Archive of Our Own

"Do Not Enter" is written on the door way

Why can't everyone just go away?

Except you

You can stay

"Has anyone seen Druig?" Ajak asked. Everyone at the table shrugged, no one knowing where the mind-controller was.

They were all aboard the Domo after just fighting off a group of Deviants that had erupted near the south of Earth. It had been messy, rough, and tiring. To top it all of, Ajak had told Druig not to intervene after the fight.

The Deviants had arrived during a battle between the humans. After a few days, when Deviants were gone, the fighting between the humans had continued. Druig had wanted to stop it, but Ajak had told him not to do. It was the first time in their first five years on Earth that Ajak had forbidden Druig from using his power.

Makkari watched as they all had boarded the Domo, and Druig had immediately retreated to who knows where. Gilgamesh had made them all food as they traveled to the next hotspot of Deviant activity, but Druig hadn't joined them.

"Probably sulking somewhere," Kingo had responded through a mouthful of food. "I don't think he likes being told what to do."

"He needs to get over himself," began Ikaris. "We can't interfere with humans. He knows that."

Makkari ignored both of them, looking away at the hallway that had led to the room where they slept. She knew Druig must have been in his, and she didn't like the idea of him being alone. Being alone with your thoughts wasn't always the best thing, Makkari had discovered. It left too much room for the imagination to spiral.

There was a tap on her shoulder, and Mikkari turned to find it was Thena. She cocked her head slightly, signing and speaking at the same time.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

The others were looking at her too, now. She noticed the way Kingo, still with a mouth full of food, had paused as he looked between her and Thena. Makkari quickly shook her head, trying to put their concern at ease.

"Of course," she signed. "I just don’t want Druig to starve is all."

"Can Eternals even starve?" Sprite piped up from where she sat next to Ikaris. Ikaris just shrugged.

They all went back to eating, talking, some laughing about the previous battle as Kingo dramatically retells the way he had killed a colossal Deviant single-handedly. Usually, Makkari would join in and brag about her own accomplishments, trying to one-up Kingo (she knew she couldn't ever one-up Thena), but right now, she was too preoccupied thinking about Druig. She didn't want him to be alone, not right now when everyone seems to be having a good time.

Makkari then caught Ajak's eye. She sat across from her, eyes clearly meeting hers in silent communication. Ajak then nodded at Makkari, slightly cocking her side to the side as if telling her to go. That's all Makkari needed to see before she, perhaps a little too quickly, stood from her chair and walked away from the table.

She could tell the others had begun muttering behind her, but Marraki didn't care. She walked the distance to his room, practicing with her hands what she was going to say.

She knew Druig, but she could know him better. She'd never seen him so distraught about something before, and she wasn't sure he would let her in on what it was. Druig was unpredictable, a mystery, someone she knew wouldn't talk to anyone, not even Ajak, about what ailed him.

Five years was nothing to them. She couldn't say she knew Druig that well, even though she liked to believe she did. They were friends, and even if Ikaris thought it was weird, she enjoyed his company, his jokes and comments, and the way he cared so deeply about others, even if he didn't always show it.

Makkari hoped that the last five years were enough to make him let her in.

She found him in his room, but he wasn't asleep, resting, or even on his bed. He was in a corner, sitting with his arms resting on his knees. His eyes were closed as he looked at nothing, chest going up and down as he took in deep breaths. He was wearing a nicer version of the clothes humans wore on Earth. Makkari had discovered they were much more comfortable than what they arrived in.

Tentatively, Makkari walked in, wondering if he would hear her approach. She didn't want to sneak up on him.

He still hadn't opened his eyes when Makkari sat down in front of him, legs crossed. She reached her arm out to tap him on the leg, but before she could he opened his eyes, blue meeting brown ones.

Makkari was surprised by his lack of surprise. More so, she was surprised he had apparently heard her come in and hadn't made an effort to make her leave or gave her a chance to change her mind if he'd seen her. It's like he waited for her to sit. Makkari took that as a good thing.

”Hi,” she signed simply. She was happy to see a tiny smile pull at the corner of his lips. " You're missing Gilgamesh's cooking."

"Tell him I'm sorry," he signed back, not bothering to speak. He did that when they were alone, sometimes.

Makkari shoved his leg a little, making it known she meant she wished he joined them. Again, a small smile, but he still had a forlorn look on his face. Makkari hated it.

”What’s wrong?,” she tried.

Druig took in a deep breath. " I think you know."

She did know. It's what she assumed was bothering him since Ajak had told him not to use his power. He can't use his power to stop human conflict, only to protect them, to make them run away, to prevent them from attacking Eternals. Makkari couldn't understand the toll it took on a person, not when her speed helped her fight.

"I'm sorry. The humans... they're so…"

”Violent?,” he offered. Makari smiled sadly, nodding along.

"I wish…" His hand paused like he was debating what to say next. Makkari straightened up, hoping he wouldn't change his mind, that he would open himself up to her, at least a little.

"I wish their was more I could do. There is more I could do, but I can't. It's frustrating," he finished.

