#kaz brekker whump | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

deepwoundsandfadedscars · 1 year

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Fandom: Shadow & Bone (TV) word count: 5,415 Whumpee: Kaz Brekker Whump tropes: explosion, human shield, self sacrifice, burns, touch aversion, unconscious, caretaking

This is my longest fic to date and frankly there could be more. This is unbeta'd cause I was too excited to get it posted to wait for anyone else to read it 😅

Gifting this to @bocularteletheric because of our shared love of Kaz whump, please enjoy ❤

Read on Ao3 or continue below~

~~~

"Are you really sure this is the best use of our time, boss? I was rather hoping to be keeping warm with a drink and a rousing conversation over a hand of cards this evening," Jesper griped for the third time.

Kaz sighed as he used the head of his cane to lift the top of a crate, glowering into it as he surveyed its contents- or lack thereof for that matter. It was the eighth crate he had opened on this particular venture and nothing of interest to show for it. The first five were partially full with various items, none of which were of any use to them. The rest of them were empty, nothing but dirt and grime from the sloppy mud road that led to the compound that the barn sat upon, nestled deep in the forest outside of the city.

“The source I have is reliable, they said it should be here,” Kaz snapped out, letting the lid drop with a hollow thud. Dust puffed around him, tiny particles glinting in the moonlight coming in through the gaps in the wide slats of the barn wall, shooting beams across the otherwise unlit building. The moon was full and bright tonight, the use of a lantern unnecessary for getting around except for deep in the shadows.

“And what, pray tell, did they mean by ‘it’? What are we even looking for?” Jesper turned, throwing his hands in the air.

Kaz turned and shot him a piercing glare, his brow downturned in annoyance. “You’ll know it when you see it, okay? Trust me on this.”

Jesper dropped his hands, his shoulders slouching forward as he threw his head back. “Where did Inej go anyways?”

“Checking the house and smaller out buildings. Shouldn’t be long before she joins us.”

“We’re going to be here all night, aren’t we?”

“We’re here as long as it takes.”

“Fine. But the next three rounds at the club are on your coin.” Jesper snapped his gloved fingers and pointed at Kaz, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow, his expression clear that this wasn’t a negotiable option.

“So be it. Check the crates in the loft would you?”

“Always gotta send someone else to the precarious heights and dangerous situations, don’t you?”

Kaz turned to him, giving a pointed look to the ladder as he tapped the corvid head of the cane against his chest.

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Jesper took a step back as he started to turn towards the ladder.

The world seemed to focus into a pinprick for Kaz as Jesper turned, a glint of silver flashing near his ankles caught his eye as Jesper moved through the moonlight.

“Jesper, wait!” Kaz yelled, lunging forward to grab the collar of Jespers coat, snatching him backwards before he could finish his step. He heard a faint ping as the tripwire popped apart, the scraping of metal, or was that flint on steel? He wasn’t sure, but he definitely knew the sound that followed, the crackle of burning gunpowder sputtering across the floor. He didn’t spare time to see how much time they had or where the line of powder led, instead he used the momentum of his yank on Jespers coat, propelling the gunslinger around and then shoving him forward in the other direction, away from the general direction of the gunpowder and towards the door.

Jesper stumbled, barely able to put his feet in the right order to catch himself with the way Kaz was throwing him around. He finally caught himself and took off running, feeling like he was dragging Kaz with him as the thief kept a tight grip on his jacket collar.

Kaz knew they weren’t going to make it. He could hear the violent reaction of the gunpowder snapping across the floor become muffled as it reached its destination. They weren’t going to make it. But he could do his best to make sure someone got out of here.

He lunged forward, tackling Jesper around his torso, forcing him to fall forwards so he crumpled under Kaz's weight. One hand around Jespers waist and the other over his head so he couldn’t raise it, Kaz spread himself over the gunslinger just as the world exploded behind them.

Searing pain ripped through the back of his shoulders, the force of the explosion threw him even further and his head slammed into a support pillar of the barn.

Everything went black and he knew no more.

~~~

Everything hurt.

Jesper groaned as he regained awareness. He didn’t think he had been out for long, maybe a few seconds, but the impact had been harsh. His whole body ached, squeezed into a tight ball as he was. His knees were pressed to his chest, one arm trapped underneath him where he was flopped onto his side. He could feel a weight against nearly every angle of his body, wrapped around him like a warm and heavy blanket.

A warm breath ghosted against his neck and he tried to open his eyes, wincing as he attempted to uncurl his legs. The muscles protested but he managed to push himself to his knees. He hadn’t even realized the weight on the back of his head was a hand until it flopped to the floor, limp and wrapped in black leather.

“Kaz?” Jesper coughed as smoke made its way into his lungs, cast off from the flames licking at the rubble of the barn around them. The support beam in front of them still stood and a section of the mezzanine from above had nearly fallen on them, half of it held up by the beam so they were tucked under a dangerous lean-to. He tried to clear his throat but only managed to inhale more smoke, his eyes starting to burn as well. “Kaz, are you okay?”

He received no response to his query. He twisted around, searching for where he had felt Kaz slip off of him when he moved. He found Kaz was slumped on his side, his face lax and pale in the flickering light of the fire around them save for a shadow down the left side of his face, a shiny and dark crimson smear that started at his hairline and followed the angles of his face. Blood.

“Kaz, wake up. We gotta get out of here,” Jesper coughed again. He placed a hand under Kaz’s head, lifting his face towards him. “Kaz!” He yelled as loud as smoke infested lungs would allow, shaking him gently with no reaction.

“Alright then,” he huffed, shuffling around in the tight space so he could get behind Kaz, “You’re probably going to hate this, but let it be known that I tried to wake you up and I don’t exactly have another option, asides from leaving you here and that is not happening-”

The words died in his throat and fear bubbled up as he caught sight of Kaz’s back. His jacket was smouldering in places, flames dancing across the fine material in others. Jesper frantically tore his own jacket off and threw it over the flames, hastily slapping it down to smother the fire. He held it there for a few seconds, gasping for breath until he felt sure it would be extinguished. He cautiously removed his coat. His throat tightened and he had to clap a hand over his mouth as the contents of his stomach threatened to reappear. “Oh saints, Kaz…”

Most of the back of Kaz’s coat was gone, as were chunks of his vest and shirt, the fact he wore so many layers might have actually saved him for the most part but not enough. Wherever the clothing had burnt away were angry burns pocked with wounds that weeped blood around pieces of shrapnel buried in his flesh.

Jesper clenched his eyes shut and tried to control his breathing, he could feel his hands starting to shake and that wouldn’t help either of them right now. Lifting Kaz in any way that touched his back was out of the question so he shuffled around to his front again, grabbing his wrist instead and hauling him into a seated position, ducking his head under Kaz’s arm against his side and shouldering him in the stomach to drape the limp body across both shoulders, holding on tight to his arm and leg to keep him from falling off.

“Thank saints you’re even lighter than you look,” he huffed as he got his feet under him, snatching Kaz’s cane from the floor before carefully standing up.

It took time to get out, awkward as it was carrying a body over his shoulders while picking his way through rubble and fire. He was trying to inhale as little as possible, trying to keep the smoke out of his lungs, which just made them burn even worse.

He barely made it out of the front door when the mezzanine collapsed, a burst of sparks showering around them as Jesper stumbled. He caught himself on one knee, unwilling to let go of Kaz as he tottered dangerously. Just when he thought he would lose the battle with gravity and they would both tumble to the dirt, a hand caught him around the chest, keeping him upright.

“Jesper!” Inej was right in front of him, he had to squint to see her. His eyes burned but he couldn’t let go of Kaz to wipe them.

“His back,” Jesper managed to cough out, “be careful with his back.”

“Okay, put him down, I got him.”

He felt the weight on his shoulder shift and held on tighter, panicking for a second before realizing Inej had snaked her arm under Kaz’s chest to help get him on the ground again. Once his burden was gone Jesper fell forward, catching himself on his elbows as he coughed hard enough to gag into the dirt. Every breath he managed to drag in felt like gravel in his throat, rattling through his spasming chest.

