A/N: Well, Shadow and Bone S2 blindsided me with a new "I don't know how the hell this would work but I'm here for it" ship and I had to write something, even if it's just a quick 10-minute ficlet. Why the hell my brain insisted on Kaz POV I have no idea, but I hope it works.

Name, as is my tradition, from a Diablo Swing Orchestra song.

---

When the Volkvolny returns to port, he's there. Of course he's there. A distance away from the pier, perhaps, but he's there.

Oretsev gives him a nod as he strides past carrying ropes and hollering orders at the disembarking crew. He nods back -- already distracted.

She's walking down the pier in confident strides, hair blowing in the breeze, sun glinting on her daggers. Tolya's big arm rests around her shoulders and she's not shrinking away. In fact, hers is curled around his waist, fingers tucked into his belt.

His jaw tightens and his fingers ball into tight fists around his cane. He plants his feet and locks his knees, forces himself not to be a coward for once.

Her gaze lands on him. And brightens, softens.

His follows suit, with a warm, knowing smile.

He blinks and takes a breath, momentarily reeling.

-

When she's standing in front of him, she squeezes Tolya's arm. The pirate's gaze sweeps her face before he gives them a gentle nod and steps away.

Not far. And while his gaze ostensibly searches for his sister, he knows he's still tuned into her, listening for her breathing, her heartbeat. He can respect that.

"Did you find your brother?"

She exhales. Relieved, but her smile is bittersweet. "Yes. He has a new family, now. We... promised to write."

"Hmm." His gaze bores into her. "And you?"

She tilts her head in that familiar, exasperated way and sighs, challenge heating her eyes and sharpening her voice.

"I came back, didn't I?"

The to you is silent and he wonders if he imagined it. He blinks slowly and glances five steps away and to the left. "Yes. You did."

This time she does not fail to roll her eyes. She reaches out her left hand and Tolya is there at her side, fingers intertwined with hers, his gaze steady and warm on her. And then on him.

She lifts her right hand in front of her, palm open, eyes burning. Willing him to figure it out. Willing him to swallow the dregs of fear and pride and accept.

"Yes. We did."

Unpopular S&B opinions, eh? 😁

Probably most of them, honestly, since I've not read the books and therefore have no particular attachments to how things are in them.

But while opinions vary in a crossover fandom as big as this, I can't think of many that are more unpopular than being 100% cool with the show throwing Tolya in with the Crows, including the hints at a little something with Inej (and Kaz??). Honestly, I think the whole thing might be a genius move, and as of now, I'm not the least bit worried that it will lead to some convoluted love triangle bullshit.

Even Tolya's implied possible book canon aroaceness doesn't feel like an issue to me. I mean, I'm very much on both of those spectrums myself and I actually did kind of vibe with show Tolya on that level even before learning about that one line in the books that hints at it. I mean... that's Lewis Tan. He could have brought hella smolder to the screen. Instead, Tolya just had the absolute safest, warmest, chillest vibes, and his interest in Inej feels very much based on respect and admiration. It makes sense to pair him with Inej, who comes with plenty of trauma and complication and would not be well-suited for virtually anyone else. Especially since Kaz, her first choice, is clearly not ready to be what she wants him to be yet.

And I mean, personally... I might never have been in love and be generally perfectly content without a romantic/sexual relationship, but if I ever find someone I really click with, I'm not going to be mad about it, am I? Why would he be? I understand that we're not all the same and that some of us would like to see the kind of representation where a character has zero interest in any kind of even remotely romantic or sexual entanglement, but... since it's a spectrum, we are not all the same, so no matter what, no aspec representation will ever be able to represent all of us.

And then there's the part where at least a part of the fandom seems to be mad about this because they view Inej as Kaz's exclusive property. Which... is pretty mind-boggling to me, all things considered, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. These attitudes die hard. But like... isn't it better if she goes be free for a while, grows and heals and finds herself for a bit, and then eventually returns to Kaz of her free will with a new Crow in tow? Would you rather she stick around out of guilt and duty and wallow in an unhappy, currently unresolvable situation?