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Stelle wasn’t sure why she was glued to her phone this particular day. Scrolling through her photo album, her old messages, games that didn’t require an IPC signal to run - somehow trigonometry dash still worked? - but overall was fighting a fierce battle with her greatest enemy: boredom.
While she had adjusted to the constant daytime courtesy of Kephale’s Dawn Device, there were definitely some days she appreciated the thick curtains separating the balcony of her room from everything else. If she pulled them closed at a certain angle, and put the privacy partitions around the fountain in the bath, then she could almost simulate a dark room. Almost like the dark skies constantly visible in the Astral Express’ windows.
She shook her head and shook the thoughts from her mind. After Castorice and Anaxagoras had fused with their Coreflames and left Okhema in their own ways, the holy city felt emptier than usual. Phainon was training to hold up the sky, Aglaea and Mem were planning the Chrysos Heirs’ next move, Tribbie and Cipher were chasing each other around the city, and Hyacine had Dan Heng traveling from one hospital to another. Even when Dan Heng had a break, like during the Seal Slammer event, he didn’t stay long enough to say anything to Stelle.
The door to the bedchamber clicked open and Stelle looked up from her phone. Dan Heng had dark circles under his eyes, that man truly would never sleep if he wasn’t forced to.
“It’s dark in here.” He said as the door shut behind him.
“I like it that way.” Stelle said back.
“Me too.” Dan Heng started shedding layers of clothing. “I appreciate the Dawn Device and all it does, but my REM cycle is completely destroyed.”
“Well, it’s either this or a nap in the netherworld, got a preference?”
Dan Heng snorted dryly. “Maybe Castorice will appreciate the visit.”
Stelle set her phone down to help Dan Heng out of the last of his clothes. Living in the bathhouse, and even during their time on the Express, they had become comfortable existing in a state of undress around each other. It was more comfortable to walk around shirtless than to stay constantly bundled up in the humid heat of Amphoreus.
Dan Heng replaced his shirt and jacket with a robe hanging by their bath and lounged down on one of the beds in their room. His eyes closed briefly, but soon opened back up and he looked over at Stelle, who had sat herself back down and was on her phone.
“Looking at old pictures over there?”
Stelle turned her phone screen to him. “Yeah, here’s the selfie I took with Firefly in Penacony - before I knew who she really was. And here’s the picture of the Belobog sunrise. And here’s a picture of Arlan tripping over Peppie.”
Stelle watched as Dan Heng’s features softened and his nose begin to red in the light from the phone screen. Stelle put her phone down and frowned.
“Aw, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry-“
“No- no, it’s fine.” Dan Heng sat up and wiped his face, swallowing loudly so his voice wouldn’t crack. “Just nostalgic for simpler times.”
Stelle nodded, but still moved to sit next to him and hug him. He hugged her back. Dan Heng’s own phone lit up next to his pillow and seeing that his Lock Screen was a picture of March 7th and Welt Yang doing peace signs in front of a mirror made the dams break.
Dan Heng sniffled first. Then Stelle. Then Dan Heng cleared his throat, but it didn’t work. They cried silently, eyes squeezed shut and arms squeezing even tighter. Some streams of sunlight still protruded through the corners of the curtains, light floated from the magic fountain, but with their eyes shut, the two of them could almost imagine that they were back in space - gazing out at the endless night and being home.
When the tears dried out, only then did Stelle peel herself away and retrieve her phone. Dan Heng wiped his face and asked her what she was doing.
“I’m turning this pity party around. I don’t want to cry anymore.” Stelle said as she scrolled through something on her phone. She tapped something, and set the phone down. Music began to fill the room and Stelle extended a hand to Dan Heng.
“Is that Robin’s music?”
“Sure is! Come on, I know you know the words.”
Dan Heng took her hand and stood, letting her spin him and dip him dramatically before he began to sing along to the music. The twirled around, soon laughing and giggling as they sang along off-key.
“My my, Cold Dragon Young, who knew you could dance like this!” Stelle gasped between laughs.
Dan Heng laughed with her and spun them again. “Well, when dancing with the Great Tatalov, I aim to impress.”
They danced through Robin’s entire album until they were sweating, out of breath, and filled with joy. There was no thought of Titans, cycles, Coreflames, distance, or battles, just two people sharing a silly dance. When the music ended, they held each other still and caught their breaths.
Dan Heng broke the silence first. “That was fun.”
“Yeah.” Stelle whispered into his shoulder. “I miss them.”
“I do, too.”
Stelle let go and started walking towards the curtains separating them from the balcony. “We should get out of here.”
“And go where?” Dan Heng followed her.
“I dunno. You can fly, right?”
“What? I mean, I can manipulate water in my Vidiyahara form, but-“
Stelle summoned her lance of preservation and looked Dan Heng up and down. “So how does the transformation work?”
Dan Heng covered his chest with his hands. “Th-there’s no need for that! I can do it at will!”
Stelle made the lance vanish with a pout. “You’re no fun.”
Dan Heng rolled his eyes and the two of them pulled the curtains back. They winced from the sunlight, but in another flash of light, Dan Heng’s form had changed. A tail protruded from between his pants and robe, horns poked through his now long and silky hair, and his eyes narrowed like a reptile’s.
Stelle wolf whistled at him. “Oh fork yeah, now we’re talking. You can Imbibitor my Lunaea whenever you need to, Dannie.”
Dan Heng rolled his eyes again. Then, he held out a hand for Stelle. She took it and he swept her into his arms. There was a notable scar in the center of his chest, probably from Blade’s sword. Stelle poked it without thinking, earning a pinch on the back of her arm. Dan Heng told her to hold on and by pulling water from their bath, was able to launch the two of them off of the balcony.
And they were soaring. Pulling water from the lake around Okhema and from the clouds, Dan Heng was a blue streak in the sky. Stelle whooped and hollered as she was sprayed in the face with water and taken for the fasted joyride she’d been on since the Express’ last warp jump.
Dan Heng flew low, around the base of the waterfall cascading down from the baths, back up the waterfall, and then over Okhema’s market. If Aglaea had a problem with them causing a scene, she could bring to them later. This was their time right now.
They flew all around Okhema for the better part of an hour before landing back on their balcony. Dan Heng coughed from exhaustion, and Stelle brought him some water to drink. It was only after this that they noticed that their bedroom door was open and a very confused looking Phainon stood in their doorway.
“Is that-?” Phainon started to ask.
Dan Heng waved him off. “Oh, it’s just. A side effect of the, I don’t know, the thing.”
“What?”
Dan Heng transformed back to his usual self and shrugged. “You know, the thing.”
“I’m confused, but I don’t wanna pry, so uh- Aglaea wants to see the two of you as soon as possible.”
Dan Heng and Stelle exchanged silly grins before nodding and following Phainon out of their bedchamber.