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teaberrii · 1 year

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Chapter 22: Yours

You've been Cupid for as long as you can remember. You've brought countless soulmates together, yet you've never found love.

When you're assigned to bring two childhood friends back together, it should be simple until you unexpectedly catch feelings for the mysterious and cold Ph.D. student, Dan Heng, the man with a soulmate… the man with answers to your past.

Dan Heng/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Stelle couldn’t forget about the man who saved her.

She’d left the house after another fight with her brother about Jing Yuan that day. Stelle didn’t understand why her brother was so dedicated to him. There was something Caelus wasn’t telling her, and the only excuse he gave was that he was protecting both of them. But Stelle didn’t buy it. Caelus was a delivery boy, a job he’d taken up as an easy way to get into the palace. The siblings had agreed that it would be a way to find out what happened to their mother, but Stelle felt her brother got caught up in something dangerous.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the broken tree trunk that was struggling to hold itself up. In a stroke of bad luck, it struck her when it fell.

“You must’ve been imagining things,” Caelus had said when she told him about the mysterious man who had saved her.

“I wasn’t! Why won’t you believe me?”

“You’re only hurting yourself if you get involved with them.”

“I’d rather get involved with them than magic,” she muttered.

Caelus rolled his eyes. "If what you told me is true, he used magic to help me find you."

Stelle crossed her arms as she changed the topic. “Why have you been spending so much time with the general at the palace? Why is he teaching you so much about magic? That’s not what you should be doing. You’re supposed—”

“...To find out what happened to our mother,” Caelus said, not looking at her. “And that is what I’m doing.” When he looked at her again, Stelle had never seen such a cold look in her brother’s eyes before. “I used to think how our lives would improve if we had more money… more power. But, a simple life is best, Stelle.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The people who rule our nation don’t deserve what they have. They’re criminals. All of them.”

Before she could say anything else, her brother had left.

Stelle stopped. She’d been thinking about her brother’s words when she realized she had wandered back to the same place where she saw the mysterious man.

Would she ever see him again?

As soon as Stelle opens the door, she sees March.

“Heya!” March holds up the takeout she promised to get before coming over. “Hope you’re hungry!” Stelle steps aside and March walks into the empty house. She looks around. “No one’s home?”

“Dad’s at work,” Stelle says. “...Luocha hasn’t been visiting lately.”

March puts the takeout on the counter. “No wonder you called me over. I was thinking you were spending time with him or something.”

“You make it sound like I’m using you.” Stelle hugs her friend. “I missed you, too!”

March laughs. “I know, I know. I’m just kidding!”

Soon, they’re sitting across from each other at the dining room table with a plate of food in front of them. After catching each other up on what’s been happening in their lives, March asks, “Have you heard anything from Caelus?”

“...Not recently.” Stelle picks up a French fry. “But… I dreamt about him yesterday night.”

“Oh, gosh. Don’t tell me it was a premonition.”

“I don’t know, but we were fighting about something.” Stelle sighs. “I didn’t really understand it.”

March waves her hand dismissively while holding a chicken nugget. “Ah, I wouldn’t worry about it. People have weird dreams all the time.”

“I guess.”

March bites into her chicken nugget. “Or… is there a reason why you’re so hung up on it?”

“Well… after I woke up, I suddenly wanted to see Dan Heng.”

“Aw, well, call him up! I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.” March takes a sip of her juice. “Do you know he’s dating Cupid?”

“Officially?”

“Mhmm! He kissed her head and everything! I never thought Dan Heng would be so open about affection.” When Stelle says nothing, March continues, “Is… something wrong?”

“No. Why?”

“Well… I thought you’d be asking a lot of questions. This is Dan Heng we’re talking about! His first official girlfriend! A little late... but hey, better late than never."

Stelle chuckles softly. "Honestly... I never thought Dan Heng would date.”

March almost chokes on her food. “What? What made you think that?”

“He was just always so… I don’t know… indifferent to dating.”

