#inej ghafa fanfic

[talesofesther]

between shadows

Inej Ghafa x Reader

Summary: You tend to show up at the most inopportune times; yet Inej always hopes you do.

A/N: Just a small thing for me to try my hand at writing for her; also because I've been insanely busy, but hopefully next week things go back to normal. I hope it's somewhat good anyway. Requests for her are open. <3

Masterlist

It was a stormy night in Ketterdam, though the rain pouring down from the skies did nothing to soothe the havoc of the town. Bars and clubs were filled to the brim with gamblers, drinkers, and dancing girls; music mixed with loud voices and the occasional gunshot.

Inej moved with the shadows, skipping between alleyways and away from the street lamps; destination fresh on her mind.

She headed for a merchant's house; recently bought by a man who came from across the sea, blissfully unaware of what he was getting himself into. The perfect opportunity for a job. Especially when he's in the possession of the papers that hold the information about when and where the next ship holding his cargo would arrive. Easy money.

The mansion stood proudly by the end of the street, illuminated by the one faint light on the porch and partly hidden by tall trees.

It looked like no one was home. Perfect.

Inej made her way in through a window on the second floor. Her feet with the weight of a feather made no noise at all as she stepped foot into the house. The room she was in seemed to be an office of sorts; with a large wooden desk in front of a tall bookshelf and a red rug under her feet.

She made a beeline for the desk, opening drawer after drawer in search of the documents.

Until she found one that had a lock on it. She smirked. So predictable. Picking the lock was child's play, and sure enough, the papers were there.

"Long time no see, Inej."

The Suli girl was quick to draw one of her blades upon hearing the voice, briskly turning around to see who else was there. Though she had an inkling already.

You emerged from a dark corner near the door, the black of your clothing blending with the darkness and a teasing smile playing on your lips as your face remained half-hidden by shadows.

Inej huffed indignantly, lowering her blade but not putting it away. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same, no?" You clasped your hands behind your back as you chanced a step closer to her. "For all we know, this could be my house."

"I know the house is not yours," Inej rolled her eyes half-heartedly.

You hummed, "yeah, it's not."

"Why are you here then?" She pressed again. Taking hold of the papers she came for before following your lead and closing the gap between you just a step more.

Honestly, Inej is not sure what your deal is most of the times she bumps into you, or who you work for — if you work for someone at all. What she knows is that you're always showing up when you're not supposed to.

"Maybe I had a… guess," your lips hovered as you came to stand before her, the moonlight being your friend and casting a silver glow over Inej; you could see the shining of her brown eyes, the few loose wisps of her black hair. "That you would come here as well," you finished in a lower tone.

Inej frowned, her eyes looking you over against her own volition. She could almost hear the way her heart rate picked up; in the quietness of the dark room, she wondered if you heard it too.

You raised a hand to her, tentative, almost timid in a way that didn't seem like yourself; "maybe I just wanted to see you again," your fingers brushed her cheek when you pushed away a rogue strand of her hair.

And Inej hated the way that her breath got clogged up in her throat; that all she could see, feel and hear was you.

She found it in herself to clear her throat and avoid your eyes. "Stop with the games."

You shook your head, running your tongue over your bottom lip, "no games, everything I tell you is always the truth."

Inej snapped her gaze back to you, trying to keep herself impassive as her breath ran shallow. "Then, that night, when you-"

There was a sudden creaking outside, the main gate being opened. Both you and Inej glanced towards the window, where you could see the silhouette of a man walking the gardens outside.

"I suppose that's our cue," you quipped, taking hold of Inej's arm and sneaking your fingers down to her hand.

The touch raised goosebumps through Inej's skin. You tugged her closer, stealing a kiss on her cheek before looking into her eyes one last time; "I'll see you around, Inej."

Before she could get a word in, you were already out the window and nowhere to be seen. Inej stood glued to the floorboards, her heart trying to leap from her chest in order to follow you.

She gulped, gentle fingers coming up to touch the place on her face your lips had just kissed. Only then did she notice that the papers she had been holding in her hand were gone.

"You're insufferable," Inej chuckled to herself, before sneaking out the window with the mission to find you first next time around.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keeps me motivated to continue posting here, so I’d appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment if you want. <3

Inej’s taglist: @milkiane @bookfrog242

#inej ghafa x reader #inej ghafa imagine #inej ghafa #inej ghafa x fem!reader #shadow and bone #grishaverse #inej ghafa x you #shadow and bone x reader #six of crows #imagine #fanfic #fluff #angst #inej ghafa fanfic #amita suman #my story

[bytaylorswift]

an unwilling shadow.

pairing: inej ghafa x fem!reader summary: when dirtyhands’ most trusted spider returns to ketterdam, his new informant seeks to size up her predecessor. word count: 1.06k

y/n’s always been very aware of the standard she has to live up to.

kaz brekker didn’t seem to trust a person more than he trusted inej ghafa. his wraith, his spider, his friend.

but now the girl's away at sea, freeing indentures and being a hero, kaz brekker needs a new informant.

kaz never called y/n his spider. it was something she felt grateful for, but it didn’t stop others from doing so. and as much as y/n - and kaz - tried to ignore it, the impact of the words still seeped into the roof she perched on, the crates she hovered behind, the windowsills she scaled.

and the pressure was getting to her.

y/n had slit one too many throats. scraped one too many injuries. missed one too many messages. all thanks to her getting in her own head about inej ghafa.

and so, when her inside man from fifth harbor informed her that a young suli woman, small and silent, was to arrive in ketterdam that morning, y/n knew this was her chance to scope out inej.

she did not realise inej was going to be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

y/n almost bailed right there and then, from where she lingered in the shadows at fifth harbour, too stunned to move. and then inej began to slip through the crowds and she remembered why she had come in the first place.

she tailed the girl through a number of alleyways, learning her pacing, the moments at which she'd speed up or slow down or melt away into the shadows.

and when she had begun to learn inej's pattern, she allowed herself to seep into the open. y/n timed the moments right; the flash of her jacket showing when inej's eyes darted to the left, scuffing her shoes when she paused to listen for followers, crossing wide around corners and matching every change in inej's pace.

and so when y/n followed inej around yet another corner and the girl was nowhere in sight, she knew her plan had worked perfectly. she stopped dead still in the middle of the alleyway, fighting away a smile and dragging her eyes across the rooftops to try and glimpse the wraith.

knives were unsheathed from behind her and y/n whipped around to find inej stood directly in front of her. she had no idea how she managed that.

y/n felt something in her chest flutter as their eyes met. and then inej’s gaze sharpened.

“you’ve been following me.”

y/n bowed her head forwards ever so slightly, holding her hands up in surrender.

“you caught me.”

y/n couldn’t help but hide a smile at the glint of triumph in inej’s steady gaze. inej straightened up and as her long dark hair fell over her shoulder, y/n felt the same fluttering in her chest.

“here’s a tip: if you want to follow someone without being caught, you need to-” inej trailed off as a smirk slipped onto y/n’s lips.

inej’s shoulders slumped slightly but she maintained the hard look in her eyes. “you wanted me to notice you.” she realised aloud.

y/n shrugged a little. “maybe i wanted to meet your pretty face.”

“i wish i could say the same.”

inej's eyes widened as she realised what had slipped from her mouth. she hadn’t meant the girl didn’t have a pretty face too, simply that she wasn’t intending on any spontaneous meetings on her trip to ketterdam. but the damage was already done.

“you’ve a mean tongue, inej.” y/n winced.

“what business?” she demanded, willing away the warmth in her cheeks.

"no business, just curiosity." inej's eyes narrowed at that, but y/n continued. "your reputation precedes you."

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"it means i'm your-"

“-inej,” a rough voice cut the air, and y/n had to force back a sigh at her boss's timing. “i see you’ve met my new informant.”

inej’s eyebrows shot up, barely, the only sign she was surprised at that information. but y/n was watching her so closely she could see every morsel of expression in her face.

kaz's cane hit the ground as he settled a few feet away. neither one had heard him approaching. although, y/n wondered if she hadn't heard him because she was simply distracted by inej.

“i have.” she replied, matter of factly, in such an endearing way that y/n couldn’t bring herself to be mad.

"this is y/n." he introduced, tilting his head to indicate the girl.

"that's why you were following me, y/n?" y/n thought her name sounded like honey on inej's lips. "were you sending someone to spy on me, kaz?"

"always good to know what you're matching up to." y/n answered before kaz could, with a shrug. "no spying. well, none beyond the spying i did do."

inej's expression gave nothing away. kaz's eyes narrowed at her then, and she felt the urge to shrink away, knowing what was to come next.

"y/n, my dear, when were you going to tell me inej had arrived?"

