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“Are you okay?” Stelle asks, fighting to keep her eyes above the neck. The naked man blinks, fixated on the feathered cloak she’s holding. Oh! Of course, he must be cold! She offers it to him.
The man’s eyes widen. “You… you aren’t going to keep it?”
It was a pretty piece, expensive too by the looks of it, but he definitely needed it more. “Yeah? Look, I won’t ask what you were doing swimming in the lake nude, just put this on before you catch a cold.”
The stranger spurs into action, snatching it from her. He steps back, holding the cloak close to his chest. “I will remember this, human.”
“...Okay?” Stelle decides to hold her tongue, the poor guy was probably delirious. “And, um, come with me please?” She definitely had to take him to a doctor.
“Hm, how forward,” the man scoffs, wrapping the cloak around himself. “You are aesthetically pleasing I suppose.”
Stelle blinks. “Did you just call me pretty?” Despite herself, her face started to feel warm. Maybe compliments from streakers didn’t mean much, but she wasn’t immune to pretty privilege.
“Perhaps I did,” he smirks, gathering his long hair and wringing it. “This has been… illuminating, but I must depart.” Then, something bizarre happens—a sudden harsh wind blows through them.
Stelle stumbles forward, just barely catching herself before she eats dirt. When she looks back up, the man is gone.
Unrelated, she sees a lone swan fly away.
.
.
.
The stranger returns the next evening at Stelle’s door. “I have determined you are worthy,” he declares, “I accept your proposal.”
Stelle’s eyes bulged. “Where are your clothes!?”
Ignoring her crisis, the man produces the cloak from yesterday. “Here, a token of my good will.” He dumps it unceremoniously into her arms.
“Oh… that’s sweet of you, but this isn’t mine?” Stelle just kind of found it near the lake, it only belonged to her by scavenger's code, which she knows from experience would not hold up in court.
He shakes his head, expression softening. “It is now.”
“Okay…?” Stelle really didn't want to get in trouble again, but she wanted to cut this short and go back to watching reruns of Storage Wars (her favourite show to laugh at it... losers, why buy things you could loot for free?). It wouldn't be stealing if she put up missing posters for it, right?
The man looks very pleased with himself. “My name is Dan Heng.” He holds out his hand.
“Oh, cool. I'm Stelle.” Baffled, she takes the offered hand.
“I know,” Dan Heng replies. Instead of shaking her hand like she assumed, he leans down and presses a kiss to her knuckle.
Well!
Stelle freezes and pulls her hand back. “Uh… I have a bat, just letting you know.”
Dan Heng’s shoulders slump, but he nods. “I am aware, it is smart of you to have defense, but you do not need it anymore. I will be protecting you from now on.” He puffs up his naked chest.
Stelle is not strong enough to look away. She swallows, imagining things that have been censored as to keep the the rating of this fic T. She calls upon all her strength to not look lower. “Why are you naked?” she asks, voice unusually low.
“Do you not want me to be?” Dan Heng tilts his head, confused.
“Please just put some clothes on,” Stelle begs, shielding her face with an armful of feathers.
“For someone so forward you are surprisingly shy,” Dan Heng muses, “Very well, I will respect your request. …There is one issue though, I am not in possession of any human clothing.”
Okay, this guy was definitely high out of his mind. “Look, just come in!” she hisses, tugging him into her apartment by the wrist. Does Stelle want this weirdo in her house? No! But she needed to get him decent before one of the neighbours saw and called the police.
He follows her obediently, looking strangely pleased with himself.
She sets the feathery cloak on her chair and fishes for something baggy from her closet.
Unbothered, Dan Heng sits on her bed and watches her. Stelle is not looking forward to washing those sheets.
“Here.” Stelle tosses one of her larger shirts (that she thinks she stole from Blade? Whoops) and a pair of sweats at him. “You can keep it.”
Dan Heng inclines his head. “Many thanks.”
Stelle determinedly focuses on the floor while he changes.
“It fits well,” Dan Heng murmurs, looking at the mirror while turning to and fro.
