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thenovelartist · 1 year ago

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The Collector - Honkai: Star Rail fanfiction

This game has me in a vicegrip. And I, the chronic shipper, have latched onto DanStelle. So... here we go. A "short" 8.7k (haha) one-shot.

It all started with a dumpster.

Dan Heng would give Stelle the benefit of the doubt in this case. She was a girl who, for all they knew, had only just entered the world via way of a stellaron inside of her. So it wasn’t unusual for her to be curious about things.

It just momentarily caught him off-guard that one of those things would be snooping through the trash.

Well, he supposed once was harmless enough for a girl in her situation. He’d warn her against it later.

(Not that she would listen, to him or March.)

~~~

Next it was papers. Before Dan Heng realized it, Stelle had amassed quite a collection of reading materials ranging from letters to instructions to random bits of fiction. She seemed quite proud of herself for these things, holding onto them with a small smile.

“Are you going to read those?” he quietly inquired after he’d caught her taking a tattered guide book off a crate.

She simply shrugged as she flipped through the pages with a proud smile.

He wasn’t sure how to take that answer.

~~~

It finally hit him after the Belobog debacle was over. Actually, it wouldn’t have hit him so hard if Himeko hadn’t forced him to go grab March and Stelle from their respective rooms for breakfast, a task he’d been less than thrilled with at the time.

After waking March, Dan Heng headed to Stelle’s room, only for her not to answer no matter how many times he knocked.

“Just open the door,” March groaned, having emerged from her own room. “She’s been staying up late lately.”

“Do you know why?” Dan Heng asked.

March just shrugged.

“Then you do it,” Dan Heng said, beginning to walk away.

“I gotta go to the bathroom!” she protested, already skipping away. “You do it; it’ll be fine.”

With a sigh, Dan Heng watched March disappear before turning back to Stelle’s door. Although hesitant, he did push the door open, sticking his head inside to see Stelle fast asleep on the futon of her room.

“Stelle,” he called out.

No answer.

Just as he was debating whether or not just to leave the clearly tired girl alone to sleep, he caught sight of her room, making note of the stack of papers and booklets that were sitting against a wall. To the left of that nicely organized pile was a much smaller pile of records she had managed to find. Her only impressive finds in Dan Heng’s opinion. On the opposite side of the paper pile was an odd assortment of objects that she had found while searching through the trash. Or through boxes. Or random suitcases.

But that was it.

His brow furrowed as he realized that, in terms of physical possessions, that small pile of pilfered objects was all she owned. All she had coming into the world were the clothes on her back, and even those were folded up carefully by her bedside. What she was wearing now was a nightgown that Dan Heng knew she had borrowed from March.

His eyes narrowed on the objects carefully arranged in the corner of her room, new questions coming to mind. Was she collecting those objects because she had nothing else? While he was not one to like collecting possessions, he knew March loved her clutter. Was Stelle the same?

The sound of shifting sheets brought him back to reality. However, he realized Stelle had still not woken up and was simply snuggling her futon blanket closer.

He sighed. He could muse over her empty room later. He had a task given to him by Himeko to accomplish.

But before that…

He looked at her one pair of clothes laying folded by her head. When was the last time those were washed?

With a shake of his head, he left Stelle’s room with the intent of going to March and telling her to give Stelle some clothes to borrow, but she wasn’t in her room. Meaning she was still in the bathroom.

Did she get distracted by her phone again?

Rather than waiting around for whenever March decided to reappear, Dan Heng headed into his room, shuffling through his things for something that would fit Stelle so that her clothes could be washed. That’s when he found an old outfit that had been handed down to him when he had had few possessions: a standard-issue Herta space station uniform. It would do.

Heading back to Stelle’s room, he set the folded shirt and pants next to the bedside of the still slumbering girl.

“Stelle.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.

She stirred at that.

“Stelle, wake up.”

Finally, her eyes blearily cracked open. “Dan Heng?”

“Himeko asked me to wake you for breakfast.”

With a groan, she buried her face back in her pillow.

“I have a spare change of clothes for you,” he commented. “So I can wash yours.”

She froze momentarily before blearily looking up from her pillow to see the stack of clothes he had brought. “Huh?”

“When was the last time yours were washed?”

“Donno,” she groused, voice still tinged with sleep.

He huffed, the corners of his lips quirking upwards as he grabbed her clothes. “Don’t fall back asleep.”

Plopping her head back down onto the pillow, she groaned. “Fine.”

“Or I’m sending March to get you.”

“I can deal with her.”

“Pom-pom, then.”

“You make mean threats.”

Fighting back his smile, he headed out the door.

“Thank you.”

He paused, realizing she was thanking him for the change of clothes. “You’re welcome. You can keep them if they fit. March shrunk them on accident the last time she offered to do everyone’s laundry. Which is fine; they were emergency clothes, anyway.”

He noticed how she finally picked her head up off the pillow, reaching out a hand to examine the new clothes before her. “Still, thanks.”

