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"Caelus!" March's voice pierced through the loud commotion of the bar. She stomped over to the line of stools along the bar, all occupied by various drinkers apart from the one next to the grey-haired boy. "What are you doing?" She grabs him by the collar of his shirt, jolting him backwards to look at her.
"Drinking…?" It came out as more of a question than a statement.
"I know that!" She practically yelled. "I meant why are you drinking when we leave Penacony tomorrow!" Marche released her strong hold, tossing him forward.
Caelus slammed a hand against the counter in front of him, jostling the low-ball glass in his hand and splashing bits of his drink on the table. "Ouch! That hurt," he whined.
"You need to get up, we leave tomorrow morning!" March crossed her arms and cocked her hips to the side. "I do not want to warp to the next planet while you have a hangover. It's going to be worse than hell!"
He mumbled to himself, likely mocking her complaints. "I don't wanna leave yet!" Caelus took a swig of his drink. "I haven't even finished my lovely conversation with…" He turns to the empty chair on his right, then swivels around to his left where a man has his back turned away. "With my thoughts! Now leave me in peace." With a wave of his hand, Caelus sips the last of his drink and calls for a refill from the near-by bartender.
March grumbles to herself, trudging back to Dan Heng, who had voted to wait outside when March had tracked his location back to a bar and gotten upset at him drinking without their knowledge.
Once she makes it out into the cool night air, Dan Heng sighs at the lack of Caelus. "Let me guess, he didn't want you ruining his night?"
She nods aggressively. "We leave tomorrow, Dan Heng. I don't want us warping while he has a hangover! That's a recipe for disaster," March elaborates, waving her hands in the air to emphasize her concern. "He's gonna hack up his insides everywhere during the trip!"
While Dan Heng hadn't originally thought about visiting Penacony, there had already been a change in his plans from the start so he decided to take the last day to "gather the rest of the express crew," which was code for "meeting up with March and Caelus before they leave." He would never admit it to their face, but Dan Heng really did enjoy being around the two of them. Sometimes it could be too much to handle but he cherished their short bursts of interactions. Though the amount of time Dan Heng had spent with Caelus had recently begun to grow swiftly; he's not sure if he can call their time together "short" anymore.
"Do you want me to attempt to drag him away?" Dan Heng huffs, caving into her silent pleas.
March grins, clapping her hands together in a praying position and ducking her head. "Please! He'll only listen to you!"
"No, he only listens to the right arguments." It was a reasonable elaboration, but with Caelus being drunk, it might not fly by so easily. Dan Heng pauses just before the door, not quite turning around but pivoting his body slightly. "Why is he drinking all by himself?"
March makes an "I dunno" sound and shrugs.
"He's almost never by himself, if at all." Worry seeps into his voice unwillingly.
"Maybe he has something on his mind…" March conspires. "What could it be though?"
Dan Heng turned around to face March again. "What exactly happened in Penacony while I was gone?" He questioned. "Did Caelus tell you something he left me out of?"
Just a few nights before, Caelus had pulled her to the railing overlooking the lower level of Golden Hour. He'd seemed restless earlier in the day; fidgeting with his nails or the strings of his shirt, bouncing his knee when he got the chance to sit.
"Listen," Caelus' voice shook as he spoke, "I'm gonna tell you something but you can't repeat it to anyone else."
"Deal!" Multi-colored lights below them reflected in the bright golden eyes, trained on people passing mindlessly beneath the balcony. "Well… What is it exactly? If you killed someone I'm not keeping a secret! I need to tell someone because that'd get-"
"I didn't kill someone." Caelus huffs a small laugh. "Don't worry your head off." The mood drops almost directly after he finishes, switching from light and joking to the same worry that's been following Caelus the whole day like a heavy cloud.
March watched him closely in suspense, leaning in to listen to the "big news."
