Warnings: Angst, second person, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of dying in childbirth, character death, death of children, spousal neglect, no use of Y/N.
Love and Deepspace Masterlist can be found here.
You entered a court sick and tired of mourning and ready to return to its glittery splendor, save for one man, your husband to be. You knew what you were stepping into long before you had found yourself here, on the marriage altar across Crown Prince Zayne. You were expected to produce heirs for the throne, to carry on the line, to gain the love of the court and the common folk, but the one love you should never expect is from your husband.
At twenty two, Crown Prince Zayne is already a widow once over, having buried his late crown princess only two years past, after the birth of their only daughter. To many of noble and royal blood, perhaps, a mourning period of two years is excessive, but Crown Prince Zayne had grown up with his late crown princess, and had married her for love. If the child she had given her life for had been a prince, you doubt that he would have married again at all. Alas, his only child is a princess, and princesses are made to marry to foreign land, not inherit their father’s kingdom. It is for that very reason that you stand on this altar yourself, to marry a man still deep in mourning, because you are a daughter and not a son.
You steadfastly ignored the way your husband’s voice trembled as he muttered his vows after being prompted by the priest twice. You knew what you signed up for, or rather, what your father had signed you up for. And then, it’s over, you are husband and wife, joined before the eyes of the gods.
Your new husband lifted your veil over your head, and your breath caught. Crown Prince Zayne was a handsome man, even in his current state. His hair was pushed back neatly, although some strands stray from his styling, like he had run his hand through his hair one too many times. Yet, that neat hairstyle only served to highlight the hollows of his cheekbones and the emptiness of his eyes. You wondered, if he was not his father’s only living son, would he have followed the late crown princess to the grave. Despite all of that, your traitorous heart fluttered, because you have never seen a man wear grief so beautifully. He sealed his vows with a kiss, if the brief brush of his cool dry lips could even be called that at all. And then, he turned away from you, his duty done for now.
♡♡♡
Your new husband was not a cruel man, but he was a cold and distant one. He was a man still deep in mourning, forced to take a bride out of duty alone, and the door to his heart was barred to you in the same way the crown princess chambers were barred to you. Both of those doors were closed to everyone but your predecessor, you think, forever a shrine to his true love.
You understood, perhaps quicker than you should, why you, out of all of the eligible princesses, were chosen, when you were neither the most beautiful nor the one with the largest dowry when you saw a portrait of your predecessor. Her beauty, the clear love in her eyes as she gazed at your husband in their wedding portrait, was clear to the world, but even more than that, how much she looked like you, or perhaps, how much you look like her. You doubt that your shared name would have hurt either when you were chosen among your peers.
You learnt that your predecessor was well loved by the court, having grown alongside Crown Prince Zayne, his betrothed from a young age until they became of age and were wed. A crown princess in all but named until she was named so, beloved by the man who became her husband. And yet, their fairy tale had come to an end, and you are the unwelcomed reminder of that.
Still, you tried to warm his heart by being the ideal crown princess, by being the ideal wife, by being the ideal stepmother to the daughter left behind by your predecessor. You threw yourself into learning the manners of your new court, the dances, the organisation, the parties, the way the household you would one day inherit was run.
The court was easy enough to endear yourself to, not because they wanted to love you, but because the court, though they had loved your predecessor, was tired of mourning. And you were the perfect excuse to throw themselves back to merriment. They threw themselves into celebrating your arrival, and yet, nothing felt like it was for you as you scrambled to keep up.
♡♡♡
In your first official event with your husband, he turned to you, finally looking at you after avoiding you for so long and said, “You don’t have to wear so much makeup.” And your traitorous heart soared, because after weeks of being wed, your husband is finally looking at you in the light.
Only to crash when he continued his words, “She preferred to let her natural beauty shine after all.” Everything in your marriage seemed to lead back to her, you learnt. She preferred lighter dishes over heavier ones, she favoured silk over velvet, lilies over roses, fruit teas over flower teas, pearls over diamonds, silver over gold, sweet desserts over tart ones, quick cheerful dances over solemn slow ones until you felt as if you knew her better than you knew yourself. Your marriage felt eternally haunted by this dead woman who your husband was determined to turn you into.
And yet, all you could reply with was, “Yes, Crown Prince Zayne,” trying your best to keep your voice steady and your eyes dry, lest you ruin the work your ladies have put in. And that was all you remembered from your first event at court, not the splendour, not the dances, not the music, not even the warmth of your husband’s arm under your hand but those cold words of his, reminding you that you were nothing but a replacement for a dead woman.
♡♡♡
Grief, you learnt, was the cornerstone of your marriage. Grief brought the two of you together in marriage, and grief brought you closer when the young princess, named in honour of her mother, followed her mother to the grave mere months into your marriage. Your husband seemed to descend even deeper into his grief than you would have thought possible, until you feared that he would follow his wife and child into the grave.
Desperate to rouse him, even a little from his overwhelming grief, you commissioned a portrait of your step-daughter to be hung over her now empty cradle. And that would be the one and only time you would see him wept so despairingly in your arms, despite the losses that would mar your shared life.
♡♡♡
Though you were a darling of the court, and adored by the king and queen, your father and mother through marriage, you desperately wish for the love of your husband. All the glitter and splendour of the court could not fill the hole that you believe only true love could fill.
You paid rapt attention to your husband as he compared you to your predecessor, though each felt like a stab to your heart, and you learnt to embody her. You learnt her mannerism from her tutors, her habits from her servants, her diet and her schedule, the way she dressed and styled her hair, the cadence and lilt of her voice, turning yourself into a living monument of a dead woman, to take her place in your husband’s heart.
You hoped that by becoming her, you too could melt the ice cold statue of a man she had left behind in the wake of her death. The crown prince and crown princess had spent every possible moment they could together and their every moment was filled with love and warmth, said the servants, and you wished oh so desperately for that as well.
♡♡♡
The first crack showed when you shared supper together, as decreed by his father, the king. You had long grown used to the way he ignored you, choosing to focus on his meals, and his one word answers, whenever he would choose to answer at all, but something changed today.
For once, Zayne had looked straight at you, beautiful green eyes reflecting your image back at you as he spoke. “Wife, they are serving your favourite trout today,” he said with the first smile you have seen directed at you, breaking the silence.
And though your smile felt as frozen as his heart, you had answered with a smile. “I’m so excited for it,” you replied. You had never cared for trout, nor any other fish for that matter, preferring fowl, but trout had been your predecessor’s favourite. However, you would choke on fish for the rest of your life for another one of Zayne’s smiles.
♡♡♡
When you stepped into the waiting room, Zayne smiled broadly, though only by his standards as he stood. “You look lovely, darling,” he praised, his eyes roving over your form. Though it was not your taste, you had dressed yourself in the fashion of your predecessor, not with her actual dresses, those remain in the crown princess chambers, but a look-alike. Everything you had adorned yourself with was something she would have picked, down to your very rouge.
“Thank you, husband,” you replied, lilting your words just as she would have, delighted at his praise.
Zayne barely left your side that day, his large hand resting over yours on his arm as you made your rounds. And it did not go without notice by the court, as both lords and ladies looked upon you with newfound interest.
Though the night was not without hiccup, when you tripped at a dance she had favoured, Zayne frowned as he caught you. “Are you alright, my love? It is not like you to trip.” He queried with a questioning frown and sharp eyes, as if he could not phantom how his new wife would trip at the pace he had set with your predecessor.
You had practiced the dance over and over again with your tutor, but Zayne did not dance the same as your tutor had, but instead in a manner you think he had fashioned with your predecessor. “I’m well, husband,” you replied, stretching your lips in the same comforting smile your ladies had taught you, and Zayne’s frown softened marginally.
It did not stop there, for when you took a break from dancing, Zayne had handed you a glass of wine, and you had only sipped at it, trying not to gag. And once again, Zayne frowned and you remembered, your predecessor had loved the taste of wine. Before he could even open his mouth, you took a gulp of wine, large enough to be indelicate, swallowing quickly before looking up at Zayne, asking for more.
