Title: Inside and Out
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: General
Length: ~2300 words
Notes: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan. AU set early in canon. Also for the 15kisses prompt, Switch. First kiss. No Warnings. Much, much thanks to trobadora for beta and mergatrude for reassurance.
Summary: Post-bodyswap kisses.


There was a flicker of light in the darkness, a tugging sensation from everywhere at once, a vertiginous freefall outwards, and then a fully physical jolt. The beep of a heart monitor, much too rapid.

“How will we know if it’s working?” asked a familiar voice from his right side. Da Qing.

Shen Wei flexed his fingers automatically, then focused his eyes. He was sitting by a hospital bed. No, he was slouched there, but he was in his own body now, dressed in the most casual of his Haixing clothes. He sat up straight and looked at the unconscious patient before him. It was Zhao Yunlan.

“It should be obvious.” Lin Jing, in a white lab coat, stood on the other side of the bed, having just administered an injection. Da Qing was holding an empty vial, staring at Shen Wei intently.

The bitter taste in his mouth. The sluggishness of his thoughts. The purple-stained syringe Lin Jing was holding, and the matching liquid coating the inside of Da Qing’s vial… “Where in Haixing did you find lava orchids?”

Da Qing’s eyes narrowed. “Professor Shen?”

Shen Wei nodded. The SID already knew he was well-versed in Dixing lore; he wasn’t giving anything else away.

“Lao Chu went Downstairs and paid a visit to a backstreet apothecary,” said Lin Jing.

Had the apothecary warned of the risks, Shen Wei wondered. The effects of lava orchid essence on humans were potentially debilitating. Of course, that wouldn’t have stopped Zhao Yunlan.

“If it worked, why isn’t Lao Zhao waking up?” asked Da Qing.

They all looked at Zhao Yunlan, lying in the bed. The heart monitor was slowing to safe levels, but he was pale and waxy, his hands lax at his sides. And even so, looking at him was like looking into a mirror—Shen Wei could still feel what it was like to inhabit his body, the waves of adrenalin and fatigue, the aches and constraints, the easy flex of Zhao Yunlan’s spine. The lack of power. Intellectually, he’d still known how to perform everyone one of the talents he’d learnt over his lifetime, but there’d been no dark energy to fuel them. And Zhao Yunlan in Shen Wei’s body had theoretically had access to energy, but neither the awareness nor the requisite skills to use it.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” asked Lin Jing, but Shen Wei couldn’t think clearly; the last two days were a disjointed jumble. Was that an effect of the switch or of the lava orchid essence?

Zhao Yunlan, bright and challenging, looking out of Shen Wei’s eyes. Zhao Yunlan standing too close, laughing incredulously with Shen Wei’s mouth. Zhao Yunlan finding he could see perfectly well without the glasses, confirming that at least one part of Shen Wei’s appearance was a ruse—

Zhao Yunlan leaning on the edge of his desk at the SID, with the inspectors from the Department of Supervision due any minute, saying, “Ah, Shen Wei, if you want to convince them you’re me, you’re gonna have to try a lot harder,” and tossing him a lollipop—

Shen Wei running his fingertips over Kunlun’s short beard and moustache, feeling the weight of Zhao Yunlan’s motorcycle jacket like armour. Raising his chin and saying, “I’ll find a way to reverse it. I just need to make some enquiries. Alone.” Zhao Yunlan’s frustration at being side-lined. The push and pull of them—

The two of them alone in Zhao Yunlan’s apartment, Shen Wei clasping Zhao Yunlan’s hand—his own hand—and staring into his eyes. Trying to undo the exchange with only his will, and feeling the soft glimmer of Zhao Yunlan’s life force, intoxicating and so dear, against his own as it nearly worked—

Falling to one knee as his chest tightened, his breath stuttered, his pulse hammered in his ears. Zhao Yunlan leaning over him, hand tight on his shoulder. “Shen Wei! Can you hear me? Don’t even think about giving up on me, you hear? I’m not letting you go—”

Darkness.

Human bodies weren’t built to house Dixingren. Perhaps their hearts couldn’t withstand an alien life force. But the monitor was still beeping—it wasn’t too late.

“What happened?” asked Shen Wei, without answering Lin Jing’s question.