"i was just on my way to the crow club." she chimed back, not convincing herself let alone kaz, but he surprisingly let it slide.

"we should get back to the club. we have business awaiting."

inej bowed her head to him, then looked to y/n. a flicker of delight and amusement crossed her face as she tilted her head to y/n too and then turned away into the shadows to head to the crow club.

the quiet creaking of a drainpipe - only heard due to the deafening silence between dirtyhands and his informant - indicated that inej had turned to the rooftops for the remainder of the journey to the crow club.

neither y/n or kaz moved nor said a word. and then, when y/n felt like enough time had passed for her to continue after inej, her boss's voice sounded out.

"y/n."

there was an unfamiliar tone in kaz's voice that jolted y/n. it almost sounded like genuine, friendly amusement.

"were you flirting with my wraith?"

there it was again. the genuine, friendly amusement.

kaz was biting back a laugh as y/n's face flushed violently red and she craned her head up to look at the rooftops to see if the other girl was still hiding away in the shadows.

"kaz brekker."

"yes, y/n?"

"i am going to murder you."

a/n: okay so originally i thought this was really cute but now i’m starting to think it’s not. let me know what you think! all i know is inej is the love of my life and she deserves far more love than she gets on here.

#inej ghafa #inej ghafa x reader #inej ghafa x you #inej ghafa imagine #inej ghafa fanfic #the crows #amita suman #knife wife #soc #six of crows #six of crows imagines #six of crows x reader #i feel like inej is too underrated and no one’s gonna read this #kaz brekker #kaz brekker needs therapy

[neptune-scythe]

Inej fic is done!

do me a solid and give it a read

(featuring the song it was named after ^)

#grishaverse #six of crows #inej ghafa #the wraith #grishaverse fanfiction #six of crows fanfiction #inej ghafa fanfiction #grishaverse fanfic #six of crows fanfic #inej ghafa fanfic #kanej fanfiction #kanej fanfic #ao3 fanfiction #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #ao3 link #Spotify

[writing-havoc]

im so glad u take request for inej! i had two scenarios in mind choose whatever you wish with the dialogues u see fit. truthfully i love your writing so i want u to not restrict yourself to my ideas and just write what flows in your mind 🥰

enemies to lovers/friends with the prompts ❝there are some things worse than death. would you like to see them?❞ and ❝i’ve seen what ‘bad’ looks like. you’re one of the good ones, trust me.❞

a scenario where inej and reader are doing a mission together ❝i got blood on my dress. i really like that dress.❞ and ❝i killed him but, now there’s a mess. ❞

Promise

♡ Summary: You find a way to be there for Inej after a job goes sideways

♡ Pairing: Inej Ghafa x reader

♡ Fandom: Six of Crows, Grishaverse

♡ Warning: Blood, Death, says the word cock once

♡ WC: 2.7k

Hi hi hi! Sorry this took a while. I had to go back and reread some of Inej's chapters to get a better feel for her character.

This turned out to be less so enemies to friends and more so annoyances to friends? I hope that's okay! I went along the lines of the first prompt you gave me <3

Please excuse and spelling or grammar errors.

Hope you like it <3

∘₊✧──────────────────✧₊∘

The sudden whistling of a Ravkan tune nearly sent Inej's soul hurtling into the arms of her saints. The pitch was nowhere near close to the actual song, the notes either too high or ridiculoudly low. She's surprised she even recognized it against the chaos.

"We're supposed to be watching silently," she hissed, eyes flickering to your figure, "not alerting them to our very position."

"Yeah but it's too quiet up here." You sigh, voice low compared to your brash tune. "Gives me the creeps."

She gritted her teeth. 'The creeps' her ass. That's the entire point. You have to watch and gather information and you can't do that if you're being loud and telling them they're being spied on. Being quiet is Inejs skill, and if that gives you the creeps then you ought to just leave now.

She tells you just as much, to which you respond with. "I'd rather not deal with Kaz" before whistling the tune again, only this time significantly quieter but just that much more inaccurate.

Inej reflects on her life to try and pinpoint the exact moment that she was sent barreling in this direction, doomed to die of annoyance by your bored hand. Every choice effects how you will lead your life, there must have been at least one that landed her here.

Maybe it's a test sent by her saints. If she can just tolerate you for a little longer without sewing your mouth physically shut, then that's a win on her part, a reassurance that she has a chance of taking her place among them by the time her death rolls around.

She begins counting, but it doesn't help as it only makes her more aware that the tune you're now humming is incredibly off beat.

The target she was searching for made himself known, skittering by the windows in almost a rush. He wasn't frantic, no, just a little jittery. He was probably high, now that she watches him wipe at his nose aggressively and click his jaw around. Makes this all the more easier.

"Be quiet. Do we need to go over the plan again?" She asks, well aware of how she sounds. But you just always seem to get under her skin.

You rolled your eyes. "No. I remember." The knife at your hip makes a dull and satisfying scrape sound as you take it out of his sheath. "I take the window you take the emergency roof exit."

"No, I take the window, you take the roof."

"That's what I said." Before she can say anything, you push off the edge of the roof with a force she would like to think is humanely impossible, and you send yourself to the roof. She hears only a singular pebble become displaced before your advancing in a low run to the door.

Why do you have to be like that?

Inej doesn't have a problem with you as a whole, per se. You just always somehow find a way to say exactly what she needs to hear to make her body start boiling. Getting the plan wrong is a serious threat to her safety and yours.

She knows you're joking. You would have asked for further clarification if you were really confused. You're no idiot. But still, why?

Settling herself just to the left of the window, she peeks around and starts cataloging.

The target is behind his desk, lanterns lit in pretty much every corner of the room that it's a wonder there's any shadows at all. The door to the hallway is wife open, and a bathroom directly across from where Inej is sitting is cracked faintly.

Her fingers feel along the bottom of the window. They're unlocked.

Stupid man.

She waits, listening harder than she probably ever has before, for the telling sound of a door opening. Faintly, she hears something unlock, and then rusty gears grind open for no more than a moment before they're shutting again.

The man behind the desk doesn't notice anything amiss, even though the emergency hatch had to have echoed inside the house, and just keeps pacing. He looks a little thin. His cheeks were beginning to sink in and his eyes had very dark bags underneath them. If he opened his mouth his teeth were probably one good tug away from coming out.

Inej waits three, four, five seconds, and then thrusts the window open. At that exact moment you bound in the room soundless, closing the door behind you.

The man is startled shirtless, a scream nearly escaping his throat until she runs up and clamps a hand over her mouth, dagger poking his throat.

"Not a sound." She hisses.

You draw the curtains to the windows, turning down a few of the lanterns to avoid shadows. A few of the windows have drop down blinds that you quickly make use of.

"Do you understand me?"

The man nods, very shaky.

She slowly removes her hand, but keeps the point of the knife directly touching his neck, right over his pulse point. His hands are out to his sides, his boney fingers decorated in rings fit over his knuckles but don't hold to the meat of them

"Wh-whatever you want. Take it. It's all yours. I-I won't tell a soul if you please just let me-" he whimpers as you come up behind him, your own knife dancing along his waist. His suit jacket is tailored for what his body once was, and his button down is puffy at the seam of his pants.

"Oh, we'll take. Don't you worry. But we want some answers as well."

His eyes widened at that, adams apple bobbing as he swallowed his own saliva. "Answers?"

"Your slaves." Inej growled. "Where do you keep them?"

That got him squirming. You moved out of the way, Inej walking forward forcing him into his own office chair. Every breath he exhaled felt like it clung to her skin, creating a layer of filth she'll never wash off. You stroll around the room, sifting through various documents and trinkets.

Kaz has you looking for something while Inej is here for matters a little more personal, but no less important to Kaz. She's thankful that he's as understanding as he is about this.

The man doesn't talk, just breathes heavily with a sort of fearful resignation behind his eyes. She grits her teeth, then pushes her knee into the meat of the man's inner thigh, next to his grossly hard cock. She refuses to touch it, and drives the point of her knee deeper and deeper until he squirms and yells with pain.

She reaches up, holding the man's shoulder down with one hand, driving her thumb into the space above his collarbone and between his shoulder and neck. He winces further, and yelps when her dagger makes a shallow cut across his cheek.

"There are some things worse than death." Her voice is deep and thick with anger. She releases her hold on his neck as she places the dagger back to his artery, and takes out another and holds it just barely against his pants. "Would you like to see them?"

Tears escape his eyes as he begins to cry. "Please. Please! I dont want to die!"

"And these girls and boys don't want to be sold to whoever has the most kruge." She pits just a fraction more pressure on his pants. And he grits his teeth, hands gripping the arms of his chair. "Where, are you keeping them?"

At that moment you find what you're looking for, making a small noise of triumph as you take something made of metal and something made of paper and stow them away.