Makkari smiled, turning her head slightly at what he said. He really did have so much love in his heart for them, for people some might consider less in retrospect. It was sweet.

"You help them everyday. So many would be dead if it weren't for you."

Druig looked away for a second at her words. Makkari quickly took her hand to the side of his face and forced him to look and her.

”It’s true,” she continued. ”Don’t forget that, Druig.”

Then she stopped, letting her hands fall onto her lap. Druig looked at her, and she knew he heard her words. His eyes were just a little less dull, his posture the slightest bit stronger.

Then he raised his chin at Makkari, just slightly as he grinned a little. Makkari mocked the actions, lifting her chin to match. She smiled too.

"Beautiful Makkari," he said, signing at the same time. "You always know what to say, don't you?"

Makkari chuckled a little. She pushed herself up, holding out her head for Druig as he looked up at her. She shook her hand, urging him to take it. He did, letting her help haul him up.

The pair walked toward the others, Makkari sensing the vibrations of voices getting louder and louder the closer the pair got. She didn't let go of his hand until they got to the end of the hallway.

Ikaris and Druig were arguing again. Makkari was sick of it.

They didn't argue often, but they each had to have the last comment when they did. Both men were too stubborn for their own good.

Makkari didn't even remember what started the argument. All she knew now was her eyes were darting between their mouths to catch what they were saying. They were outside, in the middle of a human village they had just rid of deviants. Sprite, Sersi, Ajak, and Kingo watched the argument, and Makkari had no idea where Thena, Gilgames, or Phastos were.

The day had been rough. People had died, innocent people, and they were all spent and exhausted. Even Makkari, who out of them all had the most stamina, was aching for a bed to sleep on.

Sersi kept trying to intervene as Sprite seemed to watch, looking almost entertained by the fight. Ajak looked stressed but also didn't try to stop their argument. Kingo just stood beside Sprite, an eyebrow raised as Druig and Ikaris continued to yell things at each other.

Makkari didn't know what to do as the men continued their argument. They were speaking fast, so it was hard for her to catch their words. Their body language and the vibrations from their voices were enough to tell her that I wasn't good.

Then she caught Ikaris' mouth. What he said next was clearer than day.

"You could have saved them, so why didn't you!"

Ikaris seemed to know his mistake the moment he said it. The argument ceased, and everyone was now staring at Ikaris. Druig went silent, body seeming to back up after his words. Makkari saw how in the span of a few seconds, his face seemed to fall. There was a barrier he usually had up that just crumbled under the weight of Ikaris' words. For a horrible, tragic moment, he looked younger than he was as he looked up at Ikaris. Then his face hardened again. He didn't say anything to Ikaris or anyone as he backed up a few more steps before turning and walking away. He disappeared through the brush and trees of the village they had just saved. Ajak had tried to get him to stop, but he walked past her without a second glance.

Everyone was now looking at Ikaris. Ikaris stared at where Druig had walked off, mouth open in a paused voice.

"I didn't-"

Makkari was shoving him in his chest before she knew what she was doing.

Ikaris stumbled back. The force of her shove wasn't enough to launch him backward, even though she could have easily. She surged forward again, shoving him in the chest, no one, not even Ikaris, bothering to stop her.

"Why would you say that!" she signed, face twisting into anger, all of it directed at the man in front of her.

Ikaris didn't say anything, just stared in shock at the hostile force of the much smaller Eternal in front of him.

"He loves humanity so much, you think their deaths don't affect him the way it affects us. He isn't a heartless puppet, Ikaris!"

She shoved him in the shoulder one more time, grateful no one stopped her, that neither Sersi nor Ajak tried to hold her back. Ikaris stared down at her, face firm but not defensive. He seemed too stunned to speak as Makkari glared at him. He knew he was in the wrong, but Makkari still wanted him to feel her anger.

"He breathes to protect people, same as you and me, so don't blame him for death we ALL could have prevented. That's just cruel."

Makkari now was staring up at Ikaris, still fuming, hands balled into fists at her side. Ikaris opened his mouth to say something, but she had already turned around, off to find Druig. Again, no one stopped her.

As she went to walk past Ajak, the woman stopped her with a hand on Makkari's shoulder. Makkari halted, not angry at Ajak, letting her put a pause to her stride. She glanced at her, ready to read her lips, prepared to put up a fight if she tried to stop her.

But Ajak didn't say anything. She just looked deep into Makkari's eyes intently, but also softly, like she cared. It was the way Makkari assumed a mother would look at her child. She's seen it among humans many times, always in awe of the way a simple facial expression could help another.

Makkari felt her facial features soften as she stood under her soft gaze. Her fist slowly uncurled, pressure from where her fingers dug into her palms immediately subsiding.

Then Ajak nodded. Makkari took in a deep sigh before Ajak's palm slipped off her shoulder, letting her move forward again.

---

He did this sometimes. Fall into himself, let distressed thoughts fester until inevitably, they fall out like an avalanche; dangerous and all-consuming.

Makkari had discovered that Druig wasn't one to let people see his emotions. He was reserved about it. In the couple hundred years she has known him, that much has never changed. She didn't want it to either. She liked him just the way he was, even if sometimes she wished he would open up more.