When the coughing started to abate and he managed more wheezing breaths between fits, he felt gentle hands on his back and he rested his forehead against his arm. He managed to gasp out “Kaz…”

“He is alive but in bad shape, we need to get him to a healer.”

He nodded before pushing himself back to his knees, turning so he was next to Kaz again. Inej had managed to get him on his side so his back wasn’t touching anything. Jesper avoided looking at the mess that was his back, instead focusing on his face. He was dirty with soot and blood, and a shock of hair had fallen forward onto his face, obscuring the wound and brushing against his cheek. Jesper pushed it back and rubbed his thumb over Kaz’s forehead, frowning at the lack of reaction the contact received. It was so unnatural to see his brow smooth and relaxed, unburdened by troubles.

Inej’s hand touched his elbow and he suddenly turned to her, grasping her shoulder as he inspected her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I was in the other building.” She cleared her throat and turned her eyes down to Kaz, but Jesper could see her eyes were red. She had already thought them dead, which a look at the flaming pile of barn behind them would have been a reasonable conclusion to come to.

“We’re going to be okay,” he said. “He’s going to be okay.” He squeezed her shoulder once before letting go and pushing himself to his feet. “I’ll find the cart.”

It took him precious minutes to find the horses and the cart tied to them, spooked as they were by the violence of the explosion. He calmed them, shushing them quietly with gentle strokes. They trembled under his hands, he didn’t blame them at all because he could feel his own hands starting to shake again too. “Calm, calm. Shhhh.” He whispered, though whether he was talking just to the horses or himself too was up for debate.

By the time he managed to lead the horses back towards where he left Inej and Kaz, Inej was back on her feet, looking like she was about to come searching for him.

“They were spooked.” He said in explanation and she nodded in response, already getting into position to assist. Between the two of them, they got Kaz into the back of the simple wooden cart that they had driven out and within minutes they were back on the road, Jesper at the reins and Inej sitting cross legged next to Kaz on the floor.

~~~

Nearly an hour later they pulled in front of the inn that they had hired a room at for the night.

“Do you know anyone in this city, Inej?” Jesper asked her quietly.

“Not personally,” she shook her head, “but I do know there is a healer here somewhere, I will inquire.” She spared a look at Kaz before hopping out of the cart and hurrying into the inn.

Jesper stood from the driver's seat and stepped over it, into the back of the cart to crouch behind Kaz. Inej had positioned him so he was on his side, the best they could do for his injuries with no supplies along with them. He hadn’t made a sound the entire ride back to town and that worried Jesper. He reached over him, placing a hand in front of Kaz’s face, biting down on his bottom lip and holding his own breath until he felt the faint movement of air on his hand as Kaz exhaled.

“Once again, you’re going to hate this, and I’ll apologize about it later, but if you’re not going to get up, I’m going to have to get you upstairs somehow.”

Jesper went to his front, getting his arms under Kaz’s armpits and pulling him to a seated position before gently and awkwardly shifting him towards the back of the cart. He jumped down and slipped an arm around Kaz’s waist where the least amount of damage was. Most of the burns were across the back of his shoulders, starting just where his neck and shoulders met and growing less severe towards the bottom of his shoulder blades, spanning the entire width of his torso and down the back of his arms.

The change in position caused Kaz’s head to flop against Jesper’s shoulder and he heard a faint groan. “Kaz?!” Jesper whispered, bringing the hand that wasn’t around his waist up to touch his face, tilting the thief’s head back so he could see. “Kaz, can you hear me?”

Kaz’s eyes fluttered open and Jesper could see how hard it must have been for him, fighting his way back to consciousness. His eyes were cloudy and he looked confused, scared even, but too weak to do anything. He didn’t seem to recognize Jesper at all.

"Pl-please," he pleaded with Jesper. His voice sounded so small and terrified. "Please, just let me go."

“It’s okay, you’re alright, I’m trying to help,” Jesper kept his voice low, trying to sound comforting. Every other comfort instinct of his had to be thrown out the window when dealing with Kaz, his hands ached to gently touch his face, to push his hair back and just touch him in a way that would bring comfort to Jesper.

But even the arm around his waist, his head lolling against Jespers shoulder, even just being a physical support was a forbidden line that he had already crossed, it hurt him so much to see Kaz in pain and to be contributing even further to that discomfort even if his intentions were to help.

Kaz twisted against his shoulder, trying to squirm away from Jesper. One hand came up to push against his chest and just that movement brought out a strangled cry, his eyes turned white as they rolled back in his head and he went limp in Jespers arms.

“I’m sorry,” Jesper whispered, pushing back the lock of hair that had fallen over his face.

~~~

Inej took a deep, steadying breath as she entered the pub that made up the main floor of their accommodations. Tables and chairs were scattered around, most of which were empty at this time of night, and a large counter to the right where a big man with a bushy red beard poured drinks for the handful of patrons still sitting at the bar. He nodded at Inej as she entered, recognizing her from earlier. When she approached the bar rather than turning up the narrow staircase to the rooms on the upper floor he raised an eyebrow and moved to the end of the bar to meet her.

“You seem troubled,” he said in greeting.

She lowered her voice, not wanting to bring attention. “We are in need of a healer. Does Eleanora still reside nearby?”

He gave a curt nod, rubbing his hands with a towel. “She does, not far. I will send my son to retrieve her and bring her to your room. There is an entrance to the rooms from the back if you’d rather privacy from prying eyes.”

She dipped her head in thanks before slipping out the door again, where she found Jesper had Kaz sitting more or less upright on the back of the cart, ready to drape the thief over his shoulders again. She whirled around as the door slammed behind her, a young boy with red hair stumbling over his own feet as he looked at them, his wide eyes catching on the unconscious man that Jesper supported. He gave Inej the same curt nod that the innkeeper had and took off down the street.

“Around back, let’s get him upstairs.”

The back stairs were even narrower than the ones from the front which made progress slow and awkward. Jesper supported most of Kaz's lanky form while Inej climbed the stairs behind them. Jesper doubted she could catch both of them if he slipped and they fell backwards onto her, but he trusted she would catch Kaz so he wasn't injured any further at least.

By the time they made it to the room, Inej heard a commotion at the bottom of the steps and the red headed boy came bounding up the stairs. "Mz. Eleanora is coming, she wasn't far behind me."

Inej nodded in thanks and shut the door as he tried to crane his neck to see around her. A boy his age didn't need to see the bloody wounds that marred Kaz's flesh.

Jesper was standing in the middle of the room with Kaz more or less standing with him, holding him up with arms under Kaz's armpits and letting him slump against Jespers chest.

"She's going to want to see the wounds, we need to get his clothes off. Use one of your knives, cut it off. His jacket's a loss anyways."

Jesper could only stand and hold Kaz upright while watching as Inej carefully slipped her blade under the fabric, slicing through the back of the collar and moving towards the sleeves. Every cut was an attempt to keep fabric from touching skin in the removal process.

He felt it moments before Kaz started to come around again, every muscle in his body going tense as a groan hissed out from between clenched teeth. His forehead was resting against Jespers collarbone but when the gunslinger looked down he could see ropey muscles flexing around the sharp angle of his jaw.

"Inej stop," he warned moments before Kaz suddenly threw himself backwards, a mad scramble to get out of Jespers arms, to get away from the hands touching his body.

"Kaz, it's me! It's Jesper, it's ok, I've got you," Jesper rambled, trying to keep his voice as calm and comforting as possible, which was difficult as the other man struggled against him. "Inej is here too, we're trying to help."

Inej smartly didn't try touching him, standing back and tucking her blade away again. She had cut away enough fabric already that they would be able to remove his top without issue, but she didn’t dare try to take any of his clothing while he was already panicking.

"Kaz, you need to calm down, you're hurt," Jesper said.

"Let go of me," Kaz whimpered. His hands curled towards his own throat to keep from touching Jesper and he pushed outwards with his elbows, trying to leverage Jespers hands off of him.

Inej threw the scratchy quilt off of one of the beds, revealing the relatively soft bed sheets underneath and frantically waved at Jesper to set the injured man down. The beds were not much more than a metal frame with a latticework of straps that supported a thin mattress, not the most comfortable of beds but fine for a night or two when needed.

