time for an h/c comment fest!

[xparrot]

The last couple of days have been rough on my writing (for dumb annoying reasons, why don't we come installed with a "will not be bothered by this thing" button?)

So! In the hopes of getting me to write something, and because this is what I'm feeling most wobbly about: it's time for hurt/comfort comment-fic!

Leave me a prompt/request for h/c, any hurt or any comfort, short or long as you want -- if it's character-specific, Guardian WeiLan please, that's all I'm in the mood to write; if that's not your thing then please leave a more general prompt! I don't promise to write anything (nor do I promise to write an actual commentfic and not some 10K-word monster, knowing me) but I would love any inspiration.

And if one of the prompts happens to tickle your fancy, please post your own comment fic (art, etc!) here (any fandoms, any characters) -- the more h/c the merrier!


The fills! \o/
(as of Nov. 23)

The Sundial goes full Equivalent Exchange. by frith_in_thorns
aftermath of torture by xparrot
Shen Wei is having trouble focusing (and how!) by xparrot
Hypothermia and cuddling for warmth (or: Shen Wei Is The Least Reliable Narrator) by yue_ix
Shen Wei has a weird allergic reaction by frith_in_thorns
Nightmares (and knives) by xparrot
Shen Wei suddenly has the power to hear people's dreams by naye
Fanart: Scars by yue_ix
Comfort tea & hypothermia by marycrawford
Wings, the kind that stay inside until they tear their way out by frith_in_thorns
Scars (AU fic for yue_ix's art) by xparrot
Dragged away screaming by marycrawford
Shen Wei thinking he's minorly hurt, but it's actually a lot worse by wintersoldier77
Zhao Yunlan has a literal healing cock by xparrot
Shen Wei thinking he's only minorly hurt, take 2 by rlyqueer
winter has come by extrapenguin
Shen Wei accidentally (or not) ingests poison meant for Zhao Yunlan by xparrot
muffled screams by duckwhatduck
Like a snowglobe by frith_in_thorns

Comments

[rlyqueer]

(I don't know the etiquette for multiple fills on the same prompt, but!! I already started this last night, so I finished it out and hope it serves as a nice double helping of oh-god-that's-not-a-minor-injury-Shen-Wei.)

---

“Zhao Yunlan–"

Ringing in his ears, impossibly loud and splitting through his skull–

“Zhao Yunlan!”

He blinks into the sharp cleave of light filtering in through the crumbling hole that’s swallowed half the building, concrete dust in his eyes and in his mouth and in his nose.

Zhao Yunlan coughs, then heaves, doubling forward onto his hands. The ringing in his ears mingles with the scream of distant sirens, but he focuses on Shen Wei’s voice, still desperately calling for him.

“I’m here,” Zhao Yunlan wheezes through grit teeth. Forces himself up onto his knees amid the rubble. His ears are starting to adjust, if only slightly to allow other noises drifting past the thundering crescendo and into his awareness, heavily muffled as if through layers and layers of thick cotton.

“Shen Wei?”

Shen Wei’s voice has cut off, plunging a stab of cold fear up from the bottom of his ribcage and into his chest. But after a moment, one of the larger pieces of debris to his immediate right shifts and falls aside with a stomach-lurching rumble. What remains of the building quivers, but then Shen Wei is climbing toward him with a look of such uninhibited relief that Zhao Yunlan instinctively relaxes.

“Zhao Yunlan, don’t try to move,” Shen Wei says, with all the authority of the Envoy despite being caught in his most devastatingly charming blue suit. It fits him like a glove, even covered in gray dust and a jacket that hangs open with a sad tear at the lowest lapel. Zhao Yunlan mourns that suit, though dimly wonders if there’s a possibility of salvaging it.

He shakes his head. Now’s not the time. But the motion makes him lurch unexpectedly, and he pauses to look up at Shen Wei’s panicked face, now just inches from his own.

“I’m fine, just a little banged up,” he assures, patting at Shen Wei’s elbow. “Don’t look so worried.”

“You’re not,” Shen Wei snaps, his mouth curling in the ghost of a snarl. “You were closer to the explosion than I was–”

“So it’s a miracle!” Zhao Yunlan shoots back, and squeezes his arm. Then coughs again, and again, and he realizes he can’t stop even when he tries to choke them down. Mildly alarming. He can’t breathe, hunching over. Okay, that’s not good.

