Work Text:
"I don't have all the patience in the world, Zayne!" Y/N shouts, her fingers running through her hair as she paces back and forth at the living room. "Just send me a short text or anything that could make me feel that I still mean anything to you." She continues, her hand on her chest.
"You're a hunter, Y/N. You should know that many people were injured from the sudden influx of Wanderers in the city, and it is my duty to treat as many of them as possible." Zayne said, his tone flat and devoid of any emotion as he sits on the sofa. His own voice surprised him as it wasn't his intention for him to sound like that.
But just as Zayne was about to apologize, Y/N stops pacing, her face was etched with disbelief as she looks at Zayne. "Is that it then? So you never had a minute of rest or to pause to even go check up on me or ask if I was alright?" She scoffs. "I've been fighting all those Wanderers day and night almost everyday but I still managed to leave you a message, only to be left on read."
"I know that you can handle yourself." Zayne replies, glancing at his phone, a habit that developed within the span of weeks because of constant calls that reminded him of new patients that he had to treat.
Y/N became silent, making him look at her. She had her fists balled as tears fell from her eyes.
"So, you're not worried about me at all?" her soft voice sounded so weak, "Fine." Y/N picks up her bag from the edge of the couch and storms out of Zayne's house, their supposed house-only if their relationship didn't take a turn for the worse in these past few weeks.
Zayne removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyebrows furrowed. He didn't know whether to follow Y/N outside or let her cool of. Either way, he was too tired.
Today was his only day off from the hospital. For 3 consecutive weeks, Linkon City has been attacked by an enormous number of Wanderers that suddenly appeared at the center of the city, and it was only the day before yesterday when they were all finally eliminated. Those past three weeks, Zayne and Y/N never really got the chance to be with each other, both busy with their respective jobs with Zayne as a doctor at Akso Hospital and Y/N as a Deepspace hunter.
It was true, that Y/N did contact him every time she had a moment to breathe from fighting wanderers, but Zayne couldn't reply to her due to multiple reasons. But, thinking about it now, these reasons weren't actually valid. They were the only excuses that he had told himself.
Zayne let out a groan as he sat back. He closed his eyes, remembering how stupid his actions and words were, and how he had hurt Y/N's feelings. Zayne remained in this position, an arm over his eyes as his back rested on the sofa.
After a while, Zayne was woken up by the ringing of his phone. When he opened his eyes, the living room was already colored in hues of orange and red, it was already dusk. The TV was open and there was news playing.
"After a month-long mission... - a hunter was injured due to the sudden appearance of an S-class Wanderer on Whitesand Bay-." Zayne couldn't focus on the news as he picked up his phone vibrating on his coffeetable.
Zayne looked at the caller ID. It was an unknown number, but Zayne decided to answer it nonetheless.
"This is Dr. Zayne speaking, how can I help you?" Zayne sat up, his one hand holding the phone to his ear as he looked at the time on the wristwatch of his other hand. 5:48 pm.
"You are on the emergency contact of hunter Y/N. We're informing you that she has suffered a fatal injury from a sudden attack of a Wanderer. We are on the way to Akso Hospital."
Zayne felt his heart drop. Just as he was about to stand, he heard voices on the other line, and he had never felt so helpless at this point.
"Shit! She's going into shock-we have to stop her from bleeding!" And it seemed like the phone was left somewhere as the paramedics tried their best to treat Y/N.
Zayne, although known for being level-headed even during a highly difficult procedure in the operating table, stood still, his mind panicking but his body could not move an inch. He could feel his fingers getting cold as he listened to the people on the other line of the call, trying to resuscitate Y/N, and just as he was about to take a breath,
He woke up.
"Hey, are you okay?" He heard Y/N's sweet voice beside him, making him turn his head towards her. They were lying on the bed. Her fingers were combing through his hair and her sleepy eyes shot him a concerned look.
Zayne breathes out a sigh of relief. His body turned to face her and his arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him.
