timewasting | modern au kanej.

[ Inej has been in Ravka for three months. A strange period of time, really, because it felt like it went so slow. The days leading up to him visiting in particular seemed to crawl by. His nerves have been a wreck.

Because not only is he seeing Inej for the first time, in person, in three months, but he's also supposedly meeting her parents. The people she'd been looking for, in going to school in her home country. The people who probably thought her lost to them entirely. She had FaceTimed him late at night (his time) when she'd found them, emotional and eyes glassy with happiness. He'd stayed up far too late that night and Anika had bullied him into going home early after he dragged himself through half his shift.

(That day, he'd slept really well).

Today he hadn't slept as well, anxious about making his flight on time and thinking in circles about what was in store. He's talked to Inej quite often since she'd gone to Ravka, but what if the energy was different when he got there? What if they weren't as close as he thought they were? She's had time to make friends and start a school life, reconnect with her family. He's a friend but also just a strange roommate she lived with for a little over six months.

Ridiculously, he wishes he could've brought Lizabeta. She'd cuddle up and he'd feel a bit better.

Instead, he just has the bag straps that he keeps tugging on absently. And his phone, which now that he's off the plane and into the terminal, he can check compulsively to give himself something to focus on instead of how nervous he is. The nerves drop, momentarily, when he sees Inej, overwhelmed with relief. Then they slowly creep back as he steps over, though he tries not to let it show on his face. ]

Looking for someone?

[ she immediately lights up into a grin when he makes his way over to her, and inej gives him roughly two seconds of space before moving forward, sliding her arms around his waist into a tight hug.

neither of them are very touchy people. and, faintly, inej recognizes that kaz is probably going to hate being hugged. but in the moment, she can't really bring herself to care. he will deal with it, because she has missed him terribly.

(weirdly, she recognizes the smell of his soap. something to ignore. probably.) ]

I think I found him.

[ she says with a laugh, tightening her grip for a moment or two before letting go just enough to straighten his coat, which she's rumpled a little in her hug. ]

Welcome to Ravka. [ she says warmly. ] How was your flight?

[ There's a brief pause and he thinks they're probably just going to continue on. Except she steps forward then and wraps her arms right around his waist for a hug. He freezes, as he usually does when he's touched, panic rising up in his throat.

Then he remembers this is Inej, not some stranger. Not a thing of his past. Nor is she one to be so touchy, considering what she's been through. He forces himself to relax and loop an arm around her shoulders in something of a return hug. Which...feels better than he thought it would. Something he chalks up to being apart so long.

(There's also the matter of her being pressed so close. It feels weird to say but he missed it. They usually sat shoulder to shoulder on the couch when watching movies.) ]

That's good, certain he'd be lost otherwise.

[ Ravkan is not a language he knows by any stretch. ]

Tedious. Thankfully not delayed. Jes and Wylan send their regards.

[ ah, yes, he definitely hates it. but he does return the hug (a bit) and tells her that jesper and wylan says hello, which brightens her smile a bit more. ]

Next time, they should come with. But I am glad you are here, in one piece.

[ amused, as she reaches out to tug on the sleeve of his coat, to have him follow. ]

Come on - did you check a bag? We can pick it up and grab a taxi to my apartment so you can stash your things.

[ Her smile brightens and he feels that familiar warmth in his chest at the sight. She's done it plenty on their calls but it has a decidedly different effect in person. ]

I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. [ Jes in particular. That's just who he is as a person. Sociable and excitable, something that's always balanced out Kaz's own reluctance to speak to people. ]

Just one. [ Normally, he'd try to travel lighter but there wasn't an easy way to pack a suit and keep it from getting crumpled without using a checked bag. He follows her tugging and they head off towards the baggage claim, where he ends up being one of the lucky types—his bag slides down third. And then they're off, Inej navigating the taxi situation to get them to her apartment. It's a not a terribly long trip. Most of it he spends watching the scenery go by, all of it so different from the Kerch landscape.

The buildings are more colorful, here, with bright doors and shutters and flower boxes. Frankly, it makes the Kerch seem like a dour old maid. Which he supposes his people are. They're very concerned with respectability. ]

Housing associations would faint if someone painted their house magenta like that one.

[ He points out as they're stopped at a light, watching people pass by curiously. ]

[ he's so curious, taking in everything that he's seeing, and inej briefly leans her shoulder against his as she looks out his window, to see what he's looking at. it's a townhome, with what appears to be a mother lecturing her two children to come inside for lunch, with brilliant magenta shutters and a lot of beautiful flowers tucked along the windows. ]

There isn't a lot of grey here, that's for sure.

