wylan found inej sitting on the steps that lead to the mansion’s back garden, two hands wrapped around a cup of coffee and a blanket draped over her shoulders to fend off the morning chill. the whole picture was strangely domestic, in a way that wylan was still struggling to get used to after these past few days with the three of them living together in his father’s mansion, in a way that made his heart swell with fondness nonetheless.
“ ‘ morning. ” wylan’s voice was laden with sleep as he sat next to her, wincing just a little at the pain in his still-healing ribs. inej offered one end of her blanket and he accepted gratefully, tugging it across his shoulders as she scooted a little closer.
wylan dragged a hand down his face, fighting back a yawn as he stared out at the canal. “ are you always up this early or did you hear jesper’s snoring too? ”
when there came no reply he glanced over, and almost jumped at the way inej was staring, brow furrowed like she was studying him. wylan was suddenly self-conscious, and he felt compelled to sit up a little straighter, to fix his posture. the bruises he’d been left with after the auction had mostly faded by now, but was there something on his face? was it his breath?
after a moment, he spoke. “ uh, do i — ”
“ did you do something different with your hair? ” @ineij asked suddenly.
for a moment wylan only blinked, and then he snorted. “ no, i — i washed it, probably? ” he tugged a hand through his curls. admittedly, it had felt good to wash what felt like months’ worth of dirt and grime and barrel off of him, but now wylan felt his cheeks flush even as he laughed. “ ghezen, was it that bad before? ”
the first night, she couldn’t get herself to sleep. not in the way she knew she should be able to. it felt too easy, undeserved, even though she knew it was utter foolishness to even think such a thing despite the absolute madness they all endured. but old habits were harder to break, the hyper - vigilance coating her nerves as clenched fists readied for the most prominent dagger that laid on her form. and then it got easier, it was unexpected as she felt what must have been actual slumber, to feel the heaviness of her limbs after giving into exhaustion. so she wakes up later now, no longer chasing the sun’s first appearance through the deep indigos of the early skies, no longer feeling that need to hurry.
it’s quiet, quieter than she’s used to, when she makes her way to the garden — when she listens for the bustling indistinct chatter, the makeshifts of calamity. comfort swells within her as she hears the shuffling of feet behind her, and then the voice of familiarity that the mansion had been lacking. it still feels unreal, that they can live and live without worrying about their next move, when all that would matter was properly brewing coffee or choosing a meal from the vast collection.
she blinks, feeling the breeze on her cheeks as she studies him, gaze flickering from the fading bruises, the easing tiredness around his eyes, and then that head of hair. ❝ no ! not bad. just different. ❞ she reassures, a laugh escaping her throat. ❝ it’s nice, feels more you. ❞ it bears a resemblance to the first night they’d met, when he was prim and proper and she worried for the sake of his survival. nimble digits clutch her end of the blanket, still adjusting to the weightlessness from where her knives used to be. ❝ the magic of water and soap, what wonders ! ❞
shifting her gaze from him back to the garden, she allows her eyes to flicker shut just to embrace the easiness that graced them. a moment passes before she’s slowly leaning her side against his, the hesitation not as heavy now as it would have been before. there’s comfort in it, now. ❝ why are you up this early ? was it jesper’s snoring ? ❞