You walk up to her, and whisper in just barely above the sound of a bees wing flap and say, "Might want to get the answer a little faster. I dont know for how much longer his guests will stay passed out."

When you pull away, there's a cheeky grin on your lips. She gives one back, keeping up the act.

As annoying as you can be, Inej trusts you and your judgement. If you say hurry up, then she ought to do just that.

"Times running out. Tell me the location, or several of your extremities will be taken with me as a prize."

As she says the words she's not sure if they're an empty threat or not.

It's a little scary how his eyes begin to widen, taking on a bit of a mad look. Something in him shifts entirely, and he begins talking with a conviction she hasn't seen in a long time.

"I do as Ghezen wills it, it is within my right under his hand that I satisfy him in whatever way possible. These people are lucky to be serving him, and I will not take away that gift from them!"

He reaches up, grabbing her arm. She goes to push against his neck harder, but not puncture. But, he follows the momentum, and drives the dagger right into his neck.

Shock takes over, as he sinks it just a bit further, and then rips it out. Blood shoots from his neck, spraying her clothes and making crimson freckles across your face.

Chaos ensues, several pairs of footsteps bounding up the hallway and banging on the door. The man grabs at his throat, tearing the hole wider till it pours out of his body in waves.

"Inej, we have to go." You tug at her, helping her as she stumbles for merely a moment before she kicks herself into gear.

She sprint out of the window, feeling as you tail behind her. The sound of wood breaking apart and spraying across the floor resonates in her ears, horrified gasps and shouting following after.

By the time she truly comes to and processes what happened, shes back at Slat, your eyes never leaving her until she drops out of eyesight.

--------

Death is a funny thing. Not actually, but it can become funny when you take into account how people did it.

She recalls stories of how people were killed whilst on the toilet, shit still in the bowl. That's kind of funny. There was this one about a merchant who slipped on the peel of a fruit and cracked his skull open. That's comical, and was something she's sure she's seen in children's stories without the death part. And there's another one about a man who was convinced he could swallow an entire live mouse, and choked on it as it tried to claw its way up his throat. That one's not as funny, but it does give her a disbelieving grin everytime it pops up.

This? Was not funny.

Inej has killed before, obviously, and everytime she does she gets that little voice in the back of her mind that tells her she's never going to take her place with her saints. That she'll never make her penance in time before it's time for her saints to make final judgement on her soul.

The little voice, of course, is always pushed down and away. It has placed its fear rightfully, and that knowledge becomes dangerous if dwelled on for too long.

Tonight? It was louder than ever.

She was used. She was seen as a weapon and used as one, a slaver using the blade in her own hand- no, using the hand that held her blade to slit his own throat.

The smell of blood is still caked to her clothes and skin, the feeling of his filthy breath still plaguing her body even after a thorough wash. She scrubbed her skin until it was angry and red and yet. Yet.

"Hey."

Inej looked behind her, and almost let out an exhausted sob when she saw it was you. She turned her body forward again, electing to ignore you.

She doesn't know why she's acting this way. It's unnecessary and is only going to create conflict but you're just so... you.

You make her want to leap at you and put her hands around your throat. You make her want to braid your hair because it's just so damn messy sometimes and pat down the lose strands with water and pins. You make her want to throw herself off the tallest bridge in Ketterdam and look up to see if you'll smile or follow.

You take a seat next to her, keeping at least a foot of distance. Surprisingly, you say nothing, and just wing your feet.

The smell of blood is strong on you as well. Your skin still has a slight red tint in a few places were the blood splatters had dried and couldn't be taken out off without vigorous scrubbing.

She wants to take a wet rag and wipe you down.

"How are you feeling right now?" You ask.

She takes in a deep breath, hating that you asked that instead of "are you okay?" because now she actually has to think. Has to find a way to put it all together into something that's fluid and measurable.

In the mean time, she hums, staring in front of her at the lights decorating the colorful city. The bell struck twelve not too long ago.

"I feel... conflicted."

You take a moment, and then lean forward. Your elbows touch your knees and you stare at her for answers.

"I made my peace with taking lives a long time ago. Often, it is a necessity. This time its..." She searches the horizon. "It wasnt. And now I dont know where those girls and boys are anymore than I did yesterday."

"He is not the only slaver in Ketterdam. He sure to have a list of suppliers and buyers within his office that could tell us where he keeps them." You lean back a bit, shifting to get a better look at her. "He was a very naïve man, I'm sure someone knows something."

"That's the dilemma. He deserved what came to him. But I didn't do it. And yet my hand was used to achieve his goal. It feels..."

Irredeemable. Like she can't make any sort of penance because she didn't commit the act, yet her hand is drenched in his blood.

She feels a soft poke in her arm, and she turns to you to see the barest of smiles on your cheeks. "I don't know if it's what you need to hear. But I've seen what 'bad' looks like. You're one of the good ones, trust me. Not everyone would have courage to do exactly what it is that you're doing now. Bad people dont care the way that you do."

Courage. What she lacks is not courage but the mental tools required for this.

She was entirely unprepared for his reasoning and the devotion that which he showed. How he fully believed he was giving the kids the ultimate gift.

It's sickening. Truly.

Yet, she cannot help but be a little comforted by your words. Your past is no prettier than anyone's in The Dregs. There's enough bad to go around for three lifetimes and still have some left over.

She wants to give her thanks. She reaches out and touches her pinky to yours.

You truly thought that she was only doing good, and it's hard to think otherwise when you look at her the way you do.

"You will get them all, Inej Ghafa, and I hope to be there the day that this world is rid of a certain kind of evil and can breathe a little bit easier." You curl your pinky around hers, and she does the same.

"I'll be watching for you."

"You won't have to look very far."

And by all the saints above, she believed you.

#six of crows x reader #six of crows fanfic #fanfic #anon #inej ghafa x reader #inej ghafa x you #inej ghafa x y/n #inej ghafa fanfiction #inej ghafa fanfic #ask #inej ghafa imagine #grishaverse fanfic #grishaverse fanfiction

[lesbianjackies]

🔪inej ghafa masterlist🔪

key: ❤︎︎ - fluff, ☁︎︎ - angst, ★ - smut

coming soon!

#inej ghafa x reader #inej ghafa x you #inej ghafa x y/n #inej ghafa fanfiction #inej ghafa fanfic #inej ghafa fic #inej ghafa

[finnicks]

( fic ) singing like a bird

singing like a bird

six of crows | inej/kaz; teen; 131 words Kaz confesses his love for Inej and enjoys her embarrassment.

#kanej #kaz x inej #inej x kaz #kanej fic #kanej fanfic #kanej fanfiction #kaz brekker fic #kaz brekker fanfic #kaz brekker fanfiction #inej ghafa fic #inej ghafa fanfic #inej ghafa fanfiction #kaz brekker x inej ghafa #inej ghafa x kaz brekker #six of crows fic #six of crows fanfic #six of crows fanfiction #userjaded #my fic #*mine #3 sentence fic #one of my favourites

[nep4o4]

To temp our luck - A ‘Six of Crows’ fanfiction

Inej's and Kaz's first real kiss. That's it. That's the story. Also posted to AO3. English isn’t my first language.

Kaz Brekker didn’t like when someone touched him. At least, that was the conclusion Inej had come to during the years of their friendship.

However, this is probably an understatement at some level. If she can remember correctly, since they'd been talking, she'd never seen him touch anyone - at least, not without his gloves on. She didn't know the reason, and she didn't ask because everyone had their own secrets, but lately she had become more and more interested in what was going on with Kaz. More specifically, from the moment they started getting closer.

To be exact, even closer than before

In fact, she owed a lot to him. He'd rescued her from the Menagerie and taken care of her – it seemed strange, but it was the truth. Kaz was one of the few people in her life she could trust without any problem. She felt like she could tell him all her secrets, and he would keep them safe - even the little problems in her life, as her best friend, he would listen to everything she had to say. He’d even help her in any way he could.

The only thing that really bothered Inej about this was the fact that there was no real trust between them. She knew practically nothing about the black-haired boy who was also his boss. Sometimes she felt that it was all that existed; the work relationship.

But in the meantime, not really because... because to her, Kaz wasn’t Dirtyhands, the Bastard of the Barrel, the cruel young man who would do almost any terrible thing for enough money. She had always saw him as a friend. But she hadn’t. In fact, it wasn't quite true. She thought of Jesper as a friend, the other boy meant so much more to her.

But her other problem was that Kaz didn't see her as... as she saw him. To the boy, she'd always been an investment, someone he'd rescued from the Menagerie, and after that, a person who used her perfect hiding skills for missions. Well, they spent a lot of time together, talking, making plans. Plus, Inej was the only person in the Barrel that the boy had told some important things but, well, it seems that it wasn't enough for her.

