Chapter Text
At the end of it all, Druig was exhausted. He didn’t really feel the passing of time, by Earth standards, but after, Dane said that Sersi had been missing for three and a half months.
Three and a half months, time that Druig spent in space. The plan was to look for other Eternals, but Eros came along, saying that Arishem took his family. With Eros’ help, they found The World Forge, and once they did, they spent all the past three months making a plea for humanity.
Three months of talking, arguing, talking, pleading, talking. Three months with no food, no water, no sleep. Three months of becoming painfully aware of the fact that his body was made of parts, three months of mental torment, fearing they wouldn't manage to convince Arishem.
But they did. At the end of it all, Arishem was convinced, and Earth was allowed to keep existing.
That was when Druig became angry. He had controlled his feelings, up until that moment, but then, he made one more plea. He was the one to speak, but he knew everyone else was thinking the exact same thing.
‘Let us go home.’
‘Your home is here.’, Arishem revealed the bodies, the memory banks of their past lives.
Druig felt like throwing up, but instead he squared his shoulders and spoke strongly.
‘No, our home is there. Down there, on Earth, with humanity. With the humans we protected for all these millenia, with the humans we defied you for. With the humans we love. Please release us from your hold, from your endless circle of lies. And let us live the rest of our lives with the humans that we worked so hard to save.’
‘Is that what you all wish?’
Druig’s family was quick to say a strong ‘yes’. And, surprisingly enough, Arishem let them go, but he kept the Duomo.
Between one blink and the next, Druig found himself back on Earth. He was in a garden, on a street that he didn’t recognize. They were in front of a house, Druig was standing next to a red bike, and Phastos was crying.
Ben came out of the house, rushing to his husband, and another man came after him, a man that all but screamed Sersi’s name and hugged her very strongly. Dane, Druig’s mind supplied.
He… started crying and sat down on the grass. There was a burst of cold wind and then Makkari was sitting in his lap, wrapped around his body. They both cried for a long while.
All of them did, really, so much so that at the end of it, Dane said they all looked dead, and offered to take them on a well deserved vacation at a lake house his uncle owned.
Surprisingly enough, they were all very quick to accept. Dane, Ben and Jack also came with them, and Druig spent the flight there feeling safe.
▲
The lake house was, in fact, a castle in Switzerland. Druig’s jaw dropped at the pure elegance of it, but Dane just waved it off and let them choose their rooms.
Makkari ran upstairs and three seconds later, she grabbed Druig’s hand and told him she picked the room with the best view.
She didn’t hesitate, and he didn’t either. They were set on sharing a room for the next week, sharing a bed, and Druig wouldn’t have it any other way.
They immediately went to sleep, and Druig did not think of anything before falling asleep. Exhaustion was beautiful, like that.
▲
He woke up feeling warm. It took him a few seconds of confusion, but he realized that Makkari was wrapped around him. An arm over his chest, her legs over him, her face pushed into the crook of his neck.
Druig’s heart swelled in his chest. He never wanted to leave the bed, wanted to hold her forever, but his brain got the best of him.
He knew he was in love with Makkari, had known it for a very long time. And he was certain that she felt the same.
But… It has been a long time for the two of them. And Makkari was not known for not getting what she wanted.
So why didn’t she make a move? There had to be a reason why she was willing to spend the night in his bed, hold his hand when they were walking, smile and joke and tease, show her affection, but not try to be with him.
It’s why Druig didn’t make a move, either. Because there had to be a reason why she didn’t want it, didn’t want him.
With a deep sigh, he slowly moved out of bed. Makkari pouted and hugged his pillow to her chest, but she didn’t wake. She was beautiful, and he loved her more than all the humans on Earth, and while his heart was filled with love, it was also filled with pain.
Druig knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but knowing it and accepting it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
▲
For the rest of the day, Makkari barely left his side. Their shoulders were pressed together during meals, they sat next to each other on the beach. She took a nap with her head in his lap, she held a whole conversation with Sersi while fully sitting in his lap.
Druig couldn’t stop thinking about it. What was holding her back? The thought didn’t leave his brain.
So that night, before bed, he asked her if he should move to another room. Makkari snorted, called him an idiot, and promptly went to sleep with her head on Druig’s chest.
▲
He went to Thena the next day.
