hi love!!
could you please do a Kaz Brekker x reader where the reader helps Kaz cut his hair?? maybe it’s super hard for Kaz to do it himself for some reason and he finally lets reader help. they take it really slow tho so kaz is comfortable.
thanks 🥰🥰
warnings: not proof-read, canon typical violence, talking of gambling, a whole lot of angsty fluff, Kaz working through his skin aversion/phobia, switches a lot between the reader's pov and Kaz's, I tried to be fancy with the wiring but its meh, mid ending
You sighed, looking out over the bustling tables and colourful clothes that made up the Crow Club. Pigeons and regulars crowd the tables to avoid the pouring rain beyond the doors. Nights like this were freezing, the Ketterdam cold had a way of finding the cracks in buildings. Seeping into homes and putting out fires. Whenever it would get too bad, the Crow Club would get busier. Kaz carefully built the club to be enticing, it was hard to leave the comfort of warmth with weather like tonight.
You were in charge tonight, a steep task seeming the steady stream of people entering the club. Kaz had locked himself in his room at the slat, the last job the crows had gone on went south. Kaz took a bullet to the arm, effectively losing his strength for the foreseeable future. It had made him sourer than usual, he had chewed Jesper out for being careless and letting the job go south.
You looked over at the gunslinger now, sitting at a table with Wylan, the latter trying to stop too much money from being squandered. You had promised to stake him for the night, to make up for the way Kaz had treated him, it was the least you could do. Even so, you still felt the gnaw of guilt watching him at the table. You weren't a fan of gambling, at least not the kind Jesper was. He liked the thrill of the unknown, but he never knew when to stop. At least Wylan was with him now, supervising to be sure Jesper had a good time but not so much that he would regret it.
Nina and Matthias were here tonight as well, they hardly ever stayed around the club, but tonight Nina had convinced Matthias to have a drink and enjoy the night. Inej had been with them at the start of the night but had since slunk off to do what she did best. You hoped Kaz hadn't sent her on any errands tonight, you worried the spider might just get washed off her perch if she was. The steep gables of Ketterdam were treacherous on a clear day, they would be lethal tonight.
You were startled when a shout echoed around the room, the man it came from was clearly unhappy with his hand. He stood from his seat and grabbed the dealer by his collar, shaking and shouting in his face. You rolled your eyes, men who lost at the tables often blamed the dealers for their misfortune. The man yelling had silenced the club, everyone watching as Keeg pushed his way over to the man. Fighting and violence were not allowed in the Crow Club, if you had an issue you took it outside. You watched from the stairs as Keeg seized the man and hauled him away from the tables, tossing him outside into the rain with a terse warning not to stick around. The room was bustling again before the doors even closed.
You climbed down the stairs and headed to where Matthias and Nina were sitting, comfortably tucked into one of the quieter corners of the club. Nina lit up when she saw you, as she always did.
'Are you here to join us?" She asked, gesturing to the empty seat beside her.
You shook your head, "Have you seen Kaz tonight?"
Nina rolled her eyes, "I offered to help him with his arm but he refused." She crossed her arms, "Quite rudely, actually."
You offered her a small smile that felt fake, "Sounds like Kaz."
Nina waved her hand dismissively, taking a sip of her drink.
You turned to look back over the club, knowing you should be focused on the events that transpired here, but being unable to stop your mind wander back to the attic of the slat.
Kaz was not the easiest person to love but you did so anyway. Last night you had tried to offer him comfort, but he had lashed out and left you feeling stupid. You knew he had regretted his words, the moment he said them his eyes gave away his shock. Kaz was all sharp lines and harshness, he had boarded his heart up with cruel words and violent ways. You knew that he would not change at the drop of a hat, but you saw the good in him. The good he spent years burying so deep he couldn't find it himself. So you stayed patient, you gave him space when he needed it. Cautious not to smother him or hasten him when he was not ready. He would let you in, piece by piece until all his walls were gone, and he felt safe with you.
In the last few months since getting closer, Kaz had let you past his defences. He quietly told you small details about himself. How he had grown up outside of Lij, on a farm he had left behind after his father's death. How he was always fascinated with sleight of hand - magic - even as he outgrew childhood. He had even slowly told you about his brother. Only small things, like how he had been 5 years older and had died not long after they came to Ketterdam. You could see how hard it was for him to share those small things, watch him fight with himself about if he should tell you. So in turn, you told him about your own quietly kept secrets. It was a strange transaction, but you could feel the bond between you both strengthening the more you shared in the quiet of Kaz's room.
Nina pulled you from your trance with a hand on your arm, she drew your attention back to the present. You turned to look at her, knowing already she could feel how your heart was racing with worry.
"You should go try again," She said, squeezing your hand.
"I'm meant to be closing."
"We can do it," Matthias replied, "Jesper and Wylan will help."
You looked over to where Wylan and Jesper were, they seemed to feel your eyes on them and they turned and offered smiles.
"Go," Nina urged again, "Before I change my mind and cozy up in bed."
You hugged your friend tight, thanking her and asking her to pass on thanks to Wylan and Jesper.
You forced yourself out the doors before you could dwell too much more on it. Keeg waved you off, letting you know he would keep watch as you were gone.
You shoved your hands into your pockets as you walked, keeping your head down to avoid the rain as much as possible. You walked as quickly as you could, sticking to the side of buildings to avoid getting drenched in the downpour.
As you crossed over the bridge a few blocks away from the slat, Inej fell into step beside you. You were used to the Suli girl appearing at your side, if It were anyone else you would get startled, but Inej was always a comforting presence. Sometimes you felt like she was a saint, the way she watched over you and the crows. You told her this often, reminding her of how appreciative you were to have a friend like her around.
"Kaz hasn't sent you on any jobs tonight has he?"
Inej shook her head, "No."
You let out a breathy laugh, "Then why were you jumping across the rooftops?"
You knew the answer.
"I feel at home on the roofs, it's my own Ketterdam."
You hummed, taking in her answer. Inej told you about the time she spent training on the highwire as a child, how she loved the feeling of being free so high off the ground. She was brave and unwavering like that and you admired her greatly for it.
As you came up on the Slat, Inej disappeared back into the shadows of the night. She would return to the club, or retire to her room, but she enjoyed climbing her way across Ketterdam and you were happy to let her do so.
The slat was mostly quiet when you entered. Anika and a few other Dregs were drinking and conversing quietly as if not to disturb anyone. You knew it was to not bother Kaz. Although Dirtyhands had put in a lot of effort and money into making the slat warm and dry, voices still carried. Most nights you could hear conversations from the bottom floor all the way in Kaz's attic, it was how you knew whenever Jesper got back. He was loud enough to be heard all over the slat.
You started your climb up the stairs, watching your rain-soaked boots take each step with certainty. Although you climbed these stairs multiple times a day, you still felt as if you might trip down them. They were narrow and steep, a recipe for disaster when the rain made your shoes slippery.
Three floors up, you stopped in your room. It was hardly a room and more of a closet, fitting your cot and dresser and not much else. You truly didn't mind, you were right next door to Inej and you only ever came to your room to sleep or change.
You kicked off your boots and stripped off your socks, replacing them quickly with a dry pair to keep your feet warm. You shrugged off your jacket and hung it on the door handle , with any luck it would dry before you would need it again tomorrow. You slipped out of the room and headed back to the stairs to Kaz's room.
Your feet made no sound as you climbed the steps, the silence of your movements allowing you to listen for Kaz in his room. Most of the time you would hear him shuffling through papers, but tonight there was little noise coming from behind the door. As you reached up to knock you prayed he wasn't sleeping.
"Yes?"
You cracked open the door, surprised to find Kaz wasn't sitting at his desk but standing in front of the small mirror in the corner of the room. He had scissors in his good hand, the other shakingly brushing back his hair from his face.
You had noticed how Kaz's hair had gotten much longer lately. The dark strands often blocking his eyes. You knew it drove him crazy, he hated having his hair in his eyes, but he had been too busy to fix it for now.
Kaz shared how he cut his own hair not long ago, you remembered the conversation vividly. He had caught his reflection in the mirror as he washed his hands in the small basin, asking you if you liked his hair.
You had been surprised, Kaz never cared for what others thought of his appearance. You told him the truth, that you loved his hair. Loved how he took time to cut it and try to style it, to you it showed his quiet care. When you asked why he was suddenly concerned, he mentioned how Nina had teased him about it once. It had been a harmless comment, but to him brought back the fact that he feared others touch so much he couldn't bare to let someone else cut it. So it looked rough, uneven in some parts and sometimes much shorter than he intended. You offered to help him when he was ready, but he had yet to take you up on the offer.
"Kaz," You sighed, taking a tentative step forward as if not to startle him. "You should be resting."
Kaz just frowned at his reflection.
His hands were shaking, you noticed. His right hand with the scissors shook so subtly that you might have missed It if you weren't looking. His other hand gripped tight to the side of the basin, as he fought the pain that throbbed down his bicep.
"I can't stand it anymore," Kaz growled, glaring at the hair that kept flopping in his face.
You chuckled, watching the man glower at his reflection with all his barrel brutality.
Crossing the room towards him, you held out your hand, "Let me help."
Kaz stared at your hand like it was foreign. You waited patiently as he had an internal battle. You felt a pang of sympathy when you watched a look of longing pass over Kaz's face. He wanted to let you help, he wanted nothing more than to feel your hands running through his hair with the tender care you always held. But the waters were always there, right below him. If he let you help, they might just swallow him whole.
Finally, Kaz resigned the scissors to you with a sigh.
You smiled at him, "We'll take it slowly." You promised, "If it gets too much, tell me and we’ll stop."
Kaz nodded.
He watched you in the mirror as you stood behind him, assessing what he had already done and what you would do. You knew he liked it a certain way, you spent enough time staring at him to memorize how it always looked. You made eye contact with Kaz in the mirror.
"Ready?"
