Work Text:
Monday
Zhao Yunlan was not a morning person. Never had been, never will be. But there were certain sacrifices he was willing to make for the sake of. Well. This.
He let out a heavy sigh as Shen Wei ran slender fingers through Zhao Yunlan’s hair, as carefully as if he was handling gold leaf. Zhao Yunlan closed his eyes and thought that sleep couldn’t possibly be more relaxing than Shen Wei’s gentle hands against his scalp. He hummed contently when Shen Wei gently tugged at the strands to weave them into one of his intricate braids.
The decision had been, as so many Zhao Yunlan made, a spontaneous one. He and Shen Wei had been talking about “the good old days”, as Zhao Yunlan liked to call them (even though all days that had Shen Wei in them were good) when Shen Wei said it. It had been a passing comment, really, nothing that should have stuck with Zhao Yunlan as much as it did.
“I loved Kunlun’s long hair,” Shen Wei said with a fond expression and chuckled. “I touched it so much that one day, he taught me how to braid it. Each day he would allow me to add one more braid. I got the hang of it, eventually,” he ducked his head and blushed faintly. “At least that’s what Kunlun said.”
Zhao Yunlan stared at him, the phantom sensation of Shen Wei’s fingers working braids into his hair ghosting over his scalp.
“Huh,” said Zhao Yunlan. “Did he, now?”
It had been as simple as that. A decision made.
It took a little more than a year for Zhao Yunlan’s hair to grow to a length that was worthy of Shen Wei’s braiding skills, and the road hadn’t been easy. There had been a stage, about two months in, where Zhao Yunlan looked absolutely ridiculous (although Shen Wei claimed he still looked as beautiful as ever, which Zhao Yunlan rewarded with a kiss). Around month four Zhao Yunlan was he would die if he had to endure one more stupid comment from Da Qing.
But he’d persevered, and it more than paid off, considering his mornings now all started with Shen Wei’s hands in his hair.
“Zhao Yunlan. I am done,” Shen Wei announced from behind him, and this was always the worst part of their routine.
Zhao Yunlan took one of the hands that made some final adjustments to their work and pulled it towards his mouth to give each of those talented fingers a well-deserved kiss.
“Shen Wei, ah, are you sure?” Zhao Yunlan pouted against Shen Wei’s thumb. He could basically hear the way Shen Wei smiled and ducked his head.
“Why don’t you have a look?”
Zhao Yunlan sighed wistfully – this always marked the point where he knew to have lost – but he got up anyway and sauntered over to the mirror to examine Shen Wei’s work.
Zhao Yunlan stared for a moment – they’d been doing this for quite a while now and he still thought that Shen Wei managed to out-do himself each time. Zhao Yunlan fingered one of the small braids that ran back from his temple to be joint into a larger one at his back, which now almost managed to reach his waist. He could see Shen Wei in the mirror and his expression was of the hungry kind, the one he only allowed himself when he thought Zhao Yunlan couldn’t see (but Zhao Yunlan saw and oh, how he wished Shen Wei would act upon that hunger).
“It’s amazing.” Zhao Yunlan said and swirled around, making the braid dance with the movement. Shen Wei smiled and nodded, and Zhao Yunlan could see how his fist clenched and unclenched at his side. He grinned. He couldn’t wait for the evening, when Shen Wei would destroy his work just as perfectly as he created it.
-
“Finally, Lao Zhao, there have been at least five calls for – oh, for god’s sake!” Zhu Hong gaped at him, then at Shen Wei, and then at Zhao Yunlan again. “How even…”
“I know right,” said Zhao Yunlan and didn’t bother to hide the pride in his voice. “Isn’t my Xiao Wei just the most talented person ever?” He threw his arm around Shen Wei’s shoulder and smiled. Shen Wei looked slightly bashful, as if being the most talented person ever was something to be embarrassed by. Zhao Yunlan made a mental note to show him just how false that assumption was as soon as they were alone again.
Zhu Hong took one of the braids and ran her fingers across the intricate pattern.