“Yeah… that’s true.” March shrugs. “But aren’t we all like that until we meet that special someone?”

Stelle bites into her hamburger. “Didn’t you say you’re all going on a trip?”

“Yup. You're coming, right?” March gently kicks her friend underneath the table. “Oh, c’mon, Stelle.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t coming.”

March smiles. “Good. You’d better get packing then!”

◆◆◆

You get a text that morning from Dan Heng that he’s going to see Caelus. You know he's going alone, but you still joke that you’ll miss him while he’s gone. You expect him to flirt back, but his serious response catches you off guard.

Dan Heng: It’s best if I go alone.

You’re still looking at your phone when Pom, sitting across from you, looks up from the food he’s eating.

“Something wrong?”

You put your phone down. “It’s nothing.”

Pom continues staring at you. Then, he looks at your phone. “First couple fight?”

“Why are you smiling?”

Pom laughs. “He’s probably jealous because of what happened yesterday.”

“Jealous?”

"Well, I mean… You had your hand over a guy's naked chest, and he was flirting with you. Dan Heng's a saint, if you ask me." You think back to yesterday night. Dan Heng had never shown any sign he was jealous. He was his usual quiet self, so you never thought anything was wrong. "I know we're supposed to be getting on better terms with Jing Yuan, but he was in love with you, wasn't he? It's totally possible his old feelings are coming back."

“And I thought he was talking about Young,” you say quietly.

“Young?”

"Did you hear what Jing Yuan said about Young? He doesn't believe he's really gone."

Pom looks at the locket around your neck. "I do remember that once we open that thing... it'll set him free. So, yeah, I don't doubt that." Pom leans forward. "Hey... If Young appeared in front of you right now and asked you to go to the afterlife with him, would you?"

You give Pom a deadpan look. "That's impossible."

"It's totally possible!" Pom points toward your locket. "He's probably sitting in that thing just waiting for his chance."

You sigh. "Anyway, I have a feeling we’ll have to make a choice.” You tap your fingers against the table. “The past, the present, the future… I feel like time’s finally catching up to us.”

Pom leans back. “Y’know… we’ve been together for so long.” He looks at you with a slightly sad smile. “What if we end up making different choices?”

“I think I like you better when you’re not asking the hard questions.”

Pom chuckles. “Fine. Then, let me say that poor Dan Heng really has his work cut out for him. He needs to worry about two men from the past. One who seems like he’s rizzing his girlfriend, and the other is his past self who may or may not want to take his girlfriend back with him to… wherever that may be.” Pom sighs dramatically. “Gosh, Cupid. Tell me your secret to getting all the good-looking men. Or, do you just naturally have main character energy?

You raise a brow. “Rizz? Main character energy?” Pom picks up his phone. Soon, he shows you the meaning of the slang terms. You slowly clap. “I don’t know whether to be more impressed that you know how to use a phone so well or you’re very up with the times with your vocab.”

Pom smiles proudly. “Why not both?” Your phone dings with a message. You and Pom glance at the screen, and he smiles. “You know… You could use his jealousy to your advantage.”

“Oh, no,” you deadpan as you stand. “I’m not going to listen to your crazy ideas.”

“Fiiine.” Then, he waves you off. “Don’t have too much fun on your swimsuit shopping date.”

You smile. “Oh, I will.”

After you put the dirty dishes in the kitchen, you’re out the door.

It doesn’t take you long to meet Dan Heng at one of the biggest malls in the city. You catch him standing near the entrance but when you start getting closer, you see that he’s on the phone and hear a little of the conversation.

There’s a pause before he continues, “...I understand, Stelle.” You’re slowly walking up to him now, a little curious at what he’s talking about with Stelle. “I’ll come over tonight.”

You freeze. He’ll go over… to her house… tonight? You don’t want to jump to conclusions, but that’s just suspicious and—

“You’re here.” You snap out of your thoughts when you hear Dan Heng’s voice and feel his hand in yours.

