Six of Crows AU where there's some sort of International Farmers Association that has big meets every now and then where farmers come from all over and Jesper's father has met Kaz's parents there before so when Colm (Jesper's father) meets Kaz he recognizes him almost immediately
"Do I know you?" Colm asks, "That is, have we met before?" And then, before Kaz or anyone else even has the chance to respond: "The Rietvelds! You're the Rietvelds' boy, aren't you? Now, which one are you, then? Jordie or Kaz?"
(Someone, inevitably: "Kaz is a farmboy?!")
Edit: I give full blanket permission for anyone to write fanfic of this AU, btw. <3
“but what if I actually am becoming besotted with him?
cardan is more knowledgeable than I am at love. he could use that against me, just as I asked him to use it against nicasia. perhaps he found a way to turn the tables after all.
kill him, a part of me says, a part I remember from the night I took him captive. kill him before he makes you love him.”
they’d been two farm boys, missing their father, lost in this city. that was how pekka got them.
it wasn’t just the enticement of money. he’d given them a new home ... pekka rollins had lured them with a warm fire and the promise of the life they’d lost. and that was what destroyed you in the end: the longing for something you could never have.
what happened to you, kaz? what happened to your brother?
alright look, i know it's been a hot minute since you wrote AWBR and maybe since you wrote any extra content for it but i would literally lop off both of my arms and sell a kidney on the black market for you to write when Neil performs For Him for the first time on stage and see the aftermath of what THAT does to Andrew because that's a whole song for *him*, not just a verse in Wild and also the first time they perform Too Good together on stage and the aftermath of that too because !!!
askldjfads you’re so sweet omg i’m just honoured you even wanted to hear any more from this story!!! like you said, it’s been a hot minute so i’m a little rusty when it comes to this ‘verse but hopefully this lives up to expectations!!
song used is for him by troye sivan obviously askjdfh
enjoy <3
*
Neil clutches his guitar pick in his hand as helistens to Nicky hype the crowd. It’s been a good show so far – the crowd havesung along at the top of their lungs for most songs but also always seemed toknow when to go quiet. He can’t ignore the nerves gnawing at the pit of hisstomach now though.
He looks at Andrew, a few feet away and seeminglyfocused on fixing a string on his own guitar, and tries to make himself relax.
He’d debated even putting this song on the album.
Posting a couple of lines of lyrics on Twitter hadbeen one thing but sharing the whole song with the world had made him pause. Hedoesn’t like inviting people into their relationship all that often. Let themspeculate as much as they want but in general, he and Andrew like to keepthings separate.
Theirs.
And like the title says, the song is for Andrew.
No one else.
Still, Neil had been talked into it after they’dstruggled to find another song to put on the album and tonight is the firstnight they’re playing it live.
“Alright, who’s ready for a song off the new album?”Nicky asks and the crowd dutifully screams back. All it does is make Neil’sstomach churn.
Nicky grins his signature smile, glances over hisshoulder to wink in Neil’s – and subsequently, Andrew’s – direction and says, “Thisone is courtesy of Neil,” before hurrying to get into position.
There’s a single second of still before the songstarts and in that moment Neil sees the way Andrew turns his head, justslightly as if catching Neil’s gaze out of the corner of his eye. It’s all Neilneeds to get the courage to play the first chord.
Nicky begins the song before Andrew takes over and it’senough time to get the adrenaline pumping in Neil’s veins in time for thechorus. He doesn’t consciously decide to look in Andrew’s direction but when heopens his mouth to sing he can’t look anywhere else.
“You don’t haveto say, “I love you,” to say I love youForget all the shooting stars and all the silver moons,”
He knows Andrew knows he’s watching him. He can seeit in the set of Andrew’s shoulders, can see it when they make eye contact fora single second and Andrew’s eyes are blazing. It makes a grin form on Neil’sface and there’s not a single doubt in his mind as he sings, “All I need is you…”
The roar of the crowd is the only thing that snapshim out of his reverie at the end of the chorus and he looks out into a sea offlashing lights as Andrew sings about the halves of their hearts.
It’s one of Neil’s more revealing songs definitely –his most revealing, probably – and he’d been surprised when Andrew had evenagreed to sing it. He’d been convinced it’d be him and Nicky leading the vocalswith possibly Kevin assisting. But when they’d been figuring out thearrangement Andrew had walked over with a sharpie, circled the first pre-chorusand the second verse and said, “I’m singing those parts,” and that had beenthat.
Listening to him now makes shivers run down Neil’sspine.
They’re his own words but hearing them from Andrew’smouth makes them mean so much more.
They all come together for the final chorus but Neilis mostly playing on autopilot now, stealing glances in Andrew’s directionevery time he gets the chance. He never thought they’d be here. He neverthought he’d get to breathe like this.
He never thought he could be this free.
The song ends and the concert keeps going but Neilonly has eyes for Andrew.
*
Later, when the show is over and they’re runningbackstage with too much energy Andrew stops him. The entire backstage area isin disarray with everyone hurrying around but Neil’s world narrows down to theperson in front of him as soon as Andrew’s hand touches his arm.
Andrew turns to face him, catching Neil’s chinbetween his finger and his thumb. He searches Neil’s expression at first, eyesflitting all over his face and Neil is happy to let him look his fill, limbsloose and relaxed the way they always are after a good show.
Then, without any hesitation or grandeur, Andrewsimply says, “I love you too,” punctuating it with a firm kiss.
He leans back seconds later and Neil blinks dazedlyat him, mouth twitching at the corners.
“Okay,” he says with a disbelieving smile.
Andrew nods, releasing his grip on Neil’s chin tolace their fingers together instead.
In the time it takes to walk from the backstage areato his dressing room he starts writing his next song.
@sixofcrowsnet heist: minor characters - aditi hilli and colm fahey
“”how’s my land?” she’d ask every day when his father returned from fields, and later jesper would learn that the farm had been in her name, a wedding gift from his father, who had courted aditi hilli for nearly a year before she’d deigned to give him the time of day.
“blooming,” he’d say, kissing her cheek. “just like you, love.”“
“There was Helen, now deliberately effete and decidedly unattainable in a black sheath, her legs longer than the driveway. “What shall we toast to? Toast to me, of course. Oh, yes, my mother, too.””
