Show Wesper meet

Part 12

Several months later...

Wylan's POV:

Wylan sifted through bottles of coloured chemicals on the shelves in the dimly-lit room. It was late and he was tired but he had finally finished preparations for Kaz.

 On nights like these, Wylan wondered what he was doing here, away from the material comforts of his home, mixing bombs in the dark for the Bastard of the Barrel. But he had  grown used to it in a way; he'd managed to build some semblance of a  life for himself in Ketterdam. The city was cruel but he had survived against all odds- certainly against the wishes of his father.

With a sigh, he pushed a pair of goggles off his face and wiped greasy oil from his hands with a threadbare rag. It was done and Kaz would be pleased. That was all he could ask for right now.

That's when he heard a sound.

"Hello, anyone here?" Wylan jumped at the voice at the doorway, eyes widening as he turned to meet the source of the sound.

 An easy, loose-limbed walk. Ruddy brown skin. Perfectly shaped lips. He was tall and lanky, his posture cool. He bore a long grey coat and a tipped hat, revealing familiar dark curls beneath. 

Wylan couldn't help but stare at the boy as he descended the steps to meet his level.

Jesper. 

Wylan's mouth hung slightly agape. He paused right where he was and took in the sight of the boy he thought he was never going to see again.

 "Hi, I wasn't expecting you." He uttered. 

When had he become so out of breath? 

Elation and fear and ecstasy choked Wylan's voice. Jesper. Jesper. Jesper. He felt his face tinge, the glow of the heat in the room increase instantly. He felt a small smile creeping across his cheeks as he absorbed every inch of the boy, taking in every detail.

Memories of the night they had met surged through Wylan's mind. Gentle touches, warm intensity, sweet kisses. Dancing in the docks at a small market, caught up in the sheer emotion of the moment. It had been the best night of Wylan's life. He never thought he would get the opportunity to truly show Jesper how much it had meant to him.

Jesper's grey eyes met his as he said, " And you are?"

Oh. 

 Wylan's heart dropped. The fluttery feeling that had been slowly rising in his chest deflated.

A thousand emotions rushed through him at once, messing with Wylan's brain as he tried stumble out a coherent response, " We've- uh, Wy- Wylan,"

Did Jesper truly not recognise him?

The boy's eyebrow was raised. His fingers jumped to the tools splayed across the table Wylan had been working at, the same way they had on the night they had first met, fiddling with any object he could get his hands on. They settled on a small metal ladle as he began toying with the powder in a nearby jar.

"No, I mean why did Kaz have us meet here?" He gestured towards the small, depressing room, completely unaware of the way he had just sent Wylan's heart plummeting to the floor.

"Oh." Wylan looked down. "I guess, um, I'm your demolitions man."

A pause. Their eyes met for a long second. 

"You?" 

The good-natured charm of Jesper's tone was gone, replaced by a dubious questioning that made Wylan want to crawl into a hole and disappear. How could the boy be so different now?

"You've got all your fingers." He remarked, picking up a small red vial and taking a sniff.

Wylan frowned, hurrying round the table to pluck it from the other boy's hands . " Well, maybe I'm careful." He replied.

" careful, is something you learn by losing your fingers." 

Wylan stood opposite Jesper. It irritated him how even now, he couldn't break his gaze from the stormy clouds of Jesper's eyes, how he couldn't tear himself away from the stunning sight of the boy. Jesper. Jesper who didn't remember him. 

Jesper eyes flitted over Wylan's frame before turning at the sound of Kaz descending the steps behind him. 

"So this novice is telling me that he's our new demo man." He said, standing by Kaz in his usual black suit and hat.

" Raske is better, or even Pim." He continued.

Kaz glared, dark eyes hidden under the shadow of the light. " And yet, Wylan is the one I hired." He said, with his usual rough burn.

Jesper rolled his eyes, leaning back against the steps with a huff. He turned to Wylan, "Shouldn't you be graduating university and, I don't know, starting a desk job?" 

The comments were pointed and harsh and Wylan had no response. He wanted to melt into the shadow of the room, away from Jesper's harsh words and unfamiliar stare. This is not what he had expected- not in the slightest- and he hated every second of it. 

He didn't respond but he couldn't take his eyes from Jesper until two other figures entered the room, one a short suli girl and a ravkan girl in a blue dress. 

"You're here." Kaz said.

"With the new heartrender." The dark suli girl replied as the girl dressed in blue tipped her hat toward the group.

" Nina Zenik, at your service." She took the hat off and turned at the immediate response her name attracted.

"Nina Zenik?" Both Jesper and the suli girl said in unison. Wylan had no idea who Nina Zenik was but the reaction caught him off guard. He studied the girl carefully.

She laughed at the curious looks from the pair. " Well that's a reaction," she said, " Is there a famous Nina Zenik I don't know of?"

A silence swallowed the room that Wylan felt obliged to fill. " Can I get anyone some tea?" 

He immediately regretted the question, flushing  deeply at the glare he received from Kaz and the strange looks from the others.

No, he was not going to enjoy tonight at all.