#espacate

[desorden-en-letras]

No te atrevas a mentirme, mi confianza ya no vuelve a ser la misma.

Mon-espace

[espace--positif]

After Rain Comes Sunshine

A Zayne x Fem!Reader Fic [Love and Deepspace]

Summary: Zayne invites you to join him on one of his morning runs. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the weather has other plans for the two of you.

Pairing: Zayne x Fem!Reader

Content: Fluff, Pre-relationship, Slow Burn if you squint, MC Reader, Brief description of injury.

WC: ~3.7K

You stared at the figures on the report in front of you and they stared back in defiance. No matter how many times you plugged the numbers into the UNICORNS program’s interface, it returned either incomplete results or an error. You sighed in defeat and laid back in your chair, staring at the setting sun on the horizon.

Data analysis had never been your strong suit, and the inconsistencies brought on by abnormal Wanderer activity in the area did not make your temporary assignment any easier. The field suited you much better, but you had unfortunately been temporarily pulled from active duty after sustaining an injury while on a mission.

You’d been on nighttime patrol with one of the new Alpha Team recruits in an area where moderate Wanderer activity had been reported when both your watches picked up a large spike in energy fluctuations. Your regrettably green hunt partner had panicked and started blasting at the tree line at the tiniest sign of movement, and an opportunistic Wanderer had jumped at him. You’d pushed him out of the way of what certainly would’ve been a fatal blow, and the Wanderer’s gargantuan claw had embedded itself in your shoulder instead.

You thought that the earful that Captain Jenna had delivered to the poor recruit at debriefing was harsh, but you found that it was nothing compared to the treatment you’d received from Dr. Zayne when you reported to Akso Hospital.

“It’s not a big deal. You should’ve seen the other guy,” you’d tried to joke, lightly and nervously tapping your heel on the side of the examination table after he’d tended to your wound. Instead of the usual chuckle or crack of a smile Zayne would usually give you when you attempted humor, you were met with silence as he picked up a clipboard and busied himself writing. 

Ah, yes. You were dealing with ‘Dr. Zayne’ now.

“We, uh, we killed the Wanderer who did this. It was real bloody… is what I’m trying to-”

Your rambling was cut short when he paused his writing and looked up at you, his icy hazel eyes threatening to bore holes through your own.

“You’re not… angry, are you?” you chanced. Though he wasn’t the most outwardly expressive man in the world, even less so when he was in “Doctor” mode, you liked to think that you were attuned to his body language - the slight downturn of his lips, intensity in his eyes, and stiffness of his posture told you that he certainly wasn’t happy.

“I’m pulling you from duty. You’re to report back here in three weeks and I’ll see if you’re fit to be cleared for duty again,” he replied flatly, authoritative gaze still glued to you. You were no stranger to the strictness of the doctor’s orders, but three weeks was pushing it. This was some sort of punishment for your recklessness, you were sure of it.

“Three weeks? Isn’t that a bit much?” you asked while lightly rolling your freshly bandaged shoulder in an attempt to prove the levity of the injury.

Zayne narrowed his eyes, then proceeded to stow his pen into his white coat pocket, and you instantly knew that a hefty lecture was on its way.

“Exercising an injured muscle before it’s fully healed can lead to slowed healing and permanent damage. And next time, you’d do well to avoid being so reckless on the field. Come to think of it, perhaps a month of rest will be needed to ensure proper healing.”

And with that, he had shut down any possibility for a compromise, especially considering you didn’t have the expertise to dispute his diagnosis. Besides, when he got like this, you knew better than to argue, lest he extend your banishment from duty to an unreasonably longer amount of time.

—

This was a week and a half ago, meaning that you’d only served half your sentence. The worst part about being under such strict orders was how cooped up you felt. As perilous as your Alpha Team assignment was, you’d always enjoyed being able to visit different parts of the city, sometimes even venturing further. You’d often explore and find new restaurants and cafés to try out in the vicinity of your mission area on the way home.

But the best part about finding these new places was getting to share them with a certain someone who happened to share your passion for culinary experiences. You’d write down the most notable new place you’d discovered after each assignment in a new area, and it had become a sort of ritual for the both of you to visit and rate each place every weekend.

