timewasting | OPEN POST 2020.

[ It really is comfortable. Not only the mattress, sheets, and pillows. But having Inej close, sensing the weight of her on the other side of the bed. When she isn't around, the emptiness leaves an imbalance; he ends up sleeping towards the middle of his bed because of it.

Well, it's likely he'll still roll towards her, because they tend to gravitate towards each other. That's different.

Tilting his chin a bit, he meets her gaze, not even hesitating before: ] I love you.

[ the words cause an immediate upward tug of her lips, her fingers still drawing meaningless designs into his arm, eyes bright. ]

I love you, too.

[ it's said softly, feeling peaceful. and she remains where she is, watching him peacefully before she continues, still quiet. ]

I wanted to come back sooner.

[ but she had gotten into a situation that required more attention that she had previously thought; a slaver line that was far more entrenched than her information had intended her to believe. it had required sailing further north west, and then the weather had kept them stuck for a time. ]

[ She returns the sentiment and he smiles, part of it disappearing from where his cheek is pressed to the pillow. Most of it reflects around his eyes anyway, their shape curving with it.

Not for the first time he thinks: I could do this for the rest of my life.

And there might be some plans for something more official. Maybe. Ghezen knows Nina and Jesper are somewhere in the realm of exasperated with him since he hasn't said a word about getting married. Nina in particular seems to think it will never happen.

It will, just. Eventually. With a plan in place. ]

I know. Neither the ocean nor do the slavers rest. [ It's out of their control. Chasing the slavers is a choice but he knows she won't simply let one wriggle out from under her gaze simply because she wants to come back. And he can't disagree with it, knowing each time people are a little safer without them on the sea. ]

[ she hums to herself in agreement, running her palm along his forearm. it's true; allowing one to escape only makes them think they can defeat her at her own game, and that's inexcusable.

but as she soaks up the feeling of the mattress and kaz's hand on her stomach, she lets her eyes closed . . . though she continues to speak. ]

I'm actually in need of someone to help me with something.

[ lazily. ]

I want to create a base of operations in Ketterdam. So I can organize multiple ships to go out to sea, and I can stay to oversee the flow of information. But I know nothing about running anything like that, or where to begin learning.

[ her fingers run a line along his arm. ]

Do you know anyone?

[ It takes a second to sink in, what she's asking to do. And what it means for her usual travel schedule, which could be erratic. Sometimes she stopped in for a few days, long enough to resupply and head back out, knowing they were close to the trail of a slaver ship. Other times, she would plan ahead of time to stay for a bit—though that definitely took a lot of planning. For them both, when he would return the favor and go sailing with her.

This would still take a lot of work to set up and plan, but it implied a longer stay and he moves, propping himself up on one elbow to get a better look at her face. As if he thought she wasn't serious (she is, he could tell by her tone). ]

I might know someone. [ He says, finally, expression painted close to disbelief. ]

[ she can feel his weight shift, and she blinks her eyes open to see him watching her, propped up on an elbow. and inej surveys him for a moment before she pushes herself up onto her elbows, a grin beginning to appear. ]

Do you think they would help me?

[ a little coyly, her hair falling over her shoulders, amused. ]

I don't know if they know this, but I am rich, and can pay whatever their services are worth. [ and she inclines her head toward the bedframe. ] And I have a manor for collateral.

Hmm, not sure.

[ Two can play the coy game. ] I don't think they're pressed for money. And somehow, I doubt they'd need to collect on collateral.

[ His brow furrows, as he seems to consider the entire thing. It's the scheming face, naturally, it's reflexive at this point. There are a few stray thoughts filtering in beyond his initial surprise—how much crew she'll need, who will be in charge, docking paperwork and registrations for the newer ships.

Details for later. ] I have it on good authority they'll do it if you ask nice.

[ she arches her eyebrows at the terms and conditions, and inej watches him for a moment, weighing out whether or not that’s worth it... and she lifts herself up to lean into his space, pressing her lips against his temple before murmuring in his ear: ]

I think they’ll do it without being asked nicely.

[ inej, in fact, is pretty sure the deal is already done. ]

[ Her unimpressed look speaks volumes and he's pretty sure he's about to get some form of retaliation. Or sass. Or both.

So as she leans into his space, he swallows at the brush of her lips across his temple. He huffs out a laugh, knowing he can't deny her anything, even as a ruse. ]

The deal is the deal.

[ the words bring a grin to her features, and she ducks forward to give him a gentle kiss, resting his forehead against hers. ]

I think staying here for most of the year and leaving when my skill set is needed might be what I need for awhile.

