timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

[ If there's one thing he's known for, it's his general cautiousness when dealing with money, with investments. The windfall after the Van Eck job does wonders to springboard some things he had in mind to improve the club and Slat with, alongside making it easy to start expanding.

Which he does, progressively, over a few years.

Gaining the ground in the Barrel hadn't exactly been easy, not even with the success of the dregs in combination with his reputation. Gangs here were possessive and mistrustful, tended towards violence at the slightest provocation. He spends plenty of time putting out fires (as well as starting them, in response to disrespect), though he hasn't been chained to his work nearly as much as he used to be as a lieutenant. Ever since that time he visited Ravka with Inej, he's made sure to step away and reset where he could. Sometimes, he takes a couple days even when she isn't visiting.

Mostly to turn some of those investments into something a bit more personal. Perhaps more permanent. Ketterdam likely won't forget the Dregs anytime soon, but gangs are an impermanent structure, rising and falling like a tide. It's even possible it'll happen while he's around (not likely, but still). Whatever the case ends up being, he does his research and eventually, he buys a house. Near the Church of Barter, which wouldn't have been his first pick but it fit what he'd been looking for: enough space, a specific view, generally quieter. There's also the matter that the house isn't exactly complete, originally belonging to a merchant who had plans to move and then never did. Kaz has all the information in a file somewhere.

Mostly it's an allowance to customize some things without having to knock down too many walls.

He spends the better part of a year getting the details correct, occasionally hiring people to do the more difficult jobs and handling the rest himself. Jesper wrangles it out of him when he catches Kaz coming back to the Slat with paint all down one pant leg and Kaz threatens him with exquisite pain should he say a thing to Inej.

It seems to work, though he suspects Wylan knows. At almost exactly a year later, Inej sails back in and he waits three days before subjecting her to the travel out to the house. Manor. Whatever. He's sure he's being frustratingly vague, his expression placid even as they come to a stop in front of it. ]

[ the crows are hiding something from her.

she's not entirely sure what it is, which is frustrating. jesper had avoided her eyes during dinner the night before, with all of them there. wylan had found his food particularly interesting, and kaz had an expression of silent threats of death at either of them before changing the subject to prompt her to tell a story of her time in ravka, meeting nina. and inej had let it go, but she was still suspicious. and was even more suspicious when kaz had bothered her into a walk.

it was . . . a long walk, which (again) made her suspicious. but she remains silent, eyeing him thoughtfully before they finally stop in front of what looks like a pristine mercher manor, near van eck's.

the first thing that pops into her head is they need to break into it. and the windows are massive, high, and she scans the facade of the house, placing out her path to the roof in her head . . . easy enough, but not something that anyone but her could probably do.

she waits for kaz to say something before she turns, arms crossed over her chest, eyebrows arched. ]

You could have just told me you needed me for a job instead of walking all the way out here.

[ and inej inclines her head toward the house, unimpressed. ]

Who is it and what did they do to you?

[ The walk out is a comfortable silence, though he can tell she has questions. Knows she suspects that something is up, even if she might not know what it is. Jesper and Wylan had kept their mouths shut, at least, and the surprise remains a surprise.

Which even though he isn't particularly prone to nerves, he's anxious about. It's a bit of a risk, after all. Or has the illusion of risk at least, because he thinks he knows Inej well enough to know she won't hate it. ]

Well, she just got back from terrifying slavers for eight months. And she's put up with me for several years.

[ the answer is . . . not what she's expecting. and she stares at him for a long moment, scanning his face before looking back at the house, trying to place it.

she's never been here before, though she's moved past it. in going to van eck's manor. visiting, exploring this area of the city. she's helped break into a few homes on this block, though they're none the wiser, obviously.

and she stares at the house for a few long moments before looking back at him, her brow furrowed.

he's not . . . joking. he's a little nervous, actually. the fidget of his fingers against his cane and the slight tightening of his jaw. is he giving her a gift?

( some tiny part of her, in the back of her head, replays a conversation with nina, how her beloved friend bemoaned the fact that kaz hadn't married inej by now, to which inej responded that she didn't really care about stuff like that, but inej quickly pushes that aside, because kaz brekker was not going to walk her all the way to the mercher's ward to propose to her outside of a random house. )

( ....... right? ) ]

Am I supposed to find a gift inside?