Ironically, that certain someone also happened to be your doctor, and he was the reason why you hadn’t partaken in your post-mission reward in a week and a half, even staying in last weekend. Sure, you could always initiate a weekend outing, but you hadn’t left your neighborhood in days, and your list of new places to try out was barren as a result. Just as you were considering whether you’d be able to bargain with Zayne to get cleared for duty earlier than scheduled, your phone chimed with a text notification.

It was as though he’d read your mind from a distance.

Good afternoon. How are you feeling?

Seizing your opening, you hastily sent back a message.

feeling good, my shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore. honestly! just feels stiff. but maybe I’m at risk for a vitamin D deficiency since I can’t go out to missions anymore :P

Three dots illuminated his side of the conversation, then swiftly disappeared. He wasn’t taking the bait. You furiously typed another message, this time going straight to the point.

well, as my doctor, don’t you think that’s concerning? maybe I can come by tomorrow and check if I can get cleared early haha

It was worth a shot, you told yourself, but your strategy could very well backfire seeing as off-duty Zayne was prone to responding to your half-jokes with equal amounts of seriousness and teasing, especially in your text conversations where the tone was constantly blurred. He might flat-out refuse, or even extend your suspension from duty just because you’d dared ask, and just because he could. But the dizzying figures side-eyeing you from your computer screen and the stale indoor air that had been your only companion for the past few days had evidently compelled you to risk it all.

His almost immediate answer blipped on your screen.

No.

Then three dots. You gulped.

But if you’re feeling cooped up, why don’t you join me for my morning run tomorrow? Running is a good way to get moderate exercise and won’t impact your shoulder healing at this point.

Your heartbeat quickened ever so slightly. Was Zayne really inviting you on one of his morning runs? He’d spoken about those like they were a ritual, and so the open and sudden invitation, though not unwelcome, was surprising. It wasn’t as glamorous as a restaurant outing, but it was an opportunity to spend time with him. And to touch some grass and breathe some fresh air, of course. Because that’s what this was about.

A smile crept up your face as you typed your reply.

yeah! that sounds good. see you tomorrow!

—

This is how you ended up lacing up your running shoes at the very crack of dawn, surrounded by nothing but the luscious greenery that framed the gravel path you stood on. You would have appreciated it much more if it wasn’t 5:45 AM and you had something to look forward to other than a grueling marathon.

Your eyes drifted towards your running companion, Zayne, who was completing a stretching routine a few feet away. You absently emulated his movements as your eyes caught onto his hulking arms, your gaze tracing every curvature of his taut muscles through the ribbed fabric of his black long-sleeve shirt.

Perhaps you did have something to look forward to after all.

He must have caught you staring, as his movements halted and you were met with a quizzical look. You quickly looked away, heat creeping up your cheeks, and looked for something to say, anything, to break the silence.

“So you run here every day, huh?” you said, almost too fast. “It’s beautiful, really.”

“Not every day,” Zayne’s deep voice echoed through the tranquil canopy of trees. “I usually run a circuit through the city, close to the hospital. But for today, I wanted to make sure you…”

He trailed off and you turned to face him once more. This time, he averted his eyes and seemed suddenly preoccupied with the nothingness in the tree line.

“Wanted to make sure I… what?” you prompted.

“Exposure to nature has been proven to be conducive to healing and improve patient outcomes.”

There it was, the familiar doctor-patient wall that Zayne would employ against you whenever either of you came close to acknowledging whatever it was that budded between the two of you. Yet you’d seen him chip away at it far too many times during your weekend outings, and you’d also been known to jump at any opportunity to deal some damage to it whenever you could. Even so, the status quo didn’t bother you, as long as it meant he would still be around. A permanent fixture in your life.

“Hmmm,” you hummed in response, trying to find a witty rebuttal. When the words failed you, you simply yelled out: “Well, improve this! Race you to the end!”

And with that, you dashed ahead, leaving Zayne behind, no doubt shaking his head at your antics.

—

Your amusement was quite short-lived, as your increasingly aching legs reminded you why you’d always hated cardio and prioritized strength training. You’d clearly bitten off more than you could chew, but you were also notoriously stubborn, and so your feet begrudgingly crunched on the gravel at a regular rhythm as Zayne matched your unrelenting speed, though he made it seem effortless.

“Sure you don’t want to slow down?” you heard him ask as he ran long strides beside you, not even remotely out of breath.