"I think I'm in love with Dan Heng?" He words it more like a question than a assertion, like he's not sure if he believes the statement. "Listen, I just came to terms with this a little while ago. It's not a long time, but I want him to know, I think. I'm pretty sure. I know I like Dan Heng more than just a trailblazing companion or close friend, but my main issue is what I do with the information. I want him to know, but I don't know how he'll react and if he feels the same way. Back when we first met I'm pretty sure he tried to kiss me, but who am I to judge Thee Dan Heng's form of first aid." Caelus rubbed his thumbs against the side of his clasped hands as he rambled.
March watched him with a smile on her face, letting him get his thoughts out before speaking her opinions. She knew where this was going, but she wasn't going to interrupt the poor lovesick guy when he obviously needed to get his thoughts off his chest.
After the long, one-sided chatter, Caelus fell silent. March took the moment to start her view on the situation. "Do you want help with this?"
"Another view on this might be nice." He sounded out of breath and worried by the time he finished ranting.
A twinkle slipped onto March's face, looking away from the grey-haired man to watch Golden Hour from above. "I think," she started with a soft voice, "you should tell him. If you want Dan Heng to know, then I think you should let him know. Simple as that-"
"But it's not as simple-"
"I think you're over thinking things." March kept her voice calm, opposite to Caelus' panicked tone. "If you want Dan Heng to know your feelings towards him are more than platonic, then you should tell him. He's not going to cut thing off just because you like him romantically, and he's not going to see you any differently even if he doesn't harbor the same feelings." She turned to Caelus. "I think you two can work this out, but he needs to know your side of the story before the both of you can get anywhere."
He nodded, the tension leaving his body the more she comforted him. "Thank you." Caelus smiled.
"Now," the softness in her grin slipped into a devious smirk, "how long has this been going on?"
"No, no!" March rubbed the back of her neck, laughing off Dan Heng's worry. "You should go talk to him now though, before he drinks till his insides flip upside down." She spun him around, ushering him to the door.
In front of her, Dan Heng pushed his hands against the door to stop himself from being pushed any closer. "I can walk myself." She released her hands from his back, letting him open the door on his own accord. Dan Heng glanced hesitantly behind him, locking eyes with March as she flashed him a thumbs up. March mouthed a quick "You've got this!" as Dan Heng turned back to the second set of doors.
Huffing out a heavy sigh, Dan Heng pushed open the second set of doors and stepped into the bar. From across the room, Dan Heng could easily search out the wispy grey head of hair sitting on the far right beside now only one empty seat. The closer he approached, the more mumbled Dan Heng could make out.
"-like this is doing anything anyways." Caelus took a swig of his drink once again. "Just man up and tell him already… It's not that simple!" Caelus whined to himself, slamming his head against the wooden table.
On his left, Dan Heng slid into the last empty bar stool next to Caelus. He didn't say anything, but Caelus felt his presence.
"Dan Heng?" Caelus questioned, lifting his head in surprise.
The man in question turned to him, features softening at the sight of Caelus' excited face. "Caelus."
"What're you doin' here?" While he speaks, Dan Heng orders a Virgin Mojito from the nearest bartender. "I don't see you ever drink."
"That's because I don't drink," Dan Heng corrects. "I'm here to get you to tone down your drinking."
Caelus slumps against Dan Heng, letting out a loud and aggressive sigh along with him. "C'mon! Let loose a little. You never take the time to just chillax for a moment." He slings his arms around Dan Heng's neck and rests his head down.
Fluffy grey hair tickled at Dan Heng's neck, reminding him just how close Caelus had gotten.
The Bartender sets down a small glass of clear bubbling liquid on the table. Ice and mint spin around at the top just below the slice of lime curling around the edge of the cup.
Dan Heng nods to him and brings the glass to his mouth. He's only able to down two sips before Caelus nuzzles closer to him, brushing his nose to Dan Heng's neck.
"Mmm," Caelus sighs lowly, nudging impossibly closer. "I can hear you swallowing, you know." His arms tighten around Dan Heng's neck. Not enough to restrict his breathing, but enough to feel pressure on all sides.
Color burns at Dan Heng, crawling up from his neck and settling uncomfortably on on his ears and face. Coughing, Dan Heng swats Caelus away, forcing him to let go and sit up properly. "We need to leave for the express soon." He resorts to diverting the topic away. "Warping while you have a hangover is a bad idea, so we should be getting you home soon."
