Prompt: “You are not going without me.”
For Wylan x Reader please!!
INCOHERENT SCREAMING.
WYLAN. My darling, beloved Wylan? The light of my life Wylan? Y e s.
Your Life Over Mine - Wylan Van Eck
Content Warnings: No Beta/Proof Reading. Canon Compliant Threat And Violence. Explicit Language.
"You're soft on the merchling," Jesper says.
"And what if I am?" You ask, pressing your palms together. "What would the problem with that be?"
"Kaz would probably tell you," Jesper dips his hat, dropping his smile as he does his best Brekker impression. "Feelings are a waste of energy and honestly I dont believe in them, except for anger, I believe in anger. But all other feelings just get in the way of the job, and the job makes us rich, and I don't believe in love, because it's a feeling, but I'd love to be rich."
"He would drown you if he heard that pisspoor impression of him," you warn Jesper lightly. You let your eyes flicker to the shadows and back to Jes, preparing yourself for the startled jump about to follow.
"I dont know," Inej says sadling up to Jespers side silently. "I think he was pretty accurate."
Jesper jumps in his step and raises a hand to his chest. "How," his voice a little higher than his usual register, "do you always do that?"
"She wanted to be quiet, so she was," you say. Inej just nods at that explanation and Jesper asks no more as you arrive at the cobblestone corner, right in front of that black wooden door.
"So do you want to deal with this?" Jesper asks. "Since your sweet on him?"
"Shut up," you say, giving a quick hand gesture that makes Jesper fake a wounded gasp as you open the door and close it in his face.
"Kaz?" Comes Wylans voice through the dark.
"Not Kaz," you reply.
"Oh," his tone shifts and you could swear its excitement in his eyes as he pulls his goggles down to greet you. "I thought Kaz was coming by."
"Sent the lackies," you joke, "hope you don't miss him too much."
"I prefer you," he says. You raise an eyebrow but don't question it, he is cute when he is flustered and the boy quickly becomes flustered.
"I believe I was sent for a pickup?" You try and pull the point of the visit out of Wylan and he lights up with a sense of knowing.
"Right, right," he mumbles, hurried and eager as he moves across the room to collect something from his work table. He bundles a few vials and a small box of something in wraps and places them on the table. "The blue one you've got to be careful with, I tried to explain to... Brekker, but I don't think he was listening."
"Dirtyhands hears what he needs to," you say, "what he tells us is another matter all together, so why don't you give me a run down."
You listen to Wylan talk, and he talks fast and his voice hits high and lows as he shares more information than he needed to, and you listen, leaning against the wall, watching how excited he gets. You've never wanted to kiss someone as badly as you wanted to kiss Wylan as he rubs the back of his neck, laughing a little at himself in embarrassment about how much information he just gave about compounds.
"You're annoyingly cute, Sunshine, do you know that," you laugh, picking up the bundle.
"I am?" he asks, those eyes flickering up to meet yours.
"The irony of you feeling small when your smile could light up this whole damn barrel, had me sold on you," you laugh.
"It had you sold on me?" Wylan ducks his head, his smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"Oh you're letting that go straight to your head," Jesper calls from the other side of the door.
"Jes I will take your own guns and shoot you with them," you warn him. He may be the other side of a wooden door but you know the exact face he makes as he raises his hands and steps back into the corridor giving you and Wylan space.
"Anyway," you clap your hands together, and let them slip into your pockets, "we have a job."
Wylan's smile drops. "Wait, you guys are going on this job?" he asks.
"Yes," you say, "that's why we are here."
"He didn't say," Wylan pauses and you can see the calculations he is doing in his mind, like he was writing them in the air around the both of you. "That is a very bad idea, the instability this will cause," he picks up a bottle with a similar colour liquid as one of the vials he gave you. "No, there are... not good odds."
"There rarely are in the barrel," you tell him. He shuffles his feet, and you can tell he is still running through the options. You're not sure why Kaz side-lined him for this, maybe it was Wylan's choice, not wanting to be really involved with the Dregs and their world, your world. But you knew enough about Wylan to know that he could cause serious damage, and he may not have the best practice in a fight, but you would not want to be on the receiving end of one of explosives Wylan puts together like it is nothing more than making a cup of tea. "Kruge for your thoughts?"