“Nope,” you huffed. Your stubbornness aside, you especially didn’t want to slow him down after he’d so graciously invited you into this part of his life. “Besides… we’re almost there… right?”

He let out a low chuckle. “Not in the slightest. We’re about halfway through the route.”

“Wha-” the sound of surprise escaped your lips before you could hold it in. At this point, the sun had completely risen, though roiling clouds had begun to obscure it. Surely you should have completed more than half of the run by now, right?

You’d clearly figured wrong. The drive that had been powering you through your unsustainable pace evaporated in an instant and you skidded to a halt. With your hands on your knees, you attempted to catch your breath and soothe the burning in your calves. Embarrassment be damned, this run was going to be the end of you if you didn’t take a break right this instant.

You felt a hand softly touch the small of your back, urging you forward.

“Don’t stop so suddenly, just keep walking and breathing.”

“R-right,” you managed between exhales.

You tried steadying your breathing as you both resumed walking, but the warmth of Zayne’s body against yours made the endeavor much harder than it had to be. His large hand remained on your back, gently guiding you forward and lightening the load on your sore legs. The cooling breeze that dried the beads of sweat on your brow was a welcome presence as you felt yourself feeling warmer and warmer by the minute.

After what felt like hours, your heart was thankfully no longer threatening to burst from your chest, and the painful ache in your legs had dulled. You discreetly looked up at Zayne only to find him scanning the tree line with a serious expression on his face. No matter where you went, he was always as alert and cautious as ever. You’d called him out on it once during one of your weekend outings, and he’d answered something ominous along the lines of “it’s better to be overprepared than taken off guard.”

Despite your teasing, however, his vigilance was always a welcoming sight. You could allow yourself to relax whenever the two of you were together - it was a far cry from the constant alertness your missions forced you to adopt. His presence alone made you feel safer than you’d ever care to admit, and his rare but soothing touches seemed to melt your worries away. In little moments like these, you were afforded the luxury of simply living in the present.

Your steps became light as your attention drifted to a patch of bright blue and purple flowers that neatly adorned the upcoming bend in the path, perfectly framing it on both sides, and you realized that this was nice. The breeze lightly grazed your skin and you were thankful for its refreshing chill until it suddenly picked up and that very chill began to creep into your bones. You unconsciously inched closer to Zayne, your head pressed up against the side of his chest.

“We should head back,” he said, voice warmly rumbling against your ear. “It looks like it might…”

Raindrops slowly plipped and plopped against the gravel, grass, and leaves. Zayne halted both your movements and held his free hand up, as if to gauge the magnitude of the rain that would follow. He didn’t need to keep it up long, as the rain quickly escalated to a downpour, violently drenching you both in an instant.

You stared at the wet ground in disbelief. You normally didn’t mind the rain, but this was more than just rain - it was a veritable storm. And now your run would definitely have to be cut short. So much for a nice moment.

The two of you resumed your run, this time in the opposite direction, headed towards the forest’s entrance. The brief respite you’d just concluded evidently hadn’t done much to regenerate your energy and vigor, as you found yourself lagging behind Zayne as the rain and wind buffeted your body. Your legs burned once more, and you cursed yourself for pretending to stretch while ogling your running partner earlier instead of actually stretching.

You slowed to a halt, trying to give your legs a break, but knowing very well that once you stopped it’d only get harder to get moving again. But while a little bit of rain wouldn’t kill you, keeping up this pace when you’d already foolishly spent all of your energy in the first half of your run very well might.

You figured you should tell Zayne not to wait for you, that you’d catch up eventually, and inhaled sharply so your voice would carry from your crouched form through the roaring storm. But before you could utter a word, two strong arms nestled against you and you were suddenly staring at the lopsided tree line. Zayne had deftly scooped you up and resumed jogging without skipping a beat.

You instinctively braced yourself by placing your palm on his chest and looked up at him, bewildered. It took you a moment to compute what was happening, but once you did, heat warmed your face despite the chilling rain and wind.

You began to protest. “Zayne, you don’t need to… I can just catch up with you!”

“This forest will flood with the two of us in it if we keep up with your pace,” he replied, light mirth permeating his voice.