With a nod, he slipped out the door.

~~~

The Xianzhou ship was no different than Belobog, Dan Heng soon realized. That is, in the way that Stelle continued her habit of rifling through everything she could and collecting anything she found interesting.

“Was she like this in Belobog?” Mr. Yang quietly asked Dan Heng. “That is to say, should I be worried?”

Dan Heng shook his head. “She’s fine. She won’t stop even if you say so.”

Mr. Yang hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose it’s harmless enough. Here I thought she’d be more like March and gawk over things in store windows. Or maybe be like Himeko and be more subtle about it. This was… unexpected.”

That’s when Dan Heng recalled the empty state of Stelle’s room. “I think it’s not incorrect to assume her to be like March. She seems to like collecting things but doesn’t understand how people normally acquire them. And considering she came to us with only the clothes on her back and a baseball bat, she might do this because she wants things of her own.”

Mr. Yang hummed, lips pursed as he mulled over his companion’s words. “That is an entirely reasonable hypothesis. On that subject, I do suppose finding her some changes of clothes would be a necessity.”

“She would need a wardrobe, as well,” Dan Heng continued. “And since I doubt she will give up her scavenging habit any time soon, some shelves for her things.”

“A shelving unit seems more appropriate in her case,” Mr. Yang continued. “At this rate, she will amass quite a—” Mr. Yang suddenly paused, his brow knitting together in confusion as he stared over to where Stelle was. “Did she just find a record in that vase?”

Dan Heng looked over at Stelle, who was practically beaming as she studied the vinyl she managed to excavate out of a broken vase. He couldn’t help but smile despite himself. “Not that I want to encourage this habit of hers, but you’d be amazed at what she finds where.”

“Huh.” Mr. Yang gave a small smile as Stelle approached them again, her prize in hand. “In any case, I think this place is as good as any to find appropriate furniture for her room.”

“Agreed. Though, I do wonder how she’d like actual shopping for once.”

“Maybe we should give her a little spending money and see what becomes of it,” Mr. Yang suggested. “I’d be curious to see how she reacts compared to March or Himeko.”

~~~

It was their last day on the Xianzhou, Mr. Yang decided to give the trio some spending money. Hence, Dan Heng was given the option to either monitor March as she ran about or take Stelle shopping.

He felt sorry for giving Mr. Yang the hard task, but Mr. Yang was the one giving him the choice in the first place.

Dan Heng soon learned something interesting about Stelle: when given money, she became very picky about what she spent it on. That was not to say she didn’t admire things; she admired many things, but spending her money on those things is a different matter.

Which begged the question: what made the things she found different?

As Dan Heng pondered this, he failed to realize she was looking at the same jade abacus pendants for the third time. Only when she came over to him did he snap back to reality.

“Find something?” he asked, any more words dying on his tongue as she came in close, holding the two pendants up to his horns.

He froze, staring at her as she studied the pendants dangling on either side of his face.

And then she smiled, pulling them back. “Thank you.” With that, she turned around, placed one of the pendants back, and purchased the other.

But that’s it.

Furthermore, that was all she bought, despite looking around at many other stores.

It took far too long for Dan Heng’s ability to speak to return. “Maybe you should buy some clothes while you’re here,” he gently suggested, the warmth in his face fading. “So you don’t have to borrow from March anymore.”

She tilted her head, almost as though the thought hadn’t occurred to her. “I have the ones you gave me, too.”

“As a spare.”

“But I like them.”

Just like that, the heat returned to his face. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Maybe it was best to just drop it for now and leave the subject of clothes to someone else. “Then are you finished shopping?”

She nodded, holding the pendant close. “Yes. We should get back to the ship. We’ve taken too long.”

“My guess is March is still out shopping,” Dan Heng said. “Or at least meandering about. If you wanted to look for more, seeing as you still have funds—”

“You do, too.”

He ignored her. “Then we can continue.”

“You don’t want anything?”

He shook his head. “There is nothing I require as of now.”

She studied him a moment, mulling over his words before nodding. “I’ve also found all I wanted. We should head back before it gets too late.”

Dan Heng wouldn’t argue. “Then we can start making our way back. And if you see any trashcans that catch your attention, then I’ll pretend to not know you.”

“Hey!”

