Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had all started with a very trivial thing, a simple request, truly. 

Caelus and his companions of the day had finally come back from their trip to the planet they had spotted a Stellaron on. Finding and cleansing it, for once, had merely taken a single day, which was shocking on its own. 

The population they had come across as soon as they dropped off the Express had been overly warm and welcoming as they listened to their explanations, nodding along with pinched lips and a crease between their eyebrows. Finally, they had come to a mutual understanding and before they could even dare explore their surroundings - in the hope of finding some chests filled with credits and other valuable things -, they were facing a powerful foe who had wished to bring doom to the world, in the pretence of ‘cleaning beings of all filth they had brought upon themselves’.

The fight in itself hadn't been too taxing apart from a few scratches and a blow to the hip from a hit that hadn't been properly dodged. Everyone left the planet unscathed considering that Caelus had literally been impaled by a frozen spear back in Jarilo-VI. 

The look on Dan Heng's face when Caelus barely had time to pull up his claymore to parry the heavy blow after taunting his opponent was telling on its own. Although the man could be as stiff as a cutting board and as emotional as a rock, Caelus had had the privilege to study his face up close for the few months they had started travelling together. And if someone would ask, he'd proudly say he had almost completely mastered the intricate and complex book that was Dan Heng. The slight stomp of his foot as he walked and the downturn quirk of his lip was enough to know the brunette was pissed.

Caelus had tried to call out for him as soon as they were sure the Stellaron would be taken care of, but Dan Heng had merely turned his head to the side, looking at his lover from the corner of his eye before sighing and saying he was tired and wished to retire in the Archives room that served as his bedroom. Caelus had been unable to say anything and Dan Heng had taken it as his cue to silently leave.

Now, if he had been a smarter and less oblivious man, Caelus would have maybe run after the black-haired man and tried to have a talk with him to clear any potential misunderstanding. However, even though it had been months already since he had first woken up, he was technically a few months old. He still rightfully believed he had improved on the social aspect of communication, but he knew he was still lacking a mouth filter (Welt had needed to thoroughly teach him it was not alright to comment outloud on someone's hair, even if the majority thought it was ugly) and he still threw himself at any trash can he could see (he had managed to find some relics in one of them, as useless stats as they could be, it was still worth digging around), and amongst other things. 

So it was no surprise that instead of trying to find whatever was wrong with Dan Heng, he simply scratched the side of his head in dismay before shrugging it off, thinking he could let him sulk a bit before he'd go and drag him back to the main wagon to give their reports to Himeko. 

Instead, he rolled his shoulders, cracking a few of his articulations and checked his phone, raising an eyebrow when he saw a message from Herta. Opening the message tab, he was greeted with a mere "I have a new module for the Simulated Universe, come and test it for me" and was very tempted to simply send a snoring Pom-Pom sticker back, but thought otherwise. 

He still felt quite in shape even after fighting another Fragmentum. It was maybe due to the fact he had finally gotten used to his body and was able to better calibrate his hits without bursting his hand when smacking enemies with his bat or breaking his wrist from wrongly wielding his claymore. His slightly crooked finger was a painful reminder of one of his earlier days when he had clutched his broken hand, bringing it close to his chest while breathing hard with his mouth, trying to get through the pain with small tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

It was Dan Heng who had patched him up. Both of them had been separated from March 7th earlier and had been quickly ambushed. Without the woman's comforting shield to mitigate most of the damage, it had been Caelus' role as a tank to bear with their numerous opponents' blows while Dan Heng took them down one by one. 

Afterwards, the black-haired man had clumsily wrapped his bruised fingers and wrist up with some ripped fabrics they had found while they tried to reunite with March 7th. The feel of the man's hands on his own as they sat on the floor and knees bumping against the other once in a while was one of the clearest memories he had of that travel. That, and the feeling of lips touching the tip of each of his broken fingers, careful to not bring him any more pain before Dan Heng turned his head to the side, avoiding his eyes and muttering a 'so you will heal faster' . Too bad that by turning his head he gave Caelus an eyeful of his reddened ears.

A vibration from the phone in his hands brought him out of his memories and he looked down to see Herta sending yet another message:

Herta : I have a new module for the Simulated World, come and test it for me.

Herta : You will like it very much.

Caelus : So it means I’ll get some credits from whatever you want me to do?

Herta : Brat. Come and you'll see.

Caelus : Is it another fighting update? Please tell me you added some increased drop rate, I'm sick of getting the wrong stats.

Herta : Ahahaha, no. 

Herta has sent a location to you.

You cannot send a message to this user.

You cannot send a message to this user.

Sighing, Caelus looked at the ceiling above him, wondering what has become of his life. 

He unconsciously raised his hand above his head, palm facing upwards and looked at the light that filtered between his crooked fingers before he ultimately began walking towards Herta's Base, a small gentle smile on his face he couldn't shake off.

The smile quickly disappeared from his face as soon as he heard what Herta had updated in the Simulated Universe.

"What," he expressed curtly.

Herta must have predicted the answer as she merely crossed her arms on her chest and tapped a finger on her chin in mock thoughtfulness.

"And here I thought it would help you."

"What."

"You haven't even tried it yet, why look so wary of it," she exclaimed with a pout. "Let it be known, I've put lots of my valuable time working on it, I expected at least some sort of gratitude from you."

The 'it' Herta referred to was the face that looked straight towards them, facing the duo with a blank, expressionless face that could only come from Herta's database screen display. The models were shown there before they could be properly downloaded into the Simulated Universe. Upon entering, they would then gain a personality that - and Caelus refused to admit it in front of Herta least her head would grow too big for her hat - matched perfectly with their real counterpart.

And looking at the display screen in front of Caelus there stood Dan Heng's simulated form. 

That in itself was nothing new. 

If at first, he had been a bit weirded out by the likeness that screamed wrong at him as they fought side by side against Svarog, Kafka and Cocolia, he had managed to somehow get used to the virtual Dan Heng. 

What was mind-blowing with Herta's technology was how accurately she had managed to replicate Dan Heng's appearance and overall personality. He would never say it out loud, but he had spent more than a few moments shamelessly staring at the brunette, trying to find any flaws in the mass of pixels in front of him, but had found none. 

The simulated black-haired man acted exactly the same around Caelus as in real life. For example, while they walked from one chamber to the other one, from one enemy to the next, the fake Dan Heng would quickly hover over him, half-discreetly racking his eyes across his body in search of any injuries, similar to how the real Dan Heng would do after a nasty fight.

It was also quite funny considering in the Simulated Universe, he didn't feel pain and bruises didn't stay long on his body after he left the session. 

Another very Dan Heng-thing the simulated form did that reminded Caelus of his real counterpart was how soft (and yet so tiny) his smile was when he'd reappear from the ‘Revival’ machine, similar to the ghost of a smile the real Dan Heng would wear when Caelus would rest his head on his knees and let him play with his silver hair. The similarities between the two were as frightening as they were fascinating.

So it was quite a surprise when he came to Herta's base and was faced with Dan Heng's downloadable model that looked so different from his normal appearance. Gone were his simple green jacket and short hair instead replaced with a white, fancy long coat with only one sleeve that revealed a tight-fitting sleeveless shirt. Locks of silky black hair reached past his hips and Aeons, the model even had pointed ears. What the hell, did she also add the horns?

"Nice model, right?" Herta asked smugly.

Caelus tore his eyes off the screen to look at the smaller girl, scowling at the contempt he could see swimming in her irises. 

"Is he even aware you've been… having fun altering his appearance like that?"

She simply shrugged in response.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"How."

"Nothing can be impossible for me," she said with a harrumph before continuing: "This is from one of his memories when I managed to drag him into one of the first versions of the Simulated Universe. Since he seemed so eager to lock away this form of his, I still wanted to see how it would fare in combat. Imagine. If Dan Heng is unable to take on this form anymore, then we can rely on the Simulated Universe to test things out to our heart's content and find the key that might unlock his true potential without even needing the man himself."