She didn't speed to find him. She knew she would eventually. She always did. She thinks that's why Ajak had let her find him rather than herself. She was intelligent like that, always able to tell what someone needed. She was also prideful enough to know she wasn't the solution to every problem their little family had. Makkari respected that about her.

Makkari eventually found herself in the small town they had helped save. She spotted Phastos, helping repair a few damaged homes. Gilgamesh and Thena talked to a few locals, somber looks on both their faces as a woman spoke to them. Makkari couldn't tell what they were saying from her distance. Suddenly Gilgamesh spotted her, raising his head at her.

"Have you seen Druig?" she asked from where she stood.

Gilgamesh nodded, pointing to a small hut in the distance. Makkari signed thanks, opting to speed towards the house. When she stopped, the flaps of the entrance waved with the gust of wind she had generated.

Makkari was about to walk in when she realized he wasn't alone. She pulled back the curtain, peered inside, immediately finding Druig sitting inside on a small cot. He sat alongside a woman. She was crying, holding a cloth to her mouth as it stifled her tiny cries with one hand while the other held Druig's.

He was squeezing her hand, saying something Makkari couldn't catch. She almost didn't want to. She felt like she was intruding on a private conversation. A part of Makkari wished to stay, but perhaps that was just the part of her that worried about Druig. He looked fine.

Makkari was about to turn around, leave Druig and the woman to themselves. Druig caught her eye before she could. He motioned for her to come in, surprising Makkari. She was quick to accept, sitting down across the pair on the bed adjacent. The room looked like a healers hut, but the woman looked uninjured.

Physically, perhaps, but her tears suggested otherwise.

When she sat, Druig's hand was still gripping the woman's. It was an odd visual. Well, perhaps this was just another part of Druig didn't let them see him often. He always seemed too shielded to let someone else see him so unguarded. Right now, he appeared open, his body facing the woman, with no sense of weariness or defense inside. He had himself utterly open to her right now, and Makkari guessed to herself as well.

"This is Makkari," Druig said, gaining the woman's attention. "She's my friend."

Makkari glanced at Druig. He was looking at her too, for a moment, before he turned his attention back to the woman.

"Hello," the woman responded. Makkari nodded in greeting.

"She lost her son today,” Druig signed.

Makkari straightened up, glancing at the woman. She suddenly felt bad for her, now understanding why she was here crying and why Druig was here. She glanced at him, and he gave her a knowing look. He glanced down, head lowered at her, and looked back at the woman.

"My son...that...that thing took him from me," she woman began. Makkari glanced at Druig, who was signing alongside her. Her language was not one she could read lips and understand. "It almost took my daughter from me as well. I don't know how but she survived. She was there then gone. Something saved her."

Then Makkari remembered. The little girl had been one of many, but she resembles her mother down to everything. Same nose, same eyes, same hair. She glanced at Druig. He had touched the woman's shoulder, gaining her attention as he spoke again.

"This woman is the one who saved your daughter."

He looked at Makkari. He smiled, only a little, but Makkari saw it.

Then there were arms around her neck. The woman had surged at Makkari so quickly even Makkari was taken back. Her chest heaved against her own as she cried, and Makkari could feel the vibrations from her throat. She was probably saying thank you, over and over again. Makkari froze in shock at first. Then she returned the hug. The woman still shook as Makkari rubbed a hand down her back while looking at Druig.

He was smiling. It was a little sad, but it was a smile nonetheless.

He seemed okay. Makkari wondered why he'd come here. Seeing a woman cry over her dead child couldn't have made him feel better after what Ikaris said. Then she thought about it. Druig loved the people and hated seeing them sad. Being around them probably made him feel better, even if it was their grief he was taking upon himself.

Take grief to lighten the load of others. Druig did that a lot. Makkari only hoped she could do the same for him.

The woman thanked Makkari some more, and Makkari was filled with love and gratitude, happy to see the woman happy. Well, as happy as she could be after losing a child. It seems Druig coming here did her some good. Maybe he knew Makkari would follow him, and if he did, then Makkari reasons he knew her better than she had thought he did.

The pair left the tent in relative silence, leaving behind the woman, traveling through the village and away from people. The sun had set, so the sky began to glow a bright orange color as the sun dipped below the horizon.

They stopped until they were away from people, away from Eternals, and then it was just them. Makkari looked at Druig, but he was already looking at her. He had a fondness in his eye, one Makkari found herself at the receiving end of often.

She shoved him playfully as he chuckled.

"Stop it," she signed, looking him in the eye, smiling.

"Stop what?" he asked. Makkari rolled her eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"I'm looking at you the way I always look at you."

She tried not to blush at the undeniable way she knew he knew that he looked at her. He was right, in a way. He looked at her with that expression often, like she was the only star in a sky of black. She softened every time he did.

"You're trying to distract me"

"What could I possibly be trying to distract you from?"

"From asking if you're okay."

At this, Druig allowed a small, exasperated chuckle to leave his lips. He glanced away from Makkari, eyes training on the almost complete sunset. Makkari watched him, admiring the way the sun shone on his face.

