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“Do you want to tell the other crew members about us yet?” March asked, rather bluntly, breaking the silence that filled the Archives Room.
It was only her and Dan Heng in the room. He was sitting at his desk, working on the Data Bank; while March had comfortably found a seat in his lap. Sitting sideways so he could still see the screen, she tapped away at her phone.
“Hm?”
“It’s just,” March scrolled on her phone. “I don’t want to hide it from them. But if you don’t want to; then I can keep a secret, of course.~”
When it comes to telling the other Express members about their relationship, Dan Heng didn’t necessarily mind them knowing. Stelle was already aware and while the way she found out was… embarrassing.. to say the least, he had no issues with her knowing. Even if the occasional teasing could get annoying. His feelings regarding Himeko, Mr. Yang, and Pom-Pom learning about their relationship were much the same. That said… there was one issue with it.
“How do you plan on telling them?” Dan Heng asked, hoping he didn’t have to elaborate.
March let out a nervous chuckle. “I don’t think either of us want to make an in person announcement to everyone at once.” She lowered her voice. “That sounds way too embarrassing.” Dan Heng was internally grateful that she caught on. Clearing her throat, she raised her voice back to its normal volume. “So… maybe telling them one by one? Or we could just use the group chat.”
Dan Heng grimaced at the thought of dragging out an already embarrassing conversion into multiple ones, even if not quite as bad as telling them all at once. However, as for the group chat idea… “Wouldn’t telling them over text come off as a bit… discourteous? Or offhanded?”
“Um, probably not…? Since Stelle and Himeko are out running errands together and Mr. Yang is doing his own thing off the express as well, doing it now would probably make it seem better, right?” She sheepishly grinned. “Hmm… How about I ask something about possibly thinking about dating someone and see where the conversation goes from there? It’d be a little less straightforward, at least.”
Dan Heng paused for a moment to think. “... If you want to try that, you can. I won’t mind.”
“Really??” March beamed at him, he nodded in confirmation. She cheerfully kissed his cheek before opening the group chat and typing away on her phone.
The Astral Express Family
March 7th: Say, hypothetically (hypothetically!!), there was someone I was talking to and planning on maybe dating. How would you guys react to that?
No more than a few minutes pass by before they get some responses
Himeko: Is this about Dan Heng?
Welt: I have the same question as Himeko.
Pom-Pom: Are you and Dan Heng finally dating???
March froze as she opened the messages, leading Dan Heng to glance down at her phone.
…
…
Dan Heng picked his phone up from where it sat on his desk.
Dan Heng: ???
Stelle: LMAO
March 7th: Stelle??
Stelle: I didn’t say anything!! Honest!
March backspaced the question she was typing for Stelle with a pout.
Pom-Pom: So, is this about Dan Heng?
March 7th: …
March 7th: Maybe…
March 7th: But how did you guys know???
Stelle: I think it might just be that obvious
Stelle: I figured you two had feelings for each other long before you even started dating lmaoo
Dan Heng: ???
Stelle: Do you really want me to say why?
Dan Heng: …
Dan Heng: No.
Dan Heng leaned his head forward, resting it on March’s shoulder as he lightly glared down at his phone.
“I didn’t think the conversation would get to this that quickly…” March mumbled. “How did they find out!?”
Himeko: Well, congratulations to you two
Himeko: I’m very happy to see you two together :)
Welt: Yes, congratulations.
Pom-Pom: Pom-Pom is as well!
Dan Heng: Thank you.
March 7th: Thanks!!
—> Stelle: I figured out you two had feelings for each other long before you even started dating lmaoo
March 7th: Although… I am still curious…Stelle: I could (hypothetically) dm you buttt Dan Heng can see your phone rn, cant he?
March 7th: ??? What makes you say that?
Stelle: With the lack of time between him coming online and sending those ??? makes me think he didn’t read the messages before that on his phone
Dan Heng: Why would you need to use dms in the first place?
