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English
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Published:
2017-03-01
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2,942
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1/1
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a foreigner called candor

Summary:

A new strain of parem is tampered with to make a truth serum, which Kaz unknowingly consumes.

Notes:

What turned out to be a simple minific accidentally turned into my first full-length oneshot for the Dregs.

Whoops.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Kaz coughed, dropping his cup onto the floor with a resounding clang. In his mind, he cursed himself for turning lazy and not checking his drink—too much time in the Financial District with the bankers, he thought before a violent retch shook his whole frame.

In the other room, Inej kneeled on the floor, Suli prayers ghosting over her joined palms. The journey she returned from slaughtered more souls than usual; she spent all last night praying for their souls and fell asleep halfway through the list.

However, when she heard the sound of Kaz choking through the wall of the Slat, she wasted no time flying out of her room and bursting into his.

“Kaz!”

Her knives clattered to the floor as she rushed towards him, hands stopping only a hair’s breadth away from his shoulders.

Another cough flew from Kaz’s mouth. “Poison-”

Inej’s eyes fell on the cup near his feet and she scooped it up, swirling the liquid left inside. She quickly dipped a finger in the cup and tasted the leftover drink. Then she frowned. “It seems all right.”

Before Kaz took in her words, she raised the cup to her lips and gulped the remaining substances down.

“Inej-!”

Inej laughed. “It’s untainted, Kaz. You just swallowed your drink too fast.”

Sure enough, Kaz felt his throat open and his head clear—all marks of downing a drink the wrong way. He straightened and adjusted his collar, miffed.

“Well, it got your attention quick enough.”

“You don’t have to pretend to die every time you want to talk, Kaz,” Inej said, mouth twitching into an amused smile. “The door to my room’s always open.”

She said the last part with a nonchalant air, but Kaz knew it carried the weight of Ketterdam in meaning. He knew he should answer with something just as sincere, but the first idea that came to mind made his gloved fingers tighten on the head of his cane. Instead of voicing it, he nodded once and turned his back on her, a clear dismissal.

He failed to notice how surprised Inej looked at her words.

“So!” Jesper said, leaning against the Van Eck mansion doorway. “What brings you to this side of town past twelve bells? Don’t tell me you missed me so soon.”  

Kaz rolled his eyes. “Of course I did, Jesper.”

Jesper’s eyes turned wide. “What?”

Kaz blinked, stunned at himself. He tried again. “I said of course I did—”  

Jesper looked Kaz up and down in shock. “Are you drunk?”

“I’m not,” Kaz snapped and concentrated on thinking about the most annoying things about Jesper, the way he never shut up, how he left Kaz’s set of cards on a betting table one night. “And I just came over here because I wanted to see you—saints—”

Jesper caught the panic in Kaz’s eyes and ushered him inside, all traces of surprise gone.

“Ok, calm down,” he said. “You probably just pissed off a couple of Grisha somewhere and they’d put some sort of spell on you. Given they could just kill you, you’re lucky if this is all they sent.”

Kaz glared at him as he settled into a chair in the parlor, but the look only made a slow smirk unfurl on Jesper’s face.

“You can’t lie, can’t you?”

“No,” The words flew out of his mouth in a flash. A look of warning crossed Kaz’s face at Jesper’s sudden grin. “Don’t you dare-”

“What am I to you?”

“A brother, of course.” Kaz answered, and both boys started. A tense moment of silence passed before Jesper sighed and ran a hand over his head.

He collapsed into the seat across from Kaz. “You didn’t show it.”

“I tried not to.” Kaz replied shortly, wondering why his mouth wouldn’t stay shut.

Another grin—this one warm and full of fond exasperation—took over Jesper’s face. “Well, saints, you could have just said.”

Kaz looked down at his shoes in silence.

“What’s going on?” a sleepy voice asked, and a few shuffling steps came from the grand staircase. “Jesper, what are you—”

From the middle of the stairway, Wylan took in the scene - Kaz seated directly across Jesper, who leaned back in his chair with an all-too satisfied grin -  and straightened immediately.

