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Days when the chromatic echelon would stop by on the Luofu to restock their supplies were among the happiest for Jing Yuan. Days like these, those were his favorites. A few hours of not dealing with paperwork — ever since the news of his impending retirement spread throughout the Six Charioteers and Ten-Lords Commission.
Yukong, Qingzu, and even Fu’er had been more lenient toward him. His duties were gradually shifting, and with them, his focus.
General Jing Yuan stood at the bustling station in Cloudford, the air crisp with the hum of machinery and the faint scent of ozone. He waited, hands loosely behind his back, his posture relaxed but his mind buzzing with quiet anticipation.
The Astral Express, the train of the Cloudstrider he’s seen many times before, was as breathtaking as ever. Its bronze and golden hull gleamed under the artificial sunlight, the magnificence of it drawing gasps and awestruck from the station workers as it gently docked.
The chromatic echelon always attracted attention.
To Jing Yuan, though, it was less about the train and more about one particular crew member who stepped off it.
Dan Heng.
The faint hum of the engines quieted, replaced by the rhythmic sounds of docking clamps locking into place. As the doors opened with a barely audible hiss, the Express crew began to file out — Miss Murata, Mr. Yang, March 7th, and Stelle. The general greeted them briefly (and indulged Stelle’s high five), allowing the elder trailblazers to begin negotiations and the younger ones to explore and meet up with their friends.
Jing Yuan’s eyes locked on the young man who emerged last, his hair dark like the midnight sky.
To outsiders, Dan Heng looked as cold and aloof as ever, but to those who knew him, there was a subtle softness in his expression when those ocean eyes found Jing Yuan waiting for him.
Jing Yuan’s heart swelled at the sight. He gave a small, fond smile as he stepped forward to meet Dan Heng.
“Welcome back,” Jing Yuan murmured, low and gentle. Every fiber of his being screamed to pull Dan Heng into his arms, to kiss him senseless in front of the onlookers — the trailblazers, the station workers — whoever happened to be watching, but years of discipline kept him grounded.
Instead, in one deliberate and careful motion, Jing Yuan took Dan Heng’s hand and pressed a tender kiss to the gloved knuckles. Their relationship was far from secret, though Dan Heng requested to keep PDA at minimum, which the general didn’t mind.
Though it would be nice to show off his wonderful partner to the rest of the cosmos. Perhaps one day.
Dan Heng nodded, his gaze flickering around Cloudford briefly before landing back on Jing Yuan, fingers curling slightly around his. “It’s only been a month.”
“A month too long,” Jing Yuan replied without missing a beat. Cliche and cheesy, he will admit that, but for Dan Heng…
The general had broken laws for Dan Heng, this one was tame in comparison.
They fell into step, and Jing Yuan nudged his hand to link their pinkie fingers together.
Jing Yuan was, surprisingly, the clingier one of the two. Ironic, since Dan Heng was a dragon and a common stereotype for dragons is that they are highly possessive towards their “treasures,” but for them, the roles are switched.
In Jing Yuan’s defense, he had waited and yearned for long enough. He deserved to be a little clingy as a treat.
Dan Heng gave him a sideways glance, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his pretty pink lips. “You’ve been keeping busy, I see.”
Jing Yuan let out a soft chuckle, running a hand through his white hair. “Barely. They’re already treating me like a retired old man.”
Even Yanqing, who he had to remind that he wasn’t that old–
Dan Heng’s expression visibly softened as they walked, and Jing Yuan’s heart flutters. “You’ve earned it. You’ve been leading the Luofu for centuries.”
“That’s exactly what Lady Fu said when she tried to wrestle the final few duties out of my hands,” Jing Yuan jokes, both exasperated and fond. “And to think she and Qingzu used to team up to bully me into finishing paperwork.”
Dan Heng’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before he spoke again, his voice faintly disbelieving, “You’re really stepping down, then.”
Jing Yuan nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he subtly pulled his lover somewhere between the walls and walls of shipping containers, away from prying eyes. “I am. The decision’s been made. Fu’er will take over officially in… a year at least, once all the formalities are in place.”
He paused, glancing at their linked fingers before finally intertwining their hands together and squeezed, his voice dropping lower. “And after that, I was thinking... perhaps I’d travel a bit.”
“Travel?” Dan Heng asked, raising an eyebrow. “Where to?”
Jing Yuan stopped walking, turning to face him fully. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes, but underneath it, a quiet, hopeful earnestness. “Wherever the Astral Express takes me.”
Dan Heng blinked, shocked. His jaw clenched briefly before he spoke again, “You’re serious?”
“I am.” Jing Yuan’s smile softened as he stepped closer, his voice almost a whisper now. “I’ve spent so many years tied to this place, to my duty. But now… I think it’s time for something else. Something that’s just for me. Or rather…” He reached up, brushing a stray lock of dark hair away from the younger man’s eyes, his fingers lingering. “For us.”
Dan Heng’s usual composure faltered for a split second, those beautiful azure eyes widening slightly before they softened into something more vulnerable. Though his face remained mostly calm, Jing Yuan could see the faint flush rising in his cheeks and ears.
Jing Yuan wanted to nibble on them, hear him panting and breathless. It had been so long...
“You’ve thought about this,” Dan Heng finally said, his voice quieter than before.
“I’ve thought of nothing else,” Jing Yuan replied, his thumb gently tracing the edge of Dan Heng’s jawline. “The Luofu will be fine without me. And you… you’re the one thing I’ve never let myself pursue fully. But now, I think I’m ready. And… your conductor might’ve already approved my request to join the crew.”
Dan Heng’s lips parted, but no words came out at first. Then, with a breathless laugh, he stepped closer, arms wounding around the general’s neck to press his forehead gently against the other’s, his eyes closing.
“You’re insufferable,” the younger man mumbles. Deflection — typical of his beloved.
Jing Yuan chuckled, his hand sliding around to cup the back of Dan Heng’s neck, threading his fingers through the dark strands. “And yet, here you are.”
Dan Heng doesn’t give him the satisfaction by replying. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and closed the distance between them, capturing Jing Yuan’s lips in a soft, lingering kiss. Jing Yuan melts into it immediately, his free hand settling firmly on Dan Heng’s waist, holding him close as though he never wanted to let go.
And he doesn’t. The general wishes to be a general no more.
The stars call out for him. Dan Heng calls out for him.
When they finally pulled apart, Jing Yuan rested his forehead against Dan Heng’s again, his voice a quiet murmur. “Let me be where you are. We’ve spent too long apart.”
Dan Heng sighed softly, but there was a smile in his voice when he answered, “You’ll never stop being a fool, will you?”
“For you?” Jing Yuan grinned, cat-like and mischievous, his golden eyes forming crescents as he pulls him in for another kiss. “Never.”