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Dan Heng knew he shouldn’t have agreed to March’s game.
The gleam in her eye should’ve given it away immediately — Dan Heng had known her long enough to know that meant she had something up her sleeve, something that would undoubtedly spell disaster. Yet, he’d tagged along anyway, letting March grab him by his arm and tug him to her room, where several other Astral Express passengers were waiting. Himeko had been sipping her tea, purely unbothered, while Welt had looked completely out of place. Caelus had given him an awkward little wave when he walked in, which Dan Heng had returned. He swore he saw March grin at their interaction, though it happened so fast he couldn’t point it out.
That should’ve been his second clue. He’d ignored it, and now he was here: Stuck in March’s closet with a fidgety Caelus, their bodies pressed tightly together.
It’s a game called ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’, March had explained. Two people would be chosen at random and be locked in her closet for seven minutes, able to do anything they liked to each other. There was a bottle which she spun, and of course, because fate hates him — it landed on him and Caelus.
This is stupid. Childish. Completely and utterly unnecessary.
So why does Dan Heng’s heartbeat quicken when Caelus shifts next to him, their fingers brushing against one another?
He swallows hard, glancing down. There’s nowhere he can move or turn to — Caelus is pressed flat against him, their chests practically touching. He can feel Caelus’ breath on his face, warm and wet.
“I didn’t know March had this planned,” Caelus mumbles. Dan Heng can’t see his face in the dark, but he can hear the nervousness in his voice, which he supposes he understands. March hadn’t been very good at hiding her intentions when she shoved them both in here, giggling and telling them to “have a good time~” in a sing-song. He’s fairly certain the bottle spin had been rigged, too.
Well, not that it matters. All they have to do is just stand here for seven minutes, and then they can finally leave.
“I didn’t know either,” Dan Heng replies. The air feels stuffy, hot. Maybe that’s why his heart is racing. He sighs, trying to keep his tone light. “If I had, I wouldn’t have come.”
"Oh.” He’s not sure, but Caelus almost sounds disappointed. There’s a beat of awkward silence, and then Caelus lets out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I mean, I guess this isn’t the type of game you’d enjoy.”
“Perhaps I’d enjoy it more if there was someone I liked. It’s a romantic game, isn’t it?”
There’s another beat, and then –
“Is there?” Caelus asks. His voice is softer now. Almost small. “Someone you like, I mean.”
Dan Heng can’t help but jolt in surprise at the question, entirely caught off guard. “W-Well,” he stammers, uncharacteristically flustered. His mind wanders. Does he have anyone he likes? When he wasn’t out investigating on different planets, he spent most of his time on the Astral Express keeping to himself. He’s always been more of an introvert, preferring his own company to that of others.
March is an exception (most times), and he does enjoy her company — but their relationship is entirely platonic, and he knows that isn’t what Caelus is referring to. A romantic attraction? It’s almost foreign to Dan Heng. What even is romance, anyways?
“What do you mean by ‘like’?’ he asks instead, hoping to steer the conversation away from himself. “Give me some examples.”
Caelus shifts from foot to foot. Their hands brush against each other again, and once again, Dan Heng’s heart seems to skip a beat. Seriously, what is up with him lately?
“I guess I mean someone you like spending time with,” the silver-haired man starts, hesitant, choosing his words carefully. “Someone that you catch yourself thinking about, day and night, even when your mind should be occupied with something else. It’s someone you can see yourself building a future with, someone that you trust as your companion. Someone you love.”
He trails off with the last sentence, so that the final word is almost incomprehensible to Dan Heng’s ears. But they’re standing face-to-face, and the walls of the closet amplify noise, so even though Caelus’ voice is barely above a whisper, Dan Heng hears him.
Someone you love.
There’s a vulnerability in those words that Dan Heng has seldom seen in the silver-haired man during their journeys together. Coupled with the way he’d listed his examples, the wistful tone of his voice, makes Dan Heng think that Caelus isn’t speaking in general here.
