bonus chapter (woh) ─── bad day

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𝕿ight ropes yanked around her neck, tugging her into the deep as Stasiaj struggled and clawed at her airways, begging for oxygen in her lungs. Her hands were torn, cut up from struggling with the ropes and she could feel the cold water deep in her throat.

She was drowning again and Stasiaj Yahontov was scared to die.

"Stasiaj," Her eyes opened blearily, fighting the sting of the salt water as she looked for who had screamed her name in the storm. The thunder was so loud, echoing through her ear drums like the ricochet of a bullet. "Stasiaj!"

Reaching up, Stasiaj grabbed onto the mast, struggling against the splinters as she looked around for who had called her. Maybe help was coming, but the rope tightened again and she felt herself being yanked back below the sea.

Her scream was muffled by the water, before she felt her body shake.

"Stasiaj, wake up!" Choking, Stasiaj rolled onto her side, clawing at her neck again, trying to breathe as tears rolled down her cheeks. She flinched away from the grip on her arms. "Stasiaj, it's me, it's Kaz. You're alright. You're on land."

She took another deep heaving bed, retching as she tried to get rid of the sea water in her lungs. Hands grabbed hold of her, pulling her fingers away from her neck.

"No!" Her voice cracked.

"It's alright. It's me, it's just me," Kaz soothed, dark hair a mess on his forehead, as he trapped her body and held her hands still. He would normally not do this, knowing Stasiaj's fear of being trapped in small places and tight holds, but she was going to injure herself and he couldn't let that happen. "It's me, Stasiaj, it was just a dream. You were only dreaming, I've got you."

Stasiaj let out another choked sob, falling into Kaz's chest, who fought down tremors in response.

"It was the boat and I-I was drowning," She struggled out, her chest heaving as Kaz rocked them slightly, "and I-I thought I was going to...going to die and there was sea and the th-thunder was so loud."

"You're alright," He hushed, running his hand through her hair as he pushed the images of Jordie and dead bodies to the back of his brain. His day hadn't been brilliant, having been stuck in a large crowd of people for a few hours, but Stasiaj needed him and he would be damned if he didn't help her. "I'm here. We're nowhere near water. We're at home."

"There was water," Stasiaj shivered again, reaching for her throat, but Kaz threaded their hands together. He fought a tremor, squeezing her fingers as she clutched onto him as a lifeline. "I thought I was going to die..."

"You're alive. You're here," Kaz kept his grip on her, not allowing Stasiaj to slip back into a state of panic. "I've got you, Snake."

Stasiaj gripped onto his arm, fighting back choked sobs as Kaz pressed a light kiss to her hair. He pulled it off of her face, curling the blonde locks around his fingers.

"I didn't want to die,"

"You're not dead," Kaz reminded her, speaking in soft whispers in her ears. "You're alive. You're safe. You're with me. Can you lie down again? Please."

Slowly, Stasiaj slid back down in the bed, her head resting above Kaz's heart as he ran a hand through her hair, still hushing her quiet hiccups. 

"It was so real,"

"It's the past and the past can't hurt you," He reminded her, watching her eyes flutter closed. "I've got you, Stasiaj, and I won't let you drown."

"Don't leave me," Her voice was soft and child like, fingers curled around his shirt, trembling.

"Never,"

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When Kaz awoke the next morning, Stasiaj wasn't beside him in bed. He sat up, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked around. 

He knew Stasiaj Yahontov well. He knew her quirks and habits and Kaz Brekker knew that Stasiaj pulled away when she was feeling scared. But he also knew that it was at those times that she needed someone by her the most. 

Kaz padded out of the room, climbing down the stairs until he reached the kitchen. Pushing the door open slowly, he saw Stasiaj inside, her hand wrapped around a mug of hot coco and eyebrows furrowed in thoughts.

"Hey," She looked up, before forcing a smile onto her face. Even after all the years of knowing each other, Stasiaj still reverted back to the same habits that she was used to. "You weren't in bed."

"Couldn't sleep," She muttered. "Had work to do."

"At this time of night?"

"It was as good as any, Crow Man," Kaz nodded, pulling the chair out beside Stasiaj and sitting next to her, watching her face. "I know I'm good looking, but no need to stare. There are portraits for that."

"Yes, but they simply don't do you justice," She shot him a glare, a sneer on her face as a hint of red flushed against her cheeks. "Can you come back to bed? I can't sleep without you there."

"That's a you problem, not a me problem," Kaz rolled his eyes, chuckling. 

"There's also the point that you have barely gotten any sleep over the past few nights and you need it,"

"I just said that I've got work,"

"Work can wait, Stasiaj,"

"No it can not," She growled, raising her voice in the process. "It can't wait."

