Title: We Won't Be Falling Down
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: Teen
Length: 2134
Author notes: Also a fill for the "falling" square on my hc_bingo card. Set after episode 8 under the assumption that there was more time before the mountain trip.
Summary: Time seems to freeze for Shen Wei, almost like inside the bubble of his power that he sometimes uses. But he's not using any power now, not at all; he's Professor Shen here, a human, and—

And Zhao Yunlan is falling.


Being on a rooftop with a hostile Dixingren and unable to use his powers because of the people around him is an all too familiar experience that Shen Wei does not enjoy in the slightest. Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan circle him, as he's trading blows with Chu Shuzhi; a series of really well-controlled flat disks of energy against the strings. Shen Wei watches and learns and understands: the disks don't have sharp edges, but the man can use them with great strength, hit hard enough to break bones or move someone—

Between one heartbeat and the next, the Dixingren pushes Zhao Yunlan off the roof. Time seems to freeze for Shen Wei, almost like inside the bubble of his power that he sometimes uses. But he's not using any power now, not at all; he's Professor Shen here, a human, and—

And Zhao Yunlan is falling.

Shen Wei jumps into action. He leaps to the roof edge, looks down—he's sure the image of Zhao Yunlan speeding to the ground will be forever carved behind his eyelids—and reaches for him with all the dark energy he has. It's not even any power; just pure energy, shaped into tendrils, then into a net to wrap around Zhao Yunlan, slow down his fall—bring him back up, safe to where Shen Wei can see him.

Zhao Yunlan yelps when Shen Wei sets him down in the middle of the roof, away from the edges. He sways, wobbles, puts his hands on his knees and breathes.

Shen Wei makes his energy recede away from Zhao Yunlan, even as he's loathe to do so. He hasn't touched him, really touched him, in too long; the whisper of his energy around Zhao Yunlan is just close, intimate enough to imagine it's his arms around Zhao Yunlan instead.

Not that Zhao Yunlan would welcome it, aware now of who—what—Shen Wei is. His stance on Dixingren, in this time at least, has been perfectly clear.

Too late, Shen Wei turns to look at the Dixingren who'd almost killed Zhao Yunlan, annoyed at himself for only doing so now. He used to be a general. He shouldn't let himself be so distracted in a battle—but Zhao Yunlan was in danger. And the man isn't going to be attacking anyone else: at last he's fully immobilised by Chu Shuzhi's strings.

Shen Wei wants to stride to him, wants to pass his sentence and bring him back to Dixing—but he's still just Shen Wei here; he didn't use any power that the Black Cloaked Envoy is known for. Maybe a part of his identity is still salvageable.

That is unless any of the SID members on the rooftop try to call the Black Cloaked Envoy and demand he escort Shen Wei away to Dixing together with their suspect.

In the corner of his eye, Zhao Yunlan straightens. Da Qing's next to him, in his cat form, walking between his legs. He must've had a scare too, but he, at least, can press himself to Zhao Yunlan's body and feel for himself that he's okay, that he's not a victim of the Dixingren and gravity, unrecognisable on the pavement all the way down—

Shen Wei forcibly cuts off this line of thought.

Zhao Yunlan looks at him then.

"Lao-Chu, take our man to the SID."

Chu Shuzhi doesn't move. He stays, his eyes trained on Shen Wei like he's expecting him to attack. Shen Wei appreciates it, that Chu Shuzhi wouldn't just leave Zhao Yunlan with someone potentially dangerous, but it's more of a hindrance right now.

"Professor Shen," Chu Shuzhi says. "That was a lot of dark energy."

"Come on, lao-Chu," Zhao Yunlan interrupts him. "The Professor just saved my life!" He leans down and scratches Da Qing behind the ears, then pushes him towards Chu Shuzhi as well. "Go on, you two. Let us talk. I'm still your chief! Do I need to cut your bonus?"

That makes Chu Shuzhi turn his glower at Zhao Yunlan before stalking away.