You huffed. Your arrogance and poor performance at cardiovascular exercise had been noted and you’d likely never hear the end of it - as serious and stern as Zayne presented himself, he’d always remember the smallest details when they presented an opportunity to tease you later on. Still, in an attempt to save the remainder of your dignity, you pressed on.

“No, but, you’ll get tired carrying me around!”

“It’s nothing. If anything, I’ll get to finish my workout,” he said, wet strands of dark hair dancing along to the rhythm of his light jog.

And thus, you resigned yourself to being carried out of the very workout you’d signed up for. When enough of your embarrassment had fizzled away, your mind began to drift away from the downpour and hone in on the steady thumping of Zayne’s heartbeat, which you could feel vibrating through your palm and reverberating throughout your whole body. The unwavering, rhythmic beats drew you to that same sense of safety you’d felt earlier, and so many times before. You found that the rain and the cold didn’t bite as harshly when you focused on the warmth of his body, the strength of his heartbeat, and the steady yet light bounce of his footsteps.

And eventually, you found that you’d stopped caring about the weather altogether.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

—

By the time you finally rejoined civilization, the rain had let up to a light drizzle. You’d found refuge in a small café, one of the first you’d visited together ever since starting your weekend tradition. At this time of day, it was luckily not too busy. They’d graciously offered you a table even though you were sopping wet, and you busied yourself drying off as best as you could with the copious amount of paper towels the server had offered you while Zayne ordered warm drinks for both of you.

When he returned from the counter with two cups in hand, soaking wet, hair still dripping, you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The juxtaposition of this man’s calm demeanor with his disheveled appearance, combined with the ridiculous circumstances amused you to no end.

Zayne raised an eyebrow. “What is it?” he asked as he placed down the cups.

“Nothing. It’s just…” you scoured your brain for a way to get back at him for his comments on your pace earlier. “You’d think a man would check the weather before going on a run, you know?”

A hint of a smile played on his lips, and he sighed in mock exasperation as he sat across from you. “And you’d think a hunter would be able to run for more than five minutes in a row,” he quipped back. “Am I going to have to add mandatory cardiovascular training to your health plan?”

You definitely would never hear the end of this.

You threw your hands up, feigning defeat. “Fine, fine. I’ll manage my pace better next time.”

You grasped your cup, the warm ceramic soothing your freezing hands. “But I’m just surprised that someone like you could just get caught out in the rain like that. Didn’t you once tell me about how being overprepared is the key to all your problems or something like that?”

“‘If you’re not overprepared, you’re underprepared,’ was the quote,” he replied as he slicked back his wet hair. You shifted your gaze to the ripples in your cup to stop yourself from staring. “And you’re right, I should’ve looked at the forecast before I dragged you out there. Or at the very least, I should have stuck to my normal route. We likely would’ve found shelter faster. I’m sorry, it’s my fault we ended up like this.”

“No, you have nothing to apologize for!” you replied hastily. “I didn’t mean to imply that at all. I had fun today, and I got to breathe some fresh air, get some exercise in… I’m gonna be honest, even though it rained on our parade, I’m really glad you invited me to run with you.”

You beamed as you finished your sentence, unable to hide your genuine contentment. You meant every word of it. In contrast to the gloomy weather outside, your mood had been brightened by this ordeal. As strange as it sounded, you were almost glad for the rain which had brought you closer together in more ways than one.

Zayne’s intense gaze settled on you, as if he was trying to read your mind. This time, you didn’t look away. “Is that so?” he started. “Then allow me to be honest as well. I neglected to look at the weather forecast because I just wanted to get you out of your apartment. You sounded pent up, and I wanted to cheer you up.”

You felt a comfortable warmth settle within you, and you knew you couldn’t ascribe it to the coffee alone. “Thank you,” you replied, ignoring the heat that was surely visible in your cheeks. “I was pent up. Data analysis was driving me crazy, I hadn’t left the house in days since my assignment is remote, and I missed you.”

Perhaps you were feeling a little too comfortable, for you blurted out the words without thinking. Well, it was too late now. You clumsily took a sip from your cup and set it back down with an unceremonious clang.

“I missed you too,” he replied, voice gentle and low. When you peered up from your cup to face him, he suddenly seemed more interested in the weather again, looking out the window at the slowly clearing skies. He cleared his throat unceremoniously and continued: “I missed the opportunity to discover another restaurant with you this past weekend. My palate has come to expect variety every Saturday, you know.”

