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'I have a surprise for you.'
Those were words Druig had never expected to hear from Makkari. He had tried to dig into her for more information but she was terribly good at avoiding his persistence. She told him nothing more beyond the grin she wore despite his sweet attempts of coaxing an answer out of her. He would ask the same question in the most creative manners possible but ultimately, his question was simply 'What is it?' She had seen it all before and being perfectly immune, she ignored his pestering without an ounce of trouble. It was easy to swoon him with a smile and she knew all too well that he would never force her to anything. In addition to that, she knew that he would never use his abilities on her. The occasion of a surprise was incredibly rare for the both of them, whether they were on the giving or receiving end, which made up for Druig's constant nagging all day. However, nothing was going to break Makkari's resistance. She had worked very hard to keep the secret and she wished to make this as special as possible, though, the temptation of telling him much sooner was nipping at her.
Soon enough, the wait for the both of them was over. Druig's dramatic fiasco hardly lasted an hour as Makkari was kind enough to cut the wait short for the sake of his patience, or lack of it. Tugged by the arm, he followed her eagerly through the corridors of the Domo to one of many identical rooms. Makkari seemed excited to show him this 'surprise' but what was most touching was the fact that this surprise was specifically for him. Who knew such a simple gesture could make him feel so elated? Whatever it was she had in store for him, he would treasure it so dearly. As dearly as he cared for his beautiful Makkari.
Upon arrival, Makkari left his side to retrieve what she had come for and with her abilities, it did not take long, much to his thanks. In seconds, she was by his side again with a wooden box in hand. It was a plain one made with polished oak and the silver clasps that held it together was far from grand. It did not take a genius to identify the dollar-store box but something about it felt endearing. He much preferred anything that had nothing to do with the history that Makkari collected within the Domo. Had it been a box that housed the grandest of jades from China, he doubted it would be anywhere nearly as special as this box from Target, as indicated by the price tag that had been left at the bottom. Despite it's appearance, Makkari did attempt her best at decorating it nicely to make it presentable and it was done by slapping a clumsily made bow in a corner with his name written on a card. It was personal enough and he quite liked her craftsmanship.
He could not hide the chuckle that bubbled in his chest as he examined the box, taking in every little detail of it. With the box held out to him, Druig accepted it gratefully. Just as he was about to give it a light shake, as one would do upon receiving a gift, Makkari slapped his wrist and gave him a light scowl.
"Must you do that?" she signed, a brow raised at him questioningly.
"It's an instinct," Druig explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, but his tone was light-hearted. "I figured it would be a good clue for my guess."
Makkari tutted and rolled her eyes playfully. "You can just open it and see what's inside."
"Thank you for your advice," Druig sighed, signing the 'thank you' with a small smirk.
Without a moment to waste, Druig flicked the clasp open and opened the lid of the box slowly at first for a good peep before flopping it open entirely. Inside was a red velvet cloth draped over what he assumed was the actual content that sat on top of something slightly alleviated, as though it were on display like a piece of jewelry. There was nothing quite like a dramatic flair in a simple box. Pinching the cloth, he removed it to reveal the surprise and he swore his heart leapt into his throat. He released a breath he did not realize he was holding and a fond smile stretched upon his lips. The whirl of feelings that overcame him were a lot to take in. The first thing he felt was relief for not shaking the box and the very second was euphoria.
He picked it up delicately, a beautifully made ring that gleamed against dark red, and took just a moment to study it before slipping it on. It was made entirely out of white gold, topped with a red crystal that matched the color of Makkari's red armor. It fitted perfectly. He turned to look at Makkari who was beaming with pride and she held up her hand to show off her identical one. It was the very same but the only difference hers bore was the crystal. Instead of red, it was black. Druig did not have to ask to know of its symbolism.
"Surprise~"
He was stumbling over his words like a fool already but his demeanor stayed strong, balancing dangerously on stilts. "Where did you get these?" He asked, jaw slackened slightly in awe.
"I had Phastos make it. I got the materials myself and I wrote out a plan for it," Makkari answered, her smile only growing.
"Does it do anything?"
"Absolutely. It connects us both to each other."
Moving closer to Druig, she cupped her hands around the the crystal of the ring and beckoned him to take a small peek into the dark. Through the gap between her fingers, Druig could see a string of light pointing from his crystal to Makkari's ring. When she pressed her knuckle to his, the lines of light met in the middle, emitting a brighter glow than it did before. Druig tried to move his hand to divert the direction of the light but it seemed to find its way back to meet Makkari's. It was terribly fascinating.
"If we lose each other, we'll always find our ways back," Makkari added with a gentle smile. "We won't have to wait 7000 years to meet again."
"This is..." Druig was at a loss for words. "It's wonderful, Makkari. It's beautiful and fantastic. It was also very thoughtful of to think of this. Thank you..."
Satisfied, Makkari drew him into a hug and pressed a kiss to his cheek. His mood was only improving from there and he could not resist embracing her tightly. He murmured another 'thank you' into her shoulder. Another 7000 years without Makkari? He could not bear to think of it. People often said that immortality gave time little value but with the lifestyle he had come to adapt to, every second mattered and each one bore meaning whenever he was around her. He was grateful to have the blessing of having all the time in the universe to be with the one he so cared for and loved. There was nothing more he could ever ask for.
As they pulled away, Makkari did the honors and slipped the ring onto Druig's index finger that matched her own. He took a moment to admire the work, wriggling his fingers in the light to glorify his newest addition while Makkari watched on with glee. He would never take it off, unless circumstances called for its removal for safekeeping.
They would never have to suffer in the absence of each other anymore.
A direction that pointed them towards each other was a good reminder that they would always have someone. Should they every be apart, it was just a matter of following the path and until their ends met.