You had ended up sick in your privy that night, the wine not agreeing with you as you knew that it wouldn't.
♡♡♡
But the worst of all was not the mask you wore in the light, but the one you wore in the dark. No one could teach you what had happened in the dark between Zayne and your predecessor after all. Many a times Zayne had stopped, his green eyes icy enough to freeze a man in his tracks as he left your bedchambers when you unknowingly sounded or acted unlike her.
But slowly but surely, you learnt the habits of your predecessor in the bedchambers as much as you learnt them in the day. And two years into your marriage, you were finally with child, a reward for all of your troubles. The nobles who whispered that the crown prince could not bear to bed his new wife were silenced once and for all, to your great relief.
♡♡♡
Pregnancy, you found, was freeing in a way that nothing in your marriage ever was. Zayne was attentive in a way you did not even dare dream of, hovering to the point of being suffocating. Your every whim, no matter how outlandish, was fulfilled.
And most of all, you could live as yourself, citing pregnancy for the changes in your behaviour. You could avoid the wine you so hated, eat fowl until you were sick of it, rid yourself of the overly sweet perfume your predecessor had favoured and Zayne indulged you through it all. The cold husband you had grown used to was gone, leaving a man who researched every symptom, consulted doctors and held your hand through every change.
And yet, grief remained the cornerstone in your marriage, for your first two sons were stillborns. Still, Zayne remained ever attentive, your sole defender against the whispers of the court. And he alone celebrated when you were with child once more, growing ever more attentive with each loss.
His attentiveness rewarded him with a daughter, named after yourself, and in turn, after your late step-daughter and predecessor. Though it was not the prince and heir the nation had hoped for, you were delighted in your daughter, your little miniature and secretly relieved, as you feared that Zayne would follow the late crown princess and their daughter to the grave if you had borne a son.
♡♡♡
Motherhood suited you, you realised with glee as you threw yourself headfirst into it. You delighted in it in ways that you have never felt, and as cruel as it sounded, you knew that part of it was due to the fact that it was the one thing that the spectre who had haunted your marriage from the beginning could not touch. The late crown princess had never had a chance to be a mother to her daughter, and hence, your actions were yours and yours alone.
And yet, even then, Zayne found a way to mar it for you, for her ghost lives in your marriage through him. One night when he thought that you were asleep after playing with your daughter, he pressed a kiss to your hairline only to whisper, “Thank you for surviving, I could not bear to lose you again.”
Your heart shattered in your chest like a glass of wine, your blood spilling on the marble floor yet you remained still, for it would not do for Zayne to realise that you were awake. And so still and silent you remained, like a corpse as tears dampened your pillow and your cheeks, choking back your sobs like all of the words you have swallowed through the course of your marriage as Zayne climbed into bed next to you, holding you as if he feared that you would leave him, and yet, you know it is not you he fears to lose.
♡♡♡
Slowly but surely, you slowly shed the mask of your predecessor you had worn at the beginning of your marriage as motherhood took hold of you, though you could never fully shed it for fear that Zayne would cast you aside, free in a life she could not live. And Zayne remained as attentive as ever as you bore him child after child, princes and princesses both. And contrary to your fears, the birth of a prince did not drive him to the grave to join his late crown princess and their shared daughter.
Though grief haunted your marriage as if something that had started in grief should forevermore be haunted by it, you could not help but realise that despite grieving the death of your eldest princess and your two eldest princes, Zayne did not mourn as deeply as he had your step-daughter. You swore to grief them all the more for it, for surely they deserved a parent who grieved their loss as much as their half-sister did.
♡♡♡
In the end, despite the love and care in your marriage, when your husband of eighteen years was on his deathbed, he pleaded with you to bury his heart in the grave of your predecessor. After eighteen years and eight children, you are faced with an undeniable fact, you may be able to soften Zayne’s heart by masquerading as your predecessor, his true love remained the crown princess he had lost over twenty years ago.
And yet, you cannot find yourself to hate him for it, for when he passed, you were thrown into the depths of mourning that you had never known before. You have lost children before, your precious eldest sons, and all those nameless children who never took a single breath at all, and yet, you have never felt such a deep sense of loss before. You had to be dragged from his bedside, lest you die alongside him, though you felt as if you had.
Your bedchambers, where you had spent countless nights with him, once out of duty, then, you believed, out of love, were darkened and covered with mourning cloth, for you could not bear the light when he could not share it with you. And you could not leave your bed, not at the urging of your children nor the king, for your bed was the closest you could get to those nights you felt closest to him without crawling into his grave to join him. You could not bear to eat, for the food tasted like ash in your mouth, and swallowing was an effort you could not bear. The only thing that could rouse you from your bed were the portraits of your husband you had ordered placed in your bedchambers, hoping to feel closer to him, and yet, all they did was remind you of your great loss. So when death came for you in the same form it had taken your husband, it felt like a balm to your grieving soul.
You are buried next to him, his body yours for eternity, and yet, his heart alone remains out of your reach.
A/N: Loosely based on a dauphin and dauphine of France. I would be delighted if someone could guess which one it is!
hihi i just wanted to give everyone interested about my zayne x reader! academic rivals to lovers fic more info hehe
the official title is heart and mind and will be released on the 31st of july 11:30pm BST, on tumblr (will also eventually be uploaded on my ao3, also under hirayalia)!
i am stressing rn as i type this but we move! i have been working on this on and off for more than nine months, this is essentially my first born child so please be nice i beg
i have also made a spotify playlist for heart and mind which you may or may not be interested in listening to when reading the fic— i personally feel like it sums up their relationship progression very well so i just added it for the funsies
a/n: helloooo !! thank u for the request anon :D i hope u enjoy this hehe ,, this kinda reads as nonmc!reader i hope that’s okie :P please lmk what u guys think :]
no one would have guessed that caleb’s partner was the shyest person you would ever encounter. the same caleb who would tell the funniest jokes and could make friends with a brick wall was also hopelessly in love with you, who would get nervous before ordering in a drive thru.
caleb who had your order from every place ever seared into his brain so you’d never have to worry about ordering !!!
“hi can i get the number three meal and the number six with no onions,” he’d smile at the cashier, you stand next to your lover with a small smile, picking a booth in the back of the restaurant as caleb fills your drink for you.
caleb who has taught you that it’s okay to send food back, you don’t have to take what’s given to you if it’s not what you want. he’ll ask you if your order is right or not, knowing your lips will twitch into a frown for a second if it’s wrong. takes your food and asks them to remake it, he’s so charming and kind the staff almost always will end up redoing the order and giving you guys a free dessert as an apology.
he feels SO proud of you the first time you pout and tell him that wasn’t what you ordered.
“leb… this isn’t what i ordered,” you frowned, caleb feels his heart soar at how proud he is of you. he immediately calls the waiter over and has them bring the right food out, he smiles brightly when you tell the waiter what you’d originally ordered.
he is incredibly healing when you’re in a group setting, always listening to you so intently and responding to you when you think no one is listening.
“what happened after that?”
“is this the same prof you said had a 2.0 average?”
“didn’t that same coworker have a messy breakup a month ago?”
someone once said you were too quiet and needed to speak up, caleb almost crushed them with his evol and you had to stop him.
“we can’t even hear anything you’re saying, why can’t you ever talk louder?” they’d groan, you felt heat spread up your neck and across your face, blood going cold as you apologized, tears pricking your eyes.
“what the fucks your problem?” caleb growled, eyes dark as he turned to them, brows furrowed angrily as he stood from his seat.
“doesn’t it get annoying dude? it’s like you always have to fucking babysit” they scoff, standing up to try and seem tough, only to not even be eye level to your boyfriend.
“watch your fucking mouth,” his voice is low and dangerous, theres familiar purple rays distorting around the man, his knees buckle underneath the pressure of gravity, your eyes widen.
“caleb cmon let’s just go, please?” you say quietly, gently touching his arm. his head whips around to you, face immediately softening and eyes sparkling when you give him a pout. “please?”
you glance over your shoulder as the two of you walk away. calebs words repeat in your head.