“What business?” he questioned Kaz, walking down the rest of the steps in quick succession.

Kaz tried not to answer, but his mouth flew open of its own accord. “I just wanted to visit you and Jesper.”

Wylan stared at Kaz for a moment, then looked to Jesper for an explanation.

Jesper nodded, still all smiles. ”It’s true. Something’s come over him and he can’t lie for his life now. Hopefully, it’s temporary; but until then, we can have a little fun wrenching what he really thinks of everything.”

Wylan looked at Kaz once and shook his head. “I’d rather not have a death wish, Jes.”

Kaz nodded once at Wylan in silent gratitude.

Jesper shrugged. “Fine. But I want to ask one more question-”

“Jes, no—”

“Why’d you think I stuck around the Dregs?”

Kaz slowly exhaled, annoyed. “Because you liked me, of course.”

Jesper paled. Wylan froze. Kaz put a hand to his forehead and sighed.

“Jesper, you never told me—”

“I didn’t think it was relevant—”

“But you liked Kaz—”

“How was I supposed to know how stupid that was—”

“Are you two finished?” Kaz said in irritation and both Wylan and Jesper grew silent. “This means more than revealing uncomfortable truths; I can’t go back to the Slat in this state.”

Jesper nodded sagely. “You’ll probably piss everyone off in there, and who knows who’ll do business with you again?”

Kaz glared at him again and Wylan turned away, mumbling something about setting up a guest room.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Jesper grabbed at Wylan’s hand, spinning him around again. “Let’s see what Kaz thinks of you before you go.”

“Jesper, Kaz doesn’t need to—”

“Wylan’s me,” Kaz answered without hesitation. “He fell in the harbor and crawled out a new person. He felt neglected and isolated by everyone, he wanted a family, he reshaped himself into someone people shouldn’t cross.”

Wylan’s mouth dropped open and Jesper’s eyes grew wide again.

“And I didn’t abandon him because he had uses,” Kaz went on, unable to stop himself. “I did it because I was him once, but no one helped me. I didn’t want Wylan to suffer through the same experience and wanted to give him the feeling of somebody looking out for him.”

The words floated in the air of the parlor like smoke, and Wylan goggled at Kaz until Jesper began snapping his fingers in his face. “Wy. Wy! Now look what you did, Kaz, you broke him.”

Dazed, Wylan shook his head and pushed Jesper’s hand away. “I’m fine, Jes. Just…”

“In shock,” Jesper supplied helpfully.

“Thank you,” Wylan said. “Why don’t we just deal with this in the morning, like normal human beings do?”

“It’s flattering you think of yourself and the rest of us as normal, Wy,” Jesper quipped, rising from his chair. “Gives us more chance to prove ourselves wrong.”

Kaz sighed under his breath and rose from his seat as the two began to bicker good spiritedly again. The domesticity of their relationship simply radiated off the pair; it was a wonder Wylan hadn’t commissioned the jeweler from the Zelver District for two rings. Unfortunately, both of them decided to come up with him as well, needling and teasing each other.

When they all got to the top of the stairs, however, Wylan broke off. “I’ll show you to your room.”

“You’re not this polite when I’m around; why are you always when Kaz is around?”

“Because Kaz has restraints,” Wylan replied, walking past Kaz. “You’ve got none.”

Jesper opened to his mouth to argue, but Wylan already pushed open the second door on the right hand corridor, motioning for Kaz to come inside.

Kaz gave a brief nod to Jesper and the fond glint returned in Jesper’s dark eyes before he started down the other corridor. Kaz entered the room just as Wylan started to exit, and both boys stared at each other for a moment before Kaz stepped aside. But Kaz moved to close the door, he heard a soft but heartfelt ‘thank you’ from the merchling.

The door stopped. “You’re welcome, Wylan.”

Nina bellowed with laughter, a loud, bright sound that filled every crevice in the room. Kuwei started to smile, but quickly schooled his expression once he caught Kaz’s glower.