“Ah… Yeah. I just got here.” You awkwardly clear your throat. “Um… I heard you talking on the phone with Stelle. Is everything okay?”

“She wanted to get together with everyone for game night.”

“Game night?” you ask as you and Dan Heng enter the mall.

“It used to be a tradition,” Dan Heng explains. “The five of us would get together on Friday nights to play games together.”

“I guess she wants to bring that back.”

“She wants to take her mind off of Calelus.”

You can understand that Stelle must be worried and lonely. But, still. You tighten your grip on Dan Heng’s hand. “How is he, by the way? Is he… getting better?” It might be a stupid question, but you think you should ask anyway considering your progress with patching things up with Jing Yuan.

“The curse is still spreading." Does this mean the theory about you letting go of your hatred is wrong? Then, as if reading your mind, Dan Heng says, “...You and Jing Yuan are still patching things up. It’s too early to say we’re right or wrong.”

“...Did Caelus remember anything about Stelle?”

There’s a slight pause before Dan Heng says, “Apparently, she met Young more than once.”

“You’re going to what?” Stelle stepped in front of the door, blocking her brother from leaving the house. “Jing Yuan is turning you into a murderer! Why… Why would you want to kill—”

Caelus put a hand over her mouth. “You don’t need to announce it to the world, Stelle. Keep your voice down.”

She slapped his hand away. “Then, explain how killing someone has to do with finding out what happened to—”

“Mom was killed!”

Stelle’s eyes widened. “W-What?”

“I didn’t want to tell you,” Caelus muttered. “But you’re leaving me with no choice.”

“Killed? By who? By—”

“The night she was taken away… She was brought to the palace to become the king’s concubine.” Stelle was shaking as Caelus finally told her everything he knew about their mother. “I hate the royal family, Stelle. I’m going to kill them all. I want to make them suffer.”

“But—”

“Young is the princess’s lover.”

Stelle clenched her fists. “...So, you’re going to kill him to make the princess suffer? It's not his fault for what happened to Mom!"

"They are pawns of a bigger scheme. You wouldn't understand."

Caelus didn’t have time to react as a sharp pain shot through his face. His head was turned, and he slowly looked back at Stelle who was glaring at him. “You’ve turned into a monster! My brother… he would never toy with people’s lives like this!”

“...Get out of the way, Stelle.”

“No.”

Caelus narrowed his eyes. “I’ll be fine, Stelle. I’m not the one who’s going to kill him.”

“...You can’t. I… I won’t let you.”

“What’s gotten into you? Why do you care so much?”

“He was the one who saved my life.”

“Are you sure that was even him?” Caelus asked, crossing his arms. “Have you met him besides that one time?”

Then, looking at her brother in the eyes, she said, “I have.”

“Has Young ever mentioned her?” Dan Heng asks.

“No… Not that I can remember.”

Dan Heng notices the conflicted look on your face. Does it bother you that Young might've met Stelle in secret? Or... is it because you don't have all of your memories?

You and Dan Heng walk in silence for a few minutes before coming to a store that exclusively sells swimsuits. You’re looking at one on a mannequin when a woman approaches you.

“Hi! Are you looking for something in particular?”

“Oh, um, not really. Just looking.”

She smiles. “Well, we have a new summer collection that might interest you!” Before you can say anything, she’s already leading you to a large selection near the back. Dan Heng casually follows you. The woman picks out a black two-piece and puts it over your clothes and looks at Dan Heng.

“What does the boyfriend think?” she asks.

Dan Heng isn’t expecting the sudden question, but he still calmly says, “She’ll look good in anything.”

The woman turns back and smiles. “Let’s pick out a few more styles for you to try!”

Soon, with a bunch of different swimsuits and bikinis draped over your arm, you’re on your way to the changing rooms. Dan Heng is waiting outside while the woman goes off to attend to more customers. He’s leaning against the wall when you unlock the door and peek outside.