“Impressive! Almost makes me wish I had long hair as well. Almost.”
Zhao Yunlan huffed and wiggled his finger at her. “What makes you think I would share my personal coiffeur with anyone?”
She rolled her eyes and Shen Wei blushed. Another success for Zhao Yunlan.
Tuesday
Shen Wei didn’t know what he had done to deserve this. There weren’t any previous lives in which he could have accumulated this much good karma. And yet here he was, standing behind the chair Zhao Yunlan had taken a comfortable slouch in, and ran his fingers through the smooth strands of Zhao Yunlan’s long hair. It flowed through his hands like black silk, each movement sending a waft of its sweet shampoo scent towards Shen Wei that made him lean towards Zhao Yunlan a bit closer than necessary.
Every now and then Zhao Yunlan rewarded his work with content little noises, and that was Shen Wei’s favourite part of their routine. After Zhao Yunlan’s hair, of course.
He dragged his fingers from Zhao Yunlan’s forehead all the way to back his neck, gathering the hair to start his work (this particular motion always got Shen Wei a low moan that heated up even the coldest of mornings). Shen Wei allowed himself to take a little longer than actually needed to weave the hair into a six-strand braid, savouring the feel of the soft strands under his fingers.
All things considered, Shen Wei was pretty sure Kunlun must have bestowed an additional blessing upon him back then, one that would grant him a pleasure such as this.
“What kind of hairstyle would you like?” Shen Wei had asked a bit insecure the first time Zhao Yunlan demanded he do his hair. Zhao Yunlan just smirked at him and said “I put myself fully at your mercy. Do with me whatever you like, Xiao Wei.”
Shen Wei had to swallow heavily, and it took all his self-control to not show Zhao Yunlan what exactly it was he wanted to do with him. But Shen Wei was a man grown up on restraint, and so his first hairstyle for Zhao Yunlan was a simple braid.
“It looks amazing,” Zhao Yunlan said, a little breathless, and Shen Wei shrugged as nonchalantly as was possible with Zhao Yunlan looking like that.
“You look good with every hairstyle,” he replied simply. That earned him a long kiss, even though it was just an obvious fact (Shen Wei considered stating more facts, if that was what they got him).
“Shen Wei, ah, Shen Wei. How do you do this?” Zhao Yunlan traced the pattern Shen Wei had braided into his hair. “It looks like art. You’re an artist.” He turned around, his arms outstretched like wings, and he might not be a good anymore, but the term angel came pretty close. Shen Wei took a step forward and his fingers itched to bury themselves in the soft of Zhao Yunlan’s hair, but that would render the past thirty minutes Shen Wei spent braiding meaningless. He didn’t care, but Zhao Yunlan liked it and Shen Wei would never destroy something Zhao Yunlan liked. And so, when he reached out, he simply grasped Zhao Yunlan’s fingers and pulled him forward to capture his mouth in a brief kiss. Zhao Yunlan’s hands came up to run through Shen Wei’s hair, tugging slightly at the short strands.
“Mmmh, Shen Wei, you should follow my example. Your Envoy-hair back then was ethereal.” His fingers traced gentle circles against Shen Wei’s scalp and then he added in a low purr, “Then again, I wouldn’t want everyone to see you like I see you.” And that was enough to make Shen Wei push Zhao Yunlan against the wall and kiss him breathless.
-
They entered the SID just in time, but that was only because Shen Wei had reluctantly agreed to travel via portal. (He usually refused, claiming he didn’t like using too much of his dark energy on mundane tasks. In reality, he just really enjoyed listening to Zhao Yunlan sing along to whatever CD played during their ride to the office. But Zhao Yunlan doesn’t need to know that.)
As soon as they entered the building, all members of the SID turned towards them and stared at Zhao Yunlan. He looked confused only for the fraction of a heartbeat, before twirling around and presenting his backside.
“I know that seeing the amazing things Xiao Wei does to my hair is the highlight of your day, but there’s no need to be so obvious,” Zhao Yunlan grinned and winked at Shen Wei, who could yet again feel heat creep up into his cheeks. He looked away.
