Chapter Text
The space anchor inside the express’ parlor car flickered, the only warning before a second later three figures materialized in the warmly lit room. Stelle and March were still lost in their conversation about a rather annoying group of people that they had encountered in their latest stop just before returning while Dan Heng walked silently behind them, content to simply listen to the two as they talked.
Himeko put down her coffee and approached the trio, tablet in hand as she finished recording the last bits of data from the Stellaron they had just sealed in this planet. “Well things are looking good in the scans, the corruption caused by that Stellaron should stabilize soon and then start to drop off slowly over time. Well done you three, another successful mission”
March let a relieved breath escape her. “Thankfully the locals didn’t give us too much trouble, it was mostly all the fragmentum monsters that were a pain to deal with” she looked around, noting the distinctive absence of a certain two people. “Hey, where are Mr. Yang and Sunday?”
“They’re dealing with the last few details with the seal, they should be back any minute now. You guys did a great job, these last two weeks have been rather hectic so why don’t you all go ahead and relax for a bit?”
Stelle stretched, whincing slightly when the action pulled at a bruise she’d gotten the day before after they got ambushed by a large group of fragmentum monsters. “Don’t have to tell me twice, I’m dying for a nice hot bath”
Dan Heng smiled at her before turning to Himeko. “I’ll update the archives on some of the new information we gathered first, I’d rather do it now when it’s fresh in my mind still”
The navigator nodded, turning back to her tablet. “Don’t push yourself too much. You’ve all more than earned a few days of rest after this last one”
The trio went their separate ways then— March to her room, Dan Heng to the archives and Stelle up to her own room— After their last stop on the Luofu they had once more set out on the silver rail until their journey was quite literally thrown off course by another Stellaron interference. Thankfully there were few complications this time with the sealing of the Stellaron at the center of their little crisis, their greatest issue had been getting the locals to understand that they were only there to help and then the subsequent and more time consuming endeavor was actually getting through the layers and layers of corruption that had grown like a labyrinth until they finally reached the core where the Stellaron had taken root.
Dan Heng entered the archives, the sound of the computers running and low azure glow from the simulated water bringing some peace of mind. He sat at the desk, opening up the information that was already recorded on the data bank about this particular planet and scanning over each entry to see if there was anything he would need to add or modify before moving to creating new entries altogether to input all the new information that was previously not registered or that did not belong to any of the existing categories and topics.
He lost himself in the task, tail swishing behind him absentmindedly reflecting his comfort and tranquility. When he was eventually finished a while later he saved his work and stood to leave, heading straight to the party car and then up the stairs to his and Stelle’s room.
After everything that had happened on the Luofu as well as the fact that he’d finally claimed her as his bondmate they had both come to the unspoken conclusion that he would be moving up with her and leave the archives the way they were intended to be used in the first place, no longer playing the part of a makeshift room.
The door to their room slid open with a quiet hiss, Stelle was sitting on the bed with her phone tapping away at one of her games— her hair still wet, likely from her shower he assumed— she looked up for a bit when she heard his footsteps, turning back to her game right after. “Hey, you're done in the archives already?”
“For the most part, I’ll need to revise it to make sure everything looks good but all the new information is there now” he started removing some of his clothes until he was left in only his back shirt and pants as he approached the bed, sitting beside his mate.
Stelle felt the echoes of his emotions in the back of her mind, that constant subtle presence that had taken root ever since they became bondmates giving away his intentions. Pausing her game she set her phone aside as she looked into those bright jade and gold eyes that she loved so much, reaching up to gently place her hand on his cheek and making him lean into the contact almost immediately. “Someone wants attention, hm?”
Dan Heng smiled, closing his eyes as he moved closer to her. He brought his own hand up to grab hers, guiding it towards his mouth where he was able to place a soft kiss to her wrist over her pulse. “Is it so wrong of me to want my mate’s attention?"
She smiled, leaning forwards and placing a quick kiss to his lips. “Not at all. Actually—” she pulled back and then tilted his head slightly so she could talk closer to his ear. “—I would be more than happy to oblige”
The dragon twisted to face her completely, wrapping one of his arms around her and pulling her close while using his free hand to guide her until he could bring their lips together. Their kiss started slow and gentle but soon started evolving into something more heated, more desperate.
Stelle was melting under his touch as he fully climbed onto the bed, getting into her space completely as he continued to get lost in the warmth of her touch and the softness of her lips on his own. He started to push her down into the bed, moving his arm down to support her as she continued to lay down beneath him. His hand came to rest on her lower back, just over the base of her spine, suddenly her eyes flew open with a pained hiss that caused Dan Heng to immediately worry as he took a step back from her.
He scanned her from top to bottom, noting her pinched expression and her tense muscles. “What’s wrong?” He let her down gently the rest of the way before looking at her again, searching for the source of her discomfort. Did he…do something? She was fine until that last moment when he had his hand pressing against her back. A cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach. “Did I hurt you?”
