Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“MY LOVE FOR YOU IS THE SAME LEVEL AS MY LOVE FOR TRASH CANS!!”

The voice screamed despite Caelus desperately trying to stop it from coming out.

He watched that beautiful face distorted into surprise, then anger, then sadness…and finally, nothing.

The boy’s face was carefully blank as he slowly withdrew his hands and his beautiful teal-coloured eyes shifted away from him. Even the shine on his horns seemed to have dimmed and the tail behind him became limp.

“I see…” That was all he said as he turned to walk away, his long deep brown and jade-green hair swaying behind him as he left.

No…!

No, no, no, no!

Not again!!

There was a small clattering sound as Caelus caught something bouncing off the floor. It was small and green, glowing in such a dull light it hurts to look at.

Caelus knew he needed to follow after him, but as soon as he reached a hand out to that retreating back, his vision began to blur and everything turned pitch black…

“IT’S NOT LIKE THAT, LUNAE!!” Caelus shouted as he shot out of his bed with his hand outstretched. He stared at the space in front of him for a moment before looking around to see the familiar sight of his bedroom.

He panted heavily, his heart still pounding from the nightmare—no, the memory that was so clear in his head, it was painful. He curled his legs up to his chest and buried his face in his knees, feeling his heart wrench in pain as he recalled that foolish moment. After a moment, he reached to his neck where there was a red string tied around him.

On this red string was a single pale green pearl.

“Lunae…”

…

…

…

Two hours later, Caelus found himself sitting at the very back of the lecture room.

The entire room was dark and the only light source they had was the gigantic hologram at the center, showcasing a planet. With the place packed with students and him being in the corner, Caelus didn’t need to worry about being caught slacking off.

He was doodling in his notebook, the lines of his pencil slowly sketching out the beautiful face of the Omega he fell in love with.

Everything happened a month ago when Caelus went to the Xianzhou Luofu for an internship. The internship was secondary, the whole reason he wanted to go to Luofu was to sightsee and taste the Xianzhou cuisine.

Caelus was from a specie known as Stellaron.

In ancient times, they were a powerful race created by the Aeon of Destruction—Nanook. They were known as planet destroyers, where a single one of them could bring death to an entire planet. After Nanook’s demise, the Stellarons lost their destructive powers and their numbers diminished. While they were still strong, it wasn’t in a realm where other species cannot match up to.

Now, they were a near-extinct specie. Even Caelus himself didn’t know how many Stellarons exist since unlike with other species, they aren’t born from reproduction. They simply came into existence through the stars. The moment they were born, they were already in the body of a young adult with basic knowledge already existing in their brain.

That was why when it comes to feelings and emotions, they might come off as…weird. Some were said to be extremely emotionally detached while others were way too emotional. When it comes to Stellaron, it would usually be one side of the extreme.

Since they were created into existence, all Stellarons were said to be extremely good-looking. A trait all Stellarons shared was their golden eyes that radiate with the energy that created them and their ash gray hair. Be it man or woman, Alpha or Omega, they all had the height and bodies of models.

Due to this, Caelus got a lot of invitations a lot to mixers from his classmates at Star Rail University.

Except…he was specifically told in all of these invitations not to open his mouth.

The title Cancer of All Worlds was something of the distant past—during the era of the Aeons.

Nowadays, people knew the Stellarons by a different name…the Trash Virtuoso.

Wherever a Stellaron went, the trash cans of that planet would be raided. Nobody knew why, but Stellarons have this weird obsession with trash cans—or looking through other weird places like a kid going on a treasure hunt. If they spot a treasure chest, they will utilize all of their powers to get their hands on that chest and open it. There was an ongoing joke that if a Stellaron ever becomes an Aeon, then all trash cans around the world would become sentient.

Like their erratic and unpredictable behaviours, their personalities weren’t so different. Contrary to their looks, the Stellarons were borderline deranged. There was no telling what a Stellaron might do or how they will respond—though all of that would be in an idiotic way. While strong, the Stellarons were not a violent species by nature so they would very rarely resort to using force.

It was during his second week at Luofu that Caelus met Lunae.

Lunae came from a dragon specie called Vidyadhara. They were a rare species and also highly protected within the Xianzhou Alliance. He was also an Omega model whose name and picture spread far and wide into the galaxy.

Caelus met him during his stroll through Luofu’s night market. He was shoving his face with different street food when Lunae came crashing into him, having not watched where he was going while being chased by rabid fans.

Caelus didn’t know his identity at the time since he was wearing disguises but he nonetheless offered his help to the stranger. It was only after they escaped into a small alleyway and lost the fans did Lunae took off the mask and sunglasses, revealing his face.

Needless to say, Caelus immediately asked for an autograph—a ton of them.

Lunae didn’t ask any questions, nor did he give Caelus any weird looks at this absurd request. He dutifully signed Caelus’s shirt, jacket, pants, shoes, socks, gloves, belts…pretty much on every piece of clothing Caelus was wearing. He even gave the Alpha a kind warning to not wear the clothes he signed outside since he might get attacked or robbed.

To this, Caelus told him not to worry and that he always carries a bat with him.

If Lunae was bewildered by this, he did well not to show it. After talking a bit, the two instantly hit off. Their chemistry was pretty much going off the chart! By the end of it all, they exchanged numbers with Lunae agreeing (after his shameless pestering) to become his tour guide during his stay on the Xianzhou.

Caelus was ecstatic. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to the model. Caelus may be an Alpha, but it was the first time he felt any attraction toward an Omega. During their lunch date, sparks were flying off in his head and Caelus was even starting to hallucinate a deep voice narrating the beauty that was in front of him.

He started to believe in the fated pairs from those cheesy romance movies March 7^th forced him to watch through with her.

The more they interacted, the closer they became. The two quickly formed a tight-knit friendship. They filled each other so naturally that it was as though they had known each other for years.

After two months of knowing each other, Caelus made love to Lunae.

Even now, Caelus couldn’t remember who made the first move. It happened naturally and the mood was right. They fell onto the soft bed, their limbs tangled with each other as Caelus’s lips travelled over that supple pale skin.

And most importantly, Lunae’s chest…

Those perky nipples of his were leaking.

At that time, he took whatever Lunae’s body was willing to give. He gulped down the sweet fluid that oozed out while fucking the omega over and over until he could barely walk the next day.

It was only afterward that he did some research on the Vidyadhara race.

Their bodies were like a treasure cove, where every part of their body could become precious medicine. Their tears can turn into priceless pearls and their saliva could heal wounds in an instant. Even their flesh and blood were said to be able to cure any disease.

When a Vidyadhara matures, they would be able to produce this milk-like fluid from their chest, regardless of whether they were female or male. The creamy white substance was a condensed form of the Vidyadhara’s energy used to nourish the body and restore vitality. The essence was a very intimate part of the Vidyadhara’s body and would only give to their significant other or children.

Due to these, many people covet the Vidyadhara’s bodies and hunt them. That was why anyone that dared to bring harm to a Vidyadhara for those reasons will receive capital punishment on the Xianzhou.

This information would explain why Caelus was able to suck out so much milk despite Lunae’s chest being very firm and flat. It was because he was drawing the Vidyadhara’s energy directly. It…might also explain how he was still so energetic to the next day while Lunae was lying bonelessly on the bed, looking to be on the verge of fainting.

After that blissful night (and day), Caelus began making plans, trying to figure out how to ask Lunae out.

Not to brag, but Caelus knew that he was a very desirable bachelor—as long as he kept his mouth shut, as those who knew him would say. Despite his young age, he had accomplished many things others would never achieve in a million years!

Heck, he even beat up a Doomsday Beast that tried to attack a Space Station during his stay there! He was the Doomsday Beast’s doom!!

Except…Caelus has never fallen in love with anyone before.

Sure he was popular, but he knew these admirers of his would leave after finding out that Caelus wasn’t the cold and stoic Alpha his appearance made him be. Even if he was the type of person others expected him to be, their love for him would disappear with time. As a Stellaron, Caelus was practically immortal and because he was a Stellaron, he would never be able to produce any offspring. Just these two alone were enough to make anyone who wanted a serious relationship stay far away from him.

Caelus didn't mind, but then again, maybe he could say that because he hasn't felt the burden his endless time would bring him, considering he was born only last year.

That was why Caelus wanted to visit the Xianzhou, so he could see how the long-life species there lived.

Then Lunae came crashing into his life—literally.

So now, not only did Caelus feel this intense sense of longing for Lunae, Lunae was a Vidyadhara whose lifespan was also never-ending. Caelus didn’t want to miss his chance at getting the perfect life partner, so he crafted a grand way to confess. He got all of his friends’ help back at the university…only to get nervous at the last moment, got drunk, blurted out the worst confession line in the history of all confessions then got blocked/ghosted by the love of his life.

“Sophia!! It’s just you and me now!” Caelus cried with tears streaming down his face as he rubbed his face against the smooth, metallic surface. “You’re the only one for me…let’s get married and live together on a distant planet where no one will ever find us!”

“Yeah, yeah, now why don’t you let Sophia go? You’re obstructing other people here,” March 7^th—his best friend named after the calendar—said as she pointed at the two students who were awkwardly standing there, holding their garbage in their hands.

“Tell them to find another trash can. Sophia is my ESTC of the day,” Caelus said, refusing to take arms off the garbage can.

“He’s…a Stellaron,” March 7^th said and immediately the students got understanding looks on their faces, then began gawking at Caelus like he was some sort of rare specimen. “Here, let me throw these away for you guys.”

March took the trash from the students before walking up to Caelus and threw the trash inside despite his loud protest. After that, she stepped back with her hands on her hips as she looked down at what could only be the galaxy’s most pathetic sight.

“What the heck is an ESTC anyways?”

“Emotional Support Trash Can,” came the flat response.

“Didn’t you get invited to another mixer this evening? Why don’t you go? Who knows, maybe you’ll find someone you like and you can move on from your failed crush.”

“I didn’t fail!” Caelus shouted. “I just…I…Maaarch, help me!!”

“I did! I gave you all those tips on how to set up the mood to confess! Arlan sent you all research he had done for you and Asta rented the entire building!! How did you mess it up?!” March shouted. “Moreover, if you had told Lunae that you’re a Stellaron, maybe he wouldn’t have taken your confession the wrong way!”

“I was going to! I was planning on telling him everything and then confess! But I got drunk and couldn’t help myself!”

“Don’t tell me you seriously planned to confess to him with those lines?” March gaped in disbelief. “If you can’t get over him, go to Luofu and find him.”

“You think I didn’t try? I don’t know where he lives or how to contact him! He even changed his number! I tried to go to his agency but they thought I was some sort of stalker and arrested me! The same thing happened when I went to his photo shoot…I couldn’t get a glimpse of his tail!”

With that, Caelus turned and began sobbing against the trash can, asking Sophia for comfort.

“But didn’t you come out pretty quickly every time?” March pointed out. “Vidyadhara is extremely protected by the Xianzhou. With someone as high-profile as Lunae, I can’t imagine you being able to get out on the same day you got arrested without anyone pulling the strings for you.”

“You mean…Lunae was the one who set me free?!” Like a switch being flipped, the tears and snot on Caelus’s face stopped flowing as he thought back to all those times he got taken away by the Cloud Knights. Even if he did have proof of him being from Star Rail University and got Headmaster Himeko to vouch for him, it was true that he was set free a little too quickly, making him question if they had ever reached out to Himeko.

“Then why is he avoiding me? Why wouldn’t he talk to me…?”

“Obviously it’s because he still thinks he got rejected by you.”

“That was a confession!!”

“You declared your love for him on the same level as trash cans!! Anyone would take that as a rejection!”

“Then…what do I do now?” Caelus mumbled, standing up and bringing Sophia—the trash can—with him.

March let out a sigh before patting her friend’s shoulder. “Why don’t we go ask Himeko for a week’s break? I’m sure if you explain the situation to her, she’ll understand! After that, we’ll take the Astral Express to Luofu and try talking to Lunae again.”

“March!” Caelus turned to her with teary eyes. “You’re my best friend…after Sophia.”

“Would it kill you to leave that last part out?! And why are you bringing Sophia with you? Let her do her job here!”

“I told you, I need an ESTC,” Caelus said before he began stroking his hand up and down the trash can. “Besides, holding Sophia reminds me of the smooth and coolness of Lunae’s body…”

“Sheesh! If Lunae hears that, I’m sure you’d never be able to see him again,” March sighed before bringing out her phone and searching Lunae’s name.

“We are talking about the same Lunae, right? The most beautiful Omega on the ranking board and the number one heartthrob of the Xianzhou?”

