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The past few days have been a whirlwind for Dan Heng.
First, there was his battle with Blade and Yanqing, which had resulted in him regaining his old Vidyadhara form. Then, he’d teamed-up with Jing Yuan to fight against Phantylia the Undying, a battle they’d thankfully won, but had left the General weak and ill. He was currently still in recovery, being looked after by the Luofu’s most capable medical staff.
Dan Heng hadn’t been able to see him since he’d collapsed. He’s still worried, but Fu Xuan had reassured him that Jing Yuan would be fine and his condition was trending upwards, so Dan Heng tried to put his mind at ease.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much to do to occupy his time. The Astral Express crew had decided to remain on the Luofu for the time being, and March, Himeko and Welt are now busy helping out with various tasks aboard the ship. Caelus is, too, but unlike the others, the silver-haired boy seems to be actively trying to avoid Dan Heng.
Something has changed. Dan Heng can feel it – a space between them that grows larger and larger every day, threatening to drive them apart forever. He didn’t know what exactly it was – his few attempts to talk to Caelus had ended in nothing but awkward silence – but he knew it had something to do with his battle and transformation.
So one day, he makes up his mind to go and find out.
Caelus isn’t hard to find. It takes less than fifteen minutes to track him down, and Dan Heng eventually sees him talking to a Cloud Knight. They don’t seem to be exchanging information – rather, both seem relaxed, and as Dan Heng draws near, he sees Caelus’ lips curl up in a grin at something the Cloud Knight says.
Suddenly, he feels it again.
Being back in his dragon form is… odd, to say the least. The feeling of horns atop his head. The length of his hair. The fact that for some reason, whenever he sees Caelus talking to someone else, his chest tightens with an inexplicable rage.
It’s happened several times now, but Dan Heng can’t figure out why. All he knows is that seeing Caelus smiling and laughing at someone else makes him furious , and before he knows it, he finds himself by his side, one hand gripping Caelus’ wrist.
Both men’s heads whip around to look at him immediately. The Cloud Knight stands straight at attention, spear drawn sharply to his side. “Ah! Sir–”
“What were you talking about?” The words leave Dan Heng’s lips before he knows it. His voice is deeper than usual, tinted with an aggression that he rarely shows.
The Cloud Knight’s face loses all color. He looks to Caelus helplessly, searching for aid, but all that does is make the fire in Dan Heng’s belly grow even hotter. He takes a step forward, blood thrumming in his ears – but then Caelus is tugging him back, fingers squeezed around his own.
“Stop,” he snaps, and the anger in his face makes Dan Heng freeze mid-step. Before he has a chance to say a word, however, Caelus is already turning back to the Cloud Knight.
“It’s fine,” he says to the man. “Don’t worry. Maybe it’s best to leave for now, yeah?”
The Knight mumbles something under his breath to Caelus which Dan Heng can’t pick up, but before he could ask, the man was gone, leaving just the two of them behind.
Immediately, Caelus shakes his hand out of Dan Heng’s grip. “What was that about?!” he snaps, and Dan Heng’s eyes narrow.
“Who was he ?” he shoots back, sidestepping Caelus’ question entirely.
“That doesn’t matter!”
“I think it does.”
“He’s just a guy I’ve been talking to lately, okay?!” Caelus throws up a hand in exasperation. “What does it even matter to you?” He turns away. “I can have other friends besides you, you know.”
Fiery hot anger flares up in Dan Heng’s belly. Without thinking, he grabs Caelus’ shoulder, yanking him back to face him. Caelus’ lips part in a protest, but before he can speak, Dan Heng steps close – so close that their noses nearly touch, their breaths hot on each other’s skin.
“I don’t like sharing what’s mine,” Dan Heng murmurs, voice low, and Caelus’ eyes widen. He immediately averts his gaze, dusty pink flush spreading across his cheeks.
“I’m not yours,” he mutters, and Dan Heng tilts his head.
“Really? That wasn’t what you were saying when you invited me to your room that night on the Express.”
Caelus’ flush deepens. He tries to step away, but this time, Dan Heng’s grip holds firm. “That was a one-time thing,” the silver-haired man says instead. “And it’s obvious you don’t care about me, anyways. If you did, you wouldn’t have hidden things from me.”
Dan Heng’s brows furrow. “Hidden things?” he repeats, and then it clicks.
Oh. Oh.
All this time, Caelus believed that Dan Heng had been keeping his past a secret from him.
Suddenly, it all makes sense. No wonder he hasn’t been talking to him. Anyone would think that Dan Heng didn’t trust them enough after his dragon form was revealed and his battle against Blade commenced. Dan Heng curses himself for not seeing it sooner.
“Caelus,” he says, slowly. The silver-haired man still isn’t looking at him. Gently, Dan Heng raises a hand, softly caressing his face. Caelus doesn’t pull away from his touch, which Dan Heng takes as a good sign, but is still avoiding his gaze.
“Caelus,” Dan Heng repeats, gently, coaxing. “Can you look at me?”
For a moment, silence befalls them both. Then, Caelus lets out a sigh, shoulders slumping as he pivots to look Dan Heng in the face.
“What?” he grumbles, lips curled downward in a pout, and though Dan Heng knows that Caelus is trying to express his annoyance, he can’t help but find the expression cute.
He takes a breath. “I wasn’t hiding my past from you, Caelus,” he begins, dropping his hand to hold Caelus’ own. “I swear. I… I wasn’t even aware of my connection to Blade or the crimes I committed as a Vidyadhara. I’m still not even sure what I did.”
He pauses, squeezing Caelus’ hands. For some reason, the anger and jealousy he previously felt were now gone. Instead, Dan Heng feels… anxious. Nervous. His body feels jittery, on edge – like he’s subconsciously waiting for something horrible to happen.
Caelus, he realizes with a jolt.
He’s worried that Caelus won’t forgive him.
And somehow, even though he’s had his body pierced by Blade’s sword, had taken hit after hit from Phantylia – the thought of losing Caelus hurts even more.
“I’m sorry,” the words that tumble from his lips are vulnerable, soft. It’s a miracle his voice doesn’t crack. “I should’ve explained sooner.”
He lowers his head, trying to steady himself, to gather his emotions. Before he can, however, he suddenly feels Caelus pull his body closer. Then, he’s being engulfed in a warm, comforting hug.
“You’re an idiot,” Caelus grumbles, but there’s no malice in his words. He squeezes Dan Heng tight, nuzzling into his neck. “But so am I, you know? We really should’ve talked this out sooner.”
Dan Heng can’t help but let out a little laugh. “We really should’ve.”
Caelus chuckles. He lets go, and Dan Heng steps back, watching as Caelus awkwardly runs a hand through his hair. “I-uh,” he starts. “I’m sorry too. For avoiding you. That was childish of me.”
“It’s alright.” Dan Heng says. He means it. “Let’s just put all of this behind us.”
“Okay.” Caelus agrees, then takes a step forward. His golden eyes shine brighter now, twinkling as he grins mischievously. “Though, if it isn’t too much to ask… could I get a kiss?”
Dan Heng smiles.
He takes a step forward, and presses his lips to Caelus’ own.
“You didn’t even have to ask.”