It took effort, their boss was gangly but stronger than he looked and he fought hard, especially when injured and afraid. His eyes remained closed as he writhed in Jesper’s arms, frantically trying to push away from him even as his legs refused to bear his own weight, the only barely conscious thought being the need to get the hands off.

“Kaz, please!” Jesper cried out, flinching as gloved hands scrabbled against his face, blindly searching for something to grasp, whether that would be his eyes, hair, or throat, whichever they found first.

He tried to keep moving Kaz towards the cot while being weakly assaulted, determined to not drop Kaz right there in the middle of the floor.

In the struggle he didn’t hear the door open behind him until he felt a slight thrum in the air and someone quietly commanded “sleep” right beside him, a hand reaching around his shoulder, one slender finger gently tapped Kaz in the middle of his forehead. Jespers stomach turned as for the second time that night he watched Kaz’s eyes roll back in his head and he fell bonelessly limp into Jespers arms, almost slipping completely out of them before Jesper tightened his grip.

Inej was there in a flash to help support the injured man, one of her blades glinting in the light as she resumed the task of removing the burnt and bloodied clothing. A couple quick and efficient slices and they were able to pull the material away from his back and arms, the ruined clothing being left in a pile on the floor to be dealt with later.

“Get him on the bed.”

With a grunt Jesper managed to shuffle the last couple steps towards the bed and gingerly lowered Kaz onto the sheets, Inej slipping in beside him to support Kaz's head as it flopped off of Jespers shoulder. Together they positioned him on his front, Inej moving the pillow away so he wasn't stifled by it and wedging it under one of his arms.

They barely had him situated before the healer, Eleanora, was there, her skirts puffing out as she sank to her knees at the side of the bed and summoning her powers with a twist of her hands. She lightly traced around the edges of the angry and blistering skin.

“There is a lot of damage,” Eleanora said quietly. “I will need one of you to help remove this shrapnel before I can work on everything.”

Inej glanced at Jesper, already knowing he likely wouldn’t be able to stomach it. He stood frozen next to the foot of the bed, one hand on his hip and the other clamped aggressively over his mouth. There was a sickly pallor to his skin and his thumb and forefinger were pressed hard into the spaces below his cheekbones. It was like he couldn’t tear his eyes off of Kaz.

She touched his elbow, startling him out of his trance and he gasped, his hand breaking away from his face to latch onto her shoulder. She kept her hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.

“Sit down. Before you fall down.” She said, guiding him to the bed next to Kaz’s. The cots were close enough to each other that if the two men sat across from each other their knees would be touching.

He flopped onto it, bracing his elbows against his knees and resolutely determined not to look anywhere but at Kaz’s face as the other two worked on his back.

Inej perched herself on the edge of the bed, trying to leave a space between Kaz’s hip and her own. She already felt guilty for all the times they have had to touch Kaz without him being able to consent, and she knew he wouldn’t have even if he was consciously able to do so.

She tried to keep from thinking about that as she started plucking out the pieces of shrapnel, mostly slivers of wood from the crates, barrels, and barn that had surrounded them when the blast occurred. There were a lot more than she had been expecting, a variety of sizes. She dropped them on the floor by her feet as she worked, another thing to clean up later.

There were two bigger pieces near his right shoulder blade that each began to splinter as she tried to pull on them, threatening to leave part of themselves behind in his flesh if she wasn't careful. She winced before pulling out one of her blades yet again, using the sharp tip to make the hole in his skin just a bit bigger in order to get every sliver of the wood out.

She glanced up at Eleanora, who nodded in approval with her lips pressed tight together before she focused her attention on those newly bleeding wounds.

“He’s hurting.”

Inej looked at Jesper in surprise when he spoke, so quietly she didn’t catch what he said. “What?”

“He’s in pain, look at him.” Jesper gestured towards Kaz’s face.

He was right. Kaz’s face was twisted into a deep grimace, his jaw tight and sweat starting to bead on his brow. The hand upon the pillow that was wedged under his arm was clenched tightly, grasping the edge of the pillow in a death grip.

“The wounds are significant,” Eleanora said, not taking her eyes or hands away from the task at hand. The smaller injuries that had marred the backs of his arms were already back to a healthy pink. “Some of these burns are severe enough he may not even feel them, but as I heal them the sensation may return. It’ll feel worse before it feels better.”

Inej felt her breath catch in her throat at the same time Jesper choked on a sob. She grasped his knee and immediately his hand was on top of hers, desperately holding onto her.

“He would hate this. He hates being touched, it’s like a visceral reaction whenever someone so much as accidentally bumps against him.” Jesper started to ramble, unable to keep his mouth shut in his own distress. “Even as friends he doesn’t let us touch him.”

Eleanora looked between them, noticing now how neither of them had laid hands on him since getting him onto the bed. Even removing the shrapnel Inej had been so careful to avoid touching him, only using the tip of her blade when necessary. Eleanora pulled her hands back slightly, leaving an air gap between her fingers and his skin.

“I didn’t know, thank you for telling me. It’s not necessary for me to make contact when healing but some people find it comforting.”

Inej nodded and smiled at Eleanora, understanding where she was coming from but grateful for her accommodating his needs. With the shrapnel removed, she tucked her blade away and slipped off the cot and onto the other next to Jesper, carefully looking him over to see if there were any injuries he hadn’t fessed up to yet. He seemed visibly shaken but otherwise fine. He had a couple coughing fits on the way back into town but she hadn't heard anything more in a while. His eyes were locked on Kaz’s face still, watching him like a hawk for any sign of awareness.

His breath caught for a moment as Kaz’s eyelids fluttered. “Kaz?”

Kaz whimpered in response, slow and painstakingly opening his eyes just a tiny amount. He blinked at them, his eyes hazy and clouded with pain. Inej reached out and placed her hand on the mattress right near his hand, just in front of his face where he looked slightly confused at it before focusing on his companions' faces again.

“Oh saints, his head,” Jesper whispered, reaching out and hovering his hand over the area where blood had been seeping out along his hairline. Crimson still encrusted the side of his head where it had dried what felt like hours ago, now pressed into the sheets with how his head was positioned.

