Sunday Six: more Guardian

AO3 won the Hugo for best related work! \o/

After a thoroughly unproductive week, I managed to eke out a bit of writing yesterday; fingers crossed that this is back on a trend rather than an exception?

"Okay, then," Zhao Yunlan said with a careful nod. "Let's get them there and figure it out from there."

He started to turn back to collect the kids, only to realize that the Envoy had gone still--frozen, looking at him with such unalloyed focus that it sent a frisson down Zhao Yunlan's spine. "What?" he snapped, quelling that shiver.

"You trust me?" the Envoy asked, quiet but intent.

Zhao Yunlan could've lied, could've told him they were best friends, comrades for life; but the sharpness of that gaze would cut through any glibness as easily as the guy's blade through that monster. It wasn't worth the effort. "If you wanted to kill me now, you would've already." He shrugged. "So come on--" He couldn't say it aloud; giving it as a name was one thing, but actually addressing the guy like some lord in a historical drama, with a straight face...not possible. "--Hei-Laoge."

The Envoy's shoulders jerked under his bespoke suit jacket at that insolence, but he didn't say anything.