Work Text:
“Do you have the documents?” Y/N whispered through the door to Kaz, eyes still on the crowd before them.
He scoffed lightly, something banging as he moved around in the small closet. “Who do you take me for? A common thief? Of course I have them.”
“Okay, just checking. This job is important.” Y/N shook their head, eyes scanning the room.
“I more than anyone would know that. Do your part and it’ll be fine,” he hissed back through the door.
A few minutes later, Kaz stepped out of the closet. The drab guard uniform had been left behind in a bag and he was now dressed in a fitted black suit, his hair slicked back and a casual cane glimmering in the light from the chandeliers. Y/N knew the documents were stored in the inner pocket of the coat, behind the false back he personally tailored into every suit jacket he owned. They were used to seeing him in suits, but those were never of such high quality as this one. He looked as if he fit right in with all the rich snobs at the party.
He smirked down at Y/N’s dazzled expression. “Are you ready?” His eyes twinkled with anticipation and the rush of the job.
Y/N nodded and took a deep breath, gently placing their hand on his outstretched arm. Kaz led them through the crowded room with ease, looking for all the world like he had grown up around every person here instead of on the streets of Ketterdam. When they reached the dance floor, it was clear they weren’t going to be able to skirt around the edges or find another corridor to get around it.
Kaz sighed and leaned close to Y/N’s ear. “Darling, would you mind a quick gavotte through this crowd?”
Y/N looked up at the man they knew they would trust with their life if it came down to it and had done just that many times throughout the three years they’d known each other. They flashed him a smile that they hoped fit in with their surroundings. “I’d love to, my dear.”
It wasn’t hard to pretend to be a rich, young couple. After all, they’d been in a relationship that had yet to be labeled for the past year now. Y/N never pushed Kaz to define what they had, knowing it might be as transient as he tended to be. They may both hold affection and romantic feelings for the other but that didn’t mean Kaz would be willing to label what they had and tell the world about Y/N.
So, they savored the moments he bestowed affection upon them. They let themself get swept into his arms and, for the brief few minutes it took to dance across the room, believe that they were like every other couple in the room. They let themself fantasize that they truly did fit in there and that this was their life, away from the pain of the Barrel and the uncertainty that tainted their life.
Too soon, the dance ended and Kaz pulled away from Y/N, leaving their only point of contact to be the light touch of their hand on his sleeve as the pair crossed the entryway and walked out the doors. The courtyard was large, lit by the full country moon and more stars than Y/N could ever see in the city. They crossed quickly, needing to stick to Kaz’s strict time schedule for everything to work properly.
Y/N naturally stepped closer to Kaz, arm curling around his and head leaning closer to his shoulder without touching him, acting the part of a tired partygoer who is being taken home early due to a headache. Kaz’s steps became more rigid, as if he were fighting the urge to run. Still, he kept his gait as even as possible as they approached the gate, the last place where something could go wrong.
Kaz’s cane clicked along the flagstones, followed by the sounds of their footsteps. He brought them to a halt by the gate and Y/N turned their head to rest their forehead against his shoulder as if the light were too much for them. Kaz’s soothing voice crooned to them, a hand lightly running over their hair. “It’s okay, darling, we’re almost out.” He turned his head and spoke to the guard at the gate. “My partner has a headache so I’m taking them home to rest. Would you be so kind as to open the gate for us?”
Y/N felt like holding their breath as they peeked at the guard. He squinted at Kaz but let them pass, eyes still trained on him as Kaz led Y/N through the gate. “Do I know you?” the guard asked.
Kaz shook his head, muscles in his neck and shoulders shifting with the movement. “No, sir, not that I recall. This is my first visit to this estate.”
“No, I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere.” A light flared, no doubt the guard bringing a lantern closer. Kaz stiffened almost imperceptibly beneath Y/N’s hold and they squeezed his arm gently to remind him to relax and be calm. The guard’s voice rose in shock and anger. “You’re the new guard I passed in the hall! What are you doing out of uniform?!”
Kaz dropped all pretense and Y/N’s arm. “Run.” His voice was calm before he took off into the night, spry and fast despite his limp.
Y/N shot after him, both running toward the carriage Anika was driving. Roeder split away from the rooftops where he’d been perched and followed after, dropping onto the driver’s seat beside Anika. Kaz held the door open for Y/N, who all but threw themself into the carriage. The door was slammed shut and Kaz knocked his cane against the window.
Y/N barely had time to pick themself off the floor before Anika flicked the reins and sent them rushing forward. Y/N was sent sprawling across the bench, nearly kicking Kaz in the knee. He shifted his leg just in time and looked impassively at them as they situation themself.
“Comfortable?” Kaz sassed, raising an eyebrow at them.
Y/N wrinkled their nose at him and airily said, “Of course.” They leaned forward, eagerness driving away the fatigue. “Can we see the prize now?”
Kaz sighed but pulled the documents out, bracing himself against the side of the shaking carriage. He leafed through the pile of papers he’d grabbed, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “We got it. We got all of it.”
Y/N whooped, banging a fist into the panel that led to the driver’s seat. “You hear that, guys? We did it!”
The others let out a cheer, the reins snapping to urge the horses along. Y/N relaxed against the bench, eyes slipping closed. “Good. I don’t think I could have gone through all that for nothing.” To the rocking of the carriage and the comforting rustle of Kaz’s papers, they drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Kaz’s cane thumped against Y/N’s leg, startling them away. “Huh, what?” They had a knife halfway out of its sheath before they recognized it was just him.