After a few moments, he spoke again.

"I am, promise. I wouldn't lie to you. You know that."

And that she did. The other sometimes lied about small, mundane things that didn't matter. Druig, however, never lied to her, and she never lied to him.

So, she did believe, which is why she didn't push.

"Thank you, by the way," he said next, confusing Makkari.

”For what?”

Druig smiled, and Makkari was a star in a black sky once again.

"For following me."

Makkari smiled back, turning her head a little as the sun lowered even more. Instead of responding, she looped her arm into Druig's, placing her hand on his forearm as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Druig didn't protest as she entered his personal space, and Makkari once again wondered if he'd ever allowed anyone else to get this close. She thought about it and decided he didn't.

And that made it that much more precious to her.

Makkari limped forward, searching for someone, anyone. She hissed at the next step she took, needing to stop and grasp at her knee, trying to dull the pain from the bone that might be broken. She couldn't tell. Every time she had been injured, she was healed immediately by Ajak, and usually, she never allowed herself to be hurt. It was rare, but this Deviant, the flying one that had snuck up on her and Druig had them by surprise.

Druig.

Where the hell was Druig? She remembered fighting the Deviant, remembered it tearing her leg, then she remembered a flash of dark hair as Druig shoved her out of the way as she laid on the ground, trying to process the newfound pain in her leg.

Then nothing. Makkari wasn't even wearing her armor, her suit. Neither was Druig, but why would they? They thought they had killed all the Deviants in the area days ago. This one came from nowhere at all, sneaking up on the pair as they took a walk away from the others, wanting to be alone with the other.

But now, she had no idea where he was. A moment ago, he was right there, with her, and the next, he was gone.

Makkari darted her head around frantically, gasping laboriously as her blood raced through her ears.

She tried to speed to find him, find anyone, but the second she did, she fell to the ground. She glanced down at her leg. No bone was sticking out, but the pain was unbearable. There was blood running down her calf, and it was beginning to bruise a horrendous color. Makkari looked away, digging her face into her forearm to try and suppress yelling out from the pain.

But Makkari knew she could handle it. She has been stabbed, and she'd been bit. She had felt worse than this. Right now, she had one thing in mind that made the pain in her leg arbitrary; she needed to find Druig.

She limped forward, trying not to put too much pressure on her leg, attempting to be quiet in case the Deviant was still out there.

She tried not to think about what could have happened to Druig. He had to be alive. She would keep looking until she found him alive. She wouldn't consider any other possibility.

She was limping through a heavily wooded area. That's where Makkari and Druig had taken a walk through.

Makkari cursed herself right now. She was the one who had asked Druig to come with her. The celebrations from the townspeople were enjoyable, but one too many men were trying to proposition her. She is pretty sure one had asked for her hand in marriage. She didn't mind the proposition, usually finding them funny, but this time she had wanted to be alone with Druig, the one she actually would accept a proposition from.

She limped through the forest, wishing more than ever she could just run. If she could, she would find him in less than a second. The fact she had to move slowly was killing her. She felt numb, like she was struggling to run through a dream.

She walked for what felt like half of her long life. It was getting harder and harder to push forward, and Makkari had to shove that shameful, horrible thought festering in her head, telling her to give up.

Then she spotted it. A tuft of black hair peeking out from a rock. As quick as she could with the pain stabbing into her leg, Makkari pushed forward. As she got closer, she saw there was a body slumped up against a large rock, unmoving, but there was a vibration coming from it. A vibration of what? Makkari wasn't sure, but a vibration meant life.

When she reached him, she sighed in relief. She felt a weight lifted off her shoulders when she saw him alive, but the weight returned when she saw how sickly he looked.

Druig's face was pale as he held his hand to his stomach. A dark red color was staining his shirt, getting larger by the second as the blood seeped between his fingers. A pool of it had already formed around his body where he sat. His whole body was shaking despite the warm weather, and his eyes barely opened as he took in deep, haggard breaths. Makkari saw the way his chest seemed to tremble each time he tried to breathe.

Makkari was on her knees immediately, hand cupping the side of Druig's face, lightly touching it to keep him awake. She ignored the way her leg screamed at her, the pain no longer being of concern.

Wake up, please, wake up, was all she could think about. She could feel the panic in her chest, suppressed a tear from escaping.

Please don’t leave me.

A few horrible, dreadful moments of silence passed. Druig wasn't warm as usual. His skin against her palm was cold and damp from sweat. For a few terrible seconds, she thought he was dead. Then she saw his eyes flutter open, enough for her to catch some blue as his half-open eyes met hers.

Druig managed the smallest of smiles, barely there as Makkari caught his lips, slurring her name.

“Don’t move,” she signed. ”Just stay awake. Please.”

Druig nodded, albeit slowly, and when he raised his hand and signed a word, he hissed. He threw his head backward, whimpering as his hand lay on his stomach. It wasn't enough pressure. Makkari saw the way the blood still seeped through his hand.

Makkari maneuvered herself over to the other side of his body, once again ignoring how her leg protested. Her right hand never lifted off of him. He turned his head slowly to track her, to see what she was doing. Good, that meant he was alert.

