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To say he was nervous was a gross understatement. Today was the day he asked Kaz for his blessing to Marry Wylan. He just had to ask the most sadistic and monstrous barrel boss for his approval to marry his Adopted son. Easy Peasy. Jesper had already sent a letter to Hellgate for Jan VanEck. It wasn't a plea for his blessing or anything silly like that; it was more of bragging that not only were they going to get married but that they would be spending a great deal of Jan's retirement fund on it.

Jesper already had most of the wedding planned out, besides joint decisions needed to be made between him and Wy. Since Wy had no idea that he was going to be asked and Jesper had no idea if he was going to be able to if the talk with Kaz didn't go well. The letter was a tad presumptuous but he was in prison, he wouldn't know if they didn't get married so what the hell.

All of a sudden the ringing of the doorbell rang through the house. Wylan was out for a meeting, so Jesper was the only one home, and he was quickly realizing what a mistake that was. He was about to be murdered all alone. He hoped Wylan could host the funeral before he started decomposing. His face was just too pretty to have a closed casket service.

As he ran to answer the door, Jesper sent a prayer up the saints that Inej seemed to put so much faith in.

"INEJ! wh-...what are you doing here?" Jesper asked as he opened the door wider for his best friend to step inside.

"Kaz was busy, so he sent me instead. He said whatever you had to say couldn't be too important." Inej said as she rolled her eyes heavenwards, "Don't take it too seriously though, he's been in a mood all week. Ever since I got on to him for teaching Damian how to pick the lock on the vault door. We have weapons in there, we can't just let him in there all by himself."

"oh..." Jesper mumbles, hoping she didn't know about the shooting practice he had been doing with Alby.

Inej sighs,"so what's this about anyway?"

all of a sudden Jesper had a magnificent idea. Inej was a Pseudo-mom for Wylan just like Kaz was his Pseudo-dad, so as long as he got permission from one of them, technically Kaz couldn't be angry.

Jesper inhaled deeply and and took Inej's hands, "Inej you know I love your son very much. So much that sometimes I think I'm dreaming. I would like your permission to marry your son. If you give me this blessing i'll love him until all the stars go out in the sky and I'll stay by his side for eternity. Please Inej?"

Inej looking deeply unnerved asked,"just to clarify, we are talking about Wylan right?"

Jesper's brain short circuits a moment. did she-? ,"For fucks sake Inej, I'm not a Pedo. Yes I mean Wylan. MY BOYFRIEND! WHO I LOVE!!!"

"just making sure, I got three other boys Jes." Inej snickers as she slowly relaxes, "And yes, I give you permission to marry him. But if you ever hurt him, I'll invert your ribcage."

"Yes ma'am" Jesper salutes dropping her hands. Now with that done all he had to do was pop the question.

Inej smiles and heads towards the door,"well if that's all then i'll be on my way."

"Inej?"

She turned back around to see Jesper looking nervous,"Yeah?"

"Can you...Not tell Kaz?" Jesper pleaded with her. Oh she gets it now. He's a scaredy cat.

"Your secret is safe with me Jes." As his shoulders slumped, she smiled wickedly at him as she opened the door,"at least until the engagement party."

Jesper had gotten permission. Was it from Kaz? No but it would do. And now the the only thing left to do was ask him. And oh did Jesper ask him. But not in the way he had planned and not in the way that Wylan deserved. It was in the stupid way that truly only Jesper could get away with.

They were in the middle of a small scuffle downtown that required some artillery. Fancy words for they were in a fight and Wylan decided to set off an explosion because 'goddamnit we have dinner reservations Jes and we aren't missing them'.

And amidst the rubble and people screaming because they were on fire, we get it, it hurts; So does living with this gorgeous ass and no one appreciating it, Jesper thought Wylan had never looked more Ethereal.

not even thinking before speaking, so basically the usual, Jesper spoke, "We can do that instead of doves at the wedding Wy."

Jesper remembers the confused look on his now fiances face back then.

"What wedding?"

Jesper felt his face drop in realization. "I knew I forgot to do something last night."

After they had it all cleared up, not the rubble because that's not their job and they ran as fast as they could from the scene of the crime, Jesper proposed properly. On one knee and with a ring that he stole with his bare hands like a proper man.

"Wylan VanEck I Ain't gon lie, you have a shit last name. So be a dear an' take mine love?"

Wylan giggled but quieted when Jesper smiled and continued.

"Wy I love you more than life itself. We've been through so much together. Through heists, grand theft tank, gnarly escapes, explosions, and a really treacherous wagon ride. And through it all I had your stupid face there with me so will you do me the honor of marrying me so I'll have it with me always?"

"Depends...was Kuwai a better kisser than me?"

"It was ONE time!"

Jesper was no stranger to staring death in the face but very rarely do they invite it over for dinner to announce their engagement. They were inviting the crew over for a nice dinner, but Jesper had a feeling that it wasn't going to stay nice for long.