Kaz nodded, taking in a deep breath.
You ran your hand through his hair, combing it back off his face with your fingers. You could almost feel how Kaz relaxed, his tense shoulders falling just a little. You took it as a good sign, continuing to gently pull his hair away from his face and start cutting.
It was slow going, you paused every few minutes to remind Kaz to breathe and release the tension in his muscles. You had no intention of making him suffer through his flashbacks alone. So you muttered reassuring words, offering to take a longer break or to step back for a moment as he processed. Kaz would shake his head, refusing to let you move away in case he would never feel you close again.
Your body was so warm he could feel it through the shirt on his back. You were always comforting and warm like a fire on a cold day. Kaz sometimes felt himself leaning into the feeling, leaning into you. Getting close to someone after so many years of pushing everyone away was terrifying for him. But he was determined to work through it, to be worthy of the gentleness and care you bestowed on him.
When you were done, you ran your fingers through his hair one last time. Your fingertips brushed against the skin on the back of his neck. Typically, the feeling would repulse him, send him spiralling into the frigid waves, but now he felt warmth grow from where you touched. He let out a sigh, revelling in the peace that he felt at that moment. It had been so long since skin-on-skin contact had made him feel something other than repulsion, he had almost forgotten what it was like.
You stepped back, placing the scissors on the desk and giving him space. You were buzzing with emotions and you feared they might just burst out of you if you stayed too close.
The room was silent, the only sound coming from you and Kaz's quiet breaths. You could feel your heart beating erratically, it pulsated through your body as you tried to steady it. Kaz was staring at your handiwork in the mirror, his hands running through it and feeling how it reacted. After a few tense moments, he turned to you, the smallest of smiles on his lips.
Kaz's smiles were hard to earn. Often, it felt like his only facial expression was the stern frown he always wore. But every now and again, in the safety of these four walls, his eyes would relax and his lips pull upwards.
The first time Kaz had smiled at you, you had felt drunk. You could live in that moment for a million years and never grow sick of it. His smile was so gentle, it warmed you from the inside out. You searched for that feeling everywhere, but it only ever came when Kaz smiled.
You felt hopelessly lovesick now, staring into the eyes of the bastard of the barrel. He was so different within these walls, still sarcastic and ill-tempered at times, but also gentle and caring. When he allowed himself the chance to feel safe, you could see the little boy from Lij who loved magic and games.
"Thank you."
You could only just hear the words over the roar of your heartbeat, offering Kaz a tight-lipped smile and a wave of your hand.
"It's no problem."
You both stayed silent for a little longer, looking everywhere but at each other. You were brimming with butterflies, the same giddy feeling you got when you had your first crush.
Kaz stood from his perch, slowly limping over to you. You waited as he did so, worried a move might break the spell that overcame you both. You fiddled with your fingers, trying to calm the thoughts racing through your mind.
Kaz reached out a gloved hand, holding your hand to stop your anxious habit. You had held his hand before, mostly when he wore his gloves so that he wouldn't get too overwhelmed, but it always made you feel safe. The most dangerous man in all of Ketterdam was not dirtyhands here, he was Kaz, gentle and loving.
You watched silently as Kaz pulled his hand away and slipped his gloves off. You knew that he preferred to take things slowly, he needed to take things slowly. You were in no rush, you had all the time in the world for the man before you.
Kaz's hands were still shaky, trembling ever so slightly as he reached for you again. He slowly raised his good hand to your face, hesitating before making contact. His eyes held a question, asking kindly for your permission. You accepted with a small nod, unable to help the tiny smile on your lips. Kaz's hand was colder than you were expecting as he cupped your cheek, you were sure he would be able to feel how hot you were. His slender fingers sat against your jawline, his thumb feathering across your cheekbone, like he was exploring your face. You subconsciously leaned into his hand, closing your eyes and letting a sigh slip from your lips. You could live here forever, in this safety and warmth, tucked away from the prying eyes of Ketterdam.
Kaz took a shaky breath in and you pulled away, startled that you might have pushed him too far. He only smiled, taking a small step forward and keeping his hand on your cheek. You could feel his breath on your skin now, the ghosting of his fingers. It almost felt like a dream. Kaz leaned in a little closer, your foreheads almost touching. His eyes flickered from your lips to your eyes and back.
Kaz wanted nothing more than to close the gap between you and press his lips to yours. You were so warm, your face tucked into his hand like it was made to be held by him. Your breath tickled his skin, it reminded him how you were here, alive. Saints, if he could just lean forward and-
All at once the water was snatching him under. The feeling of your skin turning cold and deathly. He lurched back, holding in his gags of disgust as the freezing waters overtook him.
"Kaz?"
He fell backwards, scrambling to put space between you both as he choked on the waters.
You could only watch as Kaz scrambled away from you, unable to do anything to stop him. He pulled himself as far away from you as he could, becoming a mess of shaking and shuddering breaths. He was panicking, the anxiety and fear clearly written across his features. It hurt, you wanted to help him but you feared you might only make it worse.
You knew you wouldn't be able to leave him in such a state, hyperventilating on the floor of his room. So you slowly lowered yourself to the ground, a good meter away from him to not suffocate him.
"I'm here, Kaz," You said softly, watching over him, "You're safe."
He took another few shuddering breaths, but they were slower than the last. You took it as a sign to keep going.
"Take it slow," You spoke just above a whisper, "I'm not going anywhere."
You stayed a safe distance away as Kaz calmed down, watching over him and offering quiet reassurances as he slowly came to himself. When the panic was gone from his eyes, it was replaced with guilt. You knew how hard it was for Kaz to touch skin, you didn't know exactly why, but you didn't mind taking things slow for him.
You cut Kaz before he could say he was sorry, "It's okay."
Kaz reached for his gloves and shoved them on, "It's not."
You shuffled a little closer, "Kaz." The boy looked up at you with his dark eyes, "Truly, it's alright. I will wait for you. If it takes days, weeks or years, I will be here."
Kaz's eyes were glossy, you had never seen him cry but perhaps this was the closest he ever got.
"You, Kaz Brekker, are worth waiting for."
Kaz looked down, "Rietveld."
It caught you entirely off guard, "What?"
Kaz slowly lifted his eyes to yours, "My real name is Kaz Rietveld."
Your face burst into a bright grin, "Well, Kaz Rietveld, it's nice to meet you."
{In between missions wylan and jesper go out they happen to both be eyeing this woman they find perticularly intriguing}
Warnings; a tinnyyyy bit suggestive, sex mentioned (no smut), y/n is used once
Jesper and Wylan decided to bar hop. Given their freedom for the day, it seemed like the perfect time to spend go out together rather than anticipating the next mission. They find a seat at the bar and people watch for some time. You however, caught their attention. They spent the next 20 minutes talking about you, trying to read what you were thinking. Until Wylan became uneasy,
"No I don't like this it makes me feel like a gross man not a respectable one" he shakes his head and shifts his weight back on his barstool.
"You worry far too much about what people think. Whats really creepy is us staring..."
"I wonder why shes alone in a bar like this, now that I think about it its starting to get dark out" as the sun began to set the bar swarmed with is usual crowd of men.
“I'll get her over here I think she'd be safer. I think I still got some smooth talk left in me.” Jesper tilts his head down slightly and gives a mischievous smile. Wylan sighs and turns to face the bar.
“That sounds like you're going to kidnap her. Actually, IM quite good at impressing people myself.” He catches a glance at you before turning his head back to Jesper.
“I bet you are mr i can play the flute and piano and mix chemicals and-“
“I get it Jes... but seriously let me have a try at it”
“Fine. Don’t blow it for us though ” he used his fingers to motion ’im watching you’ as Wylan makes his way to your table, he approaches you with a smile on his face. You set your drink down and look him up and down.
“Who are you?”
“Im Wylan” he holds his hand out for you to rest yours upon, then gently kisses your hand while holding eye contact
“Are you always like this?” He laughs and grabs the chair next to you
“may i?” You kick the chair out from under the table and motion for him to sit. From across the bar Jesper is watching carefully trying to read lips, he turns to the bartender and asks
“Does she look like shes uncomfortable or undressing him with her eyes?” The bartender shrugged at him. You took in wylans features trying not to give an intense look as he spoke.
“Actually I’m not always like this, I don’t really like going up to people but how could I catch a glance at you and not want to know you” his hair bounced subtly as he spoke. He seemed eager yet anxious at the same time, it was hard to tell whether he was lying or not to get in your pants. His tone remained gentle and clear, but he struggled with eye contact during his introduction.
“Well, wylan, I appreciate you coming over. Do you know how pathetic it is to sit in here alone all evening. I was hoping someone would notice me, its been a rough day. I'm y/n by the way” you noticed his eyes glistening while you spoke, he listened with such intent to your every word. To him, your voice was like sweets, he felt entranced by it and never wanted you to stop talking to him, The same way he adored Jesper and his constant remarks. He needed your company. His eyes were so distracting you almost didn’t notice jesper approaching your table. He became impatient at the bar and decided he should intervene. Though he did trust Wylan, he’s not necessarily a womanizer. Realizing you were done talking and he had been staring, Wylans eyes widened before he responded
“I actually only hang out here when my boyfriend is here, speaking of…” Jesper leaned his weight on one side, his hand on his hip. You look back and forth between the two. Your heart is pounding overwhelmed by the fact two attractive men are in close proximity. Jesper clicked his teeth twice and winked at you in a joking manner, it was rare he found himself nervous but seeing you up close only made him more flustered.
“Ooo someones got caught” you whisper to wylan, loud enough for jesper to hear. Your heart is racing, you feel guilty letting yourself fawn over someone's partner.
“Actually I sent him over here, can’t let him take all the credit of course” you nervously laughed taking another big gulp of your drink from earlier.