“HA!” came a loud yell from Da Qing. “Six strands! I win! Pay up everyone.”
“Unbelievable,” muttered Lin Jing and slapped some money on the table. “Six strands. That’s just unreal.”
Shen Wei could see Zhao Yunlan’s eyebrows scrunch together as he turned to face his team.
“You bet on my hairstyle?” he asked, sounding slightly miffed. Shen Wei got ready to calm him down, should he feel offended at that.
Zhu Hong nodded and handed Da Qing a few notes. “I really thought Shen Wei’s skills would stop at some point. Apparently, I was wrong.”
That drained all the tension out of Zhao Yunlan’s body. “Of course you are, there is nothing my Xiao Wei can’t do.” He all but skipped towards them and flung himself across the table, pulling the braid over his shoulder. “Just look at this. Look!”
“It looks amazing, Chief Zhao,” Guo Changcheng said full of wonder and reached out to touch. Chu Shuzhi slapped his hand away.
“Don’t flatter him, his ego is hard to get through the door as it is,” he grumbled.
“Aw, do I hear jealousy, Lao Chu?” Zhao Yunlan turned and extended a hand to Shen Wei. “Don’t be, it’s literally impossible for everyone to be as perfect as Shen Wei.”
Shen Wei was sure he could hear four pairs of eyes roll simultaneously, but he still took Zhao Yunlan’s outstretched hand because resisting Zhao Yunlan was not something he would ever be able to do.
Wednesday
Zhao Yunlan moaned. He didn’t even try to hide it. His eyes closed automatically, and his entire body relaxed as Shen Wei gently massaged his head. This felt so unreal that Zhao Yunlan briefly wondered if he had ascended to heaven. But no, the solid presence of Shen Wei at his back told him that he was still a mere mortal, being reduced to a boneless mass by those wonderful, wonderful hands that caressed his hair. Shen Wei softly and thoroughly worked shampoo into it and dragged delicious fiction across the skin in the process.
“Shen Wei,” Zhao Yunlan groaned, his voice coming out raw and husky, “Your hands are magical. You’re not allowed to touch anyone else with those hands.”
“I would never think of it,” Shen Wei replied, and Zhao Yunlan could hear the smile in his words. Were he not so utterly content with his current position, he would turn and taste it from Shen Wei’s lips. But he had not the will nor the ability to move, not with Shen Wei tugging at his hair to work out any remaining tangles.
“You’re too good to me, Xiao Wei. What have I done to deserve you?”
“You are Zhao Yunlan. You deserve everything.”
That was it. If he deserved everything, Zhao Yunlan thought, then he deserved to drag Shen Wei into the bathtub with him.
-
“Zhao Yunlan, is that a bun?” Da Qing asked incredulously when Zhao Yunlan entered the office, half walking, half hanging off Shen Wei’s arm. Zhao Yunlan automatically reached up to pat the bundle of hair atop his head.
“Yup!” he said, popping the p.
Chu Shuzhi cocked an eyebrow. “That seems awfully normal, considering the woven piece of art yesterday.”
“Well, yes.” Zhao Yunlan drawled and looked up at Shen Wei, making sure the look on his face was extra lewd. “We didn’t have time for anything complex this morning. At least not something that involved hairstyling.”
“Zhao Yunlan.” Shen Wei said in his can-you-not-voice.
Lin Jing mimicked gagging, Zhu Hong rolled her eyes, and Chu Shuzhi turned away with a groan. Only Guo Changcheng, pure, innocent, wonderful Guo Changcheng indulged Zhao Yunlan.
“Why not, did something happen?”
“Ah, you see, Xiao Guo, braiding is not everything long hair is good for.” Zhao Yunlan pulled at the hairpin holding his bun in place. The hair tumbled town past his shoulders, spilling over Shen Wei’s arm that Zhao Yunlan still clutched firmly. “And my dearest Shen Wei has also mastered the art of pulling on it while –“
“How dare you corrupt him!” Chu Shuzhi yelled and clasped his hands over Guo Changcheng’s ears.