Eleanora shifted her attention there for a minute, making motions as if she was pushing her magic into Kaz’s skull. As the wound sealed up, Jesper and Inej could see when he fully came aware, his eyes clearing slightly. He was still tense with pain, but the confusion when he looked at them was gone at least, replaced with recognition as he looked up at his Crows watching over him.

~~~

He hadn’t expected to wake up again. But when Kaz came back to awareness, he wasn’t sure that he even wanted to.

Every nerve in his back screamed as though the fire still burned upon it, the pain causing muscles to tense and spasm against his will and amplifying it, resulting in a never ending spiral of call and response of torment.

Something slipped into his head, an odd sensation of a chill inside his skull and it was like he had awoken with his eyes already open, as though he had already been awake but not aware of being awake for a moment or two.

As his eyes came into focus he could see white sheets that were pressed against his cheek. Right in front of his face he found Inej’s hand and he focused his gaze to travel up her arm, to her face set in a mask of barely concealed concern. Next to her sat Jesper, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, not even trying to disguise his concern. Jespers lips twitched into a sad smile that didn’t reach his watery eyes.

Kaz’s hands ached, clenched tightly as they were but he recognized the familiar feeling of the soft leather that hugged them, grateful that they hadn’t been removed. He could tell the layers of clothing he wore like an armour around his torso were gone though.

That chilled sensation that brought back his awareness now traced over his back, momentarily cutting a trail of relief through the searing pain. The pain was so great that the relief was often short lived, but it never stopped moving, skimming along the edges of areas that just felt like… nothing.

He took a deep breath, which caught in his throat for a moment as the movement of his rib cage pulled on muscles that protested vehemently and he had to close his eyes against the pain. When he opened them again, Inej had shifted off of the other bed and knelt on the floor to be closer to him. Her hand never moved from the edge of the bed, not moving any closer, which he knew she wouldn’t.

Slowly, he relaxed his hand, letting go of what he realized was a pillow that he had been holding so tightly to and reached for the edge of the mattress, curling his fingers around it mere centimeters away from Inej’s hand. Close, but not touching.

He felt at peace in that moment. Knowing two of his most cherished Crows were with him, watching over him. Trust didn’t come easy for him, but if there were any two people he could rely on, it would be Inej and Jesper.

The pain flared up again and his whole body tensed, once again amplifying everything. His hand clenched and he wound up with a fistful of bed sheets, his eyes screwing shut with a strangled whimper.

He vaguely heard Jesper begging someone to do something, he’s in pain, though Kaz couldn’t say who he had spoken to.

He didn’t have an opportunity to find out as the cold sensation returned to his head, and with a brief burst of relief he succumbed to the black again.

#here's a thing i wrote #shadow and bone fanfic #whump #kaz brekker whump #whump fic

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claracivry · 1 year

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Now accepting Kaz whump requests because I am watching season one to get in the mood and I love him :)

This is my main hurt Kaz fic so you know what/how I write (x)

#whump #kaz brekker #shadow and bone fic #kaz brekker whump

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iriswords · 1 year

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Febuwhump Day 14 - Captivity

You can also read this on ao3 and find the rest of my febuwhump fics here

tw: ptsd, threats of torture, non-consensual drug use, hallucinations, mention of past trauma (Kaz’s), corpses (hallucinated)

Fandom: Six of Crows

Words: 2315

"If you want to beat me and take from what belongs to me and the Dregs, you’ll have to outsmart me," Kaz tells Geels. He does not expect the man to actually manage it and abduct Kaz.

Black Tips members hurriedly move out of Kaz’s way and watch him with wary eyes as he progresses through their headquarters building. None of them ever so much as begin an aggressive movement, like a hand going for a knife tucked in the belt, or a body tensing and readying itself to lunge. Kaz’s cane hammers rhythmically on the ground as he walks, an instrument to serve his reputation and the fear built around it rather than a source of humiliation.

Kaz came alone to the meeting. Anika frowned disapprovingly when he told her, but she knows better than to offer to come with him. But Kaz is in no danger. The Black Tips are too stupid to outsmart him, and should any of them try anything, he has his cane firmly held in his hand, the heavy crow waiting to smash itself into skulls, and several knives hidden in his coat, a reminder of Inej. People may be hurt tonight, but it won’t be Kaz.

“Shall I remind you all the times I defeated you, Geels?” asks Kaz, his voice glacial. Geels barely represses his flinch. The meeting between the two gang leaders started not even five minutes ago, and Geels is already going off-track. Perhaps Kaz should take more radical measures to make sure he stays in his place. Now, the only problem is that Kaz isn’t quite certain where exactly Geels’ place is, whether it is at the head of this miserable group he likes to call a gang or six feet under.

“And I am not even counting the times the Dregs beat up the Black Tips. You are an idiot, Geels, and none of your whining will get you anywhere. If you want to beat me and take from what belongs to me and the Dregs, you’ll have to outsmart me, which we both know will never happen. If you ever had a brain, you lost it long ago.”

Anger sips in Geels’ sigh. “I’ve decided to be civil, Brekker, and organize this meeting before attacking you.” Kaz rolls his eyes. The only reason he organized this meeting is because he knows perfectly well he would never manage to get what he wants any other way. “You’ve been stealing from the Black Tips. Both territory and clients.”

“The Dregs have merely been asserting themselves. The only one you have to blame for the Black Tips losses is yourself and your utter incompetence. I just told you: if you want to take what is mine, you’ll have to outsmart me.” Geels opens his mouth to retort something, but Kaz raises a hand and the older man shuts up comically quickly. “You’re older than me, Geels, and you’ve been living in the Barrel since you were born. You know what is the law there. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. You should be grateful I haven’t killed you and taken over your gang. Ghezen knows I would have been more than able to.”

Kaz stands up from the uncomfortable chair Geels offered him.

“Where are you going?” asks Geels, standing up and reaching out to grab Kaz. Kaz smacks his hand away with the crow of his cane.

“This meeting is over. You tried to negotiate, it didn’t work. I have to admire your ability to put your pride aside. But the fact remains that what I took is now mine. There are no rules in the Barrel. Words will not make me yield back what used to be the Black Tips’.”

No one tries to stop him as he exits the building.

Kaz does not notice them until the sharp prickle in his neck. He knows immediately that his skin has been penetrated by a syringe, and he swings his cane back, crow head first. It hits its mark, if the strangled shout of pain one of his assailants give is any indication. In the end, it is of no use. Kaz stumbles on his next step, the world already growing hazy around him. A fast-acting drug, then. He collapses to the ground with a thud and does not hear the way his cane crunches under a violent foot.

Kaz wakes painfully, in a room so dingy it makes even the Slat at its worst look like a merchant’s house. Water leaks in heavy drops from a waterlogged wooden ceiling half eaten away by rot and insects. The floor hasn’t seen a broom in an eternity, and the air is rank with dust and humidity. Kaz will catch pneumonia and die from it before his captor has the chance to do anything to him, at this rate. A rat peeks out from a hole in the miserable, barely-standing wall, catches Kaz’s glare, and scurries away.

Besides a harsh headache pounding in Kaz’s skull and the drug-induced fog wrapped around his mind, Kaz is not injured. His bad leg throbs viciously, but it is nothing he hasn’t endured before. His wrists and ankles are unbound—his captor’s first mistake, and certainly not their last—but he finds as he tries that he cannot stand, his limbs too weak and uncoordinated. Kaz curses under his breath as he lowers—a kind word to say he falls back onto his ass—himself back to the ground.

He hopes whatever they gave him is not a derivative of jurda, because that shit is a pain to come off of.

His captor was at least smart enough to take away everything that could have been remotely useful to Kaz. He has been stripped to the barest of his clothes, though they had the decency not to leave him in his underwear (another mistake, he would have stripped his captive naked). The pockets of his pants have been picked, and his coat is gone. They even took his gloves off, his pale hands exposed, a source of vulnerability that makes Kaz’s stomach churn. He shudders at the thought of all the hands that roamed his body looking for his tools.