You smiled as you freely took in his flustered expression, a rare occurrence for the brilliant and ever-composed Dr. Zayne. You greedily gulped your coffee before it got cold, and reminded him to do the same, which seemed to push him back to his normal level of composure. The two of you spent the remainder of the morning excitedly discussing the culinary potential of your next mission destination in another week and a half.

Tonight, as you reminisced on the day’s events, you could rejoice, for the wall that neither of you had built but both of you had reluctantly maintained over the years had lost another brick. It wouldn’t be long before it crumbled to dust entirely, of that you were sure. In the meantime, you’d gladly content yourself with living in the present, in the moment, in the warmth and safety of Zayne’s unwavering presence.

Note: Hello! I can’t believe my first fic in YEARS is for a game I started playing 4 days ago, but L&DS and Zayne have literally taken over my life so I had no choice. This is also my first 'x reader' fic EVER so I’m kinda nervous, but I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thank you to @pmpmyread for proofreading!

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Citroën SM Espace, 1971, by Heuliez. The French coachbuilder developed a T-roof system using a system of louvres that concertinaed into the central section. Heuliez hoped to interest a car manufacturer into offering the system as an option but none ever did

[guy60660]

Les Espaces d'Abraxas | Archirtecture Hub

[pixiedrake]

[mon-espace]

Mis recuerdos me ahogan, y no puedo salir a la superficie.

Mon-espace

[devdas5z]

Espace Parfums Diamant 

[happywebdesign]

OutThere

[lasaraconor]

[desorden-en-letras]

El amor no es algo que encuentres. El amor es algo que construyes.

Mon-espace

[espace--positif]

Mise en place

A Zayne x F!Reader Birthday Fic

Summary: You've planned every part of Zayne's homemade birthday dinner, all the way down to the last detail... but what happens when things start to go wrong?

WC: 2.1K

Content tags: Fluff, Humor, Mild Suggestiveness

All it took was for one tiny thing to go wrong. Then everything began to unravel.

You’d misread the recipe for blanching green beans and subjected them to a fifteen-minute boil, which had rendered them a mushy mess. So you’d tossed them and restarted a new batch, but that meant you were now late on the frosting. And if the frosting was late, then you’d either have to accept that the steak would be late too, or attempt to sear it while simultaneously manning a hand mixer, which was tragically impossible with the amount of hands you had.

Why the hell did you need to blanch green beans anyway? What was the point? As you scurried from one end of the kitchen to the other, house slippers sliding dangerously on the light dusting of flour on your floor, you chastised yourself for choosing the wrong moment to learn how to cook dishes that were, frankly, beyond your measure.

You’d always been a decent enough cook to get by, but you absolutely had to outdo yourself this time. It was Zayne’s birthday, after all. You had to make it more than just good enough. No, you had to make it perfect for him.

Of course, he had no clue you were planning all of this. If he knew, he surely would have denied you the pleasure of throwing him an intimate surprise birthday party; ever since you’d pulled that stint with the help of Dr. Greyson and Yvonne two birthdays ago, he’d become privy to your schemes every year. So instead, you’d cleared your schedule and invited him over to your apartment under the guise of needing help with something. You remained vague, worried that he’d see through any lie you tried to craft. He always did; he knew you too well. Zayne had agreed to come over after his shift, curiosity palpable through his voice on the phone.

You peered at the oven clock and briefly checked on the sizzling steak within. It was looking juicy and almost ready, so at least something was going well. Then you got to work pouring copious amounts of crushed garlic into your compound butter mixture. There was no such thing as too much garlic, so at least you wouldn’t mess that up. You let out a forceful sigh in an attempt to recenter yourself. There was no need to panic, you still had fifteen minutes of error margin, so as long as you could get everything back on track, it would all be ready at the same time as you’d so meticulously planned. You haphazardly tossed the compound butter mixture into the fridge to cool, then returned your attention to the would-be frosting, currently a pile of sugar sitting in the mixing bowl.

A knock at the door froze you in your tracks. No, it couldn’t be. He was entirely too early.

You ran to the door with urgency, desperately hoping it was your neighbor, or a delivery, anything but this. Your heart sank when you saw Zayne staring right back at you through the peephole. You opened the door, coating it with the leftover butter on your hand, and put on your best “this is fine” smile as you greeted him.