Caelus stirs his half empty drink, looking down longingly. "Ya'know, you should move into my room!" The mood shifts away from a sulking vibe to something more upbeat.
"What?" Dan Heng's face blooms with color again, looking startled to Caelus. "I have my own margin of area on the express. There's no need to switch so suddenly." He calms down the more he reasons against moving.
"No, no, no," Caelus shakes his head aggressively. "You said it yourself! The data center thing isn't your room. You need a proper room; my room!"
"What brought this up anyways?" While Dan Heng traces the top of his glass with the slice of lime, Caelus rests his head in his palm and watches the other intently.
"You said home, I thought of our home." He said it like it all lined up perfectly.
Shaking his head, Dan Heng turned to face Caelus. "Let's go back to the express."
Caelus stayed put, eyes trained on Dan Heng. To be more specific, his lips. Though he'd noticed, Dan Heng didn't move to break his stare. Instead, he waited patiently for a reply. A grin slowly melted onto Caelus' face to match the light blush that had settled on the tips of his face.
With his eyes, Caelus traced the soft edges around Dan Heng. Stray strands of hair that fell out of place, fluffing up his bangs in a way that Caelus knew he didn't always enjoy due to the distractions they caused when reading or fighting. His fluffy eyelashes slicked together, pointing out to the sides like Dan Heng had styled them that way. Caelus enjoyed the way the yellow tinted lights above the bar reflected a soft glow on his clear skin and the way it morphed the normally grey eyes to a slightly more gold tone to match Caelus' own.
"You're really pretty, Dan Heng," Caelus blurted without thought. "Like, really pretty. Has anyone ever told you?" He scrunched his eyebrows slightly when he came to the revelation of how gorgeous he find Dan Heng. "Wow, how haven't I kissed you yet?"
The more he continues, the brighter Dan Heng tints with his complaints and complements. After a moment of letting Caelus ramble about his beauty, Dan Heng turns away and hides his face in the opposing shoulder. "You seem heavily blitzed, we should be leaving soon."
"You keep trying to get me to leave~!" Caelus whined, downing the last of his drink and sliding it away from them. "If you wanna get me home that badly, just say so." He let out a small humph and crossed his arms in a pout.
"No- I…" Dan Heng trialed off, trying to find a way to reason with the stubborn man. He wasn't one to listen to someone mindlessly if he had a task in mind. When he had a goal, Caelus was sure to fulfill that goal to the best of his abilities. That also applied to just about anything else in his life. Example: right now. Caelus wanted to stay at the bar for longer, so he was going to make sure he didn't leave that bar until he'd fulfilled some sort of duty. What that was, Dan Heng wasn't so sure, but if he could get Caelus to — in the words of Caelus — "finish that quest," maybe they could leave sooner.
"Sure, fine," Dan Heng sighed in defeat. "I'll stay a little longer." The moment the words left his mouth Caelus lit up, letting his arms rest down on the table. "Not for too long, but I'll stay. No more alcoholic drinks though."
It already seemed like Caelus finished that mission he was set on, but Dan Heng agreed to stay longer so he might as well try to squeeze information out of the other while they were here.
Silence settled over the two of them while Caelus returned to his gazing at Dan Heng. The man in question had other plans for the use of their time.
After ordering Caelus a Shirley Temple, Dan Heng turned to meet Caelus' gaze. "What were you doing here by yourself?" He questioned. Straight to the point, no detours or long-winded explanations; just like Dan Heng.
That seemed to catch Caelus off guard. "I- Uhm- Listen- I mean I didn't want to be alone! I was drinking with a friend when they just up-and-left…" He tried to snake his way out of this, but got easily caught in the lie with the way his eyes broke off to dart everywhere but Dan Heng and he rubbed his hands together.
"Caelus," Dan Heng hardened his stare, "tell me the truth. It's not safe for you to be drinking by yourself."
"I just wanted to get some stuff off my mind. Is that such a crime?" Caelus shied away, curling into himself slightly and turning to face forward.