“Well since I’m standing, let me get you another one love” he takes your glass and rushes back to the bartender
“She wasn’t being harassed she actually looks quite flustered, its working! Oh and refill this please, im not entirely sure what it was but just fill it i need to get back”
Meanwhile you had lots more questions for wylan
“Did he actually send you over? Is this some sick game? You know if you wanted someone to play with theres brothels for that. Coming over to butter you up to be a toy for the night.” wylan’s gaze softens and he leans forward towards you, elbows on his knees. He has a slight panic in his eyes watching you unravel everything in front of him. he wanted to take your hands but had learned the hard way that not everyone responds well to strangers grabbing them.
“Listen I understand and I am really sorry but I did not come to you for any other reason than your beauty and your charm. We’ve been paying you a bit of extra attention since you walked in and from what we can tell you're independent, gorgeous, and have been kind to everyone you’ve interacted with. I'm sure Jesper could say the same but I truly want to know you. We have some lore I think you'd find rather charming as well if you give us the chance. I promise this isn't a game or a test or a hookup. I am far past those days, I like things that are real and not temporary whether it's a friendship or something more intimate.” You leaned in same as he did so your faces are about an inch apart,
“I find it hard to believe that two beautiful men, already in a relationship, have a common interest in me besides sex. I came here because I felt I had nobody, but something in my brain said hey if you put out, the world will give. And here you come giving me everything a girl could dream. I don't want temporary people either. Especially if i'm some sort of experiment...” As if prompted, Jesper appeared back at the table, you both turned your heads to look up at him and he smirked at the image it put in his head. You sat up and faced Jesper. “...See, I can practically read your thoughts.” Wylan also turned to Jesper with pleading eyes, begging him to not mess this up.
"Thats a lot coming from you, I can tell you're thinking the same thing. You know maybe we could be your experiment." Wylan rolls his eyes and starts getting up ready to accept defeat. You zone out for a moment considering your response.
"Would it make me a harlot if I didn't hate the idea?" You tilted your head slightly with puppy dog eyes looking up at Jesper. You'd never considered being in this exact situation, who are you to shut them out when he was right, it could go both ways. And as much as you wanted to stomp out of the bar upset with them you couldn't help but find yourself imagining what they're like outside of this setting, what are their hobbies, what they do for work, who their friends are, their dynamic with each other. You wanted to be apart of it.
“What? The idea of your boyfriends being boyfriends? You say the word and were yours” you look back and forth between them, Wylan's holding Jesper's hand to ease his nerves. While Jesper smiles down at you, eyebrows raised waiting for a response
“Sure" you hold your hand out and Jesper helps you out your seat.
A/n; Throuple content as promised, might be a mini series if y'all like it! I’m working on my characterization & again I’m new to writing grishaverse so spare me pls. also catch that hadestown reference :3
Can I please please please request anything for Wylan Van Eck x reader?
Anything you feel like writing
Maybe something with reader owning a piano and he visits them for the first time and just fluff
I'm hyperfixating again and there's not enough for him
Thank youuuu💕💕
Pairings: wylan van eck x gn!reader
Warnings: tooth rotting fluff and also nawt proofread. when are they ever though?
Words: 1417
A/N: my bad for not finishing (or like doing any of) kinktober so heres some fluff as an apology. I've had absolutley NO creative juices flowing so im sorry if this is ass.
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚
They never thought domestic life was for them.
But then again, since they’d gotten their four million kruge, since they’d moved into the Van Eck estate with Wylan, everything had been flipped on its head.
The day Jan Van Eck went to jail was the day Wylan had asked Y/n to be his partner. And he’d asked them to move in with him.
“Isn’t that a little… fast?” Y/n had asked.
“Would you prefer to stay in the Slat?” Wylan said, no malice in his voice. He’d actually sounded quite kind about it.
“Fair point, I’ll go pack,” said Y/n.
They settled in, had a routine and everything. Y/n would get up earlier than Wylan and go on a run. The Geldin district was much safer than the Barrel, and Y/n was grateful they were able to run without glancing over their shoulder every two seconds. Then when Y/n returned, they’d wake Wylan and then bathe while Wylan got ready. They’d sit together while eating toast with jam, a delicacy that Y/n had come to like. After all, everything tasted better when you could actually afford it.
Wylan would work on small designs in the workshop, and Y/n would usually take to the library or they’d bake something to keep their hands busy. Then they would come to dinner, which Wylan would put together. It was a simple life, but it was enough for the both of them.
One fateful morning, Y/n had gotten up and to their surprise, Wylan was already up.
“What are you doing? Isn’t it a bit early to be up?” Y/n asked, blinking away sleep.
“Thought I’d surprise you.” Wylan shrugged. “Can I go on your run with you?”
Y/n quirked an eyebrow. “Do you know how fast I run?”
“Fair enough,” said Wylan. “Willing to compromise and make it a brisk walk?” Y/n laughed.
“I suppose I can adapt for today.” Y/n and Wylan finished getting ready and Wylan made sure to lock the door. Y/n started briskly walking down the street, Wylan a step behind him. He caught up quickly.
“Why must you always have a headstart?” Wylan whined.
“It’s in my nature,” said Y/n. “I can’t help it.” Wylan hummed. They fell into a comfortable silence, the only sounds were the early morning birds and their breaths.
They walked silently for the most part, save for Wylan’s heavy breathing.
“You really run this far every morning?” Wylan asked Y/n.
“I run further, but I figured I’d go easy on you,” Y/n glanced at Wylan, a sneaky grin on his face.
“This is easy?” Wylan squeaked. Y/n laughed.
“Yes, my love, I run three more blocks than this.”
“Saints,” Wylan muttered under his breath.
They traced their steps back to the mansion and Wylan immediately flopped on the sofa.
“I can’t believe you do that every morning,” Wylan said, still breathing heavily.
Y/n just smiled.
The next day, it rained. Actually, it had started raining in the early dawn, so Y/n woke with a sigh. Their routine had been interrupted and they wouldn’t be able to run that morning. So, instead of getting upset like they would have when they were back in the Barrel, they took it as a blessing in disguise and snuggled closer to Wylan.
Now when Wylan woke, he woke with a start. Not because of a nightmare, no, those were left in the Barrel when his father had gone to prison. But because there was a weight on his arm that was never there. Not usually.
His hand instinctively went to touch Y/n’s forehead. If they were in bed and not out, surely they were sick. They hadn’t skipped a morning run in… ever. But their head was actually quite cool, which left Wylan more confused. It didn’t really click for him that the rain would stop Y/n.
Y/n stirred at the feeling of Wylan’s hand on his head.
“Morning,” they said, their voice groggy and rough. Wylan gave him a small smile.
“Morning sleepyhead. Overslept?” he brushed a strand of hair out of Y/n’s face.
“It was raining.”
“Ah.” Y/n looked up at Wylan, only to be met with loving eyes already on them. “What’s on your list for today then?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” Y/n said. “Though, maybe I could join you in the workshop?” Wylan's mouth quirked.
“I have a better idea.”
***
They said leg to leg on the tiny piano bench. The piano was sorely out of tune, so it had taken a while for Wylan to get it back to where it actually sounded pleasant to the ears. Wylan flipped through the books of sheet music, furiously scanning pages for the right piece of music.
“What are you looking for?” Y/n asked when Wylan let out another sigh.
“Clair de lune, but I can’t re–” Wylan stopped himself before he got too frustrated. Y/n stepped next to him to help him find the right book. They didn’t need him to finish the sentence. They understood.
“Here,” they said, dusting off a thin folder with sheet music on it, titled “Clair de lune.”
“Thank you,” Wylan said quietly. To be completely honest, he had been starting to feel ashamed that it was taking him so long to find the right folder, despite the fact he couldn’t read the titles of each of the pieces.
“Now teach me how to read the notes,” Y/n said, quickly moving to a new topic.
“Right,” Wylan said. “So this is middle c, it’s the c closest to the center of the piano. And that note below the staff on the page is middle c.” Y/n looked at him blankly. Wylan sighed. This might take longer than he thought.
“The lines on the page, it’s called a staff. The circles are notes. That note is a c. The notes range from a to g. So this note is an a,” Wylan played a note on the piano. “And then b, c, d,” He played each note on the piano as he spoke, keeping his eyes trained on the keys. But Y/n’s eyes stayed looking at Wylan. Admiring.
Wylan’s voice faltered and a red heat traveled up the back of his neck when he felt their gaze on him.
“And this is an e flat–what?”
“Nothing, I’m listening.” Y/n smiled as Wylan looked up at them.
“What did I just say?” Y/n stayed quiet for a moment.
“Okay maybe I wasn’t listening.”
“How am I supposed to teach you if you–”
Y/n leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Wylan was quick to melt into the kiss, his hands falling to Y/n’s waist as their hands found Wylan’s jaw.
Y/n was the first to break away. “I’d rather just listen to you play.”
Wylan swallowed hard and nodded.
“Okay?” Y/n asked.
“Okay,” Wylan said, a blush creeping onto his face. His hands fell to the keys once more, and he started to play a lovely, calming melody. Y/n’s head fell to Wylan’s shoulder and Wylan faltered for a moment, and a short one at that. But he continued to play until the song was over.
They stayed like that for a while. Y/n’s head on his shoulder and Wylan’s hands resting on the last chord of the song. The steady pitter patter of the rain on the windowsill made for the most peaceful moment either of them had had in a long time.
“I love you,” Y/n said. Wylan inhaled sharply. It was the first time Y/n had uttered those words to him. Probably the first time they’d said them… ever. Y/n suddenly lifted their head off Wylan’s shoulder, but Wylan rested his hand on Y/n’s before they could go far. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I should–”
“I love you, Y/n,” Wylan said back.
Y/n blinked. “You do?”
“Yes,” Wylan giggled.
“Really?”
“What do you think, I’ve been kissing you for the fun of the game? I’m in love with you, idiot,” Wylan said.
“And I’m in love with you.” Y/n said.
Wylan spoke softly, “I know.”