"One drop more than is needed on the turning mechanism and the whole system freezes up, a few minutes difference in timing between the triggers and the you are all stuck in there, you'll get caught if the shrapnel doesn't kill you first," Wylan looks so worried, he might combust. "Kaz must've accounted for that."
Your words were meant to bring him comfort, but they didn't, he looks resigned. "He did," Wylan says, and you don't know why the acquiescence in his voice feels so personal, but it does. "That's why he sent you." You watch him get his coat. "Let's go."
"You're coming with?" you ask. He nods. "Kaz said..." you don't bother trying to finish because the answer is clear in his eyes. Kaz knew Wylan would see all the ways this could go wrong, and Kaz knew that Wylan couldn't stand aside and let it happen, not if you were there. Because Kaz knew Wylan has a soft spot for you too. "I've gotten out of worse," you try gently, giving him an out, "Jesper says I am unseemly lucky."
"Luck runs out pretty fast in the barrel," Wylan responds, "let's go."
You know you aren't persuading him to stay, and you don't really try, you wouldn't let yourself get side lined, and if someone that mattered to you was involved in one of Kaz's typically nonsensical against all odds plans, you'd probably fight tooth and nail to be a part of it to, to keep them safe as much as you could. So instead you just lean over and plant a kiss on Wylan's cheek as he steps out the door.
He flushes a pink and you smile to yourself, stepping in front of him and next to Inej who is delicately flipping her knife over her fingers like it were a coin and not a weapon. "Make it through tonight," you say, "and then maybe we could get some of those waffles Nina keeps talking about."
Wylan nods, unable to meet your eye, but it's not shyness keeping him from you now, you see it in the way he is fidgeting, the way there is a smile a little too devilish creeping in the corners of his lips. He is keeping a distance because of the things he thinks he might do if he doesn't. You bite your tongue, this boy might surprise you yet. You know better than to underestimate him after all.
"Waffles," Jesper says enthused.
"Not invited," you tell him, tone full of warning as you point at him.
"Okay," Jesper holds up his hands in a faux surrender, "Saints you are bitchy today. You really do need to get laid."
"Jesper," you say pulling one of his guns from his holster and pointing it at him, "shut up."
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CAUSE FOR CONCERN - wylan van eck
PAIRING wylan van eck x gn!reader
SUMMARY time apart from each other helped the two of you realize underlying feelings.
WARNING hints of spoilers for sixofcrows (wylan's backstory), people in love, my first s&b story so if my characterization seems off i apologize, minimal dialogues
The sky in Kerch's capital, Keterdam, was as grim as yesterday. The moonlight perfectly illuminated the cramped buildings as several people roamed the streets, dealing with their own endeavors. The air felt humid at every step you took on the damp ground as you continued to blow inside your wooden flute, the instrument playing variations of tunes as soon as you finished one. You felt eyes on your every move. Some followed you, either to admire or steal the noisy coins inside your satchel that was loosely hanging on your shoulder (it has always been difficult to know which one).
But still, you kept playing, taking a few breaths before continuing.
Your feet lead you into the familiar tunnel, where another tune plays. It was almost instinct to match melodies with the other; your eyes glimmered at the sight of the boy sitting on the floor. He had an open case with bits of kruge placed inside. Unlike you, he remained focused on his flute. You stood beside him as both of your instruments harmonized, gathering more people as they threw their money inside the case.
The song ended with applause. You felt eyes on you—not the crowd's, but the other musician's. He looked up at you with his natural puppy eyes as a smile danced on his face, flustered at the attention. As for you, well, it did give you butterflies every now and then.
The two of you left with your instruments tucked safely away as you arrived at the brightly lit building. Men of all ages, crooks, and gambling addicts went in and out with more money or a lack of it.
The Crow Club was a place you could confidently call home.
"Business has been busy, don't you think?" A soft voice broke the comfortable silence, his gaze on the doors of the club.
"Kaz has a way to entice customers, Wylan; we know that," you chuckled, "probably why we're also one of his many investments." Wylan huffed out a laugh.
One of the guards opened the door once he saw both of you, giving him a nod of acknowledgement before entering. The place was bustling as usual, with tables packed with different currencies you didn't recognize. The bartender was practically running around behind his counter to make a drink for the wasted people up front but managed to wave at the two of you. Wylan waved back, as you did, with a smile.