Dan Heng just chuckled.

~~~

With a twinkle in her eye, Himeko had kindly offered to take March and Stelle into town for the day under the guise of “restocking supplies.” Which was actually her making a perfect excuse to take Stelle out of the Astral Express so Dan Heng and Mr. Yang could bring in the furniture they had bought for her.

“She really only bought the pendent?” Mr. Yang asked, his voice strained as he helped Dan Heng carry one of the two shelving units down the hall.

“Yes,” Dan Heng replied. “Oddly. I thought for sure she’d get more considering how much she likes—turn left—rummaging for things.”

Mr. Yang maneuvered the bookshelf according to Dan Heng’s commands as they carried it through the train. “Maybe the hunt is what she considers fun.”

“Maybe,” Dan Heng conceded. He then focused on instructing Mr. Yang on getting the shelving unit through Stelle’s bedroom door. Once inside, they set it up against the wall that she once had her things lined up against.

Dan Heng then took a moment to place her things onto the shelf. She could reorganize them later, but for now, he felt it the respectful thing to do since he had moved everything to make room for the furniture in the first place. Considering what little she had, it wouldn’t take that long, anyway.

“Well,” Mr. Yang started, assisting in stacking the papers on the shelf, “I suppose it’s not the worst thing in the world. She can have her habits, however odd, as long as they make her happy. Though, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on her.”

Dan Heng couldn’t disagree.

“If she shows interest in anything else,” Mr. Yang said once they finished replacing Stelle’s… “collection” on the shelf, “we’ll get it for her.”

Before Dan Heng could respond, he heard the light clatter of metal accompany the soft pats of footsteps coming down the hall. He turned around, only to see Stelle carrying a new “collectable” in her arms.

Her brow quirked in confusion. “What…” But upon catching sight of the new furniture in her room, her eyes widened.

Mr. Yang smiled. “We thought you would like somewhere to put your things.”

When she smiled, it lit up the room, her golden eyes holding the light of a blazing star within them.

“Sorry for trespassing,” Dan Heng said, his face heating up as he turned away, unable to withstand the light that shone from her.

“It’s revenge for trespassing in your room, isn’t it, Dan Heng?” she teased, remarking all the times she came into the archives to search for research material.

“Let’s… call it that,” Dan Heng hesitantly agreed, if only to cover the fact his body was reacting strangely and not calming down.

Mr. Yang shot him a look Dan Heng couldn’t quite decipher before turning back to Stelle. “So, you found a cycrane?”

Stelle smiled, showing off her newest possession. “It was broken in an abandoned box.”

“Don’t you think you should return it to have it fixed?” Dan Heng suggested.

She looked down at the metal bird, the light in her eyes dimming at the thought.

And suddenly, Dan Heng felt a pang of guilt for ever suggesting taking her things away from her. “I suppose they should have taken better care of it. It might have even been replaced already.”

Her shoulders relaxed in relief, and the knot in Dan Heng’s stomach disappeared.

“We actually have two more pieces for you,” Mr. Yang said. “Which we should go get now. We apologize once again for trespassing, even if it was done with the best of intentions.”

“No, it’s cool,” she dismissed, looking over her shelving unit with glee. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Dan Heng dismissed, happy to leave for a moment so as to get his mind back in order. He followed Mr. Yang out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

“That was kind of you.”

Dan Heng’s brow furrowed. “What was?”

With an amused sigh, Mr. Yang shook his head. “Nevermind.”

~~~

The next thing to be put up in Stelle’s room was a cork board, like the one in March’s room, so she could hang photos March took. It also sported a few pictures Dan Heng himself took for records that Stelle commented she liked as well as notes left by the Astral Express crew for her. Unlike March’s decorative board that was randomly spattered with photos, Stelle’s was organized to hold as many pictures as possible.

Currently, the crew was indulging in one last day of exploring before leaving their current location. Well, most of the crew members were. Stelle was currently laid up in bed, sporting a leg injury after their last battle here. March had one arm in a sling yet was still determined to roam about, hence why Dan Heng was pushing past the throbbing of his own bruises to watch her. Heaven knew Himeko was in no condition to come out, and Mr. Yang insisted that he would take responsibility of watching the Astral Express in her place.

And watch out for Himeko as well, Dan Heng would guess. Mr. Yang was protective in that way.

“We should get everyone ‘get well’ gifts,” March suggested.

Dan Heng bit back his urge to protest. Just because he didn’t see a point in such gifts didn’t mean they weren’t important to March. “As in?”

“I don’t know. Flowers or snacks or something.”

“Food or medicine would be the most practical.”

March stuck out her tongue at him. “I forgot who I was traveling with,” she flatly snipped.

“Then I will leave that task to you,” he batted back.

After some time, she finished picking up gifts, and they headed back to the express. On the way, they passed through an open field area, one littered with yellow flowers that had caught Stelle’s eye when they had first arrived. At the time, she had only picked a single wilting flower to examine, but Dan Heng would guess she had chosen one on its last life due to his dry comment of it getting ruined on their upcoming adventure.

But now… now, if she were able to pick them, she would be able to keep them safe and admire them for a few days. And considering her scavenging tendencies, she might be out here picking flowers if she had the chance.

He stole a glance at March, who was humming happily as she marched along ahead of him, one of her gifts cradled in her good arm. Dan Heng carried the other gift—an assortment of interesting snacks—since her arm was in a sling. As it were, paying attention to him seemed to be the last thing on her mind, so Dan Heng bent down and plucked a large, yellow flower still in good condition. Then a second and third followed.

There. Stelle might be miserable on bed rest, but at least she would be able to study the flowers that had always caught her eye.

Once back on the train, March flipped around to face him. “I’m gonna go see Himeko first. Can you put that in my room so I can give it to Stelle later?”

Dan Heng, who had angled himself away to hide the flowers behind the folds of his clothes, simply nodded.

“Thank you!” she sang-sung before skipping off to Himeko.

Dan Heng sighed. Her chipper mood almost seemed out of place considering how affected she’d been by their last battle. It had taken him far too long to realize the extent to which she was forcing her mood, successfully hiding her anxieties for the sake of the others who were bedridden. In fact, she was doing such a good job that Dan Heng thought maybe he should have gotten something for her, just to take her mind off things and offer a moment of distraction.

Glancing at the flowers in his hands, he headed to March’s room, both to put down March’s gift for Stelle on her dresser and leave one of the flowers for her. Catching sight of the notepad on March’s bedside table, he scribbled “Get Well Soon – Dan Heng” on the top sheet and left the flower on top of it.

Once finished, he headed to Stelle’s room and knocked on her door.

“It’s open,” she responded, her voice flat and bitter. Likely a result of having her foot trapped in a cast.

Dan Heng opened the door, revealing a normally feisty girl in his old clothes trapped on her bed by a cast that supported her broken ankle. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

She shrugged, putting aside the book he had given to her before he’d left with March. “Fine?”