"It's not, but you need to be careful when you go out and do things like this." Dan Heng set a hand on the table between them. He wanted to show he wasn't trying to criticize the man, but correct his hazardous actions. "Intoxicating yourself without someone trustworthy around can get you into more trouble then you would have expected to sign up for."
"I know that," Caelus huffed. "I'm not some child talking to strangers. I'm an adult, Dan Heng."
"I just care about you, Caelus," Dan Heng countered calmly.
Their argument-like conversation seemed to die out there. Neither of them had a counter-argument ready to spew and Dan Heng didn't seem like he wanted to argue either way. The two of them went back to either swirling their drink or staring mindlessly at the wall of drinks, mixers, or flavors on the wall in front of them.
Sighing, Caelus tipped himself to the side. His hair tickled Dan Heng's neck as he snuggled into his new spot. "You're the reason I'm here right now, actually."
Dan Heng froze. What did he mean by that? Before he could spiral any further, Caelus continued his profession.
"You've been taking over my mind a lot recently. Too much, actually. Every time I think about you, my heart gets all speedy and my hands get hot 'nd sweaty." He tipped his head back to look up at Dan Heng with wide eyes. "I think I'm in love with you."
Caelus had said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but to Dan Heng, it was the most life-changing sentence he thinks he's ever heard from the man. Heat seems to pool at Dan Heng's face as he gazed back at the bright golden eyes peering up at him. The world around him seems to tune out, everything beside the two of them turning into nothing but blurry background noise. Dan Heng heartbeat speeds up at what would normally be an alarming rate if not their given circumstances.
For the first time ever, Dan Heng was left at a loss for words. He'd been scattered with his words from time-to-time, trying to pick the proper pieces, but never had the words been stolen from him completely. Without a proper response ready, Dan Heng resorted to the next idea he had in mind.
"Could I kiss you?"
Instead of replying, Caelus lifted his head to level with Dan Heng. Neither of them get the chance to say a word before Caelus is slamming his lips forward.
There aren't any of those fireworks everyone always anticipates, but there's a feeling of warmth that melts from his heart down to rest over his stomach. Their first kiss is clumsy, new and foreign to the both of them; noses bumping and lips moving around to find a comfortable resting spot. Dan Heng shortens it, pulling back to re-adjust his positioning and pivot towards Caelus.
It's not long before they continue where they left off. Caelus grabbing mindlessly at any article of clothing he can reach while Dan Heng chooses to settle one hand above the formers hip and the other at his nape. The kisses that follow are more organized — well, as organized as kissing a drunk person gets.
Caelus tries to take the lead at first, but quickly find himself at a dead end. Dan Heng on the other hand quickly carts them along. He guides the two of them as though they're ballroom dancing and Dan Heng takes the leading role.
Dan Heng laps at Caelus, a silent request to part his lips. The latter complies without a single question, allowing Dan Heng to tongue at the lax mouth however he pleases.
At some points, it seems as though Dan Heng has gone through this before, finding all the ways to coax small whines or moans out of Caelus, making him grab and tug at Dan Heng's jacket. The way Dan Heng will run his tongue along the roof of Caelus' mouth or coil around his form leaves Caelus in a squirming mess. As a way to retaliate, Caelus will bite down on Dan Heng's lip or tongue, but that only draws a low groan out of him.
Small tugs at the back of his hair or grips at the end of his clothing draw Dan Heng impossibly closer to Caelus, responding to his begging. They slide together like a puzzle falling into place, the right pieces fitting together almost perfectly.
Dan Heng slips back for air, their breaths still mingling with the short distance. He can feel Caelus' breath heave against his skin and smell the alcohol reeking from his mouth.
With lidded eyes trained on the skin below Caelus' skin, Dan Heng whispers lowly between the two of them. "You won't remember this in the morning, but I love you, Caelus." It's quiet, barely audible against the loud bustle of people conversing around them, but Caelus can hear the way his voice quivers with uncertainty.
Hands pull at Caelus' clothes, a silent plea that he won't leave. Even though his mind's clouded with their kisses and the liquor combined, he can tell when it's time to back off and find a change of pace. He sits back, letting his hands slide down from their previous hold below Dan Heng's shoulders.