[ she agrees with a grin, settling back into her seat, though she remains close. ]

My apartment building is bright yellow. [ as her eyes shift out her own window, to keep track of where they are. ] It is mostly rented out to students, so I think they painted it that brightly to attract younger people . . . And my parents' house is blue, like the ocean on a clear day.

[ with quite a lot of flowers outside, in their small yard, meticulously cared for. ]

I think the Ravkan people like to celebrate joy where they can.

[ and her people, in particular, seize it at every opportunity. ]

[ He points out the building and she leans over to see, her shoulder pressed to his. It's such a familiar feeling that he relaxes immediately, some of the tension leaking out of his shoulders and neck. ]

I don't think I've seen a neutral yet.

[ No whites or browns either, the typical colors found all around Kerch.

Inej settles back into her seat and he misses her weight. A strange comfort. And almost hypocritical, since he'd been so stiff about the hug from earlier. But, he supposes, he's more used to sitting next to her. ]

They've had a tough history, so it makes sense.

[ The country has balanced out slightly more recently, but it's still kind of a mess. Tumultuous. Kerch has been much more stable and its people staid. Though there's splashes of color on the insides of their homes. ]

Kerch is always asking if it's profitable first. [ A different kind of joy. ]

[ indeed, ravka is a mess. the new king seems to want to change things for the better, but inej doesn't really hold much stock in the word of ravka, anymore. they hadn't exactly jumped to help her, when she dropped off the face of the earth, which is something asena has never forgiven them for. jardani seems to be a bit more accepting of believing the new king's word. asena is of the mind they can all rot. and inej falls somewhere in between -- not trusting, necessarily, but not actively wishing harm. maybe she should give them more of a chance.

at any rate: ]

I'll take you to the market, if you want to see a different kind of profit.

[ with a grin, leaning to bump her shoulder into his again. trying to picture kaz among a boisterous crowd trying to haggle for his coin is an entertaining mental image. ]

You'll walk away with at least six scarves in different colors -- ah --

[ and inej leans forward a bit to gesture toward the windshield, slipping effortlessly into ravkan. the driver glances toward her, responding in kind, and after a quick conversation, inej settles back into her seat, the car turning down a side street. and she tosses kaz a warm smile. ]

Almost there.

[ indeed, the car begins to wind its way toward a series of apartment buildings, tucked along an inner street. and, true to inej's word, the driver of the cab pulls up in front of a bright yellow building. it only takes inej a moment to pass him some money, and the driver seems to thank her before getting out of the cab to get kaz's bag out of the trunk, leaving inej to open her door with a smile. ]

Come on, there's an elevator so you don't have to walk up the stairs.

[ There's mention of a market and honestly, he's intrigued. Even if he can't speak the language, which puts him at a distinct disadvantage. It would be interesting though, if it's anything like he imagines. Busy, colorful, loud. Probably best for a short amount of time before the crowd became too much.

She's about to describe the scene more when she cuts off, presumably to give the driver more directions. There's only a little longer as the car wends its way down cramped streets and stops in front of the bright yellow building Inej had mentioned earlier. It's truly a sunny yellow. And yet, doesn't look at all out of place as it's sandwiched between one that's red and another that's a bright sky blue.

Kaz collects his bag from the driver with a polite nod and follows Inej up to her building, glancing around to take in the details. Quaint, for apartments. ]

What, you don't need six scarves? [ Different ones to match different outfits. ]

No, I do not need six scarves.

[ she holds the door open for him so he can get in with the bag and the cane, quick to follow as she presses the button for the elevator. ]

I'm on the top floor. [ she says to him as they shuffle into the elevator. the door closes, a little bit slowly . . . it isn't a brand new building, by any means, though it is cute and clean. and once the door opens, it shows a hallway, and inej takes a right out of the elevator, patting down her pockets to find her key. ] And . . . here --

[ she pauses in front of the door at the end of the hall, unlocking it easily before letting him in. it's a relatively small apartment, with a futon-style couch in the living area, a small kitchen, and a single bedroom. there's a small balcony, where you can step outside and see the port and the ocean. it's clear inej spends a lot of time on it, given the chair she's set up in the space.

on the futon is a pillow and a folded set of blankets, and a stack of textbooks on the coffee table, along with inej's laptop. a vase full of wild geraniums sits on the eat-in kitchen table. and when she closes the door behind him: ]

It's not as big as the one in Ketterdam, but it works. [ and she pauses before brushing a loose piece of hair out of her eyes, stepping next to him to fold her arms over her chest. ] You can put your stuff in my room -- it's yours, while you're here.

