timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

[ She doesn't push and he's grateful. Because while he's been on the verge of saying something for a while, he needs to sort out what he'll say. Where to begin.

For now, he allows himself to fall asleep with her hand in his.

Sleep rushes in quickly, as it usually does next to her, leaving him to simply hum an agreement. The next thing he's aware of is the brightness of the room, sun light filtering through the curtains. He'd pulled them closed the night before, noting their room was on the east side of the building—which meant direct morning light. And as much as he's found himself able to sleep through most inconveniences, he isn't sure the same could be said for Inej.

She did want to sleep in, after all. He glances over at the nearby clock, noting how close it was to 8 bells. Of course, he doesn't make a move, both being too comfortable and not wanting to wake Inej just yet. ]

[ it's not the light that causes a stir, but the (slight) movement of kaz coming back to awareness. her legs are still lazily draped over his lap, her head tucked into his chest. it looks uncomfortable, honestly, to be laying down like that, if it weren't for the fact that inej truly can just bend like that without feeling stiff.

her eyes flutters open, just enough to see that kaz is awake.

she considers him for a moment, eyes half open, still mostly asleep, before she closes her eyes again with a sigh, in an attempt to go back to sleep.

it will fail, but she isn't moving.

tough luck for him. ]

[ Not too long after he wakes, he feels her stir. It's a small motion, a subtle change in the slow, deep breaths she'd been taking while asleep.

She doesn't move though and he can't blame her. The quiet sigh makes him laugh a little, as though she's echoing how they both feel about having woken up at all. He personally would've preferred another half hour at least. ]

Comfortable? [ His tone is rough on the edges, sleepy sounding. ]

[ she is comfortable, which is part of the problem. she can feel the laugh in his chest, along with the rasp of his voice . . . and inej idly considers just ignoring him so she can go back to sleep, but some part of her realizes she's still sort of on top of him.

his leg must be killing him. or if it isn't now, it probably will start soon.

hrmm. . . ]

I was.

[ somewhat reproachful, though it's clear that her tone is a joke. SOMEONE decided to BREATHE LOUDLY and WAKE HER UP, how rude. but she stretches out her legs, shifting her weight a little so she's not resting totally on top of him, now.

though she still hasn't moved away from him, or opened her eyes, or made any real attempt to get up, yet. ]

[ She's contemplating on whether to move or not and he can feel it in the silence. For now, he doesn't mind it either way, though he knows soon enough his leg will complain and he'll have to move. Unless he wants to end up in bed for a longer portion of the day, trying to stretch it out and give it some rest.

Her sassy comment makes him smile and after she rolls off, he takes the opportunity to stretch, shaking out his one hand to get feeling back into it. He bends his bad leg and carefully flexes it under the covers, feeling only the usual twinge from disuse. Turning towards her, he presses his cheek to her hair, imitating her sigh from earlier.

He won't be able to get back to sleep, but at least he can cuddle before he has a full day of being more reserved. ]

[ once kaz shifts to make himself more comfortable, inej considers getting up properly. . . until he turns toward her to make himself comfortable again, his face buried into her hair.

it seems he's made his choice this morning, and inej fights down a warm smile before shifting, moving backwards just enough to gently press her lips against his cheek, resting against the pillow to watch him thoughtfully. now awake (ish), comfortable and warm. ]

Did you sleep well?

[ He's just about settled when she shifts away a tiny bit, to press a kiss to his cheek. Well, they're both awake now—mostly, anyway—but seemingly in the same place of being unwilling to move.

Which. Is not a bad thing by any means. Neither of them are the type to lay about, usually, unable to afford such luxury when they're in charge of running their respective businesses. So while part of him thinks he should get up and start the day, he actively stops himself, a reminder to relax. ]

I seem to sleep like a stone with you. [ How that works out, exactly, he isn't sure. ] Did you?

[ her lips twitch into an amused smile, at the news that he slept well. and she, too, sleeps easier when he's around. which is the opposite of what inej thought would happen, but it's a welcome surprise.

her fingers gently brush a loose lock of hair out of his eyes, thoughtful. ]

I did.

[ in agreement. ]

I had peaceful dreams.

[ Really, he didn't think he'd sleep so well with someone so close by. It's such a far cry to how he'd been when he first joined the Dregs; he'd shared a cramped room with someone and that had almost been too much, having anyone in such close proximity.