“Yes, March, the same Lunae,” Caelus groaned, having confirmed this with March 7^th over a dozen times already. Still, Caelus couldn’t fault his best friend for feeling the need to constantly check. Of all Alphas Lunae could have chosen—and there were a lot, given how the average Xianzhou Alphas were all very good-looking—he chose a Trash Virtuoso.

As the two walked down the hallway, many people raised their eyebrows when they saw Caelus talking to March while holding a trash can in his arms. Some passerby tossed their trash in, thinking Caelus was doing some sort of community service. Caelus didn’t mind collecting additional trash on the way to the headmaster’s office, but because he had his head turned, he didn’t see another person coming out from around the corner and they collided.

Or more like…Sophia collided with the person.

“Are you alright?” March ran up to the person who got knocked over by the trash can. Seeing this, Caelus quickly put down Sophia and saw the papers and scrolls scattering all over the ground.

“Sorry, I should have watched where I was going!” Caelus apologized as he bent down and began collecting the items.

“It’s…alright, I wasn’t watching where I was going either,” the voice answered quietly and Caelus froze.

This voice…

There was no mistake—it was his voice!!

“Lunae?!” Caelus’s head snapped up, his eyes wide in hope only for that hope to be instantly crushed by the sight of the person March was helping up.

He had short black hair wearing skin tight black top with a white jacket, gray pants, and boots. Caelus couldn’t see this person’s face because half of it was covered by thick, round and extremely nerdy glasses, but he knew this person was not Lunae.

There were no horns, tail, or the long ears.

This person was a human, not a Vidyadhara.

There was a painful tug on Caelus’s heart at this realization. He was confident in his love for Lunae and how he would never mistake Lunae for anyone else and yet here he was, unable to distinguish between the voice of his beloved and that of a stranger.

“What are you talking about? Stop daydreaming,” March 7^th said, taking the scrolls and papers from his arms and handing them back to the rightful owner. “Sorry about that.”

“…It’s fine,” the person clutched onto the scrolls and papers tightly before he turned to walk around them. Just as he passed by Caelus, the Stellaron felt his heart pound faster. Without thinking, he reached out, grabbing the other boy’s arm and almost making him drop his things again.

“Wait!” Caelus shouted with his voice trembling in desperation. “Are you…are you really not Lunae?”

“Caelus!” March grabbed onto Caelus’s hand, trying to get him to let go but Caelus only tightened his grip, making the other boy hiss.

“Can you take off your gla—Ack!” Caelus’s world suddenly became dark after March 7^th dunked the trash can over his head, causing the trash inside to spill out and scatter around his feet.

“March!!” Caelus’s voice came from inside the trash can.

“Sorry about him, he’s going through a bad breakup,” March quickly apologized to the stranger.

“We didn’t break up!” Caelus shouted, only to have his voice echo back at him and making his head spin. “And why did you dunk Sophia over my head?!”  

“So you can smell the wonder of Sophia and calm down,” March 7^th huffed before she turned Caelus around and gave another apologetic look to the innocent person that got dragged into this mess.

“Sorry, about him! You uh…you know how Stellarons are!” March laughed before she began pushing Caelus down the hallway and towards Himeko’s office, leaving the boy standing alone in the hallway—next to the pile of trash.

“…Stellaron?”

…

…

…

As the Headmaster of Star Rail University—a travelling university that moves across the galaxy—Himeko had the pleasure of visiting many places as well as gathering all types of students under her wings. Every student that came to this university got their unique background and circumstances.  

Himeko was having tea with Vice-Headmaster Welt on a quiet afternoon when two of them their more special students barged into the office.

After listening to what they had to say, Himeko slowly set down her cup and smiled at the pair.

“That would explain your sudden drop in your grades, Caelus,” she said to the boy. “…As well as the reports of missing trash cans we have been getting.”

“I would offer you some tea but…why don’t you take down the trash can first, Caelus?” Welt said as the two adults stared at the troubled boy with the trash can over his head.

“Ah…don’t mind me, just leave me like this,” Caelus’s voice resonated from inside the trash can, sounding extremely down.

Welt and Himeko turned to look at each other, then back to what could only be called the trash can stand.

“Unfortunately, I cannot grant that request,” Himeko sighed. “Your exams are around the corner and I want you to focus on your grades first. If you can pass your exams, then I will allow you to take a week off. The same goes for you, March. Your grades are barely passing, so I cannot permit you any more time off.”

“Awww, but Himeko!”

“I'm sorry, March, but my decisions are final,” Himeko said before her eyes turned to the trash can stand that looked more slouched over than before.

“Hmm…perhaps we can assign a tutor for Caelus,” Welt suggested. “I doubt he will be able to pay attention in class. Why not give him a week off and have a private tutor help him with his studies?”

“That is an excellent idea!” Himeko clapped her hands together with a smile on her rosy lips. “There just so happens to be a student who excels in your courses. He enrolled here last week so it will do good to have you two get along. Perhaps he may help improve your mental state.”

“Oh, that sounds great!” March 7^th agreed and turned to the trash can stand. "C'mon, cheer up a bit!"

“Sure…sounds good…thanks,” Caelus sighed from under the trash can.

The two students left after Welt informed the Stellaron that his tutor will arrive at his dormitory next Monday at eight in the morning for their lesson. While Caelus was happy not needing to sit through lectures he couldn’t pay any attention to, he also didn’t think he could focus in a one-on-one lesson either.

“Hey, cheer up,” March said and patted the trash can. “We can go to Luofu after our exam!”

“…” The trash can didn’t say anything and only nodded in response.

The entire day went by with just Caelus walking around the campus with a trash can over his head and torso. He didn’t care about how ridiculous he must look to the students that silently scrambled away whenever he passed by them.

Contrary to what March 7^th believed, he wasn’t depressed either.

Well…maybe a little, but not as much as she thought.

Being inside the trash can gave him this strange sense of enlightenment.

Here, shrouded by the darkness, he felt like he found another universe! It was a magical experience, where he felt like his potential was endless. Here, he could detach himself from his body and view everything more logically and with a clear mind, something he wasn’t able to do since the breakup—as March called it.

But again, they were not broken up!

Anyways, walking around the campus with the trash can helped Caelus come to a single conclusion.

That person he ran into in the hallway couldn’t possibly be Lunae.

Sure his voice may sound the same, had the same body size as well as skin tone as Lunae, and he might have smelled similar as well, but it wasn’t rare for someone to run into their doppelganger in this endless galaxy. On top of that, Caelus couldn’t even see the guy’s face so for all he knew, his voice and body were the only similarities.

Most importantly, that boy looked human—or maybe a long life specie. His clothes did look like something from the Xianzhou, but he was definitely not a Vidyadhara.

This realization only made Caelus more ashamed of himself. To think he would become so desperate that he almost mistook the love of his life for someone else! Because of this, Caelus decided to keep the trash can over his head for a while, in case he started seeing other people as Lunae.

When Monday rolled around, Caelus was sitting on his bed with his favourite trash can plushie squashed in his arms. He was watching whatever was being broadcasted on the television when a couple of light knocks hit his door. He closed the television and went over to the door, opening it to find a familiar face—or glasses.

“It’s you!” Caelus pointed at the boy he had bumped into in the hallway last week.

“I…was told by the Vice-Headmaster to help you with your studies,” the glasses boy spoke softly.

“…”

“…Excuse me?”

“Oh,” Caelus immediately snapped out and stepped to the side, allowing the boy into his room. His voice sounded so much like Lunae that he almost fell into a trance.

He watched as the glasses boy took off his boots. He took a quick look around the room before heading to the table where he began pulling out textbooks and papers from his bag.

“Uh…I’m Caelus. Thanks for coming,” Caelus said, coming over to the other boy and offering his hand.

“…I’m Dan Heng,” Dan Heng took Caelus’s hand. His grip felt weak and lifeless, making Caelus wonder if perhaps he was shy. He also noticed how Dan Heng’s hand felt a little cooler than an ordinary human’s.

The inside of his palm was covered with a layer of callus. Lunae had hands like this as well. Despite being a model, he was a fearsome fighter wielding a spear. Caelus had sparred against him plenty of times and only managed to win a handful of times, and he suspected these wins were Lunae purposely going easy on him. The way he wield his spear was also like performing a beautiful dance. 

If Caelus just focus on this hand, he would have been fooled and thought he was holding onto Lunae, not Dan Heng…

“Umm…” Dan Heng tugged at his hand, only to feel the grip tighten to resist him trying to pull away. “You can let go now.”

“Ah, sorry!” Caelus quickly let go of Dan Heng and hurried to the counter, pretending to busy himself with getting refreshments. “Do you want coffee or tea?”

“Tea will do,” Dan Heng answered, taking a seat by the table.

Caelus nodded and turned around so Dan Heng couldn’t see the look on his face. The Stellaron took out a tea bag while mentally beating himself for his actions. He needed to stop trying to find similarities between Lunae on Dan Heng because Dan Heng couldn’t possibly be Lunae.

After pouring the hot water, he retrieved the cookies he had purchased the other day and arranged them neatly on a plate. Once he had placed the snacks and beverages on the table, Dan Heng immediately transitioned into teaching mode. He posed a series of questions to assess Caelus's level of understanding before delving into the textbooks and determining where to begin.

The entire time, Caelus didn’t hear a damn thing.

He fixed his gaze on the glasses perched on the bridge of Dan Heng's nose, curiosity gripping him as he wondered how Dan Heng managed to see through them. Judging from how thick the lens was, Dan Heng must be blind without them.

As his thoughts meandered, his attention shifted to the soft, inviting texture of Dan Heng's hair. The desire to embrace him tightly, burying his nose against Dan Heng's scent gland to savour his pheromones overwhelmed Caelus.

“…Cae…”

Caelus was certain his scent would be like osmanthus—a type of flower native to the Xianzhou.

That was also what Lunae’s pheromone smelled like.

“Caelus!”

“Huh?” Caelus blinked and jumped in surprise at the hand waving in his face.

As he snapped back to reality, Dan Heng withdrew his hand. While Caelus wasn’t able to tell what expression he had due to his glasses, it can’t be anything good with the way his lips were pulled into a frown.

Those kissable-looking lips…

"S-sorry!" Caelus blurted out in immediate apology while smashing the sudden indecent thoughts into pieces. “I won’t do it again so…er, what were you saying?”

“Can you let go of my hand?” Dan Heng held up his other hand which was being held tightly by the Stellaron.

Caelus withdrew his hand and spluttered out another string of apologies. Fortunately, Dan Heng didn’t seem to mind. He went right back to pointing at his textbook and explaining the theories on there.

It didn’t take five minutes before Caelus’s mind drifted off again and his eyes locked onto the pale hand on the textbook.

Fuck…the back of Dan Heng’s hand was really smooth, just like Lunae’s.

His fingers were so long…

His nails were beautiful…

He wanted to touch it again…

“Caelus.”

“…Yeah?”

“Please let go of my hand.”

Incidents like this kept happening throughout the day, to the point where Caelus wouldn’t be surprised if Dan Heng decided to storm into Himeko’s office and report him for sexual harassment.

Every time Dan Heng got close to him to explain something, Caelus’s brain would shut down. By the time he snapped out of it, his hands would always find their way somewhere on Dan Heng’s body—mostly his hands and arms, thank Aeons for that.

When Caelus began doing the worksheet Dan Heng prepared for him, things escalated.

Dan Heng had to reposition his chair and sit beside Caelus to assess how he tackled the formula. Even at such close proximity, Caelus couldn't detect any scent from Dan Heng, indicating that the Omega was likely using a scent blocker. However, the closeness of their bodies and the subtle warmth emanating from Dan Heng—despite being lower than that of an average person—was becoming too much.

Using the excuse of needing to use the bathroom, Caelus hastily jump onto his feet. Unfortunately, he stumbled over the leg of his chair, causing a collision with Dan Heng and sending him toppling off his chair.

Acting on reflex, Caelus swiftly wrapped his arms around Dan Heng, placing a protective hand against the back of his head as they crashed onto the floor.

Seconds ticked by but they continued to lay there with Caelus still holding onto Dan Heng even though it was no longer necessary. Their chests pressed together, and through the contact, Caelus could feel Dan Heng's heartbeat pulsating.

This calming rhythm and how perfectly Dan Heng fit into his arms…

“Caelus…”

“Uwah! Sorry!” Caelus quickly let go and pushed himself up.

He was just about to get off Dan Heng when his gaze landed on his jaw. Dan Heng’s jawline was sharp and smooth without any body hair. Despite being this close-up, Caelus could barely see his pores.

Was he really not Lunae?

How could someone have so many similarities, even down to the heartbeat? Or were these similarities all illusions his brain conjured because he missed Lunae so much?

