Work Text:
Post luofu and wardance, theyre back on the express.
It's night and after Dan Heng hears knocking on his door he opens it.
"May I come in?"
Without saying anything at first, he let Stelle in.
"Did something happen?"
"Dan Heng, we're the only ones awake currently so you don't have to keep up with predenting that what happened didn't touch you and no matter how many times you'll tell me to not worry about you I still will. Please, be honest with me, are you really, really ok?"
He saw pure concern in her eyes and heard it in her voice. He closes his eyes and there's only silence for about a minute for him to eventually let out a silent
"No."
She knew this from the moment they stood before the schackling prison, hearing how his voice broke. But back then he would insist that he's okay and to not worry about him. But now when he opened to her and admitted the truth, she couldn't describe how she felt.
"If you're okay with it, I want to sleep here with you this night, after all what happenned-
I don't want for you to be alone at night, you care about me and i care about you"
This touched him, he felt like he can be vulnerable with her.
"And not only I but the whole crew"
He wanted to hug her, to feel heat of her body - an opposite from Schackling Prisons temperature, to feel that she's really here but he also couldn't bring himself to do it. When this monster attacked them even if for mere seconds he hugged her and he wanted to feel it again.
Suddenly he feels her hands on both of his arms.
"Hey, calm down, there's no need to overthink right now."
He really wanted to feel the warmth of her body now, but he had no idea how to initate it.
"If there's anything i can help you with I'll be more than glad to."
"I-"
She wasn't making it easy for him, and neither was the fact that the girl who stood before him was the one he fell for. Eventually he was slowly trying to embrace her, when he was about to give up she realized his intentions and squeezed him tightly - which he reciprocated. In the meanwhile she was whispering to him reasurring words to calm him down. The hug lasted so long that he realized that Stelle has felt asleep in the meantime and he wasn't sure what to do now - she felt asleep standing. Fortunally for him (but not for her), when he tried to move he accidentally woke her up.
"*Yawn* shall we actually go to sleep?"
She woke up in the middle on the night, his tail was all wrapped around her and he was hugging her tightly in his sleep. However - it seemed like he had a nightmare right now, his whole body was trembling and was covered in sweat. She immediantly tried waking him up and fortunally she succeeded.
Even after he woke up he still shivered and his breath was uneven. Once he calmed down he realized not only how close to Stelle he was, but also how his tail was wrapped all around her. Seeing this he immediantly retracted his tail and got some distance from her.
"Im so-"
"Don't be."
There was this uncomfortable moment of silence.
"Excuse me, I have to wash myself."
When he got under the shower, he again was overthinking everything.
Over half an hour passed till he finally got back to his room and Stelle was still here, patiently waiting for him to come back. As he sat back on his futon he didn't know what to say or do, there was only this uncomfortable silence.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Terrified. I never wanted to be back at this place even if im not the one being in cell.
How do you feel? You asked me but I haven't asked you after we got back."
"I can't explain it and I honestly don't know."
"...Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes, allowing me to help you and being more open with me."
He was very unsure of his next movement but he was so tired and sleepy that he didn't care anymore and put his head on her shoulder. She started stroking his scalp and without him realizing he started purring and even his tail appeared. It got her by a suprise but she didn't stop until he felt asleep - when it happenned she laid herself (with his head still on her shoulder) down and did the same.
When she woke up - finally at an apprioprate time it seemed like Dan Heng was still asleep, his head in the same place as previously. Seeing him comfortable made her so happy that she got a bit too confident by giving him a lil kiss on his forehead. He was asleep, why wouldn't she?
He started staring at her with big eyes.
Oh well it seemed like he wasn't asleep at all!
When she was about to run away and apologize he grasped her wrist. Then she looked at his face and to her suprise - there were no signs of anger, discomfort etc.
"Aren't you mad?"
That's when he gave her back a lil kiss on forehead.
"Why would I be?"
After which he grabbed her chin.
Stelle.exe stopped working. Maybe it was her who was still asleep at the moment? Because that felt like a dream.
"Are you doing this only because i comforted you this night?"
"Im doing this because I wanted this for so long."
She let a light chuckle escape.
"Is this your way of saying 'I love you'?"
It was now when she realized that she should think before speaking, if she misunderstood it all there was no hope for her.
He got his hand back to himself. There was really no hope left for her. She wanted to dissapear. She was so ashamed.
...Until he unexpectantly grabbed her waist and distance between their faces was just a few inches.
That's when she closed her eyes and let the magic happen, it has been rough but there was passion from both sides, it ended only because of lack of oxygen.
"This? yes."