#finished this at 12:30 am ehehehehe

[bizarrelovetriangel]

distance

angst with comfort. brief jealous reader/mc and jealous zayne. slightly ooc zayne just bc you know he'd always put you first no matter how hectic life can get. but just for this one, he gets a little cold...

as insecurities take over, you distance yourself from zayne and zayne realizes how empty he feels without you.

Being a doctor can be stressful. It takes a lot of energy, and Zayne, no matter how perfect he seemed, isn't an exception.

Lately, his work has been taking a lot of his time, and it's starting to take a toll on his health. You've been trying to help him to take a break and relax for a while, but it hasn't been easy.

And your relationship was put to test.

You brought him food in his home office, and it had only gone cold and untouched.

You wanted to get his mind off work for a bit, so you took him out for plushie hunting at the claw machines after dinner one night, though he only said a few words as he watched you play, eyes looking like they're ready to close at any minute.

You encouraged him to join you in bed to get some sleep, hoping to get rid of the tiredness in his eyes, and he told you to go first and he'll join you in a few minutes, only for him to take hours, when you were already in a deep sleep.

You asked him to watch a movie with you, he said he wasn't in the mood, so you ended up falling asleep on the couch all alone until the movie's end credits started rolling.

You offered to give him a massage, gentle hands squeezing the tensed muscles of his shoulders, only for him to move away and say, "I'm sorry... I just need some time alone for a while. I need to finish this."

Of course, you understood. He is a doctor who has to do paper work along with treating the patience at Akso Hospital. Things can get pretty stressful, and even Zayne can be overwhelmed.

It's normal to want space.

After all, you admit that you might have seemed like a pesky buzzing fly to someone who just wants some silence.

"Okay. I'll head home, then. Good night, Zayne. Please, don't forget to eat and rest." Not wanting to annoy him any further, you resisted to give him your usual parting peck and embrace. Instead, you gave him a soft smile and a casual wave of goodbye before leaving his house.

In the following day, you sent Zayne a good morning message, reminding him to take good care of himself, and he responded with his favorite good morning sticker. You weren't able to see him at all, since the Wanderers you dealt with had been a handful. By the end of the day, after eating dinner at a ramen shop with your coworkers, Xavier and Tara, you just had enough energy left for shower before crashing on your bed.

The next day, you had a day off so you decided to stop by Akso Hospital to drop off lunch for Zayne, knowing that he's most likely just eating cafeteria food. You even got him some macarons as a treat for working so hard, so you're certain he'll choose your personal delivery than the cafeteria.

The moment you arrived, you were greeted by Yvonne, whose eyes lit up as soon as she spotted your figure. "Hey! It's been a while since you visited!"

"Haha, I know! Work's been crazy, but apparently not as hectic as yours!" You laughed as Yvonne pouted in agreement.

"Tell me about it!" Greyson appeared as well, clutching a few sheets of paper in one hand. "So many people are getting injured these days! Luckily, things are starting to calm down now though."

"That's good. You guys really need a break after all the hard work you've been doing." You then held up the light blue tote bag that contained the lunch box and started to walk towards Zayne's office. "Anyways, don't let me take anymore of your precious time. I just stopped by to give Zayne - "

Within several feet away from his office, you froze.

The door was partly opened, and inside you could see him. Zayne was already eating lunch, and he wasn't alone. He's with a woman, another doctor, based on the snippets of phrases you caught as she spoke elegantly.

You couldn't tear your eyes off Zayne's bright eyes and his lips slightly curled into a smile.

The smile that you haven't seen for days.

You were glad to see it.

You only wished that it was directed at you right now.

"Ah, never mind. I guess he's busy at the moment." You turned around and retreated, giving Yvonne and Greyson a smile.

It was the kind of smile that had them exchange a look of concern.

"I'll just get going then. It was nice seeing you two!"

Greyson's eyes followed the tote bag in your hands that were lowering with disappointment. "Ahaha! Well, you know.... I haven't had lunch yet..." His left hand scratches the back of his head. "How about I trade some coupons with you in exchange for whatever you got in there? I'll treat you next time we have a group hang out too."

