Guardian Fanfiction

Chapter 3 - Unexpected

Zhao dropped the glass he was washing from shock.

The broken pieces lay scattered in the sink, and he turned his head away from the person at the door to hide his uncertain and confused expression.

He looked down and discovered that his hand was bleeding from a big cut. 

"YUNLAN!" Shen Wei burst forward into the kitchen and took his hand, and was about to wrap a piece of cloth around to stop the wound from bleeding, when Zhao pulled his hand back. He didn't look up, but he knew that Shen was looking at him.

"You are here," he said flatly.

"Yunlan..." Shen Wei began, but was cut off by Zhao. 

"I have to go to the bathroom to treat my hand." He said and turned around going out of the kitchen, only to find himself infront of a white cloak. He took a step back, as he had not seen another person coming in.

"Who the fuck..." Zhao shouted, but shut up. In front of him stood Ye Zun looking quite embarrased and uneasy. 

Zhao opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, as he could not utter a single word. 

"Zhao Yunlan... um... I'm sorry..." Ye Zun started, however he also seemed to be at a loss of words.

Zhao turned around promptly to face Shen Wei. "Why is he here?" he asked  supressing his anger. 

"I can explain, but first let me take care of your hand!" Shen Wei urged, looking at Zhao's hand dripping with blood. But Zhao didn't wait, and made his way past Ye Zun, ignoring the sorrowful look ind Shen Wei's eyes.

When he stood before the mirror above the sink, Zhao let out a long sigh. His hand began hurting a lot. Quick he sat down on the toilet lid and cleaned the cut and found some binding aid. But he had trouble wrapping it around his hand, thinkning about Shen's arrival together with Ye Zun. 

"Let me help you." Shen Wei knelt down before him, and gently took the gauze. This time Zhao didn't retreat, instead glancing at the professors beautiful face. 

Suddenly, he could not hold back anymore, "Why didn't you contact me? You could just have send me one word. One word to let me know that you were alright." he said with a low voice, filled with disappointment. Shen Wei froze but quickly regained his composure. 

"I was very busy," he answered.

"You sure was,"

Shen Wei met Zhao's eyes that were stonehard. 

"I... I..." Not knowing what to say, he grabbed on to Zhao's arm. He was a man of few words, hence finding it difficult to express his feelings in words. He prefered to show it through actions, but even that seemed impossible for him now. 

Zhao nodded, as if accepting that he couldn't get a satisfying answer from Shen. "Then tell me why you brought your brother with you?"

Shen swallowed something, "Ye Zun he... I know he can't be forgiven for his actions, but I... I told him everything. Now he knows that everything was a misunderstanding from the beginning. He knows that he was wrong all the way and wants to make up for his mistakes. I took him with me for him to apologise to you and everyone."

"Can you garantee that he won't make any trouble?" Zhao asked.

"Yes!" Shen Wei was not hesitant to make such a promise. The look in Ye Zun's eyes when he found out that Shen Wei didn't abandon him as a child, had convinced him.

Zhao nodded again. Shen watched him closely but Zhao remained emotionless.

In the livingroom, Da Qing sat stiff on the couch ready to fight. But Ye Zun just stood there in the middle og the room, not knowing what to do with himself. Was he allowed to take a seat? Should he talk to the black cat that stared at him suspiously? Could he have a glass of water? His throat was as dry as a desert.

Da Qing wasn't sure what to do, but since it was Shen Wei who brought him here, there shouldn't be any problem. For now.

"Please... take a seat..." Da Qing nodded towards an empty chair. 

Ye Zun sat down quietly folding his hands infront of him.

"Um..." Da Qing tried to relax. "Can I offer you something? A glass of water perhaps?"

"Yes, thank you." Ye Zun answered. Was the cat a mindreader?

As Da Qing fetched him some water, Ye Zun looked around the apartment. It was neat and clean. He recalled seeing Zhao doing the dishes and thought to himself that Zhao didn't look like a man, who would clean up his apartment. He seemed too lazy for that. 

Ye Zun smiled. Maybe one day he would be able to have his own home like this and live a normal life...

His thoughts were interrupted, when Zhao came out of the bathroom looking furious. His dark gaze landed on Ye Zun, who quickly rose from his seat. 

Zhao looked like he wanted to say something, but held his words back and instead turned to Da Qing. "Cat, please see these two out. I want to be alone."

Shen Wei reached out to Zhao, but Zhao moved away. "Don't do this, Yunlan. We need to..."

"I need to think." Zhao cut in. He turned to face Shen Wei before looking at Ye Zun, "Find your brother some other clothes. He can't wear the cloak here, people will notice him. Also be careful in public, I don't want him to get unwanted attention. Keep a low profile."

Then he shot a glance at Da Qing and went out on the balcony, not looking back. 

Shen Wei clenched his fists. It pained him to see Zhao ignoring him, but he decided to let it go for now. He would talk to him later and explain everything. Now he had to take care of his brother.

Ye Zun stood awkwardly beside Da Qing. Somehow he knew he was responsible for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan not to be on good terms, but he didn't know what to do about it, other than not butting in and making it more worse. 

"Let's go to my apartment." Shen Wei said, still looking at Zhao standing in the darkness of the night leaning over the balcony fence. Before closing the door, Da Qing said, "Be patient, Professor. Zhao really missed you and today he even started cleaning up and you know him. He never cleans up."

Shen Wei didn't let any of his emotions show on his face, but his heart hurt. 

As he opened the door to his apartment, Ye Zun mumbled, "Gege, I'm sorry... It's all my fau..."

"No, it is okay." Shen Wei patted him on the shoulder. Eventhough he wasn't okay at all, he refused to let his brother feel burdened by the situation.

Ye Zun kept his head low, but when Shen Wei turned on the light, he couldn't help but look around. The apartment was similar built to Zhao's, but it seemed unused with a thin layer of dust covering everything.

"Don't you use this apartment often?" he asked curiously, moving into the bedroom. 

Shen Wei blushed, uncertain of what to answer. To be true, he didn't really feel like this was his home. His real home was somewhere else, in the heart of a very special person. 

Ignoring the question, he closed the door and began preparing for the night.