‘you don’t have to take what they give you if you don’t like it.’
maybe his bold demeanor had rubbed off on you. before you know it you’re lifting a hand and flicking him off, yelling from a couple feet away,“pussy ass bitch!”
your heart races as you and caleb walk away. calebs jaw is practically on the floor as you laugh in disbelief of your own actions.
“this is why i never make you angry,” he chuckles, “the shyness is actually just a façade, you’re terrifying.” you roll your eyes at him, pinching his arm softly.
caleb is never shy when it comes to you, any social media he has is littered with photos of you. there’s a picture of you on the back of his phone case, in his wallet and in his colonel hat. he has a framed picture of the two of you on his desk. he calls you to look out the window and making a heart shape with the plane he’s piloting.
caleb tells everyone about you. how funny you are, how sweet and thoughtful you are, how lucky anyone would be to be let into your heart.
and when you get insecure about how shy you are, he’s quick to comfort you.
“you’re perfect the way you are, there isn’t anything wrong with being shy,” he kisses your temple. “plus you’ve grown a lot since i first met you, you even ordered for both of us when i went to the restroom the other day!”
you groan at his words, “that’s such a baby step! i wish i could be more like you,” you frown, messing with the rings on his fingers.
“a little growth is still growth is it not?” he waits for your rebuttal, grinning when it never comes. “the right people will come along for you, people who care to listen and who will love you like i do— well not as much as i do, no one will love you as much as i love you,” he mumbles, smiling when you smack him softly, craning your neck to look up at him.
“i love you caleb,” you say, words crystal clear.
“i love you, sweet girl,” he replies.
caleb loves how shy you can be, it just means he gets to take care of you more than he already does <3
ao3 link
rating: g
ship: zayne x mc
word count: 560
tags: fluff, cuddling
a/n: just a little timeline cleanse blurb for me. and me dipping my toes in writing again for the first time in forever.
do not repost & do not feed to ai
Q: If your beloved turns into a bug, would you still love her?
A: Why wouldn't I still love her? Now I can hide her in my pocket.
From your spot lying down on the couch, you could see the heat haze outside. The weather was humid and oppressive in its heat, making it perfect for staying indoors in a temperature controlled home. Not to mention the inclusion of your personal air conditioner, currently resting on top of you, nestled into your chest.
It was a rare day off for the two of you, and you'd both come to the conclusion that neither of you were all that willing to bear the soupy heat of the outdoors.
It'd taken some time in your relationship for you to convince Zayne to rest his body weight on top of you in such a way, and that you genuinely enjoyed it. And you did, truly. It was like being under the most comforting, good-looking, and nicely smelling weighted blanket. He'd been worried about crushing you under his weight, though that's exactly what you wanted. What'd made him finally give in to you was your very casual mentioning of the fact that he'd obviously be resting his head in between your breasts.
Which led to your current positions, and the encompassing feeling of contentment it brought the both of you.
You had your phone in one of your hands, mindlessly scrolling and occasionally showing a funny video or two to your cozy lover. Your other hand was buried in his hair, running your fingers through the short strands and lightly scratching at his scalp. If anything, the boneless way he was melting into you was a great indicator of his pleasure. You swore if he was cat he'd be purring like a motor engine.
His eyes were largely closed, except for when you called for his attention. You knew him well enough to know that he wasn't sleeping, he was just enjoying spending time glued to you.
Having had enough of social media for the moment, you let your phone drop into the couch cushions and moved that hand to rub his back. He hummed at the motion and nuzzled his nose into your chest, somehow molding even deeper with you.
"You look as snug as a bug in a rug," you spoke softly into his hair.
He hummed in affirmation, "You're a very efficient pillow. Or rug, I suppose."
"Only the best for my bug," you said with a kiss to his scalp.
"Though out of the two of us I'd say you're the bug in the relationship."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"You're very small. Minuscule, even."
"I'm average height, mind you."
"For a bug, indeed."
You lightly tugged at one of his earlobes, "You're ridiculous." He chuckled into your skin, the sensation leaving behind goosebumps.
"Well," you continued, "would you still love me if I turned into a bug?"
He opened his eyes and angled his head to look up at you, the affection in his gaze melting you from inside out. "Why wouldn't I still love you? I can put you in my pocket."
You huffed out a laugh, "Stop being cute, mister. Don't think I don't notice you're actively calling me a bug."
"You are a bug," he says matter-of-factly, "my little lovebug." He grabs ahold of your hand and brings it up to his lips, bestowing a sweet little kiss to the back of it.
"Okay, fine. But only because it sounds cute, you hear me?"
恋与深空 : ANIMATED LINE DIVIDIERS // GIF LINE DIVIDERS
【 沈星回 】 • XAVIER SHEN
LIGHTSEEKER
This one was annoying cuz there aren't any interesting colours cuz it looks so similar to the one I made for just Xavier as a whole.
I rlly didn't realise how similar the palettes ended up.
Black's there cuz his outfit is black but I also got rid of it. Compared to the just Xavier one, it's just SLIGHTLY less staturated. Either way, it's the same. Idfk.
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LUMIERE
No. 1: no black -> more cohesive, No. 2: black -> more true
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KING OF DARKNIGHT
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【 黎深 】 • ZAYNE LI
This man... Istg. I got so annoyed cuz his ass just HAS to have green somewhere.
Like I get it. His eyes. Pear. The irony/contrast. But my GOD I could barely figure out how to include it cuz it's so... jarring. All cold colours then suddenly BAM. Green/warm. Bro. TvT
Most of the extra stuff is just cuz Idk if I should get include more pear or not
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FORESEER
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MASTER OF FATE
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GOD OF ANNIHILIATION
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【 祁煜 】 • RAFAYEL QI
God of the Tides & Lemurian Sea God nearly fucked me up cuz cmon. They're barely different but I just fucked around anyway
ABYSSWALKER
No. 2 & 3 may look the same — which they kinda are — but no. 2 has a bolder orange taken from Deep Sea Riches but it kinda looks ugly & not super cohesive which is why I added no. 3 doesn't have it cuz it looks good both ways but Ik ppl prolly want a more cohesive one anyway so eh
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GOD OF THE TIDES
So BARELY different. The 2nd just has a little darker but I posted both despite no. 2 being more full/true to the splash art(? Imo)
But it looks prettier when it's all light colours so I still put the 1st one anyway Idk
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LEMURIAN SEA GOD
Ik the red looks super out of place which is why I got rid of it and focused on the tail colours in the 1st one but the red is still like... noticeable in his design which is why I still put this. Idfk
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【 F2U 】 ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏ CREDITS ARE MANDATORY 𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ㅤㅤㅤ 𓇼 . 〰⋆｡˚ ──┈≽ reblog & like 2 use 𓈒𓏸.°•ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
if anyone is interested in reading my zayne x reader! academic rivals to lovers fic, i REALLY hope you consider reading my work hehe
breakdown of their dynamic: medical students! zayne and reader -> surgical trainees! zayne and reader -> cardiothoracic surgeon! zayne and neurosurgeon! reader
it will have zayne and reader arguing (very petty arguments), they're idiots who can't confess, fluff, smut and more fluff!! it will also be posted on ao3 too hehe
if you want to be added to the taglist, please like or leave a comment below!!
if not enough people interact with this, i might just throw myself off the face of the earth.
Thinking about Dr. Zayne with a Dental Hygienist GF
5.8k words 🌷 Slightly NSFW if you squint, strangers to lovers, fluff, comedy, dry humor, flirting, Zayne being Zayne, ER Dr. Zayne bc I said so, Falling in Love, not a lot of plot or thought
A/N: This was meant to be a drabble and it has been sitting in my drafts for a whole year. It's now more like a compilation of short semi-fleshed out scenarios. I didn't rewrite it, just chopped it up. I didn't like it enough to rewrite the whole thing, I liked it just enough to say "fuck it" and put 'er out there
Dentist Appointments
Dr. Zayne hates going to the dentist. He’s always leaving with a scowl on his face. It’s usually because he has to come back a few days later to get a cavity removed. Dr. Zayne takes care of his teeth, but his sweet tooth – albeit, sweet teeth – always comes first.
