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Marriage had never crossed Dan Heng’s mind.
Even now with Caelus present in his life, he hadn’t seriously thought about it. Well he did have some fleeting daydreams—a distant imagery of him and Caelus tying the knot, and honestly it sounded so appealing that it almost made him drop on his one knee on broad day in the front of the man of his dreams.
But since he was a man known for enormous self-restraint he was able save himself from the impending humiliation, though barely. Yet there are times where his desires get the best of him that Dan Heng lets himself indulge on such fantasies for a second more.
However, he’s being tested and it was a losing battle for him.
Currently, they’re in Belobog. They were invited to Seele and Bronya’s engagement party. Contrary to the majority’s expectation, there was no grand ball, it was rather small get together—simple and elegant on its own—it was intimate as only friends and family were invited to the special occasion.
Upon their arrival, they immediately congratulated the newly engaged couple, after that the group dispersed and he and Caelus were left on their own. Of course, the two of them had their own share of fun that night, time to time some of their common friends passed by their own table to greet and chat with them but most of the time it was just the two of them.
As the night deepens, the couple decided to end the night with a short toast. Everybody immediately pays attention to the Bronya and Seele, as Bronya taps her glass with a small spoon.
And as he listens to them talk, his sight blurs and suddenly it was different picture in front of him. Because instead of Bronya and Seele, what he sees in the front were him and Caelus instead. Donning the finest tuxedoes and looking so content standing side by side yet equally craving for more of the other. In their fingers wraps a ring—forged from their honest devotion and promises.
‘I want that.’ A part of him yearns as Bronya and Seele ends their speech with a quick peck on the lips, which resulted to Bronya flushing red and Seele looking at her like she hung the stars. Then, she gently raises Bronya’s hand to her lips and kisses the finger encircled by the ring that binds them to-an awaiting eternity. This earned cheers from the crowd and a fondest look from Bronya.
Yet, Dan Heng doesn’t cheer; he thickly swallows and looks to his side. And as if sensing him, Caelus meets his gaze like he always does.
They share a look, a connection—he desires.
I want that.
Ever since that night, Dan Heng has been spending his time researching. Picking out the best time and place was the easiest since he got the Data Bank to help him out. When he told the crew—minus Caelus—about his plans, all of them agreed. Some of them chiming out suggestions that could make the special day even more extra special. March even goes out of her way offering her time on helping him out pick a ring.
And that’s where the dilemma lies.
Dan Heng knew picking out a ring is hard. But he never expected it to be this hard.
There are countless of stores littered in the galaxy, selling the most expensive and exquisite jewelry. It’s not that he was short on cash; in fact he doesn’t mind spending billions of credits just for a ring. The problem is somehow with the array of options, he can’t find the perfect ring.
March and he spend most of their time reading and reviewing catalogs, visiting various shops that ends with disappoint and fruitless endeavor. Their eyes and legs grew tired from all the searching, and while he did found some winning candidates, somehow it doesn’t satisfy him enough.There’s a constant itch in his mind telling him to look for more—look out for something perfect and worthy to display on Caelus’ hand. And that’s what keeps driving Dan Heng on his hunt.
Out of pure luck and coincidence, Caelus is mostly absent from train. Herta had taken the perfect opportunity to whisk him away to test out some new update on the Simulated Universe. It made the searching much more bearable as he doesn’t need to lie through his teeth to justify his sudden behavior.
And as much as he wants to accompany his lover, Dan Heng got other things to prioritize.
“Well…?” March drawls, expectantly looking between him and the ring clipped between his fingers. Dan Heng hums, twisting and turning under the shop’s light, then he pauses, eyeing the jade implanted in the center of the metal band.
He sighs and drops his hand with a shake of his head; a frustrated groan can be heard from March.
“Not this one.”
He immediately turns his heels walks towards the exit.
“This is the fifth store already!” March whines as she trudges behind him, she drags her exhausted legs and feet to their next and sixth store of the day.
He still got time and he’s going to find that ring.
The day of his planned proposal is looming over his back. And Dan Heng is running out of options.