Stelle: Just trying to save you some embarrassment, Lover Boy~
Dan Heng: Don't call me that.
Stelle: Anywayss if you want one example of how i figured it out, Dan Heng’s favoritism towards March is what made me suspect it in the first place
Stelle: For a more specific example, the fact that you two are cuddling rn (assuming that since he can see your phone) and rather often are meanwhile I don’t even get a hug the vast majority of the time (｀^´)
March 7th: It’s normal for couples to cuddle tho??
Stelle: Yeah but he’s let you get away with leaning on him, hugging him, playing with his hair, and even dragging him around on missions looong before you two started dated
Stelle: Those are specifically “only March can” things for him 99% of the time
Stelle: The Dan Heng “only March can” is a MUCH longer list than what I said
March 7th: …
March 7th: Can you send me a full list later?
“March…” Dan Heng grumbled low and quiet but still clear, his head still resting against March’s shoulder. He tried to ignore the feeling of his face burning up and becoming even more red than before.
“What?? I’m curious!” March leans her head lightly on top of his. “I think it’s cute.” She giggled, only making Dan Heng’s face burn even hotter.
Stelle: I don’t know if I can give a full list, but I can definitely give a greatly extended one (•̀ᴗ•́ )و
March 7th: Thank you~
Stelle: Of course, of course~
Pom-Pom: Something Pom-Pom noticed is whenever March is showing her latest pictures, Dan Heng always shows up the most out of the crew members.
March 7th: Well to be fair, he is probably the one I’ve done missions with the most
Himeko: Is that still the case with only the photos taken on the Express itself?
March 7th: … Wait.
March quickly closed out of the messages app on her phone to open Photos. Dan Heng watched as she opened an album titled “Astral Express”, revealing all the photos she has taken on the express neatly sorted into their own album.
When scrolling over all the images, Dan Heng is in fact the person who shows up the most. Obvious enough that neither March nor Dan Heng have to count to be sure.
If Dan Heng’s face wasn’t practically glowing red already, it most definitely is by now. He turns his gaze back to his phone with the group chat still opened.
Himeko: Haha, Pom-Pom wasn’t the only one who noticed that~
March 7th: Oh… um. I hadn’t noticed…
Stelle: LOL
Stelle: I can only imagine how flustered Dan Heng is rn by the way he hasn’t said anything in a while
Stelle: We can see you're still online, Lover Boy. I know you’re reading this :))
Dan Heng: I said to not call me that.
Stelle: That's all you wanna say? No other comments on anything else?
Stelle: Himeko has told me to leave you be (for now), consider yourself lucky, Lover Boy
Dan Heng: For now?
Stelle: For now.
Himeko: Haha, setting that aside for the moment,
Himeko: I am admittedly a little curious, how long have the two of you been together for? If you’re comfortable with sharing, of course
March 7th: A little over 2 weeks now I think
March 7th: Not that long
Stelle: I found out less than a week after they got together
Stelle: Through a story I think I am forbidden from telling tho sighhh
March 7th: You are.
Stelle: Tis a shame
-—>March 7th: Although… I am still curious…
Welt: Apologies for not responding sooner, I was busy with something and had my phone turned off. I have a few things that come to mind, if you two are alright with me adding to what the others have said.March 7th: I don’t mind, I’m not sure about Dan Heng tho
Dan Heng: I am curious…
Welt: As an animator and an artist, I’ve focused a lot on showing emotions in more subtle ways like through body language and microexpressions. Due to that, I sometimes tend to notice those seemingly minor details in real life as well.
Welt: When two characters have a developing relationship, those microexpressions can become incredibly important in showing that. In terms of a romantic development, there are quite a few things I’ve noticed with the two of you.
Welt: For example, there is a certain way Dan Heng’s gaze softens when looking at March. It’s different from how it does when he looks at the rest of the Astral Express members. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but it’s something I’ve been seeing for a while now.
