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Maybe she should not have made that flirty remark. Stelle was courageous enough to admit fault to her own foolishness. However, Dan Heng seemed to be the opposite.
Stelle lifted her chin from her palm, intent on anticipating. Dan Heng was propped against the booth, his elbows firmly supporting his torso. They were perpendicular to each other although they have neither the courage nor audacity to intersect.
In the silence of the Party Car, antithetical despite its comely trance, laid the distillation of gravity—the singular point of the universe. Time had diluted, seemingly insignificant against the yearning that wafted in the air in between them.
He withdrew from her, shifting his focus on the steaming cup and picked it up with ease. Taking a cautious sip, he deliberated on whether the leaves have steeped for long enough.
“This should be fine,” Dan Heng said.
For a moment, Stelle eyed the cup of tea, staring at the reflection of her impassive expression in eerie colors. Dan Heng deliberately avoided her for the time being, focusing on fishing out some leftover pieces of pastries that Pom-Pom had stored in the pantry.
She took a sip from her own mug. The tea tasted bitter than usual. Its heat could be felt travelling through her esophagus until it reached her stomach, curbing the perplexion that crept across her mind. Still, she stayed, watching as Dan Heng came back with a plate of random pastries that had been reheated.
“March will be disappointed we did this without her,” Stelle opened a new conversation.
Try as he might, he could not muffle the soft chuckle that escaped his lips, “then, we just have to leave no incriminating evidence behind.”
“What were you doing here in the first place anyway?”
Dan Heng nodded over to the disorganized stack of documents on top of one of the booths at the corner of the cabin. “Trying to untangle the Preceptors’ entire plot,” he replied.
“It’s still bothering you?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, lifting his head. The reply came out too weak than he wanted. Internally, he cringed. “After what happened today, it’s my responsibility to uncover all of this and nip it at its bud.”
The way her hand instinctively went to her neck only drove his guilt deeper into the pit of his stomach. The anger only furthered into a hatred that cannot be extinguished. “In the meantime, I’ve been putting together a detailed account for our convenience,” he added.
For our convenience, he said distinctively. However, Dan Heng knew how crippled those words were. He just hoped Stelle would not kick it down to crumble entirely. Instead, she nodded slowly, appreciating his considerate gesture with reticence.
“I was waiting for you to do that,” Stelle chuckled.
It had caught him off guard, to say the least. Nevertheless, it was Stelle. One way or another, she would find a new way to surprise him. He waited for Stelle to expound. “Obviously, I know nothing about the Luofu’s politics so I was waiting for someone to explain. Jing Yuan seemed adamant to keep some details in the dark. Lady Bailu doesn’t know anything. Lady Fu Xuan is great at being evasive. The rest… well—” she shrugged.
Stelle’s toothy, but sheepish, smile made his heart flutter. Dan Heng tightened his grip on the cup’s handle briefly to keep himself grounded. Stelle leaned her cheek against the heel of her hand. “At least, I can rely on you.”
Being relied on was his job—it was the reason why he joined the Astral Express. However, the manner in which Stelle uttered them had only invigorated his burning flames. But it all came to a halt so suddenly. She hissed, flinching from the sharp pain that stung her neck. Clutching the bandage, she applied pressure to the skin in its perimeter to disperse the pain.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Stelle?” Dan Heng immediately leaned over the counter, perturbed by the abrupt shift in her demeanor. Carefully, his fingers traced the medical tape that surrounded the bandage. “Maybe we should contact Lady Bailu,” he suggested.
The proximity was bothering her more than the wound on her neck.
“No, it’s fine,” Stelle grunted, recoiling from him. “I just… it’s the stitches. They’re irritating.”
“The painkillers must’ve worn off. You should continue resting in your room.”
But she was adamant not to. Within her capacity, she shook her head in refusal. The warning in Dan Heng’s gaze was advising her not to argue further, but she had learned not to let his tendencies get to her. Rather, she doubled the effort to dispel his worries. “No, don’t. Really, I’m fine! It’s not painful anymore. Plus, you know how stuffy my room gets sometimes—!”
Much to her chagrin, her defiance only ever led to further pain in her neck. She sank in defeat, hiding her pained face against the counter. Groaning, she started to spew out cuss words in a different language.
Dan Heng exited the bar and returned to her side. Leaning over, he placed his hands on her shoulders to support her frame while his lips were even with her ear. “Stelle, don’t be stubborn and come on,” he offered. “I’ll just bring the food to you.”