Cool and soothing hands spread flat against him, one at his breastbone and the other between his shoulder blades. He slumps into Shen Wei’s embrace, taking a shuddering breath at last. And then another. And another, coming back slowly into his control again. Better.

“Thanks,” Zhao Yunlan says, his voice no longer ragged in his throat. Looks up at Shen Wei with a grin, and is gifted with a most exasperated sigh.

“Zhao Yunlan,” Shen Wei reproaches, “You... You shouldn’t have been–” he swallows thickly, the smallest tremor going through him, and then Shen Wei’s chin dips toward his chest, tucking in with guilt. “I should’ve–”

“No,” Zhao Yunlan surges forward, into his space so that he can catch his gaze and draw it up again. Because he won’t stand for any of that, not when they should both be swimming with joy at the fact that they’re still fucking alive.

“Neither of us could’ve anticipated that the suspect...” his breath catches just a little but he rallies, “We did everything we could, okay?” Zhao Yunlan shifts up and grabs Shen Wei’s shoulders, to hold him and maybe convince the both of them that there’s still here and that’s what matters, but he doesn’t expect how Shen Wei buckles under such miniscule strength.

It’s coordinated enough, and Shen Wei sinks against Zhao Yunlan with a shaky breath. A crease forms between his brows. He blinks hard for a moment, then looks up at Zhao Yunlan, a vagueness in his wide dark eyes that sharpens a little when he looks into Zhao Yunlan’s face.

“I– You–” Shen Wei pinches his eyes shut and goes to push up his glasses before realizing they're missing. He must have lost them in the blast, and Zhao Yunlan’s heart seizes oddly at that. Gives a reassuring squeeze to Shen Wei’s shoulders as Shen Wei breathes out, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“You too,” Zhao Yunlan says, starting to look him over with a closer eye now, but Shen Wei lifts his arm and reaches, the barest brush of fingertips against Zhao Yunlan’s jaw – and Zhao Yunlan feels that same cool and soothing whisper shivering through his body again.

Feels the rest of the grit in his lungs burn off, every scrape and bruise dissolve into the most wonderful chill under his grimy skin and his gaze drifts down past Shen Wei’s concentrated expression, down the curve of his throat and to that tragically torn lapel–

A shock of red against dust-gray fabric, bright and damning.

“Shen Wei!” His voice comes out strangled and he grabs his wrist, yanking, and Shen Wei’s eyes flutter open and Zhao Yunlan can see it better now, that glassy haze. “Shen Wei, stop!”

Shen Wei jerks back. “I’m– I’m sorry–” he looks confused, doesn’t even know what he’s apologizing for but he looks caught and guilty for it anyway.

“No, you’re hurt, Shen Wei.”

“I’m...?”

Shen Wei finally looks down at himself, surprise flickering across his pallid face. “Oh.”

Something nasty twists in Zhao Yunlan’s gut but he pushes it aside and grasps at Shen Wei’s suit jacket, tugging it back. He sucks in a breath.

A piece of rebar just barely, jaggedly, lances up through flesh and fabric. It pierces Shen Wei’s side, protruding through what was once an immaculately white dress shirt, and Zhao Yunlan forces calm into his voice as he says, “Shen Wei, sit down.” He presses against Shen Wei’s shoulders.

Shen Wei blinks at him, parts his lips on the start of a reply that turns into a cough.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Shen Wei manages, but his voice is wrong, and he folds down the rest of the way until he’s listing against Zhao Yunlan.

The wailing sirens are getting closer, and now that his ears are working again, Zhao Yunlan can hear shouting at the perimeter of the building.

“Come here,” he says, guiding Shen Wei forward, “Let me see.”

Shen Wei’s posture has gone from languid to sharply upright, a gasp punched out of him at some certain movement. Alarmed, Zhao Yunlan draws the jacket open further so that he can see around Shen Wei’s side to his back.

“Oh god, Shen Wei,” he exhales, voice is tight in his throat when he sees the rest of the rebar, which sticks out at an odd angle from – do Dixingren have kidneys there?

