Six of Crows Oneshots

Piano (prt 4)

A/N: somehow y'all want this to keep going and I'm not in the right headspace to write anything other than angst so here goes nothing.

Kaz's POV
Inej was here.

Inej had seen him playing.

He tried to breathe but any form of air was stuck in his lungs and started to burn a bit. She was here. She'd seen him. Oh saints she'd seen him.

And Kaz Brekker was still fucking crying.

"Kaz?" She asked again. Like he would disappear infront of her eyes and if Dirtyhands had his way he would.

"I'm sorry." Kaz replied quietly. Searching the desperate faces of Wylan, Jesper, and Inej in the hopes one of them would understand the pure panic gripping him like a vice.

"It's okay," Inej said carefully, tracking forwards.

"Take a breath."

"I cant" his voice was hoarse and barely audible. The singing had taken everything from him. He was surrounded by his armor and was laid bare infront of them all.

Most importantly, he was currently bare of all armor and walls, infront of Inej. To him, Santka Inej.

Her voice matched his quiet tone and she took another step forward. "Can I touch you?"

He nodded, and suddenly a small warmth enveloped him as she hugged him tightly.

He couldn't stop the tears still flooding his eyes.

"It's okay," Jesper came up behind the Barrel Boss and hugged him from behind. "Just breathe."

Wylan came next. The small redhead tucking under his left arm, with his arms snaking underneath Jesper and Inej's.

They were all so warm and Kaz was just so fucking cold. But Inej reminded him to breathe again, so he tried.

Kaz tried, he really did, and eventually his breathing evened out.

"Before you say anything," Inej's soft voice came from under his chin. "I want you to know I think you're voice is beautiful."

Kaz just sniffled.

"You play wonderfully." A kind voice chimes from the left side of his ribcage. The red curls barely even moving.

Kaz just stayed there, with the three of them. Until the maid eventually rang the kitchen bell for dinner.

Even then, Kaz was given space.

But even at dinner, the crows made sure Kaz felt as included as possible.

*time skip brought by how I don't think there's supposed to be two screens while I'm typing this but I'ma keep going any way*

Kaz found himself on the piano bench more.

He kept singing.

And one day, while Inej was checking in on a few of her old Menagerie friends around the Barrel, Kaz decided to play a different type of song.

Kaz Brekker decided he wanted to try his hand at an affectionate song. One his Da always used to play for Ma around Valentine's Day

(let's pretend it's canon so I don't have to make up a holiday for love, also my brain is thinking of a song like Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur just for the sweetness)

The keys were cold on his bare hands, but Brekker was used to the cold by now.

The words were in Lijan, but rolled off his tongue the smoothest when he sang. Kerch wasn't much of a singing language unless it was for dirty sea shanties.

He kept playing for a little while. The light and caring tone made its way through the room. Thickening into a lavender like haze around Kaz that made him feel giddy as a school-boy.

He was singing the song his father had sun for Ma back in the day.

All he could picture was the small Suli girl he was singing it for.

He ended the song gently, as it was supposed to be, and let his fingers rest on the final keys for a minute.

But the peaceful haze didn't last long.

Brekker could feel an oddly smug, yet warm, presence from the doorway behind him. And a kind yet frigid one right behind the smug one.

"Nina darling," Kaz sighed but didn't turn around. "You should leave the sneaking and such to Inej."

Before he knew it, thin arms snaked around his neck and loosely held him.

Her head rested on his shoulder. He could feel her gentle smile."Was that something close to a compliment?"

He whispered back, low enough so only she could hear him. In her language of silk, Kaz replied;

"Only you, treasure, only you."

"You learned Suli?"

He shrugged. "Some, just for you."

"You two aren't the only multi-linguals in the room!" The Heartrender sang from the doorway.

Wylan walked by and gently shooed the two to their rooms.

Jesper walked past the doorway to help Wylan. "Continue with your cute pining! Don't worry about us!"

Kaz just rolled his eyes and Inej nuzzled a little more into his neck.

Sure, a shiver ran through his spine, and the waters pooled a little.

But he took two of his bare fingers, and loosely held Inej's wrist in place on his shoulders. He could feel her pulse.

Kaz Brekker was alive. And maybe with the help of his crows, he could make his way back to truly living life.

A/N: weird? Absolutely. But two publishing while I'm technically concussed? Love that ya know. Anywayz gimme requests and stuff I'll try 💖💖 tysm for reading!!!

I will be editing both of the pieces I published just so y'all know