You were the first one to walk up the steps of the building where your boss, Kaz Brekker, mostly spent his time. After knocking on the door with the pattern that was specifically made for his crows, you opened the door with Wylan following behind you, already holding the case that contained all the kruge you and he had made. The flimsy satchel was placed on his table, the clinking noise indicating how packed it was.
"I see that your performance has finally improved." Kaz glanced at Wylan as he also placed his earnings. "Maybe your 10 kruge from yesterday turned into 15."
"you haven't seen a single one of our little shows, Brekker." you retorted with a playful grin, sitting on one the chairs in front of the messy table. "Don't go on about judging us."
"The money you give me every night is enough for me to judge," he immediately said, the same glare and cold expression on his face. "But you won't be needing to perform anytime soon. We've got a job." As if on cue, four more people entered his office. They were all chatting amongst themselves before they realized the early birds inside.
"(Y/n)! Wylan!" Jesper greeted, his cheerful tone giving the room enough energy for all of them. I heard the whispers of some of the people outside; they loved your performance! You know what they're starting to call you?" His finger pointed at you, a smirk on his face.
You looked at Wylan with an amused expression. He looked just as confused as you, shrugging at whatever the gunslinger was talking about.
He dramatically swayed his hands in the air, imitating what looked like him playing the flute, before his gaze slowly went back to you. "The pied piper..."
"Luring them in with your sound, following the wonderful tune that unknowingly hypnotizes them to their doom," Nina, the Crow Club's heartender, added with the same dramatics as the man. "And that doom being Wylan!" she grinned, proud of whatever she accomplished by telling such a story.
The said boy laughed along with you as you shook your head. "Is this the prize of hard days of work, Wylan? Is this really?" you said in disbelief, making the others laugh along. You stood up from the chair, finally following Kaz, who was too busy looking at some maps to join the festivities of being given such a title.
"They aren't kind of wrong. You do like to play as you walk, letting people see you and follow you around," Wylan commented as he placed himself beside you.
"It's a marketing tactic," you joked, making him chuckle at your response.
The rest of the crows gathered around Kaz as he explained the new job given to him. It was another heist ("Yes, baby! the Crow Club's specialty!" Jesper tipped his hat in excitement) and apparently worth five million kruge.
"The location of the facility is in Berendt, here, in Kerch." The name of the city made your throat dry. Unwanted memories played in your head, and you started to feel like you were back in the sea, struggling to reach shore as your arms grew weaker by the second. The only thing keeping you going was a voice continuously calling out for you.
"(Y/n)?" Wylan whispered to your ear, his expression in the same disarray.
You failed to realize you were gripping the table so hard that splinters began to run deep into your palm. His hand, though trembling, held yours. The sound of the harsh waves slowly began to tune out of your ears while Wylan softly caressed your knuckles.
"It's alright. It's just us," he said reassuringly. You tightened your grip on the boy's hand. You knew he was just as scared, but you kept a strong front for the both of you. In nothing more than a whisper, you turned your attention to Wylan. "It's just us," you repeated.
The following days after the meeting, you barely saw Wylan, and vice versa. Every single one of the crows were too busy gathering materials and coming up with strategies that would help with the heist. With your connections and Nina's impeccable talent for persuasion, you mostly spent your days with her.
You managed to create meetings with different club owners in Keterdam while Nina mostly did the talking. Kaz had instructed the two of you to gather as much assistance as you can with the clubs, and it takes quite a while to make deals with narcissistic assholes, so it takes both of you the whole day.
Although your task kept you distracted and you enjoyed Nina's company, you couldn't help but look for Wylan when things began to get exhausting. He would always find a way to cheer you up and make you continue whatever you were doing.
(You watched the beaker that contained a blue pigment of chemicals slowly turn into a dull gray once you added the final ingredient. A groan left your mouth: "Why can't I just do this right?"
"Hey, c'mon, it's hard to make airborne diseases without samples." Wylan stopped whatever he was doing to pat you on the back. "The fact that you were able to make the sickness itself is already impressive—making it airborne is always the toughest part."