"This was a risky thing you did, Professor," Zhao Yunlan says once they're alone in the wind.

Shen Wei raises an eyebrow. "I take it I should've stayed back and watched you fall?"

Zhao Yunlan glances to the side uneasily for a moment. "Nah. Thanks for that, by the way. But you have to know that lao-Chu will tell the Envoy about you."

Shen Wei stands perfectly still. If it comes to it, he trusts Chu Shuzhi to keep his secret. Interesting, though, that Zhao Yunlan knows Chu Shuzhi is reporting to him and yet, he hasn't sent him away.

Zhao Yunlan continues, looking weirdly insecure in a way that doesn't fit him. "I'd hate to be the reason why you're taken to Dixing."

"I've done nothing wrong," Shen Wei interjects him softly. "Do you think the Black Cloaked Envoy is so heartless?"

Zhao Yunlan gapes at him.

"If he wants to take me back to Dixing, so be it," Shen Wei continues calmly. There's no need for Zhao Yunlan to worry about him.

Zhao Yunlan laughs. "There's really nothing that'd make you lose your composure, is there, Professor."

You falling to your death did plenty to make me lose my cool.

"You don't seem all that surprised, either," Shen Wei counters.

Zhao Yunlan shrugs. "I suspected. But I can't make the head nor tail of why a Dixingren would keep approaching me."

"Are we not friends, Chief Zhao?"

Zhao Yunlan looks at him through his eyelashes. "Would friends keep secrets from each other?"

Shen Wei adjusts his glasses before answering. "Would friends keep pushing like this?" he asks back.

Zhao Yunlan laughs. He waves his hand as if to banish the topic, but Shen Wei knows he'll keep poking and prodding. He wouldn't be Zhao Yunlan if he didn't.

A particularly strong gust of wind makes Zhao Yunlan stumble. He glances to the side, visibly unsettled for a moment before covering it with another laugh. Shen Wei frowns, steps to him and puts an arm around his shoulders. "Let's go back inside."

Zhao Yunlan lets him steer him towards the stairs. Shen Wei carefully walks him down it, one level down to where the lift reaches. "How are you, Chief Zhao?"

"I'm great," Zhao Yunlan says with a too-brittle smile. "You saved me. You're my hero, Professor Shen!"

"I'm going to take you home," Shen Wei says as they enter the lift. He can cook something for him, make him jujube seeds tea. Make sure Zhao Yunlan actually is okay.

Zhao Yunlan shakes his head forcefully, stepping away from Shen Wei at last. Shen Wei tells himself he doesn't miss his touch. "I gotta go back to the SID before lao-Chu thinks you murdered or kidnapped me."

"I'd never do that," Shen Wei says forcefully; the mere idea that he could harm Zhao Yunlan—

But Zhao Yunlan just pats him on the arm. "I know, I know. You made that pretty obvious."

They step out at the ground floor. Zhao Yunlan heads for his car and hesitates. "If something happens—damn, you can't call me." He winces. "Just, ask him to talk to me first, okay?"

There's something touching about the idea of Zhao Yunlan being willing to plead with the Black Cloaked Envoy for Shen Wei's life—and something equally painful, that he thinks that he'd need to. But this is who Shen Wei is, cloaked and masked, cold and emotionless; Dixing's justice personified. It's his duty.

(Except Kunlun could always see behind his mask.)

With a promise to check up on Shen Wei later—as if he's the one who almost died today—Zhao Yunlan drives away.

***

As expected, the image of Zhao Yunlan falling doesn't want to leave Shen Wei once he's alone. He portals to his flat and tries to busy himself with preparing a meal for later, but it's not as calming as usually.

Shen Wei is a scientist. He knows what a fall from the 30th floor does to a human body.

But he caught Zhao Yunlan in time. There's no point in thinking about what-ifs.

He settles on preparing chicken congee, too distracted for anything more complicated. It might be better for Zhao Yunlan's stomach anyway. The only problem is that once the preparation is done, he really doesn't have to do anything but occasionally stir it, and wait, and not think of Zhao Yunlan falling.