"We should go back. You 'on't look all well." For once, it isn't Dan Heng begging to go back to the express.
Dan Heng snaps out of his gaze, finally meeting Caelus' eyes. He nods slowly, still partly lost in his daze before snapping back to reality. "Yeah… Do you think you can leave the Dreamscape in this state?" He questioned, running his hands through his hair in attempt to flatten it before meeting up with March again.
Beside him, Caelus heaved himself up, holding one hand on the table and the other on Dan Heng's shoulder for balance. "We're gonna find out!" He grinned.
Sighing, Dan Heng slid into Caelus' side, snaking an arm around his waist to hold him upright. He also wanted to keep the feeling of Caelus under his hands like this for a little while longer before the alcohol wears off and he shies away from such intimate contact once again, but Dan Heng wouldn't say that aloud at a time like this.
"If anyone gets injured, you're the first to blame." After sliding a pocket-full of credits under their drinks, the two of them limp out of the bar and back to the express.
Caelus giggles at his own joke, hopping backwards onto the express while continuously breaking eye contact with Dan Heng the more he speaks.
The parlor car is empty save for Pom-Pom, who's eyeing the two of them with anger. It seemed like they were trying to get some shut-eye before everyone had to return before they were rudely interrupted by a drunk guy and his tag-along-buddy.
Dan Heng nods to Pom-Pom as a silent apology before following Caelus to the passenger cabin.
"Do you think there're penguins on the…" Caelus trails beside Dan Heng, following him to the archives door.
While Dan Heng stops and turns to his room door, Caelus continues walking, speaking to himself along the way as if Dan Heng were still beside him.
"On Belobog, do you think penguins… like… exist?" He waves his arms to exaggerate his point before stopping half way down the hall and spinning around to look at Dan Heng. "What're you doin'," Caelus asks with a serious tone.
"I'm going to bed. I trust you'll be able to take proper care of yourself?" Dan Heng stands in front of the door, holding it open but not walking through.
"Dan Heng~!" Caelus whines, flopping to the side and rushing to his side. "You can't go to bed all by yourself! It'll get cold and lonely." He tugs on Dan Heng's free arm closest to him. "Sleep with me!" His voice pitches up an octave, shortening his sentence to match.
Shaking his head, Dan Heng lets go of the door. "Fine, I'll sleep in your room this once." Even though he tries to hide it, a gentle smile spreads across his face to join hand in hand with the light shade of pink on the tips of his ears.
"No funny business, I pinky promise." Caelus holds out his pinky, inviting Dan Heng to agree to the promise.
"I'm not pinky promising anything," Dan Heng returns.
With a short sigh and laugh, Caelus skips down the hall with Dan Heng following shortly behind. The former continues his stories and questions for the world while the latter whips out his phone. He unlocks it with ease, opening up March's contact and sending her a quick message.
Caelus is back at the express.
He's still drunk, but I'm putting him to bed.
No need to worry.
THANK YOU!!! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ
I knew I could count on you Dan Heng !!
Happy to be of help for all parties.
You're a lifesaver!
I could not get him out of there for the life of me
Speaking of,,
??
Why was he there anyways??
I don't mean to pry,,,, but I worry for him…
.·°՞(っ-ᯅ-ς)՞°·.
It's not so often Caelus is spotted drinking
OR by himself
Thats two birds with one stone.
( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;)
That's not my business to share.
If you wish to know, you can talk to Caelus about that.
I have to help him remember the proper steps to his
nightly routine now. Wish me luck.
GOOD LUCK DAN HENG!!!!!
also
you hater.
You won't help a girl out!?!??!
｡°(°¯᷄◠¯᷅°)°｡
Dan Heng pockets his phone, looking up to Caelus who's whining about how it's "difficult" to take of his shirt.
"Caelus, you can do one simple task of changing your own clothes." Dan Heng rubs aggressively at his forehead to smooth the wrinkles. "I'm not going to help you get changed. Now go back in the bathroom and stop complaining so I can change as well."
