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Title: Morning Calls
Author: marcicat
Fandom: Guardian (TV)
Characters: Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing, Shen Wei, Ye Zun, Zhao Xinci
Tags: AU, Found Family, Cat Tribe Best Tribe, time travel speedrun, there was only one apartment, Ghost Cat
Summary: The morning after the night before. (A follow-up fic to Night Letters.)
Author's note: For Be a Goldfish Week 3! Approximately 72 words of this were written back in 2020 as part of 'Night Letters.' And now that's one more draft released to the wild!
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He heard Da Qing say, "Hey, don't pass out yet," and felt claws prickling his shoulder. Swatting them away felt like an impossible effort. So he yawned instead, and leaned more heavily on Da Qing, who yelped. "Lord Envoy!"
"I'll pass out if I want to," Zhao Yunlan mumbled at him. "No need to get the Envoy involved."
He drifted for a while after that. At some point he was awake enough to hear arguing, and someone saying his name.
("Why do we need to be quiet for him? We're not sleeping."
"Your Zhao Yunlan shouldn't be sleeping either. His dreams are going to be awful."
"They'll be fine."
"Oh, it's like that?"
"Please stop talking.")
Zhao Yunlan wasn't sure if he was pleased or disappointed that he couldn't remember any of his dreams. Unless that conversation had been a dream. In which case — well, he wasn't sure what that would mean.
"Were you awake all night?" He squinted towards the kitchen. "Did someone make breakfast?"
Da Qing poked him in the shoulder. "Ha! What night? It was practically morning by the time we got back. Then we had to decide if you were dying or not. You're not, by the way. You're welcome."
"Thank you," Zhao Yunlan said, because he had manners, sometimes.
Da Qing poked him again, pushing him towards the kitchen. "And Shen Wei made breakfast. Well, first he made food appear, because we didn't have any, and then he used that to make breakfast."
Zhao Yunlan made a show of looking around, even though it was obvious the apartment was empty except for the two of them. "You're on such casual terms with the Lord Envoy now? Where is he, then?"
Da Qing shrugged. "They disappeared just before you woke up."
"Are they coming back?" It suddenly seemed like possibly the most important question he'd ever asked, but Da Qing just threw his hands up in the air.
"How would I know? They probably have things to do other than watch you sleep."
"And make me breakfast." They wouldn't have made breakfast if they weren't coming back, right?
"Make me breakfast, you mean. I left you some, though." Da Qing jumped up on the counter and pointed at a covered dish.
He'd barely started eating when there was a knock on the door. He looked at Da Qing, who immediately shook his head. "What are you looking at me for? You're the one inviting people back here and then passing out!"
Zhao Yunlan waved his hands between them and the door. "You think the Lord Envoy would knock on the door?"
"Well, it's not anyone who's here for me," Da Qing said with finality, in a way that made Zhao Yunlan think he knew who it was. Which meant Zhao Yunlan could also guess who it was. Of course. "Cats have respect for mealtime."
Zhao Yunlan pushed his food in Da Qing's direction, and smiled when he tugged it close. Someone might as well enjoy it.
The knocking was louder the second time around, and he rolled his eyes. His father was raising his hand to knock for a third time when Zhao Yunlan opened the door. He swung it wide, but kept one hand on the door frame.
They stared at each other. Finally, his father said, "You're not going to invite me in?"
"Maybe I already have guests."
His ears popped and his father's eyes went wide. He didn't have to look behind him to know that Shen Wei and Ye Zun had just returned. They either had the best timing in the world, or the worst.
"I see," his father said finally.
"This is Zhao Xinci," he said, in case they wanted to pretend they didn't recognize the Ghost Killer for some reason. "My father."
"Yes," Shen Wei said politely. "We've met."
"I thought he'd be taller," Ye Zun said, not at all politely.
His father closed his eyes and took a deep breath, like he was praying for patience. It was an expression Zhao Yunlan was extremely familiar with. He didn't look behind him, because he didn't want to know what his own expression might give away if he did.
Zhao Xinci said, "I only wanted to tell you it's done. The Regent has taken possession of the Hallows." There was a new expression on his father's face, one that he couldn't interpret at all. "Formal renegotiation of the treaty will be announced shortly."
Zhao Yunlan nodded, trying to look as if he had any idea what was happening, and his father left without saying anything else.
"I have no idea what's happening," he said. Da Qing snorted a laugh, and Zhao Yunlan spun to look at him. "Damn Cat, what do you know?"
"Me? What would I, the Deputy Chief of the SID, King of the Cats, know about anything?"
Da Qing hooked his thumbs in his pockets and gave Zhao Yunlan his most innocent expression. "If I did know anything, I would probably ask why no one's been asking you for a progress report about the Hallows. Or maybe, did you think you were the only one to get letters?"
Right. He finally let himself turn around, and he was immediately caught in Shen Wei's eyes. He wasn't sure how much time passed before someone coughed loudly.
"I'm going out," Ye Zun said. "Xiao Mao wants to see the city." He looked at Da Qing pointedly. "Are you coming?"
Da Qing had been looking longingly towards the remains of Zhao Yunlan's breakfast. "What? Oh! Yes, the city. Of course I'm coming. Xiao Mao should have an experienced guide. Cats know all the best places."
Ye Zun held the door for him, then turned around and pointed at Shen Wei. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Shen Wei blushed, and Zhao Yunlan suddenly didn't mind at all that he didn't know what was happening, as long as they got to find out together.