Shen Wei tracks his eyes, reaches back to feel where the rebar has impaled him and his face goes carefully neutral, even as sweat trickles down his temple and plasters his mussed hair to his forehead. “I’m alright,” he says, frighteningly level, but there’s a fog in his gaze that even the fearsome Envoy can’t mask. The sheer outrageousness of the lie would be comical if it wasn’t so... so...

Shen Wei coughs again, and this time he’s spitting blood onto concrete, Zhao Yunlan reeling toward him to hold him up before he can sag all the way onto the ground.

“Fuck, you’re not,” Zhao Yunlan bites out through the panic. But he shoves it aside so that he can focus on Shen Wei, who’s got a hand to his mouth now and is coughing wetly.

“...No,” Shen Wei agrees, sounding both reluctant and a little faraway. He’s staring down at his hand, fingers curling into the red bloom that’s smeared across his palm.

Zhao Yunlan takes his hand and lowers it so that Shen Wei looks up at him. “You need to heal yourself, Shen Wei,” Zhao Yunlan says carefully. “Can you do that?” He brushes the back of his knuckles against Shen Wei’s cheek, praying that the touch will help anchor him.

Shen Wei closes his eyes, another tremor going through him, and he swallows. “I– can, probably.”

Anxiety pierces Zhao Yunlan and he remembers how Shen Wei had already healed him before taking stock of himself, knows with every certainty that Shen Wei would’ve healed him regardless of the cost to himself. He clenches his jaw tight around that argument, saves it for later.

“But?” he presses, because he can hear it in Shen Wei’s voice.

Shen Wei looks at him apologetically. “I can’t do it around this,” he says, resting a hand against his side. Blood soaks his shirt, makes the cloth stick flush against his skin, glistening darkly. “I need to... remove it...” His gaze is flickering away and back to Zhao Yunlan. Nervous? Guilty? Zhao Yunlan rests his hand against Shen Wei’s elbow, rubs the fabric of his suit jacket there with his thumb.

“What can I do?”

Shen Wei actually winces. “I need– I don’t think I can, myself–” He closes his eyes, remorse washing over his pinched features.

“I’ll pull it out,” Zhao Yunlan says firmly, “Anything. I’ll do anything you need, Shen Wei.” He raises his hand to Shen Wei’s damp forehead and pushes his hair back, letting his fingers come to rest at the nape of his neck. “I’ve got you,” he says.

Leaning into him, Shen Wei gives a little sigh and opens his eyes to look at him again. His whole body is shaking now, just slightly. “Thank you. I’m sorry.”

Zhao Yunlan’s mouth twists, but he says, “Please, you’re the one this is going to hurt. Come on, we’ll make this quick, okay? Then we can get out of here, head home, take a shower...”

He’s maneuvering Shen Wei to sit up, who makes an effort to help, though Zhao Yunlan is taking most of his weight. “Yes... quick...” Shen Wei is murmuring, unable to keep the pain off his face now.

“I think I need to pull it out from your back. There’s not enough to grip, otherwise. Here, against the wall,” Zhao Yunlan helps him to his knees, so that Shen Wei can place his hands flat against the large slab of concrete he’d shifted so easily earlier when he’d found Zhao Yunlan after the blast.

The position would be delightfully arousing in other circumstances, but now it just makes Zhao Yunlan pause with dread. He clenches his fists. Ignores his own discomfort and pushes aside Shen Wei’s jacket, hesitating only a heartbeat before wrapping his fingers around the rebar. Shen Wei gasps and ducks his head and Zhao Yunlan can’t see his face, but his shoulders are pulled with tension.

"It’s okay, you can do this, baby,” Zhao Yunlan encourages, resting his other hand against Shen Wei’s uninjured side. "You ready?”

Shen Wei’s head jerks in a nod. “Yes,” he says resolutely. Almost enough to be believable.

“Alright, I’ll pull it out on three... One, two,” and Zhao Yunlan yanks hard, Shen Wei seizing under him with a sharp cry. Zhao Yunlan drops the freed rebar with a clatter, both hands on Shen Wei now as blood pours from the open wounds and Shen Wei sobs, crumpling.

“Shen Wei!” Zhao Yunlan holds him up, presses his hands tight against the mess in a useless effort to staunch the bleeding. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you, Shen Wei, but you have to–” Zhao Yunlan pulls him flush back against him, trying to prop him up, “You have to heal yourself, Shen Wei!”