"Just a bad dream." He replies as he placed a kiss on Y/N's temple. "That's all. Go back to sleep, darling. I'm sorry for waking you up."
Y/N shakes her head as she cuddles him, her face buried on Zayne's chest. "It's fine. But," she raises her head, her eyes meeting his hazel green ones.
"Shouldn't you at least check up on me after I walked away earlier?"
Zayne woke up again. Now, he was alone in the living room. The curtains were swaying from the cold night wind entering through his windows and only the soft moonlight illuminated the room. Zayne looks at his wristwatch.
It has been 3 hours ever since Y/N left.
Zayne sat up and grabbed his phone from the coffee table and decided to send Y/N a text.
"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. I love you."
-
Y/N
"I don't have all the patience in the world, Zayne!" you shout, tears were threatening to fall from your eyes as you slide your fingers through your hair. Frustration, disappointment, and sadness were all you could feel at this point. You pace back and forth in the living room as you look up, trying to stop the tears from falling. "Just send me a short text or anything that could make me feel that I still mean anything to you."
It was hard. For the past few weeks, you had waited for Zayne to contact you, to ask if you were okay, and that he misses you, even if it's not as much as you missed him.
But you heard nothing from him.
"You're a hunter, Y/N. You should know that many people were injured from the sudden influx of Wanderers in the city, and it is my duty to treat as many of them as possible." Zayne replies, his loving tone that you missed so much was not present at all, instead, it was replaced by a flat one that made you feel so unwanted-unloved.
You could no longer care what your face looked like right now as you looked at Zayne, searching his eyes for anything that could ease what you were feeling.
It was in vain.
"Is that it then? So you never had a minute of rest or to pause to even go check up on me or ask if I was alright?" You could not prevent a scoff from escaping. He had been taking care of so many strangers but he couldn't even check up on you, his girlfriend.
"I've been fighting all those Wanderers day and night almost everyday but I still managed to leave you a message, only to be left on read." You had been waiting for Zayne to reply to your last message, but now, it had resorted to you coming to his house just to hear what he had to say.
"I know that you can handle yourself." Zayne replies, his eyes glancing at his phone on the table in front of you.
He does not care anymore. You thought. Tears started to fall from your eyes. You clenched your hands so tight that it formed crescents on your palm as you tried to stop the tears but failed to do so.
"So, you're not worried about me at all?" your voice wavered, "Fine." You had to stop yourself from saying anything anymore, otherwise, you might say something that you didn't mean which might further damage your relationship with Zayne. You grabbed your bag and stormed out of his house.
After quickly wiping the tears that stained your cheeks, you wore the helmet dangling from one of your motor's handles, rode on your motor, revving it and drove away from the place. It was still in the afternoon, and as much as you wanted to drive away your unwanted thoughts, you decided to just go back to your apartment.
After driving for a while, you finally arrived at your place, the apartment complex provided to hunters by the Hunters' Association. You parked your motor and went inside the building.
As soon as you entered your apartment, you removed your boots, let your bag fall to the floor and walked straight towards your bedroom where you decided to plop yourself on your bed, not bothering to wash up first.
The tiredness from everything, from the few weeks that had made you exert yourself fighting wanderers, to how your relationship with Zayne was starting to crumble, had seeped into your body, making your eyelids heavier and your mind foggy that you didn't notice that you had slowly succumbed to sleep.
You woke up from a notification that came from the phone in your pocket. As you slowly sat up, you winced, feeling your head throbbing.
You squinted your eyes as you slowly adjusted to the brightness of your phone. It was a message from Zayne. Your heart thumped as you opened it.
"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. I love you." Three short sentences but,
They were all what you needed.
-
Zayne really did his best to make it up to you.
Whenever he goes out to work, he'll send you a message, saying his schedules and a few words on how much he loves you.
When he is taking his lunch, he'll ask if you're free, and when you are, he'll video call you just to see your face and ask about your day.
When he's done with his work at Akso, he'll drive to your workplace to pick you up. There were times where he would take you to a restaurant, or he would order a takeout and you would eat with him at your place.