“You don’t sound fine.”

She just sighed. “Maybe not so fine.”

With a frown, Dan Heng approached her. “Is there anything you need?”

“Other than my leg out of this cast?”

“Not until it’s healed.”

“Then no.”

At the way she glared at her cast, her nose crinkled in frustration, Dan Heng couldn’t help but smirk. Cute, he thought.

Before he instantly caught himself and felt his cheeks warm.

Covering his embarrassment by clearing his throat, he extended the two remaining flowers to Stelle. “You were looking at these when we first arrived, right?”

The huffy gloom that was hovering over her expression morphed to surprise before giving way to that starlight smile once again. “You saw that?” she asked, her cheeks coloring a bit as she reached for the flowers.

As if he didn’t think she was pretty before, that shy blush only added to his distress. “I did. It’s my job to look out for my teammates.”

“I didn’t realize that meant ‘observe’.”

“Force of habit.”

She chuckled, amused.

As she studied the flowers in her hands, carefully running her non-gloved fingers over the petals, Dan Heng was struck with an odd sense of how lovely the sight before him was. In many situations, Stelle was a force of nature, one that not many dare to reckon with. Whether it be a baseball bat or a lance of fire, she was a blazing tornado that left a path of destruction in her wake, all in a matter of seconds. And yet, that same girl was here before him delicately stroking flower petals the color of her eyes, ones that now held an unmistakable softness. Those flowers in her hands were treated with the same respect and care that she treated all her objects with, no matter what their origin. This picture of gentility was so warm and welcoming that Dan Heng didn’t quite know what to make of it.

So he stood there awkwardly as his heart pounded in his chest.

He should leave, he thought. But all he managed to do was take a single step backwards before he froze. While he knew what he should do, he didn’t want to. Which left him wondering why he wanted to get closer, to be part of this picture of gentility before him.

Why did he want to get so close to this part of Stelle?

“Dan Heng?”

Her words snapped him back to reality, causing his heart to thump almost painfully in his chest. “Oh, uh, sorry. I… got lost in my own thoughts.” His cheeks were burning now. Hopefully, she wouldn’t ask what those thoughts were; he wouldn’t be able to tell her.

Her brow furrowed with concern as she laid the flowers off to the side. “How are you fairing? You… you took a beating, too.”

Oh, she was inquiring about his injuries. “Don’t worry about me,” he quickly dismissed. “Bruises heal faster than breaks.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt.”

He simply shrugged.

With a sigh, she patted the spot next to her on her bed. “You can sit, you know.”

“I’m fine.”

At the look of disappointment that crossed her face, his iron will broke. He allowed himself to sit on the edge of her bed, which brought a happy smile back to her face.

“Did you want the company?” he inquired, curious.

She ducked her head, almost shyly. “I wouldn’t mind having you around.”

Before he could come up with a response to that—

“Dan Heeeeeeng!”

—a particularly emotional cry sounded from outside Stelle’s room.

Next thing the duo knew, March was standing in the open doorway of Stelle’s room, tears in her eyes as she clung to the flower Dan Heng had put in her room. “You got me a flower?”

Well… this reaction was not the one he’d expected.

“That’s not very Dan Heng of him, is it?” Stelle teased as she reached for her own flowers.

“It is not very Dan Heng of him!” March cried, shuffling over to throw her one good arm around Dan Heng.

A soft oof escaped him as he caught the girl who practically fell against him, reminding him that he wasn’t as healed as he thought. “March, bruises,” he grunted out.

With a gasp, she scrambled away. “Sorry!”

“I knew you were lying,” Stelle grumbled, now glaring at Dan Heng.

“They’ll heal soon enough,” he dismissed, his voice tight as he waited for the pain to subside.

It earned him an eyeroll from Stelle.

“Anyway, look at the flower he gave me!” March said, showing off her slightly worse-for-wear possession to Stelle. “And he was complaining about get-well gifts.”

“The fact that it didn’t kill him is astounding.”

At Stelle’s teasing smirk, Dan Heng glared.

“Oh! He got you flowers, too?”

Stelle’s smile softened as she brought the flowers close to her chest as though they were a prized possession instead of an afterthought plucked from the side of a road. “Yeah.”

“Man, what’s gotten into him today?” March remarked.

“I’m right here, you know,” Dan Heng flatly remarked, not that either of the girls were listening.

“But why did she get two?” March whined.

“Because I’m special,” Stelle retorted, puffing out her chest with pride as she flashed a mockingly haughty smile.

To which March stuck out her tongue. “I was going to say you should have gotten a whole bouquet for your ankle, but I take that back now!”

They stayed like that for a while just chatting back and forth, Stelle never letting go of her own flowers even as March walked away waving hers in the air.

“Thanks, once again,” Stelle said as Dan Heng was getting ready to leave. March had already left claiming she was tired and wanted to rest a bit. “For these.”

Dan Heng nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“Even though it’s not a whole bouquet.”

His expression fell at her mischievousness. “Then next time, I’ll each get you a single one so you won’t fight.”

“Aww, don’t do that,” she batted back. “This way, the flower has a friend. So she’s not lonely.”

Her last sentence was quiet but not to the point he would miss it. “Then…” He bit back the comment about bouquets, realizing just in time that wasn’t what she was talking about. “She doesn’t have to be lonely. She’ll always have a friend.” With that, he patted her shoulder before standing up to leave.

