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The Astral Express, being a legal starship, is not very good at tracking the date – with the pointed exception of March the 7th. Days and nights are not clear cut, and planetary calendars are wildly out of sync anyway.
So, no one actually knew it was New Year’s Eve until Caelus received a text from Clara.
“Wait, we need to throw a party!” March suddenly realises.
“We don’t have time to throw a party,” Pom-Pom pouts. “Do you have any idea how much work goes into decorating. And the clean-up,” they growl, but it really sounds more like a purr.
“I can decorate! And Caelus and Dan Heng too, right?” she looks over at them.
“I have an appointment on the Luofu,” Dan Heng says, sounding thoroughly unapologetic. March sighs.
“Fine, you get a pass. Caelus?” She turns her attention to Caelus, as does Dan Heng. Caelus watches his eyes, because he says nothing.
“I promised to help Natasha with some deliveries,” he lies, “sorry.” Since their first visit to the Xianzhou Luofu, Dan Heng hasn’t liked going back by himself. He also hasn’t liked telling anyone that, so really Caelus was the only one who knew. When the General invites them down, or Bailu asks for Dan Heng, it’s an unspoken agreement that Caelus goes with him.
March huffs.
“We’re having a New Year party. Everyone’s so busy around here. Tell you what, I’ll do the decorating and the planning, so when you guys get back, I get to have fun. Deal?” Caelus can’t say no to that. He knows how much March loves a party, and how much he loves spending time with her when she’s happy.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Caelus and Dan Heng touch down on the Luofu, and instantly feel silly for not knowing the date. The whole of Starskiff Haven is dressed to the nines, red ribbons and orange lanterns on every post, the ground strewn with flower petals. People are out everywhere, chatting happily about resolutions and parties.
“On the Luofu,” Dan Heng explains, “the two weeks leading up to the New Year are a holiday. Like the Winter Festival in other cultures, but because of all the tourists, everyone celebrates on a different day. So here, we celebrate them all,” he says. His tone is analytical, but Caelus sees the way his eyes shine in the reflection of the lights.”
“That’s lovely,” he says.
“In principle,” Dan Heng replies. “The reason I’m here is because the General thinks there’s a new kind of auromaton wrecking things in Cloudford. These celebrations rarely go off without a hitch,” he smiles, like he’s thinking of old hitches in old celebrations, long before Caelus was around.
“Either way, if I get to hit something or party, sounds like a good time.” This makes Dan Heng smile.
“Path of Destruction indeed,” he mutters, just as an announcement comes over the tannoy that makes them both freeze.
“Attention civilians and Cloud Knights! An outsider is wanted on the Xianzhou, repeat, an outsider fugitive is wanted on the Xianzhou Luofu. Please report any suspicious persons or behaviours to the authorities for their imprisonment. Stay vigilant.”
Dan Heng looks at Caelus.
“Me? What did I do?”
“Have you been digging through trash cans again?” Dan Heng deadpans.
“No! There aren’t any here!”
“I suppose there aren’t any barrels for you to smash either?”
“No, just- just the storage vases,” Caelus says. Dan Heng sighs. If this is what Caelus finally gets arrested for, he’s never living it down.
“All Cloud Knights in and around Starskiff Haven, your orders have been overruled by the General. All Cloud Knights must assist in the search for the fugitive outsider.”
“Something tells me they aren’t looking for you,” Dan Heng looks at Caelus, a soft but calculated panic glints in his expression. “But you look like an outsider,” he says, stating the blindingly obvious. Caelus tugs at his coat and his mind argues back and forth about taking it off.
“Correct. And we can’t run because that’s even more suspicious.” Running though a public space while there’s a warrant out for someone’s arrest? Even Caelus isn’t that stupid.
“Correct. We need to hide in plain sight.”
“Three for three. How the fuck do we do that?” Caelus poses the question and is not met with an answer, nor can he think of one himself. He hears the shouts and the running of the Cloud Knights.
