The sterile corridors of the Astral Express were usually hushed, but today they echoed with the rhythmic thump-drag of a very tall, very persistent High Elder. Since the harrowing return from Amphoreus, Dan Heng had physically matured; his Permanasor Terrae form had granted him a few extra inches of height and a more grounded confidence. However, the legendary Imbibator Lunae was currently defeated by something far more mundane than a Stellaron: a devastating, jaw-dropping viral fever.

In his delirium, Dan Heng had manifested his Vidyadhara scales and flowing robes, his horns catching the light as he trailed behind you like a ghostly, lovesick shadow. You were the sunshine to his stoic moonlight, and right now, that moon was crashing into Earth.

"Dan Heng, please, you need to lie down," you pleaded, turning to see him looming over you, his eyes glassy but fixated.

"No," he rasped, his voice a deep, gravelly vibrate. He stepped into your personal space, the cool silk of his sleeves brushing your arms. "The archives are cold. You are... structurally necessary for my recovery."

Before you could argue, he leaned down, burying his burning forehead into the crook of your neck. A pained, needy whimper escaped him—a sound so uncharacteristic it nearly broke your heart. His arms wrapped around your waist with possessive, iron-clad strength, pulling you flush against his chest.

"You're radiating enough heat to power the engine," you chuckled, stroking the base of his horns, which made him let out a soft, draconic huff.

"Don't leave," he mumbled against your skin, his grip tightening. "I’ve accepted who I am... and who I am is someone who cannot breathe if you're more than three feet away. It's a logical conclusion."

"It's the fever talking, Dan," you teased.

He pulled back just enough to look at you, his blunt, dry humor surfacing even through the haze. "The fever is merely amplifying the data. You are my light. Now, be a good sun and stay still so I can photosynthesize."

With a stubborn groan, he tucked his head back into your shoulder, refusing to budge, a clingy High Elder who finally knew exactly where he belonged.