pure imagination || jing yuan, blade, & dan heng

thirty four

a/n | i managed to get imbibitor lunae 😌 so to celebrate, here's a chapter <3

Her name was y/n, and she just moved to the city. The job she was interviewing for was at Stellaron Tailor, which just so happened to belong to a group that Dan Heng wasn't getting along with (but that didn't matter right now). Her parents were abusive. She has a childhood friend who also lives in the city and is a part of the silvermane guards.

And ... he could still feel the warmth of her hand that gently caressed his forehead. For the vidyadhara, when greeting yourself, you would press a hand to the other person's forehead. He knew that she wasn't introducing herself at the time and was instead checking to see if he was ok, but it still made his heart skip a beat or two.

A week ago, when he ran after her, he didn't know what was going through his mind or why he decided to do it.

But what he did know was that there was a weird feeling inside his chest that he just had to figure out.

"Well?"

Bailu glanced up at him, her hands on her hips, "sounds to me like you're in love, not sick."

Dan Heng scrunched up his nose. Love?

In every single one of his past lives, he never had time for that. For love. Sure, he had deep friendships, but never something like love.

Is that what this feeling is?

"Are you certain?"

Bailu turned away from him and shuffled around the papers on her desk, "you say you can't stop thinking about her, that she makes your heart skip, and among other things. What else could it be?"

"Fascination? Intrigue?"

"Or love," Bailu insisted, "you never know. Maybe you finally found the one."

"Please. The vidyadhara don't even need-"

"Yes, yes. It is a wide known fact that the vidyadhara don't need parents, but it's still possible."

Dan Heng decided to move the subject along.

"What if it isn't love?"

"Then at least you have a new friend."

He let out a deep breath that borderlined a sigh. His eyes focus on nothing in particular, "Alright. Thank you, Bailu."

She gave him a small wave goodbye as he exited her office. His mind still wandered as he walked about his building, or, more suffice to say, his headquarters.

I want to see her again...and again, and again, again, again, again-

I wonder, if she truly knew me, would she want to see me again and again, too?

A year later, and his question was answered. However, he didn't think getting shot would lead him in getting to properly meet y/n, and yet he was thankful.

Mainly because it meant he finally had a reason to step foot in the tailor shop she worked at and try to speak to her like a normal person.

It also meant he didn't have to show up at her doorstep awkwardly, try to explain how he got her address, and tell her that they met each other by chance before (though he was sure she had forgotten such an encounter).

But it was alright.

Everything worked out in the end.

He got closer to her.

With Sampo increasing the price on materials she needed to fix his coat, with how she didn't have any money to cover the cost, to her own childhood friend screwing her over.

It all helped him in the end. It allowed him to get closer. So close to the point that he could call her his own.

He should really be thanking all those people he used as stepping stones.

However, he isn't exactly keen on the thought of Jing Yuan and Blade snooping around what doesn't belong to them, but that's alright.

He'll deal with them later too.

But for now, he has bigger problems to worry about. Specifically, y/n's parents.

"Her parents were looking for money?!"

Gepard rested his elbows on his desk, his head hanging in his hands, "I can't believe this... after everything they did to her, and they-"

Dan Heng let the captain ramble. His eyes taking the chance to gaze around the room instead.

"Anyway, captain. It's just as I said before. Get rid of the bodies for me, and y/n will never know that you screwed her over."

Gepard lifted his head, his eyes set in a hard glare, "fine," he gritted out, "but when I do this, you have to promise that it never reaches y/n. Ever."

"Deal."

As Gepard went to get up from his desk, he paused. His mind at work once more as a new question boiled within him.

"Wait... what were you doing at y/n's place anyway? Last time I checked, you two weren't that close."

Dan Heng smirked, and Gepard held up a hand to silence anything that the vidyadhara was going to say, "let me guess, you two are together, aren't you?"

"We are."

Gepard sighed, "fine then..., just... just don't hurt her."

"I won't. But should you really be saying that since you already did hurt her? Or, at least, make her life harder?"

Gepard gritted his teeth and slammed his office door behind him when he opened it and walked out. Dan Heng's smirk, all the while, falling from his lips as he glared at the empty space, his eyes glowing slightly.

I should get rid of him too, but ... even if I did tell y/n about what he did, I know she'll forgive him and not want him to get hurt.

Whatever, right now i need to think on what excuse I should give y/n about what I did to her parents. I highly doubt she would believe me if I told her I gave them a slap on the wrist and a firm talking to.

Maybe I should just tell her the truth?

Dan Heng imagined a scenario where he told her about how he killed her parents after he escorted her to safety. The memory of yesterday briefly flashing through his mind.

"Y/n."

"Y- yes?"

He helped her off of the floor. His fingers gently caressing her bruised cheek. His eyes scanning over her in worry.

"I called someone to come pick you up while I was in your room. They'll escort you to my home where you can wait for me."

He stood in front of her to block her view of her parents.

"You aren't coming with."

He bent down and gently kissed her forehead, "I'll be with you in a little bit. For now, let me protect you."

"A...alright."

He knew y/n was an overly kind person, so maybe ... for now ... he'll just tell her that her parents went back home. She doesn't need to know that he killed them (yet).

Besides, the important thing is that now that he took care of the bodies, he can finally go back to his home and see y/n waiting prettily for him.

I wonder how hard it'll be to convince her to not work anymore and just stay in my arms forever.