Stelle took another couple seconds to breath until the pain subsided. When she was finally able to open her eyes her heart twisted seeing the worried expression that was painting Dan Heng’s expression as he continued to scan her for any sign of injury/ “No, you’re fine. You didn’t hurt me”
She sat up in bed again, wincing slightly as the pain at the base of her spine pulsed once more. Dan Heng noticed it immediately and he stood from the bed, walking beside her so he could take a look at her. “Here, let me see your back”
She nodded and leaned forwards, allowing her lover to raise her shirt enough to scan her back. The Vidyadhara saw nothing out of the ordinary, everything seemed to be fine and only some bruises from their previous expedition were still marring her skin, nothing that should’ve warranted such a reaction from her after the light touch. “I can’t see anything wrong, does it hurt a lot?”
She shook her head. “Not much, not anymore. It flared pretty strongly but it’s going down pretty quick now. I think I should be fine”
“Did you get hit on that spot?”
“Maybe? I can’t really remember but I would not be surprised if I did. Honestly, that’s probably what happened”
Dan Heng still held some doubts but considering she seemed fine otherwise and the fact that there was no visual injury on the spot where the pain had come from he chose to go along with her. “Allright…but if it hurts again let me know, maybe we can try something to soothe the pain at least”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell you if it happens again” she took a breath, feeling the cool air ghost over her and killing the glowing embers that had just started to come to life in her before their previous activity had been rudely disrupted by her back deciding to act up. One look at Dan Heng was all she needed to tell that he was of a similar mindset, interest quickly smothered by worry. “Sorry I…killed the mood”
This managed to actually bring a smile to his face, shaking his head as he leaned to place a kiss to her cheek. “It’s okay. We can save it for when you’re feeling better”
After that the couple moved to take care of their nightly routines. Dan Heng took his own shower while Stelle finished up with her games and an hour or so later the two found themselves settling in bed, wrapped in each other’s embrace.
Dan Heng held her close as her breathing started to even out, preparing to succumb to sleep, his hand slid down to gently rest on the base of her spine again but he felt nothing wrong, there was no reaction to his touch this time on account of the fact that he was barely touching the spot for fear of causing Stelle more pain. The entire thing had been rather odd but he decided not to press it for the time being, she was looking fine based on his assessment and maybe all the two needed was a good night’s sleep and then everything would be fine.
Yeah, that would likely be the case. Taking one more deep breath full of his mate’s spicy sweet-smoky scent he allowed himself to relax, letting sleep slowly creep around the edges of his consciousness until he was consumed by sleep entirely.
Stelle woke up the next morning to an empty bed, she blinked a few times to try and get the sleep out of her vision while moving to sit up, stretching with a yawn she felt her lower back was still somewhat sore, a similar type of pain to the one you might get the day after a strenuous exercise. Looking around the room she found it to be empty, causing a small pang of sadness to settle in her chest at the distinct lack of Dan Heng in her immediate surroundings.
Amidst a yawn she brought her hand up to scratch at her head, a persistent itch finally growing a little too annoying to ignore. I guess this is just one of those weird mornings…
She swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood, feeling the pressure at the base of her spine increase for a bit before settling back into a dull throb that was relatively easy to ignore. Making a stop by the bathroom she then moved to the kitchen across her room to grab something to eat, stopping when the door hissed open to reveal the very person that had been occupying her mind walking in with a tray in hand.
The door closed behind Dan Heng as he walked over to the island in the middle of the kitchen to drop the tray, his eyes scanning Stelle. “You’re up, are you still feeling any discomfort?”
She shrugged. “A little, it’s kind of just there, not too hard to ignore as it is for now”
“That’s good, we should still be careful regardless and keep an eye on it, you should refrain from straining yourself until it goes away completely or until we can figure out what may be causing it”
“Yeah…Yeah I guess you’re right” she walked closer to him, leaning in to look at the tray he’d set down. The tray had two cups of what smelled like some sort of herbal tea as well as some fruits, sweet breads and other breakfast items. “Were you going to bring me breakfast in bed?”
A fond smile colored his face as he looked away. “I was, but you started to move around before I could return. The only reason I knew you were awake was because I could feel our connection through the bond grow more vibrant”
Stelle walked closer to him, leaning into his side as she scanned the tray of food. “Well, it’s the thought that counts anyway. Thank you”
“Of course”
They had breakfast while chatting about a variety of topics, mostly concerning their previous mission, until a message to the express group chat mentioning a debriefing meeting set the two of them into the motions of properly getting ready for the day.
An hour later both of them were walking into the parlor car where Himeko, Welt, Sunday and March were already standing by one of the round tables with several documents regarding the sealing of the Stellaron and some of the mission details were spread out.
Stelle was mostly only half paying attention to whatever was going on, her attention was split between it and the incessant itch on her head that refused to leave her alone for more than a handful of minutes. She was trying to refrain from scratching, the times where she did do it she would mask it as fixing her hair to try and call less attention to herself but if the concerned look Dan Heng was occasionally giving her was anything to go by then he was likely not falling for her ploy.
Thankfully the pain at the base of her spine had dulled to an almost negligible throb that she was mostly able to ignore unless she bent down or twisted a little too much in certain directions. Small mercies, she supposed…
By the time the meeting was over she was hardly able to suppress a sigh of relief in order to not drag more attention to herself, instead she excused herself and headed straight to her room where she locked herself in the bathroom while scratching the spot near the front of her head where the itch continued to test her patience and sanity.
