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animemangasoul · 2 years ago

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Gloves for a Cane

Summery: Sturmhond gives one Kaz Brekker a helping hand on a slave ship.

Or, remember that scene in shadow and bones when Kaz leant Nikolai his cane? Yeah.

They'd expected resistance, of course they had. A slaver's ship wasn't going to just roll over and let them scratch it's belly. They'd know that, but frankly, Sturmhond or better known by the name Nikolai, King consort, was tired. He'd been at sea for what felt like months now, even though he very well knew it had only been three weeks, and he missed his wife damn it. He hadn't been away from her this long since they'd tied the knot and seeking her grow smaller and smaller by the harbor as he set sail had done something to his blackened heart he couldn't quite place a finger on.

In summary, he wanted to go home and he would be on his way there right now if rumours hadn't reached their ears that the slaver's ship Damnation was carrying a cargo to Katterdam. Nikolai hadn't even giving the decision a second thought, issuing orders and turning away from home sweet home to do what he must.

And now here they were, fighting a bloody and brutal battle against a bloody and brutal crew.

Nikolai was so freaking tired.

The sound of clashing swords and the scent of smoke filled the air as he and his crew fought to take control. So far many men had fallen victim to his guns and blade but more just kept popping up. "Oh for-" he hissed when a muscles of a man nicked his arm. Turning swiftly he shot him once, twice. He dropped and never got up.

"Tolya!"

"I'm good," one of his closest friends and comrades called back, his previous grunt of pain, all but forgotten as he reached out, clenched his fist and crushed the heart of the first man.

"Good good," Nikolai said, stabbing his sword through the nearest man's chest to the hilt. "Make sure to keep it that way."

"Ay ay captain."

Amidst the chaos, his mind remained focused on the mission at hand - rescuing the abused slaves that were likely still locked up in the brig unless this was one of those slave ships that tended to kill their cargo instead of losing it to rivals. Nikolai felt cold just thinking about it.

The deck was slick with blood and sea spray by the time the battle came to an end, the captain of the Damnation dead with a bullet through his skull.

Nikolai stood tall, his shirt stained red but his eyes blazing. "Tie up the rest," he said, waving carelessly at the remaining crew. "Tolya, come with me, we'll see who've they got in the brig."

Tolya nodded, following behind him silently; his big frame providing Nikolai some familiar level of comfort.

He stepped down into the bowels of the ship, the salty air turning dank and sour with each step they took. He peered into the first cell and found it empty, then moved to the next and then the next. Part of him was relieved because the sparsity of the cells meant they hadn't captured many, but the other half of him just wanted to see alive faces and-----

There, huddled in the corner of the fourth cell, was a group of people, haggard and thin, their eyes darting up to meet his. They looked starved, scared, defiant.

He put on a smile, falling behind his privateer mask to bury his anger and raised his hands in the air, universal sign of 'I mean you no harm.' Most of the people appeared to be of Fjerdan descent so with less than adequate accent, he stepped forward and said-

"I'm here to free you," Kaz said, his Fjerdan rough yet cheerful. "Do you know who I am?"

One of the prisoners shifted forward, their eyes lighting up with recognition. "You're Sturmhond," they said, their voice trembling. "We've heard of you. You're a privateer."

Nikolai's eyes lit up, smirk turning into a full blooming grin. Finally. "Yes, that I am." He tipped his hat; a beautiful piece of leather gift giving to him curtesy of Genya. "Good good. Then you know I've come to free you."

Bending down, he picked the lock with practiced ease and swung the cell door open. He'd gotten quite fast at lock picking ever since his favorite Ketterdam barrel rat had given him a most valuable lesson in it.

The prisoners stumbled out, some of them too weak to stand, and Tolya and him caught them before they fell. As they made their way back up to the deck, Nikolai couldn't help but let his shoulders fall in relief. He hadn't lost any of his crew on this unprompted raid and they'd found the kidnapped victims before anything worse could have happened to them. It was….. A relief.

Suddenly Nikolai saw movement out of the corner of his eye and he stiffened, hand immediately coming to rest on the revolver at his side.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings, demon."

He turned, eyes widening at hearing the familiar brittle voice of an old friend only to come face to face with the owner of the voice himself.

"Kaz?" He asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Kaz lips quirked into what could arguably be construed as a friendly-ish smirk. "Sturmhond."

He was standing tall and maybe a bit stiff by the now opened cell door of the cell next to the one he'd found the rest of the people. Nikolai had been meaning to give the brig thorough check before heading up but part of him felt a twinge of guilt to not have done so immediately and missed Kaz. For it was obvious Kaz Brekker hadn't been here of his own violation by his ragged appearance and sunken cheeks. Or if he'd been, for it to have turned sour rather quickly.

"Didn't expect to see you here." He said instead, not voicing any of his racing thoughts. His concerns

"Fastest way back to Katterdam," was the younger's casual response. It made Nikolai snort.

"Of course."