Dan Heng being Lunae wasn’t possible…they weren’t even the same specie!

But…

“Lunae…” Caelus called out with so much yearning as he leaned down toward Dan Heng. He stared at those rosy lips and parted his own. At the last moment, Dan Heng turned his head to the side and Caelus’s lips landed on his soft cheek.

“Caelus—”

Caelus’s eyes widened and in a blink of an eye, he was standing on the other side of the room. He was panting heavily, his eyes glowing in golden light as he gripped onto his heart that was beating so fast he felt like he was going to suffocate.

Dan Heng sat up and stared at Caelus, but Caelus couldn’t tell what expression he had.

“Cae—”

“Leave!!” Caelus shouted and his heart throbbed painfully when he saw Dan Heng flinched. “Sorry…I…ugh!!” Caelus gritted his teeth as he tried his best to control the power rampaging inside him. Never, since the moment he was born, did Caelus ever feel himself losing grip of his power, so why now?

“Just go. Please!”

Dan Heng parted his lips, yet no words escaped as he swiftly stood up and grabbed his bag. Casting one final glance over his shoulder, he hurriedly left Caelus's room. Perhaps he forgot to close the door in his haste, or perhaps he intentionally left it open so someone would come to Caelus's aid if needed.

It was only once Caelus could no longer see Dan Heng that he attempted to regain control of his breathing and calm himself. Gradually, the turmoil within him subsided and Caelus felt his power stabilized. The sense of impending explosion dissipated, and he released a long, deep sigh.

Slowly, he slid down the wall, settling onto the floor.

“Lunae…where are you?” he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair before burying his face into his knees.

Having almost lost control, Caelus wasn’t the best at sensing his surroundings at the moment so he didn’t notice that not only had Dan Heng not left, he was standing next to the doorway with his back pressed against the wall.

After hearing Caelus’s call for Lunae, Dan Heng’s hands rolled into tight fists before he turned and left without leaving any sound of footsteps…

✧✧✧✧✧

After finishing her classes, the ever-energetic March 7^th headed to the dormitory to check up on how her best friend was doing. She knocked on the door a couple of times, but there was strangely no response. March 7^th wondered if Caelus could have gone out but when she tugged at the handle of the door, it slid right open.

Her brows raised at this. While Caelus was careless at times, she didn’t think Caelus would ever forget to lock the door, unlike her.

“Caelus?” She called, walking inside only to scream at the sight of a person sitting crossed-legged in the middle of the ground with a…a trash can over his head and torso. “What are you doing?!”

“Quiet down, March,” Caelus groaned, feeling her voice echoing from inside the trash can. “Can’t you see I’m thinking here?”

“Of course I can’t!” March retorted and saw the notes scattered all over the table and floor.

“I take it that the tutoring session didn’t go well?”

“…”

“Caelus?”

“I keep seeing Lunae, March…”

“Huh?”

Caelus began to explain everything that happened while March helped herself with the juice in his fridge and the snacks inside the cover.

“So you’re saying this Dan Heng guy keeps reminding you of Lunae?” She asked, sitting on the ground next to Caelus as she sipped on her juice.

“I’m not emotionally cheating, am I?”

“I mean…I guess?” March answered, her words mercilessly stabbing right through Caelus. “Come to think of it, what is Dan Heng? Is he even an Omega?”

“Maybe? Yes? I don’t know!” The trash can Caelus shouted. “That’s why I’m trying to think! At this rate, I might cheat on Lunae! That or I get thrown behind bars for sexual harassment!!”

“Calm down, you’re exaggerating.”

“No!!” Caelus suddenly shot up, startling March and nearly making her spill her drink. “I have to do something! I need a way to distract myself and survive the remaining week of tutoring!!”

“Erm…couldn’t you ask Himeko or Uncle Welt to change tutor?”

“NO WAY!!”

March 7^th yelped, blown back by the strong rejection. “You’re totally in love with that guy, aren’t you?!”

“I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH HIM!!!”

And so, Caelus and March 7^th began discussing different ways he could focus and not get distracted by Dan Heng.

The next morning, Dan Heng arrived at the exact same time.

He stared at the door through the thick lens of his glasses. After a bit of hesitation, he reached up but just as his knuckles came down to knock, the door suddenly slid open and a gust of wind blasted into the Omega’s face.

Dan Heng’s hand was frozen in midair as he stared at this…this…

“Dan Heng, you’re here!” The trash can—no, Caelus, greeted.

Dan Heng looked down at the legs sticking out from under the trash can, then back up. There was a rectangular hole cut in the trash can, around where Caelus’s eyes would be with a dark pair of sunglasses glued over it.

“Ah, don’t mind this. This is a Stellaron tradition passed down in the family. It helps us Stellarons concentrate.”

“Right,” Dan Heng said awkwardly, biting back the urge to point out that Stellarons don’t have families, let alone family traditions. He walked into the room, only to see four trash cans lying in the corner of the room with holes cut into them. Those seemed to be the failed products.

“…” Dan Heng stared at these trash cans, then at the sentient trash can standing next to him. He opened his mouth but decided against whatever he wanted to say and made his way over to the table.

Just like that, without asking any questions, Dan Heng began giving lessons to the…trash can. Caelus seemed to be listening, but Dan Heng couldn’t be sure. While rusty and old, the trash can he was wearing wasn’t giving off any odour and he also didn’t see any suspicious stains…but it looked too worn out to be new…

Dan Heng must have spoken his thought out loud because Caelus immediately answered his question.

“Don’t worry, I got this professionally cleaned and sanitized!”

Ah, so it was used after all.

“Is there a reason you like trash cans so much?” Dan Heng couldn’t help but ask.

“What do you mean? Can’t you see their magnificent form?!” Caelus shouted, getting fired up. “Look at their beautiful exterior! The rust that goes along the edges! The three-hundred-and-sixty-degree round lid that is the ultimate shield guarding the infinite possibilities inside!! Don’t they spark this urge inside you, for you to open them up and see what secret they are hiding?!”

Dan Heng’s jaw fell a little before he let out a faint snort, followed by a light chuckle he failed to hold back.

“Did you…laughed?”

“Sorry,” Dan Heng quickly apologized. “I’m not making fun of you, I just—”

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” Caelus’s hand came out from underneath the trash can and waved. “I was just surprised…this is the first time someone laughed after hearing my reason. Normally I get nothing but awkward stares.”

“I think that is the normal reaction.”

“Then why is yours not normal?”

Dan Heng’s eyes widened behind his glasses before he looked away a little, unable to answer the question. 

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Caelus’s hand waved again when the silence stretched on. “Seriously, no one understands the potential of trash cans. Do you know how many treasures can be found in them? You have no idea how much money I earned pawning those things!”

“Are you in need of money?”

“No, but haven’t you ever played treasure hunt as a kid? It’s the same feeling!” Caelus said. “It’s every man’s romance!”

“I’m afraid I can’t say I can relate to it…but as long as you’re happy,” Dan Heng replied. But unfortunately for him, that seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

“Happy, huh?” The trash can slumped forward and hit the edge of the table, creating a clanging sound.

“Caelus?”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t bother digging through any trash cans lately…”

Bang.

There was a sound of something hitting the trans can from the inside.

“I’m so stupid…”

Bang.

“Why did I make such a stupid confession?”

Bang.

“I had everything prepared…come to think of it, Xianzhou didn’t have any trash cans…there were only boxes so he has never seen me dug through them…”

Bang.

“I’m sure Lunae hates me right now…”

Dan Heng instantly got up when he heard faint sobs coming from inside the trash can. 

“No, that’s not true! Caelus!” Dan Heng quickly reached across the table, grabbing the trash can and pulling it off to see the Stellaron’s messy gray hair and the tears threatening to fall from his golden eyes. “I don’t hate you, Caelus! I was just—!”

“Lunae?” Caelus looked up and Dan Heng froze.

They stared at each other with the only obstacle between them being Dan Heng’s glasses.

Time seemed to have frozen for what felt like minutes before Dan Heng moved. He dropped the trash can and bolted for the door at a speed impossible for ordinary humans. However, Caelus was a Stellaron—a species known for their superior physical abilities and few could match their prowess.

In a blink of an eye, Caelus closed the distance. He effortlessly caught up to Dan Heng, grabbing him by the wrist which caused the two of them to tumble onto the ground. In one fluid motion, Caelus pinned Dan Heng beneath him by his wrists. He was breathing heavily, his eyes blown wide as they locked onto Dan Heng. The other boy's glasses had been sent flying during their fall, finally revealing his face.

“Lunae…” Caelus stared at the face that was identical to Lunae's.

Everything made sense now.

Why Dan Heng’s voice sounded like Lunae's.

Why everything about Dan Heng kept reminding him of Lunae…

Dan Heng and Lunae were the same person!

The signs were all there, but Caelus was too busy convincing himself that Dan Heng wasn’t Lunae to realize!

“Caelus—hmph!” Dan Heng tried to explain, only for a pair of lips to crash into his.

Calling this a kiss would be wrong, as Dan Heng felt like he was being devoured by a beast that had been on the verge of starvation. His mouth was pushed open and the Alpha’s tongue slipped inside, ravishing him ruthlessly. Dan Heng couldn’t pull away to speak and his moans were all swallowed by the Stellaron.

He felt as though his life was being sucked out and it was only when he was reaching his limit was his lips released with a wet pop.

“It really is you…” Caelus breathed as he stared down at Dan Heng. After kissing him, he was a hundred percent certain. There was no mistaking that the person beneath him right now was the Omega who had captured his heart.

Dan Heng’s face was flushed in a beautiful pink and his kiss-swollen lips were parted as he panted for air.

“Caelus—mmph!” Before Dan Heng could get more than a word out, Caelus leaned down and captured his lips again. This time, the Alpha didn’t kiss him as long as the first. Instead of pulling away, Caelus moved his lips along his jaw, kissing the delicate skin until he reached the spot where he could feel the Omega’s pulse and sucked at it.

“Ah…!” Dan Heng trembled but kept himself still and even tilted his head a bit to make it easier for Caelus to mark him. When Caelus pulled his lips away, he smiled in satisfaction at the red mark blossoming on the pale skin. He grabbed the zippers around Dan Heng’s collar, pulling them down to reveal his neck. When his eyes landed on the reddened scent glands at the side of Dan Heng’s neck, his mouth began to salivate. He parted his lips and bit down, only to let out a growl when he felt something preventing him from properly tasting the Omega.

He bit and chewed lightly on the surface of Dan Heng’s skin, scrapping his teeth against the Omega’s neck over and over. During this process, Dan Heng’s entire body was shaking with his lips pressed into a thin to contain the noises threatening to spill. After a while, Caelus finally loosened the transparent film that was on Dan Heng’s skin. Clasping the film between his teeth, he ripped off the scent blocker and was instantly hit with the sweet scent of osmanthus.

“Nngh…” Dan Heng shivered and he let out a low groan upon feeling one of his scent glands freed. Despite the scent blocker being harmless, wearing it was far from comfortable with how they were designed to plug up the pores.

Dan Heng had been overwhelmed by the Alpha's intoxicating scent ever since he was pushed down. Their bodies were extremely compatible, so his instincts kicked in, triggering the release of pheromones designed to attract the Alpha. However, thanks to scent blockers, the pheromones couldn't escape, causing his scent glands to swell up. Though to those of the opposite dynamic, this was a very erotic sight, as it vividly revealed the depth of desire he harboured.

“Lunae,” Caelus sighed, breathing in that sweet and enticing scent before he wrapped his mouth around the adorable scent gland.

“Ah! Don’t—!” Dan Heng tried to push Caelus off because of how sensitive his glands were right now, but the Alpha grabbed his wrists and dropped his body down to keep him from moving around. He gave a few licks to the scent gland before he began to suck at it hard.

“AAAAH!!!” Dan Heng screamed as pleasure wrecked through his body. With each harsh suck, the Omega could feel the tingling sensation from each of his pores that his pheromone passed through. Through the onslaught of itch mixed with pleasure, he could feel the amount of pheromone his body has stored depleting.  

Caelus greedily gulp down the scent until he couldn’t suck out anything anymore. He pulled his mouth away, his face red as though drunk and his breathing heavy. He stared at the shrivelled scent gland with a dazed look in his eyes. He licked his lips before his gaze shifted to the other scent gland that looked so full and ripe.  

With his eyes closed, Dan Heng was oblivious to the predatory gaze that consumed the Alpha. His lips were parted in heavy breaths. He felt utterly depleted from having his scent claimed so intensely. Fatigue began to wash over him, and he started to feel a gentle lightheadedness, making him grow a bit drowsy. As he focused on regulating his breathing, he was startled by the sudden removal of the scent blocker from his other gland.