Kaz smirked as he got out of the carriage. “We’re here. Get up.”
Y/N sleepily followed him and the other two into the inn they had been staying at the night before. Anika pulled Kaz aside briefly and spoke to him, soon splitting from the group with Roeder in tow. Kaz nodded for Y/N to keep with him and they followed him to his room.
“Where did they go?” Y/N asked once the door was closed behind them.
“Anika is grabbing something for the crew to eat and Roeder is covering our tracks, making sure we weren’t followed.” Kaz sat heavily on the bed, a sigh escaping his lips.
Y/N instantly became aware of his every movement and noise. “How are you feeling? Be honest with me, now.”
He blew out a breath, hands reaching down to massage his leg. “It’s throbbing. That last sprint did me no favors after the rain last night and the carriage rides aren’t helping.”
Y/N hummed, coming to sit beside him. “You should probably rest. I’ll look over the last of the documents.”
Kaz shook his head. “You wouldn’t know exactly what we need, I’ve only told you the basics of it.” He pressed a quick kiss to their hair, so light it was hardly there, and pulled the papers back out of his pocket.
Y/N stood to pace, filled with restless energy. Kaz hissed out a breath as he shifted his weight on the bed, pulling his bad leg up to stretch it out. Y/N turned to him on the pacing route. “I feel like I should be calling a medik or healer right now.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Kaz growled.
“But-”
“We’re not there yet. I know my own limits. Even if I needed a medik, I’m not allowing one near me unless I’m lethally bleeding.”
Y/N stopped their pacing, coming to kneel in front of him. They reached for Kaz’s hand but pulled back at the last second, placing their hand beside his on the bed instead. “Then tell me what to do. Help me, here. Tell me what I can do to make you feel better. Not even you deserve to suffer every minute of every day.”
Kaz sighed, his gloved hand coming to cup Y/N’s cheek and rub his thumb over the bone. “Thank you, angel.” He gave them a list of things to grab, mainly supplies for pain relief and a few sleeping aids. After a quick outfit change into something a bit less noticeable than the flashy party clothes, they crept out of the room with the promise to return shortly.
They visited the local apothecary and purchased most of the list there, getting a few other things from the woods at the edge of town. Living with and loving Kaz for the past year had caused them to pick up a few things from the local mediks. Y/N had even searched out a few specific books on medikal practices and natural remedies. Luckily, the woods had some plants they recognized from shops and the books.
When Y/N got back, they knocked on the door but got no response. Carefully, they opened the door as their knife slid into their hand. Instead of an empty room or thieves rattling through their things, Y/N was greeted with soft breathing coming from the bed. They released a sigh and put the knife back in their boot. The door was softly shut behind them and their pack was placed at the foot of the bed.
Kaz was sleeping. His breathing was soft, face relaxed. Y/N loved seeing him like this, the furrow in his brow gone. He looked peaceful, his worries discarded in the waking world. They pulled his boots off gently, one hand carefully bracing his ankle, and tucked the blankets over him.
Y/N pulled a book out of their personal bag and curled up in a nearby chair. Flipping it open, they picked up where they’d left off and lost themself in another world. Their senses filled with the feel of the paper, the sounds of Kaz’s breathing, and their imagination filled with the story of dragons and knights and epic rescues.
The door creaked open and Y/N lifted their head. Anika smiled as she stepped into the room, Roeder following silently behind her. Y/N nodded back and marked their place in the book, moving to wake Kaz.
Anika passed around the meal she’d grabbed as Roeder launched into his report. Kaz sat on the edge of the bed, socked foot hanging over the side, and listened while he ate. Y/N sat on the floor by his feet, a book held open by their knee, and worked on mixing the natural remedies for Kaz.
Y/N ate while they waited for Roeder to finish. When he did, they passed a few things up to Kaz. “I made a poultice for the leg, here’s a few things to drink for the pain, and here’s something for the taste.” Short and concise, showing no weakness to the others. That’s how Kaz preferred it.
He looked down at them, eyes twinkling. “Thank you.”
Anika clapped her hands. “Well, I’m going to try to sleep. I call the corner.” She stepped behind the chair and changed.
Roeder pulled a bedroll out of his pack and spread it in front of the door, laying down to block it from opening while he was asleep. “I’ll guard the door. Kaz, if you think we need to actually keep watch I’ll go first.”
Kaz shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”
Roeder shrugged and shut his eyes, falling asleep within minutes. Anika spread her bedroll in the corner and laid down, drifting off soon after him. Y/N watched Kaz massage the ointments into his leg. “I’ll take the chair and you can have the bed.”
He shook his head, expression firm. “The bed is big enough for us to share.”
“Really? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I’ll be fine on the chair or just the floor.”
“Yes. I want you next to me.”
Y/N smiled, butterflies filling their stomach. “Okay, I’ll share it with you.”
“Good, you get the side closer to the wall.”
They nodded and crawled past him, laying on their side with their back to the wall. They pulled the pillow down in front of them, hugging it to them and resting their head on it. “Last chance to back out, Kaz.”
He chuckled and laid down beside them, brushing a strand of hair out of their face. “I wouldn’t trade this for the world.”