Author's Note: My first full-length Guardian fic for the 520 Exchange - my take on that scene in ep 14, assuming that that’s when they first sleep together, hopefully creating something you enjoy, dear Green!
Zhao Yunlan POV. I don't speak Chinese, so I shamelessly stole the title from BL series History 2: Boundary Crossing.
Thanks to alesia for the beta and emotional support!
Zhao Yunlan was so gone for Shen Wei, it wasn’t even funny, no matter how amusing Damn Cat found it. And that was before he figured out that the mild-mannered Professor and the powerful Black-Clad Envoy were one and the same.
He’d really tried his best to remain objective, to diligently examine the secrets he knew Shen Wei was hiding as befitted his duty as SID Chief and Lord Guardian, but all the while he’d been aware that it was a battle he’d lost the moment their hands had first touched and Shen Wei had stared at him as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. No one had ever looked at Zhao Yunlan like that, and he’d be lying if he said that it didn’t make his insides flutter like pigeons fleeing from Da Qing.
Even now, after Zhao Yunlan had discovered Shen Wei’s secret identity, he didn’t know what that was all about, why there were moments when Shen Wei treated him like the most precious thing in the world, usually followed by him fondling whatever he was hiding underneath his elegant ties. Zhao Yunlan was nothing if not observant, curiosity one of his most admirable qualities, especially considering his choice of profession. Or so he told Da Qing rather snappishly when the cat dared to insinuate that Zhao Yunlan had rather more prurient reasons to want to get under Shen Wei’s carefully starched suits.
So what if Zhao Yunlan had had more than one dream of unwrapping Shen Wei, both while asleep and awake. Those many layers he always wore were nothing if not a challenge, and now that Zhao Yunlan knew the same flawless skin was hiding underneath the black robes of the Envoy, his desire burned even hotter. Good thing he’d never been burdened with too many scruples.
It made it all too easy to give into temptation and tease Shen Wei, despite knowing the turmoil the Professor had to be in after Zhao Yunlan had learned what had to be his greatest secret. At least Zhao Yunlan very much hoped it was, because he didn’t know how he’d cope if Shen Wei was hiding something even more earth-shattering than being one of the rulers of Dixing, with more power in his little finger than Zhao Yunlan could conceive of. And wasn’t that a thought that sent shivers down Zhao Yunlan’s spine…
So really, it was only fair that he returned the favour at least a little bit, exchanged tea cup for lollipop, its taste all the sweeter for the way Shen Wei tried his hardest not to watch him suck on it. Still, they had to have an actual conversation at some point, so Zhao Yunlan charged right ahead.
“Come on, gege. It’s not as if you can erase my memories.”
“Who says I can’t?” Zhao Yunlan should have known better than to challenge Shen Wei, because he shook off his stiff facade and fixed Zhao Yunlan with a look that was almost a smirk. It was unfairly attractive, and it took Zhao Yunlan a second to realise Shen Wei was trying to get rid of him when he said, “I’m tired.”
Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Not when they had finally reached a point of honesty, when Zhao Yunlan didn’t have to treat Shen Wei as a suspect. He decided an apology for past disrespect would be a good start, even if he didn’t regret it at all, having rather enjoyed keeping Shen Wei and Brother Black off-balance. He added, “You’ve said before that we’re friends.”
“Always.” The almost pained sincerity of Shen Wei’s reply stunned Zhao Yunlan. Once again he was struck by the unfathomable depths of emotions hidden underneath Shen Wei’s stoicism.
Except then his brain caught up with Shen Wei’s words. “Always? I wonder… when did always start?”
He had not meant to score a hit, but Shen Wei froze, gaze turning inwards for a long moment before he managed to master his emotions again.
“I… I can’t tell you right now.” Zhao Yunlan decided to count the fact that he at least didn’t lie to his face as a win and redirected his questioning to what he felt were less fraught waters – except Shen Wei also didn’t seem willing to tell him why he was helping him either. Well, time for a change in tactics.
Licking his lips, Zhao Yunlan leaned forward and asked huskily, “After keeping all those secrets, don’t you think you should make it up to me somehow?”
“H-how?” Actually stammering a little, Shen Wei swallowed nervously, and Zhao Yunlan, thoroughly charmed, wanted nothing more than to close the gap between them.
However, business first, so he suggested that Shen Wei join the SID, not caring in the least when he was immediately refused. Zhao Yunlan wouldn’t let that deter him. Shen Wei would be by his side, in one form or another, and he was past questioning what his determination meant. Shen Wei had put his tea cup back, a pointed invitation for Zhao Yunlan to leave, but instead Zhao Yunlan leaned back, ignoring Shen Wei’s frown.
