Synopsis: An ordinary day with Zayne filled with reports, puzzles and quiet laughter becomes something more. A reminder that love lives in shared silences.
Word count: 880
Warnings: Domestic fluff. Kisses.
___
The apartment is quiet save for the steady scratch of Zayne’s pen across paper. Medical reports, dense and precise, spread across the desk before him. You’re curled on the couch nearby, a book in your lap, occasionally stealing glances at the way his brow furrows in concentration.
“You’re staring,” Zayne says without looking up, though there’s the hint of a smile in his voice.
“I’m admiring your dedication to saving lives through paperwork.”
“Riveting matters, I’m sure.” His pen pauses as he finally meets your gaze, those hazel-green eyes holding just a trace of amusement.
“Should I be concerned about your reading material if my medical reports are more interesting?”
You hold up your book. A romance novel with an admittedly ridiculous cover. “Pirates and passion on the high seas.”
“Ah.” He nods gravely. “Clearly inferior to cardiac surgery protocols.”
“Your dry humor is showing, Dr. Zayne.”
“Is it? I hadn’t noticed.” But his lips twitch, betraying him completely.
The silence settles back over you both, comfortable and familiar. Every so often, his gaze flickers up, softening when it lands on you. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. The weight of his presence is enough, steady and grounding like everything else about him.
When he finally sets his work aside, the afternoon has deepened into dusk. “Break,” he announces, stretching slightly. “My eyes need rest from reading about this case of chronic heartburn.”
“How romantic.”
“I thought you’d appreciate it.” He moves to the coffee table where a half-finished puzzle waits. “Shall we tackle the rest of this architectural nightmare you insisted on buying?”
“It’s a beautiful cathedral.”
“It’s a thousand pieces of brown and gray suffering.” But he’s already sorting through edge pieces with practiced efficiency.
You join him on the floor, and you both shift easily into a shared rhythm. The puzzle sprawls across the coffee table, and you work side by side, sometimes brushing hands when you reach for the same piece. His fingers are warm when they graze yours, careful and precise in everything they do.
“This piece doesn’t fit,” you mutter, trying to force two clearly incompatible sections together.
“Persistence doesn’t overcome poor spatial reasoning,” he observes mildly, plucking the pieces from your hands. With a few deft movements, he places them correctly. “It’s like suturing with the wrong needle. Admirable effort, ineffective result.”
“You’re insufferable when you’re right.”
“I’m always right. By that logic, I’m always insufferable.” His shoulder brushes yours as he leans closer to examine a tricky section. “You seem to tolerate it well enough.”
“It’s one of my many virtues.”
“Among others,” Zayne agrees quietly, and something in his tone makes you look up. His expression has gone softer, more serious. “Your patience with my schedule. Your ability to find contentment in quiet moments. The way you make this place feel like home.”
The sincerity in his voice catches you off guard. “Zayne…”
“Too sentimental?” But he doesn’t look embarrassed, just quietly pleased at having rendered you speechless. By the time the last piece clicks into place—a particularly stubborn bit of cathedral spire that Zayne identifies with minimal effort—his arm has already found its way around your shoulders.
The movement is natural, unconscious, like breathing. You lean into him, feeling his warmth seep through your shirt, the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath your cheek.
“Satisfied with our architectural achievement?” he asks, his free hand tracing idle patterns along your arm.
“Mmm. Though I think you did most of the work.”
“I had an excellent assistant.” His fingers pause their gentle movement. “Even if the puzzle selection skills remain questionable.”
You tilt your head to look at him, and find him already watching you with that soft, focused attention he reserves for the things that matter most. “Is that your professional medical opinion, Dr. Zayne?”
“Personal observation,” he corrects, and then he’s kissing you. Unhurried and thorough, like the natural extension of the day you’ve spent together. No dramatics, no rush. Just Zayne’s lips on yours, steady as his heartbeat beneath your palm.
His hand slides up to cup your cheek, thumb brushing along your cheekbone as he deepens the kiss slightly. You can feel the controlled strength in the way he holds you, the careful restraint that’s so essentially him. When you make a soft sound against his mouth, his grip tightens almost imperceptibly.
“Better than pirates and passion?” he murmurs against your lips when you finally part for air.
You laugh softly. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Too late,” Zayne says, a small smirk tugging at his lips, but there’s no swagger in it. Just a quiet, satisfied warmth as he pulls you closer, until you’re practically in his lap, surrounded by his steadiness and the faint scent of his cologne.
When you finally settle against his chest properly, his hand resting over yours where it lies against his heartbeat, it feels less like an ending and more like a promise: that in every quiet moment, every shared silence, every evening spent in ordinary ways, he’ll be here. Steady, constant, yours.
“Next time,” you say drowsily, “we’re doing a puzzle with more color.”
“Next time,” he agrees, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, “I’m choosing the puzzle.”