Before Stelle could even argue back, they sensed another presence entering the Party Car. They turned to see Welt with his stern stare, observing them both. The thud of his cane reverberated around the cabin, making his presence prominent. Promptly, Dan Heng released Stelle but not before patting her shoulder reassuringly.
“It’s late, Dan Heng,” the old man noted. “And Stelle, I specifically remembered that you’re supposed to stay in bed to recover from your injury.”
“Mister Yang, it’s just a scratch.”
“It took seven stitches to close it up,” the senior member disputed and easily won. “It is no mere scratch, Stelle.”
Welt approached with genteel, only to emphasize his towering height over them. The authority he carried became a heavy weight that beleaguered Stelle. She kept her gaze on her tea cup instead.
“See to it that she stays in bed,” Welt ordered the vanguard. While his voice was austere, his deft fingers brushed through her hair with compassion. It soothed Stelle’s anxious chest, filling her with enough nerve to look at the old man. “And, if possible, rest up as well, Dan Heng. Both of you went through a lot today.”
“Thank you, Mister Yang,” Dan Heng muttered. It sounded insincere but, Welt did not bother to comment on it further.
When the senior member was about a few steps past, he cleared his throat, alerting the two other crew members once more. “And if you’re the folks taking all of the leftover pastries, the least you could do is to admit it.”
When Aurum Alley indulged, it reveled.
The fireworks had concluded long ago and yet, the vivacity endured. Even though they were detached from the plaza, Dan Heng could hear the echoes of laughter and merriment grating his ears. Though he did not mind the jubilee and humid atmosphere, he forgot that it could be overwhelming when drenched underneath its zest for a prolonged period of time. It did not help that his heightened abilities made him privy to the secrets that hid within whispers and cackles that drifted along the air.
Aurum Alley, with all its brilliance, still had its shadows from its forsaken crevices, insignificant and nugatory.
And yet, he did not leave. Rather, he could not.
Stelle had laid her head against his shoulder, sleeping peacefully albeit, uncomfortably. He sought after her security foremostly and thus, his predicament.
His neck and shoulders were stiff but he never dared to move.
Currently enclosed within the comfort of his robe, Stelle was no longer the enigmatic being that lunged herself towards danger at its advent. It would never be apparent to anyone that she was quite an impulsive and carefree woman. Rather, she looked like a simple girl—hardly conspicuous but nonetheless, charming.
Looking through his phone with his free hand, he looked through the pictures that March 7th had sent to the crew’s groupchat. The latter had beautiful photos of the food, fireworks, and lanterns which reminded him of his guilt for leaving her alone to explore the district.
Perhaps, he should wake Stelle now.
Placing his phone down on the bench, he was deliberating on the best course of action. If it was her head, it seemed too intimate. If it was her shoulder, she has the propensity to nudge her sharp elbow on instinct. And, finally, her lap was out of the question.
Getting her up was only half of the task. While Stelle was easy to wake, she was difficult to please. If not for her own volition, she would grumble underneath her breath a slew of curses from a language he did not know. Dan Heng was contemplating on whether to placate her with boba tea or fried lotus pastries but with his limited credits, he did not know which was affordable.
He turned to her and carefully placed his hand above hers. It seemed normal enough for the current state of their friendship. However, before he could prod, Stelle stirred, groaning in discomfort.
“Ah, fuck…” she grumbled as she tilted her head to the opposite direction. When she moved her shoulder, the soft pop resounded in the small space in between them.
An inaudible sigh of relief left Dan Heng’s lips when her weight left his body.
Stelle kneaded her nape with the heel of her hand, attempting to soothe the stiffness. It did not bode well for her, indicated by her wince. She sucked in a breath as she accidentally hit a sensitive nerve. “How long was I out?” she asked.
“Not for long,” Dan Heng promptly replied.
“And yet, my neck feels like shit.”
Then, Dan Heng’s eyes fell, permitting his hair to hide the faint glint of amusement that made his eyes gleam against the dim lights. “Seems worth our while,” he muttered. To add to his skit, he grabbed his phone again and scrolled aimlessly.
That was, until Stelle smacked the back of her hand against his stomach. While it did not hurt, it caught him off guard. His knee jerked on instinct, in an attempt to deflect her arm, but it was far too late. Furthermore, Stelle’s glare did not amount to anything but his own, selfish amusement.
Yes, he was indeed selfish.
He liked it— liked her.
“You’re getting meaner,” she huffed. Nothing in her tone ever reflected affect, however. This was just an added entry to her long list of baseless accusations. Dan Heng poked her forehead as a result.