She leaned over the sink, getting close to the mirror that was above it and parting her hair to try and see if there was anything there that could possibly be the cause of this incessant itch. She looked intently while carding through her hair but found nothing of note outside of slight redness which could very well have been caused by her own scratching.
Maybe I am finally going insane…
A knock on the door made her jump and almost knock over the glass containing their toothbrushes but she managed to catch it just before it toppled.
“Stelle? It’s Dan Heng”
She knew, of course she knew that he would take the first available opening to excuse himself and follow her. “I’m here”
“Is…everything okay? You seemed…off throughout the entire meeting”
Damn him and his keen eyes… “It’s nothing serious, I promise. I’m fine just give me a minute and I’ll be out”
There was silence from the other side of the door after that and she simply took another minute to fix her hair again and take a good look at her lower back in the mirror for good measure but there was nothing out of the ordinary that she could see. Just what in the world is going on?
With a resigned breath she headed for the door. It opened smoothly to reveal a very concerned looking Dan Heng that seemed to have just stopped his pacing around the moment she emerged from the bathroom.
He walked over to her, scanning her with that calculating gaze that he wore whenever he was attempting to make sure that she was fine after a fight. “Are you sure everything is okay? I can feel…unease throughout our bond. You know you can tell me anything right? I’ll always do my best to help you if it’s within my power”
Darn him and his heart of gold. Stelle sighed, reaching to take his hand in her own. “I’m okay, just some weird stuff going on but I think I’m fine, no need for you to worry that little horned head of yours about it”
A small smile crept into his face, some of the concern washing away. “Well…okay then. But please, if there is anything bothering you do tell me about it, it’ll be easier to work it out between the both of us if you do”
He had a point…but this was likely nothing and she was only making a storm out of a glass of water so at least for now she would let it be. “I will. Thank you, my dragon”
He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Anything for you”
The next day both her itch and the soreness on her lower back seemed to have disappeared, waking up that morning feeling like normal again had been enough to keep her in a cheery mood that the rest of the crew immediately noticed and found contagious— her and March had even managed to coax Dan Heng and Sunday into playing this one board game that March had been wanting to try since before their Amphoreus stop— Maybe she had been worrying over nothing after all.
By the time they were done with the game that evening it was close to dinner time so the crew all gathered in the parlor car to eat before splitting for the night. Stelle was all but clinging to Dan Heng as they ascended the stairs to her room, their arms linked together as she told him a story that March had told her about how a merchant had tried to swindle her during their last stop when the two women had gone on their own to a small market.
Once in their room Stelle led the man towards the bed where she sat them both down to finish up her story.
Dan Heng listened to her retelling, regrettably he was only retaining half the information as he unintentionally found himself absorbed by her presence alone.
He didn’t know why but since earlier he’d been drawn more and more towards her than the usual, deeply rooted instincts were now clouding his rational mind as he found his gaze gravitating towards the faint mark of his bite that was now enticing him to get closer.
With little warning he leaned into her, nosing the mating bite on her neck and taking a deep breath that flooded his senses with that spicy-sweet scent that was absolutely her. He closed his eyes as his instincts sang deep inside him with a thrumming rumble vibrating deep within his chest.
Stelle had stopped mid-sentence after feeling his breath ghost over her quickly-warming skin, once she got over her shock she simply smiled while reaching up to run her hand over the shorter strands of hair atop his head. “You could’ve at least waited for me to finish telling the story y’know?” There was no real bite behind her words, fondness coloring her tone.
Dan Heng wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him. “Your scent—” he took another deep breath that sent a shiver down Stelle’s spine. “—s’good”
He didn’t know where this sudden need for her had come from. Yes, it had been simmering in the back of his mind since earlier, but right now it had grown from a small ember to a raging fire from one instant to the next.
He was losing himself at an alarmingly quick rate but at this point he was too drunk on her to care. He angled his head slightly higher and placed a kiss just below her ear, eliciting a surprised gasp from her that fueled the blazing inferno growing inside of him.
His free hand moved up to cradle the back of her head and she immediately melted under his touch, hungrily he continued to mark a path down the column of her neck. He felt her hands moving around him, one moving up to rest on the back of his neck while the other sneaked down his lower back where she was now softly caressing the point where his tail met his back.
Her touch was not helping his current situation as he felt yet another of the few remaining threads of control snapping. Placing one last kiss down just above her collarbone he looked up again and locked their lips in a searing kiss that did more than any words could to express the want that was now coursing through both their bodies.
Stelle moved almost immediately to deepen their kiss, feeling heat already starting to to gather deep within her with the added sensation of their mating bond pulsing in the back of her mind mirroring her own growing desire and mounting lust. Suddenly she was feeling trapped in her own clothes, casual as they were, and she could feel a similar feeling from Dan Heng.