"Maybe I could just let myself get infected and cough it right out in the street." The despair in your eyes was evident as you sat on the bed beside the long table. You saw Wylan walk up to you, sitting on your right, as he circled his arm around your shoulders. The gesture was simple but comforting—laying your head on his shoulder.
"What you're doing right now isn't simple, (y/n), you know that. Don't beat yourself for it. You're amazing, so amazing." His words made you flush, playfully punching him on the chest. Wylan laughed at your bashful response but knew his encouragement worked. You stood up from the bed, immediately throwing out the failed chemical in the bin.
"You're, like, great at whatever you do. You practically taught me everything I know." Wylan stopped dead into your tracks, circling around.
"Alright, you can stop. Please, for the love of saints, stop it." You laughed as you began to redo everything.
"How can I stop when you're just so talented?"
"Don't make me throw this white phosphorus at you.")
The sun was still out when you finally made your last stop.
Nina stretched her body as the two of you began to walk back to the Crow Club. Your mind still remained with Wylan, guessing what he and Jesper must be doing. They were told to make sure no other organizations found out about the job, and if someone did, they either had to pay or threaten them to drop it. The thought of Wylan threatening someone made you chuckle to yourself.
"Looks like someone's in your mind again." Nina's words made you snap out of it, staring at her usual grin. "Your heart," she whispered, tapping her chest as if you didn't know where it was. You feel your face heat up, covering yourself as if it'll stop Nina from hearing your erratic heartbeat.
"Stop that! I thought we agreed on not listening?" you groaned. "I am not thinking of him."
"Oh, so it's a him?" Nina mused, tilting her head towards you. "I never said a gender. I just said someone—you are thinking of a person." She began to annoyingly poke you, "C'mon, tell me! It's just the two of us!"
You let out an exasperated sigh but didn't budge to Nina's disappointment. You could practically see the pout on her lips as you continued to ignore her.
It was ridiculous, really. Why would your heart skip a beat for your best friend? the childhood best friend that had your back no matter what? You love Wylan, you really do, but nothing more than a very precious friend. The two of you had enough on your plate to think about romance; you know he felt the same way about it.
The walk to the club didn't help lessen the fast-paced rhythm in your chest; Nina's knowing smile made sure of that. You just hoped Wylan would be home after this thing finally went back to normal.
On the other side of Keterdam, an explosion erupted from a building. Passersby screamed in terror at the sight. A man in a suit who owned the club shouted nonsense, instructing his disheveled workers to put out the fire. A single piece of parchment paper remained untouchable from the disaster, a drawing of the dregs tattoo all the crows have.
"What a riot! I'm surprised you managed to make it so it doesn't damage the other properties; I've never seen anything like that before." Jesper swung his revolver back into its holster, the need to use it long gone. Wylan, the one responsible for the chaos, only grinned in pride.
"It's called a controlled explosion. (Y/n) helped me with it a few weeks back."
"Are you saying this is the first time you used it since the two of you made it?" the man breathed out a laugh in amazement, with Wylan responding with a shy nod. He remembered the excitement you showed him once he was able to think of a way for your new invention to work. Wylan didn't care if Kaz got mad at him for risking using a new bomb in his task; he couldn't wait to get back in the club to tell you all about it.
The two crows remained still, watching as more people tried to evacuate the street. "It's genius, all of this. How did (Y/n) think of this?" Jesper questioned. "I mean, with these, any job that needs our demo duo would be a piece of cake!"
Demo duo. That's the nickname the crows gave you and him. It brought a smile to his face at the name, not going unnoticed by the Zemeni man. Jesper suspiciously eyed Wylan before a ridiculous idea popped inside his head (Their job was done, so he had the utmost freedom to mess with Wylan).
The silence seemed to make Wylan realize that he didn't answer Jesper. What a flustered mess he was. "(Y/n)'s always been the creative one when it came to bombs. They know just as much about chemistry as I do, so even with how ridiculous they are, we always find a way to make their ideas real."
The taller replied with a loud clap, startling Wylan. "Is there nothing (Y/n) can't do? They've got the charisma, talent, brains, and looks! Too perfect to be true, don't you think so?" He nudged him, unbeknownst to the boy on what he's trying to do. Wylan's mind only had you in it, remembering each precious moment he had with you.