“Maybe, I always was,” he struck back.
Stelle lifted his robe from her lap and was about to hurl it towards his direction but Dan Heng’s instincts enabled him to foil her intentions immediately. He tugged at his robe and it slipped through her grasp so easily. With one hand on his shoulder, she tried to reach it, lurching herself forward for a boost in height.
What she did not intend was the proximity of their faces in the aftermath. Even Dan Heng was startled.
Her perfume was sweet, lulling him for another breath. Deep and intentional. He needed another—just to be sure. For an inane reason, he needed to imprint that scent into his brain, to associate that saccharine fragrance to her. He liked her. Dan Heng swallowed a bit of saliva that had gathered on his tongue. Stelle noticed how his throat bobbed and how his lips parted, eyes flickering with scrutiny.
Dan Heng tilted his chin up, shifting his gaze to the robe. Then, he saw Stelle grabbing the seams of the fabric. Swiftly, she pulled it down to muffle his face. Boisterous laughter filled the air.
And with its pleasant sound, Dan Heng feared the churn in his stomach.
He almost—willingly—crossed the line.
Despite having heard those familiar strides echoing from the hall, Dan Heng still waited. The book in his hand was momentarily forgotten as he observed the door.
He watched with keen interest, anticipating Stelle’s next move.
After another few seconds, Dan Heng decided to put an end to her misery. He fished out his phone from underneath the layers of scribbled papers and scrolled through his contacts. Then, he pressed the call button under Stelle’s name.
“Are you coming in or what?” he asked once she picked up.
The door slid open, revealing Stelle with a sheepish smile and her phone up to her ear. Like him, Stelle was devoid of her usual coat. She entered the Archives with small steps. “Hey,” she greeted, ending the call. “Was I too obvious?”
“Yes,” Dan Heng replied. “I told you not to hesitate if you want to ask about something.”
“The thing is…” Stelle bit her lips a little too hard than necessary, indicating her hesitance. Dan Heng patiently waited. She fidgeted with her fingers a little more than usual which concerned him. The soft sound of her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth filled the silence for the while. “I’m not asking about something.”
“Then, about someone?”
“No,” Stelle clarified with a shake of the head. “I was gonna ask for a favor.”
Dan Heng lowered his head, considering his options. The cover of the book stared right back at him, its leather cover and embossed letters were calling for his regard. “What kind of favor?” he asked first.
“Can I stay here?”
“Why not in March’s room?”
Stelle gathered her hands behind her back. She was tittering about, looking through the collection of books that were neatly organized on the shelves. However, a portion of the room remained messy—particularly around Dan Heng’s resting space. “She’s asleep. And she doesn’t like it if I suddenly barge in there just to sit around.”
He nodded. It made sense.
“What’s wrong with your room?” Dan Heng inquired again. He was assessing every possible angle to an inquisitive degree, he was aware, but he had to make sure he did not misunderstand. Although, it did not seem that way to Stelle whose face turned dejected.
“You know why,” Stelle murmured, leaning by the edge of the counter.
“It did not happen,” Dan Heng reassured her.
Nevertheless, it did not quell Stelle’s concerns. “No, I don’t think it was a dream in that sense. It felt like a memory.”
Now, he felt compelled to forgo the book entirely in favor of addressing Stelle’s concerns. Dan Heng stood from his seat and gestured for the woman to take his place. Stelle sighed in relief and obliged herself.
“Maybe I should tell you everything I had gathered—or at least, those that I understood,” she suggested.
“Are you sure?”
“You said that when the time comes, I could trust you with things,” Stelle pursed her lips, earning Dan Heng’s subtle smile. He merely nodded and got comfortable with his place against the counter. Arms crossed, he was ready to listen. Clearing her throat, Stelle deliberated on where to start. Articulating her words had never been so difficult until now. “I think I was raised by the Stellaron Hunters,” she blurted.
The tension did not evade Stelle’s impression. She eyed him but it was with understanding.
“I… shouldn’t be surprised. You mentioned Kafka’s name in your sleep.”
Her lack of response only confirmed his hypothesis. Dan Heng had been curious about it for a while. After coming out of the Shackling Prison, Stelle became evasive. She stayed in the Luofu doing random tasks after another—Aurum Alley’s revival, the supernatural blog with the social media influencer, and then some. Dan Heng believed that it had something to do with what nightmare she dealt with while being poisoned with lupitoxin.
If he and March 7th had not intervened, she would have been stuck there, buried with bureaucracy and burdens that would only add to the weight on her shoulders.