At least, that's how it seemed for a while, then some things changed; the boy didn't act so distant anymore, he initiated her in more and more things. He never told her what had happened to him that caused a normal relationship between them to be basically non-existent, but there was a spark between them - though Inej feared it might disappear at any moment.

However, it didn’t seem like it wants to disappear. In fact, the spark, which was initially barely smoldering, slowly turned into some kind of fire that was insecure yet shiny. The most interesting thing about this was that it didn't want to fade at all. Inej wondered when it would all grow into a bonfire that would provide comfort for both of them.

Probably never, but she hoped.

“What are you thinking about?” Kaz's hoarse voice broke the silence in the tiny office.

Inej turned back, taking her eyes off the crows hopping in front of her as she fed them. She was sitting in the window, which had become a habit of her. She had a much better view of the street, she noticed things she didn't normally see. It was much easier for her to look for little things like two men whispering, and from that moment, following them seemed easy.

Then again, Kaz didn't really like when she did that. Not the spying part, the birds part. He always told her to stop, because that way the crows would be used to them, they’d smearing the roof and the thin but comfortable ledge. Needless to say, after Inej continued to care for the birds, the boy gave up. In fact, two weeks later, a large bag of birdseed was waiting for her in the corner of the tiny, dark room.

Kaz didn't say a word about it. Nor did Inej. Both of them acted completely natural, as if it had been there for years and hadn't just showed up there for some mysterious reason.

She looked up, feeling the other's gaze on her back. She'd completely forgotten the thing Kaz had just asked her, so now she just blinked, trying to remember what they’d been talking about earlier. For some reason she couldn't recall it, instead she was completely lost in the boy’s coffee-colored eyes – something that had happened to her an alarming number of times over the past few weeks.

“I asked you what you were thinking about,” the black-haired boy repeated coolly, as if he was disturbed that she hadn't answered him immediately, since she was so distracted. Then, with his next sentence, his voice softened somewhat, and even a faint smile appeared on his lips, impossible as it seemed. “Are you all right?” He asked worried.

Inej did not answer at first. She had no idea what to say; should she tell him what was on her mind, or should she just leave it? There were advantages and disadvantages to both options, but for some reason she didn't want to find them out now. Still, she sighed, prepared to explain – though with Kaz, she never felt like she was explaining herself.

“I was thinking about us” she admitted, expecting him to say, 'there's no such thing as us', but it didn't happen.

Inej looked up. Kaz seemed to be standing a few steps closer to her than before - she could see his brown eyes, his pale face, the tiny scar at the corner of his mouth even more clearly. She could smell the faint scent of tobacco, oranges, and alcohol, which would otherwise have caused a weird feeling for her, but now she only felt butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach.

Then, to her surprise, he smiled faintly. It was one of those rare moments. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she’d seen Kaz happy – or with any emotion on his face. His friend always hid the emotions on his face perfectly, as if he were wearing some kind of a mask. At first he might have seemed cold, but those who knew him better – there were only a few people – knew that it was just a mask, to protect himself from the world.

Inej thought a lot about what had happened to the boy that made him this way, but she could never figure it out. In fact, as she got to know Kaz better, she felt like she knew even less about him than she did when they first met. Somehow, each new piece of information led to some yet undiscovered mystery about his boss.

“You know,” he swallowed, “a month ago, I would have asked you why you were thinking about us. But after what happened in the past, I have to say we have a lot in common.”

Inej couldn't believe her ears for a moment. Of course, she knew, there had been more than friendship between them for a long time; they had almost kissed in a certain bathroom, but... She had not stayed long in the city after that – or even in the country. She finally met her parents, and Kaz even got her a boat to sail around the world for a while, so she rarely returned to Ketterdam.

The sailboat itself looked beautiful in the sunlight, radiating dignity and honor. It’s graceful, slender hull showed a feminine streamline, and it’s flag had a crow on it, which was practically the crest of Kaz's gang, but even that didn't bother Inej. In fact, she was quite happy about everything – her only worry was a small thing, but she forgot about it when Kaz told her about how a certain Sturmhond had gotten her the huge ship. A young pirate captain who had helped a lot to free Ravka during the war.

“You mean...” She couldn't find her voice for the first time in a long time.

“I've thought a lot about you, too,” Kaz shrugged, as if he was making some simple, meaningless statement. Still, the faint blush on his pale skin made Inej feel a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach; she didn't think that he was joking, instead, she knew: Kaz was completely serious.

As much as the black-haired boy’s attitude was out of character, Inej didn't really mind. In fact, she was glad, after all, after a long time Kaz seemed to have let her to get close to him, instead of just making superficial conversation. Dirtyhands, the heavy-handed leader of the Barrel was gone, and all that was left was Kaz Brekker, a young, only eighteen years old boy.

She froze completely as he stepped closer to her, now only inches between them. She could almost smell Kaz's tobacco and orange glow, see the tiny, darker spots in his eyes, the few freckles on his cheeks. The scar on his lip gleamed like a lonely white spot on his skin. Inej almost touched it, but at the last second, she changed her mind. She didn't want to let the moment between them disappear – she was afraid of a repeat of what had happened in the bathroom.

They almost kissed back then. In fact, he had touched her skin, Inej felt his breath on her neck. But then, the moment ended when, after a careless move, Kaz panicked, and pulled away from her. It hurt her terribly to see him like that, but it made her even more upset that she couldn't help him, that she just stood there helplessly.

But now, the situation was completely different. The black-haired one seemed much calmer, a faint smile practically playing on his lips as he leaned even closer. There were only millimeters between them now, their lips almost touching - like a faint breeze. Inej could feel Kaz's slightly shaky but essentially steady breath.

Time stopped when their lips touched. She could almost feel the pounding of her heartbeat. She couldn't focus on anything but Kaz's soft mouth. Then, suddenly, she felt the boy’s gloved fingers smoothing a few strands of hair from her face. The sweet yet bitter scent of his friend wafted into Inej's nose, making the strange but pleasant tingling in her stomach grow even stronger.

The girl didn't know what to do. Should she kiss him back? There must be some way to signal that she was not against the situation, quite the contrary. However, she didn't want to risk it, fearing that she was already playing with his tolerance - or even her own. Still, she finally moved; she raised her hand and gently, almost airily, touched the back of Kaz’s head. The boy, miraculously, did not step back, only flinched slightly, but did not seem disturbed at all.

Then the magical moment ended. Kaz sighed, then very carefully stepped away from her. His brown eyes were glistening, his skin looked strangely greyish, but perhaps it was just the dim lightening in the office. He blinked for a few moments, as if he couldn't believe what he just did, then rubbed the back of his head shyly. Inej couldn't believe her eyes any more than she had before.

“When you asked me what I was thinking, I didn't expect us to come this far.” She had finally found her voice, but she couldn't believe the words she was saying. “Are you all right?” she asked Kaz, who merely nodded.

“I think I managed to surprise myself,” he confessed, and he seemed embarrassed. He looked nothing like his usual self, but Inej didn't mind. She liked talking to this boy, her friend, much more than to Dirtyhands, the notorious criminal.

“I think you've managed to surprise me too.”

Kaz smiled. He really smiled, genuinely, without any coercion or pretense. His face was starting to return to its normal color, and his coffee-tinted eyes were shining with pride. In fact, he deserved to be proud of himself. Inej knew, today would be a huge step forward in their relationship.

“I'd say we could do it again,” she began cautiously, causing him to look at her, perhaps a little frightened, “but I wouldn't want to tempt our luck,” she added.

Kaz just nodded but didn't step back. Instead, he raised his hand again, this time missing the leather glove, and stroked Inej's cheek again. Cautiously, a little tentatively, he reached for her right hand, then laced their fingers together. The boy's hand felt soft, yet somehow strong. The black material he'd worn for years kept the air and various natural phenomena from hurting his skin, so it was surprisingly pleasant to touch.

“What could I say?” Kaz asked, perhaps himself, perhaps Inej. “I like to test myself,” he admitted with a smile, and then turned back to her to press a soft, pleasant kiss to her lips.