And that was all that needed to be said. For now. Maybe forever. But for now would do just as fine.
The One Where Kaz Brekker Considers His Life Choices
Summary: Kaz Brekker is a deadly Barrel Boss who has the most dangerous task at hand... To deal with the chaotic shenanigans that you pull with the Crows.
Pairing: Kaz Brekker X Reader, Six of Crows X Platonic! Reader.
Warnings: Lots of humour, fluff, chaotic energy of our Crows.
A/N: So I'm down with a terrible cold and fever and in my delirium, I came up with this story inspired by John Oliver and B99. I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Happy reading!
"Dammit." muttered Kaz under his breath as he searched for your face through the Crow Club because he was a hundred percent certain that you were responsible for his present headache as he controlled himself "No, I love Y/N, she's my friend, she's my friend who is good at her job..."
Kaz was fairly certain he looked like a lunatic but finally he spotted you at the Crows private table laughing with your friends.
He marched up to you with his stony expression as he overheard Jesper announcing his plans "I think I might customize my revolvers."
Wylan immediately interjected "What? How are you going to do that?"
"I was thinking really bright colours like purple,pink and orange to match my outfits and maybe engrave my name." said Jesper thoughtfully while all of them rolled their eyes and laughed "I mean, it's going to be so much fun!"
"Oh yes! So fun! Absolutely fun!" you mocked Jesper in a high pitched tone as you smirked at him "Or when you commit murderer, a grave oversight on your part. Good news Chief, we found Fahey's revolvers at the murder scene."
Jesper stuck out his tongue at you childishly while you replied sarcastically "We do not know what motivated him to go on a killing spree but he had a lot of fun with it."
Kaz stood behind you "Y/L/N"
"Ah Kaz, you're looking very happy today." said Nina brightly as she greeted him infuriatingly "Let us guess what happened based on your facial expression. You got offered a job with a lot of Kruge and high stakes?"
Inej joined in the fun "Pekka Rollins finally died?"
Maththias' smirked "He found a life of charity and prayer."
Everyone nodded in agreement and Wylan grinned "He's about to reveal that he's actually Nikolai Lantsov!"
"Saints! Wylan, he's about to reveal that he's secretly married to me and has secretly raised my baby!" cried Jesper dramatically as Kaz thought of resignation from this life.
"All of these options is probable. But I know the Captain. He's having a meltdown." you announced dramatically exasperating Kaz who hadn't got one word in since this conversation started.
Matthias looked at you pointedly and then at Kaz "What are you talking about? The demjin looks the same as he always does."
"To you perhaps. But I have mastered the art of reading his emotions. His lips are tightly sealed, he's gripping onto his cane as if he's trying to control himself and he's blinking at his three second intervals as opposed to his nine." you observed Kaz closely with a knowing smile surprising Kaz who was tongue tied and speechless that you could easily read him "Therefore, he's having a meltdown!"
Wylan intervened as he shook his head at you fondly "That seems excessive."
You grinned "No, I'm impressive."
Nina knew that you were telling the truth based on Kaz' heartbeat she heard as she queried sweetly "So Waffles, is everything okay?"
Kaz glared at Nina and then at you "No. I'm having a meltdown."
Wylan and Matthias gasped at you as if you were a Saint "Wow."
Kaz decided to speak before anyone could interfere "Who the hell is responsible for the mess?"
"You have to be more specific about which mess given out daily life experience." retorted Nina sassily.
Kaz eyebrows furrowed deeply "Alright. The slogan outside the Crow Club and the Slat? Who did it?"
There was silence as everyone pointed toward you who looked unremorseful as you smirked at Kaz who was fuming in rage as he turned his dangerous gaze upon you "As I suspected. Now you better have a goddamn good reason as to why you would do such a silly, stupid, idiotic act?"
You looked completely calm for a person who was about to feel Kaz Brekker's wrath "Clear communication and marketing to our customers."
Kaz couldn't quite comprehend what you said as he stuttered "Excuse me?"
"Well Kaz, to tell you the truth, people in Ketterdam weren't really clear on where we were coming from... you know our main objective as to why we steal,maim and kill so much." you explained nonchalantly and calmly that made Kaz feel as if he was the idiot in this conversation. "So we put up a slogan to educate everyone in Ketterdam, our objective in pursuing destruction and crime."
"It's rather a genius slogan, Y/N." praised Inej with a kind smile "The ones we came up with were sloppy and funny but Y/N understood the assignment."
Kaz realized that you had come up with the goddamn slogan yourself as he literally let out all his exasperation out "Yes but did the slogan of the Dregs have to be BECAUSE DEATH IS THE UNDENIABLE FUEL OF LIFE!'"
"I think it's very classy, professional and straightforward conveying the necessary message." commented Matthias with honest admiration for your work and grinned at how red the demjin was "People won't like it but at least they'll understand and respect where you come from."
All of them exchanged mischievous glances as they saw Kaz close to spontaneously combusting and had to hand it to you. This was the best prank they played on Kaz and honestly at this point, you should be appointed as the Prank master General of the Dregs.
"I can't believe you would do something so stupid!" burst out Kaz in despair and anger.
You remained completely unfazed while Nina, Matthias, Wylan, Jesper and Inej snickered in unison "Can't you?"
"Shut it! I know you lot encouraged her to do this." snapped Kaz in frustration as he pointed at the rest of his friends who grinned
Kaz looked at you once again as he took a deep breath "And why did you place this slogan in bright and glittering colours as bright as Jesper's irritating fashion sense?"
"Because people are more attracted to bright colours and like glitter. Like if I saw that message in black, I'd be afraid but since it's in pretty bold sparkling colours, everyone kind of digs it." you said smartly while the rest of the Crowd clapped proudly for you "They are not like afraid. They are more like... Oh my god Kaz Brekker is about to murder me. Go right ahead Kazzle Dazzle, just whack me -"
"Alright thank you, that's enough." interrupted Kaz hastily and briskly because he did not want to hear the end of the sentence.
Amidst the Crows loud laughter, Jesper hooted "They're like... I'd die for Kaz Brekker and honestly he'll let me. Brutal!"
"The way I consider murder illegal but if Kaz Brekker is doing it, make me the victim." replied Wylan with a teasing smirk.
"CHOKE ME TO DEATH DADDY BREKKER, HALLELUJAH!" you yelled loudly as you raised your glass while Kaz was completely red in the face, embarrassed by his friends drunk shenanigans and chaotic energies.
"Daddy... It's a kink isn't it? It's like a paternal thing?" explained Nina with a wink to Maththias' who had inquired about it.
"Alright Freud." retorted Kaz rolling his eyes at Nina who laughed as he hoped to shut down this conversation quickly "I don't understand why you chose that particular slogan. It sounds like an excerpt from a letter of a serial killer!"
You looked at Kaz with a deadpanned expression "How many killings does it take for a person to be a serial killer?"
Kaz was slightly taken aback but answered nevertheless "Er... Five?"
"Great. We're all serial killers." sighed Jesper dramatically as he looked pointedly at Kaz who obviously had the highest body count.
"Not me." stated Wylan with an innocent smile.
"Bitch please!" chorused everyone together in disbelief as they glared at Wylan who was hiding a grin and you added "You have the second highest body count and you're relatively new."
Jesper grinned as he placed a kiss on Wylan "Well that's my man! He's spectacular at everything he does!"
Kaz gave up. There was no point talking to you.
"Fine. Those slogans are to be taken down tonight -" began Kaz when Rotty came toward them
"Sorry to interrupt boss but there are more than eighteen people and some other gang members queued outside waiting to be initiated as part of the Dregs."
You smirked into your drink as you heard Kaz retort "What is the meaning of this?"
"Uh... The new slogan is real popular boss. People want to be part of the Dregs because we showed them out vision and they like it." said Rotty vibrating in excitement "Also, the customers are pouring in more boss! I think it's the glitter they like -"
"Thank you Rotty. I'll attend to it. Dismissed." said Kaz as he felt your infuriating and insufferable smirk burn a hole through his skull.
"Oh Captain... I believe it's time to say those very special words." you crooned sweetly as you watched Kaz' lips twitch once.
"Y/L/N... you're a genius." stated Kaz in a deadpanned expression and watched in amusement as you nearly choked on your drink while the rest of the Crows were checking their drinks for toxin trips.
You squealed in delight "OH MY GOD! YOU ACTUALLY SAID IT! IT'S REAL!"
"I heard you practicing it to yourself in your room last night." said Kaz calmly and deadpanned as he smirked at how your enthusiasm slightly faded but you were still grinning.
You nodded "That makes more sense. So are you like now going to give me a raise, or a -"
"You're an idiot, Y/N." said Kaz with a subtle exasperated and amused smile and walked away.
"THANK YOU? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY THANK YOU CROWFATHER!" you yelled out loud in exasperation and amusement as everyone laughed.
Inej smiled "Honestly, I didn't expect the prank to turn into something profitable."
Jesper frowned slightly "Yeah it kind ruins it all, doesn't it?"
"Never fear my friends. Kaz is a prankster's delight." you replied with a delightful smile, mischief glinting in your eyes.
Before anyone could ask what you meant, Kaz Brekker's mad voice rumbled across the Crow Club "Y/N Y/L/N! WHAT ARE ALL THESE CONGRATULATORY LETTERS I'VE RECEIVED FROM DIGNITARIES ALL OVER THE WORLD ABOUT THE FACT THAT I AM TO BE MARRIED TO THAT STRUTTING PEACOCK ZOYA NAZALENZKY AT THE CHURCH OF BARTER IN KETTERDAM IN TWO DAYS?"
"What?" exclaimed Jesper in amazement
Nina, Wylan, Inej and you exchanged amused stares "Who's going to tell him Zoya is in on this and is actually coming here tonight?"
"You know what, never change, Y/N." said Matthias looking at you affectionately and then looked alarmed because he saw the demjin marching toward you "But you better run or you'll be in trouble with the demjin!"
