Guardian: The Broken World

-Shen Wei-

"Shen Wei… Shen Wei… babe, did I keep you up for far too long?" Shen hear Zhao whisper at his side. The truth to be told, he had never sleep so peacefully or better than last night. Despite been awake for half the night, thanks to his tiger, the lack of pain and the d.e.s.i.r.ed company had been enough to taste the so needed oblivion that had eluded him for so many centuries.

"Hmm, Yunlan… is it morning already?" Shen Wei asked, opening his eyes to find Zhao staring at him, like usual when he wake up first.

"Not yet, but I think we will have company soon. The fire of the gods had come to life a minute ago. I think that either Rong or Zillah or both are going to show up here." Zhao said, removing a lock of his hair from his forehead.

"Can you feel them?" Shen asked, siting over the bed, the comforter falling to his l.a.p, revealing his b.a.r.e c.h.e.s.t.

"No, only the fire acting up on its own. Ah, Xiao Wei, you are such a lovely sight." Zhao said and Shen sighed.

"Yunlan…"

"I just love you too much…" Zhao said, also sitting at his side to kiss him. "Shen Wei… lets promise each other to come back alive from hell. So many things can go wrong and…" Shen kissed him back this time, gently and slowly, enjoying Yunlan taste, imprinting it in his mind.

"Yes, I promise to do my best for us to return together…" Shen said seriously.

"Good. I honestly don't want to lose you or anyone else."

"It's the same with me Yunlan, I have become quite found of your team and the rest of the group. You know you have been precious to me for so long, I will die before letting something happen to you. Just don't go too far with your new powers, so I could always reach you." Wei said, resting his forehead over his, then placing his hands on both sides of his neck, to kiss him again.

Zhao's hair was still long, so he had decided to keep it like that until the restoration of the barrier was done, because even if Shen cut it for him, it will grow again once he use his powers. However, Shen Wei had half tied it, so it will not be on the way when fighting. He knew his handsome lover like it that way too, so he let Shen Wei play with it as he wished.

"Yunlan, we should get dressed before the gods decide it's time to go, which could be at any moment."

"Can you dress me up?" Shen smiled at his pervert.

"I was the one who take them off, remember?" Shen asked, blushing a little.

"Ah, yes, you even did it with your te…"

"Let's just go out, before your tiger comes back to life. Off you go, Yunlan." Shen said, gently pushing him over the border of their bed.

"What about your dragon?" Zhao asked, enjoying the deeper blush in Wei's face.

"It's fine, I have been restrained for longer than you can imagine, seriously Yunlan, get out…" Zhao laughed, quite content with himself and his current life. Before, he always felt a void that didn't fill no matter how hard he had tried, but now that the void was gone and replaced with such happiness, he feared it will slip at any moment through his fingers, like sand.

He got out of their bed and took a shower, hoping Shen Wei will join him, but even if they have make love to each other a few times already, his wife was still too shy. Still, as the warm water took away all his soreness from the past few days, he prayed for his happiness to be granted for life, not only because he had already lose so many chances at that happiness, with his many reincarnations, but also because Shen Wei had waited for far too long.

If he was a powerful god before, he should have make sure that Shen Wei will have all he wished whatever big or small, because he had earn it with his devotion a hundreds of times over. He knew nothing of this dark half god, just like he was powerful enough to send demons out of hell, but this time they were not alone, Shen was not alone to deal with the barrier on his own or to deal with his creator if everything failed at the end.

"Yunlan? Are you okay there?" He heard Shen ask and as the pervert he was, he said…

"No. Can you check on me?" He could imagine Shen Wei's face going red, yet he didn't open the door to join him.

"You sound fine, don't take too long…"

"Humm, I will go out in a minute." Zhao said, turning off the shower. When out of it, he clean up the steam over the mirror to look at himself. Shen Wei's ties had come undone and his eyes were a bit golden, but what surprise Zhao, was that someone else was at his side. He looked back, but saw nothing, then he stare at the mirror again and saw Kunlun, slightly smiling behind him, as if amused.

"Not this again, why do I keep seen myself as two different persons?" Zhao asked.

"We are not different, Yunlan, just in different times. Remember the golden box I gave you when in my temple?" Kunlun asked.

"Yes." Zhao reply.

"Take it with you back to hell. Also…" An invisible hand touched his forehead. "The crows will not trap your mind, no matter what magic they use to try control you. Have it in mind and play your cards well, because you are correct. We do this for Shen Wei, for his love, for his devotion, for filling our void and give us happiness in return. You are bond to keep him safe, it's in your nature, always have and always will. That's our reason to keep coming back each time, to reach this end, to give him what he deserved. You agree, right?"

"You say so yourself. Don't worry, there is no way I will let demons or half gods to take him away from us."

"Good, because Yunlan, Shen Wei is still a ghost without a soul and if he is mortally injured, he will turn into ashes and be gone without a trace, not able to reincarnate."

"Why you didn't give him a soul?" Zhao asked curiously.

"I gave him my heart, to make him a half god, but a soul needs more than what I could offer back then. However, you are not a god now, which open a new world of possibilities to you."

"You mean, I can give him a soul? Make him human instead of a ghost?"

"That's yet to be seen. Shen Wei's existence is already moving too many wheels that is hard to know which way it will end. You can call him a paradox, because ever since he was created, he defy his fate in such a way that took us all by surprise. His will is stronger than most believe and in a way, his actions ripple all over the realms. If he is gone, things will get even more chaotic than never before. In a way, our ghost, is at the center of all. If he falls, so will us sooner or later."

"That's the power of your flame, the one he carries so lovingly. If he had not love me at first sight when he was a kid, I believe Shen Wei would have become a god on his own and destroy all realms with his own hands. Lucky for us, he only d.e.s.i.r.e one thing for centuries, and that's you, so make sure you don't fall, because if you do, Shen Wei will lose it completely. All gods knows this, which is why they help you get stronger." Zhao swallowed.

"They are coming, right?" Zhao asked as he sensed the fire stir.

"Yes, go now…"

"Yunlan? Are you really ill? I…"

"Just a second babe, I'm dressing up. We have company."

"I know, are you really alright?"

"Yeah…" Zhao said, hastily putting on his clothes, then going out to meet the worry professor.

"Zhao…" Yunlan simply kiss him.

"No matter what, we prevail…" Shen smiled gently.

"Of course. Let me tied your hair again before meeting with the gods." Shen offer and Zhao sat over the bed, so Shen could do so. As he felt his fingers over his hair, Zhao close his eyes in concentration. The time had come and he could not allow himself to fall. When he open his eyes again, they were deep amber once again. He was not taking chances, not even from the start, because a love so beautiful could not be wasted, nor end in such a way. He will become Shen's wish as perhaps by his own strong will.

AN: A lighter chapter, in preparation for the biggest adventure. Thanks for reading.