“Is something wrong?” he asks.

That’s when you fully open the door and reveal a lavender one-shoulder bikini top and a high-rise bottom. You gently pull the top down. When you look up, you think you see a blush on his cheeks… even though he’s looking more to the side.

“You’re not even looking.”

“I am.”

“Gosh, does it look that bad? I—”

That’s when he turns to you. “It looks good.”

Too good.

The top pushes your breasts together making them look even more flattering. The bottoms make your legs look longer while hugging around your curves. Dan Heng thought he’d been prepared for this date, but you found a way to surprise him.

You smile and look down. “Really? Hm... but let's try something else.”

When you close and lock the door, Dan Heng sighs softly, but his heart doesn’t get a break for long. When you open the door again, you step out in a black, O-ring one piece. Dan Heng never thought he’d like seeing you wear dark colours so much.

“What about this one?”

He steps closer to you. “...It looks good.”

You put a hand on your hip. “Don’t tell me you’re going to say that for everything I try on. C’mon, give me some honesty.”

Dan Heng puts one hand on the doorframe and the other on the opposite side. When he leans in, you get a whiff of his cologne and your heart races.

“I like this one better.” Coupled with the way he’s looking at you, you suddenly want to kiss him. “...I’d rather not say more.” The faint blush on his cheeks worsens, and you smile.

“Could it be you like dark colours?”

Dan Heng hears how you’re enjoying teasing him, so he asks, “If we’re talking about what looks good on you”—he leans closer—”you’d look best in all natural colours.”

Is he saying what you think he’s saying? Without any—

Dan Heng stands upright and nods at the other swimwear you’ve yet to try on. “Are you going to try those on?” He looks at you. “Or, have you decided?”

“I’m going to try them on,” you say a little too quickly.

You catch that little mischievous smile before closing the door.

The next time you open the door, you only poke your head out. “...Um, could you help me with the straps?” you ask.

Who is he to say no?

Dan Heng closes and locks the door behind him. He glances at you in the mirror who’s holding the straps of the one-shoulder top together. He puts his hand on yours and you slowly let go to let Dan Heng handle the straps. Is it silly that his occasional touches on your bare skin make you nervous? You’re looking off to the side but when you look back at the mirror, you catch Dan Heng's gaze as he finishes tying the straps. Then, he puts his hands on your shoulders.

With a genuine smile, he says, “This one looks good, too.”

You turn around and put one hand in his hair. When he doesn’t pull away, you kiss him, and he instantly returns it. His thumb runs along the curve of your throat as his body closes the gap between you and him. His hand finds itself in your hair at the nape of your neck, drawing you closer. Warmth and sweetness pour throughout your body as kiss after kiss makes the world melt away around you. You feel a cautious touch on your waist as if he’s asking for permission. You take his hand and put it on the small of your back where you feel it roam upwards until his fingers find the straps again…

Dan Heng is the first to break away. You can see it in his eyes. He’s holding something back.

“...What is it?” you ask breathlessly. You put a hand on his cheek. “Tell me.”

His forehead is against yours as he says, “Your lips. Your kiss. Everything about you… I want them to belong to me… and me alone.” It takes you a moment to realize that your back is now against the wall. The intensity in his eyes is enough to send your nerves on fire. “...You’re my woman.” His lips briefly touch yours; one of his hands is on your outer thigh. “...No one can make you feel the way I make you feel.”

His lips find your neck, and you gasp as he lifts one of your legs. Your arms go around him, holding in the breaths as his hungry, butterfly kisses travel lower… and lower…

“...Dan Heng,” you gasp.

When he kisses just above your breast, he draws a quiet moan. He looks up at you, the blush clear on your cheeks. He dips his head lower and uses his teeth to pull down your top until it reveals what he’s looking for. You’re biting your lower lip as his tongue teases its way around until you feel the warmth of his mouth. You grab onto the hook and with each flick of his tongue, you subconsciously grip it tighter until…

Knock. Knock.