"Trouble?" you laughed as you winked at your friends "You're only in trouble if you are caught!"
Kaz caught you before you could flee "Gotcha!"
"I'm in trouble." you mumbled and then grinned widely at Kaz Brekker who looked like a bull who had just been kicked as you bit him making him let go of you and you took off running "Congratulations on your nuptials, Captain! You're going to be a lovely bride!"
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."
hello lovely!! would it be possible to write smth w wylan?? like, sweet little headcanons abt him in a relationship!! thank youu <3 love ur fics
Dating Wylan Van Eck - Headcanons <3
- Pairing - Wylan Van Eck x Reader (gender neutral)
A/N - Hi Hi!! One exam is down, only four more to go! Very soon my other works will be completed, but i missed writing so much, so here are some of my sweet headcanons for Wylan. I hope i have done him justice in this, as I am normally a Kaz type of girl. I hope i have done you proud anon <3333
Reminder - my requests are always open, please keep sending them! <3
════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════
The most attentive partner you could ever find, he will pay you 100% of his attention no matter the topic
He never wishes for you to experience the loneliness and isolation he felt with your father, EVER
As a result of this, expect the sweetest and most heartfelt gifts to be hurriedly placed into your hands before he runs off to distract himself from the blush blooming across his face
Every single present you receive from him will be extremely intricate and personal, remembering childhood stories you've recalled, or things you wished for years ago
"I know you said it about six months ago, but..."
He does not forget nor ignore a single detail about you
Despite his sheepish nature, the longer you're with him, the more adorable outbursts occur
By this I mean sudden bursts of bubbling confidence as he explains something he's passionate about, or witty jokes he's thought of
"Well, actually, did you know that technically, humans can create their own venom? So, it starts with....."
Although he may be embarrassed and retreat into himself afterwards, any sign of encouragement from you would melt his heart, prompting him to keep opening himself up to you
Another thing that would simply make his heart implode, is if you took interest in his passions - allowing him to teach you simple chords on the piano, or help him produce a few basic chemical reactions down in the lab
Just showing care for the things he adores would result in him losing his mind, since very few people in his past had taken any true interest in him, at all
He would be the most gentle and patient teacher ever, placing soft kisses on your knuckles when you succeeded in getting a melody correct on the piano, or a peck on the cheek when you have accomplished anything
In terms of love languages, I am certain that Wylan actually uses all of them... <3
Although he can be nervous to express his feelings through words, he is a poetic and creative soul, so given time to grow comfortable with you, whispers of "I love you," or "I'm so lucky to have found you," would slowly slip into conversations
Quality time is a given for Wylan, since he's never had someone who wants his company for long, again wishing to shelter you from the pain he has experienced himself - expect many quiet evenings by the fireplace where he crafts melodies on the flute, and you bake or read in comfort
Once time has gifted the boy more confidence, expect his touch to increase swiftly, never wanting to let you go - soft brushes of your shoulders as you walk side-by-side, fingers gently interlocked, brushes of stray locks as the breeze shifts them...
He would do anything for you, no matter what you ask of him, so always expect your home to be spotless, your chores already completed when you turn to do them - with Wylan its very unlikely you will need to do much at all, he is so attentive
As mentioned earlier, gift giving is definitely one of his favorite ways to express his love, clearly portraying his heart to you when his words may fail him
In terms of what he wants and needs in a relationship? I think his standards would be on the floor, merely needing your presence in a room to comfort him
However once he realizes that you reciprocate his acts of love? Well I think he'd be completely at your mercy by that point
Although it may take some time to stop his fretting and insecurities, once he accepts that he doesn't just have to give, but he can receive love back, he is the happiest he has ever been in his life
With your love and affection, he would absolutely thrive, becoming a more confident and strong version of himself - slowly stripping him of his nervous behaviour and allowing his true self to shine more often
To me, a relationship with Wylan would be a gentle, affectionate, and peaceful experience - both partners being showered in love constantly
Being with him is like having a personal ray of sunshine, who would express his love for you in any way he can <3
I am going to watch shadow and bone when I get home and I feel in love with Wylan in the trailer and I'm a sucker for overprotective shit or protective vibes.
Demo : Wylan Van Eck x Reader
Description: 7.1k wc, 3 times Wylan overprotects Reader and one time Reader overprotects him. Fluff, overprotective. Gender neutral/ they pronouns as is my rule for all Wylan fics.
Warnings: SAB/SOC type warnings
Note: y/w/t = your weapon type (aka your choice of weapon). Thank you @ell0ra-br3kk3r for helping me double-check that Wylan is canon in this and not too confident but also not too soft!
“Hey Wy” y/n greeted. They yawned quietly and neared Wylan’s work station. He’d been in his lab for the last few hours and y/n was missing him. So they figured they’d come down and join him.
Wylan looked up from the test tube in his hand and smiled widely at y/n. He noticed the way they seemed tired, their eyes somewhat heavy. He tilted his head to the side as he scanned their body for any other signs of fatigue or distress.
“How are things going?” Y/n questioned, kissing his cheek before walking to one of his other tables to look around.
Wylan blushed, hanging his head and smiled to himself, “mmm, they’re good. I actually finished the new concoction that Kaz was say-“.
Wylan cut himself off as his eyes widened. In the few seconds he looked away from them, y/n had seemingly found his fusion bomb powder. It was designed to only require a small degree of heat to activate its melting properties. Yet it could burn at a very high temperature once it was activated.
“Don't mess with that!” Wylan shouted, rushing over to them and taking the sample from y/n’s hand. He sighed when y/n frowned and looked away, a shimmer of guilt in their eyes. “Hey,” he whispered timidly as he set the sample further back on the table. “It’s only because I worry you'll hurt yourself!” Wylan explained, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe both of their hands with.
“From the outside of the container?” Y/n pondered, their eyes trailing over to the see-through jar that was once in their hand.
Wylan could sense the apprehension and fear in y/n’s eyes as they stared at the sample. “Love” Wylan hummed softly, dabbing their hands free of any potential residue. “You’re safe, I wouldn’t let you down be here if there were any risk to you by your mere presence” he promised with flushed cheeks, squeezing their hand as he dried it.
“Let me?” Y/n teased, raising an eyebrow at their boyfriend.
This made him chuckle nervously, bouncing his leg anxiously as he cleaned his own hands. “In this type of instance yes, let”.
“This type of instance?” Y/n questioned.
“When it comes to your safety” Wylan explained, smiling bashfully, his head hung slightly as he tried to hide his flushed cheeks.
“I love you Wylan, but I have a feeling you’re overreacting” y/n giggled.
Wylan scoffed loudly, squinting his eyes at y/n despite his still red cheeks, “I assure you I am not. These aren’t toys”.
Y/n nodded, “I know, my beautiful demo man”.
This prompted Wylan to blush and look down at his now nervously shuffling feet.
“But, I think if it’s in a jar, on the table, it must be relatively stable Hmm?” Y/n argued.
“You’re correct, but I don’t want to risk any residue getting on you, especially from ones as dangerous as that one you grabbed” he defended, holding his head high despite his shy gaze.
Y/n looked at the table of various chemical mixtures their boyfriend had been working on. “It’s one of the more dangerous ones?” They asked, peering back at him.
“Yes, my dear. You, of course, managed to grab the only one from that table I feared you touching” Wylan smirked with a teasing shimmer in his eyes and his deep blush spreading.
“I can touch the others?” Y/n questioned, eyes hopeful.
“I don’t see why you would want to but, theoretically, yes. They are inactive until combined” Wylan admitted hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck.
Yn hummed, “and the one I grabbed..?”
“It’s already mixed and ready for usage. It reacts to body heat. It’s not ready yet as I need it to be more reactive. But, as it is one’s hands are far too warm to hold it” Wylan explained.
He grinned timidly, his eyes shifting throughout the room as he grabbed y/n’s hands. “No one should hold it without gloves on house. Especially not you and your impossibly warm hands” Wylan smiled lopsidedly.
Y/n bit their lip, “I have warm hands?”
“Very and I love it, but it means you are absolutely not to be touching that” Wylan stated, shifting to block them from the container even further as a signal of how sincere he was. Despite trying to come off confident and self-assured, he timidly fiddled with his fingers as his hands hung by his waist. But he meant what he said nonetheless.
Y/n limped through the door, the excruciating pain in their abdomen slowing them down. They’d been returning from running an errand for Kaz prior to a heist and was caught unarmed. It was supposed to be a simple task, and to be fair it was.
It wasn’t the task itself that presented a problem. Instead, when y/n had completed the errand for Kaz, they ran into some of the dime lions crew. Y/n knew how to fight, but was majorly outnumbered. Not to mention they didn’t have any weapons on them, being unable to hide one of theirs.
That combined with the fact one couldn’t be seen with one on them during the meeting with the merchants’ council meant they hadn’t brought one with them.
“I am in pain." Y/n greeted, somewhat playfully in hopes of lighting up the tense situation they knew was about to happen.
“Do vou mean emotional pain or - Oh Saints!” Wylan panicked, his eyes huge as he ran over.
Whatever he’d been working on was now abandoned. His arms immediately braced their shoulders as Wylan looked over the patch of blood. There was a large spread of blood seeping from y/n’s left abdomen.
“That is a lot of blood!" Wylan pointed out, his breath hitched.
Y/n nodded slightly, bracing themselves against the metal railing on the short set of stairs between the doorway and his office.
“Oh Saints, what happened to you?!" Wylan questioned his partner, dragging y/n towards one of his laboratory tables. His eyes quickly scanned the contents of the table to ensure there weren’t any unsafe substances on it. Once he deemed it safe, Wylan abruptly swiped his arm over the table. All the glass test tubes, measuring tools, etc. were brushed away; many shattering on the floor.
Y/N’s eyes widened, “Wy, it looks worse than it is”. They weren’t sure if that was entirely true. They hadn’t looked at the wound fully yet, and it didn’t feel great. But Wylan didn’t need to hear that.