You grinned as you caught his drift right away. Someone wanted free food. "The coupons will suffice. I hope you enjoy!"

Greyson managed to drop a quick thank you as you practically ran out of the building.

Later that night, you didn't send a goodnight text, and you did not receive one either.

The next morning, you woke up to a good morning message from Zayne, along with a snowman sticker that said, 'Awake?'

You replied a quick, 'Good morning' before continuing to eat your breakfast while scrolling through social media.

A couple of minutes later, you received a follow-up text, with Zayne asking if you're feeling okay, sensing that something was off with the way you replied to him.

You always send him multiple texts, sometimes paragraph-long, but never just a couple of words that lacked your usual charms.

'Just feeling a little tired, been busy at work'

It wasn't a lie. Wanderers have been kicking your ass, though you always make sure to kick theirs thrice as hard.

You weren't even really upset with Zayne. He didn't do anything wrong that would warrant a cold shoulder.

It's just that something has been forcing you to distance yourself from him. Something deep in your stomach was making you feel weird, about yourself.

You started to wonder.... if you were too much for Zayne.

Too loud, too energetic, too draining, too....childish.

What if, maybe, he preferred to be with someone who's more calm and collected? Someone who didn't waste his time getting plushies at claw machines? Someone who matches his interests and intellect and energy? Someone mature? Like that woman that he was having lunch with.

After all, she was able to get him to smile, while you failed for days.

Maybe Zayne was getting tired of you.

And so, you stayed away from him, not wanting to pest him with your presence any longer.

He deserves better.

/////////

Busy. Busy. Busy. He'd been asking you if you were available to go out on Friday, Saturday, then Sunday, but Zayne hasn't had any luck.

The good morning and good night messages stopped, too. Usually, you were the one that sent them first. Sometimes, he'd send a text first, and you'll reply with multiple messages. This time, it's just been silence. All calls have been missed. He hasn't seen your face nor heard your voice for days.

He doesn't like it.

The distance. The silence.

Something was wrong, and he had a feeling that it's not because of your job.

You've been together for a while now, and he had seen you in your busiest and most exhausted days. No matter how much work has taken from you, you always made time for him. Even if it's just to shoot him some messages and a quick video call to let him know what you've been up to.

You always find time and energy for him.

That was something he hasn't been doing lately. He knows that he'd messed up and pushed you away when you were just looking out for him.

Zayne wanted to apologize properly in person, but now, he realizes, that might not happen anytime soon.

In his office at the hospital, Zayne quietly ate his lunch that was purchased at the cafeteria, forcing his eyes to remain at his computer screen even though they keep darting back to his closed door, hoping that it would open and a certain hunter will give him a surprise visit with food she prepared just for him.

The food wasn't settling well in his stomach.

Zayne couldn't find it in him to enjoy the sweet drink he bought at the cafe. He didn't want any of it. What he wanted was for you to show up so he can hold on to you and never let go.

It's been days and he misses your warmth.

Sighing, Zayne stood up and took a folder that had been sitting on his desk. He had unfinished paper work to do, he might as well just focus on that now, since he didn't have the appetite for lunch.

"Greyson, I have a question about yesterday morning's patient from the pediatrics." He entered his colleague's office, which wasn't too far from his own.

"Doctor Zayne, what do you need?" Greyson looked up from his book.

"About the antibiotics they were prescribed. How many - " Zayne's eyes shifted to something familiar that demanded his attention. A light blue tote bag sits on Greyson's desk. "That looks just like...."

He then spotted a familiar snowman sticker at the bottom left corner at the front of the bag. He knows that sticker well, because he was the one that put it there.

"Actually, that's.... Why do you have that?"

Greyson tensed up at Zayne's suddenly raised voice. Not angry, but more...accusatory. All he could do was laugh nervously.

"She visited a few days with food meant for you, but she saw that you were busy, so....I figured, instead of letting it be wasted....."