His eyes snapped open, meeting the intense gaze of Caelus, who hovered above him, his eyes swirling with desire and longing.

“Wait,” he gasped as his heart pounded with anticipation. “C-Caelus—AAAAAHN!!!”

Dan Heng’s back arched and his toes curled in the air as Caelus latched onto his other scent gland. The pleasure surged through his body again and Dan Heng became aware of the sticky wetness that was steadily growing between his legs.

He was leaking.

The Omega rubbed his legs together, trying to stop his slick from coming out but it was no use. The feeling of having both of his scent glands fed on was too much, especially by the person he had been longing for.

By the time Caelus was done, Dan Heng was practically a boneless, shaking mess on the ground. He slipped his arms under the Omega and carried him to his bed. It was only when Dan Heng fell onto the soft mattress did he snapped back to reality. He pushed himself up with quivering hands and turned to see Caelus standing there, looking down at him with those golden eyes.

“Dan Heng—or should I call you Lunae instead?” Caelus asked as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

“I…” Dan Heng turned his head away to avert that heated gaze. “Dan Heng is my real name. Lunae is the name I go by at work.”

Caelus nodded and reached his hand to place it on Dan Heng’s ankle. The Alpha could feel the leg twitch a little, but other than that Dan Heng didn’t pull away or show any signs of discomfort. He stroke the skin gently with his thumb before his hand slowly began to trail up that smooth leg.

“I know I don’t have any right in asking this and I was pretty much the biggest scum of the universe with that stupid confess—”

“No,” Dan Heng cut him off softly, knowing what the Alpha wanted to ask. He knew Caelus wanted to know why he avoided him…why he wouldn’t give him a chance to explain.

“I would never think lowly of you like that, Caelus. I simply…didn’t know how to face you,” he answered quietly. “Despite the influence of alcohol, I sensed the genuine honesty behind your words. When you tried to reach out to me afterwards, I assumed it was merely an attempt to apologize for your choice of words. I didn’t want to be rejected again when you’re sober, so I hid from you.”

“I wasn’t rejecting you!” Caelus gritted his teeth, once more wishing there was some way to travel back into the past so he could beat his drunken ass. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it was actually a confession! I like you, Dan Heng!! I—!”

“Yes, I know,” Dan Heng answered. “I realized I misunderstood after hearing that you’re a Stellaron. But this realization made it harder for me to face you. I’ve hurt you deeply. There is no excuse for what I’ve—”

“No!” Caelus shouted, leaning close to Dan Heng and his hand that was wrapped around Dan Heng’s leg tightened. “I was the one who hurt you! If I didn’t make that stupid confession, you wouldn’t have misunderstood! I’m so sorry, Lun—Dan Heng!!”

“It’s not your fault, Caelus,” Dan Heng quickly said.

“No, it is!” Caelus insisted.

The atmosphere around the pair grew intense as they locked eyes. Their faces were inches away, neither side wanting to give up and let the other take the blame. However, this tension shattered when they saw their reflections in each other’s eyes. Suddenly, soft laughter escaped their lips, relieving the pressure that had built up between them.

“So…why are you here, Dan Heng? Were you looking for me?” Caelus asked, feeling his heart beginning to beat faster than usual.

“…Yes,” Dan Heng answered with a warm smile. “I thought if we were going to part ways, I should at least properly hear you out for the last time. It wasn’t right of me to avoid you.”

“Then, what about now?”

Dan Heng stared into those brilliant golden eyes that were looking at him with so much eagerness that he let out a faint chuckle.

“What was the original confession you were planning to give me?”

Caelus's lips curled into a wide, joyful smile. He reached out and grabbed Dan Heng's hands the same way he did on that drunken night. Taking in a deep breath, he gathered his courage and let out a resounding declaration of love at the top of his lungs.

“DAN HENG!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN TRASH CANS!! PLEASE BE MY MATE!!”

Dan Heng would probably have been blown off the bed if Caelus wasn’t holding onto his hands. There was a loud ringing in his ears and for a moment, he could barely hear anything. Despite his current appearance, he was still a Vidyadhara and they were known to have keen senses.

“Dan Heng? Dan Heng?!” Caelus shouted, almost panicking when he didn’t get any response from the Omega.

Once Dan Heng recovered from the impact, he broke out into laughter. It wasn’t a hard laughter but to Dan Heng, he probably had never laughed so hard. A single tear was squeezed out of his right eye, clinging onto his long lashes for a second before it fell off, transforming into a beautiful green pearl.  

“Dan Heng?” Caelus was wondering if he did something wrong. Sure it was supposed to be a touching moment, but why was he crying?!

“That’s the same confession as before,” the Omega said after his laughter came to an end.

“It’s not the same!!” Caelus shouted with all the seriousness of the world and tightened his grip on Dan Heng’s hands. “I swear, I love you more than any trash cans in the universe! For you, I will even stop digging through trash cans!”

Instead of responding, Dan Heng leaned forward to gently press his lips against Caelus. “I don't mind sharing your love with trash cans. I will be in your care from now on, Caelus.”

Caelus felt a surge of warmth and joy enveloping him. Unable to contain himself, he pounced on Dan Heng and they tumbled onto the bed with their limbs intertwined.

Laughter bubbled up from Caelus's throat as he held Dan Heng tightly in his embrace. He rubbed his face into Dan Heng's hair, inhaling the lingering scent of shampoo with each breath. The softness of Dan Heng's hair against his skin brought a sense of comfort and intimacy that made Caelus sigh contentedly.

“I love you, Dan Heng…” he mumbled and tightened his hold over the omega. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Caelus,” Dan Heng whispered and hugged him back just as tightly.

Chapter Text

Caelus felt as though he was drifting in the middle of a serene lake.

The sky stretched above him, an unimaginably vibrant blue devoid of even the faintest wisp of a cloud. The warm embrace of the summer glow bathed his body, infusing him with a comforting heat and warming up his trash can boat…

Of course, these were all figments of the Stellaron’s imagination.

The azure canopy above him was nothing more than the ceiling of his room, the trash can boat in reality was his humble bed. The comforting warmth that enveloped his body originated solely from the soothing timbre of Dan Heng's voice.

After confessing their love for one another, Caelus and Dan Heng were lying together on his bed. Their bodies were barely touching and they were only talking about random things that came to their minds, but it was small things like this that created an indescribable sense of contentment within the Alpha.

"Come to think of it, I  don't see you lying on your back like this much," Caelus remarked, his gaze fixed on the Omega resting on his back.

"Well…my tail usually gets in the way," Dan Heng replied. Since he was still young, he has yet to gain the ability to hide his tail. In two more years, he should have the ability to make his tail vanish at will, leaving only his horns and pointed ears behind.

“Do you do this often? Turning into this form, I mean.”

“Only when I leave the Xianzhou.”

“Oh, right…it must be dangerous to leave the Xianzhou as a Vidyadhara.” Caelus scratched his cheek, remembering that Dan Heng came from a race that was on the top of every kidnapper’s list. Looking back at Dan Heng, he reached out to brush aside Dan Heng’s bang and gently stroke the place where his horns should be.

“Ah~” Dan Heng let out a soft, melodic moan. It was so tender and sweet that it caressed Caelus' senses like a delicate feather.

Dan Heng's eyes widened in realization of the sound he had just emitted. He abruptly sat up, his hand covering his mouth as he released a series of awkward coughs. He averted his gaze, refusing to meet the eyes of the Alpha who also hurriedly got up.

“Sorry! Uh…d-did that hurt?” Caelus asked, his cheeks burning and knowing full well that Dan Heng didn’t react that way from pain.

“N-no,” Dan Heng responded, keeping his hand over his mouth but it did little to hide that pinkish hue spreading across his cheeks. “Caelus…what do you want us to be?”

“Eh?” Caelus blinked, wondering why Dan Heng was suddenly asking him that.

Didn’t Dan Heng accept his confession?

Didn’t they confess their undying love for each other?!

Or was that all in his head?!

“You asked me to become your mate. Do you know what being mates entails?”

"Of course I do!" Caelus replied, his eyes involuntarily drifting down to Dan Heng's open collar, revealing the reddened scent glands. Those scent glands didn’t look as shrivelled up as before, meaning that during the time they talk, Dan Heng’s pheromone refilled a little.

A surge of desire flooded his senses, causing his mouth to water as his eyes locked onto those enticing treats. His body was filled with the overwhelming urge to wrap his lips around those delicate glands and drink down the Omega’s pheromone once more.  

“Caelus, are you listening?” Dan Heng suddenly leaned forward, causing Caelus to snap his eyes back to that beautiful face that was just as distracting.

“Yes!” To be fair, Caelus was paying attention, but that didn’t mean he understood what Dan Heng was trying to tell him. “But I’m not sure what you’re getting at. Don’t tell me…you’re taking back what you said about loving me?!”

“Of course not." Dan Heng wondered how the Alpha had jumped to that conclusion. “I love you, Caelus. I just want the two of us to be on the same page. I will become your lover if you will have me, but becoming lovers and becoming mates are different. Mates are bounded together until death.”

“Of course, I know that,” Caelus said as he placed his hand over the Omega’s. “That’s why I don’t want to become only lovers with you, Dan Heng. I want to become your mate—your Alpha.”

“Even if I will die much sooner than you?”

Dan Heng watched the way Caelus’s eyes widened and his breathing halted from the shock his words brought.

“People called the Vidyadhara immortal. They’re not wrong, but they aren’t quite right either,” Dan Heng said softly, looking down at the warm hand overlapping his. “Once we reach the end of our lifespan, we will revert to an egg and restart our life without any memories of the past. My body may continue to live on, but the me that you know of will be dead. If a Vidyadhara had mated, then the mating scar will remain no matter how many times we moult. But that mark won’t help us retain our memories. I will forget you with every reincarnation and you may find the bond we once had become nothing more than a curse…”

“T-then that means…” Caelus’s grip tightened on the Omega’s hand. Dan Heng stared at the Stellaron’s hand which was beginning to shake and his knuckles turning white.

“I CAN RAISE YOU FROM AN EGG, HAVE YOU CALL ME DADDY AND WE CAN HAVE THAT KIND OF SINFUL, FORBIDDEN ROMANCE?!!” Caelus shouted, his eyes sparkling as though he had discovered a trash can mine while Dan Heng felt his eyelid twitch.

“Ow!! I was just kidding!!” Caelus shouted when slender fingers grabbed him by the ear and pulled on it mercilessly. “I’m not a deviant! Besides, I’ll go to jail for pedophilia! Hang on…is that even pedophilia? I mean, your age shouldn’t restart just because you went back to being a baby! It’s just moulting, right?! It won’t count as grooming if you’ll be legal—GYAAAH!! My ear!!”

“Caelus!”

“Okay, okay! I know so can you let go first? My ear is gonna rip off!!”

Dan Heng let go and Caelus flopped over his lap while rubbing his reddened ear.

“Geeze, you didn’t hold back at all, did you?”

“I’m being serious, Caelus.”

"So am I," Caelus chuckled, his joking manner completely contradicting his words. "And here I was wondering what you were thinking with such a scary look…did you think I’ve never thought about these things before?"

The Alpha turned around, making himself comfortable with his head resting on the Vidyadhara’s lap. Dan Heng remained silent, patiently waiting for the Alpha to continue.

"I've pondered over it countless times—especially during those two months we were apart. But in the end, I just can’t bring myself to care," the Alpha confessed, looking up and smiled at the expression on his beloved Omega’s face,

He reached up and gently brushed his fingers over Dan Heng’s soft cheek.

“Don’t be sad, Dan Heng.”

Dan Heng flinched and quickly tried to control his expression, but that only made the smile on Caelus’s lips widen.

"Hearing that my mark will remain on you no matter how many times you are reborn makes me happy. No matter how many times you are reborn, you will always be my one and only mate—Dan Heng. It doesn’t matter if you’ll forget our time together, I’ll remember everything for you. If there are any moments you want the future you to see, we can record them down and I’ll watch them with you in the future.”

“…I may die sooner than you, but I will still live quite a while,” Dan Heng let out a quiet snort. “How many files do you plan on archiving?”

“So now you’re aware how long you’ll live?” Caelus chuckled, throwing Dan Heng a playful wink. The Omega turned his head away, exhaling a small sigh. With how carefree Caelus was being, he couldn't help but feel stupid for worrying over their lifespans.

Just as Dan Heng turned his head back, preparing to say something, Caelus shot up and passionately captured his lips in a slow, sensual kiss.