“Okay,” Stelle claps, “I think it's time for you to leave.”
Dan Heng pauses mid spin. “Pardon?”
“I'll take you to a hospital, but then you're not my business anymore,” Stelle explains.
“I'm… you don't want me to stay?” Dan Heng droops.
What kind of manipulation was this?? “Why did you think you were staying?”
“You accepted my skin,” Dan Heng walks over to her and cups her face, “I thought… Don't you want me? I can be a good mate. I can cook–”
“Nevermind, stay as long as you like.”
What?? Stelle hasn't had a meal that wasn't from the convenience store in months—you would agree too if you were her! Instant noodles were God's gift to mankind, but multiple flavours of the same thing were not enough variety. Besides, with the economy in shambles, people weren't throwing food into their dumpsters as much anymore.
Dan Heng perks up. “Thank you, I will make sure to keep you fed and safe.” He pressed their foreheads together. “You will be the happiest human in the world with me.”
Stelle nodded along sagely, barely paying attention. Which, in hindsight, would be her downfall.
.
.
.
It’s been a week since Dan Heng started living with Stelle. And before you judge her, just hear her out! He was odd, sure, but also an overall nice guy! Honest! Stelle hadn’t meant to let him stay for too long, but he was just so… pitiful. How was she supposed to kick him to the curb when he didn’t even have any clothes?
Granted, that did support her theory that he was an escaped asylum inmate, but Stelle’s not judgemental. Maybe the mental hospital had bad vibes! Besides the whole streaking fiasco, he seemed normal. He even started wearing clothes!
…Okay, maybe Stelle wasn’t the best judge of normal, but she stood by her decision to keep him around! It was out of the goodness of her heart and definitely not because he started doing her chores! That was just a bonus!
“Here, say ‘ahh’.” He lifted a spoonful of cereal to her mouth. Stelle used to insist she could eat on her own, but she’d long since realised that was a losing battle. “Good,” he pulled the empty spoon back, scooping another bite for her. Once Stelle had swallowed, she opened her mouth again. Dan Heng smiled and gave her more.
Maybe Dan Heng was less roommate and more live-in servant.
After a few minutes of this back and forth, the bowl was empty save for coloured milk. Dan Heng lifted it to his own mouth and drank it down. He let out a satisfied sound after draining it, licking his lips lazily.
Dan Heng nuzzles his cheek to hers and stands up. “You may go back to your game.” He walks over to the kitchen sink and begins cleaning the dishes.
On the opposite end of the couch, Silver Wolf stared at them in horror. Her mouth kept opening and closing rapidly like a glitching video game character model.
Stelle picks up her abandoned controller. “Sorry, he gets cranky if I don’t eat something for lunch. What did you want to play again?”
Her friend pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. “I… I have no words. Give me a minute to process this.”
Confused and worried, Stelle pats her back. "You okay?” Stelle tilts her head. Was she having a headache or something?
Silver Wolf closes her eyes and sighs. After a moment, she sits up and glares at Stelle. “Your new boyfriend is a serial killer!” she whisper-shouts.
Stelle raises an eyebrow. “He’s not my boyfriend?”
Silver Wolf puts her head in her hands. “How… how does that make this weirder? I can’t believe I have to be the voice of reason. No amount of rent sharing could make this worth it… He does pay rent, right?”
Stelle very carefully says nothing.
“I’m calling Kafka.”
“You little–”
“Is something wrong?” Dan Heng walks over with his shoulders raised.
Silver Wolf sets her phone screen-down on the couch very carefully. “Not at all…” She dodges an elbow from Stelle.
“Dan Heng, please tell her you’re not a serial killer,” Stelle deadpans. Silver Wolf glares at her, panicked, eyes saying ‘you’ve doomed us!’
Dan Heng folds his arms. “If she is truly your friend then she has no reason to fear me.”
Stelle throws an arm around Silver Wolf’s shoulders. “See? He’s harmless!”
“...That wasn’t a no?” Silver Wolf blanches.