It’s normal for people to hate the dentist. Why, Zayne is a doctor, and many people hate the doctor’s office. However, it was still his responsibility to go every 6 months to get them cleaned. Despite the little voice in the doctor’s head telling him to skip. Zayne prefers his appointments to be first thing in the morning, just so he can get it out of the way. The sooner he can get in, the sooner he can get out.
The waiting room in the dentist’s office makes an effort to relax its guests. The wall-mounted TV was playing reruns of a house-flipping show, and the office recently got a fish tank. Right now, there were only pink and blue beta fish inside…they were kind of fat now that Zayne looked at them.
“Mr. Li!” an unfamiliar voice calls out to him from the waiting room. You stand there in your dark blue scrubs and wave him over. “Come on back!”
Zayne is informed that Mr. Johnson, the person who regularly cleans his teeth, retired a few months ago. You interned under him, and he assigned all his patients to you once you were hired. Zayne remembers receiving a letter about a new hire…But he also remembers he skimmed through it on purpose. Anything related to the Dentist is a bad omen in his eyes.
“We’re just doing a cleaning today, correct?”
Zayne nods to you. You nod your head in response and slide on your clinical blue gloves.
“Easy enough. Let’s get started, then!”
[ ☃️ ]
“You like sweets, don’t you?” You pull your cleaning tools away from Zayne’s mouth so he can answer.
“I do.” Zayne admits, “...Is it another cavity?”
You smile and shake your head, “No. Not yet, it’s not.” Before Zayne could ask what you meant, you had wheeled away over to the desk, rummaging in one of the drawers for something.
You come rolling back to his side and reveal a tooth-shaped handheld mirror. “Here, hold this…riiight here.” You pass him the mirror and use your fingers to angle his hand.
It was an innocent act; you were just doing your job. But Zayne can’t deny the fact that his heart raced a little at your touch.
You quickly grab one of your tools, and Zayne opens, looking into the mirror to see what the problem is. You point to one of the teeth near the back left side, “The enamel’s been worn down a lot back here. If you don’t have it at home already, consider getting a fluoride-based toothpaste to help build your enamel back up. It’ll help stop the erosion.”
Zayne makes a noise of acknowledgement, and you continue, “And when you’re brushing, make sure you’re doing small circles as opposed to side to side.”
You chuckle and take the hand mirror back to the drawer, “I could tell you like sweets. I like them too.” You walk back over and pull your mask down. “If you want, I have a list of fool-proof methods and products to keep cavities away that I can give you.”
Now that was something Zayne wasn’t expecting. “A dental hygienist who loves sweets. I think I’ve heard it all...” You giggle in response,Zayne takes a moment to marvel at how beautiful your smile is.
“You gotta expect the unexpected.” You slid off one glove and held your thumb and pointer finger close together. “I was this close to having silver caps on my teeth as a kid. So I’d say my methods are trustworthy…Haven’t had a cavity in 12 years.”
“Will the list of cavity preventors cost me extra?” Zayne jokes.
You shake your head and give him a wink, “Consider yourself lucky, it’s a discount price of Free 99 right now!”
Zayne chuckles at you playing along with him.
“Let me call the doctor in, then we’ll get some fluoride on your teeth. Then you can head on home!” You swivel around in your chair and quickly walk out of the room.
[ ☃️ ]
“Yep.” The middle-aged dentist switches off his headlight. “Not a cavity just yet, but one will start forming soon…”
The man pulls his face mask down and peels off his gloves, “Good eye, by the way, (Y/N). Most people wouldn’t’ve noticed it.”
Dr. Hardy is one of the longest-serving employees of this Dentistry. He’s clinical and straight to the point for examinations…Zayne doesn’t think he’s ever heard Dr. Hardy give a compliment to someone, though.
“Just doing my job!” You humbly reply from your computer. Zayne could tell just from the tone of your voice that you had that smile he’s grown to love in the past 45 minutes.
“He’s all good to go. You can go ahead and fluoride him, then get him checked out.” The dentist stands up and extends his hand to Zayne, “Enjoy the rest of your day, sir.”
Zayne nods and shakes the dentist’s hand, “You as well, Dr. Hardy.”
You walk back over and plop into the seat after the dentist leaves. “Any plans after this, Mr. Li?” You ask, fiddling with the fluoride varnish packet.
Zayne smirks, “I plan on going to the nearest dessert shop to purchase the sugariest cake they have. And then I’ll eat it all in one go.”
You mockingly gasp at him, “Nooo! All of my hard work will go to waste!”
Zayne smiles at you being overdramatic. It wasn’t often that people caught on to his dry humor, but you did.
You scoot over in your chair with the small brush ready, “At least wait until the varnish cures for 30 minutes, Mr. Li…And to buy a good fluoride toothpaste!”
[ ☃️ ]
Another biannual dental appointment, come and gone just like that.
Zayne was convinced that only kids got a goodie bag for the dentist, but you were adamant that he got one too. “Every one of my patients gets a goodie bag.” You said to him. He simply shakes his head and waits for you in front of the receptionist's desk.
The receptionist just chuckles as she watches you disappear into the room across from the front desk.
“--lright, 6 months from now takes us to February.” The woman states, effectively pulling Zayne from his daydream, “Do you have a preferred time, Mr. Li?”
“Preferably early mornings. At whatever time Miss (Y/N) has.” He states.
You open the door and walk over to Zayne with a small – but nearly overflowing – goodie bag.
“Here’s your goodie bag, Mr. Li.” You pass the hefty sack to him, “I added my list of cavity preventers, too!” You add with a wink.
“Thank you, Miss (Y/N).” Zayne takes the bag and smiles. Did you stuff every freebie in there just for Zayne? He didn’t know whether to be honored or embarrassed.
“No problem!” You give him another sweet smile and turn to the receptionist, “It was great meeting you, Mr. Li!” You extend your hand out to him. Zayne smiles at your sudden formality but still gives your hand a soft shake. “I’ll see you in 6 months. Don’t forget to floss!” You remind him one last time as you turn away, waving.
Six months from today was when he’d see you next…Six months is a very long time…
Luckily (?), Zayne had a toothache six weeks later.
Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to eat all of those chocolate candies in one go… There was no use crying over spilled milk now, though. Zayne made an appointment the minute it started bothering him.
The sooner he got there, the sooner he could see you!
Not…That you were the reason he made the appointment as soon as possible, of course!
[ ☃️ ]
“It’s a cavity.” The doctor confirms, clicking his headlight off before wheeling back in his rolling stool. Zayne closes his eyes and represses the groan he wants to let out. Dr. Hardy pulls down his mask and smiles at him, “If it makes it any better. This is one of the smallest ones you’ve had in a while!”
Jeez, way to call Dr. Zayne out, Dr. Hardy…What happened to like…doctor-code?
Zayne knew that you had most likely already seen his oh so stellar track record of cavity fillings and such. But it was still embarrassing that Dr. Hardy said that in front of you. It felt like yesterday when you gave him a goodie bag full of tiny tubes of mint toothpaste and floss.
“(Y/N), I’ll have you do his filling for me since you don’t have an assistant yet. Go ahead and order his color for the filling.” Dr. Hardy instructed.
“Sure thing, I’ve already ordered B1 for him.” You clinically reply.
[ ☃️ ]
Cavity Removals
Zayne loves the way you say, “Mr. Li.” It’s music to his ears.
He used to hate going to the dentist…used to. But with you here now? He’s tolerated it, even found himself looking forward to it. It was sort of embarrassing that Zayne found himself wanting to watch how many sweets he ate in a day, just to appease you at the next appointment.
You understood his dry humor, even piggybacking off the jokes.
“How are you today, Mr. Li?” You ask him whilst leading him down the familiar hallway..