“You're covered in blood! Is it yours?" He questioned anxiously, moving y/n over slowly and helping them onto the now-empty table space.
Y/n smiled faintly and bit their lip. Wylan sighed and restlessly ran his hand through his curls. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d tried to warn them against leaving the slat or crows club without some weapon on them. He’d also requested Kaz not send them on errands in which they’d be unable to carry a weapon.
Despite his frustration, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on y/n’s cheek. “Sit still, I'm gonna fix you right up, okay?" Wylan requested, his eyes glancing down at their wound before back to y/n’s face. Once Wylan earned a nod, he ungracefully sprinted to another section of his lab.
Wylan rushed back, arms full of first aid supplies. He set them next to y/n and impatiently scrambled through them until he grabbed the cleaning solution. “This will sting, love” he warned softly, squeezing y/n’s hand. Y/n nodded and held onto his hand tightly as Wylan poured some of the alcohol based solution over their wound.
Y/n audibly hissed, their grip on Wylan’s hand tightening as the liquid stung y/n’s skin.
“Do you want to share what happened?” Wylan asked, his voice calm despite his erratic breathing and frantic eyes.
“I was stabbed” y/n groaned, biting their lip as Wylan dabbed carefully at the edges of the wound.
He had to clear the blood from the edges so he could see where to stitch. The cleaning solution had helped remove some of the excess blood, but there was still a decent amount blocking his view. “Just a few more wipes” He promised, squeezing y/n’s hand again as he tenderly pressed the wet cloth to the last patch of smeared blood.
Once he could see enough to stretch and vantage the wound, he started up at y/n with a frustrated look. “Let me try again. Do you want to share how you got stabbed?” Wylan questioned, picking up a needle from his kit.
He paused and let his eyes flicker back to yn’s. “And don’t say with a blade” he warned, a timid smirk on his lips over knowing what y/n’s sarcastic tension breaking response would be.
Y/n sighed with dramatized defeat, “I was out numbered.”
Y/n saw Wylan’s lips had tugged downwards as he listened, his eyes still focused on moving the needle through y/n’s separated skin. Y/n knew what he was wondering. Why was y/n alone? Did y/n have their weapon with them? If so, why wasn’t it enough? And what could have been done differently?
It was always the same sweet set of questions he’d have whenever Y/n was even slightly scratched during an errand for Kaz. Wylan was, to say the least, overprotective when it came to y/n. But he meant well.
“I didn’t have my y/w/t. It wouldn’t be concealed and I had to meet with the merchants council, they don’t exactly allow y/w/t into those meetings “ y/n confessed with a shrug.
Wylan’s eyes snapped to y/n’s face upon their completion of the horrible action. He knew before it even crossed y/n’s face that the movement had to have caused a tremendous amount of pain. He frowned and squeezed their hand in a nervous attempt at comforting them as they breathed through the pain.
One Y/n nodded for Wylan to continue his stitching, they resumed their story . “It was supposed to be a simple meeting. Nothing even actually illegal this time” y/n laughed at the sentiment. When y/n saw Wylan fight to resist a smirk, they smiled. “It should’ve been fine. There was no reason for it not to be. But, some Dime Lions thought it would be a good day to start a fight” y/n summarized.
Wylan grimaced and shook his head, fingers rigidly still as he worked on the last stitch. “Bastards” he mumbled, followed by a loud sigh.
“Wylan!” Yn lovingly scolded with a chuckle.
Wylan’s eyes shifted aimlessly around the room as his rosy cheeks darkened and he bit his lip before giving y/n a bashful look. When he saw y/n wasn’t truly appalled or upset with him for swearing, he visibly calmed.
Taking a deep breath, he shrugged, “they are”.
Wylan tied off the final knot and set his needle down. Letting out a sigh, he clumsily reached over for some bandages to place over the now-stitched wound. “Did they-” He began wondering.
“Learn their lesson?” Y/n interrupted, “yes, yes they did”.
Wylan smirked and looked up at his partner, “oh?”
Y/n grinned and nodded, “I might not have had my y/w/t, but I still had my hands and feet. I gotta confess, they’re gonna need patched up too”.
Wylan huffed “well I’m not doing it, they’re lucky they are able to be patched up still.”
Y/n nodded, “if it were only one man, it would’ve been fine. But, while I was fighting the one guy, another came to his defense, and, well”. They paused as they signaled to their bandaged wound.
Wylan flared his nostrils as he sighed, “I still wish Kaz wouldn’t have sent you alone.”
“I can handle myself Wylan, current case not included” they argued, their tone showing their embarrassment.
Wylan frowned, hating how his remark made them think he doubted them. “I’m not saying you can’t” he promised, his eyes wide and pleading with them to understand. Wylan stroked their cheek tenderly.. “Y/n/n, I know you’re strong and I love that about you. But, you’re also far more caring than most in the Barrel and people know that” he explained.
It was silent for a moment while Wylan walked away from them and over to one of his stations. When he returned, he had a small capped-off tube in his hand. It wasn’t clear what the tube contained, but Wylan examined it again before handing it to y/n.
“Use this next time you’re out numbered or out gunned. I don't want to have to bandage you up again" he requested as he passed them the tube, his hands shaking slightly as he blushed. He had wanted to give y/n the tube before, so he wasn’t certain why he was so nervous about doing so now. Other than that he was requesting them to rely on something he’d created to keep them safe.
Y/n accepted it and lightly rolled it between their fingers in examination. The ingredient in the tube seemed to be a powdery substance. Yet, there was no residue on the outside of the container. It was evident by the dried water stains that Wylan had thoroughly cleaned the outside of it.
If he were honest with himself, Wylan was proud of the creation y/n now held in their hands. It was specifically designed to be easy to use against one’s enemies. But, he didn’t want to risk it falling into the wrong hands or otherwise somehow being used against y/n or his friends.
The substance was designed to bond with one’s sweat. In theory -and later as it turned out, in application as well-, the chemical would be released into the air and be drawn to the typical metabolites and minerals found in human sweat.
Once the substance was bonded with the chemical properties of said sweat, it would result in an acidic burning sensation anywhere sweat was present on the body. It was already impressive for their time, but Wylan needed to know it wouldn’t be able to be sued against them, and namely that y/n and the other crows would be safe from it.
In order to do so, Wylan had spent months developing the base of the powdery substance. He needed to ensure that the powder would only bond to the sweat of others and not those he cared deeply for. It wasn’t impossible given that the pheromones and minute chemical physiological properties in sweat vary from person to person. So while the overlying components were the same, there were some differences that would allow Wylan to tailor the material to be more precise in its target.
While Ketterdam wasn’t exactly warm and frequently the producer of perspiration in its inhabitants, an active fight would produce enough sweat to ignite the material. One didn’t need to sweat profusely for the material to bond. A simple bead of perspiration was enough. Yet, if one waited to dispense it until their target was putting up a decent fight and therefore sweating more, the effect would be better and more widespread.
It took some time to gather materials and data to build chemical profiles for each crows’ perspiration. Wylan was just very pleased that no one seemed to notice that he’d offered to do the laundry for everyone slightly more often than normal. Or at least didn’t notice enough to call him out. To be fair, Wylan suspected Kaz noticed and just opted to let him do it.
Wylan had first tested the results on himself and much to his pleasure, found it to work as intended. From there he told Kaz of his creation and Kaz allowed Wylan to try a small amount on his skin. When both were successful in not producing a burn, Wylan was given permission to use the substance during heists if needed. He knew it was still risky as he hadn’t tried it on each crow yet. Nor did he really want to. But he also didn’t want to be mistaken in thinking they were immune. Therefore, when he used it the first time on a heist, he’d brought another substance with him; one that would counteract the burning should something go wrong.
It didn’t. When he utilized it in the next several heists following its creation, only the intended target was affected. It took multiple rounds of dispensing it successfully when the others were around before Wylan was comfortable saying it was safe for his friends.
He was proud of the work that went into it. But mostly he was proud of how he’d made it safe for those he cared about to use in self defense. Namely, he was excited for y/n to have it on them at all times. It didn’t require a ton of material to work, meaning Y/n could keep it on their person easily and still conceal it.
Y/n smiled as they examined the tube. “How does it work?” They asked, looking up at Wylan.
They didn’t mind using it as he requested, but they needed to know the best way to do so.
Wylan smiled back, his cheeks pink from the way y/n smiled at him. He knew y/n understood a lot about his work by now. They always had an interest in and a pre-university level knowledge in chemistry. Between that and the time they spent keeping Wylan company in his office/lab, Wylan knew he didn’t need to simplify his work for them to understand.
As such, he took his time explaining what the substance did and how to use it. He also made sure to detail how he knew it was safe for them to use and when to disperse it to get the greatest effect.
When he finished, Wylan took a deep breath and added, “You can conceal it easily at all times, and you have my word it’s safe for you to-“
“Wylan” y/n hummed, hopping down from the table despite his protests. “I trust you. Even if I hadn’t understood everything you just said, I’d trust you. I did by the way, understand what you said” they giggled and grabbed his hand. “But my point is, I know you and if there were even the slightest chance it could harm me, saints if it even might be able to make me sneeze, or something small, you wouldn’t let me have it”.
Wylans cheeks flushed profusely and he cautiously wrapped his arms around y/n, “Promise to always carry it?”
Y/n grinned and placed a tender kiss on his chapped lips, “I promise, my handsome demo man”.
Wylan bit his lip as his cheeks somehow reddened even further. He soon was burying his face in y/n’s shoulder bashfully to hide the glow.
“Truly Wy, I’m very impressed. Not surprised, because it’s you. But proud nonetheless, this is impressive” y/n complimented.
Wylan was very pleased his face was smushed in the crook of y/n’s neck as he thought his cheeks might truly match the vial of bromine on his table.