#six of crows #six of crows fanfic #kaz brekker #kaz brekker fanfic #inej ghafa #inej ghafa fanfic #kanej my beloved #kanej #kanej fanfiction #romantic fanfic #fluff #first kiss fanfiction #fanfiction #neptune likes to write

[inejdrabbles]

Kaz rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath, returning his attention to the teacup in front of him. Tessomancy, the art of reading tea leaves, was one of the subjects he seemed to find utterly pointless. The swirling patterns in the cup meant nothing to him; he didn't believe in such nonsense. Inej, however, took Divination seriously. It was part of her Suli heritage, a way to connect with the unseen and explore the mysteries of the future. When Kaz dismissed the whole thing with a wave of his hand, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of hurt. She had grown up with stories of the Suli's connection to the natural world, their ability to find meaning in the smallest details. It was a belief system that gave her comfort, and Kaz's disdain seemed almost insulting. She spoke softly, her voice barely audible over the murmurs in the room. "You know, there's more to Divination than just random shapes in a cup," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "It's about seeing beyond the obvious, finding meaning in the chaos."Kaz glanced at her, his expression hardening. "If you say so," he replied, dismissing her words with a flick of his wrist. 

shadow-kissed: Read on AO3

#kanej fanfiction #kanej #kanej fic #kanej edit #kanej hogwarts #kanej harry potter #inej ghafa ravenclaw #inej ghafa fanfic

[thechaoticrow]

for people who haven’t read the shadow and bone/ six of crows books, but have seen the show:

- inej ghafa is a survivor of childhood sex trafficking. she has ptsd and reacts in a panic attack at even walking past the menagerie

- kaz’s trauma isn’t just pekka rollins being responsible for jordie’s death, and waking up on the barge. he had to swim to shore, age nine and barely alive, using jordie’s body as a float

- the darkling has done far worse things than are shown on screen. he is not a ‘lost man’ and alina is not his ‘balance’

- alina was seventeen upon the darkling being nsfw/ romantic with her

- matthias helvar did not lead drüskelle, that was jarl brum- matthias is only just barely an adult himself

- the crows are not their own separate gang, they are part of the dregs, who per haskell leads and kaz takes over from haskell after haskell sold out his lieutenant (kaz) to pekka rollins

- zoya, genya, and alina have personalities outside of either being traumatised or hating each other

- alina never wanted any of the power and fame and idolatry, and in the end of the books is stripped of it all. she is very happy about this

- jesper is a gambling addict and somebody who watched the death of his mother

#feel free to add your own #yes i get that the show is to be treated as a fanfic #but it is at times a poorly written fanfic #that erases and ignores major parts of the characters’ backstories #and what makes them them #six of crows #grishaverse #shadow and bone #shadow and bone season two #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #alina starkov #malina #god i hate darklina #darklina hate space #jesper fahey #nina zenik #matthias helvar #wylan hendriks

[dwyntwo]

Huh, me? Oh, nothing...just thinking about how Kaz Brekker was actually embarrassed when Colm caught him and Jesper fighting.

And how he didn't believe a father would actually go as far as intentionally harming his own child the way Jan van Eck did.

And how Kaz never thinks about his own father (the only instance where it was even mentioned that he was sad about his death was when he rambled about how Pekka Rollins was taking advantage of him and Jordie by being a father figure to "two grieving boys who missed their father"), but his love for him still shows in the way he views and respects fathers in general.

I just... I need fanfics where Kaz is getting parented and pampered by Colm and/or the Ghafas so my heart can heal 😥

#kaz brekker #six of crows #soc #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #colm fahey #someone PLEASE just feed this feral child some soup #and I'm entirely serious about the fanfic lol if anyone knows one like this PLEASE recommend!!

[bubblegumbabycow]

Kaz: Who hurt you? Inej: *snorting* What, do you want a list? Kaz: ...Yes, actually.

#six of crows #soc #six of crows incorrect quotes #soc incorrect quotes #crows #six of crows duology #crooked kingdom #the crows #crow club #kaz brekker fanfic #inej x kaz #kaz #kaz and inej #kaz brekker #kaz dirtyhands brekker #kaz x inej #kazzle dazzle #grishaverse #inej gafha #inej ghafa #inej #inej gjafa #soc inej #sankta inej #kanej

[moonstruck-poet]

His Love Language

Pairing - Kaz Brekker x reader!

Summary - This fic depicts Kaz and the subtle ways in which he shows his love.

Warnings - curse words, injury, wounds, blood, fight.

Kaz Brekker noticed everything. Whether it be someone cheating in a game of cards, enemies tailing him during his walk, or even his crows being unlike their usual selves.

Because he always paid more attention to what a person is doing than what they're saying. Talk may thrill, but action reveals.

He had an eye for taking in the details. It was both terrifying and beautiful.

Terrifying for his rivals of course. He knew exactly what to pull off and how to pull it off for them to go insane.

And beautiful for his love, his one and only. Him having such a knack for remembering the littlest of things helped him immensely in his relationship with you.

Not many people noticed it before, not even you yourself. But as time passed, you learned that his love language were actions. Not physical touches, words of affirmations, gifts and presents. No.

But it was all about those small acts showcased by him that made you fall deeper for the bastard of the barrel. Your heart now always took notice whenever he did the most mundane things for you. It immediately took up its pace and reminded you of the exact reason why it still kept on beating.

Your fellow crows took a hell of time to gather just how deep the love of Kaz Brekker was. But once they did, saints were they both shocked and ecstatic.

All of them had their own doubts when they came to know of your relationship. Nobody was a stranger to the fact that both of you were extremely closed off people. Not opening more than what was necessary, and in the case of Kaz, not opening up at all.

But one look at the way you two understood each other without even having to express, made them believe that you two would make each other happy.

===============================

Dirtyhands had struck another deal with a man named Arken Viking. The plan seemed quite simple, understandable even when it was explained.

And naturally everybody was feeling good knowing that they had a hundred percent chance of survival as it wasn't a difficult mission by any means. It just had a lot of steps that needed to be followed and so all seven of them were heavily involved.

Jesper, Wylan, Kaz and Matthias were waiting for the other girls to arrive. It was the final task of the day and they would then carry on again tomorrow.

Jesper was the one to pace around, unable to sit still in one place. He hated waiting more than anything else. Ask him to put up some money for a gamble? It would be done without wasting a second. Task him with shooting something impossibly far away? He'd have it completed before you could say shoot. But staying put in one place, he couldn't do it.

It was only for Wylan engaging with him that he even sat for ten minutes.

"Where did they go?" He grumbled and finally got up, stretching his legs and walking to stand near the two men who stared ahead, their expressions tight.

"They're late," Matthias muttered, trying his best to hide the worry he felt for a specific one but it was useless, all of them knew about his feelings but him.

"It'll be fine, they'll be here soon," Wylan said, standing next to Jesper and blushing very slightly when the tall boy leaned his shoulder against his and let out a sigh.

"You're sure that there's no danger right, Kaz?" Jesper asked and looked at his boss who didn't look away. His eyes firmly set on the road in front of them.

"Yes," he spoke, sure of himself. But there was this slight, very tiny nagging in the back of his mind that something had gone terribly wrong and he clenched his jaw.

But all of their worries dissipated at seeing the silhouette of three women walking towards them.

Matthias let out a sigh of relief once he saw Nina's bright face, him sending a quick prayer to Djel for looking over the three.

Kaz felt himself lighten instantly, his previously tensed posture relaxed as he saw you looking positively unscathed. His eyes found yours instantly and you sent him a smile, while quickly closing the distance between you two.

"You're late," was all he said, his eyes sweeping over everyone before landing on your figure which was leaning against the wall, right next to him.

"Let us live a little, Brekker," Nina rolled her eyes while Inej shook her head, though she too smirked.

"We were worried," Wylan was the one to speak that was on the tip of everybody's tongue.

"All of you?" She said with a raised eyebrow, looking pointedly at Kaz who merely glared at her sharply.

"Obviously!" Jesper exclaimed. "Now that you're all here, we can finally get some well deserved rest. Kaz let's take a room somewhere, yeah?"

"We can't," he said, turning his eyes away from you, rather unwillingly actually.

"What do you mean we can't?"

"Use your eyes, Jes," Inej said with a teasing smile. "Do you see any shops, hotels or anything nearby?"

"Then where the hell are we sleeping?" Nina said with a incredulous look. "I am not going to lie down in the middle of the street!"

Jesper too looked alarmed at the prospect and whipped his head around to stare at their leader.

"You think I'd let everyone sleep on the roads?"

"Can't put anything past you at this point," she grumbled and you laughed making Kaz give you a disbelieving expression.

"There's a warehouse ten minutes from here, we'll stay there for the night".

All of them groaned loudly at the thought of walking once again but soon started their small journey. And once they had reached the place, Jesper quite literally threw open the doors and scanned the area.

"Clean enough," he shrugged and laid the small blankets they had brought onto the floor. "Good night then," he waved lazily and Wylan followed his lead but not before gazing fondly at him for a few seconds.

"You failed to mention this in you plan, Kaz," Nina shot him a look and dragged her belongings to the corner of the room, accompanied by Inej and Matthias.

"Let's sleep, shall we?" You said softly and he nodded, taking off his coat while you arranged the sheets and removed your shoes, sighing at finally being able to rest.

