Chapter Text
Dan Heng faced his lover, staring into his amber eyes that, despite the bags under them, still glimmered brightly with excitement. Thanks to Madam Herta and Screwllum’s intervention, Dan Heng would be able to leave Amphoreus — although it meant he’d be leaving behind Caelus. He didn’t like the thought of his boyfriend being the one left behind but Caelus was insistent and the two couldn’t both stay.
“Promise me you’ll be okay?" Dan Heng murmured, taking Caelus’ warm hands in his, pressing them to his lips as he really observed Caelus’ face, as if trying to remember every detail, almost fearful of forgetting it. The constant soft smile on his face, seeing how he was beaming right now made it all the more painful for Dan Heng to think about having to leave him behind, especially after what had happened when they first landed on the “planet”.
“I promise I’ll be fine, Dan, I got this thing from Screwllum anyway!” Caelus said, pulling out the Curio Screwllum lent to them, again, attempting to reassure the anxious dragon.
Dan Heng took a deep breath. Of course Caelus would be fine, it was Caelus of all people we were talking about. Dan Heng knew no matter what the world threw at his boyfriend, he’d be okay. Hell, he even came back from the dead, of course he’ll be alright.
“Okay.”
The two were silent for a moment before Dan Heng spoke up, “I love you, Caelus.”
“Love you, too,” the grey head murmured, cupping his boyfriends face with his sweaty hands and pressing his dry lips against his lovers.
When the two reluctantly pulled away, Dan Heng caught his breath before asking Caelus something one last time — mainly for his own peace of mind, “You promise you’ll be safe. I can stay behind, you do—“
”I’ll be alright, Dan Heng,” Caelus said, Dan Heng sighing and nodding.
“Alright.”
Caelus wrapped his arms tightly around his dragon, Dan Heng reciprocating and holding on as if Caelus was about to disappear.
When they finally let go, Dan Heng watched Caelus walk off before heading out on his own.
—
It was… a new cycle? Dan Heng found himself in the fields, staring off into the bright blue sky, Cloud Piercer stabbed into the soft green grass surrounding him as he pondered. What was his purpose now? Was he just to wait here for his lover? It’s not like he minded waiting for Caelus, he’d wait a whole lifetime if it meant seeing him again. After being by Caelus’ side almost 24/7, it felt wrong not having him by his side. He missed the Express. He missed the Archives and the rest of the crew. He missed the smell of Himeko’s coffee, or Welt’s jokes — despite how corny they were at times — he missed March and her silly antics, but most of all, he missed Caelus.
Now, Dan Heng wasn’t a stranger to loneliness. After all, he spent the first years of his life in darkness, alone in a cell for things he hadn’t even done. Although now it was… different. He knew what warmth was like now, how it felt to see the sun, loneliness felt different after you’ve experienced what it’s like to be free and not locked up. Yet he still sat in this field, alone, surrounded by nothing but empty meadows and his own presence, waiting. He didn’t care how long he’d have to stay here, if he could see Caelus again he’d wait as long as it took, even if he waited a hundred years, even if the blacktide took over it all and he went insane, he’d wait so he could maybe, just maybe, get the chance to look at those amber eyes once more.