“Besides the toothache and knowing I'll be in pain, come two hours from now." Zayne dryly replied as he followed closely behind you. "Just peachy.”
You giggle and shake your head, “Well, once we’re done, you won’t have to worry about it… And hey, you can always grab a sweet treat come tomorrow.”
You led Zayne down the hall and made a left rather than making a right, like you usually do. He’s only been down the left hallway once or twice for teeth x-rays, and if he remembers correctly…
[ ☃️ ]
“This room has a TV on the ceiling! It’s my favorite!” You say cheekily as you and Zayne enter the room.
Zayne gives the room a once-over and lightly scoffs at the setup, “Yes. There's also a family of penguins on the wall holding toothbrushes…And the TV up here is playing Octonauts.”
You laugh and usher him to take a seat in the bright blue chair, "I think that this is the best room in the office!”
Zayne couldn’t tell if you intentionally put him in a kiddie room or if the others were already in use. But he was already here, and there was no way out of it.
Zayne shakes his head and settles down in the chair. “What if I don’t want to watch Octonauts, Miss (Y/N)?”
“…What if I do, Mr. Li?” You chuckle behind him, going back to logging in on the computer.
Zayne huffs a laugh at you before fully relaxing into the seat.
While yes, Octonauts is a good show; you were the best source of entertainment for him…Octonauts being a close second.
[ ☃️ ]
“It’s just the one cavity right here,” You use the explorer and point to the problem tooth. It was the same one that you had told Zayne to be wary of as well. “I bet I could beat my record time for filling.”
“Oh yeah? I guess I’ll set the timer up then.” Dr. Hardy replied before turning away briefly. Zayne thought that you having a record time in cavity filling was a joke. But from the eager look on your face, he had a feeling it wasn’t.
“Ready to start when you are.” You reply, readjusting your gloves again.
“Go ahead and administer the anesthesia.” The dentist replies, straightening up the instruments on his tray.
Zayne couldn’t do much during the extraction process. It was either tune into Octonauts or listen to the conversation you and the dentist were having while doing the procedure. He decided on the latter.
“You never told me if you were going back to Dentist school or not. Did you make a decision?” Dr. Hardy asked, handing you the dental ejector.
You nod and place it into Zayne’s mouth to suction up the excess moisture in his mouth. “Oh yeah. I signed up a while ago…” You trail off as you peered into Zayne’s mouth. Your brows furrowed in concentration.
"Going back full-time this fall to knock out the last of my classes; about two semesters left."
You place the drill down and lean in close to Zayne, most likely double-checking your work again. However, to Zayne, you were doing this on purpose. He could see the way your eyelashes fluttered when you blinked. Were they always that long? And were you wearing vanilla-scented perfume?
It wasn’t easy becoming a Doctor for Zayne, so he knows how you feel. He didn’t know that you were planning on becoming a Dentist, that sounds wonderful!
…But if you’re going back to school full time, who would clean his teeth? Also, even after you graduate, would you come back here as a Dentist? Would that mean this may be the last time he sees you as his Hygienist?
Or worse, would this be the last time he sees you in general? Zayne couldn’t help but feel a bit sad about that. He’d never want you to put your dreams on hold just because of him. But he also can’t say he’s all thrilled at the idea of your replacement.
"Good on you," The dentist shakes his head at grabs the curing light, “Your positon here will be open. So, focus on your studies so I can go ahead and retire!”
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I know that some patients will miss me."
Zayne’s eyes cut over to you as you lean over him.
When his eyes meet yours, you briefly wink at him.
Oh.
Zayne felt his ears get hot in embarrassment. Was it that obvious that he was displeased at the news?
[ ☃️ ]
Zayne follows behind you closely as you lead him back to the front desk. Curiosity was eating him alive, though, so he went ahead and asked the burning question on his mind.
“Did you beat your best time, Miss (Y/N)?”
You turn to look at him and shake your head no, “Almost...”
Zayne could tell you were a bit disappointed about that, you had seemed so eager to beat it as well.
Zayne speeds up to walk beside you rather than behind you. When you look up at him, he has a small, mischievous smirk on his face, “Shall I develop another cavity for you to try again?”
You gasp, “Absolutely not, Mr. Li!”
He chuckles and looks at your somewhat serious expression. You smiled and slowed down your pace. Zayne followed suit and walked slowly with you.
You and Zayne walk side by side slowly in silence for a good five seconds before you smile, “Well...With the way you consume sugar, I’ll give you a good two months before you’re back again.”
Zayne raises a brow at the accusation. He ought to prove you wrong just because you said that!
But in six months from now, you’d probably be swamped in schoolwork. Would you even be here? Is it too soon to ask for your number? Before Zayne can say anything, you reach the front desk and rap on it to get the receptionist's attention.
“He’s all yours!” You smile, “Let me get you a goodie bag…I have some stickers too!!”
Dammit. He's going to miss this. Not the dentist office visits, or the cavity extractions, or the heavy goodie bags that start to rip on the drive home…he’s going to miss you.
The Doctor’s Office
The dentistry and the hospital were two different professional worlds that rarely collided.
Today was one of those rare instances.
Zayne was at the computer writing up some prescriptions when there was a small commotion at the entrance of the Emergency Room. He looked up to see what was going on, and couldn’t believe his eyes. You were being wheeled into one of the rooms, frantically telling the nurse that you were fine. Two coworkers following behind you, trying to calmly explain that you weren’t as fine as you said you were.
You were too busy arguing that you didn’t need to be examined to notice Zayne at all, but your coworkers did. They both looked shocked before meekly waving to him. Zayne nods back, trying to decipher if this was a dream or not. However, when one of the nurses walked over to inform him on his new patient, he knew it wasn’t.
From what Zayne was briefed on, you had fallen on the job. Most likely twisted your ankle. Though you were clearly in pain, you took deep breaths and wiped your tears, and gave the receptionist a tight smile. You were adamant that you didn’t need to go in for examination, even proclaiming that you didn’t need to go to the hospital.
“I’ll give her some pain medicine and have her elevate her ankle to stop the swelling. From what I can see and what her coworkers said, it might be a sprain or a minor fracture.” Dr. Zayne nods at the nurse before taking the clipboard from her.
She briefly pauses as Zayne skims your intake form, “I’ve had to ask her coworkers to leave. They were driving up her anxiety, and she’s already anxious as is…They did inform me that you are a patient at their dentistry. So, she may be surprised to see you…”
Dr. Zayne could read between the lines of what the nurse was saying to him. He clears his throat, “Understood. Give her some ibuprofen, then order an X-ray and an MRI. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
The nurse gives him a clinical nod, but the mischievous smirk on her face cracks through.
“I’ve already taken care of the patient in room 1B and am on my way to 2C.” She turns away to carry out his orders.
Zayne shakes his head and folds his arms, once again reading between the lines: “You have no excuse to not see her in the next 10 minutes.”
Before the nurse could get far, Zayne called to her. She tenses up before slowly around again smiling meekly. “Playing Cupid isn’t a part of your job description.” He states, giving her a cold glare. However, after two seconds of silence, it melts away with a sigh, “...But I will excuse it, just this once.”
The young woman smiles and gives a nod, “Understood!” She singsongs, turning away to triumph in her small victory down the hall.
[ ☃️ ]
Dr. Zayne raps on your door twice, 25 minutes later. “Miss (Y/N).” He greets you as he enters the room.
“M-Mr. Li?” Your eyes widen as you rise from your resting position. Before you could get far, the sling around your leg protests against your sudden movement.
Zayne closes the door behind him and walks over to you, taking a seat in the small rolling chair. “Please, just call me Dr. Zayne.” He flips through your screenings and braces for your reaction to the results. You weren’t going to be happy about them.
“Your X-rays just came back in, as well as the MRI. Your ankle suffered a minor fracture.” He clinically states.
Zayne watches as the color drains from your face, but he continues with his statement, “Though it is minor, due to your field of work, it’s best you take some time off for it to heal. Even if it’s just for a week or two.” Your eyes become saucers once he says “weeks."