“Hi! Is everything okay in there? Are the sizes okay?”

Dan Heng slowly lets you go, making sure you’re stable. Your mind is still a mess when Dan Heng says, “Everything’s fine.”

Your eyes widen as the woman says, “O-Oh! Okay! That’s good!”

Dan Heng has one of his hands on the wall beside you. Then, quietly, he says, “Seems like I didn’t tie it as tight as I thought.” You’re feeling everything all at once. Desire. Frustration. Happiness. It’s coming in waves that you’re so close to not caring about where you are. You need to feel his touch again; heat courses throughout your body as you remember every sensual movement of his tongue. “...Turn around.”

What is he planning now? You do as you’re told, feeling nervous and… arguably a little excited. However, there aren’t any hidden motives. Instead, Dan Heng helps fix your top. Then, with his hands on your shoulders and a little smirk, he says, “...All done.”

You don’t get a chance to say anything when he unlocks the door. You hear him say something to the woman before stepping out and quickly closing the door behind him.

This isn’t how you imagined your date. You aren’t complaining. You just want more.

It’s late afternoon by the time you and Dan Heng leave the mall. You can’t stop thinking about what happened in the changing room, but are you the only one? Dan Heng hasn't brought it up and shows no sign that he's thinking about it.

Suddenly, he looks at you, and asks, "Is something wrong?”

“...Was what happened in the dressing room about yesterday?”

There's a slight pause. Then, “...I heard what Jing Yuan said.” His gaze lands on the pendant. “I know Young will always have a part of you, but when this is all over… I want to be your future.” Then, as if embarrassed, he looks off to the side. “I didn’t mean to sound so serious.”

You take his hand. “I want to know what happened in the past, but… that’s just it. The past.” Dan Heng looks back at you. “If Jing Yuan’s words left any impression on me, it’s that the future is more important.” You glance down. “I… I don’t know what’s going to happen, but”—you take a small breath and look Dan Heng in the eyes—“I know that no matter what happens, I want to be with you.” You smile. “So… no more being all huffy and puffy about Jing Yuan… or Young.”

Dan Heng leans in to kiss you but stops when his phone suddenly buzzes. When he pulls it out, you see the name on the screen, and you slightly frown. Dan Heng notices and gently pinches your cheek.

“...Who’s the one being all huffy and puffy now?”

You haven’t forgotten about your job. What’s going to happen now that you don’t want to give Dan Heng up to Stelle?

“She knows I’m with you,” Dan Heng says, opening the message. “She wants you and Pom to join us for game night.”

“I bet Pom would agree in a flash.”

“What about you?”

You gently pinch Dan Heng’s nose. “What do you think?”

◆◆◆

The palace grounds were eerily quiet that cloudless night. But if one dared to venture to the underground dungeons, they would hear low growls, snarls, and the sounds of chains striking the ground.

“...What…. What are we going to do with them?” A guard holding a torch finally tore his eyes away from the grisly scene of the undead clawing at the ground, desperate for food. The guard that Luocha bumped into that night and the maid that Jing Yuan's wife had attacked were part of them.

Neither Luocha nor Jing Yuan had an answer. They kept them alive in hopes they would find a cure, but the situation wasn't improving. The curse appeared to be evolving. Even those who hadn't been directly attacked were falling ill, except they didn't turn into monsters. Instead, they were slowly becoming paralyzed.

Time was of the essence.

With the king gone, Jing Yuan and Luocha were now in charge. An announcement was made that anyone who had direct contact with the infected had to come forward. Some people took it seriously. Some didn't. Regardless, the situation had spiralled into chaos.

Misinformation spread like wildfire. With no one unable to identify what in the world this mysterious disease was or a clear source of transmission, everyone was living in absolute terror and trust was slowly becoming a thing of the past.

However, what was truly alarming was the talk between the North and the South.

“...Don’t tell me you’re creating some kind of army.”