Herta was now waving her hands around in excitement as she explained, her eyes sparkling at the mention of another enigma to solve.

Looking back at the chiselled nonhuman face before him, Caelus couldn't help lean a bit forward curiously. 

He had first seen Dan Heng's form back during the Xianzhou Alliance's disaster as they were fighting for their lives. The brunette had levitated in the air while sparks of power danced around him before a sound akin to a snap resonated in the whole area. Before they knew it, Caelus and the others had to close their eyes and shove their faces into their elbows to avoid being blinded. The next thing he saw was that Dan Heng had adorned a form which Caelus had never seen before. 

Glowing blue horns pulsed with the thrumming power surrounding him in rhythm with the hum of the spear he held tightly in his hand. The new tail he had gained was swishing angrily from one side to the other one although Dan Heng hadn't seemed aware of it. And even though his face was exactly the same as his human one, there was this cold aura that sipped out from the scowl he sported and the narrowness of his slitted eyes.

It was a known fact that Dan Heng appeared as a cold and unbothered man, mainly sighing in annoyance at March 7th's and Caelus' antics and overall seeming shut in himself, staying hours upon hours recluse in the Archives room in the Astral Express. 

But Caelus knew better, and honestly, he thought everyone on the Astral Express knew how Dan Heng actually cared for all of them more than what he wanted to show. Though Caelus liked to believe he knew even better. 

He was the one to see what a blush could look on his cheeks when they had shared a kiss for the first time in a hostel after a nasty fight which had them three utterly exhausted. March 7th had quickly gone back to her bedroom, but Dan Heng had first wanted to tend to a slice on Caelus' cheek before also turning in. It had been a weak argument, now that he thought about it, but one he was glad the brunette had spluttered. They had both gone into their shared bedroom and in silence, Dan Heng had taken out their mini emergency aid kit they always wore on themselves or nearby before dragging Caelus to sit with him on the edge of the bed. 

The kiss had been a complete surprise and came out of nowhere. 

One second, Dan Heng was applying disinfectant while muttering something about being more prudent and Caelus saying he wasn't as fragile as the other seemed to think. The next moment, he was pinned to the bed, elbows digging into the mattress on each side of his head and lips pressed against his. 

It has taken an embarrassingly amount of time to react, his eyes as round as saucers and almost too long that Dan Heng nearly retreated in whatever feeling Caelus saw passing in his eyes. But it was quickly erased when Caelus sneaked his arms around the man's waist and pulled him against his chest, reinitiating the kiss he'd been given. It was an awkward bump of their noses and he had missed his mouth by a bit, more likely kissing the corner of Dan Heng's mouth than anything else but that had been enough for the brunette to answer with as much fervour. 

With a slight gasp, he had slightly lifted his head to look into Caelus' eyes, searching for something the silver-haired man didn't understand, though he seemed content with whatever he'd found because the corner of his eye softened ever so slightly and his lips formed a shy little smile before he leaned down back again. This time, their lips had slotted perfectly and Caelus had loved every second of that night, the two snuggled against each other, lazily kissing and murmuring meaningless words while mapping each other's face with their fingers.

The Dan Heng he knew was not a cold man but rather had his feelings buried well behind walls. And if one worked hard enough to break his indifferent-looking shell, the treasure that was hidden inside was much worth it, if it meant being looked at with such soft and warm eyes. 

However, the glowing blue irises that looked back at them in the Xianzhou Dock, were not a look Caelus recognised. His face was the same, but the way he stood spoke of confidence and arrogance. The way he held his spear gave off a threatening area almost bordering murderous, his head tilted to the side with calculating eyes. He didn't seem to see them, merely assessing them as non-threatening parties before turning back to his enemies, twirling his weapon around with the kind of grace that came with years of practice.

This had not been his Dan Heng. 

Caelus had refused to acknowledge this side of the man lo-, he liked, even when they fought side by side. It was the shadow of something tossed and locked away that had been forcefully torn off from his slumber. 

So it was almost with a sigh of relief that when the Stellaron had been properly secured, Dan Heng in all of his dragon glory had walked towards Caelus, horn and tail disappearing in a flurry of blue sparkles and hugged him with all of his human force, nestling his nose in his hair. They hadn't needed to say anything, nor do anything, only that Caelus hugged him back, squeezing him and basking in the afterglow of a hard-earned battle.

Back in the Express, they had not talked about his impromptu transformation. Dan Heng never mentioned it, Caelus did not want to push having sensed it was a painful aspect of his past and neither did Welt and Himeko. Though the older man had sent him a look meaning they would talk about it later when they’d recover their forces. Dan Heng had pointedly avoided his stare, too focused on admonishing Caelus for his lack of table manners and talking with his mouth full. 

And that was the end of it. 

At least for Calus, he hadn’t heard anything about it since then. 

So seeing back this past form for the first time in months, he was as weary as he was curious. Stepping forward and fingers hovering above the screen, he asked Herta:

“What do you want me to do?”

Herta looked at him with a smile he didn’t particularly like.

“I just want you to meet him in the Simulated Universe.”

At that, he frowned: “Meet him?”

“Yep,” she said, popping the ‘p’ out of her mouth. “This version is still in progress, it’s not fit to fight yet, this is why I want you to get in there and try to talk to him, see if there are any bugs or glitches you can find.” 

The idea of mentioning such potential errors in her work made her pinch her lips but she continued on: “This is basically the usual Dan Heng you’ve fought with but with some slight modifications on his appearance. Though, I did try to also incorporate the data you’ve all given me back from the Xianzhou battle.”

Snippets of tornadoes and wind roaring so strong it almost cut his skin flashed into his mind. Dan Heng with his glowing horns and tail swishing from one side to another as he aimed his spear to his enemies.

“Do I have a say in all of this?” 

Herta looked at his expression and said:

“Nope.”

Entering the Simulated Universe was always a strange experience. It was not something mind-blowing or frightening, but the idea of tapping one single button and within a single blink, he suddenly found himself within Belagog, enemies crawling around and the glass tiles of Herta’s base suddenly replaced by hard, rough rocks that made up the Underworld’s floor definitely was disorienting. 

And although he had been prepared to see Dan Heng upon entering, it still came as a shock to see him sitting on a nearby crate, a book between his hands and long hair flowing down his shoulders. 

As soon as he took a breath, Dan Heng’s eyes snapped at him and Caelus was shocked to not see indifference in his slitted pupils or even some annoyance as he had during their battle together, having been forced to cooperate with him to annihilate the Fragmentum. Instead, the man set aside his precious book and hopped off the crate, his tail lazily swishing behind him. 

“Caelus.” 

It was almost enough to send shivers down his spine but instead, he simply smile and waved his hand like a complete moron. Dan Heng only tilted his head to one side before raising his hand too in a hesitant manner, seemingly not knowing what to do with his fingers. Caelus was suddenly reminded he was looking at one of Dan Heng’s memories, or at least what he used to look like before. Perhaps in his past, he had never come across such a simple gesture.

Not wanting to make it even more awkward, Caelus approached the other man, the mass of pixels that looked like his lover , he reminded himself, and took Dan Heng’s hand into his, thankful for his gloves as he accidentally scratched the fabric against sharp claws, tearing the tissue as if it was butter. Said man followed his movement silently but made no move to remove himself from his grasp.

“It’s a salute gesture." Caelus finally said to break the silence and also to do something with the hand he had unconsciously grasped.

As if to demonstrate, he gently shook Dan Heng’s hand, mimicking what he’d done just before while the brunette simply looked at his hand as if he was trying to understand a complex puzzle by staring at it. 

Silence stretched on.

Caelus couldn’t help but curse Herta in his mind, thankful that at least she was not able to read his thoughts in the Simulated Universe, otherwise she would have had the pleasure to see his garbled mind as he tried to find a subject to talk about. 