He laid down himself, his body close to yours so your arms brushed a little. "You're okay, aren't you?"

"I'm all good," you turned your head to face him, taking in his features that you so loved. From his dark brown eyes that softened at your reply to his hands placed in front of him, the pale skin shining under the minimum lighting present.

He gave a curt nod and scanned your face once before closing his eyes, depriving himself of your addictive beauty.

"Night," you whispered and turned on your side, one hand under your head for support and the other lying in front. He didn't reply but instead reach ahead to brush his thumb against your forearm and interlocking your little fingers together.

You smiled, him being the last thought in your mind before sleep overtook you.

The rest of the night passed in peace before it was time for the sunrise. Naturally Kaz, Inej and Matthias were the first ones to wake. The rest were all sleeping soundly and soft breaths echoed in the room.

Kaz was looking over the layout of the building once again, making sure that everything would go on without any problems or worries when suddenly your knee brushed against his.

He stiffened at the contact for a second before turning around to see you pulling your legs up to your chest and curling into a ball. He immediately spotted the goosebumps that littered your arms and an unnoticeable shiver pass through you.

His eyes searched for a spare blanket somewhere but found none as all were used as mattresses for everybody to lay on. A small frown marked his lips as his mind raced and landed on a conclusion.

He took his coat that he had used as a pillow and dusted it before gently putting it over your body. Your curled figure made it easier and he adjusted it, making sure the warm jacket covered you completely.

You involuntarily grabbed the collar, your eyes still shut and cuddled into it.

While he felt himself ease up with satisfaction and he shot you one last look, unable to keep the fondness away from his gaze and returned to check the papers.

Matthias who had been watching the unspoken exchange felt his insides warming up at seeing the cold and distant demeanour of Kaz Brekker melting a little for you.

===============================

Predictably, the heist was successful and no one had expected anything less. In fact, it had gone a little more than satisfactory. They had no troubles waiting for them inside the building and no distractions outside too.

So to conclude, everybody was high on the fact that they had managed to pull it off with such stealth.

They were all given their paychecks when they returned back home.

"Saints," Jesper sighed and lovingly twirled the kruge in his fingers while Wylan unknown to anyone else but you shot tiny daggers at those pieces of money.

You hid your smirk, keeping the check in your pocket and walked over to your friend, "I understand, Wy," you patted his shoulder sympathetically while he became red.

"What do you understand?" He asked hurriedly and avoided eye contact.

"Oh come on," you chuckled. "I know about your not so little feelings. You fancy him, don't you?"

"No I don't," he mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe just a little," he added as an afterthought.

You just brought him in a comforting side hug, quite endeared by the boy and ruffled his already wild hair. "I hate to say it, but he's more oblivious than anyone".

"I know," he groaned in exasperation, resting his head on your shoulder as you were considerably taller than him.

"Planning to steal her from Brekker?" Nina's playful words broke their conversation making the others laugh.

"Who's stealing what from me?" The man himself entered, as usual being perfect in his timing of showing up at the most unnecessary of times.

Wylan immediately removed your arm from his shoulder but Kaz being himself obviously glimpsed it. His expression did not betray anything, it was carefully kept stoic and calm. But he couldn't fool you, there was a reason why he'd let you walk fearlessly into his locked up heart.

His eyes seemed sullen for just a fraction of second. He wasn't reacting on the joke, of course not. He was now used to the crows trying to make him jealous. But rather the thing that had made him feel lost, was touch.

His inability to provide you with every bit of himself was killing him inside. For heaven's sake he couldn't even bear to embrace you without feeling as though he were on the edge and one small step would make him fall deeper into the oceans.

He swallowed and averted his gaze making you stare at him even more, trying to figure out what was bothering him.

You got up from your place and went over to sit in a chair beside him, keeping the distance because you weren't sure if he was okay with the proximity or not. But then he himself shifted his chair, and your legs brushed making him pull away quickly.

"Kaz," you said worriedly, moving back a little. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied and you frowned. He knew very well that you could tell he was being untruthful.

He willed his mind to focus on you rather than his surroundings and took your hand in his, taking a deep breath despite the barrier of his glove.

But it wasn't enough, he felt the strange need to be even closer to you despite his brain screaming in denial. And for the second time in his life, he decided to go with his heart and looked you in the eyes, noticing your evident concern as you approached him cautiously.

He gave his surroundings a quick scan. It was only the seven of them and they were all minding their own business. He made a split decision and started taking the glove off of his right hand.

You didn't say anything, finally understanding that he needed your touch and you were more than happy to provide.

He stopped in his tracks after pulling it off, staring at his pale, vulnerable hand.

"It's okay," you whispered softly, fighting the urge to lean over yourself. "I'm here. It's just you and me. You can do this".

He looked unsure but slowly extended it towards you. It wasn't like he hadn't done it before, he had, but it had been quite a long time ago.

He gently brushed his fingertips over your palm and relaxed when no waters rose. He nudged his little finger with yours and looked up to see you before locking them.

Your face held a small, adoring smile. It was so simple, yet so complex. You squeezed gently once and he returned it instantly making you laugh softly.

He felt strange in a good way, as if he had accomplished everything he wanted when he had only heard the sound of your laughter.

"Okay you two stop your gossiping, it's dinner time," Jesper broke the moment and was rewarded with a threatening glare. He just grinned in return when his eyes fell on a hand, Kaz's hand to be specific and his mouth hung open slightly.

"Never seen a hand before?" Kaz raised an eyebrow and swiftly pulled on the glove.

He looked away, his mind still trying to figure it out as he grabbed the plates.

You stood up from your seat much to Kaz's displeasure who shot a heartbroken look your way that you missed. But Jesper caught on as he was sitting right opposite.

He'd never thought that he would live to see the day when Dirtyhands would look sad like a lovesick puppy. He was debating with himself whether he even saw it happening because the look was gone in less than a second, replaced by his usual dark gaze.

But he was cut off from his thoughts when you smiled at him, keeping a plate of food on the table. "Enjoy".

"Yeah, 'course love".

All of them were now sitting at the table for the first time in months. They just never seemed to have a time fixed that would match everyone's schedule. And for most part, they were all lazy as well.

You were sitting at the corner of the table with Nina at the opposite side, her having every bit of your attention at the moment as she chatted away happily much to the disappointment of the man sitting to your right.

"The cake is great, Nina," Inej complimented her and she gave her a wink in return.

"It is nice," Matthias agreed making the said chef blush despite her smirk.

"Yeah I love it," Wylan smiled brightly.

"Oh damn," you winced as the spoon fell down with a loud clatter, breaking the conversation for a bit before it resumed again.

Inej watched you with amusement, laughing at your resigned expression when you bent down to retrieve it with a sigh. But then her eyes widened in surprise.

Kaz Brekker, the most ruthless man she'd ever met was maybe not that uncaring. She merely watched as his hand went to cover the sharp corner of the table as if it was an everyday occurence.

And you got up, putting the spoon away to take a new one when you stopped mid-action to see a gloved hand had been placed inches above your head that would have definitely rubbed against the edge.

At the moment all that existed for you was the person sitting right next to you. You stared at him blankly, planting holes on the side of his face.

He, sensing it turned to look at you, raising his eyebrows as though to ask, 'What?'

But you just shook your head and offered him a small smile and you swore you saw his lip twitch slightly.

===============================

"Ready Inej?" You asked, as softly as you could muster though you were shaking inside, knowing that you two only had one shot at this.

"All ready," she whisperer back and crouched down slightly, preparing to jump.

A gunshot was heard and the guard was successfully distracted by the sound giving Inej some time to slip in between the shadows and enter the room.

You had no choice than to shoot a bullet and now they were all alarmed which would make escaping very difficult.

Your eyes squinted in the darkness as you surveyed the room, hoping no one caught a glimpse of you and praying to whichever Saint there was for Inej to finish her job.

"Come on," you muttered to yourself, your legs shaking with anticipation as it had easily been ten minutes since she had disappeared. "Where the hell are you?"

Just then you spotted some movement going on further to your left and loaded your gun while also keeping one hand on the scabbard tied around your waist. Your footsteps were barely heard as they travelled softly on the wooden floor.

Someone had definitely seen you and were on a hunt, all you could do was make sure to stay hidden perfectly. The darkness was surely an ally but an enemy too.

A loud thud was the only warning you had before someone knocked the air out of your lungs making you skid backwards. You gasped, hands pressed to your chest while taking in deep breaths and moving away from the man, buying yourself time. It didn't feel like your ribs had broken but it hurt nonetheless.

You wracked your brain for a sign of another presence but it was only him. "Viking," you growled in anger after he stepped into the light. "I should've known".

He simply chuckled darkly, "You didn't though. Even Brekker failed. So I think I did my work to perfection, yeah?"