You begin to protest, “W-what? B-but I have work to do! And my classes are coming up soon! I-I can’t just sit at home!” Zayne crosses his arms and just gives you a knowing look. This wasn’t something that you, nor he, could fix in an instant.
You shake your head in disbelief and try to rise from your spot again, “I-I can walk just fine, see?” Before you could move an inch further, you huffed again and reclined back, “Ugh! Stupid sling…”
…Yeah, you were fine, and Dr. Zayne loves carrots. Zayne sighs before placing a hand in front of you, gesturing for you to stop. “You’ll be put on bed rest for longer if you try to push through this.”
You shake your head and whine. You and he are alike in that standpoint: Taking off work was almost unheard of in his world as well.
You look down into your lap, gripping the sheets in frustration. Zayne leans over and pats an empty spot on the bed to grab your attention. When you look up at him, only for him to nod at his hand.
When you look down, you watch as blue streaks of light wrap around and form a small ball of snow in his palm. “Woah…!”
He brings the small, twin snowballs close to his other hand, poking at them a few times. You watch in awe as he reveals what he was making for you. Any words you wanted to say have completely left you as you stare back at the small snowman he made.
“As long as you take time to rest, it will heal perfectly.” He reassures, nudging his hand forward for you to take the small creation. You hesitate before gently cupping it in your hands. The snowman gave off a small cool air around it, but it never once started to melt. It was beautiful…magnificent even.
Zayne was hoping that the snowman would be enough to silence your protests. But you look up at him again to plead your case. “But-!”
“Doctor’s Orders.” He states cutting you off, “The Dentist’s Office will be there when you’re back. Promise.”
You visibly deflate and look down at the snowman again. You were trying your best to keep up the facade that you were upset; however, your signature smile appears again before you know it. “When I become your Dentist…I’ll remember this.” You declare.
Zayne chuckles and shakes his head before standing up, “A dentist must be able to stay on their toes, though.” He states sarcastically, walking over to the computer in the room.
You scoff at him, “Oooh, okay okay. I see how it is, Dr. Zayne.” You hadn’t known Zayne possessed an evol. You ran a single finger across the snow sculpture's smooth surface, admiring the craft.
You let out a giggle and let him concentrate on the computer. Zayne opens up the document with the notes on your hospital visit and updates them.
The pain medicine the nurse gave you was working well, and you hadn’t complained about any pain so far.
Your injury wouldn’t take any more than 6 weeks to heal. He recommended that you take at least two weeks off for now. From the looks of it, you’ll be able to walk by the end of this week with a brace.
“I’ll call the nurse in so we can wrap your ankle. Then you’ll be able to be discharged shortly afterwards.” He states, before turning to you. “The fastest way to recovery is for you to rest, Miss (Y/N). For any pain, take some ibuprofen. If it starts swelling, elevate your leg on some pillows.”
You hum in response, “Okay...How long will it-”
Zayne anticipated that you to ask when you’d be able to go back to work. So he cuts you off to answer. “Your injury will heal in about six weeks, but you’ll be cleared to go back to work after two weeks in a brace.”
The man watches as your signature smile appears back on your face. He knew you’d perk back up once you found out. “Yesss!!” you squeal to yourself.
Zayne smiles smugly before crossing his arms, “That is if you do as I say: No excruciating activities or labor. And you should take the time to rest. Not sit on the couch answering emails and such.” Zayne only says that because he knows that you’re a workaholic. Not that he would know anything about that, of course.
You hum in response and reach for your phone while Zayne pulls up your medical records to update them.
Ms. (First Name) (Last Name)
Age: Adult
Last Physical to Date: 2 years ago.
Last Flu Shot to Date: 2 years ago.
Zayne had a feeling that he’d find this in your file. He calls to you, “You haven’t seen your physician in 2 years.”
A brief silence fell over the room. Zayne turns to see you with your arms crossed. You let out a huff when you notice him waiting for an explanation. “Don’t need to. I’m not sick.” You reply firmly.
Ah. So, you were that kind of patient. Not the worst kind of patient Zayne has had to deal with, but that thought process of yours could be detrimental in the long run. Luckily, your current physician was one of Zayne’s colleagues.
He hums in response, “You’re supposed to do an annual check-up every year. Shall I send an email to her ab-”
“N-No!! No…!” You whip your head and hurriedly put one hand up, “I-I’ll make an appointment…later.” You say, trailing off. He raises an eyebrow at you and your sudden avoidant behavior. Zayne knew you were lying, and it wasn’t a coincidence that you hadn’t been to the doctor in over 2 years.
With a sigh, Zayne closes your records on the computer, “I’ll have to hold you to that, Miss (Y/N).” He picks up the clipboard and heads to the door. “For now, I’ll go and get the nurse so we can wrap your ankle.”
He gives you a nod and leaves the room. While he was walking over to his station, he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh in irony: The way Zayne hated the Dentist’s Office, you hated the Doctor’s Office.
Perhaps this also explains why you were anxious about coming to the Hospital in the first place. As Zayne is updating your medical record, his mind wanders for a moment. It’s been about two years since Miss Hunter moved away. She had gotten married to a Fruit Seller she met in the N109 Zone.
Since then, Zayne has had a vacant spot open for Primary Care. If you and Zayne’s colleague were somehow having issues, maybe you’d be interested in being under his care instead? And as their relationship stands, Zayne would be sure to remind you about annual check-ups.
He’ll have to put the thought to the side for now. Right now, the priority for you is to get your ankle secured and ready for a smooth recovery.
[ ☃️ ]
Zayne walks in with the nurse, who is pushing a small cart of the necessary supplies. When she walks in, she gives you a sweet smile, “Let's get you wrapped up and on your way."
Zayne helps you pull your foot down from the sling as the nurse prepares the bandages. “The swelling has gone down. Does it hurt anywhere?”
You shake your head no, “Feels fine to me.”
Zayne smiles, “That’s good.”
Zayne can feel the smug look on the nurse’s face and quickly flits his eyes over to her. The nurse simply averts her gaze and approaches you, as if nothing happened.
“Alrighty, I’ll show you how to wrap your ankle.” She pulls the compression wrap and places it on the ball of your foot.
You peer over to see what she’s doing and nod. Zayne was holding the scissors just in case, but noticed that the nurse was doing the compression wrap, somewhat loosely. He shrugs it off, thinking she’s just showing you. He turns away to take a sip of water.
“It's just like wrapping anything else, really. Just go round and round.” The nurse brings the wrap up a couple more inches around to your heel. “Do you live with anyone, by chance?... Maybe a boyfriend who could wrap it for you?”
Zayne chokes on his drink at the nurse’s bluntness. He nearly spills the water bottle in his hand, trying to clear his throat.
Your eyes go wide, “O-oh! Uhm!” you squeak out, “N-no. I don't.”
Zayne wipes his mouth and places his bottle down, somewhat loudly. You look at him and see him give the nurse a look of pure astonishment and rage. Seriously?! What type of conversation starter was that?!
The nurse looks up at you, shocked, “Whaaat? Really?! I wouldn’t have known!”
Zayne places the scissors he was holding down and clears his throat. “You’re not doing it correctly.” He nods to the nurse’s poor job on your ankle wrap.
The nurse looks down at the loose wrap and scratches her head, “Oh dear. Silly me.”
Zayne crosses his arms and gives her a cold glare.
“You know what?” the nurse gets up from her stool, turning to him, “I just remembered I need to give the patients their meds! I’ll be right back!” And with that, the nurse jogs out of the room without another word.
Zayne looks at the door for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy sigh. He opens his eyes and sits down in the rolling chair in front of your leg. Now he can just redo it himself.
“Ignore her…she’s…always like that.” He picks up the compression wrap, “I’ll wrap your ankle. And this time, I’ll show you how to do it properly.”
[ ☃️ ]
Zayne reiterated what the nurse said before, “Start at the ball of your foot, then wrap it around like this. There shouldn’t be any skin showing when you’re wrapping.” He says softly. You were once again paying very close attention.
