Chapter Text
Jesper is laughing, and he’s laughing so hard his whole body shakes. He nearly chokes on a cough, and, while another laugh bursts out of him, bumps into a column. The marble feels cold under his hand, and the harsh structure scratches his skin a little, but he realy doesn’t mind.
He can see Kaz is smiling, a little, barely noticable.
‘’Look, I know I’m hilarious, but it’s not a reason for you to demolish the city.”
Jesper answers him with another breathy laugh. Whatever Kaz has said wasn’t actually that funny, but he’s in a excellent mood and the alcohol in his bloodstream makes him loosen up some more.
They spent this evening robbing a liqour store for no particular reason. At least Jesper doesn’t really see the reason, bu he supposes Kaz had one. He always had, but it wasn’t Jesper’s priority to find that out. ‘’You’ll see”, Kaz had said, while smirkind at him that evening.
So Jesper complied, and that’s how they ended up walking the streets of Ketterdam in the middle of the night, sharing a bottle of old, expensive whiskey. Kaz let Jesper and their other comrades take whatever they wanted, and – even though Jes could swear Kaz didn’t drink – collected some bottles himself.
Jesper gladny put two bottles of sweet, red wine in his pockets, deciding on sharing them with Wylan on some romantic evening.
They nearly got caught by the security guard – him and Kaz run into the same direction. The maze that was Katterdam had no secrets from them, so they were long gone before the guard had a chance to realize what had happened. As they calmed down, Kaz offered him a drink.
Now Jesper watches Kaz take another sip from the bottle. His face grimaces.
‘’I always let myself believe it will be better this time,” he states and outstreches his arm to offer Jes the bottle, ‘’but it still tastes horrible”.
‘’Drink more”, Jes advices, ‘’After that, you won’t even be able to tell how it tastes”. He gladly takes the whiskey and feels the alcohol burning the back of his throath – pleasantly warm and a little bitter.
He’s thankful for the cool wind that’s blowing through the city – the evening was hot, and the alcohol makes him feel even hotter. The streets are nearly empty. Their only comaption are some sailors, waking from one tawern to another, waving to them and singing sea shanties. A few seals are flying above them, screeching from time to time.
‘’So you want to get me drunk”, Kaz says, matter-of-factly, pulling Jes out of his thoughts ‘’What for? Planning to shoot me somewhere in the dark alley?” He swings his cane, lifting it up in the air, and laughs to himself, then trips over his own feet. He somehow manages not to fall, and shoots Jesper a look that demands that he doesn’t mention that.
He smirks, but lets it go. ‘’I can see you’re already drunk enough, but yes,of course,”Jesper joins the joke, and pulls one of his guns out. He aims it at Kaz, his head specifically. ‘’Hands up!”
He doesn’t even flinch and the sight of a gun pointed at him. He knows Jes is out of bullets, but even if he wasn’t, there’s a weird kind of trust between them. He’s more likely to die doing the dishes or reading a book than with Jesper at his side.
‘’You should’t be running around the city poiting guns at people”, he remarks calmly, not even looking at the weapon, still walking straight. ,,They may think we’re some kind of criminals, and we wouln’t want that”. He flashes a smile again, and Jesper thinks he should drink more often.
He lowers the gun and puts it back in his pocket. ‘’Us, breaking the law? That’s a disgusting accusation!” He pouts and crossed his arms on his chest pretending to be very moved and upset, then uncrosses them to take another big sip from the bottle.
Of all the closed shops they pass, Kaz only stops to look a the bookstore exposition. Jesper sees his gaze travel from one cover to another, until he focuses on a golden one. The moonlight sparkles on it – now it looks like it’s shining on it’s own.
‘’Oh, I wanted to get this one for years”, Kaz murmurs quietly, not really expecting an answer, but Jesper takes interest in the book, noticing that the dark shape in the middle of the cover is a dragon. ‘’It was my favourite when I was younger, but it got left in my parents’ old house”. He drops his gaze – the tips of his shoes suddenly interesting.
‘’What is it about?”, he asks lightly, mostly to make a conversation, – he’s not really fond of the silence – but also because he’s sincerely curious about what Kaz likes, what is appealing to him. He offers Kaz some more whiskey by bringing the bottle closer to him, and when he denies, finishes it himself.
‘’Maybe you’ll find out yourself, after I get it?”, he begins to walk again, his cane hitting the ground softly, ‘’Ever read a book, Fahey?” Fake sweetness rings in his tone – he can’t be nice for a long period of time, Jesper supposes.