Thankful that they were both wearing simpler clothes she moved her hand down to the hem of the dragon’s shirt, sliding her hands underneath and sliding them up his toned abs and chest with the intention of pulling the offending clothing off of him altogether. The Vidyadhara read her intentions immediately, allowing himself a deep sigh when they parted from their kiss as he relished in the searing touch that her hands were leaving up his torso.
He allowed the space between them to grow just so he could fully pull off his shirt, tossing it to the side just as Stelle reached up to pull him down towards her once more. They resumed their kiss as he moved his hands down Stelle’s sides, stopping at her waist and thumbing the edge of her shorts’ waistband before sliding his fingers under her shirt where his touch set her skin ablaze. She gasped at his contact before taking matters into her own hands and pulling her shirt off on her own accord to soon join Dan Heng’s discarded one on the floor beside their bed.
Without wasting more time Dan Heng immediately moved to lay Stelle down on the plush bed beneath them, holding himself above her as their kiss grew more and more desperate, both their breaths coming in short pants whenever they could catch a few precious seconds to separate from each other just to breathe. He felt like he was in the clouds, a pleasant buzz surrounding his mind with the only thoughts that his mind could conjure were about the woman that now lay beneath him as he moved a hand down her side and then over to rest above the mark of Permanence just below her navel.
The mark had healed perfectly, existing now as a barely visible silhouette in a silver-y hue of a crescent moon with the open part facing upwards. Seeing his mating bite on the side of her neck earlier had been driving him insane but seeing his mark on her like this was truly testing what little restraint he had left to not take her then and there.
Still, he could only do so much to fight back these deeply rooted draconic instincts. Breaking their kiss he began to plant a trail of kisses down her neck, continuing over her collarbone and chest all the way down her body until he reached his mark on her where he took his time worshiping her body with a level of devotion that would put several Aeons to shame, all the while moving his hand up and down her side with a gentle caress that had Stelle sighing with pleasure at all the attention he was laving her with.
“Dan Heng…”
He opened his eyes, pausing his work to meet her burning gaze. “Starlight?”
Stelle shivered at the sound of his voice, husky and tainted deep with the pleasure that was driving them both mad. Even his voice had a rumbling undertone that echoed the low purring vibrating through him “I need you”
Jade and gold eyes widened minutely, his tail lashed behind him a couple times as he moved up to press another kiss to her lips before rising to stand on his knees, his legs on either side of her hips, caging her with his own weight in a way that was only fueling the fire burning in her core. “Are you sure? Is your back not bothering you anymore?”
As endearing as she found his concern she was sure that, if after all that, he was still willing to leave her hot and bothered then she would not hesitate in smacking him upside the head with her bat to make up for it.
“If you are choosing now of all times to grow a conscience and leave me I’m sending you back to sleep in the archives”
She said that in a tone so matter-of-fact that Dan Heng had no doubts that she would make good on that promise. For his part he wasn’t really keen on going back to the archives after everything so…
He smiled, fondness coloring his words. “As you wish, then”
He leaned down and nosed at her mating bite, that intoxicating scent was now more sweet than spicy and the smoky undertones were even less prominent. Wrapping his hand around her back he pulled her up until she was straddling him as he sat back, the new position allowing her to feel his hardness beneath her as she fought the urge to grind against him.
Dan Heng let out a deep sigh at the feeling of her weight on him, his tail already subconsciously moving to wrap around her waist. He felt one of her hands drop to where his tail was now pressing against her, running it over the side of the scaled appendage absentmindedly while her head swam lost in a sea of mounting pleasure.
With little warning the Vidyadhara bit down over Stelle’s mating bite, not hard enough to break the skin but just enough to make her feel the threat of the sharp points of his fangs which immediately made a hiss escape her, closely followed by a moan as she tilted her head back to fully bare her neck to him.
Dan Heng moved his hands to her hips before trailing upwards, pushing under the lower part of her sports bra to start pushing the garment up and eventually off of her. Stelle didn’t fight his moves and instead raised her arms so that he could pull it off of her with more ease.
With her chest now finally bare he pushed her down until she was once more laying on the plush bed. He left another bite over the mating bite and licked along the column of her neck before placing soft kisses just below her ear, one of his hands trailing up her abdomen until he reached her chest and started softly squeezing one of her breasts, eliciting a sweet song of gasps and moans that was music to his ears.
Stelle bit her lip, trying to contain the sounds that were escaping her unbidden, but the sinful path of Dan Heng’s mouth on her neck and the way he was kneading one of her breasts was only adding to the fire that continued to blaze red hot deep within her. As much as she was enjoying herself she was starting to grow desperate, the ache between her legs was starting to become unbearable and she found herself pressing her legs together to try and alleviate some of that need. “Dan Heng…please”
He leaned back, looking into her eyes before glancing down between his legs to where her own were tightly pressed together. Those jade and gold eyes were ablaze with a lustful fire that only served to fuel the flames of her own want and yet the man only smiled with an amused huff when he finally looked up to meet her eyes. “Needy, are we?”