Welt: Aside from the softened gaze, March is also the one I’ve seen Dan Heng smile the most around. Even if it's small, it’s still there.
Welt: Also, before Stelle joined us, March was the person Dan Heng was most comfortable teasing and joking around with by far. Even with Stelle, he still tends to do it more with March. She’s the one he’s most relaxed around.
Welt: That one is not as likely to be romantic but paired with many other things, it did make me wonder. I also think it’s a bit similar to how his gaze softens and the way he specifically does with March compared to Stelle or any of the rest of us.
Welt: As for March, something that stood out to me is how often she tends to be in close proximity to Dan Heng. I’m quite sure Dan Heng’s room is the bedroom she’s in the most that isn’t her own and she’s in there more often than the rest of us aside from Dan Heng himself.
Welt: Even when all of us are in the parlor car, I believe that more often than not, the person March is standing or sitting closest to is Dan Heng. Same thing applies whenever at least three of us are in a room or close area with each other.
Welt: Dan Heng tends to be the person she goes to first for things as well, whether it be to play chess, help her reach for something on a high shelf, or even just to go see when she has nothing else to do.
Welt: Those are just some examples of these likely subconscious, minor things (that I hope I haven’t made you hyper aware of now,) that I have picked up over over the years you two have been on the Express.
Welt: I never said anything about it because I didn’t think it was my place to comment on personal matters between you two, but I’m glad to see how things have worked out.
Welt: You both have seemed happier and more comfortable with each other than ever before these past two weeks; and I don’t think I’m the only one who has noticed that.
Himeko: Yes, I have as well~ :)
Pom-Pom: Pom-Pom too!
Stelle: Wow… that’s a lot more thought out and well written than mine was
Stelle: But yeah, I noticed that too, even before I actually found out
March 7th: Oh my god that was sweet, you guys are going to make me cry ╥﹏╥
March 7th: Thank you so much, Mr. Yang!!
March 7th: Thank you to everyone else as well!
March was curled up in Dan Heng’s lap, resting her head on his shoulder while sniffling and trying to stop tears from falling. Dan Heng had one arm wrapped around her back with the other holding his phone, the Data Bank work having been long set aside.
Dan Heng blinked at his phone screen, rereading over Mr. Yang’s messages for the third time before blinking again, unsure how to respond. Maybe Stelle was right, maybe he was more “obvious” than he thought he was.
He knew he was the most comfortable when around March, but Mr. Yang’s messages made Dan Heng question just how comfortable and relaxed she made him. How much he smiled around her, how he’d smile just from seeing her after a long day or tough battle. How happy she made him. How much he loved her.
Dan Heng looked down at the pink-haired girl resting her head on his shoulder, while knowing the way his gaze is softening just from the sight of her alone, feeling a smile form on his lips. He brushed his hand through her hair.
“Hm?” March looked up at him with glassy eyes.
“It’s nothing.” Dan Heng said, still smiling. He brushed her bangs to the side before lightly kissing her forehead. When he pulled away, March cuddled up closer to him, as close as she possibly could.
“You getting soft on me, Dan Heng?” She teased.
Dan Heng rolled his eyes before pausing and sighing. “... Maybe.”
“Awww!” March lit up, sitting up enough to where she could pepper kisses on his cheek.
Dan Heng let out a soft chuckle. Yeah, he has gotten soft for her. He has come to love her, so much. With more love than he knows what to do with.
Dan Heng lifts his hand to gently cup March’s cheek. He turns his head to catch one of March’s kiss attacks on his cheek with his own lips, both of them immediately melting into the kiss.
Dan Heng: Thank you, Mr. Yang.
Dan Heng: :)
Stelle: :O A rare Dan Heng smiley face in the text???
Stelle took a screenshot
Stelle: A moment like this must be preserved!
Welt: Haha, you’re welcome, you two. I wish you both the best. :)