The door of the room—if it can even be called that—opens with a plaintive creak. Geels appears on the threshold, and Kaz nearly bursts into laughter from the sheer surprise of it.

“Not so arrogant, now, are we, Brekker?” asks Geels, smugness painted on his face.

Kaz scoffs. “You won’t hold me for long, Geels. Don’t give yourself false hopes, that’s how you end up disappointed.”

Geels steps into the room and closes the door behind himself. A knife glints in his hand, caught in a loose grip. If only Kaz had enough strength in his miserable, useless limbs, he could easily lunge and grab it. Geels would be done for, and Kaz would be out of this pitiful place in a matter of minutes.

“You sound very certain for someone who has been kidnapped,” comments Geels. He approaches Kaz fearlessly, a sly, satisfied smirk playing on his lips. “Can you even stand?”

Kaz doesn’t answer. If Geels thinks he can get under Kaz’s skin so easily, he is sorely mistaken. Kaz has years of experience of being mocked and doubted at every turn, of being belittled and pinned into the mud by the shoe of someone who felt superior to him. Of being looked at as though he were a mere cockroach, a stain on an otherwise-perfect masterpiece. His shell has hardened into an armor of steel; Geels’s pathetic attempts at taunts cannot pierce it.

And yet the man is right. Kaz is too certain. Inej always repeats it is his biggest flaw. He is too certain of himself, too arrogant, even in times he should not be. He boasts and taunts, and makes enemies of his opponents. It is how he built his reputation, it is how he built his empire in the Barrel, and how he asserted his domination. He would taunt and boast, but he would always come out on top. Not thanks to his strength and ability to fight, but thanks to his cleverness and utter lack of morals. The nickname ‘Dirty Hands’ did not appear out of thin air. Before he could let others do the dirty work and focus on more important matters, he had to do everything himself.

But now his mind, clouded and burdened by the drug, cannot help him, and his body has failed him.

“What do you want?” he asks Geels.

“I already told you what I want the other day, Brekker. You were quick to deny my demand. So I took your advice. I outsmarted you. How does it feel? I know for my part it will feel amazing, to be able to brag all over Ketterdam that I captured and killed the infamous Bastard of the Barrel. But first, I’d like to make you pay.”

“Get in line,” retorts Kaz in his usually cold tone. His composure is perfect, a true comedian’s mask. Geels, stupid as he is, blinded by the swell of his ego, will never notice the doubt swirling in Kaz’s chest.

“Ah, but as you said yourself, the Barrel doesn’t follow rules. There is no line. I was the first to manage to capture you, it is only normal I am the one who gets the pleasure of inflicting you some pain. But if you insist, I can surely arrange for all your enemies to come and partake in your torture before you leave this world. I’m sure I’d gain quite a hefty sum from the whole affair.”

He would, undoubtedly. People all over Ketterdam, merchants and criminals alike would run over one another trying to get here first or argue until blood trying to see Kaz to his most pathetic. But Geels isn’t quite idiotic enough to do that. If he reveals where Kaz is held, the Dregs will come. Jesper and Wylan, the only two Crows in town, will come. And Geels doesn’t stand a chance against them. Kaz’s abduction was only a stroke of luck. It will not last.

“What makes you think I will agree to give you the territory just because you abducted me? I don’t fear torture.”

Geels bursts out laughing. “That’s what they all say. In the end, they all do fear it. Pain is a potent thing, Brekker. The fear of it, even more so. You will break, like all the others. But that is not why you’re here. How long do you think the Dregs will last without you at their head to command them? How long until my Black Tips get back the territory that is rightly ours? How long until they take all of yours?”

Kaz rolls his eyes. “The Dregs are not incompetent fools, Geels. The Black Tips have nothing on them.”

“That’s what you don’t understand, Brekker. Leading people with a hand of steel does make for a good empire. But it also strips them of all initiative. You control everything, and this way you ensure things work like you want them to. But take out the head, and it crumbles. They will not last, without you.”

Kaz represses a smirk. If Geels wants to believe the Dregs are incapable of ordering themselves, it more than suits Kaz. He will rejoice in watching the man come crying to him when his plan inevitably fails.

“We’ll see who’s right,” he simply says. Something in his nonchalance makes Geels snap. The man lunges forward, his naked hand grabbing onto Kaz’s shoulder, the tip of his blade pressed against Kaz’s throat. The hand is all Kaz can focus on, the touch so abrupt Kaz flinches back and hits his head against the stone wall of the room. In barely one second, Kaz is back in the harbor, soaked in icy water, held up by a sea of corpses. Jordie is beneath him, serving as a plank for his brother.

Kaz doesn’t hear what Geels says. It is the sting of a blade breaking skin that brings him back to the real world. Out of the nightmares of his mind. A pearl of blood rolls slowly down Kaz’s neck, and stains the white hem of his shirt.

“I want to do more,” Geels whispers. “So much more. But I need you somewhat cognizant if I want to show you how much you’ve lost.”

His hand still firmly clasped on Kaz’s shoulder, he takes a syringe out of his pocket and stabs it in Kaz’s arm.

Jordie appears in the room about thirty minutes after Geels left. His silhouette wavers, shaky and blurry around the edges. He does not talk as he paces around Kaz, his eyes wide and never leaving his brother, but Kaz can hear every single one of his words anyway. Phantom hands grab his body, corpses press against him. He curls up tight to avoid them. It does not work.

Geels and three of his men come into the cell. They break three of his fingers. Kaz does not scream; he is too focused on the hand Geels keeps on his wrist the whole while. When Jordie comes back later, his skin hangs off him in tatters, muscles and bones gruesomely exposed. Kaz’s tears lull him into a restless slumber.

He wakes to a shadow sliding into the room. Her lithe step is familiar, her silhouette silently graceful, moving as though on a rope suspended high in the air.

“Inej,” Kaz murmurs and looks around for the hallucination of his brother. Jordie is nowhere to be seen.

“Can you stand up and walk?” asks Inej as she crouches down before him.

“You’re not real,” says Kaz childishly.

Inej’s expression softens. “Yes, I am. Come on, Kaz. Can you stand up or do you want me to help?”

He tentatively grabs onto her, and she does not touch him back. They make it out of the building slowly, Inej adjusting to Kaz’s pained pace.

Geels does not live to tell the tale of Dirty Hands’ capture.

@febuwhump

#my writing #creative writing #fanfic #fanfiction #whump #febuwhump2023 #febuwhumpday14 #soc #six of crows #crooked kingdom #kaz brekker #kaz brekker whump #hurt kaz brekker #ptsd

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whumpypepsigal · 1 year

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Shadow and Bone s02e03: “Whatever this is, this blood feud you have with Pekka Rollins, I don't believe it's about some Saints-forsaken club. You are gambling with our lives and I deserve to know the reason. You owe me that much.”

#whumpedit #whump #shadowandboneedit #sabedit #shadow and bone #kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #freddy carter #amita suman #angst #emotional whump #my gifs #shadow and bone spoilers #they love each other and they protec…#kanej my beloved… you WILL be the dead of me

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aceofwhump · 1 year

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Shadow and Bone 2x05

#shadow and bone #shadow and bone spoilers #s&b spoilers #sab spoilers #kaz brekker #whumpedit #whump #my gifs #mod post #flashing gif #inej ghafa #nina zenik #flashbacks #touch aversion #fear #panic attack #sabedit #shadowandboneedit

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fireflaked · 3 days

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something something about how inej was terrified that she wouldn't be useful to kaz anymore if her legs were broken, but if kaz's hands were broken??! his sleight of hand and lockpicking is integral to how he views himself 🤭😈 it would be a shame if that was taken away

#god i have read every whump fic about this that i can get my grubby hands on #so fucking good #kaz brekker #soc #six of crows

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letthewhumpbegin · 10 months

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Freddy Carter on set of Shadow and Bone

#I know this is a behind the scenes photo but LOOK AT HIM 😍#freddy carter #kaz brekker #shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #six of crows #bloody face #bloody nose #sarahsposts #whump #whump blog

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polycrowtruther · 20 days

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“I’m sorry, I’m just having a… hard time understanding this,” Nina said slowly, “You two work for - ”

“Work ed for, past tense,” The taller one corrected, “We work for Brekker, now.”