On special occasions, like your anniversaries, monthsary, and other important days, Zayne would make sure to make himself available and would show up at your doorstep with your favorite flowers in hand. He would make himself more presentable too, with his hair pushed back, dressed in clothes that you liked, and sprayed the perfume that you bought for him. You would either spend your day in a fancy restaurant, or in his home, or yours, or wherever he had planned for the day.
Of course, it wasn't only Zayne that exerted efforts.
Sometimes, if you have enough free time, you would make Zayne a packed lunch and give it to him in his office or leave it at his desk if he was not available.
And in some instances, where you would finish your work earlier than him, you would order his favorite macarons and other sweets that he liked and you would go to Akso to wait for him at the lobby, where afterwards, you would spend your time at a park or in any place that you deemed fit.
-
Months passed by. Your relationship with Zayne had finally been mended completely, with each day spent showing how you truly feel about each other.
Zayne leaned down and placed a soft kiss on your lips which made you smile.
"I'll be going now, darling." He said, his thumb brushing your cheek softly as he looked at you tenderly.
You nodded and gave him a hug. "Take care and get home safe, Zayne."
Zayne waved goodbye as he drove off with his car. When he was no longer in your sight, you entered your apartment complex with a smile on your face.
You decided to take a bath as soon as you arrived inside your place. Zayne had picked you up at your workplace and you spent your day at the café that you wanted to go to, and stayed there until it was already nighttime.
Going out of the shower with a towel in your hand as you gently scrunched your hair with it, you decided to check your phone.
There were three notifications. One from Zayne, one from Xavier, the hunter that you were paired with on a mission, and one from your captain, Jenna.
You decided to check Zayne's first.
"I have arrived at my place. It's really a pleasure to spend time with you. Make sure to take a rest. See you tomorrow, darling. The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" A smile appeared on your lips as you read his text and decided to reply to him.
After replying to Zayne, you checked your captain's message.
"Hunter Y/N, pardon me for messaging you this late but it is better to inform you in advance.
You, together with the hunters that we had deemed fit, are assigned on a mission to take place at Whitesand Bay. We had predicted that it might take 3 days to a full week or even months. Further details will be provided tomorrow. Please report to the office at 8 a.m.
That is all, thank you."
The smile on your face fell as you read Jenna's message. Judging by her message, it seems like the mission was dangerous.
You notified Jenna that you had received her message, and then proceeded to check the last notification that you had.
"U R part of the mission too R U?" Xavier's way of typing made you chuckle and shake your head as you replied.
"Yes, see you tomorrow at the office!" As you press send, you placed your phone beside you and sat on your sofa.
Should I tell Zayne now, or tomorrow? But... I hope that this mission goes well. You thought to yourself, now looking at Zayne's contact photo which displayed you and him.
But then, you decided to just send him a goodnight text. "Goodnight, my love. I hope you have sweet dreams! I love you <3."
Now that your hair has dried enough, you placed the towel on a chair nearby and proceeded to your bedroom to sleep.
-
Morning came. You were woken up with your alarm. 6:00 a.m. and Zayne had sent you a text saying that he was already off to work.
You decided to get up and get ready to go to work too after replying to Zayne.
You arrived at work on time and immediately went straight to Jenna's office where you found four hunters which, you think, were also contacted by Jenna, were already there, except for Xavier.
It was already 7:58 a.m. when Xavier arrived, still on time. He nodded at Jenna, who was already standing in front, and when his eyes met yours, he walked towards you and sat next to your seat.
"Good morning, Y/N." He greeted you with a nod, which you happily gave back another good morning to him.
"Good day, hunters. Today, I will be discussing the mission assigned to all of you who are present here." Jenna started.
The screen opened and a map of the Whitesand Bay appeared. "We have detected activities of wanderers at the Whitesand Bay. Based on the data analysis, the wanderers are tier B to A, and the feedback shows that they are somehow multiplying in numbers. Other hunters who were present at the location had somehow managed the situation but they require immediate backup." Jenna pointed at the area and encircled it.
