me well enough?" he asked. Erine sat up and focused, like really focused. She made a face Kaz recognized as her thinking face, one she made when they were playing their word game. "Think so" she answered. He nodded, that was good he didn't have to get a heart render then. He watched as she looked at the plate on the bedside table. "It's for you Katje, you more than earned it" "Really?" she looked up at him with eyes full of hope. A puppy dog face as people put it. That face made Kaz weak, he let a smile slip through the cracks. "Yes, you were very brave." he laughed internally as he noticed the chocolate mustache on her lips. He lifted his gloved thumb and wiped the mess off her face.

"Come now, 15 minutes to eat in the silence then it's back to work," he said getting up as he went to the vanity, he managed to sneak a new pamphlet in his coat pocket. While she ate he would plot. Just like the old days.

Erine

Now well rested and full of energy, Erine sat next to a less than energetic Jesper, and the goat now named Milo. She had hugged Inej when she left the room assuring her she was all right, and explained that Kaz went to go see if he could gather some information. There was a plan in the making. It was quite funny, a smiling bubbly child and three more or less grimful adults. Arken, who sat in the middle stared at the same new pamphlet and slammed his drink. " The little palace winter fate" he let out a deep sigh "There's just no way he can find his way to the sun summoner without Nina". Erine reached over to the table grabbing a pastry from Inej's plate, she sent Inej an annoyed look. She thought Arken would've figured it out by now, Kaz Brekker doesn't use the word 'can't'. "Especially with this ridiculous party. The place will be crawling with the second army". Erine hated this Debbie downer mood, where was the faith?

' Kaz approached the group taking the seat on the other side of Erine. "We're in Luck," he said. Erine smiled, see faith "There's a good chance we can't still crack on. Now that we're three days travel from the capital, the next play is finding a way into the little palace. It turned out the Kribirsk archives house the little palace blueprints. But..." Kaz had his conniving smirk, a look all the crows knew and loved. "They're kept under lock and key, Far from the prying eyes of the masses." Jesper and Erine cheered, doing their little handshake in celebration. Arken was left confused not understanding the situation. "What does that mean?" he asked the Zemeni boy whose mood had down a 180. " time for a heist" he answered.

After a painfully tearful goodbye to Milo from Jesper the crows were off, finally doing something Erine could look forward to.

A/N little on the short side but it's what I could squeeze in.

soft Kaz, Kanej tension all the things I live for.

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