Work Text:
One
Jesper was nervous. Colm could always tell when he was.
His son had been drifting around him with fluttering hands and shifting eyes ever since he and Wylan had arrived in Novyi Zem, and Colm was beginning to get worried.
He had noticed it right away, the very second Jesper had stepped off the ship, and all the way home to their farm. His eyes kept drifting between his father and Wylan on the cart, so Colm knew he was hiding something .
At first he had thought something had happened between the boys, but during the week they had spent with him nothing worth noticing had come to Colm’s attention.
The first evening Wylan and Jesper had insisted on cooking for him. Colm, knowing very well how limited his skills in the kitchen were, had gladly agreed and gone to the living room to put his feet up by the fire.
When he decided to check on them a while later, Wylan was standing at the stove, Jesper’s arms wrapped around his middle from behind. They were laughing about something Colm hadn’t heard, the soft giggles reserved for only themselves. Wylan reached up to clasp his hands over where Jepser‘s were folded over his stomach. The action earned him a kiss on the back of his neck.
Colm quietly smiled to himself and turned around without saying anything, leaving them to their happy bliss.
When they all sat down at the dinner table a while later, Jesper served Wylan first, filling his plate to the brim with stew.
It had been one of his mother’s recipes, Colm thought, and when Wylan insisted he had enough, it was almost as if he could hear Aditi laughing with them.
Colm half expected Wylan to ask for cutlery, like most people from Kerch or Ravka would really, but to his surprise Wylan just cleaned his hands and began eating with his fingers, like a Zemeni would, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Judging by Jesper‘s lack of reaction, Colm assumed that meant they cooked this dish often back in Ketterdam.
The thought of his boy sharing Aditi’s food and customs with Wylan made him smile, and Colm happily began eating. He almost forgot about Jesper‘s strange mood.
Almost.
On the second day Jesper was already awake when Colm walked into the kitchen. “Mornin’, Da. You want a cup too?” Jesper held up a little bag with tea leaves. Colm nodded.
That was when he noticed it again. The fleeting glances. The fidgeting, different from the usual restlessness Jesper always carried. When their eyes met over the kitchen table for the third time, Colm sighed. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me, son?”
Jesper hesitated for a second, opened his mouth and-
“Good morning!”
Jesper whirled around when Wylan entered the room. His brown hair was sticking up into all directions and his shirt was rumpled.
“Wylan!”, Jesper answered, a little too loud for Colm’s liking. Something was off. But if there was something wrong he trusted Jesper to bring it up to him sooner or later. So he smiled at Wylan and asked: “Some tea for you too, Wylan?”
“Yes Mr Fahey, thank you!” Colm clasped Wylan’s shoulder as he passed him. “How many times must I ask you to call me Colm, son?”
Wylan’s face flushed red and he sheepishly looked to Jesper for help. Jesper only grinned and came to stand next to his boyfriend. One of his long arms sneaked around his waist and pulled Wylan towards him. “Kerch politeness, Da. You get used to it.” “I’m not all that polite!”, Wylan protested, but Colm could see how he leaned into his son’s side, beaming up at him with glittering eyes. He smiled to himself and left them to their bickering. He had breakfast to prepare.
Two
The second time Colm really noticed that something was wrong was two days later, when they all went into town together for a festival.
Jesper had taken Colm aside before they’d left, warned him that Wylan sometimes had a hard time with strangers and big crowds. “If he needs a break or wants to go home early, please don’t be weird about it, Da. Don’t comment, not even as a joke.”
Colm opened his mouth to protest but Jesper was faster: “I know you would never intentionally make fun of him, but sometimes you make jabs that aren’t meant to be mean, and most of the people around here would understand them as good fun, but Wylan simply wouldn’t get them.” Jesper’s dark eyes were pleading. “I know you don’t wanna make fun of him. So just a little reminder that if he gets a bit sensitive, please be very, very kind.”
Colm nodded, then smiled when he reached up to fix his son’s jacket.
He had grown so much!
He had a partner now, a real, long-term partner, that he cared for and defended and protected.
“How lucky that boy is to be loved by you,” he decided. Jesper just shrugged, although, by the look on his face, he was a bit embarrassed. “I’m lucky he puts up with me.”
Colm stepped closer to his son and couldn’t stop himself from fretting over him a bit. His tie was crooked and his clothes untidy. “You take good care of that one, Jes. You suit each other so nicely.”
He was always wearing his clothes all messy and lax.
Colm began frantically straightening the creases in Jesper’s waistcoat and finally answered: “Of course I won’t make a comment if he wants to leave. If you need any help you just let me know.”