She frowned, moving a hand so that she could run it over his chest and down his toned abdomen before hooking a finger on the waistband of his pants. “Don’t act like you’re not just as desperate—” her voice then took a mocking tone, one that was more teasing than anything else. “—oh mighty scion of Permanence”
He leaned down again, biting at her shoulder. Stelle gasped but took the chance to hold onto one of his horns and pull him up where she could kiss him again. Unlike earlier this time her kiss was more desperate, lustful, nipping at his lip enough to elicit a warning growl from the dragon. His reaction made her smile, she could hear his tail snapping side to side with agitation.
Fueled by this reaction she fully slid her hand into his pants, running her hand over his hardened length and causing him to let out a hiss as he involuntarily thrust into her touch.
She was fighting him now, his instincts were screaming and by now there was little he could do but bend to their will. His hand moved of its own accord as he pressed down on her sex over her shorts, the action had Stelle bucking into his touch with a gasp as she reached down to tightly hold onto his wrist with her free hand. “Yes…Dan Heng, please”
When he spoke next his voice was steeped with need, a deep rumble punctuated each word as the dragon inside him took full control. “Tell me, what is it you need?” he applied more strength to his touch, moving his other hand to hold her hips down and keep her from grinding into his touch.
A shiver ran up her spine at the increased pressure as a whine left her at the inability to chase that much needed pleasure due to his firm hold on her. “I need you”
“What do you need from me?”
Heat rose to her cheeks, coloring them in a bright shade of crimson. He was doing this on purpose, she could see from the glint in his eyes. Fine then, so be it.
Meeting his gaze with burning citrine she moved her hand that was still in his pants again, making him close his eyes with a deep steadying breath as he fought his own desire. With some effort she leaned up until she was closer to his ear, when she spoke it was in a whisper that made an electric shock run straight through Dan Heng’s spine. “Need you inside me, my dragon, my mate”
His eyes narrowed into slits, her words hitting those primal instincts that were now taking center stage in guiding him. She needed him, needed her mate. With little preamble he took a step back , allowing Stelle to be free from where he had previously kept her under him. “Take off your shorts, and turn around”
Stelle obliged immediately, doing as he’d said while he himself moved to take off his remaining clothes until they were both fully bare. Climbing back on the bed he kneeled behind Stelle, wrapping his hand around her chest and pulling her up with him so her back was firmly pressed against his chest, his tail moved around him and wrapped itself around one of her legs as she leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder with a content hum.
The Vidyadhara lowered one of his hands all the way down towards her core, stopping when his fingers brushed against that bundle of nerves that made Stelle’s breath hitch almost instantly. He paused for just a few seconds before leaning his head over her shoulder, nosing the side of her neck and breathing in her sweet scent while his hand began to move in slow revolutions. His remaining free hand rose to her chest, taking hold of one of her breasts and kneading it with intent as he followed the urge that spurred him to give her all the pleasure she wanted.
It wasn’t long until Stelle felt her legs start to tremble where she knelt with Dan Heng’s firm chest pressed against her back. He was working her up in every right way and by now she wasn’t sure of how much more she would be able to take. The heavenly combination of his hand moving in slow circles over her clit while his other hand kneaded her breast was already sinfully good but the way he continued to kiss her neck and shoulder were threatening to send her over the edge at a moment’s notice.
She was then finally able to take a full breath when his hand stilled completely, feeling both relieved and frustrated by it until his voice all but set her core ablaze once more, sounding deeper and laced with want. “I’m going to start preparing you”
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement, a warning.
She nodded, not trusting her words as she felt Dan Heng’s hand slide lower until he was hovering just over her entrance. A part of her was mortified by just how wet she already was but a more primal voice screamed at her that this was right, that she was being good to him by being ready to take him.
Before she could question where that voice was even coming from her mind was rid of all thought when he began to slowly press a single finger inside her, his entrance a smooth glide. Her hands flew to grasp onto his thighs just behind her, seeking some way to hold herself as her legs suddenly felt weaker.
She sank more into him, resting almost her entire weight against his broader figure while he continued his ministrations both in her core and her breasts, resuming his slow kisses over the side of her neck and shoulder. She realized then that she could feel his own arousal against the curve of her ass yet he insisted on ignoring it in favor of focusing every ounce of his attention onto her. The thought alone sparking a whole new wave of arousal in her.
She was about to voice her mind when a second finger slid inside her with no warning, short circuiting her brain entirely as another lustful moan was ripped from her throat, gasping for air while relishing in the burn and pleasure of the stretch. She tried bouncing herself on his fingers to eke out just that little more pleasure but his tail was firmly wrapped around one of her legs and his arm wrapped round her chest and playing with her breasts was holding her firmly down with little to no room to move.
That primal voice returned then, louder this time, she didn’t know if she should be more alarmed at the fact that it was making her already imagine how good it would feel once Dan Heng was inside her and how well she could take him or at the simple fact that she now found herself craving the sensation with maddening desperation. She dug her nails on the meat of his thighs where she still held onto him, gasping for breath to combat the mounting pleasure as he continued to slowly pump his fingers in and out of her while stretching her out in preparation. “Dan Heng, I—ha…I need you. Please” She could not remember ever feeling this intense desperation and craving for him but she was not about to question it now.