You see, if Caelus didn’t mind silence between the two of them - and it was even welcomed when they simply enjoyed each other’s presence, one reading a book while the other was playing on his phone -, it was a comfortable silence, a silence he was used to and knew what it meant. 

This was not the case.

He was thankful the other man opened his mouth for him.

“Are you alright, I can smell your anxiety from here.” 

His voice was tinted with the worry Caelus had grown used to and his heart warmed at the thought, genuinely smiling at him. Nevermind the fact Dan Heng could apparently smell his emotions. He decided to turn a blind eye on that for now, he could always nag at Dan Heng about it once he was out of the Simulated Universe.

“I’m fine, I’ve just… had a tiring day, that’s all.” 

At that, simulated Dan Heng - he had to remind that -, frowned, his tassel that acted as an earring clinked when he took the hand that had previously held his and used his other arm to gently tug at Caelus’ shoulder so that the silver-haired man was pulled into an embrace he was much familiar with. 

His body practically melted and he sighed in content, giving most of his weight upon the firm chest against him. Dan Heng didn’t even move with the added load, simply shifting his foot so that Caelus could get more comfortable while standing up, his tail curling around his thigh.

“Rest a bit then, we can go after a while. It is no use to fight if you’re already half-dead on your feet, and I am not carrying you.”

Caelus didn’t even answer to that and only dug his chin harder onto Dan Heng’s shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye though, he caught a glimpse of a pointed ear and shifted his head to take a closer look at it without moving the rest of his body. 

“Can your ears move?” He suddenly asked. 

This earned him a snort and suddenly he felt pain blooming on his neck. 

“Ouch! What was that for?” He exclaimed with indignation as he dislodged himself from Dan Heng’s arms and from his fangs because damnnit, that one hurt! 

He rubbed the throbbing area with his hand and although there was no blood flowing down from a potential wound, it did feel as if his skin was irritated with how hot the area was. That stupid half-dragon didn’t even look guilty about it and simply smirked at him.

“You always ask this kind of stupid question.” He simply said. “My ears cannot move, and no, neither can my horns.” The brunette added when Caelus opened his mouth once again. 

“I wasn’t even gonna ask about that.” He tried to deny it, but both of them knew it wasn’t true, Dan Heng probably had seen enough of him scavenging anything, from dangerous to absolutely disgusting, to see through his bullshit. 

So he didn’t even react when Caelus added: “Can I touch them though?”

He simply quietly huffed and crossed his arms but still slightly bowed his head so that his horns were at Caelus’ eye level. 

The latter didn’t even need to be told twice and dug his hands into Dan Heng’s black hair, sensing a shudder going through his body as a response. Smirking at the reaction, he took his time twirling some long hair locks between his fingers, sometimes brushing against those long pointed ears that radiated heat even if Caelus was not touching them, before carefully grazing at the tantalizing horns. He was not surprised to feel its hard and smooth texture. It almost felt like touching rock that had been polished until it shone. 

What was surprising was that they were cold , the temperature akin to an ice cube, especially near the base where the azure colour was the brighter. 

Gliding his fingers across the surface, he gently tapped on it with the tip of his nail and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath from below him.

“You feel something from them?” He curiously asked.

Only a grunt answered him and he was about to ask if everything was alright or if he had accidentally crossed a limit when he suddenly felt a tug in his chest. It was as if a string he didn’t know of was attached to his stomach and was forcefully pulled, knocking the breath out of his body. 

Dan Heng’s head abruptly shot up. Caelus only had time to glance at his narrowed eyes, slits so thin from annoyance they had almost disappeared and that he was baring his fangs before he was literally thrown out of the Simulated Universe. 

It was always a disturbing feeling to get out of the Simulated Universe, but never had he been forcefully yanked out of it. 

Usually, either he would be the one stepping out of the Universe as soon as he had retrieved those godawful relics that never seemed to give him what he wanted. And if he felled in battle, he was first blanketed by a warm feeling before gently regaining consciousness outside of the Simulated Universe with Herta looking down on him to check on his vitals. 

This time, it was such a surprise to him that he lost his balance, the world spinning around him, blurred around the edge and a feeling of nausea rising up his throat from the violent tug of the string in his chest. 

He would have crashed on the hard metallic floor and maybe gotten himself a concussion given he needed to walk up a series of stairs to reach the entrance to the Simulated Universe if it wasn’t for Herta, who had quickly grabbed his arm and steadied him before anything happened. 

He tried to thank her but his tongue felt like paper and he only managed to let out something that sounded like a mixture of a whine and a gag. 

Herta didn’t seem offended by the disgusting noise and simply whipped her head to the side, a scowl on her face.

“I told you it was no good to force him out of a simulation! It could have been dangerous if I wasn’t around,” she exclaimed with fury Caelus had never heard from her, even when he had managed to piss her up enough.

A pair of familiar legs came into his line of sight and crouched beside his kneeling form, trying to keep the lunch he’d eaten earlier inside his stomach. A hand rubbed at his back and although it didn’t make things better in an instant, the comfort from the gesture alone was enough to calm his nerves by a bit. 

“Are you alright?” 

This was Dan Heng’s voice.

Looking up with a hand across his mouth, he looked at the black-haired man with a frown. 

“What are you doing here, didn’t you go back to the Astral Express?” He finally asked when he felt as if he could open his mouth without anything coming out.

Dan Heng merely shrugged at his comment, although the gesture seemed off, his shoulder stiff and his body tense for some reason. The muscles of his jaw worked beneath his skin and his eyes never stayed on Caelus’ face but rather on a vague area around his neck. 

“I was worried. You took long enough I thought you had gotten roped into another petty argument with one of the ship staff.” He said. 

Caelus heard Herta snort disdainfully at the answer but didn’t bother adding anything. Standing up abruptly, she turned back to the multiple screens that hovered around her and tapped a few times on them, new holographs appearing and disappearing quickly. Noticing the heavy silence that had plummeted upon them, she rolled her eyes and made a shooing movement with one of her hands.

“I don’t need you vomiting in my base quarters. Shoo, go rest, I’ll send you a message when I need you again.” She sighed dismissingly, her eyes never leaving the series of numbers and letters that kept scrolling rapidly before her. 

An arm looped around his waist and hoisted him up to his feet, the grip almost too tight for his still upset stomach. Taking one of Dan Heng’s fingers that rested on him, he tugged at it a few times and although the message was clearly understood given that the pressure was slightly alleviated, the arm didn’t budge much nor retreated. 

Without waiting, Dan Heng turned both of them around towards the exit, making sure to take one of Caelus’ arms and placed it on his shoulders so that the silver-haired man could lean his weight upon him. 

Which was quite unnecessary actually, his nausea didn’t mean he was injured or crippled. Though he didn’t complain, enjoying the feeling of warmth radiating from his side. 

They had almost reached the door when Herta’s voice resonated in the room: “Don’t forget to give me a report of what you’ve thought about my new update later on. I’d be curious to know .”

Caelus was about to answer when Dan Heng began abruptly resuming his walk while harshly tugging at the other with the arm that was still looped around his waist in such a violent manner the silver-haired man almost stumbled. The automatic door closed shortly after their hurried departure, drowning any kind of sound coming from Herta’s base quarters. 

“What is up with you?” Caelus asked with a tint of frustration in his voice.

They had walked for a few minutes in complete silence, Caelus still trying to find his bearings back and the taste of bile on his tongue he wished would disappear. Dan Heng on the other hand seemed to have steam coming out of his ears from how pinched his expression was, as though he had just eaten a whole slice of lemon. 

“As much as I’m happy to see you stopped sulking around for whatever reason,” he continued, “You don’t have to act so worried. Look, I can walk alright now.”

He tried to remove the hand from his waist to prove his point. However, instead of listening to him, Dan Heng tightened his grip around him, making Caelus let out of tired sigh.