You are so cute, he thought. “The best way to check if you've gone too tight is to see if you can wiggle your toes.”
You nod and place your phone down, “I can do that.”
Zayne continues to wrap your ankle and you lie back down, watching TV. He was going slowly, albeit too slowly, just so he could max out the time he spent with you. At first, he wasn’t paying much attention to what you were watching, but then his ears perked up at an all too familiar tune.
“...Are you watching that house flipping show right now?” Zayne turns to the television briefly with your dainty ankle still in hand. When he sees that he is correct, he smiles.
“Yep! I get to catch up on it!” You beam to him, “It’s pretty good now that I get to sit down and watch it…But Octonauts is still my favorite.” You joke.
Zayne turns back around and resumes wrapping your ankle, “The flooring in that room is horrendous.” He comments.
“Right?!”
[ ☃️ ]
The door to your room is rapped on again by Dr. Zayne. He comes back in with a small stack of papers.
“The hospital doesn’t have goodie bags like the Dentist's office does…Just discharge paperwork.” He says, passing it to you.
You take it and flip through it as Zayne continues. “It has all the procedures and information about what we did today during your visit. As well as instructions for after-visit care…”
You quirk a brow as you feel a small card on the back of it. Usually, those would be on the front. You flip the entire packet over to look at the card. It was the back of an appointment card, and ten digits were scrawled across it. You raise your eyebrows in surprise and look up at the man who handed you the paperwork.
Zayne averts his gaze, readjusting his collar. Was he…blushing?
“I…gave you a referral number if you have questions or need advice during your recovery. He’s a great doctor…I know him well.”
"Oh? Did you now?" You smiled cheekily, “Does this…doctor friend of yours mind if I text him later?”
Zayne huffs a laugh before looking at you smugly. “I think he’d like that.” He whispers. Your breath hitches suddenly at his closeness.
[ ☃️ ]
Welcome Back, Dr. Zayne!
Six months feel like they fly when you’re having fun. It’s once again that time of the year. Zayne arrives at the Dentist’s Office at 5 pm. The receptionist greets him warmly and tells him to go have a seat.
Just about nothing has changed around the dentist’s office. The beta fish still swam around the tank, the TV still played house-flipping shows, and the same magazines were strewn about in the rack.
“Dr. Zayne.” An all-too-familiar voice calls to him. He moves on demand and approaches you.
You had on light blue scrubs and your signature comfy white shoes, accompanied by your pristine white lab coat. Inside the breast pocket of your lab coat hung a fountain pen with a snowflake on it; one of the many gifts Zayne got for you recently. Despite you just wearing standard scrubs, Zayne found you drop-dead gorgeous.
Zayne gives you a once-over before replying, “Dr. (Y/N).”
You playfully rolled your eyes at him calling you by your brand-new official title…again.
“I hope that I don’t find any cavities this time.” You ask before ushering him to follow you to the back.
“With your extensive research and knowledge on cavity prevention?” He takes two large steps to catch up next to you, “I hope you find nothing but a thin layer of plaque.”
[ ☃️ ]
"Just a cleaning today, Dr. Zayne?”
You knew the answer to that question. Zayne huffed a laugh before pulling his glasses off. “Correct. Are you disappointed, Dr. (Y/N)?”
You close out your tabs on the computer before plopping into your rolling stool. You skillfully slide over to the control panel and recline the seat, slightly startling him. “Quite the opposite...I'm delighted.”
Over the past six months, you and Zayne naturally gravitated towards one another.
After so many late night calls, desert shop dates, was it realy surprising that you two ended up dating?
You knocked out your last few semesters with flying colors, and finally obtained all the degrees and licenses needed to become a Dentist.
Zayne, as your supportive and loving boyfriend, celebrated the best way he knew how: ordered your favorite dessert, and took a million photos of you in your graduation gown and cap.
You, on the other hand, were just happy that it was over. And you could finally start on your next big dream — to one day open up your own dental practice.
[ ☃️ ]
“Don’t forget about your annual check-up, love. You have no excuse to miss it.” Zayne whispers in your ear as you nuzzle into your pillow next to him that night.
“Mmmm…do I have to? My doctor knows I’m healthy,” you bargain, scratching beneath his chin.
“Your doctor won’t be pleased,” Zayne reminds, a small pinch coming to your bare thigh, “I heard he’s very unruly with some of his patients.”
"I suppose I can't disobey then, can I?"
"Doctor's Orders."
A/N: Did you seriously read this to the end? Why?....Okay, I may as well reward you for your noble sacrifice. This dance is for you, boo
stuck in an rv: lads LIs when they’re trapped on a hot summer day
scenario: mc sends the boys on a group trip as a team-building exercise. intending to enjoy a fun day at the beach, they become trapped in an rv during a heatwave with only half a bottle of water between them. lord of the flies ensues.
*in this universe, they do not have evol because that would make escape extremely easy.
**inspired by the victorious episode!
it's valko's rv in the first place—he uses it to take the kids in his pack on camping trips, teaching them to thrive in the wild. usually, he keeps a healthy supply of rations, but the pups completely raided him last time and he forgot to restock. all he has is a half-full (half-empty, sylus argues) bottle of water in the cup holder. when he realizes they’re stuck, he tries to use his spare metalwork tools lying around to cut or break through the walls; he maybe even howls a few times to try to get bystanders’ attention.
when neither strategy works, he’s not shy about stripping down to his underwear—“it’s hot in here, man” (caleb has never seen boxers with a built-in tail window before)
it’s scorching inside, and rafayel is crashing quick. the longer he sits there baking in the heat, the more he starts to look kind of like spongebob and patrick when they were all dried up on that table. his intermittent sips of water bring him back to lucidity, enough for him to offer solutions, but only momentarily. in between, he’s absolutely delirious from dehydration and, thus, out of commission.
he wills his fish brethren to come and rescue him but they cannot walk.
sylus, with his greedy self, hogs the water bottle and drinks more than his share. he’s used to people being mad at him, so he doesn’t react much to everyone’s outrage. valko, however, is the only one agitated to the point of altercation; he nearly starts a fistfight over their limited resources, and it’s the most entertained sylus has been all day.
when the water runs out, he sprawls out in the corner and tsks. “well, i guess we’ll just have to eat him for sustenance, then,” he says, except he doesn’t specify which “him” he’s referring to. everyone backs away from him and keeps an eye on him at all times.
he secretly has an extra bottle of water in his bag the whole time. when questioned on why he never said anything, he answers, “you never asked.”
zayne is the only thing holding the group together. ever the mediator, he selflessly demands that rafayel get the largest share of water since, biologically, he needs it the most. because he tends to run cold, he alternates placing his palms on valko’s forehead since his hair/fur is so thick and insulating. sometimes when he shifts positions, it feels like he's petting him, and valko’s wolf ears pop up. they both ignore it. sylus stares amusedly from the corner.
when sylus and valko are at each other’s throats, zayne bravely puts himself between them, with a loopy rafayel chanting lemurian mantras to himself in the background. caleb just stares in disappointment.
in the chaos, caleb is dead set on finding a solution. he fiddles with the door and windows trying to finesse his way out, and he refuses his ration of water, to his own detriment. rafayel is grateful for the extra share, but sylus thinks he’s dumb—altruism doesn’t ensure survival.
since they have no cell service, he tries to fiddle with the rv’s radio to make contact—anything he can think of, really. when that doesn’t work, he tries to preserve his energy. it’s an endless war at this point; he has no idea how long he’ll be stuck in here.
eventually, after redoubling his efforts and tinkering endlessly with the door, he finally manages to work it open and set everyone free
xavier was supposed to join the others in the rv, but he slept in and they left without him. instead, he took the bus to the beach and got there an hour later. through the window, the others spot him walking around in confusion and bang on the glass to get his attention; they yell for him to find help, and he accepts the mission. three minutes later, he gets roped into handing out recruitment flyers for a youth volleyball team.
once they’re free, the others track him down. he’s licking a blue ice cream cone, surrounded by squealing, sandy children. “oh,” he says. “i’m glad you guys didn’t need my help.”
their first venture into the ocean that afternoon is the five of them chasing him into the water.
mc, having been lounging on a beach chair for hours watching this all unfold from afar (totally would've intervened had the circumstances become dire), supposes this does count as a team-building exercise at the end of the day—operation “hang xavier from his ankles” is a go.
fluff! taking a picture of zaynie's cute pixel smile and realising it has gotten bigger, inspired by the pv of his heartfelt gift card and @/icy_whiskers on twt measuring his cutie smile hehe
“here you go, zaynie!” you say, placing a small box of macarons in front of him on his desk, kissing his cheek.