She looked at the injury, then to Druig. His eyes were still barely open, but they watched her intently. Both of them were breathing heavily, a silent communication passed between the two of them. They could do that, too easily they could communicate with the other with no words said between them.

Reluctantly, Makkari removed her hand from where it had been resting on Druigs chest, right above his heart. She could feel the vibrations, the thumping from his heart when her hand was there. She hated to remove it, but she had to take care of him.

She removed the part of her red-ish, maroon tunic, bundling up the cloth that had laid on her shoulder. Once she had it in her hands, she looked at Druig.

”Try to be quiet,” she signed.

Druig looked at her with absolute trust in his expression. His brow was coated with sweat, and he was pale, but he still looked at Makkari like she was his oldest friend in the world. Makkari was glad to say that was a fact, which is why she wouldn't let him be alone right now.

She didn't wait any longer out of fear he would bleed out. She pressed the cloth down on his stomach, instantly feeling his blood seep through the clothing and onto her hands. She also saw the way Druig immediately tensed up. She looked up at him. His eyes were tightly shut as he gritted his teeth, chest moving faster as he took in deep breaths. He looked like he was in pain, distress written all over his face and posture. It was killing Makkari to watch.

She was strong enough to hold enough pressure on his stomach with one hand, so she maneuvered slightly closer to him and pressed her forehead against his temple as her other hand found its way to the back of his head, weaving through his soft hair.

I’m sorry, just a little longer.

Druig leaned into her touch as Makkari pressed her nose against his cheek. Her eyes were closed, and she felt her own tear fall down her face as she held him close.

She made sure to keep an eye on the vibrations from his breathing. They were ragged, uneven, hitching with each breath. She didn't know what that entailed.

She had no idea where the others were or if they had heard the commotion from the Deviant. They had to have killed it. Otherwise the Deviant would have found them by now.

She begged and prayed for someone to find them, to help Druig. The pain in her leg was practically nonexistent right now, but she still couldn't run. She wouldn't want to anyway. She couldn't leave him now, not like this.

She stayed glued to Druig for a while, unsure how long they just sat there. The only feeling she had came from his breathing, from her hand on his head and her forehead against his temple. He was still cold, but the blood flow had slowed down.

Then there was a gust of wind. Makkari opened her eyes, looking at Druig as his lazy gaze drifted towards something in front of them. She tensed immediately, worrying it was the deviant, but when she turned, she saw Ikarus landing down in front of them. She had never been happier to see Ikaris in her life. She let out an exasperated laugh, glancing back at Druig.

"You're going to be okay. Just stay awake."

Druig, barely conscious at this point, nodded his head before laying it against the rock. Makkari looked up at Ikarus, one hand still on Druig's stomach, the other signing. It made it slightly more challenging to communicate, but she refused to relieve any pressure off him.

"What happened?" Ikarus asked. He looked concerned, glancing between Druig, Makkari, and Makkari's hand on his stomach.

"The Deviant?" he asked.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Dead."

Makkari let out a sigh of relief.

"Got get Ajak," she signed. "Please, go now."

"I could carry him to town."

Makkari nodded her head no. "He's bleeding out, he's already lost too much blood. Please, Ikaris. I can't leave him."

Ikaris looked between them, then at the injury Makkari currently held together. Makkari thinks if she hadn't found him when she did, he would have bled out a long time ago.

"Okay," he finally said before flying off at a speed even Makkari found impressive.

Then it was Makkari and Druig again. She was smiling now, knowing they'd be okay. She looked back at Druig. Her smile collapsed when she saw his eyes were closed.

She shook his arm, but he didn't move. Not once.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

She shook him slightly harder, but still, he didn't move. She felt his pulse under his neck. It was so, so weak and getting weaker by the second.

She let the tears fall, not caring if they did. She pulled his face towards her, willing him to open his eyes. He was paler than ever now, and his lips were turning a dark color. She turned around, hoping to see Ikaris with Ajak right behind her. When they weren't, she could feel herself choking back a cry.

She kept a hand on his wound but pushed her head against his once again.

No. Not now. It's too soon. Don't you dare leave me, Druig. Stay, you better stay. I can't want to do this without you.

It couldn't have been long, but it felt like an eternity of Makkari begging, praying that he wakes up, that what she fears most in the world remains just that; a fear. He was her best friend, and it wasn't his time. It wasn't any of their times.

Then there was another body with them. Makkari didn't notice Ajak arrived with Ikars, but the woman who's come to be a mentor to her was suddenly on the other side of Druig, looking him up and down, worry evident in her eyes.

She was looking at Makkari now. Makkari almost didn't believe she was real, perhaps one of Sprite's allusions. Then Ajak grabbed Makkari's arm, a sudden warmth missing from Druig's skin filling her with relief that she was, in fact, real.

"Let him go, Makkari," she said. "I got him. It's okay now."

Makkari stared, hesitating, not wanting to let him go just yet. She looked at Druig, more tears falling down her face when she saw no sign of life in him. Reluctantly, she let go of him.