[ she can crash on the couch, in the meantime. ]

[ He follows her to the elevator, slowly but surely, a bit off-balance with the bag. But she isn't rushing him, used to his pace. Soon enough, they're tucked into the slow elevator—definitely a bit of an older building. It's not like he's stuck with someone he dislikes though, so he doesn't mind the slower ride up.

Her unit isn't far from the elevator and soon they're standing in her living room. It's a smaller space than his, definitely, but it's cozy. Comfortable. From here, he can see out the paned door to the balcony and the ocean view beyond. If he were more of a romantic, maybe he would write something about it. He's almost certain Jes would have a lot to say. Wylan, as well.

He just takes it all in. And then feels his thought processes come to a halt at her mentioning that her room is his while he visits. Is she planning to stay on the couch? A frown immediately settles on his face. ]

It's your bed, you should be sleeping in it.

[ ah, inej recognizes that frown, a sign that kaz is going to argue. but she gives him a warm smile, taking his bag from his hands as she walks into the bedroom. ]

It is my bed, so I decide who sleeps in it.

[ she says lightly, depositing the bag on her bed. her room is neat and clean, with a small table in the corner with more flowers in a vase. ]

You’ll survive the colorful quilt, I’m sure. My mother made it.

[ She takes the bag and he follows her into the room, still frowning. ]

Yes. [ And then clearly moving back to the original topic: ]

You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch. [ Though he's honestly not sure he would fit. It's fine. He's a guest. Taking her bed feels wrong. ]

We could just— [ He stops mid sentence, realizing what he was about to suggest. And then feels a blush work its way to the tips of his ears. Too forward. They've done it before, when they'd both been too drunk to go to their separate beds. But that had been a different circumstance.

Also, his bed was bigger. This would put them much closer. ]

[ he still seems ready to argue, and inej arches her eyebrows, ready to argue in return when he suddenly stops talking. and his cheeks become pink, and he averts his eyes, and inej realizes what he had almost suggested.

she should let it go. he’s clearly mortified. but some small part of her feels a certain want. remembering how warm he felt. and she hasn’t actually physically seen him in ages.

so— ]

What, share?

[ she ignores the blush for now, though she takes note of it. it’s cute, in a weird way. ]

Instead of having the bed to yourself?

[ He catches the unimpressed arch of her brows and is ready for the sharp retort. Or possibly for her to ignore the awkwardness and move on. Sometimes he couldn't tell when she was going to push or when she was going to let it slide.

Apparently this is one of those former moments. ]

I don't need that much space.

[ His face definitely feels like it's still burning. But as much as he's nervous that he's took it too far, he also wonders if she'll agree. It wasn't like that one time they shared was a bad experience. In fact it had been...good. Too good. He feels a familiar tug to pull her close, like they had been when they'd woken up after that night of drinking.

Though he's not sure friends would typically do such a thing. Maybe they would. Maybe he's overthinking this. As usual.

Because really this is just a logical compromise. He doesn't want her giving up her bed and she thinks he should sleep there while she takes the couch. Awkward. ]

[ she watches him for a moment before she shrugs her shoulders, inclining her head toward the bed. ]

If that is what it takes to make sure you don’t sleep on the floor with that leg of yours.

[ because that is precisely where he’ll be if he tries to sleep on that futon. but inej moves past that, patting his arm as she moves back into the living room, saying: ]

You are the color of the house next door, relax. Are you hungry?

[ The tension break when she shrugs, though he's still worrying about it. A bit. ]

I won't sleep on the floor.

[ He's made that mistake a few times with his leg, when he was younger. Never again. ]

A little. [ After, he swallows and takes a slow breath in. Calm down. She's not taking this as seriously. The breath is released just as slowly and he can feel his blush going away. ]

[ she moves to the kitchen, giving him the space to explore around the apartment if he so chooses. tugging open the fridge reveals a lot of packages of food, clearly leftovers of some kind packaged with care. but she fishes out a pitcher filled with some type of iced tea to set on the small counter, along with a container of small sandwiches. ]

Sit, you must be tired.