At this point, Dan Heng is starting to consider buying his second option—a silver band, there were no gems imbed to it, it’s surface was rather plain and smooth, and Dan Heng plans to take advantage on it through customizing it himself by engraving a single word that would remind Caelus of him.
He’s still debating whether a common word will suffice or a sort of code would be better. While it was a decent backup plan to fall into, Dan Heng is still determined to look for that perfect ring.
March had already given up accompanying him store to store, citing that ‘A cute girl like me deserves rest.’ And settled on a more layback job of sending him intel through chats and calls. Dan Heng doesn’t fault her for that, because he too is growing tired. Despite his perseverance, there’s doubt and uncertainty whispering on his ear, telling him that he would never find that perfection he so desires.
Honestly, he was a one step away from believing in that. Perfection is rather a broad and complex concept. Someone’s perfection can be someone’ mediocrity; he knew that his dearest star would appreciate whatever he will give to him, even if it was trash, Caelus would still adore and treasure it nonetheless, because he was that kind of person.
And that’s the reason why Dan Heng continues searching, because he believes that someone like Caelus deserves it.
That Caelus deserves to be gifted perfection like he was.
Everything falls apart.
Dan Heng regretfully returns empty-handed from his bounty. He got his ring customize and all, he had also invited Caelus to watch the meteor shower on the planet Veutera in which where he plans to propose. He had extended the invitation, like he was inviting him out on their usual dates and not some absolutely life-changing events of their lives.
Caelus, oblivious, agrees.
He started babbling out of excitement, then upon realizing how clueless he was to their destination; he begins firing question upon questions about the said planet and meteor shower. Dan Heng indulges him, answering his star with a phrase or two trying not to spoil the moment.
Everything goes on accord and the rest of the crew is as excited as them; March and Himeko were discreetly sending knowing smiles to his way whenever he’s with Caelus. Welt, joins the fray in his own fashion, asking Caelus and Dan Heng their expectation about the trip over the breakfast table—it was an innocent question but Dan Heng knows that there’s another implication on his tone.
They were 24 hours away when everything starts to crumble.
As they were readying themselves to depart from Herta’s Space Station, Himeko’s attention was called by Herta’s puppet.
She was gone for 3 hours straight before returning to the train with a sullen look.
Dan Heng immediately knows that there is something amiss just by seeing her face.
She explained to them that Herta has found an anomaly on Kaphapus—the planet has been eroding in an alarming rate, based on the initial investigation it was caused by a Stellaron activity; however Herta suspects that it wasn’t case. She wants them to solve the problem immediately and identify the culprit behind the planet’s deteriorating health.
Dan Heng inwardly winces as he can’t excuse himself and Caelus from the mission.
The Astral Express needs every available hand and Dan Heng and Caelus wasn’t the type to turn their back from their family over a meteor shower that they could easily see on their travels.
Himeko looks apologetic, particularly to him. He reassured her with a weak shake of his head and a smile. It wasn’t her fault, it was unforeseen event, something neither she nor he has control.
Everybody prepares to fight, Pom-pom waddles to control room to change the coordinates.
He sighs, while he tries to deny it, it was evident that he was disappointed to the outcome. He feels a squeeze on his shoulder making him look to the side, it was Caelus. He looks normal but with the how his shoulders slump it betrays his real emotion. He’s disappointed too like him, both of them missing something important.
Seeing this, Dan Heng makes a decision.
He had already gone this far and he wasn’t just going to give up. There might be some changes to his original plans but Dan Heng is a man who easily adapts to his terrain.
He got love, he still got the ring, and he’s going to propose one way or another.
Proposing under the battlefield might be romantic after all.
Proposing under the battlefield wasn’t romantic after all.
As per Herta’s analysis, the planet’s collapse was in fact not cause by the stellaron, rather by a beast. Dealing with monsters and beast was not an unfamiliar game to them; they constantly danced with them along their travels. What makes this particular beast difficult is that that the beast itself is the powerhouse of the planet.
