Kaz Rietveld

Chapter 2

Kaz had stayed up all night. Again. 2 days and he hadn't slept a wink. He'd closed his eyes and rested but never fallen asleep. Jordie was always in his head. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a knock at his door.

"What business?"

"It's Wylan" the merchling said nothing more so Kaz called him in. He didn't always know what to make of the boy, sometimes he was bold as ever and other times you could click and he'd jump for cover.

The boy slowly pushed open the door and Kaz didn't miss how he subtly tried to look around the room. There wasn't much to look at. Just an old bed with his coat slung on it in the middle of the room, a window to its left. And by the window, next to the door his desk littered with papers. On the other side of the bed a wardrobe and the door to the bathroom. Some may call it bare, but he had no desire for trivial possessions or little material things. They were wasteful, just pointless clutter and nothing more.

Wylan pov

Wylan hadn't explored much of the Slat, but somehow or the other he'd been in everyone's rooms, except Kaz's. He looked around as he walked through the door, the room was small but still spacious, it was practical. He couldn't help but notice the only tell tale sign of it being Kaz's was the boy himself and his coat. The bed was neatly done, room bare of anything personal. So he turned his attention to the older boy.

He looked awful.

Eye bags and darks circles prominent, his hair messier than usual, he didn't know how to explain it but Kaz looked burdened, seemed off for a loss of better words . Wylan didn't feel like talking to a seemingly irritated Kaz, but he knew it would irritate him more if he tried to leave.

So, back to why he was in the boys room.

Wylan loved Jesper, he really did, but the Zemini sharpshooter had found his way to the gambling tables with his newly acquired money. Wylan knew he could get him to leave, pull at his heartstrings and lead him away but he knew it wouldn't last long. So he came to Kaz.

He wasn't trying to be a snitch, just wanted the best for Jesper and he knew that to keep him away he needed someone Jesper wouldn't go against. And that's how he found himself nervously wringing his hands together as he stood before a very annoyed looking Kaz Brekker.

He supposed there wasn't any other better way of doing it than blurting it out.

"Jespers gambling and I need you to stop him."

Maybe it wasn't the best way to do that actually he thought as Kaz raised an unimpressed brow at the younger.

"And pray tell, why should I do that for you merchling?"

He could feel his heart thumping, he shouldn't be so nervous around him anymore but there was something unsettling about the boy. He hardly knew a thing about him. Just that he was the most skilled thief he'd met, now ran the Crows and did not like people. The only more personal thing he knew about him was that he liked hot chocolate, it was rather concerning to be honest.

"I- well- it's just that- I mean we all know nothing good comes from Jespers depending too long at those tables and he's already been there for nearly 2 hours"

He cursed himself for stumbling. He was also hoping he wouldn't question why he didn't come earlier because the answer to that was he was attempting to find the courage to ask Kaz. Rather sad when you said it aloud.

He watched as Kaz sighed and got up to pull his coat on and grab his cane from where it was resting against his desk. And leave. He hadn't even told him where Jesper was. He decided he'd wait at the Slat.