“Thank you, Dan Heng,” Caelus mumbled against Dan Heng’s lips. He then picked up Dan Heng’s hand, lacing their fingers together and began peppering kisses along his knuckles. “I’m really happy!”

“What are you happy about?” Dan Heng really couldn’t understand what was going through the Stellaron’s head.

“Because I can tell how much you love me!” Caelus chuckled. “I know you’re worried for me but I’ll be alright. Even though I’m only born last year, I know full well what immortality means. I know that there will come a day when I will be alone with all my friends and loved ones gone. I always try to be optimistic and avoid thinking too far into the future, but everything changed after meeting you. Knowing that you will always be by my side, I’m not afraid anymore. In fact, I’m looking forward to all the adventures we will have together!”

Dan Heng stared at that pure and innocent smile on the Alpha’s face, unable to help but also smile along. While his lifespan—at least this life which he would remember—won’t be as long as Caelus, it was still extremely long. He understood very well how much of a curse longevity was and how loneliness could drive anyone into insanity. While he didn’t want Caelus to be hurt when he continuously loses memories of him, he also didn’t want to leave Caelus alone either…

“Wait…” Dan Heng’s head snapped up when he finally registered a piece of crucial information the Alpha had casually dropped on him. “What do you mean you’re only born last—mmph!”

Dan Heng couldn’t finish as his lips had been hungrily captured by the Alpha.

Moans and wet sounds bounced off the walls and Dan Heng was pushed down into the soft mattress. His hands came up to grab onto the front of Caelus’s shirt. He didn’t push him away, but he didn’t pull him in either. He simply held onto the Alpha on top of him as he felt his breath being steadily sucked out of him.

They separated after a full minute with a silvery thread of saliva linking their lips together. Dan Heng was panting heavily, his cheeks glowing as he looked up and saw lust swirling in the Alpha’s golden eyes.

“Caelus,” he gasped, his hands tightening on the Alpha’s shirt. “Explain what you—”

“Dan Heng, I want you,” Caelus said, his words coming out in a desperate groan, causing the colours on Dan Heng’s face to deepen.

The Omega parted his lips, but his voice came out as nothing but a quiet gasp as Caelus began sucking and biting along his ear.

“Dan Heng,” he breathed into his ear, causing Dan Heng to tremble. “Please? Dan Heng~?”

“Stop—don’t stick your tongue into my ear!” Dan Heng whimpered, turning his head away but that hot tongue easily followed his movement.

“I won’t mark you, Dan Heng,” Caelus gave his earlobe a light suck before letting him go. “We can talk more about the future later but right now, right here, I want to hold you. Can you give yourself to me, my love?”

Dan Heng stared into Caelus’s eyes and saw the image of his flustered self staring back at him within those pools of gold. Dan Heng parted his mouth, but not trusting his voice to come out properly, he snapped his jaw close and turned his head away to give a very shy nod.

For an Omega, Dan Heng was considered tall. His usual calm expression and mature demeanour often earned him compliments of being beautiful or handsome, yet the label of cute seemed incongruous with his image.

People rarely associated him with that particular adjective, unaware of the endearing qualities hidden beneath his composed exterior. Witnessing Dan Heng in this vulnerable state was a privilege that only Caelus had the fortune of experiencing. It was a glimpse into a side of the Omega that remained concealed from the world—a side that Caelus wanted to cherish and protect.

With those thoughts, Caelus grabbed the Omega’s shirt and pulled it up to reveal those dusty nipples.

“Aaaaaaah!!” Dan Heng screamed as Caelus latched onto his nipples and began to suck.

Dan Heng’s legs automatically closed, only to end up clasping around Caelus’s hip since the Alpha was positioned between his legs. Caelus sucked once, twice, and then on the third time, sweet creamy white essence began to flow into his mouth.

“C-Caelus!!” Dan Heng moaned, his breathing coming out laboured as he felt his energy slowly being drained from his body. There was a tingling sensation running throughout his body but the more Caelus sucked the higher his sensitivity became.

“Dan Heng…Dan Heng…” Caelus groaned between each suck, causing the rich essence to spill all over Dan Heng’s chest. Once the Stellaron had his fill, he ran his tongue over Dan Heng’s chest to lap up the remaining essence.

Caelus slowly withdrew once he was done, his gaze sweeping over Dan Heng's chest before settling on his flushed, flustered face. He couldn't help but admire the sight, captivated by the delicate interplay of emotions written across Dan Heng's features. Caelus's eyes met Dan Heng's misty teal-coloured gaze, silently conveying a mixture of tenderness, affection, and want.

It was unfair.

That look should be considered cheating!

Caelus wanted to tease Dan Heng a little more, but how could he when the beautiful Omega was looking at him like that?

“Dan Heng!” Caelus captured those sweet lips and held that soft body close. He instinctively tried to thread his hands through Dan Heng’s long hair, only to be reminded of the fact that Dan Heng was short hair now. So instead, his hand glided from Dan Heng’s chest to his waist, feeling his supple skin and the contour of his muscles.

His fingers traced down the curves until his hand moved around Dan Heng and slipped into his pants. Sliding his hand between his buttcheeks, Caelus could feel the wetness covering that entire area.

“Ah~!” Dan Heng broke off the kiss with a soft cry.

Caelus rubbed his rough hand over the delicate skin there, making sure to coat his hand with a hefty amount of slick before pulling out.

“Woah!” Caelus couldn’t help but say as he stared at his hand that was thoroughly drenched. “You’re leaking so much!”

“Caelus, please…” Contrary to Caelus who looked like he discovered something amazing, Dan Heng was rather mortified. He knew he was leaking, but he didn’t need the Alpha to show him how much he was leaking. He didn’t think his body would produce so much slick when it wasn’t anywhere near his Heat.

When Dan Heng looked back at Caelus, his remaining composure completely shattered when he saw Caelus sticking out his tongue for his wet palm.

“What are you doing?!”

“Huh?” Caelus didn’t stop and Dan Heng was too late in stopping him. The Stellaron ran his tongue up his palm and slurped up some of the Omega’s slick. A split second after that, stars burst into his eyes as he looked down at Dan Heng.

“You taste so sweet, Dan Heng! It’s like honey, but not as sweet or as thick!”

“Please…stop talking,” Dan Heng groaned as he buried his face into his hands.

Oblivious to the Omega who was going to die from embarrassment at this rate, Caelus’s mind was wandering all over the place. If he knew Dan Heng’s slick would taste this good, he would have tried tasting it when he and Dan Heng first had sex.

As he sucked on his fingers to clean them, he wondered how Dan Heng would react if he was to spend an entire day eating him out. He was certain the Omega would be extremely embarrassed and fight him on this…and the thought of that excited him more than the idea of filling his stomach with this treat.

The thought of Dan Heng embarrassed yet unable to contain his moans as Caelus pleasured him…

Maybe he could tie him up with red ropes. That way, he can eat Dan Heng out as much as he wanted.

No, would fluffy handcuffs and bunny ears look cuter?

No, no, naked apron! Naked apron was the way to go!

Heck, why not combined everything?!

Caelus hastily shook his head, realizing that he couldn’t rush into this. He must do extensive research and carefully consider all the available options. After all, his very first time may very well become his very last. For the sake of seeing a sexy Dan Heng from his wet dreams and to have his all-day buffet, he must endure it!

If Dan Heng could read Caelus’s mind at this moment, he would definitely summon his Cloud-Piercer and whack those perverted thoughts out of the Stellaron’s head. Unfortunately for the Omega, he didn’t have that ability, leaving him oblivious to the sweet torture that awaited him in the not-so-distant future.

Caelus went back to kissing Dan Heng’s body before his lips found their way back to Dan Heng’s ear again.

“Ahn~!”  

“Even though your ear is different, you’re still so sensitive here…” He nibbled the shell of Dan Heng’s ear while rolling his hips to rub their clothed dicks together.

“Ngh…!”

“That’s right…I forgot to ask this…hmm…how do you turn into this form? Is this something you can always do?”

“It’s…mmh a spell—a-aaah!” Dan Heng choked out a soft cry when Caelus’s lips travelled back down his neck and began licking his scent gland.

“Hmm…I miss running my hand through your long hair…but it’s much easier to access your neck like this.” As he said that, Caelus’s left hand found its way back inside Dan Heng’s pants. This time, his hand lingered at the area where Dan Heng’s tail should be, enjoying the way the Omega shuddered at his touch.

“Caelus!”

Caelus chuckled as he caressed the tender skin while listening to the light gasps against his ear. “You became a lot more sensitive in the places where your horns and tails should be.”

"Stop—hah, playing around!" Dan Heng's hand forcefully pushed against Caelus's face, successfully shoving the Alpha back. With the Alpha no longer caressing his body, he was able to somewhat calm down.

"Do you prefer me more in my original form?" Dan Heng asked, his tone unchanged. He simply wanted to know if Caelus had a preference for his original appearance. The spell he used to keep this form will last for another ten hours, but if that was what Caelus wanted, he could undo it early. "It would take a bit of energy but I can—"

"What are you talking about?" Caelus snorted, pressing his body down and resting his cheek against Dan Heng's chest. "You're still you—actually, you look exactly the same."

“But you didn't recognize me," Dan Heng countered.

"You were wearing those weird glasses!" Caelus defended himself.

"The glasses were meant to conceal my identity, yes, but not from you," Dan Heng explained. "I didn't want people to know that I am currently enrolled here. It could bring trouble to the school if the news were to spread."

"Then why didn't you take them off the moment we met? Or come find me? Or when you first stepped into my room?" Caelus questioned, his words carrying a sense of frustration.

Dan Heng fell silent, unable to come up with any excuses for that. Despite claiming he came here to resolve matters with Caelus, there was a part of him that still harboured fear when it came to confronting the Alpha whom he loved—the Alpha who he thought would once more reject him.

“Uh, I’m not blaming you!” Caelus quickly said, pushing himself up to properly look down at Dan Heng. “You’re very beautiful! Now that I look carefully, saying you look the same wouldn’t be correct. I mean, your original looks give you this ethereal beauty vibe but when you don’t have your horns and tails—and shorter hair—you have this…mortal beauty look?”

“What does that mean?” Dan Heng asked.

“It means…” Caelus rolled his hips, loving the way Dan Heng gasped as he remembered what they were doing. “You look so delectable that I want to eat you up.”

A gorgeous shade of crimson spread across Dan Heng's cheeks and down his neck in a stunning display. If Dan Heng had been in his true form, this rosy hue would have extended to the tips of his elegant, pointed ears. Those ears would even quiver ever so slightly in response to his heightened emotions.

The vivid display of his blush and the subtle tremor in his long lashes added an enchanting touch to his already captivating appearance. Caelus couldn't deny that he missed seeing Dan Heng in his true form, but he also found his human form incredibly enticing. It opened up a world of possibilities—or positions in this case—free from the constraints that Dan Heng's tail had previously imposed.

The Alpha pulled down Dan Heng’s pants and his mouth watered at how wet it was between his thighs. The Omega’s slick was flowing out like a broken dam—proof of how much he wanted Caelus.  

And that smell…

The scent was so heavenly that Caelus almost wanted to throw his previous plan out the window and start eating him up.

“Dan Heng, can I?” Caelus’s voice almost came out as a plead as he stared into the Omega’s eyes, seeking his permission.

Just like before, Dan Heng was too shy to answer, so he just gave a tiny nod.

“What’s that?” Caelus asked, leaning down and giving a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I can’t hear you~”

“I…o-okay…”

“Okay what?” Caelus pushed on, beaming brightly while Dan Heng’s brows twitched.

“…Maybe we should forget about this,” the Omega mumbled.

“Eeeh?!” Caelus shouted, instantly going from happy to a panic mess. “No! Wait—sorry! I wasn’t trying to be cocky!! I just wanted to—mph!”

Dan Heng leaned up, capturing Caelus’s lips and silencing him with a gentle kiss. After that, the Omega wrapped his arms around the Alpha’s neck and spoke sweetly into his ear.

“I’m yours, Caelus. Just take me already.”

…

…

…

“Aaah…!”

…

“Nnngh….”

…

“Ahn…ah—Caelus…!!”

…

“Aaaaaah!!” Dan Heng cried, his toes curling into the bed sheet as white fluid splattered across his abdomen.

A firm hand gripped Dan Heng's chin, keeping his head in place as Caelus stared down at him with unwavering intensity. It was as if Caelus was determined to etch every second shift of emotion onto his memory. The golden depths of his eyes acted as mirrors, reflecting Dan Heng's own disarrayed state.

Through them, Dan Heng saw how dishevelled he looked. He attempted to avert his gaze, but the grip on his chin tightened, rendering him unable to look away.