Zhu Hong didn’t quite manage to stifle her snort with a fake cough. Zhao Yunlan looked up, preparing to be rewarded with that cute little blush on Shen Wei’s face, paired with his honestly-can-you-not look.
What he was faced with instead was an expression so full of want that it put everything Zhao Yunlan could do in that department to shame. Shen Wei’s hand slowly travelled up Zhao Yunlan’s back and fisted into the hair at the nape of his neck. None of his team could see this, of course, so when Zhao Yunlan went slack against Shen Wei’s side, it looked to them as if their useless Chief was on the verge of fainting.
Thursday
Sometimes, Shen Wei wondered if Zhao Yunlan was making fun of him. He found it hard to believe that Zhao Yunlan really loved those hairstyles that much. But this would imply Zhao Yunlan was lying, and Shen Wei wouldn’t dare to make such an assumption. Still…when Zhao Yunlan took Shen Wei’s hand from where it combed through his hair to press a kiss to the palm and said, “These are the most talented and gorgeous hands in existence,” then Shen Wei wondered how it could possibly be real. How Zhao Yunlan could be real, and there, and his, and then he had to stop his work to kiss Zhao Yunlan’s neck and breathe in his scent to make sure he wasn’t imagining it all. Those mornings were his favourite, when he felt Zhao Yunlan’s presence so clear and absolute that he remembered he had a place in the world, and that this place was a person.
Today was not one of those mornings.
“God damn it, I can’t believe this is happening now,” Zhao Yunlan cursed and bolted through the door, his shoelaces still untied. “I don’t care about what he did, I’m gonna put him in jail forever for disturbing our morning.”
Our morning, Shen Wei thought and smiled, even though he and Zhao Yunlan were running though the corridor to get to their car was fast as possible. He was just in the process of combing Zhao Yunlan’s hair when the call from the SID headquarters had come in – something about a person with wind powers making a scene. And that’s how he found himself right behind a sprinting Zhao Yunlan, whose long hair danced behind him and made Shen Wei’s fingers very itchy to touch.
Zhao Yunlan complained during the entire drive to the crime scene, mostly about Da Qing, who had claimed to be “too much of a lightweight and thus easily swept away by wind”.
“What a horrible excuse! If that were a problem, I wouldn’t be allowed to be next to you!”
“Huh?” Shen Wei stared at him, confused by the sudden mental leap Zhao Yunlan had made.
“Because your presence alone is enough to sweep me off my feet,” Zhao Yunlan grinned and looked over, clearly giddy for a response, and it was so endearing that Shen Wei had to look away to not give in to the temptation of kissing that wide grin off Zhao Yunlan’s lips. Which he would normally do instantly, but Zhao Yunlan was driving.
“Zhao Yunlan. Pay attention to the road,” he said instead, and it sounded weak even to him. Zhao Yunlan laughed loudly and had the audacity to run a hand through his hair, even though that was Shen Wei’s job.
“Ah, Xiao Wei. What would I do without you?”
“Ah, Xiao Wei, you’re killing me!”
Shen Wei sighed. “Don’t be dramatic.“
„I’m not being dramatic, I’m dying!”
“Would you rather I leave all these knots in your hair?” Shen Wei asked and tried to disentangle a particularly nasty snarl. Zhao Yunlan muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “I’d rather you put in some more, if you know what I mean,” but Shen Wei ignored that.
The Dixingren’s wind powers had been stronger than expected and they did not mix well with long, flowing hair. They had managed to subdue him in the end, but only with a great sacrifice from Zhao Yunlan.
“Shen Wei, maybe we should just cut it all off! Maybe we– Shen Wei?” Zhao Yunlan turned around. Shen Wei was not sure what he saw, but apparently it was enough to distract him from his current suffering. A smirk played around the corners of Zhao Yunlan’s mouth and he gently took one of Shen Wei’s stilled hands into his own.
“Aiya, Xiao Wei, what’s that look for?”