"Your mission is to find the source and eliminate it. And as I've stated in the message that I sent you last night, the mission's duration may vary from 3 days to a month. I'll be sending your assigned zones to your hunter's watch."
Your watch lit up and displayed,
"Mission: Whitesand Bay
Status: Pending
Wanderer: ???
Threat Level: B-Tear to A-Tier
Location: East part of the Whitesand Bay
Partner: Xavier
Task Details: An unknown source of Wanderers had appeared at Whitesand Bay.
Objective: Find the source and eliminate it.
Accept Mission? Accept/Decline"
As you press accept, Xavier spoke beside you.
"Seems like you're my mission partner again, Y/N." He said with a soft smile displayed on his lips.
You breathe out a sigh of relief and placed your hand on your chest. "I'm saved!" You jokingly act, which resulted into Xavier chuckling, his hand slightly covering his mouth.
Your attention immediately went back to Jenna as she started speaking again.
"The mission starts tomorrow. The Association has already arranged everything that is needed. Let us meet at the station at 8 a.m." and with that, Jenna gave us all a short nod and walked into the hidden door behind her.
Xavier and you parted ways after that, with you deciding to give Zayne a surprise visit.
But before driving to Akso Hospital, you went to his favorite café where you ordered a box of macarons and two lattes. With the take-out in hand, you walked out of the café and went towards the parking lot. But on the way, your eyes caught something shining displayed on a jewelry shop. A beautiful jasmine pendant.
Without a second thought, you went inside the store and purchased the pendant, with Zayne in mind.
Now, when should I give this to him? Before the mission or after the mission? You thought as you looked at the box where the jasmine pendant was placed. But your thoughts stopped when you realized that you have arrived in the parking lot. Surely, a perfect time will appear. You drove to Akso Hospital, happy that you had found a perfect gift for the love of your life.
As you entered the hospital, you were greeted with the staff that already recognized you since they always see you together with Zayne. You greeted them with a smile as you proceeded to walk to the elevator.
You arrived at Zayne's office, with him nowhere to be found, which meant that he was currently occupied in his job. Then, a thought appeared on your mind.
You placed your things on the sofa of his office and grabbed the box which contained the jasmine pendant. You walked towards Zayne's desk and carefully opened one of his drawers and placed the box inside.
"There." You smiled to yourself after closing the drawer and went back to the sofa to wait for Zayne.
After a few hours playing on your phone, the door to Zayne's office opened, revealing him on a doctor's coat, making you look up from your phone.
His hazel green eyes, which formerly looked weary, widened slightly as he saw you sitting there.
You stood up and approached him with a hug. He returned the same, nuzzling his face on your head.
"I've missed you, my love." He said, still hugging you.
You chuckle. "You just saw me yesterday, handsome. But, I missed you too." You tiptoed and placed a peck on his cheeks. Zayne flashed you a soft smile and before you could place your feet flat on the ground, he encircled one of his arms on your waist while the other hand gently grabbed the back of your head as he kissed your lips tenderly.
"Your lips are always so, so sweet, my love." He said, placing another peck before letting you go.
You couldn't help but blush, finding him so attractive at this point. You playfully slapped his chest before going back to the sofa.
"Here, I bought you macarons." You said, handing him the box. You saw his eyes lit up and a small smile displayed on his face. Zayne removed his coat and placed it on the rack before going to you.
-
You decided to sleep at Zayne's place tonight. Holding a pillow in one hand, you went to Zayne who was sitting on the sofa, watching the show on the TV.
Noticing that you were walking towards him, Zayne opened up his arms, beckoning you to situate yourself in his embrace, and you did.
You were now comfortably cuddling on his sofa, TV now playing a soft tune, as your head rested on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. One of his hands was slowly rubbing circles on your back. You started to play with his other hand that was free, slightly pressing his fingers one by one.
Then, it was time to tell him your mission.
"I have something to say to you." You started, still fiddling with his fingers.