He doesn’t get around to looking for them, because Dan Heng is pushing him and his back is hitting a wall and they are suddenly very, very close. Caelus’ gaze dips to Dan Heng’s lips, which cannot be more than two inches from his own.
“There is a plan here,” Dan Heng says, “there wasn’t enough time to explain. Sorry.” Caelus shakes his head, dazed. Dan Heng’s hand is still on Caelus’ body, the other braced against the wall, caging Caelus in. Caelus’ heart is thudding in his chest and he silently begs it to calm down.
“No, that’s… that’s fine. Plan is, uh, what exactly?” he asks, half-distracted by the icy blue of Dan Heng’s eyes as they avoid his own.
“We can’t run, but you’re dressed like an outsider. I am not. So, we can hide your appearance with mine, and divert attention at the same time. This solution… seems to work.”
Caelus widens his focus and sees that the plan is working. There are Cloud Knights scattered across the walkways, searching, but pointedly few anywhere near them.
“Don’t look at them, look at me,” Dan Heng says. His voice is low, commanding. Caelus feels inexplicably out of breath as he turns his attention back to Dan Heng. His face is dusted pink and he still will not make eye contact. “We still need to look like we don’t care about them,” he says.
“Yeah, I can do that,” Caelus hums in reply, hyperaware of how close Dan Heng is, his breath, his body.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry, I know this was sudden,” Dan Heng says. He sounds stressed, but he’s protected them from worse.
“Yeah, just,” Caelus swallows, “warm.”
“Ah, the climate on the Luofu is-“
“Not that,” Caelus says. Dan Heng may be about to ask him what he means – in which case Caelus is done for because he has no answer – but Caelus suddenly snaps to bullet-time attention. “Cloud Knight behind you, five o’clock, looks like they might approach.”
“Don’t look at them, pretend you don’t see them,” Dan Heng’s voice has dropped to a murmur, his gaze flitting over Caelus' face and neck, not staying in one place for too long. In his periphery, Caelus watches the Cloud Knight approach with hesitation, debating whether or not to disturb them. She moves suddenly, as if to confidently approach.
Caelus kisses Dan Heng.
He can’t tell, because he has his eyes closed, but he hopes the Cloud Knight falters and gives up. He thinks he hears a muttered ‘never mind’, but he can’t hear anything properly over his own thoughts about how easily Dan Heng sank into him. Like he was waiting. Their lips move together in a perfect rhythm, Dan Heng’s hand winding around Caelus’ waist while Caelus wraps his arms around Dan Heng’s neck.
Dan Heng’s teeth bite at Caelus’ lip and this doesn’t feel calculated anymore. It doesn’t feel planned or logical or any of the other things Dan Heng insists upon. He feels, he tastes, like he wanted this all along.
Yet he pulls back. Caelus feels his breath on his skin, warm.
“Are they gone?” he asks, his whisper hoarse. Caelus steals a glance behind Dan Heng, and the space is empty.
“If I say no, will you kiss me again?” he says. He feels insane for asking, knowing that Dan Heng needs there to be more thought behind these things, and it all happened so quickly that even Caelus’ head was reeling.
“Probably.” Oh. Never mind.
“Then no.” Dan Heng kisses him again. He’s forgotten that they’re in public for sure, Caelus thinks. The way this man kisses, like he’s out of breath, dying of thirst. Every time their lips touch, Caelus can taste Himeko’s coffee, and for once Caelus wants more. His fingers creep into Dan Heng’s hair, pulling him closer until their bodies are flush, Dan Heng’s hand keeping his waist close.
Want, Caelus thinks. Dan Heng wants this. Wants me. He’s so dazed by this realisation that he almost misses the announcement.
“All Cloud Knights return to their original stations on order of the General following the apprehension of the fugitive. Thank you for your vigilance.”
The kiss breaks, slow and reluctant. Caelus can’t help but stare at Dan Heng’s red, shining lips as he breathes heavily.