[ because she deserves both. her dream, her boat, and being in love, and having a stable home. and after being out at sea for so many years taming it, wresting control of it from slavers, she thinks she can expand. and also take a break, too.

and she lowers herself back into the pillows, tugging him along with her, so she can properly cuddle with him. ]

Tell your contact I can meet them in the morning for me.

[ He smiles into the kiss and while he has the urge to do more, it's quickly replaced with wanting to get back to the original intent: cuddling. ]

A year? [ That's. A long time. Well, not really in the grand scheme of things, but in comparison to how they've been getting by. The longest she's stayed in Ketterdam has been a couple months, always needing to get back to her work.

But with this idea, she would be able to minimize the amount of time she was out on the ocean. Just like he's mostly shrunk the amount of smaller tasks he has to do for the gang. He still plans out the heists and puts together their schemes, but he isn't drowning in solving stupid quibbles anymore.

He follows her tugging, laying back down and curling closer, resting a hand on her hip. ]

I'll pass on the communication. [ His tone is amused, half muffled by her hair. ]

[ she tucks her head underneath his chin, allowing her eyes to close as his hand rests on her hip. she hasn’t felt relaxed like this in eight months, hearing his heartbeat, and his mouth moving against her hair . . . ]

I don’t want to spend another eight months not being able to sleep.

[ it’s murmured, fingers curling into his shirt. ]

I need a break. Now is as good a time as any, isn’t it?

Fair point.

[ It's a bit of a grim thought, but at least it's not just him suffering in the months between. Certainly, she should be getting more rest as her work was fairly intensive. His was every now and again but he could handle the occasional scuffle.

It's different than taking on an entire ship of slavers ready to protect their find. ]

You do have a house to get used to. [ Well, they both do. He's been in the house, but solely for renovating, not living in it. Already, it's shaping up to be a good thing for them both, especially as he lets himself relax. It's quiet save for the steady in and out of her breathing and he feels himself drifting off to the sound. ]

[ it's a good nap, but inej wakes up after about an hour to kaz . . . very much not awake. and she's loathe to wake him up now, especially knowing that he hasn't slept well.

so, in a way only the wraith can, inej carefully extracts herself from his arms by artfully substituting a pillow into his arms. there's a tenuous moment where he stirs in his sleep, but after stroking his hair for a few moments, he mumbled his way back into sleep.

how precious.

so inej quickly collects her shoes and slips out of the house to get something for dinner. it takes some time, to go through the market, pick out something to eat that she can cook for dinner. but once she returns home (home) around two hours later and deposits the food in the kitchen, she steals back upstairs, silent as the grave thanks to taking off her shoes by the door.

soon, she steps onto the bed, careful not to disturb too much weight, in order to carefully lean over kaz, brushing her lips against his cheek. ]

Wake up before you're up all night.

[ she whispers. ]

[ He feels her get up. Or rather, senses the change in weight distribution. But then she's combing his hair back with her palm and the sensation is enough to subdue his awareness again.

From then on, it's the blank bliss of sleep, the days of tossing and turning finally being allowed to catch up to him. There's a couple dreams, more like figments, bits and pieces of imagery that don't string together into anything coherent. It's more like snapshots: a moment here, a moment there. Some of it memories and then branching off into things that definitely haven't happened.

He's pulled from what feels like sunlight on his face by a familiar voice and a brush of lips to his cheek. ]

Inej? [ He says blearily, slowly blinking awake. The light in the room has lowered, having gone from midday to evening, the rays filtering in a dusty orange. ] What time is it?

Nearly six.

[ she probably shouldn't have let him sleep so late, but better to wake up now for a few more hours than wake up at two in the morning wide awake. she sits against him, her leg resting against his chest as she runs her fingers along his cheek, soothingly. waking up from a nap is tough. ]

I'm going to make dinner, but wanted to give you the chance to wake up first, before you eat.

[ and also so that he didn't wake up by himself. ]

Huh.

[ Well shit, he really slept. It didn't even feel that long, passing in the blink of an eye.

He rubs the sleep from his eyes and rakes a hand through his hair before he sits up. There's a temptation to lie right back down and take her with him, but she has a point: they should have dinner. ]

What are you making?

[ he's close, now that he's sit up, and inej grins a little before brushing the hair out of his eyes. he's still half asleep, but getting there. slowly but surely. ]

Roast chicken and squash.

[ it had been the easiest thing she could find on short notice, at any rate. ]

We can eat in here, if you want to stay in bed.

[ they don't have a table yet, so this is probably their only sitting place. ]

[ He leans a bit towards her and lets his eyes slip shut momentarily as she brushes the hair off his forehead. It's a light touch but he's still sleepy and her physical affection always puts him more at ease. ]

I'll help, if you want. If I stay in here, I'm going to fall asleep again.