“Right,” rubbing her brow exasperatedly, Nina tried again, “You two worked for Eric Verzamelaar, the run-of-the-mill investment banker who keeps half of Ketterdams’ books at the Exchange. But now you two work for Kaz, because last night you’re claiming your old boss ‘kidnapped’ him, tortured him, and was subsequently killed by our boss throwing a steel cart through his head?”

“Yes, but there’s more to it than that!” The smaller one groaned, “And if you’d let us finish - ”

“I think we would have noticed if Brekker was kidnapped,” Matthias shook his head, his voice firm but kind. “I’m sorry but you must be mistaken.”

“Would you?” The taller one bit out, eyes narrowing, “Cause last night he was, and none of you seem too concerned about it. I thought you lot were supposed to be his crew, or something.”

(Read the rest of "The Spirit of Grief" over on Ao3 - a continuation of my "Shadow of Yotsuya" storyline)

#six of crows #crooked kingdom #soc ck #grishaverse #kaz brekker #kazzle dazzle #six of crows fandom #six of crows fanfic #soctwt #jesper fahey #inej ghafa #nina zenik #wylan hendriks #wylan van sunshine #matthias helvar #kaz whump #polycrows #six of crows fic #ao3 link

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aphroditestummyrolls · 6 months

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Crows Masterlist ❤️

A list of my most recent stories and their AO3 links. Since I’m writing more than one story at once, it doesn’t make sense to just pin my latest chapter every time I update.

So, as I write new oneshots/update stories, I’ll update this post. There’s still so many stories to add to the Engagement Series, and like it says on the tin, I will not rest until I’ve sated every last bit of my Colm Fahey Drama.

If you like my stories, please tell me, either through an AO3 comment or here on tungl ❤️ my inbox is always open to talk about characters or stories/series you want to know more about. You might even get a new snippet 👀.

The Wylan Whump Fic™️

Between Hope and Desperation (Jesper/Wylan & everyone)

Wylan and Jesper are kidnapped when Wylan Van Eck's past bursts in on Wylan Hendriks's fragile present. Secrets are revealed, blood is spilled, and trust is required.

The Engagement Series (Jesper/Wylan)

Terrible, Absolutely Horrible (affectionate)

Jesper and Wylan being giggly, giddy, and newly engaged, featuring bad pick up lines and being excited about the future

A More Formal Title

Wylan and Jesper are settling into life on the geldstraat, but the older council members are… traditionalists. Wylan is summoned to a last minute council meeting, regarding his barrel boyfriend.

In Fits and Starts

on the eve of their sons’ wedding, two strangers come to understand each other. with a bottle of whiskey and a quiet spot to rest, they indulge the memories of their little boys, and look to the future when the past hurts too much.

Colm Fahey Discovers Jesper’s Ketterdam Life (I will not rest until I’ve written just about every version of this trope)/Colm Fahey-heavy Stories

Keep You Safe (Colm Fahey & Jesper/Wylan)

6 months post Crooked Kingdom— in a universe where Jesper took the parem, Matthias lived, and Colm Fahey didn’t make an appearance in CK— Colm Fahey comes looking for his son, and doesn’t find him in any of the places he expected.

Time for a Spare Prayer (Colm & Everyone; Jesper/Wylan)

Wylan’s name has become a target on his back, but his crows are there to protect him. Until things go wrong and Wylan is alone. Suddenly, Colm Fahey is the only witness to an attempt on Wylan’s life, and becomes a target himself.

Stronger than Fear (Wylan & Matthias)

A deleted scene directly after the end of Chapter 4 of Time for a Spare Prayer. Matthias brings Wylan something to eat after a truly terrible day.

The Only Way Out (is through) (Colm & Wylan/Jesper)

3 times that Colm Fahey was acutely aware that Wylan Van Eck needed a better father, plus 1 time where he stepped up to be the da he deserved.

Five More Minutes (Colm & Wylan/Jesper)

a missing scene from Only Way Out (is through) inspired by a drabble game request for wesper “accidentally sleeping in”.

Before Sunrise (Colm/Aditi featuring tiny baby Jesper)

Jesper is a colicky little baby, and Colm just wants his poor wife to be able to sleep. (Inspired by Colm’s description of Jesper in In Fits and Starts)

If you like my writing, please consider buying me a coffee

#wesper #wylan van eck #jesper fahey #colm fahey #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #nina zenik #matthias helvar #six of crows #shadow and bone netflix #my fics #my writing #the engagement series #the Wylan whump fic #if colm fahey has ten thousand fans I am one of them #if colm fahey has one fan I am them

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angelsandarsenic · 1 month

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um ok so I don’t actually watch Fitmc but I’m very much going to but I’ve gotten bits and pieces and can we talk about the Corpse Hole?!?!

idk if that’s what it’s properly called but I cannot stop thinking about Kaz from SoC in the corpse canal

Fit is gonna be there for a few weeks right? I’ve seen several people predicting cannibalism and believe me I’m hopping on that train that’s great and horrifying from someone who doesn’t want to, but also how about severe touch repulsion? How about Fit secluding himself when he gets back because the corpses are burned into his mind? Empty glassy eyes and deep shadows on sunken skin. (the first time he sees Missa again he nearly jumps out of his skin)

Waking up in the middle of the night—if he’s even able to sleep—feeling skeleton hands clawing up his sides. After so long of either starving or retching up rancid flesh he starts to look like them, thinning and muscles deteriorating from lack of a proper diet.

It’s dark down there right? Except unlike in your room at night the disturbingly humanoid shadows actually are human and they’re Not and they won’t go away.

Days in silence staring at grotesque mimicries of human tragedy. Sometimes Fit wonders if he died and simply missed it. He definitely has a hard time falling asleep and probably spends several hours in a half awake daze. Major disassociating for sure.

All in all snaps him like a rubber band back into the 2b2t mindset

He probably gets worked into a fervor trying to battle his newfound death anxiety and probably save the other residents from the Federation

Imagine seeing your loved ones alive and very concerned for you after that? He probably won’t be able to stand to be near them. Noise and light would get overwhelming quickly, I think Philza would be one of the only people able to make any progress with him from all his time alone in hardcore. And Fit would want so badly to be back the way things were, especially with Pac but he just can’t.

idk just spitballing. Like I said idk much about Fit lore so

#Fitmc lore #qsmp fitmc #2b2t #qsmp madagio #Traumatize that cubito!!#Kaz brekker #six of crows #Whump

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whump-collector · 1 year

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Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker in Shadow and Bone 2x04

Wanted this scene without the scenes in between. Also wrote a little fic for this scene.

#whumpedit #shadow and bone #shadow and bone season 2 #freddy carter #kaz brekker #shadow and bone 2x04 #blood #beaten up #whump #mine #repost because it refused to show up in the tags

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just-here-for-the-whump · 4 months

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@whumpcember Day 18: Chronic Pain - Shadow and Bone 1x5 Show Me Who You Are

#whumpcember2023 day18 #whumpcember2023 #day 18 chronic pain #whump #shadow and bone #kaz brekker #freddy carter #pain #old injury

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claracivry · 1 year

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Added a post canon Kanej coma episode (x) to my hurt Kaz fic! Would love to hear your thoughts!

Also cleaned up some of the mistakes/missing words on chaps 8, 9 and 10 (the post season 2 ones), just so you know ;)

Come get your Kaz whumpppp

#my fics #kaz brekker whump #whump #sab fic #kaz brekker #kanej #but angsty #whump fic

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jahayla-parker · 1 year

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Hello beautiful! May I request a fic of Freddy taking care of you when you're sick?

Once you're doing up to it, ofc. 💜

Under The Weather: Freddy Carter x Reader

Description: 3.6k wc, reader is sick and Freddy goes into protective and caring boyfriend mode as he works to get her feeling better.

Warnings: mentions of being sick, fainting, hospitals, otherwise fluff

“Take 5” the co-director andy shouts, making the cast quickly scatter to maximize their break.

Y/n steps slowly to keep her balance, but each step causes a fresh wave of pain in her head.

As she makes it off the set, she nearly trips stepping down.

“‘ey love, careful” Freddy chuckles, catching her by her arm to steady her.

She blinks a few times and fakes a smile up at him, “oh, thanks”

Freddy raises an eyebrow as he catches onto the fake smile, “love?”

She forces the smile more and nods at him, wincing after from the dizziness, “yeah?”.

“Darling, you’re wincing” Freddy gasps, “what’s happening?”

Y/n grabbed his hand tightly, “I think I just tweaked something”.

Freddy frowns, “during the scene? Where does it hurt?”

“I’m okay Freddy, really” she says softly.

He stares at her questioningly, “y/n, what is-“.

“Alright, places” Andy shouts, interrupting Freddy.

Freddy sighs and squeezes her hand, silently pleading with her.

