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Starlight poured through the window of the parlour car, illuminating the vague outlines of the curved couches, unfinished chess games, and potted plants (that for some reason a certain knight seemed to take a liking to). You tiptoed over to one of the plush seats and sat down, melting into the fabric and grabbing a pillow. Your body was beyond exhausted, but your mind was still racing far too fast for any hope of sleep. You'd been tossing and turning for hours, but recent events replaying in your mind had kept sleep from taking you.
You figured a change in scenery might help because if the last few hours were anything to go by, staying in bed wasn't working. Stargazing was a common occurrence for sleepless nights such as this; you'd always looked to the stars. Even back on your home planet, they'd brought you a sense of comfort. Trailblazing was the best thing that had ever happened to you; the day you departed from your home planet and joined the Express Crew had been the happiest day of your life, but that didn't mean it wasn't without its negatives. Of course you'd never regretted it—the Astral Express was your home and your family now, and you'd choose them again and again, but all ups have their downs.
The recent expedition to the Xianzhou Luofu was so, so tiring. Phantiliya had fooled everyone, and had it not been for the combined efforts of everyone involved, it would have ended catastrophically. Now finally you had some quiet time to yourself, and all the events kept replaying in your mind. Tingyun's neck snapping still sent shivers down your spine; Dan Heng was impaled by Stellaron hunters and was still in his Vidyadhara form, Jing Yuan was recovering from the fight, Kafka and Blade had disappeared without a trace, and it was all so much to process.
Your eyes snapped up to footsteps entering the car. You could recognise Dan Heng's silhouette in the dim starlight anywhere; even with his newly revealed long hair and horns, his presence was still so familiarly his. He hesitated when his eyes fell on your unexpected form.
"What are you still doing up?" You asked, well aware that last you checked it was an ungodly hour of the night, and recalling from the data bank entries you'd scurried to read the minute you got back, Vidyadaras still needed the same amount of sleep as a normal person.
"I couldn't sleep," Dan Heng voiced, "I'm guessing you couldn't either?"
You could hear how tired he was from his voice alone, not to mention the way he moved as he slowly made his way to sit beside you. You shook your head and scooted over to make room for him. He sighed, looking like he had so many things to say yet couldn't find the words for. He continued to stare ahead out at the vast expanse of void that stretched beyond the walls of the train car, and you couldn't help but stare at his face. Those features you had grown to love were so similar, yet so different. His eyes were slightly brighter, and the way his hair fell around his face was different. You'd have kept staring if you didn't notice him shifting uncomfortably, clearly feeling your gaze. A slight blush rose to your cheeks, and you looked away.
"I'm sorry."
You blinked, looking up at him again, not sure if what you'd heard was actually said. The only giveaway was his head tilted slightly in your direction and his eyes flicking nervously between your face and the window.
"For what?" You made a noise of confusion.
"For this." He whispered, gesturing at his appearance, grimacing and slightly curling in on himself. You blinked again, growing ever more confused. Tilting your head, you made a small 'huh,' and he moved his eyes to meet your gaze. "I'm sorry that you had to see me like this; I'm sorry that I didn't show you sooner," he mumbled, hands clenching the fabric of his pants. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I nearly got you all hurt, and it's all his-...and my fault." He hissed that last part with such guilt you knew who he was referring to.
"Dan Heng…" You place a hand on his, and he brings his gaze to meet yours. "It's not your fault; you're not him… and what happened on the Xianzhou wasn't your fault." He opens his mouth to argue, but you continue, "None of us hold it against you for hiding this form too. You had a good reason, and everyone on the Express has secrets." You trail off, having a quick mental debate before settling on slowly raising your hand to cup his jaw, giving him enough time to move away or stop you if he felt uncomfortable. He stiffened under your touch but soon relaxed, and you swore it felt like he leaned into the warmth of your hands. "I for one, love this form," you say, moving another hand up to cup his face in both hands now. "I think you look very pretty." He barely seemed to register your words but once he'd processed them, he spoke again.
"You… like it?" Dan Heng's soft voice sounded so ashamed yet the way his gaze shifted hopefully up to yours made you want nothing more than to cuddle him and love him until he saw himself the way you saw him. You gently pulled his face closer to yours and gave him a kiss on the nose. A blush rose to his cheeks immediately, and his eyes widened, glancing at your lips before back to your eyes. The tips of his ears reddened even more as he brought his own hands up to your face, mirroring your touch. He leaned in slowly, inching closer until you could feel his breath on your lips.
"May I kiss you?" He breathed, and when you nodded, he brought his lips to your own, softly kissing you. You marvelled at the softness of his lips, finally feeling complete after so long spent pining over him. You'd been crushing on him for almost the whole time you'd been on the Express; something about him had lured you in, and you'd fallen in love with everything about him. From his looks to his softness, his intelligence, and his protective side, always looking out for you and March. You parted for air, and you gazed up at him, his perfect lips wet and pink, the blush covering his nose, the heavy breathing, you soaked in the moment, engraving this memory into your mind.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." You say, giggling a little at how much blush has taken over his face.
"Me too," he says, resting his forehead against yours. A small smile made its way to his lips, and you swear you're staring straight at heaven. You finally feel the tug of tiredness pull at your brain and sleepily rest your body against Dan Heng's. He wraps an arm around you, and you manage to murmur a small 'I love you' before sleep takes over. He smiles, looking down at you with adoring eyes as he covered you with his jacket.
"Rest well..."
"I love you too.”