___
A/N: The rainy weekend inspired me to write cozy pieces for all the guys (will post the others too today). I really like how his version turned out, maybe because I’m in a Zayne mood at the moment.
Thanks for reading. :) I hope you enjoyed it. Likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated. They fuel my writing. :)
Zayne is the definition of still waters run deep. He doesn’t need grand speeches—just a quiet word, his lasting presence, and suddenly life’s problems don’t feel that scary anymore. Zayne is quiet. Until he isn’t, because you already know there’s so much more under the surface than he shows to the rest of the world.
Hello. :) I guess it‘s time to finally write that intro post. My nickname is Lily (she/her) and LaDS has me in a chokehold since launch. I am a kindhearted and gentle soul and speak sarcasm fluently (although mostly in my writing or with those who are used to it). I have been analyzing stories and characters for more than half my life and I’m also a writer which is why I never just see one side to a character.
When I write about characters here, it’s never about “ranking” them or claiming any main supremacy. I love them all in different ways and for different reasons—emotionally, narratively, sometimes ferally—and that’s allowed.
If you’re wondering whether I have “mains”, the answer is… in a way. But it’s much more than that. I mean, you will notice how I see them in my posts. ;) Each of them means something different to me, and that’s exactly why I’m writing this. For more thoughts, see the character-specific parts under the cut.
I just want to use this blog to share my love for these characters, that’s all. :) (#kittenmusings #kittenramblings)
Please note: You will find no hate toward any of the LIs here, and I don’t engage in fandom toxicity.
You’re welcome here. 💛 I love talking about the guys so feel free to send me a message or an ask. :)
Sometimes I write :) (#kittenwritings).
More detailed thoughts under the cut.
For me, engaging with the characters isn’t a question of loyalty or the quantity of my love. When it comes to fictional characters, I find that hard anyway.
Thanks for reading, engaging, or just quietly lurking. ☺️
This isn’t about supremacy or order. It’s about emotional connection—as it happened, as it unfolded, as it still unfolds.
So if you’re curious about how exactly I see them (short version), here’s how it all started and still going.
Xavier has been my constant all this time. He’s just… always there. Surprising? Not really. He’s been at the top since launch. No matter my mood, I always return to him. He soothes me, makes me laugh and giggle, makes me sob, or makes me go absolutely feral. It surprises me sometimes since I think of myself as a mature person. But maybe that’s the point. His lore leaves me in shambles (the good kind), and my love for him never wavers. He’s my cozy weird little miracle, and he calms and comforts me in ways I can’t fully express.
There’s something about Sylus—the way he balances sultry charisma with quiet protectiveness - that caught me off guard. His confidence is undeniable, but it’s the calm beneath the surface that gets me. He’s attentive in ways that feel steady, grounding. And while he teases, there’s always care beneath it. I didn’t expect to feel so safe with him—but I do. I could also write essays about how ridiculously attractive he is but I will do that later. This isn’t just about character love - it’s about part of myself that are healing. That’s what Sylus gives me.
When Caleb arrived with the main story, I was gone. It took me longer to understand him, but once I did, I really saw him. He’s cheeky, funny, sometimes outrageous, but that’s not the whole picture. Beneath that is surprising depth: maturity, strength, quiet sadness, fierce loyalty, and this ache, vulnerability, and intensity that run deeper than he lets on. He feels like someone who would always choose you. And I find that unforgettable. He’s home.
Rafayel was my “first” and the one who left me in awe because of his beauty, and I quickly learned he’s even more beautiful from within. Rafayel is the one who cracked something open in me. The kind of character whose tenderness feels like ache, and whose story lingers like a weight on the chest. Not heavy, just deeply, unmistakably felt. I may sometimes engage with his content less because of his intensity that resembles my own, but when I do, I either sob or get so happy. His lore is among my favorites in the game, and his many layers fascinate me.
As for Zayne: While I spiral less about him than the others, I engage with his content frequently. Because, believe it or not, he was the reason I started playing the game. I cherish his humor, his care, his loyalty and his quiet intensity. And his lore devastates me. He is the kind of guy where I think: He is real husband material. He is precious. He’s not my emotional undoing, but he’s my narrative soft spot - steady, grounded, and quietly essential in ways I didn’t expect. I adore his relationship with MC.
TL;DR: I’m multi-attached, emotionally unhinged in a good way, and I love writing about these characters with depth, humor, and honesty. Just thoughts and feelings.
Sooo… If you’re interested, I will tell you about my favorites, not just my “mains”. :)
I actually managed to get the second half of Zayne’s myth today. His new companion really doesn’t mess around. Not only do Zayne and MC look absolutely majestic, but I also FINALLY cleared the Open Orbit stage I’ve been stuck on for nearly two months. 🥳 I can’t wait to dive into the myth properly once I have more time. :)