“Hi! You’re thirty minutes early!” you couldn’t help but add.

“Your request sounded urgent on the phone,” Zayne replied as he walked in, “and I didn’t have much work left to do, so I came straight here.”

His hazel eyes intently scanned you up and down as soon as he walked in, and you wondered if you’d already been made. Zayne had always been too observant for his own good. And yours.

“You look beautiful,” he finally said, voice soft and low. Your cheeks turned red. Amidst the culinary chaos, you’d almost forgotten that you’d had the good idea of putting on your dress, and getting your hair and makeup ready early in the afternoon so that you wouldn’t need to worry about it later.

“Thank you,” you replied softly, a warm smile lighting up your features, before your very important mission – completion of the birthday dinner – returned to the forefront of your mind.

After giving you another brief once-over, Zayne began discarding his shoes and briefcase at the entrance of your abode. You took advantage of the moment to scurry back to the kitchen, endeavoring to cover up your sins. Mixing bowls, measuring cups, seasonings and containers lay astray on your counters; your meticulous organizational system had clearly evaporated along with the failed green bean water.

“You can wait for me in the living room,” you called out absently as you shoved unneeded pots and pans into the dishwasher. “Or anywhere but here. Please don’t come here,” you added under your breath.

But of course, that’s exactly what he did. The hiss of steam that escaped from the pot housing the green beans masked his footsteps, so it wasn’t until after you’d hastily taken them off the stove and whipped around that you saw him. He threw his hands up as if to say ‘careful’, and you realized you were brandishing near-boiling bean water at him.

“Is this what you needed help with?” he asked while gesturing towards the mess that was your kitchen.

You turned around, trying to mask the look of mortification on your face.

“Nope,” you replied as you tossed the green beans into the ice bath you’d luckily prepared beforehand, though it was more of a cold water bath by this point. “You know me, I’m just cooking. For fun. I like to cook.”

You winced; so much for sounding inconspicuous.

You could hear the skepticism in Zayne’s voice as he asked, “What are you making? This looks like… a lot.”

You turned to face him after the green beans were secured. There was no point in lying about the dish you were preparing; he could clearly see all your ingredients laid out, and you’d put a lot of effort into choosing something you knew he would enjoy very much, so you were actually proud of your selection. Hopefully, the execution would end up as perfect as you’d envisioned.

“Reverse-seared steak with compound butter and green beans.”

Zayne looked genuinely impressed, brows rising in a fascinated expression. You beamed – your mission was partially accomplished as he clearly hadn’t seen this coming – but your moment of triumph was brief as the realization that you’d forgotten something very important crashed down on you.

The steak!

Your timer had either not gone off, or you’d forgotten to set it, or the universe desperately wanted you to fail today. Your culinary adventure turned into a rescue mission in an instant, and your crisis response took over. After all, a true hunter would never leave a perfectly good steak to burn in her oven, let alone a birthday steak.

Zayne watched in pure horror as you tossed the bean-water pot into the skin with a loud crash, ripped two flimsy paper towels from the rack, yanked the oven door open, and grasped the edges of the scorching hot sheet pan that held the steak, hoisting it to safety on the one empty area on the countertop with pinpoint precision.

You didn’t register the nerves in your hands crying out until after you’d made sure the steak had been successfully rescued and was safe. In an instant, Zayne was by your side. He grasped your hands in his and practically dragged you to the sink, running cold water onto them.

You sheepishly looked up at him, your faces only inches apart as he stood right behind you, and he looked back with a look that screamed ‘why would you do that?’. It was 70% worry, 10% shock, and 20% disappointment, if you had to estimate.

“Why would you do that?” he asked with genuine concern, brows sternly knitted together.

“It’s wagyu…” you offered, but your poor excuse was instantly shut down by his intense glare.

Wrong answer. You turned your attention back to the stream of water in slight shame.

Zayne sighed, his breath brushing the back of your neck. Then he shut the water off, gently turned you around so you faced him, and began to inspect your hands thoroughly. Warmth enveloped your hands as he held them, and it was a welcoming feeling given how they’d just been subjected to the two extremes of scorching heat and ice-cold running water.