“Aaahn! Hang on—ah!! I just…hnngh…I’m still…sensitive!” Dan Heng whined as he felt the dick inside him moving faster than before.

“Dan Heng,” Caelus breathed, looking almost entranced as he stroked Dan Heng’s face. “You’re beautiful.”

Dan Heng gasped and his eyes squeezed shut when he felt that thick cock slammed into his prostate over and over.

Too much…

It was too much…!

“I love you, hah, Dan Heng!” Caelus moaned, his breath fanning over Dan Heng’s left nipple, making the Omega snap his eyes open and look down just in time to see the Alpha opening his insatiable mouth.

“C-Cae—AAAAAAH!!!!” Dan Heng screamed as Caelus sucked on his essence while the thrusts of his hips became stronger.

Being stimulated from two of his most sensitive places, Dan Heng couldn’t do anything other than to wrap his legs around the alpha’s hips and his hands around the alpha’s head. His fingers threaded through the ash-gray hair as he was rocked up and down on the bed.

It didn’t stop even after he ejaculated again.

As a Vidyadhara, Dan Heng has a strong body with high stamina. But even so, he wasn’t sure how long he could last like this. The number of times Caelus cummed was always less than him. He was certain he must have cummed at least ten times now. Dan Heng sucked in a shaky breath when he noticed the Alpha’s movement turning erratic and the base of his dick rapidly growing in size.

Dan Heng’s eyes dilated. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Caelus shoved his cock all the way inside—including that budge that now locked the two of them together.

“AAAAAHN!!!” Dan Heng threw his head back and screamed at the overwhelming pleasure shocking his body. He choked and gasped as he felt himself rapidly being filled up by the heat of his Alpha’s semen—to the point where he felt like something inside him was going to tear.

“C-Caelus—aaah!!”

“Hnngh…D-Dan Heng…ugh…” Caelus grunted, pushing his hips further into Dan Heng as he felt his ejaculation continue.

They held onto each other, their muscles coiled and tense. Together, they rode the intoxicating waves of euphoria, synchronized in their pleasure, as the intensity of their connection intensified with each passing moment.

After a whole minute of the Alpha’s intense orgasm, the two finally fell limp.

Caelus was gasping with sweats rolling off his back. As an Alpha, he knew that knotting was intense, but this was the first time he had ever experienced it. When they first made love, Caelus had never knotted Dan Heng. He didn’t dare to…not when their relationships were still unclear.

He pushed himself up with his weakened arms, looking down at the part where they were still locked together.

“Nngh…” Caelus groaned at how good it felt inside Dan Heng. He wanted to stay like this forever and never pull out.

"Dan Heng...are you okay?" Caelus panted, his gaze lifting only to discover that Dan Heng’s eyes were closed. Concern flickered across Caelus's features as he gently searched for any signs of distress or discomfort.

“Dan Heng?” Caelus called out to his lover again. Dan Heng responded with a quiet moan and his limp arms that were loosely resting around Caelus’s shoulders slowly slipped off and fell onto the bed.

Dan Heng was completely out cold.

Concern deepened in Caelus's eyes as he reached out to gently stroke Dan Heng's cheek. This was very odd because Dan Heng was typically resilient and possessed remarkable strength. He also thought back to when he sucked out Dan Heng’s pheromone and how the Omega looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep afterward.

Upon closer inspection, Caelus noticed a slightly darkened area under Dan Heng's eye. He gently wiped his finger over that spot, revealing a trace of foundation on his fingertips. This puzzled Caelus, as he knew Dan Heng never wears makeup outside of work. Moreover, having caressed Dan Heng's face numerous times already, he was certain there was no foundation elsewhere.

Careful to not tug on the part where they were connected, Caelus grabbed some tissues from his nightstand. He began to carefully wipe the delicate skin under Dan Heng's eyes. The foundation clung onto Dan Heng’s skin stubbornly but eventually, Caelus managed to remove enough of it to unveil the dark skin hidden beneath.

“Oh…” Caelus breathed out as the tissue fell from his hand.

Carefully, his fingers ran over the dark bag under Dan Heng's eye and Caelus couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt wash over him. The tangible evidence of his thoughtless confession only intensified his self-reproach. Seeing the visible impact it had on the Omega’s well-being made Caelus want to beat his stupid past self all over again.

Just when was the last time Dan Heng got a decent sleep?

As Caelus fixed his gaze upon Dan Heng's serene sleeping face, his attention was soon drawn to a gentle, ethereal glow emanating from the corner of his vision. When he looked over, he saw a tiny green pearl formed from the tear Dan Heng had shed.

While the size of this pearl was much smaller than the one he wore around his neck, it had a healthier glow…as though these pearls were able to reflect the owner’s mood when he shed them. A mix of emotions welled up within him as he picked up the precious pearl and wrapped it in clean tissues before placing it on his nightstand.

After that, he looked down at his dick that was still stuffed so fully inside of Dan Heng. He wanted his knot to hurry up and go away, so he could clean Dan Heng up and give him the rest he deserved.

…

…

….

“Urgh…ah…” Dan Heng groaned, squirming around uncomfortably as he felt this unbearable itch running through his body. His eyes fluttered open to the darkness and he felt the itch starting to get intense.

It was a familiar sensation that told him the transformation spell was wearing off.

“Dan Heng, are you alright?” A gentle voice asked and it was then that Dan Heng felt the arms that were around him and the body he was pressed up against.

“Ungh!!” Dan Heng gritted his teeth, his body jerking as he felt his tail and horns growing out and his ears lengthening. The process was swift. It doesn’t hurt, but the itch was still everywhere—outside and inside his body, making it very uncomfortable.

“I’m fine…” Dan Heng said softly, used to this already. He was about to close his eyes to rest when he felt a hand running over the base of the tail. His tail jolted and nearly threw the blanket off their naked bodies.

“It’s itchy here, right?” Caelus asked, scratching the tender skin around where his tail melts into his body. He then also leaned forward and began scraping his teeth over the base of his horns.

Dan Heng moaned as his eyes slowly fluttered shut.

It felt so good…

“Sleep, Dan Heng. I’ll be here.”

…

…

…

When Dan Heng came to, there were two things he was feeling.

The first was feeling refreshed after finally getting some proper sleep after a long, long time. He didn’t know how long he had slept, but it was definitely longer than whatever sleep he was able to get after having been rejected.

The second, however, was pleasure.

Dan Heng’s lips pressed tightly together, swallowing the moan that tried to come out the moment he gained awareness. His dick was fully erect, his breaths short and his heart pounding inside his chest.

Right now, he was lying on his side, his chest pressed against Caelus’s with the Alpha’s arms wrapped tightly around him. There was no problem with that. The only problem was that Caelus had his face shoved into his neck with his mouth lazily licking and sucking on his scent gland like it was some sort of treat.

At first, Dan Heng thought this was Caelus teasing him or his way of trying to wake him up, but it turned out the Alpha was still sleeping. On top of that, Dan Heng could feel Caelus’s cock which had somehow slipped between his legs, rubbing over his balls and the entrance to his sore hole. It also didn’t help that his dick was squashed between their abdomen, stimulated every time one of them moved.

Dan Heng bit the inside of his mouth and tried to slowly move away. He didn’t want to wake up Caelus and make everything awkward. Unfortunately, Caelus—in his sleep—responded by tightening his grip, pulling Dan Heng back and sinking his teeth into his poor gland.

If he hadn’t braced himself in time, Dan Heng would have cried out.

The Alpha’s hip also pushed forward, causing Dan Heng to squeeze his thighs together only to feel how big and hard the Alpha’s dick between his legs was.

“Mmm…” Dan Heng let out a quiet moan as memories of last night began to replay in his head. Of all things, he had to remember that moment he was knotted—seconds before he lost consciousness.

The Omega quickly shook those thoughts out of his head. Just when he was about to try to slip out again, Caelus suddenly turned, rolling onto Dan Heng and pushing the Omega onto his back. Because he has turned back into his original form, his tail made it impossible for him to lay flat on his back like when he was a human. His hips were pushed up and his legs fell apart—opening him up to the Alpha that came crashing down on him.

Just like that, Caelus’s entire cock slipped inside Dan Heng with barely any resistance due to how stretched and wet he was inside.

“Aaaaah!” Dan Heng screamed as his sore and sensitive walls clamped down on the hard cock.

This made Caelus jerk awake, looking around in a daze before he saw Dan Heng under him.

“Hmm…Lunae?” He mumbled, obviously still asleep with the way he addressed Dan Heng.

“C-Caelus…!!” Dan Heng gasped, trying hard to control his breathing.

“Feels good…” Caelus groaned, rolling his hips and making Dan Heng let out a mewl. “Oh…it’s a dream…” After mumbling that, Caelus dropped his head back down, burying his face into Dan Heng’s neck and rolled his hips again. “…I can do whatever I want…”

“Caelus?” Dan Heng suddenly had a really bad feeling and this feeling became the reality when Caelus pulled back his hips, making him groan before the cock slammed back deep inside of him.

“AAH?!!” Dan Heng gasped as his hands and legs scrambled to wrap around the Alpha who began pistoling in and out of him at a rapid pace. “Aaaah! Ngh! Aaahn!”

“Lunae…mmm…Lunae…” Caelus chanted repeatedly into Dan Heng’s ears as he continued to pound into him. “I love you…Lunae…”

“Ah!! Cae—hnngh…Caelus!!”

“…Ngh?” Caelus’s movement slowly came to a stop. He pushed himself up, blinking a few times before the haze in his eyes faded and reasoning began to surface. He stared down at Dan Heng’s face, blinking a couple of times before what he was seeing finally registered in his brain.

The Omega’s flushed cheeks, the tears welling up in his eyes that were threatening to fall…

“Dan Heng?!” Caelus gasped, instantly sitting up and his movement caused both of them to moan. It was then that Caelus looked further down and saw their linked bodies. “Fuck—sorry!!” He moved to pull his dick out, but a pair of pale legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him back and causing his dick to sink into that velvet warmth.

“Nngh!”

“Ah!”

Their moans intertwined and they stared at each other, taking in the flushed look on their lover’s faces.

“Dan Heng—”

“Don’t…stop…” Dan Heng begged, his breath shuddering with how deep the cock was pressed into him. “Just…f-finish…”

Caelus felt a rush of blood shooting up his head, making him dizzy.

“Dan Heng!” He grabbed Dan Heng’s arms, pulling him up so that he wasn’t squashing his tail before he began thrusting up into him.

“AAAAHN~!!”

…

…

…

“I’M SO SORRY!!!” Caelus shouted as his head smashed into the ground, creating a loud BANG as he prostrated before the Omega.

Dan Heng tried to get up, only to give up halfway and flopped back down onto the bed thanks to the soreness in his lower half.

“Caelus, get up,” he told the Alpha. “It’s fine, I was the one who wanted you to continue.”

“But—” Caelus wanted to argue that he started it, but he couldn’t remember anything. How in the world did he end up fucking Dan Heng in his sleep?! He couldn’t be sleepwalking, could he?!

"Calm down, Caelus," Dan Heng reassured, leaning over to the edge of the bed and reaching down to pet the Alpha’s soft, gray hair. "I'm not hurt... just a little sore, that's all. Give me a few minutes and I'll be fine."

Caelus looked up, his forehead reddened and concern etched across his face. "Do you want to take a bath?" he asked. "I'll prepare the bathwater!"

"Yeah…that sounds good," Dan Heng replied with a tiny yawn. He watched as Caelus almost immediately took off, running into the bathroom to prepare the water. He almost wanted to chuckle, but exhaustion began to overwhelm him so he closed his eyes. He only intended to take a short nap and wake up when Caelus returned. However, by the time he came to, his surroundings had completely changed.

His body was relaxed, his aching muscles being soothed by the hot water enveloping his form. There was a strong rhythmic beat that belonged to a heart, pulsating against his ear. Dan Heng felt a gentle tug on the end of his tail, and something slid between his scales, causing an irritating itch on his skin. He tried to move his tail away, but the grip on it tightened, preventing his escape.

“Caelus…?” Dan Heng mumbled, opening his eyes and found himself lying against a firm chest.

“Dan Heng!” That voice boomed and Dan Heng could feel it through the vibration from the other person’s body.

Dan Heng parted his lips to say something, but gasped when he felt that thing sliding between his scales again!

“Sorry, does it hurt?” Caelus asked, stopping in his movement.

“No…” Dan Heng replied, turning his head to find that the thing that tickled him was a…toothbrush?

“What are you doing?” He couldn’t help but asked, staring at Caelus’s right hand that was holding the toothbrush while his left hand was holding up his tail.