Zayne nodded his head. "I see." He then picked up the tote bag with the clean and washed empty lunch box inside. "I'll be returning this to her then."

"Y-yes, please! Thank you!"

Zayne didn't even finish his question for Greyson. He just walked out of the office immediately after taking the bag.

Greyson sighs with relief. He didn't die.

///////

Zayne returned home with his stomach feeling worse, and it's not because he hasn't eaten much. Now, he's certain that you really were upset with him.

First, he neglected you, pushed you away and acted cold when you were just caring for him, then you saw him having lunch with another woman - which wasn't wrong, and you've seen him have lunch meetings with other women before and expressed no concerns, but this time was different. The timing was bad, and the fact that you didn't barge in or talked to him afterwards meant you felt upset.

After giving you a few more calls that had all gone to voice mail, Zayne called it a day, hoping he'd have better luck tomorrow.

But he wasn't gifted with sleep that night.

His mind couldn't stop thinking.

He worried that you might've been so hurt that you'd want to leave him, and the thought of losing you made his chest tighten.

The thought of having to live without you by his side, just like all those years ago, hurt a lot. Now that he knows what a life with you feels like, there was no way he could go back to the days without you next to him.

Zayne sat up and looked at the time.

11:20 p.m.

It started to rain, and the coldness has entered his lonely home.

He can't waste another day.

Zayne needed to see you. Now.

And so, he quickly changed his clothes and went to his car and drove to your apartment.

/////

Your mouth dropped as soon as you saw who rang your doorbell.

"Zayne?! What the hell - it's almost midnight and it's raining!" His hair had gotten wet from the rain, black buttoned-up shirt also catching cold droplets, yet he didn't care at all. "Are you crazy?! What are you - "

You couldn't even finish screaming at him as he suddenly dove into your arms, burying his face against your neck as he pulls you close to him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, warm breath tickling your skin. "I'm sorry."

Your throat tightened and words failed to leave your mouth. The coldness pricked your skin, so you rushed back inside your apartment with Zayne still latching onto you.

You took him to the kitchen and sat him down on a chair. He kept his arms wrapped around your waist while his face rested on your stomach.

Your fingers brushed against the wet strands of his hair. "Zayne..."

"I'm sorry." He said again. "I'm sorry for pushing you away when you only meant well. I'm sorry that you had to distance yourself from me, because I made you feel like... like you weren't important. But you are. I need you by my side. Please, don't leave."

"Zayne..." Your chest ached at the desperation in his voice. "Zayne." You got on your knees so that you can look at him in the eyes and hold onto his hands. "I'm sorry, too."

His eyes looked at you with confusion.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. You weren't at fault for wanting space. I'd respect your wish anytime. It's just, at that time, my insecurity got the best of me."

"Insecurity?"

"I started to think that I might be too childish, and that maybe you'd prefer to be with someone more mature and someone who matches your interests, someone who could help you out when you're stressed about work, instead of getting in your way." You confessed, feeling embarrassed now that you're saying it out loud in front of him. "I'm sorry."

Zayne shook his his head and brought your hands to his lips for a lingering warm kiss. "I never thought that, and I never will. I'm grateful for you, and I love you exactly the way you are. You don't get in my way. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I truly am sorry for making you feel that way. I promise I won't do it again."

You rested your forehead against his.

"....you're still wet from the rain." You clicked your tongue and got up to get a towel, only for him to grab your hand. "Come on."

You brought him to the bathroom so you could help him freshen up from the rain. After he changed into the pajamas that he'd keep in your house, he joined you on your bed, and his arms wrapped tightly around you.

His head rested on your chest, arms on your hips, legs tangled together.

Just then...

"Shit. I forgot to turn off the lights in the kitchen."

You attempted to get up, but Zayne only held you tighter.

"Don't go."

"It'll only take a second." You poked his cheek, suppressing a smile, enjoying his clingy side that rarely comes out.

"It'll be fine. It can stay on for the night. Just let me keep holding you."

"Okay. Good night, Zayne."

"Good night."