syriala

It's just a small wound, barely more than a graze, but Shen Wei acts as if Zhao Yunlan might be dying.

Read it here on AO3 or read it under the cut. It's around 1.7k long.

Zhao Yunlan curiously notices that Shen Wei’s hands are trembling. Not much, not enough for the team to notice from further away, but just enough to feel when Shen Wei’s fingers flutter over Zhao Yunlan’s temple, checking the severity of the injury.

“It’s a head wound, Shen Wei, it bleeds like hell even though it’s barely a graze,” Zhao Yunlan tries again, but Shen Wei has his lips pressed together and he seems adamant on sending Zhao Yunlan to the hospital.

“You have a concussion,” Shen Wei states, words cut off and short and Zhao Yunlan sighs.

“I don’t have anything but a little rash on my temple, Shen Wei, let it rest. It doesn’t even hurt.”

It isn’t even a lie. Zhao Yunlan can feel Shen Wei’s fingers caressing his skin and not much beyond that. There is no pain, not even the unpleasant feeling of blood on his skin, because Shen Wei is diligently wiping it all away.

Zhao Yunlan raises his hand, wanting to prod at the injury himself, never one to let others care for him, but Shen Wei slaps his hand away.

"Don't touch it," he growls. "What do you think you're doing?"

Zhao Yunlan is shaking his hand because Shen Wei's slap stings and he turns betrayed eyes on Shen Wei.

"I wanted to see for myself how bad it is," he gives back because all this fussing makes him worry it might be worse than he first thought.

"Then go to a mirror. Don't put your dirty fingers into it, it could get infected."

"I can get up?" Zhao Yunlan asks, perking up at the thought of Shen Wei done being stupid about this and worrying unnecessarily.

"Absolutely not," Shen Wei snaps and Zhao Yunlan sighs.

"Shen Wei, you're overreacting. It's seriously not that bad of a wound."

“It’s still bleeding,” Shen Wei almost hisses at him. “What were you thinking?”

Shen Wei isn’t someone who curses but Zhao Yunlan can clearly hear the ‘the hell’ in that sentence.

Zhao Yunlan doesn’t answer that, thinks it’s rather obvious what he was thinking, but Shen Wei stares at him for a long time before he exhales sharply and turns away.

“Where’s your first aid kit?” he asks, looking around the office and not noticing how Zhao Yunlan frowns at him.

“Why would we have a first aid kit?” he asks in return and Shen Wei whirls around to him.

“Because you always get hurt!”

“I always touch the Hallows,” Zhao Yunlan says, causing Shen Wei’s expression to darken again. “It’s not something a first aid kit is going to help with. And we don’t need it for anyone else. Zhu Hong, Lao Chu and Da Qing heal almost as fast as you do, Lao Chu would kill anyone before he lets something happen to Xiao Guo, Lin Jing barely ever leaves the lab, and Wang Zheng and Sang Zan can’t get hurt. You heal inhumanly fast, too. We don’t have a first aid kit because we don’t need it.”

“Then it’s time you get one,” Shen Wei presses out, teeth clenching together so hard Zhao Yunlan worries for him a little bit.

“Okay,” he softly says, trying to calm Shen Wei down, but it seems like he’s on a roll now.

“What were you even thinking? You didn’t know his powers, didn’t know how he would attack me and like you just said. I heal. I would have been fine, no matter what he hit me with. You’re lucky he only tried to hit me with his fist. What if he’d used his power? What would you have done then, huh?”

Zhao Yunlan has probably never heard Shen Wei utter this many questions in one go and he’s honestly a little bit stunned, mostly because apparently Shen Wei really doesn’t seem to understand why Zhao Yunlan did it.

Before Zhao Yunlan can say something though, explain it and confess all his feelings to Shen Wei, Shen Wei goes right on.

“You’re reckless, so much in fact, that it borders on stupidity. I’m the Black Cloaked Envoy. I would have healed. You’re just human and look at you. You’re bleeding and it just won’t stop.”

Shen Wei seems honestly distressed about that and Zhao Yunlan catches his wrist with his hand, stopping him from dabbing at the wound yet again.

“It’s a graze, Shen Wei,” he softly says, again. “It’s a head wound; they bleed. It’s what they do. Let it rest for a minute or two and it will stop, I promise.”

Zhao Yunlan can feel the trembling in Shen Wei’s hand now, and his heart clenches painfully at how worried Shen Wei apparently is.

“I’m fine,” he promises again, looking imploringly at Shen Wei, willing him to believe him, but Shen Wei is avoiding his gaze, keeping his eyes on the wound, his hand still halfway raised as if he wants to wipe the blood away again, no matter what Zhao Yunlan tells him.

“What were you thinking?” Shen Wei demands to know again. “You could have gotten seriously hurt. What were you thinking?” Shen Wei asks, softly now, and for the first time Zhao Yunlan realizes just how scared Shen Wei is.