Immediately, Ajak replaced her position as Makkari stood. She'd forgotten about the pain in her leg and stumbled. Ikaris was at her side in a second, gripping her arm to prevent her from falling. She looked at him for a moment, glancing back at Druig.

Ajak already had her hand over his stomach, a glow coming from her palms as she hovered over his body.

Makkari didn't remember much after that, but when she saw the way he took in a deep, desperate inhale, she realized just how close she had come to losing her best friend.

---

Makkari lay at his side as she waited for Druig to wake up. He had passed out when Ajak healed him, but he had lost so much blood that even for an Eternal, he needed rest. If he had been a human, if Makkari didn't find him when she did, he would have died.

The thought haunted Makkari. If she'd been just a little slower, then Druig wouldn't be lying next to her right now. He'd be gone.

She scooted closer, laying on her side with her legs hiked up as Druig laid on his back. She wrapped both her arms around his, needing to have a part of him close to her. She pressed her lips to his shoulder, the warmth he radiated once again returning to her.

Over the centuries, Druig had let her in slowly, and Makkari had readily accepted the pace he set. She knew he'd be okay with this. Right now, she just needed to be by his side.

Makkari fell asleep at one point. Druig's presence was enough to make her feel comfortable and safe enough to doze off. He slowed her down, always able to catch up with her and make her think it's okay to take things slowly sometimes. So, she was patient as she waited for him to wake up.

A few hours passed, Makkari not moving once as she rested. She stirred awake, however, when she felt a hand against her forehead. She opened her eyes, meeting the most beautiful sight in the universe.

He was awake and smiling. His color had returned, and his eyes weren't half open anymore, so Makkari could see the blue she so longed for.

"What a beautiful sight to wake up to," he said, a smile pulling at his lips.

Makkari, through tears, laughed, hiding a slight blush that had formed in her cheeks. She then hugged him, rolling on top of him as his arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding them both up on his bed. She felt his face dig into her neck, both their grips tightening around the other.

Makkari would stay there all day if she could. Wherever he was, that's where she wanted to be. Always. She just felt lucky enough he felt the same way too.

War led to trauma, and trauma led to deep, festering thoughts in the back of your mind, and festering thoughts meant nightmares.

It was inevitable they had them. They may not have been human, but that didn't protect them from ailments humans became victims of. They dreamed just like they did.

Victim wasn't a good word to use. No Eternal liked to consider themselves as such. They were powerful, strong, and perhaps a little too prideful to admit to that. Even Makkari, as in touch with her emotions as she was (at least she likes to believe so), did not like thinking of herself as a victim.

But they were, and it wasn't always physical. Sometimes your mind was your worst enemy, and it attacked the most at night.

It's been centuries, thousands of years since they've been on Earth. That many centuries does something to a person. It's inevitable. That particular night, the one in Mesopotamia, Makkari was restless. She felt like she hadn't run enough that day, despite fighting deviants for a good few hours. She felt like she had to move, get her energy flowing, perhaps steal a few jewels from certain men she was not overly fond of.

The town they currently reside in was humble. No city, but it was prosperous, perhaps on the rise of becoming something great. Makkari would possibly return in seventy years to see what's become of it.

People would let them stay in homes or inns for free sometimes after saving their lives. Makkari was always grateful to accept their offers. This time they had decided to stay in an inn, each room for themselves. Well, except for Sersi and Ikaris. Since getting married, they've done most of everything with each other, including sharing the same bed each night.

Makkari was almost envious of that. Sersi and Ikaris were utterly infatuated with each other, able to go to sleep with the same person each night. Makkari wanted that. She used to not care if she never would, that it was okay if she didn't, but now Makkari wasn't so sure. Being forced to watch how happy Sersi and Ikaris were made her realize she could have the same thing. The same thing with Druig, if she wanted. If he wanted.

Druig was undoubtedly her best friend, the Eternal she had the most profound connection to. She could come to him about practically anything, and he always let her. Sometimes she caught herself wishing there was something more, however. She thinks he felt the same way, but she could never be sure. Perhaps that's why she was restless, why she felt like she needed to run. Running was her distraction, a way for her to live without stress.

So she ran. Well, she was about to. She'd discovered it's never a good idea to run in a wooden building such as this one. Too many people wake up, resulting in too many angry people. Plus, she always left marks on wood. Innkeepers didn't take that lightly.

She was walking past doors, glancing at the ones she knew her family slept within. It was late, and everyone should be asleep. Makkari should be sleeping.

She was walking, not paying attention to much of anything, when suddenly a strong, aggressive vibration reached her feet. She paused, turning her head to the source of the noise. It was the room Druig stayed in.

She paused, stepping slightly closer to the door, placing her hand against the wooden frame. The vibration was strong, nothing soft that made her think it was no big deal. She waited, thinking perhaps it was nothing, and she was overthinking it. He could just be waking up, walking around perhaps.

Again, the same violent ricochet of sound that shook Makkari's hand. This time, it was followed by something else. The vibration she recognized in the people who were terrified of the Deviants. It had to be a scream, a call for help. She recognized it, always using this vibration to find those who needed her help the most.