Mostly, because he knew she will not sugar coat it and she will speak her mind, but also because she spent the time on the Duomo with them. It wasn’t more than a week, maybe two, before they made it to Arishem, but it was a time spent with Eros trying to flirt with Makkari and Druig fighting the very strong urge to kill him.
So he went to Thena. Everyone else was on the beach, playing a game of volleyball, where Dane was yelling really loudly and Jack was winning. Not his team, just Jack. Thena was watching it from the large terrasse, having a cup of tea.
Druig joined her, and they were silent for a few minutes, as he tried to gather his thoughts. It was difficult to do, because he was watching Makkari. She was playing very competitively, but she wasn’t using her powers, even if Druig could tell that she was itching to do it.
‘What is going on through that head of yours?’, Thena finally asked.
‘I wanted to ask you something, but it’s difficult to put into words.’, he admitted.
Thena smiled and leaned against his shoulder. She relaxed, taking a sip of tea before speaking in a very teasing manner.
‘The question isn’t about if you are in love with her, you know that already. And you know she feels the same way about you. So tell me, Druig, what is going through that head of yours?’
He took a deep breath and spoke in a near whisper. ‘Makkari is known for getting what she wants, be it emerald tablets or an ice cream in the middle of December. I can’t help but wonder why she hasn't tried to… get me.’
For a while, Thena just stared at him, blinking slowly.
‘Because you’re insecure.’, she finally said. ‘Because you’re asking that question, that’s why she hasn’t done anything. Because she’s waiting for you to be certain.’
‘Certain?’, Druig frowned.
‘Certain that you want to be with her, in the true sense of the word. Certain that…’, she tilted her head, ‘you won’t run away again.’
Druig hadn’t thought of that, but he supposed it made some sense. He was insecure, especially when it came to himself, and Makkari knew it.
Thena got up, put her hand on his shoulder.
‘Stop being an idiot.’, she smiled down at him, and left without another word.
▲
Kingo came to him next, on his own accord.
There was a rainy day, so they were forced to spend it inside. They played pool and various board games, they played hide and seek with Jack and took a midday nap, but after dinner, they gathered around the tv. After a small but vicious argument, they settled on a baking show, of all things.
Druig enjoyed it, actually. The show wasn’t that entertaining, but the arguments and jokes his family loudly said were. He spent the evening on a comfy couch, with Makkari pressed to his side, eating snacks and drinking beer, surrounded by his family. It was a good night.
It was very late when they started going to bed. The show was close to ending, Makkari was sleeping next to him, so Druig didn’t move. Absently, he was aware that Kingo was the only other one left, but he had actually gotten into the show, so he waited for it to end, before turning to the other man.
‘You’ve been staring all night.’, Druig whispered, as to not wake Makkari up.
Kingo nodded, unbothered, got up from his place and stepped right in front of them, glaring down at Druig.
‘I don’t hate it’, he pointed to the two of them, ‘I just hate that you’re like this, but not actually together.’
Druig was too surprised to say anything.
‘So do something about it, will you?’, Kingo said, managing to sound both harsh and kind.
He waited until Druig managed to nod, and then he went away, leaving Druig all alone in the living room, with a sleeping Makkari by his side.
While their family all loved each other, the relationship between Makkari and Kingo has always been just a little closer. They were siblings, absolutely through and through. So it meant a lot for Druig, having Kingo’s acceptance.
With that warm thought in mind, he shut off the tv and, as gently as possible, picked Makkari up. She woke up, but just barely, just enough to wrap her arms and legs around Druig and press their cheeks together, humming gently.
Makkari was still awake when she didn’t let Druig settle in bed before snuggling up to him.
Yeah, it was a good night.
▲
Druig still couldn’t stop thinking about it. Because of the nice feelings he was left with after the conversation with Thena and Kingo, he decided to approach the rest of his family.
They were crazy and annoying, but they were his family and he trusted them.
▲
He approached Sprite in the water. She was on a flamingo shaped float, sunglasses on her eyes, sipping an iced coffee as she absently splashed around with her legs. Druig swam to her side and ignored her spluttering as he grabbed the float and made himself comfortable with his arms around her legs.
It didn’t take long for Sprite to relent and only act annoyed.
‘I want to ask you something.’, Druig started. ‘Something serious.’
Very dramatically, Sprite shoved her sunglasses on her head, just so he could see her raised eyebrows.
‘I’m listening.’
He took a deep breath and made a point to look her in the eyes, even if he lowered his voice.
‘Do you think that Makkari and I have a chance of actually being together?’