“Dan Heng, I’m fine. The fight was surprisingly easy, probably because it was weak to fire element, and I didn’t even get hit that much thanks to March 7th’s shield. See? I’m okay.”

He swung the arm that wasn’t around Dan Heng’s shoulders in large circles, showing how he was still able to throw a couple of punches without any issues - albeit nausea reared its ugly head once again, but he swallowed the bile back and forced his expression to remain the same -, looking at the man beside him. 

He only got a sharp inhale that proved Dan Heng had heard him before Caelus was once again manhandled when they both suddenly took a sharp turn to the right towards a door he knew didn’t lead to the Astral Express. He was proven correct when they entered a small area containing rows of immense database towers. 

He only managed to see there was (thankfully) no one inside the room and the sound of the automatic doors closing shut before Dan Heng twirled him around so that Caelus was facing him, and in a flash, chomped down on his neck. 

“Ow, what the fuck!” He shouted out, trying to shove Dan Heng away from him, but only managed to make him sway before the teeth around the skin of his neck tightened even further.

And as quick as he had dived into the crook of his neck, Dan Heng pulled himself off Caelus, though this time he wore a satisfied smirk on his face. 

Bringing up a hand in a gesture that Caelus had done not a few moments ago, the silver-haired man felt the indents the other man’s teeth had left on him with how deep he had bitten him. With confusion evident on his face, he asked bewildered:

“Alright, what’s going on. Did I leave some of the files in the Archives on the wrong shelf again, and that’s your way to take revenge on me?” 

It was true that anytime he’d try to take a peek at a file within the Archives Room, Dan Heng was always breathing down his neck in case he ever messed up with the careful arrangement he had surely spent countless hours organizing. And while Caelus could understand that putting a story that belonged to one planet into the gardening section was absolutely monstrous, how was he supposed to know this book had to be next to this book, and not that one?

“Something like that.” Dan Heng finally answered. 

And with a gentleness that contrasted with the rough treatment he’s just been given, he took the silver-haired man’s chin in his hand and planted a kiss on his mouth, although he stayed a bit longer on his lower lip to nip at it with the tip of his teeth.

Dan Heng didn’t even wait for Caelus’ answer - and he will never admit he had tried to chase down the other man’s face as he pulled away - before he took his hand and pulled him out of the corner he’d been pressed into. 

“Come on, it’s probably time for dinner. The others are surely waiting for us.”

“And whose fault is it?” Caelus grumbled, hiding his red face behind his hand.

From between his fingers, he could see Dan Heng smirking at him, the tip of a fang poking out of his mouth. 

Chapter Text

Since that encounter in Herta’s Simulated Universe with this familiar yet strange Dan Heng, Caelus couldn’t help but see him everywhere. 

Well, not really everywhere and at any time, but it definitely had become such a common occurrence that he almost got used to it. 

From the corner of his eye, he would see the fluttering end of a white and dark blue cloth disappearing in a corner of the street while he was yet on another quest to look for chests - he had been alone that time, the others probably busy with their own personal duties that he hadn’t dared ask them to accompany him and had decided to go into the city by himself -. White clothes weren’t uncommon per se, but after the third time this week having seen it, also added with the fact the Astral Express had moved from one planet to another one, it did begin to bring up some questions. 

Though he did not mention it out loud, attributing this to the fact he had been maybe overly curious about Dan Heng’s draconic form. His lover once caught him staring at the top of his head, probably searching for the horns he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) display. The dark look he had sent Caelus was enough that he’d felt guilty about it and quickly looked away. 

Sometimes, He would feel a brush against his leg and he would have thought that maybe it was simply the wind of an animal scurrying past him if it wasn’t for the fact it had happened once in the Archives’ room while he was lying on Dan Heng’s bed as if it was his own and playing on his phone. The first time it happened, he jumped so high his foot hit the metal railing that prevented him from falling down the futon and the elevated floor. He looked around, heart beating wildly in his chest but only found Dan Heng’s raised eyebrow, still leaning over the data bank he was currently organizing. Groaning in embarrassment, he simply flopped back on the bed with a huff and they both didn’t talk about it.

He had even once felt such a burning stare prickling at his neck while he was bending down to look inside an umpteenth trash can he’d whirled his head around, only to see March 7th rubbing her forehead while Dan Heng had his eyes focused on the book he’d magically pulled out. If at first, the two of them had tried to prevent Caelus from jumping down at every trash can possible, they gave up on reasoning with him between the fourth and fifth planet and now simply waited for the Trailblazer to stop his strange antics before resuming their quest of the day. 

All of those were little, mindless things. 

Caelus had even put it at some point on his treacherous mind playing with him. He hadn’t been able to know anything else about the new simulated Dan Heng after that short and weird encounter. He’d once inadvertently mentioned the report Herta had asked to the real Dan Heng. The black-haired man had said between gritted teeth that it was better not to encourage Herta with such foolish inventions of her. 

It had struck Caelus that the whole ordeal might have hurt Dan Heng more than what his lover was willing to show. He suddenly remembered that Herta had never asked Dan Heng’s permission to use that form and Caelus had mindlessly indulged her, going as far as glimpsing at a form Dan Heng might have not been willing to share if it wasn’t for that disastrous accident back in Xianzhou. 

After this painful realization, he’d quickly shut off his phone and said that he was sorry and he would refuse Herta’s proposition if she ever asked him again to look at her update. The look of pure happiness and contempt Dan Heng had sent him was worth the curiosity that still lingered inside him. They had afterwards spent the rest of the afternoon hauled up in the Archives’ room, both sitting so closely next to each other their shoulders bumped every time one did the slightest move. 

And although he was determined to keep his promise to Dan Heng, it was still nerve-wracking to be reminded of this potentially more draconic form almost on a daily basis. Caelus was not afraid, but he was rightfully nervous.

It was as if the simulated Dan Heng had suddenly left the Simulated Universe. And he knew it was impossible. 

“You seem distracted,” Dan Heng stated.

Caelus’ eyes snapped into focus and looked up at Dan Heng’s impassive face. 

It was once again only the two of them.

They had found a comfortable routine in which, between each travel, they’d keep a single day where they’d be glued by the hip for the whole day, either lounging in the main room or more privately in the Archives’ room. Although it was technically accessible for everyone at any given time, everyone had come to a silent mutual understanding that the couple wouldn’t be bothered during this blessed day, only disrupting them if there was a major emergency. 

Blushing in embarrassment at the thought he’d accidentally ignored whatever Dan Heng had been saying, his mind scrambled to try and remember the topic of their discussion before he’d zoned out but came out blank.  

“Ah, sorry. Can you say that again?” He asked while scratching at his neck.

Dan Heng’s eyes followed the movement of his hand but didn’t say anything, his lips pressed into a thin line and exasperated. 

“What were you thinking that got you so lost in thoughts? I thought you wanted to know more about the planets we’ve already visited.”

Ah, so this was what they had been talking about.

Now he thought about it in more detail, he had a vague recollection of him asking Dan Heng to tell him more about some of the history of this Universe. Although he was aware it was impossible for Dan Heng to know everything and the data bank was a more reliable source, maybe it was for the fact he’d wanted to hear Dan Heng’s soft voice that day. 

“It’s nothing,” he said while looking away. 

“It’s something if it has you so lost in thoughts. Don’t let this eat you from the inside lest it’ll happen during a fight.” 

And I don’t want to see you injured because of that, I’m worried, was what was left unsaid, but the meaning was still conveyed through his soft voice and the hands that had risen to bury themselves into Caelus’ hair.

The Trailblazer didn’t say anything, his shoulders relaxing and pressing himself more onto Dan Heng’s side, humming in delight at the feeling of hair being pulled and rearranged.

Trying to form a coherent string of words, his breath suddenly caught in his throat when suddenly, the soft fingers threading through his silver locks transformed into something hard, scratching still gently but intently at his scalp. 