He moved his hands down to dust off the front Jesper’s shirt, who laughed and tried to slap his hands away. “Stop that, I’m not a child anymore, Da!”
“Yeah?”, Colm barked. “Then why are you still not able to dress yourself properly?”
Jesper twisted out of his grip, making a run for it, but Colm chased after him, pulling him back by his collar like a very long cat. “Brings his boyfriend all the way to his old man’s humble farm but can’t dress himself up properly for him! What are the people going to think when they see you with him looking all handsome and put together and you’ve got your shirt sticking out of your trousers?”
“Da!”
They kept joking around while waiting for Wylan to get ready, and it felt warm and natural.
But Colm could still feel that nervous energy seeping from Jesper. Some pauses were too long. Every once in a while he bit his lip, hesitated as if he wanted to ask Colm something but then stopped as if he thought better of it. A joke or two felt too forced for everything to be okay.
Finally he opened his mouth: “Hey, Da, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about-”
“Sorry about that!” Wylan stepped into the kitchen and Jesper jumped up from where he had been sitting.
He looked nervous, as if he’d been caught doing something wrong, and Colm saw him wipe his hands on his jacket. They had been sweating.
Was truly everything alright between the boys?
But it seemed to be, because Jesper just quickly bent down to kiss Wylan on the cheek, offered him his arm, and then the three of them were off together, headed into town.
The festival was as lovely as every year, with colorful fabrics and dances, loud music from all corners of Novyi Zem blending together, and the smell of spices and delicious food in the air.
Jesper immediately grabbed Wylan’s hand and dragged him over to a stall that sold his favourite Bofrot. As a child, the promise of this sweet had been the only way Aditi and he had been able to convince their son to come with them, the loud festival and people still overwhelming and terrifying to their little boy. Then Jesper had turned 5, and there was no stopping or keeping up with him anymore. But still, the tradition of buying them before entering the festival had remained well into Jesper’s adulthood.
Colm stood back and smiled as Jesper coaxed his boyfriend into trying one, and happily broke a second one in half to share after the Kerch boy had decided he liked them.
“You too… Colm?”, Wylan asked, still a bit hesitant, but Colm grinned and accepted.
Jesper led them further through the stalls and crowd, walking right up to a little tent. “This is what I dragged you all the way to Novyi Zem for!”, he gloated, and waved Wylan to his side again. Wylan stepped forwards, grabbing Jesper’s hand and curiously looking at the booth.
The tent was run by two elderly ladies, one from Novyi Zem, the other one all the way from Fjerda. They smiled when Jesper approached. Colm finally recognized them.
The two women were artists who had been fabrikating, mixing, and selling their own paints for nearly three decades now. Even Aditi used to buy from them from time to time, for any and all colors that she couldn’t quite get right herself.
Wylan’s eyes widened as he stepped up to the table. It took a few seconds with the language barriers, but with Jesper eagerly translating everything, the three were soon deep in conversation about a bottle of particularly bright turquoise that Wylan seemed to love. Then they shifted over to a bright orange oil paint, and after that to a dark green color Colm couldn’t quite make out from his spot behind the two men.
Jesper stopped translating a short while after the second woman had realized that Wylan spoke some broken Fjerdan. Wylan answered her in her native tongue, shy at first but then more and more confident the longer they talked.
Jesper left them to their own devices and joined Colm. “I knew he’d like it. You don’t get paints like this over in Kerch, not even in Ketterdam.” Colm smiled and turned to his son. “And you really brought him all the way across the True Sea just for this?” Jesper hummed. “I knew he’d like the artists at the festival.”
Colm sighed. “Jesper, I know there’s something going on. What is it?”
The baffled expression on his son’s face almost made him laugh. “Nothing, really.”
Colm raised an eyebrow and Jesper turned his eyes away.
“Really?”
“Really!”
“What did you want to ask me back at home then?”
Jesper’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Well… I’ve been thinking.” “Good job, son.” “Oh, you know what I mean, Da! About Wylan.” He crossed his arms and didn’t meet his eyes. “And me.”
A nervous feeling overcame Colm, but he forced himself to let his son finish. “We’ve been together for quite some time now but…” He waited impatiently, but Jesper didn’t follow up. “But what? Is there something wrong?” He lowered his voice. “Do you plan to end it with him?” “No! No, never!” Jesper’s hands waved around in the air. “Not that, Da!” “Well then what? You know you can tell me everything, right?” Jesper’s shoulders dropped. “I know. Thanks. Just… forget it for now. I’ll get back to you.”