“So you’re telling me,” Nina said with a barely stifled giggle. “You can’t lie about anything? All because you ticked off the Council of the Tides?”

“I’m certain a Council member slipped the parem in my drink for me to reveal everything about the Dregs,” Kaz answered sourly. “No telling what lengths they’d go to with that information.”

“Probably to burn your gang to ashes.” Kuwei piped up and withered again at Kaz’s black look.

“A gang that now includes your alive self, Kuwei, so you better pray they don’t lay hands on me for a confessional.”

“Down, Brekker,” Nina interjected, wiping some gleeful tears from her eyes. “Or he’ll slip away your hands in fear.”

“He isn’t afraid of me,” Kaz interrupted her, already sensing another truth about to force its way out of his throat. “He thinks himself dispensable now, while that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Nina’s eyebrows shot to her hairline and Kuwei’s jaw fell open.

“Well,” Nina said. “Guess you weren’t really lying about someone cursing you. Wonder what they put in that parem to turn into a truth serum.”

“I’ve dealt with worse, Zenik.” Kaz’s hands tightened on the shoulder rests of his chair. “Just tell me how to get rid of this.”

“We can’t,” Kuwei said quietly. “Both of us have no powers to control the mind. We’ll request Sturmhond’s assistance; until then, we’ll have to hope this spell is temporary.”

Kaz’s mouth tightened. Hope was a dangerous thing to rely upon in the Barrel. It quashed stakes on the card tables, slit the pockets of wealthy men with one false bid, and killed the pigeons that walked Ketterdam’s streets.

“So,” Nina started again, reclining on her chaise. “How’s Inej? I’ve come to collect on her waffle debt to me.”

“She’s leaving tonight,” Kaz answered curtly. “Back to setting sail on the Wraith again.”

Nina squinted at him. “Did you see her off, at least?”

Kaz made no reply, causing Nina to throw her hands up in exasperation.

“Saints, Kaz, it’s like you want to make her miserable.”

“If I take one step outside this mansion, Nina, I’ll be mobbed by any gang members worth their salt for secrets. It’s what a Barrel boss would do.”

“Oh, quit the dramatics, Brekker, and tell me the truth.”

Kaz opened his mouth to deliver a cutting reply, but his answer dies in his throat when the front door opened and Inej stepped in.

Nina’s face lit up. “Inej!”

The two girls embraced each other warmly, and Kaz heard Inej laugh as Nina started to attack her with a barrage of questions. Kuwei timidly made his way over to Inej, who disentangled herself from Nina’s grasp to face him.

“Ravka’s done you good, Kuwei. You look healthier than ever.”

Kuwei smiled and stuck out his hand. “I could say the latter compliment to you as well, Inej.”

Kaz’s stomach churned at their skin contact - a simple privilege forbidden to him with her. She must have sensed his gaze, then, because Inej looked up at him with an inviting smile and angled herself towards him.

He stood up then, gathering up his cane.

“I’ll see you when Sturmhond sends help, Nina.” he announced, brushing past Inej without a second glance. She cast him a confused look tinged with hurt as he passed, but Kaz offered no apology. Later, when the whole debacle settled down, he vowed to explain himself like he usually does, justify his crooked decisions to her.

He wasn’t worried about the other gangs or the Council of Tides snapping him off the streets, really. No, he grew anxious whenever his thoughts conjured up a conversation with him and Inej, and what he’ll say if she asks what he thinks of her.

The thing was, Kaz knew what he thought of her; it resided in the back of his mind whenever he saw her, like an itch that never passed. But whenever he thought that, he’d push the words away from him, fearful of the re-emergence of Kaz Rietveld, the boy who believed in magic.

Better to treat her coolly like before than face her so soon without armor.

Kaz, despite his reservations, showed no extreme change in his behavior with the rest of the Dregs for the following weeks. Though he caused a few double-takes—Rotty knocked himself out on a wooden barrel he held when Kaz remarked how he valued Rotty’s capability—but nothing that damaged his reputation.