It felt like his nails had elongated, like claws that grew so long that sometimes they would catch on his skin and softly drag onto it in a heavenly and dangerous way.

Every one of his muscles instantly tensed, his head still resting on Dan Heng's tights and his eyes looking straight ahead, not daring to move a single inch. His senses heightened, now feeling each area where his body was pressed against his lover's warm body, the slow rise of his chest and the claws that had stopped its soothing motion, simply resting on top of his head.

"Are you sure you're doing alright, you suddenly tensed," Dan Heng's voice sounded.

Caelus almost heard the glass that barely restrained the feeling of something in a fragile cage break. 

Without any warning, his own hand shot up and grabbed at the one that was on his head in a vicious grip while straightening up so quickly he must have strained a muscle of his neck. He whipped his head towards the other man and was met with widened, blue eyes, looking at him filled with surprise and shock. 

He looked at Dan Heng and couldn't utter a single word.

Instead, he lowered his eyes and looked at the hand he had grabbed, fingers crushed in his deathly grip though the black-haired man didn't even try to get away from him. 

Stuttering an apology, he released the hand, the human, normal hand, and tried to massage the reddened areas where he'd gripped too hard, guilt crashing into him as if a bucket of scathingly hot water was thrown at his face and making him lightheaded. 

“I’m. I’m so sorry, Aeons, I don’t know why-”

“Caelus, breathe, it’s alright,” Dan Heng cut him off.

With his free hand that wasn’t held, he put it on Caelus’ face. He almost flinched but the warm skin and gentle press of his lover’s thumb rubbing comforting little circles on his cheekbone managed to somehow calm his erratic breathing. 

“I scared you just now.”

And it was not even a question. Dan Heng had stated it as if he already knew the answer to something Caelus couldn’t even understand himself. 

However, one thing was certain.

“It wasn’t you,” he assured, eyes flickering up to meet Dan Heng’s. He almost felt his heart breaking at the sight of sadness that flashed through them, although they quickly disappeared, Caelus saw it anyway, “It wasn’t fear.” he repeated with more force.

And this was the truth. 

Whatever he had felt, whatever he had sensed or imagined. Nothing could ever inspire fear inside Caelus when it came to Dan Heng. 

Fear and dread were something he was familiar with.

It clung to him like a second skin, brushing at his mind each time he was reminded of the Stellaron inside of him when he would see one of them being sealed away after an exhausting battle. He would then wonder, what about me? It wrapped around him each time he was reminded of his duty and final quest to fight Nanook, to do something he didn’t even know, he couldn’t even start understanding. A path had already been drawn for him with red ink and each encounter seemed to be yet another step towards his final destination, whatever it was.

But Dan Heng was something else entirely. He would not believe otherwise. He wasn’t something he had to step over to reach another yet crossroad, a hand pointing in a specific direction for him. Dan Heng was his own person. He was perhaps another traveller, also walking on an unknown path. What Caelus knew though, was that Dan Heng had left his own pathway and decided to walk alongside Caelus, for however long he was willing. It did not matter if, at some point, they'd maybe need to separate and go on to their respective ends, because they were them for the time being, walking next to each other.

So no. Dan Heng didn't make him feel scared. On the contrary.

“It is never about you, I promise. I just might go crazy instead,” he said and held up Dan Heng’s hand, taking a finger and pinching it without force, only pressing on the nail, marvelling at its natural rosy colour, “I thought I felt a claw on my head…”

The resounding silence was not what Caelus had expected after his confession. However instead of seeing worry or annoyance at what the other could have rightfully assumed as his strange behaviour, he looked confused and embarrassed. His cheeks had taken the same rosy tone as his nails which contrasted against his normally pale skin, and his mouth was slightly open though no word came out of it.

“You looked quite interested in them back then though,” Dan Heg finally said although his voice cracked at the end.

It had Caelus drop his hand and look at his lover in utter confusion. Clearing his throat, the black-haired man added: “Back in the Simulated Universe, with that thing.”

Mortification invaded Caelus’ mind and his jaw dropped.

“You saw that?!” he yelled in astonishment.

“Did you really think the Simulated Universe didn’t have any sort of security system in case something goes wrong?”

“Wait, no, stop. What did you mean by ‘interested about them’ ” as soon as he said those words, the two last brain cells that still worked even though his mind was frozen in embarrassment finally clicked together and he exclaimed in shock, “Were you jealous ? Is that why you’ve been munching at my neck for the following week?”

“Munching is not the word I’d go-”

“You didn’t deny it!”

Slapping a hand onto his neck at the reminder of the countless marks Dan Heng had left afterwards, from harsh bites that had taken almost drawn blood, to the various hickeys that his white shirt did not hide. He had almost jumped out of the Astral Express in humiliation at the looks the other inhabitants of the train had given him when he’d come out of his room the first time. 

“If you had any questions about my horns, you could have simply asked me instead of a fake replica made by Herta,” Dan Heng said in a petulant tone that would have Caelus cooed at and kissed him on the lips if it wasn’t for the literal train of emotion he’d just been hit with. "I thought by slowly introducing my other form to you, it'd prompt you to directly ask me."

“So you thought it was a good idea to just discreetly pop your tail or claws out on me, without saying anything?”

Dan Heng had the audacity to grimace.

“My other form has, let’s say, is more inclined to draconic instincts than human ones. I was afraid it might scare you or at least make you uncomfortable outside of the Simulated Universe.”

He was reminded of the various red bruises he’d gotten since then. He also remembered that each time he’d caught a glimpse from the corner of his eyes, there was a following warmth that seemed to seep beneath his skin and sink inside his bones, lingering for minutes afterwards.

The feeling he had felt. He still didn’t know what word to associate it with, but he knew that it could only be a positive one.

“Dan Heng, I love every part about you.”

It was a simple truth.

Caelus looked straight at Dan Heng’s eyes, trying to look as serious as possible although the whole situation sounded and was completely ridiculous.

Instead, he took his lover’s face between his hands and pecked him on the lips once before adding in a hushed tone:

“So, do your ears and horns move?”

The resonating thunk Dan Heng made as he leaned his head back in annoyance against the wall behind him was accompanied by Caelus’ snickers.

And if the next day, when Dan Heng and Caelus joined the others in the morning around the table with their breakfast, it was nobody’s business to know that as soon as the Trailblazer was sitting, his legs hidden from view, a tail possessively wrapped around his thigh. 

And if Caelus responded to that by bringing a hand to said tail, brushing his fingers across the smooth scales adorning it, it was nobody’s business to know that Dan Heng almost hit his knee in shock before looking at Caelus with dark, glowing blue eyes. 

Chapter Text

After the whole mess was sorted out, Caelus’ paranoia completely disappeared. 

Even better, he had never felt as rested and happy as he was right now. It was such a silly thought to have and perhaps if it had been a few months ago, he would have looked puzzled and confused over the definition of ‘happiness’ and ‘love’. However, now, he was completely certain that what he felt at the present time could not get any better. 

To wake up, dizzy and groggy, was one thing. Waking up with arms around him and familiar legs that didn’t belong to him touching his was another thing. He would close his eyes again and feel him here.

To eat delicious food was one thing. Eating food that had been passed down to his plate discreetly or a piece of meat being presented to him on the tip of a fork, waiting for him to lean and pick it with his teeth was a completely new and precious thing that burnt his throat in the sweetest way. 

To play on his phone, tapping vigorously at his screen while his character fought in whatever game he was playing was one thing. To have somebody watch over his shoulder and either laugh softly when the “You died ” statement appeared, or kiss his shoulder and ruffle his hair when he jumped in excitement as he cleared another difficult level was such a special and intimate thing. His skin still tingled minutes afterwards where they had touched.

And what was even better on a whole new level was the slow apparitions of new appendages sprouting out of his lover’s head and back. 