[ slowly, almost . . . uncertain, trying to figure out what she's supposed to do. ]

[ Ah.

That. Isn't the reaction he'd been figuring on. At least something about her comment makes him want to laugh—whether by hysterics or genuine amusement, it's hard to say.

He reaches into his inside coat pocket as he steps next to her, producing a key. ]

I suppose putting a bow on the house would've been more obvious. [ Kaz holds the key out to her in his palm. ]

[ her eyes flicker toward his hand dipping into his pocket, and she can feel her mouth abruptly dry as he steps toward her.

this is ridiculous. there is absolutely no way that kaz brekker is going to ask her to marry him three days after she got back from being away for so long. they haven't even really had the opportunity to catch up properly. and even allowing nina to put that idea into her head was a mistake, and she opens her mouth to immediately ask, a bit more definitively, what is going on when he produces

a key.

she blinks at the key in his palm, brow furrowing in confusion. and her eyes move to meet his. ]

You bought a house?

[ she does sound genuinely surprised, at that, but soon, kaz's previous words catch up to her, and the realization slowly dawns on her before she stares at the key, then at the house, before returning her gaze to his own, absolutely stunned. ]

-- you bought me a -- that house? This one?

[ at least the surprise! part of the surprise has kicked in. ]

[ There it is, the dawning realization. The confusion clouding her expression clears up, eyes going wide, nearly comical. ]

No, I bought you the house next door. [ He says, amused sarcasm slipping through. ] Yes, this one.

[ Kaz slides the key to hold with the tips of his fingers, gesturing for her to take it. ] I can give you the tour, if you want.

[ he offers her the key and she's almost still convinced this is a joke, until he offers her a tour. and she finally uncrosses her arms to reach out and take the key, fingers brushing his own. ]

You --

[ but, for once, inej can't quite seem to find the words to sass kaz back, and she stares down at the key before looking at the house. ]

-- you can give me a tour.

[ she decides, tone a little faint. he can lead the way up the walkway, but she is at his side, inclining her head up to look at the house properly, with new eyes. knowing that this apparently belongs to her, because saints, kaz certainly isn't joking.

she was never going to go eight months without asking, specifically, what he was up to ever again, if this was what he did without supervision.

once they're at the door properly, she glances toward him before unlocking the door with a key (inej honestly doesn't think she's ever walked through the front door of a house this nice, much less with a key), and pushes the door open just enough to see the front foyer.

if she was stunned before, it's nothing compared to now, because somehow the house is even nicer on the inside than it is on the outside. ]

[ She's unconvinced at first, he can tell by the way her arms are still crossed. Soon enough, she seems to trust the information enough to take the key. Unlike usual, she doesn't have any sass for him, voice a bit faint when she finally answers.

As she goes to the unlock the door, he nods, reassuring that yes, it's going to work. That this isn't some scheme of his—aside from being a well thought out plan over a period of months. ]

There might be a lingering smell, didn't have as much a chance to air out the paint in here. [ He'd left this part for nearly last, working on the more important rooms first. ] Dining room is through here.

[ Kaz shuts the door behind them and steps to the left, leading her into the next room. There's no table—yet—but there's an antiqued plate cabinet and a sideboard, things to anchor the room. ] Kitchen's this way.

[ she follows him, letting her eyes move toward the high ceilings, the fresh paint. it doesn't look completely finished, yet, the furniture absent . . . which makes sense, given inej doesn't own any furniture. or really anything at all, aside from her ship.

she touches the plate cabinet, letting her fingers trace the designs on the glass (very real, and very expensive, which makes sense, inej thinks ruefully to herself, if kaz was allowed free license to decorate as he pleased).

but she moves on, still quiet, and still absorbing the details (and, really, the reality of the surprise), as they move into the kitchen. it has large windows, a large antique sink, and counterspace galor. and the kitchen, quite frankly, is larger than any living space inej has ever had in her life.

she touches the nearest countertop, pressing her fingers into the surface, still not saying anything out loud. her heart thrumming in her chest, as she moves to the sink, to lean over it to look out the window.

the view, obviously, is beautiful. because he wouldn't settle for less. ]

Edited 2020-07-02 01:13 (UTC)

[ He lets her soak in all the details from the two rooms. There still isn't enough furnishing, simply because neither of them have ever had the space to own much. His bedroom at the Slat was bigger than her old one but he'd kept it simple; a bed, a wardrobe, a night stand. All of it had been repurposed from some other spot.