Colm watched Jesper walk up behind Wylan again and sling his arm around his shoulders. Wylan turned his head to smile at him, and Colm could see how the boys gravitated towards each other like flowers tilting to the sun. Yeah , he decided when Wylan stretched up to softly kiss Jesper on the lips. Everything is alright. I’m probably just worrying over nothing.
Three
It all came to a head on the last evening before Jesper and Wylan were meant to leave for Kerch.
It was after dinner, all bags were packed and everything was sorted, and the three of them were relaxing around the fireplace in the living room. Colm had fallen into his favourite armchair and left the seat cushions on the floor to the young couple. Jesper and Wylan had spent the better part of the evening leaning against each other with their legs and fingers comfortably intertwined.
At midnight Wylan yawned and moved to get up. “I’m going to bed now,” he announced and absent-mindedly curled his fingers around the nape of Jesper’s neck as he turned to Colm. “Good night,” he said and Colm hummed in response. His son tilted his head up and Wylan leaned down to peck him on the lips. “Don’t let it get too late, or you’ll fall asleep on the ship and complain about getting sea-sick again.” “Hey!”, Jesper called after him in jest. Wylan only flashed him a grin over his shoulder and quietly closed the door behind him.
Colm and Jesper sat in comfortable silence for a while with only the crackling of the fireplace for noise. Still, Colm could see Jepser fiddling and moving out of the corner of his eye.
Finally, Jesper sat up and cleared his throat. “Da, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
Colm sighed good-heartedly and smiled. “I gathered. What is it, son?”
Another beat of silence, then Jesper took a deep breath and said: “I’m going to ask Wylan to marry me.”
The words hung over them for a second, then Colm sat up straight and gripped the armrest of his chair tight. “Are you serious, Jes?”
His son nodded nervously. All of a sudden it all made sense.
The sudden request for a trip home.
The jittery glances and questions.
The vague question, seemingly harmless, in one of Jesper’s letters a few weeks ago: Out of sheer interest, do you still have Ma’s wedding ring? Was just thinking about it randomly the other day.
Colm could feel his face twist into a grin. Just randomly thinking, of course, Jes.
“Ahh, Jes!” He jumped up from his seat and was over at him in a heartbeat. Jesper shakily moved to stand up and face his father, and the second he was on his feet, Colm wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tight. “I’m so, so happy to hear that!”
“Really?”, Jesper’s voice sounded suspiciously wet. “I was so scared to tell you, I don’t even know why.”
Colm pulled back from the hug for a moment to cup his son’s face. “He’s so wonderful, Jes, and you seem so happy with him.”
“I am,” Jesper answered. Yes, definitely wet. “He makes me so happy that I sometimes don’t know what to do with myself, Da.” Colm pulled his boy back into a hug. “I know, Jes. I know.”
The two Fahey men stood there for a long time, in their small living room, just clinging to each other. When they finally let go, they were both crying.
“I’m assuming that means I’m really going to have to dust off your Ma’s wedding ring then?”
Jesper nodded. “Yes please.”
“Any idea what you’re going to do with it yet?”
On the Wandering Isles it was tradition for a wedding ring to be given through generations, always passed on to the next partner of the family. For that they were molten down and then later restored as a completely new ring that fit the tastes and proportions of their next owner. The Kaelish believed that every nick, every polishing and impurity, the entire history of a ring fused together when they were melted, and made them stronger and richer.
The ring had been a gift to Aditi just like it would be to Wylan now.
Jesper shook his head. “Not really, no.” Then he straightened his back and firmly met Colm’s gaze. “But I’m going to do it myself. As a Grisha.” He glanced over to where Aditi’s picture was, right above the fireplace. “As Zowa.”
Colm touched his cheek again and nodded. A few years ago the thought would have terrified him. But he had seen Wylan look at Jesper when he used his powers, how comfortable they were around each other. Once, Colm had seen Wylan’s pencil break while he was sitting at their kitchen table sketching, and without a word he had held it up to Jesper as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Jesper had repaired it in the blink of an eye and handed it back to him, earning himself a kiss on the temple. They hadn't even thought about it. Jesper sharing his powers with Wylan was as natural as sharing his food with him. With Wylan his son could just be him. Just be Zowa.
Colm hugged Jesper again. “I’m sure he is going to love it.”
And One
Jesper had offered Wylan his arm about halfway home.
It had been a wonderful evening.
Jes had invited him out for dinner in a small restaurant just outside the Zelver District and later they’d taken a stroll through one of the parks close by. It was empty and peaceful this time of night, and Wylan had been watching the small clouds of air where his breath hit the cold winter air. His boyfriend had clammered his hands around Wylan’s right one in an effort to stay warm.