Shen Wei didn’t know how he looked, but he knew how he felt. He felt like shoving Zhao Yunlan down onto the bed and reminding him of the merits of long hair. But then he spotted a very large tangle right on top of Zhao Yunlan’s head. The reminder would have to wait.
“OUCH! Shen Wei, how can those slender hands be so cruel? What have I done to deserve such a fate?”
“We will not cut your hair,” Shen Wei stated because he really needed to say it out loud.
“Alright, alright, but please be more gentle with me! You know how highly sensitive I am.”
Yes. Yes, Shen Wei knew.
Friday
“Shen Wei, ah. How about you put it up today? Like this,” Zhao Yunlan’s unskilled hands piled his hair up on top of his head in a mockery of some ancient hairstyle.
Shen Wei chuckled. “Don’t you worry about what your team will say when you look like a character from a historical drama?”
Zhao Yunlan turned around and gave him an indignant look. “Shen Wei! Everything you create is perfect and everyone else is jealous of me and my personal coiffeur!”
Shen Wei smiled and ducked his head in that way that always made Zhao Yunlan’s heart feel like it was way too big for his chest.
“If you’re sure,” Shen Wei said, as if Zhao Yunlan had ever been unsure about anything that concerned Shen Wei.
And so Shen Wei got to work, pinning up strand after strand in what must be the most intricate hair-do Zhao Yunlan had ever had the pleasure of receiving. Zhao Yunlan closed his eyes and leaned back against Shen Wei, even though “That doesn’t make it easier for me, Zhao Yunlan.” Zhao Yunlan couldn’t help himself. He never could, not when Shen Wei was involved.
-
They were almost late to work this morning because Zhao Yunlan couldn’t stop staring at himself in the mirror, and then he couldn’t stop kissing Shen Wei.
When he strode into the office he felt imaginary robes floating around him. He should have asked Shen Wei to make a gust of wind. Or maybe some sparks. Or whatever other epic special effects his Dixing powers could create. Instead, he settled for holding Shen Wei’s hand, feeling the cool skin of those dextrous fingers against his own. Da Qing was the first to notice, and it spoke volumes that he was at a lack for words. He just elbowed Zhu Hong and pointed at Zhao Yunlan. She was about to complain about the pain when her mouth hung open without any words escaping. Shen Wei’s fingers twitched in Zhao Yunlan’s, as if he really wanted to wring his hands right now.
“That looks amazing.”
Everyone whirled around at the completely deadpan voice. There stood Chu Shuzhi, a mug in his hand and an expression of utter neutrality on his face.
“What? Credit where credit is due,” he shrugged and took a sip from his mug.
Zhao Yunlan would have grinned and made some incredibly witty comment, were he not busy with looking at Shen Wei, whose ears had become very red and whose fingers tightened almost painfully around Zhao Yunlan’s.
“Thank you,” he blurted out at the same time Zhao Yunlan said, “Of course it does, Xiao Wei made it!”
They looked at each other, Zhao Yunlan with a grin and Shen Wei with surprise.
“Okay, that’s as much as I’m willing to bear.” Chu Shuzhi walked past them and slumped down on the sofa to scroll through his phone.
Da Qing still looked a bit stunned as he pointed to Zhao Yunlan’s hair, then to his face, then to Shen Wei. “Lao Zhao, what –“
“Ah, ah, ah,” Zhao Yunlan made and tutted at him. “That’s Zhao-Gongzi for you.”
“Ugh, Shen Wei, stop feeding his ego, it’s not going to fit into this room anymore,” Zhu Hong groaned and demonstratively turned away. Zhao Yunlan resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her because he was way too dignified at that.
“Don’t listen to her, Xiao Wei. You can do whatever you want to me and my ego.”
He turned to Shen Wei, expecting an exasperated sigh at worst and a humble blush at best. What he didn’t expect was Shen Wei bowing his head and extending a hand to Zhao Yunlan.
“Would Zhao-Gongzi lead me to his office then, so we can get to work?”
Yep. Zhao Yunlan would never cut his hair ever again.