“So now that I’ve done my duty and ensured the continuing good relations between the SID and Dixing’s Envoy, tell me, Professor Shen – what can I do to ensure good relations between you and me?” Just in case Shen Wei tried to play stupid, Zhao Yunlan smirked around his lollipop and doubled down, “On a personal level, I mean.”
With his free hand he gestured expansively down his body, spreading his legs a little. He was completely aware of the picture he made, even before Shen Wei gulped, eyes darkening with a want so deep, Zhao Yunlan felt it like a caress.
“Wh- what are you suggesting?” It was the worst attempt at dissembling Zhao Yunlan had ever seen, and he found it completely irresistible. Somehow Shen Wei’s raw display of nerves, so different from his usual impassiveness, dissolved the last remnants of doubt about this course of action.
Very deliberate he gave the lollipop one last deliberate lick before removing it with a loud pop and setting it onto the saucer in front of him. Then he slid off the couch, settled onto his knees right in front of Shen Wei, who was watching him with a mix of alarm and arousal, throat working. Strong muscles twitched under Zhao Yunlan’s hands when he placed them on Shen Wei’s thighs. He didn’t move away, however, which Zhao Yunlan counted as an invitation to continue, looking up at Shen Wei through his lashes and very deliberately licking his lips.
“I’m suggesting, Hei Lao-ge, that we stop pretending that we don’t want each other. What follows after is entirely up to you, because I’m willing to take anything you want to give me.” Zhao Yunlan’s voice had dropped into a seductive half-whisper, but he couldn’t help the sincerity bleeding through his words. “Because I trust you – Shen Wei, Brother Black, I trust you, body and soul.”
He fell silent, forcing himself to remain still. He’d laid his cards on the table, more blatantly than he’d planned, and now it was up to Shen Wei. Who was still staring at him as if he didn’t quite dare to hope that this was real. The moment seemed to stretch and build, and Zhao Yunlan began to wonder if he’d miscalculated, when Shen Wei clenched his jaw, a very becoming blush colouring his pale cheeks.
“In that case, I want you to be mine, Zhao Yunlan.” His voice was low but firm, like black velvet and promises kept, and, shivering, Zhao Yunlan nodded quickly, his mouth suddenly dry. Shen Wei’s hands, which had been resting stiffly by his sides, came up to cup his cheeks, and the last clear thought Zhao Yunlan had before their lips met was that they were scholar’s hands, remarkably smooth for someone who wielded a blade so skillfully.
When Shen Wei’s mouth claimed his, however, he quickly lost the ability to form coherent thoughts. Too long had he dreamed of this, and once he’d decided to follow Zhao Yunlan’s blatant invitation, Shen Wei seemed to have shed his previous reserve. Instead he kissed Zhao Yunlan with a single-minded focus that made his brain melt.
It was all he could do to grasp Shen Wei by the shoulders and kiss back with equal fervour, only noticing that Shen Wei was no longer cradling his face when he was being pulled up by impossibly strong arms. He was deposited on Shen Wei’s lap as if he didn’t weigh more than Damn Cat in one of his cuddly moods, and the thought of the power coiling under that prim facade made Zhao Yunlan’s toes curl and an entirely different body part of his fill and harden.
If he hadn’t been so busy mapping the taste and texture of Shen Wei’s mouth and tongue, he might have been a shade embarrassed by the speed with which his body went from pleasant anticipation to hot desire. He hadn’t been a desperate teenager in a while and usually prided himself on his technique and skill as a lover, yet now all he wanted was to get as close to Shen Wei as possible, as quickly as possible.
At least he could feel an answering hardness rise to meet him when he rocked downwards, something very close to a growl escaping Shen Wei. Ordinarily this alone would have been enough to delight Zhao Yunlan, but instead he gasped Shen Wei’s name in shocked arousal when he found himself suddenly on his back on what he dimly realised was an immaculately-made bed.
There were definite upsides to making love to a nearly all-powerful Dixingren, he pondered, laughing from the sheer pleasure of it as Shen Wei made quick work of his clothes, a flash of black energy baring miles and miles of porcelain skin stretching over a body that was all lean muscle. The only thing remaining was a jade pendant, otherwise Shen Wei was beautifully, breathtakingly nude, from his flushed cheeks to the hard column of his erection curving gently against his flat stomach. At some other time Zhao Yunlan would take his time, carefully peel Shen Wei out of his layers and admire him like the work of art he was, but right now he just shook his head impatiently when Shen Wei paused to fix him with an inquisitive look.
“Just come back here,” he demanded, making a circling motion with his wrist. “And how about you use some of that power to get me naked, too.”