Makkari threw open the door, praying it was nothing. When she stepped in, the first thing she saw was Druig jerking around in his bed. His sheets were a mess of things, his pillow, his mattress, and himself coated in sweat as his head moved from side to side. He was saying something, something Makkari couldn't make out, but at one point, he had to have screamed it as Makkari watched the way his head thrashed back and forth.

Makkari was moving immediately. She jumped onto his bed, hands holding his shoulders still. She shook him, trying to shake him away. His thrashing didn't stop, and Makkari was afraid he would somehow launch her or himself off the bed. Makkari quickly placed her hand on his head, stroking his sweaty hair out of his face, trying to calm him down instead. She stroked his forehead until his trashing finally diminished. She kept her hand on his forehead, not willing to let him go just yet.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and shot up, wide awake. He glanced around the room, panting and shaking. When Makkari touched his shoulder to alert him of her presence, he flinched slightly. Then he saw her, and suddenly his tense shoulders under her hand seemed to relax. He looked at Makkari, his expression still wide in shock, as the remnants of whatever dream he just had remained.

"It's me. It's just me," she signed. "You're okay, Druig."

Druig eyes searched between hers, eyebrows furrowed as his mouth opened in a paused shock. He looked so much younger in the moment, more scared, more troubled than she's ever seen him before. It broke her heart to see.

Then he lowered his head, a small tear falling down his cheek. He shut his eyes, suddenly leaning forward, almost falling into Makkari. Immediately, Makkari pulled him close. His forehead rested against hers as she grabbed the back of his neck with her hand. Her thumb rubbed over his nape, his hands finding their way towards her arms, gripping them like he was afraid to let go.

She could feel his breath against her mouth, the way it began to slowly even out as he rested against her. She didn't stop rubbing his neck or his back until he was still, no longer shuddering with each breath. Only then did Makkari pull away, only so she could say something to him. She wouldn't have otherwise.

"Please stay," he said, beating her to it.

Makkari stared into his eyes. He looked at Makkari almost desperately after he asked like he was afraid she'd say no. Maybe he was, but Makkari already knew her answer.

She just nodded. Druig took a deep breath like he was relieved she'd said yes. He looked down again, closing his eyes tightly like he was purging his mind of the last memories of the dream. At that moment, Makkari grabbed the back of his head, leaned forward, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Her lips lingered for a moment, ignoring the way his forehead was still coated in a bit of sweat, only wanting to comfort him. When she pulled away, he buried his head into her neck. They stayed like that for a while, Makkari more than happy to.

Makkari ended up holding him that night. He was basically hugging her, arms around her waist, head buried into her chest as the pair laid on their sides. Makkari ran fingers through his dark hair, lulling him asleep, not willing to fall asleep herself until she knew he could dream that night without screaming.

When he was asleep, Makkari swore it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her long life.

Makkari suddenly wasn't restless. She relaxed, untensed in the same way she hoped he was. With him in her arms, keeping her still, she could rest and focus on the one thing with her right now. For that one night, it was her job to protect him, and she'd do it unquestionably. She always would.

In the thousands of years she's known him, she's never been one not to share her opinions with Druig. She shared everything, from the bad to the good. He was her first friend, her best friend. She had to say something to him. He always listened, opening himself for her like the good person he was.

But this one thing, the secret that started in her stomach, traveling to her chest, her head, until it overwhelmed her like waves crashing over each other, was something she couldn't seem to say out loud.

However, watching Sersi and Ikaris made her think that perhaps she could have that too. She was allowed to be happy.

Makkari usually wasn't nervous, but she was pacing the Domo right now, thinking perhaps a little too much. Phastos told her she could be an overthinker, which she hadn't believed until the very moment. She definitely was overthinking. She loved Druig, and she knew he loved her. Makkari also knew that the pair of them probably knew it went something a little beyond that. They were closer than most of the Eternals, the exception perhaps being Sersi and Ikaris. Still, they weren't friends like Sprite and Kingo were, nor did they have the same connection between Thena and Gilgamesh. Makkari believed what they had was something different, not better in any way. Just different.

She hoped it was enough for her to tell Druig she was in love with him.

Well, she would get to it if Makkari ever stopped pacing the Domo. Thankfully, Ajak was there to ask her what she was doing.

"Pacing," she signed, feet still turning and walking seemingly without her mind telling them to

"Yes, but why?" Ajak chuckled

”I’m nervous.”

“About?”

Makkari finally stopped. She paused, facing Ajak, sighing as if defeated. Ajak seemed to straighten her back.

"Do you think it was hard for Ikaris to tell Sersi he was in love with her?"

Ajak, surprisingly, smiled. Makkari turned her head, confused by her reaction. Ajak walked the distance between the two, placing one hand on Makkari's shoulder. Ajak looked at Makkari fondly, a twinkle in her eye Makkari had come accustomed to seeing.

"I think," she began, pausing as she lowered her head to decrease the difference between Makkari and herself. "That each great love is different. No story is the same, which is why you should do what you believe is right."

