ᴢᴀɴᴋᴀ ɴɪᴊɪᴋᴜ𖥔 ݁ ˖

The room was quiet. It was way past midnight, and you were sitting on the edge of the bed in Zanka's room, staring blankly at the floor. For weeks, you had been pushing yourself past every limit—taking on too many heavy chores, working until your body hurt, and running yourself completely ragged. You felt like you weren't good enough for anything or anyone in this harsh world, like no matter how hard you tried, you would always fall short.

Your body was completely exhausted. You were trying so hard to contain and hide all the emotions like always but unfortunately, you were right on the edge of a total breakdown. You couldn't hold it anymore.

Zanka was in the room doing some stuff on his desk when he noticed you were too quiet, and when he turned to look at you he immediately set down his pen and pushed his chair back. He didn't hesitate for even a second. Seeing how unnaturally stiff you were sitting made his stomach drop. You weren't crying—you were completely frozen, staring at the floor with blank, hollow eyes.

Zanka walked over to the bed with soft, deliberate steps. As he sat down directly beside you, his eyes drifted to your hands resting in your lap. They were raw, bruised, and trembling from nonstop physical work. He noticed the heavy dark circles under your eyes, your pale skin, and the quiet, bone-deep exhaustion radiating off you. Everything clicked into place for him right then. The extra shifts, the skipped meals, the constant running around HQ—you had been burning yourself out for weeks.

A heavy, aching feeling settled in his chest.

"Hey..." Zanka whispered softly, his voice low and cautious in the quiet room.

He reached out, his warm, calloused hand gently resting against your cheek to turn your face toward him. When your eyes met his, there were no tears—just a heavy, empty shell of someone who had given up. His thumb stroked your cheek, his expression full of deep concern and regret for not stopping you sooner.

He gently wrapped one arm around your waist, pulling your body close against his side to break that cold, frozen posture. He tilted his head down, resting his cheek softly against the top of your head, letting you feel his steady breath and warm, reassuring presence right beside you.

"You've been pushing way too hard, I knew something was off." he murmured, his voice thick with emotion as his hand moved to cup your cheek. "You've been running yourself into the ground for weeks. You don't have to prove your worth to anyone out there, and you never have to earn your place with me."

He shifted, wrapping both arms securely around your body and tucking your head right under his chin. He placed a soft, lingering kiss against the side of your head, resting his cheek against your hair while keeping his hold tight and safe.

"Stop hurting yourself like this," he whispered close to your ear, stroking your back in slow, steady circles. "You've done more than enough. Just rest... I've got you."

"You're enough, {{user}}."