[ whatever was done to him has its hooks in deep, but inej makes no move to speak or talk while he wrestles with the decision. to her relief, kaz decides to take the bandages -- willing, at least, to try. which was step one, though now inej is doubting whether or not she herself can manage to stand it as he leans in.
he's much taller than she is, but inej has never felt uncomfortable or threatened by kaz looming over her. because he so rarely does, she thinks to herself as he gingerly loops the bandage around her, remaining almost statuesque in how still she is. he's never once threatened to hurt her, though he has pushed her away. thrown up walls and anything else to get her to leave.
but, here they are. tiptoeing around the obvious in a bathroom while the city burns.
he ties off the bandage, but remains close. and inej's head tilts slightly, to figure out what is wrong. but he's nervous, not necessarily panicked, though she can feel the shift in his breathing. he's resisting doing something, but what? the job of bandaging her wound is already done.
though, she realizes, if she inches her head just a little bit more, she could kiss his cheek. the thought paralyzes her, but just as suddenly, inej remembers what she had just said a few moments before. since when has she allowed anything to prevent her from doing what she wanted to do? not even heleen had beaten the defiance out of her. and why should she allow what the menagerie had done to her to control whether or not she kissed someone that she wanted to kiss?
so she leans forward just enough to gently press her lips against his cheek, the movement delicate and soft, barely there. it's dizzying, really, and for the barest moment, inej finds it difficult to breathe because her heart is hammering so loudly in her chest. but once the kiss (if you could call it that) is done, she murmurs: ]
I lied, on the boat. When I said I only wanted a friend.
[ and she pulls away just enough to catch his gaze, though her smile is a little sheepish, her cheeks pink, voice soft. ]
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he's much taller than she is, but inej has never felt uncomfortable or threatened by kaz looming over her. because he so rarely does, she thinks to herself as he gingerly loops the bandage around her, remaining almost statuesque in how still she is. he's never once threatened to hurt her, though he has pushed her away. thrown up walls and anything else to get her to leave.
but, here they are. tiptoeing around the obvious in a bathroom while the city burns.
he ties off the bandage, but remains close. and inej's head tilts slightly, to figure out what is wrong. but he's nervous, not necessarily panicked, though she can feel the shift in his breathing. he's resisting doing something, but what? the job of bandaging her wound is already done.
though, she realizes, if she inches her head just a little bit more, she could kiss his cheek. the thought paralyzes her, but just as suddenly, inej remembers what she had just said a few moments before. since when has she allowed anything to prevent her from doing what she wanted to do? not even heleen had beaten the defiance out of her. and why should she allow what the menagerie had done to her to control whether or not she kissed someone that she wanted to kiss?
so she leans forward just enough to gently press her lips against his cheek, the movement delicate and soft, barely there. it's dizzying, really, and for the barest moment, inej finds it difficult to breathe because her heart is hammering so loudly in her chest. but once the kiss (if you could call it that) is done, she murmurs: ]
I lied, on the boat. When I said I only wanted a friend.
[ and she pulls away just enough to catch his gaze, though her smile is a little sheepish, her cheeks pink, voice soft. ]
But only a little.