“As you wish.” Shen Wei raised an eyebrow in fond amusement, and Zhao Yunlan gasped as his clothes disappeared, leaving him spread out on his back, Shen Wei’s crisp blue sheets cool against his bare skin. He could have sworn he felt a whisper of energy sweep his skin, making it tingle, but before he could gather his wits to consider the possibilities of that particular effect, Shen Wei was back.
If kissing alone had been enough to almost drive Zhao Yunlan out of his mind, being naked together was threatening to overwhelm him. It wasn’t just the sensation of their bodies pressing against each other, rolling and rocking while their hands mapped out paths of hot pleasure, it was a feeling of utter and complete rightness, as if he’d been waiting all his life for this very moment.
“Please tell me you have lube,” he groaned when Shen Wei’s nimble fingers found their way to the smooth skin behind his balls and further. He took it as a compliment when it took Shen Wei a moment to gather his wits sufficiently to summon a beautiful china pot containing what turned out to be expensive-smelling cream. Zhao Yunlan chuckled. “Even your lotion is fancy, gege. I’m going to feel very pampered – but next time I’ll introduce you to the joys of actual lube. They even make stuff that tastes like chocolate now.”
“You talk too much, Ah-Lan.” Shen Wei frowned in what could only be called a pout, as if he was personally affronted by Zhao Yunlan’s ability to form coherent sentences.
It was utterly adorable, and Zhao Yunlan suspected that he was grinning like a loon as he challenged teasingly, “Then you should shut me up. And please, keep calling me Ah-Lan – I like it.”
Something in Shen Wei’s shifted, as if he’d been struck deeply, but before Zhao Yunlan could worry whether he’d finally overstepped the boundaries of one of the most powerful beings in existence, Shen Wei seemed to melt against him. When he kissed him this time, it was with a tenderness that made Zhao Yunlan ache with longing.
Longing for what he wasn’t sure, since they were currently naked in bed together, the fulfillment of many a dream, yet he hoped with every fibre of his being that one day he’d get to the bottom of the vast wellspring of Shen Wei’s emotions. For now he would be satisfied with being held by Shen Wei and kissing him, kissing him until the gentleness was swept away in a wave of renewed desire.
Their bodies slid against each other, the pot of lotion forgotten on the sheets beside them, until Zhao Yunlan wrapped his legs around Shen Wei’s slim hips, trapping their cocks between them. It felt heavenly; however, it’d feel even better with some lubrication.
Zhao Yunlan fumbled for the cream and pressed it into Shen Wei’s palm. Shen Wei stared at the object in his hand as if he didn’t recognise it and blushed bright red, much to Zhao Yunlan’s surprise, averting his eyes in embarrassment, although so far he’d seemed completely on board with their activities.
“I – can you...” he mumbled, not very helpfully, but with a sudden flash of inspiration, Zhao Yunlan figured he knew what was the matter.
Used to following his gut, he once again pried the lotion out of Shen Wei’s fingers, making sure to keep his voice even as he offered, “Let me do it.”
The gratitude flashing over Shen Wei’s face confirmed his suspicions. Strangely reluctant to imagine him with anyone else, he’d never let himself think too deeply about the sexual histories of either Shen Wei nor – heaven forbid – the Black-Clad Envoy, before knowing they were one and the same, but he was suddenly struck with the conviction that he’d never done this before.
Possessiveness surged through Zhao Yunlan, an entirely unfamiliar feeling, followed by satisfaction unfurling in the pit of his stomach when he realised that he’d get to be the first who had Shen Wei like this. It added to the pleasure that spread through his entire body when he slicked up two fingers and sat up, making sure Shen Wei got a good look as he started preparing himself.
And look Shen Wei did, his eyes heavy and hungry on the sight of Zhao Yunlan opening himself for him, and Zhao Yunlan had to fight not to get lost in it. He didn’t do this often, so he forced himself to take his time and do a proper job, despite the ever-growing desire to just get things over with. At least he could tell that Shen Wei was similarly struggling to keep a hold of himself, having curled a fist around the base of his erection, the other hand fisting the sheets, teeth digging into his lower lip.
Finally, Zhao Yunlan judged himself to be ready and removed his fingers. Before he got the chance to say anything, however, he was pushed onto his back, Shen Wei looming above him, reminding him of the power hidden underneath that harmless facade. Another man might have been frightened, but Zhao Yunlan only felt desire, and he eagerly invited Shen Wei to proceed: “Yes. Please. Fuck me, Shen Wei, Hei Lao-ge.”