"Best we get out of here," the Katterdam gangster said, after observing him quietly for a second. Nikolai nodded. Taking a step forward, cane missing, Kaz grimaced as the ship swayed and his left hand came in contact with the metal of the door in support. He pulled his hand away immediately but his cheeks had already taken on a greenish tint and Nikolai couldn't help but stare. He couldn't quite look away from the other's hands. His bare hands. For this had just finally managed to register in his head. His naked, bare, uncovered hands.

Where were his gloves? 'Likely where his cane is, idiot,' his brain supplied him helpfully and he found himself pulling a face. Yeah that made sense. Who'd let a slave keep his possessions. Hell, for all he knew, Kaz could have lost them both long before he boarded this ship. If they were here, Brekker would have gotten to them during the fight, wouldn't he?

Should Nikolai ask?

No? Yes?

"Best to get out of here before other slave ships are alerted to our presence," Kaz said, breaking him out of his thoughts and raising an eyebrow at him when their eyes met. It was obvious Kaz Brekker wasn't about to acknowledge that momentary sign of weakness and from the way he held himself, he might as well have loudly said he'd gut Nikolai if he did but----

A long time ago. Nikolai had been injured. He had tried to walk it off but his leg hadn't been willing to cooperate and frankly it had hurt like a bitch. Back then a particular young man with a penchant for violence, cruel words and carelessness regarding people's lives had lent him his cane. A cane he too had needed.

It had been a kind gesture.

Nikolai remembered it well.

"Sturmhond." There was a sharpness in Brekker's voice. "Let us go."

"Yeah, ok but first---" Without a second thought, Nikolai pulled off his own gloves, the thick material sliding off without resistance and exposing his blackened fingers to the cool air. He could feel the familiar discomfort that always accompanied the feeling of not hiding his hands despite having come to term with the demon inside a long long time ago, but he pushed it all aside as he held out his gloves to Kaz.

"Here, put these on," he said lightly, hiding his concern with humour. "Pretty sure your pale-ass hands will catch fire when we make it back to the deck otherwise."

Kaz's face went tight. "Sturmhond ," he said, this time the warning there unmistakable.

Nikolai didn't budge. "Take it," he said. "I owe you one." Layers behind the words Kaz clearly picked upon from the way his eyebrows arched.

When their eyes met this time, there was something unreadable in the younger man's gaze. For a second Nikolai almost took his hand back, thinking perhaps they did not actually have an unspoken understanding about this but just as his arm twitched, Brekker reached out. Fingers pinching and lifting the gloves oh so carefully as not to touch him but taking them nonetheless.

Nikolai sighed in relief.

"You did not have to do this," Kaz said after a pause, pulling the privateer's gloves on; they looked just this side of big on him to make it almost look adorable. Nikolai bit his tongue to not comment on it. He promised his wife he'd come back home alive.

Instead he shrugged off the gratitude which frankly felt more like casual observation, knowing that Kaz didn't like to be fussed over. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for repaying debts."

"Indeed."

How could someone so young, sound so dead inside?

"We have to get you out of here," Nikolai said, "everyone must be wondering what's taking me so long."

Kaz rested a hand against the metal; this time without a twitch of discomfort, Nikolai took bigger comfort in that than he was willing to admit. "Lead the way."

Together, they made their way back to the deck of the ship, where the rest of the crew was waiting.

Nikolai surveyed the scene before him: the still living slavers, writhing on the ground in pain or cowering in fear, tied together. Satisfaction pulsed through him at the sight.

A group of terrified, shackled people huddled together on the other side as his crew slowly worked their way to free them. Nikolai had seen many horrors in his time at sea, but the sight of people being treated as property still made his blood boil.

"Get them out of those chains as quickly as possible," he barked at his crew. "Before getting them back on our ship, get them something to eat too. We've got a long journey ahead of us, and I won't have them chained like animals by the time we sail off. Also, do try to treat your own injuries before helping anyone else." The crew scrambled to do as told even as they lightly ribbed each other, shoving him around good naturally as they passed him by.

God, he really loved these idiots.

Now, stepping up to the freed slaves, he tipped his hat.

"I'm Captain Sturmhond," he said. "And you're safe now."

One of the men stepped forward, his eyes wary. "Who are you really?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I'm the man who just saved your life," Nikolai replied with a grin. "And if you're wondering where we're headed, let me just say that we're not in the business of selling people. You're free now, and we'll get you home as soon as possible. That is a promise."

Oh did he have a hell of a story to tell Zoya when he got back. Speaking off--

"What do you say about coming with me back to Ravka?"

"No."

He sighed. So ungrateful.

But as he watched Kaz leaning against the railing watching the sunset. The younger man having helped free the slaves in record time; gloves still firmly pulled over his hands, Nikolai couldn't help but smile.

He was glad.

Now, how to trick him into boarding Inej's ship so they could finally reunite.

#nikolai lantsov #kaz brekker #shadow and bone #grisha trilogy fanfic #shadow and bone fanfic #grishaverse #fanfic #but guys guuuuuuuys #why am I still freaking out about that moment #and now I can't stop thinking about nikolai returning the favor like #fjndjkndkjn heeeeelp #i need this #so I made it #living rent free in my head

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