Of all the ways Zayne expected to spend his vacation with you, trapped in an ancient jade-crafting village was not on the list. It’s a miracle he found you here at all; when the mysterious protocore warped you both into this strange place, he was separated from you. He spent the first few days plying his trade as a physician and hoping desperately someone had seen you.

Now that you’re reunited, it’s felt like a surreal dream. Sure, he’s working toward the goal of getting you both home—namely, carving a pendant out of a chunk of jade that feels suspiciously similar to the one that got you here—but the rest of the time has held a sort of peace he never gets to enjoy.

Strolling by the riverside, sharing street vendor sweets, admiring the moon (but really, his eyes are always on you). He could think of worse things than being stuck in a place outside of time with you by his side.

Tonight holds that same peace; taking a break from carving to watch the moon with you. He didn’t mean to doze off. It’s been an exhausting few days, and your presence here with him on this quiet night soothes like nothing else. The last thing he sees before his eyes droop is you against the backdrop of the moon; his entire heart encapsulated in one silhouette.

But then something tickles his face. His brow furrows; something cool and wet brushes over his lower lip, his throat, collarbone…it’s trailing delicately down his chest when he finally wakes up. His hand snatches the wrist responsible just as the brush teases the neckline of his hanfu.

“I see…I woke up at the wrong time,” he teases, eyes cracking open to peer at you. His arm loops around your waist, pulling you onto his lap easily. He glances down at the nearly-finished pendant, thoughtful. Just one more night of this.

“Someone gets distracted easily when carving intricate patterns and appreciating the moon,” he murmurs. His voice is soft, almost wistful. The piercing hazel of his eyes look back at you, filled with something playful and reverent. “And they want to test me.”