“You collapsed. Chief Zhao brought you to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed ventricular tachycardia, but of course she didn’t know what was causing it.” Lin Jing dropped the syringe into a sharps bin on a cabinet by the door, stripped off his latex gloves and folded his arms, looking worried. “We thought if we switched you back, he’d wake up, but if there’s permanent damage…”

Shen Wei set his jaw and felt a faint flicker of energy spontaneously gather in his palms. There wouldn’t be permanent damage. He wouldn’t permit it, even if it meant revealing his identity to the SID. But it shouldn’t have to come to that. “Would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?”

Da Qing and Lin Jing exchanged glances. “Why?” asked Da Qing.

Shen Wei kept his expression oblique but reassuring. “I can try to wake him.”

“Why can’t you do that with us here?”

“I could. I’d prefer not to,” said Shen Wei. “I promise I won’t do anything that might harm him.”

Da Qing scowled. The steady beep of the heart monitor filled the silence.

“The longer Lao Zhao’s unconscious—” said Lin Jing. The worse his chances. The words hung unspoken in the air.

Da Qing stood with obvious reluctance and motioned for Lin Jing to come with him. “Five minutes,” he said, and they left the room.

“Lao Zhao trusts him, and he is a scientist,” Lin Jing murmured to Da Qing as the door closed behind them.

Shen Wei stood up and regarded the motionless figure in the bed. His breathing was calm and even, but was Zhao Yunlan even in there? Could someone else have taken up residence when Shen Wei was pulled out? There were many apothecaries in Dixing, and some were reputed to be less than trustworthy. Which had Chu Shuzhi visited?

The heart monitor had slowed to sixty-seven BPM. It was unlikely a Dixingren could maintain that level, especially while unconscious. It must be Zhao Yunlan in there. It had to be.

Shen Wei surveyed his face, and fought a ridiculous impulse to wake him with a kiss on those chapped lips, as if this were a foreign fairy tale. Ignored the desire to smooth back his hair, as if spending time in each other’s bodies had rendered their relationship that much more intimate.

“Chief Zhao! Zhao Yunlan!” he said urgently, trying to rouse him to consciousness. He shook him by the shoulder. There was no response.

Shen Wei closed his eyes, gathered healing energy into his hands and poured it into Zhao Yunlan, into his head and his heart, to undo the damage his own brief tenancy had done.

It took less than a minute. Zhao Yunlan’s head moved on its pillow, and he muttered Shen Wei’s name.

Shen Wei released the last of the energy and let his hands fall, just as Zhao Yunlan opened his eyes. They stared at each other, each back where he belonged.

“Shen Wei,” croaked Zhao Yunlan again. “Is that you? You’re all right?”

Shen Wei nodded shortly. “It’s me.” It was typical of Zhao Yunlan to be concerned for everyone else before himself. Would he never learn his own importance? Shen Wei poured him a glass of water.

Zhao Yunlan levered himself up onto one elbow as if to take the drink, but instead he caught Shen Wei by the front of his shirt and, holding his gaze, dragged him inexorably closer, until they were nose to nose.

Without looking away, Shen Wei reached out and put the water glass on the bedside table. “Chief Zhao, how—how are you feeling?” He tried to say it calmly, matter-of-factly, but his heart was pounding against his ribs, and it was hard to think with Zhao Yunlan’s breath on his lips.

“Depends. Are you still mad at me?” Zhao Yunlan looked at him through his eyelashes, apparently deeming this the appropriate time for coquettishness.

Shen Wei let out an involuntary breath. “I was never angry with you.”

“Just keeping secrets, then.” Zhao Yunlan looked thoughtful, and Shen Wei saw too late the trap. He should have claimed to be offended for some reason, hadn’t expected a bedside interrogation mere moments after Zhao Yunlan regained consciousness. Zhao Yunlan’s lips twitched as if he could read his mind. “So that’s why you insisted you could fix everything on your own. Shen Wei, I know you don’t mean any harm to me and my people.”

“Never.” It came out like an oath, reflecting Shen Wei’s true heart. He dropped his gaze, knowing he was revealing too much of his feelings. Despite recent events, they barely knew each other. True, the last few days had brought unexpected insights, and they’d come perilously close to tragedy, but Zhao Yunlan didn’t—

The corner of Zhao Yunlan’s mouth curved, and he tugged Shen Wei those last few inches, pulling him off balance so he found himself suddenly sitting on the bed, his hip against Zhao Yunlan’s, their mouths pressed together.