According to the legends, the beast was the Kaphapus origin. It was said that the planet was once a barren of life, a pure sphere of nothingness; however it was change when the said beast suddenly appeared to this lifeless land and eventually gave birth to its fauna and flora, stimulating life and civilization.
However, the balance in the planet has been disturb when foreign entities started taking the planet’s resource—they started small that has almost to no impact on the planet, but the demand in the market kept increasing so they maximize the production to match.
This eventually dwindle the resource, and like a stack of dominoes tipped by motion, one by one everything collapses.
Eventually, the disruption reaches the core of the planet where the beast has been slumbering for eons. And like a mother who had heard the cries of her children, she awakens and retaliates.
And retaliation came with no mercy. The beast has been exuding thick goo of black mud from its body, drowning her enemies that come across their path. And they spare no one, as the beast doesn’t bat an eye when their creations were also being affected by their rampage.
The beast was halfway through, when the Astral Express finally arrives. Welt had used the Star of Eden to vacuum as much goo as possible, but it seemed useless as the beast continuously expel endless supply of that goo.
After a beat, Himeko comes up with a plan.
Dan Heng transformed into Imbibitor Lunae, summoning a big water dragon to assault the rampaging mother beast. Caelus joins him, wielding his lance and shielding Dan Heng when the beast fights back. He was so focused on protecting Dan Heng that he had left himself so open that the beast had taken advantage of his vulnerability.
Dan Heng was parrying attacks when he sees a stray projectile rocketing towards Caelus, without thinking twice, Dan Heng pushes Caelus to safety, his sudden movement cause a momentary disruption on his metal link with the water dragon.
The water dragon mindlessly sways for a moment which made Dan Heng and Caelus lose their footing. In the corner of his eye, he sees something fall from him.
And that where Dan Heng notices less bulk on his robe; he looks down and there he sees the velvet box falling.
Dan Heng feels his heart drop and cracks, a part of his soul was whisk away; all of his memories of hard work came rushing to his brain, flashing so quickly on his eyes. Out of mind, Dan Heng prepares to leap, so ready to retrieve the box that has been dropped like a quarter on a vast sea. He watches it get swallowed by a big wave, never rising back to the surface.
A strong hand pulls him just in time as he was a step away from plunging to his doom; Dan Heng was so ready to lash out to the person who stopped him. But then he sees it was a frantic Caelus, his heart doesn’t soften.
“Are you crazy?!” Caelus screams as tears gather on his eyes, he holds Dan Heng on tight grip, scared that once he let go, Dan Heng would jump back and really fall this time.
Dan Heng just shakes his head, trying to gather his thoughts but failing. He looks back to the sea below them, hoping to see a miracle.
No small patch of rich red was in sight.
“What was that?!”
Dan Heng looks back to Caelus, swallowing the shards of his broken heart that rose from his chest. “…nothing.”
Dan Heng knows that he should be happy; they managed to avert an impending doom of a planet. But he just can’t.
He can’t find it himself to be happy when it’s because of his carelessness that he lose everything.
The only thing he’s been happy about was that he was able to save Caelus from getting hurt but it wasn’t enough to alleviate his disappointment and frustrations to himself. After making sure that everything is under control, Dan Heng excuses himself from the Parlor Car. He didn’t even wait for Caelus to join him and he just walk out of the room and lock himself in the Archives.
He continued wallowing there; he used the Data Bank as an outlet for his frustrations, but it seems that it got an opposite effect on him because when clicks or type something wrongly he just gets more upset than ever.
Aeons, why did he think that it was a good idea to bring the ring along with him; he could’ve just left it here in the archive where it’s safe. If he did, then by now he’s already proposing to Caelus, by now he should be hearing him say yes, and by now they should be happy and celebrating to the next stage of their lives.
By now--, Dan Heng slams the tablet on the table when he makes a typo again. This isn’t like him, he was the most rational one, and he should know by now how to control his feelings, that was what he has been doing from the beginning. He had dealt many setbacks that also made him feel this same and he was able to quench those fires immediately, isn’t this one similar to those events? So what the difference?