“Sorry…your tail is so beautiful I thought I should wash it too. Uh, I hope you don’t mind that I washed your tail with shampoo. I wasn’t sure what to use. I thought maybe I should also clean the cracks between your scales so I got a toothbrush…”

The Stellaron continued blabbering, but Dan Heng was no longer paying attention to what he was saying. As a model, he had received plenty of attention and been showered with lavish gifts. Yet, nothing had ever stirred Dan Heng's emotion quite like this. It was the simple, unintentional gestures from Caelus like this that made Dan Heng feel truly special and loved.

So Dan Heng leaned up and pressed his lips against his Alpha’s, effectively silencing him.

“D-Dan Heng?” Caelus swallowed hard once Dan Heng pulled away. He looked down to the sinful view of the Omega pressing into his body with his smooth butt slightly raised above the water.

“It feels nice,” Dan Heng said, further arching his butt as though to push his tail into Caelus’s hand. This action reminded Caelus of a cat.  

“Can you continue?” Dan Heng requested, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes.

Caelus swallowed again and hurriedly nodded, not trusting his voice to say anything. He ran the brush gently through the tiny gap between the scale and felt the way Dan Heng’s body trembled against him.

With Dan Heng’s face buried in his neck, he can’t see what expression he had, but the feeling of Dan Heng shaking in his arms was…doing things to him.

Dan Heng, on the other hand, was biting the inside of his cheek, desperately trying to stifle his laughter. He couldn't bring himself to tell Caelus that he was ticklish, especially when the Alpha was just trying to do something nice for him.

A Vidyadhara's tail was renowned for its strength. With a mere flick, they could smash a boulder into pieces and their scales were practically impenetrable. Although the skin between the scales might be comparatively weaker, it was still quite sturdy. There were special lotions designed specifically for cleaning a Vidyadhara's tail. The fluid had a slimy texture that can stick up any grime trapped between the scales. Whenever he used the lotion to clean his tail, he could never feel anything so he never realized how ticklish the skin under the scales were.

“Nngh…mm…hnnph…”

Unbeknownst to Dan Heng, he was inadvertently letting out muffled moans a result of his efforts to hold back his laugh. He squirmed when the brush went in particularly deep and jolted when he felt something jabbed into his butt.

Dan Heng’s eyes snapped open and the first thing he saw was how red Caelus’s neck was. The Alpha’s scent glands were a bit swelled up, pumping out his pheromones and making a point that the Alpha was painfully turned on right now.

“S-sorry! I can’t help it! You’re too sexy!” Caelus groaned, feeling an intense wave of embarrassment wash over him. In a rush of panic, he jumped to his feet, causing Dan Heng—who was on his lap—to slip off and tumble into the bathtub. Dan Heng looked up, bewildered by the sudden turn of events and saw that the Alpha already have one foot out of the water and on the edge of the tub.

“Caelus?”

“I’m gonna go cool down!” Caelus shouted with his hands covering his reddened face.

"Caelus, calm down!" Dan Heng threw his arms around the Alpha's waist and with a swift pull, Caelus started to lose his balance, teetering backward. Seizing the opportunity, Dan Heng deftly spun him around, redirecting his momentum. As a result, Caelus ended up falling and landing in a seated position on the edge of the tub.

His legs were parted with Dan Heng kneeling between them…giving the Omega the glorious view of the Alpha’s cock that was standing upright.

Dan Heng’s jaw dropped, taken back by the sight. Sure they had done it multiple times and even this morning, but Dan Heng never got a close look at it and most of the time this dick was nestled inside of him.

Caelus on the other hand was dying inside. He pressed his hands harder against his face, desperately wishing he could disappear. He wanted to crawl into a trash can and then toss that—along with himself—into the nearest black hole.  

“Aaaah?!” Caelus shouted in surprise, pulling his hands away and looking down to see a pair of pale hands gently wrapping around his cock. “D-Dan Heng?!” Caelus’s heart pounded so loud that he wouldn’t be surprised if Dan Heng heard it.

Was this…was this what he thought it was?

“The legendary that?!”

“The legendary what?” Dan Heng asked looking up at Caelus.

Realizing that he had accidentally shouted his thoughts out loud, Caelus frantically slapped his hands over his mouth. While he may appear embarrassed through this action, the sparkling look in those golden eyes betrayed what he was really feeling.

Being the focus of that heated gaze, Dan Heng felt an overwhelming sense of self-consciousness and nervousness wash over him. The truth was, he had never done anything like this before, so he didn’t know how this was supposed to work. As a Vidyadhara, he has no gag reflex since dragons were known to swallow their prey whole but…could he swallow this?

Dan Heng swallowed hard as he stared at the dick that seemed to be getting larger by the second. When he looked back up and saw the Alpha's eyes sparkling even more, he felt a weight of pressure slammed into him, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He was certain that if he was to back out and let Caelus go take a cold shower, the Stellaron would no doubt burst into tears.

Dan Heng was not going to let that happen.

On top of that…he admits that he may be a little…curious.

He slowly caressed the cock as though caressing the finest jade. He took his time feeling all the bumps, the folds, and the veins that were budging out. His hands ran down to the base, pausing a bit before touching the Alpha’s balls.

“Dan Heng…” Caelus gasped, his legs shaking lightly but he said nothing to urge the Omega to hurry up. He just sat there, letting Dan Heng do whatever he wanted. 

After Dan Heng got the gist of how thick and long Caelus’s dick was, he brought his left hand up and brushed some of his long hair behind his pointed ear.

The Alpha’s eyes dilated as he watched the Omega’s red tongue peek out, wetting those pink lips before they parted widely.

The moment Dan Heng’s mouth touched the tip of the dick, Caelus’s entire body stiffened and the Omega could hear the way his breath hitched. Just this little reaction made Dan Heng feel a surge of satisfaction.

Caelus’s cock was big and heavy…it was also very hot to touch.

Even with his body that was warmed up by the steaming water, Caelus’s cock still felt much, much hotter. Memories of yesterday flood his brain and the remembrance of how this cock felt inside of him was making his body react. His muscles clamped down on nothingness and Dan Heng’s mouth begin to salivate.

He wondered how different it would feel to have such a heated cock inside of him…

Upon realizing what he was thinking, Dan Heng snapped out and reminded himself that it was his turn to take care of Caelus.  

He opened his mouth wider to take in the tip of the penis. He sucked lightly, taking great care not to scrape his teeth over the sensitive flesh. He ran his tongue around the tip before pushing against the slit, earning a low moan from the Stellaron.

It wasn’t going to work…

It was too big.

Dan Heng pulled the cock out of his mouth with a wet pop before he licked and kissed down the shaft.

“Hngh…Dan Heng…”

Dan Heng trembled at the call of his name. He sucked and lick the dick like it was some sort of treat. He needed to exercise his mouth before he could take on the large intrusion. Of course, Dan Heng wasn’t moving around blindly. He listened carefully to every breath Caelus took and the noises that slipped through his lips, trying to find the spots that pleased him the most.

Slowly, he began to move his left hand that was wet with the bath water to slowly rub the dick while his right one moved to fondle Caelus’s balls.

The Alpha let out a low growl as his hands came down, threading through Dan Heng’s hair and massaging his scalp. The Stellaron didn’t push his head nor did he pull him away. His hands were just there, resting on him while the rest of his body was shaking uncontrollably.

“Caelus, relax,” Dan Heng mumbled against the base of Caelus’s dick, looking up at him through his long lashes only to freeze at the intensity within those glowing golden eyes that were looking down at him.

Dan Heng quickly dipped his head down and occupied himself with licking the dick. Even so, he could practically feel the burning stares drilling holes through the top of his head.

The fact Caelus looked just now…that predatory look…the sight alone was enough to make slick gushing out from deep inside his body. Dan Heng lowered his hips further into the water, hoping that Caelus wouldn’t notice. Surely there was no way for the Alpha to smell his slick when it was in the water?

Dan Heng was running his tongue along the foreskin when Caelus’s right hand came to rest against his left cheek. Dan Heng let out a shuttering breath as those fingers ran along the shell of his ear before giving the tip a soft flick.

“Dan Heng.”

“Ngh…!” Dan Heng was pulled off Caelus’s dick and his head was lifted by the strong fingers hooked under his chin. When Dan Heng saw Caelus’s face, he nearly forgot how to breathe. Despite the shades of red spread around Caelus’s face and how heavy he was breathing, there was this calmness on his face—almost a stoic look.

“Are you turned on right now?” 

Dan Heng felt his heart jump at the question that seemingly came out of nowhere. He tried to pull his head away by reflex, but the grip on his chin tightened.

“Dan Heng, did you know?” Caelus leaned down and nipped the tip of his ear with his teeth, making Dan Heng let out a wanton moan. “Your ear twitches whenever you’re horny.”

Dan Heng’s eyes widened and the colours on his cheek deepened. Along with that was more slick flowing out of his twitching hole.

“Caelus…” Dan Heng jerked when the Alpha gently blew into his ear, making them twitch even more.

“I heard that Vidyadhara doesn’t have gag reflexes,” he chuckled, pressing his lips against Dan Heng’s ear and listening to the tiny whines coming from his throat.

If possible, Dan Heng’s face turned redder. This kind of calm and demanding tone was something he wasn’t used to…at least, not from Caelus. Right now, he felt like he completely changed into a different personality—one that wouldn’t allow the Omega to disobey.

“Ah!” Dan Heng gasped when a hand grabbed him by the base of his tail, stroking the sensitive skin around there before slipping between his butt cheeks and shoving two fingers inside of him.

“Aaaahn!” Dan Heng threw his head back and let out a long moan.

“Fuck…I thought I smelled something sweet. You’re leaking so much,” Caelus groaned as he rubbed the velvet wall inside of the Omega. “You can take me, right, Lunae?”

Dan Heng was panting heavily at this point with his muscles clamping down on the intruding fingers. He couldn’t trust his voice, so he nodded and the fingers released his chin. He didn’t look up at Caelus again and instead dipped his head towards the cock throbbing in his hands.

He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth wide and swallowed the tip. Slowly, Dan Heng began to push his head down, taking the dick into his mouth inch by inch. Above him, he could hear the faint hisses and the heavy breathing from the Alpha.

Dan Heng groaned as his mouth was forced wider and wider. He moaned when he felt the tip of the Alpha’s cock hit the back of his throat, then slid down, forcing his throat open.

Saliva pooled in his mouth and leaked out from the corners of his mouth, but Dan Heng couldn’t find it in himself to care. With one last push, his lips hit the base of Caelus’s cock—successfully taking in the entire length.

“Ah…Dan Heng,” Caelus gasped, his voice raw and hoarse, sending a shiver down Dan Heng’s spine. He felt like his mouth and throat were burning, but it wasn’t painful.

If anything, it felt very…good.

It may feel good, but Dan Heng was at his limit. With the cock stuffing him so full like this, he couldn’t move. His jaw was also feeling extremely sore just taking everything.

He let out a distressed noise, but it just sounded like a moan. However, Caelus must have understood something, because he took Dan Heng’s hand in his and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

“What’s wrong, Dan Heng?” Caelus asked through shallow breaths. “You can’t move?”

Dan Heng responded by giving Caelus’s hand a hard squeeze.

“Do you want me to move? Squeeze two times for yes and once for no.”

Dan Heng squeezed his hand twice.

“Okay,” Caelus let go of Dan Heng’s hand and grabbed onto his head gently in both of his hands. “If you want me to stop, just slap me with your tail or something.”

Before Dan Heng could find a way to protest against that ridiculous idea because his tail could break one of his bones, Caelus moved. He lifted Dan Heng’s head, pulling half of his dick out before slamming back in until his balls hit Dan Heng’s chin.

Seeming to not like the position they were in, Caelus stood up, this action also forcing Dan Heng to kneel in the tub.

And then, Caelus began to really move.

He began pistoling in and out of Dan Heng’s mouth and the Omega couldn’t do anything but take it. All of his voice came out as muffled moans with his voice sending vibration directly into the Alpha’s penis, further stimulating it. The way he kept swallowing wasn’t helping either and was only making Caelus go faster and faster.

“Dan Heng! Dan Heng!” Caelus gasped, lost in the euphoria that was his mate’s mouth.

“Hmph! Mmmgh!” Dan Heng moaned—which could have been a shout or a cry. For a while now, Dan Heng couldn’t breathe since he couldn’t find the rhythm to match up to Caelus. The Alpha was moving way too fast and all he could focus on was the feeling of the cock sliding in and out of his throat. His tail thrashed around, spilling the water out of the tub as he tried his best to hold onto the edge of the tub and not get knocked over by the force.