Sprite’s eyes grew very wide and her jaw dropped. Druig couldn’t help but smile, because it took quite a bit to shock her. It didn’t last long, though, she shook her head and leveled him with a look.
‘Why are you asking me? Is it because of what I said on top of the volcano? Because I-’
‘No.’, he cut her off, not wanting to remember the Emergence right then. ‘I’m asking you because… because I’m insecure and I know you won’t lie to me.’
Once again, that surprised Sprite. ‘I won’t lie to you?’
‘You’re my family, we don’t lie to each other.’
She agreed to that, quickly. She put a hand over his, where it was resting on her knee.
‘The thing is, though, that we’re not really family, are we?’
Druig frowned at that.
‘Sersi and Ikaris loved each other the way they did. Gilgamesh loved Thena the way he did. I… I loved Ikaris the way I did.’ Her eyes moved away, but only for a moment, then she smiled at Druig.
‘The two of you, you were always more like that, than like I love Kingo.’
‘I know that.’, Druig said. ‘That wasn’t what I asked.’
She somewhat gently slapped his hand before letting go of it.
‘If you expect me to sing your praises and boost your confidence, you’re barking up the wrong tree.’
Druig snorted. ‘I know that as well.’
‘But’, she went on pointedly, ‘I have a question for you: do you trust Makkari?’
‘Of course I do.’, he didn’t hesitate.
Sprite grinned, somewhat triumphant. ‘Then if she wants you, why don’t you trust her with that?’
‘That’s the thing, though…’, Druig breathed out. ‘If she does want me, why hasn’t she said anything?’
‘Same reason you haven’t.’, she didn’t miss a beat. ‘Whatever insecurities you have, and no, I don’t wanna hear about them, maybe she has them too.’
Druig opened his mouth, but stopped. Sprite made a fair point because, despite what material their bodies were made out of, they were still human-like. They felt things, good emotions and bad ones. Yes, they might have superpowers, but they also had flaws and sometimes, they got the better of them.
‘And anyway!’, Sprite said loudly, bringing his attention back to her. ‘You shouldn’t be asking me that, don’t you think? You should be asking her.’
He really had no argument against it.
‘Thank you.’, Druig said gently, before grinning. ‘Do you know what is the best part of you being child sized?’
Of course, she glared, but it didn’t deter Druig.
‘It makes it so I can easily do this.’
With that, he flipped the float over, effectively dumping Sprite in the water, and he easily took her place on the pink flamingo.
Sprite resurfaced screaming bloody murder and yelling about how much she hated him. Druig wasn’t bothered, not at all, not even when Makkari ran on the water and pushed him off the flamingo, taking his place.
▲
The next day, Druig somehow got roped into playing cards with Jack. He didn’t teach the child poker, because the glare Phastos threw his way was trully vicious, so instead Druig learned all the games Jack knew.
They stayed on the terrace for hours, playing one against another several games. Jack never got bored, but it might have something to do with the fact that he kept asking Druig questions about history long gone, about his father’s involvement in it and generally, about cool Eternals things.
At one point, Phastos joined them. He put Jack in his lap and let him keep on playing. It didn’t take more than 10 minutes for the kid to fall asleep, playing cards still in his hands.
‘Keep on talking.’, Phastos said gently.
‘Shouldn’t we keep quiet? To keep him asleep?’
The other man shook his head. ‘No, he likes to fall asleep to someone talking. I figure it’s Ben’s fault, of raising him with bedtime stories, but that’s how he falls into a deep sleep, by listening to people talking around him.’
‘What a wonder you hold.’, Druig breathed out with awe in his voice.
Phastos smiled, even as he frowned.
‘And Ben is…’
‘No, tell me.’, Phastos glared when he didn’t go on. ‘Please tell me, what is my husband, exactly?’
Druig chuckled, weakly. ‘There’s no words to explain exactly what he is, because he’s the reason you’re happy.’
Phastos’ jaw dropped, albeit briefly. ‘What’s gotten into you, man?’
Before Druig could answer, there was a flash of cold. Makkari came by their side, Sprite’s phone in her hand, and she took a picture of Phastos and Jack before running away. Druig was left staring after her.
‘Ah’, Phastos said in amusement, ‘so that’s gotten into you.’
Druig nodded, still staring at where Makkari was sitting next to Sprite on the beach, giggling together over the phone.