He was still convinced that Shen Wei had never done this before, but there was no hesitation now, only barely contained want as he caught Zhao Yunlan in a searing kiss while simultaneously grabbing his legs and positioning himself between them. Then he pushed in, and Zhao Yunlan arched his back, a loud moan escaping him as he was stretched and filled.
Shen Wei froze, halfway inside him, his fingers digging deeply into Zhao Yunlan’s thighs, hard enough that Zhao Yunlan hoped it’d leave marks. “Am I hurting you?”
“Only if you stop now,” Zhao Yunlan laughed, feeling drunk on lust and on an emotion he didn’t quite dare name yet. To make sure Shen Wei would stay where he wanted him to, he slung his legs around him and dug his heels into his back, pulled him closer. After a second’s hesitation Shen Wei relented and slid the rest of the way in.
When he bottomed out, they both gasped, but Zhao Yunlan had always been impatient, so he immediately rocked back, angling himself so Shen Wei’s cock hit his prostate. Shen Wei watched him from hooded eyes, then leaned forward, effectively taking control from Zhao Yunlan. Not that Zhao Yunlan complained, not when Shen Wei started moving, somehow finding the exact rhythm to drive Zhao Yunlan out of his mind with pleasure.
He wouldn’t have thought it possible, but it got even better when Shen Wei ducked his head down and began lavishing Zhao Yunlan’s neck and chest with attention, licking and sucking until Zhao Yunlan was reduced to a shuddering mess of neediness. With anyone else Zhao Yunlan might have felt self-conscious, but when Shen Wei’s hands wrapped around his wrists and immobilised him completely, all he could do was utter a stream of nonsense curses, mixed in with Shen Wei’s name.
All the while Shen Wei kept fucking him inexorably, like a force of nature, and when he glanced up at Zhao Yunlan through his lashes, his pupils were blown. His rough whisper of “So good for me, my Yunlan,” coming out in a voice that sounded suspiciously like that of the Envoy, was the last straw, and Zhao Yunlan came with a hoarse shout.
Shen Wei stopped moving, and when Zhao Yunlan managed to pry his eyes open, he found himself under intense scrutiny, Shen Wei apparently drinking in every last detail, as if he was afraid this would be his only chance. Even boneless with the aftereffects of a rather mindblowing orgasm, Zhao Yunlan knew that to be ridiculous, because there was no way he’d allow for this to be a one-off.
However, that was a topic for another day, when Shen Wei wasn’t still hard inside him, therefore Zhao Yunlan trailed a finger through the mess on his stomach and licked it off in a mirror of his usual lollipop sucking. As hoped for, this galvanised Shen Wei back into action, but he moved slower now, more deliberate.
Not once did he look away from Zhao Yunlan, whose breath caught at the intimacy of it all, sending shocks of pleasure through his spent body. If he’d been a few years younger he might have gotten a second wind by the time Shen Wei finally emptied himself inside him.
As it was, he got to appreciate the stunning sight of Shen Wei losing control and giving himself over to passion. He didn’t make a lot of noise as he let go, but his entire body shuddered, and he hid his hot face against Zhao Yunlan’s neck. Murmuring sweet nothings into Shen Wei’s hair, which was sticking up in all directions, Zhao Yunlan stroked his back, enjoying the play of muscles under his touch, until Shen Wei had recovered sufficiently that he could pull him into a kiss.
Zhao Yunlan hoped the gesture conveyed the awe he felt at being allowed to witness Shen Wei falling apart so completely. He might not know all of Shen Wei’s secrets, but he did know that he didn’t trust easily, and that he’d been given a precious gift, one he didn’t intend to squander.
When they separated, Zhao Yunlan was utterly and completely spent, both physically and emotionally, but he managed one last kiss before curling himself around Shen Wei, head on Shen Wei’s chest, fingers tangled in the necklace that rested in the hollow of his throat. He fell asleep to the feeling of strong but gentle hands carding through his hair and over his back and knew nothing more that night.
At some point Shen Wei must have transported Zhao Yunlan to his own bed, because that was where he woke up, all clean and dressed, feeling pleasantly sore and rather pleased with how the last night had played out. If a part of him had expected his attraction to Shen Wei to lessen once consummated – well, that part was obviously full of shit, because Zhao Yunlan already couldn’t wait to see Shen Wei again, his heart giving an excited little flutter at the thought of simply spending time in his presence.
Of course some kissing would be nice, too, and maybe next time he could convince Shen Wei to spend the entire night with him. Zhao Yunlan, who’d never been one for cuddling after sex, found he’d quite like waking up to Shen Wei holding him.
As if he could read his thoughts, Damn Cat gave a rather smug meow from his perch. Zhao Yunlan shut him up with the toss of a pillow and got up, whistling to himself. Today was going to be a good day.
