Chapter Text
“...Of course, it would be inappropriate of me to let you return without something to show for it. While I cannot accept your help with regard to the Stellaron, I do have a favor to ask. Please, after you.”
March, Caelus and Welt glance at each before walking over off to the side like General Jing Yuan had asked them to and waited.
“What kind of favor do you think he has in mind? If they don’t want our help with the Stellaron then what else could there be?” March asks.
“If I had to guess it probably has something to do with Kafka.” Caelus states, crossing his arms. March gasps and nods her head.
“That’s a good point!” She agreed. Welt smiled at the little exchange between the two when he felt something beside him.
“You have quite the keen companions don’t you?” A voice asks right next to his left ear, warm breath tickling his neck. The suddenness made him flinch a little and he feels a hand on his waist to keep him steady. March and Caelus had stopped talking and were staring wide eyed at him like they saw a ghost or something.
“Apologies. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Jing Yuan chuckles and lets his waist go and stepping away to give him some space.
“Weren’t you a hologram a second ago?” March spoke up. The general laughs at this question before nodding.
“Yes I was but I wasn’t too far away I figured it be more fitting to talk in person.” He answered. “The Astral Express! I must confess that the train's reputation precedes it, such that it is often close to my thoughts. How delightful to come face to face with its passengers!”
He turned to Welt again and rather than saying anything, he takes his right hand in his own and lifts it up to his mouth before kissing the top of it. “But it is most delightful to meet you, Welt Yang.”
Caelus and March’s jaw drops as they watch this exchange unfold before their eyes. Welt being just as speechless as them before his brain catches up with him finally.
“Oh uh same to you, General.” He says, still trying to find his words. Jing Yuan lets his hand go and smiled.
“A-HEM. You had a favor to ask of us right?” March and Caelus wedges themselves in between the two older men, March giving the General a hard glare as she does so.
“Yes yes let’s continue this talk then shall we?” He says, clapping his hands and completely ignoring the younger ones glares as they stayed close to Mr. Yang.
~~~~~
As the Ambrosial Arbor began to grow again, Kafka took that chance to break her cuffs and get ready to leave.
“Hey!” Caelus shouts once he noticed, running after her only for some man to jump down and land in between them, his strange sword pointed at the trailblazer. March and Welt join beside their friend soon after.
“Well it’s been fun catching up.” Kafka says, turning around to face the trio but noticed Blade was staring. Not at Caelus or the little pink one but at Welt. “Hm? Bladie? Something you wanna say to them before we go?”
Blade doesn’t say anything as he approaches the small trio. Welt pushes March and Caelus away and behind him, not trusting this man at all. The swordsman continued to stay silent once he was face to face with Welt, his sword now blade down at his side. All he does is grab Welt’s left hand and pulls it up close to his face, giving the top of it a kiss, eyes never looking away from the man.
“Welt Yang. I’ll come back for you.” He spoke. Kafka covered her mouth with her hand and gave a small surprised laugh but didn’t seem surprised by her partner’s actions at all.
“Well well that’s a first.” She says as Blade lets Welt go and backs away. “Come on Bladie. Still got two more places to visit.”
The Stellaron hunters jumps down and escape while the Astral Express trio process what had just happened.
“What the heck was that?!” March was the one to break the silence. “Come back for you?!”
“This is giving me a headache.” Caelus groans as he rubs his temples. “Mr. Yang are you okay?”
“….” Welt didn’t say anything as he stared at his hand. The two youngsters keep calling his name but he doesn’t reply for a long while.
~~~~~
“March! Caelus!”
“DAN HENG!!!!!!”
March and Caelus almost tackle Dan Heng over with how hard they hug him. Both groups ran into each other on their way to the Divination Commission.
“We were so worried!” March sobs. “First that giant tree and then we fought this weird deer thing!”
“And before all that we ran into Kafka!” Caelus points out. “And some guy she called Bladie.”
“Blade.” Dan Heng corrects. “I don’t remember much about him but I know he’s dangerous. Are you two alright?”