Behind him, he could hear Stelle’s quiet chuckle. “A friend, huh?” she muttered, smile clear in her voice. “Maybe I am special.”

Dan Heng paused in the doorway before he could go. “Yeah, you are.”

And then he left, unsure why his heart was pounding as he did.

A week later, March had already tossed her flower out, its petals all wilted and fallen. Stelle, however, still had hers. Mr. Yang had shown her how to press and preserve them, and they had been stuck to paper that now hung proudly on her pegboard.

Dan Heng didn’t know why, but seeing the care she’d put into an off-the-cuff gift embarrassed him. It had taken him all but three seconds to pick those flowers, yet she’d taken care of them as though they were priceless. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised considering how she took care of things she found out of the dumpster, but he still was.

It wasn’t long before Dan Heng decided that the next gift he gave her, and any after, needed far more thought than before. He’d give her things to treasure.

And he tried not to think of how happy that thought made him feel.

~~~

It took a while, but Dan Heng finally discovered the pattern in Stelle’s ever-growing collection.

Things she found were free game. He realized that, through those things, she explored her surroundings. She studied each trailblazing stop by reading all the reading materials she could get her hands on, listening to whatever music she could find, and studying the objects she found in the world, such as the cycrane that she had brought back from Xianzhou and tinkered with. It now hung from the ceiling above her small bed.

On the other hand, things she purchased were done with careful consideration and thought. They had to remind her specifically of the adventure she was on and who she was trailblazing with. Occasionally, she splurged for music or food or other odd items, but that wasn’t common.

Clothes were another matter entirely. Dan Heng had made one mention to March about Stelle’s limited wardrobe, and March had become determined to remedy that. Himeko was also more than willing to jump on the bandwagon, and the two of them became solely responsible for filling Stelle’s wardrobe.

Which was why Stelle was sporting an (admittedly cute) white sundress as they wondered around a festival on the last day of one of their adventures.

It was a rare occasion that Himeko and Mr. Yang had dared leave the Astral Express unattended so the five trailblazers could all partake in the festivities together. Dan Heng had offered to stay behind, but the duel looks of disappointment from March and Stelle had him reconsidering.

“I’ve been here before,” Himeko had explained. “And I trust the security around the Astral Express enough to leave it be for a little bit. It’s rare to have an outing like this.”

“Indeed,” Mr. Yang agreed. “I say we enjoy this while we can.”

March was the most determined to make that happen. She led the charge, suggesting different game stalls to compete at while also buying different foods for everyone to try.

Dan Heng had to admit that he was enjoying himself. “Family time” was quite the foreign concept to him, but he found this time of being with everyone he’d come to care deeply about quite precious.

Currently, they were sitting at a table, munching on what Mr. Yang insisted should be the last snack March bought for them—much to March’s chagrin—and talking about how to spend the rest of their trip. It was while March, Himeko, and Mr. Yang were discussing this that Dan Heng caught Stelle staring off into the distance.

He turned to see if he could spot what had captured Stelle’s attention, but there was nothing specific that stood out in the line of game carts. “What has your attention?” he quietly asked.

Stelle startled, likely not realizing she’d been caught, before turning back to the half-finished snack plate March had bought. “Nothing.”

“Clearly not nothing,” Dan Heng pressed.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get a reply.

“I think that if we want to watch the show tonight,” Mr. Yang began. “Then we should start migrating over in that direction. It would be better to be early to find good seats.”

“A wise idea,” Himeko said. “Why don’t we head that direction then and scope out the place first. If it’s still empty, then we can meander around a little longer before sitting down.”

“Sounds good to me!” March chipped up. “Stelle, Dan Heng, what do you guys think?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Stelle agreed.

Dan Heng simply nodded his agreement.

“Perfect,” Himeko said. “I say we finish this, then head that direction.”

Their snack was finished quickly, curtesy of March who deemed it her favorite of the snacks she’d bought thus far. But as they were heading over, Dan Heng finally realized what Stelle had been looking at all this time: a game stall.

More specifically, the dragon plush toy that was hanging as a prize.

“Does that interest you?”

Surprised, Stelle’s attention snapped to Dan Heng. “No, it just…” She shrugged, a bashful smile creeping across her lips. “Kinda reminds me of you.”

It was Dan Heng’s turn to be surprised. He stopped in his tracks, staring up at the dragon toy hanging from the awning of the stall by a rope around its neck like a noose. “You… wish to see me hung?”

Scoffing, Stelle threw a playful punch at his shoulder.

He chuckled, brushing off the hit that was probably a little stronger than she meant it to be. “Would you like it?”

Her eyes widened. “Huh?”

“We can play for it,” he offered. “If you want.”

“O-oh.” She turned to look at the toy once again, and Dan Heng could see the little gleam in her eye that he’d come to recognize as happiness for an item.

With a smile, he placed his hand on the small of her back, pushing her towards the game. “From what I can tell, you have to knock over a certain number of masks for the prize.” It also looked like people were having a hard time aiming for the small and probably heavy targets.

That’s when he saw that happy gleam in her eye turn to a competitive spark, like she was facing off against an enemy and preparing to hit them with a farewell hit after screaming “rules are meant to be broken!”

Not for the first time did Dan Heng think that her brand of odd really did fit well with the rest of the trailblazers. Maybe being strange was a job requirement.

“Hello, good sir!” the game stall owner called out as they approached. “Aiming to try your luck?”

“What are the qualifications to win the dragon?” Dan Heng asked.

“Ahh, I thought I saw the lovely young lady with the eye on the prize,” the stall owner playfully commented. “Behind me are three kinds of targets: blue haired, yellow haired, and red haired. Knocking down ten of the targets with red hair will get you the dragon. Are you up for the challenge?”

Dan Heng looked at the mask targets lined up on the shelves. Of the available targets, the ones sporting tufts of red hair seemed the smallest of the three. And if Dan Heng had to guess, there was likely a trick on how heavy they were, too.

“Are you up for it?” he asked Stelle.

Not that he needed to; he swore the energy of her fire lance was glowing in her eyes. “Let’s destroy them.”

Dan Heng chuckled as he pulled out some money. “Five balls for me, five for her.”

“Daw, don’t be like that,” the stall owner teasingly jabbed, still taking the money and offering up the balls. “You’re gonna make the lady play for her own prize?”

“The lady is more than capable,” Dan Heng clarified, sliding five of the balls over to Stelle.

Taking one of the balls and gleefully tossing it in the air, Stelle seemed to stand tall in pride.

The stall owner huffed, amused. “Well, I suppose your willingness to play along with your girlfriend is one of the reasons you have her.”

That got both Dan Heng and Stelle to freeze, sparing each other a glance before quickly looking away. “Um…” she stuttered. “That’s… not it.”

“Huh?”

Yeah, Dan Heng didn’t think it sounded convincing, either. Not that he had anything better to say.

“Er… so the red ones, right?” she asked, sharply changing the subject as she stepping back into a stance.

Happy to play ignorant, Dan Heng also took a step back. “Yes.”

She turned to throw him a competitive look. “Then let’s show them what we’re made of.”

Dan Heng felt his grip on the ball tighten, his own competitive spirit flaring in response. “Let’s.”

Ten balls and ten red-haired masks later, the stall owner, who was looking a little white in the face, was taking the stuffed dragon toy down from where it hung. “Congratulations,” he flatly said, his voice a bit breathless. “Take the toy. Please don’t show up again.”

With a bounce in her step, Stelle took her prize, squeezing it against her chest as she beamed at the man.

“We should go find the others,” Dan Heng commented, already guiding Stelle away from the stall. He couldn’t blame the man for wanting them gone. However, Dan Heng would admit he found it quite amusing to watch the man blanch paper white upon watching Stelle throw her first pitch so hard that red hair exploded off the target.