Caelus had woken up because of pain blossoming in one of his eyes, though it was quickly forgotten when he realized the source of his discomfort. Rubbing at his sore eyelid, he couldn’t take his eyes off the horns that adorned Dan Heng’s head. The man was still soundly asleep given his even and slow breaths and Caelus didn’t dare move, too afraid of waking the other up and breaking the illusionary spell he must be under. 

Because as much they had talked about this several times before, Caelus repeating over and over again that he loved every part of that silly dark-haired man, Dan Heng still felt a bit reluctant to show his other self. 

It was therefore shocking to see Dan Heng softly snoring and his horns still out for everyone to see. 

Caelus instantly fell in love with Dan Heng all over again.

He did not touch nor do anything even though his fingers twitched and prickled with envy, wanting to touch and feel. But instead, he simply lay back on the bed they shared and softly smiled, putting an arm under the side of his head to look more properly at Dan Heng’s face and patiently waited for the man to wake up on his own.

They did not talk about what happened afterwards.

When Dan Heng did wake up, he only smiled almost shyly to Caelus and they simply looked at each other for a few moments before moving to get out of bed, knowing that at some point, they would need to prepare to get out and go on their day. 

However, Caelus could not help but laugh freely for a long time, a smile almost hurting his cheeks when the next day, he woke up once again with pain bursting from his forehead, having bumped against one of Dan Heng’s horns again.

It was such a delicious pain. 

Another time was something that actually had happened a lot of times before. But Caelus still wanted to put this particular event apart from the others, as much as Dan Heng would have liked to differ if he’d heard about it. 

Too bad Caelus never told him that. 

It had been on a quiet night and the two of them had found themselves huddled together inside the Archives’ room once again. They were plunged into the dark, their face only illuminated by Caelus’ phone and soft music coming from the screen while the character he was playing ran around the map. 

Dan Heng had actually been working on the data bank on a smaller tablet, sitting just beside the other, though he had abandoned his work preferring to rest against the other, eyes closed and simply enjoying Caelus’ warmth. 

The mentioned man was still focused on his game, tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration as he dodged the monsters on the screen, his character swinging his dull blade and from time to time, summoning a small tornado of wind. 

Though he ultimately sighed when he died for an umpteenth time, having misjudged the character’s stamina and making it fall to the ground while it was climbing some stupidly tall rock. Putting his phone aside, he carefully nudged Dan Heng who lazily opened his eyes and told him he wanted to go and grab some snacks. 

The other man simply nodded while yawning and leaned away from Caelus who took the opportunity to stand up. And he would have walked away if something hadn’t gripped at his ankle, holding him back and making him almost fall forwards. 

Confused, he’d looked down and had been shocked to see a tail wrapped around his leg, squeezing him not painfully, but tightly enough that he knew it would be impossible to shake it away.

Caelus opened his mouth though no sound came out of it, eyes widening in surprise. 

“What are you doing, didn’t you say you wanted to eat?” Dan Heng asked from behind, and Caelus whirled around.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?” He blurted out instead, pointing at the tail still wrapped around him.

The tired frown he got completely melted away, replaced by utter shock before embarrassment took hold of Dan Heng’s face and he scrambled to sit up straighter. He turned around almost in panic, as if shocked to see that his tail had magically appeared, eyes trailing from his lower back to Caelus’ ankle before he grabbed at the appendage with both his hand, a furious blush coating his cheeks.

“Ah, sorry I…,” he cleared his throat but that did not erase the stutter from his voice, “I hadn’t realized…”

He tugged at the tail once. 

However, it seemed to have a mind on its own because instead of loosening its grip, it actually tightened, not willing to let Caelus go. Seeing that his own body did not obey his command, Dan Heng showed a look of betrayal before he frowned in concentration, eyes narrowing and looking intently at the offending tail. 

It responded to his anger with a small twitch. 

Caelus looked at the whole ordeal, eyes jumping from his leg to the tail, to Dan Heng’s hand that firmly gripped at it and finally at his face whose eyes never looked up at him, before going back to his leg.

A smile spread on Caelus’ face and he chuckled, bending down to caress the tail and heard a trembling breath from Dan Heng. Before neither the tail nor its owner had time to say anything, he eagerly walked back towards where Dan Heng was sitting and fell onto his chest, straddling the other with both legs on each side of his waist. 

“You should have told me if you didn’t want me to leave,” he said jokingly, “I wouldn’t have said no, you know?”

The deepening of the blush dusting Dan Heng’s cheek was his only answer, though it was enough for the tail to tighten even more and crawl up to his thigh. 

Caelus did not complain. 

And there were many other occurrences after that, always precious, cherished instances that Caelus would remember fondly any time it came up to his mind. 

For example, the times when his fangs would sometimes appear whenever he was angry at something (but never at Caelus, never, and Caelus loved him even more for that).

Or the times when his eyes would glow brighter than ever, irises shrinking to mere slits when Caelus would coyly bend down to pick up something he’d accidentally dropped. Then his claws would magically appear to tear the silver-haired man’s clothes to shred, transforming his chuckles into moans and gasps. 

So it was not truly a surprise when one day, while Caelus was simply sitting alone in the common room of the Astral Express, looking up at the ceiling and thinking about nothing precise in particular, Dan Heng appeared with horns adorning his head. Caelus had looked to the side and smiled at him, slowly waving his hand and he laughed a bit at the way Dan Heng hesitantly waved back, almost looking unsure of the gesture. 

It did not stop the other man from moving towards Caelus with surprising speed though. 

It was then that the Trailblazer realized that Dan Heng not only had his horns on his head, but his tail immediately latched onto his arm as soon as it was within reach. He brought a hand up and petted it a bit, surprised to see it instantly tighten at the contact. 

“Missed me that much?” Caelus joked, looking back at Dan Heng as he sat on his left, his slitted eyes never leaving him and leaving a trail of warmth across his body, “I was only away for the day and I told you I’d be back on the Express tonight.” 

Instead of answering him, Dan Heng ignored his words and brought his arms up, immediately swooping Caelus in a tight hug and slotting his head into the crook of his neck, taking a deep breath while his clawed fingers gently scratched at his back. 

“It’s been too long since I’ve seen you,” the other simply murmured after a while.

Caelus rolled his eyes at the dramatics though he returned the hug with a huff. His fingers came into contact with the other’s long hair that trailed across his back, heart beating impossibly loud. He wondered if Dan Heng could feel it against his own chest from how hard it hit his ribcage, threatening to burst out of his body. 

Although Dan Heng had loosened up a lot about his draconic side since their argument over it, he had never before shown all of his traits at once and never in a place where people might come across them. Caelus would never admit it, but a small selfish part of him relished in the thought that only he got to see Dan Heng like this. Though he disagreed with the idea that his draconic traits were a weak side of his, he savoured the idea that, only by his side, would the dark-haired man let himself be vulnerable. 

And so he quietly hummed while playing with the long strands of hair, the rumble that he got as an answer to his small ministrations emboldened him. He detached himself from Dan Heng, although almost forcefully with how tight the other was holding him and with a tap on the shoulder, waved at him to turn around. 

Dan Heng looked at him with questioning eyes but he answered with a stern look of his own until the other grumpily relented. 

Now with a full view of the other’s back, he did not hesitate and took the hair from the base of his neck and carefully ran his fingers through its length, appreciating the silkiness and smoothness feel of them.

“How come you have such nice hair, I never see you either brush or tend to them whatsoever,” Caelus asked as he slowly parted the strands into smaller ones, rearranging and reordering them, “I mean, I know you prefer short hair so it’s easier, but like, when they get suddenly that long, how come they don’t get tangled or something?”

Dan Heng slightly turned his head, only enough that Caelus saw the side of his face. 

“You can brush my hair next time too, or anytime you want,” he simply responded. 

Caelus stretched out his arms and took the few strands that framed his face, near his temples and made sure to tuck them behind his long pointed ears. Dan Heng followed the movement of his hand, taking one of them in his and resting it on his mouth, kissing it softly. The silver-haired man sucked in a breath, skin tingling where his lips touched. 