Author: marcicat
Fandom: Guardian (TV)
Characters: Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing, Shen Wei, Ye Zun, Zhao Xinci
Tags: AU, Found Family, Cat Tribe Best Tribe, time travel speedrun, there was only one apartment, Ghost Cat
Summary: The morning after the night before. (A follow-up fic to Night Letters.)
Author's note: For Be a Goldfish Week 3! Approximately 72 words of this were written back in 2020 as part of 'Night Letters.' And now that's one more draft released to the wild!
********
********
He heard Da Qing say, "Hey, don't pass out yet," and felt claws prickling his shoulder. Swatting them away felt like an impossible effort. So he yawned instead, and leaned more heavily on Da Qing, who yelped. "Lord Envoy!"
"I'll pass out if I want to," Zhao Yunlan mumbled at him. "No need to get the Envoy involved."
He drifted for a while after that. At some point he was awake enough to hear arguing, and someone saying his name.
("Why do we need to be quiet for him? We're not sleeping."
"Your Zhao Yunlan shouldn't be sleeping either. His dreams are going to be awful."
"They'll be fine."
"Oh, it's like that?"
"Please stop talking.")
Zhao Yunlan wasn't sure if he was pleased or disappointed that he couldn't remember any of his dreams. Unless that conversation had been a dream. In which case — well, he wasn't sure what that would mean.
"Were you awake all night?" He squinted towards the kitchen. "Did someone make breakfast?"
Da Qing poked him in the shoulder. "Ha! What night? It was practically morning by the time we got back. Then we had to decide if you were dying or not. You're not, by the way. You're welcome."
"Thank you," Zhao Yunlan said, because he had manners, sometimes.
Da Qing poked him again, pushing him towards the kitchen. "And Shen Wei made breakfast. Well, first he made food appear, because we didn't have any, and then he used that to make breakfast."
Zhao Yunlan made a show of looking around, even though it was obvious the apartment was empty except for the two of them. "You're on such casual terms with the Lord Envoy now? Where is he, then?"
Da Qing shrugged. "They disappeared just before you woke up."
"Are they coming back?" It suddenly seemed like possibly the most important question he'd ever asked, but Da Qing just threw his hands up in the air.
"How would I know? They probably have things to do other than watch you sleep."
"And make me breakfast." They wouldn't have made breakfast if they weren't coming back, right?
"Make me breakfast, you mean. I left you some, though." Da Qing jumped up on the counter and pointed at a covered dish.
He'd barely started eating when there was a knock on the door. He looked at Da Qing, who immediately shook his head. "What are you looking at me for? You're the one inviting people back here and then passing out!"
Zhao Yunlan waved his hands between them and the door. "You think the Lord Envoy would knock on the door?"
"Well, it's not anyone who's here for me," Da Qing said with finality, in a way that made Zhao Yunlan think he knew who it was. Which meant Zhao Yunlan could also guess who it was. Of course. "Cats have respect for mealtime."
Zhao Yunlan pushed his food in Da Qing's direction, and smiled when he tugged it close. Someone might as well enjoy it.
The knocking was louder the second time around, and he rolled his eyes. His father was raising his hand to knock for a third time when Zhao Yunlan opened the door. He swung it wide, but kept one hand on the door frame.
They stared at each other. Finally, his father said, "You're not going to invite me in?"
"Maybe I already have guests."
His ears popped and his father's eyes went wide. He didn't have to look behind him to know that Shen Wei and Ye Zun had just returned. They either had the best timing in the world, or the worst.
"I see," his father said finally.
"This is Zhao Xinci," he said, in case they wanted to pretend they didn't recognize the Ghost Killer for some reason. "My father."
"Yes," Shen Wei said politely. "We've met."
"I thought he'd be taller," Ye Zun said, not at all politely.
His father closed his eyes and took a deep breath, like he was praying for patience. It was an expression Zhao Yunlan was extremely familiar with. He didn't look behind him, because he didn't want to know what his own expression might give away if he did.
Zhao Xinci said, "I only wanted to tell you it's done. The Regent has taken possession of the Hallows." There was a new expression on his father's face, one that he couldn't interpret at all. "Formal renegotiation of the treaty will be announced shortly."
Zhao Yunlan nodded, trying to look as if he had any idea what was happening, and his father left without saying anything else.
"I have no idea what's happening," he said. Da Qing snorted a laugh, and Zhao Yunlan spun to look at him. "Damn Cat, what do you know?"
"Me? What would I, the Deputy Chief of the SID, King of the Cats, know about anything?"
Da Qing hooked his thumbs in his pockets and gave Zhao Yunlan his most innocent expression. "If I did know anything, I would probably ask why no one's been asking you for a progress report about the Hallows. Or maybe, did you think you were the only one to get letters?"
Right. He finally let himself turn around, and he was immediately caught in Shen Wei's eyes. He wasn't sure how much time passed before someone coughed loudly.
"I'm going out," Ye Zun said. "Xiao Mao wants to see the city." He looked at Da Qing pointedly. "Are you coming?"
Da Qing had been looking longingly towards the remains of Zhao Yunlan's breakfast. "What? Oh! Yes, the city. Of course I'm coming. Xiao Mao should have an experienced guide. Cats know all the best places."
Ye Zun held the door for him, then turned around and pointed at Shen Wei. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Shen Wei blushed, and Zhao Yunlan suddenly didn't mind at all that he didn't know what was happening, as long as they got to find out together.
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