~~~

Dan Heng had developed a very bad habit as of late. Never before had he cared for objects. He was content with his books and meager necessities. However, he recently found his eye drawn to shop windows and merchant carts wherever he went.

Why? Because he was always on the lookout for things to give to Stelle.

The clothes he had first given to her were ones she still wore. Even after having accumulated her own wardrobe, he still spotted her lounging around in his old outfit. His heart still fluttered whenever he caught sight of the flowers he’d given her several stops ago. Even now, they still managed to maintain their color, having been preserved at the right time.

As for the stuffed dragon toy they had won together…

It was loved well, he’d say that. A few nights ago, he’d found her hugging the toy tightly as she gazed out the windows at the stars in the main car. Apparently, she’d had trouble sleeping and wanted to see if leaving her room would help. The toy had never left her arms. Instead, it had been hugged tightly as though it were her lifeline. Having been worried for her, he’d stayed up to talk with her long into the night, and as she’d grown tired, she’d used the dragon’s plush head as a pillow.

Knowing how much she cared for these things, he began to wonder if she’d take care of other gifts he’d give to her. Which lead to where he was now. Honestly, he found it a bit embarrassing and hoped no one ever found out. But considering the way Himeko was currently looking at him, he doubted he could hide it much longer.

“It’s not like you to window shop,” she remarked, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “And there’s no holiday or event coming up, as far as I’m aware.”

Dan Heng shrugged, absently wondering how long he could escape Himeko’s prodding.

“You’re not the type to like souvenirs,” she continued. “And I could be wrong, but this culture’s style isn’t to your utilitarian tastes, so it’s unlikely you’re getting anything for yourself.”

“It would be faster for you to simply ask your question,” Dan Heng answered, realizing with a tinge of disappointment that the answer to his previous question was “not very long.”

“Is it for Stelle?”

At the sound of her name, his stomach twisted, feeling fluttery. He sighed. “Am I being that obvious?”

Himeko giggled. “No. However, when someone has known you as long as I have…”

Dan Heng would give credit where credit was due: Himeko was quite observant.

“Forgive me,” she continued. “I can’t help but meddle when I see a romance bloom before my eyes.”

Dan Heng choked, his heart now fluttering along with his stomach.

Himeko’s smirk fell as she looked at him with bemusement. “Oh? Are you that stunned that I picked up on it? Or…” Her smile slowly returned. “Did you not realize it yourself?”

“I-it’s not like that,” Dan Heng protested.

“Really now?”

“Yes.”

Despite the warning in his voice, Himeko hummed, unperturbed. “Then how would you define your relationship, considering that you’re looking for a gift for Stelle when you’re not doing the same for March?”