Jing Yuan slammed the alcohol on the table. He felt a pang in his heart as he thought about his wife. “They cannot distinguish friend from foe. We are all in danger.”

The King of the South sighed heavily. “Let me get this straight. It's those who have been attacked by the infected are the ones who turn into monsters. However, those who had 'close contact' with the infected are becoming paralyzed?”

“...Perhaps it’s proximity or sharing food, clothing, and other items.”

“...Could we use magic to control the monsters?”

“It’s not about controlling them,” Jing Yuan said, a little baffled that the king he used to serve would propose such a thing. “We need to stop—”

“Think about it, Jing Yuan. They can be used as weapons of war. Humans can finally reign supreme. We can get rid of the human dragons… for good.”

Things were spiralling out of control so fast that Jing Yuan couldn’t keep up. His initial desire for revenge had dug him into a hole that was going beyond rock bottom.

Pom, as a crow, was perched on one of the iron bars of the dungeon cell. His eyes went from Jing Yuan and Luocha to those of the cursed. The shapeshifter thought back to the night he saw Jing Yuan’s wife attack one of the maids. After you'd told him about Jing Yuan's wife attacking you, Pom went straight to work. He'd come to a conclusion and shared it with you just the other night... only for you to hit him with information that felt like a punch to the gut.

“Just like love, hate can be incredibly strong. It's also a never-ending cycle. I hurt you. You hurt me. I hurt you." Pom sighed. "You get the point. The curse carries your hate. It has your essence. No matter who you curse, they will always see you before losing their marbles because you were the one who... hurt them."

“Can’t say that’s a good thing or bad thing,” you muttered.

"...There's also something else." Pom put his hands on your shoulders. "Do you remember when we first planned this entire mission? We were prepared for pretty much anything... We didn't think there would be a way to stop it. But... there is. And, you have to be prepared because—"

"I know. Killing me is the only way this curse can ever stop.”

His eyes widened. “You knew? All this time?”

“You say you’re an expert at magic, Pom, but I’m one step ahead this time.”

“How… How did you—”

You snapped your fingers and a book mysteriously materialized in your hand. Pom quickly took it from you as if unable to believe that you had this in your possession all this time.

"The Grimoire of Black Magic?" Pom asked. "This belongs to the Gods. How did you get your hands on this?"

"...I found it. It appeared not long after Young died."

Pom sighed. "Then... I guess the stories are true."

"Stories?"

"The Grimoire tempts those with enough darkness in their hearts to do terrible things and appears in front of those who have the potential to create such powerful magic." Pom looked at you. "I don't know if this is true, but only those who have the potential to become Gods themselves can wield such magic. This book is owned by them, after all."

"...The Gods may own the book, but not all of them are involved in creating it." You took the book from Pom and flipped to the last page. Then, you muttered something, and pages began to materialize. "I doubt they know of all the curses in this book."

Pom had so many questions, but what he wanted to know most was: "You didn't bother telling me this when we first put this plan together?"

“I didn’t think it was worth mentioning."

Pom’s jaw almost dropped. “...I don’t know if you’re the one who's gone crazy or if… you’re just not scared to die.”

“...You shouldn’t be scared to die, Pom.” You took his hands and put them at his side. “Because living without a purpose is a fate much worse than death.”

Pom immediately sits up, but before he can let what he just saw sink in, he hears a male voice from the doorway.

"Long time no see, Pom." Pom turns, and his eyes widen. The man smiles. "Looks like you remember me. So flattered."

Pom quickly stands and says the name he hasn't said in centuries. "...Sampo."

Chapter 23

End notes:

I'm the author, and I can't believe what happened in this chapter lol

Also, I never intended this but Pom gives me LGBT vibes. I'm here for it though lmao

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#dan heng x you #honkai dan heng #dan heng x reader #dan heng #dan heng honkai star rail #honkai star rail dan heng #danheng x y/n #danheng x you #danheng x reader #danheng

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