The air seemed to rush from his lungs, leaving him dizzy, and for a second, he instinctively kissed back. Then he pulled away—surely Zhao Yunlan was in no fit state to choose this. Zhao Yunlan made a small, discontented noise in response, sorely testing Shen Wei’s chivalrous resolve.

“Zhao Yunlan, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“I know,” said Zhao Yunlan seriously, “and I’ll tell you now, I’m going to find out everything, one way or another. But right now, it’s enough to know you’re one of the good guys. Is it enough for you?”

“It’s enough.” Helpless to resist now he’d been given licence, Shen Wei leaned in and, heedless of their surroundings, kissed him again—soft, sensual kisses, filling his heart.

After a long, luxurious exchange, their embrace was in danger of growing heated; they both broke away. “I’ve got to say, I’m glad to be back in my own body, for all its faults,” said Zhao Yunlan, a little roughly. “Glad to have you back in one piece too. That look suits you far better than this one, and now you won’t have to give any more guest lectures as Professor Zhao.”

Shen Wei laughed. Since their displacement had somehow led them here, he couldn’t regret it, but, “I’m glad you’re safely recovered.”

Zhao Yunlan flattened his hand against Shen Wei’s chest. “Me too. I thought we might lose you, there, for a while.” He swallowed and looked away. “Where are the others? Da Qing and Lin Jing were here.”

“They’ll be back in a minute.” Any moment now, in fact. Shen Wei should move away from the bed and give Zhao Yunlan some respectable distance before his team members returned. But first— He covered Zhao Yunlan’s hand, and Zhao Yunlan tensed slightly, but Shen Wei wasn’t trying to dislodge it, was pressing it in place to his own chest. Holding him safe. “Zhao Yunlan, I—”

He stopped, wanting everything but unsure where they stood or how much he could safely ask. Those kisses hadn’t been a test. The emotion in Zhao Yunlan’s voice was real.

Zhao Yunlan was watching him. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

“Yes.”

Zhao Yunlan’s eyes darkened, and he brushed his thumb in a small arc over Shen Wei’s pectoral muscle. “Come home with me afterwards.”

Shen Wei’s stomach clenched with desire. It was a risk—he’d have to keep his wits about him if he wanted to protect his secrets, and it was difficult to be cautious around Zhao Yunlan at the best of times. But a few kisses weren’t nearly enough, and he simply didn’t have the heart to turn down the invitation. He put his hand on Zhao Yunlan’s hip, through the hospital blanket, and leaned forward to say against his lips, “Yes.”

Zhao Yunlan grinned, pleased, and touched Shen Wei’s face. He was so like Kunlun it made Shen Wei’s throat ache, but even having beheld him inside and out, there were worlds yet to discover.

“What is happening!?” exclaimed a voice behind them. Lin Jing.

Shen Wei froze, then slowly, with as much dignity as he could muster, removed himself from Zhao Yunlan’s embrace and stood up, keeping his back to the others to hide his embarrassment.

“I told you he was going to wake Lao Zhao with a kiss,” said Da Qing, smugly.

Zhao Yunlan threw a pillow at him. “If you knew that much, why the hell did you interrupt, Damn Cat?”

Da Qing yelped in indignation, but Lin Jing was distracted. “Kisses are for curses, and curses don’t exist. This was science, not magic.”

Shen Wei, having recovered his composure, adjusted his glasses and turned to him. “Science and magic aren’t always mutually exclusive.”

Dixingren weren’t magic, of course, but they often appeared so to outsiders; it wasn’t a particularly subtle metaphor. And his and Zhao Yunlan’s relationship couldn’t proceed any further without his confirming at least this much about himself. He glanced at Zhao Yunlan to gauge his reaction and caught the flicker of a wink, subtle and fast as lightning.

Shen Wei smiled and said, ostensibly to the room at large, “Right. Well, if I’m no longer needed here, I’ll see you later.”

As he left, he heard Zhao Yunlan exclaim behind him, with manic good cheer, for which Shen Wei couldn't help taking some credit, “Damn Cat, did you really call me Sleeping Beauty in front of the professor? Well, I can’t say it’s not deserved, but—hey, doesn’t that make you two my dwarves?”



END