[ Maybe not as quickly or easily with her next to him. But just knowing she's nearby is enough to get him to relax. Reluctantly, he leans away from her and flips back a corner of the covers, at least wanting to make an attempt at getting out of bed. ]

[ it's not often that inej thinks of kaz as cute, because he's typically such an intense person. but there are tiny moments of vulnerability and quiet, and kaz waking up from sleep is one of her favorite moments. mostly because he feels softer in these moments. and not quite so severe.

but he's decided to move, and she watches him shift before getting up herself, on her feet. ]

I won't say no.

[ warmly, as she reaches out to straight his shirt, a bit askew from sleep. ]

[ Before he fully gets up, she straightens his shirt and he gives her a brief smile. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he braces himself, his good foot touching the floor first. Finally, he stands and plucks his cane from where it's resting, heading towards the bathroom to at least wash his face.

And when he gets there, fix his hair somewhat, as it's a terrible mess.

Soon enough, he joins her in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she goes about unwrapping things. ]

How was the market trip? [ He hasn't been the one nearby just yet, still frequenting the one closer to the edge of the Barrel. ]

[ she got a few things for breakfast, too. eggs, and bread. but that's set aside in favor of the chicken and the squash, set carefully on the countertop. she's careful to keep the raw meat separate from the rest of it, mostly to avoid kaz accidentally touching it.

certain things, he's fine with, but best not to ruin their evening over some uncooked chicken. ]

Fine, I think.

[ as she pulls open a few drawers, to locate some knives. she finds two kitchen knives, which she sets on the counter top, along with a roasting pan. and as she ducks down to rummage around in a cupboard, her voice continues, her tone a bit dry: ]

They looked surprised to see me, but I'm not sure if that's because they knew who I was or because they don't expect a Suli woman to have money.

[ the kerch aren't quite as bad as the ravkans, when it comes to dismissing her existence, but still frustratingly obtuse. and inej emerges with a set of wooden spoons, for serving. ]

There weren't any actual spices for sale except salt, so I'll have to move the ones from my ship here.

[ again: the kerch. smh. ]

They'd likely be nervous if they knew. [ So probably the latter, unfortunately. One of the pitfalls of Kerch being an island nation—they'd been quite divorced from the rest of the world until they figured out sailing. And then they'd gotten very good at it, which had lent them something of a superiority complex. ]

We haven't figured out that things beyond salt and pepper exist. [ Kaz smirks a bit at the shared dig. ]

Fermentation is still the preferred method. [ Not that he's against the practice. He's grown up here, after all. It's no curry, though. Or even the flavorful snacks they had at the circus show. ] I think I know a place that imports. Closer to the Lid.

[ there's something of a sigh at the knowledge of salt and pepper being the be all end all in kerch. which she's used to, by now, but she still misses the tastes of ravka whenever she comes back to kerch.

still, she adds a small amount of oil to the roasting pan before turning her attention to the squash. and quickly, she examines the length of the kitchen blade and tests the balance of it with her hand before she gets to work, quickly trimming and dicing the squash one by one, creating a pile.

she idly considers giving kaz a task to do, but she sort of enjoys just having him talk. and besides, he just woke up. handing him a knife and expecting him to work quickly is probably a bad idea.

even though he's the one who taught her in the first place, inej has long since surpassed him. it's easier to just do it herself.

so, as she moves on to the next squash, she says: ]

I could tell, when I asked where the rest of the selection was, and I was treated like I had seven heads.

[ dryly. ]

I'll have to go elsewhere for flavor, I guess.

[ Before he'd traveled with Inej, he might not have understood her sigh as well. It would've been a theoretical understanding; she missed things from where she'd grown up. That's the way it would've made sense.

Having it first hand is quite different and he agrees right along with her exasperation. For all that Kerch liked to trade, they didn't always integrate those traded items into popular society very well. Or rather, they focused on more material wealth—hand woven tapestries, silks, specially cut gems. And not so much on the things they could use on a potato dish to make it taste different.

Their loss. Between the two of them, they'd figure out a way to fill the gaps.

He watches as she gets to work on the squash first, breaking through the thick skin with a clever application of pressure and angle. From there, trimming the rind off and dicing the leftovers looked easy. Well, anytime she used a knife she made it look simple. But he'd taught her the foundations and knew exactly how tricky some of it could be.

She's surpassed that several years ago now; any sort of knife in her hands could be a dangerous one, even one for buttering bread. ]

Go easy, paprika was a big thing last winter. [ Ah, the basics. ] I'll make a traditional stew sometime. It's not fancy but you'll rarely find someone here who would turn it down.

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