You sat with Nina as she healed a wound on your arm. The tissue forming into a scar with her heart render abilities. Jesper was in the room as well, both of them could tell you were upset from a conversation you had with Kaz. How could he act like a fool? To his Crows nonetheless. Distancing himself? Why? "Maybe he's, I dunno, Kaz is just...Kaz." Jesper fixed his hair in the mirror, glancing at you. "It's different." You argued "I just don't understand why he'd lie to me...giving me stupid missions anyone could do easily just to keep me away!" "Because he'd rather push you away than admit he feels anything for you." Nina said, then all of you went silent. She hesitated, finishing healing the wound. "Was I...not supposed to say that outloud?" "I...its not like that..." You ran your fingers over the scar, your thoughts spinning. The two of them exchanged a glance...

What Nina had said earlier was burning through your mind. There had always been...something...between you and Kaz. But...it couldn't happen. He, physically, couldn't touch you...not with the trauma's of his past haunting him. And you...the days when you worked in the menagerie still gave you nightmares. Two of the most feared people in Ketterdam...too weak to even touch one another. But...you didn't even know if Kaz felt that way about you. You felt something sure...but did he? It was impossible to read him...what he was thinking...impossible.

Kaz was in his office, reading through documents at his desk, his leather gloves moving over the paper with ease. His thoughts were whirling as well... He cared for you, no doubt about it. Over the years he'd begun to lean on you...to need you near... He was a broken mess, but he'd pull himself into some semblance of a man...for you. He wanted to be able to touch you...hold you. But the memories would rise...the trauma he endured...and he couldnt But now, with his plans he needed to push you away. It broke him...almost. But he needed to keep you safe.