“May I?”, Jesper then asked when they were on their way back to Geldstraat about an hour later. Wylan grinned, linking their arms and leaning into Jesper’s side as they were walking, his head on his shoulder.
“I take it you enjoyed the evening then?”, Jesper asked. Wylan huffed out a small laugh and hummed.
It had been wonderful.
Jesper would get like this sometimes: He’d drag Wylan out of the house and try to impress him for an entire evening, with fancy dinners or romantic spots all over the city, as if Wylan still needed to be impressed.
Tonight had felt different though. Less like Jesper’s usual wooing and more like…
Like a courtship.
The thought was a little bit ridiculous, but made him giddy anyway, and Wylan hid his grin in Jesper’s shoulder. The thick coat he was wearing had been a gift from him two years ago and Jesper had cherished and cared for it ever since.
Wylan had half expected Jesper to start blabbering on now like he usually did when they were on walks together, but today Jesper just cleared his throat and kept walking. Wylan felt his eyebrows knit.
The only damper on the otherwise fantastic evening had been Jesper’s mood. He had been shifting and fiddling all night, his eye’s refusing to meet Wylan’s in a way that was entirely atypical for his usually confident and charismatic boyfriend.
Wylan refused to spend the rest of the walk in awkward silence.
“Alright. Out with it.”
Jesper turned his head, baffled. “Out with what?”
“With whatever it is you’re not telling me.” Wylan lifted his head from Jesper’s shoulder and stopped.
“I tell you everything!”, Jesper protested, but Wylan had a hard time believing that when he saw him standing there, straight like a pent-up wire.
“You’ve been jittering all night! In the restaurant you kept opening and closing the button on your sleeve. And you were tapping the rhythm of a Zemeni folk song with your foot all the way through dinner, you only ever do that when you’re really nervous and have nothing to do about it!” Wylan laughed at Jesper’s shocked face. “I know there is something going on,” he added more gently. “Anything I should know about?”
Jesper’s mouth fell open as he stared Wylan down, his eyes wide and amazed. “You know me so well…”
Wylan was a bit taken aback by that. “Of course I do. Is that new information to you?”
Jesper resolutely shook his head: “No! No, it’s not.” He kept staring.
Wylan could feel his skin grow hot under the unwavering gaze. “So, what-”
“I love you so much,” Jesper suddenly said. A small smile had crept up on his face. Wylan’s stomach contracted with a pleasant warm feeling. His heart fluttered in his chest. “I love you too,” he answered naturally. “Wh-”
Jesper untangled their arms and stepped in front of him properly, buried his right hand in his coat pocket and sighed. “I had planned to do this properly. I wanted to do it tonight, and it was supposed to be perfect and romantic but the moment never felt right or I missed the timing so…”
Wylan’s breath hitched as Jesper went down on one knee. The gas lantern above illuminated his dark skin into a soft, warm gold, and while his face was still twisted in nervous energy, there was a happy smile there now aswell. When he opened the box in his hand Wylan could see a golden band nestled into the velvet.
“Wylan Van Eck, will you-”
“Yes!”
Jesper laughed and dropped his hand feigned defiance. “-let me finish, please?!”
Wylan bit his lip to hold back the giddy laugh that threatened to escape him. “Yes, sorry, sorry. Go on.”
Jesper cleared his throat, straightened his back and raised the little box again.
“Wylan Van Eck, will you marry me?”
The grin that split Wylan’s face was so big it strained the corners of his mouth. “Yes,” he breathed. His skin tingled, and he could’ve sworn his throat closed up a bit. He had never been so ridiculously happy.
When Jesper jumped up to hug him, Wylan slung his arms around his shoulders to not be thrown back by the sheer force of the embrace.
When they finally pulled back Jesper carefully took the ring out of the box to put it on Wylan’s finger. The light of the lantern made the intricate pattern engraved on the surface dance and shimmer.
“I love it,” he whispered.
Jesper kissed him, a soft press of lips on his, and his hand came up to caress Wylan’s cheek. “I’m glad. I worked on it for half a year.”
Wylan snapped out of his happy trance and met Jesper’s gaze. “You did this yourself? You fabrikated an entire engagement ring for me?” Jesper nodded. “It was my Ma’s. And now I want you to have it.”
Wylan tried to swallow the tears and considered the ring again. “Those are bird wings, right? The pattern on the sides?”
Jesper grinned and pulled him along to start walking again. “Crow wings, merchling.”