He only just got him back. He can't lose him again now; not ever again. He touches his pendant through his shirt and tries to ground himself.

The congee is ready when Zhao Yunlan knocks on his door and makes his way inside without waiting for an invitation. His eyes settle on the decorative swords for a while before he sits on the sofa like he did the last time he was here. For a moment, Shen Wei just looks at him, sprawling on Shen Wei's sofa like he belongs there (and he does, he does), wonderfully alive and whole.

"I made dinner," Shen Wei says finally.

"And it smells amazing," Zhao Yunlan says. "But first come here."

Shen Wei resigns himself to being interrogated in his own flat again and sits in the armchair. "Yes, Chief Zhao?"

"Apparently Da Qing threatened to claw all of lao-Chu's black sweaters if he tells on you for saving me," Zhao Yunlan tells him. "Not that it'd help, but I figured you'd like to know."

Shen Wei smiles. "Da Qing cares for you a great deal."

"He just doesn't want to look for a different master." Zhao Yunlan unwraps a lollipop. "You really aren't worried?"

Shen Wei meets his eyes for a moment. "My conscience is clear," he says.

"Certainly. So, lao-Chu said it was pure dark energy you threw at me to catch me. What's your actual power, then?"

Shen Wei's prepared for this question. Something easy, something that absolutely cannot be used to harm, something that won't connect him to the Black-Cloaked Envoy. The answer is obvious. It's one of the first powers he's learnt and even if he doesn't use it often at all, it comes easily to call on it.

He raises his hand, twists it gently, and colourful lights come to life around his fist.

It's not completely harmless. With the strength of his dark energy, Shen Wei could make them bigger, brighter, blinding, in the way the original user of the power never could, but that could be said of most of his powers, and Zhao Yunlan doesn't need to know it.

Zhao Yunlan leans in, the colours reflecting in his eyes. He's close enough that if Shen Wei leant in too, he could kiss him, taste the colours on his lips too. Feel for himself how warm and alive Zhao Yunlan is.

It takes all of his self-control to stay still. He lowers his hand, makes the lights disappear.

Zhao Yunlan abruptly moves back. "It's . . . not the sort of thing I see in my work."

"I'm aware. But you have to know the Dixingren you meet—the majority of them—of us isn't like that."

Kunlun knew it. If Zhao Yunlan denies now, it might just break Shen Wei.

But Zhao Yunlan just nods. "You'd think I'd realise that sooner," he says. "And Brother Black saved Wu Tian'en. Maybe you're right he's not heartless, either."

Shen Wei lets himself relax, just barely.

Zhao Yunlan points his lollipop at him. "Still, no other Dixingren I've met would even think that! They're all terrified. Is there something else you'd like to tell me, Professor Shen?"

"I believe in justice, Chief Zhao. I want to think that the arbiter of Dixing is fair in his judgements."

Zhao Yunlan shakes his head at him. "You're too good, Professor Shen."

Shen Wei raises an eyebrow. "That's a new complaint. Am I permanently off your suspect list, then?"

"Who knows?" Zhao Yunlan spreads his arms wide. "Maybe it was all a ploy to make you gain my trust!" He grins at Shen Wei before leaping to his feet. "You can gain some more if the food tastes as good as it smells."

"If I knew food is what it takes, I would've prepared you dumplings a long time ago, Chief Zhao." Shen Wei leads Zhao Yunlan to his kitchen as if the man hasn't gone through his whole apartment a few weeks ago.

"Homemade dumplings?" Zhao Yunlan repeats. "Professor Shen, you can't tease a man like that."

"I'd never. Come by on Saturday," Shen Wei says and gets a bright smile in response.

Zhao Yunlan isn't falling anymore. Shen Wei caught him, and he might even get to keep him now, with one secret between them cleared away.

He serves the kitchen congee, and Zhao Yunlan's smile is brighter than any Dixing lights Shen Wei could've conjured for him.