“I did..? Then, why haven’t you mentioned anything?”
Stelle turned to him, craning her neck to find his gaze.
“Because, it wasn’t any of my business,” Dan Heng replied. Hopefully, it did not come out too harsh than what he intended.
“Even if I were to say that Blade also raised me?”
Dan Heng just clicked his tongue but there was no hostility. Stelle chuckled, empathizing along with him. Nonetheless, he merely shrugged, “although I have my… qualms with him, raising you was already far beyond that.”
“This should answer the question on why I was able to read and understand some Xianzhou script.”
“Only the inappropriate words though,” Dan Heng pointed out.
“Hey!” Stelle raised her fist, intending to hit his arm but Dan Heng nimbly evaded. She ended up hitting the titanium counter instead, making her hiss.
Recoiling, Stelle soothed her knuckles to alleviate the pain. The Vidyadhara crouched down and took her hand in his, inspecting the reddened knuckles. “You’ll live,” he said.
“你他妈的混蛋,” she grumbled.
(You fucking bastard)
“You did that to yourself,” he reminded her. But he took pity, brushing the strands of hair that curtained her face to tuck them behind her ear. Stelle’s citrine eyes were prodding at him, gauging his behavior.
He was too close for comfort. She became wary as a result. It was not the comfortability—or lack thereof—that stirred the disquiet in her chest but rather, it was her apparent obliviousness to his intentions.
Stelle regarded his hand with a brief tilt to see where it would lead.
However, all of it only led to disappointment—and she questioned why so for the days to come. “If you want to stay, you can,” Dan Heng abruptly pulled away. “Try not to disturb me unless absolutely necessary.”
Dumbfounded, Stelle was frozen there. With the disorientation, she was not able to comprehend Dan Heng’s subsequent words, “you don’t have to worry about it anymore, Stelle.”
Stelle had come to know that Dan Heng was inconsistent. Sweet at first, then later, he was a brooding, cold man. Calculated with his words but generous in his gestures. Finally, he was too close one second, then too far away in the next.
At this point, she was not as perplexed anymore. Rather, it was a part of him that she awed.
The questions that she posed were left unanswered but nonetheless, she treated them with nonchalance, detaching herself from such curiosities that did not reciprocate her interest. She was a simple woman with a simple mindset, after all.
When he came running to her hotel room with the glaring unease on his face, Stelle shrugged it off as typicality. When he offered to listen to her muddled mess of memories, she thought it was a natural occurrence between colleagues. When he sat beside her, stroking her hand with his thumb, rationalization became a tad bit difficult. The best conclusion that came to mind was his propensity to provide attentive gestures.
But she could not explain his reluctance to avert his gaze away from her, their intertwined fingers on his lap, and his consent to have her chin propped over his shoulder.
There was it again, the frustration that came with the intended obliviousness that had already plagued her.
It had already hurt her once before thus her reservations. Stelle kept her mouth shut precisely for this reason.
“I know,” she hummed softly, staring at their hands. She was not as keen about it but, she did not protest either. “That is precisely why I asked you.”
He pondered upon her question, but the prolonged silence was already indicative of his answer. She smiled at him, at her own behest. Stelle cannot resist him, offering back a piece of the comfort he had given her long ago. “Don’t force it. Maybe it’s a question that’s not supposed to be answered yet,” she said.
When Dan Heng turned his head, she could feel his breath on her cheek. She stilled, waiting for him to take the next move.
As expected, it did not come. Rather, he responded back with “and if I finally do?”
A sharp breath followed. Stelle nudged gently, “then maybe that’s where we will find all our answers.”
Then, he would turn away and withdraw from her entirely, opting to pace around her room to prove her wrong, leaving her heart to wrung again—or, at least, that was what she expected. Stelle felt an uncomfortable churn in her stomach when he defied her expectations. He nudged back, allowing his forehead to graze her temple. It made her heart skip a beat.
Knowing him, it was impossible that he could not have sensed it either.
Yet, he still did nothing.
Stelle did not want to return to that pitiful but shallow hole of uncertainties anymore. Maybe, she thought, it was up to her to take that step forward.
It would either kill her pride or kill her pride and friendship but, for once, she would demand an answer from him.
“Hey, Dan Heng,” she whispered, as if he was her best-kept secret.
His aquamarine eyes reflected a beautiful ocean that gleamed underneath the brightest light. Hidden within its depths was pain, longing, and blame, marred by the callousness that continued to pressure him. It was cold and dark, unable to be reached. To Stelle, Dan Heng’s only fault was entrusting hazy, simulated lights to guide his path.