At least it's a reminder that he's getting better, over time. Like now, as she brushes some hair out of his eyes—he doesn't flinch or feel the need to pull away. ]

What kind? If you remember. [ Kaz finds he rarely remembers his. Normally he doesn't want to, still plagued by nightmares of cold and deadened limbs. Occasionally, he has a good one.

And maybe lately, he's had a few that have been more than good. He doesn't remember details but knows they involve Inej and are enough to make most people blush, including himself. ]

Mmm...

[ she hums to herself in thought, her hand cupping his cheek. she truthfully doesn’t remember most of the details, but she remembers feeling warm, safe. happy. and she does remember, vaguely: ]

I remember it was warm outside. And you kissed me.

[ she wrinkles her nose in thought. ]

I don’t really remember why or what we were doing outside, but I remember that part.

[ it was a good dream. ]

[ As usual, he tilts his face into her touch, glad when he doesn't have an adverse reaction. Her hand on his cheek is something he's gotten used to, mostly. He doesn't even feel that twinge of nausea he did when she first started doing it. ]

Sounds more like a premonition. [ He says with a bit of a grin, momentarily glancing towards the windows. The sun's out, it could be fairly warm. And it wouldn't be a hardship to kiss her outside. ]

[ she grins a little, at the comment, running her thumb over his cheek, eyes bright. ]

Does it?

[ how arrogant, as she settles into her pillow a bit more completely, amused. ]

Should I add being psychic to my skillset?

[ she never had the hang of fortune telling or reading futures in coffee grounds, but you know what, why not. anything is possible. ]

If it's not, I'll take it under immediate advisement.

[ You know, when they're actually out of bed. Not that he means for that to be the only kiss of the day. It's just one in a small list. ]

Don't see why you can't. You saw just about everything in Ketterdam, what's a glimpse of the future?

I do know how to read fortunes.

[ she muses to herself, letting her hand slip from his face to fiddle with the neck of his shirt. ]

But I gave that up to learn how to be an acrobat.

[ it was way more fun. and clearly more useful, in her new life. still, she shifts herself forward to kiss him gently, settling herself back into the pillows with a small grin. ]

Maybe I can pick it up again.

I don't know— [ He starts, propping himself up on one arm so he can lean in to return her kiss. ] —the suspense is nice too.

[ Not knowing what the future holds is their general state of being. Plenty of times, he's wished to know what happens, how exactly everything unfurls. Doesn't everyone? Especially those in the Barrel, just trying to make it through another day.

This relationship with Inej, though... he doesn't mind not knowing. Nor does he mind, as he's been finding out, giving up the usual iron-clad control he's kept for so long. It's not exactly an easy thing to shed the armor but he wants to do it for her. She's been so patient for long enough. ]

[ she’s considering kissing him again when he beats her to the punch, and inej grins a little into the kiss as she returns it, her hands shifting to cup his face. it’s slow, and gentle. lazy, really, much like their morning is turning out to be.

but once the kiss is finished (or, at least, on a brief pause), she murmurs (practically against his lips): ]

I thought we had plans to sleep in today.

[ as she presses her lips to the corner of his mouth, playful, testing boundaries, tone amused and still half-laced with sleep. ]

[ Time seems to slow for the few moments they spend kissing. There's no rush, after all. They can be as lazy as they want, which reflects in their touches, in her mouth against his. He carefully slides his hand down her side, just for the extra contact. ]

No one said we had to use the time to sleep. [ They are the masters of their own schedule. ] Unless you want to.

[ If she does, he'll turn over. Maybe try to read his book. ]

[ he's sort of hovering over her, propped up on his arm, and inej watches him for a moment. the curve of his mouth, and how his hair falls into his eyes. and she supposes she's always known kaz was handsome, but it's different, now.

because she gets to see this, and no one else does.

and that causes a warm stir in her chest, and a slightly bigger grin as she tugs him closer, for another kiss. ]

I don't want to.

[ murmured.

this seems like a much better use of her time. ]

[ She's watching him for a few beats and he has to wonder what she's thinking. Is she just making sure he's okay? It doesn't seem like she's thinking of the Menagerie—her expression is too calm for that, her gaze too direct.