“Your mouth feels so good, Dan Heng!” Caelus said, earning a long moan from Dan Heng.

It didn’t take long before Caelus began to feel a familiar sensation around the base of his cock. Dan Heng had felt it too, as his eyes widened when he felt his mouth being pushed open a bit more every time Caelus shoved his entire cock into his throat.

The Alpha was popping his knot!

Caelus’s eyes dilated as he slammed his cock into Dan Heng repeatedly while Dan Heng let out loud moans before one of his hands came to pat Caelus on the side.

“Just a minute…I think I’m gonna…!”

“Ngh!” Dan Heng patted Caelus harder and his tail slammed against the wall, cracking the tiles.

Caelus didn’t stop. He moved faster and faster and Dan Heng’s eyes widened as he felt his mouth being forced open so much that he was starting to fear his jaw dislocating. No, if Caelus really knotted his mouth, his jaw would surely break.

“Hmph! Mmgh!” Dan Heng shouted before having that growing knot pushed into his mouth again. Just as the Omega was about to use his tail, Caelus suddenly ripped his dick out of him.

“Ah!” Dan Heng gasped at the sudden emptiness. Before he could figure out what happened, he was pulled out of the water and pushed against the cold bathroom wall. Without any warning, Caelus grabbed one of his legs, pulling it over his shoulder before his dick slammed into the Omega with one smooth thrust.

“AAAAAAAAAH!!!” Dan Heng choked, his arms wrapping tightly around Caelus as he felt the dick hitting the deepest part inside of him before locking their bodies together.

The last time Dan Heng got knotted, he was knocked out cold so he couldn’t fully feel what it was like to be knotted. But now, Dan Heng could feel it clearly. His toes curled and he screamed as he felt a gush of heat rapidly filling up his inside.

It took him a while before realizing these things filling his inside were all the Alpha’s sperms. There were a lot and it wasn’t over.

Caelus was still cumming.

“No…ah…too much…nngh…!” Dan Heng gasped, his voice slightly hoarse from having his throat fucked. He clutched onto Caelus as the sensation overwhelmed him, causing him to also ejaculate.

Caelus groaned, rolling his hips and pressing his body harder against Dan Heng, making the Omega let out a delicious mewl.

“D-don’t move…!”

“Sorry!” Caelus gasped, but couldn’t control himself as he rolled his hips again, trying to use that tight passage to milk out every last drop of his seed.

Dan Heng cried out as large round tears fell from his eyes, transforming into lovely green pearls that fell into the water.

They stayed in that position for a whole minute.

After Caelus finally stopped cumming, he lowered them back into the water that was mixed with the Omega’s slick and later the Alpha’s sperm. Dan Heng was laying boneless in Caelus’s arms with his tail slowly curling around Caelus’s right leg as though seeking comfort.

Caelus held his Omega tightly in his arms as he ran his fingers through the silky hair.

“Dan Heng…” Caelus placed a kiss against the Omega’s forehead and his hand came to rest on the Omega’s nape. “You alright?”

“Yeah…” Dan Heng responded weakly and grunted at how painfully full his inside was.

“S-sorry, I couldn’t hold back,” Caelus apologized. “I thought about cumming into the water or something but when I saw the look on your face…I er…”

“You couldn’t control yourself,” Dan Heng finished for him.

“I couldn’t control myself…” Caelus admitted shamefully.

Dan Heng smiled at the Alpha’s honest response. He would never blame Caelus for something like this, since an Alpha would only pop a knot when he had the desire to breed. It was odd how despite both of them being species that could not reproduce, they were still designed to knot and take knot just because they were Alpha and Omega.

“Did it feel good?” Dan Heng asked softly.

“H-huh?!” Caelus blinked, looking down at Dan Heng who was looking back up at him with his chin resting against his chest.

“My mouth,” the Omega clarified. “Did it feel good?”

“Well, yeah, of course,” Caelus coughed, wondering how Dan Heng could ask something like that with a straight face. But Caelus then saw a bright smile blossoming on Dan Heng’s face as the Omega tilted his head to rest his cheek against his collarbone.

“That’s good then…”

Caelus heard him mumble before he closed his eyes. The Alpha suddenly felt a spike of heat in his body before that heat began to gather between his leg, reawakening the spent cock still trapped within the Omega’s heat.

Dan Heng jolted and he immediately sat up with his eyes wide open in alarm.

“Caelus?” Dan Heng gasped, swallowing back a moan when the Alpha also sat up—his dick pushing against the sensitive walls and his knot tugging against the rim. “W-wait, I’m still—!!”

“DAN HENG!!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAH~!!”

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

The young Vidyadhara slowly opened his eyes, awakening from a distant dream. The dream felt like it lasted an eternity but at the same time, it felt like only a second. There was a haze in those teal-coloured eyes, revealing that perhaps the youth was still amidst the realm of dreams.

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the soft jingles of furins hanging from the trees. Red leaves showered down on him and one of them landed into the youth’s limp hands. Carried by the wind was also the warm steam coming from the hot spring not far from where the youth rest.

He blinked once, then twice.

Slowly, his fingers moved, pinching the red stem of the leaf as the long green tail curled by his side moved. He sat up from the maple tree he was laying against to stare at the full moon illuminating the night.

As the moonlight shined down on him, light gradually returned to his pupils and the youth finally returned to reality.

“Dan Heng~”

A voice called and Dan Heng turned to see a man in his mid-twenties walking out into the wooden verandas. The man was tall with ash-gray hair and golden eyes that seemed to glow in the dimness of the night. He leaned against the shoji, arms crossed with a ladle held in his right hand. He wore a simple white turtleneck shirt and black pants which would have looked nice…if not for that vibrant pink apron he got tied over his front.

“Dinner’s ready,” the man told him with a bright smile. “You shouldn’t be napping outside. You’re gonna catch a cold at this rate.”

“…Yeah,” Dan Heng mumbled quietly, averting his gaze from the man and making no signs of moving.

Dan Heng didn’t know when it started…or how it started. All he knew was that for as long as he could remember, he had been in love with his guardian—in love with the man named Caelus. But this love was something he didn’t dare to let anyone find out, especially Caelus. He didn’t want to ruin their relationship over a feeling he wasn’t even sure if it was familiar or something else, as Caelus was the only person he ever loved.

He thought that over time, those feelings would fade away, but instead, time only amplified the intensity of his longing. On numerous occasions, Dan Heng thought his feelings might be reciprocated, because he caught Caelus casting longing glances his way. Amidst these instances, there were also occasions when Dan Heng couldn't shake off the feeling that Caelus's gaze was directed not at him, but through him.

It was as though Dan Heng reminded him of someone…someone important.

Dan Heng knew that no matter what he felt, Caelus couldn’t be his nor could he be Caelus’s. For as long as he remembered, he had these teeth marks marring his scent glands. Since he always had these marks, he thought they could be just birthmarks. However, the fact that his scent has always been sour and foul towards Alphas made it clear that these were not birthmarks.

Dan Heng was already mated to someone.

When his younger self asked Caelus about it, Caelus would smile and tell him it was proof of him being loved. Dan Heng could never get him to talk more than that, since he would always go on to blabber about useless things, changing the topic.

It was only when he became older did Dan Heng do his research and found out that once a Vidyadhara bonded, that bond will follow them no matter how many times cycles of life they went through. Due to this, Vidyadhara was a race known to never bond with anyone, because not only would their memories be lost when they moult, they will always outlive other species.

The fact that he was born with these mating marks meant his past self—or maybe even his past, past self—had bonded with an Alpha. After finding this fact, Dan Heng tried to distance himself from Caelus and bury his feelings away. If he had someone waiting for him, then it wasn’t right for him to love anyone else. Unfortunately, no matter what he did, Dan Heng could not leave Caelus’s side, especially after realizing his distant behaviour was greatly hurting Caelus.

After turning eighteen not long ago, Dan Heng decided that enough was enough. If he couldn’t get rid of these feelings, then it was time for him to leave. Dan Heng didn’t know where he would go, but he thought searching for his mate may be a beginning…even if that would take centuries. He hasn’t told Caelus of his plans and Dan Heng was thankful that he didn’t.

The dream Dan Heng saw had permanently taken root within his memories, becoming a part of him. The conflict he had been battling inside himself for the past years was gone the moment his eyes parted.

Now, the only thing he felt was irritation.

He narrowed his eye at the collar of Caelus’s shirt. In this life, he had never seen the Alpha exposing the glands at the base of his neck. His past self-thought never thought anything of it but now he knew better.

The idiot was trying to hide his mating marks from him.

Dan Heng could more or less guess the reason, but it still didn’t change the fact that he was angry about it. He hated the fact that Caelus had been quietly suffering the entire time while he was oblivious to it.

Deep in thought, Dan Heng didn’t notice his tail was lightly slapping against the ground like a peeved cat. He also didn’t notice a person coming towards him until arms slipped under him and lifted him into the air. Dan Heng let out a quiet gasp as he fell against Caelus’s warm body. The Alpha had removed his apron, giving the Omega in his arms a little toss to better hold onto him before carrying him back into the house.

“W-what are you doing?” Dan Heng spluttered. His face was red and his gaze wandered everywhere but at Caelus. His tail, on the other hand, seemed to have a mind of its own and curled around the man’s waist almost possessively.

“You don’t look like you’re gonna move and you’re too old to be reminded twice,” Caelus replied, using his foot to close the sliding doors behind them. “I made curry. It’s going to get cold if we wait any longer.”

Dan Heng’s lips were pressed into a thin line as he leaned into his Alpha and felt that strong heartbeat beating within his tone chest. It was a familiar rhythm…both in the past and present.

“…I love you,” he mumbled quietly into the man’s shoulder and the Alpha immediately came to a halt.

“What did you say?” Caelus asked quietly, staring down at Dan Heng with a hopeful but also frightened look. It was as though he was scared he had heard wrong. When Dan Heng saw this, he felt something inside him twisted painfully.

He didn’t want Caelus to look like that anymore so he leaned up to press his lips against the man’s cheek before repeating those words against his skin. 

“I love you, Caelus.”

The arms holding him tightened so much they began to shake.

Even though he was the one who so confidently declared that everything was going to be fine…

Even though he was the one who watched his past self died with a smile, telling him that they will meet again very soon…

“Dan Heng, I…” Caelus swallowed and looked like he was struggling to find his words.

Dan Heng smiled, hooking his finger into the man’s collar then with a hard tug, he ripped the fabric, revealing the scarred scent glands underneath.

“D-Dan Heng?!” Caelus shouted, his voice cracking from shock at the Omega’s action.

“When were you planning on telling me that we’re mated?” Dan Heng asked as he slowly traced his fingers over the scars. “Or did you plan on acting the part of my guardian until the end of this life?”

“I…I…”

“I suppose I should be at least glad that you didn’t have me call you daddy.”

“I told you I wouldn’t—!” Caelus stopped, his eyes widened as he stared at Dan Heng in disbelief. “It can’t be…you…?”

Dan Heng tilted his head with a soft smile playing on his lips, waiting for the Alpha to finish those words…except Caelus didn’t.

In his young and barely trained body, Dan Heng couldn’t react before he was already laying on the tatami with a hand holding the back of his head and a body pressing down against him. A pair of heated lips moulded against his, kissing him so hard that Dan Heng was certain his lips would be bruised and his jaw sore for days to come.

Dan Heng didn’t mind the intense passion from his Alpha. He wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him back just as hard. After minutes of trying to devour each other, they were forced to separate. Loud gasps came from their lips as Caelus cupped Dan Heng’s face and brought his head down until their foreheads were pressed together.

“Dan Heng,” Caelus panted. “Are you really…?” 

“My memories are not fully intact…” Dan Heng mumbled softly, closing his eyes to concentrate and pull out those fragments of memories. “There aren’t enough to cover all the years that my previous life had lived. I don’t even know if this is really my second life with you.”

There was a light quiver in Dan Heng’s voice when he said this. He was scared to find out he had reincarnated multiple times—that this was the only time he ever recalled anything from his first life with Caelus.

His fear was quickly put out when Caelus began peppering kisses him all over his face, slowly coaxing the Omega to open his eyes and look at him.

“This is your second reincarnation, Dan Heng,” Caelus assured him, finishing with a kiss between his brows.

“I see…” Dan Heng tightened his arms that were still around Caelus and leaned up to press his face into Caelus’s neck.

“How did you remember?” Caelus asked, wrapping his arms around Dan Heng and turning them onto their sides so it would be more comfortable for both of them.

“I had a dream,” Dan Heng smiled, pressing himself closer so he could have his Alpha’s warmth and scent wrapped around him. “A very long dream.”