One of the things that told Jesper this was that Kaz was coming. And although he had chilled out recently, probably because he was a dad to 3 children and had no time for schemes that took him away for more than a night, Jesper still didn't think Kaz had reached the level of chill that would be needed for him to hear the news of their engagement without throwing hands or at least some food.

Especially since Jesper hadn't really asked for his permission. Even if Wylan was his Pseudo-son, Kaz seemed to take his roll as Wylan's non-deadbeat father very seriously.

Jesper was screwed.

~~~Time Skip to the Dinner~~~

He takes it back he wasn't screwed. That was too light of a word. He was irrevocably and inevitably Fucked.

Not only was Inej throwing him glances from where she was seated, even Nina seemed to know what was going on. Jesper wondered if she cornered Wy in the kitchen and made him tell her. The only one that didn't seem to know what was going on was Kaz and his 3 children. But that didn't mean they were oblivious to the tension in the room either.

God Jesper just wanted to get married, not have to fight satan to do it. Finally it was time. Wylan stood up Glass in hand and tapping it with spoon like a good little merchling. Oh saints Jesper wasn't ready.

"Excuse me. I have an announcement to make. Or actually we have an annoucment to make." Wylan said grabbing Jesper's hand. He could see the minute it clicked in Kaz's head. He set his silverware on the plate and stared at them wordlessly. As the tension got thicker, Wylan hand started to grow colder and clammier. Fuck that. Kaz could scare him all he wanted, but Jesper drew the line at scaring Wylan.

However, Before he could speak a gasp broke through the air. "YOU'RE PREGNANT?!" Alby screeched.

~~~Time skip bcuz this chapter is massive~~~

After Nina had stopped choking on pot roast and and they realized that no, they would not have to take her to a Medik, they explained to the excited 7 year old that that is not how things work.

They had all silently decided that dinner was for the most part over and that while the kids played they should probably discuss some things. Or more like they would leave Jesper to drown after chumming the waters, and HOLY SHIT THERE'S A SHARK! and he goes by the name Kaz Brekker.

They both escaped to the office (or Kaz escaped and dragged Jesper by the collar of his shirt with him). This was Jesper's home, and somehow he did not feel safe. He felt even less safe when Kaz locked the door behind them.

As soon as the door was locked, Kaz was staring Jesper down with a fierceness, Jesper had only seen a handful of times. They stared at each other in silence. Kaz expecting him to break it and Jesper too afraid to do so. After what seemed like Hours of tense quiet, Kaz breathed out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why does is seem like I was the Last to be informed of this, even though this was your official announcement?" Kaz asked him quietly still pinching his nose, eyes shut tight. Jesper was thrown for a loop.

"You're pissed about that?" Jesper asked, feeling relieved thinking he may make it out of this alive just yet

"I'm not pissed Jesper. I'm Upset." Kaz said letting go of his nose

"but why?" Jesper wondered, this was an entirely different reaction than he was expecting and it feels like untrodden ground.

"WHY?" Kaz exploded finally opening his eyes to look at Jesper, and oh my saints, was it just the light or were they shiny," Maybe because everybody knew that you were engaged except me. Maybe because my best friend didn't tell me that he was engaged but he told everyone else. MAYBE because my SON didn't tell me a GODDAMN thing but everyone else at this STUPID dinner KNEW! SO YEAH JES, I'M A BIT UPSET!!!"

Kaz's chest was heaving from shouting and suddenly Jesper felt like the worst friend.

"I thought you would be mad..." Jesper whispered ,"that I didn't ask permission. That why we waited to tell you. I don't know how Nina knew."

"And how did Inej know? Did you tell her right before dinner just like Nina? Because you were so worried about the tantrum that I would throw that you wanted all hands on deck, ready and able to help." Kaz spat. Jesper flinched but he wasn't the only one to blame for this.

"I asked Inej for permission. I was going to ask you. But you sent Inej instead because you said whatever I had to say couldn't have been too important anyway." Jesper huffed,"Guess it was. Wasn't it?"

They both let the question hang in the air after that. Both realizing their parts in this drama. Before the silence could build any tension Jesper spoke.

"look man, You have a habit of being protective so you can't blame me for thinking you were gonna flip your shit. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but to be fair I thought we were telling Nina at the same time as you. But you know how that Woman is about her Gossip." That got him a Kaz snort before he continued,"but I will say that if you hadn't brushed me off, you woulda known a lot sooner. So we cool?" Jesper asked sticking out a hand

Kaz looking all the world like he was doing Jesper some great favor, pulled him in for a one arm hug instead,"Yeah we're cool. and you say important stuff sometimes." he said patting Jesper's back. It wasn't an apology but very few ever got the privilege of one from Him.

And right before Jesper was about to let him go, Kaz pulled him in real close and Whispered,"By the way, if you hurt him, I'll staple dead crows to your front door." and after that horrifying and gruesome threat Kaz let him go.

headed out the office door Kaz threw over his shoulder,"let's go finish this party. Oh and Welcome to the family Jes."

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