The trail of the light rail, the glowering LED screen, and his own luminescent powers. Stelle considered him akin to a lone fish in an aquarium.
“Thank you for listening.”
Just a little more, she would have succeeded. However, the loud knock on her door, partnered with March 7th's calls shattered the moment. Stelle huffed but cannot deny the amusement on her lips, chuckling softly the more frantic their friend had become. It saved her.
Dan Heng was the same. But before he volunteered to answer the door, he placed their intertwined hands near his chest and squeezed as tightly as he could.
At least, it reassured her. Perchance that he might have returned her sentiment, there was no need to gamble. No hazards, no risks, and certainly, no discomfiture.
They have always worked out like this. And when Dan Heng gave her a smile as he stood up, the answer had never been clearer.
When Dan Heng found Stelle, she was sitting on the banister, back against one of the columns that supported the balcony, watching the tranquility of the ravine below. Surely, his arrival made enough commotion for her to notice. Yet, she had not spared him neither a glance nor a greeting.
Another possibility would be is that she fell asleep. The slate on her lap suggested so but, he cannot mistake the presence of her gleaming eyes. Once he got closer, Dan Heng was left even more baffled.
Stelle was wide awake and staring aimlessly at the water.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Dan Heng spoke up, hoping that it would gain her attention.
Fortunately, it was granted. Once Stelle’s eyes are on him, a toothy grin emerged from her face. “You’re back.”
“You seemed to be thinking deeply about something,” he placed the scrolls tucked underneath his arms on the klinē, determined to redirect his focus solely on Stelle.
When there were no eyes that could pry into their seclusion, the warmth confidently returned to wrap them in consolation. Stelle reached for his hair, ruffling it out of delight—and the possibility of diverting the conversation. But he would not let up, prying her away by the wrist.
“Hey, tell me what’s on your mind,” he tried again.
“My mind keeps going back to the Grove,” Stelle admitted.
Dan Heng immediately understood.
Though he was not there to witness it, Phainon’s accounts had been disturbing enough. Having to go through hordes of corpses would normally traumatize someone. While Castorice was never fazed at the scent of death, Phainon had become reserved with his feelings regarding the situation, and Anaxagoras was an eccentric fellow who kept cursing their gods, it left Stelle as the odd one out. Despite countless battles, Stelle cannot compare the bodies in a battlefield, armed but unfortunate, to innocent people whose visage of fear persisted long after their deaths.
She had remained pale long after they left that forsaken place. To his relief, Aglaea respected Stelle’s privacy, lifting the golden threads from their private chamber for a moment’s peace.
It had been about four Entry Hours since they rescued Anaxagoras from the Grove of Epiphany; two Entry Hours since Mydei’s departure from Okhema, and; in just a short while, the Chrysos Heirs would hear the Outlander’s response on the possibility of taking Oronyx’s trial for herself.
Needless to say, he did not like their odds.
“Stelle,” he beckoned, tugging on her hand. “Look at me.”
She acquiesced, allowing herself the reprieve of his presence.
“You did your best. No one could have done better.”
If it were from Dan Heng then, she should know it to be true.
“I—” Stelle was not given a chance to respond when a sudden, strong gust of wind pierced through the landscape. The amphecone that loosely hung around her shoulders drifted along its direction. Instinctively, she reached for it, leaning back to extend her body. However, she lost her balance.
Dan Heng was quick to pull her back, wrapping his arms around her for support. Her face collided with his shoulder and luckily, his unarmed one. “You’re getting careless again,” he remarked.
“Hey, I did my best,” she quipped, raising her chin.
With barely an inch in between, anything that will happen would take a mile. The contiguity was familiar and yet, their juxtapositions remained the same. Stelle, even at the cost of her vexation, anticipated. Meanwhile, Dan Heng was quick to deliberate on the cost.
If he pushed her away, it would hurt her. Stelle always assumed she had understood his answer, albeit unvoiced.
But she would continue to understand. A pity, indeed.
“Be careful,” he reminded her. “I don’t want to tell you again.”
“Oh, but you will.” Stelle was certain.
The tips of their noses were touching. Perhaps, now was the chance to defy their expectations.
And yet, the shadow that impeded the light seemed to be the caveat. Dan Heng’s grip on her waist tightened when he turned away, regarding Mem’s sudden appearance. Their endearing mewls were still lost in his comprehension but judging from Stelle’s crumpled expression, he could make a few deductions.