‘Because it’s about his Caelus.’ His mind helpfully, unhelpfully supplies.
Of course, because it’s Caelus.
While the other members of the Astral Express can also evoke such emotion from him, it’s different when it comes to Caelus. Caelus makes him feel intense emotions—something he struggles to express or at most he suppresses. He doesn’t know what exactly Caelus did to him, or if he did something at all, but he only knows that Caelus makes him feel something, something more than he already deserves.
“Dan Heng…?” a quiet call makes Dan Heng look over his shoulder, there he sees Caelus standing on the doorway of the Archives. He straightens his back and faces him properly.
“Do you need something?” he asks tiredly.
Caelus walks to him, concern evident with the frown on his face. “Are you okay? Is this because of what happened earlier?”
“Yes, I was just scared that I might lose you…That’s all.” Dan Heng half-lies, but his answer doesn’t pacify Caelus, as the man moves forward crossing his boundaries. “No, I don’t think it’s just that.” He shakes his head.
“There’s something more to it, I can feel it.”
“Dan Heng, you look so ready to jump just to catch something. I saw,” he puts emphasis on saw with his tone and a hand gesture. “I saw something slipped out of your clothes. You said it’s nothing, but I knew it wasn’t.”
“Dan Heng, I thought we were partners. You can tell everything to me, please talk to me.”
Dan Heng remains quiet, hoping to end the conversation there but with the way Caelus is looking at him---so determined to pry him open for answers, Dan Heng know he has no escape, so he surrenders. “I was going to propose to you.”
There was a soft gasp. “You do?”
“Yes. “He confirms, looking away from the interrogating eyes. “I was supposed to ask you on Veutera, during the meteor shower.”
“I got you a ring, but…” he swallows the lump forming in his throat. “It wasn’t the one I like you to have, because it wasn’t perfect. But there wasn’t enough time to find you one, so I got you that one but then…”
“We have to leave for Kaphapus, and I thought I could propose to you there instead. But I can’t,” Dan Heng began whispering, his voice suddenly hoarse “but I can’t, because I lost the ring.”
“Dan Heng…” Caelus cups his face, his thumbs wiping something from his cheeks that he belatedly realizes was tears.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t give you the perfect proposal you deserve. I’m sorry that you have to experience it this way. I’m sorry that you have me loving you.”
“Don’t say that.” Caelus hisses. “Dan Heng I don’t care where you propose to me, you can ask me out in the garbage dump and I will still say yes. No proposal or ring is perfect, if it didn’t came from you. And besides…”
He let go of Dan Heng’s face and began rummaging through the pockets of his coat. Dan Heng feels his heart accelerating at Caelus’ implication. Aeons, could it be…?
When Caelus found what he’s looking for, he pulls it out. Dan Heng already expects, but seeing it between his own eyes it still feels surreal. Resting on Caelus’ glove palms is a red velvet box, he doesn’t need to open it to see that there’s a ring waiting for him to wear it.
Dan Heng looks at Caelus unbelieving, but the man just smiles radiantly then he envelopes his around it. If his heart could go any faster, then it would. The beat of heart is loudly pounding against his ears, everything sounds so mute expect for their mingling breathes and heart. But his heart stops—not in elation but in brief heartache when Caelus tosses the velvet box behind his back.
The box lands with a thud before a metallic clinking bounces and rolls against the floor.
Dan Heng looks flabbergasted, extremely confused to what happen, is this Caelus’ way of rejecting him?
Then to confuse him more, Caelus pulls a red ribbon he used as a bookmark on one of his books. He grabs his left hand and ties the end of the ribbon on his ring finger, and then he ties the other end on his.
He smiles lovingly, and Dan Heng feels crying even more “I don’t need fancy meteor shower or rings to marry you. I don’t need priest to witness our love. The space can be our cathedral and the Aeons can bless us---heck, I’ll even invite AHA if it means I can be with you.”
“I don’t need anything else except you and this string, Dan Heng will you take me?”
Dan Heng leans; this is the perfection he’s been looking for.
”Yes, I do.”
They kissed.