Huffing like a child, Caelus turns around and storms back into the bathroom. Dan Heng swears that if this is how Caelus acts when he's drunk, he should never drink again.
Once he's in his own sleepwear, Dan Heng folds his clothes neatly into a pile beside the door and steps over to the bathroom door. It only takes two knocks before the door swings wide open to reveal Caelus in his own t-shirt and plaid pajama pants with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.
"'Ow," Caelus spits out around his toothbrush, grinning. "'Ou look weally good in my clofes."
"I'm surprised you made it this far and didn't pass out yet," Dan Heng remarks.
"I still haven't kissed you goodnight yet." Caelus takes out the toothbrush and spits it into the sink next to him. He tips a cup filled with water back, swishing it around in his mouth and spitting it back out.
"We kissed once," Dan Heng reminds him. "We aren't dating or anything."
Whipping his mouth, Caelus looks up and winks. "We could be."
"I'm not having this discussion with you while you're intoxicated," the black haired man decides, stepping back towards the bed and lying down on what's now been claimed as "his side." He clasps his hands together over his stomach and gazes at the ceiling in thought.
Caelus has invited him over to spend the night in his room for multiple reasons that the left side of the bed has become known as "Dan Heng's side" and only the right side belongs to the actual owner of the bed. Another common habit of theirs that has more recently developed is Dan Heng brushing Caelus' hair. On the rare occasion that Dan Heng has taken his Vidyadhara form, the roles will swap. Though that's not often.
Most nights Dan Heng spends with Caelus, the latter stays up playing games until he falls limp in Dan Heng's lap while the former will spend his time reading until Caelus is tired or falls asleep. Other nights the two of them will talk and share their feelings with one another. Sometimes Caelus questions Dan Heng about his dragon-like form or the personal parts of his life that he keeps locked away behind bars from both him and March. Though it's mostly Caelus speaking what's on his mind and Dan Heng giving his two cents when needed.
A heavy weight on the mattress beside him catches Dan Heng's attention. Caelus curls around Dan Heng, holding tightly on his arm and pulling him close like a teddy bear.
Grunting softly, Dan Heng adjusts their positioning to lie facing one-another. Caelus tucked his arms underneath his chin, watching the other man closely with wide eyes. He traced the dimly lit features of his face, noting how the glow-in-the-dark stars above them on his ceiling left a soft teal light.
Dan Heng on the other hand, closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. He let his right arm fall gently over Caelus' waist, his thumb subconsciously caressing the bare skin right below where the grey t-shirt rode up ever so slightly while his left arm tucked snugly under his pillow to add support for his neck.
"Wow…" Caelus whispered, turning his head to face the ceiling. "The stars look so pretty tonight." He extended a hand towards the scattered glowing dots above them, waving an outstretched finger at different stars like he was connecting them together. "That one's the eagle one, my favorite. What's it's name again, Dan Heng?"
Opening his eyes, Dan Heng looked up to the same pattern of stars he was pointing at. Following his same reach, Dan Heng lifted his right hand — opposing Caelus' left hand beside him — and gently grasped Caelus, slowly bringing him back down to bed. He rested their hands in between them, trapping Caelus' hands so he wouldn't continue waving them around.
"Aquila," he whispered while gazing quietly at Caelus through half-lidded eyes. "Older religions believed Aquila represented the bird that carried Zeus' thunder through the skies."
Caelus smiled wide and giddy. "Tell me the story!" He requested with such excitement that made Dan Heng's heart melt.
Dan Heng shook his head faintly. "Another night." He smiled softly when he felt Caelus' grip tighten on his hand for a brief moment and a frown splay across his face. "Good night, Caelus," Dan Heng whispered, closing his eyes for the last time that night. Soon after, Caelus followed behind him and slipped quickly into a deep sleep.
Once his breath had evened out and his grip around Dan Heng's hand loosened enough for him to be determined asleep, Dan Heng leaned in closely. "I know you won't remember any of this in the morning," he whispered so softly even the fake stars above them couldn't hear, "but please don't let that change the way you feel about me." His grip tightened only for a moment before letting go completely.