“You’re being dramatic,” Stelle assures her, “Dan Heng is a nice guy. He’s the best roommate I’ve ever had, actually.”
Dan Heng narrows his eyes. “You’ve had other ‘roommates’?”
“Yeah? Silver Wolf and I shared a dorm in college. That’s how we met.”
“She’s lying,” Silver Wolf pleads, “We don’t know each other.”
Dan Heng takes a deep breath. “It's fine… I am okay with not being your first as long as I am your last.”
Stelle resisted the urge to cheer. When he first moved in, Dan Heng would hiss at the mailman, but look at him now! They'd made such progress with his separation anxiety!
“This is insanity,” Silver Wolf shakes her head. “This is worse than the trash thing.”
“Being resourceful is a good quality,” Dan Heng reasons.
Silver Wolf ignores him. “Where the hell did you meet this guy? And don't you dare try to get your way out of this by ignoring me!”
“The park,” Stelle answers, leaving out the streaking part.
Dan Heng places a hand over his heart. “I knew she was the one when she returned my skin to me without hesitation. Of course, I investigated her a bit to make sure she wasn't dangerous, but once I determined her as safe; I came to her abode to accept her proposal.”
Wait, what?
“Huh?” Silver Wolf blurted out.
“Why are you surprised?” Dan Heng hissed at Stelle. Not literal hissing, he just sounded annoyed. Maybe Stelle should avoid using that word when it comes to Dan Heng, it just causes confusion.
Stelle stammered, “You- You just make it sound l-like we're married.”
Dan Heng flinches. “Are we not?”
“Why would we be!?”
“I gave you my skin!”
“What the hell do you mean ‘skin!?”
“My feathers!” Dan Heng clarified, throwing his hands in the air.
“Oh… wait, that cloak was yours? I wasted so much money on printing those posters…” Stelle bemoaned, imagining the amount of gacha pulls she could’ve bought with it.
“I thought you knew,” Dan Heng ran his hand through his long hair, something Stelle noticed he tended to do when stressed. “I-I… What have I been doing here then? Do you even love me?”
“No?” She liked him, but she couldn’t say she loved him when they met last week. Stelle belatedly realises this was the wrong thing to say.
Dan Heng’s face fell. “That’s how you feel? Truly? Th-then give me back my skin and I’ll leave.” He closes his eyes, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from showing any more emotion.
“That’s not what I meant!” Stelle jumps to back-track, “I like living with you, Dan Heng. And honestly? I could see myself falling for you hard in time. I just wish you’d told me what was going on! I…I’m still not sure what is going on actually. Please, just explain it to me.”
“Can I please leave?” Silver Wolf begs.
“Get out!” Dan Heng and Stelle shout in sync. Silver Wolf doesn’t waste any time, gathering her things and booking it out the door with the speed of Sonic.
“Now will you tell me?” Stelle asks.
Dan Heng opens his mouth, then spots the time on the clock. “This will wait, you should take your afternoon nap first.”
Stelle groans. “I told you, I don’t need a nap time! I’m not a kid!”
He crosses his arms. “You will rest, that was the deal for you staying up so late.”
“Eleven PM is NOT late—” Stelle closes her mouth when Dan Heng glares at her. “—Yes, sir.”
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Stelle wakes up to long fingers gently playing with her hair. Still dazed from sleep, she nuzzles into the warmth beside her on instinct. She's rewarded with a happy grunt from Dan Heng.
“We Heavenly Swans typically fear mortals,” Dan Heng confesses, “If they steal our skins, we can no longer shape-shift, leaving us defenseless. Our forefathers have warned us many times to not trust humans, and yet you so easily gave me my freedom back.”
Stelle sits up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “You should take your cloak back then. I didn't know what it was… so I never earned it.”
He chuckles and presses a kiss to her hairline. “And yet you prove yourself worthy again and again. I… do not wish to leave, but I will obey if you ask of it.”
She pouts. “Stay? I'm not just saying that because you take care of me.”
Dan Heng's eyes crinkle as he presses his forehead to Stelle's. “As my mate commands.”