"Hmm?" You felt his chest slightly vibrate with his reply, his one hand that was rubbing circles on your back was now gently combing your hair through his fingers.
"I'll be going on a mission tomorrow, and..." You pause. You felt Zayne slightly shifting as he nodded.
"Captain Jenna said that it might take us days to a month. The mission is at Whitesand Bay and we have to deal with the source for the mission to be complete."
-
Zayne
"Captain Jenna said that it might take us days to a month. The mission is at Whitesand Bay and we have to deal with the source for the mission to be complete." As soon as Zayne heard the location, an unknown feeling suddenly came up to him. It felt like he had forgotten something important.
Y/N sat up and turned to him. "Are you okay, Zayne?" She asked, her beautiful eyes met his, another feeling rose, and Zayne gave her a smile as his gaze slowly went to her lips then back to her eyes.
"I'm alright, darling. I'm just worried about your safety..." He said, his voice trailing off. A sudden thought crossed his mind.
"Do you have any medical staff that will go with you? You might need them." Y/N sat still for a while, surprised by his question, finding it unexpected.
Zayne continued, "I can come with you, if you'd like." His grabbed one of her hands and cupped them, bringing her close to him.
"It will make me worry less if I'm with you."
Zayne placed a kiss at the back of her hand, his eyes looking up straight into hers, before finally grabbing the back of her head and kissing her on the lips.
Y/N placed her arms on Zayne's broad shoulders as they deepen the kiss before pulling away to catch her breath.
"I'll ask Jenna about it."
Zayne looked at Y/N's eyes, finding himself lost in them.
"Thank you." Was all he could say before diving in for another passionate kiss.
-
Y/N
You felt soft lips placing a kiss on your cheek as you stirred from your sleep. You slowly opened your eyes and saw Zayne sitting at the edge of your side of the bed with a soft smile.
"Good morning, beautiful." He greeted you and placed another kiss, this time, at your temple.
"Good morning, handsome." You replied with a smile, encircling your arms on his waist, still lying on his bed.
"Breakfast is ready. And Ms. Jenna has contacted me that I'll be assisting the Association in your mission at Whitesand Bay." Your head shot up to look at Zayne. You gleefully sat up and pulled him in for a hug.
Zayne chuckled as he hugged you back.
"Now, now. Please put on your clothes, darling. Otherwise, you'll be arriving late at the station." Zayne placed a kiss on your shoulder as he traced a finger along your spine, making you shiver. He was clearly teasing you.
You pulled back from the hug and shot him a playful glare.
-
Thankfully, you arrived at the station on time. Zayne would follow the day after because he still had to arrange his schedule at the hospital.
You greeted Captain Jenna before walking over to Xavier whose head kept nodding, eyes closed. He was... sleeping while standing.
You tapped his back and you saw his body jolt a bit, a sign that he had woken up.
"Xavier, we're about to board the train." You said quietly, feeling a bit sorry for waking him up. He nodded as he rubbed his eyes.
You all boarded the train. Thankfully, you didn't need to bring so much luggage because the Association had already provided them for you and your fellow hunters.
The trip only took a few hours. As the train came to a halt, you and your fellow hunters exited the train. The morning sea breeze greeted you as you walked towards your lodge. The Whitesand Bay was temporarily closed off to the public, and only the sound of the waves crashing ashore could be heard. You wanted to enjoy the scenery but you noticed that not even a seagull made a sound. It was too quiet.
After notifying Zayne of your arrival, you quickly arranged your things before going out of your room.
Jenna reminded everyone of what they should bring and what to expect in this mission. After a few minutes, she ended the meeting with,
"Goodluck hunters. Please return safe."
The other hunters, Xavier, and you went to the weaponry and collected your respective devices, with you getting your two guns and your trusted sword. The association also provided us with additional protective gear that we could wear.
You were now all set. You met up with Xavier, who was looking out at the sea.