The sirens have warbled to a stop, now, and there’s a commotion outside. Rescue teams finally done assessing the building’s integrity and at last organized for deployment, Zhao Yunlan assumes, but his attention draws back to Shen Wei when he hears a faint cough.

“Heal... Yes, of course, I–” Shen Wei’s hands twist, dark energy flickering to life at his command. Zhao Yunlan can feel it as Shen Wei stiffens, his breath coming in shuddering gasps with the effort of knitting himself back together. But his power seems steady enough, and Zhao Yunlan holds onto him helplessly, murmuring soft comfort and reassurances into his ear. And then Shen Wei jerks, twisting in his arms so that he can retch bloody onto the surrounding debris.

“Xiao Wei!” Zhao Yunlan hurries to move Shen Wei upright again, eyes stinging as he tries to figure if wrapping his arms around Shen Wei will do more harm than good. But Shen Wei is trembling violently now, pale and clammy to the touch, moaning,

“I– Zhao Yunlan, I... don’t...”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here,” Zhao Yunlan says through the waver in his voice.

Feeling sick, he adjusts Shen Wei in his arms so that he can look at the wound again. He has to lift Shen Wei’s shirt and wipe, hands shaking till he can see properly, heart stuck in his throat–

It looks... bad, still. The blood flow has eased to a weeping trickle, but aggravates with the slightest movement.

It isn’t enough. Zhao Yunlan knows it isn’t enough.

He inhales slowly, has to speak over the little choked noises that Shen Wei is trying to muffle even now. “Xiao Wei,” he whispers, kissing the top of his head, “You have to try again. I’m sorry, but you need to do more.”

Shen Wei clings to him, shakes his head which lolls back against Zhao Yunlan’s shoulder. “Don't think– I–” he slurs, every muscle uncoiling until he’s gone boneless in Zhao Yunlan’s arms, “Nothing... left...”

Biting down hard on his lip, Zhao Yunlan squeezes his eyes shut. “You have to try. I need you to try, baby, so that we can get out of here and go home. Together.”

Maybe it’s the desperation that he can’t keep out of his voice any longer, but Shen Wei gives a soft sound of assent and Zhao Yunlan is so, so grateful. He kisses Shen Wei’s temple this time, says, “I’m here,” and holds him fast.

This time when the dark energy flares in his open palm, it spits and shudders, but Shen Wei keeps it. He strains, reaching down into the well of him, and does just as Zhao Yunlan had asked. He tries. He heals. Zhao Yunlan can see it better now, after having wiped the blood away. Tissue and sinews weave back into smooth flesh, and when Shen Wei finally gasps out and drops his hand, all that remains of the wound is angry bruising.

Shen Wei’s trembling eases, and he sinks back into Zhao Yunlan without so much as another sigh. Frighteningly quiet and still. Feeling half-crazed, Zhao Yunlan shoots his hand forward to feel for a pulse, and nearly collapses when he finds one, thready but there. He clutches at Shen Wei tightly and moans with relief.

“I’ve got you, baby,” he rasps into the dusty silk of Shen Wei’s hair, barely aware of the rescue team picking their way toward them.

“I’ve got you.”

[xparrot]

My policy for repeat fills is the more the merrier, we can never have too much tropey h/c goodness, and OH this was good -- I've read it twice now! I love that Zhao Yunlan gets it too, but then once Shen Wei has healed him it's time for the caretaking to reverse -- and ahhhhh Zhao Yunlan having to push Shen Wei into saving himself, even at the cost of draining himself unconscious, and of course Shen Wei does it for him -- yes, that hits right on the h/c spot!

Also the little details, Zhao Yunlan mourning Shen Wei's suit, and the slow way Shen Wei goes down, and Zhao Yunlan holding him and talking into his hair at the end...just lovely!

[rlyqueer]

Ahhh gosh I'm so glad!!! That you've read it twice is beyond flattering!! I'm a sucker for the caretaking reversal, and you know Shen Wei needs it with how much he overextends himself... So impulsive and self-sacrificing, especially when it comes to Zhao Yunlan.

SW: I have a healing for you
ZYL: Hell yeah thanks
SW: spits blood
ZYL: Wait no take it back-

I'm so pleased you liked those little details, too! Somehow those are always like the backbone of a story to me? So I'm glad you enjoyed them!