He took a deep breath himself, struggling to keep the last thin string of composure he had left from snapping. “Just…a little more”
She shook her head, turning so she was speaking directly into his ear “I don’t need more, I can be good for you, please…Dan Heng, my mate”
His tail tightened around her leg as he closed his eyes, a wave of overwhelming need washing over him at the breathy sound of her voice saying exactly what the dragon inside him wanted to hear. Slowly he pulled his fingers out of her to not cause discomfort, his hand was covered in her essence as he retrieved it and Stelle was quick to grab him by the wrist and bring it over to her mouth where she sucked the two fingers that had been inside her fully with a pleased moan that vibrated deep in her throat.
Dan Heng swallowed, the smell of her arousal now so close to his own nose that it was driving him insane. With his free hand he turned her head towards him and connected their lips in a searing kiss, he could taste her own essence in her lips with each joining and parting of their mouths. He couldn’t put up with this any more, he needed her— needed to be deep inside her and fill her up like a good mate.
Taking his hand back from her he leaned back slightly as he took himself in hand, bending his knees down slightly so he could push inside her. Lining himself up he called forth a layer of viscous water to coat himself in, not that he thought it would be needed considering how wet she was already but even in his lust addled state he retained enough lucidity to prevent doing anything that might hurt Stelle.
Slowly he began sinking into her, his own gasping breaths at the heavenly sensation of her tight walls closing in on him only rivaled by her own. Once he was fully sheathed inside her they both took a few seconds to breathe and get accustomed to each other’s presence, the bond connecting them deep within them was exacerbating every sensation to the point where Dan Heng couldn’t tell where he ended and Stelle began and yet it was the most exquisite pleasure he’d ever felt.
Stelle’s legs shook as she tried to keep herself upright, the feeling of fullness absolutely divine even through the burn of the stretch. That new voice in the back of her mind was singing with joy and for once she didn’t fight against it as the echoes of Dan Heng’s own pleasure washed over through their bond, his scent was intoxicating as he leaned over her shoulder and she was able to nose his neck where she could now more easily find that fresh scent of damp earth, dew and lotus soothing her rushing mind.
Dan Heng wrapped his arms around her abdomen, pressing her against him as he started to thrust into her, slowly at first but picking up strength and speed when he grew more accustomed to the sensation of her warm walls pressing against him. Once they were both settled he slid his hands up towards her chest, taking her breasts in hand and kneading them with intent which immediately made Stelle let loose a litany of curses amongst which his name occasionally broke through her lips in between breathy moans.
He grunted with both effort and pleasure as he settled into a demanding pace that had them both seeing stars as they climbed higher and higher towards their climax. Stelle felt her legs tremble, she would not be able to remain upright much longer the way Dan Heng continued to carve deep into her, hitting all the right spots that had her gasping for breath as she rocked against his own moves to add just that little bit more to the blazing fire deep inside her that continued to cry for more.
Her legs eventually faltered but Dan Heng was quick to react and wrap his arms around her abdomen, bending down so that they were no longer relying on their legs for balance. Stelle immediately let out a relieved breath as she leaned down into the bed, her arms on either side of her head as she rested against the soft bed.
Her hips remained up but she was now letting most of her weight fall against the bed while Dan Heng held her close, sneaking a hand down until it pressed against the mark of Permanence. The pressure he applied was not too strong but it was enough that she could feel him pressing against himself through her, the sensation so new and raw that it immediately rekindled the fire that had slightly diminished during their change in position.
Dan Heng returned to his previous position, slowly rebuilding his previous pace as he began to once more thrust into his mate with deliberate intent. The new position felt somehow tighter and he could tell, based on the gasping breaths and needy moans coming from Stelle, that she was also enjoying the change in angle.
He gripped her hips as he increased his pace into a more punishing rhythm that after a while started to crumble as they both stood on the knife’s edge of that increasing pleasure, ready to plunge down the cliff of sweet release. They were both so close, Dan Heng knew that maybe he was pushing it a little too far, that he was being too rough as the impact of skin on skin joined the echoing sounds of their combined moans.
He had set a relentless pace that hit deep within her each time he plunged back in with each thrust, Stelle herself was a gasping, trembling mess as she pushed herself against his moves just to let him reach just that little extra bit deeper within her to hit that one spot that turned her vision white with pleasure.
She was close to breaking and truly did not feel like she would last much longer. Just then Dan Heng’s moves began to falter as he draped himself across her back, wrapping one arm around her and pressing down over the mark of Permanence where it was once again glowing with a faint gold. She already felt so incredibly full but the way he would press down on her, making her feel even more how deeply he was carving into her, was the very last thing that she needed to be able to push her to take the plunge into that ocean of sweet release.
Dan Heng pressed harder against her, tightening the grip of his arm around her. “My starlight. I love you” He raked his fangs over the column of her neck, long dormant instincts waking with a start and pushing him on.
My mate, my Stelle. Mine. He bit down on her neck, reaffirming the mating bite as the metallic taste of blood hit his tongue.