[ a little chiding, as she pours a glass of tea for them both, moving to set it on the counter. it's some type of mint green tea, clearly homemade, and she balances the glasses of tea on top of the container as she moves to sit on the couch, setting the glasses on the table with a smile in his direction. ]

You're going to need your strength if you want to tour Os Kervo, and Ravka. I have a full itinerary for you.

[ He does follow, a bit behind as usual, focusing in on the small details. What her textbooks are, how she's arranged the main living room. Briefly, he steps closer to the door to the balcony, peeking towards either side. Seems like a nice place to sit, though a bit too sunny for him to stay for any long period of time.

Which means, of course, it suits Inej perfectly.

Taking her gentle admonishment, he does finally take a seat, breathing out a low sigh as he stretches his leg out. Part of him doesn't want to be sitting, because he'd done that on the plane for long enough. At the same time, he'd been too worked up and there hadn't been enough leg room for him to properly relax. This is much better. Even if he's still thinking about whether it was a mistake to suggest that they share a bed. ]

Do you now? Where are you taking me?

Oh, everywhere.

[ nonchalantly, as she offers him a sandwich. it's some type of chicken salad, with cucumbers and a vinegary dressing on a rye bread. small enough to be a snack, more than anything else. he had said he was only a little hungry. ]

Bookstores, museums, the local market . . . we could take a train to the capital, if you really want to see it.

[ a bunch of high society rich people doesn't sound like a lot of fun to inej, but the architecture is pretty magnificent, along with the palace. ]

My parents will probably want to have dinner with us every night, so accounting for that, too -- you have a full week or so ahead of you.

[ Everywhere, she says, clearly having thought it all out. Enough that it doesn't phase her at all and she starts listing off places to go, as she hands over a sandwich. Which he takes, because coffee and a granola bar are several hours behind him. He takes a sip of the iced tea as well, feeling his stomach settle a bit. ]

Let's work through your list first. [ The capital could be neat but he also trusts her to know what he'd be interested in more. She's already got his interest with mentioning museums and bookshops. ]

They'll be over tonight, then?

[ Clearly that makes him nervous. He shouldn't be. But he is. He wants to make a good impression, since he's sure they're going to be wary of Inej's strange foreigner friend. ]

Or we're going over there? [ Somehow that makes him more anxious. ]

I thought we could go over there; they have more room.

[ it’s said easily enough, as Inej takes a bite of her own sandwich — but she knows Kaz pretty well. having lived with him, and witnessing his good moods and bad moods. he’s a naturally anxious person with a lot of weird tics, which suits Inej just fine. she’s not exactly normal, either.

at any rate, it’s because she knows Kaz that he can tell he’s nervous, for some reason. about meeting her parents. so she says: ]

They do not bite, I promise.

[ It makes sense, to go over. Her apartment isn't exactly the most spacious. And even though she does have a kitchen table, it's a bit cramped in the corner. Definitely meant for quick meals or short stints of sitting.

There's also the matter of her introducing him to them. Which seems a bit silly to have them come over and do.

He reasons this out as he eats half of his sandwich, trying not to let the nerves get the best of him. Which they still are. But he's trying. ]

I believe you, just— [ He's anxious all the same. Inej is his good friend and he wants to make a good impression. And he's not sure he will, considering how awkward he can be. Meeting new people in a non-business situation is difficult for him. Not for the last time he wishes he had some of Jesper's talent with people. ]

[ ah, dear. kaz suffering from bouts of anxiety isn't new, but this seems to be a particularly nagging feeling that he's struggling with. so she turns to face him, tucking one foot underneath herself as she adjusts herself on the couch. ]

I can't help you if you don't tell me why you are nervous.

[ with a slight tilt of her head. ]

They aren't looking for anything other than an introduction, and to share a meal. That is it.

[ He knows she's trying to help, by having him talk through it. So he has to swallow down his natural defensiveness; he just feels so anxious. Taking another bite of his sandwich, he thinks about why he feels the way he does instead, sitting through the nonsensical logic. It doesn't necessarily make him feel better but it does help him clarify what it is that bothers him. ]

I'm not good with people. [ Which they both know. Inej has been gracious in navigating around his awkwardness. ]

I don't want them to think poorly of me. [ And by proxy, of her choices. Though it seems like they're just happy to have her in their lives again.

Still, he is from the country that did so poorly by her. He could see that being an issue. ]

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