Scenes of Crows

Kanej Scene 1

He took a deep breath in and a stilted, jittery breath out. If he focused on the air, just the air and not how her body made space in it, he could keep himself from hyperventilating. The theory held while the air was still and he started to enjoy the sight of her eyes looking up at his. He counted the eyelashes that obscured her irises and the sheen of oils that made her forehead glisten in the heat. A deep breath in, and another stilted out. He relaxed his body and felt their stomachs touch,their chests tap together.

Her hands came up to his belt, under his coat and her smirk brought humor but her eyes watched him close. He tensed again. His breathing stopped all together and her fingers on his sides pushed him away like a magnet. He stepped backwards out of the box and gasped.

Inej slouched onto the window sill and crossed her arms. He didn't look at her, not while she was watching him. He battled his brain for control and focus.

"Again."

"Kaz–"

"Again." He stepped into the box and pointed, directing her.

She came into his space, her own feet inside the box and the breeze blew through the window and then the air filtered back out. Her scent filled his nostrils and mixed in the gut-clenching revoltion, he felt a need that only she could bring to him. And his heart pounded faster with fury and a clenching ache just below. Her hands came up to his belt, again, under his jacket, and this time, his arms circled around her back. She stiffened. The plan was to hide the knives in his jacket, Kaz's arms should have stayed by his sides. When she stiffened, he retreated.

"Sorry."

"What?" Inej shook her head, shook her ears, sought the air for an echo.

Kaz didn't repeat that word and had nothing else to snuff it from her ears. She blinked at him. He gathered his composure.

"We can find another way."

"No, Inej. This is the way. Now, again."

They came together in the square. She lifted her hands to his belt. She circled around to his back, following his suspenders up. A fire blazed up into his chest and through his cheeks, she turned her head so her ear was flat against his chest, reaching and manipulating the handles. Kaz's hands rose and covered her back, pressing her into him, and her hands stilled.

He knew she could hear his heart so there wasn't any way to hide the effect she had on him. And he didn't want to hide it, or run from it, or give into the flashing memories of cold, spongy flesh. He touched her bare shoulders with his fingertips. The little hairs standing straight up like coarse velvet on expensive furniture. She was richer than any velvet he'd ever touched and warmer than he could have expected. And she moved her muscles, restarting her hands, only they didn't play in the sheaths attached to his back. They ran down his spine and locked in the back.

The door cracked and they fell apart.

"How's the practice coming?" Jesper asked, heavy sacks on his shoulders.

"The sheaths are too tight, I need to stretch them out. It'll be too obvious under his coat," Inej curled her fingers in on themselves and rushed to take something off Jesper's shoulders.

"Throw 'em here, Kaz?" Jesper clapped his hands together, watching Kaz remove his jacket and slip the knife holders off his suspenders.

"Get them how you need them, Inej. We can practice later," Kaz pulled on his gloves and picked up his cane, stepping out into the hallway in the slats.

"So?" Jesper asked.

"I'm not gonna kiss and tell."

"There was kissing?" Jesper grinned, sloppy and sideways.

"Of course not." Inej threw a package of cotton socks at him. "It's a job."

"You're the one that brought up kissing," Jesper needled. Inej shook her head and sat in the cool of the window.