“Let me guess,” Dan Heng said. “Mem is asking you to decide now.”
“Lady Aglaea would send in any of the Chrysos Heirs to come and fetch me at any second now.” Stelle broke the reverie, patting his chest twice. The moment was finally over—not that they could do anything to salvage it.
Reluctantly, Dan Heng took a step forward, allowing Stelle to regain her balance on the banister. She wrapped the amphecone around her shoulders before sealing it with a brooch, one that Castorice and Tribbie had gifted her recently.
The small, floating fairy said something again and Stelle reached out to pat its head. She replied with, “it’s alright.”
Stelle swung her legs off the banister before dismounting. Dan Heng watched from an ample distance with a solemn gaze and a chest filled with discontent. She entered the chamber with the fairy by her side, engaging in casual chatter. Everything seemed normal once more.
He did not accept it this time.
Dan Heng followed suit, brisk in his pace. When his hand reached her arm, it stopped both of them in their tracks. “Stelle.” His tone denoted a serious conversation.
She nodded and turned to the fairy, “can you leave us alone for a while? I’m sorry.”
“It won’t take long, Mem,” Dan Heng added as a reassurance. Convinced, the fairy promptly disappeared, off to wander somewhere for the while.
“Stelle—” Dan Heng failed to get another word out of his lips when she got rid of the distance between them. Startled, his breath hitched. She heard it distinctly which planted doubt in her mind.
It was only a centimeter but Dan Heng already missed her. Reflexively, he tightened his grip on her arm and tilted his head, reconnecting their lips. She did not dare move, drawn by the furnace that was him. She kissed back almost immediately, eager to pour the fondness she had for him.
He secured her in place by enveloping an arm around her figure, ensuring that there was no semblance of distance in between. She was all he could register—her sweaty hands snaking his nape, gently brushing his soft locks. Shivers ran down his spine. To chase that sensation again, he shifted, wet lips trickling along hers, making her grasp his hair.
Dan Heng deftly spun them around, pressing onto her until they collided with the edge of the round table. The vase fell to the floor and its sharp clatter reverberated around the chamber. It did not deter the passion they shared though. Dan Heng was already clawing his callused fingers on her back, wringing all the warmth that he could selfishly take to satiate his desires.
But he was not satisfied. He groaned and bit her lip when she tugged his hair again. The sharp pain made her gasp, overwhelming her with emotions she could not stifle. It came out in a soft muffle but it effectively provoked him, propelling him to greedily take once again.
Lifting her by the hips, the table behind them fell. And yet, it did not even elicit any reaction. He led her to the nearest bed. Their eyes met briefly as her back landed on the plush cushions, then came another swift kiss. Nipping her lower lip, he implored entrance and she caved in, quite willingly.
Stelle was overwhelmed at his bristliness. His hands, his warmth, and the proximity made every stifling— she embraced it.
However, as with all things—they eventually end. Dan Heng chased the hot air, nuzzling himself onto her shoulder. “I was… actually going to convince you not to take the trial,” Dan Heng mumbled, in between heavy breaths.
“Oh… I thought—”
Dan Heng chuckled, his guttural voice pulsating against her neck. She shuddered, unconsciously clutching his clothes desperately. “This works as well,” he reassured her.
He lifted his head, just enough. She could feel his breath on her cheek when their foreheads collided tenderly. Stelle squirmed a little, tickled at the intimacy. Her gaze found him curiously calm despite the obvious flushed hues painting his entire face and neck. His eyes were closed and patient. The longer she lingered, the calmer she became.
“Then, is it safe to assume that you wanted this?”
“I have loved you for a long time.”
This rendered her speechless. Stelle faltered, surprised at his blatant confession. She shifted her eyes elsewhere, lips pursed. “And yet, you reject me every time,” she grumbled.
In response, he nodded, admitting his fault. “I did. And if it was too cruel, I sincerely apologize.”
She did not need to ask why. Knowing Dan Heng, he had enough nightmares and burdens to last multiple reincarnations. All of which culminated to his reluctance and diffidence. To soothe him, she ran her fingers through his tousled hair, cradling his figure in her earnest embrace. He relaxed underneath her touch.
“Stay,” he whispered. “Don’t do the trial. I know I said I'd support your decision regardless but, here me out just this one time.”
“I’d stay if you say you want to make out a little bit more.” This caused Dan Heng to sigh heavily, out of exasperation.
If he were any courageous enough, then perhaps, he would admit it as well.