Release washed over her like a tidal wave, her breath hitching when that thin cord finally snapped and she saw stars beneath her closed eyes. Dan Heng pumped into her a few more times that almost sent her into overstimulation before she felt warmth wash over her insides as he tightened his hold on her, gasping for breath once he finally stilled. His tail was tightly wound around both their left legs, pinning them together and adding more to the ocean of sensations in which she was drowning as she slowly started to come down from her high.
Dan Heng continued to pant as he lay across Stelle’s back, still feeling the aftershocks of their climax wrack his body. He licked clean the small drop of blood over her mating bite before placing a soft kiss to it in an attempt to soothe her. Gently he maneuvered them both so they would be lying on their side on the bed, his larger frame completely wrapping around her as his tail draped over them both as an added comforting weight. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his instincts sang with absolute joy at the intermingled scent of her sweetness and the fresh notes of dew from himself, warmth bloomed in his chest as both of them sunk deeper into the bed. Once they had both come down from their high Dan Heng thought about pulling out of her so he could grab a towel to clean themselves with but he was forced to stay in place by instincts all but screaming at him and roaring in protest at the very thought of moving. Must stay, must wait until it takes.
He mentally shook himself as those thoughts filled his mind. It was illogical, an impossibility, Vidyadhara were biologically sterile ever since they were first brought into the universe by Long but these instincts were still some vestige that plagued them all. They usually remained dormant but he had heard of cases where they did resurface in certain people or within couples.
The same was true for cycles of heat and rut but those were even rarer and little was known about what they entailed on account of the fact that cases of Vidyadhara coming down with them happened at most once a century.
He sighed, clearing the troubled thoughts from his mind as he nuzzled further into Stelle. The earlier wave of overwhelming lust had now subsided and in its place remained warm contentment and a pleasant bone-deep exhaustion that had him purring as he closed his eyes to lose himself in the mix of pleasant sensations.
When Stelle finally became aware after fully recovering from her high she found herself comfortably laying on her side with Dan Heng pressed tightly against her back, the barely there vibrations from his purring resonating against her back as she let herself sink deeper into his embrace. The fullness she still felt was a pleasant addition to the deep exhaustion that permeated her body and she welcomed it all the more for it, something deep inside her shined bright in response to Dan Heng’s presence so intertwined with her own and it continued to send pulses of satisfaction in response to the complete fullness that made up the larger part of the myriad sensations and feelings that had sent her into this drowsy yet content state of existence.
I wish I could stay like this forever, the two of us. This feels…right.
She took a deep breath and that same little voice rejoiced at their intermingled scents. It was now that she truly took note of Dan Heng’s scent; all damp earth, petrichor, a subtle hint of lotus, and a stronger herbal note that reminded her of one of the teas he enjoyed. By comparison her own scent was more sweet but she couldn’t quite tell what it was, she didn’t know why she never realized any of these things until now but the knowledge pleased her greatly for some reason.
The couple spent some time in the quiet, dark room before Dan Heng finally stirred again. He placed a kiss on Stelle's shoulder as he rubbed his hand over her side affectionately. “Starlight?”
Stelle hummed, still stuck in between consciousness and the bliss of sleep. “Hmm?”
“Are you okay?”
She opened her eyes, feeling through their bond the traces of worry that were plaguing the dragon’s mind. It was endearing how whenever he let his instincts take over and went rougher on her he would immediately focus on caring for her and making her as comfortable as possible as some sort of compensation for it.
She didn’t mind, it was cute, and at the same time she rather enjoyed it when he fully let go of his usual composure and let those draconic instincts take the reins. She took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me”
He hummed, seemingly not entirely convinced but not willing to fight her on the subject. “Do you…want to get cleaned up?”
She considered his question. Right now she was more exhausted than anything but she knew that if they simply stayed like this then she would heavily regret it in the morning. She made the mistake once and learned then and there that when everything was said and done the aftermath of sex was far less enjoyable when it had time to dry on her skin.
“Yeah”
After a few more seconds of silence Dan Heng began to move, prompting her to do the same. He headed for the bathroom and started filling up the tub with warm water while getting the shower going, they both washed themselves clean in the shower first before hopping into the tub where Dan Heng cradled her against his body comfortably, purring at the feeling of her weight on top of him as he ran a hand over her soft hair. Despite having gained a new form he still found himself most at home in the water, his inherent nature as the Azure dragon’s successor likely still having a strong influence on him.
He didn’t know if Stelle enjoyed staying in the water for as long as he usually did but she had never really voiced any complaints to it, usually he was the one to call it early when he noticed the pads of her fingers starting to prune from the water which was something that had never happened to him. Stelle’s breath was even and steady which gave away the fact that she was asleep, carefully so as to not wake her he slid one of his hands down her arm and to her hand where he pulled it over the water to check. To his surprise she still looked fine and for the most part unaffected by having been soaking in the water for a while so with some satisfaction he let his head rest against hers and closed his eyes.
Dan Heng only realized that he had fallen asleep only when he blinked his eyes open and his body registered that the water was no longer hot. With some alarm he took Stelle’s hand again, expecting it to be wrinkled from the water, but to his surprise the pruning was almost negligible.
Still, they had spent more than enough time in the water by now. “Stelle?”
No response.
He softly squeezed her shoulder. “Statlight?”