‘This isn’t new, is it?’, Phastos asked knowingly. ‘I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t think it’s new. I think it’s been there for a couple of millenia, but we didn’t see it. Either we were too distracted, or you two were too good at hiding it.’
‘A bit of both, I think.’, Druig said after a moment.
‘Did you two ever-’
‘No.’, Druig cut him off, shaking his head.
‘Why not?’
‘I’ve been wondering the same thing, lately.’
They were silent for a while, before Phastos spoke, in a very soft voice.
‘It’s very scary, I know. Loving someone so… fully. It’s terrifying, really. And we were never taught how to be scared. We were made to fight, to be strong and win. There’s no place for fear in how we were made.’
‘But that’s not all we are.’, Druig said, looking at Jack, at his soft snores and the way he hugged his father’s arm in his sleep.
‘Exactly.’, the other man smiled. ‘We’re so much more than that, Druig. Even you, especially you.’
Druig frowned at that.
‘I took me a few centuries to understand why you did what you did, in Tenochtitlan. It wasn’t anger, a god complex, insanity. It was love.’ Phastos chuckled, a little. ‘You love humans so much, you couldn’t bear the pain of losing them in such horrible ways.’
He went on, smiling. ‘There’s so much love in you, Druig, it would be a shame to not invest it in her. Lord knows she deserves it.’
‘She deserves more than I can give her.’
‘Probably.’, Phastos didn’t hesitate. ‘But she wants you, so… That’s more important.’
Druig bit on his lower lip. ‘Why hasn’t she said anything?’
‘I told you. Fear is unknown to an Eternal, and it’s terrifying when we finally feel it.’
‘Is that why you scream when there’s a spider in the bathroom?’, Ben said, coming to their side and giving Phastos a quick kiss.
‘Kid’s got the right idea.’, he said next, looking at Jack. ‘I could go for a nap.’
He then wordlessly took Jack in his arms, managing to not wake him up. Halfway back to the entrance, he turned around and raised an eyebrow at his husband. ‘You coming?’
Phastos chuckled and got up, but before he left, he looked at Druig, with his eyes filled with love and happiness.
‘Fear is fleeting, Druig, it’s gone in a second. This isn’t.’
With that, Phastos followed his husband and his child to take a mid afternoon nap.
Makkari barely waited before she took his place, asking if he wanted to play some poker. Obviously, he didn’t refuse.
▲
The next day, Druig was on the beach, pretending to read a book as he was, actually, looking at the way Makkari was swimming. Sersi sat down next to him and closed his book with a huff.
With a chuckle, Druig gave her his full attention.
‘I have a question.’, she started.
‘That’s exactly what I was going to say.’
‘Me first.’, Sersi insisted. ‘It’s been bugging me.’
‘Go ahead.’, Druig smiled.
‘Why didn’t you ask Makkari to join you? In the forest?’
The smile fell off Druig’s face quite quickly.
‘I’m just curious.’, she went on gently. ‘Even then, it was pretty clear how you two felt about each other.’
It took a few moments, but Druig nodded. ‘I couldn’t do that to her, no matter how much I wanted it. I would have asked, she would have joined me, and would have been miserable stuck in the same place, by the side of a man who made a choice she couldn’t agree with.’
‘When you love something, you protect it.’, Sersi smiled. ‘That’s what Gil told Thena.’
He was right, Druig supposed. He would do anything and everything to protect Makkari and she had proven, time and time again over the millenia, that she would do the same.
‘What are you waiting for?’, Sersi asked next. ‘I don’t understand that, either.’
‘My turn to ask the question, which is, ironically, the answer to yours. Why do you think she hasn’t said anything?’
Sersi raised her eyebrows, thinking about it.
‘Probably the same reason as you.’, she finally said. ‘I think that, when it comes to matters of the heart, you and Makkari are very similar.’
Druig frowned at that, which prompted her to explain, smiling softly and speaking in a slightly teasing way.
‘You love your family to the point of desperation. 500 years of separation did not change that, you’d do anything for us. Anything and everything. It’s why you took Ikaris’ betrayal hard, but after, it made the love you feel for the rest of us grow.’
‘You’re not wrong.’, Druig said when it was clear that she was waiting for an answer.
‘I think you love each other with the same sense of desperation, just… kicked up a notch.’
He nodded, because she was right.
‘So in order to answer your question, you should ask yourself the same question. Your answer will probably be the same as hers.’
It took a moment or ten, but Druig groaned.