They locked eyes and Dan Heng smiled softly, leaning his forehead against his as he took back Caelus in his arms. 

“I missed you,” Dan Heng admitted before he put a kiss on his forehead, on his eye, on the bridge of his nose before trailing down to his mouth.

Caelus answered with a moan and parted his lips, giving entry to the other’s tongue that felt thinner and so, so much longer it was impossible to be called human.

And he loved it. 

He put his arms around the other neck and leaned against the couch, Dan Heng following him like a starved man, always staying close, close and closer, elbows on each side of his head and caging the silver-haired man in a breathless kiss. 

.

.

.

The phone that Caelus had carelessly tossed aside silently buzzed, Herta’s profile icon flashing indicating the incoming call.

A tail wrapped around it and with a swift movement, threw it on the ground, landing under the table with a muted thump, out of anyone’s sight. 

Chapter Text

Dan Heng had not expected to receive a message on his phone although it was muted and made to automatically reject all attempts at calling for the time being. He had been quite busy, with all of his duties as the guard of the Astral Express, but also because of everything that had happened back in Xianzhou. He needed a rest and silence. At least, just so that he could close his eyes and not feel an overwhelming headache throbbing at the back of his head.

However, this particular ringtone – or rather, the sound of a gurgling scream, courtesy of March when it was still Halloween period and he was too lazy to remove it (though March would just say he grew attached to that sound) –, had Dan Heng looking away from the terminal inside the Archives’ Room and towards the phone that he’d thrown on his bed after it vibrated one too many times.  

Without a second thought, he uncrossed his legs, his feet softly touching the floor as he stopped levitating mid-air. He had taken quite the habit of simply sitting in the middle of the room if he ever grew tired of standing on his legs, letting a small part of his powers trickle out to carry his body, so that he was suspended in the air without the help of anything. 

Grabbing his phone, his worries turned out to be well-founded when he saw who the sender was; one of the very few contacts he had not muted. 

His eyes casually glided away from the alarming 99+ messages coming from Herta. He had given up after the third message asking him to contact Caelus for her; probably yet another Simulated Universe update. If it had been another time, he probably would have forwarded the message as soon as he could, but he had currently been busy with the Xianzhou mess, and then Caelus had managed to hurt himself again and needed rest. Not to mention that disastrous event that happened last time he’d had to wrench Caelus out of the Simulated Universe himself lest he- 

He tapped on Caelus’ contact a bit more forcefully than intended, but the screen held on and did not crack. 

Instead, confusion rolled over him in waves at the message he was greeted with: 

Caelus: Message forwarded: “My dearest outlander friend, I am the esteemed Vidyadhara High Elder…”

Caelus: New message received.

Caelus: Why didn’t you tell me anything? And you’re even using an alt account. How can you treat your friend this way? 

Words could not formulate the absolute fondness he felt at the words. As much as the want to smack that dumbass on the back of the head, had he been anywhere near him at the moment. Still, a small smile graced his lips as he began typing back an answer.

Dan Heng : I didn’t send that message.

Dan Heng : Don’t fall for it, and don’t transfer any credits, Caelus.

Dan Heng : Be careful when you receive these kinds of messages in the future. 

A few seconds passed before he added, this time a bit more urgently;

Dan Heng : By the way, you didn’t actually get scammed and transferred any credits, did you? 

Aeons, he could already feel dread running down his spine. 

He could perfectly picture the silver-haired Trailblazer casually throwing all of his credits to the first scammers that sent him a message. It did happen once, and he wouldn’t be surprised if he did it a second time, even after the lengthy lecture he got when Welt heard of it. Dan Heng could still taste the judgemental stare the elder man threw at Caelus for the whole evening the following day.

Another bloody scream and Dan Heng immediately snapped his eyes back on his phone. 

Caelus : No, but I almost fell for it.

Caelus : If I had been scammed and transferred credits to that scammer, you’d help me out, right?

Dan Heng almost felt offended by the question. 

Dan Heng : Of course. [↻]

…

…

[ You cannot send a message to this user. ]

Frowning, Dan Heng stared at the red letters while the sign of his message still waiting to be sent circled and circled and circled back, until a little warning signal appeared beside his words. 

This had never happened before. 

The only time he could not send a message was…

He frantically typed another message.

Dan Heng : Caelus?   [↻]

…

[ You cannot send a message to this user. ]

Dan Heng : Where are you.   

[ You cannot send a message to this user. ]

Before the third warning sign had the time to appear, Dan Heng was already walking out of the door, legs almost skipping towards the entrance of the Express, still docked in the outskirts of Xianzhou. 

They had just been about to leave. A few more hours, just so that Himeko could check the last few parameters before the train could take off once again to wherever they wanted. Then, they were gone. No more boss fighting, not more wounds and blood spilt. Caelus had just gone a few minutes earlier because he had been called by whatever acquaintance needed help. And he had readily accepted despite not being forced to help, he had nothing to give back to those people, and yet he still always accepted requests, no matter the costs. Silly, silly selfless man… He had gone off only Aeons knew where, only saying he would be back before nightfall. 

And now, no messages could be sent to him?

Dan Heng would move heavens and earths if one single silver hair of that hollow head was touched. 

“Your body truly is uncomfortable,” Caelus whined, fanning himself with a hand, cheeks red despite the bone-chilling atmosphere that exuded from the Fyxestroll Garden. “Who would have thought that the one who defeated Phantylia was this clumsy with his own body, and what’s with the heat inside of here? Are you planning on melting yourself until only bones remain? I should tell you that this won’t do anything to me!”

And Caelus would have properly answered that, if someone did not like his body, they were welcome to get the fuck out of said body. 

Though he was unable to, a hip propped to one side and his face contorted in a smug but still somewhat annoyed expression, completely different from how he usually handled himself. 

“Ah, don’t be so dramatic,” his body continued, his eyes rolling almost inside his skull and whole head moving along with the words forced out of his mouth, “It’s only for a few more minutes, just so we can escape from that cursed place. Don’t be such a baby.”

If he had had at least control of the hand that still fanned his face, Caelus would have pinched himself very hard on the cheek. Alas, he was unable to and thus, did the only thing he was currently able to do: raise both of his mental middle fingers.

Cirrus only laughed at his gesture and continued to walk in front of the Huohuo and Xueyi. The poor Foxian girl seemed on the verge of passing out from fear, jumping a meter high at the smallest movement from the trees around them, half-pushed half-dragged by her tail. Albeit none could hear it clearly, Mr. Tail seemed to be grumbling mildly aggressive encouragements at the green-haired girl. 

Xueyi, on the other hand, looked around her with an impassive face, watching for any possessed guards or heliobi they needed to seal inside the Lunaumbra Gourd. 

But of course, nothing had ever been easy for Caelus.

As soon as they managed to regroup with Guinaifen, the gourd was smashed to pieces and the heliobi fragments flew free, cackling and laughing madly, whispering praises, calling for Cirrus and Ignamar’s glory. 

Feeling Cirrus forcefully leave his body was like someone wrenching a part of his guts out with their bare hands. It took his breath away and at once, the full control of his body was forcefully given back to him. It felt like if he tried to move his finger, his leg would. His whole body was so disoriented that it almost felt impossible to breathe, his only saving was the instinctual movements of his chest heaving in and out without him knowing. 

But then, Wraith Wardens seemed to come back to life despite their shallow breathing under their masks, their bodies getting up in a series of sickening cracks. Lifting their weapons, they charged upon them, and it was only thanks to Xueyi’s quick reflexes that, by raising her chains and deflecting their attacks, they managed to step back and take on a defensive stance. 

However, it was almost not enough. 

Caelus was barely standing on his feet, still trying to recalibrate his limbs. Even his mind was in disarray, the feeling of something foreign and yet, that had been connected to him just a few moments ago, torn from him was enough to leave him with an imaginary gap he desperately tried to fill, to no avail. 

