Work Text:
Dan Heng finally looks up from his book at what has to be March's fifth morose sigh in the past two minutes.
"What," he says flatly, though he's not really all that irritated. March sighs again, and reaches for his hair.
"I get why you cut it…" she starts, and Dan Heng rolls his eyes. This again. "But couldn't you have let me practice some braids on it first? It was so long…"
March had practically burst into tears when Dan Heng had finally cut his hair in his Vidyadhara form. He doesn't regret the haircut—he feels far more at ease in that form now—but he does feel a bit bad he didn't allow March to mess with it, if he was chopping it all off anyways.
"What about Himeko?" He suggests. He can at least help her find an alternative. "Her hair is long."
March sighs again, leaning her face on his shoulder. "Himeko's hair is too pretty," she moans. "Her hair is already so prettily braided, I don't want to mess it up. It's perfect."
"Um—"
Firefly interjects from the other side of the room, and Dan Heng barely stops himself from jumping. He'd forgotten she was there.
The Stellaron Hunters had become a more or less permanent fixture of the express in the past months. They all work surprisingly well together, as long as he and Blade are kept firmly apart. Caelus is so thrilled by it he can't bring himself to protest, and he really doesn't mind Firefly and Silver Wolf. Firefly especially he could almost consider calling a friend.
She clears her throat from where she's sitting on the floor with Caelus, cradling the tuskpir. "Blade has long hair."
March laughs. Caelus snorts. Dan Heng's eyes widen slightly. She's not wrong. Blade's hair probably goes down to his waist. But he's hardly a good candidate for March's braiding experiments. He'd kill her.
"He lets me braid it."
The laughter stops. Dan Heng's eyes widen further.
There's at least five seconds of silence, interrupted only by the tuskpir's snorts for affection.
"He what?!" shrieks March, and privately, Dan Heng seconds her reaction. "Blade? Big scary guy with the sword, that Blade, lets you braid his hair?!"
Firefly laughs slightly. "Um, yes? He's really not all that scary, though. When he's not marastruck, I mean. I think he'd let you, if you asked."
"I can't ask to braid his hair!" March screams again, looking horrified. "He'll kill me!"
"He really won't. He's—" She cuts herself off and frowns, looking around at them. "Do you all really think he'd be mad about something like that?"
"Yes?!"
"Oh, for sure."
"He's mad at me for existing," Dan Heng mutters under his breath. Not quiet enough apparently, as Firefly opens her mouth again, and then hesitates.
"It's… more complicated than that. I—I really shouldn't say more. But, um, my point is… he's actually very gentle, most of the time. He plays games with Silver Wolf, even though he's bad at them. And he makes sure I take my medication on time. He's sick, but—but he tries really hard, to be better."
She looks down, jaw tight.
"He's my friend. And—I don't like you talking about my friend like he's some kind of monster."
There's a moment of silence.
Dan Heng feels just a bit like an awful person.
"…I mean, he does seem to let Wolf use his phone all the time," Caelus offers, and Firefly smiles again, relieved.
"He does! I don't think he really knows how to use his phone, honestly. So she just takes it. And he doesn't mind! Honestly, I think he'd let her do whatever. Except drive. He doesn't let her drive. She's really bad at it."
March lets out a nervous giggle. "He seems kind of like her big brother."
Firefly nods urgently. "Yes, exactly! He's… Well, Kafka calls him an old guard dog, but to me and Wolf he really is like family."
"So…" March hesitates, glancing back at Dan Heng. He isn't sure what to tell her. He feels unable to speak. "You really think he'd let me braid his hair?"
Firefly nods. "I do. But, um—" She looks at Dan Heng. "Maybe it's best if he doesn't see you? It's just, with the mara…"
"I'll stay out of sight," he finally forces out, unwilling to leave March possibly vulnerable. Firefly nods in agreement, and looks towards March.
"I think he's just hanging by the bar right now, if you want to go ask."
"Wait, you have to come with me! I know he lets you braid his hair, but I'm still a little scared of him!"
Dan Heng observes the party car from the upper level, ready to jump into action. Blade is staring out the windows, seemingly lost in thought, but he dips his head slightly when March, Caelus, and Firefly approach.
"Blade," Firefly starts, gently pulling March beside her rather than cowering behind her. "March wanted to ask you something."
Blade doesn't respond, and Dan Heng knows March well enough to see she's ready to bolt, but Caelus nudges her forward, likely out of curiosity more than anything else.
"Um!" March squeaks out, fidgeting with her skirt. "Firefly said she braids your hair sometimes? And I was wondering? If I? Could braid it too?"
Dan Heng readies himself to intervene, but Blade only turns to look at her, face unreadable.
"You may," he says finally.
Dan Heng sees his own shock reflected on March and Caelus' faces. He actually agreed. Politely, even.
"Okay!" March says, voice slightly hysterical. "Awesome! Um, could you just… sit down, then? Here on the couch, where I can reach?"
Blade complies without any sort of protest. Just barely, Dan Heng can hear Caelus whisper "holy shit."
Finally believing she's not in immediate danger of being stabbed, March gets to work, eagerly running her fingers through Blade's long hair. She has a moment of panic when she accidentally pulls, but Blade makes no move for his sword.
"Pain does not bother me."
Of course it wouldn't. He's probably experienced more pain than any of them could ever imagine, a not-insignificant amount of that being inflicted by Dan Heng himself. A slight tug to the scalp would barely register. March looks concerned by the comment, but quickly adjusts, freely twisting the hair in her fingers.
Blade looks almost… relaxed. His eyes slip shut, and he sits perfectly still on the couch, simply letting March play. He could almost be sleeping.
Dan Heng's chest aches.
He has only ever seen Blade angry and exhausted. Bitter and violent, consumed by mara and driven by bloodlust. And despondent after another failed death, empty eyes and slow movements like he really is nothing more than the hunk of metal he named himself after.
This is neither of those. This is something new, something like peace, something that makes Dan Heng feel strangely nauseous with something he refuses to call longing.
(He looks like Yingxing, if quieter. A slow night in, his fingers brushing through white hair, even breathing and quiet words. It's not a specific memory, but an amalgamation of hundreds of those nights, blurred into snapshots of senses.)
(Dan Heng hates how badly he wants to replace March down there.)
"Do you think he'll kill me if I add bows?" March whispers.
"I will not," Blade responds, without opening his eyes. So he wasn't asleep. March jumps, but looks at Firefly, who nods.
"Silver Wolf once dressed him up as some Gacha game character. He really doesn't mind."
The terrifying immortal assassin, the Blade wielded by destiny's slave, the man who haunted Dan Heng's nightmares for years.
The man who is letting himself be decorated in pink bows and messy braids, without a hint of protest.
Dan Heng needs to go update the data bank. Or help Pompom with chores. Or even drink Himeko's coffee. Anything to get his mind off of this dangerous train of thought.
Blade is an enemy turned occasional ally. Nothing more. Because he is not Dan Feng, and Blade is not Yingxing. And there is far too much bad blood between them for Dan Heng to ever be the recipient of Blade's apparent gentle side. It will never happen, so it's not worth thinking about.
Blade isn't going to hurt March.
He leaves.
Caelus sends him a picture of Blade looking like he's just stepped out of one of March's sleepovers. She's even drawn a small eyeliner heart under his eye. They follow it with a series of suggestive emojis.
He threatens to block them.
He also saves the picture.