‘I’m right, aren’t I?’, Sersi was smug.
‘Yes, you are.’, he grumbled. ‘Which means that she’s waiting for me to make a move, to prove that I actually want this.’
She hummed, patting his knee. ‘Glad I could help.’
Sersi left with a gentle chuckle, making her way to Dane’s side. They hugged, kissed sweetly and forgot about the existence of anyone else in the world, for a few moments.
Druig wanted that, desperately so.
▲
There was just one more family member Druig had to ask and it was the most difficult conversation he will ever have in his life. Pleading for humanity in front of Arishem was nothing compared to speaking with Makkari about this.
About… the rest of their lives, really.
Druig waited until they were alone. They didn’t really have a plan, once they left Switzerland, but they had money in their pocket and Makkari was craving macaroons, so they went to Pairs.
The first day there, they walked in the city well into the night. They had a little wine, a lot of food, and even more macaroons. It was a lovely time and if Druig had any doubts about wanting to spend the rest of his life by Makkari’s side, they all got thrown out the window.
By the time they made it back to the hotel room, Druig also realized what Sersi was talking about, when she spoke of desperation. Because he felt that if he didn’t say something then, he would explode. Inside out, boom, catastrophe.
Makkari figured out something was wrong, because after she closed the door after them, she gently tapped his shoulder and asked what was wrong.
Druig probably should have practiced his speech. Maybe that would have been better. But, as he were, he had nothing prepared, nothing except the desperation in his soul and the love in his heart.
So he took a deep breath and managed to smile at her.
‘I have a question for you. I’ve asked the rest of our family, but it’s… your answer is the only one that matters.’
Makkari was intrigued, but she still smiled at him, as she signed ‘What’s the question?’.
He treated it like ripping off a bandaid and signed quickly. ‘If you want to be with me, why haven’t you ever said anything?’
Of course, Makkari was shocked. Her eyes grew wide and she took a tiny step backwards.
‘I think I know the answer.’, Druig said quickly, hoping to calm her down.
It did the job. Makkari took a deep breath and moved to sign, but Druig stopped her. He grabbed her wrists, squeezing gently as he kissed her knuckles. Then he smiled as he signed, quickly, far too quickly than he should have.
‘I think you’re scared. I think you’re scared that I don’t feel the same and won’t want the same thing you do. And I think you’re insecure. You feel like you’re not good enough for me and I think…’
He had to take a break, take a deep breath and shake his fingers. But Druig didn’t stop.
‘I think that you’re afraid I’m going to leave again, one day. Realize that I don’t want you anymore, or realize that I need more than you and leave. Leave you.’
Through it all, Makkari’s breathing kept quickening. At the end of it, she looked genuinely afraid.
‘How do you know that?’, she asked.
Druig chuckled shakily. ‘Because that’s what I feel. Because that's why I haven’t said anything until now.’
For a moment, Makkari froze. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, shakingly. She smiled, looking relieved.
‘Why now?’, she signed.
Druig shrugged, trying to play down what his next words were.
‘I am so in love with you, the desperation got too much to stand.’
Her eyes grew wide and she stopped breathing. For a second, then two, then ten.
‘My beautiful Makkari.’, Druig said and signed with very shaky hands. ‘I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life being with you. If you’ll have me.’
He barely finished the word before he found his hands filled with Makkari. She hugged him tightly, very tightly, her hands all but crushing his neck. Druig held her and breathed, took big gulps of air because he might have forgot to do that for the past minutes.
Druig relaxed, all the anxiety and desperation he had felt, up until that moment, melted away because of Makkari’s warmth. She was shaking in his arms, just a little bit, and her breathing was off, but Druig could tell it was because of excitement.
It gave him the strength to move. All he managed to do was put his hand on the back of her neck, because Makkari moved faster and kissed him.
Druig had been through a lot in his life. 7000 years, he’s seen it all, done it all, and even more than that. Nothing could have ever prepared him for the reality of kissing Makkari. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought it impossible to feel so much happiness.
She was still shaking, in his arms, but her lips were soft and warm, and he could tell that she was smiling. Makkari calmed down, eventually, and so did he. Druig didn’t push for more, because they had all the time in the world.
He waited 7000 years, he could wait a few more hours.
▲
Makkari woke him up with sweet kisses, coffee and croissants and with the demand to tell her what the rest of their family told him. Well, against his embarrassment, he told her, but only because he got kisses in return.