ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴄᴀʀᴅɪᴀᴄ ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴏʟᴏɢʏ
Summary: An impulsive decision lands you in a class taught by one of Linkon City’s most respected surgeons. Dr. Zayne Li is controlled, distant, and entirely off-limits. Which would matter more if you were better at ignoring your own bad decisions.
Warnings: mdni 18+ ,age gap (mid-30s/early 20s), professor/student dynamic, power imbalance, internal thirst, slow burn, boundary crossing,
A/N: Sorry it's so incredibly short, but I am a college student, and life is kicking me while I'm down. Maybe I'll add an epilogue eventually or go back and edit. Who knows...
The bell above the door chimed softly as you stepped inside, a wave of cool air and sugar-sweet warmth washing over you. The pace was new, barely a few weeks old. It smelled incredible. Fresh pastries, melted chocolate, something buttery lingering in the air. Exactly what you needed to end the summer with.
"Hi, what can I get for you?" the girl behind the counter asked brightly. You scanned the case, taking your time, letting yourself relax for the first time in what felt like days. "Um, can I get a couple of your strawberry macaroons?" you pointed, "and an iced mocha, please."
You leaned against the counter slightly, pulling your phone out of your bag, already half distracted. Until it hit you. Your wallet. No. No, no, no. You checked again. Different pocket, smaller zipper. Nothing. Of course.
"I'm sorry," you cut in, already flustered, digging through your bag again like it might magically appear. "I'm so sorry, I think I left my wallet-"
"Don't worry. I've got it." Your breath caught. You knew that voice. You froze for half a second before slowly turning your head. And there he was. Zayne.
Standing just behind you, already pulling out his card like this was the most natural thing in the world. Your heart did something stupid. Again.
“You don’t have to-” you started, instinct kicking in. He didn’t even look at you.
“It’s fine,” he said, calm, easy. “Add it to mine.” The cashier nodded, completely unaware of the shift happening in the space between you. You watched him instead. The way he moved. The same controlled ease, but lighter now. Less restrained. Like something had finally loosened. When he finally glanced at you, it wasn’t quick. Wasn’t careful. It lingered.
“Still forgetting important things, I see,” he said, a hint of something teasing in his voice. You huffed out a quiet breath, somewhere between embarrassed and… something else entirely. “Only when I’m distracted.”
His brow lifted slightly. “That so?” You held his gaze.
“Seems to happen more often than I’d like.” Something passed between you, unspoken, but very much there. The cashier handed over the bag and coffee, breaking the moment.
“Thanks,” he said, taking it, then handing it to you instead. Your fingers brushed. It shouldn’t have meant anything. It did.
“Thank you,” you said, softer now.
He shrugged slightly. “You can get the next one.” The words were casual. But the implication wasn’t.
You tilted your head just slightly. “Is that an invitation?” This time, he smiled. Not the polite, restrained one you’d seen all of last semester. Something real. Not forbidden anymore.
“Depends,” he said. “Are you going to forget your wallet again?”
You let out a quiet laugh, shaking your head. “Maybe.” Another pause. This one lighter, but still charged.
“So,” he added after a moment, nodding toward the door, “you going to stand here all day, or are you going to walk with me?” Your heart skipped. Like no time had passed. Like everything had. You adjusted your grip on the bag, trying not to overthink it. “Lead the way,” you said. And this time, nothing was stopping you.