"Stasiaj," Kaz tapped her knuckles gently, before wrapping their hands together. "Come to bed. Rest, recharge. You'll feel better for it in the morning."

"I have to..."

"No, Stasiaj, you don't," Kaz reached up, cupping her face in his hand as he tilted her head towards him. "You don't have to do anything. They're terrified of us already, I doubt missing a day of blackmailing people will set you back. If it's urgent, Ivarn and Cecelia can organise the older vipers and I can call Jesper and Wylan. Come back to bed."

"But..."

"No buts, ifs or whatevers," Stasiaj's breath was shaky as Kaz sent her a small smile, before leaning forward to rest their foreheads together. "I know it's a bad day, Stasiaj. I know that yesterday was the day that the ship sank and as much as you like to push people away, you want someone there. You can hiss at me all you want, but you're stuck with me."

"I can blackmail you," She muttered, though it was weak and there was no real threat behind her words. "Try me, Rietveld."

"I know you can, Lantsov," Kaz grinned, running his thumb along her cheek, where the scars from the ordeal lay. Genya had removed them from her skin, but the mental scars were still very much there. He barely flinched at her use of his last name, knowing that it wasn't said in malice. She was trying to distance herself, but Kaz was determined not to let that happen. "Let me be there for you."

"You're shivering though,"

"I'm fine. It's a good day for me," Stasiaj looked up at him, eyes wide. "But I don't like seeing you hurt and not being able to do anything."

"I know that. Malkus told me what happened when I was stabbed,"

"Of course he did," Kaz chuckled, before pulling away. "Come on. Let's go upstairs and at least attempt to sleep."

"If I can't, will you read to me?" Stasiaj mumbled, her voice soft and unsure.

"Anything for you, Princess," 

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It took Stasiaj a few more days until she felt more like herself again, her hands no longer shaking and her sleep schedule reverting back to something that was more normal and Kaz was pleased. 

Turning a page, he read through it, counting up the money that the Crow Club had brought in that month. The door creaked open, and Kaz could see Stasiaj from the corner of his eyes.

"Good day or bad day?" 

"Good day," Kaz called in response, before feeling arms around his shoulder as Stasiaj pressed a light kiss to his jaw. "You're in a good mood?"

"My sleep was better, my boyfriend was in my arms and I had really good food this morning," Stasiaj pressed another kiss to his jaw, before relinquishing her hold and leaning against the desk beside him. "Thank you for that."

"For what?"

"For getting my favourite things from the bakery this morning," Stasiaj smiled, her lips painted blood red. "It was sweet."

"I've been known to be kind on occasions,"

"Well, to pay you back, I thought that we could do something tonight," Kaz shook his head, turning to shoot her a light glare. Both of them were far too used to the criminal life, where you made sure not to owe anyone anything and that included dates. "There's a theatre in town."

"You don't have to pay me back. I'm your boyfriend,"

"And I'm being a good girlfriend," Stasiaj countered. "Anyway, yes or no?"

"Yes,"

"Great. It starts in thirty minutes so we need to go," Kaz paused what he was doing, turning to look at her with an eyebrow cocked. "What?"

"You did not plan this well,"

"This was planned perfectly,"

"What would have happened if I had said no?" 

"Please, Crow Man, you'd never say no to this face," Kaz tugged his trench coat on, sticking his hands into his pockets to find his leather gloves. His fingers brushed against a small box, before finding the gloves, and Kaz smiled to himself. 

He's ask her soon.

"Chop, chop, Crow Man or we'll be late!"

"We wouldn't be late if you didn't ask me last minute," Grabbing his cane, Kaz limped out after Stasiaj, who hooked her arm through his at the first opportunity,

"Thank you again,"

"For coming to the theatre?"

"For coping with me," She corrected, blonde hair blowing about in the early afternoon breeze that drifted off of the sea. "I know that I haven't been great over the past few days."

"Stasiaj, I'll cope with you for as long as you want me to," Kaz corrected. If she said yes to the question that he planned to ask her, then both of them would be dealing with each other's good and bad days for the rest of their eternity together. 

But instead of scaring him, the prospect of having human contact and being emotionally vulnerable with someone actually made Kaz happy, but only if it was Stasiaj who he'd be like that with. For his Snake, the Crow would spill his heart.

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Hiya,

Requested by mischief_weasley and this is Stasiaj having a bad day. Ngl, I do love this and Kaz is such a simp for her (though he's not the only one to be honest). I loved that so much.

Let me know what you think and what other bonus chapters you might want,

Love Li xx