Caelus sat up, groaning loudly and gripping the side of his head. "Oww~," He complained, slowly scanning the dark room around him.
"March and I found you at a bar last night," Dan Heng informs him. "You were wasted so I took you back to your room for the night but you begged me to stay for the night so I obliged only to keep you from complaining more." He closes his book, turning off the reading lamp he had clipped to the right side of the pages, and sets them both on the side table next to him.
Shock quickly settles into Caelus, being easily displayed across his face. "What happened while I was drunk?" Leaning on one arm, he looked to Dan Heng with lidded eyes still cloudy from both sleep and his hangover.
Dan Heng lifted a glass of water to Caelus, holding it with one hand for extra stability even while the other man downed half of the glass. "Drink slowly," he commanded. The intake of water abruptly slowed down, following his command until the glass was empty.
The glass clinked against the wooden table as Dan Heng set it down and switched it for his phone. While Caelus slid against him, digging his fluffy hair into the crook of his neck, Dan Heng updated March and used his free hand to rub gently at Caelus' palm.
Caelus is awake now.
I thought you'd like to know.
REALLY?!?!
WAIT.
I NEED TO TALK TO HIM
( ◺˰◿ )
I'll be right there.
I'm talking with Himeko and Pom-Pom
about our next destination right now
You two should probably get down here soon too….
Caelus isn't feeling well right now so I'm
going to stay with him for a little while longer.
We're kinda stuck
"( – ⌓ – )
Youd be alot of help
ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ
But we're also waiting for Welt
Dunno where he went
We'll come down soon.
I want to wait for Caelus to wake up more before
being exposed to bright lights.
He doesn't drink often so he's likely sensitive.
Scratch that
I'm not coming up.
Pom-Pom wants help with something
Its gonna take a while
I'll be up later !!!
૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა
And with that, March went offline and Dan Heng set his phone down on the bed with a huff.
Caelus had since laid down with his head laying comfortably in Dan Heng's lap looking up directly at the other man. "So…" he started.
"March will be coming up here soon to speak with you," Dan Heng sighs.
"As long as she doesn't lecture me or anything." Caelus rubs the side of his temple and scrunches his eyes. "I am not in the mood right now."
Nodding, Dan Heng picks up his book again and opens back up to the page he left off at. Clipping the light to the right side again, he turns it on the lowest setting and begins reading again. This time, the book rests on Caelus' chest right in front of him and Caelus decides to mess with the corner of the pages.
After only a moment, he gets bored and turns to watch Dan Heng read. "What'd I do last night?" Caelus questions. "I blacked out, so it's all a blur to me." His voice wavers a little with worry that he did something stupid or let his secrets slip—
"You told me you loved me." Dan Heng said with his eyes trained his book.
"What!?" Caelus shoots up too fast for his own good, throwing the book off his chest and sending his head into a worse headache than before. "What did you just say?" He spun around to sit facing Dan Heng, who had now taken his eyes off the page to glare at Caelus for messing up his reading. "Did I do anything else?"
"You kissed me—"
"I did what!?"
"—but that was also partly me as well." Dan Heng closed his book once again and shut off the light for it, leaving them in a dark room again until he slowly turned up the bedside lamp.
The yellow tinged lighting left an ethereal look on Caelus features. Though, it would look much better if he wasn't freaking out and hungover.
Griping, Caelus leaned forward until his head hit Dan Heng's chest. "I had a whole plan! I was going to take you somewhere nice and give you my whole spiel before we left. I had it all written out down to a T! I was gonna do it today before we left Penacony. I had just found the best spot at the edge of Golden Hour too." He fisted his hands in the soft white shirt the older man was wearing and tugged softly as he complained.
Dan Heng threaded his hand through the fluffy grey hair, comforting him as he whined. "You don't have to ditch the speech." Caelus glanced up at him with pleading eyes, likely begging for Dan Heng to let him recite what he'd worked so hard on. "I'd love to listen to it either way."
A layer of pink dusted across Caelus' face as he slammed his head back into Dan Heng's chest. "Thank you," he mumbled, barely audible with clothing muffling his words.