"Xavier, you ready?" You asked him, pointing your thumb to the East where you were assigned. Xavier, who was still looking out to the sea, nodded, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword where you noticed two star tassels dangling on it.
"I never knew you liked cute things, Xavier." You teased him but he just smiled as he looked at the tassels. "Someone precious gave them to me."
A small smile tugged at your lips as you looked out to the sea, an image of Zayne had appeared in your mind.
-
Xavier and you went to the east part of the Whitesand Bay. Contrary to the west part of the Bay, the east was covered with tall trees. The sunlight was passing through the dense leaves of the trees.
You were on your guard as you proceeded further into the forest, with Xavier in front and you watching the rear. You looked at your hunter's watch that was scanning the place. Everything was clear but it was unsettling how it was quiet, too quiet.
Suddenly, you heard a branch snap to your right side and you immediately pointed your gun towards the sound. Xavier stopped on his tracks too, his sword held firmly.
Then, a loud roar reverberated throughout the forest. The tree branches started swaying and the ground shook. Your eyes darted everywhere, searching for anything that was moving, searching for any wanderer that might come at you any second.
1-2-3.
Everything went still. Everything went quiet, and the only thing that you could hear was your heart pounding in your chest.
Your ears picked up a sound, a wanderer—no, wanderers approaching from all directions.
When you turned to Xavier, he was looking at you too, but then, a wanderer suddenly appeared behind him, with its claws bared towards Xavier.
"Xavier!" Your reflexes made you lunge towards the wanderer, your sword parrying its claws. Xavier turned his body, his sword gracefully slicing the wanderer by its neck. The wanderer disintegrated into dust. But before you could take another breath, both your hunter's watch beeped erratically, signalling you that a big wave of wanderers were heading your way.
You and Xavier fought nonstop. The sun had already set and the full moon up above was the only light source you had, albeit it barely passed through the gaps of the tall trees.
Shooting at the chest of the last wanderer standing, you watched it disappear into dust. Numerous protocores were now at the ground, a sign that you had fought a large number of wanderers.
You panted as your knees gave out, making you sit on the ground. Xavier patted your shoulder as he kneeled beside you. Despite how strong he was, he still suffered from fatigue, having to fight without stopping.
"Let's... go back for now." You said between breaths. Xavier nodded and stood up, and offered a hand which you gratefully took.
Using your hunter's watch, you reported your progress on today's mission as you walked back to your lodge. Thankfully, there were no more wanderers for now so your walk was peaceful.
As soon as you got back to your room, you contacted Zayne. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Hey love, how are you?" His face appeared on the screen. He was wearing his glasses, and his hair was down, it seemed like he had just taken a shower.
You sigh as you take a seat near the window, your elbow supporting your head. You placed your phone at the wall as you started to tell Zayne about the fight that you had experienced earlier.
Your conversation lasted about an hour before you deemed yourself needing a nice bath to get rid of the icky feeling from today's battle.
"Good girl. Thank you for being safe. See you tomorrow, darling. Have a nice rest and I love you, always." Zayne flashed you one of his rare smiles that made you fall for him more and waved goodbye.
You smiled, "See you tomorrow, my love. I love you, too." You waved at him before you ended the call. After that, you quickly gathered your things before finally going to the bathroom.
-
Zayne arrived in the morning. You happily greeted him with a smile, but refrained from hugging him in front of everybody. Zayne patted your back as he looked at you tenderly before introducing himself to everyone.
The day proceeded as usual, with you and Xavier going back to the east side of the Whitesand Bay, continuing where you left off. Zayne, together with the other medical personnel, stayed behind so that they could respond whenever they were needed.
This time, Xavier and you went deeper into the forest. The trees were getting denser as you proceeded further. But as you and Xavier passed through the gap of the two trees, what greeted you made you stop in awe.
The trees were aligned in a way that they formed a circle, and in the middle, it was a field full of white and purple-colored flowers. It was a sight to behold, and you would love to show Zayne this beautiful view if only it wasn't dangerous.