“Yeah we’re fine. Mr. Yang on the other hand-” March trailed off now not sure if she should say. Dan Heng gave her a look, urging her to go on. She just sighs and motions him to come closer before whispering in his ear.
“……” Dan Heng blinks a few times after March moved away. “….he WHAT?”
“I know right???” March laughs.
“So this is who you were telling us about.” Sushang spoke up as she walked over with another man to the reunited trio of friends.
“But enough about that! Looks like you had your own journey.” March says, looking to the two with Dan Heng.
“I’m Sushang! And this is-” the girl with twin tails looked to the taller one beside her, you could almost see the gears in her head turning.
“Have you really forgotten my name again?” He sighed. “I’m Luocha.”
“Nice to meet you! I’m March 7th! This is Caelus and this-!” March points to herself, then to Caelus and Luocha was already in front of Welt, kissing the top of his hand and introducing himself to the man before March could even finish her sentence.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr Welt Yang.” The blonde says. “Dan Heng spoke highly of you.”
“Ah the pleasures all mine.” Welt says sheepishly. “I think…”
Sushang snickered at the scene but then felt a dreadful shift in the atmosphere. She looks to the trio and steps away some.
“Um Luocha I think you better back away from him.” She suggests. Both men followed her gaze and find Caelus, March and Dan Heng glaring at Luocha, weapons out. March even had her bow pointed at him.
“Kids there’s no reason for that!” Welt moved away from the merchant and walked over to the three.
“MR YANG IS OFF LIMITS!” They all shout.
“Come on! We’re going back to the hotel!” March says, dismissing her bow. She takes Welt’s right hand and drags him along, the two boys following behind.
~~~~
“The general too?!” Dan Heng gawks. March and Caelus had told him about their meeting with General Jing Yuan.
“Three times in one day. Maybe we should send him back to the Express.” March mumbles.
“But he really wants to do this mission with us.” Caelus comments.
“And keep having these guys drool all over him?! No way!” March crosses her arms.
“They aren’t drooling over him but they are a bit too comfortable.” Dan Heng adds. “And Blade’s comment is concerning.”
“Thinking about it it’s hard telling how long he’s had his eyes on Mr. Yang. Creepy!” March shivered. “Where is Mr. Yang?”
“Outside. Said he wanted to think alone.” Caelus tells her. “Can’t imagine what he thinks about all this.”
Welt was sitting on a bench not far from where they were staying but far enough he could think without having to worry about one of them dragging him back inside. He can’t help but wonder what everyone back home would think of all this.
“Mind some company?”
Welt is snapped out of his thoughts by another voice. He looks up and sees Jing Yuan in front of him. He wordlessly motions for the General to take the spot beside him which he happily did.
“Your kids won’t mind me spending some time with you?” Jing Yuan asks.
“Does the General of the Cloud knights have time to spare?” Welt retorts. The other man only laughs at that.
“Not much but I have some. Besides you could argue it’s work related.” Jing Yuan states. But their conversation that followed wasn’t work related at all. At one point the general took Welt’s hand into own and just held it, lightly rubbing his thumb over the top. It was….oddly nice.
“HEY!”
The two men jumped at the sudden shout and look around before spotting March who was running over to them.
“General of the cloud knights or not you aren’t an exception!” She snaps, yanking Welt up onto his feet and away from Jing Yuan.
“We were just talking, young lady. No reason to be so protective.” Jing Yuan stands up and tried to reason with her.
“Tell that to the Stellaron Hunter Blade that escaped under your watch.” She hissed. “He kissed Mr. Yang’s hand too and said he’d come back for him that’s your fault!
“I did not- wait what was that?” He asks, cutting off his previous thought.
“You heard me! It’s your fault!” March blamed and hugged Welt. The brunette pats March’s head and sighs.
“Mr. Yang.” The general says, his tone growing dark which was very odd coming from him. “Can you elaborate on this matter for me?”
“Oh of course.”