Scared of losing him, apparently.

“I was thinking I need to protect the man I love,” Zhao Yunlan evenly says, his gaze steady on Shen Wei, his hand still around his wrist, and it’s the only reason he notices how Shen Wei completely freezes over for a second, body and face completely still.

Then he blinks and he’s moving again, moving away from Zhao Yunlan, or trying to at least, because Zhao Yunlan is not letting him get far.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Shen Wei says, but now Zhao Yunlan is paying attention, even more so than he normally does, and he hears the barest quiver in his voice, notices how Shen Wei can’t quite look him straight in the eye and it finally all clicks for Zhao Yunlan.

Shen Wei isn’t just scared of losing him, he’s scared that he’ll lose Zhao Yunlan because of who and what Shen Wei is and does.

Zhao Yunlan gets up from the table Shen Wei seated him on, keeps his grip on Shen Wei and just crowds close into his personal space, never once taking his eyes off him.

“I know exactly what I’m talking about,” Zhao Yunlan says, promises almost, and Shen Wei’s eyes flick over to him.

“I didn’t think when I saw that guy attack you. I didn’t think how you are the Black Cloaked Envoy, that you’re Dixing, that you can heal. I just saw someone attack you, and I couldn’t let it happen. I saw someone attack who I love and I had to do something.”

“You got hurt,” Shen Wei whispers, a desperate edge to his voice and Zhao Yunlan twists his grip, threads their fingers together so he can bring the back of his hand up, pressing a kiss to it.

“And you think I can watch you getting hurt any more than you can watch the same happen to me? Don’t you think I’m just as desperate to protect you?” Zhao Yunlan wants to know and watches Shen Wei swallow and search for words.

“You shouldn’t,” he finally says, and Zhao Yunlan laughs.

“But I do, Xiao Wei, I do,” he tells him, nothing but the truth in his words and it almost seems like Shen Wei can’t help himself, because his whole demeanor softens.

“You really shouldn’t,” he still tries again, but Zhao Yunlan can tell he doesn’t mean it.

Not anymore.

“Noted,” Zhao Yunlan promises and then pulls Shen Wei close enough that their chests are brushing against each other. “You know what would really make me feel better?” Zhao Yunlan asks and Shen Wei smiles that softly pleased smile of his, where he briefly ducks his head as if he’s embarrassed with himself that he can’t stop the smile, and Zhao Yunlan would kiss him just for that.

“What?” Shen Wei asks when he has the smile back under control, though the corners of his mouth are still turned up slightly and he’s teasing Zhao Yunlan with the wrinkles around his eyes.
Zhao Yunlan wonders why in the hell it ever took him this long to confess to Shen Wei.

“A kiss,” he decisively says, and this time Shen Wei doesn’t try to hide his smile.

“Just one?” he teasingly asks and leans in to brush his lips over Zhao Yunlan’s. “You’re all better now, then?”

“You’re such a tease,” Zhao Yunlan whispers against his lips, because Shen Wei hadn’t pulled quite far enough away and then he reels him right back in.

Shen Wei responds rather enthusiastically, so it’s even more of a surprise when he suddenly pulls away, and this time he puts a respectable distance between them

“What are you doing?” Zhao Yunlan wants to know, he refuses to admit that he whines, and Shen Wei gives him one of the many looks Zhao Yunlan loves so much, the slightly sly one, that doesn’t get used often enough.

“You’re not getting a reward for getting hurt,” Shen Wei tells him, but he can’t keep the smile at bay. “That would be enforcing bad behavior.”

“I should get all the rewards for protecting you,” Zhao Yunlan replies immediately. “I was doing a good deed.”

Shen Wei tilts his head, as if he’s considering that, but then his eyes fall back on the wound on Zhao Yunlan’s temple and he loses his playfulness.

“It’s not something to joke about,” he says solemnly, brushing his thumb over Zhao Yunlan’s temple and Zhao Yunlan can’t help but lean into the contact.

“It’s nothing,” Zhao Yunlan tries to reassure him, but Shen Wei shakes his head.

“This time,” he gives back and Zhao Yunlan sighs but then he has an idea.

“Fine, no rewards for saving you. But you should totally kiss it better.”

“I thought it wasn’t so bad?”

“Now that you mention it, it certainly requires some attention. Preferably with your lips.”

“Alright,” Shen Wei easily says and then leans forward to press a careful, barely there kiss to Zhao Yunlan’s temple.

Zhao Yunlan would complain about that, but his stomach does a funny thing at that and he can feel himself blush, and he can’t quite manage to find the words.

“I also think I should make you dinner, you need to get your strength back,” Shen Wei mumbles, lips still moving against Zhao Yunlan’s skin and Zhao Yunlan shudders slightly at that.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Let’s go home then,” Shen Wei says, and Zhao Yunlan is happy to follow him anywhere.