Makkari glanced from her lips to her eyes when she finished. She was smiling, and Makkari no longer felt the need to stress. She no doubt knew it was about Druig. Makkari could tell by her face, her knowing look. Of course, Ajak knew. She knew everything about them and usually was correct in her assumptions. That is why Makkari didn't take her advice for granted.

Makkari hugged Ajak, maybe too quickly as Ajak stumbled slightly. Ajak hugged her back, and Makkari realized why it was so easy to talk to her.

Makkari let go, nodding at Ajak before speeding off to find Druig.

The Domo was not a vast space, at least for Makkari, so finding him was easy. Where she found him wasn't where she expected. He was standing in the room where they had first met each other. Makkari remembered it like it was yesterday. She had woken up, and the first person she saw was him. He had been confused at the time, distant, like he was afraid to speak to anyone. Makkari approached him immediately. She introduced herself, the first thing she noticed about him were his eyes. So blue and bright, the opposite of her own. She would look into those eyes often for centuries after, still always in awe of them.

Right now, he stood with his hand behind his back, staring out into space. They weren't on Earth right now. The giant planet and its land were in the corner of the giant window that allowed them to look out. He didn't seem to notice her walk beside him, but she knew him better than that.

"It's beautiful," he said after she had been beside him a few moments.

Makkari glanced from his lips to view in front of them. It was beautiful, but Makkari found there was something even more so that she gravitated towards.

Now or never, Makkari.

”Druig.”

Druig finally turned to look at her. Makkari breathed in slowly as she finally met his gaze.

"You know I love you, right?"

Druig smiled, turning his whole body around to face Makkari. He was slow and deliberate in his motion, much too slow for Makkari's liking. It made her heart race just a little.

"Of course," he said. "I love you too."

Makkari felt her heart stutter at his words. He had that power over her, one she had given him. Of course he loved her. She knew that, but she had to know if it could be anything beyond the relationship they'd forged over their thousand years together.

Makkari raised her hand, pausing for a moment. Druig raised his chin slightly, patient and waiting. The stars that shone just beside his head illuminated his face, distracting Makkari for a moment.

"You're my oldest friend. My best friend," she began. She had to take a deep, confident breath before finishing. "I've loved you for so long I think that line that distinguishes love between...another kind of love, has been blurred."

Makkari's heart was racing. Druig eyes seemed to pierce her, digging into her like a knife, like she was the only thing that existed in his eyes. A star in a sky of black.

"What I'm trying to say is-"

"Makkari."

Makkari paused. She hadn't noticed the way Druig had moved closer, so close his clothes could brush against her hands, close enough for her to feel the warmth his body radiated. He looked down at her, but not to be intimidating, but rather to welcome her in. Makkari felt the way she immediately felt closer to him, in the way he had approached her, letting her enter the space he kept to himself.

His facial features were soft as he looked down at Makkari. She felt utterly safe under that gaze.

"Makkari," he repeated. Her name against his lips was something she would never get tired of. "My beautiful, Makkari."

Slowly, he raised his hand until it cupped the side of Makkari's face. She allowed it, immediately relaxing into his touch. His hand on her face was a surprise, a shock against her skin, but one she readily accepted.

His thumb brushed against her cheek, and Makkari unconsciously leaned farther into his space. He let her.

"You're the only thing in all of humanity I've loved more than anything else. Nothing else can compare."

Makkari felt a thousand things at the moment; relief, exasperation, excitement, but most of all, absolute bliss. She smiled brightly, eyes finding a place on his face to look. They landed on his lips, and then Makkari did something she'd only imagined doing in her dreams.

She leaned in closer, feeling his nose brush softly against hers first, then the feel of his lips on hers. Soft, warm, comforting. That's what they were, and the kiss was nothing she could have ever dreamed of as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in close so no space existed between the two. Druig returned just as eagerly, hands moving to her waist, encompassing her in a manner she wished he'd always kiss her in. She melted against him, forgetting where they were as the man she loved welcomed her in the most intimate way she could have imagined.

She was the star, and he was the black. He welcomed her in like he was starving, and she lit up the sky he kept too dark.

+ 1

"You're gonna have to kill me."

Those words were the last she'd ever see him speak for centuries. She stood back, the trauma from the war, from Thena's illness far too close and inflicting for anyone to stop him.

She should have stopped him, and maybe she could have? After all, she loved him, but he was walking away, and she just watched.

She shared one look with him before he left them. She, in her desperateness and agony, silently begged him to stay. But Druig was broken. His power, which was enough to stop them, was being held back by them all, by their mission. He was right when he said none of them could understand what that was like.

If only he'd told her. She'd seen it getting worse, his faith in Arishem, in their mission, but she just laid next to him and kissed him, unsure how to make him see. All she knew how to do was love him, and she had. Oh, how she loved him and loved him and loved him, and he had loved her just as equally. She knew him better than anyone.

But Druig left, and Makkari knew that the pain he had been letting fester for decades was now breaking him.

He had left, and Makkari let him. Maybe if he'd talked to her, or if she'd talked to him. Now, It was too late to know. All Makkari could do was watch as Druig walked away, praying to the universe that it would one day allow him to let Makkari back in.

She was his light, and his world had gotten too dark.