The temperature seems to rise several degrees. His throat suddenly feels very dry.
“Do…” he begins, slowly. There’s a part of him that warns him he’s walking into dangerous territory, that this could get messy very quickly. Yet, Dan Heng continues, driven by a sudden, unknown urge to know. “Do you have… someone like that?”
Silence. For a few moments, the only sound in the closet space is the two of them breathing, before Caelus finally murmurs, “Yes.”
He leans forward, closing whatever space that’s left between them. Dan Heng’s back hits the wall as Caelus’ chest presses against his own, his fingers sliding between Dan Heng’s, not yet grasping his palm but teasing at it with his touch. Even in the darkness, he can make out the fluttering of Caelus’ eyelids, can feel the rise and fall of his chest, and suddenly Dan Heng’s head feels like it’s spinning, his blood roaring in his ears.
“Would you like to know who it is?” Caelus breathes, and before he can stop himself, Dan Heng nods.
What happens next feels like a whirlwind. One moment, he’s standing pressed against the closet wall, Caelus’ breath on his face — the next, Caelus has his lips pressed against Dan Heng’s own, soft and sweet and warm.
He’s being kissed. He’s being kissed , and it’s his first time and for a moment Dan Heng is so overwhelmed that he freezes, standing stiff. His brain feels like it’s short-circuiting, but in a good way — the way that leaves his body tingling with want, because Caelus feels so nice against him and Dan Heng likes it.
Before he knows it, he finds himself leaning into Caelus’ touch, kissing back, wanting more. Caelus’ mouth parts, letting Dan Heng claim him, like he knows exactly what Dan Heng desires.
When they break away, they’re both panting, their breaths hot and heavy in the confined space.
“I’ve liked you for a long time,” the words tumble out of Caelus’ mouth in a rush, breathless. “E-Ever since we first met. I just… couldn’t keep my eyes off of you, Dan Heng.”
His heartbeat flutters in his chest at the confession. He’s grateful, for a moment, of the closet’s darkness — no doubt his cheeks are tomato-red right now, flushed with embarrassment.
Caelus fidgets nervously in front of him, eyes downcast. “Do… Do you feel that way, too?” he asks, shyly.
Dan Heng’s mind races. He thinks back to Caelus’ words — that someone you like is someone you spend time with, you constantly think about, someone you trust.
And then all of a sudden, it hits him.
Oh.
Oh.
He does like Caelus.
He remembers — he’d always worried about Caelus, ever since they first met. He’d been concerned about his condition and his integration into the Astral Express, and he’d had several conversations with March about how they should make their new companion feel as welcome as possible on their journeys.
He’d spent hours texting Caelus back-and-forth, because, well, he didn’t want the silver-haired man to grow lonely, and he’d been surprised at how easy it was to hold a conversation with him. At times, they’d spend late nights talking to one another in Dan Heng’s room. He rarely let anyone else into his private space, but with Caelus, having him sitting on Dan Heng’s chair or on the edge of Dan Heng’s bed felt… almost comforting. Like his mere presence had put Dan Heng at ease.
He’d enjoyed Caelus’ company during their time together more-so than anyone else’s, and yet, he'd chalked his feelings up to simply being friendly.
But would spending time with a friend cause Dan Heng to grow hot and flustered whenever their hands brushed against one another? Would it cause Dan Heng’s heart to jump in his chest, beating loud and heavy against his ribs? Would he feel the way he does now — breathless and yearning for more, after a kiss?
No, he thinks. No, he wouldn’t.
“I do,” he answers Caelus, barely believing what he’s saying. “I– I think I just didn’t realize it before. I’m…” He closes his eyes, oddly embarrassed. “I don’t have a ton of experience with relationships and all that,” he confesses, and Caelus chuckles.
“Me neither,” he replies, and pecks Dan Heng on the lips one more time. “But I suppose we can figure it out together.”
Dan Heng smiles. “I think I would like that.”