You reported the place using your hunter's watch. Having a field full of flowers in the middle of a forest wasn't a normal occurrence.
Meanwhile, Xavier started to walk towards the center of the field. You carefully followed him, trying not to step on the flowers.
But then, you heard a branch crack from behind you. Your hunter's watch started beeping rapidly again, making you take a battle stance, with your gun held firmly in your hands as you aim where the sound came from.
Now behind you, Xavier had also summoned his sword. As you looked at your watch, you realized that you're surrounded from all sides. You take a deep breath, summoning every strength that you had because this would be another long day for you and Xavier.
Wanderers started appearing, and you noticed that they were somehow different from the ones yesterday. Your hunter's watch sent a warning, a notice that these wanderers were A-tier.
Aiming your gun at the nearest wanderer running towards you, you pull the trigger as soon as your gun's sight is directed at its center, making the wanderer stumble.
"Y/N! Look out!" You heard Xavier from behind, but as you turned your head, your left shoulder was hit with the tail of another wanderer, making you cry out in pain as you rolled to the ground. Biting through your teeth, you immediately stood up and aimed your gun at the wanderer, shooting it right in the head, successfully eliminating it.
You looked around and saw Xavier fighting two wanderers near the center of the field. You winced as you held your left arm, a big gash had torn the sleeve of your clothes as warm crimson liquid stained the fabric. Luckily, your arm didn't seem to be broken.
You quickly teared the cloth from your sleeve and wrapped it around your arm, tying it into a knot with your teeth holding the other end of the cloth. After making sure that you had tied it enough for your arm to stop bleeding, you ran towards Xavier to help him fight.
-
Just like yesterday, the two of you finished your battle with the moon high up in the sky. The field of flowers was now utterly destroyed and only the shining protocores were left on the ground.
You went back to your lodge. Zayne's face turned serious when he saw the big injury on your arm. He immediately made you sit on one of the chairs in the makeshift infirmary as he gathered necessary tools to treat your wound.
He placed a chair beside you and sat on it as he examined the extent of the damages in your left arm. His eyes have never looked so serious and his brows were furrowed.
"We might have to suture this. I'll get some anesthetic." At this time, it was Dr. Zayne who was talking to you, and not your usual Zayne.
Zayne came back with a needle and a bottle of anesthetic. He cleaned up the wound before injecting the surrounding area with anesthesia.
He worked quietly, without saying a word. You sat there, not knowing what to say or what to do as you let him do his job.
After a few minutes, he had already finished stitching your wound. "Make sure that you don't get it wet and don't move your arm too much or your stitches might get undone." He said, his back turned towards you as he arranged the medical tools.
"Are you...angry?" You carefully ask, unsure of what you should do or say.
You could see Zayne let out a sigh as he stops what he was doing before turning to face you, his hazel green eyes meeting yours.
"No, my darling, my love." He walked towards you and kneeled, gently taking your left hand and placed a kiss on it.
"I was just—I know it's your job but it pains me to see you injured. Yes, I do love taking care of you, but not like this. Not with you wounded." He cups your face with his hand, his eyes filled with concern.
You lean into his touch, your hands grabbing his arm. "I'll be more careful. I'm sorry for making you worry, Zayne."
Zayne gave you a soft smile as he stood up and placed a kiss on your forehead. "You must rest up soon, darling. Do you need help with cleaning up?"
You chuckled at his question but shook your head. "I can handle it." You saw his smile falter a bit, "But, if you insist, then I have no other choice." You continued.
Zayne nuzzles his nose into yours. "You really know how to play me, huh?"
-
Days turned into weeks and weeks into a month, and finally, you, together with all the hunters, eliminated the source that kept spawning wanderers into Whitesand Bay.
You wiped the sweat from your forehead, your body still tingling from the earlier battle that just ended. The others were scanning the area, making sure that everything was clear. Xavier was sitting by the tree, his sword held tightly in his embrace as he slept. You looked at the horizon, the sun was starting to come down and the sky was painted in hues of pink.