“We should go,” he says. Caelus nods, feeling his voice will crack if he tries to speak. Dan Heng starts to pull his arms back from Caelus’ body and step away, and a sheer urge to stop him rushes through Caelus’ nervous system. He doesn’t.
They walk away, side by side and slightly further apart than before.
They are quiet most of the way to Cloudford, which isn’t unusual for them, but Caelus cannot stop thinking, feeling Dan Heng’s hands on him. Dan Heng definitely notices, but politely says nothing.
Cloudford is eerily quiet compared to the celebrations of Starskiff Haven. But even outside the safe zones, Caelus is accustomed to hearing the clank of machinery as monsters patrol the territory. Something is wrong. They weave their way through storage containers, picking their directions carefully in the fading light.
“Can you hear anything?” he asks Dan Heng, the suspicion of danger helping him pretend to be normal.
“No, and I don’t think-“ A huge crash cuts Dan Heng off. It is followed by more silence.
“Sounds like fun,” Caelus grins, quieter lest something hear him.
“Trouble, Caelus, not fun,” Dan Heng corrects, scanning the environment.
“Trouble is fun,” Caelus says, but another huge, grating noise from right across from them shuts him up. He trips backwards, being pulled by his collar. A moment of panic before he realises that Dan Heng has pulled him behind a storage container to hide. Caelus is much more distracted by the fact that Dan Heng is taking off his jacket, leaving him in his skintight thermal.
“That thing has more spinning blades than I can count at a glance and we’re both using melee weapons. Take off your coat or you’ll get snagged,” he says, but Caelus is so mesmerised by the way he is fixing his reflector. “Caelus? What?” Caelus stares.
“I think I really want you,” he says, out loud. Who the fuck says something like that out loud? he thinks to himself. Dan Heng takes a sharp breath in and a slow sigh out.
“Can you want me when we’re not about to get shredded by an auromaton?” he asks politely as the jarring, jagged sound whirs from right behind their hiding place. Caelus snaps to attention.
“Yep, can do,” he says, shrugging off his coat and picking up his bat. Cloudpiercer in hand, Dan Heng leads the attack.
The auromaton’s head explodes in an unceremonious firework. Caelus dodges the flaming metal that spits his way and catches his breath. He really does enjoy smashing shit.
“Interesting,” Dan Heng says. “Anyway, what were you saying?” he asks, and Caelus feels his chest flutter again with the way Dan Heng looks at him. Undivided attention.
“Uh.” He’s trying to think of the words. He doesn’t know what he was saying. And even if he does, they aren’t things he can verbalise. Somehow, within the last hour, Dan Heng has completely monopolised his mind and body. Instead of saying this, he chooses, “Can I kiss you tonight? On New Years, I mean.” Dan Heng picks their coats up off the floor.
“Usually, March gets first call on that,” he says, and Caelus’ heart sinks.
“Oh, that’s okay, it’s-“
“But,” Dan Heng hands Caelus his jacket, “she can do without for this year, I should think.” Caelus tries to hide his smile, but fails miserably. He puts on his coat.
“She’ll complain,” he says.
“I don’t particularly care,” Dan Heng replies, and starts walking back. “If you hadn’t asked, I might have done anyway.” Caelus catches up to him, sees the blush on Dan Heng’s neck.
“’Might have’? Don’t tell me you’re shy, Dan Heng.”
“I’m not shy, but I’m not as brazen as you, Caelus.”
“Hm, I seem to recall you kissing me in the middle of Starskiff Haven,” Caelus grins.
“I seem to recall you kissing me first.”
“Any complaints?”
Dan Heng stops, takes Caelus’ hand and pulls him closer.
“No.”
It doesn’t matter that it isn’t the New Year yet, or that they’re still in an actively hostile zone. In the faint glow of the distant festive lights, nothing matters to Caelus except Dan Heng.