The focused look on his face as he completed his meticulous inspection reminded you why you were doing this in the first place. The man simply didn’t have an off button. Even less so on the one day when he should enjoy himself, and your shenanigans were partly to blame for that.

“Good. It doesn’t look like you were burned. But why on earth–”

“Because,” you replied too fast. “The steak was gonna end up well-done. And everyone knows well-done is a euphemism for burnt.”

“If you called me here to help you cook, just say so,” Zayne said, genuine confusion lacing his voice. You were known to sometimes be cryptic and less than forthcoming with your requests, but this wouldn’t have been the first time he’d helped you devise a new dish or figure out a complex recipe. “Here, I’ll help you finish the dish up so we can tidy this mess and go sit down.”

“No, you can’t help,” you protested, eyes fixated on a particularly prominent patch of flour on the kitchen tile.

“Why?” His tone was soft and inquisitive as he interlaced his fingers with yours, and that was all it took for you to fold and confess your master plan.

“Because it’s your birthday dinner,” you mumbled.

Zayne froze, and you looked up at him when he didn’t respond. You could practically see the gears turning in that beautiful head of his.

“Don’t tell me you forgot…?” you said, tilting your head.

“I suppose I might have forgotten,” Zayne replied earnestly. “I’ve been busy, and… it’s two days from now, not today, and besides–”

“You don’t like big celebrations, I know. That’s why I wanted to do this. It’s not a celebration per se, it’s more like… me treating you to a really nice dinner that happens to be followed by cake as dessert.”

Zayne’s pensive expression softened into a warm smile. His hazel eyes remained fixed on yours, betraying nothing of the way he’d almost melted at the thought of you caring so much.

He detached his fingers from yours and pulled you by the waist so you were flush against each other.

“As delicious as that sounds, you should know I don’t need a fancy dinner on my birthday,” he said softly as his hand gently traced circles in the small of your back. “Simply spending my time with you, being close to you like this… That’s enough for me, ok?”

“I know, I know,” you pouted, resting your head on his chest. “But I’m still gonna finish this, because, well, it’s our dinner. And I think it’s gonna be really good, even if it’s not a surprise anymore.”

“Hmm,” he hummed. “I don’t doubt it. After all, you went fancy with it, didn’t you?”

“It’s not my fault a certain someone only eats at Michelin-starred restaurants. I had to outdo myself to meet your impossible standards,” you teased with a grin. “The recipe actually called for carrots, but a certain someone is also a picky eater, so…”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “You remembered that?”

“Of course I did.”

Now that the urgency of the situation had dissipated and you settled into his comfortable warmth, you started to notice the little things. The woody scent of his cologne tickling your nose. The comfort of his hands on your back. The way you fit perfectly into his arms. The dim dining lights and candles you’d set earlier reflecting dancing shimmers in his eyes. The way his lips parted slightly before meeting yours, as your palms wandered up his chest and past his neck, settling on the back of his head, gently tousling his hair. You felt him relax under your touch, pulling you even closer, and though it wasn’t your birthday, you found yourself making a wish. As you breathed in all of each other, you wished to stay here forever.

But alas, your mission remained unfinished.

“Mm,” you hummed, gently attempting to pull away. “I still have to… finish cooking. The cake frosting isn’t even started.”

You could barely get the words out as Zayne relentlessly locked lips with yours until you were both out of breath. When he finally pulled away, you were met with a warm, content grin. “Then I guess you’ll have to let me help you so we can get on with this wonderful dinner,” he said, voice low and husky. “And don’t worry about the cake. I’ve got a different idea for dessert.”

Note: Hello! I wanted to write something nice and short for our dear Zayne’s birthday, so I hope you enjoy this fluffy story (to cheer us up from the Dawnbreaker lore too). Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone is having fun with the birthday event <3

Thank you to @pmpmyread for proofreading!

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Nissan Redigo Concept, 2003. A compact SUV prototype presented at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show. The roof system used glass panel on the outboard edges that could retract into the centre section. French coachbuilders Heuliez developed a similar system in the 1970s which they called the Espace roof.

[o-link]

Jupiter

[fidjiefidjie]

“Si les astres étaient immobiles, le temps et l'espace n'existeraient plus.” 🌕🪐⭐️

Maurice Maeterlinck

Gif de Nikita Ermakov

[pixiedrake]