Dan Heng opened his mouth to retort, only to catch himself. His answer would surely lead to further doubts, yet it was the embarrassing truth. However, not answering the question would only lead Himeko to believe her original guess was correct, meaning he’d have to explain in detail to avoid confusion. Er… any more of it, anyway.

“Stelle has a habit of collecting things,” he began.

“Yes, she does,” Himeko agreed, nodding along amusedly. “You and Welt were very kind to set up those shelves for her.”

“Specifically, she enjoys collecting items that meet certain qualifications from each place we stop at.”

“And you’re looking to give her one of these items?”

Dan Heng nodded in response, thinking for a moment that Himeko might just understand after all.

“Why?”

“Why?” Dan Heng repeated, confused at the question.

“You don’t indulge March like this.”

“March likes anything and everything,” he dismissed. “Getting her something for the sake of getting her an item would only clutter her room.”

“But Stelle is different?”

Dan Heng realized too late that he did not like where this conversation was going, yet he was helpless to stop it. “Y-yes.”

Much to his surprise, Himeko hummed and nodded, happy to quietly accept his answer. “So, one more question: just what are the qualifications for this item she’s looking for?”

A seemingly safe question. Frankly, Dan Heng would take this one over any more prodding over a crush he most certainly did not have. “She likes things that remind her of us.”

“Us?”

“Specifically, of the people she trailblazes with on each mission.”

Himeko hummed. “So that’s why she has a jade pendant that is reminiscent of your horns, the flowers you gave her, a plush dragon toy, and your old clothes as sleepwear. I see.”

Dan Heng glared at Himeko, whose eyes once again held a wickedly teasing gleam.

She giggled. “Are you looking for something that will remind her of you this time?”

He crossed his arms, unsure of how to answer.

With a sigh, that gleam in her eye softened. “Dan Heng. Can I give you a bit of unsolicited advice.”

“I have the feeling that even if I were to say no, you’d still want to give it.”

She smirked. “I have trailblazed all over the cosmos for many years, and several people have come and gone from my life. If I were you and the option to deepen a bond with someone was set in front of me, I would reach out for it. Trailblazing is a lonely life. Having someone by your side to have and hold would make that life a little more comforting, don’t you think?”

The sincerity in her tone gave Dan Heng pause. “You, Mr. Yang, March, and Pom-pom are all equally my companions,” he responded. “Just as much as Stelle.”

“Yes, but to you, Stelle is different from the rest of us, isn’t she?”

“She… is still the newest member—”

“You would not have done this for March,” Himeko repeated.

At that, Dan Heng had no answer.

Giving him a reassuring smile, she leaned forward, almost conspiratorially. “Dan Heng. Take the chance.”

And with that, she walked away, giving Dan Heng much to think about.

~~~

It was after their most recent mission was completed that Dan Heng finally came to a decision. Himeko had been quietly encouraging, and she must have told Mr. Yang something as the man seemed to be giving Dan Heng subtle looks of approval.

March was clearly still left in the dark, thankfully.

For the umpteenth time today, he reached into his pocket, squeezing the object he had bought. Although he still had his doubts, he’d already made a decision to press forward. He’d spent enough time mulling things over, debating the pros and cons of what this decision would bring and if he really wanted this in the first place.

But now, as he was walking around the outskirts of the city with Stelle by his side, two things solidified in his mind: yes, he really did want this, and yes, any drawbacks outweighed the rewards he would gain if they did move forward.

“Did you happen to find any souvenir you liked?” Dan Heng asked, starting conversation.

Her nose scrunched in frustration as she shook her head. “No. And we leave soon.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing,” Dan Heng teased. “Between that and your scavenging, you’re going to run out of room on your shelves.”

She glared at him.

Despite himself, he smiled. “When was the last time you cleaned all your trinkets, anyway?”

“Four days ago,” she easily answered. “After Pom-pom kicked me out of the parlor when I put my feet on the couch.”

“You should really know better by now.”

“I took off my shoes!”

“Pom-pom doesn’t care.”

Stelle just rolled her eyes. “Pom-pom needs a hobby.”

“Other than cleaning?”

“Other than micro-managing.”

Dan Heng chuckled. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”

“Is that why you coop yourself up in the archives? To avoid Pom’s ‘charm’.”

“No, it’s March’s I tend to avoid.”

At that, Stelle snorted a laugh.

Cute, Dan Heng thought. She’s cute. “Are you certain I cannot talk you out of collecting yet another trinket to dust?”

Stelle grew quiet at his question, her smile fading as she pondered his words. “I… I want to remember.”

His brow furrowed. “Remember?”

“My adventures with everyone,” she clarified. “I don’t have memories before waking with this stellaron inside of me. I want… I want something to remember these adventures by.” By now, her voice had dropped to a murmur. “I want something to prove these times I spent with you happened. Er! All of you, I mean.”

Dan Heng found himself squeezing the object in his pocket once again. “Then here.” He held out his hand, object enclosed within it.

Her expression scrunched in curiosity as she stuck out her hand in response, and he gave her the gift he’d been holding onto for the last three days. Her eyes widened as she studied the little wooden totem now in her hands, one carved to resemble a blue lizard.

“They don’t have dragons on this planet,” Dan Heng said. “That is the closest they have to resembling them.”

She turned her wide gaze up at him. “You got this for me?”

He nodded, taking out the object in his other pocket. “And I got this for me.”

Sparing a glance at the second totem in his hand, she quirked a dubious brow up at him. “You don’t like trinkets.”

“I don’t,” he confirmed. “But… it reminded me of you.”

Her head tilted, she studied the odd, gray creature in his hand. “How so?”

“The locals call them ‘trash bandits.’”

“Hey!”

Dan Heng chuckled.

“Don’t laugh. How dare you.”

But there was no bite behind those words, so Dan Heng didn’t bother to stop.

Rolling her eyes, she turned to walk away.

“Stelle.”

Automatically, he reached out to stop her, snatching her wrist and pulling her back to him. But even once she had turned around, her expression flat, he didn’t let go. “I wouldn’t have gotten it for no reason.”

Slowly, realization began to dawn over her face. That unamused glare turned to something softer, her gaze searching for an answer.

His hand holding her wrist slid lower to hold her fingers.

And something sparkled in her golden eyes.

“It was not meant as a mockery,” he spoke. “Only a reminder of you.”

Her mouth opened, but when no words came out, she closed it and glanced away. When she looked back, her voice was soft. “That’s unusual for you.”

“It’s not a habit I plan to pick up, no. But…” The words died on his tongue, and he glanced away, struggling to find them again.

“Hey, Dan Heng.” Thankfully, she seemed to find words of her own as she gently squeezed his hand. “I… like things that remind me of you.”

It wasn’t quite the confession he was expecting, yet it was still better than his.

He squeezed her hand in return. “I’d rather be there for you so you didn’t need things to remind you.”

At least that wasn’t a half bad response, he thought.

When her face grew pink, he felt his heart pick up its pace.

“Then… can you stay by my side?” she asked.

He smiled. “If you’d let me, I’d like to.”

