Summary:
Kaz meets the Ghafa's and things get a little...out of hand.
And there's some Fluff!
Kaz watched as Inej ran to her parents. They hugged each other and cried tears of joy, of finally being together again.
Kaz's chest hurt a little. Would it be the same if he could meet his parents - his whole family, again?
He was leaning on his cane heavily, his lag hurt more than usual, which meant he should probably be standing where he was. But he just couldn't look at the Ghafas without thinking about his dead family. A family he had for barely 9 years. And even then he only had his father and his brother, because his mother died when he was born.
He was backing up slowly when he heard Inej's voice calling out to him.
"Kaz! Wait!"
He looked at Inej, who was running to him dragging her parents with her.
She stopped in front of him and grinned. Then she went to his side and looked at her parents.
"Mama, Papa, this", she said gesturing to Kaz. "Is Kaz Brekker!"
Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa looked at him for a moment, eying skeptical.
Mr. Ghafa held out his hand. Now it was Kaz turn to eye it. He wasn't wearing his gloves because he promised Inej, but he hadn't expected to really touch anyone. After what seamed like hours, he shook it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa."
Mrs. Ghafa shook his hand as well and this time Kaz had to controll his breathing.
"The plesure is ours! Inej said you offered her sanctuary after she came Ketterdam!"
Her Kerch was great! If she hadn't had such a thick accent, you would think she was born here.
Kaz looked at Inej. She was looking at her feet.
"Actually...", Inej looked at her parents with a mournful look. "I met Kaz much later. He-he..."
Mr. Ghafa was at his daughter's side at an instant.
"What? He did what?", he glared at Kaz and Kaz actually considered looking away.
"He got me from a plesure house.", Inej whispered looking into her father's eyes.
Mrs. Ghafa gasped.
Inej looked at her. "He saved me. And gave me a home an-and a family, when I had no one."
Only a millisecond later Kaz felt himself being crushed in Mrs. Ghafa's arms. His eyes widened. He could feel her breath in his neck, her hands on his back and her arms, her bare arms, brushing over his fingers as she backed up, as she felt him stiffen.
Inej immediately came to his side.
"Kaz!", she looked at her parents. "Don't to-don't surprise him like that!"
Kaz's eyes were wide and he couldn't make out the words that were exchanged between the family. His vision became clouded and he clutched his stomach.
Then he walked to edge of the the harbor as fast as he could and threw up, into the sea.
That was the last thing he remembered.
.
.
.
When Kaz opened his eyes again the first thing he noticed was that he was lying on something soft. It was a bed. But not his bed, it looked like one of Wylan's.
Why was he at Wylan's?
The last thing he remembered was- oh. Oh!
Kaz groaned. This was the first time he had met Inej's parents and he screwed up so badly. Stupid phobia!
Why can't he just let people touch him?!
He was already closing his eyes again when he felt someone besides him. His instincts told him to draw one of his daggers. But before he could do so, his vision cleared and he saw five people looking at him with worry.
He turned his head to the first person he recognized.
"Jesper? What's going on?"
Jesper's expression didn't change, but he took a step forward and sat next to Kaz.
"After you fell unconscious Inej and her parents brought you here.", he said gesturing to the blur in front of him, which was, apparently, Inej and her parents, he also guessed that the last person was Wylan. "You were really pale so we called a healer. She gave you some pills and said you would be fine...that was yesterday."
Kaz sat up, eyes wide. He was unconscious for a whole day?! Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.
First he tensed, but the longer the hand was on his shoulder, the more he noticed that it was not bare.
He locked eyes with the person the hand belonged to. It was Mr. Ghafa. "Not so fast, young man. You'll lay down again, you don't have enough energy to walk yet. Go back to sleep and when you wake up again, we will talk. Alright?"
Kaz had no choice but to obey, either because of the words spoken with such worry or the fact that his leg hurt and he didn't see his cane anywhere.
He was stubborn, so he went with the latter.
He huffed in annoyance, but was consumed by sleep almost immediately after he closed his eyes.
The last thing he heard were footsteps and Inej's voice saying: "Be safe."
Before giving him a kiss on his forehead.
Then he was fast asleep.