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Caelus lifted a hand, hesitated, then put it back down once more. Pressing his lips together, he went over in his head what he wanted to say. “I was wondering if you could tell me more about these monsters that we faced”. It was a perfectly valid and reasonable excuse. Not that it was an excuse, that is. Because Caelus knew he ought to be as comfortable with the monsters of the antimatter legion as he could be. It was not because Dan Heng was handsome and mysterious and that Caelus was drawn to the other man in a way he couldn’t explain. No, he was going to the archives for information. As was perfectly normal. Before he could work up the nerve to knock, it opened.
“Can I help you?” Blue eyes blinked at him a little warily. Caelus’ mouth opened, but nothing came out: his mind blanked.
Dan Heng wasn’t sure what to make of the newcomer on the express. Having saved March’s life, Caelus had proven his worth in the fight against the antimatter legion. But, the other man also had a Stellaron in his body and Dan Heng didn’t know how safe that was. When it appeared Caelus wasn’t going to say anything, Dan Heng carefully stepped back from the door to let it shut.
“Archives!” Caelus blurted and Dan Heng frowned.
“Yes, this is the archive room.” The man’s face reddened slightly.
“I- I mean.. do you think- could I trouble you.. I mean- I was just wondering,” Caelus paused and took a deep breath. “Couldyoutellmemoreabouttheantilegion.” Dan Heng’s frown deepened as he tried to decipher the words. Information, he gathered at last. The other man was looking for information.
“Sure.” With a decisive nod, he opened the door wider and Caelus slipped through. Heading over to one of the computers, Dan Heng brought up two images. “This one is a baryon,” he indicated the one on the right. “That one is an antibaryon. You can tell the difference between them by their inner colors.” As he talked, he noticed the other man was watching with intense focus. A sense of pleasure ran through him when he realized that Caelus was actually paying attention. Himeko and Welt already knew a great deal. Dan Heng had nothing to teach them. And March tended to nod off. But Dan Heng liked the archives room. The sound of the machines had quickly become soothing to him and he loved burying himself in the knowledge the room held. After they’d gone over the more common creatures, he paused and added. “Anything else?” Caelus’ eyes narrowed slightly as he thought it over.
The amber color reminded Dan Heng of that of a Stellaron and he wondered if it was the other man’s natural eye shade or a change. He supposed they’d never know. Not unless Caelus recovered his memories. At the thought a sad smile tugged on his own lips. Amnesia seemed to be a common thing aboard the Astral Express. Both March and Caelus had it completed. While Dan Heng remembered a bit, it was not good.
“Aeons.” Caelus finally looked up. “Could you tell me a bit more about them?” Dan Heng tilted his head to one side, debating about how to start such a difficult topic.
“Aeons are… well, no one knows for certain.” He decided to start with the typical warning and Caelus nodded in understanding. “But people believe that aeons are the embodiment of highly condensed philosophical concepts.”
“So,” Dan Heng thought Caelus looked very cute when he frowned as he tried to grasp the idea. “they’re not gods?” The dark haired man shook his head.
“No. Gods can be considered creators. Their stories involve the making and shaping of the universe. Aeons are molded by the universe.” That explanation seemed to help and Caelus gave a little nod. “But people do tend to follow aeons similarly to gods. There’s no sacrifices or worships or anything like that, but following a path is like declaring one’s guiding principles. Their goal in life, if you would.” A soft smile flickered across Caelus’ face then and Dan Heng wondered if they were thinking of the same thing: the Astral Express’ creed. “Explore, understand, establish and connect”. Dan Heng held those words close to his heart. His previous life had been restricted in more ways than one.
“Is there an aeon by the name of ‘Elio’?” Dan Heng stiffened when their lull was broken, but he forced the memories that threatened to surface back down.
“There isn’t,” he said firmly. “Where did you hear that name?” Caelus studied him and Dan Heng forced his features to remain calm. He wondered if the other man would ask the obvious question, but was pleasantly surprised that it was not the case.
“The woman who woke me, Kafka?” Dan Heng nodded. “She said ‘This is your future that Elio has foreseen’. It just sounded like this Elio fellow was an aeon or something.” Dan Heng snorted.
“I’m sure he wishes that he were, he certainly acts like he’s one.” he muttered. Louder, he added “Stellaron hunters mean bad business. Any… other questions?” Interestingly enough, Dan Heng wanted the other man to stay for a while longer.
Caelus was quiet, but not shy. There was an air of confidence that seemed to surround him and Dan Heng thought his presence a reassuring one. If he were being honest, he was grateful that the other man had been there to help. Which left him in an odd position because, technically, it was the Stellaron hunters who’d brought Caelus… well, Dan Heng wasn’t sure if ‘to life’ was the correct way of thinking but there was no doubt that, had the hunters not done what they did, Caelus likely wouldn’t be on the express. And Dan Heng didn’t want to imagine that he, or Caelus for that matter, owed the hunters anything. A life given does not mean a life owed. He shook his head slightly to rid himself of such thoughts.
“What kinds of things do you like to do?” Caelus asked. Dan Heng looked up, startled.
Of all the things Caelus could’ve asked, “what kinds of things do you like to do” had to be one of the lamest. He could’ve kept asking about aeons or maybe about the astral express itself and how it worked. He could’ve asked about the other crew members or even other worlds they’d visited. But no. Instead, his brain wanted to know what Dan Heng liked to do on the off chance that, maybe, Caelus could join him. The dark haired man hesitated and Caelus was about to say that he didn’t need to know if Dan Heng didn’t want to share.
“I.. like to read.”
“Oh.” Caelus struggled to hide the disappointment in his voice. Reading wasn’t exactly a multi person hobby.
“Sorry,” Dan Heng’s face was tinged red. “I know it’s not terribly exciting-”
“Nono,” Caelus waved his hands frantically. He didn’t want his new friend to be getting the wrong idea. “Reading is a great way to pass the time. I just..” Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, he tried to find the right words. Really, there was no way to get out of this one without embarrassing himself while maintaining a clear air between them. So, he just went for it. “I was just wondering if there was something we might be able to do… together.” Dan Heng’s mouth opened and closed a couple times, but no sound came out. “I mean- I just.. March said you liked to be alone most of the time and I don’t want to impose or anything but,” he felt the frown on his face as he tried to describe why he wanted to learn more about his dark haired companion. About how it felt like Dan Heng was a member of the crew, but it was clear he held himself back because of a shadow that loomed over him. About how there was a difference between enjoying being alone and being lonely , the latter of which Caelus didn’t want for Dan Heng.
“I could… make some recommendations,” Dan Heng suggested slowly. Caelus beamed and the other man looked stunned for a moment before he quickly added “I don’t know how interesting it’ll be for you. The archives don’t exactly hold a lot of variety.” Caelus shook his head.
“I don’t mind. Not like I’d know what I like or don’t like anyways.” A faint smile touched Dan Heng’s lips and Caelus heard the thump of his heart. It was as loud as the day he woke. And just as foreign.
“Alright. Well, there’s this one.” Crossing over to the bookshelves, Dan Heng selected a leather bound book. It was stuffed with notes and tied shut with a leather strap. “The journal of one of the previous explorers of the express.” Handing it over, Dan Heng seemed much more relaxed. Genuinely interested, Caelus took it and turned it in his hands. “One of the first, they describe how they came to know the method of which to seal a Stellaron.”
No other communication was necessary. The two settled down to read. Cealus felt at peace for the first time in a long time and he hoped the feeling was mutual.