Here he'd bought a few pieces, just things he'd passed by in shops over the past months. But he's interested to see what she'll pick out, what personal touches she'll add. ]

There's a sun room, if you want a better look. [ Obviously, he couldn't leave the views to just the kitchen or lower floor windows. ] Upstairs has the clearest view, though.

[ a sun room. and the news that upstairs has the clearest view piques her interest, but there's still so much downstairs to explore. more rooms and places to investigate.

it's all beautiful, and meticulous, and open. with more than enough space for her, and kaz (though, inej realizes, kaz hadn't really said that he was going to be here too, something she takes note of to ask about later), and whoever else she damn well pleased.

finally, inej seems to find her voice. ]

I've never lived in a house.

[ and there's a faint wobble in her tone, as she stares out of the window of the kitchen. because the view, even though it's not as good as upstairs, is gorgeous. and she can feel the odd sensation of prickling in her eyes, welling with tears from a sudden swell of emotion, but inej can't really be bothered to block it. ]

[ The wobble in her voice is enough to make him feel that little grip of anxiety. Was this too much at once? Should he have said something earlier? In the moment, he thinks of all the ways this was a potentially bad idea.

Swallowing his nerves, he steps over to her at the counter, putting a tentative hand on her shoulder. ]

Inej?

[ she can feel her cheeks are wet from a few stray tears, and she's about to open her mouth and ask for the rest of the tour when she feels the hand on her shoulder. and she sighs inwardly, because stupid inej, of course he would jump to the immediate worst conclusion.

it's taken her a few moments, but eventually, the emotion she lands on is elation.

so when she turns to face him, she does have tears in her eyes, but she's grinning, and she immediately slides her arms around his neck to push herself up onto her toes for a kiss, all but falling against him in half a jump.

and once that is accomplished, she says (while still sort of hanging around his neck): ]

Don't think this gets you off the hook for spending a ridiculous amount of money.

[ before she presses her lips against his again, murmuring: ]

Show me the rest.

[ With the lighting the way it is, he catches sight of her wet cheeks and feels somehow worse. The last time he remembers her tearing up like this, she had been recounting an awful story from her past. And the time before that—though the tears had been more like a waterfall—right after they'd killed the slavers that had taken her.

He's a half second from apologizing when she finally turns, the bright grin on her face a contrast to the wetness of her eyes. It's a relief, still. And one he's just processing when she throws her arms around his neck and pulls him into a kiss. His arms circle her waist, making it easier for her to be on tip-toe, and he smiles against her mouth. ]

It wasn't ridiculous. [ Because honestly, anything for Inej can hardly be termed as ridiculous. Despite others probably claiming otherwise. ]

Bedroom's past the sunroom. [ He says, letting her go with (some) reluctance. Well, mostly. He takes her hand instead, leading her to the next room over. There's a set of paned doors that open into it, brightness streaming through the multiple windows. In here, there's only a comfortable looking chair by one of the middle windows and a side table next to that. A proper sunroom. The view, as mentioned, is quite good, nearly panoramic.

An identical set of paned doors is on the other side, leading to a short hallway and at an immediate right, a heavy wooden door. He opens it and gestures her in to take a look around. There's a bed in here, already made up, matching night stands on either side, and a soft carpet under all three. ]

The linens went on the other day, so you won't have to shake them out. [ If she wanted to sleep here tonight. ]

[ she's fairly certain buying a manor in the richest part of town qualifies as a ridiculous amount of money, but she lets him continue to show her the rest of the lower floor. the sun room is full of natural light and warmth, with pristine views overlooking the quarter, the church of barter in view.

but inej doesn't linger too long, allowing the tour to continue. she releases his hand as he opens the door, revealing a beautiful bedroom, with high ceilings and an antique bedframe. the windows have an equally lovely view, with pale curtains.

she feels the urge to cry again, but she manages to get a grip this time, wiping the remaining tears off her cheeks as she steps into the room properly. she almost feels out of place, in such a lovely space, but as she's about to move toward the window, something occurs to her.

and so she glances toward him, eyebrows arching slightly upward. ]

The master bedroom is on the ground floor?