She gives him a weak smile before she excuses herself to go back to her mark.

“Is she alright?” Amita asks, appearing next to Freddy.

He hesitates but nods, “yeah. She’ll be fine”.

Y/n glances over at him, giving him another tiny smile and shoos him off with her hand.

He shakes his head but gives her a kind smile before walking back to the other stage building for his own next scene.

“Cut” Eric shouts as Kit mixes up his line.

Amita laughs loudly, smacking his arm teasingly.

“It is been not bean Kit” Danielle jokes.

“Obviously” Kit laughs.

“Freddy!” Ben yells suddenly.

Freddy looks up from his phone instantly, the panic in his stomach intensifying; Ben should be in a scene with y/n not here.

“Y/n,” he says, breathing heavy from running.

“Where?” Freddy asks, discarding his characters props on the set floor as he sprints over.

“They’re bringing her back to her trailer “ Ben informs him, turning to follow him out of the room.

“Freddy, what’s wrong?!” Amita calls out from behind them.

Freddy shakes his head, “you’ll need to do a different scene for now”.

With that, he races out of stage 3 and towards y/N’s trailer.

Ben struggles to keep up, “Freddy, slow down mate”.

“What happened?” Freddy responds, not slowing down at all.

“I don’t know” Ben admits, “one second we’re doing the scene, the next she passed out”.

Freddy skidded to a halt, turning to face ben, “she fainted?!”

Ben sighs and nods.

Freddy spins back around and speeds up his journey to her trailer.

He doesn’t bother knocking when he reaches it, instead he barrels inside instantly.

He nearly falls to his knees when he sees Archie and y/N’s manager standing next to y/n as she lies there on her trailer’s couch motionless.

“Is- is she” he breathes heavily, “is she going to be…”

“Yes Freddy, she’ll be okay” Alexia, her manager promises, a soft smile, “she just needs to sleep, she is sick and pushed herself too hard”.

Freddy nods, kneeling next to his girlfriend, her hand tightly clasped in his.

Y/N’s eyes flutter open and she tries to sit up but Freddy holds his hand on her chest softly.

“Sorry for waking you, my love. Go back to sleep” he encourages, brushing hair from her face.

She smiles tiredly at him, squeezing his hand, “What about-what about work?"

He sighs, shaking his head, “you're exhausted, honey”.

She shakes her head stubbornly, wincing as she does, prompting Freddy to give her a knowing look, one similar to that of his character.

“I’ll be fine Freddy “ she argues weakly.

He shakes his head, “no you won’t. You scared me nearly to death! My god baby, y/n, why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?!”

Y/n frowns with a guilty stare and shrugs.

Freddy sighs, “it’s alright angel. I’m sorry, I was just so worried. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it all”.

“Freddy, you have work-“ she protests.

“You think I’m going to work right now? You fainted!” Freddy scoffed

She pouts, “but, -“

Freddy cups her face, “no. I’m taking care of you. I'm going home with you. I don't want to leave you by yourself knowing you're feeling this bad."

As she frowns at him, he sighs and kisses her forehead, “stop with that guilty look, you don’t have anything to feel guilty for. Just let me take care of this.”

“They’ve dismissed us for the day” Freddy said, putting his cellphone back down.

She nods slowly, “okay”.

Freddy squeezes her hand, “I’m going to need you to sit up Angel”.

Y/n hesitantly leans forward, Freddy steadying her with a hand to her back and chest as she moves.

“That’s it, good job, my girl” he smiles, “can you walk?”

“Yeah” she said quietly, holding his hand tightly as she pulls herself off the couch.

“Good job,” he encourages, grabbing her bag from beside her.

“We’re going to take it really slow, okay?” Freddy prompts, placing the across over his body, hooking one arm around her waist.

She complies, taking tiny steps at a glacial speed.

“You’re doing great” he promised, turning to kiss the top of her head as she looked up and sighed at the distance left.

“Woah, it’s alright” Freddy says, using his arm that was around her waist to lift her up as her legs start to give out just as they get to the car

“Lean on the car here a moment dear” he says, placing her shoulder against the back door of the car.

He opens the passenger door, guides her to the seat, and buckles her in with a tender kiss to her forehead.

“Oh hun, you’re burning up. Let’s get you home and we’ll find a way to take care of that” he frowns.

“Wait right here love, I’ll grab you some comfortable clothes” Freddy promised, setting y/n on the bed.

He quickly located their basket of clean clothes they hadn’t had the chance to put away yet, grabbing the first set of clothes he could reach.

When he made it back to their bedroom, he saw y/n had fallen asleep in her clothes, on top of the covers, shivering.

He frowned to himself and quickly walked to her, sighing as he gently woke her.

“I promise to let you sleep soon, but we should get you changed and under the covers first” he said as her eyes stared up at him.

Freddy held her up, delicately raising her shirt over her head.

Once he’d helped her remove her work clothes, he slid the new shirt he grabbed esrlier and slid it on over her head and then helped her out her arms in.

“Better?” He asked smiling at her sitting in his shirt.

She gave him a weak smile, “much”.

He let out a sigh of relief, reaching back to tie her hair more neatly so it stayed out of her face better.

“Do you want trousers?” He asked, holding up the pair he grabbed, which just so happened to be his as well.

She looked at her lap, seeing the shirt covering her thighs and shook her head.

Freddy watched as she flinched, holding her head.

He sighed, “no more shaking your head princess, just use your words please”.

“My throat hurts” she countered.

Freddy nodded, “okay… ummm.. okay, squeeze my hand once for yes and twice for no?”

The left corner of her lips curled up as she tried to give him a smile to thank him for coming up with a solution.

Y/n reached for his hand, squeezing it once.

Freddy beamed, pleased his idea would work, “good girl, I’ll make you tea”.

“Love, drink this for me please” he asked, handing her a warm cup of tea.

She began to sip on it, Freddy’s concerned eyes not leaving her as she slowly drank the hot tea with honey.

When she finished she set the cup on her nightstand, lifting her eyes to him and gave him a tiny smile, “thank you”.

He hated the way her voice cracked, but he was pleased to see she drank the full cup.

He nodded silently, leaning over to tuck her back in since she’d moved slightly to drink.

“I'm fine. It's fine. Stop-stop fussing over me” she coughed.

Freddy raised an eyebrow at her, “clearly”.

She laughed a little, causing another cough.

Freddy promptly grabbed the glass of water be brought earlier and held it out for her.

She sipped on it, rubbing her neck a bit when she finished.

As she leaned back into the pillows he stacked behind her, her eyes closed faintly.

“I am going to check the thermostat to ensure the flat stays warm and then make some soup” Freddy told her, towering over her as he felt her forehead, “before I go, may I have a kiss?"

"I'll get you sick if you kiss me” she sighed.

Freddy chuckled quietly, stroking her cheek, “That's alright darling, I'll survive. Besides, better you than anyone else”.

“You’re going to kiss someone else?” She pouted, a weak glare in her eyes.

“Of course not love, I was saying better you be the one to get me sick than someone else” he laughed, shaking his head at her illness-induced confusion.

“Why?” She asked, no longer glaring.

“Because it’ll at least be worth it” he admitted, holding her head softly.

She shut her eyes as she gave him a soft smile. Y/n reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

Freddy grinned, delicately pressing his lips to her’s before pulling back and smoothing her stray hairs away from her skin, “get some sleep”.

“F-“ she coughed, making him turn back to her with concern in his eyes again, “Freddy, where are y-you going again?”

He gave her a sympathetic smile, “to the kitchen dear. I want to make you some soup”.

“I c-“ she coughed, glaring at nothing out of frustration, “I can help”.

Freddy hummed, smiling at her persevering determination to help others, “you want to help?”

She looked and saw she wasn’t in reach of his hand so she tapped her bed sheets once, making him giggle.

“I don’t need help with the soup, but I have another way you can help me” he told her, resting his hand on the blanket over her legs.

She tapped the bed again one time, showing him she’d nod if it didn’t hurt her to do so.

“Stay in bed and rest, for me?" He pleaded, watching as she sighed but tapped the bed one more time.

He smiled at her, “thank you darling. Call for me if you need me. Use your phone if you have to”.

She smiled weakly, tapping the sheet again before letting her heavy eyes close fully.

Freddy watched her for a moment, waiting until he saw her chest rising and falling.

“Th-“ she coughed, leaning her face into her elbow, “this is very good F-Fre-“.

He nodded quickly, squeezing her free hand as she set the bowl down, “shhh, thank you honey”.

Her eyes began to become heavy again, but she looked up at him through them anyways, giving him a small smile.

Freddy moved the bowl from the bed to the nightstand and felt her forehead.

His eyes widened and he glared at his hand, displeased with the temp.

Freddy quickly sprinted to their bathroom, grabbing a clean washcloth and holding it under the sink.

