Guardian Fanfiction

Chapter 23 - Unfocused

"ZHAO YUNLAN!"

Startled Zhao pressed his lips tight together with widened eyes and giggled. Shen's face had by now turned crimson red from embarrassment. He loved that look and would do about anything to see it.

"Where are your manners?!" Shen hissed lowly, afraid they could be heard from outside his office. 

Zhao scratched his head, "Gone?"

Shen closed his eyes, "Remind me again, why I like you." he mumbled to himself, but Zhao heard it, and laughed when he wrapped his arms around Shen, "Because I'm too irresistable to let go. I love you too."

Of all creatures, I had to fall in love with the most selfish of them all... Shen thought and mentally sighed. He should really teach Zhao a lesson.

"Have you finished your lectures? I wanna go somewhere to eat dinner..." Zhao said and took a step back to put his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Or maybe even better, you could cook me some of your amazing dishes." 

Shen, who wasn't a big fan of eating out, immediately made a mental grocery list. He went behind Zhao to his desk and grabbed his stuff, putting it down his bag and headed out of the office. When he noticed that Zhao didn't follow him, he questioningly looked back into his office. Zhao stood in the exactly same spot as before, looking down at the floor. 

"Aren't you coming, Ah-Lan?"

Zhao didn't react, so Shen walked to his side and touched his hand. With that Zhao finally seemed to 'awake' and gave him one of his goofy smiles and took hold of Shen's hand before he could retract, "Let's go, I'm starving."

In the car, Zhao started the engine and checked if Shen had put on the seatbelt, also making sure to touch Shen as much as he could and kiss him in the process, he drove out of the parking lot. 

On their way towards the shopping mall, Zhao didn't say a word, which made Shen worry a bit, since Zhao normally would talk his ears full with both appropiate and inappropiate stuff. He was by now so used to Zhao's bullshit that he felt uneasy when not exposed to it.

He eyed his beloved idiot, and the small wrinkle between Zhao's brows confirmed his thoughts, "Is something bothering you?"

"Hmm..?" Zhao responded, but Shen got the impression that it just was an auto-response, and that Zhao actually was so far into his thoughts that he didn't hear him.

"What's going on in your min- WATCH OUT!" Shen yelled, and Zhao quickly hit the breakes just in time before driving his car into the van in front, stopping for red light.

"If you are going to space out like this, then let me drive." Shen said angrily. 

Zhao breathed out heavily and continued to drive when the lights turned green, "I'm sorry baby, I'll be a good driver."

Not quite believing him, Shen kept his focus on Zhao the rest of the way, thankful for them to arrive safely. He was so shocked that he didn't notice, what Zhao had called him.

After Zhao parked the car in a free parking space, he quietly followed Shen around with the shopping cart in front of him as he subconciously agreeed to be in charge of it. In the meanwhile, Shen busied himself with collecting the best vegetables, rice and fish. He also remembered that they were out of lotus tea, so he went to the Tea Store and immediately got engulfed in various tea scents. 

Zhao stood by the entrance of the shop, following Shen with his eyes, admirering his tall and slender figure. His eyes fell to Shen's bottom and couldn't help but smile proudly that he had scored such a fine bottom just for himself.

However, his focus unwillingly shifted to the recent case and how the to victims were found dead. They had suffered a terrible death and something about their final expressions had been imprinted in Zhao's memory, distracting him from the beauty before him.

He just couldn't get why and how the border between Haixing and Dixing had been opened, and Shen surely would have told him, if he knew of or had sensed the re-opening of it. Was there maybe a crack in it?

In all circumstances, it had costed two seemingly innocent people their lives and Zhao had yet to find out, if there'd be another victim to be added.

"...Are you listening?"

Confused Zhao looked around and stopped when facing Shen, who had by now filled the shopping cart with ingredients. He blinked a few times and then smirked, "I'm always listening to your beautiful voice, my love." He teased.

Shen didn't look impressed, "Then what did I just say?"

With no worries of his surroundings, Zhao went behind Shen, wrapped his arms around him and answered, "That we should jsut skip dinner and hurry in bed with me."

"Yunlan!" Shen hissed, scolding him. His face had gone completely red, and he struggled to get out of Zhao's embrace, but to no avail, "We are at a supermarket!"

Looking around once again, Zhao chuckled and nuzzled his nose against Shen's neck, "Nobody is here. We are perfectly hidden behind these tall shelves. And I just want a quick kiss that's all."

"You..." Shen shook his head, and even though he was greatly embarrassed  to display his feelings and desires publicly, he couldn't help but smile and secretly enjoy their closeness. He turned around in Zhao's arms and pecked his lips. Zhao smiled at him like he won the lottery, then he let go of Shen and continued his proudful duty of pushing the shopping cart around. 

Completely nonplussed, Shen stood behind for a moment, before he followed Zhao.

"And wrong answer; I asked if we should go get you some more lollipops."