I was a little worried the ending was too abrupt, but I'm hoping it was satisfying hehe. Will def be cleaning up and posting on AO3, first contribution to the fandom! Whew!!

[xparrot]

FWIW I think the end works great for a h/c snapshot like this -- rescue is there, they're together and Shen Wei's healed and they're going to be okay!

And yay for your first Guardian fic on AO3 \o/ I'll have my fingers crossed that it's the start of a trend ^___^

[rlyqueer]

Hfhfhf thank you!! And I may have... a few things in the works... >:)

Thank you for your kind comments and encouragement hehe!

[frith_in_thorns]

More fills are GREAT! And this was so fantastic -- I definitely can't get enough of oh-god-that's-not-a-minor-injury-Shen-Wei!

I love this description of him so dazed and shocky, and so surprised to realise that he is in fact hurt after all after he's finished focusing on Zhao Yunlan. And Zhao Yunlan fighting to stay calm and reassure him and tell him what to do as Shen Wei starts to decline alarmingly. I love all the physical details of Shen Wei's condition and how Zhao Yunlan is observing him so closely and anxiously and holding him up and doing everything he can to help. Just lovely all the way through! Thank you so much for writing this!

[rlyqueer]

Lord you and me both -- thank you for such a great prompt!! Shen Wei is just the perfect candidate for whump. Not even sorry.

Honestly this is such high praise, ahh! You write possibly my favorite dazed and shocky Shen Wei. It's a really good look on him and I'll eat that concept up with a spoon every time. Writing it is? Hard??? Go figure, but I'm so glad you enjoyed my take!!!

And Zhao Yunlan may be an emotional wreck, but he can suppress it For Shen Wei's Sake™. Meanwhile as long as Zhao Yunlan says he should, Shen Wei's going to be trying his best. Delirious but determined. Words are definitely going to be had about this later...

Thank you for reading heheh!!

[naye]

I am screaming very softly with feels, this is all - a lot, and so beautifully urgent and horrifying as Zhao Yunlan starts out fine and is then having to hold it together for Shen Wei through all his worry. And Shen Wei trying to deny he hurts, and then hurting visibly, and then Zhao Yunlan having to hurt him more to fix him...! It's so good, it's so much, but Zhao Yunlan is holding Shen Wei together so he can heal himself and. And aw.

Shen Wei jerks back. “I’m– I’m sorry–” he looks confused, doesn’t even know what he’s apologizing for but he looks caught and guilty for it anyway.
OH SHEN WEI. This is so perfect. And so upsetting but in the best way?

“Oh god, Shen Wei,” he exhales, voice is tight in his throat when he sees the rest of the rebar, which sticks out at an odd angle from – do Dixingren have kidneys there?
The bit about kidneys reads so much like Zhao Yunlan's mind trying to process what's happening and grasping for details to keep from getting overwhelmed by how awful it is - I love it.

Zhao Yunlan takes his hand and lowers it so that Shen Wei looks up at him. “You need to heal yourself, Shen Wei,” Zhao Yunlan says carefully. “Can you do that?” He brushes the back of his knuckles against Shen Wei’s cheek, praying that the touch will help anchor him.
THE TOUCHING. I AM SO WEAK FOR THIS. ;_;

“I’ve got you, baby,” he rasps into the dusty silk of Shen Wei’s hair, barely aware of the rescue team picking their way toward them.
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELS. ♥♥♥

[rlyqueer]

* - * You're making my day, gosh!!! Everything you pointed out was something I was really excited about, so I'm really happy you enjoyed it!!

Zhao Yunlan having to hurt Shen Wei to help fix him... Heh. I'm particularly fond of this sort of thing. Neither of them is going through this unscathed!

And of course Shen Wei is going to apologize to Zhao Yunlan just based on Zhao Yunlan's unfavorable response, even if he doesn't understand what the problem is. Poor Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan's just worried about you... (Guilt complex? What guilt complex?)

The nuances of Dixingren biology are lost on Zhao Yunlan, but he's doing his best here! I'm glad his train of thought came out well hehe. It's so hard to keep it together when you see that your boyfriend's been impaled.

Touching is!! So important!! Like, it can be so grounding even when nothing else is getting through. I am also... weak....

Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words!!! Def made my day. I'm so happy you enjoyed this!!