She hummed in response, lightly stirring and turning to bury herself deeper into Dan Heng. The Vidyadhara smiled while nuzzling the side of her head. “We have to get out of the water”
Again Stelle only grunted in response, not making any moves to indicate that she had any intentions of moving.
Knowing that they could not stay in the tub forever Dan Heng started moving around Stelle, gently setting her down against the side of the tub before stepping out himself. Taking a towel he proceeded to dry himself before coaxing Stelle out of the water, wrapping her in another towel and going over the motions of padding the water off of her body while she stood barely awake.
He found the entire thing rather endearing as he finally managed to get Stelle awake enough to dress herself, eventually they were both dressed in their sleepwear and Dan Heng carried Stelle over to the bed where he had already stripped it from the top layer and left the clean sheets below for them to use.
The two of them lay together, Stelle immediately curling into Dan Heng’s broader body and burying herself into his chest while Dan Heng hugged her close, tail draping over her. It wasn’t long before both of them succumbed to their exhaustion, letting sleep claim them.
The next morning Stelle was awoken by that persistent itch on the front of her head returning. She had just opened her eyes, comfortable in the warmth of Dan Heng’s embrace and feeling better than she had in the last week or so until that Aeons forsaken itch returned with a burning passion. She ran a hand through her hair to mask the action of scratching, waking her mate up accidentally.
Unaware of her situation the Vidyadhara rested his head atop hers, Stelle only mildly forgetting her predicament after hearing his sleep addled voice— deeper, lower and with that husky tone from disuse in his sleep— it was funny how he managed to alleviate most of her problems without even trying these days.
The two lounged in bed for a while longer before getting up, changing and heading down when a message from March told them that breakfast was ready. After breakfast the crew gathered to discuss the next stop they would be heading to, Stelle only half paying attention as she focused most of her energy on standing still against the itch on her head and the soreness in her lower back that she knew had nothing to do with her and Dan Heng’s activities the previous night.
The next two days were a repeat of the same, the soreness on her lower back, despite receding, refused to completely go away and the itch on her head was starting to drive her borderline insane.
She thought that by now it would have started to go away but the fact that not only had it not done that, but it had remained pretty much consistent with no change was starting to worry her. She would have to tell Dan Heng, even if she still felt like it was something that she shouldn’t be needing to worry him with.
They would be travelling without a set destination for another day or two so if anything this would be the best time to bring it up before they were thrust back into another mission. With her mind made up she kept herself busy in their room after dinner while she waited for Dan Heng to finish up tidying the last entries on the data bank, planning out how she would go about this whole thing once he returned.
It wasn’t too long until the door to their room hissed open. The Vidyadhara walked in still keeping his eyes on a data pad as he strolled in, tail swishing calmly behind him with the cadence of his walk. “Dan Heng?”
He turned to her, placing the data pad on the kitchen island before approaching. He seemed to immediately sense that something was off because his calm expression subtly shifted to something akin to concern. He brought a hand up to rest against her cheek, his thumb brushing under her eye. “Everything okay? You look…tense”
“I think there’s something wrong with me…”
His concern became palpable through their bond, his brows pinching at her declaration. “What’s wrong?”
Well…here goes nothing. “For the last week or so I’ve been getting this incessant itch near the front of my head and my lower back has been hurting for just as long for no apparent reason that I can guess. I thought at first that I could just ignore it and maybe in time it would go away, and it did, but then it came back again and now I’m starting to get worried that it’s actually something…”
Dan Heng’s eyes darkened as his gaze became unfocused, a clear sign that he was mulling over the information and trying to think of a solution or cause for it. After a few seconds of silence he turned back to meet her eyes. “Any other weird things besides that? Have you been feeling okay outside of that discomfort?”
She thought it over for a while but could not recall anything of importance, at least not that she could attribute to whatever was going on with her now. “Not really, I’ve felt fine the entire time which is why I didn’t think to bring this up until now, and only because it continued to happen consistently over a few days. Do you have any ideas?”
“Sadly, no. It’s not like you have been doing anything significantly strenuous to warrant such pains and the persistent itch also makes little sense” He glanced up to the top of her head, as if searching, before looking back at her. “May I have a look?”
Stelle nodded. With permission granted the VIdyadhara leaned in, moving aside her hair around the front and top of her head in search of…something, anything at all that could hint at a possible cause for the itching but he found nothing of the sort. Her skin towards the front was a little redder than the rest but he assumed that it was due to her scratching that very spot. “I can’t really see anything out of the ordinary…we might need to check in with the others, maybe even Sunday. If whatever is ailing you isn’t a physical thing then maybe he can sense if there is anything amiss with his tuning”
Stelle nodded, willing to try anything at this point to make whatever was wrong with her stop. The pair got up from the bed and started to make their way towards the parlor car, where Dan Heng had seen Sunday last. The walk seemed eternal as anxiety started to claw at Stelle’s chest in anticipation, fearing the unknowns of whatever was wrong with her while at the same time staying hopeful that at least once they knew what was wrong they would be able to find a solution and make the whole thing stop.
Or at least that’s what she was hoping for…