He tried to get the perfect temperature so she wouldn’t get chills but also would cool down.

However, as he heard her coughing again from the other room, he bolted back in there, the cloth in his hand.

“‘ere, try this darling” he said, placing the cloth lightly onto her forehead.

“Is this cloth too hot or cold?" Freddy asked as he adjusted it to keep it in place.

“No, it's perfect” she whispered, tugging the blanket towards her chin as she closed her eyes again.

Freddy relaxed slightly, “good”.

That night Freddy changed in their bedroom, planning on moving his discarded clothes to the hamper in the bathroom the next day as he didn’t want to leave her sight tonight.

He grabbed her phone, sliding the side button down so it would be on silent and not wake her up.

He then did the same with his, plugging it in next to his side of the bed.

Freddy slid quietly under the blankets, watching to make sure she didn’t wake up from his movements.

He sighed in relief as she kept sleeping.

However, when she began tossing and turning, with a clear shiver taking over her as well, he pulled her to his chest.

“Shhh” he soothed, grabbing the remote to turn the tv off before looking back at her, “I’m here, shhh”.

She slowly opened her eyes, staring into his worried blue ones, “you’re too close. You’ll get si-“.

He cut her off with a shake of his head and pulling her closer to him, “you won't get me sick. Well… You might, but I don't mind. Move over”.

She shuffled cautiously, making more room for both of them in the center of the bed.

Freddy smiled as she placed her head on his chest, her arms unconsciously latching onto his frame.

He knew she was right, this distance did leave him at risk for getting sick.

But as she was lying there with her head on his chest, all Freddy could think about was her soft breathing and hair minutely tickling his face.

“Ahhh ahhh, what do you think ‘er doing princess?” Freddy asked, looking up from his book he’d been reading on the couch.

Y/n shrugged, stumbling further into their flat, “I need to get stuff done”.

Freddy shook his head, setting his book down next to him.

“You need to sleep” he argued, briskly walking towards her.

“No, I’m fine” she said stubbornly.

“What is it you think you need to do?” He countered, holding her waist to stop her.

“Empty the clean laundry basket, dishes, work on my l-“ she stopped as she began coughing loudly.

“Stop. I can handle everything else, you need rest” he said firmly, his panic taking over.

She frowned but squeezed his hand once in partial agreement, “after I-“

He kissed her earlier earlobe, wincing at how warm it was, “come on, now”.

She squeezed his hands twice stubbornly before trying to walk away.

“Mmm nope” he smirked, lifting her up.

“You’re getting rest” he demanded gently, cautiously carrying her back to bed.

“I need to be productive” she groaned.

Freddy rolled his eyes, “sleep is productive”.

Freddy walked into their room, frowning when he saw she was awake and holding her head.

“Is it hurting again?” He asked rhetorically as he walked to her.

“Yeah” she whimpered.

“When did you last take some meds?" Freddy inquired, grabbing the medicine bottle from beside her bed.

He’d been out getting groceries so he wasn’t sure how long she’d been awake.

“Last time y-“ she coughed aggressively, wincing as it shook her head.

“Last time I gave you some?” Freddy clarified for her, opening the bottle.

She reached out and squeezed his hand once.

“Then you can have more, come ‘ere” he said softly, dumping the next dose of meds into his palm.

She cooperatively took the medicine and laid her head back down on the pillows.

“I also picked up this” he said, reaching into the bag he brought to their room, “it should help”.

She looked at the cough medicine bottle in his hand he showed her.

Y/n scrunched her nose and shifted away.

Freddy laughed softly, “I know it's minging, but I need you to take it anyway”.

She glared weakly at Freddy, still pouting.

“For me?” He pleaded, holding the cap full of medicine to her.

She winced as she tossed back the liquid medicine into her throat, grimacing at the taste.

“Thank you lovely” Freddy cooed, rubbing the back of her hand.

“Please” y/n whined, despite her eyes attempting to close.

Freddy sighed, “honey, you can't keep asking me to allow you to stay up."

Y/n scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, “why?"

“‘cause you need sleep and I can't say no to that face you make and you know it" Freddy chuckled, tapping her stuffy nose.

She grinned acutely, “read to me then?”

Freddy hummed and nodded, “first we need to get you tucked in more”.

Despite her pretend state of annoyance, Freddy wrapped y/n up in a blanket until her face barely peaked out of the burrito like wrap he made.

Y/n wiggled her way down on the couch, placing herself between his legs as she rested her head on his chest.

Freddy bent his head down to kiss the space between her eyes before he picked his book up off the coffee table.

“Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether. Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed” Freddy read quietly.

As he read to her, he grinned to himself as she drifted in and out of consciousness as if debating whether she wanted to listen to him more or sleep.

Freddy paced back and forth in the bedroom as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, “please?”

“Come on. There's no need to overreact about this” y/n sighed.

It had been a few days now and she was overall doing better but was very lightheaded still.

“You are literally passing out” he countered, staring at her like she was insane.

“No hospital." She declared and he sighed as he saw the determined look in her eyes.

He knew she wouldn’t intentionally risk her own life just to not go in, but he was worried.

“If you even slightly lose consciousness, I'm taking you to hospital. I don’t want to hear any resistance” he compromised.

“Okay” she agreed, turning on the TV to keep her attention.

Freddy sighed, walking back to the bed so join her.

“You’re driving me insane” he muttered, holding her tightly.

“I’m okay Freddy, there’s not much they can do” she told him, rubbing his cheek.

“You should not be passing out” he complained, staring down at her, his eyes full of fear.

“The doctor said it should be over in another few days. I just over did it” she admitted.

“Yes, you did” he agreed, tightening his hold on her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-“ she began, frowning at him.

“Don’t apologize. Just communicate that you’re sick next time please” Freddy rebutted.

“Okay, I will. Sorry “ she agreed.

“Stop apologizing to me for this, angel, just keep your eyes open” he said, stroking her hair.

“Ahh, no, eyes open” Freddy said, tapping her cheek as her heavy eyelids began closing.

“Sorry, I'm... I'm really dizzy” she admitted weakly.

Freddy sat up more, holding her face steady between his hands, “am I taking you in now?”

Y/n hesitated, Freddy took that as a yes.

He pulled her up to the head of the bed to lean her back on the bed frame, “sit still baby”.

Freddy rushed to the bathroom, putting on his slippers and grabbing y/N’s.

“Okay,” he said breathlessly, reaching down and scooping her up in his arms, “I’ve got you”.

“I’m sorry you have to car-“ she sighed, her eyes fighting to close.

“No more apologizing, I’m glad you told me” Freddy promised, sitting her in her seat, “just let me handle this”.

After bucking my her in securely, he rushed ti the driver’s side and quickly began to drive to the nearest hospital.

Freddy sighed, relieved as the staff called y/N’s name to bring her back to be evaluated.

“I’m sorry we’re here, I know it’s late and-“ she began to ramble as Freddy pushed her in the loaner wheelchair.

"If you say ‘I'm sorry’ one more time, I'm going to be extra caring until you can't stand me” Freddy smirked, making y/n let out a breathy laugh.

“Right this way” the staff instructed, leading the couple back to the bed they wanted y/n in to be seen by a doctor.

Freddy lifted y/n out of the chair and onto the hospital stretcher.

“I’m sorry you're sick, my love. I wish there was more I could do to help” he cooed, fluffing the pillow before she laid back.

“Freddy” she pouted, grabbing his hand, “you’re doing more than enough”.

He sighed but nodded, sitting next to her, “hopefully they have something to help you”.

“I just need you “ she argued.

“Uh oh, you’re fever must be back” Freddy teased as he felt her forehead, making her laugh quietly.

“Thank you for bringing me in” she said, holding his hand.

“Thank you for dropping the stubbornness and letting me” he winked, relaxing as he knew he was now surrounded by people who would try to help her feel better.

“Let me draw you a bath” Freddy said as they entered their flat.

Y/n hummed in agreement, complying with his desires since he’d gone above and beyond to help her.

While the doctors at the hospital had already made her dizziness better, if this would make him calm, she’d let him do it.

“You're too good to me” she smiled as Freddy lead her to the bath tub that was now full and had Epsom salts in it, essential oil candles lit nearby.

“Not possible” he argued, helping her out of her clothes.

“You really didn’t have to do all of this” she smiled, holding his hand as he lead her into the tub.

“You’ll have to get used to it” he laughed.

“You plan on me being sick again soon?” She teased, relaxing her muscles in the warm water.

Freddy shook his head, his cheeks warming, “no, no. We just were talking about our future the other day and, well, ‘in sickness and health’ you know?”