"They are. Having someone like (y/n)—" his face began to heat up, his gaze on the bright fire from across them. "It's a dream come true."
(The streets of Keterdam were filled with busy bodies, including Wylan's that remained seated on the damp ground. He was peacefully playing his flute until he heard several heavy steps in front. He abruptly stopped to see whoever it was because it couldn't be you; he would've heard your song if it was.
Once he looked up, three boys who couldn't be older than him watched him with smug faces. The one in front kicked the case that filled out his payment. It wasn't much, but bits of money are better than none. Wylan recognized these types of people: shameless ones that take from others lower than them.
"It would be best if you kept your mouth shut, so no one gets hurt," the one on the left said, as the other began to crouch for the kruge. Wylan didn't move, his hands gripping his flute tightly. Their boisterous laugh echoed in his mind as they began to pocket the money.
Before he could accept his fate and let the boys leave, a sudden explosion made them trip on their own feet. He recognized the smell from a mile away, a grin forming on his face. Wylan wasted no time picking up his things and hiding behind the wall.
Another explosion erupted, even closer than before. He could hear the boys' whimpers from where he was.
"Give back what you stole, and no one gets hurt!" Your voice practically boomed on the street, and the silence of terrified Keterdam citizens made your voice seem louder. Wylan peaked, beaming as soon as he saw your face. You held a vial of what he assumed was a bomb you had made. The thieves took all the money out of their pockets, including their own, before scrambling away.
But before they could get away, you threw another one. "That's for Wylan!")
Jesper could tell from the boy's expression how exactly lovestruck he was; it was amusing. He wanted to ignite the flame even more (no pun intended) and scooted closer to Wylan, still daydreaming of you.
"Have you ever thought of, you know—" Wylan raised an eyebrow, "telling (y/n) about how you feel about them?"
His eyes widened. "What's there to tell!? I mean, it's not like I think of them that way—I doubt they ever thought of me that way either." Wylan coughed into his hand in embarrassment, but the ache in his chest at his own words hurt him. You would never think of him that way; it was too impossible. He was only Wylan Hendriks. You were you. amazing and beautiful you.
Jesper raised his hand in defense, saying, "Woah! I didn't mean anything like that; what are you talking about?"
"What?" Wylan tilted his head, internally panicking.
"I was just talking about complimenting them."
Wylan removed his gaze from Jesper, who had a mischievous grin on his face as if his little plan had succeeded. At this point, the fire was long gone, and only the furious owner and his workers were left in the mess. Besides Wylan, he was the epitome of a mess, and he just began to realize it.
That night, you didn't have a chance to see Wylan before you went to sleep. You planned on waiting for him, listening for his voice outside your door, but the tiredness you felt came over you, drifting you into a deep slumber.
Rays of light hit you in the face, making you wince at the brightness. Only then do you realize you missed your chance to see him.
Ever since your talk with Nina, the mere thought of the boy has made your heart flutter with a ticklish ache inside your stomach. You tried to blame Heartrender for putting such ideas in your head, but anyone can see that you're the problem here; she was just the one to acknowledge it first.
It was still early; you could tell from the lack of the Gunslinger's annoyingly loud voice that always wakes everyone up. Your thoughts remained on your dear friend as you got up from your bed.
When did you start harboring these unexplainable feelings towards your best friend? It's a question you couldn't even answer if your life depended on it. The fact that you only began to come to terms with them the one night you were apart from Wylan was another concern.
You run a hand on your face, and the cold water from the faucet helps you relax from the rapid questions that keep coming into your head.
Are your feelings actually romantic?
What if you're just misunderstanding it?
If Wylan were to find out, how would he react?
Will he find you weird?
Do you love h—
An abrupt knock on your door made you halt. closing the running water, you wondered who would be awake at this hour. You doubted Kaz or Matthias would knock on your door for something, and you knew Nina, Jesper, and Inej were still asleep. That left only one possible person to be on the other side.
Before you could reach to answer, the door busted open. Your eyes widened, facing Wylan, who looked like he just ran through the Fold.
He tried to speak through his pants but kept pausing to catch his breath. "Let me—I can explain—let me just..." Wylan held onto his knees, taking one last breath, before looking up to face you. The determination on his face confused you.