[ a purposeful decision, surely. and inej's elation is shifting into disbelief, again, because how on earth did he manage to do all of this without her knowing a single thing about it. ]

[ This room in particular had taken extra time, purely because this part of the house hadn't been finished. He'd taken a while to figure out where exactly to place what. And then it'd been a matter of picking a bed, making sure the frame matched the tables, getting a soft enough mattress.

There's maybe a faint blush rising in his cheeks at her question. ]

I can have it moved, if you'd rather it not be.

[ oh, the blush in his cheeks is telling, and inej watches him thoughtfully before looking back around the bedroom. almost as if she's trying to decide whether she wants the bedroom on the ground floor, or if she'd rather have it moved.

eventually, though, she moves closer, to loosely wrap her arms around his middle, resting her chin on his chest, amused. ]

That depends.

[ murmured. ]

Does the house come with a roommate?

[ because if so, then the bedroom stays where it is. ]

[ She glances around, not answering him at first. He tries not to feel too anxious about it, especially since something about her posture has an edge of amusement to it. Still, there's a little part that wonders if this was too presumptuous. They've shared a bed for years now, so he figured—maybe a house wouldn't be awful.

Soon enough, she comes over and loops her arms around his middle, laying the doubts to rest. He sets a hand on her waist, tilting his head down, a faint smile curving his mouth. ]

Might be written into the housing title.

Is it.

[ her tone shifts from amusement to something a bit more wry, fingers curling into the fabric of his coat, eyes bright. ]

I think that would make it our house, and not my house.

[ but she doesn't sound too bothered by that fact. if anything, she sounds distinctly more pleased. ]

Technically, yes.

[ There are a bunch of specifics that really make it hers, but he isn't interested in getting into the fine details. She trusts him with her money, after all, she probably won't want to hear about housing contracts of all things.

Leaning down, he kisses her cheek and pulls away with a grin. ] So, welcome home.

[ he kisses her cheek, and at welcome home, she feels that warm wetness surrounding her eyes again. so inej tucks her face into his chest for a properly tight hug, exhaling in a laugh before she sniffs, pulling away just enough to look around the room again. ]

I am giving you the money for at least half of this.

[ in warning!! as she tugs his coat a little straighter, now that she's sort of rumpled it. ]

What's on the upper floor? More bedrooms?

[ He hugs her close when she tucks her face to his chest. It's tempting to stay like this because she's been gone for eight months. And as usual, he's missed her enough that some days it had felt physically upsetting. ]

We'll see. [ Who's to say he won't just stick it right back into her account? He has that power. ]

A few guest rooms, an office, and something you'll want to see. [ There's also at least two rooms he hadn't figured out what to do with. ]

[ a few guest rooms, an office . . . just how big was this house? but she lets go of him only to take his free hand, intertwining their fingers easily. ]

The view?

[ she's curious, at this something you'll want to see, as they move out of the bedroom toward the foyer again -- the staircase leading up to the upper floor is more of a centerpiece than a practical staircase, in her opinion, but it's beautiful all the same. and as they move through the space, she's struck with the fact that this is hers.

well. theirs. though inej suspects that kaz is never going to accept her money and she will be passing it back and forth their accounts for the next age. ]

This house is massive.

[ it's murmured to herself, allowing kaz to lead her along the upper floor, eyes roving toward the ceiling. ]

We could move in Jesper, Wylan, and Nina, and never see them.

They already had the foundation in place. [ The size has been mapped out, as well as most of the outer structure. He hadn't seen a point in attempting to downsize it. ]

Or your parents. [ Just. You know. If they wanted to retire in another country.

He leads her up the stairs—wide set, to make the trip up easier without him having to worry about his cane slipping or missing a step—and starts with the couple guest rooms near the top. They're across from each other, both with different beds in them, though one had curtains in the windows and the other didn't. Next is the office, mostly bare aside from built in bookshelves and an austere looking chair tucked in the corner.

Situated at the back of the house (for the view, of course) is a wider room, with no furnishings aside from familiar looking ribbons hanging from a point on the ceiling. There's windows all along two sides, wide set on the lengthier wall. ]

You can see out to the edge of second harbor from here.

That thread with the house in it

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