Wylan heard footsteps enter but his eyes remained focused on the concoction before him. “Stay over there,” he ordered. He winced at his order and guiltily added a soft, “please”.
“You don’t have your goggles on” y/n remarked, staring scrutinizingly at their boyfriend. He had them hanging around his neck, but not protecting his eyes. If he needed y/n to stay back as he worked on the project before him, the least he could do is put on his goggles.
Wylan paused and let his eyes flicker up to his partner, a smile gracing his lips. “Right, of course” he chuckled, looking around for his extra gloves. He didn’t want to touch his goggles with his current set of gloves as they might’ve had some residue on them.
Y/n seemed to notice and began to walk to him.
Despite Wylan’s eyes snapping back towards them and him sending a knowing look their way, y/n continued on. When they reached Wylan’s workstation, they smiled innocently and lifted the goggles until they covered his eyes protectively. “Much better” y/n hummed, blowing a kiss.
Wylan chuckled bashfully, his face red all the up to his ears as his shoulders raised as if to cover said red ears, “Thank you, love”.
As he timidly shoo’d y/n back to the other side of the room, he resumed mixing in the next item. Once the concoction showed to be stable, he removed his gloves and then lowered his goggles. “What brings you here this early?” Wylan teased lightly seeing as how it was unusual for y/n to be up before 8 bells on a day off.
“I had an important question” y/n stated, grabbing a paper bag from beside their feet on the floor.
Wylan squinted his eyes and he signaled for them to come closer. “What seems to be the problem?” He asked softly, extending his hand towards the paper sack.
“Do you know how to get bloodstains out?” Y/n asked, glaring harshly at the stain on their favorite pair of jeans.
Wylan’s eyes shot open wide, his right hand gripping the table and his left snatching the bag from y/n. “W-what?! Why? How? Who? Where? When?" Wylan freaked, pulling a pair of jeans out of the bag. It took him all but two seconds to recognize then as y/n’s favorite pair.
“Dime Lions are still mad at Kaz for stealing their job, or whatever” y/n groaned playfully. They yawned carelessly as they added “seems I’m an easier target than Brekker himself”. Y/n tried to brush it off, but it was clear Wylan wasn’t having it.
“Don't you understand that this isn't okay!?” Wylan remarked loudly, not shying away from his own voice this time.
“Wy, I’m okay, I just don’t want these jeans to be ruined” y/n shrugged, pointing to the stained area.
Wylan took in the sincerity of their facial expressions and laughed softly, “you’re worried about jeans when you were shot in the leg?”
Y/n nodded affirmatively, “ Yes, so?”
Wylan sighed and began to pace, his eyes flickering between Y/n and the bloody jeans in his hand. “You said you would stay safe! Getting shot isn't staying safe!" He declared as he noticed the size and shape of the entry and exit holes on the jeans.
“Sorry, next time I’ll ask them not to shoot me” y/n responded sarcastically.
“Y/n” Wylan sighed, “you know what I mean”.
Y/n stayed silent and watched Wylan closely. They knew Wylan was overprotective of them, but there was only so much they could do to prevent these things. Especially when the Dime Lions were targeting y/n due to a false belief they had.
“What’s going on? Is Kaz sending you on-” Wylan began questioning. He stopped when y/n sighed loudly and looked away from his face.
“Y/n…” he whispered, gently asking for them to explain.
Y/n took a deep breath and let their eyes wander back to Wylan’s face. “Well…” they began quietly. Y/n wasn’t sure how to tell him what had been happening without Wylan being pissed at Kaz. And that was not a fight y/n wanted to see.
Wylan squeezed y/n’s hand softly upon seeing their hesitation and nodded quietly.
“When Kaz sent me to the merchant council meeting the other day for the form he needed, we didn’t know that the Dime Lions were also offered the same job” y/n started slowly.
Wylan hummed, “so that’s why they attacked that night. They knew they were in competition with the Crows, or Kaz”.
Y/n nodded in conformation before reluctantly continuing the explanation. “Kaz evidently found out that night after investigating their attack. He didn’t tell me until yesterday though. But, I guess the merchants’ council was only authorized to approve one person to complete the transaction. When I obtained the approval form, that became me. In order for it to change hands, I either have to sign it over to someone, such as a gang member from the Dime Lions, which obviously isn’t going to happen” they elaborated with a roll of their eyes.
“Or?” Wylan questioned.
Y/n gave him a knowing glance and winced slightly as realization hit his face and shifted into fear and anger.
“Or the authorized person has to die for it to change hands?” He asked, hoping he was mistaken. However, unfortunately for him, y/n nodded and let out a soft mumbled “yes”.
Wylan let go of their hand and began pacing again; the angry energy burning inside him needing an escape.
“You weren’t aware of any of this?” Wylan wondered. He wasn’t judging or doubting them, but he wanted to make sure he knew where his anger should be directed. Especially if he was to storm into Dirtyhands’ office demanding a fix. Wylan took a deep breath as he watched y/n shake their head.
“Kaz knew you were being targeted and why?” He asked, his fists tight at his side as he worked to control his emotions.
Y/n bit their lip and whispered a quiet yes.
“I’m going to…” Wylan groaned, “he’s gonna answer for that”.
Y/n sighed as Wylan began angrily stalking towards the door. It was clear their boyfriend was going to at least verbally attack Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, Bastard of the Barrel. Normally they knew Wylan could hold his own, but Dirtyhands earned his nickname and y/n didn’t want to even guess what the outcome of their fight would look like. Y/n knew Kaz could maintain his anger over Wylan charging into his office to yell at him. But they didn’t want to risk it.
“Wylan,-“ y/n pleaded, following him as he started to exit.
“No, this is not acceptable” Wylan argued firmly, not glancing back at y/n as he stomped up the stairs.
—Same Event but Time Skip—
The Crow’s Club was eerily still as Wylan’s voice echoed faintly down the hall and into the main gambling hall. Wylan was usually know to be soft spoken. When it came to anything other than y/n’s life, safety, or happiness that is. So it shocked many of the Dregs to hear the person they believed to be the softer of the Crows shouting at their leader.
It was somewhat difficult to hear exactly what was being said by y/n’s boyfriend. The multiple floors and rooms/walls between Kaz’s office and the gambling den had muffled Wylan’s voice. So while everyone could tell it was tense and who was speaking, the exact words were unknown to most.
But y/n knew why Wylan had gone to Kaz’s office. So they had some semblance of an idea as to what was being discussed. All they could hope was that Kaz was in control of his emotions and ego right now. Based on the fact that you couldn’t hear a second muffled voice responding to Wylan’s, it seemed like that was the case.
Y/n knew her fellow Crows were watching them as they stared at the staircase throughout the shouting. But they didn’t bother acknowledging the group. It wasn’t anything against them. Rather, y/n knew the Crows would already be aware of the general purpose behind Wylan’s behavior.
After all, it was impossible to keep injuries from each other. Especially when y/n had been the unfortunate recipient of multiple injuries in a fairly short time. Not to mention the fact that they came from the hands of the gang of the Crows’ leader’s greatest rival.
Y/n also didn’t feel like answering any questions their friends might ask about the situation. They undoubtedly knew all they truly needed to know. And right now, y/n felt it was much more important to have their focus set on envisioning what was happening up the creaky stairs and behind the dark walls between where Kaz and Wylan were in contrast to the rest of the crows. Y/n was seated on the edge of the barstool closest to the stairwell, ready to throw themselves off of it and up the stairs at the soonest sound of possible danger.
Fortunately, it didn’t come. Instead, Wylan eventually made his way back down the stairs to collect y/n. He then helped wash the blood out of their jeans before they gave it to Inej to stitch a patch over the holes. Compared to the start of the evening, the end of the night was very calm. Whatever had happened in Kaz’s office seemed to appease Wylan’s concerns.
“Y/n, how could you keep this from me?" Wylan asked. He was mad. Well, mad would be an understatement. He couldn’t figure out why his partner didn’t tell him that the Dime Lions were still after them.
It had been days without trouble from their rival crew. Wylan suspected that meant Kaz handled matters as he ordered him to. However, Wylan found y/n hiding out in the storage room of the club when he went to grab an extra jar for some new materials he’d purchased from a street vendor that morning.
When he asked y/n why they were hiding back there, y/n confessed that the matter wasn’t over. Yet, they didn’t explain the reason why they hadn’t told Wylan. And that was driving him crazy. All he wanted to do was protect y/n. But he couldn’t do that if they didn’t tell him when they were in danger.
Unbeknownst to Wylan, Kaz wouldn’t let y/n take part in any of the next steps of the assignment. Kaz needed the form he had y/n get from the council to process the exchange of goods. He stated the item they’d legally be exchanging was going to be used as leverage/blackmail for their upcoming heist. The person being leveraged would only truly be persuaded by a legally obtained item, hence the unusual legally-completed portion of their heist.
Wylan was aware that the Dime Lions had been offered the job of leveraging the mark and was therefore wanting the form to be in their name so they could move forward. However, he wasn’t aware that y/n was still a target. He’d told Kaz to do whatever it took to remove the threat having over y/n’s head. Which Kaz did, hence why Kaz had required y/n to sign over the approval form to Kaz instead.
But, no one had accounted for the Dime Lions’ newest recruit reading into the sudden change in approved crew members as a potential weakness. The Dime Lions clearly knew y/n was going to be either on-guard and/or guarded by at least one other Crow from now on until the exchange was completed. However, when Kaz completely swapped y/n’s name for his, it served as a signal for the Dime Lions. Everyone knew that if Kaz wanted his name on the form, it would’ve been done that way from the start. So that made the gang question what the cause behind the change was.
The gangs newest recruit, Mapviler, suspected that y/n’s name had not truly been removed. While the whole crew knew there had to have been some intent behind putting y/n’s name on the form to start with, only Mapviler understood that Kaz wasn’t idiotic enough to violate the order and risk losing the leverage of having a legally obtained incentive. He believed that Kaz falsified the documents showing the name change in order to keep the Dime Lions from attacking them still.