~~~

As someone who had suffered exile, Dan Heng had grown accustomed to being alone. In general, he was a quiet and reserved person, but loneliness was different. Hence, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved to join the Astral Express crew, to have Himeko extend the invitation to not be alone. He took comfort knowing that this place contained people who cared for him and that he cared for in return.

But then came Stelle, who somehow swayed his heart enough for him to decide to accept her as his significant other. And while that change was a large one for Dan Heng to adapt to, the comfort it brought made the transition go smoothly. To have someone by his side, whether that be while exploring a new planet or simply spending quiet time together in the archives, was something Dan Heng quickly learned to cherish.

Of course, there were many other things he learned about being with Stelle. One being that while he considered her his significant other, as she was significant in his life, she in return—

“Dan Heng?”

He blinked up at Stelle, her worried voice cutting though the foggy mess in his head. “Oh, you’re back.”

“I brought some food,” she said, closing the door to his rarely used room behind her. “Don’t worry; Himeko didn’t touch it.”

“Thank you.” He looked at the tray of food, hoping his stomach wouldn’t protest at the sight. As resistant to illness as he was, there were occasions where something from a new planet hit him so hard he went down. Such was the case currently. Although, his pride would insist that the lack of sleep, the high stress of this stellaron hunting mission, and the beating he received at the end were the reasons he was weak enough to catch an illness in the first place.

He would ignore the fact that Stelle, who’d also gone through the wringer with him, was fine.

Kneeling beside his futon, she placed the tray on the floor beside her. Hands now free, she reached out to press one of her wrists on his forehead and the other on his cheek.

Compared to the heat in his face, her touch was cool, to the point he automatically leaned into it seeking relief.

“I’m trying to source ingredients for one of Natasha’s cures,” she mentioned, pulling her hands away, much to his dismay. “Don’t worry. I’ve almost found everything. We’re trying to find a substitute for one thing, though. For now, this is all I can do.”

She held out the bowl of congee to him, one that was speckled green with what he’d assume were medicinal herbs. “Thanks.”

“Think you can stomach it?”

He shrugged, reaching for the offered spoon. “Hopefully.”

“I suppose of all of us, you’d be the most likely to hold it down, Mr. Iron Stomach.”

“Not necessarily.”

With a slightly amused smirk, she quirked a challenging brow at him. “Unlike the rest of us, you test your willpower against Himeko’s morning sludge—er, coffee, on the regular.”

“Did Pom-Pom tell you that?”

“Yeah.”

He huffed, taking a bite of food. It was slightly bitter, but not offensively so. Furthermore, his stomach didn’t seem to protest it yet. By his approximations, he would be able to get most of the bowl down. “Are we going to leave here soon?”

Stelle shook her head. “Mr. Yang suggested staying here a couple days longer for your sake. We’ll leave when you’re on the upswing.”

“No need to wait that long,” he protested. “We could leave now.”

“I agreed we should stay.”

He quirked a brow at her.

Her smirk now faded, she reached forward to lay a hand on his thigh. Even through the blanket he had draped over his legs, he could feel the light circles she made with her thumb.

Warmth flooded his cheeks as he looked down at his bowl of food. That’s right. To Stelle, he was her precious treasure, and she took very good care of everything she considered ‘hers’. Including him.

Especially him.

So if she wanted to stay for his sake, search around for all the ingredients for whatever concoction she was determined to get for him, he wouldn’t protest. After all, that was just her way of showing how much she cared. “Thank you,” he simply said, raising another spoonful of the food she made specifically to help him to his lips.

She gave him a tender smile. “You’re welcome.”

#honkai star rail #honkai fanfic #danstelle #fluff #falling in love #subtle romance #also a surprising amount of found family fluff

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