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When Kafka had appeared to ask for the Trailblazers help Caelus didn’t know what to think. This woman had brought him into this world, bound him to a Stellaron and left. He should be mad or even confused but none of that is what he felt, the burning of bile of something close to fear boiled in his throat.
It stuck inside of his mouth as she showed them a hologram of the man they were supposed to save. Something twisted in his stomach, nothing of it felt like a good idea and Dan Heng wasn’t here to talk sense into his slowly building panic.
When the spider motif wearing woman finally disconnected the call between them, Caelus had almost dropped right then and there to the ground. He wanted nothing to do with anything of that woman, he never wanted to see her again.
When they had informed Dan Heng of what had happened he had asked to hear the playback of what had occurred and he had stared in acute horror at the man that Kafka asked them to save.
“No way, we cannot risk going to the Xianzhou Luofu with him on board.”
Welt and Himeko had shared a glance while Caelus and March had dragged the dark haired man to the couch after watching his legs start shaking. “You know him from your past don’t you?” March looked at him sadly while slowly bringing the man into her arms to comfort him.
“Let's leave them alone for a while.”
None of the three had heard Himeko speak to Welt and Pom Pom as she ushered them out to let the trio have privacy. “... I do.” Dan Heng’s voice was somewhat shaky as if he was replaying memories from his past while only being semi present with the two by his side.
“Do you wanna tell us or just sit here for a bit to calm down?” March brushed her fingers through Dan Hengs hair as he rested his head in her lap finally while Caelus moved his legs to go over his lap and scoot closer, making sure the older two were comfortable. “He was someone dear to me that I committed a grave sin for.”
Green-Grey eyes slipped shut. “A sin he never wanted to be a part of.” His breath hitched as he crossed an arm over his eyes and March and Caelus shared a look before letting Dan Heng relax in the fingers gliding through his hair and the hand rubbing his shin with fingers drawing no coherent shapes.
“I betrayed him and he wants to kill me for it.” Dan Heng took a deep breath before his arm dropped back off the side of the couch away from his face and the ice and fire users could see the tears pricking at his eyes.
Silence fell on them before Caelus spoke. “You loved him, didn't you?” A soft smile crossed his face. “You did everything you thought was right didn’t you?” Dan Heng sat up, rubbing away the tears while he got sandwiched between the younger two.
“I did. I tried everything before my gravest sin to fix what was happening… what happened in the end was just a culmination of the worst case scenario of things.” Taking a deep breath Dan Heng slumped his elbows onto his knees as he leaned forward, hiding his face.
“I suppose you could call him my ex-lover in the simplest of terms.” Neither of the two sitting on his side made any move to question him or move. “Those days of him and I are long past us now, but I still want him to know how sorry I am.” With the shaking of Dan Hengs shoulders it was easy enough to see how his thoughts were taking a toll on the wind user and the two by his side both placed a hand on his back before March spoke next.
“We can always find him to give him that final apology if you want.” March’s voice broke the silence in the room before Dan Heng slowly lifted his head and shook it. “He’s too dangerous now and won’t listen to me. The second he sees me he’ll try to kill me.”
A hum from the bow user as she looked out the express windows before leaning forward and locking eyes with Dan Heng. “We’ll just have to make him listen then right?”
Her grin was so bright that Dan Heng could feel his heart skip a beat as she looked at him with pure conviction. “Right so we’ll help out the Xianzhou Luofu and look for Dan Heng’s old ‘friend’, help him apologize and if the guy doesn’t want to listen we’ll beat it into him!” She raised her fists in front of her before pumping one into the air, still the same shining grin on her face, that made Caelus smile at her enthusiasm before his gold eyes turned back to Dan Heng who sat there in shock as he realized just what exactly she was proposing.
“W-Wait we can’t-” “Nope~! This is something you need, Dan Heng.” March interrupted Dan Heng’s objections. Caelus let out a small chuckle at Marchs antics before opening his mouth to put in his own two cents about the suggestion. “This will eat you alive and continue to eat you alive as long as you live, Dan Heng. You need to see him and speak to him to get that closure even if he doesn’t react the way you want him to.”
Dan Heng’s tense body seemed to sag as he shut his eyes, turning to face forward again as he sighed. “You're correct, but still I’m… not exactly allowed back on the Xianzhou Luofu… legally at least.” March’s cheery demeanor hit a snag as well as Caelus’s brain slamming into a wall. “Wait Dan Heng are.. Are you like a criminal??” March gasped out and grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
“I- um Yes. I broke a few and was banished from the Xianzhou Luofu for the rest of my life.” Caelus’s hands gripped his pants as March ceased her shaking and just rested her hands on the dark brunettes shoulders. “That makes this all so much more difficult… hmm I bet I could make a hood or a mask or something to hide your identity but we’d still have to be super careful.”
“Still entertaining this idea I don’t think you understand-” March put a hand over his mouth cutting him off. “No, I understand enough. This is something you didn’t know you needed and like the good friends we are, Caelus and I will help you do it even if we have to drag you with us to do so.” Dan Heng made a face and looked away. “I-I…” March pulled him into a hug before glancing at Caelus behind Dan Heng and making grabby hands at him to get him to move closer and when he was within reach she grabbed onto his coat and hauled him into Dan Hengs back to complete the hug, her fingertips barely reaching Caelus’s shoulderblades through the extra person as she slid them under Caelus’s arms.
Dan Heng was tense between them before sagging into the sandwich hug as Caelus wrapped his own arms around the both of them.
“I-If you do this I don’t want either of you to leave my side. The whole time we’re there. Understand?” His voice was wound tight but March let out a small laugh. “We’ll stick to you like glue! You won’t be able to get rid of us the whole time we’re there!” Caelus let out his own laugh before speaking. “That goes the same for you. We’ll be with one another the whole way from start to finish, no questions.”
Dan Heng could feel Caelus’s voice echo through his chest into his own from how closely pressed they were and he could feel March let out another bubblier laugh from his front causing his flushing face to start to deepen into a harsher red, not that either of the two causing him to flush would see his face from how he pressed it into March’s shoulder to hide.
“Guess I’m going to the Xianzhou Luofu.”
Those words would come to haunt them all.