“thank you, darling.” he replies, giving you a smile.
realising how cute your boyfriend is, you grab your phone and snap a quick picture of him smiling.
he immediately grabs a macaron and stares at his laptop as he quietly eats it. you sit on his lap, liking the picture that you just took of him as you put it in your zaynie <3 folder.
with your boyfriend still finishing off his work, you scroll through the previous pictures that you have taken of him.
the older pictures seem different, but you can't quite understand why. physically, his hasn't changed much over the past few years that you have gotten into a relationship with him, but the newer pictures feel different. warmer, in some sense.
comparing the first picture to the latest one, you finally notice it. his smile is bigger. it may not be as obvious to others, but to you, it means the world.
you shift in zayne's lap, grabbing a protractor from his drawers and placing it on top of your phone screen. it may not be 100% accurate, but it will do the trick.
the first picture that you took of zayne. his smile was 1⁰ wide. the newest one... 10⁰ wide.
“what kind of interesting thought has popped up in your mind for you to be needing a protractor, darling?” he asks, and you tilt your head up to face him.
“i noticed your older pictures felt different to the newer ones. i realised it was your smile getting bigger.” you show him the pictures, and the measurements.
“i see.” he nods. “it appears that you are the only one who has this affect on me, beloved.”
you blush. “i quite like the results of my investigation.” you reply, kissing his cheek.
“as do i. i believe that we have quite a small data set— we need to spend minimum the next seventy years together to have more reliable results. don't you think, darling?”
synopsis.⠀after a horrid meeting at work, you find xavier asleep at your desk. he's... unusually clingy.
tags.⠀sfw, fluff, crack kinda, pre-relationship xavmc, gn!reader, reader's already a little annoyed for comedic effect, idrk i wrote this on a whim :C. short & not proofread!
“That’s correct, miss. This month’s attacks have been greatly reduced thanks to our—”
One more word from this meeting and your head will explode. No, in fact, implode. That would be less of a mess to clean up. It’s a shame you’re all by yourself there. Apparently, they specifically needed you, showing you off as a trophy for all you’ve managed to accomplish recently. There was no way out.
You wanted Tara to be there, at the very least. Nudging your shoulder every now and then, cracking some random joke-remark while the higher ups would be discussing over serious stuff… anything but this. Her presence would help with lighting up the mood instead of having to deal with the fact that two of your supervisors are standing there, admiring you as if you’re a statue made out of authentic gold.
Thankfully for you, it ends quickly, which makes you walk back towards your desk, exiting the meeting room. It feels like your head is made out of nothing but putty, melting down on your body as you sluggishly try to find your way back. Not only this, but paperwork’s happily anticipating you back there. Another headache perfectly awaiting your arrival. Wonderful.
Slowly pulling yourself together, you open the door leading to your office. That’s where you see a white-haired man, in his hunter uniform, in your chair, his head on your desk, in… what?
“Xavier?” Your voice reaches his ears, his fingers coiling ever so slightly around the edges of your desk. His closed eyes twitch a little, before groggily opening themselves up, still squinting, to take a good look at you and at his surroundings. He seemed as if he didn’t understand why he was even there.
“Mmh?” He lets out a soft murmur, slooowly raising his head from the desk. This way, you can get a better look at your work partner and neighbor who just so happened to fall asleep right where you should be sitting at. You perk your eyebrows up in response to his mumbling, asking for answers.
Xavier doesn’t speak, however. That prompts you to break the silence once more.
“Are you… alright? What’re you doing here?”
It’s not long before his eyes fully open to look directly into yours. “Just hanging out.”
Hanging out?! Is he being serious right now…?
“At… at my desk?” Rhetorical tone drips out of your throat.
“Yes.” He answers casually, as if this is a normal, day-to-day occurance. Still a little perplexed by the situation, you approach him and signal towards the stack of papers on your desk. You motion towards them, indirectly letting him know that you still have work to do. And that he’s in the way.
While he does pick up what you’ve been gesturing, Xavier doesn’t exactly let go of interrogating you as if you were the one who he caught red-handed. “Is your meeting over?”
“Uh, yes…” You furrow your eyebrows a little, responding to his question. Obviously it would have ended, you’re standing right in front of him. “Why? Did you want to talk to me about something? Are you alright?”
It’s the second time you’ve asked this. You do know Xavier to be a bit of an oddball, but this seemed a little out of your area of expertise. Luckily for you, he finally stands up—a little silly due to you intrerrupting his very nice nap in your ‘abode’—and eyes you up and down, like a confused puppy. You’re still completely lost.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just… waiting for you.”
And the reasoning you did not know of. Still, your brain feels way too heavy to carry on your shoulders to actually try to understand this man. You just got out of an awkward situation, just to enter in yet another one. Sighing, a little heavier than you would have liked, you sat back down on your chair, your hands sluggishly grasping the paperwork to slide it in front of your face.
Xavier is still there.
You wait a little longer, too occupied to mind him, engrossed and utterly engulfed in that ugly stack of sheets, carefully sorting everything and going over the same lines written there—
Xavier is still there.
—to make sure that you’re absolutely doing everything well for the Association. After all, as you’ve noticed today, you were the grand trophy of your workplace, no? You just had to continue to—
Xavier is still there.
…Well.
“Why are you still here.” The way you phrased it didn’t even sound like it’s meant to be a question. You painfully tore your eyes away from that blinding white, meeting his calm blue eyes. As if that didn’t infuriate you further.
“Sorry. Should I go?”
The way he phrased it didn’t sound like a genuine question, either. Just a little more pathetic, so to speak.
“Ah— I mean, uh, I don’t mind.” You reply, almost instantly. The way his eyes were practically begging you to let him hang around you for a while longer made your heart melt. You can’t just whisk him away, especially when he’s been acting so… odd.
Gathering your thoughts together (amongst the stack of paper which has now been reduced in height a little), you gesture towards Xavier that he can come a little closer if he wishes to. Maybe, if he’s a little closer to you, you’d be able to press him further as to why he’s so insistent on staying.
It’s fun, if you’re honest.
Taking this opportunity, you let him lean a little closer. You poke his cheek, grabbing his attention. Pulling the exact move as he usually does: engage, then fall silent before the other. Your question remains unspoken in your eyes, which seem to stare him up as if your gaze could easily pierce right through him. That same odd feeling lingering in the air between you two.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
There he goes! He’s finally talking to you, as awkward as your situation still might be, he’s at least saying something.
“For what?” You press on, even though you already know what he’s sorry for. You just want to squeeze out answers out of him, that’s all.
“For invading your desk. I only wanted to find you, but then sleep washed over me, and… your desk was the nearest station.”
His knee accidentally touches yours, making you jump a little. It wakes you from whatever daze you were in, letting out an exasperated breath.
“You have such a way with words.”
a/n.⠀haven't posted in like... a month... hdhfdh i'm sorry. this is a little sloppy because i kind of lost interest in lads recently given everything,, </3 instead i've been super into indie visual novels! who cares!!!!!!!! oh oh also, check out xavier's birthday bang where i'll be featured in as well ^^ keep an eye out! until then, i might go on a short hiatus on here ;;
taglist.⠀feel free to ask to be (un)tagged in future works~⠀@hirayalia @naomiarai @thinkingofzayne @lariivcx @wetforsylus @snowypi @gravitationalbluberry @valkyrhii <3