‘’I actually did,” Jesper says, and curses himself for how vulnerable he sounds ,,Remeber I was in university once, right? It was always kind of hard for me to focus, but there were some books that really grabbed me, and I couldn’t stop reading them.” He remembers the bookshelves in the university’s library and, for the briefest second, mourns that life.
‘’Oh,” he hears Kaz, his tone uncharacteristically quiet and soft, ‘’I can lend you this one, after I buy it tommorow,” he offers, and it’s so honest, so earnest. He lifts his gaze, and sees Kaz’ dark eyes on him.
‘’Yeah, sure,’’ he aswears with a bright, shiny smile, ‘’Buy it, so, you’re not stealing it?” He has to make a joke, a tender moment with Kaz isn’t something he ever saw coming. The other man rolls his eyes and groans. He stops near the barrier that separates the alley from the sea, then searches for something in his coat. He pulls out – to Jesper’s suprise – a pact of cigarettes.
‘’Didn’t know you smoked”, Jes remarks, while focusing on walking a straight line to the barrier. He can tell that the last sip of whiskey wasn’t necessary, because the world starts to look a little blurred. He prays that he doesn’t throw up in front of Kaz – he would never let him forget that.
‘’I don’t, really, I don’t even know how to light that up,” the other man admits, and, out of the blue, burst out laughing. It’s a loud, boyish giggle, and he suddenly looks like the eighteen year old boy he really is. Jes laughs too, after he notices that Kaz is, like him, a little wobbly on his feet, even though he has drunk way less. So it seems, Kaz Brekker is a lighweight.
‘’Here, let me,” Jes says, taking the cigarettes out of his gloved hand. He struggles a little – a big pocket in his yellow pants is full of useless stuff – but he finally finds the matches and lights one. The flame lights up a dark street, and he can see the playfulness in the dark eyes staring at him. It reminds him of the time when he, a thrirteen year old, stole his father’s cigar and smoked it with his childhood friends. It was disgusting and he nearly passed out later, but it was one of his fondest memories.
He lights up a cigarette and throws the used match into the see – it splashes a little – then takes a puff. He wasn’t a smoker himself, but alcohol always made him crave the tobacco. It’s Kaz’ turn, then. He hesitates a little, but puts it into his mouth.
He coughes hard and has to lean against the barrier to catch his breath. ‘’That is fucking disgusting, how do you enjoy that?”, his coughing slowly eases into a breathy, loud laughing. He throws the cigarette into the ground, then stands on it, ‘’Fuck, seriously, gross”.
Jesper laughs too, and holds the barrier in a steady grip, so he doesn’t collapse to the ground, or worse – the water. Nobody would take them for hardened, cold – blooded criminals now, Jes thinks, because they definitely look like schoolboys on a break.
‘’Hey, I wanted that!” He points to the smashed cigarette. Kaz rolls his eyes at him again.
‘’Oh, you can have them”, his voice informs Jes, then he throws the pack softly at him. The other boy cathces it clumsily, but only after it has hit his face.
They reach the Van Eck house in a few minutes, with Kaz’ harsh voice explaining the plans for the next weeks. Jesper is just about to open the front door, but he hesitates for a minute. He stares at Kaz, who’s – weirdly politely – is wainting for Jesper to get in to say goodbye. And because he’s so happy, so drunk, he’s alive and he honestly just likes him so much, he outstreches his arms and hugs Kaz.
His arms entwine his waist, he feels the delicate cotton of the coat under his fingers. Kaz smells like booze, tobacco and weathered perfume, but Jes couldn’t care less in that moment. He presses his nose into the collar of the coat, and just cherishes the moment, until the realisation that it’s, after all, Kaz, reaches him.
He notices that Kaz hasn’t moved, or even took a breath. He’s standing there, fully frozen. Jes is just about to pull away, frantically apologize, run to the house and pray to any Saint that will listen for Kaz to be drunk enough to not remember it tommorow, until he feels the other boy move his arms up and, delicately, squeeze him back.
His gloves are cold, and Jesper shivers a little, when one of them touches his exposed neck. The other settles on the small of his back. He is a little unsure, but calm. They stay like this for a few second, with Kaz’ breathing slowing down, and Jesper’s grip getting softer. Jes thinks of everything they have been through together, and, in this very moment, decides that Kaz is his best friend.
Kaz clears his throath suddenly and steps away, but he’s still smiling and relaxed. ''So, see you tommorow, Jessie”.
''See ya, Kaz”.