"Who else have you got?"

"No one!" He said, sounding strangely happy and you believed him to be a psychopath. "But the same can't be said for you, am I right?"

But you just shrugged, knowing if you spoke he'd be able to distinguish because of your voice. You should think about asking Kaz to teach you how he managed to always control his tone perfectly. But that would only be possible if you got out of here alive.

Not saying another word you charged, knowing using a gun would prove to be dangerous for you if he snatched it from you. Unfortunately, one of your downfalls was thag you didn't have much of a strong grip. And so you took two knifes and attacked him from both sides.

He took on a few cuts, some going deep and you were scarred too. A small one painted your cheekbone, one on the side of your neck and some on your arms.

You fought for quite a time, both being bloody with sweat dripping off your bodies. It was only when you pretended to hit him from your left and he fell for the basic trick, blocking your attack and in turn giving you easy access to wedge your knife straight into his abdomen. You shot him too for safety measures and double checking.

"Motherfucker," you heaved a sigh, wincing after feeling the burn of the cuts littering you and the stickiness of blood. "Fucking finally!" You exclaimed when your friend came into view, panting slightly and you knew she had gotten into a fight as well.

"Atleast we're matching," she said with a smile and pointed at the similar scars on your forearms.

"Yeah sure," you laughed and quickly moved out, not wanting to personally invite trouble.

The journey back the the Slat was a peaceful one, as it always was with Inej. You talked about Arken's betrayal, the documents she'd found and copied and some amounts of kruge that was just lying on the desk.

"Well despite everything, atleast we got it done," you grimaced slightly and opened the door, immediately walking over to the bar to get yourself a shot atleast. You needed the liquor desperately.

"Oh you're h- Saints!" Wylan sputtered, taking in the bloody sight when you turned. "You're drinking whiskey?!"

"Wy," you said, trying to explain before you faced his wrath. "I needed it".

"Like hell you did," he shook his head and called Nina so urgently that anyone would think you were dying.

"Don't- Wylan-" you cut yourself off after seeing his glare.

"Calm your potions, she's not dying" Nina Zenik said after one glance at your figure lounging in the chair.

"But she's injured!"

"Injury and death don't mean the same thing! And she looks alright to me except for a few cuts. Oh you and Inej have matching tattoos now," she said with a laugh.

"Jesper!" You summoned your gunslinger and he appeared right before you. "Take your man away or I'm going to actually die".

The boy got out of his haze of sering you all bruised and bloodied up before smirking a little and throwing a wink. He took hold of Wylan's arm and dragged his away.

"Matthias get me some bandages would you?" Nina asked as she healed the cuts and Matthias who had finished dressing Inej's arm walked over to you.

"Ouch woman!" You groaned and threw your head back, squeezing your eyes shut.

"It's the size of a paper cut! You don't shout this much when you have a literal bullet in your shoulder".

"They hurt more".

She rolled her eyes though a smile was present on her face as she cleaned the blood from your neck and healed the long cut there.

"Where's Kaz?" You asked, not wanting to admit that you had missed him and wanted to be in his presence.

"He's out somewhere, probably finding another deal," Matthias sighed and bandaged your palm.

After some time you were all healed though the scars were as clear as day. You didn't mind them at all because you were convinced they made you look even more terrifying and beautiful.

"You all okay?" You questioned Inej who was sharpening her collection of knives.

"I always am," she smiled and took your knife to sharpen making you give her a grateful look.

It was now almost past eleven at night and you were sitting on the bed in Kaz's room waiting for him. You wanted to see him, had longed for him after being away for almost an entire day.

And the Saints did answer your plea albeit a while later. You heard the familiar tap of his cane and heavy footsteps as he climbed the staircase and opened the door. His eyes sharp but relaxing upon seeing you.

"Mission went well?" He asked and took off his coat and hat while walking towards you and slumping down on the bed.

"Yes, though Arken's betrayal was a great bit of surprise," you said and sat up, unconsciously putting weight on your elbows and arms in doing so and hissing hissing angrily, clutching your sore muscles.

"What's wrong?" He asked immediately but when you didn't answer, he got up to turn on the lights and saw your scrunched up face.

And one by one he took notice of the bruises that were turning black and blue, bandages being wrapped around your palm and bicep and a thin but prominent scar on your neck. He swallowed the unfamiliar restlessness, fighting the urge to wrap you in his arms and kill the man who had injured you so badly.

"You're hurt," he stated as though you weren't aware of it and closed the distance, sitting as close to you as possible. "You're hurt," he repeated, his eyes flicking from every part of you back to your eyes.

"I was, I'm okay now".

"Who?" He all but spat out, his insides burning with hatred.

"Arken. But I killed him, don't worry".

He eased a little and removed his gloves, cautiously reaching forward to hold your bandaged palm in both of his hands. His breath hitched at the coldness and you made a move to pull away but his grip tightened and he shook his head firmly.

Slowly but surely he relaxed again, feeling comfortable as he unknowingly cradled your hand with such gentleness that you closed your eyes. His fingers traced the edge of the white material, rubbing slow circles.

He suddenly looked up and your breath got caught in your throat at the sheer proximity between you two. You were so close that you could feel the air he heavily exhaled and a faint blush was quick to rise on your cheeks. His dark brown irises staring intently into yours with a flame of possessiveness.

His eyes dipped down to your lips before moving to the scar on your cheekbone and his eyebrows furrowed just a tiny bit. He raised his hand once again, he had only done it once before and the feeling was a huge rival to drowning.

His jaw tightened when the tip of his index finger touched your jaw as softly as a feather. Despite wanting to stay still, you couldn't help it and leaned into his hand, conveying the message that you needed more.

He understood and gritted his teeth, carefully sliding his palm upwards to cup your cheek. His chest expanded as he released the pent up frustration.

This feeling, it was a rival to heaven.

Now that he had touched your skin, he craved more. His thumb softly caressed the scar like it may disappear under his brush. The finger moved at a leisurely pace, soaking in the beautiful feeling for as long as he could hold on.

You couldn't bring yourself to talk after witnessing the tenderness that oozed from his touches and caresses. It was like nothing you had experienced before. The moment felt so precious and for good reason.

You smiled at him, your eyes displaying the immense love that your heart held only for him and also silently thanked him.

He noticed. Of course he did.

And he offered you a gorgeous smile of his own. His lips stretching though not too wide but it was perfect for you and you fell for him yet again.

You found home in his smile and he saw love in your eyes.

===============================

#fanfic #fanfiction #fic writing #request #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker #kaz brekker fanfiction #kaz brekker x oc #kazzle dazzle #grishaverse #grishaverse fanfic #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #nina zenik #matthias helvar #the crows #six of crows #crooked kingdom #shadow and bone #shadow and bone fic

[raz-writes-the-thing]

Passing The Baton (Six of Crows One-Shot)

Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader / requests are open and encouraged

Summary: To your knowledge, your crush on Kaz is unrequited. Apparently this is not the case.

CW: Kaz is dumb but we love him

SAB/SOC Tag List: (send an ask to be added to a tag list!)

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Kaz ‘Dirtyhands’ Brekker. Bastard of The Barrel. Also- your unrequited love. Kaz had caught your eye just as he had caught everyone else’s. Everyone knew not to mess with the Dregs, and that was thanks to Kaz. Before he’d risen through the ranks of the club, the Dregs had been no one. Quite literally the dregs of society- and while, yes, that was where the name came from, it was quite the rise to fame as the Dregs started getting more and more popular, and more and more dangerous.

Even the Crow Club was starting to become a real pain in the other clubs’ asses. 

But Kaz? He’d fascinated you well before any of this. You’d been working at the Crow Club as a serving girl since before Kaz arrived. Not long, mind, but long enough before that you got to experience both sides of the Dregs’ fortune. 

Kaz hadn’t seemed to take much notice of you at first- and why would he? Weren’t you just another serving girl being groped by the drunk patrons? Anything to make a few Kruge. But he did take notice when you threatened to cut the balls off a patron when said patron got a little too handsy one day.

He’d taken you back into his office and thwacked his cane on the table hard enough to scratch the varnish and told you rather harshly to never do that again. To come to him next time there was an issue like that and he’d deal with it… discretely. 

What that had meant was clear only to Kaz, and that was fine by you. But that was when your little crush had really taken off. What could you say? You liked a bad boy. Someone who could handle his own and Kaz could definitely handle his own. Cane or no. 

Despite telling you off, Kaz had clearly taken note that you weren’t afraid to get your hands a little dirty either, something he had an appreciation and mutual respect for. And so you went from lowly serving girl to, well, still a serving girl, but a serving girl who also took jobs for Dirtyhands and worked with him to secure patronage for the club, and Kruge for his and your own pockets. And for Per Haskell’s pockets as well, you supposed. Lazy bastard. 