You looked around and spotted a familiar doctor from afar who was treating another hunter.
"Zayne!" You called out to him, waving your hand. You saw him raise his head and wave his hand, returning your actions. But then, he suddenly stopped, making you tilt your head.
"Y/N!" You heard him shout your name, and before you could ask him what was wrong, you felt a piercing pain on your chest. You looked below and saw a claw of a wanderer protruding on the place where your heart was located.
Your body moved on its own, rotating the sword in your hand, you immediately impaled the wanderer behind you, making it retract its claws from your chest.
But before you could realize it, you were already falling to the ground. All your strength has now left you.
-
Zayne
Zayne felt his blood run cold as he saw Y/N fall to the ground. A wanderer had suddenly appeared behind her. A wanderer that had the ability to appear out of thin air.
Zayne immediately dashed to where Y/N was. The other hunters, including Xavier, went after the wanderer, but all Zayne could see was Y/N and the pool of crimson liquid that had started to form around her.
"No, no, no, my love, please, hold on. Don't close your eyes, stay with me." Zayne knelt beside her as he tried to stop the bleeding. He removed his coat and rolled it into a ball and pressed the wound on Y/N's chest with it. He could see Y/N getting paler and paler by the second. The hole on her chest was too big and she was losing too much blood.
Y/N slowly raised her trembling hand to cup Zayne's cheek and gave him a weak smile "Don't cry, honey. It's going to be alright."
Zayne didn't notice that tears were falling from his eyes as he looked at Y/N's face. He shook his head, "Save your energy, just try to keep yourself awake."
Y/N nodded, a smile still etched on her face.
"Always remember that I love you...my dear Zayne."
"I love you too, my darling. So much." Zayne responded, still trying to tend to the large hole on her chest.
Zayne felt his world come to a halt when Y/N's hand fell limp, her breathing had stopped.
The sky was now painted in hues of red and orange, it was already dusk.
Zayne lightly tapped Y/N's cheeks. "Y/N? My love? Please open your eyes for me, hmm?"
Taking a sharp inhale, Zayne tried to feel a pulse on her. After failing to find one, he looked at her face. She looked so at peace with how a smile was still on her lips.
Zayne gently placed a kiss on Y/N's temple with tears falling from his eyes.
He hugged her closer to him as he wailed, no longer caring what was happening around him.
The sea had witnessed the grief of a man who had just lost his lover.
-
On the day of the incident, the hunters successfully subdued the wanderer, which turned out to be an S-Tier.
And on that same day, it was a first time for Jenna to witness Xavier crumbling down after finding Y/N had taken her rest as she was held tightly by Dr. Zayne. The two men stayed in their spot for a long time, one was embracing Y/N, his shoulder trembling as he wailed, and the other silently crying, with his head held down and both hands tightly holding his sword and the two tassels attached to it.
A month has passed since the incident.
The Hunters' Association held a recognition ceremony for all the hunters and the people who had contributed to the mission, with the highest recognition given to Y/N. Even while gravely injured, the fact that Y/N managed to incapacitate the S-Tier wanderer to move freely, had greatly helped the other hunters in subduing the wanderer.
Zayne was carrying a bouquet of Y/N's favorite flowers as he walked towards where she was.
He placed the flowers on her gravestone and sat beside it.
"Hey, darling. How are you?" He asked, eyes looking at the sky while he rested his head on the cold wall.
"I just recently found the jasmine pendant that you left in my drawer. It took me too long to discover it... I haven't been able to go to my office after what happened." Zayne touched the metal flower hanging on his neck.
"It's beautiful, my love. Thank you."
Zayne grabbed a small red box inside his coat and opened it.
"And this," the box revealed a silver ring with a small diamond etched in it. "I was supposed to ask if you would like to live with me—to be with me for the rest of our lives, after your mission."
"But you left too soon, my love." Zayne stroked Y/N's grave, a bitter smile etched on his face. He looked up at the sky again.
"I'll see you in our next life, Y/N. I pray that the heavens would smile at us."