Several scenarios ran through your head for whatever could have happened, specifically bad ones that you dreaded even in your sleep. In a panic, you held onto his shoulders to check for injuries.
"Did someone hurt you? Was it him?" You asked in a harsh whisper, eyes as big as saucers that freaked out Wylan.
It took him a second to register what you were talking about, and he quickly shook his head. "No, no! Saints, no!" He gasped, taking your hand. Wylan held your trembling hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. You had to glance behind his back to finally calm down, but as soon as you did, you pushed him off of you.
"Why did you just do that?! Bombing my door, seriously?" you exclaimed, your eyebrows furrowed in anger.
Wylan gulped down whatever was stuck inside his throat before speaking. He spoke with his eyes closed and his hands curled into a fist on his side. "I need to tell you something! Something very urgent!"
"Urgent enough to break my door?" you replied in disbelief, which he only nodded to. "Then, what is it?"
He had to stop himself for a minute, the adrenaline pumping in his veins as he watched your every move.
The same night you slept, Wylan didn't. He and Jesper got home when the club closed and everyone but the cleaners were left. The taller man departed first, yawning as he left Wylan to go to his room. Unlike Jesper, he was nowhere near sleepy. His eyes were fixated on your door, and he felt the urge to go up to you and tell you all the things he'd been telling himself on the way home.
You were more than a friend to Wylan. more than just his childhood friend who ran away with him. The tugging of his heart wasn't his regular admiration for you; it developed into something dangerous that can ruin your very friendship.
As he walked upstairs, glancing past your room, Wylan wondered if you felt the same way as he did. if you were just as struggling as he was, itching to open each other's rooms and just let it all out. This may be the side effect of being a demolition expert; all he wants to do right now is explode into nothingness, avoiding such conflict in his heart.
Inside his room, despite lying down on his bed, he couldn't get a wink of sleep. Wylan hoped to hear some kind of noise in your room indicating that you were awake, but after hours of waiting, there wasn't a single one.
He wanted to confess everything to you that night, but now that he's face-to-face with you, he can't make a single word slip from his mouth.
"Wylan?" Your voice of concern made him snap out of it, his tired eyes meeting yours.
You cupped your hands on his face, and he practically melted into your touch. Heat began to gather on his face once more. The distance between the two of you also made you nervous.
His eyes are so pretty, you told yourself.
"What?"
Or so you thought.
The panic you felt began to rise. You just complimented the boy's eyes out loud, and you were a stammering mess.
"No, what I meant was—I didn't mean that—no, I meant it! Your eyes are very pretty, but—" You were caught off guard as soon as you felt a pair of lips on yours.
Your eyes widened, glancing down at Wylan. Ever so slowly, your tense body began to relax as he pressed harder, waiting for you to respond. You didn't make him wait anymore, holding onto the back of his neck and tilting your head to deepen the kiss.
The two of you had to pull away to catch your breath, staring into each other's eyes.
Wylan blushed, his face turning even redder, if that was even possible. He covered his mouth with his hands, regretting what he had just done. He kissed you out of nowhere without realizing.
It was his turn to stutter at every word. "I- i don't know w- why I did that. (y/n), I am so- so sorry."
"Hey, hey, Wylan, look at me." You grabbed a hold of his face with both of your hands, making him face you. His eyes began to water, but you spoke before any more tears spilled.
"I like you, Wylan," you finally confessed, "so much."
Wylan had to stop himself from choking on his spit, tilting his head away from you as a smile threatened to form on his face. You chuckled fondly at his action, gently turning him back to you. This time, the boy couldn't help but grin as he faced you.
"I—," he took a deep breath, "I like you too."
.
.
.
Jesper walked out of his room, guns inside both holsters on his hip, as he, once again, woke up before everybody else. He was about to recite a poem a barmaid had given him before he caught sight of your door. The hinges had fallen off, and your door wasn't on the ground, half burned.
He took hold of one of his guns, pointing at your room. Once he got a full view of it, he gasped in disbelief at what he was seeing.
Jesper had expected something more gruesome and violent, not Wylan and you sleeping together on your bed.
He had to stare for a few more seconds before he smirked.
"I did that," He told himself. "Handsome matchmaking is definitely a Jesper specialty."
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