He supposes it doesn't matter because whatever question he would've asked is immediately forgotten as she grins and tugs him close for another kiss. This one isn't as lazy, though he still isn't in a rush. There's a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth and he moves his hand from her side, the backs of his knuckles tracing up the middle of her torso. He shifts his weight, just a bit, to take some of the pressure off his arm.

And to maybe make it less obvious that certain parts have started to react to all of this. ]

[ some part of her wants to push her own limits. it's not necessarily fair, that kaz has taken so much of this on his shoulders, when inej has her own demons. and while her heart thrums with waging war between want and anxiety, she knows that she wants to try. just a bit.

so she tugs him a little closer, relishing in the feeling of his hand against her side. the kiss definitely a bit more energetic, looping her arms around his neck before she decides to push her luck.

so she shifts her legs, using kaz's weight against him to tug him properly over her. it's a little awkward, and there's a bit of a quasi-stumble on her end as the kiss breaks and she can't help but laugh, grabbing his arms with her hands to steady both of them before they fall off the bed. ]

Sorry --

[ a little breathlessly, another laugh escaping before she tilts her head up for another kiss -- this one much softer, almost in apology. ]

That worked better in my head.

[ Once her arms loop around the back of his neck, he feels something like contentment—that isn't to say it stops the thrum of more from being whispered in the back of his mind. But it feels like a complete circuit; she's willing to have him close and he's more than happy to have that bit of pull on his shoulders.

Of course, she's full of surprises. There's no way he could've seen her hooking her legs around his, using his imbalance to tug him over her. The kiss is broken as a result (and because of his surprise); with her hands steadying him and his immediate reaction, neither of them go tumbling. At least there's that. ]

You can ask me to move. [ He says, amused, though he presses a kiss to her cheek. Reassurance. Shifting his weight, he leans back a bit, catching her gaze. ] This okay?

[ Because he realizes he's basically right between her legs. Which is. Hm. Not helping. Not when there's a zing of want sliding down his spine. ]

[ well, could be a worse reaction, and the kiss to her cheek mollifies her (minimal) embarrassment. but she’s comfortable, and warm, and there’s no creeping of memories. no anxiety, or crushing fear. she just wants to be close to him, and push a little bit more.

she’s not sure how much she’ll be able to do, but she’s willing to try.

so to answer his question, she pushes herself up onto her elbows to catch him in another kiss. ]

I could have.

[ she murmurs against his lips.

but this seemed more fun. ]

[ Her answer has him smiling, liking this bit of boldness. Liking the fact that she wants to push a little. And well, he has always liked how sassy her comments could be; she was never afraid to speak her mind.

How far they'll get with this, he'll see. For now he's not going to think about it, instead returning her kiss and shifting closer, one hand on her hip. His other hand braces against the bed, allowing him to pull away, head tilted to kiss her jaw and down to her neck. She'll tell him if it's too much. ]

[ he shifts closer and inej inhales slowly, finding her focus as he kisses her jaw, and then moves to her neck. it’s a careful motion, more exploratory and testing than aggressive, and for half a moment, inej feels the sudden spike of disgust through her gut.

lips on her neck, the weight resting against her, even if it’s barely just. it’s hard to disconnect her mind from her body, and inej allows her eyes to close, to focus, to try and move past it. and she can feel Kaz kiss her neck, a sensitive spot where her pulse must be going a mile a minute, and instead of disgust, she feels ... good?

it feels good.

it’s a tiny, flickering thought that inej seizes onto, and she exhales suddenly in a shuddered laugh. pushing past the fear to grab onto the warmth, the pleasantness, the want as she tilts her head back into the pillow, relishing in the feeling. ]

I like that.

[ it’s soft, barely a murmur, as her hands slide along his arms to find his shoulders, fingers curling into his shirt. ]

[ She inhales slowly and he moves carefully, pressing gentle kisses. Something about her posture is tense, though she hasn't pushed him away yet. Under his mouth he can feel her pulse, a more rapid tempo.

He thinks of pulling away, but then she's letting out a shivery laugh and the tension breaks. ]

Hm, this? [ Kaz brushes a soft kiss to her neck, just under her jaw. And another, and another, each one going further down, a little more firm until he gets to her collarbones. The hand on her hip smoothes upwards along her side, taking the fabric of her shirt with it—he stops at her ribs. Not too far. ]

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