After a moment, Caelus lifts his head again and wraps Dan Heng in a warm embrace, tightly hugging him close. Dan Heng hesitantly brings his arms up to return the gesture, letting his arms rest at Caelus' waist while Caelus' arms tighten around his back.
"I just wish I could have been there for our first kiss," Caelus whispers, his breath tickling the side of Dan Heng's neck with how close he is. The mood around them drops to a melancholy feeling, dragging Caelus along with it.
Dan Heng moves back just enough to see Caelus' face. "We can do it again, if you'd like," he offers.
The noise Caelus lets out is something between an "Mhm!" and a yelp, but it gets the same positive point across. He nods his head aggressively and loosens his grip on Dan Heng's back. "Yeah, yes, of course! I'd- uhm… I'd love that." He tries to hide the excitement in his voice the more he goes on.
In one quick motion, Dan Heng lifts his hand to rest below Caelus' chin and pulls him in for a short, sweet kiss.
"How was that?" He whispers.
Instead of replying, Caelus initiates the second kiss. Dan Heng quickly takes the leading role, but he savors the feeling of Caelus licking his lips in desperation. He almost giggles at the way Caelus whines when Dan Heng tongues at his mouth.
All the small noises that Dan Heng somehow finds a way to pull out of the man is always surprising. He's normally so loud and expressive, but every noise he makes is new and dissimilar from the rest. Every different sound he pulls out of Caelus makes his heart flutter with joy. They're like small rewards he gets for just kissing his lover.
Dan Heng guides Caelus' wandering hands to his waist before settling back on his arms and neck. Caelus hums as a "thank you" for his guidance. He slips a hand under the soft fabric over his torso to drag his fingers over the warm skin below. The gesture coaxes out a small whimper from Dan Heng and he pulls back instantly, covering his mouth and turning away in embarrassment.
"Sorry, sorry!" Caelus removes his hands, holding them beside his head. "I didn't mean to do anything to make you uncomfortable, I swear."
Shaking his head, Dan Heng grabs a hold of Caelus' hands and brings them back to their place on his sides. "No, you're fine. I'm just not used to making these… noises naturally." He tries to brush it off like it was nothing, but the intense blush across his face speaks the opposite.
"Oh, really?" Caelus grins mischievously, leaning in close enough for their breaths to mingle with one another. "I can make those noises second nature for you."
Dan Heng scoffs, wrapping a hand around Caelus' neck and dragging him down into yet another kiss. They both melt into each other almost instantly, cuddling close while kissing.
Opposite to their first kiss at the bar, these kisses feel much more real. Sure, their first kiss was certainly real, but Caelus was lost somewhere on a ship so far they couldn't see each other. This time, the both of them are here and Caelus will actually remember this when it's all over.
It's endearing; the way Caelus kisses. He's normally so expressive, and it shows in the way he kisses. Small pecks around Dan Heng's mouth while they part for breath, rubbing small circles into Dan Heng's skin while he draws him close, little whines like a puppy when Dan Heng finds just the right spot in his mouth that sends shivers down his spine. Caelus doesn't bite until Dan Heng bites him first, as if he's waiting for some sort of signal that he's okay with it.
Caelus pulls back, looking down at Dan Heng with half-lidded eyes. He opens his mouth to say something, likely a soft and endearing remark, before the door to his bedroom swings open, a stream of bright florescent light pouring in.
The two of them jump back, from each other. Caelus practically tosses Dan Heng against his bed frame he's left to deal with the repercussions while March gives the other boy all her attention.
"Caelus!" March storms over to the bed and crosses her arms. "What were you doing drinking last night when you knew we were leaving today!"
"March…" Caelus whines, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the piercing white lights outside his room. It's almost like his headache left only for their small conversation before coming back to remind him of all the drinks he ordered the night before.
Smiling, Dan Heng watches the two of them go back and forth about "taking care of yourself" and "finding different ways to solve issues other than drinking." March has much more points that Dan Heng would stand with, but he wouldn't dare interrupt them at a time like this.
If he didn't get to remember their first kiss, Dan Heng would make Caelus remember every one after that.