niche interests

Ps : I know you guys will want to kill me for making you choose but what can I say, I am a deranged monster

*laughs manically under the blanket

Kaz and Inej have moments where they sit in silence, just breathing in the same air. Neither one tries to fill it with words, and neither one feels the need to explain the comfort they find in each other’s quiet company. It’s a rare kind of peace for both.

Inej silently keeps track of Kaz’s scars. She’s only seen them briefly, but each one feels like a story she wants to know. She can tell when old wounds trouble him, and she’s learned how to recognize the stiffness in his movements that reveal his pain.

Kaz will allow Inej to stand closer to him than anyone else, but there’s still a respectful distance that she always honors. Even though he’s guarded, he appreciates that she never pressures him, and it helps him to trust her more deeply.

Kaz’s hat is a kind of security blanket. He reaches for it whenever he feels out of control, and he’ll pull it lower over his eyes when he needs to think. He never actually cleans it because each scuff and scratch holds memories of past victories.

Kaz keeps a meticulous mental map of every street, alley, and escape route in Ketterdam, and he tests himself on it to make sure he never forgets a single detail. If Inej points out a new shortcut, he adds it without ever admitting she taught him something.

Kaz secretly feeds a flock of crows outside his window. He pretends they’re just there for the food, but he names each one and gets irrationally angry if one goes missing.