At some point, Xueyi’s arm was rendered useless, a few mechanical parts that had been attached to her arms flying off by the impact of a weapon too close for comfort. Her face did not change at the damage done to her body, but her mobility was compromised and she stepped in front of Huohuo, who had cowered behind them both, her body acting as a shield if her chains proved to not be enough. 

“Ugh! These pawns are no fun. Why don’t you join in too, hmm?”

The glowing eyeball turned its iris towards them both, and fiery flames began to leak out, surging towards both Caelus and Xueyi.

“Why struggle? Be my subject!”

The distorted words wormed their way into Caelus’ head, swirling and eating at any thoughts that tried to fight off Cirrus’ command, chipping away at his sanity until everything that was left was nothing and obey. 

Pain burst out, so vivid that if it had a colour, Caelus would say it was yellow like the sun when he tried to look at it for too long until it became black. 

He could feel something inside him trying to fight off Cirrus’ words, pushing away those foreign powers from entering his body, but all that it did was create sparks of pain that almost rendered Caelus blind and deaf in a split second. It felt as if two contradictory powers battled and fought inside him, careless of all the damage his body would sustain from the brutal clash. 

It hurt so much. 

He could barely feel Xueyi’s chains digging into his skin as she was trying her best to prevent him from being swallowed by Cirrus’ entity. 

It hurt.

And yet, with each passing second, he could feel his consciousness slowly drifting away, the red maddening iris staring back at him in glee and hunger, while the voices inside his head screamed and grated his brain like two pieces of rocks ground against each other.

Make it stop.

Please!

A roar echoed, deep, long, enraged.

And then blissful silence.

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“Y- You! Who are you!” Cirrus screeched, its iris rolling frenetically left and right, as if disoriented. 

A severe gash had formed on its side, little green flames spurting out like a mockery of blood, though they were thoroughly extinguished from the water that remained, leaking from the wound. 

However, the surprise attack was enough to stop Cirrus’ powers from further expanding, water safely swirling around Xueyi as she exhaustingly landed on the floor, legs giving out almost instantly. The chains she had summoned disappeared in a flurry of sparkles but before she had time to lift her uninjured arm to try and cushion most of Caelus’ fall, a shadowed figure had already rushed towards his limp form, catching him before he even began to fall, nestled between his arms. 

Xueyi had heard of the Vidyadhara High Elder.

The accursed Vidyadhara who had brought destruction and the near-fall of the Xianzhou Luofu due to having gone insane. 

She had known how he had been forced into rebirth and was exiled from Xianzhou under another name.

She had also heard whispers of his return. 

And yet.

Nothing could have prepared her for the terror she felt, even as a puppet, as her eyes landed upon his silhouette. 

Despite the harsh winds created by Cirrus’ powers, the Vidyadhara’s clothes merely swished lazily with an invisible breeze, as if the chaos they had all undergone was none of his concern. 

The atmosphere, the whole air around them which had been filled with cries, screams, waves of laughter and chaos just a mere second ago, was now deadly silent as if even the trees that shook with the wind quieted down under the man’s authority. His whole body gleamed with a cold aura, freezingly so and even if Xueyi could not see much as he stood in front of her, she knew that the man was furious. 

Ah. Furious, maybe, was a kind word.

The man was… enraged. 

And the moon up above responded to his rage by staring down at Cirrus, crushing the heliobus to the ground under its force.

“U… Uwhaaaaaa-!!”

Maybe oblivious to the situation at hand, Cirrus screamed, its eye widened and expanding before it floated back up. More flames spurted out of its body and went to retrieve another series of broken bodies that lay on the ground, forcing them to yet again, take a battling stance. 

The man remained silent despite Cirrus’ surge of power that made Xueyi have to plant her feet on the ground lest she was flung out from the force of the winds. Instead, the man tilted his head slightly, a few strands of hair slipping off from his bare shoulder and horns glinting with ominous power. 

Xueyi could not help it and shouted at the top of her lungs: “Don’t hurt them! They are being possessed by Cirrus!” 

The silhouette did not move a single inch, only his head turned slightly, showing one single eye that made her mechanical body recoil despite being made of metal. Yet, despite her initial movement, she held the man’s cold eye, a tsunami of fury nestled just beneath his slitted pupil. 

One tense second.

One minute nod, so small it could have easily been mistaken for a tremor coming from her body. 

She was not given another second. 

The man looked back towards Cirrus, who had been silent, the eye squinting, as if acknowledging the man as a threat yet not knowing exactly how much of a threat he was. 

That would be its demise. 

Still with Caelus carefully nestled in his arms, his head safely cushioned in the crook of the man’s elbow while his other arm had found its way under the silver-haired Trailblazer's knees, the ancient Vidyadhara lifted a single finger. 

Ah, chaos indeed. 

It happened in the blink of an eye. 

One second, Cirrus was still floating behind a row of bodies, green flames reverberating within the whole place, the next second, a dragon silently roared, its maw wide opened, lips pursed as if snarling and showing rows upon rows of watery yet dangerously sharp fangs.

The entity, made of pure water, shining under the moonlit place, turned its head towards Cirrus and it seemed to be smiling gleefully at it, before rushing towards them in a blink of an eye, crashing against the screeching eyeball and the Wraith Wardens. 

Before anyone had time to comprehend what had just happened, a waterfall seemed to sprout out of the ground, enveloping the possessed bodies entirely in deathly water, drowning them and Cirrus’ screams as the last of its flames were extinguished. 

Silence.

Utter silence.

And then chaos reared back its head once again. 

Xueyi could only sigh in relief at the sight of bodies piling up on the ground, effortlessly tossed aside after getting knocked unconscious, before a new row of possessed Warden took their places, now acting more as a shield meat rather than an offensive line-up. She glanced behind her just to make sure Huohuo was alright and was immediately reassured when she saw the trembling green-haired girl just behind her. She was clutching at her talismans she had taken out, though it seemed they were completely useless now, looking at the massacre that was happening right in front of their eyes, lulled by the screeches of pain Cirrus was letting out. 

.

.

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And when Caelus tried to open his eyes, his throat tightened instead. 

Dry as the desert, it painfully constricted and immediately afterwards, he felt his head throb so painfully he could see stars at the back of his eyelids, dancing just in front of him. 

He tried again, and this time, one eye managed to open, though not fully.

He was greeted with a blurry vision of a grey and familiar ceiling he recognized to be the Express’. 

Looking at it, he felt happiness invading his hurt body and soothing the ache that resonated within his core. 

As he was about to try and lift a hand outside the blanket that had been draped above him, a silhouette formed just in the corner of his eyes, and a wide smile split his face at seeing Dan Heng, hovering above him with a blank expression, though his eyes twinkled with immense worry. 

At the sight of him, it felt like his vision suddenly sharpened, waken up by the sight of the one he so fondly held in his heart, his eyes widening fully and the pain he felt in his arms was nothing for he wanted to hug that man, and he shall have it so. 

Despite his weak body, Dan Heng willingly let himself be pulled down, his elbows resting on each side of Caelus’ face while the latter’s arms were hooked behind the dark-haired’s neck. 

“Can we talk tomorrow? I just want to be with you for a while…,” Caelus whispered and was surprised to hear how hoarse his voice sounded. 

Although Caelus could see mixed emotions in those beautiful eyes, Dan Heng simply huffed, then slowly breathed through his nose, not saying anything but bending down and meeting the other’s lips for a small peck. 

Before Caelus was able to deepen it, though, Dan Heng pulled back with a loving smile and even fonder eyes.

“Alright…,” he murmured back.

Despite the words hanging heavy between them, the feeling of worry weighing down on Dan Heng’s shoulders and Caelus’ eyes fighting to stay open just so he could see the other man slowly make his way under the blanket and then encircle his arms around Caelus’ waist, they laid there, looking and smiling lovingly at each other. 

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