GRISHAVERSE X READERS

[KAZ BREKKER DRABBLE]

Prompt: G14. Them winking at you after you stare them

Word count: 927

It was Monday morning, which meant that the Crows and some of the most recognized Dregs were spending a day at the Crow Club. Their regular customers were most likely having a hangover or an early day at work, so people wouldn't start coming back until late afternoon. So there were just ten of you, and Kaz could sit by the counter without fear that he would bump into people, everyone present knew that he absolutely hated touch and it wouldn't turn out nicely to anyone who touched him, purposely or not, and they most definitely didn't want to risk it, so they made a sure not to touch Kaz.

You were sitting by a table near the window, at the far wall left from the door, laying longing gazes at Kaz. You knew your wishes were irrational, but you were thinking if he could ever like you the way you liked him. Or if he liked you at all.

The Crows knew about your feelings for Kaz, and had tried to push you into telling him for ages, telling you that Kaz clearly has feelings for you too but he was just as stubborn to approach you. Or how Jesper had said it, "even more stubborn, he won't even admit it". You had replied that maybe he's telling the truth, but Jesper had snorted and said that he recognizes a man in love if he sees one.

You were caught staring at Kaz so deep in your thoughts that you barely registered when he turned to look at you - and then something happened.

Kaz smirked upon catching your eyes and winked at you.

Wait, he winked at you? You didn't even know he could wink.

No, he wouldn't do that. Maybe alcohol had taken over him. Or you, even though you hadn't drank. Or you were dreaming.

The last option seemed the most reasonable. This was either a dream or you had imagined Kaz showing some interest in you, and your eyes had created this mental image of him winking which - somehow - had projected itself into real life. That could be possible, right?

At least when you had felt sad, you had imagined Kaz coming up to your room and holding your hand to help you sleep, it oddly helped, and over time you could feel in a way that he really held your hand, you felt his leather glove wrap around your hand. But you knew he wasn't really there, you had opened your eyes a few times if it had felt too real and were met by empty bedside every single time.

Maybe it was just that. Or no, not maybe. It was that.

"Love, you're staring at your beloved Kazzy again..." Jesper muttered next to you and you jumped in surprise, turning around and surely looking like a deer in headlights.

"N-no, no I wasn't. I... I wasn't."

Jesper laughed and shook his head. "I'm sure you weren't. Don't worry, I'm just teasing you. How's your arm doing?"

You glanced down at your bandaged arm and put a hand over it. You were grateful that the gang fight had only caused you a gash on your arm which would leave a scar, but not anything worse. You would be back at work in no time, you absolutely hated it when you couldn't do much by yourself. You nodded at Jesper with a small smile, "It's fine, it doesn't hurt that much anymore."

"Good, good," Jesper said, smiling and leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. "Soon, we'll get to pay back those Dime Lions."

"Yeah," Inej popped in, and you caught her from sitting on the windowsill, probably having sat there for a while now. "Kaz will give them a proper beating for touching someone who's his."

You felt blood rushing up to your cheeks, suddenly laying your gaze down to your legs. "You promised to stop giving me false hopes."

"What false hope?" Jesper asked, still grinning. "We all saw what happened when you came back wounded. Kaz looked like he's losing his mind and if Nina hadn't been present, he'd have screamed her to come down on that instant, when with any other Dreg or Crow, he'd let someone else call for Nina."

Inej nodded, and added, "And, I saw him winking at you a moment ago. Don't claim you didn't see it."

You fell silent for a moment, your eyes widening. When you finally got words out, you hated how squeaky you sounded. "You saw it too?"

"Of course," said Inej. "I'm not blind."

You laid your gaze back to your mug quickly, shutting up and Inej left to the counter with Jesper when Jesper spotted Wylan. With anyone else, you would have laughed the wink off, but with Kaz, it basically meant a confession that he likes you.

But if he did and wouldn't back down if you confronted him about it, what would change? Something would, that was for sure. But if he wouldn't back down, you would feel the happiest person in the world. You smiled at the thought, letting yourself dream a little.

And if you had looked up, you would have seen Kaz still laying glances at you, and thinking how much he had changed for you. For the better or worse, that was the matter of perspective, but he hoped that someday, he would be able to hold your hand without waters rising. Someday... he could be happy, you could be his way out from the dark tunnel he had walked alone all these years.