Mapviler wasn’t entirely wrong. Kaz didnt want to risk losing their leverage. He was also right about Kaz’s motivation of keeping y/n safe. However, the name change truly did take place. It was done to keep y/n safe, but instead brought more risk when Mapviler misinterpreted the meaning behind it.
As such, Wylan’s orders to Kaz, and Kaz’s subsequent actions, only increased the threat. For now, Mapviler, who was not only the newest member of the Dime Lions, but also the most street smart member of the gang, was even more determined to find y/n. Meanwhile, the Crows suspected the threat was over and had begun to let their guard down. When Kaz caught wind of the misinterpretation and increased threat he alerted y/n.
However, y/n hadn’t told Wylan as they resorted to just hiding out instead. They figured if they hid out until Kaz finished the last steps of the exchange it would keep Wylan from being in danger through association.
Y/n attempted to summarize all of those details for Wylan. They weren’t sure how well they did, as Wylan stood there staring silently at them for what felt like an eternity. In reality it was only a few moments, but it was an intense stare. When Wylan composed himself, he closed his eyes tightly as he stood before y/n.
“It’s my fault,” Wylan stated, his voice saturated with guilt.
Y/n rapidly shook their head, “No, you were just trying to-“.
Wylan’s eyes opened and he sighed, “Doesn’t matter, it’s my fault.”
“But listen,” he begged, squeezing y/n’s hand, “don’t ever keep matters relating to your safety from me, please”.
“Okay, if you promise the same” y/n bartered.
Wylan hummed and nodded, “deal”.
“The deal is the deal” y/n smirked, shaking the hand Wylan had holding theirs.
Wylan let out a small chuckle and shook his head, “we’ll figure this out. They'll have to go through me before they get to you."
“No” y/n stated firmly, pulling their hand back.
“No?” Wylan repeated, confusion taking over his face.
“I don’t want them going through you,” y/n rejected.
“I kinda like you” they added with a sly smirk.
He chuckled more freely this time and blushed.
“Therefore, if we’re going to handle this together, I need you to stay close to me. Please” y/n requested.
Wylan agreed and suggested that he lead them to his lab to hide out in. At least until they formed a better plan.
Y/n silently agreed and followed him down the hallway.
They’d barely settled into Wylan’s laboratory when there was a loud crashing sound from just around the corner. This prompted Wylan to stand up stiffly, on guard now as he stood between y/n and the sound. Only for y/n to gently push him to the side so he wasn’t in increased danger compared to them.
Not that it mattered as within a few seconds, the whole room erupted into chaos. The room was filled with smoke and y/n couldn’t see through it enough to know what to do. All they could see was Wylan before them, sliding his goggles back up to his eyes.
“Stay here” Wylan whispered as he coughed through the smoke. And then he was gone.
Y/n wanted to scream at him for disappearing from their sight. Instead, they forced themselves to blink through the smoke as it settled. Once everyone could see, the Dime Lions brawlers charged towards y/n.
Yet another fight broke out, y/n once again out numbered. As they took surveillance of the scene, they saw Wylan fighting two men while the other two were headed their way.
“There they are!” One of the men shouted, pointing at y/n.
Wylan’s eyes showed his internal panic as he wrestled with the men while trying to simultaneously watch over y/n.
Meanwhile y/n had managed to grab their y/w/t from its holder and used it to take down two of the men. Y/n was feeling pretty good about their progress until one of them men fighting Wylan suddenly had him kneeling on the floor, a gun pressed to his temple.
“Get your hands off him!” Y/n called out, rising their y/w/t in an offensively driven position pointed it at the man holding Wylan.
Wylan gave y/n a silent look and mouthed “run”. Even from just the look he gave, it was clear he was trying to ask y/n to flee while they could. They both knew the other man had moved from Wylan to come for y/n. But y/n didn’t care, they weren’t leaving. Especially not with Wylan held at gunpoint. Not even though it were more likely for them to try and harm y/n than Wylan.
In fact, Wylan’s attempt to get them to leave only pissed y/n off more. They were furious that he was still trying too hard to protect them when he was the one in danger. So they ignored his mouthed request and turned their sharp gaze to the man approaching them.
Y/n attempted to use their y/w/t against the brawler but the man managed to grab it from them and tossed it across the room. As a result, y/n resorted to using their hand-to-hand combat skills to fight him off. It took numerous strikes to the man’s jaw, nose, and cheeks to get him to back up from them long enough for y/n to arrange a better attack.
As the man came back towards them, y/n leapt up into the air a few inches until they could reach the collar of the man’s shirt. Using the firm grip on the back of his collar, y/n pulled the man into a crouched position. At the same time, y/n brought their right knee backwards as far as possible. As the man began to fight the twisted angle y/‘ had him at, y/n swung their knee forward. Their knee crashed into the man’s pelvis, sending the man towards the floor.
Y/n tightened one hand around the man’s neck to restrict his breathing. As they went limit, y/n’s other hand pulled harder on the collar and flung the man over their shoulder, breathing heavily from the exertion.
They spared the man one look, taking note of the fact he was now unconscious in a pile of broken wood from the splintered table nearby. When y/n turned their gaze back to Wylan, they noticed the man who had been forcing Wylan to kneel was now charging at them. Confused, they glanced and saw the man had seemingly punched Wylan in the gut before shoving him aside to get to y/n.
Y/n clenched their jaw, glaring at the man headed their way. From the corner of their eyes, they could see Wylan struggling to stand up; having had the wind knocked out of him. This only fueled y/n’s anger and over protective mode.
Y/n lost it as Wylan coughed as he pushed himself up. Y/n attacked the man, their fists and knees striking any and every point of the brawler they could reach. They’d taken a few hits as well, but weren’t fazed. Y/w/t was still inaccessible, but there was far more than enough anger fueling y/n to keep them fighting this fourth man. After one of y/n’s kicks knocked the man’s knees out from under him, they saw the way the man looked back at Wylan.
Wylan had managed to get back his feet and was now trying to head to y/n’s defense. The Dime Lion noticed this as well and suddenly turned on Wylan to keep him away.
Seeing the clear threat to Wylan, y/n dashed between them men. The harsh look y/n shot the man should’ve been warning enough. Yet, y/n loudly declared “Touch him, and you're dead." The man only seemed more driven to remove Wylan from the situation now. Fortunately, Y/n knew the labrtory like the back of her hand.
They kept their eyes focused on the target but knew without looking which area of the lab had Wylan’s most dangerous chemicals. Therefore, without looking away or making any signal as to what their next move would be, y/n sprinted past the man towards the table that would have containers marked with three or more exclamation points.
Y/n slid their sleeves down quickly, using the fabric to cover their hands. From there, they spun around and tossed them at their target. While y/n knew these were Wylan’s more dangerous substances, they didn’t know what would happen when the powdered and liquids mixed. They also knew there was a significant chance y/n themselves would be injured in the process. But as far as Y/n was concerned, it was worth it to keep the man away from Wylan.
Y/n smirked wickedly as the man dropped to the floor before reaching Wylan. He writhed in pain, a bubbling pattern spreading on his skin as he moaned loudly. Y/n ignored his cries and looked around for Wylan. He wasn’t in the spot y/n had last seen him.
Just as y/n spun around to look behind them, they came face to face with their boyfriend.
Wylan had a very stern and panicked look on his face as he grabbed y/n by the back of the neck, pulling them closer. “Don’t ever do that again” he said breathily, his eyes darting all over y/n’s face. Once he was sure y/n’s face wasn’t harmed by his harsh chemicals, he stepped back slightly to scan the rest of their body.
“You protect what you love” Yn argued, pulling Wylan in for a tight hug.
He instantly hugged them back, burying his neck in their shoulder as he steadied his breathing.
“I was so worried about you Wy” y/n confessed, tugging the soft material of his shirt to bring him even closer. They breathed in his familiar scent and closed their eyes as his curls tickled their neck. They couldn’t believe they almost lost this.
“I’m okay” Wylan promised despite the fact he likely would be bruised in the morning. That is if he didn’t also suffer a fractured rib. But it was nothing Nina couldn’t help heal.
“You weren’t supposed to get hurt” y/n scoffed. Their right hand moved up to brush against the small scratch Wylan had gotten above his left brow. They presumed it was during the scuffle with the four men who’d broke in prior to him being held at gunpoint. Regardless of what point during the fight it had occurred, y/n knew it wasn’t there earlier today.
“It’s a scratch” wylan argued in an attempt to soothe y/n’s nerves. He could see the look of guilt in their eyes and he wished he could do something to erase it. But, he knew the feeling all too well himself and knew nothing he said would change it. So, he opted for tenderly playing with their hair instead.
“It could’ve been worse,” y/n argued defiantly. “Saints, I thought it was!” They added, holding Wylan as tightly to their chest as they could. They felt bad as they worried he might not be able to breathe, or that it might reactivate the pain from the gut punch he received earlier. However, when he responded by sinking into their embrace even further, they pushed those fears aside.
As y/n let out a long sigh, Wylan frowned against their collarbone. “Y/n”, he whispered delicately, his hands still tangled in their hair.
“Don't ever leave my sight again." Y/n scolded firmly, leaning back to see his face as they said it.
Wylan gave then a sympathetic smile and nodded.
Y/n sighed again, this time contentedly. They crooked their head until they were in the same position as Wylan. Their nose brushed his neck as they snuggled him. With a tight hug, y/n added a clarifying condition to their earlier order, “ever”.
I have a generous request to all of the great fanfiction writers that please for the love of God can you write something like all the Crows are getting interviewed in Cunk on Earth 😭 . I would love to see them being flabbergasted by the questions of Philomena. It can also be Crows x Reader, where the reader takes the place of Philomena. Thank you. I love you all so much. You guys are doing god's work <3