But you longed for more.

 

You longed for Kaz’s touch, for his lips on your skin. You longed for his affections as much as you longed for his approval. It was a dangerous combination.

As far as you could tell, he did not feel the same way. But then again, would you have ever known otherwise? Kaz kept his cards close to his chest- as he should. 

Today seemed different though. You’d barely made it back from a job and Kaz seemed… angry, to put it lightly. You had no idea why, though, considering you got what he wanted, and made it out alive, too. Win-win. 

Inej may have had to save you, but that was beside the point. 

“You need to be careful,” he said, mouth pursed angrily. “You can’t be making reckless choices and silly mistakes. This is The Barrel. I can’t afford mistakes.” 

You met his harsh gaze head-on and shoved the ledger he’d asked for into his chest with vigour. Kaz didn’t even break the gaze between you, just reached with one gloved hand to take the ledger off you. 

“I got what you wanted, didn’t I?” 

A muscle in Kaz’s jaw twinged. 

“That is not the point.” 

You let out an exasperated scoff, removing your hand from his chest with another soft shove. Surprisingly, Kaz lets the action move him. 

“Then what is the point?” You ask, frustration evident in your features. 

“The point is- oh, for Saints’ sake,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We could have lost you. I could have lost you.” 

Your eyebrows practically disappeared into your hairline. 

“You could have lost me…” you trail off, echoing his words, feeling them out for hidden meanings. 

“You’re a good investment. I don’t like to lose investments.” 

Oh. Okay. An investment. You should have known that that was all you were to him. That’s all you were ever going to be to Kaz no matter how much you wished differently. Ridiculous. 

“Of course,” you reply, turning to walk away. “Your investment needs a dri-hey!” 

Kaz’s gloved hand snatches at your forearm and yanks you back towards him. You re-balance yourself and glare at him, looking between the tight grip he has on your arm and his heated glare. 

“Stop,” he says before forcing his features to soften. “I’m not one for feelings.” He practically shudders through the word. “You’re more than that. An investment, I mean.” 

You stay quiet, not giving him anything to work with here, but you’re surprised he can’t hear the uptick in your heartbeat. 

“Look,” his grip loosens. “I don’t want to lose you. Purely selfish reasons. Not because you’re an investment, but-” Kaz clears his throat and avoids eye contact. “I care for your wellbeing.” 

It’s not an outright declaration of love, but it’s about as close to it as someone like Kaz would give. He’d bared his soul to you here. All the fractured, broken pieces of it. He’d bared his heart for you to treasure or smash into bitty little pieces. 

You sucked in a breath. 

“Are you saying you have feelings for me?” 

Kaz grunts and lets go of your arm. You brush your fingers over where he’d just touched you. 

“I suppose so, yes,” he said, eyes flitting to the door like he was thinking about making a run for it. 

“Don’t suppose it would interest you to know I felt the same way, would it?” 

And there it was. Passing the baton back to Kaz. Passing your heart in return for his. Now it was he who held the power to treasure or smash you into pieces. 

Kaz finally met your gaze, and his lips ticked up into a small smirk.

“Oh, I knew that.”

#kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker #kaz brekker fanfiction #kaz brekker x oc #kazzle dazzle #grishaverse #grishaverse fanfic #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #nina zenik #matthias helvar #the crows #six of crows #crooked kingdom #kaz brekker x fem!reader #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker blurb #kaz brekker fanfic #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker angst #kaz brekker fluff #six of crows x reader #six of crows imagine #six of crows fanfic #six of crows x you #six of crows fic #shadow and bone s2 #shadow and bone imagine

[neptune-scythe]

Shameless self plug time

excerpts from my favourite fics I've written with links below the cut

~~~

"He looked at her as though she'd just told him he'd accidentally killed his best friend rather than offered him gratituted, his face stricken with guilt and some agony she didn't understand. But they had agreed to leave it for tomorrow, so she slipped off her shoes and retrieved a pair of pajamas kept here for her, stepping behind the dressing screen to change and trying not to wonder at Kaz's strange behavior.

She folded her clothes neatly and laid them beside her bed, crawling beneath the covers and blowing out the candle on the side table between their beds.

"Goodnight" She said softly in the darkness.

There was no reply."

from keep close our long farewell

~~~

"But even as each being around him became a threat, still that voice deep inside begged and screamed for help, pleading to be seen as each person laid their eyes on the facade he was trapped inside, to be truly seen. For their eyes to know the tears that drained from his eyes weren't golden or beautiful, that the blood that soaked through his clothes and onto the ground beneath him wasn't ruby silk and soft roses, but the last drops of his soul spilling out of him never to be returned, that the bullet that had torn through his body still left it's jagged scraps inside him waiting to tear him apart at any moment."

from oh no it couldn't be another one of those days without love

~~~

"He dared to recall the thoughts he'd stifled so many times, the dreams that seemed too precious to ever be real, and too dangerous to hope for. Of bringing Inej here, of making it their home ... of letting her into this final piece of his soul. Making new memories here, ones that could heal the sorrows of the ones they replaced. But none of that would ever happen, none of the plans his mind had dared to think up on those special times when it was just the two of them would ever be real. All the things they could do together, decorating a home, planting flowers, sitting together by a warm fire at night, gazing up at the stars."

from defined by wars light we bleed out gold

~~~

"The world around them didn’t seem real anymore … nothing felt real. They could feel their heart pounding in their ears, the ache in their lungs with each rapid inhale of the chilled night air … and yet there was only Inej. Only the silence, the space between them … the lack of it.

The understanding … as if every moment in time existed at once … as if this moment was the only one. As if they could see each other … truly see each other. No more masks, no more secrets or half truths, no mortal flesh …

Only them"

from trust

~~~

"Kaz woke suddenly, a figure standing over them, though their vision was too blurry to make out who it was. But as their heart started to speed up and they felt their body coming alive they knew it was a heartrender.

Nina?

Thank saints they hadn’t said it out loud. They remembered now where they were, what was happening. They shot up to a seated position, quickly regretting it as every inch of their body ignited with pain. Hannigan was standing in front of them, the blood soaked whip still in his hands, the heartrender sitting beside them … and blood, everywhere.

So.

Much.

Blood."

from March to the sea

~~~

"But then he thought of Inej. She had warned him not to take this job but he hadn’t listened. It hadn’t quite been a fight, but she certainly wasn’t happy with him. He didn’t like leaving things like that, and he hadn’t thought for a second they would never see each other again, that it would be their last conversation. There were risks on this job, sure, but there always were. Hell, even walking down the streets of the Barrel had its own risks. And the pay was good. Enough even to buy that cabin in Ravka."

from a Sankta to watch over me

#shameless self plug #shameless self promo #fanfiction #fanfiction writer #fanfiction writing #fanfic #fanfic writing #fanfic writer #grishaverse #six of crows #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #dirtyhands #the bastard of the barrel #the wraith #grishaverse fanfiction #six of crows fanfiction #kanej fanfiction #kaz brekker fanfiction #inej ghafa fanfiction #grishaverse fanfic #six of crows fanfic #kanej fanfic #kaz brekker fanfic #inej ghafa fanfic #ao3 fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #ao3 link

[ghafae]

now on one hand. six of crows should’ve been one whole season and crooked kingdom an entirely different one. i’m talking like 40 min episodes, 12 episodes per season. weekly releases where the fandom goes feral each week because oh my god. are they finally going to let kaz and inej TRULY LOOK at each other? FLESHED OUT character arcs and slow burns that… actually slow burn and make you want to cry and scream and tear your heart out.

on the other hand shadow and bone season 1 and 2 = instant gratification makes brain go weeee

#it’s bad fanfic and that’s ok ❤️ #besides the cast is superb #shadow and bone #shadow & bone #six of crows #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #nina zenik #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #matthias helvar #the crew #kanej #helnik #wesper

[ravenyenn19]

To the Grishaverse: We never stop fighting.

To honor this fandom that welcomed me with open arms, I will be posting my own take of S3 of “Shadow and Bone” in fic form. To Leigh, thank you for gifting us a world to walk into where the close calls made hope feel tangible. Thank you for the magic & the mayhem.

To my own fic readers, I toast DWOD style: “To the coin. May we always wonder where it disappeared to. May magic live on.”

I cannot offer much, but I may still offer a bandaid to aid the broken hearts that beat like crows’ wings.

No mourners, no funerals.

#shadow and bone #six of crows #kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #crooked kingdom #dealing with our demons #dwod #grishaverse #wesper #helnik #shadow and bone netflix #kaz x inej #kanej fanfic #soc fanfic #six of crows fanfic #leigh bargudo