“You scared poor Specht half to death with that comment about his potential as a Barrel boss,” Nina laughed one night at his room in the Van Eck mansion. “I’m surprised you didn’t say how well he manipulates others for your benefit.”

“I’d save that last compliment for you, Nina.”

Nina drew in a startled breath and then batted her eyelashes. “Are you acknowledging my acting range, Kaz?”  

“I’m a sharp observer. I say what I see.”  

“Kaz,” Nina said, more gently this time. “Saying these things won’t stone Dirtyhands into his grave.”

Kaz chose not to answer and only watched as Nina slowly made her way to the door, promising that help would be on the way soon from Ravka.

What he hadn’t dreamed, however, was Nina creaking open the door to reveal Inej standing patiently outside his room.

“What business, Inej?” Kaz asked, summoning enough brusqueness to cover his surprise.

He heard a sigh escape Nina, but when Inej dropped a comforting hand on her shoulder and whispered a few words, she retreated without protest, closing the door with a firm click behind her.

“You’ve been avoiding the Slat.” Inej said, her posture still as straight as one of her knives.

“I’ve been taking precautions.”  

She gave him a look. “The Dregs haven’t lost faith in you, if that’s what you’re worried about. They walk around the Barrel like they hold crowns on their heads; compliments from Dirtyhands make them proud.”

“If anything, it makes them cocky,” Kaz said, stripping off his gloves. “Tell them not to expect any favors from me when they get fleeced on the streets from strutting around.”

“Tell them yourself when you come back,” Inej shot back. “You’ve been missed by everyone.”

Kaz looked up from his hands, focusing his gaze on Inej steadily. “Everyone?”

She nodded in assent, watching him lay his cane on the room wall. “They all seem eager to know your opinion about them.”

“Surely not everyone.”

Inej’s eyes glittered. 

“I know what you think about me, Kaz. I don’t need a parem strain to realize it,” Kaz stayed silent and Inej took that as a sign to continue. “You’re not the only one who drank out of that cup, you know.”

With a jolt, Kaz remembered the cup raised to Inej’s lips, her bemused laugh coloring the air of his tiny room at the Slat.

“And how has that experience been? Hassling? People hounding you for any praiseworthy comment on your tongue? Because that’s what—”

“The same as usual. I express myself about others more often, so no one thought I showed any different signs.”

Kaz sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the floorboards. “So, we won’t ask each other then?”

“I don’t see why we need to reveal things that we can’t say yet.” He heard Inej reply.

Kaz’s comment of agreement caught in his throat and his hands fisted into his blankets in frustration.

To hell with it.

“That wastes a perfectly good opportunity for me to say I love you.”

He heard Inej’s sharp inhale of surprise and kept scrutinizing the floorboards, unable to meet her eye. Then Kaz felt his chin being lifted up with the faintest of touches and saw Inej in front of him. The way the two of them were angled at that moment, they were almost the same height.

“I told you I didn’t need a parem strain to know that.” Inej said softly, her words washing over him like a gentle wind.

Kaz swallowed, but stayed still. “What if I told you I chose to say it?”

“Then I’ll have to say I love you too, of course.”

She leaned forward then, but stopped only inches from Kaz’s mouth - a moment of hesitation that Kaz answered with a hoarse “Go on.”

The kiss was a feather brushing on lips, a barely existent thing. But Kaz felt every nerve in his body attune to Inej’s mouth moving against his own, to grow aware that this was no idle daydream. He slowly yielded his guard and pressed closer towards her to steal her breath away like the proper thief he was. No water rose in his throat to choke him, no taste of rotting skin lingered on his tongue; instead, he tasted unyielding faith and glorious life on his parted lips. He felt the powerful thrum of his heartbeat against his chest, a strange sensation that died away when Inej drew away and that came back with a roar as she gave him the smile he’d raze empires to see all his life.

Notes:

I know this was a Kanej prompt, but I thought, "Wait, Kaz doesn't usually open up to anyone; why stop at Inej? Why not include all the Dregs?"